In 2009, Michael and I drove west from Brooklyn to start a new life in Seattle. I was beginning the MFA program at the University of Washington, and we were ready for a new adventure in a region neither of us ever thought we'd live in. I documented that first cross-country drive in a list of lists here.
Nearly ten years later, we felt the pull to come back east; in April, we packed up our things and now we're in Chicago, starting the next chapter of our lives. But of course! We had to take another cross-country drive, partly retracing our steps but also seeing lots of new things. And herein is a list of lists for our second crossing:
- Mileage: Approximately 2400
- Days: 9
- Start point: Seattle
- End point: Chicago
Parting image of the Pacific Northwest: Wet roads, sopping dark evergreens.
Cities stopped in to eat and/or sleep: Ellensburg, WA; Spokane, WA; Missoula, MT; Bozeman, MT; West Yellowstone, MT; Jackson Hole, WY; Rock Springs, WY; Laramie, WY; Cheyenne, WY; North Platte, NE; Lincoln, NE; Omaha, NE; Des Moines, IA; Iowa City, IA.
Detour: Petrified Ginko National Forest
Notable Spokane radio: Developing a trauma-informed perspective, on Native America Calling
Rivers crossed: Cle Elum, Columbia, Coer D'Alene, Clark Fork, Boulder, Jefferson, Missouri Headwaters, Madison, Gallatin, Snake, Buffalo, Hoback, Little Sandy, North Platte, Medicine Bow, Laramie, South Platte, Platte, Blue, Missouri, West Nishnabotna, East Nishnabotna, South Raccoon, North Raccoon, South Skunk, North Skunk, Guernsay, Iowa, Cedar, Mississippi, Fox.
Fauna spotted: bald eagles, hawks, bison, elk, alpaca, orioles, cardinals, starlings, geese, hundreds of horses, thousands of cows.
Best smelling city: Still Bozeman, ten years later. This time, instead of pine trees, it smelled of apple and smoked pork.
Most public service announcements about meth: Still Montana, ten years later. "Ask Me How My Gun Went Off."
Most fun billboard: "Rock Creek Testicle Festival," also in Montana.
Most awe: Western Wyoming.
Best business name: Pickle's Discount Mattress in Rock Springs, WY.
Promising overheard dialogue in Rock Springs: "I used to listen to Morning Joe, but I can't anymore. I just wanna know what's going on. Don't rant at me!" This jived with our similar feeling of watching Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC for half a minute. Maybe we can turn it all off? Then again...
Notable Nebraska radio: Christian homeschool radio on social media and the "Pakistinian-Israelite Conflict"
Scariest downtown on a Sunday: North Platte, NE, mostly boarded up and closed, save for Hometown Cash Advance, Cash n' Go, and a dollar store.
Scariest Victorian home to visit at dusk when no one's around and the horses across the street are all staring at you: Buffalo Bill's home, also in North Platte.
Notable Iowa radio: Agritalk. Regarding leaving the TPP: "Was the juice worth the squeeze?"
Happiest lunch spot: cheeky Gazali's in Des Moines, IA, where we ate garlicky chicken shawarma after several days of burgers burgers burgers.
Best town name: What Cheer, IA.
Most adorable stop: Iowa City.
Most roadkill: Illinois :( Intestines coiled in the street like giant fusilli. My next novel will be a horror novel.
Notable Chicago radio that filled me with glee: Cardi B. on Polish-American Radio. Brr!