Update - it's been a while

I have been asked many times why am I not posting on my blog anymore. The fact is my schedule for posting has always been erratic and this is no different. Please review point nine of the FAQ. You will see that I post when the spirit moves me and it hasn't moved my lately. 

I have continued my adventures since we last met up but configuring the remote home base and new travel platform took some time. I am comfortable at this point to share what I have but I do expect further refinements after my first longer term trip in a few weeks (more on that below). Here is my current setup from a road ready perspective. 

Toyota 4Runner with a roof top storage container. Ok, not much to see. 

I have taken multiple short trips with this configuration and I am comfortable with it for that purpose. I have a platform I built which allows me to have a bed in the back along with window screens and covers for stealthy sleeping. I have a power system, refrigerator, and other needed items for basic comfort. The roof top box holds other gear (tent, chairs, portable dog crate, camping equipment, et.al.) so I have the flexibility to car camp, tent camp, stealth camp, go to a hotel, or rent a unit (house/condo/cabin) all on the same trip as the need arises. I have tested out all of these modes with this configuration and it has been great.  I will make an effort to include some internal pictures next time.

I have made two trips back to Wisconsin in the last few months. The first was to celebrate B&L getting married. It was a lovely private ceremony and several great meals. Oddly enough, Big Foot failed to show up for the event but I did my best to continue my searching. 

We did check out a brewery in West Allis. It was a charming location with proper signage for controlling pests.

B and I checked out downtown Waukesha for Big Foot. 

Lucy relaxing while Ozzy looks on bewildered by her sheer laziness. 

On my second trip to Wisconsin in October, I also made my way up to the Green Bay area. I had a lovely time visiting C&D and then B&L. I also had a periodic medical procedure that is recommended for people with my years of experience. I stayed at hotel to make it less onerous for others and increased privacy. All went well but during a particularly sensitive moment of preparation, when one would not want to wander far from the place of preparation, the fire alarms went off. Thankfully I was on the first floor so evacuation, if needed, would have been easy. Needless to say, I didn't perish in a fire and it was a false alarm so no need to evacuate (the building). 

View of the Fox River in De Pere. 

I also made a trip to the Buffalo River National Park in Arkansas. I went on a lovely hike and checked out a cool cavern and a great view of the Buffalo River. Actually I made two trips as it was very pretty at two different times (for the astute viewer of tree leaves) but whatever.

View out of the cavern,. It was quite large and yet no Big Foot.

View of the river as the water levels are quite low.

I made a trip to Kentucky and visited the site of my place from last summer. I setup a tent and the dogs and I had a lovely time visiting with friends we made last year. You can see the dogs are flexible in their accommodations and as long as I am able to provide for them and spend time with them, they are happy. I am enjoying a lovely cup of coffee (utilizing the pour over method) and a pastry from a patisserie near my fortress of solitude. 

I have also experimented with other activities in case I have been wrong about Big Foot being in breweries, wineries, et. al. and that included fly fishing. I was able to catch several fish on my first time out and I had an absolute blast. If Big Foot would take up fishing, I can see how this would be a preferred method. It was all catch and release so it never got messy. I had a really nice time on what is known as one of the top trout fishing rivers in the nation and it certainly helped having a skilled guide. 

White River. No not the one in Wisconsin. 

I made a trip out east to Virginia again this year. For those keeping track (which is me), that makes the fourth year in a row I have been to Virginia in the fall. While I love the area, that seems rather excessive. For the curious, I stayed in a hotel, Airbnb, and stealth camped at a rest area and truck stop. I had planned on seeing the Blue Ridge Parkway but it was closed due to damage from excessive rains. 

Several of my brothers and their families were in the DC area to celebrate B&L's wedding. This included J&L, J&M, J&K, J&S, S&N+O, K&B+R, J, and E. Obviously B&L were there along with Lucy, and Ozzy. Once again the anonymizer has been stuck using the letter J to represent my siblings exclusively, Very confusing.

Literally the only photo I took in DC, Some building. It was pretty, I have no idea why I chose to take the pictures I do. What can I say, I'm a treat (shout out to M for stealing her line).

View of the Shenandoah Valley. Yea, yea, been there done that.

