Covid Road Trip - East to Ohio...

The drive from South Bend, Indiana to Wooster, Ohio would be the shortest leg of this entire trip. Even still, I was hoping to come across some photo ops along the way, and I'm happy to report that I did. exactly that. There weren't many of them, but they were there.

Driving across Indiana and into Ohio reminded me a lot of upstate New York. Every once in a while you'll come across a city of some size but, for the most part, it's small towns dotting the highways along the way. There's a charm about these that no big city could ever hope to match.

A barn somewhere east of South Bend, Indiana...

I actually saw this same graphic on a barn during my cross country drive in 2013...

I don't think I've seen a real drive-in movie theater since I left San Diego in 2012. I haven't exactly been looking for them, mind you, but it's always a bit surprising when one pops up. Everything about this one, the "Star View Drive-In" screams nostalgia to me.

And I still want to see "Call Of The Wild":

You're not likely to see one of these in any of your big cities...

As I said, the drive wasn't uncomfortably long, but I was certainly ready for some sleep when I got to Wooster. There'd be a whole lot more shooting to do over the next few days, and I was certainly looking forward to it...

Covid Road Trip - Chicago...

I've been to Chicago dozens of times. 

Unfortunately, all of my experiences there have been confined to O'Hare International Airport. So, yeah, I guess it was time to branch out a little bit.

Chicago is still reeling from the effects of Covid-19. Accordingly, we weren't sure how good the trip would be but, it was a sunny day, so we went for it.

We drove from the studio over to the South Bend airport and caught the train for the 2-1/2 hour ride to the Millennium Park station in downtown Chicago, which is where I was really looking forward to exploring. Millennium Park, if you don't know, is home to "Cloud Gate", a sculpture by Sir Anish Kapoor.

No?

Well, you might know it better as "The Bean":

"Cloud Gate" in Millennium Park in Chicago...

"Cloud Gate" is made up of 168 stainless steel plates which are welded together, although its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It measures 33 by 66 by 42 feet and weighs 110 tons.

Unfortunately (well, that's what my initial thought was) Millennium Park was closed due to Covid-19. That meant we couldn't approach the sculpture and walk around and under it. This bummed me out a bit. But, I soon discovered that there was a beneficial flip side to that: no one else could walk around or under it, either. 

The net result was that I could photograph the sculpture from the sidewalk, crop the image, and have it be free of pedestrians which might otherwise detract from the photo.

All in all I'm happy with the photo I got, with part of they Chicago skyline reflected in the mirror finish of "The Bean".

Another gleaming edifice within Millennium Park, and far more difficult to photograph, is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. It officially opened on July 14, 2004, and plays hosts to performances ranging from opera to rock.

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion...

The construction of the pavilion created a legal controversy, given that there are historic limitations on the height of buildings within the park. To avoid the legal entanglements, the band shell is actually classified as a work of art as opposed to a building.

Now, herein lies the cautionary segment of the Covid Road Trip blog.

While waiting on a train, I started messing around with some of the different controls on my camera. I'd not done much with them until now and, hindsight being what it is, I shouldn't have been messing with them now. Somehow, I managed to erase all of the photos I'd taken in the first hour and a half we were in Chicago. I've never done that before and, knock on wood, I'll never do it again. But I did it this time and lost some photos of some really ornate buildings and bridges, as well as some pretty phenomenal graffiti that we came across.

But I did start over with a nice picture of a subway station:

My first post-screw-up photo...

 

So, with that said...

In Chicago, if you live on the "south side" you go watch your Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. But, if you live on the "north side", you to Wrigley Field, home of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs. Having opened in 1914, it's been previously known as Weeghman Park and Cubs Park, but it's been named Wrigley Field for the last 93 years.

Wrigley Field is as iconic as Fenway Park in Boston and Yankee Stadium in The Bronx but, unlike those stadiums, Wrigley Field didn't host its first night game until August 8, 1988. The Cubs had played 5,687 consecutive day games at Wrigley.  The first night game was against the Philadelphia Phillies, but that game was rained out after just 3-1/2 innings. The first official night game took place the following evening against my New York Mets, a game which the Cubs won 6–4.

Walking around Wrigley Field is pretty entertaining, as there's no shortage of sculptures honoring Cubs greats from the past:

The statue honoring Cubs great Ron Santo, who played 3rd base for the Cubs for 14 seasons...

Almost as revered as people like Ron Santo or Ernie Banks is someone who never even took to the field at Wrigley. He never dressed out for a game and, Hell, he probably didn't even own a pair of cleats. But during the 7th inning stretch of every home game during his tenure , Harry Caray would lean out of the announcer's booth window and, microphone in hand, lead the Cubs faithful in a rousing rendition of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game".

