American Roadtrip - irresponsible distances

When I look back on the trip end of September in 2010, the main thing I remember is the driving. The sheer, relentless distances we covered each day! When I think about it now, it was irresponsible. There was only one driver, no one to swap with, and we drove for long stretches into the night. But we were young and wanted to save money, so splitting the driving felt like an unnecessary complication at the time. It was. But more on that later.   My old friend Z had been living and working in Cincinnati, so I flew over to visit him. It turned out to be a surprisingly good starting point for a road trip: central, well-connected and a decent city in its own right. So, instead of just hanging out, we packed the car and decided to make the most of it. In the end, we covered 4,000 kilometres and passed through nine states. Not bad for a spontaneous trip! Not bad at all.   Chicago   Our first stop was Chicago, and we were struck immediately. With its beautiful skyscrapers and relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere, the city just felt alive. We spent a good amount of time in Millennium Park, which exceeded my expectations by far. It’s one of those places that looks like a nice green square on a map, but is actually a carefully designed experience. The centrepiece is Cloud Gate, the huge bean-shaped mirrored sculpture by Anish Kapoor. It reflects the skyline, the sky, and everyone walking around it, distorting everything into a surreal, almost liquid version of the city. You could stand in front of it for ages and it would never look the same twice. The park opens up around it into wide lawns and the stunning Jay Pritzker Pavilion with its steel trellis canopy, one of the world’s best outdoor concert venues, as well as the Crown Fountain, which I instantly recognised from photos but which was even better in person. Two tall glass towers stand at either end of a reflecting pool. Each tower projects the face of a Chicago resident, and right at the moment their lips pucker, water shoots out of their mouth. Inspired by old gargoyle fountains, it has been transformed into something playful and alive. Children were running through it, completely unbothered and soaking wet. It was a warm September day, and the whole scene felt effortless and joyful.   Beyond the park, Chicago has plenty more to keep you busy. The Magnificent Mile is the obvious shopping destination, but it’s also a great place to walk — wide boulevards and impressive architecture at every turn. A visit to the Willis Tower (still the Sears Tower to most locals) was a must, and the view from the Skydeck made the scale of the city hit home. We also caught a glimpse of the Bean from a different angle near the lakefront again, which by then felt like an old friend.   There’s plenty to keep you busy beyond the park. The Magnificent Mile is the obvious shopping destination, but it’s also a great place to take a stroll — wide boulevards and impressive architecture are around every corner. A visit to the Willis Tower (still the Sears Tower to most locals) was a must, and the view from the Skydeck really brought home the scale of the city. We also caught a glimpse of the Bean from a different angle near the lakefront, which, by then, felt like an old friend.   The architecture-focused boat tour along the Chicago River was well worth it. It was windy and pretty chilly; you can never be sure what the weather will be like in September in Chicago, but our guide was incredible. He was genuinely knowledgeable, passionate and funny. He pointed out buildings and architectural styles that we would have walked right past without a second glance. The river winds right through the city, and seeing it from the water completely changes your perspective of Chicago’s layout.   Lake Michigan felt like the ocean. I don’t mean that as a figure of speech. Standing at the waterfront and looking out, there was no other shore in sight. The scale of it was disorienting in the best possible way.   One evening, we walked to a French restaurant that had been recommended to us. After a few minutes, however, the neighbourhood started to feel a little strange. Not exactly dangerous, just not somewhere you’d want to be after dark. In the end, we took a cab, which must have taken three or four minutes. It felt much better. The restaurant itself was lovely, and I clearly remember one moment in particular: a lady at the next table ordered a whole marinated garlic bulb. And she ate it. Clove by clove, savouring every single one with complete enjoyment. As someone who can barely tolerate garlic, I found it genuinely fascinating and slightly horrifying at the same time.   Niagra Falls   We left Chicago and headed east towards Niagara Falls. The drive took us through a beautiful wine region. I was struck by how different it looked from what I was used to back in Germany. Vineyards at home cling to terraced hillsides, which are almost vertical in some places. Here, however, it was completely flat. Row after row stretched out across the landscape, devoid of any drama. Just quiet, open farmland doing its thing.   