Texas - part one

Time continues to fly in my never ending hunt for elusive cryptozoological creatures. I last left off our adventure at a state park in Texas. I have since been in an RV park that I have previously stayed at. This time I will be in the hill country for two months. 

Last morning at Purtis Creek State Park. The hunting hounds loved scaring the deer every morning. 

On my way to the hill country, I stopped at the same brewery I stayed at last year and on the same exact date. It felt appropriate. I was able to have the fun new experience of changing a trailer tire on the side of the road as cars buzzed passed at 70 MPH. Truly a once in a lifetime experience and I would like to keep it to that once. I have had the tire patched up since then and I reinstalled it so it is all back to normal. I have also repaired some other minor outdoor plastic trim that had broken over the many miles. Thankfully nothing major has gone wrong yet and I am not wishing for it either.

Brazos Valley Brewing. The nicest part of staying at a Harvest Host location is that there is no driving after having a few. This allows one to have a few more. Really it all about supporting our local small businesses which makes me a hero and not an alcoholic. 

After arriving at the RV park, I settled down and started planning the search. Since I have stayed in the area before, I made sure to check some of the same locations to determine if Big Foot had made a recent visit. As usual I have found some indications that there had been a visit but alas I missed Big Foot by this much.  

Andalusia Whiskey. This is their library room in the back, Just chilling with a tasty old fashioned. I ended up on the phone with M who visited in Kentucky with P. The important thing to remember is that I was enjoying a drink in Texas and he was busy doing crap in Wisconsin. At least that was the part I recall from the conversation.

I have tried to break up visits to Big Foot hangouts with visits to the state parks in the area. I have been to a number of them before but I love a nice hike in the woods and some are close enough to walk to traditional Big Foot habitats.

Blanco State Park. I love this tree so I felt like taking a picture. It reminds me of the tree on my tattoo.

While in Blanco, I made sure to revisit an old favorite and some new places. Once again, I have found plenty of evidence that I'm on the right track. 

Texas Canon Brewing. It's odd that I manage to capture pictures of full beers while I am obviously only drinking water. 

I also tried went to Tenuta Bianco in Blanco. It has Italian and Texas wines along with some groceries and a back room that has Texas beers on tap. 

Wine area of Tenuta Bianco. It is decorated in a spaghetti western motif. A clever idea, but there is also a series of couches and chairs so you can relax in your style. Plus they regularly have music and a really great social vibe. Probably too much fun for me  but if you are in the area, be sure to visit.

Back room at Tenuta Bianco. Darker and more relaxing in the back. 

I also made a visit to Dripping Springs and Acopon Brewing.  Stellar beers and they had some hand pumped barrel ales that were delightful. I enjoyed my visit thoroughly but as Big Foot wasn't there that day, I knew I had to move on. I did pick up some good recommendations from other patrons for places closer to Austin but I decided to head back to take care of the hunting hounds. I did make a quick stop at Real Ale but didn't take any pictures. The beer is good there, but for some reason I just hate the vibe. I can't identify the issue but it is clear that Big Foot wouldn't hang out there so I won't be back.

For those with stellar eyesight, the beers with the British flag are the hand pumped ones. I had the barghest and it was a delightful porter. I have used that word twice in describing their beers and it applies.

After a hike we went to 12 Fox Brewing. Ozzy decided he was tired and wanted to sit at the picnic table. Outdoor area was nice and a great play area for those burdened with tiny humans. 

                                                
I took many breaks from my hunting of Big Foot and enjoyed a number of hikes at the state parks. I have decided to just do a photo dump of some of the images. Some hikes were with the hunting hounds and some were just by myself. It all depended upon my mood and their mood. Lucy made me promise not to post any pictures of her being carried so you won't see those but know that she was carried. Often.

I love the way the trees make this look like a tunnel. 

This is the dry part of the river crossing of the Pedernales River. The trail got very wet after this. Ozzy walked it the first time but was carried the second time since the water was to his chin (and would have floated Lucy away).. Obviously there are no pictures as I was watching my footing. The wet shoes didn't really bother me as it was New Year's Eve and 72 degrees. No complaints on those days.

View of the hill country from Pedernales Falls State Park.

Proof that  both of the hunting hounds walk, The hike on New Year's Eve ended up being over 7 miles. Ozzy walked it all and Lucy was able to do about 4 of that. Pretty impressive for those tiny legs.