Harry Caray, at the corner of West Waveland Avenue and and North Sheffield Avenue...

And, not far from the Harry Caray statue, and just like at Notre Dame, one could glimpse through the locked gates onto the field:

Looking through the gate into right field...

After meandering around the north side for a while, we decided to start making our way down to the Millennium Park train station, as the shadows were starting to get a bit long. Unfortunately there weren't a lot of places to stop because, not only had Covid-19 shut a large portion of Chicago down, but it was also a Sunday. Even still we made the best of the walk and saw some pretty cool things, some unexpected:

An artistic rendering of Ernie Banks, the most beloved Cub of all, in the stairwell of the train station near Wrigley Field...

If it's Chicago, it's Muddy Waters, father of the modern Chicago blues sound...

The famed Chicago Theater, built in 1921, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979...

Lyft bicycles. Yes, really...

A couple on Lyft bicycles takes a break for some Chinese food along Michigan Avenue...

Sadly, Chicago suffers the same problems as other large American cities...

Time to go...

The train from Chicago to South bend would be, as it was from South bend to Chicago, the South Shore Line. A relaxing ride after a long day of hiking through Chicago would be a much needed respite, and I looked forward to it.

And, in just 18 stops, we'd be back at the car...

If I were to visit Chicago again, I would do a couple of things differently.

First, I'd wait until the city is open. They're currently in their Phase III, and they were in Phase II during our visit in May. Frankly, I think we were fortunate to find someplace to eat (Yolk, on East Grand Avenue) and even more fortunate to find a restroom we could use (THANK YOU! to the men and women of Engine 78 in Wrigleyville!). Even restaurants which were allowing take-out were not allowing people to use their restrooms (and, no, bribes didn't work).

Second, I'd wear comfortable shoes. While this should go without saying, you're going to do a lot of walking in Chicago, and you're going to want some sturdy footwear. My Merrell's have stood the test of time, and they did so on this trip as well. So, this isn't really something I'd do differently. I just want to stress the importance of it.

Finally, I think I'd opt to visit on a Saturday as opposed to a Sunday. That way I wouldn't have to deal with the inevitable traffic which finds its way into any major city, and I also wouldn't have to worry about what businesses are or aren't open on a Sunday. I'd also verify that the places I'd want to visit (say, Millennium Park and Navy Pier) were open for business, regardless of the phase they're in.

Aside from that, bring your camera and have fun!

Covid Road Trip - St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouse...

For the most part, this was going to be a more relaxing day, at least photographically. I was going to be attending a party at the home of the folks who own the studio where I'd been staying. They live in Buchanan, Michigan which boasts a whopping population of 4,294.

The folks having the party are photographers (hence their ownership of a studio), but they also have a small farm, complete with horses. One of those horses, Rawhide, was muggin' it up for the camera:

 

One of the attendees had a son who'd brought a drone, and if spookin' the horses wasn't enough, it was also tormenting Hank, the Corgi:

I'm certain Hank would've eaten that if he could've gotten a hold of it...

We had fun at the party, but I was still wanting to catch sunset at the St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouse o Lake Michigan. It was a little bit of a drive; maybe 40 minutes or so, but everything I'd seen online looked amazing and definitely worth the time to get there.

Unless, of course, it was raining.

I was ready to turn the car around a dozen times before finally deciding to just wait out the rain. The rain was hard and steady but, after a while, it relented.

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After finding what I figured was the best vantage point, I set up my gear. Unfortunately, due to the clouds, there wasn't going to be any dramatic sunset photos taken tonight. But I did manage to get some shots which I'm generally pleased with:

As I started packing up my equipment, it started to rain again and, once again, I was fortunate to not get soaked. It was a short shooting day, which was nice, as it would allow me to, once again, be sure I was caught up before a day of heavy shooting...

Covid Road Trip - University of Notre Dame...

It's  been said that the movie "Titanic" makes women cry, and the movie "Rudy" makes men cry.

Yeah, well, maybe a little.

If you're not familiar with the film, it's the true story of Daniel Ruettiger, a kid from Joliet, Illinois who always wanted to play football for the University of Notre Dame. He faced a lot of obstacles (grades, his size, money for tuition) but, in true storybook fashion, "Rudy" ends up getting to play in the final game of his senior year at Notre Dame against Georgia Tech in 1975, registering a sack on the final play of the game and getting carried off the field:

Photo sourced from the web...

Like Rudy, I'd always wanted to go to Notre Dame, but my desire wasn't to play football there. I just wanted to photograph it And, of course, there was the side benefit of of not needing the grades or the tuition to get there.

The University of Notre Dame is only a short 20 minute drive from where I was staying in South Bend, so I packed up my cameras and headed that way. 

