Road Trip: Day 62

Dateline: Houghton, Michigan

It’s true. I leave out a great deal: the driving, the rain, the weariness, the worry and wondering. But who wants to hear it, anyway. Yes, anyway? The payoff on the work of traveling (constantly) is a kaleidoscopic view of life in a wonderful variety. Did I mention it has been weeks since I’ve seen a mosquito worth a swat?

So, yes, it took over four hours to get to Houghton (I’m attending Festival Ruska at Finlandia University tomorrow to hear Mark Munger, a Duluth writer, talk and read from his work) but the post-industrial beauty of the place is uplifting. People here–despite the evaporation of all the mining jobs years ago–make their homes among opera houses, major public buildings, and a host of engineering feats worthy of much larger towns (a great bridge and a major canal inexplicably called “the portage”). See for yourself how water looks here at sunset, and how grand the buildings look, and how folks have saved even the painted signs on the backs of buildings.  BUILDINGS:

BRIDGES AND CANALS:
AND SUNSETS:

and breakfast tomorrow morning at the Finnish cafe: