The Midwest, August 2006
In early August of 2006 I had the opportunity to spend two
weeks driving through the Upper Midwest. The impetus of the trip was to meet my
friend Jiang Yan (Janie), who comes from Guiyang, China, at Chicago's O'Hare
International Airport and bring her to Purdue University in East Lafayette,
Indiana, where she would begin Ph.D. studies. On the way out, I was also able to
visit Chen Shuang and her husband in State College, PA, and Steve Barber in
Shelby Ohio. On the way back I stopped at Williamsport, PA, to see Andy
Winiarczyk at his Last Hurrah Bookstore.
A highlight of this trip was the chance to visit the old
family farm in Niles, Michigan, now owned by Karen and Steve Persa. I actually
got there twice, first to give a photo show to the cousins and second two days
later to show Janie the area during some of her free days after registering. I
got to sleep in my old bedroom for 50 years ago, and it was wonderful. Although
the appearance of the house and grounds has changed since my grandfather sold it
nearly 40 years ago, its essence remains the same—a
wonderful place to be.
I have grouped the pictures from this trip into five
sections: the farm (including photos of the renovated house), a riverwalk in
Niles, lunch in South Bend with cousins Marcia and Dave Haslett, a trip to Amish
Acres in Napanee, Indiana, and a quick visit to Lake Michigan. Enjoy!
As always, I recommend that viewers adjust their Web browser
so that the photos can be viewed full-screen. For Internet Explorer, than means
pressing F11. Sit close to the monitor, and the photos will become very
lifelike.