A Couple of Days after Storms

A Couple of Days after Storms
Niagara Falls to Detroit August 4th-6thA neat day, after too many storms, the airs clean, there is no humidity, a perfect day to leave New York State, heading South before West, out of town, going around the city of Buffalo, to the SE corner to my escape to a blue road, take Hwy. 62S to French Road, right on Hwy. 78S, the cities outside edge, shopping centers, car dealers, moms in small tanks, looking for the trap door, out on Rt. 16S, a blue road, pass E. Aurora and a Toy Train Museum, though Holland, to Rt. 98S, nice older homes, though Great Valley and it is, Amish Furniture, Fish Fry, a road cutting though the cleavage of two beautiful full hills, gets lonely out here sometimes, to Kill Buck, small crossroad town to Rt. 219S, headed to the Allegany Mountains, in Fall this place is a Monet painting, hard woods in Autumn, first a couple of discoveries.

The Zippo Lighter Factory, Kim back home loves her Zippo, there is even the famous repair shop, where they will try to fix any Zippo sent to them. In 1931 George Blaisdell met a gentleman who was using a lighter made in Austria, but required both hands, it intrigued him, who envisioned improving upon the design, the word is a spin-off of the word” zipper”, the zipper was patented in a town nearby, he produced his first lighter in 1933, they retailed for $1.95 each, with a guaranteed and marketing strategy, “It works or we fix it for free”, the lighter is an American icon, solders in the war discovered they even worked in the field, in mud, almost anywhere.
In the neighborhood is where the in 1859 the first oil well was drilled in Bradford, Pennsylvania, a barrel sold for $20, by 1861 the price dropped to $.10 per barrel. The amount of high grade lubricants extracted from a barrel of Pennsylvania oil is about 12 times the amount which can be extracted from other crude oils.
After a burger, curly fries and a chocolate shake, off to the mountains for views and a hike, lots of fishing going on, a gentle drive though some gorgeous country heading West on Rt. 59, smoking a Cuban Cigar, lately buzzed, then hazily passing by Warren, refineries here, along the Allegany River for a little while, fresh two-lane blacktop, going 45mph then into farm country, blueberries, corn, lots of corn, though Indian Head on Rt. 6, there is no bridge, no detour signs
, a blue highway first for me, now heading south, then east, the sun not in my face, very small county road snaking south pass the Erie Wildlife Refuge to Little Cooley, then Rt. 77S to Rt. 409 to Cambridge Springs, taking the wrong, then Rt. 6 to Saegertown, then Rt. 198W to Rt.98N to RT.6W, though a maze of county roads, corn fields, small hamlets, folks barely notice, Skate and I wandering and wondering, where the hell where we? Take Rt. 6Wto Rt. 20W into Ohio, and then to Conneaut, pass the Historical Railroad Museum to Rt. 531, traveling alongside Lake Erie to Geneva-on-the-Lake, a small town with lots of things to do, shops, restaurants, bars, fun family stuff, a lot of people, the camp site is in an open field across form the entrance, no table, just a bare grassy spot and wet, and bugs, well OK then, it’s been a long day.
Lake Erie is the twelfth largest freshwater lake in the world and most shallow of the five Great Lakes. Its shallow waters harbor a diverse and abundant fishery, primarily known by anglers for fine catches of Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Small-Mouth Bass.
61.2mpg/ 332.8 miles traveled

Bound for Detroit, another sunny, cloudless day, I stop for a breakfast, only memory is the milk ordered, it came, and was dirty with old OJ inside. I read the local paper, Tigers in first place, my baseball fix, game sold-out, shit, I call the Tiger ticket line, Score!
I get a ticket for the night game 7.05pm, and one for the Sunday 1.05pm game, I love baseball, then the engine light comes on, but will I make it?
Out on Rt.2W, more corn, more fishing, folks & boats, its Saturday, Morning Edition on the radio, pass Lost Nation Road, then on to Rt. 2, turns into Interstate 90, though Cleveland,I would like to stop, and would like to take a blue road to Detiot, yet need to get around, there is also lots of construction, Saturday here, lots to do I am sure, some other day Cleveland, oh yea, Cleveland Rocks!
On to Rt. 6W again, to Sandusky, Cedar Point, lots of folks going that way, we are going to the Marblehead Lighthouse, by Jakes Deli, 30 subs afforded, pass the Carousel Museum, Merry- Go- Rounds, ride a pony with me?
Back to Rt. 2, the bridge is up over the Bay View Bridge, on to Rt.269, Historic Danbury Fruit, sigh reads “All our bail is lively, bait will die trying”, worms and leeches available here, too, then Rt. 163, Netty’s Famous Chili Dogs, to Marblehead Lighthouse, it used to run on whale oil, using the Argand Reflector, also known as ‘Lewis Lamp”, further research needed, nice day n the edge of the lake, views back to Cedar Point, from 6 miles away, looks like the worlds’ biggest roller coaster, lots to do around this parts.

Rt.6W, more farms & boats, sweet corn, melons and berries, though the town called Oregon, it’s not even on the map, kinda like my Oregon 30 years ago, then pass the Sundance Drive-In Theater, on to Interstate 280, over the Maumee River, though Toledo, Libby Glass, many detours also, on to Interstate 75N, into Michigan,the most driving on the Interstate I will do, since starting this trip, I have been in all the states before my trip, except Vermont, Michigan & North Dakota, two out of three now, better warn those North Dakotans.
Approximately 80 miles of Interstate getting around this corner on the map, Michigan ranks up there for the worst roads award, so far Jerseys in first, not done in this state yet.
Detroit, I get a reasonable rate of a room, the coupon helped, it's downtown, with a view of the city
, across from Winsor, while walking though town, it's Saturday, there is aBBQ Festival and Blues Music, later, then up town I go towards the statium, by a statue for Joe Lewis




, the boxer, then up Woodward, spotting an older part of town, I walk over 1515 Broadway, an Art space called Probity run by Chris Jaszozak, his philosophy is very similar to mine, he was the first to show Rocky Horror here, now a performance art, plays, poetry, music and film, his space is for artist to do their thing, not his, he provides the space, a quote he showed me, it says “ The question not to know who will sponsor the Arts, but what forms are possible in which artists themselves will control their means of expression, in ways though which they will have relations with community rather than a market or a sponsor” agreat quote.
Next door is Small Plates, fun small dishes, brick-oven pizza, salads, sandwiches and great looking desserts, and next to that is The Brewery on Broadway with its own Small batch beer, very good!
Then on to the game, Cleveland Vs. Detroit, a great seat, great fans, when a team is winning, everyone is happy, Kenny Rogers, 42 yr. old pitcher starts shakily, two homeruns given up, then he settles down, still down 0-3, then 2-3 to the bottom of the ninth, two outs, rally caps on, Pugh Rodriguez hits a walk-off HR, everyone is jumping, high fiving, the highlight on ESPN is this very moment.
Walking though town back to my room, I get a 6-pack of Broadway beer, walk back to see if the BBQ still going



, its packed, smoke fills the air, taste buds exploding, hungry, the lines are so long, everyones out tonight, its 11pm, finally a half-rack of pork ribs, beans, corn and cornbread, back to my room, beer and BBQ! Happy in Detroit!!!
62.9 mpg/ 249.5 miles traveled