Suneel's Travel Adventures

Saturday, Sept 24, 2022 Start of a big 3 day trip to Acadia National Park in Maine with my daughter and her boyfriend. We started early from Cambridge so we could reach Acadia early afternoon and have time for a hike in the park. Navigating through the streets of Boston continued to be a challenge for me. First stop was a Tesla supercharger stop in Seabrook, New Hampshire. The first charger we plugged into was charging slower than expected, so we switched to another spot which worked much better, closer to the 150kw expected rate. This was the first hiccup at a Tesla supercharger during my 3 weeks driving trip so far. We got breakfast at the nearby Panera Bread, while the Tesla fully charged. After reaching Acadia around 2pm, stopped at the visitor center to get hiking recommendations. It was quite windy, a side effect of the hurricane that hit Nova Scotia. The forest ranger asked us to avoid the Beehive and Precipice trails today due to high winds. We first went to Sieur de Monts Road

Friday, Sept 23, 2022 A short drive today from Albany to Boston, via side roads in Vermont. Had a relaxed, late start from Albany, after breakfast and more chit-chat with my friends. I had plugged in my car for 110V trickle charging in their garage, so was ready to hit the road.  Instead of taking I-90 to Boston,  took the scenic route through Wilmington and Brattleboro in Vermont. The fall foliage is making its presence felt, even though the peak is a few weeks away.  I had planned to do a hike at Monadnock State Park in New Hampshire, but skipped it since I needed to reach Boston in time for a family dinner.  Instead I made a quick stopover at Walden Pond to reflect on the 2 years Thoreau spent there and the spiritual significance of nature.        From Walden Pond, it was a quick drive to Boston, though I did got lost a few times on the confusing roads in the city. The highlight of the evening was getting together with 5 members of the next generation in our family for middle-ea

Thursday, Sept 22, 2022   Got up early in the morning to walk to the Falls at sunrise. It was mostly cloudy, but at least it wasn't raining. The rain was forecast to start around 10am.  It was an invigorating, brisk walk in the cool weather. Lot fewer people around compared to the throngs the previous evening.   After a made-to-order breakfast at the B&B, it was time to leave Niagara Falls. Crossed the Rainbow Bridge into USA. It took a few minutes to explain to the border agent what a California car was doing so far away from home.  My destination today was Albany, New York for an eagerly awaited reunion with a couple of IIT buddies. I reached my friends house in Albany around 4pm after driving in the rain on the New York state thruway. A second friend and his wife drove in from Boston and arrived shortly after me. I've known these friends for 45 years, we spent five years together in the same hostel, played long hours of bridge, went for late night movies on our bic

Wed, Sept 21, 2022   It had rained overnight and the resort like backyard at my friends house looked even greener. Quite a contrast to the smaller lots in California.  After a leisurely breakfast, it was time to bid adieu to them and head on to Canada today. Can't thank them enough for their warmth and hospitality. I filled out the ArriveCAN form and got ready for my drive across Ambassador Bridge in Detroit  for my one day overseas in this road trip.   The first stop was to see my aunt in Kitchener, Canada. It was slow going because of the long line of trucks at the border. The border agent wanted to know about all the places I had stopped at on my road trip. Then the traffic stopped for an hour due to an accident and had to be diverted through some backroads. And on top of everything, it was raining hard.  A few hours late, I was glad to finally get there and meet my cousin and my aunt and get her blessings.  After a couple of hours chatting and catching up, reminiscing abo

 Tuesday, Sept 20, 2022 From my AirBnb in Sturgis, drove in the morning to Shipshewana, a small town which has a sizeable Amish community. It is also a popular tourist spot for antiques and handicrafts.  It was interesting to watch the Amish horse buggies amidst the car traffic. Also saw some of them using  tricycles to get around. I didn't get a chance to stay too long, since I had a long drive ahead to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. After a long drive through Ohio, reached Cuyahoga Valley National Park around 2:30pm. Going there was not originally in my plan, but I got greedy and at the last minute, added the 250 mile detour in order to tick off one more national park. What would have been a relaxing day, turned into a long, tiring driving marathon. I guess it is ingrained in us to bite more than we can chew, try to be overachievers. This was a reminder for me that sometimes it is better to slow down and pull back.   The park itself is quite nice, beautiful green forests and me

