Are We Where Yet?!!

Author: Dan Harris

  • Even the mundane is an Adventure!

    Tuesday 3 Jan. We left Gulf Shores,  but not without drama.  Monday afternoon there were Thunderstorms and torrential rains training over us for hours.  No problem…Blackhawks on TV.  Just hanging out feels kinda good.   Then,   DURING THE Blackhawks game (Winter Classic),  a TORNADO WARNING.  Phones Simultaneously sounding the alert,  followed by a crawler and tone on the TV.  DANGER IMMINENT.  SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.     Closest thing that looked sturdy enough to be a shelter was the concrete Ladies Campground Bathroom.  We were not the first to arrive…and a dozen or so more folks came after us.    Power was out (which is not by itself a concern,  since the bus has a generator).   

    Noone attending the Ladies Room Festivities  thought to bring cocktails, but even so I can honestly say that I have never had so much (or little) fun in a Ladies Bathroom before.  And hopefully not again. 

    Wind at the campground was straight-line…maybe 60—70mph.  Pretty violent.  Some trees down.  Furniture flying.  Our bicycles did a Mary Poppins for about 30 yards.  But in the end,  no damage to anything of ours.  LOTS of damage evident along the road as we left town.  Weather service said there was in fact a tornado at the Gulf Shores Zoo (about 5 miles away).   

    I don’t know if it was a coincidence,  but the Hawks and Blues were tied 1-1 when the storm hit and we left the TV to head to shelter.  When the all-clear was sounded,  the Hawks had lost 4-1.  All the St. Louis action occurred when we were not (couldn’t be) paying attention.   I think we need to find a way,  whether by Satellite or Buffalo Wild Wings to make sure we are paying attention going forward. 

    Although a broken airbag “stranded” us for 5 days, the broken part was successfully repaired by Val and our friends at Lazzari Truck Service.  Since we are now planning to put several thousand miles on the bus, while the bus was up on the lift  I had them do a stem-to-stern preventive maintenance and an Oil Change.  They pronounced the bus in EXCELLENT condition,  though they found a few bolts loose and one important suspension bolt  completely missing!     AND the repairs I made to the leaking ceiling seem to be holding.  The torrential rains in Gulf Shores produced not one drop inside the coach.    So,  we are now ready to make our way to California.   

    The missing bolt,  by the way,  was found in Lazzarri Truck Service’s driveway!  Not kidding,  you cannot make this stuff up.  We have driven 5,000 miles or so since we have owned the bus.  The bolt fell out 30 yards from the repair place, suitably equipped to put it back!   

    While, Lazzari was working on the bus,  Liz took the Clown Car and went shopping.  Where,  I have no idea.  I am wondering if  her credit card bill will be higher than Lazzari’s. 

  • A Couple Days of Forced Relaxation

    Waiting for the Airbag Part to arrive for the bus,  we took full advantage.  New Year’s eve we drove the Clown Car to Mobile.  There we spent the afternoon at  Battleship park.  The centerpiece is the Battleship USS Alabama, which is open and there is a self-guided tour…really excellent.  There is also an Airplane museum with some pretty interesting stuff.  Unlike most such museums,  you can get close enough to touch…and really appreciate some really interesting aircraft.  Such as an AR-12 (CIA version of the SR-71 Blackbird).  A Mig-17 was on display along with an F86 Saber,  F105, A4, F4, A6 – all aircraft it would have faced in Korea and Vietnam.   

    After the museum,  we drove to downtown Mobile.  There we had a couple local beers and watched ‘Bama Football on TV.  ROLL TIDE.  (When in Rome…).  While downtown,  we learned some really interesting things: 

    • There is NOTHING going on in downtown Mobile when ‘Bama is playing football. 
    • Mobile INVENTED Mardi Gras (or so they say).  They are already preparing for it.  
    • Mobile’s version of Times Square’s Crystal ball is a MOONPIE DROP.  From the top of the tallest building in Mobile.   We would have stayed to watch,  except biblical rains were forecast.   
    • There is a Moonpie General Store…where you can buy Moonpies of many flavors and sizes.

