We don't kill ourselves to get to or from Florida. That would defeat the purpose of opting for the highway over the sky way. Some folks drive through the night, changing drivers and making a beeline from one state to the next. That's not us. Although we might have at least one day which involves around six hundred miles of daylight travel, we make up for it by spending two nights in a row once or twice at pre-selected sites. This year those places going south were Georgetown, Kentucky (a remote suburb of Lexington) and Lake City, Florida.
Not to short change our three kids and their spouses, but as is true with many traveling grandparents, the biggest downside to being away from home is the absence of our grandchildren. There are few hours in a typical day when I don't think about the four of them, whom I sometimes refer to as the Gorgeous Creatures. I don't know that MC and I could ever relocate south for the entire winter knowing that the Gorgeous Creatures were an airplane ride, as opposed to a few minutes, away.
When Momma Cuan and I are on the road, I like to imagine that our kids are thinking about us, wondering where we are and what we're up to. To a large extent that may be fanciful thinking; they have their own families to attend to. Still, I keep in touch with them from the road by sending (usually) short emails from my phone. When you’re a ham-handed non-typist using a phone, the brevity of correspondence is dictated. Once in awhile the recipients reply. The emails, like photographs, also serve as memory joggers if I read what I've sent at a later date. Full disclosure: I already have, and probably will again.
Today, March 15, was supposed to be the date of our eighth annual Fours & Field Contest party, celebrating the NCAA's Selection Sunday for March Madness. (For a refresher on what the Fours & Field Contest is all about, check out my February 24, 2013 post. The FFC has been enlarged and modified since then, but the basic principles described therein remain in place.) Instead, Momma Cuan and I are sitting around the house, social distancing ourselves from the rest of humanity. It's a predicament brought on by the coronavirus threat. There is nothing good on TV, and the book I'm reading is an easy one to put down. This might be a good time to post on my blog, which I've been known to label my "SR&LRB" (an inside joke). The topic I've chosen is the path requiring the least amount of thought: the aforementioned emails. There are eleven of them.
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Feb 17 HELLO FROM CHAMPAIGN
Hello boys & girls,
I know you’re worried sick about us, but we did make it to Champaign, 514 miles from the QE. Home of the U of Illinois. Once we got to Tomah it was all snow and rain. We got here at 5:30. Staying at Drury Inn, where they give you 2 free drinks. I had scotch on the rocks. The amount of booze in a drink is < a thimbleful. Ate dinner at a brew pub downtown, Destihl. Maybe the best beef stroganoff I’ve ever had. Washed it down with a 6.7% hazy IPA and a 9.1% Scotch ale, both made by Destihl. Tomorrow we head to Lexington, only 312 miles from here. Hi to JB, RM, JM, LJ, WJ, LR, UL, R and P. I love you all.
The Old Illinoisan
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Feb 18 HELLO FROM GEORGETOWN
Hello Boys & girls,
We drove 308 miles from Champaign to Georgetown, which is about 20 miles north of Lexington. On the way we stopped for lunch at Mac & Don’s in Seymour, Indiana, the home town of John Mellencamp.
Georgetown has a historic downtown with buildings even more ancient than your old man. Went to a brew pub called My Old Kentucky Foam. I had a nitro brown ale and a pale with high IBUs. The bartender was an authority on just about everything. For dinner we went to a place called Fava’s. I had a traditional KY casserole which the locals call Hot Brown. Meh. Mom had catfish. Meh. I had butterscotch cream pie, my usual favorite but in this case, Meh.
We finished the night with a couple of Bushmills on the rocks at the only Irish pub in town, Slainte Public House.
Tomorrow will present a challenge for Mom and me: Trying not to step in horse kah kah when we tour nearby WinStar Horse Farm. Word to the SOs, the Gorgeous Creatures and the pets. I love you all.
The Old Equestrian
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Feb 19 GEORGETOWN SECOND DAY
Hello boys & girls.
