Keweenaw Pennisula - The Cowlick of Michigan's Upper Pennisula

I headed further north in an attempt to outrun the heat, but I overshot. I found a municipal campground near Houghton, Michigan and the day I arrived it was 55 degrees. Thankfully it warmed up to the pleasant 70s making this a beautiful area but I have seen pictures that imply that it is a bit colder in winter.

C'mon - you see it too. It’s a cowlick

Based upon the advice of the previously mentioned co-worker, L, I headed to Quincy Mine, I don't believe that Big Foot was hiding out there but based upon my extensive scientific research, Big Foot does enjoy a nice tour and visitor center . It was a fascinating tour of the mine and hearing the history of the area. For thousands of years, copper mining has been going on in this region when the native peoples would find chunks on the ground. Ancient smelting areas have been discovered in the region and when explorers were in the St Laurence River, the native peoples told of the copper found in this region so it was a big deal. The mine is no longer profitable to operate since apparently there are now safety concerns and care for human life which was nonexistent back in the day. The mine tour was definitely worth it but mining back in the day really sucked. Plus there was no Big Foot.

Steam powered lift. This thing is f#$ing huge

I headed to Houghton for a closer look at the downtown area and possibly catch up with elusive prey. First stop was the Ambassador restaurant. Following Amy's ever sage advice I ordered a vegetarian pizza and added sausage. It was delicious and the restaurant was an interesting place to hang out. The downtown Houghton area has a really fun vibe and it reminded me a bit of the mountain towns in Colorado. Having Michigan Tech in town really helps to make the place very livable (again I have heard rumors of snow but I saw no evidence in mid July). Next stop was very much in Big Foot's line of thinking, The Keweenaw Brewing Company (KBC) was a micro-brewery with many fine selections on tap. The place was pretty big with both inside and outside opportunities to partake in their product. Alas no Big Foot but some very fine brews.

Ambassador Restaurant - nice gnomes

KBC beer board

Knowing Big Foot's penchant for cutesy places, jams, breads, and monasteries, I headed to Jampot. This is a little shop that sells the products made by a local monastery. It was an interesting history of their struggle to develop their community and having to fight against various bureaucratic nonsense - both secular and religious. The place is right next to a waterfall and located on the road and next to Lake Superior so it is a convenient place to visit if you find yourself near the tip of the top of Michigan.

Jampot. Support their mission

Right next door, like it was planned

Next based upon my former coworker C's advice, I went to Copper Harbor. If Keweenaw peninsula is the cowlick, this is the split end at the top. It was a beautiful town with many cute little shops which apparently was appealing to women, but not Big Foot. I decided to head over to the northern most microbrewery in Michigan, Brickside Brewery. I had the dogs with me on this trip so we couldn't sit inside so we instead sat outside on their patio and had to suffer under the sunny skies and pleasant temperatures. They did a good job relaxing but they were unable to locate Big Foot. I may have had several sips of their product and I may have taken a growler to go. In any event, you weren't there so you really don't know for sure. Since Big Foot was not to be seen, I decided that my time there was done (it had been a few hours and no sign of the beast) so I moved on.

Sitting on the patio. Would have a great picture of me with the dogs on my lap.

My new life guidance. Love taking advice from signs outside bars.

We decided to take advantage of the natural beauty of the area and went on several hikes. The dogs were tuckered out after the 3 mile hike so I had to carry one of then for part of it and over the next few days. Her legs are short so I suppose that it is not unreasonable but I did try to point out to her that she is a dog and descended from wolves. She countered that as a Yorkie she had limited utility so I should just carry her. It was a persuasive argument. 

Standing on top of waterfall

Extremely lazy Lucy

Moderately lazy Ozzy

Here is a video attempt going over the Hungarian Falls. If you can read this, it means it worked. 

I decided to try a different approach in my hunt for Big Foot. After doing my laundry (even adventurers have chores), I had a pasty which is apparently a local tradition. The pasty from Amy J's was very good but quite large so I split it with dogs who appreciated the treat. I also tried a local establishment several times in Lake Linden walking distance from the campground - Loading Zone 2. I had the ribs (fall off the bone) and a turkey sandwich made with real turkey and not pressed, both excellent. Unfortunately I arrived during some sort of “happy hour” and every time I ordered another KBC amber; I was served two. I suffered through the double drinks, it wasn’t easy but I knew that I was up for the challenge. I could have stopped ordering but that seemed like giving up and mama didn't raise a quitter. It was a homey, friendly establishment but there was no sightings of the beast. 