I have continued exploring other local shops and eateries in my endless quest. I have once again been forgetful to capture images but as you know, this is a free blog and well worth the cost.  I actually went also to other parks for hikes but have not bothered including those pictures as I think it is redundant. I mean, how many pictures of me enjoying myself does one need to see?

As far as the search for a new adventure platform, I am making progress. Assuming I go down that path I have narrowed my requirements and have identified multiple options. At this point, I am waiting for the right price as I have to sell my current trailer and truck to make this happen. If I can't make the numbers work I then have several options. One is to keep what I have and delay a decision until later. Another option is far worse and may involve working (remember I am on a sabbatical and not retired) for money again. Finally I could rearrange my money and find a way to make it work. It will all come down to how badly do I want to change adventure platforms. I know the idea of working again is nauseating so let's hope it doesn't come to that. Of course, I could also buy a house and switch to part time travel too. Options and more options. 

On a very personal note, this last New Year's Eve marked what would have been Amy and my 30th wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe it has been that long but time does fly and we married very young. Within the last few days, it also marked the 7th anniversary of her passing. Life is better today than it was in the time after her passing and I remain hopeful for the future. I remind you of these two anniversaries so you perhaps take this into account in your own decision making. Life has highs and lows but the one certainty we have is that it is not forever. Make sure you enjoy whatever time you have and the best way to do that is being kind and loving. Enjoy your adventure.

A few years ago.

As always, 

Thor

braxwood.com 

Late fall

Once again the downside of living the life of a nomadic adventurer has happened yet again. Here it is another month has gone by since my last post and I had so many plans to update the blog but never got to it. Hunting Big Foot is exhausting and despite planning on spending a month in Missouri, I actually also made a quick trip to Wisconsin and even Arkansas. Since being in Missouri, I also have also spent a night again in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and now I’m back to Texas. For those tracking, that was 22 states since Labor Day. I intended to slow down this year and yet I’m still moving a lot. Alas. Onto the adventures.

I found the Branson area quite pretty and unfortunately, I failed to properly hunt Big Foot at every opportunity. To be fair, I am not sure any Big Foot found in Branson would actually live there and would probably be just visiting. That being said, it was still a nice time checking out local establishments. For those that are familiar with Branson, no, I didn’t see any shows and generally avoided all tourist locations. For those not familiar with all that Branson has to offer, I would suggest searching on the web.

Table Rock Lake. So pretty. Several trails near here. 

I like tree pictures for some reason. This has a lovely sky behind it. 

Another trail. This is in a nature area near Branson. Great trails and the weather was perfect for these hikes. 

Another one of Table Rock. I should mention that Table Rock State Park has a special place in my heart as it was the first place we went RVing after getting our first trailer and it was one of the last successful camping trips we went on while Amy had cancer. I will always cherish this place and it is lovely thanks to the state park and the Army Corp of Engineers. 

I did manage to also check out a local distillery and I am currently leveraging their product to help in producing this blog post. Missouri Ridge Distillery had a nice tasting room and patio space. I sat out for a while before it started getting chilly (low 60s - brr) so I headed in and sampled the whiskey and moonshine. I was pleasantly surprised with the  quality and since my supplies were running low I was sure to stock up with some of each.

The architecture and feel reminded me a bit of the Texas distilleries.

As I mentioned I made a trip up to Wisconsin and saw B&L along with Amy's parents - D&S. While there we made a pilgrimage to The Runaway in Burlington. Thankfully it was opening season of deer hunting so Burlington had the annual wine crawl where women go through the downtown businesses getting plastered. It is one of my favorite weekends as I enjoy seeing people having a good time. I have chosen to self censor many of my preferred comments. Consider this a moment of growth. While at Runaway, we saw a number of our friends including M, M, R, and of course the Runaway brain trust - J and B. It was a great time but no sign of Big Foot or any other crypto creatures such as the Beast of Bray Road. 

I ordered the water, Not sure why there are so many beers on the table. Everything tasted better since B paid. Nothing like free.

For Thanksgiving I met up with C&D at C's in-laws, W&M, who have relocated to Missouri from the Green Bay area. We did make a stop at winery - Cedar Lake Winery which was quite lovely. Oddly the place was pretty empty despite it being the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving with M's parents and brother's family in St Louis. It was a fun time despite the lack of any Big Foot beings. 

