#17, Kentucky KY (Been There)

We drove through Kentucky many times in the years prior to our moving to Georgia, as our first grandchild had arrived and my wife was not going to be denied. We enjoyed the green field, the fenced in estates, and the many horses we saw along the way.

Kentucky puts the "K" in KFC

In our last years of living in Illinois we made a number of trips into Frankfort, Kentucky, usually for a couple of days or so. The church building was complete and our full home renovation was nearly finished and we took some time to relax that wasn't so far away. Oh, and we had found a hotel suite that came at a minimum price in card points. There was beautiful scenery and we checked out the area for antique shops as that is what Kathy was getting into at that point. And most important of all, there was a KFC right near the hotel and I had worked a deal with Kathy to go there once if she insisted on going to an antique shop. I don't know if it was because this KFC was in Kentucky or if they just had an amazing cook in the back but this was the best KFC friend chicken and sides I'd ever had. We made this stop several times, and then only stopping coming here because they raised the points value for this hotel. 

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cole slaw

Five words that always brought a tear to my eye

Another restaurant that I enjoyed in Kentucky was in Paducah when Kathy's mom and dad lived there for his job. This would have been in the early 1980's. Paducah was only a few hours from Belleville, Illinois, where we were living at the time. They would take us out for dinner at a restaurant that was in a nice old hotel in downtown near the Ohio River, though I can't remember the name of it. It too was an all you can eat buffet but this one had prime rib, cordon bleu, roast beef, fish, as well as fried chicken. Those were in the days that I could really put away plates of food and I definitely got their money's worth.

Paducah was also the approximate halfway point between Rockford, Illinois, and Atlanta, Georgia. There were time we didn't feel like driving that distance in one fell swoop so we'd get a room for the night and start fresh the next day. But as we took as much of the time as possible to visit with our granddaughter and keep the driving to one day each way. You do what you must. Paducah also had a Sams Club and that turned out to be a good place to gas up the vehicle as well as find items there that we could not at our Sams Club in Illinois. To this day we stop in Paducah to get gas, find a restaurant, or stay overnight when needed.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#16, Kansas KS (Been There)

If there was an exciting part of Kansas to be seen it would probably be all the cows, fields, and water irrigation circles. Mind you, the only reason we made it to Kansas was to visit my wife's sister but that provided enough entertainment to make up for the rest of the state, though most of iti's as flat as a pancake. I remember driving through the state and could see the lights for the town in the distance but it still took three or four hours to finally come into town.

I was a cowboy for a day

We visited family in Garden City, Kansas several times in our early years of marriage. The first time we drove out there was in our X-11 hatchback where our little guy could sleep while we travelled at night. We took turns being with him in the back. While that would be considered child abuse and illegal today we were always quite careful with our children just as parents tend to be. I think that the world has gone bonkers over issues like this, and it is absolutely hypocritical to put children in car seats until they are teenagers to "protect" then all the while allowing the murder of babies before and after they are born. I don't care who you are, that is just not right. But I digress.

On one of those times I was asked by my brother-in-law if I wanted to go with him on horses to another field where we would roundup over a hundred cows. I had already snagged a free oil change certificate I had planned to use on that day but I didn't know if I'd have another chance to go on a cowboy roundup so I joined him for the day. We were each walking our horses to the gate when my horse nuzzled his horse's hind end, and his horse to decided to send my horse a message with a swift and powerful kick. Except I was in the way and I was dealt a near death blow in the groin. Well it may not have been quite that life threatening but I was on the ground writhing in pain. Just another day in Kansas. I had ridden horses before but they were always trained to stay on the path our group was riding. This horse would go where you want and so we encouraged most all the cows down the path to the corral. There were four or five really ornery cows that absolutely refused to along with the program so we left them there and hurried after the group who understood the assignment. That lead to my horse deciding to have a little fun with the newby on his back and gallop toward the fence. I thought she was going to leap over the fence with me and her going in different directions but she stopped on a dime just in front of the fence with me desperately hanging on her neck. She was fine after that but she probably had a laugh with the other horses when she got back to the barn. But that day made the highlight reel for me.

And then there was the time I tried shooting a shotgun for the first time. I was focusing for a long time as the image in the scope moved around too fast and I kept getting the scope closer to my face to see better. When I pulled the trigger I asked my brother-in-law if I hit the target. His face went white as he gave me a rag to clean my forhead. When I rubbed it and pulled a flap of skin down revealing my skull he about fainted. This was probably one of those times where I should have gone to the hospital and had stitches but instead I cleaned it up and put a few bandaids over the flap and pulling it in to place. It healed very nicely and the scar is nearly invisible to this day, seen only at extreme close up.

