These are notes from my journal on my first cross-country road trip from my hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan to Vancouver, British Columbia. I went to Vancouver to live there for a year and attend animation classes at VanArts, my first time living outside of Michigan and outside of the States, needless to say, an epic adventure in the making. And getting there was, as always, half the fun. Accompanying me on this trip was my friend from the U of M Art School, Brandon Moses. Brandon flew back to Michigan a few days after our arrival.

DAY 1: August 28, 1998 Friday
Grosse Pointe, MI--Ann Arbor, MI--Chicago, IL--Madison, WI
389 miles

"I'm a fool in search of wisdom, and I'm on the road to madness."
-Queensryche

Left home at 9:00 AM; said good-bye to family. Mom told me she admired me for doing this and that I would have a blast. That meant alot to me cuz I worried about her shouldering so much work at home. Daniel (my brother) said I would bring inspiration to children all over the world; it was touching. I cried on the way to the bank, where I had to deposit a check and withdraw money from the trip. Leaving home was a huge step, and the reality of the whole thing hit me like a wave as I pulled away. Today I wore my Michigan Renaissance Festival t-shirt. Put on my "Road Trip" mix tape upon getting on the freeway; felt free and very alive, a new kind of feeling--musical and exhilirating, and strangely confident. Took care of business in Ann Arbor and picked up Brandon; said good-bye to Steve (my boss and animation mentor.) Hit I-94 west at 1:00 with "Movin' Right Along" mix tape. Stopped at Velvet Touch, a lame adult shop for lonely truckers on the freeway, just for photo opportunities. Chicago traffic was terrible; all backed up with disrespectful city drivers. Once we got through the endless tollbooths and mad people, we figured we'd stop at the first fast food joint we saw and eat. When Lo and behold, a castle doth lie yonder beyond ye freeway with a sign that readeth, MEDIEVAL TIMES. "Medieval Times!" I shout and randomly zip over 2 lanes to the exit for the most unexpected addition to our trip. It was expensive but rightly so; it's HUGE! Good food; our serving wench was Andrea. Exciting combat, cheesy dialogue in show, decent fighting, boring horse dancing, falcon flew around arena-that was great. Ah yes, American tourism. Drove on night freeway to Motel 6 in Madison.
MUSIC: Pink Floyd, Queensryche, Led Zeppelin, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Fishbone, Television's Greatest Hits, Journey, Tori Amos, Frank Zappa.

DAY 2: August 29, 1998 Saturday
Madison, WI--Spring Green, WI--Minnesota--Sioux Falls, SD
496 miles

"All the useless things that a dreamer's aimless dreaming brings."
-Alex Jordan Jr., architect of The House on the Rock

