We Are Made To Travel
Grab Your Bags! We've Got Things To See
"The world is a book, and those who don’t travel read only one page." - St. Augustine
Brenda’s last Sunday Sip fired me up! Actually, it was Agnes Callard’s The Case Against Travel that got my goat or put a bee in my bonnet, if you will. With lines such as “Travel turns us into the worst version of ourselves while convincing us that we’re at our best. Call this the traveller’s delusion,” I was fit to be tied.
I loved Brenda’s response to Callard’s short-sighted view on travel. Particularly when she wrote regarding Callard’s boomerang metaphor, “I’d say it’s (travel) a kaleidoscope. You may not come home a new person, but you return with new colors added to the mix. And that, to me, is more than enough.”
While I provided a small comment on Brenda’s post, my thoughts on what travel means to me kept swirling. When that happens, it is a sure sign that I need to write about it. I hope you’ll indulge my “preaching to the choir” as I share with you what drove me to travel, some of my favorite trips, and why I feel travel is essential.
The Case For Travel: Philosophically
Agnes Callard made a point of noting other philosophers, such as the Athens town square bully Socrates and the Concord, MA, curmudgeon Emerson, in her castigation of travel. This put me on the hunt for deep thoughts from big brains on why travel is key. Take a moment to revel in these mindful machinations:
“Experience, travel - these are education in themselves.” - Euripides
"Travel and change of place impart vigor to the mind." - Seneca
There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar: it keeps the mind nimble, it kills prejudice, and it fosters humor.” –George Santayana
“Travel is in my opinion a very profitable exercise; the soul is there continually employed in observing new and unknown things, and I do not know, as I have often said a better school wherein to model life than by incessantly exposing to it the diversity of so many other lives, fancies, and usances, and by making it relish a perpetual variety of forms of human nature.” - Michel de Montaigne
“It is useful to know something of the manners of different nations, that we may be enabled to form a more correct judgment regarding our own, and be prevented from thinking that everything contrary to our customs is ridiculous and irrational, a conclusion usually come to by those whose experience has been limited to their own country.” - René Descartes
“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” - Winnie-the-Pooh
And finally, the master of Deep Thoughts - Jack Handy
If you would like a few more quotes on travel, Rosie Pentreath has more on her Hireth travel blog
What Travel Means To Me
We didn’t travel much, if at all, when I was growing up. The rare occasion was a trip up north to the Manistee area of Michigan (over by Lake Michigan). I shared my memories of those journeys last year on the Sunday Sip
Sunday Sip🏕️
Hello friends, and thank you for joining me on another Sunday Sip. Today, I’m taking you camping just east of Manistee, Michigan, in the early 1970s with my Aunt Betty and Uncle Pat.
I’m not sure if that lack of travel was the cause or a basic burning curiosity to explore, but as soon as I had a job and my own car, I set off to see the world. Of course, those early travels with no money meant I couldn’t stray too far from home. Yet every vista, no matter how far I roamed, broadened my appreciation of not only where I’d been, but where I called home.
Part of the drive to travel is less about seeing and more about doing. From a young age, I’ve loved walking or running long distances. A big part of travel for me is the physical experience. I can remember looking at National Geographic or Michigan Out-Of-Doors and seeing all these wonderful photos of places I couldn’t name.
Looking at those images, I wanted to know if the sun would feel different from the top of Pikes Peak. I wanted to see for myself just how tall those pines are in Estivant Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and touch a living thing that is over 300 years old. I wanted to experience what people in another country eat, hear them converse with each other, and learn their history.
Favorite Jaunts
I tried to pare down my list of favorite trips, but I think I may have failed. As I was thinking back on my travels and the lasting impacts they have had on my life, the list kept getting longer and longer. I’ll try to at least be brief with my notes on each adventure.
The Upper Peninsula
My first travel destination is still my favorite: The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The expansive wilderness, the beautiful small towns, and the mighty inland sea of Superior call me back. On each trip, the U.P. shares with me more of its rugged beauty. Over time, Brenda and I have found a family of friends who call this amazing space their home. We’ve written a myriad of stories about our adventures in the Upper Peninsula, so choosing a couple to share is hard. Let’s go with the Ultimate 5-Day trip and a Fall Color tour.
