Kayla Goes West!
Overview:
In addition to the continuation of challenges brought on by COVID-19, the summer of 2020 brought with it a change in jobs which required a cross-country move from New York to Washington. I love a good adventure, so with a whole lot of excitement and a little nervousness, I set out. Along the way I traveled through 17 states. In what follows, I will share some stories and pictures from my journey.
Day -1: Packing:
Trust me when I say that although this says "Day" it was a much longer process than a single day! I am extremely grateful for the help my mom and sister did helping me get my stuff all packing into a POD in New York and getting the place I had been living cleaned up. Also thanks to my dad for coming up and taking a load of stuff I wasn't keeping down to Maryland and filling most of the random nail holes I had put in the wall hanging pictures! I'm really bad about remembering to take pictures with people, but here are a few of the POD packing process.
After it was packed, they came and picked it up. In less than 6 minutes, the bulk of my possessions were gone. Here's a video of the POD getting picked up which was really the beginning of this nomadic phase of my life.
Bye Bye Stufffff!
Day 0: Saying "See You Later" to Some Awesome People and an Amazing Place:
Again this is a "Day" that was definitely longer than a single day. I'm incredibly thankful to allof the friends who provided me with places to stay and meals while I spent my final days in New York as a nomad during a pandemic. My inability to remmeber to take pictures with people has lead to there being little evidence of this time, but I hold the memories close. Whether it be playing a bit of tennis, taking a short "hike" to a beautiful spot follwed by a backyard campfire, hanging out on back porches, an Axe Thrower family cookout, spending a day doing life together, sitting around and talking about theology and politics, an impromtu cookout, a breakfast, or hanging out on a deck catching up, every moment was special! I didn't take many picutres of these moments, but here's what I have. And don't worry, we weren't breathing!
Day 0.5: From New York to Maryland & Visiting Home in Maryland:
This was a familiar journey so I didn't take any pictures along the way, but the journey took me through New York, New Jersey, Deleware, and Maryland. After completing the drive, I spent 10 days in Maryland visiting family and places and I love. Oh and eating crabs more than half the days! I got to meet my neice spend a day with my nephew - he loved swimming in the bay, looking out of the blind at Eastern Neck Island's Boardwalk Trail, touching a freshly shed snake skin, looking at minnows and jellyfish, finding the train over and over again, driving the golf cart, and playing with water guns in the backyard (especially shooting himself int he face with the big one!). In addition to fun I also planned out my trip west, cleaned gutters (scratched up my hads a bit), battled stinging things, and finished up some final adulting to get me through the next month or so. Again, not a ton of pictures, but lots of memories! Oh and Happy 4h of July from Santa!
Day 1: From Maryland to West Virginia & Visiting People:
This again was a familiar journey but I pushed myself to take a few pictures along the way of things that stood out to me as particularly beautiful, distinctive, or representative of a place. This journey took me through Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Along the way I got to stop and see two friends from college. One as a great driveway visit and another as an outdoor Panera lunch followed by some parking lot sitting. Again, don't worry, we weren't breathing! As I was driving through Queen Annes County, a roadside bunch of Maryland's state flower, the Black-Eyed Susan, greeted me. The Bay Bridge has always represented a gateway to another world and to adventures away from home. Similarly it has always been there as a greeting welcoming me home because as soon as you cross it you are in a different world, regardless of which side you start on. Today it reresented the beginning of the longest move by way of road trip that I have ever taken on. Crossing the bridge is when it all became real and when familiar songs started having lyrics that struck me in a different way. I wasn't expecting any of this, so it was an interesting ride as I digested it all. At the end of this drive I got some family time with my cousin and her awesome family for the night which was an incredibly welcome break form all of my introsepction!