     

    So,  WHAT THE HECK IS A Moonpie?  I can best describe it as the Southern Equivalent of a Hostess Twinkie.  It is a Sandwich.  The traditional Moonpie is about 4” in diameter and about 1” thick. A thin layer of chocolate, covering soggy graham crackers with a filling of Marshmallow.  These are available at any 7-11 equivalent south of the Mason Dixon Line.   

    Apparently, Moonpies are traditionally enjoyed at Mobile’s Mardis Gras.  At least according to the waitress in the bar.  Of course,  she admitted to being from California and hating Moonpies.   We bought and sampled several at the Moonpie General Store.  Let’s just say there are other ways to enjoy Mardis Gras (I hope).

     

    We are still on track to get the bus fixed Tuesday.  In the meantime,  though the weather is intermittently rainy,  we have managed a bunch of bike rides.  We also took a walk (in shorts!) on the beach.  The beach is fairly deserted because it is WINTER here.  That means temperatures in the low 70s. 

  • Don’t make Plans and you won’t have Snafus…

    After Xmas with our new family, the McNicols, (after they adopted us thoroughly for the raucous pandemonium of their family Xmas), we started our trip towards California.  We spent some time considering our route and our strategy.  We even emailed ahead to tee up visits to  friends in Houston.  Along the way,  the universe reminded us of one of the key laws of retirement:  IF you have no plans,  there can be no snafus…   

    The first part of our “plan” started with the idea of spending a couple of days near New Orleans and maybe a couple more near Houston.  Our “Plan” included taking the old Florida Coast Highway instead of the Interstate.  In order to do these and NOT drive too much in any one day,  we needed to make a stop before New Orleans.  We decided somewhere near Panacea, Florida.  Liked the name.   When we got close we started looking for places to stay.  We were thinking a Walmart…something simple for one night.  That’s when the plan started to unravel. 

    There may be only one stretch of the USA where there are NO WALMARTS for hundreds of miles.  That is along the old Florida Coast Highway.  We saw nothing.  In fact,  for much of the way through State Forest Lands,  our cell phones laughed at our attempts to browse.   We do have a couple of Apps, tho.  GoodSam identified an RV Park named “HO-HUM RV Park.”    

    Liked that name, too.  We did not need to know anything more!!!  Liz’s cellphone worked (barely) for a 5 mile stretch in a small town, so she called.  They had ONE SLOT for ONE NIGHT available, and we took it!  When we got there,  we met some very friendly people and the park was just fine. Better than fine.  Right against the Gulf of Mexico.  Of course,  the fog was so thick you couldn’t have known that until the next morning when the fog peeled back just enough to sea [sic].     

    The next day we had visions of reaching Mobile, Alabama.  But the day was getting kind of long,  so we started looking for a place to stay a little sooner.  We were also starting to have bus problems, though at this point I didn’t mention this to Liz.  When I say ANYTHING about a mechanical issue,  Liz sees only $$$$-signs.  Nevertheless (more in a minute).  In Foley Alabama  Liz found BOTH a Walmart and a nearby State Park.  So we are now on the horns of a dilemma.  

    We stopped at the Walmart for provisions and called the State Park – Gulf State Park.  The park had a spot available for 2 nights,  so we took it.  Drove there and got settled.  A GREAT little park.  Right on the dunes which are on the Gulf of Mexico.  Easy bike rides up and down the dunes on bike trails.  The nearby town of Gulf Shore was easily bike-able.  And although it would probably be an awful place in the summer with dozens of huge souvenir shops and the like,  all those were closed in the “winter.”    

    Anyway, they have a weird idea of Winter in Alabama.  55 -60 degrees.

    We had dinner at “Fish River Grill – where the locals eat.”  Probably true because the tourist places were mostly closed AND the seafood was mostly deep-fried.  Liz and I shared an AWESOME and HUGE Fried Shrimp Po-Boy with Crawfish sauce accompanied by a delicious “Swamp Soup.”    