Tawas and the East Coast
While I love the westside of Michigan with the fabulous Lake Michigan shoreline, the eastside with Lake Huron deserves a lot more love. Staying in a yurt in Tawas was a hoot, and our explorations along the shores of Lake Huron beckon me to return.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse
Our very first experience as lighthouse volunteers at Grand Traverse Lighthouse on the Leelanau Peninsula was way beyond my expectations. This was a trip that stretched my perspective and reinforced the simple joys of travel while sharpening my love for Michigan.
Scotland
The first time I crossed the Atlantic was to visit Scotland. With Brenda, I sought to embrace some of my roots, buy a kilt, and learn to appreciate scotch whisky. I also tried to kill her on the Ring of Steall.
We would return with our friends Jeff and Angie to take in more of this excellent place, including pondering the history of the ancient people who called the Orkney Islands home.
New Zealand
The trip to New Zealand involved a brutal passage in steerage, yet the reward was a land where you can experience a glacier, a rainforest, and the beach in less than an hour's travel. This was the first time we spent more than 2 weeks in a place (20 days to be exact). On this trip, we did it right in terms of sharing stories, with a grand total of 9 tales of wonder from this trip. Check out the itinerary post, which you can then run down the rabbit hole.
Rattling Rita on Route 66
What better way to kick off the retirement chapter of our lives than renting a vintage VW van and driving it around Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada? While the van (which we named Rattling Rita) broke down three times as we rambled along portions of Route 66, it was a magical experience that made for terrific stories that we tell today.
Switzerland / Italy and even more Italy
Travels to Italy rank among the very top of trips where I’ve not only experienced the land physically, but also made connections with some of the people who live there. Our first journey started in Switzerland, where we fell in love with Lauterbrunnen before searching for George Clooney on Lake Como. Sadly, we wrote about Switzerland, but never really told the stories from Lake Como.
Our second trip to Italy was as immersive as we could get. We spent a month in Florence, using it as a hub to explore much of the Tuscany region before heading south to Sorrento and Rome. This was a trip of epic proportions that touched on as many wonderful facets of life in Italy. In all our travels, this one stands out for the depth of experience.
The Case For Travel: Physiology
We are born to move. As early as seven million years ago, relatives of our species started walking on two feet, and we haven’t stopped since. Over that time, we’ve traveled to every part of this planet. Sure, the Neolithic folks walking the ice bridge into North America weren’t tourists on their way to get a selfie at the Grand Canyon. However, you can’t deny that most of us to this day carry an innate desire to see what is over that hill, to discover what is behind the next bend in the trail, to reach that distant shore.
I feel a bit sorry for Agnes. I feel she is missing out on a huge part of life. Perhaps we can discover all of who we are and what drives us from the coziness of our home office or living room chair. For me (and I think I can speak for Brenda, too), we can explore the questions of who we are and why we are here while beating a path to see what’s around the bend.
Upcoming Events You Won't Want to Miss
Have you checked out our mega-awesome events calendar on Life In Michigan? Wander through a treasure trove of events we’ve scoured the interwebs to bring to you. From that list, I’ve got a couple that I’d like to highlight:
Bingo Night supporting Groundcover News at Hear.Say Brewing in Ann Arbor on June 10
Have a ball on a Tuesday in support of a good cause. Hear.Say will donate 10% of sales, so eat and drink up!
Fat Animals Live at Dark Horse Brewery in Marshall on June 12
A night of great blues rock in the rocking beer garden at Dark Horse
The Lucid Furs / Glass Chimera / James Linck at the Lager House in Detroit on June 14
Get ready to rock with some of the best heavy psychedelic jams in the land
In Other News
Brenda and I were honored with an interview in the June issue of Jackson Magazine! The focus was on how events/festivals work to build communities, such as Jackson. We, of course, had to share a bit about our non-profit GIG - The Art of Michigan Music Foundation and our visual arts experience on November 8th at Art 634 in Jackson. Check out the digital version or stop into Jackson’s office to pick up a physical copy!
