“Show Me” Mo (Missouri)

I must admit – I did enjoy driving around the state and seeing my name “mo” everywhere. It made me feel so welcome. I also have to say that their logo with the rivers as the “s’s” is the best state logo I’ve seen – well done.

I arrived back to Kansas City after the holidays to find my car in perfect order – just a bit on the chilly side. I was a little nervous about leaving all my stuff in an airport parking lot for a week – but the state of Missouri is full of good folks.

I made my way East to meet up with my cousins who I had not seen for over 30 years. It is my mom’s sister and her family and they have lived out in Missouri forever. On the way, I stopped by a few quaint towns, again full of history. One town is Hannibal and it is the home to Mark Twain. I went to the cave, to his museum, saw the riverboat and bought some of his books. He was quite a witty man and I might have to start quoting him from now on.

My cousins live outside of St. Louis in St. Charles and O’Fallon. It was wonderful catching up with them and seeing all the pictures and hearing the stories. We definitely are related and I think Grandma Zara had some pretty strong genes – we all look like sisters I think.

After spending some time with them, went into St. Louis and looked around. I went into the arch (which is a bit disconcerting) but the view at the top was fantastic. I found a great restaurant called Goody Goody’s that serves a half fried chicken with a Belgium waffle for breakfast – it doesn’t get much better than that.

It was then off (back to) the Ozark Mountains where two more of my cousins live (same family). I spent two days with my cousin Billy and got to also see Molly and her guy Maynard. Billy lives out in the woods, in a cabin, on a gravel road – it’s gorgeous. We went out on the 4 wheeler and explored, checked out the rivers and the fish, got overserved at our own little campfire, and had a fabulous time just hanging out. He’s still my fav! I hope to come back this summer and really get to explore and enjoy the area.

My last stop in Missouri was in Branson. I had not planned on going there as I was headed to Oklahoma City to meet a friend. But plans changed and Branson was beckoning. It was the Christmas parade day and the town was bustling. I enjoyed the energy and the holiday spirit. I met a couple of pilots at the Irish bar where I had stopped in to warm up with an Irish coffee. They were fun and full of stories and just about convinced me to stay the night and explore the nightlife in Branson, but Muskogee Oklahoma and Merle were calling – so I said my goodbyes and hit the road.

Other than the drivers – Missouri is Ok by me. I had lots of fun and enjoyed the diversity of the people and their personalities.

I will have pictures posted soon - having some issues with my technology!

Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving (a bit late)!

What a wonderful holiday we had – thanksgiving indeed! I am so blessed to have the family that I have and so enjoy the time I get to spend with them.

Highlights of the holiday in Portland include:

A delicious and over indulgent Thanksgiving dinner prepared by a team of great cooks which included Maddy’s homemade stuffing.

The second (not so annual yet) Family Variety show! All “acts” were impressive but the Bacon girls stole the show for sure.

Friday’s “shopping “(some shopping, some eating, some cocktails! Good times) day done twice to accommodate everyone’s schedule and who doesn’t like to shop the day after Thanksgiving…all day long! Add in the excitement of the thwarted bombing at Pioneer Square – exactly where we were – which equals one incredible day.

We all got lots of time spent with the cousins, aunts and uncles and Morai and Popp, just laughing and eating and enjoying each other.

I got to attend the “birthday” lunch with my mom, Lois and Bobbie – that no one has ever been invited to before (woo hoo)!

I was able to get some banjo practice in – my family was very supportive and encouraging!

My sister Liz got engaged! Congrats and best wishes to you both!!

The shopping continued all through the weekend and ended with the purchase Morai’s new Uggs! She is now a convert to the super comfy footwear – she was as excited as any teenager on the purchase!! Way too cute!

I am now heading back to my car in Kansas City and have yet to decide where I am going for sure.

BTW – I am hiking the Grand Canyon on January 12th if anyone out there is interested in joining me.

Cheers

Kentucky/Tennessee

I started my Kentucky experience in Louisville. In addition to Churchill Downs – which not much was happening there this time of year – it also has a happening downtown area. I took a stroll around and had a bite to eat but then decided to put some more miles under my belt and head for a smaller town. I found Bardstown.

