Southern Hospitality

Whenever I've been in the South, I've experienced phenomenal hospitality from the local population. They've taken me in to their home to share an evening, a meal, and great company. Well, I'm obviously in the North Country State, far from the Mason-Dixon line, and the hospitality has not attenuated as the people's generosity seems to suffuse into each town and person. Immediately after leaving Ruth's house (from last blog), I was taken into Rita's house for a "boil" dinner, similar to a pot roast, my favorite meal of all time. I picked that up from my grandfather, a man who would never want me to "wither away to nothing." He always demanded that I put some more meat (or ice cream) on my bones. I obliged. Fortunately, Rita and her roommate are major Packer fans. We watched the Pack clean the Saints' clocks in a Super Bowl quality game. Toward the end of the fourth quarter, I was dozing and slept right there on the couch until 6a.m. Rita is section-hiking the entire Trail, which I admire more than a thru-hike because it demands years of persistence. A thru-hike is almost a giant burst of adrenaline. They are different experiences; in fact, they're incomparable. From her house, I headed back to the Trail and walked the shape of a horseshoe around the big city of Janesville. The Trail followed bike paths the whole way around town, reaching down to its southernmost point. Truth to tell, I was not impressed with the city. It was too big to understand and get a feel for. The smaller towns that I've been experiencing are much more accessible and welcoming. I wouldn't even know where to start in Janesville. So, I took the Trail west out of town on the "connector route (roads)" for a few miles and put my thumb out. It was in Chile when I started hitching. The idea of it was romantic and incited a youthful rush that has since died down a bit. Now, I only do it out of necessity and only occasionally do I find it as exhillerating as hitching into San Pedro de Atacama with my friends in Chile. A Navy veteran named Paul picked me up on his way to Madison. He was nice enough to take me all the way into Albany, where  the Trail picked up, several miles out of his way. When Paul and I parted ways, I went to eat lunch on the Trail in shade, only to realize when  I put my pack back on that I'd forgotten my camera in his car. What a sinking feeling that is. I sprinted back to the gas station where he left me, hoping he'd still be there or he'd left it at the station for me to pick up. No Paul. No camera. So, I called Natalie and asked her to search a veteran database of Janesville to home in on who this man was and how I could get the camera back. She called the VFW of Madison and the worker there just happened to know Paul and have all his information. We've been in contact since and he's sending my camera to Nat's house so she can bring it when she visits. He's incredibly generous for going out of his way to help me out so many times. Perhaps my experiences are biased and I only have encounters with goodhearted people, but they are abundant and I'm convinced that people are inherently good. These experiences edify me and remind me to act accordingly.
After a 20-mile day and a night in Monticello (one of the quaintest towns I've visited), I was invited to a couple's house for coffee. We sat outside for two hours at their rummage sale drinking Maxwell House until my bowels began to churn. I took to the woods.
By the time I got to New Glarus (home of the delicious brew), Chris Johnson and Tamara Baker had contacted me, inviting me to their place. Chris recently started PhD work in Madison and Tamara works with the soil at a farm and is now involved in a program getting healthy foods into schools. They're some of my very best friends. We met in New Glarus for a brewery tour and a few suds for ourselves. We sat outside, overlooking the Swiss town, which we later ambled through with Kessey, the Mountain Curr. One thing led to another and by the time we got to Madison, phone calls had been made and we were out carousing the streets of Madison with a groups of people we used to study with in Stevens Point. It was a major highlight of my journey so far. We were in the state's capital, where decisions get made and progress is in the heart of the people. Being around young people, speaking freely, and experiencing Madison made me stay for my first Zero Day on the trail. So, Chris and I toured the capitol building, learning about the construction, history, and stone make-up of the entire building. We sat in Scott Walker's conference room. The lavishness of it, with gold trim and massive leather chairs, makes me question the legitimacy of Walker's presence. Let's not get political, but the whole world is watching, Scotty. Thank you Chris and Tamara for having me in and showing me a good time.
From Madtown, I got a ride back to the Trail with Tamara and walked north. I put in a big day to get to the Ice Age Trail Alliance office before they closed in Cross Plains. I couldn't see much of the town, but Kevin, the Director of Land Conservation, invited me to dinner with his family. We ate at his place with the Trail as their backyard, then Kevin and I watched Miss Universe on NBC for a couple hours. He wants me to assure everyone that we tried to watched Sunday Night Football, but it was conveniently not on his cable set-up. So, instead, we had to grin and bare it as Miss Costa Rica strutted her way across the stage. My bet was on Miss Ukraine, but the worthy Miss Angola took the cake. What a competition.
My time has run out at the library. I will finish later.