Doug Marrin of The Sun Times News has an interesting story on the Mason-Arenac line, which marks the Michigan DNR division between “Up North” and “Down State”. There is also a shout-out for the Waterloo-Pinckney Recreation Area, a fabulous space for hiking and mountain biking.
Life In Michigan Podcast
The latest episode of our podcast features Terris Ahrens, who is one hell of a guy. On top of being the Executive Director of the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce, he’s the lead singer in the alt-rock band Sometimes Pretty, and an avid camper.
Camping, Community, and Rock ‘n’ Roll with Terris Ahrens
This week, we chat with Terris Ahrens, Executive Director of the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce and frontman of the alt-rock band Sometimes Pretty. Terris shares what it’s like growing up in Michigan—hanging out on the River Raisin, exploring forgotten cement ruins, and camping in hidden corners of the state.
Substack Restack Attack
Substack is where it’s at. Check out these other superb publications:
takes us on a jaunt through the forest with a destination of SLOW
I love heavy metal and the fact that many bands utilize literature to craft their music.
shares my passion and has a great article on some heavy music inspired by literature. He has some great choices, but somehow missed Anthrax’s Among The Living, which is inspired by Stephen King’s The Stand. My own band, Battalion, was very much inspired by literature…can you guess which ones?
Carbon Decoy is a killer band, and
has a great review of their new album, Crush The Sun, as well as words from the band. Dig it!!
Adventures Yet To Print
Brenda is working on a recap of our Ireland trip, which should be a fun synopsis of our adventures (along with our itinerary for those planning to visit for themselves). I found that there are a few new (to me) record stores near Detroit…so I need to do a bit more “research” and then I’ll write that damn Detroit vinyl story..
What Are You Reading?
I recently finished I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger. It is set on the shores and the water of Lake Superior in a near future (perhaps tomorrow) where the rich (known as Astronauts) control the world through hoarding of wealth and indentured labor (aka slavery). While this may seem quite bleak, the story is both wondrous and heartbreaking. In the end, this book is about resilience, hope, love, and community. The writing is vivid and beautiful despite the dire times of the setting and situation. I found the writing so compelling that I’m seeking a printed copy to pursue and highlight passages. I will also be checking out other Leif Enger books in the future.
What Are You Spinning?
Marshall Media Studios has been jamming the new Ladyship Warship EP called Lacrimosus Intolerantem. If you are new to these dynamite roots rockers, they are Kristin Lyn (drums) and EZ Myers (guitars) from Detroit. This is the band’s third release, and it burns with black light madness and rock-n-roll fever dreams. Whereas there was a swampy twang to some earlier tunes, Lacrimosus Intolerantem honed in on a darker path. As a huge fan of the Floydian power doom on the song “Abyss Stares Back” off Ladyship’s first album, I love the direction they have taken with this new release. I hope to have a full review up on Life In Michigan next week. In the meantime, put this on repeat and enjoy.
That’s A Wrap
As my buddy Sturgill once said:
“Keep your head out of the clouds
And remember to be kind
And just stay in school
Stay off the drugs
And keep between the lines.”
Thank you for reading. I hope your week is awesome! Don’t forget to kick out the jams!
Now, here is your moment of zen:
great post as always, chock full of stuff that's so interesting ! like you, my family rarely traveled when I was a child, once of twice we went to Florida and once to d.c. and both times I was thrilled but... I used to send for brochures of every place in the world I was interested in as a child , because we had lots of magazines around and I would see pictures of these places and I created a file in the basement and would do travel presentations at dinner trying to convince my parents to take us to exotic places. yes, I was nerd kid and loved to get mail and dreamed of seeing the world, near and far. wanderlust!!
I was probably about 8 years old and this continued and my file grew and my presentations continued and we never traveled. once, my dad said we might move to kauai for a business scheme he had so I sent for a paper Hawaiian dictionary and tried to force the family to learn the language at dinner and his plan never happened of course but I never gave up trying. I married young, had children, divorced young, and finally started traveling later in life and have never stopped. finally going on my first u.p. adventure in September with my friend who has visited there many times and we are now both retired so we can see it all at our leisure and wander as we please!