A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Well the hell with that! I’m going to fly if I have to travel even half the distance. I suffer enough these days. Traveling 500+ miles a week in Atlanta is a brutal punishment for any sane soul and mine is sometimes jaded to the point of h-e double hockey sticks.
Most drivers here don’t use turn signals. Cell phones are distracting folks constantly as is angry loud music that must originate from the anus of the devil. And God forbid you get in the way of some SUV Sam or Sally that has a brood in the back. You may was well buy yourself a James Bond special with artillery and a flame-thrower to deal with that. But then I get to rural Georgia… and boy am I a happy camper.
When you leave Atlanta something amazing happens to people. They become nice. Now every once in a blue moon you’ll see a Jethro with two buck teeth trying to attach his truck’s grille guard to your rear bumper. But otherwise it always seems like folks here take it easy. I know this sounds strange. But when family or friends come to town I go away from Atlanta. There is always something interesting to find when you go off the beaten path. Waterfalls, hiking trails, great BBQ. I’ve found that nearly any small town has enough attractions and distractions to make the trip worthwhile. The only difference is when we park our cars… we start walking and get off the long road for the better part of the day. To me that’s relaxing. How about you?
For me the high point of the previous decade was my 12 mile hike in Canyonlands, in Utah, where I saw a total of six people in six hours and heard not a single sound of civilization. Another great time was the day of the 10 mile walk around Manhattan. I did have to give my then girlfriend a foot rub about every 20 blocks to bribe her to keep going, but it was well worth it.
Around here, if you go for a walk it’s likely to be on trails in the woods, in places like McCormick Park or Banner Forest where you see half a dozen other cars parked when you get there, but walk for an hour or so and don’t see anyone. Right now the trilliums are in bloom.
Steve; Stephanie and I walk between 4 and 8 miles every day: urban hikes that take us from our house through interesting old neighborhoods full of old Curbside Classics and then up to either Skinners Butte, a baby mountain that overlooks downtown Eugene, or up to Hendricks Park, and along the banks of the Willamette River.
Walking is the best way to restore health and sanity. If everyone walked a couple of miles a day, it would be a different country. I’ve even managed to turn it into a profession. I feel very lucky.
I have to thank my parents for that: I grew up doing urban hikes almost daily as a small child. And heading out the door with Stephanie and my camera is the high point of my day. I feel like a kid turned loose on an Easter Egg Hunt. But most Americans have no experience with this, and it’s difficult to change the habits we grew up with. But it’s never too late.
Everything I’m reading here is downright subversive. What kind of Americans are you anyway?
We are all working for the Tea Party in disguise!
Sometimes a teabag is just a teabag.
Absolutely. Get out of Atlanta, off the superslab and into the quieter parts of the state. Georgia has endless possibilities for relaxing day or weekend outings to de-stress and entertain you. I lived in GA for a couple of years during the 70’s and always enjoy returning. My special interest is history. For example, there’s Traveler’s Rest (Jarrett Mansion), an old inn that’s a fascinating tour. Or Starr’s Mill, one of the most photographed scenic points in the state. (I’m partial to these two because I have ancestral ties to them.) The old state capital, Milledgeville, is great for walking. It was laid out to be the capital, with sites designated for the State Prison, State Capitol, State Cemetery and the Governor’s Mansion (now the home of the college president). I liked to point out to my students that the gates of the penitentiary opened onto Liberty Street–which led straight to the cemetery.
It was laid out to be the capital, with sites designated for the State Prison, State Capitol, State Cemetery and the Governor’s Mansion
It actually was the capital for a period and home to what was once the largest insane asylum on the planet.
As a libertarian gun nut American, I loose some cred with friends by taking mini vacations to northeast urban centers. And Toronto is my all time favorite city.
Urban walking is best way (w/ public transport and the occasional cab ride) to see the sights. Drive or fly in – and mostly forget about driving. Even with a garmin, I don’t want the hassles and frustrations of driving in an unknown city.
It’s a shame too many Americans consider it horrific to walk ~10km per day.
It’d be fun to run a post on favorite country drives. Here are my two nominees:
M-119 between Cross Village and Harbor Springs, Michigan. Known as The Tunnel of Trees, the road starts at lake level and then climbs to the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, twisting between stunning lake views and deep woods. It’s about 21 miles. It’s fun to drive it, and I’ve done the ride on my bicycle a few times as well. Adding the leg to Petoskey and then Boyne Falls makes it just about 50 miles and it has some of the hilliest terrain in the Lower Peninsula. I’ve done that by car and by bike and it’s a blast either way.
Another fun drive is a loop east of Copper Harbor way up in the Keweenaw peninsula. Head out of town on Burma Road and loop back on Mandan Rd. Lots of twisties with constantly changing elevations.
When time isn’t pressing, or when the interstate is backed up, I’ll switch to the two lanes. When my son, my only son, whom I love, went the high school in South Bend, I’d take the highway from Detroit through Ann Arbor and just past Jackson, and then I’d switch to M-60 I think it is. It winds through a lot of small towns with charming architecture, Three Rivers, Vandalia. I believe that the area was a terminal point on the Underground Railroad. Former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer is from Cassopolis, also the hometown of Edward Lowe, inventor of Kitty Litter.
You should continue south on 131 to 32 west. 32 is curvy, hilly and lots of room for passing. When you reach East Jordan, take Mill st west to 66 to the Ironton Ferry (Its the worlds shortest ferry ride). When you get off ferry, follow the road all the way around Lake Chalevoix, making stops at Boyne City (My getaway stomping grounds) and Horton Bay (inspiration for Hemingways earliest published stories).
Then there is wine and cherry country further west in the Traverse City area where my sister is at …… and thank you summer is here!!