Until next time,

Arktander
(aka David Andreasen)

#15, Iowa IA (Been There)

We lived in the northwest corner of Illinois for seven years in a very small town so we did our best to find things elsewhere on our time off. Dubuque, Iowa, was one of the towns that was fairly close and we went there a lot. If we made the trip to Galena, Illinois, we would often take a gander into Dubuque. It was one of the larger towns we could visit when we lived in a town of population 1,600.

Map used by fair-use permission of Nations Online Project

Mostly we just travelled through Iowa on our way to other places, just as we did Delaware and Oklahoma and other states. For three years I travelled between Quincy, Illinois and Minneapolis, Minnesota while attending college. I worked my way over to Highway 35 which brought me into the city. That was in the days before GPS and cell phones but we were pretty good with paper maps. Same thing with travelling Highway 80 west when we went to Kansas and Colorado. There was never anyone I knew in Iowa that I needed to visit and that's probably a shame. But I did see a lot of soybeans and corn in the fields I passed by.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#14, Indiana IN (Been There)

We ventured into Indiana for many reasons like family, work, and hobbies. While living in the center of Illinois it was not a lengthy trip to travel there. It was the state to the east of Illinois and therefore we had reason to be there more often than, say, Hawaii.

My oldest brother lived in Indiana for a number of years and we visited a few times. But even before they moved there my wife had found the Exit 76 Edinburgh Antiques Mall, one of the first places she frequented when she could though such visits took years off my life.

A very large Antique Mall

She could spend all day in that place and usually did. It's funny how you get rid of stuff all through your youth and then one day decide that you're going to start buying all those things you wish you had or wish you kept, at twenty times the price. That was her hobby, and still is to this day.

My wife's parents lived in Terra Haute, Indiana, for several years and we drove there and back a number of times. Terra Haute was just inside Indiana coming from Illinois so it wasn't a very long trip. Other than that there were a lot of drives through Indiana on Highway 70 going out to see my brothers when they both were in Ohio and other times for vacation on the East Coast. Coming back to central Illinois we would stop in Crawfordsville and sometimes stay overnight at a hotel if it was late.

Until next time,

Arktander,

(aka David Andreasen)

#13, Illinois IL (Been There, Lived There)

Illinois is where I spent 47 years of my life, from Junior High School through pre-retirement. Most of my life experiences happened there and so I suppose it felt the most like home to me. I left this post last as I figured it might take the longest, though hopefully by now I can more judiciously stick to the high points since this is not meant to be a biography. We did see places in all parts of the state which one should do if they are in one state for 47 years.

Joliet Central High School

We moved from New York to Joliet, Illinois, and that was our first contact with the Midwest. Having lived out on Long Island where it is basically one large city, it was strange to see wide open spaces between cities strewn here and there. Joliet Central High School was my entrance in high school life and I did not like it. Kids were rude and tried to make everybody's life miserable. There were knife fights in the hallways. My locker was broken into numerous times and I changed lockers just as many times. The only bright spots in an otherwise dreary day was classes like photography, architectural drawing, and woodworking which were all subjects that would be part of my life. I ended up graduating 3rd in a senior class of 669. 

The Mississippi is the border between Illinois and Missouri

Then there is Quincy, where the family moved right after leaving Joliet. During that summer I was getting ready to move to Minneapolis while my siblings were preparing for school in Quincy. But something happened as my first year of college was nearly finished. Everyone is talking to everyone, maybe planning trips to new friends in other states or trying to hold on to a boyfriend or girlfriend over the summer. Or, like me, I happened to talk to a friend of mine who said they wouldn't be back for sophomore year. This guy was one of the smart and popular ones so I thought that was a bit odd, and I asked him why. His reply was that he was going to take a year of Community College to dispense with all the core classes that can be taken anywhere and then transferred back. His reasoning was that Community College is far cheaper than regular colleges. So when I headed home to Quincy I checked out our Community College options. Turns out there was one called John Wood Community College that had just started up a couple years earlier. Some of their class offerings would be held at their building while other courses would be taught at Quincy College as they tried to ramp up their schedule and buildings. So I put together a schedule of classes I thought would be better taught at these two colleges and then ran the schedule past my school in Minneapolis. It was all approved, in writing, and I never had any trouble transferring the classes. I started working full-time at a new company in Quincy called Broadcast Electronics with the stipulation that I be allowed to leave for my classes. It was a win-win since I made more money at work and I paid less money for classes. I estimate the costs were one-fourth those in Minneapolis and I really enjoyed them. I am grateful for that opportunity to stay in Quincy for the year and better my education. I also happened to win the contest to design the cover for the first printed book giving all the details for the new school.