I have a few extra brewery pictures in my collection so I thought I'd include them here. They are from the last few months and in no way represents the limit of where I've been. They are just the ones I chose to take pictures of. As I mentioned, I have no rhyme or reason to what I photograph or when, 

I found a small brewery in southern Missouri (Beach Bums). Lovely outdoor space and some of the beer was excellent. The food truck outside made a nice sandwich and the dogs were relatively normal and behaved.

Another Missouri brewery - the Public House off of I-44. There is also a winery next door so prime Big Foot territory but Big Foot didn't stop by this day. Dogs slightly less well behaved but may have been a big stir crazy from the road. 

As I mentioned, I have setup my fortress of solitude where I can launch these adventures from. As you can see the dogs have settled in and are in their usual positions - Lucy on my lap and Ozzy on the leather furniture. 

Lucy wondering why I am not petting her.

Ozzy relaxing and enjoying the couch, 

Sculpture garden at a nearby college

As previously indicated, I have further travel plans ahead. I have a several week trip planned for the southwest coming up shortly. This will be a longer term test of my travel setup as I intend to see Arizona (Grand Canyon), along with Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. If there are issues I will have time to address them before my massive trip to Alaska next summer. I can either build a custom trailer (or modify an existing small trailer), or do a custom buildout of a small van if my current setup proves to be insufficient for my long awaited Alaskan adventure. I figure it will take between two and three months for the Alaska. People have asked if I will be going alone and no, I plan on bringing both dogs. I do plan on driving the roughly 12,000 round trip so it should be quite an adventure as they are unable to share driving duties.

I would like to promise to do a better job on posting updates, but I despise lying. 

Until next time, 

Thor

braxwood.com

I'm back

For those curious, yes I'm alive and well and back again. If you recall from the last posting, I indicated that my hunt has been compromised. I determined that by indicating the blog had ended, I could shake the nefarious cabal that is persecuting cryptids for their own insidious reasons. Hopefully this worked and I can once again pursue my prey without risking them to further exploitation. 

Welcome to the next phase of the adventures of Thor Braxwood. This is the entry mat to my secret lair. 

I have decided to develop a secret base of operations where I can continue my adventures without being discovered. It needed to be centrally located and a bit off the grid. It also needed close proximity to several breweries so I can be sure that I am ready for whatever happens next. After an extensive search, I have located such a place. I won't disclose my location on this site, but be assured that I am in a very natural state and it does feel like home. The timing of the acquisition for my fortress of solitude was not what I expected and I have been forced to redomesticate myself in a hurry. This means I have not been able to travel as much since my last posting but I have made multiple trips to and from Wisconsin as I had to relocate the contents of my storage unit. I have also tested out my new adventure vehicle and did a trip to Michigan with a quick test of the stealthier camping platform.

We will also be exploring the nexus of cryptid and UFO/UAP sightings in these new adventures. Shout out to M&S for the hat.

I was able to visit both northeastern and southeastern Wisconsin along with seeing lots of friends. Obviously this included seeing B&L and C&D. Since this all happened over a month (or nearly two) ago, the details are now fuzzy with all of the house and travel platform changes. To ease my cognitive burden, I will simply provide a series of captioned photos, Long time readers will recognize this format as I have had to do this in past when similar bouts of laziness occurred. I failed to take photos at a number of places so there are gaps in my timeline. To make it even more confusing, I have also not placed this in any chronological order. Truly a mess, thankfully this is all covered in the FAQ. 

Hunting hounds still alive and well and on the lookout for cryptids

Eagle Park in Muskego, WI

Ope Brewery, West Allis. Amy and I lived about 4 blocks from this location back in the day. It was not a brewery then but rather resembled Gary, Indiana. Much nicer now!

Raised Grain with a few former co-workers who also fled the workforce.  

Parlor Brewing in Mountain Home, AR. Excellent beer and a perfect pour.

Damage from a tornado. That dock is flipped upside down and the boat placed on top like a cherry on s sundae. Have to admire the power of a tornado.

Food at a brewery, I will hold off naming this place as it is close to the secret lair that I have established as a base of future travel.

Crush Wine Bar in Arkansas, Very much a lounge vibe and unexpected treat in a rural area.

Moved into the new secret lair, I have repurposed my RV and camping furniture for this space. It is very airy and casual.

