Hello Seattle Part Deux

We had our friendly native guide show us some off-the beaten path hot spots today. Thanks Squanto, ahem I mean Sam.

Gasworks Park: we saw this on our kayak expedition on Lake Union but we loved this grass hill! A little slippery going down, but gorgeous view of the city and of course, the lovely gas tanks that are rusting at the bottom.

Arboretum: Emphasis on lake and de-emphasis on the trees, but it was a perfect way to seize the sunny day. Also, we saw a lone man on a canoe. Nancy thinks this is extremely awkward.

Also BIG NEWS: we finished the trail mix! epic endeavor. a personal milestone, but we thought we would share. Nancy also found her nooksack.

Meta-Post

How cool is this?
http://scarsdale10583.com/shout-it-out/922-scarsdale-sisters-explore-america.html

(Picture taken from the border today)

Oh, Canada! Eh?

Greetings from Vancouver! So, everyone is demanding and explanation as to why we are in Canada on our great "American" road trip, eh? Well, to them we say hah! Canada is just America on the metric system. What could be a better way to express our love for America than by claiming Canada as our own. Manifest Destiny, people.


We had a lot of fun in Vancouver, even though it is crawling with Canadian people. Stops included a fantastic tour of the Rennie art collection, a detailed trip to the Olympic village, a stroll around gastown and yaletown, and of course a trip to our favorite Canadian establishment, Roots. We realized that we got all the way across the country without a pair of sweatpants.

The evening's activities also included a scrumptious Indian meal at Vij's, which is apparently the trendy place for hipsters. And of course, a trip to the one and only Vancouver Art Gallery, affectionately known as the VAG (insert jokes here). We saw an exhibit on impressionist sketches of females (insert more jokes here).

We also had a lovely tour of Stanley Park and Granville Island, where we had to tear ourselves away from the pastry shops. We were thoroughly impressed by the greenness of the city but felt the need to jet back to our own glorious nation.

Toodles, Canada!

Hello Seattle Part 1

We hit the town running today in Seattle. Started the morning with a delicious pastry (but not the most delicious in the world, Emily) in Pike Place, which is absolutely heavenly. Yesterday we spend time wandering around and even saw the first Starbucks, although neither of us drinks coffee.

The day's adventures included a trip to the Seattle Art Museum's outdoor sculpture garden since it was actually sunny in this very rainy city. Somewhat disappointing, although they had a really cool Claus Oldenberg sculpture.

We also walked around Belltown, which seems like it would be a very happening night spot.

A very touristy trip up to the top of the Space Needle was a must, and we very much enjoyed the view of the city from the top. Pleasant surprise: tons of green roofs! I guess this is Seattle, after all.

A big highlight was our kayaking expedition on Lake Union, which was beautiful and very scenic. It was also tastefully sedentary exercise, our favorite kind.

More tomorrow...

A Note from Nancy: It was very difficult to take a picture of both of us on a kayak while IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. However, as you can see, I managed. Therefore, instead of being confused as to why the picture is so strange, please be aware that it was my best effort. Thank you. Goodnight, and good luck.

We Made It

We did it! We drove all the way across the country! We dipped our toes into the absolutely freezing pacific ocean (figuratively) and have done the sea-to-shining-sea thing. We'll keep you updated on our West Coast adventures

Leavenworth

This is the most hysterical place in the Continental United States. Leavenworth, WA is a town smack in the middle of the state flanked by gorgeous mountains on either side. When we first heard about Leavenworth (we'll tell you the gimmick in a second, hold on...), we were a little petrified. But when we arrived, we fell in love.

The town, population ~1,000 people, is completely decorated and designed to look like a town in the Swiss Alps. Sounds hokey? It's HYSTERICAL. They have every detail down: even the streets are called "strasse" on the street signs. They have Christmas lights up all year, and fake snow in the windows. Even McDonalds plays along.

The Inn at which we are staying has a man who plays the really really really long german shofar (for lack of a better term) at 8AM in lederhosen. Can life get much better than this?

Idaho

Well, this post maybe should just be renamed the panhandle. As potato lovers we were itching to get to this state only to discover that the biggest potato-producing county in the US is actually in Washington? Fail.

Coeur D'Alene, however, is one of the hidden coolest cities in America. Considered more hipster than its "sister city" Spokane, CD'A is a small but very happenin' place. We ate dinner on the waterfront at Bonsai, a delicious Mongolian BBQ place (can't you tell we were a little sick of American food?) We walked along the two main streets, both of which were packed with restaurants and fun stores. The toy store in CD'A is worth a visit to this city alone: let's just say they have an ugly doll in the window the size of metropolitan Cincinnati.

