Seaman and Ranger Bob!

They have been good travel companions this summer, and are being packed up and mailed back to Boston! I'm pretty sure they will be ready for new adventures this year - and more adventure traveling next summer!

Magnets!

Magnets make great souvenirs! Light, easy to pack, and usually with cool pictures or neat materials - they can do a great job of capturing trip memories! I tried to buy magnets everywhere I stopped; and this is a pretty good haul for nearly three months on the road. They are going into my office, to remind me of all the great places I was lucky enough to see!

Librarian travel supplies...

These are all the books I bought this summer while on the road! This is the problem with being a traveling librarian - it's nearly impossible to stop yourself from making "just a few" important purchases. And this does not begin to cover the audio and ebook purchases I made, and all the books I checked out from Boston Public Library using Overdrive!

Some of these are neat souvenirs: "Fire Season" looks especially cool now that I've been in a  fire lookout, "Uncommon Carriers" is not only interesting but provided good entertainment when I was all alone in a campground one weekend. "Visible Bones" and "Building the Charles River Highway" cover areas I visited. "A Study in Silks" was a thank-you purchase, to a Barnes and Noble for letting me hang around a couple of hours while it was 100+ degrees outside and I was sleeping in a tent. The Childcraft books were at the Pomeroy library's used book sale. I adore these books, and the librarian cheerfully offered to find more for me - but these were heavy and space-taking enough for the back of the Jeep! Several, including "Traveling Route 66" and "Stephen Fry in America," were purchased in a happy shopping trip at Powell's in Portland.

So, looking at the books - and memories with them - I've collected this summer, I'd definitely rate it a success! 

Lakefront flower garden

One of my favorite spots in Kenosha! I've passed some happy hours here, reading books, editing articles, and writing. It's always good to have a nice place with a good view of lovely nature for working! And I'm happy to see all the people walking, running, and biking around the lakefront.

Pike Creek

A lovely stroll around the creek! It's cooler today, and nice to be outside walking around. Picked up some trash; I'm always annoyed by the trash people leave in nature - so unnecessary!

Giant mushroom!

Out geocaching, and didn't find the cache - but did see this giant mushroom! Not much perspective in this photo, but it was seven or eight inches across. I love to stumble on these kinds of little surprises outside!

WE power plant

It may not look like much besides a beautiful lake view; but I see a significant cycling landmark! We can see the emissions from this factory as we move around it on our route here. So I can see wind speed and direction, and I have a visual touchstone for much of the first part of the ride. Now, any time I see a power plant, I don't think about the tons of coal burning to make electricity (less exciting than hydroelectric dams); I just think about good days on a bike!

Long rides on the bike are some of my very favorite things, and I'm looking forward to resuming them!

Data!

See all these boxes? These are the data collected on this trip! So I have a LOT of material to enter into the computer, to sort through, and to learn from in the analysis. I'm getting it boxed up now, and sending it back to my office in Boston.

Fortunately I have trusty research assistants to help out with the heavy lifting. I'm looking forward to seeing the results! I will be sharing them here, and sending it back to the libraries I visited. Everything here should give an interesting perspective on the state of public libraries - my favorite topic!

This fall, I'll be visiting the public libraries along the Eastern side of the Lewis and Clark Trail, and sending surveys to the ones I can't visit in person. A coast-to-coast look at public libraries may yield some interesting information.

Between this, and putting together my Fall classes, I'm having about as much fun as a library professor can have! Yes, it's pretty cool to be me! :) 

Cooper Street Bistro

Our breakfast location! Springfield has a fantastic farmer's market downtown! Lots of area farmers, artisans, and also a food truck - very cool! I've been missing the food trucks of Boston, so this was especially fun.

30 stories up!

When I was a kid the tallest building in town was called The Forum 30. My parents brought my brother and I there for brunch a few times, and we were very excited about looking out the windows that tilted down for a view of the ground. Now it is a Hilton hotel, and tonight I got to eat at the top with my parents and husband! Here I'm looking out over the state capitol building, and downtown Springfield. At the end of this phase of my data collection, this was a nice way to wrap it up. 