I remember reading once that Rollins College, in Winter Park, Florida was ranked as the most beautiful college campus in the United States. If that's true, then the campus of the University of Notre Dame has to be a really close second. I spend a good deal of time on college campuses, and have visited campuses from California to Ireland, and Notre Dame is quite a site to see. It's stunning.

Notre Dame is a private Catholic university founded by Edward Sorin in 1842. It was initially an all-male institution, and it remained that way until Mary Ann Proctor, a transfer from nearby St. Mary's College, became the first female undergraduate in 1971.

Because of the whole Covid-19 thing, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to gain access to the university. But, being a Catholic university, they're more than willing to welcome anyone who asks to visit the grotto:

The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes at the University of Notre Dame...

 

Built in 1896, the grotto is a reproduction of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France, albeit one seventh the size of its French namesake.

Burning candles as a votive offering goes back to before a written record...

We've all seen candles burning in churches and cathedrals and, yes, grottos, but do you know what it actually symbolizes? I sure didn't. But I was compelled to research it a bit after a visit to New York City and St. Patrick's Cathedral in October. You can read about the significance of the candle burning here: What does it mean?

The Grotto is one of the most popular places on campus. I was there for about a half hour and there was a steady stream of people, both masked and unmasked, who came to light candles or just to pray or have a moment of quiet meditation. I'll never be accused of being the most religious guy in the room, but even I could understand the importance of such a place to the faithful.

I was able to get parking near the grotto, so I elected to just grab my camera and leave my car parked where it was.

As I walked along I had to marvel at what I was seeing. The grounds were impeccably maintained, as if every blade of grass was pointed in just the right direction. Flowerbeds were vibrant and full, and the trees were trimmed just right. It was almost as if it was the fictional version of someone's idea of perfection. Hey, who knows? Maybe it is.

Another popular site on campus, and in all of northern Indiana, is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The bell tower is 230 feet high, making it the tallest University chapel anywhere in the United States, and it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Basilica, as well as the Main Administration Building, are located at the center of the campus on the Main Quad, more affectionately known as the "God Quad":

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart...

Not far from the Basilica is the Main Administration Building. Built in 1879, it replaced the original, which was built in 1865, was destroyed by fire. It was completed by 56 bricklayers in just over a year, and it contains approximately 4.35 million bricks:

The Main Administration Building was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1879...

A statue of Jesus Christ on the "God Quad"...

Of course, no visit to Notre Dame is complete without a visit to Notre Dame Stadium, home of the fabled "Fighting Irish". So, I walked back to the car and made my way over towards the stadium:

Photo courtesy of the University of Notre Dame...

Frankly, it's not all to difficult to imagine what the stadium sounds like on game day; the sounds that Rudy heard when he took the field in 1975 echo here every Saturday during football season.

It was surprisingly easy to walk right up to the stadium, although it was locked and inaccessible. Even still, it was exciting, if only just a little, to catch a glimpse of the field from the Knute Rockne Gate:

 

The view from the Knute Rockne Gate...

In this age of Covid-19, even tough guys like Knute Rockne takes precautions...

I think more than anything, though, the one thing I wanted to photograph here was the 134-foot by 68-foot mural "The Word Of Life" on the side of the Theodore Hesburgh Library. As it looks down to the north end of Notre Dame Stadium, it's commonly referred to as "Touchdown Jesus". I think the reason is pretty obvious:

The Theodore Hesburgh Library, home to over 3.4 million books...

"Touchdown Jesus"...

In this screenshot from the movie "Rudy" (which was filed at the university), you clearly see "Touchdown Jesus" in the background:

As I walked back to my car, it finally started to drizzle; it'd been threatening for a good part of the day. As I returned my camera to my trunk the skies opened up, but I was able to get into the dry confines of my car before the first drops hit the ground. I'd spent a few hours at the campus, but I wanted to get back to the confines of the studio which doubled as my hotel.

Should you ever find yourself in northern Indiana, I'd highly recommend you spend a few hours at Notre Dame. Its storied presence is simply remarkable...

Covid Road Trip - Heading To South Bend & Day 1...

I'm not gonna' lie: Memphis needed to be a longer visit. But the reality is that there was only so much to see because of the Covid situation, so I'll have to make a point to get back there once we're able to move beyond all of this.

So, with Memphis in my rear view mirror, I set my sights north for South Bend, Indiana.

The drive to South Bend was a bit on the long side, but it wasn't without its diversions. After driving in Arkansas for a bit, I saw a sign which I couldn't ignore: "Johnny Cash Boyhood Home".

How could I not?

This house, in as area known as Dyess Colony, stands out in the middle of nowhere. I have my GPS set to avoid dirt roads, and I ended up on a dirt road. Seriously, it's out there.

For all your Johnny Cash souvenir needs. Like, maybe 40 years ago...

