Future birding: Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie!

While perusing my route along I-80 last night with girlfriend AB, I saw that just south of Chicago near Joliet, IL, lies Midewin (mih-DAY-win, according to an article I read) National Tallgrass Prairie. Sounds awesome! So I googled to see what might be in store for us as we cruise across.

Turns out, I might be able to see some really good stuff -- according to a Chicago Wilderness article:

As its prairies have been restored, Midewin has attracted growing numbers of rare grassland birds. In fact, the site first came to ecologists’ attention in 1982 when iologists visited it and noticed upland sandpipers. Birders will also observe loggerhead shrikes, bobolinks, eastern meadowlarks, Henslow’s sparrows,
grasshopper sparrows, and many other species of grassland birds.

The Audubon ornithological summary continues, as this prairie is listed as an Important Birding Area:

Midewin provides crucial habitat for breeding Upland Sandpiper, Bell's Vireo, Bobolink, Dickcissel, Sedge Wren, Eastern Meadowlark, Henslow's and Grasshopper Sparrows, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Northern Mockingbird and Loggerhead Shrike.
During spring and fall migration, large numbers of migrant grassland and shrubland birds pause and rest at Midewin, while the small wetlands attract migratory rails, snipes, Marsh Wren and Swamp Sparrow.
This site was chosen as an IBA because it met the criteria for breeding Upland Sandpiper, Willow Flycatcher, Sedge Wren, Loggerhead Shrike, Bell's Vireo, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Bobolink. [I bolded potential lifers]

I could see a few lifers at this place! Nowhere, however, did I see anything about the ever-elusive Prairie Chicken (either greater or lesser). So I'll keep looking for that. I thought I'd seen mention of the Yellow-headed Blackbird as well, but nothing here. That would also be a lifer.

Still--this might be a great place to stop and check things out!

Moving date announced!

August 1, folks. That's when Matt Rupert, and possible Matty McMatterson (who's trying to wimp out on the boring drive and fly instead) will begin our epic car journey to California.

Of course, now that I've picked a date, I'm already wondering if I should fudge on it....

When fears lurk

Sometimes, especially now when I'm sick and run-down and not feeling my usual self, I experience good old-fashioned FEAR about moving across country. It's not so much the move itself--after all, I've been ready to leave this burg for about four years!--but the fact that I'm moving into The Great Unknown.

No job yet, no idea how I'll pay my bills -- these are legitimate fears. My usual tendency is to just say "things will work out." That's kinda my mantra for my whole life; I may spend some time worrying over things, but usually I just figure that things will work out.

No problem is so big that it can't be worked out or changed or whatever; at least, that's what I've found. Many times in my life, I thought that things just couldn't get worse; I was overdrawn at the bank, or I didn't have a job, or I had a job and money and stuff but I was in a bad relationship or breaking up or whatever. Things looked pretty low, and I spent a good deal of time worrying. But in the end, I always knew that things would work out--time would heal whatever physical or emotional wounds I might have suffered, and the money situations or job problems would be fixed by waiting for my next paycheck or selling a guitar or whatever I needed to do to get money. This philosophy has gotten me through some pretty rough times over my 44-plus years, so I figure it must be right.

Still--there's fear involved in moving someplace you've never been. Sometimes the fear rises up and whispers to me that I should just move back to Texas and live with my parents or my sister, where I know I would be taken care of if anything bad happened. Yes, I would have a certain security (although I doubt my parents would allow me to just loaf while they paid all my bills, dammit!). Yes, I would know where things were, how to get to the grocery store and stuff.

But I would also know other things: When I lived in Texas, I always had trouble finding a decent job. I also never really found anyone there who was right for me -- the longest relationship I had was less than three years until I was with Kat (who wasn't from Texas). If I were to go back, it would be like going backwards in my life. I don't want that.

And so I just keep hoping--hoping I'll get a job, hoping I'll find some nice people to hang out with, hoping that things will work out for the best. They always have.

Planning ahead

The way Matty tells it, I’m already going to have a girlfriend when we move to California: Iron Chef contestant Jamie Lauren of Absynthe in San Fransisco! He and Christine have eaten there a couple of times and both times got to talk with Jamie and mentioned me, and Matty told me this past weekend that Christine ate there and once again mentioned little old me!

It’s good to know these things in advance, you know?

