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.

The Farm
Niles
South Bend
Amish Acres
Lake Michigan

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