Loading Zone 2. Apparently Packer country

As our time on the cowlick ran down, we started wondering if we would ever catch our elusive prey. Just as hope started fading, we heard through a back channel contact hat Big Foot may be making his/her way to southern Michigan. The hunt was back on and the hounds were excited to be back in the chase. To celebrate they took a nice nap; I suppose they were resting for the adventure ahead. 

Two small editorial comments. 

• I am unable to change the layout on the mobile device. If you have not read the welcome message, do that now. It is a thorough explanation of the adventures and is updated as people ask questions offline. I could add a FAQ, but I am not going to for various reasons. Mostly I don't feel like it. Also I have a new way to access the blog - simply go to braxwood.com.
• Astute readers may have noticed I have stopped at yet another place named Amy's. This one with my Amy's legitimate middle initial. I assure you this is purely coincidental as it was a highly rated pasty place and it was right near the Wash Tub Laundromat in Hancock. Simply just another coincidence and this is not going to turn into a "finding Amy named eateries" blog. 

Green Bay and reflections on six weeks a nomad

Knowing Big Foot's desire to avoid excessive heat and humidity I decided to head north towards Green Bay. I planned on spending a few days at a campground as the hunting hounds prefer cooler temperatures and it allowed me to meet with some former coworkers. After that I was headed to an off grid location to further test out my systems to be sure I could keep up the Sasquatch. Again in keeping with the policy of this blog, all individuals are assigned random letters for their names.

On my first night in Green Bay I met up with a former coworker, T, and her husband R. We had heard there had been potential sightings of Big Foot in the downtown Green Bay area. We stopped at a wine bar to investigate (https://www.aardvarkwinelounge.com/). After several hours of deep surveillance where we appeared to be drinking many glasses of wine, we had no luck catching the elusive prey. It was nice catching up with T and R but they told a fantastical tale of a cruise ship in Green Bay. They even attempted to prove it with "news" reports but you know these things can be faked. I decided to pay close attention to this development, not because Big Foot would take a cruise but rather because the idea of a cruise ship on Lake Michigan sounded outrageously funny. 

The next day I met with two other former coworkers, hereafter referred to as C and L. We staked out a table at a craft brewery place (https://www.copperstate.beer/) which would allow us to continue the hunt for Big Foot and verify the alleged cruise ship. We had a nice time catching up but there was no further sighting of Big Foot, but both C and L did provide some possible leads in the Upper Peninsula. Unbelievably the cruise ship was real and was docked in downtown Green Bay. I guess it just proves that no matter how unbelievable something is, it still can be true. Perhaps I was too harsh on Nessie.

Sunset over Green Bay.

I then relocated to my off-grid testing facility. This is property that is owned by my daughter's in-laws. I was able to verify that my external and on board solar charging facilities were sufficient and the shower capabilities of the adventure trailer were capable of doing their job. I had previously tested the other features and found them to be excellent. 

I was able to have dinner that night with my daughter C at the testing facility. It was great to see her and she is doing very well. I met with C and her husband D the next day and hung out at their house for awhile and again on the 4th. They have done a great job making it a comfortable home. The monster hunting hounds were able to play with their little puppy, Sami. We then headed over to the in-laws, M and W, for a Fourth of July picnic. I was too polite to point out that it was only the second of July but perhaps they do things different in the north lands. I was able to check out a cheese facility (https://www.renardscheese.com/) earlier that day and while Big Foot was not seen, the cheese curds were freshly made and squeaked perfectly. If you haven't had squeaky cheese curds, you have not experienced life fully.

I explored the area for other potential Big Foot locations but he was nowhere to be seen. I knew it was time to head further north.

It has been six weeks of nomadic living. Three of those in hotels and three on the road. Here are a few items to share. 