Belleville First Assembly of God

After college graduation and our summer wedding we moved to Belleville, Illinois in the fall of 1980. It was about a town of 45,000 or so. I had been accepted to the church as youth pastor and we would stay there four-and-a-half years. We movied into a one bedroom apartment for six months, then moved across the street to a two bedroom apartment for two years. After having enough of rental life we purchased a mobile home and set it up in a mobile home park for two years. Thankfully we didn't have that much stuff to move. Our first son was born in Belleville and we did a lot of activities with the youth and the young married groups. Too many stories to tell. But I will say I get into hot water for saying I liked the orange carpet in the new church and the orange pews. There must have been a year or two when I like the look of orange, but over the years there have been many times where my wife reminds me I shouldn't like it anymore as a decorating theme. My parents lived in Springfield at the time so it was only a ninety minute trip to say hello and help my dad on his projects.

Warren Faith Assembly of God

Our second stop in ministry was in the northwest corner of Illinois at a town called Warren where just 1,600 people lived. Life was very different there with a much slower pace. Our second and third sons were born here and all our boys started school here. In a small town everyone knew everyone and people got to know us as one of the five pastors in town. The house we lived in was directly across from the church and we did a bunch of fixing up in there. One year we were asked to be in the local Tour of Homes with five different homes being shown for their different styles. We highlighted all the period details of the 1870 era house and people appreciated the work that went into it. I started a computer class at the local library, and then the local lawyer asked if I could help set up their network. I didn't even what a network was at the time but I figured it out and did the job. Near the end of our time there I was asked to run on the ballot for village board member and I came in 4th out of 5 running. Only the first three became part of the board so I never go to see that part. We stayed there seven years and we remember them fondly.

Lincoln Faith Assembly of God

As 1992 began we were planning to move to the center of the state to a town called Lincoln. There were 16,000 in the town at that time and they had a Walmart. In Warren we had to drive to the larger towns nearby to get the things we needed, but here we could get most everything in town. I was the 24th pastor of this church where the average stay was two-and-a-half years but we ended up staying for twenty one years. Most of my time during that stay was devoted to planning and directing the building of a new church building that would replace the three smaller buildings that had served them for forty years or so. The entire process from the beginning of figuring what we wanted to do as a church, to the paying off of the mortgage was about fifteen years. The total cost of land, parking lot, architectural drawings, church building and garage, landscaping, furniture and furnishings came to just $600,000 for a facilities that was valued at over two million. This project was completed almost fully with volunteer labor which saved a great deal of money. This was all done while still the pastor with all its responsibilites but we all did what we could. It was a great addition to the town.

After we left Lincoln I took a job as the manager of a local shipping store in Rockford, Illinois and helped the boss with a number of projects needed at his business. It was only at this time in my life that I discovered Rockford was the second largest city in Illnois with almost 150,000 people, right behind Chicago with 2.7 million. Most folks consider the entire northeast block of the state to be Chicago but there's only 232 square miles right on Lake Michigan with the name of Chicago. You will find there are many other cities nearby like Lombard, Naperville, or Bolingbrook that have their own governments and finances, but they are not Chicago. And Rockford happens to come in second even though it's only ninety miles away. Some people outside of Illinois really believe the state of Illinois is instead called Chicago. When asked where I live, and I respond Illinois, they would say, "Oh Chicago?" To which I would then add that Chicago is only a city in the entire state. I know Chicagoans think they represent the whole state but they do not and anyone outside of Chicago would tell you that.

Absolutely no ketchup on a true Chicago Style Hot Dog!

I was in Rockford for this stage of our lives and updated our house there like I had others before. That first house in Warren, which was not mine but the church parsonage, had been fixed up mostly cosmetically to make my wife happy. Our first home in Lincoln was completely updated on the exterior but mainly cosmetic improvements inside. The changes my wife wanted to do to that house were beyond my skillset at that time, but once I had learned many construction skills on the church project she suggested we sell the first house and buy one that needed a lot of help. However, she was able to do some major renovation on that one because we were renovating it from the ground up. Though my dad had built several of his lifetime homes by himself, this house project would be the closest I would get to building on completely on my own. Truth be told, after I finished all those projects like the concrete driveway and replacing the shingle roof, I decided that once was all I needed to find satisfaction on that bucket-list type item. It was fun to make a house exactly what we wanted.

My boys took me to see the Cubs play the Cardinals in Chicago

I had little reason to find myself in Chicago until my oldest son went to college there at Northwestern. We would visit and see parts of the area where he lived but we'd make sure to leave before rush hour. I did get to one Chicago Cubs game with my boys and at least I can say I've been there. My wife and I have been to IKEA. We brought our Australian friends down to Michagan Avenue and Navy Pier. We ate at the Weber Grill which is one of the finest restaurants we've been to. And we've had true Chicago Style hot dogs out of a tiny local place that were fantastic. I might go so far as to say that Chicago Style hot dogs and Chicago Style deep dish pizza may be the best things to come out of Chicago, for me anyway.

Superman statue in Metropolis, Illinois

Emergency action

One of the more memorable visits we had was in Metropolis, Illinois when we saw the sign for the Superman statue pointing the way. We were on our way to Panama City Beach in Florida and were trying to be spontaneous. We got the photos of the Superman and then I took one of Kathy in a corner raised platform. Leaving the platform she stumbled on the stairs and her head met the metal railing in a loud thump. Blood was spilled. Fortunately the ambulance was on the other side of the parking lot and drove over to help her. We thought that was funny too.