The Bank in Port Austin, MI. It rained a ton whilst we (J&M) dined outside.  

Thumb Brewing, Caseville, MI. Good beer and good food plus live music on the weekends in the summer. 

Sunset over Lake Huron. Stupid pretty

Back at Thumb Brewing with J&M along with B&L. Dogs stayed back at the cottage.

Not going to lie, I love the sunsets at J&M's cottage. This was from their front yard overlooking Lake Huron, 

Fireworks over a lake near the secret lair, I'm most amazed at how the camera's image processing decides to lighten up the sky. This is why I sometimes think about carrying an actual camera so pictures can match reality. Then I decide that is too much work, If there was only a way to carry around stuff with you when you go out and about other than your pockets. Alas, they have not made such a device.

What is next for Thor? I am continuing to outfit the adventure vehicle and planning on some test trips as I finalize my configuration. I am planning for trips that will include tent camping, stealth sleeping, hotels, house rentals, cruises, and railroad. There is the possibility of a return to Hawaii and of course Alaska is in the future. That will include a boat portion in order to see everything and the hunting hounds will need to sit that out. I am still trying to figure out the optimal way to do that while still being sensitive to their needs. If you have met Ozzy and Lucy you will know how needy they really are.

Until next time,

Thor

braxwood.com

Arkansas and what's next....... the end.

We finish up our time in Texas, free ourselves of the RV, and explore northern Arkansas in this final installment of the adventures of Thor Braxwood. Yes, you read that correctly, this is the final installment in this blog series but the adventures will continue. More on that later (that's a teaser in the biz). 

The sun is setting over this blog, but that doesn't mean the end of the adventure. 

I spent some time in downtown Paris, TX. Much like its namesake, it has businesses and parks along with people. In order to experience the full effect, I went to a cigar bar as second hand smoke is very European.

I had a very expensive old fashioned and I had to pay a membership fee to join. How was it? It was a good $12 drink, but I paid $28.I have not included the name as there is one cigar bar in town and I assume you can find it off the main square. The owner is nice and friendly but at these prices, I will not be back as I don't smoke cigars.

Park in downtown with a beautiful fountain.

As I indicated, I have sold the RV. I was able to pack everything up into the pickup and clean out the trailer. In case you are curious, RVs are a better investment than a boat but no where as good as a new car or Dogecoin from May of 2021 to today. 

One final look inside

The hunting hounds squeezed in the front seat as the back was full along with the bed of the truck. Basically my RV contents had to be loaded in the truck. The downside of homelessness is that your vehicle is packed.

Our next stop was Arkansas. I have visited the state before but this time I focused my search for Bigfoot in the northwest portion of the state (NWA - not to be confused with the musical group). This area is booming and holds many locations where one would expect to locate a cryptid in search of a good time. Obviously I was without a trailer, so I rented an Airbnb for my time there. 

First stop - Natural State Beer. Good options and delicious. It was a bit pricey but certainly not Maine expensive.

Our next stop was at Ozark Beer. They had a nice patio space and since the hunting hounds and I had just finished a training exercise in tracking of cryptids, we decided to check out the space. The joy of mid-day drinking is that you are often given a lot of space and the people you meet at the bar are more interesting. In this case we sat outside a table away from others so the dogs could relax and keep an eye out for Big Foot. Image 10 picnic tables set up outside and I am at one of them. Naturally the next people would take a table at least one away from me, but that did not happen. They sat right next to me. Then one of them lit up their cigarette and started smoking. I guess that is your right, as it is legal for someone to stand next to you at a line of urinals, but that doesn't make it ok. C'mon people, some common courtesy please. We relocated for the next beer to a different table and baked in the sun.

Lucy wanting to know if she could have one too. The answer was no, she had to share. At least she wasn't smoking.

While in NWA, I also had to check out surrounding areas. This included sites previously documented on the adventure in Mountain Home - Rapp's Barren and Stories Whiskey Bar. We also checked out a new brewery in .town - Parlor Brewing. Great beer and decent prices. Plus one of the gentlemen working there had done some work at Point Beach for NextEra. 

Parlor Brewing. Nice people, good beer, decent prices. This is prime Big Foot hunting territory.