• The travel on vacation (like in Europe) is far different from road travel. 
• I take more breaks here since I have unlimited time and I can sleep anywhere and I am not paying for a room. 
• The hounds have adapted well to the road and the hunt. 
• There is a lot of dirt out there, A LOT. I sweep twice a day but there is just a lot. The hounds likely are the cause of some of it but the screens let in a lot too. You just have to live with more dirt. And bugs.
• I need a new mattress. This was not a surprise but it is a fact. My current arraignment is not going to work longer term. I have one on order.
• I love my coffee and I have two methods of making it. I have dedicated a whole cabinet to coffee and tea. But I have made room for Bushmills and a little food. 
• I have no idea how long I will be able to do the full time travel. It may be months or it may be years. In the end it doesn't matter as long as the adventures continue.
• I can see the appeal of a fancy van but the trailer is handling it well. Perhaps a truck camper. As always I am open to possibilities of what could be and I am trying to not be held back by what is.

The fearless canines honing their tracking skills

Off grid testing grounds

Back to the US - some sad changes

I returned to the US and instead of my direct flight to Chicago, I was made to go through Newark. Anyone who has flown internationally and has had to change planes in the US know what a pain that can be as you have to recheck your bags and go back through security. In a stroke of coincidence, I had gotten through security when I heard a familiar voice. One of Amy's friends, GB,  happened to be there when her flight from Canada was rerouted. She was looking for someone she met in Canada who mostly spoke French that she was trying to help navigate the airport. She didn't find her, but she did find me! It was great catching up with her as I have not seen her much since Amy passed away as work and life gets in the way. She kindly invited me to the United lounge and I got to see how the other half lives. We were seated only one row apart on the way back to Chicago. As I said, what a random coincidence.

My dutiful son, B, picked me up at the airport and we had dinner together. It was nice to see him but the nomadic adventures can't wait so the next day I picked up the trailer and made camp again at Bong. I picked up the dogs and Heidi was not doing well. She had stopped eating and my in-laws did an incredible job nursing her along and encouraging her but Heidi was running out of steam. I celebrated Father's Day on Saturday with my son B and my daughter C (again following this blog's policy of assigning random letters to people to avoid using names). They had an opportunity to say goodbye to Heidi as it was clear that her time had come. On Sunday I stopped at Amy's place and we had a conversation (mostly one sided as I am finally able to do all of the talking) and I came to the conclusion that Monday I would contact the vet. On Monday Heidi found peace and was able to run with Amy again which I am very grateful for. I then packed up the other hunting hounds and headed for a site with electrical hookups as it was to be in the 90s that week and air conditioning was needed by all.

Heidi - alive

I was able to tie up some loose ends at the house prior to the closing and gave away the last of my things. This time it was my riding mower and snow blower to B and L (B’s fiancé) for their new house. My house is now officially empty. I met with friends and relaxed that week. I met with J and E at their remote location and reviewed my plans. They live near the Beast of Bray Road and I made a mental note to return. I also met up with fellow members of the W club - G and M and had a wine tasting. I was sure Big Foot would be in the area as it was pretty popular and then I noticed the road construction. Big Foot hates that and was likely not to be found, but we still drank the wine.

On Amy's birthday I got Heidi's cremated remains back so I put her with the other dogs in the Hall of Fame at their undisclosed location. It was a very emotional birthday this year. It has been five years since Amy passed and I miss her daily. The cleaning out of the house and selling it was very emotional as we designed that house together and spent many hours picking out fixtures and features. It was very real now that I have gotten rid of so much including that property. Life is not at all like we planned. Things are very different from what we would have wanted or expected but that is the nature of life and you have to be able to find joy in there somewhere otherwise it isn't worth living.

No more time for Big Foot hunting as the loss of Heidi and the impact of the changes were enough for a week. Onto new adventures.

Amy and some random person from a few years ago

Nomad life looks a lot like non-nomadic life, with more dirt.

Scotland - Is Big Foot visiting the Loch Ness monster?

Since Scotland is known for the Loch Ness Monster, I decided that it would be reasonable that Big Foot would want to meet that cryptid and perhaps pick up some advice on laying low and evading detection. So off to Scotland I went.  

I toured the Highlands and was distracted by the beauty of the place, as there were many rivers and waterfalls and the natural environment was stunning. I managed to find a few castles and cathedrals to tour which was fortunate. The Cawdor Castle and Gardens were stunning and really well maintained. There was no sign of Big Foot but the person responsible for the signs in the rooms of the castle has a great sense of humor and wit. I tried to take some pictures but they didn't quite turn out but the level of sassiness was right in my ballpark.

