Leaving Wisconsin (again) and the year wrap up

Wrapping up my search in Wisconsin, I continued to meet with family and friends. I was unable to see everyone and even worse I was unable to dedicate sufficient time to the hunt for Big Foot but I suppose even daring adventurers need some time off. 

Clearly, not a beer

I have met with many people but it is hard to list every person. One can assume their designed alias is mentioned at some point in this post embedded in a word somewhere. If you look closely you will be able to identify yourself. If you need assistance, please let me know and I can tell you where to go. 

I was able to make a few more stops at familiar locations (Runaway, Main Event, Copper State, Water Street Brewery) and some other local establishments in the greater Milwaukee and Green Bay areas. These locations have been scouted thoroughly for Big Foot and I have not seen any indication of a recent visit by that wily creature. I will need to visit on occasion to be sure, but I will also need to continue looking elsewhere.

Main Event in Burlington

Copper State in Green Bay

Right to left: B, L, D, C, and some random vagabond

Taking a break from the search, I was able to attend C's graduation from St Norbert College. It was great seeing C&D and B&L along with D's family. Both B and C graduated in four years with honors and have "real" jobs lined up right after graduation (and own houses!). The credit for that goes to them. They are both outstanding individuals, wonderful children, and now responsible adults. When Amy and I decided to have children, we did it knowing that we were having children to make the world a better place. We intentionally raised them to be independent and thinking adults who would support themselves and become positive members of society. What we didn't expect was that they would go through this process without a mother. I have read plenty of literature on this topic and while many children do fine after the loss of a mother, there is a substantial amount that do not. I know it has not been easy for either B or C, but they have grown and become incredibly resilient people. Having the graduation on Mother's Day was a nice reminder that even though our moms may no longer be here, they are always with us.   

Now that I have stopped crying, allow me to get back to the rest of the blog.

I want to provide empirical and experiential information on my first 12 months on my nomadic adventure in search of the inexplicable Big Foot along with other cryptozoological creatures. I’m posting this on 5/22/23, the one year anniversary of becoming nomadic  

First, the numbers. During the visit to Ireland and Scotland, I drove about 1500 miles and covered over 8000 miles by air. Looking at only the RV portion of the trip, I have driven about 12,000 miles. To be fair, I have driven far more than that, but that is only the towing miles between sites and excludes side trips including my purchase of a new truck. Speaking of sites, I have slept in 73 different locations in my first year. That means I have woken up at least 20% of the time having to remember where I was that day. Excluding my European adventure, I have been in 62 different campgrounds or places for the night. Combined, it all works out to 5 days on average at a given location.

From a cost perspective, my average camping cost per night over the first year was $28.18. I’ve lowered that per night cost, and I expect the costs in 2023 to be about 30% lower than 2022 thanks to my secret mission in Kentucky along with some longer stays and aggressive use of Harvest Host locations along with continued boondocking and drydocking opportunities. Approximately half the time was spent in private parks and the rest was spent in public campgrounds or mooching off others. Private campgrounds offer a reasonable rate for month long stays (or longer) and will be a mainstay in winter for me. The average cost (including electricity and propane during the winter was $19/day which is quite affordable for full hookups (water, electricity, and sewer) and a community to hang out with.

I have already mentioned that I have now spent at least one night in 25 states. If my plans for this fall play out as I currently intend, that should be up to 38 by the end of the year. Feel free to review the blogs for the details. This also means that I will have spent at least one night in 49 states as an adult by November. Only Alaska awaits my visit. I never set this as a goal but it seems pretty easy to accomplish so I figure why not.

I have not tracked the number of adult beverages consumed, but I feel comfortable saying it has been more than three.

Sometimes a picture works better for those visual people. 

Ireland and Scotland

Travel adventure in the United States

Now for my impressions. When I was six weeks into this adventure, I noted a few things in a blog post which I am sure everyone has read as the pearls of wisdom are strewn throughout all of my posts (this being the 35^th), or perhaps you read my 6 month update.  The observations still stand. The dirt and bugs have gotten better with a bigger trailer as there is more room for the dirt to hide and the fancy euro style windows in my last trailer let in a lot of bugs. Nevertheless, there are still bugs and dirt. The dogs have adapted to this life quickly as they are just happy since they are with me always. 

I really enjoy exploring new areas along with familiar ones. I love traveling - getting a feel for the people and new areas and how truly nice most people are in this world. There is far more that unites us and I think it is important to remember that as we get bogged down in the day to day. There are places I would like to get back to and spend more time in (Arkansas for example) and places I am not particularly interested in ever seeing again (looking at you Mississippi and Louisiana). 