World's Largest Covered Wagon and Big Lincoln

We visited a lot of places in Illinos, the Land of Lincoln. Some of those places were right in Lincoln, such as this large covered wagon with the Big Lincoln. It used to be in town but now it's been moved to Old Route 66 near the Fairgrounds. We took a day trip to look around the historic Nauvoo State Park and check out the buildings. We visited other pastors in the state by either inviting them to our place or by going to theirs. We had many pastor's meeting at our state headquarter in Carlinville and we got to know that place well. We went to Champaign for a wedding I performed and usually travelled through that city on the way to other places. We took friends and family who visited us to Galena, Illinois where there was a lot to see. I spent most of a week in Geneseo where I helped remodel their church. We've been to the Quad Cities, with Rock Island and Moline the two cities on the Illinois side, and Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side. We spent a lot of time in Peoria with other meetings held in churches there. We went to Springfield often especially when we were looking to show friends the touristy stuff. Normal and Bloomington were also very close while in Lincoln and my oldest son lived there while going to Illinois State University. I made a number of trips to Macomb to help my second son get settled in school each year. And not to leave my youngest son out of the equation, I took him to Quincy to get him settled at Gem City College and find him an apartment. As I scroll around the map of Illinois I realized I have been to more places in the state than I even imagined, all of them with their own story.

I end this with a story about my wife. She always seemed to be the one with itchy feet, always wanting to move on to the next place. I was the one who liked where I was and was happy to keep finding my place in Illinois. Until I wasn't. My wife always said she was never getting out of Illinois, more out of a frustration of knowing that there were other great places we could be. One day I decided I was ready to go and after I told her that she looked at me in disbelief and said, "Are you sure?" I was and we sold our house, packed up our stuff, and headed to Georgia for life in the South. There are still times she'd like to leave the Atlanta area, while I love this place. I guess that may just be our dynamic. But we're happy.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#12, Idaho ID (Not Yet)

Never really got close to Idaho so it would likely take an extended planned trip West to make this happen. I know I talk about "going west" a lot but no more than I talk about having lived in the Midwest or now live in the South.

"Two Idaho Potatoes" -- An original photo by David Andreasen
(because the internet wants too much money for a photo of a potato)

When I think Idaho I think of Idaho potatoes. What I'm also going to be thinking about from now on is how much they want me to pay for any of their photos of potatoes. I mean it's a pile of potatoes that looks like every other pile of potatoes. You'd think there would be some free photos available at "The Official Website of the State of Idaho," or the "Idaho Potato Commission" website, or the "Grown in Idaho" website, or even at the "Idaho Potato Museum" website. But no, you can't use them, so I found a couple of Idaho potatoes in the refrigerator and took at photo myself. I'll be happy to license it for free to anyone in Idaho.

I will give a small shout-out to the Idaho Potato Museum for offering up "Free Taters for Out of Staters" if you visit them out in Blackfoot, Idaho. It doesn't say how many you get but I would hope it's at least a small cupful as they do charge $6 for adults to get in the museum. You can read some of the history on their website at https://idahopotatomuseum.com/history/early-history/.

As I lived on Long Island during my childhood I was aware that there were many farms located out away from the city. Perhaps at one time they had some greater name recognition out there on the east coast, though there are still a number of farms growing potatoes. For all those who love a good baked potato, or homemade mashed potatoes, or some hot french fries, or potato salad, or even tater tots, we thank you Idaho.

There really isn't a whole lot else for me to say about Idaho. It's far away from me here in the southeast and it's probably pretty cold there in the winter.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#11, Hawaii HI (Not Yet)

The closest I ever came to Hawaii was being scheduled to stop there for a layover on a trip to the Philippines, but had to settle for flying over it at several miles up when there was nobody on the plane who needed to stop in Hawaii. I would have counted that on my list of states for sure. I still think this is the most costly, and likely difficult, state to visit. That and the huge ocean that prevents driving to it.

My mom and dad made it to Hawaii for an anniversary

At least someone in our family has visited Hawaii. My mom and dad went there to celebrate one of their later anniversaries, and I think the trip was paid for by others. I don't remember being in on that or being asked to be in on that, but I was surprised they went. That wasn't really their thing. The attended a local luau and I don't remember that they were that thrilled about that event. I just remember them saying it cost too much. 

Pearl Harbor Museum

We do have friends from our time at Lincoln who moved to Hawaii and have been there some years now. They remind us from time to time that we are welcome to come visit anytime. When our ship comes in and we can purchase tickets, we'll be there!