All decorated for the holidays. We split a bottle of cabernet which was quite tasty.

I mentioned that I also made a side trip to Arkansas. I went back to Mountain Home to see my friends S&S again. While there we hit two of our favorite places and since I forgot to take pictures last time, I thought I would include these here. Links are in the last blog. 

Stories Whiskey Bar. You need to the passcode to get in. I know it but I have muffed it up after one too many at the following place. 

Great selection at Rapp's Barren Brewing. Food is also spot on and despite my general avoidance of fries, these are not to be missed. 

While in Branson, I met some nice people including a family in the campground who were workcamping there for a few months. He is unable to dedicate time to Big Foot exploring so he is instead creating YouTube content and podcasts. I had the honor of being his first interview for the podcast which was an interesting experience. I had just gotten back from the local brewery (it was only about a half of a mile from the campground which meant I could walk and there was no limit on my consumption) and he decided that was the time for the interview. I readily agreed and we recorded it in the clubhouse. Thankfully I sounded intelligent enough but since I am never sure who listens to these I didn't mention my hunt for Big Foot. I wouldn't want the wrong people finding out my mission. He had previously been a TV reporter in San Diego so he asked good questions and kept me from wandering too far off track which I tend to do when I start talking. Some might say I do the same when I write, but as the bard said - "haters gonna hate".

After Branson I had two Harvest Host stays, one in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma stay was at a brewery (SHOCKING) in Durant. Lost Street Brewing is right downtown and conveniently located across the street from excellent smoke meats. The beer was delicious and food take-ins are allowed. I brought the dogs in too for a bit and we relaxed on the couch as people got ready for the Christmas Parade. With all that festiveness, there was no chance that Big Foot was going to make an appearance so the dogs and I headed back to the trailer. The next morning I walked the few blocks to a really reasonably priced coffee shop (Opera House Coffee) and had a nice oat milk latte before hitting the road for the trip to Texas. 

Decorated for the season and for a kids craft thing. 

The setup parked across the street from the brewery. Only issue was the two sets of train tracks (with full horn experience) and the road noise. But there was no cost to stay so it was well worth it.

I am currently at a state park in Texas before I head to my next stop which is currently planned for two months. While here I have taken advantage of the nice weather and hit the trails with the dogs. I got them both to do several miles today which is very unusual for Lucy. I will be checking local breweries and the related establishments for Big Foot over the next week, I did check out Athens Brewing in Athens, TX. Great beers and dog friendly inside and out so we might make a follow up visit when the temperature drops from today's 70s. 

This was a blend beer. Meaning two beers mixed to make a new beer. Okay, one of the beers is a stout and the other? Apricot. I know, but it was delicious. 

Campground is on some sort of creek that appears to have been dammed up. Whatever, it is pretty. The clouds blew away after this and it got sunny. Temps in the mid 60s to mid 70s. It is only for these first few days, but I'll take it.

I have started looking harder for my next adventure vehicle and did a few tours. You may be asking yourself why am I changing? When are you going to settle down? Why do you keep looking for Big Foot? The answer to all of these, is simple. Because I am who I am. 

More specifically, when I started planning this adventure in the dark quiet hours at night in the months and then years after Amy passed away, I wanted to get a van. It allows for the maximum flexibility in movement as the length is not much different from a long pickup. That was my plan A. Unfortunately there was a disruption to the supply of vans and the pricing got really out of whack. So out went plan A, plan B (truck camper), and then plan C (small trailer), to the point where I am at plan D. The pricing is still out of whack but at least it has come to the point where used vans are affordable. I still spend many hours thinking about ways to improve my current experience and I am hopeful this will allow me to change my travel to allow serendipity to play a larger role in my adventure. 

Settle down? I have thought a lot about buying a house or condo or even piece of land. I have identified several areas that are good candidates but I am just not feeling it yet. If I am not convinced that this is something I need to do, then I won't. I don't see an imperative at this time in having a house and I still want to keep my options open in case serendipity steps in and changes my trajectory. Who knows what my future holds and hope still exists.