I also decided to check out eastern Oklahoma since it was right next door. If you have only been to western Oklahoma you are missing out on the prettiest part of the state. I went on a hike with someone I had met through mutual friends and they brought their dog while mine rested at the Airbnb. 

Natural Falls State Park was lovely. The trails went for miles and the scenery was stunning. Seriously, check out eastern Oklahoma, you will be pleasantly surprised.

No visit to NWA would be complete without checking out Eureka Springs. I met up with some friends (S&S) and enjoyed the wood carving event in town. Next stop was at Gotahold Brewing and we relaxed in their outside space and enjoyed an excellent food truck meal. It had the vibe of a north woods space with the trees and pine needles except it was April, I was in shorts and sandals, and I was comfortable. 

Outside beers are served in metal cups to avoid breakage. Pretty clever,

After trekking around the area in search of Big Foot, I decided to check out a local historical site. The battle of Pea Ridge in the Civil War was the largest battle up to that point in the western theater. The Union victory there (along with the following victory at nearby Prairie Grove) allowed the Union to secure Missouri and NWA for the Union and effectively ended Confederate action in the far west.

Canons lined up on the battlefield. The final victory for the Union had a line of soldiers over a mile long in the attack. Apparently the sight was so terrifying with the sun glinting off the bayonets that many left the field to avoid the charge. 

As the search for cryptids cannot rest for too long, I knew I had to get back at the chase. I have suspected for awhile that the secret cabal was tracking my movements so I decided to lay a trap for them by carefully selecting my next stops.

Had a great beer and street tacos from the food truck at Bentonville Brewing. Decent beer and a good bar space. Too many bougie people for Big Foot but still a nice visit.

A stop at New Province was a welcome relief from the heavy thunderstorm that came through. Beer was good and they have a very large production facility. 

I enjoyed a glass of wine and a nice treat at Ramo d'Olivio in Bentonville. Good wine selection but no sign of Big Foot (as I suspected).

Rendezvous Junction was also great. The bartender had lived in Milwaukee but was from Illinois (Bears fan) and a couple at the bar was from Pulaski, WI. I have been to Pulaski and it is not large so I found it amusing to run into people in the middle of the day drinking at a bar and they are from a small town in Wisconsin. Really, what are the odds? Seems like my trap has been tripped.

I saw this on a vehicle and thought it would be an ideal final image for my blog. 

As  I have mentioned, this is the final entry in my blog. I have suspected for some time that my hunt has been compromised. I have already gotten rid of my RV and I will be getting a different vehicle to travel in but I will not be mentioning it here. The organization has been thwarting my search and I have to be more stealthy in my endeavors. I know this may disappoint my most loyal followers but be assured that my adventure and hunt will continue. I have made some amazing discoveries and I believe I am closer than ever to finding Big Foot and several other cryptids. I would like to share more but I know that Big Brother is reading this blog. Let's just say that I am very close to a major break through, but I have been sworn to confidentiality on the details. Just know that there is a counter group to the cabal which is actually protecting Big Foot from their efforts to exploit and profit off of Big Foot's image and likeness. It turns out Big Foot is the victim in this and I will not do anything to bring any more exposure of Big Foot to the nefarious elements of that secret coterie of powerful forces. The secret group that I thought was protecting Big Foot turns out to be only trying to stop people from finding Big Foot so they can continue to sell merchandise, TV shows, and movies about Big Foot and not out of any concern for Big Foot. Truly an evil group and I am thankful I have avoided supporting their ends by attempting to profit off of my search in any way. We all must do our part to protect Big Foot from those that seek to profit from this majestic creature. 

I am always open to sharing my adventures but I have not yet determined how to safely do this without risking Big Foot's exposure to those that would seek to make money off of the cryptid. Until I figure out a good way, I will be forced to go "radio silent". Be assured though that I will not end the adventure.