Mother Jones monument

Very nice monument in this cemetery, dedicated to the memory of Mother Jones, and the miners and other laborers who fought and died for the right to work and to be safe at work. It's amazing to see the signs here commemorating people killed in riots in my own hometown of Springfield Illinois, October 19,.1933 and April 21, 1935 and May 27, 1936. No matter what your feelings about unions today, these people helped to make the workplace better for us all today.

Fast Eddie's

After a recommendation from a couple at the Confluence Tower, my dad and I popped in here for lunch! Apparently it's a long wait, but the burgers are supposed to be good. I love trying out cool local places while traveling ; it's a part of the fun of being in new places !

And I've been very happy with all the signs pointing to public libraries! Illinois has been a great state for libraries, and I love to see all of them!

Melville Price Locks and Dam

Yet another great dam I get to see on this trip! This is different from the dams I visited out West, as this adds in locks to help boats and barges traverse the river. One of my coolest memories from college, nearby on the Mississippi, was visiting a lock and dam at 2:30 in the morning and watching a barge go through it - very excellent to watch!

Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower

Very cool tower, with assorted levels from which you can view the area here. Lots of good signs with info about Lewis and Clark, and the area around here : always a strong positive feature for me!

St Louis' birthday!

Apparently it's St Louis' 250th birthday this year! And we celebrate with a nice birthday cake at the Confluence center!

Missouri and Mississippi rivers

Great signs here, marking the start of the trip! And we even had a heron out there in the confluence, working on issues of his own - nice.

Levee

I don't know the name of this little levee, but it's very nice! Extremely hot and muggy today, so it's nice to see some flowing water. And the mud brown color was frequently remarked on by Lewis and Clark. Glad I'm not drinking it, but have my trusty water bottle from Alaska!

Lewis and Clark frontier dog walk and picnic

If you are in the Wood River area October 4, and would like to see - and maybe adopt - a dog, this is the place to be!

Lewis and Clark State Historical Site

Very nice spot! This is where the Corps of Discovery spent their first winter, getting ready for the trip and gathering all the supplies they would need for the trip. It was an amazing journey, and required a huge amount of preparation time!

Lake Andrea

Having a lovely time trudging around this lake today. Not much enjoying the nearly 90 degree temperature and thousand percent humidity (I'm just guessing about that), but it's good to be out and about for a while. And I'm bravely not whining about not being able to ride my bike here just yet. Frustrating to an extreme, but I'm moving past it. Somewhat...

Starting to look through the data collected this summer! I'm getting ready to be very excited about it all! I'll have to publish it in academic journals no one will ever read, in the quest for tenure. (Yes, it's a dumb system; but I enthusiastically love my job, and want to keep it!) But I'll be sharing my data and results here, and hopefully elsewhere, so libraries and library fans can read it!

Little Free Library

Always cool to come across these! And I can be proud that it was originated in Wisconsin!

Stop by one in your neighborhood, and visit one. Or consider setting up one yourself!

One of my goals is to get a little free library installed at my college; this may be the year I make it happen!

Home!

Looking forward to being in one place - the novelty! - for several days!! And for people like me, who are nomadic and claim residence in a variety of areas, it's kind of exciting to be in a place where I have actual paperwork saying I live here! (Depending on the moment, when people asked me where I was from I variously replied: Chicago, Wisconsin, Illinois, or Boston. When library people asked me where I was from, I said Boston because it fit into the discuss we were having; when customs people asked me I said Wisconsin as I have papers saying I live here. Otherwise - well, it's hard to narrow it down to only one state right now...Post-tenure, when I'm not a temporary worker anymore, I'll have a much firmer answer!)

