Savannah and 6 Month Anniversary

I visited Savannah and northern Florida in my search for Big Foot this month. While I may not have captured my prey I am certain I am getting closer and closer. 

I took a walk down the streets of old Savannah and it is just as pretty as everyone says. Forsyth Park is lovely and was full of people enjoying the beautiful day. I kept a keen eye for Big Foot but I had no luck despite the pleasant temps and lovely space.

Forsyth Park. Quite lovely. I took a bunch of pictures but decided this is all you get to see. 

As part of my due diligence in the search for Bog Foot, I also checked out a few breweries. My first stop was Debellation Brewing. The beer flowed nicely as it was again a beautiful day and the the people were very friendly. I tried the new food truck which was run by several deaf chefs. The food was excellent and surprising nuanced for a food truck. I stayed around hoping to see Big Foot but there was no luck that day.

Debellation Brewing. Nice bartender and the owner was also super friendly and shared some private taps. Being nice pays off.

I tried the low country boil for dinner one night and it was fabulous. after dining, I walked past an Irish bar. Since it has been a while since I was in Ireland (5 months) I decided to stop in. I have been to many Americanized versions of Irish pubs but this one was the closet to an actual pub experience. I could swear I was at a place just like this in Dublin with M&J. The only misstep was that he served me the Guinness too soon as it was not done settling down. This of course is a major faux pas in Ireland but I will excuse the behavior this one time.

Relaxing with a pint. If you look closely you might see my reflection.

One final stop in Savannah was Two Tides Brewing. The beer was excellent and the bar was upstairs in an old renovated house. That means that there a bunch of rooms set up with couches or chairs and you could just hang out. I tried several of the rooms (but not the pinball room) along with several of their taps in the hope of running into Big Foot. After that was unsuccessful, I stepped through the open window on the balcony and enjoyed the sun. While Big Foot was not found there, it was a good stop and place to hang out and if I lived in the Savannah area it would likely be my second home.

Two Tides - Just a relaxing place to hang out

I was onto Florida next. I decided to avoid the popular areas and hung out in the pan handle in case Big Foot too thought the most scary creature was "Florida Man". I sampled the shrimp at Ouzts Too oyster bar. One may wonder why I didn't try the oyster since it is an oyster bar. The simple answer was that I felt like shrimp. The shrimp were local and well prepared with a nice blackened seasoning. There was a band outside but I chose to check out the decor inside and look for Big Foot there. I didn't see Big Foot but the giant "Busch" flag convinced me that Big Foot would never go there. Alas.

After checking out several other area establishments and enjoying some walks, it was time to move onto Alabama. 

I have now been a vagabond for six months. Ignoring the trip to Europe, I have towed a camper over 6400 miles and stayed in 16 states. For the purposes of this adventure, I am only counting states that I have spent a night in and not just drove through or stopped for gas. I have camped for 163 nights so far with an average camping cost of $30/day. I am on track to hit 19 states by the end of the year. This has been a pretty aggressive pace which I expect to slow down in the future. There are several reasons for this. Primarily I am so young and there is no deadline as of yet. Secondly slower travel is cheaper since nightly costs drop as does fuel consumption. So far in my life I have been to 47 states and have slept at least one night in 42 of them. By the end of this year, that will be 49 and 44 respectively. I have several alternative plans for next year, but I think a visit to New England is in order to follow the changing colors next fall. That will go a long way to cleaning up the states I have not slept in (c'mon, Delaware and Rhode Island?) and I will visit states I have not been to in a long time.  Those are some of the numbers, but I have a spreadsheet (naturally) with a pivot table and I can break out by amenities, type of site, state, etc, if one is interested.

I thought about posting some reminders about every place I have been and then I realized it has all been written down in this blog. Feel free to go back and read the ones you have missed. I am not certain how long the blog and specifically my search for Big Foot will continue but at least you can read where I am going for now. As a quick rundown of the adventure so far (only places slept count): Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota. South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

States camped in so far. I did stop in Tennessee but that doesn't count for this adventure.

It has been a glorious journey so far despite any momentary grousing I may espouse. I know how truly fortunate I have been to be able to take part in this adventure. I wish Amy was able to share in this with me but I know that she would love the vagabond way as much as I. We visited many states as a family and we never shied away from experiencing life. I encourage everyone to go on an adventure of your own. It doesn't need to be anything like mine, but rather it can be to a new restaurant or museum. I am so thankful this Thanksgiving that I have had six months of the road. I have no idea how long I will continue this journey or where I will land once I decide to have a home base. It frankly doesn't matter. What matters is enjoying this moment and this time and living my best life one day at a time. 

Remember not all those who wander are lost.

