Fried Cheese Curds and the Culinary Delicacies of Wisconsin

After a morning of Chicago traffic, we were ready for a stop. We were a few minutes outside of Madison when Pam sent out the tweet, “hey, we’re heading past Madison, anyone want to tweetup?” We were ready for a break and wanted an excuse to head into town. And…well we had such a great time meeting up with Thomas Ritchie via the Twitter in Iowa, we wanted to do it again.

Kathleen Perry aka Nomad Chicken came to the rescue. She was not only excited to meet us, but she was totally ok that we wanted to meet in the next twenty minutes. Not only did she treat us to a quick walking tour of downtown Madison, she also dished some great stories of her family’s recent four month trip to SE Asia and she gave us the most important advice of all…what to eat before we leave Wisconsin.

We Heart Iowa

You may remember reading that someone told us Iowa was boring. Instead of heeding their warning and putting the peddle to the metal, we did the exact opposite. We took it slow, we met people, we took the back roads and were bound and determined to see the best that Iowa had to offer….in about 24 hours.

Our first stop was meeting with Thomas Ritchie, whose good natured attitude and advice convinced us that Iowa was not this boring place the rest of America likes to ignore. So, we set off into the land of cornfields and exited the maze with a newfound appreciation for the place.

We’d seen a lot of dramatic landscape on this trip and I had deemed myself the expert on when America got ugly. I won’t lie, I was poised and ready to announce this in Iowa. How exciting could it be to look at corn for miles and miles? Boy, was I wrong. The rows of corn formed formed weaving, textured patterns, enveloping everything around us. We were in the maze and we were happy to be there. It was green, it was alive, and you felt like you were in the midst of what was keeping America alive. (Albeit, through high fructose corn syrup, but I digress.)

I’ve also been enthralled with wind turbines this trip, there’s just something about those big white wings against a blue sky. I think they look their best in Iowa where they stretch across the horizon as far as the eye can see.

We also had some of the best camping we had on this trip. It was quiet, picturesque, and smack in the middle of a state park. We caught a beautiful sunset, an awesome lightening storm and watched the night fade into a sea of fireflies.

And we met super nice people in Iowa at both ends of the state. Thomas whetted our appetite and Bob of Jitterz Coffee sealed the deal. He taught Pam how to make her first latte, an important skill for a Seattlite to know. He also let us hang out in his shop in Dubuque for far too long, kept us caffeinated, fed, and connected to the outside world. As far as niceness goes, Iowa gets our vote for the nation’s nicest people.

And, we saw kittens. Who can’t love a place where kittens are just hanging out by the gas station?

Crowdsourcing the Local Experience

Some might argue that the internet should be cast aside when you’re out exploring the world. Talk to locals they say, get a sense of what’s going on where you are and leave the internet behind. Striking up a conversation with a stranger can often tell you a lot about the place or the traveler. Heck, we wouldn’t have learned that the Ponderosa Campground was the best bet from an elderly man with crazy eyebrows sitting outside the closed Visitors Center in Cody, Wyoming or that the local pastimes of Iowa were “farming and drinking beer” if we hadn’t shared a table with two twenty somethings from Des Moines.

But on this trip, we’ve also embraced the internet and its random chatting abilities. Whether it be via twitter or the WonderMap, we’ve asked for a lot of help for along the way. And while, we wholeheartedly approve of getting to know the locals, we just don’t think you need to drop virtual interaction from the equation.

The virtual and real world advice collided yesterday when we stopped for a lemonade in Sioux City and met up with Thomas Ritchie of SD Explorer and Online Director of the Sioux City Journal. He found us on twitter and sent Peter a message offering to meet us in Sioux City and share his knowledge of local history with us. We took him up on the offer.

Thomas painted a picture for us of Sioux City’s history from its roots as little Chicago to its modern day plight. (A fine for indoor furniture used outdoors is one the current issues pressing the city council.) Some notable historical facts on Sioux City include it’s place in history as the only place where a member of Lewis and Clark’s expedition team died and the fact that it had a fully functioning red light district until the mid 1990s. We learned that local celebrities include Ann Landers, Beaver Cleaver, and the guy who puts someone’s hand into a blender in Children of the Corn. We also learned a bit more about Iowan pastimes, including the annual bike ride through Iowa or Ragbrai (Register’s Annual Grand Bike Ride Across Iowa), that we might run into along our route across the state. A moving party of bicyclers and those who like to follow, Ragbrai exudes the Midwest spirit where locals open their yards for the night for impromptu parties, camping, and dining al fresco. He tells us there’s good food to be had at Ragbrai, including the legendary Mr. Pork Chop, who serves the pork chop on a stick and who’s dinner call can be heard for miles. (It’s really unbelievable, check out a video clip of him here.) We lamented that our route would probably take us elsewhere, but that didn’t leave Thomas without ideas. He reminded us that he had pointed out a few spots on the WonderMap, including the tiny town of Monroe, Wisconsin. He had barely uttered the phrase “beer and cheese” for the three of us to begin plotting out an alternate route. And we’ve awakened this morning to find ourselves headed to Monroe. Route altered, fond memories made, and the reaffirmation that we love twitter for travel.

The Last Time I Was in Yellowstone: Day Three on the Road

We packed up and headed out of the Big Sky Resort this morning and after an adequate breakfast in West Yellowstone (two adequate breakfasts for Peter, he wasn’t taking any chances with …..) and headed into Yellowstone. I was the only one in the car that hadn’t been. But Pam, Peter, and perfect strangers had loads of stories to tell and the phrase “the last time I was in Yellowstone” was a popular phrase today. Almost as popular as Yellowstone itself.