    On to the mechanical issue.  I suppose Bus mechanical issues are interesting to only a very small subset of our newsletter readers, but this issue really does add to the narrative in a non-mechanical way,  so hang with me for a  minute.  I had felt since “Ho-Hum” in fact  that the bus was riding low in the front,  and perhaps a little right-leaning.  The latter is NOT a political statement;  if it were it would make me a little queasy. I also heard a little too much air “hissing” (pissing?) away when we stopped at Ho-Hum.   The bus has air-ride suspension and I suspected a leak.  In Gulf Shore,  it was CLEAR there was a problem…NO air ride in front.  This is not good  if for no other reason than the formerly smooth ride now threatens to remove one’s dental fillings over bumps.   WHAT TO DO…    

    NO,  we are not planning to tow the now-sick bus behind the Clown Car, but it is good to have options… 

    Dr. Google told me there was a truck repair place about 25 miles away from the State Park.  I called them and they said they would squeeze us in if we could get there.  Disconnected the Bus from Power and water, plugged the address into the GPS and Liz followed me in the Clown Car. The GPS lead us down smaller and smaller roads, county roads, backcountry streets until finally we arrived.  Lazzari Truck Service.  On Lazarri Lane.  Near Daphne, Alabama.    This is seriously in the middle of nowhere!  Our new best friend Val had us pull in and lifted the bus.  It was clear immediately that an airbag on the front-right had a serious but invisible hole.  WHAT TO DO… 

    Val could get a new airbag by the next day ($100 shipping for a $200 part) or by Tuesday (5 days) for no shipping.  Val recommended we get a spare bag…if we ever have such a problem,  we could just hand the spare to any “Val” anywhere and say “Put this on,  please.”  There are advantages to driving an RV which is just basically a diesel truck below the floor…  Both Lazzari Truck Service and Val,  BTW,  were  VERY professional,  with lots of trucks being serviced.  Who’da thunk it? 

    This is where I realized we were being punished by the universe for violating the law-of-no-planning.  NO WAY the Secretary of the Treasury (Liz) was going to authorize $100 for shipping.  And I checked… the really nice State Park we are at could accommodate us until Tuesday.  And,  ALL of our friends in Houston had replied to my emails;  NONE were in Houston at the moment.  Arguably,  the universe holed our airbag to remind us of THE LAW.  “NO MORE PLANNING.”   Well not too much,  anyway.  An occasional idea to maybe meet a friend on approximately a date…  Anyway,  all these meant we were going to abandon the current plan and just ENJOY THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.   Could be MUCH WORSE.   

    I drove  the bus (jarringly) and Liz the Clown Car back to the park and informed the ranger, then set up for relaxation.  Which included setting up the Satellite Dish for the first time,  just in time to get the Blackhawks v. Nashville on TV!  (They won after losing three straight while we weren’t paying attention!).  AND, one of our Houston friends will be back in Houston by the time of our unexpectedly-delayed arrival.  Things are looking up! 

    Clearly,  if you have a plan, it will be busted by events beyond your control,  only to be replaced by better and more fun.  Best just to skip the “plan” in the first place! 

    So,  we are spending 5 days in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  The Bikes are down off the rack and already accumulating significant mileage. We are finding it easy to “chill” like the locals. Though unlike said locals, at least initially we will follow posted signs and regulations.  Today we even had a private Blue Angels Airshow…apparently they train up and down the coast from their home base in Pensacola.  Wonder what New Years Celebrations look like here?  We are about to find out! 

  • XMAS UPDATE from Jekyll Island, GA.

    22 December finds us at a FANTASTIC RV PARK on Jekyll Island, Georgia. We are staying here until Tuesday 27 Dec. The island was a private club where the wealthy from the Northeast wintered in the late 18 and early 1900s. Today there are museums, shops and summer homes. We unfolded the bikes, aired and greased them up and started going for rides. I think the island is about 12 miles around and there is a bike path around the perimeter. There are also some fantastic beaches, and the weather is warm enough to enjoy them!

    I will say that Xmas decorations, including animated snowmen, flying reindeer, LED Icicles etc. look a little strange when you pass them riding your bicycle in shorts! Best one so far was at our last RV Stop in Florida: It was a seasonally decorated outhouse. Every 30 secs. or so, the door opens and the jolly guy himself is revealed taking care of bidnez. VERY FESTIVE.

    The McNichols told us the subtle difference between “Yankees” and “Damn Yankees.” The latter don’t leave. Sort of like Ben Franklin’s comment: “Guests, like fish smell after 3 days.” We’ll be leaving before too long, so we won’t be by any measure damned smelly.