Thor

braxwood.com

Visiting the Carolinas

We have been busy in North and South Carolina. This was our first visit to South Carolina and I have been pleased with the visit as it is a beautiful state.

Lucy enjoying a hike. Maybe next time she will pay attention.

We were in the greater Ashville area for a few days and explored the local establishments in the hunt for my elusive prey. We visited a variety of places including barbeque places, breweries, and a mead and cider bar. Before you start wondering if I located any cryptozoological creatures including Big Foot, the answer is no. Obviously that would be the headline along with the photo and not a picture of Lucy about to be eaten by a normal creature. 

We arrived in the rain in North Carolina and this was my first time setting up in the rain with this trailer. I was located right next to a river and the water was quite high but being able to be down by the river is the dream of all vagabonds so I couldn't resist.

View from my picnic table which was next to the trailer.

Our first stop was Okie Dokies Smokehouse. I got a rib dinner to go as I do not like eating hand food in public with the long beard (figure that one out on your own but I can assure you it isn't pretty). The rib meat was cooked perfectly and didn't require any sauce which I also generally avoid. The meat should stand on its own if it's any good. The collard greens were excellent so I know that they were not healthy. I also checked out Phil's Bar-B-Cue Pit in Black Mountain and while they have correctly used the possessive punctuation, their smoked chicken was a bit bland and needed sauce. However I did get their chopped brisket to go which was delicious and I was able to enjoy that in several meals including chili.

Phil's had an eclectic vibe and a steady stream of customers

We also checked out several breweries unsurprisingly and sampled their wares. The first stop was Lookout Brewing Company. There was a nice outside patio and inside space. Since it was a warm sunny day and there was no bar, the patio was my hangout. The beer was good and tasty but certainly not the best I have ever had but definitely a solid choice. After enjoying myself for a while and with the aforementioned lack of creatures, I moved on.

Inside Lookout Brewery. Notice a lack of a bar? Kind of sad

The next stop was Black Mountain Brewing. The beer here was also good and it too had a nice patio space. Apparently it is warmer in the Carolinas per the internet, and I have found most breweries to have patios, but these are larger patio spaces than in other northern states. Since I prefer sitting at a bar as mentioned in a previous post, it is not a big deal one way or the other but the patio does allow for dogs which is nice. That being said, at the top of the upper peninsula of Michigan there was a lovely brewery with a huge patio so you never know. I guess the biggest difference is that the brewery patios in the north are generally or mostly uncovered as to allow the sun versus the shaded patios and decks in the south. I will continue to observe this phenomenon but it will require more visits to breweries, alas.

Inside Back Mountain. It had bar stools but no one sat in them and there wasn't room to walk passed them if you did. Beer was decent though.

Our last stop in North Carolina was at Black Mountain Cider + Mead. As the name suggests this was an establishment with both mead and cider. If you are unfamiliar with mead, I suggest you look it up. This is a blog about hunting elusive prey and not wikipedia. The last time I had mead in Wisconsin I did not care for it. I might have even made disparaging remarks about it to B as he went with me to sample it. So with some trepidation, I ordered several meads and ciders while I waited for Big Foot to walk in. I was quite pleased with the variety and flavor profiles of both and the people were quite friendly. The establishment was a bit of a hole in the wall but the space was relaxing and fun and they played various Irish folk tunes so I felt at home. Obviously Big Foot wasn't there but the place was pretty cool.

Black Mountain Cider + Mead. taps. Sitting at bar and just chillin.

South Carolina was also lovely and the area I was in was quite forested. I am not sure what I expected but the mix of forests and swampy areas was lovely but I can see how it would have been difficult to settle for early pioneers or for General Sherman's army to move through here but both happened successfully which just proves how determination can achieve any worthy goal.

I checked out Craft and Draft in Columbia to get a sense of local beers and for Big Foot of course. The variety of taps and cans was amazing. The owner had a great knowledge of the beer scene in South Carolina and beyond. South Carolina has some of the more liberal liquor laws I have seen for tap rooms and it showed at this establishment. I talked to a gentleman at the bar who had returned to the area after being in the swamps of Maryland for the last 15 years (aka DC). He provided a number of places for me to check and some beers I should take to go to stock my fridge. Unfortunately he provided a list far too long for one visit and I will have to return as there was no sign of my elusive prey at this establishment. 

While at Craft and Draft, I was recommend a barbecue place to try South Carolina Hash at Big T’s. It was a local place and based upon the line it was quite popular. In case you don’t know what this hash includes, read the link. If you intend to ever try it, I would recommend not knowing what is in it but just know it’s served over a bed of rice and is a pork dish. It was very tasty and I took the recommendation of the lady behind me in line and got the sauce on top. The hash was excellent but like other blends of meats (like foie gras) it was a little rich. 

