PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

You may have noticed throughout our trip across this country

over every mountain, river and stream

as we’ve marveled at all her beauty 

there’s been an underlying theme.

With every mile we drove…every step we walked

we quickly began to understand…

no matter where we go in this country

there is an indigenousness to the land.

Everywhere we traveled we found stories

of indigenous legends, of their cultures…of their giving

of those who were here long before we came to colonize 

and destroy their way of living

Across this country we have crossed innumerable indigenous remains

from Seattle, Washington all the way to Indian Harbor, Maine.

(In case you’re wondering…Indian Harbor…the last name that I dropped

was the original name of Corea, Maine…the last place that we stopped.)

And it saddens us to think how different our world would be

If it could have been designed…

with the indigenous knowledge, legends and folklore

we so callously left behind

There is sill hope for our country…we believe

still time to change…to understand

but to do this 

first…

we must stop…and listen

to the indigenousness of the land

We ran the numbers on our 48 day Great Northern Road trip…all our flying, driving and floating around…

The final tabulation is in…and here is what we found!

We had to run these numbers twice because after the first time we were amazed

that we actually logged 11,300 miles in those 48 days.

We flew the first 3,100 miles from Tampa to Seattle 

drove our Kia Soul 6,800 miles more from Seattle all the way to Maine.

The last 1,400 miles was a flight from Bangor to St. Pete (Hey, we just realized we were never on a train!)

We stayed in 26 different hotel, motels and Air B & Bs.

Our path on this road trip was anything but straight

as we crossed 4 provinces in Canada and 10 of these United States.

And though we  didn’t see all of them …from an App on our phone we heard…

all along this road trip…125 different birds.

We saw 2 grizzly bears (one with two babies in tow) 

from our car where they were a safe distance away to see

and the same goes for a Momma black bear and her 3 cub family.

We took 3 ferry rides…rode in 1 ship without any sails

on the Puget Sound where we were blessed to see 3 gigantic whales.

We visited 2 basilica’s…their beauty was a feast for our eyes…

and we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention we ate 7 Whoopie pies.

We saw 1 lift bridge, went on 1 carriage ride..and had 1 cracked windshield…which we kept driving with after getting over our initial fear…

We met one 80 year old worm digger whose been digging worms for 53 years

We saw every kind of tree imaginable, Aspen, oak, elm, Hemlock and spruce

and if you happen to be keeping count…no…we never saw a moose.

But as we think back and try to come up with all theses different amounts

there are so many things we’ve seen that we long ago lost count

Incalculable mountains, lakes, rivers, streams…endless roads both hilly and flat

countless deer, mountain goats, long horned sheep…and compliments on my hat

A myriad of lovely people we have met, and all the wonders we have seen

from Tampa back to St. Pete…and all those places in-between.

When we add them all together…all the wonders, all the people…It’s quite easy for us to see…

each time we count…as we remember more and forget a few…they will add up differently.

But we’re content and happy knowing…when adding everything we experienced in 11,300 miles

the sum will always be the same…2 enormous smiles.

 The final leg of this journey…the last 50 miles that remained

took us from the city Bangor to the town of Corea, Maine.

On the way we stopped at Pat’s for pizza and Helen’s for blueberry pie…

(our first two stops today along the road)

where the pizza was delicious…and the pie was a-la-mode.

As always we stopped so Deborah could take pictures…

(one her favorite times of day is dawn). 

We even paused at an old barn where there was an art show going on.

We lingered there a while…because some of these artists really rock!

but what kept us there the longest is how New Englanders love to talk.

Everyone we met was happy to talk about their vacations 

once they heard about ours.

Why I even had a conversation with man who parked the cars.

After all our stopping to eat…to take pictures, to visit…to see the sights

we reached our cottage in Corea…where we’ll spend the next 4 nights. 

This is the 26th different place we’ve stayed…with 26 different hosts…

and we thought what better way to end our trip 

than in a fishing village on the coast.

When one of the ladies in the Art Barn heard we were going to Corea

she told us to be forewarned…

She said the legend is that Corea is the place where fog is born.

And sure enough as our last stay in an Air B & B was about to begin 

once we entered Corea…the fog was rolling in

So it seems we’ll have 4 nights to enjoy the fog…

4 nights to relax…

4 nights to be lost in thought..