The road ahead: I-80

This will be my first post about my researching into just what attractions are there along Interstate 80, our proposed route to California. I’m guessing I’ll just divide up the posts by state, although I probably won’t do one for Utah, as I’m scared shitless to even drive through that crazy state. Why, you ask? Read this book. You’ll understand.

So I googled “guide to Interstate 80 attractions” and got this site. “Stellar,” eh? I’ll be the judge of that, Mr. Chicago Sun-Times.

First warning sign: the article starts out, “it is unlikely to be mistaken for a scenic route.” Oh dear. Well, let’s see… WAIT – it costs money to see this guide!? Now hold on – I am NOT going to pay any money, much less $7.95, to read something that is written like this: “Uncle Otto ('auto,' get it?) is the fictional tour guide for this westward journey - and the apparent alter ego of Parks, who heads Travel Guide Publications, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.” NO. WAY.

Next google link: an entire web site dedicated to interstates! Ike would be so proud.

So it starts off with a cool graphic:

Right off the bat I can tell this site isn’t gonna stoop to “Uncle Otto (‘auto,’ get it?)” bullshit, thankfully. Nope, the prose is going to be very dry and information-packed: “Interstate 80 is a major transcontinental corridor connecting California and New York City. From the city of San Francisco to a few miles west of the Hudson River in northern New Jersey, Interstate 80 traverses various terrain and states. Its highest point is located at Sherman Hill Summit in Wyoming between Laramie and Cheyenne at an elevation of 8640 feet. The highest point of Interstate 80 east of the Mississippi is near Milepost 111 in Pennsylvania.”
zzzzzzzzzz*snort* huh?

What? . . . Okay. I’m awake.

I’ve actually passed this sign:

The first low point of my research (besides Uncle Otto): the total distance to San Francisco is about 2800 miles, give or take a few due the fact that we’re not going to SF but instead to Rohnert Park. Oy. The longest road trip I’ve ever taken was State College PA to Fort Worth TX, all done in about 35 hours. That was about 1400 miles. This trip will be TWICE that. Wow.

On the bright side, I’ll have Niblet, Matty, and our interesting friend Matt Rupert with me. So there's that.

Okay. So... Ohio. First, the link at the interstate-guide site doesn’t work, so I’m switching to this one. “Mile by mile” – man, doesn’t that already make the trip seem even longer?

Holy crap, this site is so anal-retentive that it actually DOES go mile by mile, exit by exit, with summaries like this for Exit 2:
Junction State Route #49, Access to U.S. Highway #20, Windwood Hollow Golf Course, Community of Berlin, Ohio. South access via State Route #49 to communities of Edon, Ohio - Blakeslee, Ohio - Edgerton, Ohio - Hicksville, Ohio. North to Columbia, Ohio - Nettle Lake, Ohio.
Wow, that’s some excitement there. Okay—I won’t bore you with all that. Let me just skim the list here and see if there’s ANYTHING that stands out….

...campground features showers, flush toilets, a dump station... – oh dear.

...Fort Imagination at Woodlands Park... – something tells me that this place just isn’t as imaginative (or fun) as it sounds.

Exit 110: State Highway #4, Portland Road, Harris Road, Parker Town, Ohio. North to City of Sandusky, Ohio-Port Clinton, Ohio - North access to Erie Sand Barrens S.N.P. South access to communities of Reedtown, Ohio - Attica, Ohio - South to Historic Lyme Village - Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum. – hmmm. Might be some birding opportunities at Erie Sand Barrens SNP! Will have to check this out.

Exit 135: North access to Amherst, Ohio - Vermilion, Ohio - Lorain, Ohio. – Lorain, OH: birthplace of Toni Morrison, the greatest living American writer. Wow. But it’s kinda out of the way. We'll see. It might be worth it to take a photo with a sign like "Welcome to Lorain, birthplace of the greatest living American writer Toni Morrison!" because I'm sure they have such a sign. Why wouldn't they?

Exit 228A: North access to Mosquito Lake State Park Campground. Who would go to a “mosquito” lake?

So I’m guessing that tourism will not be a big player in Ohio. Still, we could stop for the night there, perhaps in a hotel near this Erie Sand Barrens place. Mileage from State College to Erie Sand Barrens SNP: about 300; that means it’s only about five hours’ drive time from here, which doesn’t really make much of a full day of driving. And a google search of this Erie Sand Barrens SNP turns up a whole lotta nothing. Let me hear from ya, Ohio: is Erie Sand Barrens SNP a dump? A cool place? Worth a stop? Full of birds?

