Christmas In Minnesota--Conclusion

My Christmas Eve task is over, now it’s time to spend three days relaxing and enjoying the presence of my gals.  

Christmas morning rolled around and as is so typical, I’m the first one up.  In my normal household setting it’s no issue for me to get my coffee brewing and fire up the MacBook to check email and other things online.  But today, at this apartment, Geoana is still snoozing in the living room area so I extra-quietly start my first K-cup and surreptitiously fill the two stockings waiting under the tree.  (In my last entry I neglected to mention that after the offloading Geogal assembled our Christmas tree.  We’ve had this artificial arbor for a few years now and given I had plenty of room for cargo it was no problem for me to bring it along so the Minnesota apartment could have more of the Christmas feel.)  

Finally everyone’s up and we enjoy emptying the stockings.  No wrapped “presents” this year, given the whirlwind nature of my journey and the stress of maintaining two households, if only for a short time.  I suggested, with tongue-in-cheek, we have our Christmas gift exchange in early June, at which time we hope much of the dust will have cleared.  Geoana’s response indicated my spouse and I should just “go away somewhere” for our Yuletide present.  (Should that happen, I vote for Nashville.)  

After church and the midday Christmas meal (ham with all the trimmings) the afternoon and evening felt, to me, a bit odd.  Not so much that I was not at “home” but rather the feeling of being cooped-up and subsequently restless.  “Not to worry,” I kept telling myself: “Tomorrow you will have the chance to get out and see some of this town.”  

And I did.  On Thursday Geogal and I (plus our 18-year-old home-from-college child) met with our buyer’s agent, who took us through a couple of houses for sale and added in a leisurely tour of the area.  Friday the Geofamily went to Baxter and spent some money at Mills Fleet Farm then when evening hit Geogal and I had an early anniversary celebration meal at A.T. The Black & White.  I recommend the almond-encrusted walleye sandwich—to die for!!

Then Saturday arrives and with it, time for me to hit the highway back to Kansas.  I’m scheduled to return to work on Monday and wanted the extra day to relax and do laundry.

I planned to depart just as soon as I awakened which for me is always early.  Sure enough, I leave at 4:30 a.m.  I’m taking a different route this time given a winter storm is predicted to cause some concern for roads in the western part of the state.  Take 10 to St. Cloud then meet I-94 to The Cities.  From there on south it’s I-35, much to my dismay.  While there’s nothing wrong or objectionable about 35 I have traveled it so many times the past six years it now has a boring sameness.  

The starting leg proves to be no problem.  Gas up at Petro in St. Cloud, then it’s accelerate to interstate highway speed.  In my headlights I see very small snowflakes.  However once I pass Rogers the light snow turns into rain.  Then the rain begins freezing on my windshield.  Hit the washer fluid to clear my sight.  Intersect I-494, which I plan to take around the west edge of the metro area to avoid unnecessary city traffic, even at this early hour.   

Then my plan hit a snag.  Or should I say a slide.  As in my Suburban beginning to lose traction and slightly move in directions against my desire.  

Nice way to phrase my immediate concern (actually closer to terror) with the road conditions.  Seems the pavement was just cold enough to turn the rain into a skating rink.  I’m proud to say I kept my head, eased off on the accelerator and then carefully and slowly took the next off ramp, hoping there would be a 24-hour restaurant specializing in breakfast.  You know—Perkins, IHOP or even Denny’s.  Unfortunately this exit offered only a Holiday gas station/convenience store.  I settle for a banana and a protein bar and grab my library books to pass the time.  Again, another benefit of a Suburban is the large interior space meaning I can recline my seat to a non-driving position while I wait to see what will happen both meteorologicaly and road-wise.  Will crews be out with salt or other types of treatment?  If so, when?  

I also remind myself, for the first of several times this day, that I’m so thankful to not be pulling a U-Haul trailer.

Fortunately the rain stops yet the temperature remains around 29 degrees.  After an hour the sky is dawning and I decide to head out and see if I can make progress.  

Back on 494 I notice the vehicles in front are kicking up what looks like slush.  All right!  If I drive slow and stay in the already-traveled lanes I might just get through this.  Then another mile or two I see numerous taillights in the distance.  

