Confounding Confirmed

When I started planning this trip across the country my intention was to start by heading east, then north, west, etc. basically counter-clockwise from Houston around the country.

I started the itinerary, version after version, and I would get to Montana-ish and everything would fall apart.  The dates and places wouldn't work, the timelines didn't fit, nothing about it made sense. I would hit a scheduling brick wall.  

Eventually I gave up and decided to go clockwise.  From Houston to New Mexico - west, then north, east, etc.  And, if you're following me here, on 1000 Places, or any of my social media you'll see that this itinerary has been amazing.  Not only have I had amazing weather, but the way the schedule came together means that I was able to add another 2 places from the List.  

Amazing, right?

And then today....this was the news.  Guess where I would've been if I'd gone through with the original plan?

'Historic' winter storm dumps 3 feet of snow, smashes records in West

Montana Governor Declares Emergency As Early Snowstorm Dumps Several Feet of Snow in Northern Rockies

A possibly historic snow storm in the West plus a heat wave in the East — what’s going on?

I know that people can discern the Holy Ghost in a million different ways, but for me it has always been a confounding, never a confirmation.  I never get a, "Hey J, that is definitely the right decision.  Good job!"

But I do, on occasion, experience a fog, a brick wall, a plan not working out no matter how much work I put in, or how many angles I approach it from... and I know.  I know that 

I better head around the country clockwise or get buried in record breaking snow in Montana.  

I Roam Around, Around, Around

6 MONTHS
• 16,675 miles
• 20 States
• 14 Airbnbs
• 17 Hotels
• 4 Family Guest Rooms
• 26 Places Crossed off THE LIST (plus 1 revisted)

Planned itinerary:


Actual Itinerary


States Visited in 2019

Yeah the Wanderer

2nd Quarter Stats

• 9,660 miles

• 13 States (ID, MT, SD, ND, CO, UT, NE, IA, IL, MO, MN, WI, MI)

• 7 Airbnbs

• 10 Hotels

• 1 Family guest room (Thanks T4!)

• 17 Places Crossed off THE LIST

Twin Cities

I read about the cherry in the spoon whilst reading a John Sandford “Prey” book.  It was a NSFW throw away line, but it prompted me to give it a goog to see what it looked like.  Couple that with then working with a sister site based in Minneapolis and I knew this was something I couldn’t miss while I as there.  I had a free Saturday before heading to Duluth, and the weather was beautiful so I headed off to the Twin Cities to see the Minneapolis Sculpture Park.

The Minnesota State Fair was happening that weekend as well, and I thought I’d be avoiding the crowds, but it turns out – this parking lot was very near one of the Fair park and ride locations. So… it was crowded.  I can say, that while Utah might have the worst drivers, Minnesota has the worst parkers.  Nary a car was parked between the lines designating their spot.  I managed to squeeze into a spot that was right by the entrance, though. 

Other highlights included 

• Hahn/Cock by Katharina Fritsch

• Black Vessel for a Saint by Theaster French

• Hare on Bell on Portland Stone Piers by Barry Flanagan (I call it Bunny Ballerina)

• For Whom by Kris Martin (really I just think the name is punny)

• Wind Chime (after “Dream”) by Pierre Huyghe

• X with Columns by Sol LeWitt

• Love by Robert Indiana

• Woodrow by Deborah Butterfield

• The Spinner by Alexander Calder

So, obviously I took approximately one million pictures of Spoonbridge and Cherry because it’s my favorite.  I was surprised to discover that it actually sprays a mist out of the cherry stem.

I also stumbled across a community theater in Minnetonka that was running Five Presidents and between figuring out the logistics of going to a Twins’ game and seeing this – I chose this.  The play is set on the day of Richard Nixon’s funeral and takes place in a holding area where the former Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and current President Clinton are waiting before the funeral begins.  Here’s the blurb from the program:

“FIVE PRESIDENTS brings us back 25 years into the Executive Board Room at the Nixon Library on April 27, 1994.  It is the day of Richard Nixon's funeral and an historic occasion that brought the five living presidents, four exes and one current, together to mourn, honor and discuss one of our history’s most controversial political figures.  This is a fictional take of what might Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton have discussed while gathered prior to the service. Maybe some soul searching among great men so rarely together or, would these leaders of the free world prefer banter, small talk, jokes or petty bickering?”

It was really interesting, and while I was easily the youngest person there (by at least a decade) I had a great time.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time in MN and it is beautiful.  If only it didn’t have such a pesky winter.  That will be a recurring theme of my time in MN, WI, and MI.