Vermont

Year of First Visit – 2015
Point of Entry – Vermont 279 at the New York border


It was a getaway weekend.  I was in my doctoral studies and had exactly one weekend off between August and Christmas.  We loaded up the van and hit the road right after school in Friday night making it to Albany before bedtime.

Saturday was for Vermont.

It was about a week after peak color, but that still leaves a sight to behold.  Our plan was to drive from Albany to Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park to do some exploring.  We enjoyed the leisurely drive and the Vermont scenery.



The park itself was fascinating.  Through three owners, this property was the epicenter of the emerging environmental sensitivity and restoration that we take for granted today.  This was site was why these things are deep in Vermont's DNA.

We left the park in the early afternoon, driving out on a different route than the way we came in.  I got a lovely taste of Vermont and hope to go back for more.

Wyoming

Year of First Visit – 2007
Point of Entry – US-89 at the Montana line in Yellowstone National Park


I hadn't really planned to go to Wyoming as I always pictured it as a place without much of anything to see.  I was wrong.

Most of my time in Wyoming was spent on a trip that included about 4 days in Yellowstone National Park followed by about a day and a half in Grand Teton National Park.

A couple years later we spent time at Fort Laramie and at Devils Tower (with a very long drive in between).

My memories of the state are pretty much limited to those federal lands within it.

Wisconsin

Year of First Visit – 1978
Point of Entry – US-41 in Marinette


"Is it West Consin or Wisconsin?" is the question I would ask my 5th graders in Texas when we were learning the 50 states song.  For many of those students, English was not their native language so enunciation within a song was a part of learning at a different level.

I first entered Wisconsin when we were taking my brother to college in Iowa.  We had always gone south around Lake Michigan with the town of Standish being a signal point that we were getting somewhere.  That day we caravanned across US-2 through Michigan's Upper Peninsula and crossed into Wisconsin in time for lunch. My brother looked at the map and exclaimed, "We've been traveling all day and we're still not south of Standish!"

Another time, I was relatively new at driving I powered our brand new Oldsmobile down I-43 and I saw my first 65 MPH speed limit sign; they hadn't gone up yet in Michigan after the partial repeal of the nationwide 55 law.  A little ways down the road, I saw a sign that said, "Milwaukee 65" making the city an hour away.  The speed limit slowed to 55 around Sheboygan where I saw a sign saying "Milwaukee 55" making the city still an hour away.

We were dining at a former Sambos in Menominee Falls, the waitress stopped by the table to let us know that the tornado sirens had sounded and if we felt the need we were welcome to com into the restaurant's coolers.  We turned to watch the darkness and rain strengthen to the point that we couldn't see our car parked only a few feet away. 

I have many less intriguing memories of Wisconsin.  One brother lived in the Milwaukee area so visits there were a part of my regular summer travels as a teen.  Another brother live near Green Bay during my college and early career years so I had a few visits there as well.  I've traveled in, through, and round the state from the Apostle Islands to the Illinois and Iowa lines.

I was on a Southwest Airlines flight that stopped in Milwaukee on their inaugural day flying there.  The pilot was excited and invited those of us who were continuing west to get off the plane and see the airport.  He was quite surprised that I skipped the opportunity and stayed on the plane.

That sort of summarized my experience with Wisconsin.  I'm glad to go.  I'm glad to be there.  But I'm not quite as excited as those I'm with and it's not too long until I'm ready to move on.