If there’s nothing in Ohio, we may need just need to keep going and consider stopping in Indiana for our first night. Which leads me to sing at the top of my hoarse little voice:
Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana
Let me say it once again!
Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana, Gary Indiana,
That’s the town that knew me when!

God, I love The Music Man.

Okay—Indiana. Back to the mile by mile site: (look alive, people!)
Exit 1: United States Highway #41, Calumet Shopping Center, Community of Munster, Indiana, Community of Maynard, Indiana, Riverside Park, Market Square, Munster Community Park.

Who knew the Munsters were from Indiana? And that so much stuff was named after them?

Exit 3: Kennedy Avenue, Dowling Park, Homestead Park, Optimist Park, Community of Highland, Indiana. Franklin Avenue, Highland Chamber of Commerce, Highland Library, Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve. -- OOOH Hoosier Prairie Nature Preserve! That’s got prairie chickens written all over it, and I really want to see some prairie chickens! Will need to do more research on this as well.

Exit 10B: … Community of Gary, Indiana. If you’d like to have a logical explanation
How I came upon this elegant syncopation,
I can say without a moment of hesitation,
There is just one place that can light my face!
GARY INDIANA...

I love that bit!

Exit 15B: United States Highway #6, State Highway #51, Calumet Prairie Nature Preserve, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Interstate Highway #90, Mock Park. WHOA More prairies and lakeshores! This just might be the place to stop.

Okay—mileage from State College to Gary Indiana, the town that knew me when: 554 miles, an estimated 8 hours and 50 minutes of driving. Holy hand grenade.

Well, if we drove about nine hours, we could stop in Gary (too exhausted to sing at this point) and do the prairie birding stuff in the morning. Because yeah—after driving nine hours, what I REALLY want to do is WAKE UP EARLY.

Don’t look now, but there might be a flaw in this plan. Comments?

Long time no write

It has been over a month since I wrote in this blog--life gets busy. I'm currently battling a cold that's keeping me from birding (and writing in the bird blog) and thinking (and writing in the impeachment blog). So you faithful three followers: I apologize, but it's not like anyone is getting much more from me!

Still, things have been hurtling forward toward our moving date of July 26 (a date Matty picked, could be random, could mean something -- ?). For my part, I've applied for a couple of jobs, but I fear there's no way I'll get anything until I'm out there. Still--gonna try to keep putting my name out there; one never knows.

Also, and this is exciting: I've looked at the map of our route, and I've come up with some particulars:
1. Our route will be Interstate 80 all the way west, except for a short piece in Ohio where it's 90/80. Same diff.
2. We will travel through the following states: PA, OH, IN, IL, IA, NE, WY, UT, NV, CA.
3. Some specifics I was able to glean from my tiny atlas (a bigger one would have more detail):

Indiana: we'll be skirting the border of Michigan a large part of the time
Illinois: we'll go through/around Chicago and Joliet, home of the prison
Iowa: we'll pass by Adventureland Park, which might merit a stop
Nebraska: we'll go through Omaha and Lincoln, the capitol city
Wyoming: we'll go near Flaming (gaaaaaayyyaaayyyayayay) Gorge National Park! want to stop there!
Utah: just drive like hell to get away from the mormons
Nevada: we'll drive through the Great Basin (?), and below Black Rock Desert, and through Reno, the biggest little city in the world

After that, it's all California. I imagine by that time, we'll be bleary-eyed and soooo ready to get there.

I will have to do some research on the route through each state; there's got to be more to do and see than just a few big cities. I'm hoping to get some birding done in Nebraska, as we'll be kinda in the "great plains" area.

Any suggestions about stopping places on or very near to I80? please let me hear 'em in the comments!

Job huntin' in California!

Sorry I haven't posted more on this blog -- I have been so busy, what with traveling around and stuff.

This morning, Matty sent me some job prospects along with the idea that I could move out there for a good job, sublet a place, and wait for him to arrive. That would be some pretty wild stuff for me, but the idea of leaving now sounds positively dreamy!

I noticed that he found all these job opps on Craig's List--I really need to explore that thing more. All my friends are always finding cool stuff, selling extra junk, etc. on Craig's List. I feel at a disadvantage, though, seeing as how I only have computer access at work. Hmph.

Back to the jobs--all are editing/writing positions, including one with Acoustic Guitar magazine! I'm going to work up some cover letters, polish my resume, and see what happens. It would be crazy to leave suddenly, but--I sure could use some California sunshine.