The Rust Belt: Home to a Few of the Hidden Gems of the USA

Windy City

So after one of the best winters we have had to date, we got back on the road making our way to summer camp. Yep, I will be in charge of kids this summer. 

Just thought I would give you all a run down on which cities we checked out on our road trip and how they stacked up against others we have seen.

Saskatoon: We really only went to Saskatoon to catch up with a friend I had met back in Whistler years ago in '08. As always, it's great fun catching up with cats you have met along the way, and despite a very Bradburn'esque wakeboarding session (a small amount of dicking around, and a calamity of errors on my behalf) where we didn't even get in the water, Saskatoon is definitely worth a visit if you're looking to break up the drive across Canada. 

Saskatchewan River

Minneapolis: One half of the twin cities is yet another place definitely worth a look if you have the time. We are lucky enough that we always have enough time, and two nights here is more than enough. We Couch Surfed in Minneapolis and although we didn't wander the city as much as we usually would, we definitely enjoyed ourselves. Our host took us out each night and we met a few of his friends and sampled a few of the cities finest brews (and ciders).

Minneapolis and the Mississippi River

Madison: We were lucky enough to Couch Surf in Madison as well, and being Memorial Day Long Weekend, we were treated to a solid few days of eating, drinking and lazying around. Possibly sampled the best IPA in the land, and given Minnesota is the beer brewing mecca of the USA, one should not have been surprised with the quality on offer. 

Wisconsin State Capitol

Milwaukee: For us, Milwaukee is somewhat of an unknown gem. We haven't heard many travellers speak of it as a high priority destination, but we loved it. Like many of the other cities in the region, it still has a small town feel to it, and you can easily walk around to the major highlights, stopping off at one (or several) of the plethora of breweries along the way. Spending a long weekend here with a few crew would be a sure way to remember this city as fondly as we do. Oh and it's also home to one of the only baseball teams that you tailgate at. And given there is over 80 home games a year, that is a lot of opportunity to experience one of the best things in America.

Milwaukee Highlights

Chicago: Chicago is probably the most well known of the cities we checked out on this trip, and it definitely lived up to its reputation. From the city skyline, which you can see from up high for free at the John Hancock Centre, to the local delicacies, give yourself at least a few days to truly experience the Windy City. 

Downtown Chicago

Some of the must see's for us are checking out the skyline from both the harbour and the Hancock Centre, heading to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, trying a Chicago style hotdog (make sure you drag it through the garden, and never put Ketchup on it), or a Italian beef sandwich at Mr Beef (better then a PoBoy if you ask me). And of course then there is the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, which for me was better than a NYC pizza, but unfortunately you can't order it by the slice. But maybe that's not such a bad thing!

The foods of Chicago

St. Louis: Known as the gateway to the Mid-West, St. Louis is again worth checking out if you have the time. The Jefferson Memorial Arch is one of those structures that appear on a lot of  those '250 Places You Must See' lists that most people outside of America have never heard of, let along give a shite about. But having said that, it is pretty cool to check out, and you can even get a cable car ride to the top via the inside of the structure. St. Louis is also renowned for it's Blues scene, so a trip wouldn't be complete without a night out on the town soaking up the atmosphere and a few local brews - being the home of Budweiser one must sample a few to see if it's any better from the source.

The Gateway to the Mid-West

Indianapolis: Home of the Indy 500 you would think we would have at least checked out the motorplex, but alas we didn't. We really should have, but then again I really don't see the skill in driving around a completely oval track, with the steering locked on left hand turn. We did however check out the NCAA Hall of Fame, which is a cool, interactive sports museum dedicated to the college sports. You may have guessed it but I slightly enjoyed myself. We also managed to avoid the $28 entrance fee to the Indianapolis Arts Museum and wander around the botanical gardens thanks to some helpful grounds keepers.

The highlights of Indianapolis

Louisville: Home of the Louisville Lip, it was both fortunate and unfortunate timing that Muhammad Ali had passed away days before we arrived, and the number of dignitaries in town was astounding. So was the stories of how far people had come to farewell 'The Greatest'. Some had driven for 4 days straight just to be in town, whilst others had spent more than they could possibly afford to get over, only to miss out on tickets to the public ceremony. 

Downtown Louisville

Louisville is also home to the best meal of the road trip. Hammerhead is a restaurant in the basement of the head chef's house given he couldn't afford to buy both a house and a restaurant.  The pork belly tacos and the fried chicken on sweet potato waffles are something you really must experience before you die. 

Meal of the road trip

Given Louisville was the only city we called through in Kentucky, on our drive to Cincinnati we felt it would be amiss if we didn't sample the Colonel's finest in his home state. On a side note, apparently the great man, and his secret recipe, is buried in Louisville with the grave decorated with buckets and KFC paraphernalia in place of flowers - I might write that in my will!

