An Early Start
Thirteen hours in my car on the first day of my trip seemed unreasonable but necessary. For one thing, it would get me relatively close to Badlands National Park and allow me the luxury of making a jaunt north to visit a friend in Bird Island, Minnesota, on day two. More importantly, though, it meant getting a significant portion of what I’d been wary of (i.e., driving through the Midwest) over and done with.
On any normal day, my departure of 7:15 AM would have made me proud. My alarm was set for 4 AM, giving me plenty of time to hit the road by 6 AM, which would get me to my destination of Fairmont, Minnesota, by 6 PM (when you take the time zone change into account). Regardless of the reason–being exceptionally tired or not as ready to run out the door as I thought I was when I went to bed–I didn’t get the start that I wanted, which affected the end of the day.
This was something I had to get used to on the trip: Not arriving at motel rooms early enough to truly enjoy the luxuries they provided, like wi-fi connections, hot showers and giant beds.
A Not So Memorable Drive
As expected, the overall trip to Minnesota wasn’t memorable, except for the traffic jam in Chicago and crossing the Mississippi River. After driving through Gary, Indiana, I saw the Chicago skyline off in the distance and felt a little sad. “Aww… I would’ve liked a closer look!” I thought to myself. A short-lived moment of excitement occurred when the course took a right and began heading directly toward that skyline, but was followed by a dreadful hour of stop-and-go, bumper-to-bumper traffic that led me directly below the Sears Tower. In the middle of my first day on the road, I knew I’d learned a valuable lesson I’d use long into the future: Unless it’s absolutely necessary, avoid routes that take you through the heart of a large city.
Crossing the Mississippi River was memorable because, for some reason, the width of it took me by surprise. I mean, It’s the Mississippi River, and every American knows the Mississippi is a big river. But, I didn’t know what it was when I arrived and mistook it for a lake, because I don’t remember ever seeing a river that had islands in it!
Destination Reached
At the end of the day, I arrived at Hall Lake Cabins in Fairmont, Minnesota, as the sun was setting. There I was, in a state that I’d never been in before, completely by myself, at the conclusion of a drive that I thought was never going to end. It was equally horrifying and exhilarating. After fumbling around with the process of figuring-out what needed to come out of and remain in my car–something I would become adept at over the next three weeks–I went back out to fetch a horrible dinner and refill my gas tank, finally returning to my cabin to eat, shower and pass-out from exhaustion.
Image Gallery
- You Are Here About two and a half hours into the trip and I'm still an hour away from the Indiana border.
- That's My Name Hot coffee had been irritating my stomach lately, so I left home with a large batch of cold brew. This helps me remember that it's my coffee.
- Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?!? It just occurred to me to check on the name of this building, and, sure enough, it's no longer named the "Sears Tower" but rather "Willis Tower". C'mon, really? This picture was taken in the midst of an hour long traffic jam through the heart of Chicago.
- Something Interesting In Wisconsin Something like this rock formation would barely raise an eyebrow a few days from now, but it amounted to a mountain fashioned by alien hands at this point.
- Oh, Sweet Nuthin! In a similar vein, this seemed like the flattest terrain imaginable when I saw it this day. It's nothing alright. Nothing compared to what I'd see in Wyoming.
- Hall Lake Cabins The cabin on the end, next to my car, was my home for the evening.
- Fairmont Chain of Lakes Fairmont, Minnesota, features a chain of five lakes stretching north to south. The cabins I stayed at are on the eastern shore of Hall Lake.
- Walleye Wow... the following morning, I'd feel melancholic while sitting on the dock next to Hall Lake, because it reminded me of years spent on the shore of Middle Bass Island. It just occurred to me that this mounted walleye might have also contributed to those feelings.
- Selfie Selfies aren't a thing for me. Or, maybe I should say, weren't a thing for me, at this point, because I ended-up taking quite a few on my trip. At the end of this day, though, I was still a bit camera shy.
Video Gallery
- Driving Through Downtown Chicago At first, I was happy when my route veered towards downtown Chicago. My mood changed after a half-hour of stop-and-go traffic. I'll never take a path through the middle of a city again.
- Crazy Rock Formations In Wisconsin These were exciting to see at the time. A bit of weirdness in a sea of monotony.
- Route 90 Approaching Fairmont, Minnesota This was the final leg of the first day, about 13 hours after I'd begun. Fairmont, Minnesota, and my destination of Hall Lake was around the corner.
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