That can only mean an accident ahead.  I decide to stay on the road and just endure the wait, however long it takes.  Being surrounded by other cars and trucks easily eliminates my feelings of loneliness but I’m starting to get restless by sitting in this traffic.  

Getting through the bottleneck (turns out it wasn’t an accident but rather several larger trucks having lost traction on a slight grade which blocked about three lanes) takes between 75 and 90 minutes.  Finally I’m through and again making progress on 494.  Still taking it slow and steady I reach the I-35W junction in about 15 minutes.  South on 35W was much the same and I kept telling myself that once I cleared Burnsville and the 35E split the conditions might improve as I’d be leaving the metro area.  

Sometimes you get what you hope for!  I pull off at the rest area south of Owatonna for a potty and stretch-the-legs interlude.  Checking the weather app on my phone I see that my direction calls for rain but not snow.  Yes!  

During the next few miles the ice even on the road shoulders lessens.  Crossing into Iowa I decide my next stop will be Ames.  To keep my mind occupied I listen to the Camping World Bowl, hearing Iowa State get bested by Notre Dame.  Once in Ames I decide to splurge on lunch and go to Five Guys.  When you’re mentally and physically tired sometimes there’s no beating a hearty burger and fries!!

Re-energized, it’s back to 35 and finish up Iowa.  Weather continued to be a mixed bag of heavy rain, light rain and medium rain.  No matter—still beats ice.  

Next state is Missouri and I decide instead of skirting the northern edge of KC and taking the Kansas Turnpike I will exit at Cameron and go west on U.S. 36 until it intersects K-99, then head south through Frankfort, retracing the route I took on the 24th.  

36 is a well-maintained four lane highway all the way to St. Joe, which is good because that is when the sky decided to open up and drop massive sheets of rain on this part of the Show-Me State.  Visibility is extremely poor for a stretch and now daylight is diminishing.  

Yet my fear of heavy rain combined with darkness never becomes reality.  Crossing into Kansas I’m able to keep the road in sight with minimal effort and after Hiawatha there are patches of fog but no further raindrops.  

Even though I know it’s coming I had to wonder if I would ever reach Highway 99.  Of course it arrives just as it should and I know I’ve hit the homestretch.  The road is in decent condition as the temp is above freezing yet the fog still comes and goes.  Passing by Rock Creek High School I encountered a big patch of pea soup.  

Then finally…it’s home.  Familiar subdivision and I feel as if I’m on autopilot.  

I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see my front door.  I text Geogal that I made it and unload only what I need for tonight from the Suburban.  All the rest can wait ‘till tomorrow.  

I also joked (via text to my wife) that I was ready for a belt of whiskey.  While I did pour myself a small amount from a bottle of Buffalo Trace (one of my birthday presents), I chose to sip the libation rather than gulp it down.  

Stats for this day:  Total time on the road—15 hours.  Distance—662 miles.  

No one had to rock me to sleep that night.  

Christmas In Minnesota--Part One

Maybe it was payment that finally came due.  

Since the time of my daughter’s birth we (Geogal, Geoana and I) have not traveled during the Christmas holiday.  That makes a good 18 years of staying home during the holidays which certainly makes a sometimes-difficult season less stressful.  But Christmas of 2019 was destined to be different.  

Road trips are nothing new for me.  Beginning in 1985 when I drove solo from Albuquerque to Austin, Texas (in one day) I’ve done the solitary driving journey numerous times.  Thus when Geogal and I developed our plans for Christmas we opted for me to make the drive to Minnesota.  She now has an apartment but was very limited, vehicle space-wise, when she ventured north at the end of November.  However I drive a Suburban (tons of interior room) and also rented a 12-foot long U-Haul trailer to handle the larger pieces of furniture.  So with specifics about what household items she needed and which furniture items she wanted I was soon packed, loaded and ready to go north.  