    The McNichols, Liz’s brother’s inlaws, live in Brunswick, GA which is about 5 miles as the crow flies from the RV Park on Jekyll Island, but about 20 miles by road. Even before Liz’s official family arrived for Xmas, they’ve been gracious and welcoming to us Yankee travelers. They did warn us that family gatherings can get “raucous.” Like that never happened at Liz’s family events! But it has made Liz feel much happier about being away from her family for the Holidays.

    We spent a few days at High Springs Campground near Gainesville before Jekyll Island. Nice little towns nearby…High Springs and Micanopy. Unfortunately, our timing was not the best….

    We browsed an antique mall in High Springs where Liz found several place-settings of the EXACT Czech China her sister Janet has (formerly Liz’s grandmonther’s). We couldn’t get the price down enuf, which is probably just as well. We don’t have space to store China while we travel. There was also a Lowes for some needed bus-repair hardware.

    And finally, breakfast with Mark Frankel, a former work colleague of Liz’s who lives in Gainesville now. After breakfast, Mark took us to a nearby state park to see one of the MANY natural springs to be found along the Santa Fe River.

    Dec 23, we had a couple of bus projects to take care of. We found during torrential rains in Louisiana that every hole in the roof of the bus (2 skylights and 2 air conditioners) leaks. And if we are driving, the front heater/defroster air vents seem to suck water in and drop it on the dashboard. Bottom line: At times it rains nearly as much inside the bus as outside! Which is tolerable except that one leak seems to target Liz’s pillow! Making this a top-priority project. ;-p I bought some silicone and spent some effort today trying to find and caulk the problem. We won’t know if I was successful until it rains again.

    Lizzie, meantime, spent some time finishing a quilt she has been making for her nephew, whom we saw on Christmas Eve. Her sewing machine workspace, custom made for us by our good friend Bob White is AWESOME. Liz has been promising to make me a quilt since before we were married. Nephew Phillip isn’t even 1 yet and was presented with his. Hmmm.

    After this, we rode our bikes to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. VERY fancy. Nice bar. Even nicer little pub down the basement.  They have a nice local beer (Jekyll Brewery) in bottles at the bar and on tap downstairs. We could become regulars here, except we are only here for a few days AND the prices are as you would expect in a fancy hotel.

    There are advantages to riding your bike to a pub (about 4 miles each way): They say you SHOULDN’T drink and drive, but you DEFINITELY CANNOT drink and ride!

    We put out the carpet and awnings and have a nice outdoor space including a firepit. We also put up a couple strings of XMAS lights that we bought on closeout sale when we were at Lowes. Not even competitive with some of the other folks at this RV Park, who decorate like they MEAN IT. But we are newbies, so we get a pass this year.

     

    “Well, if it isn’t Lizzie! I haven’t seen you for SIXTEEN DAYS!!!”

    Xmas eve and day is mostly fun with family.    Liz’s brother arrived about 2:00 Xmas Eve.   Until then, we are hung out in the campground. Hooked up Lizzie’s WII so she could be chastised by her personal WII-FIT Trainer, who said:

    Xmas eve nephew Joseph (2) was into the fudge.  I personally saw him eating 2 large pieces. For the record:  I did NOT feed him the pieces;  he found and devoured them all on his own.   That’s the benefit of being Aunts and Uncles (and staying 20 miles away).  I am sure it was a pretty long night after the inevitable sugar crash!

    Today, Xmas day Lizzie and I rode our bikes down the beach at low tide for about 5 miles.  A bright, sunny, pleasantly warm day.  Then,  Xmas dinner with Liz’s brother and the McNichols.  

    After which, we found another pub on the island…so many options,  so little time.  Good that it was open later XMAS Day, and right on the way back to the bus!    

    Boxing day (26 Dec) we are hosting the McNichols and the extended group who have tolerated us for the weekend for cocktails at the bus.  We are offering tours…the regular one is 30 seconds but the extended version is a full 45.  

    Starting to think about the next segment of our journey.  We will roughly parallel I10 across the southern US.  But it was suggested that we take US 98 across the Florida Panhandle as it hugs the coast more.  Then US 90,  which will get us via Galveston and Houston all the way to New Orleans and beyond.  Once in Texas,  several people have recommended we detour south to Big Bend National Park for a few days.  Why Not?