It is a small town in an area known for its Whiskey/Bourbon distilleries. But it is also rich with history. It is the 2^nd oldest town in Kentucky and has a cobblestone road that was built in 1790. My favorite thing about Bardstown was that it is not commercialized. It has all this great stuff but it doesn’t have all the fanfare. There are 5 museums in this little town and a tribute to the Goliad massacre of 1836. One of the regiments that were there was from Bardstown. I did take a tour of the Holly Hill Distillery which boasts that it was their founder that “discovered” Bourbon from putting Whiskey in slightly burned barrels. The tour was fun and I have now graduated from a California wine drinker to a real bourbon sipper. The tour guide had some fun “making fun” of me to the enjoyment of everyone. I don’t think they see a lot of Californian’s there.

I went to a music store (or 2 or 3) in Kentucky and was told that I needed to go to Nashville to get my banjo. I was told that they would have more there and that I needed to look for a man named Calvin – so south I traveled.

I love Nashville – you can listen to all the live Country music you ever dreamed of. You just stroll from club to club – no cover – no drama – no nonsense – just live music and bud – that would be Budweiser! Heaven! Before I discovered Honky Tonk Row however, I went to a place called The Bluebird Café. It is a venue for songwriters. It was spectacular. The night I was there, 4 songwriters were playing – they just sit around and take turns singing their songs and trying out new ones. There were quite a few that I recognized from the radio. It gave me a taste of the process – so many people are in that town just trying to get their break and make it big.

The next day I tried to see more of what Nashville had to offer and ended up at the Grand Old Opry. I saw John Connelly, Charley Pride; -- it was a great experience and brought back lots of memories. Country music is all about the story telling for sure.

I also went to a great Italian restaurant one block off the Vanderbilt campus that was featured on DDD (Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives – a Food Network show). It was called Savarino’s Cucina and I had the best Lasagna I’ve ever had in the US. Tasted like I was back in Italy – highly recommend it.

On my way back to my car I stumbled on a music store – and now I have my banjo – I can’t tell you how excited I am. Calvin, my new banjo buddy, gave me a few pointers and then told me it was all about how much I practiced. I committed to at least ½ hour a day – I want to make him proud – so far I’m still on track. It is beautiful with dark wood and pearl knobs. I may have a new career path in the making.

From Nashville and the country music Mecca – I headed to Memphis for the blues music Mecca. Another great city. I stayed right down town, a block from the Mississippi. I had a couple of runs and bike rides along the river – it was 72 degrees – spectacular. The downtown area has an old trolley system.

Just so happened that the Heat were in town to play the Grizzlies – and I hate to disappoint LeBron and not show up. What a great game – LeBron is pretty amazing and even with not having a great game – he scored 29 points! But the grizzlies won the game at the buzzer – woo hoo! Beale Street after the game was like a sea of people – reminded me of Bourbon Street with the beads. J the music is everywhere there as well. You just move from club to club – although many of these had a cover. You can also walk around the streets with your drinks – that is always fun.

I was told that in Memphis – you have to eat Fried Chicken, BBQ and Oysters – so I found my way to all three. The fried chicken was the best I have to say – Uncle Lou’s – and now I have another vegetable I can eat – corn poppers. They take corn – wrap it in batter – and deep fry! So delicious! Deep fried is the best way to do veggies!!

Memphis is also home to the National Civil Rights Museum. It is built at the hotel where Martin Luther King was killed. It is extremely well done and very moving.

I finished my Tennessee experience sitting at Mud Park on the Mississippi, watching the sunset, playing my banjo (or picking at it).

I am not off to Kansas City, Missouri for a college basketball tournament. Go Zags!

Indiana

Well my Indiana experience (minus the South Bend jaunt earlier) started off with a little wrinkle. As I was driving down the Ohio turnpike – minding my own business (really talking on the phone with my sister) – I heard a crash and looked in the mirror to see my bike landing in the freeway – said a few choice words to Renee and then went to retrieve my bike! Luckily no one was behind me and no one was hurt. The only damage was to my bike and car. Turns out the bike rack I had purchased was faulty and when it was in lock position, it would loosen. The company got me a new rack, fixed my bike and will fix my car’s damage when I get back to Sac.