I also decided to check out Columbia Craft for their beers and to see if I could locate my elusive prey. The beers were top notch and the food truck outside even delivered to the bar. There was a steady clientele and the patio and inside space was welcoming and inviting. I didn't make it upstairs but there was no sign of Big Foot on the ground level. While it's possible the creature was upstairs, I will have to wait for my next visit to find out.

The beer labels were artistically made by the tap room manager (who also was there during my visit). Friendly staff and customers, dog friendly - perfect place.

I got to experience the remnants of the tropical storm that hit Florida and moved up through the Carolinas. It rained constantly for a a day and half with strong winds followed by hot and humid. It was interesting but being in a trailer one has to be constantly on the lookout for tornados due to the tornado magnet effect. Thankfully the hounds and I survived unscathed and were able to relax in the palace we now reside in. 

I made one last search at Doko Station Pub and Eatery. This was a little eatery which happened to have local beers on tap. The flatbread was excellent and the ingredients were pretty fresh.. The owner was there and he was friendly and funny. His staff was excellent and appropriately personable for high school aged people. The young man was getting his Eagle Scout badge shortly which was nice to hear. The beers were excellent and I went with a brown ale. Overall an excellent place with locals and clearly friends as customers. Obviously an appropriate place for Big Foot to hang out, but not on this night.

Craft beers on tap and friendly staff at Doko Station Pub and Eatery

I am headed towards Savannah next (checking out Sherman's work on that city too) and then Florida before swinging west as I make my slow march to Texas. I have been reflecting a lot this week on future plans and how the adventure has gone so far. In my next post, I will share some statistics of the first six months of my vagabond adventure. I am still loving the life but since I will be moving only monthly once I get to Texas, I expect a different experience. That will drive my decisions on how the adventure proceeds from there. No matter the style of the adventure, I will not rest until I have found what I am looking for.

Thor

Check out braxwood.com for more information including a continuously updated route map and answers to timeless questions.
 

 

West Virginia and Beyond

For those of you still reading the adventures, I have survived the mountains of West Virginia. It is quite mountainous and forested there and before anyone makes a comment about the peaks out west, I can assure you that the roads in West Virginia were the most scary of all I have driven on in the US. The actual road conditions were fine but it appears that the roads were laid out following the trails of the original explorers of the region - insane squirrels. I think the longest straight section was for 100 feet and that was in over 60 miles of driving. There were no pull offs and I saw only one passing lane the entire time so I was the slow poke on the road. Between the dozens of hairpin turns and sudden drop offs I can say with certainty that the mountains of West Virginia are for real.

Beautiful day in WV

With the remoteness of the area came a certain lack of amenities. Among these would be cute cafes, breweries, and cellular service. I decided to hunt for Moth Man and not Big Foot when in WV due to these limitations. If you are not familiar with Moth Man, he was first seen in the 1960s and is described as a large grey creature whose eyes "glowed red" with giant wings. Moth Man has also been reported to be a harbinger of disaster such as a bridge collapse in 1967. Moth Man lacks the sophistication of Big Foot so I stuck to rural West Virginia for my hunt.

Statue of Moth Man

Instead of hunting Moth Man in the areas he was previously sighted, I chose to look in Hacker Valley. In addition to being incredibly small and off the grid, it was also close to my campground which saved me from having to drive more.

Actually some of the nicest bathrooms I have used

My search took me to the gas station, grocery store, hardware store, auto parts store, and restaurant in town. Thankfully this was all in one building so I didn't have to go far. The store had a wide variety of products but not much depth. For example, they had lamps but only one style. They had fresh vegetables, but only one tomato and one onion. They did have several different kinds of beer, but generally just Busch and Bud varieties of which I am not a fan since I have not suffered from a traumatic injury that rendered my taste buds useless. They did have some Yuengling so I was happy to get this east coast treat in the "Black and Tan" variety. I can't say it is the best beer I have had but it is quite tasty and far better than any other option.

Magic all in one store

Obviously Moth Man is not sophisticated enough to enjoy such an interesting and unique establishment so I decided to go for some walks in the woods instead. The trees were holding onto the last of their leaves but it was super pretty. We had clear days other than the last few and since the area I was in was in a little valley, the land rose up sharply on either side of the river. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to locate Moth Man.

River near my location

I continued to relax for most of the week prior to heading to Virginia for a few days. I will be following the coastal route on my way to my winter in Texas so you can probably figure out my next state I will be in after Virginia. 

I checked out Chaos Mountain Brewing Station in Natural Bridge, VA. The Squatch Ale was an excellent Scottish Ale and I had to take some to go. I also tried their kolsch and stout. This was some of the best beer I have had in a while, at least a week for sure. Big Foot had been here but wasn’t during my visit but the beer was excellent.

