Day 8: St. Meinrad's to South Bend

The last day of our road-trip began at St. Meinrad's Archabbey. Ken attended the undergraduate seminary here and I have enjoyed a retreat here in the past as well.

We stayed in the newly constructed guesthouse which was very comfortable. On the night of our arrival, while Ken, Julie and Brenda met up with a group of Ken's undergraduate classmates, I enjoyed the chance to catch up with Br. Silas Henderson, OSB. Brother Silas was a novice at St. Meinrad's when Jim Gallagher and I did a retreat there in the summer of 2002. It was most enjoyable to spend time catching up with Br. Silas.

In the morning, I concelebrated Mass in the Archabbey Church . . .

and we then drove south . . . yes, south . . . for a pilgrimage of a different sort. We drove to Loretto, Kentucky to make a visit to the Maker's Mark distillery.

We had a wonderful tour and tasting, dipped a few of our own bottles, and then had lunch before getting back on the road, this time heading north to our final destination: the University of Notre Dame.

Along the way to South Bend we stopped in Bardstown, Kentucky to see the Cathedral of St. Joseph. Bardstown is one of the four diocese created 200 years ago (along with New York, Boston and Philadelphia) making Baltimore the nation's fist archdiocese. For an American Catholic history guy like myself, this stop was pure gold!

We didn't arrive in South Bend until very late (after midnight) but it was well worth it. Ken, Julie and Brenda hit the hay at Holy Cross Parish, and I spent my first night in my new room at Old College.

I'll have more on my move in over the next couple of weeks . . . for now, let me just say how grateful I am to Ken, Julie and Brenda for joining me on this adventure and for their friendship. So many people have been amazed that these friends were so generous as to drive cross country with me as I moved . . . and anyone who knows them predicted we would have a blast and laugh all the way. And that we did! Thanks friends!!

Day 7: St. Louis to St. Meinrad

Feeling much better after a good night of air-conditioned sleep, we wrapped up our short visit to St. Louis with a pilgrimage to the great Basilica Cathedral of St. Louis. Along the way, we drove through the campus of St. Louis University and passed their campus church of St. Francis Xavier.

Further down the road, we arrived at the Basilica Cathedral. I have been longing to visit this church for quite some time because everyone speaks of its beauty in the greatest of superlatives - and I am a great fan of the Byzantine style with its sparkling mosaic decorations.

My pictures simply do not do the building justice. The amazing Byzantine mosaics make this church one of the most beautiful I have ever seen in the United States. Take a look at their website to get a better sense of the place, or even better, make a visit in person. For now, this one picture does a decent job of showing you the baptismal font and ambry:

We stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel and 'set for a spell' on their front porch . . .

and then continued the journey across the Mighty Mississippi, through Illinois and into the great state of Indiana.

We're spending the evening in St. Meinrad's, Indiana where Ken attended the college seminary at St. Meinrad's Archabbey. I have also spent time here on retreat. More pictures and stories on that tomorrow . . . after we finish our travels to South Bend!

Day 6: Lincoln to St. Louis

In Lincoln, Nebraska Ken and I were once again hosted by friends of mine from the University of Notre Dame. Nathaniel Cunningham and I were flat-mates in the Notre Dame London Program in the spring of 1998. Just after we graduated, Nathaniel had the great good sense to marry Staci, and I was privileged to do a reading at their wedding Mass in Denver.

We had a great time catching up, meeting their lovely daughters, nieces and nephew, and looking at pictures from our undergraduate days together. Though I wish we had the chance to see one another more frequently, and our visit was all too short, Ken and I were back on the road the next morning to meet up the the ladies and continue our journey to St. Louis.

We arrived in St. Louis just after dinner and went immediately to the famous St. Louis Arch, more formally known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Here it is pictured in the dusk behind the original St. Louis Cathedral:

As impressive as the arch itself is, the system of bringing people to the top of the arch is truly a marvel - if frightening for those of us afraid of heights! A cross between elevator and ferris wheel, these cars bring visitors on a four minute ride to the viewing platform at the top of the arch:

Once there, you enjoy great views of the Mighty Mississippi and the city itself, including the aforementioned Cathedral and the courthouse.

We enjoyed the view - but not the slight swaying you can feel the arch doing in the wind . . . or the masses of high school students touring the arch that evening. Once we were done, we marched down a small flight of steps, very much sensing the curve of the arch, and boarded the cars for the three minute downward journey.

We had some trouble finding someplace to eat afterwards, but we finally found some fine Mexican food at El Borracho and then hit the sack. After a long couple of days, all of us were pretty darn tired and the humidity (ugh, what the heck am I doing moving back to the Midwest?!) had taken quite a bit out of us.

Day 5: Sidney to Lincoln through North Platte

Our fifth day of travel began in Sidney, Nebraska the birthplace of the outdoors outfitter Cabela's. I have to confess to feeling a bit out of my element amidst so much hunting, fishing and camping gear, but Brenda and Julie were sure in their element:

Back on the road, Ken and I spent a few hours in North Platte, Nebraska while the ladies sped along to Manhattan, Kansas to visit some friends there.

I first came to know about North Platte from the book, "Once Upon a Town" which told the story of the World War II canteen that the people of North Platte ran for all four years of the war. Every troop transport train moving east or west across the country came through North Platte, and every one of those trains was met, day or night, by the townspeople who brought sandwiches, cakes, and most importantly support for the troops.

The canteen was demolished years ago, but stood across from this grain silo.