Our second day (Wednesday) in Georgetown, KY was fun. Toured WinStar Farms, which boards and trains racehorses (mostly stallions), and conducts breeding and sales operations too. See the picture below of Mom with the 2017 Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming. We managed to avoid stepping in the horse poop. Ate one of the best hangabers EVER, the Big Blue Burger, in Midway, KY at a place called Wallace Station. Reminded me of PM Park in Clear Lake. Ancient and atmospheric.
Returned to Georgetown for a self-guided walking tour of historic Georgetown, where many of the buildings are > a century old. Took a break with Irish brews at Slainte Public House. After a short late afternoon nap had a fab dinner at Rodney’s On Broadway. The restaurant is in an old mansion; reminded me of Forepaugh’s in St. Paul. I had short ribs. Mom had a peanut butter sammy.
I love you all.
The Old Horse Breeding Authority
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Feb 20 HELLO FROM STOCKBRIDGE
Greetings boys & girls,
Drove 415 miles through lots of snow and sleet to get from Georgetown to Stockbridge, Georgia. It’s about 15 miles south of Atlanta. I used to think Chicago traffic was the worst, but metro Hotlanta’s congestion gives Chitown a run for the dubious title.
For those of you keeping score at home, we ate lunch at a Chick Fillet in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Tonight we ate din din at The Bridge Grill & Oyster Bar in Stockton. Mom had oysters while I had a shrimp poor boy. Their beer selection was fair to partly cloudy. The waitress called us “honey,” “love,” “lovie” and “darlin,” among others.
Our main objective for the day was to get past Hotlanta. Mission accomplished! Tomorrow: Finally Florida!!
I love you all.
The World’s Greatest Driver
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Feb 21 HELLO FROM LAKE CITY
Hello boys and girls,
No, not Lake City, Minny Hota; Lake City, FLORIDA.
We drove 270 miles from Stockbridge to get here late Friday afternoon. Lake City is about 45 miles south of the state line. The drive was easy, all interstate with no bad weather. The interstates in GA and FL are at least 3 lanes in each directIon. Trucks must stay in the two right lanes. That is a great law; must have been passed by Republicans!
The temp finally hit 50+ degrees for the first time anywhere on our trip when we got near Macon, which is in the middle of Georgia. It's also home to the Allman Brothers Band. I know you (especially Michael) are curious as to where we ate lunch, so I will tell you: Tifton, a medium size city in southern Georgia, named after former BSM President Bob Tift. We tried Steak 'n' Shake, which is real big in the South. It was surprisingly good. We both had boigahs and shakes.
Once in Lake City we didn’t waste much time heading to a tap room, Halpatter, which is Seminole for “alligator.” I had IPAs and MC had an IPA and a cream ale. All four veddy veddy good. From there we went to Marion Street Bistro, the hippest and busiest place in town for dinner. Decent food but horrible service. I had sheemp n’ grits. Mom had a flat bread.
Lake City claims to have a historic downtown. What a joke. Nothing but 3 bars and the fire department. Makes downtown St. Paul look like the Vegas Strip.
Finished the night by going back to Halpatter, where a band from Geogia called Pine Box Dwellers was doing Dylan.
I love you all.
The Old Pitter Patterer
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Feb 22 LAKE CITY SECOND DAY
Hello boys & girls,
For the record I thought I’d tell you about day # 2 (Saturday) in Lake City. Ever heard of Stephen Foster? He is one of the greatest music composers in American history. He wrote Oh Susanna, My Old Kentucky Home, Swanny River, Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair, and 250 other songs in the 19th century. Most songs were about the South even though he was from Pittsburgh. We went to the Foster Museum which is the centerpiece of a beautiful regional park in his honor. Inside the museum are dioramas which show a scene from ten of Foster’s songs. One of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen in a museum.
Ate lunch in Fat Belly’s, a back woods BBQ joint. Both the Foster Museum and Fat Belly’s are in a little nearby town called White Springs.
Then we drove back to LC and went on a hike along Alligator Lake. I will send a picture I took of Mom there.
Finished the day with dinner at Phish Tales. Every “f” on their menu (and website) is spelled “ph.” I had blackened mahi mahi. Mom had prime rib.
I will only bore you with one more report. Thanks for your warmth and compassion. I love you all.