Glacier National Park

We finally made it to the tippy top of the U S and A. On the US/Canada border of Montana sits the most spectacular national park this country has to offer: better than Yellowstone. Even better than the Grand Tetons. Glacier National Park is home to stunning vistas as several glaciers, which seems weird for mainland America, but the park does not disappoint.



Glacier National Park is our nation's most ephemeral, since scientists predict that within the next 15 years the glaciers will have all melted away (thank you, global warming). This is why we insisted on seeing the place now.

The glaciers themselves are relatively difficult to make out since they look more like extra snow piled on top of the mountain (and less like Perito Moreno in Argentina), but the views were spectacular nonetheless. We even hiked!

Le Double Down

In our Food Rules, we promised that by the time we made it to the West Coast we would eat one KFC Double Down. Well, WE DID IT! And let me tell you, it was twice as disgusting as a deep-fried pizza smothered in Durian gravy. Oh my lord. This one is for you, Michael.

We were welcomed to KFC (which can also be referred to as KGC, Kentucky GRILLED Chicken. Yea, right) by the overwhelming scent of reused chicken grease and spilled soda. Ellen approached the counter with her game face on. She confidently ordered one Double Down and handed over $4.99. Literally two seconds later, the lady behind the counter produced a disheveled hunk of fried chicken, cheese and bacon glued together by what appeared to be Chipotle mayo. As it turns out, you need to be a heavyweight champion to lift the "sandwich" and you need a tree's worth of napkins to wipe off the astounding layer of grease left on your hands. But we endured. After each taking a bite and fighting our gag reflexes, we decided that we couldn't go through with eating the whole monstrosity. We feel guilty about throwing away "food," but we're not even sure you could call it that.

Here we would like to issue our formal apology to all foodies, health nuts and parents reading this blog. We solemnly swear to NEVER EVER EVER let such repulsive "food" pass through our digestive systems again.

We hope this gives you reason enough to never purchase and/or ingest a Double Down in your life.

Montana

Surprisingly, the northern edge of Yellowstone (the Montana part) was much more beautiful than the rest of the park. Unfortunately, we failed to take a "Welcome to Montana" picture since Yellowstone is remarkably lacking in signage (hence, no blog picture today). The scenery became more mountainous as we climbed further north, and highway 89 has been one of the most scenic yet. We are spending the day driving, but have had many occasions to stop.
Bozeman, a college town, proved to be much more hip than the initial slew of Applebees and Walmarts lining the first strip we drove down. We found a nice jewish eatery and had tuna on challah, all after passing Manhattan, MT. Feels like home?
We are incredibly sick of American food: another hamburger and we will puke.
In Helena, we learned that you need a phone jack to get internet. I guess the car can't be a wireless hotspot after all...

Yellowstone

This park should be renamed Smellowstone National Park. We spent yesterday and today trying to hit all of the highlights. Last night, we went to Old Faithful and saw it erupt! It ended up being somewhat disappointing given the anticipation, but we saw many of the other geysers frothing around it. Today, we started on Yellowstone Lake and went up to the mud cauldrons. We may never get the stench of sulfur out of our noses, but the dragon's cauldron was definitely worth the hike. We finally learned how Yellowstone got its name from the yellow color of the rock at the Upper and Lower Falls.

It really is a shame that most of the park burned down in 1988, otherwise the smell of pine trees would probably overtake the nauseating smell of sulphur. All in all, a very nature-y day.

Jackson Hole

After an evening with relatively little sleep, we made it to this wonderful town. We passed through a very windy, scenic highway on the way from Dubois to Jackson Hole and saw the whole Grand Teton (kind of like the whole enchilada). The snow-capped Tetons rise out of the horizon as you approach Jackosn Hole. An absolutely magical sight!
We walked around town and had so much fun in the shops, including ugly doll hunting and trying on fur coats. We ate a delicious lunch at Trio Cafe (all organic!) before hittin' the trails.

All suited up in our new hiking gear (thanks mom) we took a spectacular 4 mile hike around Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park, up to the peak of a mountain and around a lake. We even saw a moose that wasn't Nancy and some other nature-life. The hike felt so good after 8 days of sitting.

Wyoming

For a state with very few tourist attractions, there sure is a lot to see here! We took a scenic highway across the Big Horn National Forest, which was absolutely breathtaking. Giant rock formations from millions and even billions of years ago. Continuing on the same road, we drove through an Indian reservation (yes, we did see teepees). We did a Chinese Fire Drill in Riverton at a stop sign and then continued onto Dubois, WY. This small western town is only about an hour and a half away from Jackson Hole but we chose to eat a delicious dinner (organic salads with GRASS FED BEEF! We couldn't believe it), and bunker down for the night there.