Wake-up call at 7:00! Actually I got up before 7 cuz I didn't know what time it was and I toyed with the possibility that our ringer might be turned off. So just to be safe (and to go the bathroom) I went out to the Ken-mobile and looked at my watch--it was 6:45. I showered, talked to Mom on the phone and Brandon & I were on our way to the House on the Rock by 8:30. Wisconsin is very green and very pleasant; not as green or "full" as Tennessee or Kentucky, though. Wide open spaces, rolling hills, farmland. Drove thru lots of small towns and industrial office-like areas outside Madison. Paul Deller said that maps of Wisconsin are deceiving and that it's a big state that takes forever to drive through. WI was actually a very quick and easy state to drive through; Minnesota was another story! After stopping at a cheese factory with a giant happy mouse, we made our way to the House on the Rock: the most thrilling, inspiring, most wonderful place I've ever seen. (A rather bold statement, perhaps, but it fits the way I felt when I was there.) It's a colossal celebration of creativity and humanity; an homage to imagination, art, and just sheer CREATION! Literally a paradise on Earth. Every corner was something else that made me go GASP!!! Words don't do it justice. The whole place was much bigger than I had anticipated. The parts that thrilled me the most were the automated instruments-especially the Mikado, the Sea Monster, the Carousel. The Sea Monster is longer in width than the Statue of Liberty is in height. Upon seeing the world's largest carousel I literally said OH MY GOD!!!! and RAN into the room where I just looked up and around me with my arms outstretched, feeling like a little kid, with my head in the clouds and my jaw on the ground. Wonderful. I'll definitely be going back.
From HOTR drove on Highway 14; lots of twists and turns, small towns and contry land. Cross Plains, WI-cute little town. Stopped at Dairy Queen and got blizzards. The drive-thru girl was kinda slow; made me think of Parker Posey in Waiting for Guffman. Brandon drove from HOTR to La Crosse; we stopped in a bank parking lot and did a Chinese fire drill to unwind--ran around the car, bounced and made silly noises. I wore my blue Hawaiian shirt today. We got lots of funny looks from people--don't think Midwesterners in these small towns are used to eccentric apparel, and people with jester hats. Everyone out here has one of those mower tractors. Brandon took a nap as we crossed the Mississippi River into MN. Very pretty at first, lots of hills and trees, then turned flat and boring--corn fields and farms. Stopped in Austin, MN to see if we could find the Spam Museum; it was on the other side of town so we declined. Did see signs for Spam Town, though. Nice looking place. Got very hungry and road crazy by the time we neared Sioux Falls. Missed our exit and had to turn around; forgot to write down where Motel 6 was. Luckily we found it, and got Room 237. (REDRUM! REDRUM!) Hooked up the VCR and watched cartoons, and The Shining, but fell asleep halfway through it.
ROAD SIGNS: EAT A MANGO-LIVE YOUR LIFE----CHEESE CHALET---- SOUNDS OF CIRCUS PAST-AMERICAN CALLIOPE CENTER----FISH LIPS
MUSIC: Halloween Radio, Sublime, Monty Python, Steve Vai, The Doors, "Road Trip" tape, Rain Tree Water Bird, They Might Be Giants.

DAY 3: August 30, 1998 Sunday
Sioux Falls, SD--Mitchell, SD--Wall, SD--Rapid City, SD--Sheridan, WY
658 miles