The Old Stephen Phoster Phan
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Feb 23 HELLO FROM HOLMES BEACH
Hello boys & girls,
This is the final installment of my exciting Road Trip series. Before we left Lake City yesterday we decided to treat ourselves to a Dunkin Donuts greftas. Then we drove 221 miles to Holmes Beach. All interstate until you get to Bradenton. Then about 17 miles of driving under 45 mph.
For you statistics freaks out there, here is the poop:
Distance from SLP to HB via the route we took = 1,728 miles.
Total miles driven, including tooling around seeing the sights, driving to restaurants, etc. = 1,881 miles. [Note: Fort Myers is another 120 miles south of Holmes Beach.]
Total miles driven, including tooling around seeing the sights, driving to restaurants, etc. = 1,881 miles. [Note: Fort Myers is another 120 miles south of Holmes Beach.]
Our condo is a block from the beach in a residential neighborhood, very close to a popular burger joint called Skinny’s and right across the street from the rear of Publix. The unit is vey nice, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Having my own bathroom is huge; that means I can splash as much as I wah! Best of all, there are two lanais, one on either side of the unit. The only negative is that our unit is on the third floor, 29 steps up. (Yes, I counted.) That is a tough climb for a geezer like your old man.
Last night we walked to a bar/pizza joint 2 blocks away, Solo’s. Struck up conversations with the regulars and watched the first period of the Wild-Blues game. Their tap beer selection was horse kah kah, but their bottle inventory was EK. In case you’re curious I had two Goose Island IPAs and one Laguinitas IPA. Mom had wine. I have a feeling we’ll be back.
Have a Red Letter Week. Always enjoy pix of the Gorgeous Creatures and the Four Legged Creatures, especially those I can view more than once or twice, if you get my drift.
Greetings to all. Peace, love, harmony and tranquility.
The Old Lanai Lover
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Mar 8 HELLO FROM MARIETTA
Hello. Here is an abbreviated update on our travels. We drove 612 miles today from our Fort Myers condo to Marietta, which is a suburb of Hotlanta on the north end of its metro area. The Florida and Georgia interstates are filled with horrendous drivers. Atlanta has horrible traffic. Glad to be through there tonight so we don’t have to face it tomorrow.
For lunch we had a picnic of leftover egg salad sammiches at a rest area near Ashburn, Georgia. For dinner we ate quesadillas at a Mexican joint called Pappasito's near our hotel. Mom thought it was great. I thought it was okay.
Heading for Paducah tomorrow. Love to all. Miss you all.
The Old Grumpy Guy
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Mar 9 HELLO FROM PADUCAH
Hello boys & girls,
You have been sitting with your phones, awaiting this update. Relax... Here it is.
We drove 369 miles to this city right across the Ohio River from the land of my peeps. I was worried about driving around Nashville, but after getting good navigation tips from a guy in a travel information center on how best to do it, no probzlemzskiez.
Lunch was a fish fillet + shamrock shake, at Mac & Don’s in Cadiz, KY. Our first stop in Paducah was Dry Ground Brewery where we sucked down some EK hazies and pales. Mom, the U of M grad, chose a trippel for her THIRD brew.
Dinner at Max’s Wood Fire Grill In downtown Paducah. I had jambalaya. Grade = A, but a dubious practice regarding the prices on their menu. Mom had cavatappi.
We were going to stay in Paducah two nights, but The Boss now says one.
We are now back in our motel room. Mom just finished watching The Voice and is now watching Manifest. If I am lucky enough to make it to purgatory, it will not be worse.
Keep it light. Keep it mellow. Wash your hands as if you just handled jalapeño peppers and were now going to put in your contact lenses. (Got that from Jenna Bush.) Hello to the spouses, the Gorgeous Creatures and the four legged friends.
The Old Kin Tuck Traveler.
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Mar 10 HELLO FROM SOUTH BELOIT
Hello. We drove 436 miles to get from Paducah to SBI. All but 10 of those miles were in Illinois.