There's always hope,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#10, Georgia GA (Been There, Live Here)

My wife and I never imagined that we would end up living in the South. It seemed inconceivable (just thought I'd slip in a Princess Bride reference) that we'd ever live there. People in the North look at the South as another country, and those in the South are not so fond of the North or people from the North. I know, they've told me. But you know what? Seeing as the move came along as I was getting close to sixty I will tell you that it has been a great retirement place. The weather is more mild than the in the North and the cost of living is better.

Packed up and heading for Georgia

As many other seniors, focus in life now more centers on family than during the work years where one normally goes where the jobs are located. For me the jobs were located in Illinois so my entire married life work resume consisted of locations around the state, much to my wife's chagrin. While all my immediate family was in Illinois during the 1970's they all started moving on to different parts of the country. During the summer of 2016 while living in Rockford we were overjoyed to find out that we would be grandparents for the second time, though this time there would be twins! We ended up making the choice to leave Illinois and head down to Atlanta, Georgia. Even though it's been just a few years we've taken the time to discover some of the places around the state.

Tanker truck landed after full-air somersault

I decided to start driving for Lyft right away, and did so for six years as we slowly adapted to life in the South. One of the most notable differences was the crazy traffic we had to navigate in Atlanta. Since I drove nearly every day for hours upon end I got to witness all kinds of speeding events and horrendous accidents. There were even explosions and car fires happening often on the freeway which stopped traffic in its tracks. One time I was the first in line at an intersection waiting for the light to change to green, and I watched as a small tank truck sped towards the intersection without slowing down. The driver steered toward the right to try and avoid all the cars but hit the curb of an island, somersaulted into the air, and land on its side without hitting any vehicles. He also just missed the car across the intersection from me, who was also the first in line and had a good view, but he was the sheriff. Thankfully there was no explosion. But events like that happen dozens of times each day.

World of Coca-Cola Store in Atlanta

Penguins at the Georgia Aquarium

Atlanta is the headquarters for the Coca-Cola company and is often a tourist destination when one comes to town. The World of Coca-Cola Store is open to visitors but the visit is not free. That hasn't seemed to slow down the long lines though. While I took the photo of this location I did not go in. My wife and I had just gone through the Georgia Aquarium and that cost way more so I was not in the mood to visit soft drinks. I had gone through the Coca-Cola Store at Disney World (read about it in the Florida blog) and didn't figure there was that much more I needed to know. Right across the way is the Georgia Aquarium which we did visit with our granddaughter and that was fun to see through her eyes. However, on the whole, I'm not a big fan of aquariums. I had several during my teen years and they were a whole lot of work.

The new stadium for the Atlanta Braves

As a baseball fan I was interested in watching the final months of the building of the new SunTrustPark (edit: now Truist Park) which would become the new home of the Atlanta Braves. As a St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan I was not a big fan of the Braves as they always seemed to have our number every time we met to play. Nonetheless I had to bring a Lyft rider to the new stadium and I parked there for a moment and took a few photos. Still have not attended a game what with all the traffic and no place to park. Most people think that heading to the ballpark for every home game would be on the mind of every rideshare driver but I kept as far away as I could. I once got pulled into the area and it took me an hour-and-a-half to make it to the rider. It also took a long time to work your way back out of the area. In the end it just wasn't worth the hassle for a few extra bucks. A year after this experience, I discovered that Lyft was no longer giving drivers a bonus for these types of events. I drove someone from about twelve miles north of Atlanta into the city to the also-new Mercedes Benz Stadium for a Taylor Swift concert and that turned into a three-hour ride that netted me about $15, while they paid $90. Life in the big city.

Shops and apartments along the Savannah River

Paddleboats still run on the rivers

Night time on the Savannah River

Savannah was one of the first places my wife wanted to visit, mostly because of the history and tradition of this town. John Wesley (1703-1791) came to Savannah as the minister of the Church of England (1736-1737) and became known as the Founder of Methodism. We spent a few days walking around the Historic District, taking in many different sights, and eating at The Lady And Sons which is Paula Deen's restaurant in the Historic District. But if you thought that John Wesley's influence was weaving it's way up and down the downtown streets you would be sorely mistaken. On the "Visit Savannah" website (www.visitsavannah.com) they make this statement: "Savannah is widely known as the most haunted city in America." That simple sentence kicks off the article that lists the six most haunted placed you can visit in Savannah while maybe even seeing ghosts and spirits yourself. For me that explained the reason we felt a spiritual darkness as we walked around, though it was nowhere near as strong as that felt when visiting Amsterdam.

The Dwarf House Chick-fil-A at Hapeville GA

I suppose it's fitting that Chick-fil-A gets its own paragraph before I bring this to a close. I'd like to quote this early history from the Chick-fil-A website so I don't get anything wrong:

Chick-fil-A, Inc., Founder S. Truett Cathy died Sept. 8, 2014, at age 93. Cathy started the business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed the Dwarf House). Through the years, that restaurant prospered and let Cathy to further the success of his business. In 1967, Cathy founded and opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta's Greenbriar Shopping Center.