Complete with a Big Foot cutout. Getting closer…

I also checked out a cider house, Halcyon Days Cider Company. The dry ciders were excellent including Occam’s Razor and Midas Touch. There was no sign of Big Foot but the mountains of Virginia in the background along with the cider was incredibly relaxing. 

Lucy chillin on the deck of Halcyon. 

I also checked out Devils Backbone Brewery.  It’s a cool place even though it was spacious. The deck overlooks a valley and on my visit it was in the upper 60s, sunny, and a light breeze - truly a beautiful day. I had a good Schwartz beer which reminded me of one of the best I’ve had at Runaway.  I enjoyed my visit but there was no sign of Big Foot so it was time to move on  

Relaxing patio space

I have shared the details of my sabbatical trip on the web page so you can see the route I have taken this year and my location. More precisely you can see my last location. While I have a very sophisticated and elite audience, one never knows. 

Section of the trip so far. Live updates on Braxwood.com

I have finally done something with the web page which is mostly a place to link to the blog, FAQs, and the map. You can continue to access the blog however you choose and I apologize if I have resulted in additional clicks but I actually don't care.

I am looking at reservations for Thanksgiving versus grilling out in Alabama. The dogs have voted for me to stay home and grill them something but I have suggested that they don't get to decide. We are still discussing this and have not come to a consensus yet. Otherwise we will continue our coastal journey with the state of North Carolina next.

Thor

Check out braxwood.com for more information including a route map and answers to timeless questions.
 

 

Kentucky - Louisville

I have been in the Louisville area this week as I wrap up my Kentucky trip. Technically I have been east of the city in the town of Shelbyville in a scenic county park. The fall colors continue to be impressive but I can see that the trees are starting to run out of color. It dipped a bit in temperature this week and my water hose outside froze. I am fine as the trailer has internal water tanks and lines that are heated so there was no damage. I just waited for the sun to do its job and melt the ice filled line. I won't make a habit of camping in this weather as I am not interested in getting a heated water line and more importantly I am not interested in being cold.

Lake Shelby County Park, Told you it was scenic. The bathhouse - not so nice

 
I was able to meet with A&J right away when I got to town which was convenient as I had several boxes sitting at their house. A&J were lovely hosts and made Ozzy and Lucy feel comfortable at their home as they have two dogs also (C & V) and they all got along really well. 

Hors d'oeuvres for people and the dogs -A is the hostess with the mostest

One night we went to a presentation at the downtown library of space exploration which was taught by a local professor who had been at Cal Tech during the decade we covered (basically the 80s). It was incredibly interesting to see the images and he was very engaging. I always enjoy listening to a lecture when the person giving it is knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. The room was full of other interested people and all in all it was a great night but there were no signs of any cryptozoological creatures - likely due to the absence of a microbrewery.

I then explored a local microbrewery on my own while they were busy working. I guess I never realized how that pesky work got in the way of the hunt for adventure. To make up for their absence I did my best to drink for all three of us. Holsopple Brewery had great promise for housing the elusive prey as they are the first brewery I have been to that has no internet presence to speak of. Clearly this is a low key off grid sort of place. That being said, I brought Ozzy and Lucy with me as I thought the extra eyes would help. In addition, on a per mammal basis this brought the average drink count down to a reasonable level. Unfortunately despite our best efforts, there was no sign of the creature that I seek.

Inside the brewery

Lucy relaxing on the outside patio

We checked out a local restaurant for dinner. The last time we were there together, B and C were also there and they played with a giant jenga set that was outside. There was no B, C, nor jenga that night as the patio was full of patrons enjoying the last of the beautiful weather. We then headed over to another establishment that specialized in various cocktails and had some local art work on their second floor. As usual, A&J were excellent hosts in finding cool places to look for Big Foot but it was not to be that night.

A and I went out searching high and low in Louisville another day. We checked out an urban indoor market that has food and other shops - Logan Street Market. We decided to pose as regular people and not the hunters that we are and relaxed with mimosas as we thought that might fool Big Foot into revealing herself. Unfortunately we were not successful there so we headed to another brewery where we were able to have lunch too.  Atrium Brewing was a really cool space that had an incredible selection of sours. Alas I am bitter fan and not a sour drinker but their ales were excellent along with the tacos. A was very helpful as she provided some ideas to a visitor from out of the area on things to do while in Louisville. That visitor was not Big Foot though so we eventually we decided to move along.

Atrium Brewing. I have no clever comment here

A&J joined me on the hunt again as we explored the Germantown area of Louisville. The Shop Bar had excellent mixed drinks and an eclectic crowd but no sign of Big Foot. We checked out another local establishment and A made the mistake of ordering a white wine. Apparently it was so bad that she took a sip, said nope, and put it down. She did offer both J and I a sip but we both declined based upon that review. We also stopped at an unusual store that had what one could only consider alternative items. I was interested in the map of cryptozoological sightings but the demon based items were not my cup of tea. I said a silent prayer and beat a hasty retreat. Needless to say, no Big Foot.