It was kind of exciting for me, after a summer of being in all kinds of places I've never visited and only slavishly following my GPS's directions, to hit a terrible traffic jam on the way here today - and realize: these are MY roads! I don't have stay on the highway; I know exactly how to get where I'm going!! So I took a more scenic route home, and pointed out assorted landmarks to my trusty travel companions Seaman and Ranger Bob. "I dropped a water bottle off a hill over there while hiking, and became so covered with mud in retrieving it that I had to take off my jeans on the front porch and throw them away! (Bottle was successfully retrieved, and I have it in Boston!) I fell in that park, and got a concussion! (Until then, it was a great hike!) Those are some of my favorite hiking trails over there! I've ridden my bike over Every Foot of these roads - even before some of them were opened to car traffic! That's my library! That's my grocery store!" After spending months not really knowing where I was going, or what I would be seeing, it was pretty comforting to be back where I've spent years driving, biking, and walking the entire area and know it all.

I'm resting up tonight - and was stuffed with shrimp scampi and champagne by David! - and tomorrow will dive into organizing the data and fun stuff I've collected this summer!!!! You know you are a serious academic nerd when the data analysis is So Fun!!

Last night on the road!

My last night of this leg of travel for my trip! And I landed in this cute little room, which reminds me of a cabin. (The Marriott Courtyard people would probably pass out in horror at the comparison) As I whizzed past my favorite airport - Minneapolis - I waved and blew kisses to the Delta terminal. I'm sure Delta is feeling very lost and abandoned, as I've only flown ONCE this summer! (Las Vegas for ALA Annual) Don't worry Delta - I'll soon be out of the car and back on planes all the time!!

My last night (for a while at least) in my beloved Snoopy/Peanuts camping pjs I got near Glacier National Park! And I'll see if my travel pants have any wear left in them - they have been great, but have been worn hard climbing big hills/mountains, sliding down passages in caves, stomping through fields, sliding down a burned out hill to depart the fire tower, camping all over the place, visiting libraries, and all the other activities they have been asked to do. We're all had a big summer!

Fortunately, I knew the key to good travel is to pack lightly; so the unpacking should be pretty painless. David will be happy to see his stuff again also. And I'll know he isn't happier to see his bike than to see me, but he's talked to me nearly every day since he left and knows I can take care of myself - but his much-loved bike has been trapped in the Jeep and will need his attention.

A few days to get things in order, and to get my Fall semester classes in motion and online, then I'm off again to visit the final stop on this leg of the trip: Wood River, where the Corps spent their first winter! 

And I'm planning out my data collection strategy for the Eastern side of the Trail - from Monticello back to St Louis! Still so much adventure to be had with this project - yay!

Last travel bug!

It's pretty weird to realize my trip is nearly over! Today I'm collecting the last of the library data, and then heading back towards Wisconsin. This has been such an amazing trip! I've seen so much and learned so much; it's all worked out beyond my hopes for it!

I've been having fun reading the reports from people who have picked up my other travel bugs! This was a fun addition to my trip. Hopefully the people who find themselves will move them along, and report in with library information!

It's raining here in Bismarck, which I find oddly appropriate. It was pouring rain on my last pass through here, and this was about the last rain I saw. Hence - my rain jacket is packaged near the bottom of all my stuff. So far, I haven't cared enough to unpack it, but that's probably going to change soon.

Home soon, and then I get to begin figuring out what I found - yay! So, tons of great things ahead still! But, they will be more stationary for a while.

Lewis and Clark Mandan visitor's center

Very nice place! Good museum, with info on the Corps, along with other history of the area. Got my passport book stamped and bought a magnet! And there is a farmer's market outside that I'm planning to visit next!

Wally the Walleye

Apparently the symbol of Garrison, ND! I strolled down do this park, and was pleased to see this nice statue. I like when town show some personality! Many stores in the downtown area have signs announcing they are "Ye Olde ..." whatever - bank, drug store, dentist. Very nice!