So there you have it. While the Dwarf House (pictured above) was the first restaurant Truett Cathy opened in 1946, the very first Chick-fil-A location was opened in 1967. Sadly (for Chick-fil-A fans) this original location in the Greenbriar Shopping Center in Atlanta is now closed for business (May 2023). However, the original diner he opened is still going strong in Hapeville as a Chick-fil-A. Last time I was in there (I got around a lot driving for Lyft) there was a special menu item only at this location. So if you're going to be there sometime just check it out.

Those are some of the highlights I've been to around the State of Georgia. I'll finish up with a smattering of other photos I've got for a few bonus locations, but I'll make them bigger!

The Little White House in Warm Springs GA for President Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Wall of Helmets" at the Collegiate Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta

The Atlanta Motor Speedway south of the city in Henry County

"Stone Mountain Park" located near Stone Mountain GA (literally a huge deep rock)

Obviously when you live in a state you will have a lot more to write about, so if there are any other highlights that we stumble upon I will add them.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#9, Florida FL (Been There)

My first trip to Florida was when I was fifteen, and what I most remember was that it was ridiculously hot in Miami Beach. Having spent life in our family in the more northern states I was not accustomed to such heat and humidity. Living in Georgia means I now live in heat and humidity but there are two things in my favor. One is that I am older and I more enjoy the heat than the cold. Second is that the heat and humidity in Georgia are nothing compared to what you'll find in Florida. And for that I am thankful.

Our love of this view (Myrtle Beach) reminds me of our week in Florida 1973

It was August 1973 and we were taking a trip from Illinois to Miami Beach, Florida, for a ministers convention. I was fifteen and that meant I was itching to drive but unable to do so. It was a long trip made worse by the fact we were driving in the family Buick, all six of us. Yep, that was before minivans and SUV's took over the automobile landscape. We first stopped at the motel that my parents had reserved for us for this event. We had been shown pictures of it as our parents sought to make the stay exciting, but those photos must have been fifty years old as the place looked like a dump in real life. We got the key to look at the room and the first thing that jumped at us were several cockroaches. It was one long room with beds and cots and a sink that passed for a kitchen. My dad went back to say he wasn't taking the room and the desk clerk was incensed and insisted there were no bugs and wanted to be shown. As the clerk walked in the door. the cockroaches jumped at him as if on cue and he turned all apologetic, but refused to give our money back. My dad said that was fine as they didn't have any of his money. We got it the car and drove to the convention. There my dad met up with a fellow pastor who was all excited about his accomodations and asked if we had a place to stay. Dad told him the story and his friend told him to run right down there and get one of the suites. Well that sounded expensive and dad wondered how much more it would cost him than the $30 a night the cockroach place wanted. The place was beautiful, like a resort, and was right on the beach. Would you believe they wanted $30 a night for a living room, dining room, kitchen, master suite, and balcony? Neither did my dad but that's what he paid. We were on the 14th floor, which everyone who frequents hotels knows is really the 13th floor and they just skip that number in the elevator. We didn't care since we are not one bit superstitious (and not even a little bit "stitious") and we enjoyed that place for the week we were there. I don't remember any place as nice as that in all the years I was home. Perhaps that's why we've sought out resort-type places that are on the beach as I've gotten older.

Years later we look for places like the one in Miami Beach

Many years later, we had access to a resort and my wife decided it was time she got to go to Disneyland. We stayed at a resort in Orlando and drove in each day to Disneyland. That is quite the place and I took a lot of pictures as it is colorful and amazing. My favorite was the great places to eat and we took in several I remember to this day. Probably won't go back but there are some trips you enjoy once and live with that memory forever. This was one of those places.

You can't visit Disneyworld without stopping at Cinderella Castle

Hangin' out with the spice girls

Since Disneyworld we've been back to Orlando several times, especially since we're closer since living in Georgia. We've visited friends nearby in Kissimmee, stopped at St. Augustine, been down to Delray Beach to visit our nephew, and enjoyed Panama City Beach a couple times. But we always look forward to Orlando, with the idea we may try a trip down to Miami Beach!

Until next time,

Arktander
(aka David Andreasen)

#8, Delaware DE (Been There)

Delaware is one of those states that you really have to plan to visit if you want to see the state. It's pretty much blocked off by water and a couple bridges but you do pass through it if you are travelling along Highway 95 up the east coast. So while we didn't stay overnight or buy the t-shirt we definitely weren't sleeping in the airport. So, this one counts.

I remember one trip in particular where we had left Illinois for Myrtle Beach in the summer of 2009. Following a few days there we decided to drive up to Connecticut where our oldest son was finishing up his final months of his doctorate at Yale University.

