When Toby and Bennett arrived at the wedding it was in with Toby's black dodge neon loaded down like the old jalopy in the classic film Grapes of Wrath, the canoe strapped to the roof and supplies and equipment piled high inside. I wasn't quite sure where I was going to fit myself, but like any good adventurers we found a way. Leaving was a bitter sweet moment, sweet because we were embarking on a journey of a lifetime, bitter because we had to say our good byes to those we care about the most. We drove in long shifts, Toby having driven from Columbus to Illinois and Bennett taking the wheel upon meeting with me at the wedding.
Our route took us through the rolling hills of Iowa and onto the plains of southern Minnesota. One of the signs you have made it into the Midwest is the appearance of Casey's General stores, the yellow and red signs pushing the sale of sodium and sugar laden snacks. During my cycle ride these stores were the equivalent of an oasis in the desert, providing much needed refreshment from a day of hard cycling. However, this evening, it provided much needed fuel for the many hours of driving ahead. No amount of snacks would prepare us for what happened next.
The sun had long set and Bennett was at the wheel. We were the only car on this seemingly barren stretch of highway, so we were quite aware of the presence of the police officer parked on the shoulder a little ways ahead. As we drove past, we noticed the awkwardly parked car was not a police car. Not more than 3 seconds after this, Toby , from the back seat, let out a loud and firm, DEER DEER. Bennett must haven noticed the deer at he same time because his reaction time was quite incredible. Brakes slam!, Car swerves!, SKRREEEEEEEEEECCHH. I saw the deer tuck its head and barely be missed getting hit by the car. the canoe that was strapped to the roof strained forward, stretching the straps which held it down. We were going fast enough that even though brakes were applied, the pavement behaved more like ice. We skidded into the gravel shoulder coming to a stop a few feet into the grass, no one said a word for moment. The only witness to this debacle was petrified little brown rabbit staring fearfully into our headlights 4 feet from the bumper. The rabbit provided comic relief to a very stressful situation.; After a mutual and hearty sigh of relief and compliments regarding Bennett's quick reflexes driving skills, we were back on the highway.
I took the wheel in the early morning, the moon was waning and the planet Venus was beginning to make her appearance in sky. As we got closer to our detestation, a heavy fog lay low to the ground, creating a veil for the surrounding landscape. But as the dawn broke over the horizon, a blaze of pink, red, and orange silhouetted the northern forests we were driving into. It resembled the forests of Maine and Oregon much more than the sparse forests of the Midwest we had just left. The higher the sun rose, I realized why they called Minnesota the land of 10,000 lakes. Lakes were everywhere. The same colors which painted the sky such intense colors, reflected off these placid, almost glass like surfaces giving the illusion of an endless horizon. We crossed the river we would soon be on. I caught a glimpse as we went over the bridge. The river seemed passive and quaint, thick forest on either side and a slow current. It was perfect.
I drove as long as I could before my eyes became cross eyed. Driving cross eyed is not recommend for a safe journey. Toby took the wheel for the last hour of the trip, letting me rest. I soon woke up to Toby saying a few words that our grandmothers probably wouldn't approve of and looked in the mirror. Red and Blue lights flashed behind us. We were 2 miles from our destination and managed to get pulled over. The officer came to the window and spouted something in a unintelligible Minnesotan accent. Since Bennett was a native of the region, he quietly and quickly translated. The cop simply wanted to let us a know a headlight was out, which was odd because we drove all night with them working just fine.
We pulled into Bemidji tired yet glad to have arrived. At the moment we are sitting in a Burger King debating on leaving today or tomorrow. We need to grab some last minute supplies before we go, one of which is the ever important package of toilet paper. It is quite chilly this far north, so the sooner we make it south the better. My feelings are mixed with anticipation and nervousness, however, I believe that will dissipate when we finally get on the river.
Our route took us through the rolling hills of Iowa and onto the plains of southern Minnesota. One of the signs you have made it into the Midwest is the appearance of Casey's General stores, the yellow and red signs pushing the sale of sodium and sugar laden snacks. During my cycle ride these stores were the equivalent of an oasis in the desert, providing much needed refreshment from a day of hard cycling. However, this evening, it provided much needed fuel for the many hours of driving ahead. No amount of snacks would prepare us for what happened next.
The sun had long set and Bennett was at the wheel. We were the only car on this seemingly barren stretch of highway, so we were quite aware of the presence of the police officer parked on the shoulder a little ways ahead. As we drove past, we noticed the awkwardly parked car was not a police car. Not more than 3 seconds after this, Toby , from the back seat, let out a loud and firm, DEER DEER. Bennett must haven noticed the deer at he same time because his reaction time was quite incredible. Brakes slam!, Car swerves!, SKRREEEEEEEEEECCHH. I saw the deer tuck its head and barely be missed getting hit by the car. the canoe that was strapped to the roof strained forward, stretching the straps which held it down. We were going fast enough that even though brakes were applied, the pavement behaved more like ice. We skidded into the gravel shoulder coming to a stop a few feet into the grass, no one said a word for moment. The only witness to this debacle was petrified little brown rabbit staring fearfully into our headlights 4 feet from the bumper. The rabbit provided comic relief to a very stressful situation.; After a mutual and hearty sigh of relief and compliments regarding Bennett's quick reflexes driving skills, we were back on the highway.
I took the wheel in the early morning, the moon was waning and the planet Venus was beginning to make her appearance in sky. As we got closer to our detestation, a heavy fog lay low to the ground, creating a veil for the surrounding landscape. But as the dawn broke over the horizon, a blaze of pink, red, and orange silhouetted the northern forests we were driving into. It resembled the forests of Maine and Oregon much more than the sparse forests of the Midwest we had just left. The higher the sun rose, I realized why they called Minnesota the land of 10,000 lakes. Lakes were everywhere. The same colors which painted the sky such intense colors, reflected off these placid, almost glass like surfaces giving the illusion of an endless horizon. We crossed the river we would soon be on. I caught a glimpse as we went over the bridge. The river seemed passive and quaint, thick forest on either side and a slow current. It was perfect.
I drove as long as I could before my eyes became cross eyed. Driving cross eyed is not recommend for a safe journey. Toby took the wheel for the last hour of the trip, letting me rest. I soon woke up to Toby saying a few words that our grandmothers probably wouldn't approve of and looked in the mirror. Red and Blue lights flashed behind us. We were 2 miles from our destination and managed to get pulled over. The officer came to the window and spouted something in a unintelligible Minnesotan accent. Since Bennett was a native of the region, he quietly and quickly translated. The cop simply wanted to let us a know a headlight was out, which was odd because we drove all night with them working just fine.
We pulled into Bemidji tired yet glad to have arrived. At the moment we are sitting in a Burger King debating on leaving today or tomorrow. We need to grab some last minute supplies before we go, one of which is the ever important package of toilet paper. It is quite chilly this far north, so the sooner we make it south the better. My feelings are mixed with anticipation and nervousness, however, I believe that will dissipate when we finally get on the river.
Thanks for the update... We made it home with no exciting suprises!!!
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