4 nights to sit back and try to remember parts of this trip 

at our age…we’ve already forgot.

 We needed one more day in Bangor for three simple reasons why…

to see Stephen King’s House, take a photo with Paul Bunyan 

and to eat the first of many a Whoopie Pie.

At Stephen King’s house our photo was taken by Molly a three year old girl

because it is our objective…

as we grow ever older never to lose sight of a child’s perspective.

Next it was on to the a 31 foot high statue of Paul Bunyan

where he stands taller than some trees 

Bangor claims to be his birthplace…

(although Akeley, Minnesota disagrees.) 

Our photo was taken by a man a little older than us…

because it is our objective…

As we grow ever older…to see the world from both perspectives.

Last but definitely not least…is the one reason that remains…

why we’ve driven from Washington and chose to end our trip Maine.

It’s because we’re on a quest…we’ve decided we will try

to search the state of Maine for the perfect Whoopie Pie.

Tomorrow we head even farther east…

after driving our rental car from the farthest west….

which means we have 5 days before heading home

to complete our Whoopie Pie quest.

Our plan is a simple one…without Stephen King here to guide us

on this quest…this journey…this climb…

we’ll face this challenge as Paul Bunyan did his trees…

one Whoopie Pie at at time.

 It was only 120 miles from our motel in New Hampshire to our Air B & B in Bangor’s front door

which means today we had a lot of time for new adventures to explore.

So we took a little detour into the White Mountain National Forest

because all along this trip it seems

we cannot get enough of mountains, forest, rivers, lakes and streams.

Next we stopped at an old covered bridge across the Sunday River. 

Covered bridges are always wonderful to explore…

To stand under the cover and feel the presence of all the people who have crossed these planks before.

Also as we grow older it feels good as we admire every plank and beam and truss

to be in the presence of something…anything 

that is older than the two of us….

Our final stop was in Skowhegan to find the World’s Tallest Indian 

A 62’ statue erected as a tribute to the Abenaki tribe…

The feelings it ’s dedication evokes are a little difficult to describe.

For there on a wooden sign is a beautifully written turn of phrase:

To the Maine Indians…the first people to use these lands in peaceful ways.

When we finally settled in at Bangor…at the end of another beautiful day

I thought how today’s adventures reinforced what we’ve learned along the way:

How we’ve seen nature’s unmatched beauty…acts of divine creation.

and how we find we’re always walking in the footsteps of the original first nation.

And how if we want to build bridges that will last forever and a day

We need to follow in those footsteps 

and do our best to use the land in peaceful ways.

We’ve stayed in a wide variety of places on this long cross country jaunt.

One night we’re in Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City 

the next two nights we’re in a tree house in Vermont.

We’ve gone from a luxury hotel…on the 10th floor of its enormous central tower

to a treehouse with no running water…and…an outdoor shower.

From a bedroom overlooking the St. Lawrence River with a king sized bed so soft….

to a treehouse where we climb a ladder to sleep up in the loft. 

From maids who turned down our sheets each day

and left us popcorn and candy…that we ate!

to no maid service and a bathroom with a toilet…the incinerates

From having a valet who took care of our car

then brought it to us when it was time for us to depart

to driving up a road so steep and rocky…

the only way to make it up was with a running start.

Truth be told on our first attempt…half way up…

our car stopped…although the wheels kept on spinning

(Somewhere up in heaven…the travel gods were grinning)

Determined, however, that this portion of our trip would not be a flop…

we backed down…closed our eyes…hit the gas..and made it to the top!

This is exactly what we wanted when we planned our trip.

When we decided from Washington to Maine we would traverse…

We wanted every stop to be an adventure…and those adventures to be diverse.

Besides…if we weren’t staying in the treehouse…the 21st different stop along our map

we wouldn’t have had ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s…or ate lunch at the Von Trapps.

We would have never taken a shower outside with the birds serenading us from their trees

We would have never heard the Sound of Music wafting on the breeze.

Which means even though some of those amenities and luxuries it lacks

we are just as happy in this treehouse in Vermont

as we were in Le Chateau Frontenac

Today we drove from Quebec City to Vermont and as more and more memories we collect

time together on the road…gives us more time to reflect:

We took a tour of Le Chateau Frontenac it was our last night there to dwell

and with 131 years of history…she has some stories to tell.