Day 2: From West Virginia to Illinois & More Visiting:
This drive was also familiar, though definitely less well known that the previous two legs. It was a nice beginning of the unknown. This leg took me through West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. I didn't stop a ton along the way beause it was all familiar. More than anything for this leg I was looking forward to getting Skyline - which was not as good as I remember, blashphemy I know. Turns out that deserted movie theater parking lots make great places to find a tree to take a break fromt he car adn eat under during a pandemic. I stopped and saw John Glenn's home but everything was closed so I didn't see much. There were huge thunderstorms in Indiana. Really the worst weather I encountered the entire trip. Driving through white-out rain is fun especially with the traffic it causes... The wind farms of Indiana have grown a ton since I was last there. As I got close to my home for the night with a friend from grad school - the post changing PhD programs years - I was on Rte 66 for about 100 feet, so my trip was officially a trip west. Songs continued to carry more and different meaning for me throughout this leg, but not as intensely.
Day 3-4: Visiting:
I took my first break from traveling outside of Chicago at my friend's place. We played tennis, went on walks, ate Chicago-Style Pizza (THE BEST), watched Hamilton, made Drunken Noodle, hung out at the pool, and just relaxed. It was so nice to take a break from traveling and just hang out. Plus Hamilton is amazing! And I did some laundry so I could make it the rest of my trip without smelling too bad! Again, don't worry we weren't breathing.
Day 5: From Illinois to Wisconsin & You Guessed It(!) A Little More Visiting:
Today was a short leg only covering the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. It also marked the end of the familiar for my driving. The timing couldn't possibly have been better. It had been almost 5 years to the day since I was in Wisconsin and just 1 day short of 5 years since I had seen the friend from grad school - the pre changing PhD programs years - that I visited. We know the timing so well because it was the eve of her 5th anniversary and the last time I saw her was on a farm in Wisconsin where I was in her wedding. Leading up to that I ended up driving across a chunk of Wisconsin with hundreds if not thousands of yellow daisies in my car. We had discussed how we could supplement the flowers with the beautiful flowers on the sides of the roads if we needed to and I was pleasantly surprised to find Wisconsin's roadside flowers just as beautiful and plentiful as I remembered. I met their two little girls and played with them, we went for a decent length fast walk, we played an intense strategy game, and we just enjoyed eachother's company with great deep and meaningful conversations. It was so good to see them doing so well and so special to wake up at their house on their 5th anniversary to get to wish them a happy one before I got on the road. Again, don't worry we weren't breathing!
Day 6: From Wisconsin to South Dakota & Exploring and (Of Course) Visiting:
This was an incredibly long leg through new (to me) territory. It took me through Wisconsin, Iowa, a tiny corner of Nebraska, and South Dakota. This day really should have been two, but I did it in one. Going through Iowa added a bit of time to the trip, but I have been to Minnesota and I wanted to see Iowa. I'm so happy I went this way. I saw and crossed the Mississippi for the first time not on a plane and not at the headwaters. Now I understand it's "mighty" nickname! I got a beautiful view of the Capitol in Madison before heading getting very far. Of course when you are in Culver's country you have to enjoy a bit of Culver's. It was definitely as good as I remember! I ate my Culver's on the banks of the Mississippi at a campground in Dubuque, Iowa that I would definitely consider staying at in the future. Dubuque seems to have a decent amount of interesting things to see and do when it isn't a pandemic. A little way through Iowa I saw a sign for a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Having wanted to be an architect for a brief moment in life and always having appreciated his style I figured I would stop to stretch my legs and hopefully see the outside of the house at least. So off I went on a gorgeous walk from a parking area near a visitor center (that I didn't even check to see if was open) on a path through a meadow full of flowers and butterflies. I got to the house and was walking around looking at the outside of it when the tour guide who had just finished a tour asked me if I was walking and if I wanted to go through the house really quick. That's how I ended up with a private tour of Cedar Rock. I explored the boat house and was getting ready to start the walk back (about a mile) when the tour guide told me to hop on the wagon and she'd give me a ride. There weren't many people so we were all really spaced out, so I took the ride on a wagon pulled by a John Deere tractor in Iowa. Perfection! The most complicated gas pump I had ever seen was also located in Iowa and I did spend a bit of time reading it. I thought I'd take a picture since we make fun of mom when she feels the need to read the pump. I felt rushed in my corner of Nebraska and through Eastern South Dakota. I now consider myself having gone to Nebraska, but I also think I need to go back to actually geta sense for it. Eastern South Dakota also deserves another visit so I can see the Laura Ingalls Wilder house (and the Corn Palace). Finished the day at the house of one of my brother's best friends from high school. It was really good to see him again and meet his family.