The people at the bike shop in Fort Wayne were great and I really appreciated all the help they gave me in getting the claim paperwork going with the manufacturer and getting me back on the road. Unfortunately, while I was waiting around the town for 1 ½ days to get it done – a very quiet, not a lot to do town – I thought a hair cut might be in order – I left Fort Wayne looking like a little boy – all my golden locks lying on the floor of the salon -- luckily it will all grow back. I swear all I asked for was a trim, just clean it up a bit, maybe they couldn’t understand my Californian accent!

I decided to head into Hoosier country but stopped by a town I had heard was famous for its architecture – Columbus Indiana. I now have a new leader in my quest to find the best biscuits and gravy in the country. Papa’s Deli in downtown Columbus served the dish on a Styrofoam plate with a plastic fork, but the taste was amazing. They even broke the fresh, homemade biscuit into bite site pieces before pouring the sausage gravy. YUMMM! The artichetiture was amazing – I would suggest goggling it if you want to see the buildings as my photography skills cannot even begin to do it justice. The story as to why it is there is a great example of deciding what you want (or what a town wants) to be and then making the decisions to make it so instead of just letting the pieces fall where they will. My hat’s off to J. Irwin Miller.

From Columbus I headed to Bloomington – home of IU – Indiana University – the Hoosiers. I stopped by the football stadium just to take a peak. There are 40,000 undergraduate students at this campus – gigantic – what an exciting place for a game. The entire campus is beautiful and huge.

IU Stadium

The town is cute with little shops, restaurants and pubs. I met an Irish bartender – at an Irish Pub – go figure. And he really is legitimate – even speaks Gaelic. He was a cartoon and made me laugh for hours.

John, the Irish Bartender!

From there I headed towards French Lick – home of Larry Bird. I thought I would stay there for the night but was a bit unimpressed really. Other than two palatial, fortress type hotels – there was not a lot else to offer so I headed into the Hoosier National forest (accidentally honestly) but it turned out to be a beautiful drive to Louisville albeit twice as long.

All in all – Indiana had a good, wholesome feel about it and some pretty areas in the southern part but nothing that makes you say – “I can’t wait to go back”.

Off to Kentucky – wish me luck in finding my banjo – hee haw!

Detroit – Ohio – Southbend

From lovely Wisconsin – I made my way direct to Detroit, Michigan. I was on a mission to get to the airport to pick up John by 6:40 to catch a 7:00 Red Wings game. In spite of my stellar geography skills – I failed to remember that Detroit is in another time zone. Luckily, I was also wrong about game time and we got there in time to see the puck fall (is that what they call it in hockey?)

Hockey is so much better in person – I might just have to become a fan. We had great seats and the Red Wings won! Woo Hoo!

they skate very fast - it was hard to get a good picture!

I stayed for 4 days with the Pugh’s. It was a wonderful time and they made me feel like family. I now understand Midwestern hospitality and the fact that being Mid Western is not all about where the state lies in relation to the rest of the nation.

I got a great tour of the area around Toledo, Perrysburg, Bowling Green, Custer, etc. It’s a lovely area with lots of water and farms. I visited the home of the Mud Hens and Walleye’s (nope – I’m not making this up). I got to eat at Tony Packos and enjoyed some comedy in little Perrysburg.

One of the highlights of the trip however is the Notre Dame game. I got the grand tour of the campus, grotto, the Basilica and touchdown Jesus. Then we got to watch ND decisively beat a nationally ranked Utah and the celebration after the game was the biggest I’ve ever witnessed. Great fun! Finish the evening off with a Rib Eye and the Oregon game on TV and it’s a little slice of heaven.

Touchdown Jesus. Thanks be to God.

Notre Dame

And the crowd goes wild!!!

John and I at the game! Good Times

Delevan/Lake Geneva/Milwaukee

Wow! It’s hard to believe that it has been a week since I last posted. It’s been a good week too!

After my night in the Walmart parking lot Delevan offered everything I needed, all with the charm of a small town.