  • Two things you NEVER want to see

    2016-07-05 15.57.05
    2016-07-05 14.59.00

    Liz. IN the back of the tow truck

    The Bus. ON the back of the tow truck

    2016-07-04 18.58.18
    Really, this was our first “serious” misadventure. Driving back from northern Minnesota (see “Feeding Mosquitos”).

    Taking really delightful back roads through Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

    Even stopped overnight in Decorah, IA. to sample a couple brews at “Toppling Goliath” Tap Room.

    When ALL OF A SUDDEN:

    No Steering Control!!! Whatsoever. With no warning!

    Yikes!

    We were on a 4-lane road with little traffic. The bus started to wander to the right (this part is normal…they don’t call them “Wanderlodges” for nuthin!). But I could not correct the “rightness.” Braked while the bus autonomously pulled on to the shoulder. Successfully stopped B4 the ultimate rightness. No, not Donald Trump…the roadside ditch! I realized that the issue was the power steering (or lack thereof). I COULD direct the bus—with all available upper-body strength, at low speed and with nothing in front of us. But, effectively we were now stranded.

    So this all sounds bad, but at this point, now safe and stopped, things actually started to look up.

    I looked ahead on the road and about 100 yds (that’s 100 meters for you metrics), there was an exit ramp. At the bottom of the ramp was… an auto service center AND…wait for it… a BUS GARAGE with about 50 Bluebird School Buses parked outside!!!!! I figured we could slowly limp down the exit, make the turn and pull into one or the other. We made it to the service center. They allowed us to pull in to a safe and out of the way area. They had a mechanic crawl under and he pulled out the remnants of the Power steering belt. He said, however, that the rest of the belts looked bad, and he therefore thought it was not the belt that failed, but was something seizing that caused the belt to fail. They would have replaced the belt, but were not in a position to service anything else on the big old Caterpillar engine. I should mention, they were SUPER NICE. We could have stayed overnight in their yard, if need-be.

    I walked over to the bus company. They could not work on other-than their own buses. I wondered about a trade…

    So, now we are stuck about 20 miles outside Madison Wisconsin with no way to get moving again. This would seem to be a problem.

    2016-07-05 17.27.46NOT a problem. When one is stranded in an RV, as long as you are not upside down, you have a fridge, food, drink, a bathroom, beds, sofas…even a TV. I would call it more of an unscheduled Hotel Stay than a problem!!

    We have Good Sam Platinum+ Roadside assistance. We put them to work. They found a company with a HUGE tow truck and a fella named Jerry who was EXTREMELY familiar with towing school buses and all manner of RVs. They found a Caterpillar dealer with an empty bay and willingness to work on the old beast. So, Jerry hooked us up and dragged us to Fabick Caterpillar Service Center near Madison. He was super careful, did not add a single scratch to the bus, and joked all the way to the dealer. And he would NOT accept a tip.

    Towing took awhile and we did not get to Fabick until after 5:00. The Cat people stood around and gawked…they had never seen a Wanderlodge (though they had seen plenty of Cat 3208 Engines in all possible configurations). Once at the dealer, we knew the bus was stuck at least overnight

    2016-07-05 18.54.46We have a terrific friend, Bob White, who offered to drive up and collect us and bring us back home to get our car. WOW. All we had to do (and he wasn’t even going to let us do that) was buy him dinner (Janies Pub and Grill in Sullivan WI. – WHAT A GREAT CHEESEBURGER!!!) and fill his gas tank.

    This morning, Gino Reimann from the Caterpillar place called me. He said, “There are no problems with the bus.” (Other than it tried to kill us, but from a mechanics point of view, I guess this did not rise to the level of a “problem.”). He said the belts are all loose and because they were loose, one jumped. These were actually all new belts, but new belts stretch and on this setup, checking tension is very difficult (Radiator must be removed).   And, of course, I did not realize that the tension NEEDED to be checked. All newer engines have a single serpentine belt and auto-tensioners. The bus has none of that. He also recommended replacing the bearings on the tensioner for the belts.

    A little background detail. We already knew that the engine setup was VERY BAD for the whole belt issue. Radiator completely blocks access and must be removed to do even minor verifying or adjusting of belt tensioning. We learned last year at the Bluebird rally of a modification to put the radiator on a swing-out mount so that this routine maintenance can be done…ROUTINELY. We were thinking of doing this mod in the fall. Now we are PLANNING to do this mod in the fall!