June 21

"Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it." -Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby

Now you know, so don't miss it. Seize the day. Happy Summer Solstice!

Mount Rushmore

Today we had an exciting day, beginning with our entry into the lovely state of South Dakota! (Great faces, great places.)

As we drove, we passed through the Black Hills National Forest, which, with its overcast sky, looked incredibly ominous.

We saw 100,000 signs for Wall Drug along the highway, which begin somewhere near the Great Wall of China and build up to the culmination in Wall, SD. This quirky drug store began as an ordinary pharmacy and now boasts a wedding chapel, an 8 foot dinosaur, a mini replica of Mount Rushmore and a fantastic bookstore. (Sounds like Nancy's room). We purchased some goodies and attempted to head out to Badlands National Park but instead ended up shielding ourselves from a lightening/hail storm on the side of the road.

The evening miraculously cleared up and we headed to Mount Rushmore. To all you naysayers out there (ahem, Adam), Mount Rushmore is awesome. We heard countless times that Mount Rushmore was a blip on the radar: that it is easy to see it, drive by and move on. Well Nancy and I had some patriotic fun and decided to stay for the speech. We were impressed with the Park Ranger who dissected the Pledge of Allegiance, and although the movie was overly politically correct and a little cheesy, we enjoyed ourselves and learned a lot. For such a touristy town (a la the hotel shaped like the White House), we thought the park was an incredibly tasteful, interesting place. Learning about the history of the construction of Mount Rushmore and the politics behind it was fascinating, and we have never been so proud to be Americans!

Scotcheroos

We have a new favorite treat, courtesy of Faith Simonieg. Everyone, get your baking trays ready...
on your mark, get set, GO!

Faith's Scotcheroos

1 c brown sugar
1 c light karo (corn) syrup (yes, I know, HFCS. But it's an indulgence)
1 c peanut butter
6 c Rice Krispies

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
-->Faith says to use a little less

Combine sugar and syrup in saucepan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and mix well. Add Rice Krispies. Press mixture into buttered 9x13 pan.

Melt chips together in microwave. Stir until blended and spread over bars.
Enjoy!

Dickinson, ND

Despite North Dakota's lack of representation in our guidebooks, we still had a great time in this state (Thanks Simonieg Family!) After Alex's thorough tour of Dickinson, which included the local schools, shopping mall, lake/beach and even the local trailer park, we headed to Medora for some tourist-y fun. This town claims to be the "Beginning of the West," since it sits on the ND/Montana boarder, so it is filled with western tourist shops.

Medora sits at the foot of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which was one of the highlights of our stay in ND. We started at the Painted Canyon and took a scenic drive around the Park. Unfortunately, it began to rain right after our delicious (and healthy!) picnic, which ended with Faith's famous Scotcharoos (recipe to follow), so we couldn't get out and hike or walk on any of the nature trails. Even so, we had a great time and learning experience in our first National Park! Beauty to this degree is surely hard to come by during our travels on interstates so it was refreshing and exhilarating to see this natural landscape stretching for miles in front of our eyes.

We ended our day at the traveling carnival and a trip to Walmart, two American summertime traditions.

I-94 in North Dakota

I-80 wasn't exactly the sight-seer's ideal road to take, so we were happy to learn that I-94 has four must see road side attractions. The world's largest buffalo, crane, cow and metal sculpture. We made a point of getting off the highway to see these lovely creatures which were HUGE! (Mall of America sized) The Crane was the least exciting because it was on the property of an abandoned motel and there was practically a tornado when we were by the cow so we didn't stay long but overall the oversized animals were a real highlight!


Photo Vomit

Fargo

Tonight we will be brief, because we are exhausted. We had a delicious meal at HoDo in Fargo, what another hidden gem. We will elaborate tomorrow. Fargo is such a city of nothingness.

We drove the length of North Dakota and thanks to Alex's suggestions we had a day filled with large farm animals: the world's largest buffalo, crane and cow are all stationed at various points along I-94 between Fargo and Bismarck.

Hello Simoneig family: we are so happy to be spending the weekend with you!

The Ju(i)cy Lucy

We decided to resolve an old Minneapolis issue. The city is famous for its Ju(i)cy Lucys (spelled jucy lucy at Matt's), kind of like the Philly Cheesesteak of Minneapolis. This Twin City specialty is a hamburger with onions and cheese on the inside, so it sneaks up on you when you bite into it. There are two places most famous for them and who are credited for inventing this delicious meaty delicacy: The 5-8 Club and Matt's. We took it upon ourselves to decide which Lucy we love.