As always, and forever,

Thor

Texas - all wrapped up PLUS the Sun

My search for cryptids continues once more. I wrapped up my time in the hill country area of Texas and then made a large looping circle towards Abilene before going north of Dallas and then onto Paris to experience the total eclipse. More on the eclipse but first I have to address questions I have gotten on how my search is going and if I have found Big Foot or any other cryptids yet. First off, I am eminently confident in my search methodology and targeting of breweries, wineries, distilleries, cafes, coffee shops, et. al. as those are the places one would expect to find beings tired of be hunted in their natural habitat and so go there to hide from the general searcher. But then one asks, why am I still searching. I have become convinced that the only logical conclusion is that the secret global cabal that has been suppressing all public disclosure of the cryptid population has finally caught up with my searches. I have been tantalizing close many times only to have victory snatched away at the last moment like a referee in close game calling a penalty when none existed. Clearly changes will need to be made to allow me to shake these nefarious quasi-illuminati. More on that later.

Last picture of my site in Spring Branch. Should you ever find yourself in the area, stay at Spring Branch RV Park. Tell Paige and Mike hi as they are awesome. I could have stayed there for years which is why it was important to get out before I had a Hotel California situation. 

Enjoying one last latte at Buchannan's in Blanco. Really nice place with tasty looking bakery. Upcharge for oat milk, but it beats the stomach pain I get with real milk.

More cool root pictures of the trees on the Guadalupe River

At the top of the hill you can see for miles. Quite lovely

Lucy doing her thing (laying down and being lazy)

Ozzy always ready for the next adventure

Great view of the flora of the area

I like this picture. No real reason other than I like trees. That is a nice tree. Oh, I like that boulder, that is a nice boulder.

Unfortunately as I left the hill country I also left the brewery, winery, and cute cafes for the more open spaces of Texas. The upside of this was that I was unable to go to many establishments in my search as I would have liked. I instead was forced to go on long hikes with and without the hunting hounds. I will share a smattering of these pictures but as I look at them again, they fail to capture the scenery. It was actually very lovely with a mixture of cactus, trees, scrub bushes, and grasses. It also looks pretty similar despite from being different parks. Now to be fair, I wasn't driving all that far so it shouldn't be surprising. 

Got a great spot right on the water at Lake Brownwood State Park

Lake Brownwood. Rained for few days so the trails were a bit wet

Ozzy leading the way

Lucy coming back so I can pick her up and carry her. I have heard it referred to as "coddling" but I prefer to think of it as enabling. 

Sunsets were pretty at this park

As I said, it was lovely. This is one of those instagram style pictures to sell you on the lifestyle. It was actually awesome here and just as picturesque as this looks

One more gratuitous sunset picture

Someone put this heart shaped cactus on the tree along one of the trails. I found it interesting and lovely, but I am not sure if this was sent to a woman would she it cute or would she think it means my heart is full of pointy needles. 

I also was able to see an American Bison (aka buffalo) at one of the places I stayed. The actual park was not worth talking about but the laundry facilities were clean and that was my reason for visiting.

Bison kept as a tourist attraction. Actually not a bad life and far better than spending a lifetime in a cubicle

Finally found a cute place. I had lunch here and headed back to the bar later. Their old fashioned was grossly overpriced but they are well intentioned so I'll let it slide. To make it even I won't mention any names.

My next park was Possum Kingdom State Park. I chose it from the title of a Toadies song which seemed to be as good of reason to stay at a place as any.

I found this humorous. I think this is a solid idea as snakes in the shower or toilet would be weird, whereas snakes on a plane would be a movie.

Sunrise while walking the dogs. I should mention that sun rises at about 7:30 am so I was not up too early.

Another state park on a lovely lake

View from the top of the hill. Great hiking trails here and one even had a greater than 20 degree incline. That was a workout.

I got to experience a nice hail storm. I recorded several videos of the sound as it was like someone was firing at the trailer. Thankfully no damage to the truck or camper as the hail was larger than a quarter (which is about one inch). 

I then made my way to Denton, TX. I had been there before in my working life as I installed an automation system in a distribution center there back in the 1990's when I was an engineer. The city has grown a lot since then.

Denton County Brewing. Great bar space for patrons a good selection of beer. 

East Side bar in Denton. They had a plethora of craft beers on tap and food trucks outside. This stout is the Luck O' the Squatch out of Sherman, TX. 

I picked up my brother JT (remember the super computer has been providing two character randomly generated letters for my siblings while everyone else is getting a single character) at the airport as he joined me for the solar eclipse. For the first time in many years I had a human co-pilot while towing the trailer as we headed to Paris and the county fair grounds for the Escapees/Xscapers RV Club's gathering. The dogs didn't appreciate being delegated to the back seat as they felt they had done a great job as co-pilots as they had seen my son B doing the job years before and they knew that they had slept as well as he did. Alas.