Merry Moose

Okay, this wasn't my fault! The GPS brought me here instead of the library - so of course I had to go in and chat with the owner and buy a little fabric. Someday, when the quilt is finished and we've been married 50 years or so, it will be a king sized quilt, and will have travel memories all over it. So fabric is important. (This is what I tell myself, at least!)

And, as it turns out, the library is down the block. So I'm headed there next!

Lewis and Clark State Park

A lovely morning view from the front porch of my Lewis cabin (Clark is next door). This is such a nice place! I would very much like to spend several days here - enjoying watching the waves on Lake Sakakawea and hanging out around the cabin.

Northwestern North Dakota

A familiar sight here - lots of oil wells around. And there is a lot of temporary housing for the oil workers; nothing too great looking. It looks like the northern parts of Alaska, with their Alayska fields and extremely depressing looking drilling area. A lot of money is pouring into North Dakota with all this oil, which is always nice. But I'm hoping for the sake of the people living here that there is something left for them after the oil is gone. It's pretty disturbing to drive through this area, with apparently nothing but a constant stream of big trucks on the roads, and not much to see. (And I was startled to see a Halliburton building here, looking very busy with whatever they are doing; always strange to see places/things in real life that you only read about.)

Tough issues all around, for this area and for everyone depending on the oil they produce.

Cabin life!

I am feeling truly fancy tonight, with this snazzy cabin! Not only do I have beds, but electricity, air conditioning (yay!), lots of plugs, and even a refrigerator and microwave! As I didn't know about any of that, I just had my trusty dinner cooked in the Jetboil. And I have this great view! I could spend a lot of time here, on the shore of Lake Sakakawea.

Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center

Run by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, this is a small but nice center. A couple of nicely done rooms constitute the museum, and there is a small gift shop. I got my passport book stamped and bought a magnet! (And I love that my phone already knows and suggests that entire sentence!) 

Fort Buford

Nice area of a former army fort. It's always interesting to see how the people in these places lived! I like the signs, and wooden walkways. And it was fun - with every step I took after the main building a dozen grasshoppers jumped over the walkway, with hundreds of them by the time I toured all the buildings! 

Glendive Public Library

Such a nice place!  I love that they are using an old bank building in such a great way - it really adds to a good library ambiance. Great community involvement, fun programs, and good materials - everything a library needs! And stop in this week to see these great posters on Montana history! They are traveling around the state, and I was lucky enough to see them here!

Glendisaurus

This is a statue of a triceratops dedicated to the community of Glendive! It was created in recognition of the generous donations and hundreds of volunteer hours they spent. It's so neat to be in a place where dinosaur bones are found! This is a very nice little park, located just outside of Glendive, with a nice pond and some lovely sights!

Pompeys Pillar

The only place graffiti from a Corps member still exists! William Clark signed his name here, and the date July 25, 1806.

Lots of other people also signed, but the park service is VERY determined that no one else will - cameras EVERYWHERE!

Pictograph Cave state monument

Pretty impressive! Art on the cave walls over 2200 years old, and evidence of human habitation over 4000 years! 

It's tough to see the pictographs, but this is the clearest shot I got today. Good walking area, beautiful arid region. The loose gravel makes walking on the trails a little challenging - and coming down the steep sections a little dangerous. (Didn't fall! It was close a couple of times.) And sadly, the caves weren't like my last one: underground and cold. It's HOT here today! Still and excellent visit!

Crazy Mountain museum

Outside Big Timber, MT this is a very nice little museum! I loved the diorama of the town - always cool to see how things looked. And they have biographies of many early white settlers - another great way to make history seem more personal and more real! And they have a Lewis and Clark garden!

Cows!

In case you haven't spent much time in rural US areas, you may not be familiar with this sight. If you have been anywhere in the rural areas, this is an incredibly familiar sight! I always like to see cows, horses, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. out in the fields. These cows stopped chewing and stared at me! Apparently not many exciting things happen in an average day for cows.

Prairie dog state park

Very cute! Not huge, but good signs, and some prairie dogs chirping around the area. (Visit the Theodore Roosevelt National Park if you want to see huge numbers of prairie dogs charging around!)

