July 12, 2001 I went to The Little Big Horn National Park today. I love the talks at The National Parks, the rangers really know their stuff and do great presentations. What I carried away today was how these Native Americans prepared spiritually for battle. Using a mirror they would carefully apply their warpaint in …
Author: The Autonomous Traveler
My life has been metamorphosis from a shy, scared little girl to an adventurous woman who travels the world by herself. I am a grandmother and a retired teacher who is a lifelong learner with a degree in the social sciences. My trips are opportunities to directly experience the wonders of world in order to understand what unites us all and, as a result, to better understand myself.
70 days, 7000 miles, Day 19
July 11, 2001 I'm in Montana, one of my original destinations for this trip. I'm going to do some serious fly fishing here. But the day started out bad because I couldn't find the place to get a National Parks Pass. I wasted a lot of time. Somehow things finally turned out. I kind of …
70 days,7000 miles, Days 15, 16, 17
July 7, 8, and 9, 2001 Made it through Wisconsin, Minnesota ("Land of a Thousand Bites"), and North Dakota. I traveled beautiful green landscapes and fast roads. But I do believe the chamber of commerce adds a 1000 feet to each mile so we easterners don't get discourage traveling these long, long distances between towns. …
70 days, 7000 miles, Day 14
July 6, 2001 Breakfast at a cafe outside, Wakefield, Michigan. I'm going to put a lot of road behind me in the next few days. Got to be careful, a lot of deer around here. I saw a young buck on the side of the road and I don't know who was more scared him …
A Menopausal Odyssey, Day 13
July 5, 2001 When I was taking my stuff down and packing up to leave the campsite, Jim was watching me. I went up to him, shook his hand and told him he was a wonderful person and that I so glad that I had met him. As I drove off, I could see him …
A Menopausal Odyssey, Day 12
July 4, 2001 The Suck Factor! It's those moments when the descriptive word for everything is "yuck"! It happens to me when I tired, hungry, in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation, or discouraged. I guess it's part of life and can even happen during my dream-come-true trip. I woke up this morning fully controlled by the …
70 Days, 7000 miles, Day 11
July 3, 2001 It's the second night in my Michigan campsite. My plan for this trip has always been to head to Montana to do some fly fishing. Last night I spent some time reading about mayflies. When I woke up this morning there was a mayfly on my tent. It was the first thing …
A Menopausal Odyssey, Day 10
July 2, 2001 I caught the ferry to Mackinac Island and spent the day in Mackinaw, a quaint place where no cars are allowed. The amatuer sociologist in me was quick to notice the three social classes evident in this resort town. An upper class used to Western style indulgence and conspicuous consumption. A middle …
70 Days, 7000 Miles, Day 9
July 1, 2001 For the last two days, people have been asking me when I was going to leave because they wanted my spot for Canada Day. I left early. I learned a lot today: (1) Always consult the map before you venture out. I went the wrong way up a one way street in …
A Menopausal Odyssey-Day 7 and 8
June 29 and 30, 2001 Took time to relax, read, and think. I brought a biography with me, The Man of the Century, The Life and Times of Pope John Paul II by Jonathan Kwitny. I'm reading this big book for a lot of reasons. First of all, I'm 100% Polish American, second generation in this …