    Tomorrow, we will drive back up to Madison to retrieve the bus. It should be fine for another thousand or more miles…and we WILL check belt tension.

  • Feeding Mosquitos

    Sitting around 30 June and thinking about “stuff.”   Working on the house (sort of). Not much that can be done since we are STILL awaiting our building permit. It has been over a year now since that process started. You would think we were building a skyscraper. Full of Gun Dealers, Gentlemen’s Clubs and marijuana dispensaries. Next to an elementary school. The wheels of City Bureaucracy turn slowly, but that is a whole different document!

    VerySpecialCompass
    Anyway, we decided to take a holiday-weekend trip to my sister’s place in Northern Minnesota. Near Aitkin. Which is near Lake Mille Lacs. Which is basically near nowhere. This I know because there is no WiFi and no Cell signal. We are OFF THE GRID. It is difficult for me…fortunately I have had a year and a half of retirement to gradually disengage. I think if this had been our first trip I would have had a psychotic break (even BEFORE being in the presence of family)!

    So, I should describe the driving part of this adventure. This IS, after all, the “RV Where Yet” section of the blog…Getting there was uneventful. But even “uneventful” can have moments worth noting. For example, we found out that the bus has a special compass, one that can help us follow the major Laws of Retirement:

    “If you have no destination in mind,
    you cannot be lost, late OR disappointed. “

    We broke the trip in half and stayed in a Walmart parking lot. This was a little more eventful than our previous stays with Sam. About 1:30 AM I woke up smelling smoke. Liz smelled nothing and told me to go back to sleep (except not so politely). I seriously did smell smoke. So much so I was afraid the bus was burning.  The actual smoke DETECTOR was not chirping, which was encouraging. But this needed investigation. I grabbed a flashlight and made a circuit of the bus…no obvious fire. Walked a bit upwind from the bus…smoke smell is still obvious (and from this position, obviously not from the bus). I noticed plumes of smoke from behind the Walmart. I think someone was burning trash. So eventually I did get back to sleep.

    2016-07-04 09.32.49Since the trip was a surprise even to us, we were certainly not expected in Aitkin, where most of my family, many friends and assorted hangers-on were spending the holiday weekend. So, we drove down the gravel road leading to the cottage playing “LA CUCARACHA” on the horn. They ran towards us, not away. A good start! Later an old college friend, Keith Cambre, whom we had called on the way up, turned up with THREE Growlers from his favorite taproom. Things are getting better and better!

     

     

    AitkinSunsetThe weekend was a very typical one for Northern Minnesota with Family.

    Liz and I brought hot dogs, and B-I-L David had some Brats. So I offered to BBQ. Went to start the grill and disturbed the VERY LARGE Wasp Nest hanging invisibly under the shelf of the grill. I was stung only once, and Liz not at all (though we did have her Epi-pen in case).

    2016-07-03 21.09.57We lit the tiki-torches and citronella candles on our “patio,” looking forward to beer/wine and conversation. But once the sun settles to the horizon we learned that, contrary to marketing info, these actually ATTRACT mosquitos. You can apply DEET in various concentrations, which does prevent biting. However, the insects form an impenetrable cloud and their sheer volume obscures the sky! So, activities move inside after dark.

    Keith inaugurated the pull-out sofa-bed in the Bus. Judging by the depth of his unconsciousness, it seemed comfortable. And, let’s just say, Keith has a reputation for snoring (which he can neither confirm or deny as he is asleep when this allegedly occurs). Anyway, the bus’s bedroom “door” muffled this alleged snoring enough such that we were not aware. So, the lesson learned: we CAN host others (no matter how loud) as we travel. Make your reservations now!

    2016-07-02 09.44.24We rode our bicycles into the center of the Greater Aitkin Metropolis (about 5 miles away) on Saturday Morning. They have a surprisingly excellent coffee shop there (“The Beanery”) which has WiFi!!! So, a civilized breakfast and our Kindles could download the Chicago paper! This excellence is a surprise for Aitkin, whose other (only?) cultural event(s) include an Ice Fishing Shack parade down Main Street every Thanksgiving weekend. After brekkie, we rode our bikes a few blocks more to see the Mississippi River, which in Aitkin is quite small though already muddy. Its source is in Itasca, MN. which is about another hour’s drive north.