Map used by fair-use permission of Nations Online Project

Since it was our first time driving this route my mind thought we would be heading up on Highway 95 which went somewhere into the middle of the main part of New York, then we'd hook a right and head into Connecticut. Some of you are smiling right now since you already realize the absolute nightmare that was the coastal drive through "The City That Never Ends." We drove all day for what seemed like New York City over and over and over again. We drove through Richmond, Fredricksburg, and Arlington Virginia; then through Washington, D.C. which is its own little nightmare; then the greater Baltimore, Maryland, area; then we made it through the northern tip of Delaware which includes Wilmington; next through the greater Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania; then Trenton and New Brunswick, New Jersey; and all of that before reaching what I thought would be the main problem, being New York City, New York. You'd think that I'd avoid the city at all cost, and that was certainly the plan, but in the crazy traffic that is New York City at rush hour we missed our turn and ended smack dab in the Bronx. It was getting dark and we just kept moving along as we passed through Greenwich, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Milford, and then finally New Haven as our final stop in Connecticut. And it was still like New York City. Maybe there's a reason we haven't been back that way since.

We made it through the Highway 95 corridor of Northern Delaware
Map used by fair-use permission of Nations Online Project

So yes, I was in Delaware. I suppose there was a silver lining to that trip that I learned where Delaware was on the map. It's the second smallest state in the United States (at 1,982 square miles), right behind Rhode Island which is the smallest (at 1,214 square miles). For a state that is just 96 miles long it may surprise you to find that the Delaware River, off the east coast of the state, runs 330 miles from Hancock, New York (where the Eastern and Western Branches of the Delaware river meet) through five U.S. states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Delaware. It then becomes the Delaware Bay which funnels into the Atlantic Ocean.

There's more traffic as you head into "The Extended City"

So there you have your little history lesson for today. I could have added a lot more Delaware facts but I didn't. Let's just say that every state has its share of interesting history and places and the like, not the least of which you have access to the Atlantic Ocean!

Until next time,

Arktander

(AKA David Andreasen)

#7, Connecticut CT (Been There)

While I was born in Long Island, New York, we took a number of family trips along the East Coast. We did visit Connecticut but there were a number of times while living in Illinois that we made the trip back there since my parents moved from Illinois to New York upstate and later to Connecticut.

Before retiring my parents moved to Waterbury, Connecticut, for a couple years. We probably stayed there a week or less so my wife and I took one day to make a run through New Hampshire. I'll share that on the New Hampshire page. Another day my dad had to make a quick run to Boston and we tagged along with him to get a quick view of that city. I guess you could say Connecticut became home base for a number of treks including a late afternoon run along the coast to find a beach to go swimming for an hour or two.

But, for the most time spent in Connecticut, it would have to be the trip we made to New Haven in August of 2009. I described the trip here from Myrtle Beach in the Delaware blog. Our son was finishing his doctorate at Yale University and it was a chance to see the picturesque East Coast. There are plaques and memorial markers all over New Haven, and the East Coast for that matter, giving one a chance to seek out the history of the area.

One of many historical markers

While on the campaus of the University we took a tour of the many buildings, including museums, library, and a rare book collection. We were amazed at the history all around us, which was a much better way of describing everything as simply old. It's old because it's survived much over the centuries and it a reminder of how much life moves on.

On the campus of Yale University

My son and wife wanted to have pizza at Frank Pepe Pizzeria, where the "New Haven-based pizzeria is famous for its signature coal-fired White Clam Pizza featuring fresh clams, grated pecorino romano, garlic, oregano and olive oil." That was a quote from The Daily Meal, who as recently as 2020 had declared this "one of the greatest old-school restaurants of all time." You can see the open coal-fired oven and watch as yours gets baked. Even in 2009 it was on everybody's radar as a fantastic pizza and a pizza destination to visit, which is why my son mentioned that we should go try it out. I take those kinds of proclamations with a grain of salt since everybody's tastes are so different. Living in Illinois I have had my share of deep dish Chicago style pizza, and love it, so I personally was none too impressed with the coal-fired pie. But it was a nice experience nonetheless.

Well known around the country for its coal-fired pizza

Students heading to classes at Yale University

From the sign on the table it looks like the original was usually right here

It was truly a memorable trip while traveling through Connecticut on our way back to the Midwest. I"ve got hundreds more photos in my files, and on my DSLR no less as I had just purchased my first smart phone and was none too thrilled with the resolution and clarity of those pictures.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#6, Colorado CO (Been There)

Family played the biggest part in ending up at Colorado, considering the distance for us to travel from Illinois. My sister and my wife's sister both lived out there (still do) so it is not surprising we did a few touristy type things.

