#22, Michigan MI (Been There, A Lot)

Michigan is where my wife hails from, more specifically from the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan. Who thought it was a good idea to take a chunk of land away from Wisconsin, separated by lakes and a five-mile bridge, and hand it to the hand (of Michigan)? Well it's a riveting tale of sloppy surveying, the infamous Mitchell map, the Toledo Strip which sparked the Toledo War except nobody ever fought, and a final quid pro quo between Michigan and Ohio so that Michigan could be admitted to the Union as a state. Reading about that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Meeting for the first time

What it looked like in the winter...every year

I met my future-wife in college while we were in Minneapolis. I took her back to her family home in Upper Michigan after the school year was over and I was greeted by the first photo. Beautiful weather, lots of trees, nice family. But after we got married we tended to use holiday events like Thanksgiving and Christmas to visit her family. At those times of year it looked like the second photo. It sometimes snowed several inches every day and we'd have to get out the snowblower and clear out the driveway and the sidewalks. Thankfully we also made some trips there during better weather.

A look out towards Lake Superior

One of the Jilly Cows

Marquette Harbor Island Lighthouse

There wasn't a long list of things to do there but we always took a trip to Marquette to see the Lighthouse and walk out on the rocks to the marker. We also had to stop at Jilbert's Dairy for Mackinac Island Fudge ice cream as it was the favorite of nearly all of us. We would also go see the animals at the Presque Isle Park Zoo until that was closed down, but it was still worth the time to take the drive around that point. For dining there was The Villa Capri which was a staple in the area (now closed as well ), as well as Ralph's Italian Deli in Ishpeming for cudighi to bring home and make sandwiches. It is their version of spicy Italian sausage patties, found in the Upper Peninsula. The other local food is the pasty which is a meat and veggie hand-held pie that miners would take to work for lunch. I have eaten all of the above and probably still hold the record for eating the most pasties in one sitting.

The family Christmas tree

Christmas was the special time for my wife and it didn't feel like Christmas to her if there wasn't any snow, so we did go up there a lot in the winter. There was always more than enough snow to go around. The time was made even better as other family members also came and we had visit from other friends and family in town. So did we ever go to Lower Michigan? Yep, had a number of adventures there plus went to Mackinac Island, which lies between Upper and Lower Michigan. 

Went to Joe Ricci Dodge to get my wife's 2006 Charger because she had to have a red one

Celebrated another anniversary at St. Joseph on Lake Michigan, too cold to swim

Took a ferry to Mackinac Island and spent the day looking around

As I close this chapter down I will also mention that I have driven the Mackinac Bridge, the five-mile long suspension bridge that connect the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with the Lower Peninsula. The bridge is off-limits to pedestrians every day of the year except for one, and that one day is Labor Day. On that one day the bridge is closed to vehicles as well as ships below. The Governor of the State normally leads that walk. Put in on your calendar and give it a go.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#21, Massachusetts MA (Been There)

Our visits to the state of Massachusetts occurred in 1990 as part of the trip to visit my parents when they lived in Schenectady, New York. This particular trip took us through a number of states on the drive to New York and then other day trips.

AI Generated Image of an 1800's scene

Maryland is remembered fondly by my wife and I for a day trip we made to Boston with my dad, and by a day trip I mean hours and hours of driving but only about an hour in Boston. While he was taking care of his errand, we took a walk around the downtown areas, with a special interest in Beacon Hill. That was a place my wife had heard about and was thrilled to see it in person. We didn't have cell phones in 1990 (some people might have but we didn't) so we had to guess how long my dad would take, and I guessed an hour. I don't remember who waited for whom, but we met back at the car at roughly the same time. Then we drove back into New York.

The Round Stone Barn, a good name for it

Got to have a sign somewhere on site

Living Quarters

Since it was our ten year anniversary right around this time, my wife wanted to do something special, which meant something she wanted to do and I would despise. She directed me to this former Shaker Village that  emerged in the towns of Hancock, Pittsfield, and Richmond in the 1780s, organized in 1790, and was active until the year1960. She was excited, me not so much, but such is married life. Pittsfield is just inside the Massachusetts border when driving in from the west and we were shocked that it only took a half hour to drive up to the border. Illinois is six hours or so from north to south and Massachusetts perhaps an hour. Looking at the paper map (pre-GPS days) made it seem the state went on forever but before we knew it the state ended. We continued on a bit further and ran into a covered bridge in Bennington, Vermont, and took some pictures which you can see on the Vermont page. And then we headed back to New York.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#20, Maryland MD (Been There)

Maryland occupies a tight relationship with Delaware, and I tend to think of them as a pair. Much of what I said about Delaware applies to Maryland and they make to two bookends for Washington D.C. if you're ever heading there. Alas, except for the obligatory drive through Baltimore on Highway 95, we didn't really do anything special in the state. Living so far away from it and not having any relatives in it didn't help.

Used with permission of Nations Online Project

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#19, Maine ME (Been There)

Maine is an interesting state from a geographical perspective, tucked away in the far northeast. New Hampshire is right up against its western boundary, and then the three provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia surround it on its northern half, while the Atlantic Ocean runs along its eastern edge.