I figured out that I have never operated a self serve car wash before – weird – right??! Car washing is not my strong point – good to know as I move forward in life!! Needless to say my car still needs a good washing.

Delevan / Lake Geneva

I highly recommend adding this area to your travel plans. In addition to it being beautiful, the people rock. I spent my time riding my bike around the town and the lake, walking around the shops at Lake Geneva and eating the best (and only) German pancake stuffed with apples that I have ever had. The pancake takes 45 minutes to make but is well worth it.

From Delevan I headed into Milwaukee. I really did not know anything about Milwaukee but was pleasantly surprised. The first thing I found was a great parkway around Lake Michigan near their art museum, with a strategically placed coffee shop built out of an old pump house. I had googled to find a fun / funky area and it did not disappoint.

The art museum was really impressive. It sits on the lake and the building is architecturally beautiful. This is proof that I am doing more than going to, watching or talking about sporting events!! It was a real life art museum!!

I found a hotel that was an Irish Pub (MO’s Irish Pub – no less!!) on the bottom and a cute, comfortable hotel on top. They even had an elevator, so the commute home from the pub was easy.

Milwaukee is also home to Miller Brewing, Pabst and Schlitz. I’m not a big domestic beer connoisseur but found the tour to be interesting and the beer not so bad!

My friend Chris joined me for the Milwaukee tour! We had beer and bratz, a fun Miller Brewery tour, fresh sausage and cheese from the Third Ward and Karaoke on Brady street. Food, beer, more food and beer and singing – can’t get much better than that!! They boast of having a music festival every weekend during the summer – I think it would be a great city to visit then – I’d go back.

I’m on the road again – will update you all on the ND game (yes more sports!!) and all the other goings on…

Cheers

MO

Go Packers!!!

My night on the Missouri River was spent in a small town that I cannot even remember the name of. But, I must admit, Minnesota has not ranked high on my list of fun, interesting, friendly or beautiful places I’ve been. It is a fine state – nothing wrong with it – but I did not see the wow factor if indeed there is one.

I drove across the state to get to the other side – funny how that works! I was on a mission to get to Green Bay to see the Packers. I did take the scenic highway for a few hours to try and get a little Minnesota essence and got a lost on the “not so great roadside signage”. I did spend sunset in the Amish countryside which was beautiful.

Since I did feel quite compelled to reach Green Bay – I just kept driving even though it was dark. I had made a deal with myself that I would only drive at night on the interstates but not on the Highways – oops. I did get a bit uneasy as it was very, very dark and the unclear road signs or lack thereof made it difficult to really know where I was or what I was around – it was just dark. The upside however, was the stars were amazing. There was gazillions of them. I finally found a hotel about 10:00 and called it a day.

My next stop was Green Bay and the Packers game. What a blast that was and “we” even won big! The fans were everything I thought they would be – loved it. I grabbed a bite to eat at a sports bar before I went over to the game. Minnesota was playing and it was so funny how all the people in the bar just booed and bad mouthed poor Bret – they seemed quite bitter.

I got pretty good seats for the game – 45 yard line – 50 rows up. Sat with a group of great guys who come every year to a game or two – they are from Texas and Iowa. They bought all my beer and took good care of me. They declared me “part of the pack”! Woo Hoo!

My grand idea of going to the game worked well but the closest hotel to Green Bay that had rooms was about 90 miles away – and I am not kidding. I did not believe it at first either – but it’s true. So what’s a gal to do -- by the time I got out of the game and to my car it was already 11:30 so (I can’t believe this is true – but it is) I slept in my car in a Wal Mart parking lot. I had just heard the night before that this was acceptable and I was not the only car there doing it. So sorry Mom and Bob – but I did not go inside nor did I give them any of my money.

As soon as I woke up – remember I was in Green Bay and it was very cold – I hit the road.

I am now in the most adorable town I’ve been in – Delevan Wisconsin. I found a hotel that has everything I need – laundry, internet, hot tub, car wash (across the street), and they upgraded me to a suite – I’m about to head out for a bike ride around this beautiful lake and through a tree arboretum. Quite the upgrade from Wal Mart.

Not sure what’s next – my beer and brats in Milwaukee.



Cheers.