"Patriotism swells in the heart of the American Bear."
-Fozzie Bear

This morning the guy parked next to us at the motel gave us 2 free Pepsis. He had a bumper sticker on his car that said, "Before I created you in the womb, I knew you." -GOD. People here are really friendly. Friendly waittresses at the Roll 'N Pin restaurant for dinner last night and breakfast. They had the best ham & cheese omelet I've ever had! What a great restaurant. Mmmmmmm It's good ya!
South Dakota has a great sense of humor. These days just seem to blend together; not typical 9-5 days, just an episodic dream-state of unfamiliarity and exploration. Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong day today; we really pushed ourselves to the limit. Left Sioux Falls at 9:45-bit of a late start. Scenery still a little flat but prettier. Alternates with rolling hills so a very pleasant view. The Great Plains: heart of America. I wore my pink flowered shirt today. Stopped in the town of Mitchell(!) and saw Corn Palace, which is basically a replica of the Kremlin made out of corn, surrounded by the Enchanted Doll Museum and several gift shops full of "Nice things made in South Dakota." Crawling with funny-looking old people with camcorders saying things like, "Dear, get in front of that sign," this was small town tourism at its most bizarre, at least until we got to Wall Drug. Brandon and I find it amazing just how people there are out in this country. All these thousands of small towns where people actually live their lives. It's interesting.
South Dakota's highway gives a zen-like calm to the soul and just makes one feel good to be alive. There are countless billboards for Wall Drug and the Reptile Gardens. It's like Wall Drug is at the nerve center of South Dakota; a little place that everyone knows about, some sort of common ritual place. There's a weird sense of humor apparent in the hype and billboards juxtaposed against the vast landscape. Wall Drug is a wacked-out fun place with an inspiring history behind it. It started out as a small department store that gave out free ice water to thirsty travelers on the first interstate roads, and it has since blossomed into this demented hybrid of Traverse City and Major Magic's, but on acid. Lots of pure American stuff, packed into colorful gift shops, with "tourist trap" written all over it. The backyard is full of really scary looking giant animals, some of which will sing songs if you give them a quarter. My personal favorite was Sam the Singing Gorilla, the funniest thing I'd seen all day. When you've been driving across the Great Plains for 2 days, this place becomes all the more surreal. Good clean fun.
Upon nearing Mount Rushmore the terrain changed to rocks, hills, and pine trees. Rushmore itself is quite beautiful; Doug says it's graffiti, and I can see his point, but from an artistic standpoint it's still pretty impressive. It's weird seeing something you've seen pictures of for so many years, because it's actually there--that's IT. Weird. The whole area around Rushmore is like the Ren Fest, a row of colorful gaudy signs selling stuff. Beautiful scenery on the way out; we bought lemonade and cookies on the side of the road from a boy named Tim and his little sister Alice. We took a long stretch of a detour so we could see Devil's Tower; part of the road was unexpectedly unpaved and the road was really long. Not sure if it was worth it; it was pretty cool I guess, mostly to think that Spielberg shot Close Encounters there. Only problem was it made the rest of the trip exhausting; Wyoming seemed to never end, plus it was dark.
Driving down the night highway Brandon and I got hungry. Saw a sign that said FOOD-NEXT RIGHT. Yay! Got off exit for Rozet, WY. Drove a mile off and over the freeway down a road that was pitch dark. The road dead-ended. There was maybe one street light and an odd rectangular building next to a railroad track. We turned left into the parking lot and noticed the building had no windows except for a small one by a door where there were maybe four cars and truck parked. Two black cats chased each other across the lot, and the truck's headlights turned on as we passed it. Brandon says he saw someone sitting in the truck, but I didn't. Needless to say, we got the fuck outa there and didn't get to eat.
We stopped at Wendy's in the next real town and were so tired we were slap happy and couldn't stop laffing. We did an interpretive dance as we put gas in the car. (What's a road trip without a little performance art?) On the night highway I was struggling to stay awake--blasting Queensryche and staring ahead in a daze. We decided to crash (ourselves, not the car) in Sheridan, WY instead of the original plan of Billings, MT. I was so tired I could barely write down my address while checking in at the Comfort Inn.
ROAD SIGNS: COWBOY UP!----HUG A TURTLE TODAY----HOT BEEF SANDWICHES-WALL DRUG----NEW T-REX, MAKE YOUR DAY----DOO WAH DITTY'S DINER: GET REAL----KIDS! WATCH THE BLASTING OF MOUNT RUSHMORE MOVIE----HAVE YOU DUG WALL DRUG----WALL DRUG S-P-E-L-L-S FUN----BLACK HILLS COSMOS: FEEL THE FORCE----6 FOOT RABBIT-WALL DRUG----DEATH ROW-WORLD'S DEADLIEST SNAKES----WELCOME TO BIG BEEF COUNTRY----I'M AN ELK-A-HOLIC----DON'T FORG PETRIFIED GARD----ALL ROADS LEAD TO WALL DRUG----ALADDIN, WY POPULATION 15 (With a Hard Buck Cafe!)
MUSIC: Ballad of the Sandman, the Blooper Tape, Snapple, Classic Rock Hits mix, Movie Music, Pink Floyd-Animals & Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 311, Queen, The Beatles, Billy Joel in Concert, Fleetwood Mac-Rumours, Fishbone, Queensryche.

DAY 4: August 31, 1998 Monday
Sheridan, WY--Billings, MT--Alberton, MT--Spokane, WA
688 miles

"I might be movin' to Montana soon,
Just to raise me up a crop of dental floss,
Raisin' it up, Waxin' it down,
In a little white box that I can sell up town."
-Frank Zappa