4:55 a.m. on 24 December.  Journey’s genesis.  My route involved driving north until I intersected U.S. 36, then head east until I meet U.S. 75, taking me around Sabetha and into Nebraska.  Made a quick potty-and-more-coffee stop in Auburn, then north to the Omaha metro area.  From there the route was familiar: I-80 across the Missouri River into Iowa, then turn north on I-29 to take me to Sioux City.  As I remembered from previous trips, the trek between Council Bluffs and Sioux City passed quickly.  No doubt this is due to the combination of interstate speeds and the stretch being very flat, given you’re traveling parallel to the Missouri River.  

Since I skimped on breakfast I elected to stop in Sioux City for an early (as in 10:30 a.m.) lunch.  Munching down an Incredible Whopper with a side of small fries gave my body and mind the needed energy boost.  I bid goodbye to Interstate 29 and took the northeast route out of town, back on U.S. 75.  Again this slab of highway is nothing new, as the Geofamily has taken it either to or from Minnesota at least three other times.  Yet today is different from those other sojourns.  Once I was past Le Mars (home of Blue Bunny ice cream!) and the four-lane changed designations from U.S. 75 to Iowa 60 the surrounding landscape color changed from brown/yellow to white.  This, combined with an increasing mist created a decrease in both visibility and my mood.  

What should I do when needing some mental energy?  Answer: Start engaging different brain cells and speculate on things outside my immediate journey while still paying attention to the road and other drivers.  

Since moving to Kansas in 2008 and becoming acclimated to what I affectionately call “western Kansas driving distance,” I’ve entertained thoughts of attaining a private pilot’s license as a means of not only showing myself I can learn the basics of aerodynamics but also have a means of transportation allowing faster travel between points A and B.  During this stretch of my drive I again had those thoughts but quickly came back to reality.  Given the poor visibility any type of flying north of Sioux City on this day would require IFR.  Granted, that type of rating can still be learned but takes more time and experience.  Sigh.  

But within the hour I’m approaching Worthington, just after crossing into Minnesota.  Time for another fuel, fluid and empty the bladder pause.   I text the gals that I’m now in my last of the four states for today and Geogal quickly responds how I’m making great time.  That also lifts my mood.  

Another factor that kicks me out of “the blues:” driving on a new (to me) stretch of highway.  On previous trips it was reach Worthington, then turn west on Interstate 90 toward Rochester.  Today—stay on Minnesota 60 until it intersects Minn. 15 at Madelia.  I’m enjoying the experience of different vistas and take note of one in particular.  It’s a flat stretch of white which I initially believe is a field given this is a heavily agricultural region.  But then I see what looks like hunting blinds only they are dark in color.  Suddenly it hits me:  That’s a frozen-over lake with ice fishing huts!  

A manifestation that I’ve entered a unique part of the United States.  And it’s this “uncommonality” (yes, I know that’s not a word) that increases this area’s appeal to the Geofamily.  Not to mention my propensity to engage in outdoor activities but that’s an entirely different blog entry.  

Back to the travelogue.  I pass through New Ulm, a name I recognize due to its microbrewery, Schells.  Perhaps its part of my mental transition from Kansas to Minnesota but I’m quickly becoming a fan of Grain Belt beer.  

By this time I’m heading directly north and am now on a 2-lane roadway.  Yet it’s no problem as the traffic overall is light (wonder if that’s due to today being Christmas Eve?) and I don’t have to deal with slow farm trucks given the growing and harvest season is well over.  Plus the roads are dry overall so there’s no vehicles in front kicking up droplets onto my windshield.  No bug splats either!  

Make my last stop in Hutchinson (that’s Minnesota, not Kansas!!) and fill my travel mug with more java.  No apologies—I need the caffeine kick for this final couple of hours.  From Hutchinson it’s battle-my-driving-fatigue with the anticipation that I’m now within striking distance of Little Falls.  The towns begin to blur.  Dassel, then Kimball.  Should be getting close to St. Cloud.  

Yep.  I’m finally in an urban area for the first time since the outskirts of Sioux City.  From here the next highway intersection is as easy as it gets: stay on Minnesota 15 through St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids and it merges with U.S. 10, resulting in a straight shot to Little Falls.  

It’s now past 4 p.m. and I take note of another indicator how I’m in a different region.  This far north, it sure gets dark quicker than Kansas (this time of year)!  I hope there’s still some daylight by the time I reach my destination.  

