DAY 12 SUNDAY, SEPT. 1 CHAMBERLAIN SD - LA CROSSE WI

Another hot prairie day saw us visit the Akta Lakota Cultural Centre where we saw a very sanitized display of the St. Joseph Catholic Mission School, the site of the cultural centre. I'm sure some good work has been done there in modern times, but there is always a seed of concerned doubt at the back of my mind whenever the topic of education of First Nations kids by white and particularly religious organizations is brought forth. Nevertheless, the facility looks good, and we saw several nicely dressed, well-cared for and quite happy First Nations kids proceed along the pathway to church on a sunny Sunday morning. The Lakota Cultural Centre had many fine displays of traditional life and historical artifacts.

This created a rather late start to the driving day for us, but we put the pedal to the metal and saw the temperature drop to more comfortable levels as we headed east. The miles sped by and the prairie of South Dakota melded into softer prairie in south western Minnesota. About 150 miles into Minnesota, the wide open and mostly flat prairie disappeared for the last time. As we rolled through Minnesota, trees became more numerous, the farms slightly smaller and greener: we were solidly in the mid-west. Corn and silos were everywhere, and Minnesota seems to have fully embraced the construction of wind farms: far more of these were in evidence than we have seen anywhere else on this trip. The road was of superb quality and the farms looked prosperous: Minnesota seems like a place of some wealth and solidity.

We put in to La Crosse, Wisconsin, on the east side of the Mississippi River. It is a geographical and psychological border. The west is now behind us for the trip: the Great Lakes lie ahead. La Crosse is a cool little college town, which we have learned is a phrase in the US for a town that is rather liberal, tolerant, safe and fun. We found a nice bar/restaurant in the old centre of town that was vaguely reminiscent of Durango, Colorado: old buildings that used to be warehouses or small factories are now the site of a vibrant night life. A band was playing on a downtown street, which was closed to traffic, to a raucous crowd of college kids obviously just back in town for the upcoming school year. We learned from a waitress that the town's sports namesake is indeed played here. In fact, entering town one is greeted by a fine statue of three First Nations playing the Creator's Game.  A barrier has indeed been crossed, because, earlier in the Lakota Cultural Centre, I searched for evidence of lacrosse being played by that First Nation, but found nothing to indicate they knew about the game. So, we are truly in familiar territory. 

DAY 13 MONDAY, SEPT. 13 LA CROSSE WI - CHICAGO IL

We did not sleep well last night, so woke up quiet, sluggish, and slightly annoyed. The weather didn't help. For the first time on the trip, it was cool, grey and drizzly. We left La Crosse and headed east across Wisconsin. We were amazed at how much the land east of the Mississippi resembled Southern Ontario. We no longer felt like we were in a "foreign" area. No doubt the early explorers felt the same way as they pushed ever westwards. It wouldn't be until they got west of the Mississippi that they would be stopped in their tracks by the dramatic geographic change.

As we moved through Wisconsin into Illinois, we encountered much Labour Day traffic: people returning home for school tomorrow, officially ending the summer holiday season. Construction did not help. For the first time I felt the frustration of not being able to drive freely, of having my progress checked or stopped by external forces. It took forever to get into Chicago, but, thanks to GPS, we got to our hotel with a minimum of stress and no errors.



Safe in Chi town



We are in a pretty cool area of the city, just south of Wrigley Field and north of downtown. Our hotel is on Diversey and is at the base of a triangle formed by Diversey and Halstead, with Clarke as the hypotenuse. The area is officially called "Lakeview East", and is gentrified, with great Chicago architecture ( many row houses and brownstones in a kind of beaux arts style ), cool apartments and a lively bar and restaurant scene. It is a vibrant neighbourhood and we think we're going to like it here. 

Enjoying the life in Chicago



DAYS 14,15,16 TUESDAY, SEPT. 3, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4, THURSDAY, SEPT. 5 CHICAGO IL

So many things to say. Certainly, it must be stated that Chicago is one of the world's great cities. It is inevitable, I suppose, to make comparisons to Toronto, the city we are more familiar with. I have done so several times in the past. Even Toronto's current mayor, Rob Ford, a man for whom I have nothing good to say, often compares his city to Chicago. The sad fact is that Toronto loses to Chicago every time. Toronto could easily be what Chicago is, but is too provincial still in its outlook, too small in its thinking, too satisfied in being dull and unimaginative to ever rival the Windy City.

But enough of the negative comparison. Let's focus instead on what Chicago offered us in the three days we devoted to it. We spent 72 hours drinking in the activity, the bustling noise, the hard working and humourous people and loved it. There is diversity, the kind that Toronto or London or New York or Los Angeles have, but Chicago doesn't have to brag about it, or constantly promote it: the diversity has been there from day one and Chicagoans live it. Laughter, music and food are plentiful and wonderful. There is life in Chicago that is real and vibrant.