We ended up getting a very nice meal at Chik and Mi and my ramen was excellent as were the medley of vegetable dishes A&J had. We then went to see a neighbor of A&J who plays guitar as he had a show in the lower level of a bowling alley. It was a cool place and he along with his daughter were excellent. I am not normally a country fan but I do enjoy talent when I hear it. There were no sightings of any creatures out of the normal that day besides a few patrons at the various establishments. They were not Big Foot though so I let them be.

Neighbor of A&J - He's really good

A and I joined up for brunch and we dined al fresco at Chick and Mi again. The food was excellent as was the atmosphere and it was quite relaxing sitting on the patio. We enjoyed a mimosa and the fresh air. We would have spotted Big Foot had she come at that time but there was no sign that morning. We went back and the three of us relaxed on the patio. It was a lovely visit and I was even able to do some laundry which was a real bonus.

Brunch outside - very relaxing

I made one last attempt at locating Big Foot and went to 3rd Turn Brewing. I sampled a few of their selections and they were quite tasty so I bought a couple for the road. There is a beer I have had at several breweries that is called Kentucky Common which is a dark cream ale. It was very popular until prohibition and it is gratifying to see so many brewers bringing it back as it is very good and does differ at each establishment. I was unable to find Big Foot but I did enjoy one last visit with A at Feast BBQ where I was able to finally have some decent wings with a dry rub. My taste buds and beard appreciated that. It was sad to say goodbye to good friends but the road awaited and I was off again. 

3rd Turn is in an old church and has really a cool vibe

I am in West Virginia next. This will be exciting as I have been through West Virginia before but I have not spent much time there. It should be very quiet and peaceful as there is no cellular service within the park so I should be relatively off grid for a while. If no one hears from me by mid November, you might want to contact the authorities.

Thor

Braxwood.com

If you have not read all of these, please at least read the welcome message as it may explain a few things
about the adventure. Feel free to read all of the posts and comment. I may or may not reply to comments based upon an inscrutable set of criteria.

If you are interested in getting email notifications of these postings but have not figured out how to do that yet, you should read the welcome message. I have instructions in there and I do update the FAQs contained therein when I feel like it.

Kentucky - Land Between the Lakes

As I mentioned in last week's post, I am at a different Army Corps of Engineer campground this week in the area called "land between the lakes". This was formed when the TVA dammed two rivers, the Tennessee and the Cumberland thus forming Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. It is a beautiful campground and the fall colors have been on full display this week. I regret not having the dash cam as I would love to share the drive through the winding roads full of color. My camp site is on Lake Barkley/Cumberland River. 

View from campground in the morning

My first place to look for Big Foot this week was at the laundromat in Cadiz. It was also a car wash so I was able to blast off the layer of dirt and dead bugs that had formed since my last wash in South Dakota. Unsurprisingly there was no sign of Big Foot at the laundromat/car wash but at least my laundry was done. I then hit up the Burger Barn in Cadiz for lunch and a couple of cold refreshments in the form of a local ale. I searched for Big Foot extensively or at least until the rain let up but to no avail.

Behind the bar at the Burger Barn. No clue why I chose to take this picture but there you go.

I was able to check out a couple of breweries this week to look for my elusive prey. I had some initial indications that my first stop had potential. The Dam Brewhaus in Benton is in a old house that they had to completely gut to make it into something that was habitable. Based upon the pictures they shared, they had a lot of vision as my first reaction at seeing the before picture was that what it really needed was a gallon of gas and a match. Nevertheless they did have vision and opened for business not long after the county went "wet". As such they are still the only microbrewery in the entire county. It made me think of how lucky I was in Burlington which had two breweries - The Runaway and the other one. I had a nice salad with pulled chicken that was quite tasty. The beer was average by and large but the stout I had filled in my growler was excellent. Despite some nice conversations and hope, there was no sign of Big Foot so I made my way back to the campground.

Dam Brewhaus  - a mix of their own beers and guest taps

Based upon advice from the Dam Brewhaus, I checked out Paducah. This was my first visit to this western Kentucky city and I was actually pleasantly surprised. I shopped at the Midtown Market which was a high end grocer in the middle of the city that I stumbled upon. I then headed over to Dry Ground Brewing Company for their version of Oktoberfest. They brought in food trucks and I tried a pulled pork sandwich. It was not a traditional German serving, but I was not particularly convinced they could actual do a good job with the sausages. The sandwich was excellent so I made a good choice. The music was certainly far from German so it really more resembled a street party which worked too. The beer was very good at the brewery but there again no sign of Big Foot. Paducah had a number of breweries but I was short of time and had an hour drive back to the campground so I called it a day.