We started at The 5-8 Club with a juicy lucy and a basket of fries, which we shared. They use American cheese and sauteed onions which are delicious, and the burger is very meaty and tender. The fries were excellent.

But Matt's won hands down: although the patty was slightly drier, they use cheddar and the burger oozed to the last bite. Overall it tasted better and was even cheaper: $5.15 vs $5.50. We sat in a booth next to a table with two very drunk 'nam vets and the whole

experience was awesome.

In our experience at these two dive-y restaurants, we picked up a few tricks of the trade.

1) Do not expect good service but the Jucy Lucy is well worth the wait

2) The Lucy's are VERY hot when they first arrive. Clut them in half and let them cool before you chow down

3) When given the option of onions, be sure to pick "fried" onions

Congratulations Matt's!

Mall of America

WOW! This mall is simply huge. There are no other words to describe it. As you approach this monstrosity, you see two stadium-sized parking lots on both sides of the mall. However, when we pulled into the military compound/mall, we found ourselves a parking spot right in front of the main entrance. After a standoff with a mom van, we snagged the spot, which we later found out was reserved for expecting mothers or parents with small children. We definitely qualify for the latter.

As we entered the mall, our ears were greeted by high pitched screams that were coming from the FULL SIZED amusement park in the center of the mall. We indulged ourselves and went on the Fairly-Odd Parents roller coaster ride. (Side note: we were screaming our heads off while the 6 year-old in the car with us laughed)

After our excursion in the theme park, we stopped in a few shops, found the aquarium and took some pictures in a photo booth.

St. Paul

We only had time for one tourist stop in St. Paul and that was the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald. As Ellen went into her heavenly state of mind, I took pictures of the beautiful victorian house. We're pretty sure that the house is currently occupied so we didn't try to go inside but just being there seemed to be good enough for Ellen.

Chino Latino

MINNEAPOLIS, MN- We ate the most delicious meal in "uptown" Minneapolis: Chino Latino, Asian/Latin fusion, was such a chic place after two days of corn fields. The silver mirrors lining the outside of the restaurant were an instant draw, and once we saw the menu we were in love. Kind of reminded us of Spice Market. Sriracha-coated chicken wings, spicy edamame, sushi, bbq noodles and kobe beef, topped off with a tres leches brownie was pure heaven. The fortune cookies were a real treat as well. No word on the organics, but we are incredibly satisfied. Loved eating with Bennett, thanks for the suggestion and we were so happy to see you!

Greene, IA

KING CORN HERE WE COME! Greene, IA (pop. 1000), about an

hour + from any

major road in the state, was one of the best, most authentic American stops we have made thus far. This stop was part of the impetus

for driving through Iowa in the first place and it did not disappoint.

We arrived in Greene after skeptically scaling corn fields for 60 miles. A gigantic grain elevator welcomed us to this small town along with a nice woman who worked behind the counter at Smiths, Etc. General Store. She showed us pictures of the '08 flood

and helped us find our Americana stars that we were desperately in need of. Intrigued by the small town feel of Greene, we walked along the two perpendicular blocks that comprise the town of Greene, most of which is vacated retail space.

One can assume that there are hundreds of towns across America like Greene, where old fashioned farm town culture creeps through the modern day mass production machinery. We saw the remnants of old storefronts and tractors on main street hidden behind gas guzzling pick-up trucks and overflowing silos. Overall, however, we both could feel the sense of community and camaraderie amongst the smiling and helpful residents of Greene, IA.

This tiny town was well worth the detour, and made us very proud to be Americans.

Now off to Minnesota!

Iowa

What a pleasantly surprising state! We woke up in Iowa City and took a brief cruise to the Old Capitol Building, which looks as though it is now part of

the University of Iowa campus. After, we drove about 45 minutes on a scenic byway to the Amana colonies. Our guidebook promised an old-fashioned, Amish like village but we thought it was more like a 21st century tourist trap. It was a beautiful drive but the destination itself was not too interesting.

The day really took a turn for the better when we rolled into Des Moines in the early afternoon. As we approached the city, the gilded domes of the Des Moines capitol building rose above the luscious fields of green and welcomed us to a pretty happening city, all things considered. (By "all things", we mean its location in the center of Iowa). Our first stop was right outside the Capitol Building, whose domes inspired Taj Mahal Déjà vu. Ellen found a car with a bumper sticker that boasted 85% ethanol gas. Then onto lunch at Dos Rios restaurant, a local eatery with Mexican inspired soups, salads and sandwiches. We both enjoyed the Ranch Salad (Lettuce, Avocado, Chorizo, Chicken, Tomato, Hard Boiled Egg and Chipotle Vinagrette).