If there is one thing that sets Chicago apart from other large cities, it is its architecture. Architecture is celebrated here like no other place I've experienced. It is the home of the skyscraper, and some of the world's most celebrated architects, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van Der Rohe, practiced and created here. Lou and I took in the endless variety on the Chicago River Architecture Tour and were treated to a wonderful melding of old and new styles and designs that not only please esthetically, but perform their functions in a practical and intelligent way.  The city evolved according to a plan that was drawn up after the terrible destruction of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and further augmented by the World's Fairs the city hosted in the final decades of the nineteenth century. Thus, Chicago not only looks beautiful, it gives a feeling that the city makes sense. There is also incredible wealth here, as seen in the luxury condominiums that dot the riverway, as well as the numerous head offices of so many of the world's large corporations. Michigan Ave, the so-called "Magnificent Mile", is a high-end shopper's paradise.

But, to be sure, Chicago is not all good. We did not see first hand the stultifying slums of the south side, but we were made aware that they exist. (In fact, I have been through them on previous trips: the most vivid memory is of a wrong turn that put us into the midst of an urban hell that Dante himself could not create.) I cannot imagine what it must be like to live there, but people do, and they have challenges that are huge and often impossible to meet. There are parts of this city you do not go without running a risk of getting your throat cut. Chicago is not perfect and does not pretend to be. But the area we inhabited was most civilized and most charming. And it is gratifying to see that it is not only the "white" neighbourhood of the city: people of all backgrounds who have achieved success live, work, play and enjoy here.

Chicago is also culture. We spent more than three hours touring the Art Institute of Chicago and barely scratched its surface. The AIC is renowned for its collection of French Impressionists and we wandered the galleries taking in the incredible achievements of these fine artists: Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat .... the list goes on. And, along with art is music, enough to rival any other city. We sampled the famous Chicago blues at a club called Kingston Mines, and enjoyed the superb artistry of Carl Weathersby and Mike Wheeler. The blues is evocative of the south, and the hard and seemingly hopeless lives of slaves, share croppers and cotton pickers. There is joy in that music, the joy of simply being alive to feel the pain and despair and endless drudgery of that existence. Now, the basic music is enhanced by electric guitar and bass, keyboards and drums, and by trained vocalists ... but the haunting heartbeat of that music lives on. It gets inside of you and grabs you by the soul. Marvellous !

Chicago is also the waterfront. So much green space and parkland along the shore of Lake Michigan. They got it right here. We were only able to sample the amusement park cum shopping mall of Navy Pier, but we could see for mile after magnificent mile upon the huge inland sea of the lake. Boats and water skiers, wind surfers and people walking along the lakefront give further testimony that there was a plan here, and intelligence prevailed in their choice of how their city was to look and to be.

And Chicago is sports. We enjoyed a great evening at Wrigley Field, which is, in my opinion, the finest ballpark in existence. I often say that my view of the afterlife is the pool bar at our favourite resort in Holguin, Cuba. But, if heaven is a ballpark, then Wrigley Field is it. The whole neighbourhood is part of the experience, with numerous bars and restaurants in the blocks around the venerable park. My favourite aspect of Wrigleyville are the brownstones that line up along the opposite side of the street from the outfield, complete with rooftop bleachers for viewing the game: again, the practical and well planned side of Chicago.

All through our Chicago sojourn, the weather was perfect: sunny, warm, nice breeze at the right times. But return in about 6 to 8 weeks, and there will be a different story here. Winters are bad and we were grateful not to have to endure anything close to bad weather.

And so, we end our stay with a fine Italian dinner. Oh yes, the food is unbelievable here, too. Everyone thinks of other cities for cuisine: Chicago can hold its own with any other place on earth for variety, imagination, and skill in the culinary arts.

Do I love the Windy City? Absolutely ! Would I ever live there? Hmmm .... that's another question. But one thing is for sure: it is one of my favourite places on earth to visit and to take in all the pleasures of urban life.  

