Sunday Travel Day

I collected my various small items into my bags as I started the morning around sunrise. I put them away as they get their use. This means that I will be less likely to miss something (one cable, a short USB-C cable has vanished, but that could be anywhere). I find transitions difficult in travel and, instead, try to make the change more of a process than an abrupt all-or-nothing move. I also remember now if I have one or two pairs of shoes (I missed my black shoes once as they were on a black surface.

I showered, shaved, and all of that. Put all that away and finished zipping and locking things up. This is a larger bag than I am used to, and it has more rolls that get pulled. A push, not a pull. I get it to the rental car, the Hyundai, and get it and my carry-on in the trunk.

I return to the lobby, start on the blog, and have more coffee. I had made instant coffee in the room (this IHG does not have in-room coffee makers), and more coffee was good. I tried to get much of the blog done before Deborah arrived.

Deborah arrived, and we enjoyed breakfast together, fifty days until we meet again in California (unless events send me back to Michigan). It is always hard, as with every ‘hello’ is a ‘goodbye.’ Some are harder than others, and this one is always difficult. A kiss, a hug, and more hugs, and we head to our separate cars. We are together on the road for a moment, but then I head left towards the Detroit Airport and Deborah right, heading home.

The drive to the airport is about 45 minutes, and I remember that I want the other exit for the Rental Car return. A friendly clerk meets me; I remember to leave the car fob in the car and remove everything I want (the paper cups for coffee will be tossed by them when they clean the car). I suggest they check the brakes, as I heard that grinding sound, which is usually expensive on my cars. The clerk writes it on the window with a marker, “Brakes.”

The bus is waiting for me, and the driver watches as I sling my bags up the steps. He later helps me down. Soon, I am rolling and balancing my bag’s wheels on the escalator (it just fits). Delta has colored its regular class green now, which confuses me (it was blue or red before). I drop my bag and head through the TSA walk-through; no wait. My bag and I (even with suspenders) pass all the checks, and soon I am walking to my gate. I am three hours early; fuck! All those warnings and every airport is a dream. I do thank all the TSA people (who are at least getting paid now).

I find a chair (my gate is packed with folks for an earlier flight) and write and publish the blog. Later, once it is published, I head to an early lunch at Chili’s and have their Southwest Chicken Salad (which could be better and should be, for the price I paid). Still, I got food.

I have a window seat in the smaller jet, two seats a side in economy, and my bad ear is pointed out in seat D (‘D’ means no hearing, ‘A’ means hear everything). The screaming child and stressed parents join me. During take-off and in emergencies, lap carried children must be on the right side, as the extra airmask is on that side. I tell them to use mine if there is an issue, “I am old,” and smile.

I play peek-a-boo while the parents handle various issues and equipment I do not know about (never having kids). The little one then takes my hat! Dad gives it back to me, and I am not sure who he wanted to punish. I fall asleep instead and enjoy a brief rest as I can hear mostly white noise.

The plane flew right over Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. I woke as we started to land and was surprised to see the site from the air. Wow, it is huge! You can see that the river used to be closer, as the Horseshoe Lake adjoining the Cahokia Mounds is really a disconnected river bend. I did not move fast enough to take a picture of the mounds; I was fascinated by them and forgot to grab my phone.

We land, and I find my bag and then the bus to the car rental, much reduced in size from Detroit, and soon I am given ‘a sick Buick.’ It is nice, and soon I will try to find a cable for the iPhone to connect to the car. I only have the USB-A version, but that works. After nearly ending my trip with a yellow car that I did not see, I am soon enjoying St Louis traffic and crossing into Illinois to find the mounds.

At the site, the visitor center is closed (and has been for years due to a roof issue), but the site is open (here). I also have a printed copy of their walking guide and use that to understand the treasures. This was a city in 1250 AD, and the Monk’s Mound is a three-level structure I would call a pyramid (but officially a mound), with cement stairs leading to the top. It is about 100′ tall, and the St Louis Arc is visible from the top. It is an amazing view (and windy). I enjoyed the climb (taking a few breaks).

I met locals who had a drone filming. I suggested he consider infrared and three-dimensional versions to get interesting information. It would allow him to see the structures under trees and hints of water structures. That got a smile, and I think he might. Someday, maybe archaeology will be shared with amateurs like me, having drones and even ground-penetrating radar. “Come and scan the burials here,” I could see in the future (no digging). We are starting to see this in shipwrecks where the scans are more important than the photos or artifacts (Seeing the boot on the Endurance wreck, for example, here).

I drove to the other side, walked around the other mounds (only the Monk’s Mound allows climbing), read the signs, and read my pamphlet. I walked through the open court and tried to imagine the city that was once here. The site was farmed, leveled, raided, and then reconstructed (to some degree). Two of the tall mounds (untouched and slightly disquieting) are likely for burial but have not been dug (again, I would prefer scans). There is so much to learn here. I enjoyed my visit, but wished the visitor center were open, and there were food trucks! I could have enjoyed lunch here.

The trash mounds, a modern version of mound building, are nearby and higher than the Monk’s Mound, and they tickled my irony senses. The area nearby is empty and poor. It is sad that they cannot get more traffic for such an amazing site.

I returned to St. Louis, found my hotel, and learned it was $50 a day for the car with unlimited in-and-outs. I checked in, and Brandy at the front desk suggested a high floor. I soon had a partial view away from the arc. Still, it was nice.

I found the bar, had olives and a beer, both on the happy-hour menu, and was supplied by my bartender, Chase. She said she loved the mounds and went there often for school. I headed to Sugarfire for dinner and walked for twenty minutes through a dead-quiet Sunday evening. The place was busy, and soon I had too much but delicious food. The place is a tourist version, located in the now-defunct Blues Museum building.

I walked back, found the pool, the original-as-built 1926 tile still in place. This was once a YMCA, I learned, and is now a mix of museum and hotel. A giant glass ball filled with water resides in the lobby (As if Glinda from The Wizard of Oz is illegally parked). The pool is deep and 70′ long and cool, but not cold. Refreshing, I think you could call it. I could only water walk halfway before it was over my head (it is 8′ deep). I stayed about 30 mins.

I returned to my room and soon fell asleep after trying to read. I woke a few times, but finally woke with the sunrise.

Thanks for reading.