Not breaking any speed limits but still pressing on, I reach Little Falls just as twilight hits.  I turn onto the main east-west drag (1st. Ave./Broadway) and the town seems to take on an ethereal quality.  Probably a combination of my level of tired, Christmas Eve slowdown and skies turning from dark gray to black.  

Follow directions from Siri and within a few minutes I’m parked outside Geogal’s apartment.  Time for greetings accompanied with hugs from my gals.  

But before I can sit and relax we need to unload my cargo.  Geoana and I do the heavy lifting and despite tromping through packed-down snow we’ve got everything out of the trailer and Suburban in less than an hour.  Only then is it time to unwind and enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve with family.  Yes, I’m wanting to explore this new area but remind myself I have three full days here before I head back to Kansas.  Take your time, Geoguy.  

Stats for the day:  Total time on the road—exactly 12 hours.  Departed at 4:55 a.m. and arrived between 4:50 and 5 p.m.  Distance—608 miles.  

Hello Minnesota!

2020 will bring several changes to our lives, not the least of which is moving to/settling in Minnesota. 

Why? 

It's a good question. After all, the regular readers of this blog know we moved from Chandler, Arizona to Norton, Kansas in 2008 and since August of 2017 we've resided near Manhattan (Kansas, not NYC). 

First, a little history.  In July of 2014 we made our first trip to The North Star State due to Geoana being referred to the Mayo Clinic for treatment.  I documented our travels starting here.  

We then made a follow-up visit in the fall.  I recall beginning our drive home and thinking, once on Interstate 90 headed in the direction of Austin and Albert Lea, that it was a shame we wouldn't be returning as our child appeared stable and likely wouldn't need further visits.  

Was I wrong.  Several times over.  

Turns out additional Mayo visits were in the future.  (Although as of this writing all family members are doing well and we don't anticipate further medical care of that magnitude, for which I am thankful.)  Plus we decided to combine at least one of those visits (summer of 2016) into a more lengthy Minnesota visit, complete with taking in several Twin Cities attractions.  

Meanwhile Geogal and I pondered our next move.  Even a decade ago we knew Norton would not be our final residence given its isolation and size.  However once we traipsed across the state to our current locate we seriously considered purchasing a house in either Manhattan or Wamego and making this our home base for years to come.  We even visited several open houses in the area between March and June of 2019.  But during this time it became obvious that Geogal had very few employment opportunities in her chosen field should we remain here and was unhappy with her then-employer.  Also she was researching different places to eventually retire and concluded Minnesota would be preferred, if not completely optimal.  For example, Kansas taxes even regular food items at the grocery store (most states don't).  Not only does Minne-so-cold not tax food, it also doesn't tax clothing.  The quality of the medical care (even if you exclude the Mayo presence) also is a large factor for Geogal, so we made the decision.  

An aside:  When deciding to leave Norton, moving to Minnesota was actually our first choice.  But barriers with Geogal transferring her professional license and the issues of going to another state with our child still in public school led us to consider Manhattan instead.  Thus, moving to Minnesota wasn't a rush decision.  

But that was then and this is now.  The timing appears better and Geogal has her Minnesota license in place and began employment "up north."  

I will follow shortly.  

I'm also looking forward to settling in a place and culture so different than any I've ever been around before.  In future entries I will give my impressions and experiences.  

But for now I will need to brush up on my outdoor skills.  

Can't wait!!

(image taken from Dreamstime.com)

Welcome, 2020!!

First things first...

Congratulations to the Texas Longhorns!  Finally, assurance that the Big 12 will not be shut out of victories in the postseason!!   

Although it's unfortunate that Kansas State couldn't also get a "W" yesterday but at least they were competitive in that game.  I recall previous bowls in which K-State didn't seem ready to play...  

Here's hoping good fortune awaits Chris Klieman and the 'Cats for 2020 and beyond.  I'm proud of all of you taking the field and "winning the dang day," to borrow a phrase from Coach K.  

________________________

What does 2020 hold for the Geohouse?   

A lot.  

We are changing locations.  Again.  

Yes.  

This time it will be Minnesota.  

Why?   

I'll explain in time.  

But for now, Happy New Year and I wish the best 2020 for all my readers!