Finally, Big Foot. As you know, Big Foot is a terribly difficult creature to capture. More importantly the only evidence people have is some video footage of dubious veracity. I have this covered in my FAQ, but Big Foot is not going to be found in the woods or grass lands. That would the first place people would go looking. Plus would you rather sit at nice establishment enjoying a small business's offering or get rained on in the woods with all those bugs. If someone is ever successful at finding Big Foot in those inhospitable locations, then that is clearly not the Big Foot that I am looking for since my Big Foot quarry would never be there. Also for people that think they have found Big Foot and send me pictures, I should mention that those are all statues and not the creature. There is a difference. I am still trying to determine if these statues are intended to lure Big Foot and thus I am more likely to be successful near them or if they repel Big Foot since they think the area is too crowded. Further research is clearly needed. 

In the meantime, I will continue the adventure. If anyone is interested in an off-grid capable luxury couples camper, let me know. I will sell it at a good price. The same goes for a slightly used Ram 2500. 

Until next time, 

Thor

braxwood.com

 

I made the font bigger. Let me know if this is better or worse. While in Branson I got my eyes checked and there has been some decline. A larger font is easier than new glasses. 

  

Working my way west

One of the biggest dangers I run into as your intrepid adventurer is that I lose track of time. It has happened again and now I haven’t posted in a while. To make matters worse, I have also failed to take adequate photos to entertain you. Alas. Thank goodness this is all free so you cannot claim you are not getting your money's worth for the content. 

When I last updated this blog with my tracking of Big Foot, et. al., I was in Virginia. From there I headed to Tennessee. I checked out eastern central Tennessee in my never-ending quest for the discoverable. I stopped by a limited number of breweries based upon the time of the week I was there plus the nearby state park was so pretty and had multiple hiking trails that I had to explore. There was no evidence of Big Foot on the trails (and why would there be as there has been no evidence of Big Foot on hiking trails) but I still had a lovely time enjoying the scenery.

Center Hill Lake. I have dozens of pictures but none capture how pretty this is. The trails were also excellent and gave me an inspiration for a tattoo if I decide to get another one.

I did have a nice visit to Red Silo Brewing in Cookeville. The beer was excellent, and I grabbed a growler of their brown ale for a later time when I knew it would come in handy. There was a pizza skoolie out front and I had a slice of the daily special. What was neat is that there was no charge for the pizza. Just pay for what you can afford and think it is worth, and I found it to be quite delicious. 

A nitro ale. The flyer was from a Rotary fundraiser. Amy was a Rotarian and those service clubs are the backbone of communities. 

I then made a slight detour to Kentucky which was not part of my original plan, but what are plans for but to be changed. I met one of the people I worked with in the remote DOD facility for wine and music. B brought along her friend J and it was nice to hang our with B again and to meet J. Unfortunately, B’s husband C didn’t make it, but it was a lovely day and he needed to go mountain biking. In any event, there are no photos which is fine since Big Foot was also not there. B was kind enough to bring along snacks, so J and I had a lovely time sharing a bottle of wine and having some munchies. 

I next spent a few days in western Tennessee at a campground that had their own disc golf course. I have seen people play this from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula down to Texas and I figured it’s been over 30 years; I should play it again. Apparently, the game has advanced since the olden days and they now have special weighted discs. Since I was completely clueless, I borrowed a couple from the club house and hit the course. The best thing I can say about my game is that I got better as time went on. To be clear, I was never good. I was rarely mediocre. I occasionally was awful but that was on my better holes. Despite what could have been one of the worst rounds of disc golf ever played, I had a great time. I can definitely see Big Foot playing this game and I will need to be more diligent when I am out to check other courses. I might even buy my own disc, but it will need to be reinforced to be able to take a good hit from a tree. 

My next stop was near Mountain Home, Arkansas. I met up with S&S who I had adventured with last winter in Texas and last summer in North Dakota. I can say that I was incredibly diligent at hunting Big Foot with them. Unfortunately, there was no success and not even a lot of pictures. I was a little distracted as I had a designated driver which is not something that comes along very often. I will do my best to share the names of the breweries. It is a little fuzzy but I think I am pretty close. I also shared the aforementioned growler plus the last of my Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. I should also mention that we did a nice hike and also went to a local cavern for a tour. But pictures of a cavern are never as satisfying as actually being there. 