Cawdor Castle

Cawdor Castle looking good

Natural path at Cawdor

Cool landscaping

Yet another church

The Black River

I was staying in Inverness which was a lovely city and went down to Loch Ness to see what could be seen. Again saw castle ruins on the shore which was destroyed in some rebellion or another. Clearly there is also a lot of history just underfoot but has been buried or is just not recognized. The history of the world is far more complex than most realize for sure as we only have fragments of what was and not a true record. I wonder in 8000 years if someone dug up our civilization if they would have a true picture. Hell, I am living in it and I am clueless. 

Loch Ness

Loch Ness

Loch Ness is an interesting body of water. It is really long and deep but not particularly wide. It feels more like a river to me but I am not the arbiter of such things. There was no sign of Big Foot or "Nessie". Frankly after reading the aforementioned signs at the castle and seeing other elements of Scottish humor, it may be feasible that the famous picture of the Loch Ness Monster was actually a prank. This of course would not be true of Big Foot who has many TV shows and an upcoming movie and in no way could not be real.

After Inverness it was off to the Isle of Skye with a brief stop off at various waterfalls and rivers for a hike. I also checked out Attadale Gardens knowing Big Foot's fondness for botanical gardens. It was quite lovely even in the rain but he/she was not to be found. 

The Isle of Skye was beautiful and parts of it extremely remote. I managed to go geocaching and placed a free drink token from John's Main Event in Burlington, WI. Hopefully someone uses it. I stayed in a modern version of a shepherd's hut. It had electricity and water so it was quite luxurious. This was down a long (over 5 miles) single lane road that had sheep grazing across it. The sheep would just step in front of the car if they felt like it but the bigger hazard were the local drivers who thought they were on a rally route and tried to go 60 mph. Thankfully ever few hundred feet there was a space that allowed two cars to pass but one would stop. The trick was when you saw an oncoming car, you would speed up to see who would get to the passing space the quickest. Needless to say, I missed two lane roads with shoulders. In a massive coincidence, there was a little tea and cake shop about a quarter of mile further down the "road". This was the only place around for miles and there was no cellular coverage (at least for the two difference services I tried). The name of the shop was Amy's place. The couple running it named it after their daughter who had passed away early from Lupus. The color for  Lupus is purple which is the color they painted their shop. Again coincidently, purple is the color for pancreatic cancer which is what took our Amy away from us too early. If you are in the area, check them out https://www.amys-tearoom-torrin.com/

Shephard's Hut

"Road"

Overly aggressive chickens. I ate their relatives in retribution.

Amy's Place

I did record a video of me driving on the road but it turned out to be expletive filled and not family-friendly. After a few days soaking up the "sunshine" of the highlands it was time to head to the cities. As a side note, the sun set after 10pm and was up around 4am. It seemed dark for only a few hours at night so I missed my opportunity for star gazing as I generally try to sleep at some point in my day.

Glasgow was a really cool city and the museums were excellent. All were free which was an exciting change of pace from nearly everything else I visited. I enjoyed walking around but there was no sign of Big Foot anywhere - not even at the hipster coffee shop I stopped in where I was able to get avocado toast and a proper pour over coffee. I tried to visit as many pubs as I could to see if I could catch the creature but alas.

University of Glasgow

William Wallace

Enjoying a local beverage in the castle house I stayed in.

Edinburgh was my final destination and looked promising as an opportunity to catch up my prey. It appeared that all of Europe was on holiday at the same time wandering around the castle of Edinburgh. I loved checking out the shops and people watching along with the national museum. No Big Foot but plenty of interesting history. Plus free admission so make sure you go and spend a few hours. The self guided tour or Edinburgh castle was very nice but pretty crowded. I even got to see where Scottish military prisoners were kept and also where prisoners of the American Revolution were kept (mostly sailors). The French and Spanish prisoners were treated quite well as noticed by the English tourists. They failed to notice the American prisoners were treated like common criminals and given only water and a little bread, This was due to the thought that they were petty criminals - much like the Irish republicans in the 20th century. At least there is consistency?

Cute cup of coffee (latte, whatever) but no Big Foot

Very progressive military prison, All "needs" were thought of.

Edinburgh Castle

In any event it was a lovely city with many coffee shops and pubs. No Big Foot though so it was time to return to the US.