In the morning, went back to drive around the University campus one more time and capture additional memories of Madison. I did not feel like leaving, but had to get going to my next destination, the Indiana Dunes National Park. It was not too long a drive, but I had not accounted for the one hour of being stuck in a rush hour traffic jam going around Chicago. Reinforced in my mind that small towns are so much nicer and easier to deal with compared to big cities. Lost my way trying find the right entrance to Indiana Dunes National Park. When I finally got there, it was nice, but mostly just beaches with tall sand dunes around.    After walking the sand dunes, it was still a long drive to my AirBnb in Sturgis, Michigan. I lost an extra hour moving to the eastern time zone. The raw numbers for the day: 306 miles driving, 3000 steps walking 2 Tesla supercharger stops 4 states - Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan  

  A lazy start to the day, enjoying breakfast with my friends in their beautiful backyard garden. The weather was pleasantly warm. Also went for a walk in a neighborhood park, ostensibly to get the dog some exercise. Finally bid adieu around 11am and headed off towards Madison, Wisconsin.     Took the long and scenic way through the country roads instead of the freeway. The primary purpose was to drive through Iowa, the second state after Nebraska that I only briefly touched in this road trip.                    After driving through Iowa for a few minutes, I crossed the Mississippi River, which to my mind is the dividing line between Western and Eastern United States. It is also the border between Iowa and Wisconsin.     Checked into my hotel in Madison, that faced Lake Monona, and then headed off to the University of Wisconsin. It was a very nostalgic experience walking around the campus. This is where I spent my initial two years in the US, a new world very different from I

A long drive from Bismarck, North Dakota to Minneapolis, Minnesota today. The drive was mostly on the I-94 interstate freeway, so it was very smooth, high speed limits and lots of Tesla superchargers along the way. The first three hours of the drive was through heavy rain, which was for the first time during the trip. It was nice to transition from the dry grasslands of North Dakota to the lush green trees and grasses in Minnesota, the land of 10000 lakes.  During the drive, I reflected a bit on all the different places I had been to over the past two weeks. I have enjoyed each day since it brought something different and unique. However, one thing is sure that my favorite days so far have been the ones in the big mountains of Mt. Rainier, Glacier and Rocky Mountain National Parks. The imposing mountain ranges, snow capped peaks, the lakes, the waterfalls, the rivers and creeks, the tall trees, the fresh air, all combine to create something magical. I can't get enough of it.  After

 A long drive today from Spearfish, South Dakota to Bismarck, North Dakota. Most of the drive was through undivided state highways surrounded by prairie grasslands. This little church on the prairie looked interesting and is emblematic of the scenery around me. There were many fields full of sunflowers that looked pretty and captured my attention.     The highlight destination for today was Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. There are no Tesla superchargers around it, so I had to take a 50 mile detour to get a full charge before going to the park. Finally reached there late afternoon, very tired, so the first thing I did was park my car at a vista point and took a 1/2 hour nap.  The park is interesting, but not outstanding. It is similar to the Badlands National Park, but not as majestic, and with more greenery. It is an appropriate tribute to name a national park after Roosevelt, who led the way in creating lots of national parks.  I did get to see many bison and prairi

Today was my second day in the Black Hills area near Rapid City, South Dakota.  It was a good stay at the Bavarian Inn in the hills near Custer, very friendly staff and comfortable room. I was also happy to wake up with the car fully charged from the Tesla destination charger at the Inn. I headed out from the hotel early so I could reach Jewel Cave National Monument by 8am, when the visitor center opened. After my experience not being able to get cave tour tickets at Wind Cave, I wanted to make sure I got tickets today. Even though I was 3rd in line, I got the last ticket for the 10am tour. Phew! I used the free time till the tour to do the Canyons Trail hike there.  It was a pleasant hike through the area above the Jewel caves and the surrounding canyon. By the end of the hike, light rain started. It was great timing, because the cave tour for 90 minutes was underground, while it rained outside.   The cave tour itself was fascinating. They have discovered about 215 miles at multiple