Being the typical tourists that we were, we went for the full Niagara Falls package, the museum and the boat ride. Thankfully, they gave us slippers and raincoats for the boat ride, which brought us right up close to the main waterfall — we would have been soaked within seconds otherwise! The spray hit us like a wall. It was intense, and the force of the water is something you can feel in your chest when you’re up close.   To be honest, though, I was a bit disappointed. I had imagined it would be more impressive, more dramatic and overwhelming. Perhaps it was the tourist infrastructure around it, with its queues and gift shops. Perhaps my expectations were just too high. The falls are impressive, no question. But the experience didn’t quite live up to what I had built up in my mind.   Boston   Since we had to cover enormous distances almost every day, we would usually drive well into the night before stopping. We stayed in motels along the way, and I must say, they were much nicer and more comfortable than I had expected. Better than I had expected. Clean, simple and fuss-free. Exactly what you need after hours behind the wheel.   Next was Boston, and it started with a disaster. We nicknamed it BBB: Bloody #&%*@^%! Boston. There was a roundabout or rather, what passes for a roundabout in the US with at least seven or eight exits. Our GPS was no help whatsoever, cheerfully instructing us to take the next exit while we circled around in complete confusion. It took us far too long to find our way out.   Boston itself is a city with a lot to offer, even if it didn’t quite capture our hearts on this trip. The classic route is the Freedom Trail — a red brick path winding through the city and connecting sixteen historic sites, including the Massachusetts State House, the Paul Revere House and the Old North Church. It’s a surprisingly pleasant walk and not too long. You really get a sense of how layered the city’s history is. The harbour waterfront has been beautifully cleaned up over the years and is a lovely place to sit and watch the boats. Harvard Square, which we visited on a short detour, has its own energy, with bookshops, cafés and students everywhere, and the campus itself is stunningly beautiful in an old New England style, with red brick buildings and green lawns. We didn’t stay long, but it was worth a quick visit.   Cape Cod   As we continued east, we got closer to Cape Cod and fell in love with the region almost immediately. The ocean, the beaches, the light. Everything about it felt just right. We found ourselves in Provincetown, a small town that lived up to its name. The streets were quiet, the shops were small, and it was the kind of place where you slow down without even meaning to. There wasn’t a single soul on the beach when we went. After dinner, we drove to a famous sunset spot and sat with a few locals, watching the sky change colour. It was one of those quiet, perfect evenings that you remember long after you’ve forgotten the big attractions.   Newport & Providence   The Cliff Walk in Newport was one of the highlights of the whole trip. It was windy, as you would expect on the coast, but the views were stunning. The path runs alongside the cliffs, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Newport’s magnificent Gilded Age mansions on the other. The combination of the wild coastline and these enormous, ornate houses is strange, but it works.   From Newport, we continued to Providence and then on to Narragansett, where we watched surfers catching waves on the beach. Despite the grey, breezy afternoon, there’s something hypnotic about watching people surf. The rhythm of it, the patience, the wipeouts.   New Haven & Pittsburgh   New Haven was a brief but worthwhile stop, mainly thanks to Yale University. The campus is stunning, with its Gothic architecture and courtyards; the kind of collegiate beauty that makes you understand why people romanticise university life. After walking around and soaking up the atmosphere for a while, we moved on. The city itself has a vibrant arts and food scene. Apparently, New Haven pizza is a thing, and rightly so, but unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore it properly.   Pittsburgh surprised us. After decades of industrial decline, the city has reinvented itself remarkably well. The confluence of the three rivers — the Allegheny, the Monongahela and the Ohio — gives the city a dramatic, almost cinematic geography. The North Shore offers great views back towards the city centre, and the bridges — Pittsburgh is nicknamed ‘The City of Bridges’ for good reason, with 446 counted within the city limits — give the city a unique character. We didn’t spend long there, but it made an impression. It was more than we had expected from a city that we hadn’t thought much about beforehand.   Passing by New York City, we could see the skyline in the distance and for a moment we genuinely thought about stopping. It would have been easy. But time was not on our side, and we had kilometres to cover. So we drove past. One of those road trip decisions you either regret forever or laugh about later. We’re still laughing.   It was an amazing road trip! Genuinely. The country made a deep and lasting impression; the landscapes, the cities and the small moments in between. But the driving was too much. Way too much. One driver, thousands of kilometres and nights spent half-asleep at the wheel. In hindsight, it was reckless, and we were fortunate not to have been involved in an accident. Next time there will be two drivers. No exceptions.