I had a religious experience in Missouri, but not in the way that phrase is usually used. I’d been driving since Chicago so I stopped in St. Louis for the evening, just over the border from Illinois. Just outside my hotel was the St. Louis Wheel - one of those giant ferris wheels like the London Eye or the High Roller in Las Vegas. I’d never been up on one of those, so I figured why not? Dusk was settling into night by the time I boarded the wheel, which flashed colorful des

Like so many others, for the last few weeks I’ve been consumed by World Cup fever. And, for the first time in ages, I've felt like the United States was truly UNITED with the rest of the world. The World Cup was the wonderful 250th birthday present we didn’t know we needed, but unfortunately it ended for the US team in a way the country probably deserved. photo credit: SF Bay Area FWC '26 I’m not a huge sports fan. When I was a student, and for years after, I was a diehard U

So far on this blog, although I’ve offered my hot takes on topics from fine dining to the Alien franchise, I’ve tried to avoid writing about divisive subjects. I’ve met a vast number of people across the country with all different of viewpoints, many of whom read this. I want the story I tell to feel inclusive. Is it necessary for me to share my views on religion? Certainly not, but it’s impossible to ignore Christianity when exploring the 50 States. My personal views on it i

I was now two thirds of the way through the trip. My whole modus operandi was winging it - plan as little as possible and see what happened. What few plans I did make, I mostly stuck to. There was a rough framework for Illinois - pop in to quickly see my friend Sarah, then my friends Doug & Lindsay, then spend the week in Springfield. It didn’t turn out that way at all. LAKE VILLA My first stop was in Lake Villa to see Sarah. I met Sarah through Chris, my close friend, collab

Since I’d mixed up the nights of my booking, I had to drive all evening from Minnesota. It was nearly midnight by the time I pulled into my Airbnb in Viroqua, Wisconsin - the one with the stripper pole in the living room. VIROQUA I had some difficulty finding it because the front of the house was completely obscured by the landscaping. Most Airbnbs are income properties for people or companies. They usually have generic Hobby Lobby decor with no character at all. But it was

I wasn’t going to write about this trip. I had been planning to stay present and just experience it, but I quickly realized it was going to be too good not to share. So this has nothing to do with the 50 States, but I hope you'll indulge me. Truth be told, I had been dreading this trip. For reasons she’s somehow forgotten, my high school bestie and co-instigator Larissa got it in her head that before she turned “milestone birthday” (as she says), she and her husband Jamien we