Day 7: From South Dakota to Wyoming and Back Again:
Today's leg got me from Central South Dakota to Western South Dakota. All in all, I didn't go very far, but I got to see two National Parks and a NAtional Monument all in one day. Not long after getting on the road for the day I crossed the Missouri River. It is incredle! I headed across and explored Badlands National Park. I hope to go back some day. It was too crowded to explore much during a pandemic and at the same time the hiking seemed like it was not great for solo hiking with the footing being pretty slippery with some big consequences for falls with all of the loose gravel on really solid ground. Someday I will return and explore more! The stripes in the rock were incredible and the rock formations were amazing. I got to see some long horn sheep and several prairie dogs. Then I headed towards Devil's Tower with a brief detour to Wall Drug because I had been passing signs for it since before South Dakota. Again, I think it is a place that I would appreciate more not during a pandemic. It really reminded me of South of the Border. Devil's Tower was awesome with some nice trails. I took the shortest trail so I would be closest to the tower. I think it would be fun to take some of the other trails sometime. I saw a lot more prairie dogs there and some really bright red rock. I finished the day driving to Elk Mountain Campground in Wind Cave National Park. Jewell Cave National Monument was along my way and it was closed due to the pandemic, but I think it looks worthy of a visit in the future. With campsites like the one I had out there listening to Elk Bugle at Dusk and Dawn, I found myself wondering how hotels have any business during the summer. I really enjoyed this day exploring the Black Hills!
Day 8: South Dakota:
This was my second break along the way. I spent the day exploring the Black Hills. I started the day by seeing a bison for the first time when it was hanging out right by the road just outside Wind Cave National Park. After stopping to watch it for a bit, I continued on to Mount Rushmore. I was goingto stop at Crazy Horse but after finding out that most of what was there required being inside or on a bus with others I decided to continue on without stopping. Hopefully next time! I hiked the presidential Trail at Mount Rushmore and I'm really glad I did because it got me all kinds of different views of the carving and made me appreciate how massive of an undertaking it was even more. From there I went to Horse Thief Lake to try to hike a trail there. After setting out on what I was sure was the trail, it fizzled out. Instead of going back to try to find the real trailhead again, I decided to scramble up to a highpoint and enjoy the view it offered shown in the panorama below. I also found some massive hunks of rose quartz which were awesome to look at. From there I headed towards Wind Cave National Park to do some hiking. The weather was threatening so I went on a short hike to the natural entrance of the cave and checked it out. Going down in the cave is shutdown right now due to a broken elevator and the pandemic. Then I drove over to hike the Rankin Ridge Trial. It offered some great views of the Black Hills and was a fun hike! with Prairie Cone Flowers and even a Cactus to look at along the way. Then I headed back to Elk Mountain Campground and set up to weather a pretty intense storm that was going to come through overnight. When it blew in some rain earlier than I was expecting it I managed to lock the keys in the car in my haste to get things put away so I could get in my tent of the night. I met some great people who really helped me out with getting to cell phone service and a great AAA service person who was a potato farmer who told me one of the neatest days of his life was when he was planting potatoes in the Maryland area and plated in four states all in the same day. He couldn't remember what all those states were though. I managed to stay relatively dry and warm so all was well in the end. I love the random people you meet when you find yourself in tricky situations. I love the Black Hills and hope to go back to explore more in the future!
