On the road...

I spent the past couple of days in Grand Rapids with Paul for a hearing he was assigned by the Fed. P.D's office and (he won) don't care if I ever go back...rainy, cold, no downtown shopping, just really yucky. 

They had their 42nd annual Art Festival downtown and let me tell you, I can't figure out how they made it past the first year.  Really bad.  Performance artists on different stages which were set up on different streets but all speakers pointing the same direction so the public in the streets trying to find the non-performing artists (any artist, none existed, literally) were being blasted in all directions with noise that didn't cooperate with the other noise.  I love performing artists/musicians, but when it's all combined with others, not so good.  They really need to take some lessons from Cincinnati or Bellevue.  Kinda sad if you know what I mean.

We went into the Grand Rapids Art Museum, it was "okay".  Not much there either.  Rather disappointing.  One good exhibit of the city, past, present, future.  Photos of Detroit. Artist Andrew Moore. Really disturbing, angering, sad, and hopeful.  Really enjoyed it and it really made me think.

So trying to find something in Grand Rapids to do, we discover Cirque du Soliel is in town.  Quidam.  We got tickets with no problem and went last night.  Really cool!  So glad it was going on, ‘cause without it, no reason to stay another night in Grand Rapids.

Mentone Egg Festival

Mentone Egg Festival

The drive up was really great.  Went back roads all the way and drove through Amish country.  Amazing!  The drive back was great.  Back roads all the way.  You find the coolest pieces of America when you get off the interstate.  We stumbled upon a little town called Mentone, Indiana.  Now they know how to have a street festival !  Roads closed, like Grand Rapids.  I didn’t even see a four way stop in this great little town.  Kids races, food booths set up down the street.  Craft vendors.  Games, music, Miss Mentone Festival!  Really cool.  And you know what the name of the festival was????  The Mentone Egg Festival!  Everyone having fun, enjoying each other and the festival atmosphere.  No artists, performing or otherwise, just lots of fun and excitement.  Grand Rapids could learn a thing or two from Mentone.

Mentone Egg Festival

Down the road we stumble upon Eel River Covered Bridge in Roann.  Drove across it to the cemetery.  Beautiful!

Eel River Covered Bridge

Down the road a bit further we see a beautiful display of flags on a field by a school.  Stopped to take pictures because it is absolutely breathtaking.  Seems like at Akron School in the middle of Indiana they know how to honor their veterans.

Six counties in rural Indiana have lost so many young men and women that they have taken Memorial Day to heart and have set up an amazing display honoring their fallen.  They have listed the names of all those lost since 2001 in one section and then they have listed all those lost in Viet Nam in another section.  They have the flags of all the branches of the service and then a flag for each of the military they have lost.  Quite moving.  I love back roads.  Next stop…Boston!