The Basilica is spectacular, I saw it yesterday when I got lost looking for the Metrodome. But today, I was going inside. It had those amazing heavy doors that make it so hard to walk that path of Faith. Inside it is loud and silent at the same time. You know, the stillness and holiness in the room mixed with the sound of my boots and breathing. I walk from candle lighting option to candle lighting option and finally stop at St Anthony since he is the Patron Saint of Lost Things and Missing Persons as I have been lost for a long time and always fear no one will miss me. It is a dollar to light a candle? What the hell. I don't have a dollar. Don't they know I didn't have $3.50 to cross the Mackinaw Bridge? There is no card swipe option.
I fumble through my purse hoping for random change. Thirteen cents is what I come up with. There are at least 25 Saints staring at me as I deposit the dime and three pennies and I feel their disapproval as I pick a stick and light the third candle from the end on the front row. I say my Our Father and the words I want to tell God to express how much I appreciate the opportunity to be on this journey and tears stream down my face at the inadequacy of those words. Then I open the heavy door back out into the world.
The GPS is dying and I don't know why. It keeps saying low battery but it has been plugged in since Georgia. I only have to get to Eden Prairie then the rest of the trip is roaming anyway so I don't much mind.
When I get to 9500 Viking Drive, the road is closed, cutoff, construction. There are things you do in your life for yourself and there are things you do in your life for the ones you love. If it was something I wanted, I would have drove away; given up; after all the road is closed. But since this is a place I know my brother would want to visit, but may never get the chance, I have all the nerve in the world.
I drive through the roadblock following a construction truck. I park off to the left while he goes right in front of my destination. He is blocking my Viking ship. There is mud and piles of soon to be mud everywhere and everything is uphill. I grab the camera and search for traction. I get right up to the 5 foot tires of the machine parked right in front of my landmark and I begin to snap away.
When I return to the car I feel accomplished. I pull out the atlas and try to figure out where to go next. We settle on Fargo. I start off on I94 but then veer off on state road 78 and travel along the Otter Trail Scenic Byway.
And scenic it is.
Minnesota has prairie puddles every mile and even those are crystal blue. The lakes are humbling and quenching. The dirt is rich, as am I after passing through.
Recipes: Take curiosity and blend it with nerve and you will get somewhere you have never been.
Roadtrips: Only travel the interstates long enough to find a bathroom; otherwise stay on the state roads so you don't miss all the good stuff....they claim there were 1000 lakes in the 350 mile area I covered today and I believe them.
Renovations: ...be washed by the water...
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