Pat

Retired. Have time for the things I love: travel, my cat, reading, good food, travel, genealogy, walking, and of course travel.

2021 – The Year of Flâneur?

Yooperland: June 13-15

“The best thing that could happen to the U.P. would be for someone to bomb the bridge.”
—John Voelker, former Michigan Supreme Court Justice and the author of Anatomy of a Murder and Yooper resident—

Well, I have to say blowing Da Bridge might be a little extreme. Permit me to say the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is unique and it is obvious Yoopers want to keep it that way. Too late. Hordes of tourist are upon them each summer. Nancy and I, flâneries at heart, wanted to discover the U.P. This is what we found:

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By Pat, ago

2021 – The Year of Flâneur?

Da Yooper: June 11-12

“It’s an edgy place… it still hangs on out there like a rawhide flap of the old frontier…The U.P. is a hard place. A person has to want to hurt a lot to live there”.
–— John G. Mitchell, Audubon Magazine, November 1981—

For years I have heard the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a “must see” destination. Flâneries Nancy and I chose to find out why. As Bette Davis remarked: “Fasten your seatbelts; we’re in for a bumpy night.” 

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By Pat, ago

2021 – The Year of Flâneur?

Wisconsin: June 8-10

Flâneur is a wonderfully descriptive French noun referring to a “stroller, loafer, a lounger,” or as the Italians describe it, enjoying a “passeggiata.” In any language, it describes the passionate wandering traveler. In this, the aftermath of a disastrous Covid 2020, my heart is true but can it be a reality? Can’t go everywhere I want, so, seeking somewhere new, I join my friend Nancy and these Flâneries chose Wisconsin. 

First, what’s it like traveling June 2021? I seldom travel during summer tourist season. Add hoards escaping “stay at home” requests and families traveling = challenging.  

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By Pat, ago

Midwest Loop

Since Covid rudely smacked The World down a size, my travel calendar has never been so bare. But travel is like riding a bicycle – you never forget its nuances. At least, it’s pretty to think so. 

Arriving at my local airport, I see changes. Parking lots are empty. Of course, that could be because the greedy bastards have stopped issuing annual passes and now charge LA-sized daily parking fees. Truthfully, researching options, it’s actually cheaper parking long-term at LAX. Add hotel cost and cheaper flights, this alternative is something to look into for my next month-long trip. 

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By Pat, ago

2020 COMBO SMACK FROM HELL

If the grand entrance of Covid-19 in the early weeks of 2020 didn’t prove Robert Burns correct, that “the best laid schemes o’mice an’ men often go awry,” I don’t know what would. Covid would initiate the longest expanse of nontravel I have experienced in decades. Being socially responsible and just NOT wanting to let something like a virus take me, I have remained home. My Travel Calendar has never been this blank. My computer has taken a beating but my genealogy research has soared.

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By Pat, ago

Creating a Travel Podcast

Creating podcasts came from my desire to decrease the weight of paper and guide books and increase my information and enjoyment while traveling. My first podcast, Poland, also came about because I was well aware that I would never be able to pronounce the names of streets nor ask directions because of my total ignorance of Polish.

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Utsjoki, Lapland – Northern Finland

5-6 December 2019

Thursday – feeling surprisingly good for being dragged 50’ by a pack of huskies

We meet this morning at 9:30, just at the dawn of civil twilight. The southeastern sky is a palette of pinks, reds and golds. The terrain is white as far as I can see. Trees are sculpted and boughs laden with snow. The road is one white path edged by tall berms. Snowy white ptarmigan blend into their equally white environment. The occasional group of reindeer dig in the drifts for food or wander across the road appearing very unconcerned about automobiles.

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By Pat, ago