What a contrast. Friday I ran myself ragged covering territory from Hanover to Rapids City, Illinois, roughly 60 miles. Between 8am and 7pm, I visited 19 park and recreation areas, toured 8 museums/attractions, and ate lunch at a biker themepark restaurant called Poopy’s whose menu makes liberal use of the word shit. In my
Belvedere Mansion Not those curtains I’m starting to lose track of the number of historic houses I have toured--Deere-Wiman, Mathias Ham, Dowling, Villa Louis, Davenport House, Grant House(s)--each outstanding in some way, even if subtle. Nothing is subtle about the Belvedere Mansion in Galena, Illinois, however. Built in 1857 by a
I love small town museums. Most owe their continued existence to a core group of believers who donate unimagined amounts of time to the lofty goal of preserving the town’s history for future generations, even as those generations are indifferent to that very history. In spite of their best efforts, the museum is usually a
Solo travelers, I feel your pain. Even though I am settling into a mostly comfortable routine of eating alone nearly every meal, sometimes other people make it much harder than it needs to be. Saturday is a good example. Finally with the time to check out a riverboat, I opt for a lunch cruise on
Hi, y'all. I've been hitting the festival circuit the last couple of weekends and thought I would share the joy. Here is a summary of three of the best ones. TugFest Tug Fest is brilliant. I just can’t help thinking that the whole thing started as a bet after a few drinks. “Hey, I could
After a 7 hour drive from St. Louis, I pull into Prairie du Chien (Wisconsin) on Thursday evening and look for a place to stay that is cheap and wired. The Holiday Motel, according to the lodging guide, fits the bill. Cheap is relative, though; it is still costing me $60/night with all the added taxes.