    Later Saturday, we (Keith and I with Liz as the designated driver) borrowed my sister’s car and drove to a Real, Honest TAPROOM for the Jack Pine Brewery in Baxter Mn. There we had a couple flights, bought a Growler for later and basically thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

    We left on Monday morning to make the trip back to Chicago in a leisurely fashion.  We stopped in Minneapolis to see Mom. Then we stopped in Decorah Iowa for the night. Another Walmart and an EXCELLENT Taproom (Toppling Goliath).

    The rest of the trip back did not turn out to BE leisurely: Two things you NEVER want to see

  • We’re Baaaack!

    Although we are currently undergoing severe croissant withdrawal in addition to Jetlag, we have successfully navigated our way back to Chicago.   I suspect it will be a few days until we manage to stay up past 8:00 and sleep past 4:00. But we have no reason to be on a “normal” schedule.

    Our drive back to Paris was uneventful. We stopped twice. The first was in Strasbourg France. This was a VERY cool town. The Rhine river cuts through, and the town is fairly industrial. But the old town, including some old stone river locks and a 13th century MAGNIFICENT cathedral, were very interesting.

    Our Airbnb in Strasbourg was a place our charming host described as “French-Communist-Chic.”  He was describing a hulking, grey concrete apartment block.  But the unit itself was charming, with one of the best showers in France (in our experience) and a perfect WiFi!!  And it’s location was EXCELLENT…near the old-town center and tucked in with newer (but in Europe,  that means 1800-era) apartments.

    I sort of wish we had allocated a couple of days to Strasbourg.

    We then stopped at an airport hotel near CDG (Paris). This was just to make getting to our morning flite an easy process. Our hotel was a “NOMAD” hotel. I would characterize it as super-modern. There was a tablet to control all room functions (projection TV, lighting color, window blinds, etc.).  The clear glass shower “tube” (I don’t know any other way to describe it) in the middle of the room felt like a transporter chamber,  and I wondered if I said “Energize” could I skip the flite home and just materialize in our living room?  But despite the high-tech-ness, it was still an economy hotel. The hallway lights turn on as you walk down the hall and the toilet “compartment” light goes off if you are still too long. No reading the paper in there!!

    The flite itself was thoroughly uneventful. Left on time. Good seats (for economy). Arrived an hour early. In today’s air travel environment, uneventful is all one can ask for and the very best you will ever experience.

     

  • The LAST “Fun” in Austria (Salzburg again)

    2016-03-13 13.31.05Sunday we went back to Salzburg, stopping for coffee at a beautiful Alpine Lake in between. Our mission in Salzburg was “Sound of Music” immersion. As mentioned elsewhere, we booked a “Bob’s Tour.”

    The beauty of such organized tours is that you see and learn things you could not possibly do on your own. And WHAT is seen and learned varies from person to person. So, for Liz, This special 4-hour “Sound of Music extravaganza” included the Von Trapp house — both of them as the front of the castle was a different house than the back. And the inside was somewhere else entirely (Hollywood, actually). Also the pavilion, the Abbey gate and lane leading to the Von Trapp Castle, The roadside trees (w/o kids in upholstery), WEDDING CHURCH (omg). Also, some personal stories behind the movie. For example, there was a SCUBA DIVER under the boat for the scene where Julie and the kids fall out.

    For me the tour was also full of highlights. The Red Bull World Headquarters, a REAL Adelweiss flower (in a souvenir shop), actual apple strudel with Vanilla ice cream and SO MUCH MORE.  I also came away with some very valuable insight and historical perspective. I believe that Red Bull was actually INVENTED to make Julie Andrews and all those precocious kids so, so… PERKY. In fact, had the Von Trapps not carried the secret of Red Bull with them to Switzerland (which, BTW is several hundred KM from Salzburg, NOT just over the hill – that is Germany), WWII could have ended very differently. The tour guide could not (would not) refute this.

