Dad has a nook, I read a paper book, 7/15/2011

July 24, 2011-Upper Marlboro, MD

Some observations about the Mississippi trip before I forget:

• Earlier, I mentioned that we were stuck in the airport in Kansas City for so long that electronic devices were running out of battery power. I remarked to Michael that someone should invent charging stations for airports. Lo and behold, when we got to the Minneapolis airport a little later, there they were! Amazing! Someone who must have been able to read my mind invented and installed these things while we were in the air. Is this a great country, or what?!
• Interstates are great for long distance travel, but the local highways we took on this trip give you a real picture of small-town America. It's interesting but also kind of sad. Many of these towns failed in the late 1800s. They still operate, but they're not thriving. And with low-paying jobs and low property values, many of the residents can't afford to move.
• I enjoyed being alone with Michael on this trip, and I think he enjoyed our time together as well. I'd never before been alone with Michael--or with Donna, for that matter--for more than an hour or so. It was a nice experience which I really will treasure.

July 15, 2011--St. Cloud, MN

Because my wife of almost 46 years wouldn't take her husband and son to the airport--she had a yoga class she couldn't miss--Michael and I spent Thursday night at Donna's, and she graciously drove us there.

Anyway, we flew to Kansas City, MO, from Reagan, and then got stuck in KC for about five hours because of storms in Minneapolis, our final destination. The KC airport is designed in such a way that if you're stopping there awaiting another flight from the same airline, you can't leave the boarding area and return unless you want to pass through security again. So you can't take a walk, browse in a bookstore, get something decent to eat, unless you do that. We didn't. We just sat in the boarding area for what turned out to be five hours and watched peoples' Kindles, and Nooks, and laptops run out of battery power.


There really are a lot of lakes in Minnesota. 7/15/11

But we finally got on the plane, and now we're here in St. Cloud, along the Great River Road. Tomorrow we'll continue north to Itasca State Park where we'll be locked out because of the State's budget problems.