One story that we loved…took place years ago…in June

about a young couple who came to this hotel…on their honeymoon.

This young couple stood at the head of this double staircase 

and…wanting to create a memory that was truly theirs

decided to make a wish…while each descended different stairs.

They decides to meet at the bottom…

and ,once their wishes were made, knew they’d be remiss…

If they didn’t take that moment to seal their wishes with a kiss.

So they descended the stairs, made their wishes, 

and after sealing them with a kiss too.

promised never to reveal their wishes to one another…

lest those wishes would not come true.

Skip ahead 60 years…for their anniversary 

their children decided to send them back

to the place where their life together began…Le Chateau Frontenac.

Where at the top of the same double staircase…60 years delayed

they decided to reveal to one another…the honeymoon wishes they had made.

It turns out they both made the same wish…as those 60 yers flashed back…

to make a life together and some day, if they’ were lucky…return to Le Chateau Frontenac.

Today people who are told that story are encouraged to make a wish

while descending the stairs…and not to be remiss…

when they get to the bottom…to meet…and seal their wishes with a kiss.

Deborah and I thought this was a great idea…we descended the stairs,

made our wishes…kissed…even let out a few cheers…

And if you want to know what we wished for…

we’ll meet you at the head of a double staircase in Le Chateau Frontenac

in another 60 years.

Today in North Bay, Ontario we decided to to slow down…to sit around… uncontested

to take it easy and pace ourselves…as our friend Chandra has suggested

We wonder if she was reminding us to pause 

to take tin the beauty that surrounds us….to contemplate…to behold 

or if she was worried we needed to rest because we’re getting old.

For whatever reason…today…for Chandra’s sake

we slept in…then with the sun’s blessing kayaked on the lake.

We paddled around Lake Nipissing…at a slow and easy glide

with a cool breeze on our faces and a family of ducks by our side.

Then we sat on the deck of our cottage…in the shade..a cozy nook

where the only thing we had to do was relax and read a book.

Today…like so many days on this trip…every day to be precise

we’ve looked around at where we are and have said how this is paradise.

From the mountains, rivers, lakes…the plains, the flowers the trees

to the sunrises, sunsets, clouds…every cool morning and afternoon breeze.

What we have discovered…and here I promise to be concise…

is that, at least for us, there will always be…two parts to paradise.

We believe finding paradise on Earth…is not a fantasy or a myth….

It’s a combination of the beautiful places we have been…

and the person we’re sharing them with.

Which means if we’re lucky…and so far this has proven to be true

the where is important to finding Paradise…but not as important as who. 

So thanks you Chandra for your concern…

now that we’ve had enough time to recover

we’ll be back on the road tomorrow…

we have more paradises to discover

Today as we traveled from Michigan into Canada

across the twin cities of Salt Ste. Marie….

on the 300 miles of this journey…we learned a little more history….

The name Canada most likely came from the Huron-Iroquois word Kanata 

meaning village or settlement…

A frenchmen used it to name the entire country 

before the Hurons could tell him exactly what it meant.

We are currently near Lake Ontario which also got it’s name from the Iroquois.

The legend says from an Iroquois chief’s daughter

who when she saw the lake said kandario…which means sparkling water.

We have been on Lake Superior…named Gitchi-Gami by the Ojibwe

this means Big Sea Water…and she is a beautiful lake

In Longfellow’s poem Hiawatha…he called it Gitchi-Gumi by mistake.

We have felt the waters of Lake Michigan…a little boat trip we did take…. 

the Anishinabe called it mishigami …which simply means…big lake

We have driven my Lake Huron another beautiful place to be.

The Wyandot called it karegnondi which roughly translated means

freshwater sea

.

And we spend the next 2 days on Nipissing Lake…meaning little water

A name the Ojibwe chose to keep

because the crystal clear waters of this lake are not so very deep

It seems all around us on this trip…we’ve seen and tried to understand

how we travel over the footprints or on the shoulders

of those who first walked this land.

We have gained a new appreciation…of all they saw

the mountains, the rivers, the lakes…the plains and the buffalo too

of how they lived…of their philosophy…and of all they have gone through,

We offer them our thanks 

we only wish we could go back in time…and change our history….

and we wonder if things had played out differently….

what kind of  beauty in our world the would see.