We stopped at Norfolk Brewing and played scrabble and dominos and possibly had a beer or two,  The photo of S&S was at Gravity BrewWorks which was celebrating some anniversary. I don't recall which one but I am sure you can search for that online. This is a blog and not an encyclopedia. . We also stopped by Rapp's Barren Brewing Company several times for beer and dinner. The food was incredible and far above most places. Plus we were able to hang out upstairs on the leather couches and eat and drink. What more can you ask for? We also stopped at a local speakeasy bar. You need to know the passcode to get in, Without it, no entry. I assume this makes it a private club or something to stay within liquor laws, no clue. Stories Whisky Bar had incredible classic drinks prepared expertly. I would not say it was inexpensive, but since I wasn't driving, I didn't care. I would not miss this place if I was in town again.

View from my campsite. Yes, it was that pretty

S&S enjoying a beverage.

After that visit I went onto Branson, Missouri or as one local calls it – “Ned Flanders’ version of Las Vegas”. I found some nice places to hang out and some excellent hiking trails. There are a number of breweries in town and up towards Springfield. I will be here all month (more or less) and will be exploring as best as I can. No evidence of Big Foot yet, but one must be patient. 

Turkey Creek Brewery - decent beer and wood oven fired pizza made right there at the bar.

Vintage Paris coffee shop. Delightful coffees and teas. Relaxing place to hang out and spend some time after a hike. Didn't see Big Foot, but I will be back again.

I did have one detour already from my Branson stay. I went up to northern Iowa for a few days to get the slide mechanism addressed. It is all good now and the trailer got a clean bill of health from the dealership. I could have had someone closer work on it, but I have complete confidence in this family-owned dealership and their mechanics. There is value in trust and as this is currently my home, I felt it best to safe rather than sorry. Of course, that was a bit of a drive and after 1100 miles in 4 days and I am a little tired. Luckily, I had headwinds headed north one day (which means cold winds from the north while in Iowa) and headwinds on the way south (which means hot in Branson). This did nothing to help my gas mileage, but I am sure the oil companies appreciate the extra money. The important thing is that the trailer is back to good and is ready for a long life. 

That long life will probably not be with me owning it though. I am likely going to part with this trailer in the spring (or the third phase of winter for my Wisconsin friends – meaning March). I have my eye on several options. I am not ready to share what my leading option is but be rest assured, I will have thought long and hard before I make any decision. If someone is interested in a quality trailer let me know and I will give you a great deal. There is nothing wrong with the trailer, it just doesn't align with my future plans and having excessive gear is something I strive to avoid.

Until next time, 

Thor 

Braxwood.com

Mid Atlantic region - ish

As I last left off, I started this next adventure in New Jersey in my endless quest for the mysterious unknown. I was able to see the skyline of Manhattan while towing an RV. Truly a once in a lifetime experience and mean ONCE.

I stayed at a farm one night in the more rural part of New Jersey. The "farm" was really not much of a farm and more of a large mansion in a Tuscany style with a pool and tennis courts in the back. I was able to stay in my RV in the front with the farm animals which allows this property to be classified as a farm for what I can only assume is tax purposes. In any event, there was no Big Foot or Jersey Devil to be found so I moved on.

Typical farm animals, llamas. Or alpacas. I am not sure of the difference nor do I actually care. 

My next spot was Delaware. Delaware was the last state (other than Alaska) that I have not slept in, so it was nice to cross it off my list. Delaware was quite lovely and outside of the city, very rural. Pretty much the same could be said for every state (including New Jersey) but what still amazes me is that after having hundreds of years of large-scale occupation, it is still pretty much the same as it was in 1500 (obviously paved roads not withstanding). It’s not like the east coast was full, so people headed west, people headed west because they wanted to see what was there or to have their own space. I totally get and respect that feeling.

Delaware can be quite pretty.

I checked out a local brewery while there. Mispillion River Brewing was awesome. One of the owners and a bartender were getting their hair cut as they have a stylist that makes house calls. Got to say, it was a good idea as it saves on rent and is really convenient for the recipient of the haircut. I was tempted to get my hair cut, but I just got it cut in August in Kentucky and no need to rush these things. Oh, beer was spot on and delicious. Bar seating and the brewery behind. Excellent time, but no Big Foot.