Cubs vs Marlins at Wrigley Field


 

Chicago's old skyline





Me and "Bob Hartley"


 

Navy Pier: note the Blackhawks flag


 

Route 66 began in Chicago




The old Water Tower; last remnant from the Great Fire


 

Wrigley Field: baseball heaven






Chicago's new skyline

 



The Art Institute of Chicago



DAY 17 FRIDAY, SEPT. 6 CHICAGO IL - NEWMARKET ON

Long day in the car: GPS got us through Chicago easily, but insisted that we cross into Canada at Port Huron, not Detroit. We were amazed at how insistent "she" was, and came to the conclusion that, somehow, the crossing at Port Huron was closer to our destination. The map seemed to suggest that it was pretty much the same, and, since I'm a creature of habit, I opted for Detroit. Poor GPS nearly had multiple digital heart attacks. Even when we were in Detroit, "she" insisted on driving the 60 miles north to Port Huron. As I tried to comprehend "her" directions, I missed the turn for the bridge and had to opt for the tunnel, which took us through downtown Windsor, adding minutes to an already long day. Never totally trust machines .... or trust them completely.

The weather was good and we sprinted home ... until we reached the GTA, where we encountered the worst traffic the entire trip. We went through Chicago's Friday morning traffic, and Detroit's Friday afternoon traffic, but Toronto's Friday evening traffic was absolutely ridiculous. Toronto does indeed have a traffic problem, and is, apparently, unwilling to do anything about it. Or, more to the point, the people caught in the problem are still willing to put up with the insanity because Toronto's a "big city" and this is what "big city life" is like. Stupid.

The finish line was the Lion and Firkin pub in Newmarket. Happily, our friends were all there and we surprised them with our arrival. A warm welcome and celebratory beer and food at the close of the race. Six thousand and eight hundred kilometers of stories and memories. It's good to be home !!

CONCLUSION

In 1981, Joel Garreau plublished his flawed but fascinating book "The Nine Nations of North America." In it, he posed the thesis that the conventional political map of the North American continent, featuring the three large countries of Mexico, the United States, and Canada, was an absurdity and was obsolete. Instead, Garreau divided the continent into nine separate and distinguishable entities based on common aspects of geography, economic activity and ethnicity. I remember reading the book back in the day and finding the ideas contained therein interesting, but in a quirky and unrealistic way.

Travelling, however, has been a great teacher and I found myself thinking back to Garreau's book several times on this trip. Certainly, the commonly-held notions of what constitutes Canada or the United States seemed to be held up for examination on this trip. We saw the most incredible changes in topography on our journey, all of which have been recounted in the entries above. But we also witnessed the often not-so-subtle differences in people. Most of the trip was in the United States. We know that, generally, there is a mythology about what an American is, what he believes in, how he thinks, how he acts, and how he lives his life. It is the myth that is propogated in popular culture, particularly in TV shows and movies, but also in music and literature. The American is supposed to be a singular creature, and an American in one part of the country is supposed to be identical to his or her brother or sister in a different part of the country. Canada's mythological citizen is less well-defined, perhaps in no small way because Canada is a relatively young country compared to the US. Nevertheless, there is arguably a mythological creature known as the "typical" Canadian out there as well.

Our trip seems to contradict this belief. The people we encountered on this trip were as diverse as people from separate countries, even separate continents. North America is an enormous entity, of course, and the way it has been settled, used, abused, and developed follows only a very general set of commonalities. We know, without any doubt, that a person in Montana or Wyoming is NOT like a person in Chicago, or Winnipeg, or even in North or South Dakota, except for the obvious things like general appearance, or language, or religion.

And the stereotypical idea that we eastern North Americans have about "the West" is inaccurate as well. Most people here in Southern Ontario see the middle of the continent as one giant billiard table, completely flat, going on forever under an impossible sky, dry and brown and treeless until one runs head first into mountains in the "far West."  Rubbish ! The land follows this pattern for part of the way, but then morphs into a veritable jigsaw puzzle of landscapes, waterways,  and the creatures and plants that inhabit them.

Perhaps Joel Garreau was on to something in his now 30 year-old book. Perhaps if we are to truly understand our fellow Canadians or Americans, we should think of them more as neighbours rather than brothers or sisters.  Would a separation into smaller and more numerous nations make things go smoother on the continent? Noone knows for sure, and noone will probably ever know. To suggest separation, as we know so well in Canada, is a sure-fire bet to have your thoughts and ideas condemned as either heresy or idiocy. But it is certainly food for thought.

Our previous road trips have revealed all this to us before. But, for some reason, this road trip has driven the idea of the separate nations to new levels of understanding. The only thing I can say for sure is that more road trips are necessary to bring the "Nine Nations" concept to even more clarity. Perhaps there is need for even more than nine separate nations. Time will tell.

As always, the trip was made more rewarding and enjoyable because Lou and I did it together and shared our observations and thoughts. Thanks to our newly-acquired GPS, navigating the Empty Quarter, the Breadbasket, and the Foundry was mostly easy and seamless, and allowed more time for using our senses to what surrounded us. It was a great trip !