On our way out of Des Moines, we passed by two beautiful suspension bridges that added a very modern look to the city along with many public works of art. All in all, a great and interesting stop. It's so nice to see small, modern and CLEAN cities all over America.

Trucks

Somewhere along Route 80, close to Iowa City, is the mecca for all trucks. The World's Largest Truck stop proved to be such an exciting adventure for our little mobile, and when we accidentally entered the site in the truck entrance, things got crazy. We were accosted by a hipster, overlooked by most of the 16-wheelers and overwhelmed by the smell of diesel fuel. It was AWESOME.

Hamburg Inn

IOWA CITY, IA- The Hamburg Inn is the oldest family owned and run restaurant in Iowa City, specializing in hamburgers and quintessential American food! This late night eatery is a staple around town, situated right on the University of Iowa campus, and thank goodness for the time difference or we wouldn't have made it for the 11PM close.

The hamburger was delicious, as was the combo grilled cheese with cheddar and monterey jack. Seems as though the special is the mac and cheese with chili, since they were all out by 10:00. All in all, a delicious meal to bookend a day of good meals.

(thanks Dakota!)

Illinois

This state is a festering ground for some of our favorite people. Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln and the one, the only, Ferris Bueller. However, besides being represented by some awesome politicians (Bueller included), Illinois is also home to many small towns that we never knew existed.

Take Princeton for example. No, not that Princeton. Princeton, Illinois is how we East Coast folk picture Sarah Palin's "Small Town America." Once you pass through about a mile of corn (this is the crop we assumed was growing) fields, you reach the heart of Princeton. A street with city hall and the fire department in one building, a gas station, a convenient store, a grain elevator with a giant cross on top, a train station, a barber shop and a Dairy Queen. We didn't see any organic eateries but it was refreshing to see such a tightly knit community amongst the endless expanses of fields.

After our brief excursion in Princeton, we drove into the sunset toward Iowa, where the Hamburg Inn awaited our arrival.

Michigan

STURGIS, MI- So excited to cross the Ohio/Indiana border, we got state-crazy and took a small detour to Michigan; just barely dipping our toes into the state. But little did we know that a few hours later, we would eat lunch at the most delicious restaurant in Sturgis, MI.

After straddling the Indiana/Michigan border for some time, we got off the highway in search of food. The Indiana highway led us to an exist in Michigan and onto a smaller road with several strip malls. After browsing the selections, we pulled over to consult a map and found ourselves in front of a nutrition store. As we asked for lunch suggestions (no fast food, please), they asked what we were looking for and we said a sandwich shop would do just fine. They suggested Subway, so we headed onto main street for "greener" pastures, where we found a hidden gem: Boundary Water Cafe, an all organic, all local joint in the decrepit town of Sturgis proved to fulfill every one of our food fantasies.

We had a California wrap (avocado, spinach, tomato, cuke) and a Napa Valley Sandwich (turkey, cheese, roasted peppers, onions and herb mayo on foccacia) and strawberry lemonade. Absolutely loved! Michigan gets a thumbs up.

Indiana

We crossed the border of this fine state. With the exception of a few rest stops, we teetered on the Indiana/Michigan divide for most of the time. We were pleasantly surprised by South Bend, which is home to Notre Dame. Very gorgeous, and a modern looking town.

We realized that fireworks are apparently legal in this state after we passed no fewer than 983, 154 billboards for Kaplan's Krazies, (buy 1 get 6 free!)

Ohio!

It looks like Lake Michigan got hungry and took a nibble out of this state. I mean come on...look at that giant bite at the top of the state. Thanks for the hospitality, Perry and Gus, sorry we fell asleep during Jon Stewart.

Toledo is definitely the armpit of America, sorry Jersey. But we did score some postcards at drug mart. It rained most of the time we plowed through this state, but we experienced some pretty scenery and many more local highways in the Cleveland area than we thought existed.

Pennsylvania

This state should be renamed Road Constructionville. There is SO much Pennsylvania(ville). Mifflinville was quite the quintessential American town, complete with gun shop, American flags on every house and a civil war cannon! Also, inspiration for Dunder Mifflin(ville?)

Highlight of our I-80 travels: The Land of Make Believe in Hope, NJ. Spent most of the day driving through this massive state and revised our itinerary. Sorry today's post is so lame: PA is not that exciting, or exotic.

Update: Highlight #2: Pennsylvania has a Jersey Shore.