We started the day with greftas at Kirchhoff’s, a deli in downtown Paducah. We each had a bacon & cheese croissant. Quite suck-you-lant. Right next door through an opening in a shared wall is Etcetera, a funky coffee shop which shares space with a small clothing store. It’s the kind of place SLP needs for its fledgling downtown in the Walker/Lake hood. Then spent 2 hours in the National Quilt Museum. I surprised myself by thinking it was great. I will send a picture or two. The artistry is amazeballs. (Is that Jill’s term?)
I hate to say it, but Illinois is a very long, boring state. Flatter than a mah-hmm. Not much to look at except for the southern quarter which is heavily forested. My favorite town name is Effingham. Lunch was Cheeseboogers at Culver’s in Mount Vernon, a medium size burg in southern Illinois.
Couldn’t get a room in Rockford for < $200 due to high school basketball and wrestling tournaments in the area — price gouging? — so we drove 15 minutes up the pike to South Beloit. Had spagootz and meatsataballza in a super little Italian restaurant here called Anna Maria’s. Talked to the co-owner cook, a nice Italiano of the female persuasion. Let the women play through!
Should be home tomorrow afternoon. We will have been gone 24 days. Looking forward to seeing all o’ yuz.
The Old Paisano
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Mar 11 HELLO FROM ST. LOUIS PARK
Hello boys & girls,
While it is true that less than three of you inquired as to whether I would be offering a final installment of my round trip road adventures with Momma Cuan, there may be a completist among you whom I would not want to let down. As you probably know, a completist feels compelled to own or experience every single one of a series of things (for lack of a better word within my limited vocabulary), often for no other reason than to come full circle, as it were. For example, I have no burning desire to visit Connecticut except for the fact that it is one of only three states in which I have never set foot. (The other two are West Virginia and Hawaii, both of which I would very much enjoy visiting.) Another personal example is the TV show Lost. I thought the first two or three seasons were very good. The fourth and fifth seasons showed signs of mediocrity, so much so that toward the end of the fifth season the lazy writing made it apparent the whole endeavor was falling apart. Nevertheless I decided to endure the sixth and final season in the interest of completeness. Shame on me. The final season was the worst of them all.
I can’t leave you wondering if we ever made it home from South Beloit. Spoiler Alert: We did!
The hardest part about driving through Cheese Land on a Wednesday morning is keeping the mph within a reasonable level above the speed limit. Seven above is about all I’m willing to risk. The Wisconsin Highway Patrol is notorious for setting speed traps along the interstate. Those guys are sneaky devils, hiding under bridges and on medians at the end of down slopes. I’m happy to report that on this trip I did manage to avoid the long arm of the law.
As we approached Eau Claire we started to get hungry and decided to bypass several McDonald's while patiently hoping there’d be a Culver’s. We eventually saw a sign indicating Culver’s was off an exit ramp a few miles beyond Eau Claire. It wasn’t until we actually took the exit that we saw a second sign revealing Culver’s was 3.5 miles away. We should have returned immediately to the interstate but by this time we were really craving Culver’s. To make a long story short, we drove ten miles out of our way on a country road and never found the Culver’s. We ended up settling for Mac & Don’s west of Eau Claire after all.
We hit Minneapolis at 2:15, not early enough to avoid westbound rush hour traffic on I-94. On second thought the traffic snarl is like a permanent condition more than merely rush hour. I opted to exit at Riverside, then zig zagged our way home through south Minny and around Lake Of The Isles. We pulled into the QE driveway at exactly 3:00. Our driveway is 320 miles from South Beloit.
The route home was 1737 miles from Fort Myers, compared to the 1848 miles I drove to get there. That is the difference between driving through Paducah in western Kentucky versus driving through Lexington in eastern Kentucky. The former is a hypotenuse route; the latter is more of a right angle. In total we put 3791 miles on our car during the twenty-four days we were gone. Some people might call us crazy for driving instead of flying, but our theory is that the journey provides opportunities and memories which a flyer would miss.
I love you all.
The Old Completist
What’s up with Momma’s peanut butter Sammy on Feb 19 post? You’re being funny, I presume, but if like you know what she ate.
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