The gathering (technically called a Bash) was awesome. The people in this club are very nice and helpful and are fellow travelers but not all full time on the road like me. Many are though so it is nice to have other people who understand the ups and downs of the road. I even joined the retirees (nearly all under 65) for a social event called "Day Drinking". 

I have shared this story several times, but I will also include this here as it was amazing. Originally the long range forecast had predicted rain for Sunday through Wednesday. As it turned out Saturday and Sunday were sunny and pleasant in the mid to upper 70s.  On Monday morning it was clear with some high clouds but by 10 am the clouds had rolled in and it was officially overcast with an occasional glimpse of the sun. I looked at the satellite imagery of the cloud cover and wind direction and based upon my electrical engineering experience I knew the clouds would dissipate. As the time of the eclipse started (about 12:30 pm) we all gathered in the main area of the grounds to experience it together. What we primarily experienced was a peak at the sun through the clouds every few minutes. Despite this disappointment, we could still see the moon slowing moving and blocking the sun. Again, convinced that the clouds would blow away we waited patiently for the totality which was expected around 1:45 pm. Finally at about 1:25 pm in the distance we could see the edge of the clouds and blue sky beyond. As the wind continued to do its job, at about ten minutes before totality we had a clear unobstructed view of the sun and moon. The temperature continued to drop and it got darker and darker. Finally totality hit and everyone cheered and then just sat in awe at what we were experiencing. It was beautiful and lasted for over four minutes. The time flew by and as the moon made its way and the sun reappeared, the temperature instantly increased and brightness returned to earth. I highly recommend that once in your life you make the effort to see a total eclipse as the difference between 99% and 100% is greater than you can ever imagine. I took pictures but digital cameras try to do too much to make it all look right without proper filters. Thankfully several people at the Bash had the proper filters and were able to capture what we could see with our bare eyes. And yes, at the peak of the totality I did stare at the sun without the glasses so now you know I am a rebel and a bad boy.

This was the best I could do with my cameras.

This is what it looked like for most the eclipse, It's hard to describe the experience other than it was awful. Literally, I was full of awe.

As the moon transitioned, we got a bit of a glow. Or for those of you with vision issues, that is also what it could look like. 

When in Paris, one needs to see the Eifel Tower. This one comes with a giant red cowboy hat so it's amazing. Take that France.

Right next door is a great memorial to veterans. Seriously impressive and sad at the same time.

Every night of the Bash, they have entertainment. This was a very loud band that really rocked. It would have been better to have been outside, but what I have not mentioned is the severe storms we received after the eclipse that ended up flooding everything including the grassy fields where we camped and where the stage is located. No pictures of that as it is not good content.

107 Restaurant and Beer Garden. Catfish was delicious and they serve craft beers from the area. I had my first catfish last year in Kentucky and I can't believe I have gone this long without having this fish. It is so much better than cod, perch, trout, and even walleye (blasphemy I know).  

I am at the Bash for a few more days, and then headed to sell the trailer on consignment. Yes, I could sell it for more by myself but then I would likely need to have a place where one would sell the trailer. As I intend to move faster over the next few months that means storing the trailer somewhere. Despite years of working for a utility, doubling down on sunk costs and keeping depreciating assets are not my thing therefore I am more interested in getting rid of this platform so I can move on to whatever is next. Sometimes the quickest way off the ledge is to jump and that is my current plan. I have not come to resolution yet but I will continue to keep you in the loop. Looking over my blogs you would know that I have stayed in hotels, a Shepard's hut, cottages, in addition to RVs. As a matter of fact, I didn't decide on a RV despite owning many over the years until I bought my teardrop a month before hitting the road. It was never my intent to stay with an RV but rather to explore using whatever makes sense at the time. Whatever happens next, I will need to become more stealthy to avoid the aforementioned international secret cabal suppressing knowledge of Big Foot and other cryptids. More on this to come. 

Also I plan on being in Wisconsin in May for the month splitting my time betwixt B (SEWI) and C (NEWI). If you are interested in meeting up in person, let me know as I would love to see y'all.

Until next time,

Thor

braxwood.com