Finally, curled up in a chair, showered, relaxed, well-rested. Marvin (stepdad) is still in the hospital after emergency surgery, so I am camped out in his room. Like the living room, books overflow from the 4 bookcases and form impulsive little piles. Without really digging, I found titles by F. Forrester Church, Sojourner Truth, Stephen King, and Shakespeare. Eclectic reading is a family trademark and, no matter what else I might find at home, I could expect a few good books to read. With the comfy reading chair and lamp, I could stay in here–happy and content–for some time! Tango found his spot next to me and all is well.

When I first started the drive from Montana, I made careful notes in my head about all the sights and insights while driving. After 4 days, everything is compressed into one big trip, although I can remember a few details. Most notable:

1. I 90 follows the Yellowstone River until Billings, where the river turns northward. That stretch between Livingston and Billings is one of my favorites. 
2. I stayed on I 90 because it was the most direct route. As a bonus, I drove through a picturesque part of Wyoming, past the Big Horn Mountains and then east into the Black Hills. As the sun set, I saw silhouettes of both the mountains the Devils Tower.
3. South Dakota gets flatter and more boring with each mile. When the terrain is at it’s worst, I enter the bleak Indian Reservation which spreads onto the plains until we reach fertile farmland, whereby it returns to private ownership.
4. When I entered Iowa, I arrived the Midwest and passed corn fields with tiny, eager plants about the size of my pinky.
5. The last day was a nightmare of traffic and road construction but, finally, I arrive after slogging through the holiday weekend rush hour.

As always, my trip started in the open spaces of the west, with relatively quiet Interstate traffic and 80 MPH speed limits. I ended my journey in the barely crawling congestion of big rust belt cities. I do like Akron, it’s culture, and the access to parks and trails so the trip is always well worth the time. Did I mention fabric stores and Starbucks? They are not so bad either. This time, I plan to visit the fabulous main library downtown, where I spent time as a teenager listening to music through headphones in the enchanted listening room. There, I absorbed the spellbinding verses of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Joan Baez and then walked down the street to a used book store where I found poetry by Denise Levertov and Langston Hughes.

Main Library, Downtown Akron

Old Downtown Akron, in the 1960s.

Mom is doing better. She has her routines, which blend in well with mine, most of which I probably learned from her, anyway. Those include coffee before anything and reading in bed until the wee hours. Tango is happy to be out of the van. Mom and Marvin live in a high-rise apartment building, so we take the elevator downstairs after I grab a coffee and take our first walk of the day.

Next up: visit Marvin in the hospital!