Got up after a much-needed rest; had breakfast of donuts, bagels and coffee while a little boy named Trevor walked around and looked at us. Put oil, gas, and coolant in the car and headed to Montana. As soon as we crossed the border we played that one Frank Zappa song...
The scenery was nice and open, (why they call it "big sky country) big hills with dry grass and lots of cows. A very dry yellow color. We had to pull over a couple times cuz the tarp on the roof with my suitcases kept coming loose, flapping and getting shredded. Stopped in (Did you fart or are we in)Billings, a perfectly ugly city. Brandon says he loves cities, metropolitan areas with strip malls, restaurants and big complicated intersections. I on the other hand hate that, but I love small towns, with general stores and trucks, book stores, friendly people, and a lake if possible. Brandon doesn't like small towns. Weird. Ate at Pizza Hut and got a bunch of Star Wars toys.
Once we went further west in Montana, things became more and more beautiful... Mountains, trees, big rocks. Mostly drove and didn't stop much. If I ever become rich and famous, or at least well off, I'd like to buy a summer home in Montana. I grew quite attached to the scenery and the general atmosphere of people there. We stopped to eat in a small town called Alberton, at a cute little restaurant called the Sidetrack Cafe. Brandon and I sat there and drew the customers. One man who I drew asked to see the drawing on his way out; he was nice and happy. There was a big man with an oxygen tube in his nose who seemed to be a regular there. He kept teasing teh waitress who he knew by name. The waitress said she loved her job and was there all the time; it was pretty much her life. Her contentness and courtesy was very admirable. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and it felt very friendly, all surrounded by huge mountains. We stopped in a used book store, too. There was a teenage girl who was rather attractive who was picking up several books and was searching the shelves frantically as if she were a small child trying desperately to find a certain toy she had saved up for. Her enthusiasm was charming; I guess people in small towns have little else to do but read, or at least be friendly. Down the road the houses even seemed to be separated into nice upper class homes and trailers.
We left Alberton feeling very much alive, with some faith in humanity restored in our heads and hearts. It was night by the time we reached Idaho, but not so much as to miss a hazy, muted rose-colored sunset beyond the mountains.
Spokane was the first metropolitan city we had seen since Chicago, and it was a bit of a culture shock after driving through plains and mountains. I don't necessarily enjoy big cities but there's something about them at night that puts a little more magic into them. The darkness hides the dirt and the rigidity of the structures and streets, and you only see the lights that outline everything, like earthbound constellations. On the road by day you can see clearly the raw beauty of nature, and by night the beauty of man's work on the city, each with a little magic all their own. We ended our day at the Motel 6 in Spokane by watching Star Wars.
MUSIC: Frank Zappa- Overnite Sensation, Shiek Yerbouti, Peter Gabriel, Circle of Fish, Halloween Radio, Phish-Rift, 311, Jimi Hendrix.

DAY 5: Septermber 1, 1998
Spokane, WA--Seattle, WA--Vancouver, BC
495 miles

"Everything in life is someplace else, and you get there in a car."
-E.B. White

In Washington State I saw more birds than I had seen anywhere else on the journey. There was a family of California Quail at the Motel, plus many Magpies along the road. Eastern Washington is even more desolate and boring than the great plains; the grass is dry and yellow, stretching far and wide with little foliage. As we got closer and closer to Seattle and entered Wenatchee National Forest, we passed through the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. The mountains covered in pine trees are colossal and powerful, and when you add a lake or river to that, you really have something to soak in and savor.
Seattle has extreme sloping streets; not a city to be in without a parking brake. We only spent about an hour there, ate ate a Chinese restaurant with food that didn't agree too well with my stomach, and checked out Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe, which is a crazy claustrophobia-infested gift shop with a twisted sense of humor and tons of tourist-like things. I liked the mummies and shrunken heads, which were the main reason for stopping there. Getting out of Seattle was a royal pain, with streets that didn't go where they should've and a map that was drawn by a retarded monkey. Blah!
Once we were free of Seattle, we made the exciting last stretch up to customs, where the people were very friendly and very interested in helping us. The guy who got me my student Visa talked to us about Windsor, Detroit, the race riots, and Rush. He was a jolly man who kind of reminded me of my old neighbor Mr. McHale, only Canadian. The happy girl who exchanged our currency was really nice, too. She was drawing a face when we approached the counter. We told her to keep drawing.
MUSIC: The Muppet Movie soundtrack, Yes, Totally 80's, Genesis, The Beatles, Movie Themes, Frank Zappa.

Gas for whole trip: $100.31
Miles: 2726