Memories included, the last time I was in Yellowstone….
Old Faithful seemed a whole lot bigger.
the visitors center was over there.
I saw a huge stuffed buffalo.
we met an Indian kid on his way to university in Fargo, North Dakota.
we couldn’t sleep all night because of loud, amorous elk.

So, I stared to wonder, what are my memories of Yellowstone going to be? Now that the day is complete, and we’re resting comfortably at our campsite in Cody, Wyoming I’ve got a few of my own to share.

The last time I was in Yellowstone…
I saw my first buffalo.
I was mesmerized by the aquamarine pools of water, steam vents, and geyers.
I got sprayed by a geyser.
I met five high school friends in coordinating pastel, cowboy hats.
I shot campy videos at the Continental Divide sign.
I stood atop hot, stinky sulpher on the shore of Yellow Lake.
I saw a lone sailboat on the lake.
I couldn’t stop taking photographs of big blue skies dotted with near perfect clouds.
I saw meadows flooded in a sea of red, yellow and purple wild flowers.

One thing for sure, there will certainly be a chance for me to utter the phrase “the last time I was in Yellowstone” because I will be back. Have a favorite memory of your last time in Yellowstone, we’d love to hear it. Leave us a comment!

Camping for Dummies

I have a confession, I haven’t been in a tent since I was ten. And I hated it. But, I was young and in an uninspiring park in an uninspiring part of the country (Maryland.) But the great outdoors, it’s really one of the most beautiful parts of the United States and I haven’t seen nearly enough of it. I’ve spent my adult life as a city girl, immersed in art museums, cafes and architecture. I hadn’t given it much thought until I picked myself up and moved to the Pacific Northwest. And now, smack in my face, is really, beautiful stuff. Mt. Rainier, Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands to just name a few. So, this roadtrip is an educational trip of sorts, to beef up on my outdoorsy skills and hopefully not drive Pam and Peter crazy with my inane questions.

So, in attempt to not drive them crazy before we leave, I’m asking you, internets, what does one pack when they go camping? I’m not talking about basic gear like tents, sleeping bags, etc (REI has got us covered) but what about those personal items that keep you sane on a trip? And what the heck should I be leaving at home? (*Disclaimer* I’m a light packer, I just spent three weeks in Italy with only a backpack that I carried on the plane. So, no worries, I won’t be packing high heels, multiple changes of clothes or obscene amounts of makeup.)

Travels with Kelly

So, I’m throwing my hat in the ring to get all things annoying out in the open. Here are just a few things about me that may make me the not so ideal travel buddy.

1. I’m not a morning person. It doesn’t mean I can’t wake up early, but my not quite awake personality is that of a pissed off angry bear who hasn’t eaten in three weeks. My Dr. Jekyll, if you will. The problem is I don’t remember what that personality does, and when I wake up I’m perfectly fine, happy, in a darn good mood even. And, conveniently I’ve forgotten all those not nice things I may have said when half asleep. So, warning Peter and Pam, wake me up at your own risk.
2. I’ve been told I snore. I’m only sharing this because a reliable source has told me it’s a problem. I’m not convinced it’s actually true. And considering point 1, you’ll probably fall asleep before me and avoid it all together.
3. I’m a damn good navigator. I can read a map and I’m proud of it. I also do not like sharing said map with lesser skilled map readers. It annoys me. I’ll try to be nice about it, but an eye roll may occur.
4. I overthink things. Which leads to difficult decision making at times. Sometimes, I need an outside force to just say, OK forget what makes the most sense, we’re doing THIS. I’ll oblige and be grateful.
5. I can’t drive stick. I wish I could, but I never learned. I don’t know if you like your transmission or not, but I’m pretty sure if you let me drive your car I’ll destroy it.
6. I like the restaurant on the other side of the road. Blame my father, but a childhood of never stopping at restaurants that were “on the wrong side” has tainted me. God forbid you take a left turn or sit at a light. I’m an adult now and I like to indulge and see how the other half lives.

Alright guys it’s all out in the open (and shared with the world.) Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

No McDonalds on this Trip

Jane & Michael Stern are regulars on NPR’s The Splendid Table, and while I always enjoy listening to their food finds, a friend recently suggested that we check out their food site, Roadfood, before we head out on our adventure. I popped over to check it out and see they just stopped by one of my favorite hometown breakfast haunts The Breakfast Shoppe and sang its praises highly. Plus, they love Top Pot Doughnuts…I’m already convinced these two know their stuff.

This might just become our go-to-guide for greasy spoons and local favorites. I know I love a good diner, I hope my other two companions feel the same.

It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere

One of my favorite things to do on a roadtrip is to sample local flavors, especially when those local flavors come in a pint glass. So when thinking about our cross-country trek I started wondering what great breweries there might be on our path and how I might find them. A single google search and I found an awesome tool, The Beer Mapping Project, which maps out breweries and brewpubs by country, region and city. This is definitely a website I’ll be using in the future.

While, we might not have time to hunt them all down and take the brewery tour, I’m definitely going to be looking for local brews on every menu. Some contenders might be Bozeman Brewing, Crowpeak Brewing, or Raccoon River Brewing Company . Do you have a favorite brewery or beer between Seattle and Chicago? Let us know in the comments.

Our Route