Welcome to Maine

I know that I went to Maine as a family trip when I was a child so there wasn't a whole lot to remember from being so young. My memories of that trip are less from memory and more from the silent movies mom and dad took at the time, which we were corralled into watching on a regular basis. Of course, mom and dad gave the commentary throughout the whole event so it was never really a silent movie. The trip that was talked about all through my childhood was going to Maine to see dad's college friend. I remember pictures of those two guys throwing snowballs at each other, up on the mountain, on a very nice day, in short sleeves, and that story never got old. I do no have that particular piece of film but there was this one below with an old car on a lake.

Waving from an old car on a lake

But we did make it there on a scenic trip to Vermont that wasn't (head to the Vermont page to read that one). We made a day trip from Vermont to the closest accessible part of Maine and rode up and down a small portion of the coast checking out lighthouses and lobster and shrimp. It was a several hour ride from Vermont to Maine but it was a beautiful day. We spent most of our time in York, Maine, and took a lot of photos. But the first item of business was to get something to eat and I was wanting to try those Maine lobsters and heard about. Sure enough, the restaurant we were pointed to turned out to be great with a picturesque view of the ocean. The lobster dinner included a baked potato, corn on the cob, and two lobsters that were a pound each.  Of course I had to get the clam chowder since that's one of my favorites. So good! The wife got shrimp and said they were the freshest she's ever had. I think we'd go back there just to try the food again.

Then if was time to head out for some sightseeing. We drove the road right alongside the ocean and had breathtaking views all along the way. We stopped several times to walk around and take pictures. The boats were pulled up close to the beach and anchored. The lighthouses we saw were each better than the one before; we concentrated on this one. Later on in the afternoon it started to cloud up and I took the photo of someone reading at the ocean's edge. Now that's the way to relax!

This is one of the states we wouldn't mind visiting again. Very picturesque and charming. And it would be nice to see all of the states and not just the first twenty miles. But most of all we'd like to drive all the way up the coast to see as many lighthouses as we can find and eat seafood like there's no tomorrow. Sound like a plan to me!

Later,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#18, Louisiana LA (Been There)

Making it to the state of Louisiana first took my youngest son moving there for his career. It also is one of the states that gets hit hard when the hurricanes head over that way. When I lived up North, whether in New York or Illinois, it wasn't in the cards to just visit the states in the South. We couldn't afford to travel often so when we did it was usually to members of our family who were in the northern states. Now, however, we have a great deal of family who lives in the South and our visits have been shifted to them. That's how life is, you enjoy what's right around you, which is why we've not made it to nine western states.

Louisiana Art

I remember hearing about the hurricanes that were usually in those southern states, or the heat that was in Florida or Texas. I'd taken a trip to Texas in my late teens and I couldn't believe how hot and muggy Houston was. Same with Florida. But I never got to Louisiana since I knew nothing about the state or had any acquaintances living there until the aforementioned youngest son moved there in 2013. We have been to see him a number of times since we moved to Georgia in 2016, otherwise it had been too far for Louisiana. He comes to see us as well and gets to enjoy his nieces.

The James Bond watch

One thing we share is an appreciation for watches. He studied watchmaking in trade school and works now as an accomplished Watchmaker. I had collected a number a number of watches in the years prior to his interest in mechanical things. The original 1972 P1 digital watch was the first solid-state digital watch. Roger Moore wears the Hamilton Pulsar P2 2900 (second version ) for only about four minutes in the movie Live And Let Die released in 1973 but the reaction was epic. For the 50th anniversary Hamilton released the PSR in 2020, fifty years after the announcement of the first. It is very close to the original, the main difference being the OLED screen. Yes, I have an old-style CRT-shaped OLED TV screen on my wrist! The first LED screens went through batteries very quickly, but with this one the screen is always on dimly, enough to see it with a glance. You press the button to see it fully bright which was the cool trick back in the 1970's.

We also enjoy good seafood and he has taken us to some really good local places. I had a shrimp po' boy sandwich that had so many shrimp in it that more fell out than what I first ate. Top notch. That's the best part about the local shops, they do food a little different and a lot better. Every so often he sends me a photo of his latest unique lunch. One Thanksgiving with family in Texas he brought along an alligator stuffed chicken which we ate. He was going to bring a Traditional Turducken (chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey) stuffed with cornbread dressing but got his order in too late. Those are some interesting foods you won't easily find in Illinois.

What the Louisiana coast seems to have too often lately is hurricanes. Everyone remembers Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but there are usually a number that hit every year. Hurricane Laura hit Lake Charles at the end of August 2020 as one of the most powerful storms to hit Louisiana, and six weeks later Hurricane Delta pummelled Lake Charles once again. My son evacuated to Atlanta for the first one which didn't destroy his apartment, and evacuated to Texas for the second which did destroy his apartment. He lost almost everything and still comes up with things he can't find. He has moved to somewhat higher ground but that is the nature of living near the Gulf.

There are no Buc-ee's Convenience Centers yet in Louisiana, but the first one is underway and should open in 2025. You all should know by now how much I like Buc-ee's.

Until next time,

Arktander

(aka David Andreasen)

#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)