I really liked Fort Wayne as well. From my last drive-through in 1997, I remembered it as being sort of dowdy and unpleasant, but after spending a day or two exploring, my opinion has changed. There are some really dumply and abandoned areas, but Fort Wayne has largely been spared that whole Rust Belt depopulation thing as well, and the city is a treasure trove of older commercial architecture (despite the destruction of much of the older part of its downtown core).

There were just great little surprises every time I turned a corner. I could take pictures there for days.

Because of the amazing public library city directory collection I mentioned before, I’ll probably be back, and it’s nice to know there’s an interesting town to explore. And shawarma.

Never said I wasn’t fickle. I now have a tremendous crush on Milwaukee.

But April can be harsh:

Other random things to talk about at some point:

• My very odd hotel in Cleveland
• The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
• Changing a tire in the snow at dusk two blocks from Lake Michigan
• I’ve never been to Grand Rapids