Dry Ground Oktoberfest

After this strenuous schedule, I rested around the campground as it was quite lovely. The sunsets were beautiful and waking up for another week with a view of a new lake was pleasant. I have found that I love Sunday afternoons the most. When I was in the work world, that was when the anxiety for the week started building up in anticipation of dealing with some inane issue. Now it is a time of great peace as the campgrounds clear out from the weekenders and there ends up being only a handful of people around and they are generally very quiet. I am including a couple of extraneous pictures to share how beautiful it was here.

Sunset

View from a campsite

I did go to the national recreation area for a nice hike. I left the dogs behind as I wanted to go for a longer five mile walk and didn't want to have to carry a certain dog for 4 miles. The recreation area was a bit of a drive as I had to get to where there is a bridge to cross the lake/river. The hike itself was relaxing and the forests were very thick and offered a lot of shade. There were not many people on the trail so I had the feeling of being all alone in the world and it was quite peaceful. 

Panoramic view of the forest

Constant lake views along the trail

We experienced a cold snap this week and I emptied one of my two 30 pound propane tanks (it has been over a month). It was as cold as Green Bay was three weeks ago so I know my time in the north is growing shorter. I have thought of adding a map of my location for these posts so people have a sense of where these occurred. I have set the location for most of the posts but I am not sure if that is viewable by people. If you want a dot on a map, please let me know. I have been tracking my trips (cost of sites, distances, states, etc) and will share that in the future. I have now been a vagabond for almost five months. I have had many great experiences so far along with some heartbreak (Heidi passing away) and I anticipate more of the same as whether one is a vagabond, a wage earner, a student, or just plain retired, life happens. Just have to keep a positive mental attitude and you can survive.

I am moving closer to Louisville next and I'll be closer to our friends, A&J. I have a list of chores that I need to take care of but I will not relent in my search for Big Foot or other cryptozoological creatures.

Thor

Braxwood.com

If you have not read all of these, please at least read the welcome message as it may explain a few things
about the adventure. Feel free to read all of the posts and comment. I may or may not reply to comments based upon an inscrutable set of criteria.

If you are interested in getting email notifications of these postings but have not figured out how to do that yet, you should read the welcome message. I have instructions in there and I do update the FAQs when I feel like it.

Kentucky - Mammoth Cave

We were off to Mammoth Cave for our latest adventure. Not because Big Foot lives in a cave (too damp and dark) but rather it is a likely tourist attraction as over 500,000 people a year visit the world's longest cave system. This was not my first visit to Mammoth Cave or other caves and caverns. Despite an incredible level of claustrophobia, I love going into developed caves as they are quite beautiful. In fact when B was a scout, we went on a camping trip in a cave for a weekend (it sucked worse than you can imagine as it was wet, dirty, and full of scouts). Needless to say, I wasn't sure if Big Foot was an avid cave visitor as the research is a bit thin on this topic. 

The first tour was the historic route which is a dry part of the cave and contains some famous areas such as Fat Man's Misery. There was no sign of Big Foot on this tour but with around 100 people in our tour group it was hard to tell in the dark. The second tour which was likely to have Big Foot was called Frozen Niagara. This is a wet part of the cave meaning water is still actively dripping causing the cave to continue to change. This provides the view of what people think of when it comes to caves: rock formations, dripping water, and odd creatures - but no Big Foot.

Looking up at the stalactites

I had picked some Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds for this part of the Kentucky adventure however I failed to do enough research. The park itself was lovely and my site overlooked Nolin Lake.

View from my chair on my site.

What I had failed to research was that I was in a "dry" county. Apparently that does not refer to their sense of humor which I would be fine with, instead it meant there was no public consumption of alcohol. This of course limits opportunities for breweries, wineries, and other interesting places to exist. I did check out a local restaurant while I was there just in case Big Foot happened to stroll in. The Blue Holler Cafe served local favorites and German food as the owner and chef were both from Germany. I opted for the roasted pork which was quite nice along with the German potato salad. The side salad was iceberg lettuce (which I hate) but the tomatoes and cucumbers on it were fresh and tasty.

Blue Holler Cafe - it wasn't as fancy on the inside

Thankfully prior to leaving Wisconsin, C and I stopped at The Wine Cellar in De Pere. There was quite the selection of beverages and C was very helpful in pointing out items that I might like to try. She is a very helpful daughter that way. And to prove what a full service store this was, in addition to wine, alcohol, and beer, this place also had meat to round out the options. In case you are not from Wisconsin, this is what a liquor store should have - the essentials to ensure a pleasant gathering.