Travel companions!

Seaman has been with me for most of the trip, and he has been joined by a new friend: Ranger Bob. My dad picked him up for me here at the KOA, and it's good to have some friends when you are on the road!

Beautiful

Montana is just beautiful! When I was driving this evening, I saw this sight - the mountains and sky and fields looking like watercolor paintings. It was just wonderful! I definitely enjoy being in Montana.

Visitor

My dad surprised me last night, wrapping up his trip and staying in my Kabin! We have both been on the road all summer, in different areas. A year ago at this time I was in Alaska with him - hanging out, camping, and seeing all the beautiful sights of Alaska, and everything was beautiful!

Entering the final week of library visits now, which is great. I've already seen such great things! And now I need to spend a couple of weeks beginning to organize the material I've collected. And that will be fun too - seeing all the great things public libraries are doing! 

Go visit your library!

Beautiful

Montana is just beautiful! When I was driving this evening, I saw this sight - the mountains and sky and fields looking like watercolor paintings. It was just wonderful! I definitely enjoy being in Montana.

Fabric!

Had a good time today doing some shopping for fabric. Finally, I've found something besides books I like to shop for! And I found all these fun patterns, that will provide me with lots of memories of the trip when I see it on the quilt. Having a good vacation weekend!

Sacajawea's hometown

Sacajawea was kidnapped from here as a young girl (10-12), and taken back to the Knife River Village. She married a French trapper, and ended up as part of the Corps of Discovery. Five years after being taken from this area, she returned with the Corps, and was reunited with her brother. She continued on with the Corps, and was a valuable member of the team. Although her story is mixed up between fact and fiction, it is definitely true she had a very interesting life! 

This statue is in Three Forks, MT, and stands in front of the historic Sacajawea Hotel. I did not get the chance to stay here, but it looks lovely!

Lewis and Clark Caverns state park

So cool! I finally got into a cave on this trip, and it was great! Much easier than Ape Cave, this had a tour guide, paths created by the CCC, and lights. It was a two hour tour, and we saw bats, lots of cave structures, and heard all sorts of interesting information! I hit my head a few times, and spent crouched down, and walked through water. A great tour!

And - I got my passport book stamped and bought a magnet! So, it was pretty great, all around.

Diorama!

A terrible picture of the diorama, but is pretty cool to see! This is in the Dillon, Montana visitor's center - a whole string of buildings. I really enjoyed strolling around the museum (with material from the library!) and seeing all the different buildings here. I bought a magnet and got my passport book stamped, and picked up a couple of books on Lewis and Clark. Very successful visit!

Bannack State Park

Very interesting ghost town! The sign about rattlesnakes being sighted in town was a scary warning, but I didn't see any. All kinds of abandoned buildings to visit, and a self-guided walking tour along the boardwalks. Very interesting. And it really gives you a sense of the isolation people in these small mining towns had to endure.

And I got my passport book stamped and bought a magnet! 

Inside the lookout

This is the non-fancy, but entirely adequate inside! A couple of beds, a table with chairs, and an amazing 360 degree view! The circle thing in the center of the room is an Osborne fire finder, as I learned from the handbook. It has a map of the area, and can be tilted with gadgets moving around it to give precise directions for a fire, and can help to measure the size of the fire.

Everything is set up each year by volunteers, and there is a book for visitors to leave their names, and comments. It goes back to the opening as a place for visitors, in 2003 - very cool! The floor of the outhouse is starting to rot through, which was a little scary. But overall, it was great !

Ravalli County Veterans Memorial

Very nice . And I was happy to see a quote here from Adlai Stevenson - from my home state of Illinois.

Cow friends

I saw these cows on the road, and chatted to them. They hung around the jeep for a few hours, while I was a mile up in the air. Then they wandered back down the road. They were always nearby while I was in the lookout, and it was nice to have company - even if a ways away! Maybe they sensed my Wisconsin cow-filled heritage!