I have tried to show mostly highlights but there are downsides too. The hassle of finding groceries and laundromats is always there and I have good and bad examples of both. The decision fatigue of having to plan every single day of where will I be and can I safely spend the night there with the dogs. You may not know where you will be on December 12th, but you know you have a place to sleep at least. I have the trailer but I may not be able to find a place to park it for the night safely. This is often why I plan 3 to 6 months in advance as I am not yet comfortable with taking too many chances with the dogs. Perhaps if I downsize to sleeping in a van or a truck camper and I park on the street at night, but with a trailer that is less of an option.

I still have no clue on how long I will continue this adventure. It could end tomorrow or in ten years. One cannot predict the future, so I am open to whatever comes next and I'm ready to greet it with an open mind and a grateful heart.

Speaking of what’s next, I will be spending this summer in a remote Department of Defense facility in Kentucky on an important undercover research project. There should be some opportunities for me to get away and visit old friends and family. Afterwards, I have a planned trip to the northeast. I have reservations or at least places identified to cover me through the end of November. After that I expect to head back to Texas for a few months or possibly somewhere more southwest. I really don’t have anything scheduled yet beyond a few key dates including the total solar eclipse in April of 2024 and Alaska in the summer of 2024.

The adventures will not end but the same cannot be said for this blog. No final decision has been made yet on the end of this blog, but if there is not another post, thank you for reading them as I have enjoyed writing them.

Until we see each other again,

Thor

North to Wisconsin

When last heard from, I was in southern Missouri. Lots of searching since then but I have once again lost track of time and my sojourn in southern Wisconsin is almost at an end. I would like to blame my continued internet connectivity issues or the brutally hard search for Big Foot but alas, it may be due more to my own forgetfulness about posting and thinking it hasn't been that long. For those that follow YouTubers that post regularly, you should know it takes a lot of time to produce that content plus scripting and editing. Blogging is far easier as I often have no clue what I am going to write until my fingers hit the keyboard. I can't even maintain a consistent schedule for this, but I do have a dog laying on my arms as I type so there is that.

My first stop was in Hannibal, Missouri. I decided to forgo the Mark Twain Cave tour but I did go to the campground. The closest brewery was a nano and they served the beer in plastic cups. Definitely a no no but I am very tolerant of incompetence as y'all know. The Great River Brewing Company was pretty new and was in a temporary location until their building was remodeled. The beer was quite delicious despite the faux pas of plastic drinkware so I decided to have several. Obviously there was no Big Foot there as Big Foot would have demanded proper drinkware.

A dark one. Apparently a short pour or I started drinking without taking a picture. You decide.

Some sort of Ale likely. I should really take notes but I am so busy drinking that I forget. Plus I do put in an app (Untappd) which I suppose I could reference for times like this but the aforementioned dog is weighing my arm down. 

There was a nearby winery so I decided to see if Big Foot decided to be hiding out there. Cave Hollow Winery was on the grounds of the campground and cave so I could walk there. I prefer that for drinking establishments as it removes any limitation on my exploring. Unfortunately due to Big Foot's penchant for better establishments, the cost becomes my limitation. The wine was quite nice as I sampled the dry reds which is my wheelhouse. No Big Foot and actually only one other customer so it was a quick visit.

Nice selection of wines

After Missouri I moved onto Iowa. I spent a night at a custom truck camper manufacturer and checked out their wares. I have been planning on seeing their shop for several years so I was happy to see the process and options. I have a spot in my heart for the truck camper concept as it would give me the best of van life without the overpriced van and ability to drop the camper if the situation warrants. It is one of the reasons I upgraded to the truck I upgraded to with the increased payload capacity. We shall see. I also stopped at a local bar for a bite. I didn't see Big Foot but there were plenty of other odd creatures. No tap beer and since I do not drink macro brews, I had limited options. I talked to a few people but the gentleman next to me was most interesting. In addition to the nature and content of his conversation with friends and the bartender, he would take shots of cheap booze (fireball whiskey mixed with some sort schnapps), and drink his "piss water" beer. He looked about 67 years old so I figured the old timer had a hard life. I was certainly surprised when he mentioned he was 55. Let's just say it was an interesting night, especially as the hail storms rolled through.