Incredible selection for a local wine store

On my way to Kentucky, I stopped at two places in Illinois. The first was Rock Cut State Park. I refused to take any pictures as there was a flock of wild turkeys tormenting the dogs. Instead, let me share a story which sums up the experience. I went to the facilities in the morning as one does. I saw a man was in one of the two stalls. Oddly he had his bottle of apple juice with him along with his coffee cup - both of which were sitting on the concrete floor. Personally I would not take any beverage or open cups into a bathroom and certainly not put anything on the floor, but perhaps he was going to be a while and needed to stay hydrated. As I mentally was processing the scene, he finished up with his business and proceeded to dump his apple juice down the toilet. My immediate thought was such a waste of money and then it hit me. He was just a disgusting pig and I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. That is all that I will say about that place and obviously Big Foot wouldn't want to hang out there either.

My other stop was much nicer. Using my Harvest Host membership, I parked overnight at a winery. Tuscan Hills Winery is a lovely facility and you can tell it is quite popular for weddings. Being in downstate Illinois, it did abut a corn field but that also provided a nice area for the four campers that night who parked there. I sampled several wines and had a nice flatbread dinner. My favorite was their cabernet but the Caramel Apple Sangria was also excellent and very refreshing after several hours of driving. There were the other campers along with several tables of locals coming in for some refreshments, but there was no Big Foot.

Nice spot at the bar, life is good.

It has been a low key week as the dogs have requested additional sitting time. They insist that I relax and pet them for hours every day which can be quite time consuming. For those curious on the RV front, it is still working out well. I have really enjoyed cooking more and shopping for groceries is a lot less stressful knowing that I have a big fridge, freezer, and space to cook. I am looking for a couple of minor upgrades. One is a suspension upgrade for my existing truck. While the weight of the trailer is well within the specifications, I would prefer a stiffer ride with the amount of gear I have in the bed of the truck (or more precisely the weight of the gear). There is a shop in Louisville that will install the Roadmaster Active Suspension kit for me after verifying the condition of my truck is not too bad. As it is a 12 year old truck with nearly 145,000 miles, I think that is reasonable. I am hopeful this will help and hopefully reduce the need to replace prior to the Alaska trip next year. 

I am at a different Army Corps of Engineer campground this week in the area called "land between the lakes". Thankfully both a laundromat and a brewery are within an hour of here so I can take care of some needed housekeeping and explore for Big Foot more. After this area, I have one more week in Kentucky but closer to Louisville and my friends, A&J. I need to pick up a few items that I had sent to their house (more than a few - ok, boxes and boxes) along with a stop at Best Buy. I have decided to get a camera for driving as the roads are quite narrow around here and I have had several near misses where cars (or more precisely pickups and semis) were well on my side of the yellow line until the last second. The video evidence will be helpful when my estate sues the idiots for wrongful death. For those with a morbid curiosity, I put the name of the campground along with my site number and the dogs names on a post it note and wrap it around my license. In case something happens, the dogs will be rescued and not left alone for too long. These are the sorts of things one must think about when traveling solo. I am also exploring a satellite tracking mechanism for the Alaska trip and it may prove useful in the areas I have been traveling which have little to no cellular coverage. We shall see.

Thor

Braxwood.com

If you have not read all of these, please at least read the welcome message as it may explain a few things about the adventure. Feel free to read all of the posts and comment. I may or may not reply to comments based upon an inscrutable set of criteria.

If you are interested in getting email notifications of these postings but have not figured out how to do that yet, you can email me at thor.braxwood@gmail.com and I can manually add you. If you are more self-sufficient, a helpful hint is to go to full web version and look on the right side. Otherwise you will just need to randomly check in but if you contact me directly and ask me what I have I been up to, I will direct you to the blog but I will still talk to you. I mean, I am traveling with dogs and while I talk to them they have yet to speak to me. You may notice the randomness of the timing of my posts; this does point to the need to subscribe to notifications  It also points to the nature of a free blog.

Wisconsin (Northeastern Edition)

I finished up my southeastern Wisconsin visit by meeting with more high level technical contacts including former co-workers and other friends. I also managed to successfully go to The Runaway every day they were open. I know that sounds like a lot but to be fair, they are only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. B&L joined me on Saturday night after finishing work on their house and we had a nice time enjoying the Oktoberfest sausages. 

I headed to a county campground near Green Bay for a week. I was able to see C&D on my first night as I also was able to pick up some items I had previously shipped to their house. I was happy that both B and C were able to tour the trailer and see how happy the dogs are with the expanded space. 