    2016-03-13 17.29.31-1

    After the SOM, we needed to decompress. SO naturally we went to the Augustiner Monastery, where the Monks make beer.   In HUGE quantities. There are at least 6 halls (each of which can seat at least 300 people family style – and they were quite crowded) for you to sit and drink…and food stands making all manner of sausage, Schnitzel, etc. Brigitta was our designated driver for the trip back to Linz. The rest of us supported the monks, financially if not philosophically.

    Today we are leaving Linz and our friends Brigitta and Herman. We head back to Paris…stopping tonight in Strasbourg. We are READY to leave Austria.

    SudokuInGermanHere is how I know we have FULLY absorbed Austrian Culture: Liz is doing Sudoku in German!

  • STILL Fun in Austria! (Vienna)

    Yesterday we took the train to Wein. Which was a little puzzling to me until I realized that was “Vienna,” which we had discussed and intended to visit. Once I had achieved that level of clarity, I was ready for the day!

    Again, a really fascinating day. Beginning with the fast train (a little over an hour to Vienna). Then a couple of short distances on the “U” (underground). Then a walk to the Schönbrunn Palace.   This is the Austrian answer to Versaille. Large and impressive, with especially impressive gardens. We climbed up high in the gardens for a scenic overlook of Vienna.

    TafelspitzALAPlachutta.30We then had some more traditional Austrian fare. This time a famous beef dish (Tafelspitz) at a famous restaurant (Plachutta — the emperor’s favorite). It is basically a beef soup with various vegetables and sides of potatoes, spinach, butter beans, Marrow (to spread on bread). And in the beef soup are LARGE slices of beef. SO, as you can imagine, this was a light, dainty dish!   It was also the BEST beef soup ever. But good thing we had A LOT more walking in the afternoon.

    We had a tour guide recommended by the guide in Linz. She was EXCELLENT. We walked through a lot if courtyards and alleyways of the medieval and newer parts of the city. We learned about the SEVERAL subterranean levels UNDER the older parts of the city. About the plague. The “poor” Jesuits whose churches are made of plaster and painted “false 3-d” cupolas instead of Marble and astonishment.  The tours we have had have REALLY enhanced our visit.

    After the tour and a bit of walking in the very crowded pedestrian area near St. Stephens (with high end and local shopping and famous coffee and bakery houses – the home of Julius Mienl and the Mienl Museum!), we had a drink at a Bar overlooking Vienna.  Camera battery dead,  so few pictures.  Then we went back to the train station (by U) and back to Linz. For dinner. This time SUSHI, because we were in beef overload.

    Today is Sunday and we are going to go to Salzburg. We have booked a “Sound of Music” tour with “Bob’s Tour Company.” You can’t make this stuff up. Liz will be in heaven…Dan is going to need a beer.

    Tomorrow we begin heading back to Paris for our flight home (Wednesday morning). We have an AIRBNB booked in Strasbourg (Old City area) for Monday night.

  • The Fun in Austria Continues! (Linz)

    We have spent a couple more days enjoying the hospitality of our friends and their country.  Today, it was a city tour of Linz, hosted by a friend of Brigitta’s. As always, the history and reality is a lot more interesting when someone knowledgeable peels back the layers. We learned about the merchant history of the town, Mozart (he had a cup of coffee here, too, apparently), the Nazis, the effort (and success) at reinventing industry and commerce and more (and more, and more).

    RetinaDHHLater in the day, we visited the ARS ELECTRONICA Museum of the Future. A REALLY fascinating place. There was a 3D tour of the universe in ultra-high resolution. There were kiosks with satellite images of many places in the world. There was a really interesting exhibit on vision. On Prosthetic devices; on Virtual Reality. For those who have been to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, this is similar. Except the exhibits are ALL future looking (no old tractors, coal mines, 727 or steam locomotives); very sophisticated. And, the mobs of kids are super-well-behaved and speaking German (and only when spoken to). So I guess NOT like MOSI at all.

    Just a snack
    Just a snack
    Gelateros - Frequent Eaters of Gelato
    Gelateros – Frequent Eaters of Gelato

    We have had (of course) several excellent meals and (of course) Gelato. We are resting right now in preparation for another meal. Tomorrow we are scheduled to visit Vienna for the day by train. Brigitta’s friend who gave such a fascinating tour in Linz has a friend there; so another tour is one of the plans for the day. I am SURE the rest of the day will involve eating, and probably Gelato.