The next day I was in the area near where I purchased the current trailer. I wanted to get a suspension upgrade in anticipation of Alaska along with some minor repairs from the road and usage. The campground I planned on staying at was still closed for the season so I spent the first night in their parking lot and then after the repairs and upgrades, I went to stay at a different campground. There was plenty of rain and the puddles were all over including around the electrical post. I prefer to use electric space heat when I can as it is virtually free versus my propane. Thankfully I avoided electrocution this time. Decorah, Iowa was a surprise as it is a small town with several breweries, a cidery, and many local stores. 

The sun came out after the rains, and I took it as a positive sign. Of course there was snow on the truck the next morning which was not at all appreciated.

Toppling Goliath is a huge operation with international award winning beers. I can attest to the quality of their product and to top it off their food options were excellent. I had an amazing salad with grilled salmon and the assorted veggies that come with that. Very satisfying meal and excellent brews.

Toppling Goliath

The other local brewery was Pulpit Rock Brewing. Good selections but lacking any dark beers which was disappointing. There were a couple of guys from the Milwaukee area drinking in there and they were also staying at the local campground. Nice guys and certainly knew how to drink. I don't think they were also looking for Big Foot but it didn't matter as there was no sight of the creature there.

Pulpit Rock Brewing

The Convergence Cider Works was also a local gem. The cider was very good using all local apples and heritage varieties. They also had a nice menu and I had a lovely pesto sandwich and good conversation with both the server and the owner. They are typical of many small business owners in this industry. They have twelve irons in the fire and are constantly working and not just for financial reward but often out of a sense of commitment to the community and their chosen craft. I drink because I care. Unfortunately Big Foot was not seen this day.

Good ciders, I tend toward the drier ciders and not sweet and they had a good selection of both.

From Iowa I reentered Wisconsin, home of many odd and wonderful creatures. I was warned to avoid Wisconsin until mid May but between C's graduation and my top secret research assignment in Kentucky, it couldn't be helped. I was greeted with a Wisconsin spring, meaning it was 39 degrees and raining but don't worry it was just 80 degrees (which all visitors to the state seem to miss). I started my stay at another county park. Thankfully I had plenty of water and had dumped my tanks in Iowa as there was neither option available in the park but the location was good and it was open which is more than I could say about anywhere else. I eventually settled into a different private campground as the county park had a limitation of how long one could stay.

I was the only camper there 4 of the 6 days of my stay. I enjoyed the quiet and plenty of walking paths.

I was in Muskego, WI so while doing some laundry, I decided to check out a local coffee shop. Vintage Grounds was really nice and had a very relaxed vibe. They had what could be considered antiques including a rotary phone. The coffee was good but since I was on the dry cycle I had limited time and couldn't hang out too long. If you find yourself in the area, check them out. I wish I had more time to lounge there as I am sure if I waited long enough, Big Foot would have strolled in but alas, I had to go.

Leather furniture, kind of a chill vibe for a place full of caffeine

Since I was in the neighborhood and my favorite brewery was not open yet, I went to Eagle Park. They have decent brews but it is one of those industrial chic soulless places that are all over. The beer was very good, but look at that short pour. I should not be paying for that much foam. It came out of their tip so let that be a lesson to every beer pourer - that is on you!

Black Ale at Eagle Park

Thankfully I was able to go The Runaway several times when I was in the area. That place continues to impress me as I travel around and remains my favorite. Their Schwarzbier is second to none and they have added a number of sandwiches to their menu. Based upon some sage advice from the brewer, J, I had a great panini and a relaxing time. I stopped by several other times and enjoyed a couple more beverages and some of their food. I also had my traditional humus tray which is packed with pita wedges, veggies and really good humus. I was able to get a couple of crowlers to enjoy later. I just have to remember to not drink them first (I still have beer from New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Iowa to drink). 

Just wanted to point out that I don't just drink, I do eat relatively healthy too. The dark bitterness of the beer paired well with the freshness of the tomatoes. Actually who cares, I like the food and I like the beer. 

I am off to the greater Green Bay area for C's graduation on Mother's Day. It will be a wonderful celebration as both B and C will have graduated in a timely manner which is all one hopes for from their children. In addition, both had high GPAs which is an indication of at least attending a couple of classes along the way so another bonus. Of course, it would be a far happier and more wonderful Mother's Day if Amy was still with us physically to celebrate. We will have to settle for her spirit and memory as she is in our hearts always. Life doesn't always go to plan, in fact it rarely does, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't plan or think to the future. We owe it to our loved ones to keep searching and improving ourselves. Never give up, never surrender.

I will update again after the graduation and I am in Kentucky for my research project. I plan on providing some data around my first year of nomad wandering and plans for the future.

Until next time.

Thor

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