Campsite at Brown County Reforestation Campground

I met up with some former co-workers, C, L, K, and K for dinner one night at Copper State Brewing. It was great to see everyone and it was a reminder of how lucky I was in my last position to have such a great group of people. L was very helpful providing a list of potential Big Foot hideouts including a wine bar. C had just been to Alaska and was able to provide some research material for my trip planning. I think that will be a long trip (about 3 months) so it will take a lot of planning ahead of time. Thankfully I am not going until after C's graduation next spring. I will definitely be staying at this county campground again as it is new, clean, spacious, and reasonably priced. 

The Bottle Room that L mentioned was quite nice. I went in the early afternoon and I had the place to myself so I was able to explore the area thoroughly and restock my wine storage. There was no sign of Big Foot at the wine bar but a lovely selection of reds were available so I did my best to sample their wares. Having the expanded space in the new trailer is nice as I can now comfortably hold six bottles of wine in one of cabinets in one of the wine storage containers I used to have in my house. 

Bottle Room. Yes, she is pouring me a glass of wine.

I also checked out Station 1 which is a new brewery that recently opened in an old fire station. The place was pretty full on a week night and they had a band playing crowd appropriate music. It was nice to see the local small town brewery having such a great crowd albeit sans Big Foot. They had a mix of their own brews and guest taps available and I think they will have a good future as they had indoor and outdoor spaces for people to hang out. I tried to stop by on a weekend and it was too crowed for me or Big Foot so I skipped it. L had given me a long list of places to search and my liver is not up to hitting every one of them this trip. I was able to also get to Ahnapee Brewing in Suamico and they had a nice space and a great selection of beverages. There was a good indoor and outdoor space and you can tell that it would be a blast to wait for Big Foot there but alas that will have to be another time.

Station 1. I had other pictures of the crowd and the band but I decided you don't get to see those. You should go yourself.

I had a nice dinner with D's parents W&M at a local Mexican restaurant. It was good to catch up with them and hear stories of work. It reminded me of how much I do not miss it. C and I were able to do some scouting for Big Foot one night so we checked out a microbrewery closer to her house. Zambaldi Beer was excellent and conveniently located next to a Gallagher's Pizza so we were also able to have dinner. I sampled a stout two ways, one with CO2 and the other with Nitro. Both were excellent since they were the same beer but the taste profile was radically different based upon the different bubbles. It was an interesting science experiment and sometimes one has to make sacrifices for science. There was no sign of an active Big Foot presence but it is likely the beast was there as beer and pizza make too tempting of a trap. I will have to return.

Zambaldi's outside space. The inside was nice too but I didn't take a picture.

I have made a handful of small upgrades along for the new trailer. I did get a new mattress which is truly amazing as it is super comfy. It had to be special ordered as it is an RV king but there are companies that serve this industry and I was able to order it three weeks ago and have it shipped to C's house. I also upgraded my pots and pans so I have a proper set like one would have in their home. It has made cooking so much more enjoyable. I have a few more small upgrades to make along with some bigger ones but most of these will wait until I am in Texas and situated in a location for a longer period. I did pick up a generator so I can go off grid longer and in anticipation of the Alaska trip. I will be also upgrading my batteries so I have more storage capacity.

Yellow pepper and jalapenos from H along with asparagus and some sausage for my eggs. Nice pan.

I'm off to Kentucky next and will be bouncing around that state for three weeks in different areas. I will be meeting some friends in Louisville, A & J. After Kentucky I will be headed to West Virginia, and then down the east coast prior to heading towards Texas. I am debating on going to several gatherings for other travelers but those are in Arizona. It is about 2400 miles round trip from my Texas base to go to gatherings so I am debating on the time and cost in fuel versus being able to hang out in a group setting with other escapees of modern life. I will probably go to both of them as they target different age groups.

For those that are curious (since I have been asked multiple times), I expect to be in Alabama at Thanksgiving and Texas for Christmas. I won't be alone as I travel always with the love of my family and friends, memories of Amy, along with a bottle of Bushmills.

Thor

Braxwood.com

If you have not read all of these, please at least read the welcome message as it may explain a few things about the adventure. Feel free to read all of the posts and comment. I may or may not reply to comments based upon an inscrutable set of criteria.

If you are interested in getting email notifications of these postings but have not figured out how to do that yet, you can email me at thor.braxwood@gmail.com and I can manually add you. If you are more self-sufficient, a helpful hint is to go to full web version and look on the right side. Otherwise you will just need to randomly check in but if you contact me directly and ask me what I have I been up to, I will direct you to the blog but I will still talk to you. I mean, I am traveling with dogs and while I talk to them they have yet to speak to me. You may notice the randomness of the timing of my posts; this does point to the need to subscribe to notifications  

Bonus picture. Lucy enjoying the chair and Ozzy enjoying looking out the window. I told you the trailer was for them and here is proof.