Today, the local historical society tells the story of the canteen in their exhibits, so we were sure to visit that museum. That also gave us the chance to do some driving through a classic Midwestern town - a cultural immersion I thoroughly enjoyed.

Then we proceeded to the Golden Spike Tower, owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railway. It provides amazing views of their Bailey Rail Yard - the world's largest.

We enjoyed watching a few coal trains roll through the yard and got a bunch of great information from a very friendly guide. I've never been much of a train enthusiast but it was a neat stop we were glad we made.

Then we guys were back on the road, heading to Lincoln to spend the night with Nathaniel and Staci Cunningham, dear friends from my Notre Dame London Program days. More on that part of the trip later. But briefly, another discovery . . . we stopped along the way for lunch and discovered the Nebraska tradition: Runza.

It's the name of the chain, and their main product: a hot pocket like sandwich stuffed with ground beef, onions and cheese. Not bad - but not earth shattering either.

Day 4: Salt Lake to Sidney

We are deeply grateful to Mike and Amanda Lazinski for their wonderful hospitality to us during our stay in Salt Lake. They were terrific tour guides, and treated us to a great barbecue and a great fireworks display. It was a real pleasure for me to see their lovely home, to celebrate Mass with them on Sunday morning, and just to catch up and hang out.

Leaving Salt Lake City, we drove east on I-80 past Park City, Utah and into Wyoming. Though some have complained about how boring some of this drive can be, I was impressed with the natural beauty of the land, and the sky above:

Today was a long day of driving for us, with only a few stops for meals, gas and bathroom breaks. We did, however, make a point of stopping at Little America, which touts itself as one of the nation's oldest interstate rest areas. But really, we were there for the 50¢ ice cream cones:

Along the way, I've been interested in all sorts of things I've simply never seen before. One example is these snow drift fences we have seen throughout Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska:

After a long day of driving we arrived in Sidney, Nebraska. We took a swim in the hotel pool, had dinner, and hit the hay - ready for our visit to Cabella's tomorrow morning, and then the drive to Lincoln.

Day 3: Twin Falls to Salty Lake City (The 4th of July)

Our second day of driving brought us past Boise to Twin Falls, Idaho. After a rather disappointing dinner at "Idaho Joe's" (okay, the baked potato was pretty good) we hit the sack to rest up for our Fourth of July driving.

As we left town on the the morning of the Fourth, we stopped at the Snake River Canyon to take in the beautiful site made famous by Evil Knievel who once jumped the canyon on his motorcycle.

There is a "perfectly good bridge" across the canyon, but that didn't stop a group of college-aged gentlemen from jumping off it:

We stayed and watched the craziness before hitting the road again for our drive to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Arriving at the home of Mike and Amanda Lazinski, we rested for a brief bit and then headed out for some touring of Utah's capitol city. Our first stop was the Cathedral of the Madeleine, which I have been wanting to see for quite some time. It is indeed a beautiful building, and though we weren't able to attend any liturgies, the Cathedral has a reputation for outstanding music.

Mike and Amanda then took us to Temple Square to see the famous Mormon Temple:

Of course we Catholics aren't welcome inside that, but we were able to go into the Tabernacle where the Choir performs. The amazing acoustics of this building were demonstrated for us by a young tour guide who stood at the center of the stage and dropped a few pins on a piece of wood, sending amazing sound throughout the space.

After resting for a bit and enjoying a local micro-brew or two, we took a spin through the University of Utah campus and saw the stadium where the Utes play football, and where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games were held:

We spent the rest of the evening at Mike and Amanda's house, sharing a lovely barbecue supper and then viewing the Sugar House Park fireworks display.

It was a quintessentially American day for us . . . not only did we undertake a good bit of highway driving, and enjoy a barbecue and fireworks, we also visited the home of a truly American creation: Mormonism.

Day 2: Bend to Boise, and Beyond

This morning we awoke in beautiful Bend, Oregon and took breakfast at Old St. Francis School. We picked up some good Oregon beer to bring to a Fourth of July barbecue, and then were on the road to Boise.

Along the way, the scenery was simple and rugged, and yet quite beautiful:

We had lovely weather most of the way, only encountering one passing thunderstorm. We stopped for a late lunch in Vale, Oregon and then crossed the border into Idaho . . . Adventure!

Making good time, we decided to continue through Boise to Twin Falls, Idaho. This will make our trip to Salt Lake City tomorrow morning even shorter, thus allowing more time for touring the sites and enjoying the hospitality of Mike and Amanda Lazinski.

Departure: Bend to South Bend in Seven Days (Day 1)

Proving that all good things must come to an end, yesterday I departed Portland and Holy Redeemer Parish to begin my trek back to Notre Dame. Softening the blow of leaving is the fact that I'm not traveling alone. Joining me for this adventure are dear friends Ken and Julie Hallenius and Brenda Greiner.

Ken and I packed up a few last minute items and headed east in the truck just after lunchtime.

We had an uneventful and beautiful drive over Mt. Hood and into the eastern half of Oregon. Our first stop on the trip was Bend, Oregon, a town many people had spoken highly of to me, but that I had never visited. Bend is indeed very lovely - and perhaps best of all, contains a few lovely brew-pubs, including the Deschutes Brewery and Old St. Francis School:

They both proved to be lovely places for me to drown my sorrows while Ken and I awaited the arrival of Julie and Brenda, who followed after us from Portland after they finished their work day. Now together in Bend, we'll do some touring this morning and then continue on to Boise, Idaho.

We are indeed taking the scenic route during this trip - Bend itself is slightly out of the way . . . and at the end of the trip we're really stretching it to see a couple of very important sights (more on that later).