Let me take a moment to mention that at this moment I am nearly halfway through writing up a story about all the states. Nine of them are those I never visited so those were short. Then I starting going through the list a second time and worked on all the easy ones that had just a quick visit to the state. Now I'm going back through again working my way in numerical order and doing the best I can with the trickier ones. What can be tricky about some? Well, maybe tricky isn't the word but the point of this for me is to back up my state visits with pictures and I am coming up short on certain states. Which ones, you might ask? Mostly it's the ones that are before 2005 as that is the year I finally bought a simple digital camera to go on a trip to New York City. Now I lived in New York for twelve years so that one's doubly tricky in that I also need to keep it short. It would not be difficult for me to write a novel. But the trouble I'm having before 2005 is that there are no digital photos on my computer to easily sift through and find applicable photos to the stories. At the moment I have right around 38,000 photos from Spring 2005 right up through today. They are all organized by date and all I need to do is sift through the right years. All my smart phone photos are in another folder and usually I can remember if I brought along the DSLR to take great photos, or if I just figured I'd make do with the okay photos of the mobile phone.

Everyone has a stack of these, right?

So, when Colorado came up next as the one to start, I had to think long and hard about when we were there and it turns out it was the 1980's and 1990's. All I needed to do was pull down the right photo album and scan a few photos. Easy Peasy. So I asked my wife where the albums were stored and she pointed up to a shelf in the storeroom. They weren't even organized or marked with dates and I counted thirty of them. If you're one of those who have to go and count yourself, I will tell you that there are a couple not up there and that left stack has a bunch of little ones vertically stacked behind the front ones. So I pulled them all down, lined them all up on a table, and started going through them one by one. After several albums without finding anything about Colorado, I noticed a particular theme going through the books. Almost 100% of the photos were of people, no matter whether they were family or friends or dead. Apparently I limited myself to photographing the people we decided to visit or who decided to visit us. Who needs a photo of scenery or something random! Taking photos of anything and everything would have to wait for the smartphone and its built-in camera. I also wasn't that into photography and didn't have a whole lot of time with a growing family. I must have snapped a few photos and then went back to the matter at hand. Plus, the cost of film and development cost real money and that was in short supply as we started married life. So I just kept going hoping to find a few scenic shots among all the group photos.

I know you're just giddy with anticipation about this photographic conundrum, so I'll get to the point. I did find a few photos of Colorado, even one of Pikes Peak. At least I hope it's Pikes Peak as I really did drive up that mountain. I grabbed every scenic I could find and scanned them into a file for later. I still imagine I will come up short as I near the end, but we'll face that when the time comes.

Pike's Peak in the distance

We took the Pike's Peak Highway and it was not the smooth highway drive I was expecting. There were sharp turns where there was no guard rail and it was so crowded that cars were bunching up making it hard to move. We did stop somewhere on the way up to do something, I don't remember. I was too shaken up by the drive. I looked the Pike's Peak Highway up online and it was very clear that "the entire 19-mile journey is along a smooth, paved surface." That was not how I remembered that drive but nonetheless we made it up one side and down the other. I do remember saying I was glad to have done that, but wouldn't be doing it again.

A tunnel dug through the mountain rock

Wagon wheel ruts from the Santa Fe Trail

Even the drive along the main highways can be breathtaking with endless rock formations and even tunnels bored right through the mountain rock. We also stopped to see wagon wheen ruts from the Santa Fe Trail used by early settlers in the 1800's. They have been pounded so hard and for so long that the dirt is as hard as concrete and is still visible today.

Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado

I also did take a drive into Denver on another trip to Colorado and met my sister at Casa Bonita in Lakewood. It is famous for its pink paint exterior and for the deep pool inside with divers entertaining the diners. I was great to connect with her seeing she is so far from Illinois, and the entertainment of the divers was the cherry on top.

My wife has been back there by herself for other family events so I have heard many stories of her exploits but I don't have an many stories. But I have been to Colorado.

Until next time,

Arktander

(AKA David Andreasen)

#5. California CA (Been There, Sort of)

As I mentioned in my introduction page, my time with California was limited to time spent in the airport on a trip to the Philippines. Pretty much all flights from the Midwest (Chicago was where I flew out from) will stop on the West Coast before heading to the Far East. On our trip out we were supposed to have a layover in Hawaii but nobody needed to be dropped off so, ironically, I didn't have the chance to add that hardest state to my list. But I still count California!

Nighttime at LAX

As I mentioned in the overview of trying to visit all 50 states, there are those who don't feel a layover at an airport is enough to qualify as visiting a state. As I also mentioned, I don't particularly agree with that line of reasoning. I flew a perfectly valid flight on a perfectly valid airplane to the perfectly valid city of Los Angeles which hosts the perfectly valid Los Angeles International Airport. My son and I spent overnight right there in the airport that is right in California. We had to exit the plane with our luggage and hang around for over eight hours. If that's not a visit I don't know what is. After that short "visit" we were on our way to our next destination.

Not very restful

Anyways, I see my total of states visited at 41 while there are some who would only acknowledge 40 of them. Whatever. On my list, the state of California has been visited.

Later,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)