And, dirt roads or not, you always had to be careful driving and be mindful of other traffic:

As I said, the drive was long, but there was no shortage of entertainment. This "travel center" was a small gas station next to a REALLY big Bar-B-Q joint:

And, just in case you forgot you were in the middle of the Bible belt...

Now, I've not mentioned it, but one of my goals for this trip was to get rejuvenated and reinvigorated with regards to my tattoo project. The reality is that I've been slacking on it, and I needed to give it a good kick in the ass.

Well, I did just that in South Bend.

The offer was extended to me to stay at a friend's photo studio, The McDonald Studio, in South Bend. Not only was I able to have a comfortable bed, a hot shower and morning coffee, I would also have the unfettered use of the entire, fully equipped photo studio:

The McDonald Studio, South Bend, Indiana...

My first full day in South Bend saw the tattoo shoot start to ramp up. Not only did my buddy text a number of people to come down for the shoot, he put together a rather impressive charcuterie board for those coming down to the studio:

Tasty eats...

I'm not going to post any of the tattoo shots here but, suffice it to say, it lit a bit of a fire under me and I'm looking forward to getting back to Florida so I can really kick it into high gear.

With that said, I found myself looking forward to my second day in South Bend and a place I've always wanted to visit.

Stay tuned...

Covid Road Trip - Memphis...

Memphis, Tennessee is one of those storied places I've always wanted to visit. It has history across the spectrum, some of it good and some of it very, very bad.

We drove into downtown Memphis on a somewhat cloudy afternoon, which can be good or bad for photographs. The first stop we made was at what is probably one of the top two tourist sites in the city: Sun Studios.

Sun Studios was founded by Sam Phillips back in 1950 on Union Avenue. A veritable who's-who of rockabilly and early rock recorded there, including people like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis have all spent time recording there back in the 1950's. More recently, artists such as U2, John Mellencamp and Def Leppard have recorded there.

Sun Studio, at the corner of Union and Marshall in Memphis...

The studio is now open to the public and tours, for a fee, are offered daily from 10:00am until 6:00am for $15 (kids under 11 are free).

After stopping at Sun Studio (which was closed because of Covid-19), we made our way over to the other big tourist stop in town and, frankly, it could be argued far more important.

On April 4, 1968, only one day after his famed "I've Been To The Mountaintop" speech", 39 year old Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped outside of his room, #306, at the Lorraine Motel on Mulberry street, and stood on the balcony. The warm spring evening was shattered by the gunshot of a 30-06 rifle, fired by James Earl Ray from a boarding house across the street and up a small hill.

The sign at the entrance to the Lorraine Motel...

The wreath outside room #306 marks the approximate spot where Dr. King fell after being shot...

The boarding house from where James Earl Ray shot Martin Luther King, Jr...

Even though the motel remained open following the assassination, room #306 was never rented out again. The motel is now a part of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Following our visit to the Lorraine Motel, it was time for a bit of levity, and the best place for that is Beale Street.

Beale Street, also known as the "home of the blues", is one of the most iconic streets in the United States. 

Due to the restrictions in place due to Covid-19, many businesses were closed and, sadly, there was no live music at all, which is what Beale Street is most famous for. But some bars were open during the day, despite the very obvious absence of people. Silver lining: You didn't have to wait for a beer!

I started at the Rum Boogie Cafe, and ordered up a locally brewed craft beer. It was good, it was cold and it was pricey. A single can was $8, and even a can of Coors Light would set you back $6.

Ghost River Gold...

The empty stage at the Rum Boogie Cafe...

Celebrity-signed guitars hang on the walls and from the ceiling, signed by musicians, actors and sports figures. One such guitar, and a guitar he was not normally associated with, was signed by the late Stevie Ray Vaughan:

A Fender Telecaster signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble...

I made my way up the street and stopped in to the Tap Room at the King's Palace Cafe. It was completely empty when I walked in, save for the bartender who was in full Covid mode:

The Tap Room at the King's Palace Cafe...

Of course, the best time to be on Beale Street is at night. The street lights up with all colors of neon, whether people show up or not:

The venerable B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale...

As dinner time crept up, it became clear that there were actually very few eateries open along Beale. I found Alfred's, though, and man was it good. Social distancing was, of course, the rule, and diners were sat at every other table.

The pulled pork platter at Alfred's, insanely good at only $12.99...

Beers over Beale...

The police presence, even though there were almost no people, was rather heavy...

 

This was a common site along Beale Street...

Beale Street, even when it's empty, is pretty cool. Enough bars and restaurants were open to make it worthwhile, and things are only going to improve as time passes. Every bartender and server I spoke with told me that they're ready to get back to working a full schedule and to take care of blues fans as soon as possible.

You could spend the better part of a day trying to find anything wrong with that!