Ireland - First place to look

I realize it may not seem obvious to most people, but I can imagine that Big Foot would visit Ireland. The Dobhar-chú has been known to inhabit the waters and it must be welcoming to cryptids. It is also a lovely country with a strong history of mythical beings and he/she might find it a great place to visit. I know I did. I last visited Ireland with Amy and our children so we visited some familiar and some new places this time. 

This visit included traveling with one of my brothers and his wife. In keeping with this blog's policy of not using actual names, I will refer to them by a random set of letters - let's call my brother "J" and my sister in law "M". I will potentially include their pictures or they may be actors hired to recreate the experience - I will not tell. They proved most valuable in the hunt for Big Foot as they enjoyed stopping in many pubs to look for him/her.

Image of random people on top of a Guinness. Made possible by leprechaun magic.

We started out in Dublin and enjoyed a lovely walk from my hotel to the one we shared. It was in the Temple Bar area so it was quite lively with many potential Sasquatch hang outs. We then hit the Grafton Street area along with walking around Trinity College and St Stephen's Green. We stopped in several establishments but no sign of the elusive creature. Over the next few days we continued a relentless search for the creature. We enjoyed our tour of Guinness and enjoyed several pints of that classic deep red beverage.  We did our best to explore classic historical pubs and really bad restaurants. No luck in Dublin.

Library at Trinity College

A couple of pints

At Guinness tour

                                        

We went onto Northern Ireland with our first stop in Belfast. There are some real differences between Dublin and Belfast based upon the history of the region but as with all of Ireland, the people were very friendly and there was plenty to drink, I mean do, there was plenty to do. We toured the Giant's Causeway along with Bushmills distillery for Irish Whiskey. Notice the "e". The Scots spell it "Whisky". The Irish say they add the "e" since it stands for "excellence" and I must agree. The whiskey was smooth and helped to clarify one's thoughts. We also took a completely unbiased tour of Belfast and where the "troubles" had been. Our completely unbiased guide happened to be a former member of the IRA so we were fortunate to see the tributes to the fallen and neighborhoods where there had been fighting. He expressed hope for the future as do I. The world has enough hatred and anger without adding more to it.

A local contemplating life with some Bushmills

Giant's Causeway

Back on down to the Republic of Ireland. We stopped off at a pub for a quick Big Foot check and to be neighborly had another Guinness. We had rented a lovely cottage for the next few days to allow a base of operations. The "road" to the cottage was very exciting and must have a blast to drive down (thanks for driving J). One side had a tall stone wall and the other had bushes and an occasional house, which came in handy as the oncoming traffic and us all had one lane to share. We toured various castles and churches plus a lot of ruins. The Cliffs of Moher were stunning as usual and a sight to behold. Stopping in at a pub we saw some bumper stickers from Milwaukee (which is not near Ireland) so I had to snap a photo, alas no Big Foot.

A touch of Milwaukee in Ireland

Cliffs of Moher

Hmm, M and J seem to drink a lot

Local having a laugh

We continued our tour and visited The Rock of Cashel. It was a magnificent ancient building that was home to Irish kings from before the Norman invasion and is reported to be the site of conversion by St Patrick of the Irish king, but it is technically in ruins today. We also visited the castle of Kilkenny which was beautiful and well preserved. The key difference is that at Kilkenny the owner aligned with the English crown and survived well enough until one of their ancestors could marry a rich American heiress. Cashel was not as fortunate and was further destroyed when a rival religious leader had the roof removed in the 1700s allowing the weather to do its thing. No Big Foot but plenty of history including a tour of a weaving facility that has been in operation since before 1778 (prior to that the friars ran a weaving facility but were made to leave). They take in raw wool and process it until there is a finished product. If you have a need for a quality wool blanket or other woolen product, check them out https://cushendale.ie, but there was no Big Foot (or Guinness) there. 

Cashel

Familiar image at Cashel

Kilkenny Castle

Fancy Kilkenny

Our last stop together was a tour of Waterford crystal to see some items being made. Skilled craftspeople doing some amazing work for sure. We parted company as they had a wedding to attend at Waterford Castle and I drove back to Dublin before my trip to the next destination. While in Ireland, my house was listed on the market and I accepted an offer. Big news for sure.

Van Gogh in crystal