I’m coming to this area in June to do some photography.
The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Pretty much any stretch of it.
I have a special place 1.5 hrs outside of St. Louis, through a lot of Mustang Foxes on blocks, that’s a real oasis and time goes about 1/4 speed.
Ah the joys of driving in the city. And then getting away from it all on the weekend.
I’m fortunate enough to live about 45min to an 1h15min (depending on traffic) away from Ouro Preto. An old colonial city, very, very well preserved (a humankind heritage site). With interesting sight-seeing all day, barroque churches, museusms, interesting shopping and handcrafts. And at night it goes on, its a university town, so lots of good looking people, bars, and restaurants. Never heard of Mineiro cuisine? Don’t know what you’re missing.
Plus the road to get there is full of curves, ups and downs and has been considered one the 10 best driver’s roads in brazil. But beware of buses and trucks, plus slow, small-engined cars (50% of new car sales in Brazil are made up of cars w/ a 1.0L engines). But it’s double lanes all the way to the city so the problem is minimized.
And no, you won’t get mugged there. Rent a car in the capital, enjoy the road. Park the car when you get there and walk. Anytime is good to visit as the weather there is mild. Though in the austral summer (seasons are opposite in the Southern Hemisphere vis-à-vis the Northern one, but I’m sure you know that) there can be very hot days or stretches of rain that last for a day or two. And in the austral winter it gets cold (by Brazilian standards anyway, 5°C to 10°C at night and in the day time anything between 17°C and 25°C).
And if this sounds like an ad, well this trip is well worth it.
Ditto for leaving Raleigh-Durham. The place is full of pretense and clubby inside baseball b.s. Unless you graduated from “Carolina,” or have a trust fund courtesy of your ‘native’ parents, forget it. Travel the local highway and get tailgated by a car with a “Jesus loves you” sticker on the bumper. Once out of the area, things get real and friendly again.
One of the reasons I chose where my house was, outside of property prices was that it was EASY to get away. I can go the opposite direction of Chicago at rush hour on a week day and there is practically zero traffic.
With that being said, I DO love to get away and take the bike or car (more recently it’s been the bike) up route 41 (next to wetland preservation areas) up into wisconsin, and head out on russel road (wisconsin/illinois border road..heading eastbound, if you turn north you are in Wi, if you turn south, you are in IL) and just take in the scenery. Continuing east & north it’s pretty easy to make a day trip up to the Eastern Wi Peninsula and if you stay next to the lake, it’s all small towns & beautiful scenery. No traffic & no aholes. I think it’s a pretty well kept secret around here.
Another good, pretty easy trip is Sao Jose dos Campos (SP) to Campos do Jordao, SP. Roads are decent (last time I was there), scenery is pretty & you can actually see horses ON the road. Great winding roads going up up up into the (seemingly) clouds. Very relaxing, not a lot of traffic. I’ve done this by 400cc dual sport as well as 1.8L car.
I bought an RV to create the perfect blend of horsepower and “off the beaten path” fun for the whole family.
koa.com is an amazing view into the soul of America. Pick a random campground and look at the “local area”.
There was a time when everybody thought that the obnoxious only lived in places like NYC or Boston, etc. After 9/11 laid bare that city dwellers bleed and are human too, and that the web lets people get real time information from almost anywhere, it became clear that the Northeast urban centers are not the only place where there are more than a few obnoxious a-holes. Nor do they have a lock on congestion and nightmarish commutes. I have experienced the horror of Atlanta at rush hour and it is worse than most of what NYC can dish out. But like NY, get away from the overheated tempers of the commute and you will find some really nice people. A couple of times a year, we drive to different NASCAR events (A blue stater who’s chest is notably larger than his stomach-yeah we stick out big time) and have met some really nice folk on the side roads of America. A few really scary toothless people, too but they don’t ever seem to bother anybody. After the race, we will spend a couple of days hiking or sightseeing by foot. It really does the soul good to park the car and walk once in awhile. Give it a try. You wold be amazed at how socially starved most of us are being isolated in our cars.
Mrs. Monty and I ride our bicycles everywhere. We usually try to get in 80 to 150 kilometers on the weekends, riding throughout Winnipeg on the myriad of bike trails, or riding out of the city on less travelled roads to outlying communities, where on the weekends there’s always a farmer’s market or flea markets. Other times we will head out to a provincial park and have a picnic day, with some trail riding. And some weekends, I attach the dog via harness to my bike and take her for a good long run.
I bought my wife a new mountain bike this winter to supplement her city bike, and we’re planning on more exploring and much more off-road adventures. It’s a great way to see a lot of the country-side that you can’t do in a car.
It’s a great way to get some exercise, while having fun, and it’ somehting we can do together.
One of the many reasons our dogs live long healthy lives is that I exercise them, a lot. I take the dog to the leash-free park at least five times a week, where her and I walk several kilometers each evening (the dog, of course, travels at least twice my distance!), and people are always surprised by how good the dog still looks at twelve years old. She has no problem keeping up with dogs that are ten and eleven years younger, and if chasing a ball is involved, she usually will try to outrun them all. All of our females (we are breeders of White German Shepherds) have lived past thirteen years, and two lived into their fifteenth year. Exercise, and lots of it, along with a natural diet works wonders.
I’m an Atlanta native (born in Piedmont Hospital), and lived in the South until we moved to The Middle West about a decade ago. Went from a 70-minute “rush hour” commute in a 1964 Volkswagen (“the strength of 40 horses!”) to a 30-minute drive from our 15 acre farm where our nearest neighbor is a mile away.
There’s something quite therapeutic about that… and yes, folks wave at you out here.