One thing you must also know is that all the KFC's within Kentucky are 'All You Can Eat Buffets'. I repeat, 'All You Can Eat'. Arriving at this holiest of holy places, we were greeted with some of America's finest citizens. Quote of the day belonged to some young pup who was taking his old lady (who I must say was an experienced campaigner) out for lunch. After his second helping, the old duck was just getting stuck into her third plate of gizzards (she had put in a special order for these delicacies as she was overwhelmed with the news that they were back on the menu), when old mate pipes up with, 'Come on, we gotta go. You know I am trying to lose weight'. We held back from offering up some of our helpful advice, but I would have loved to hear how his diet was going, and what food groups he had cut out given he was still indulging in KFC Buffets.

I would also have liked to have got a few tips from the old duck, as she was at the point of conquering the Colonel and all his wicked ways, whereas we waddled out, doubled over and begging for mercy. But it was definitely a bucket list item ticked off!

The before...the during...the after

Cincinnati: Cincinnati was one of our favourite stops on the road trip. We kicked it off with a cheap baseball game - if you are ever in an American city that has a perceived 'shitty' sports team, I would highly recommend heading along to one of their games. The tickets are cheaper than usual, you can practically sit anywhere you want and often sports stadiums provide great views of the city.

Cincinnati is also home to the 'older little' brother of the Brooklyn Bridge. The story goes that the architect used the Cinci Bridge (John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge) in his application for the Brooklyn gig. I prefer his second attempt but the trial run didn't turn out too badly.

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Cinci Skyline

Like all good cities, Cinci has its fair share of decent local watering holes, and the guy we stayed with was a beer aficionado so we were able to get along reasonably well. And no visit to Cinci would be complete without trying a Cinci five way. Don't worry, it's not sexual in any way. But then again, maybe it is!

Great American Ball Park, a Cinci 5-way, and downtown Cincinnati

Detroit: Known as one of the most dangerous cities in America, we were often questioned as to why the f_ck we were even thinking of heading there. But like all places, every city has an area you should avoid like the plague and every city has it's own story. And it's through the locals that you get to know this story. Detroit just seems to have more places you should steer clear of than most. In fact, at night it's best you keep to yourself and not stroll too far from your comfort zone.

Some of the abandoned buildings of Detroit

One of the benefits to such a dangerous city (yeah I used the word benefit) is that there are a lot of abandoned buildings and warehouses that make for some amazing sights. You can look up a self guided day time tour (I stress the daytime part of this activity) of some of these abandoned buildings. The Central Station and the Packard Warehouse are both derelict and grand in the same sentence. The only problem with this tour is that you really want to go inside these monstrosities and explore (especially at night) but you know that will likely be the last thing you do. They're cool, but they're not that cool.

Cleveland: We turned down the option to head back to Cleveland to watch Game 7 of the NBA Finals and I don't know if I regret it or not, but I can tell you it would have been one hell of a party. We were however in town for Game 6 and despite Cleveland's poor reputation, we liked it. Much like L.A., I'm not too sure what the big fuss is all about. It has a decent downtown area, a nice waterfront and three sporting teams. What more could you ask for?

Cleveland's really not that bad!

Pittsburgh: We may have missed the celebration in Cleveland, but we were in Pittsburgh for the Stanley Cup Championship Parade. Over 400,000 people packed the streets of downtown to catch a glimpse of the Cup, the Conn Smyth, and their beloved Pens. The city has seen 4 Stanley Cups, 5 World Series and 6 Super Bowl parades in the last 25 years so it's safe to say they know how to do it right.

The Stanley Cup Championship Parade

Pittsburgh is also somewhat well know for its bridges. Apparently it has the third most bridges in the world behind Venice and St. Petersburgh, and Mt Washington provides an amazing view of the city and the confluence of the rivers Allegheny and Monongahela.

The Bridges of Pittsburgh, $2 steins and a brewery in a church. Thanks for playing Pittsburgh

Philadelphia: Our last stop before camp, Philly was by far our most fun city of this trip. That's nothing against the other cities, It's just we caught up with Simon and Alice, good friends from Kicking Horse, and a quiet weekend turned into a rather large one.

Radio 104.5 9th Birthday Celebration - a couple of rude heads in there

We dragged our mates along to a festival we had already tee'd up, and I think it's one of the best value shows I have been to. A line-up consisting of Cold War Kids, Silver Sun Pickups, the Lumineers, and Florence and the Machine was never going to disappoint, but for only $50 (AUD) and a few smuggled in hip flasks, a good time was had by all. We capped the night off with a Philly Cheese Steak from Jim's (one of the city's most renowned sources), and like most American 'must eats', it did not disappoint.

We also got out and saw some of the historical sites, ably guided by French Simonne, who was full of relevant and factual information. There is talk of  new career when he and Alice return home!

Some of the historical sites of Philly

All up Philly is a city everyone touring the East Coast should see. It has more dodgey areas than most, and definitely has a ghetto feel to it in parts, but the good easily outweighs the bad.

The road trip was an ideal way to lead into camp. We have come to realise how lucky we are to have so much time to see some of these lesser known places. It was one of our more 'rushed' trips as we usually stay for three nights in the majority of places but very few of these cities needed more than two. The Mid West is a unique area as a whole, and for those spending a decent amount of time on the East Coast pick a few of them and enjoy the almost southern style hospitality, some of the best local food outlets, and of course wash it all down with any kind of beverage you can get your hands on.