“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.” – George Santayana
Although fall is my favorite time to get out to the Appalachian Trail and get section hikes done, this year we spent more time traveling to see family. With warmer weather than usual, we spent a lot of time on and near the water. Three trips in the last six weeks have been to see family. As my life ebbs and flows, it is my family I want around me when I am feeling anxious, insecure and down. And to be honest, I have had some very trying moments this fall. My family are also the people I want to share my joys and accomplishments with, but I tend to reach out more so when I need a hand up. During, or immediately after each of these trips I had some emotional events occur. I’ve been postponing writing about these because of that reason. This fall proved to be a time of forced deep self-reflection for me. I learned from my brother that the Chicago River used to flow east into Lake Michigan, but they changed its course in 1900 because sewage and waste was flowing into the city’s water source. “The eight-year project was named one of the seven wonders of engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1955.” (Chicago Water Walk) Change is not easy, but I’ve been putting in the work to change the flow.
Chicago – “The Windy City”
Ken and I flew into Chicago Columbus Day weekend to spend some time with my brother, Neil, and his partner, Brian. We biked along Chicago’s Lake Front Trail, starting from the North Trail Head, down to the Navy Pier and back. The trail is 18.5 miles long, but as the winds picked up and the air chilled, we decided heading back to warmth would be best. I enjoyed stopping along the way for pictures, food and restrooms. We also did a guided boat tour along the Chicago River to learn about Chicago’s historical skyline. What I really appreciate about the new skyscrapers that line Lake Michigan is that the different colored glass windows that actually help migrating birds know that buildings are there. We appreciated Neil and Brian taking us on some of the touristy attractions of the city, but the best moments of that trip were those unique to Neil – fire dancing performances, meeting his chickens, and his cooking.
Pittsburgh – “City of Bridges”
Our Pittsburgh trip was part work/part family, which means part of it could be expensed. We stayed at the beautiful Renaissance Pittsburgh hotel near the theatre district and enjoyed some of the city’s best food – Alta Via in Market Square, Tako on 6th Street, Coop de Ville in the Strip District. We visited the Museum of Illusions and the National Aviary, both which I highly recommend. We spent a few hours at the Museum of Illusions on puzzles, and ended up bring back smaller versions of them. Ken’s aunt works at the Aviary and hooked us up with a Penguin Encounter, which was a joy. The highlight of the trip was walking through Point State Park, where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers meet to form the Ohio, then over to the Duquesne Incline via the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Although I was a little apprehensive of the incline, we arrived safely at Mount Washington and met some of Ken’s coworkers for dinner at Monterey, which has amazing, sweeping views of the city.
Chestertown – “Sultana Downrigging Festival”
My trip to the Sultana Downrigging and Tall Boats festival in the small town of Chestertown was overshadowed for me personally by a ghost from my past. We happened to be out on the boat last year when around a bend of the Chester River we came upon old tall ships, with huge masts and figureheads. This year we took my parents for a short ride on the Chester River and got up close views from the water of many tall ships. The town has a host of events, tours, food and music. Luckily my family was compassionate with me and allowed me some space to walk away a few times and face the ghosts of my past. The way things are going, by next year I will no longer have sewage that flows in, metaphorically speaking.
-Liz