Lovely tasting beer and a front row seat to the brewing

My next stop was Maryland. I have not spent a night in Maryland since my eldest brother JA lived there so it had to be like 1990 or so. Frankly it’s immaterial as I was back. I knew quickly that Big Foot would not be found anywhere around here. Apparently, the state of Maryland has decided to no longer issue driver’s licenses and allows basically anyone to drive. In fact, it seems the more levelheaded and reasonable of a driver you are, the less likely you are to get issued a license. To be clear, I have been around and driven in nearly all of the states. Take the most obnoxious of those drivers and put them all in Maryland and they would be average there. You basically see a major moving violation every minute or so and that is when there is no traffic. During congested times that skyrockets. There is no way Big Foot would want to be around these drivers as it is patently unsafe, and we all know that while Big Foot enjoys a beer or cocktail it is always responsible as getting home safe and alive is the most important thing.

Nevertheless, I still persevered and checked out a number of local breweries in Washington D.C. and Virginia. Most importantly I was able to see family. My brother JC was celebrating a BIG birthday and I got to hang out with JC&M again (recall the Ireland trip). Also, both of their kids and families live there, and they have new babies that I got to see (grandnieces). S&N have a beautiful daughter, O, and K&B have an equally beautiful daughter, R. It was nice to see babies again, but I certainly am happy I am well passed those years as it is a ton of work. People think dogs are like babies. They are not. As soon as it is considered acceptable to lock a toddler in a cage for a day then they are closer to equal but still not quite. You also need to take large quantities of money and burn it at the same time. Also stop sleeping all night long.

N with O

B with R

First stop was at Dacha with JC&M and S&N+O in D.C. where there was a special on some of the beer so the pricing was not ridiculous. There was also a plethora of Alumni groups meeting so the age in the brewery trended a bit younger than most breweries which range in age from 25 to 75. I know that they were all of legal drinking age as apparently stupidity in Washington extends to the bars as even I was checked for my age despite not looking a day younger than 30 (ok, 40. Fine - 50). It is one of my pet peeves to require proof of age for people clearly older than 25. I know some will defend these rules/policies/laws and let me assure you; you are wrong, and it is stupid. 

Ok. We stopped a number of places and they sort of blurred together. This was taken at one of the breweries.

We sampled the wares at a number of establishments including Port City Brewing, Fair Winds Brewing, and Aslin Beer. 

Yet another brewery picture. Blah Blah Blah. Does anyone actually read the captions?

JC&M along with Ozzy and Lucy checked out Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home on the Potomac. George loved dogs so they were allowed to wander the grounds and get attention from many random strangers. The house is pretty and there are some impressive features (including a key to the Bastille), plus George had an awesome office. The grounds were pretty and it is definitely worth a visit.

JC&M enjoying a beer in a non staged pose.

All things come to end as did my visit with everyone. We were able to have a nice birthday celebration for JC since he hit a MASSIVE milestone birthday. As a side note, being the youngest carries some burdens. Chief among those is to remind my older brothers that they are in fact, older.

Our next visit was Shenandoah National Park for a weeklong stay. Obviously Big Foot would not be found here as there are no breweries in the park, but there are breweries outside of the park, so I had to do my duty and explore. Elton Brewing was delightful. A perfect mix of seating options, great beer, and a fun vibe. There was no sight of Big Foot on my first visit so to be safe I had to make a second visit.

Enjoyed a beverage on the patio

I also had a beverage inside. I'll leave it to you on the quantity between my two visits but let me assure you, I was still better than those Maryland drivers.

I also checked out Brewhaha Brewing and had a really nice schwarzbier and Cave Hill Farms Brewery. This was an actual working farm and also an actual working brewery. Kind of neat. Housed in a pole barn that had old farm equipment as a sort of museum, it was an interesting place.

Brewhaha. Very small, but cool place and still managed to have multiple seating options. 

Cave Hills Farm: farm equipment and saddles in the sitting space. Really different. 

I got a chuckle out of this. 

While in the park, it seemed reasonable to take a hike on the Appalachian trail which is right nearby. I went with and without the hounds as Lucy insisted on being carried for the hike and that does get tiring. Oddly the cell signal was better on the trail likely due to being on the other side of Loft Mountain. The campsite had no electric or water, was partially shaded and in a no generator section. I was able to deploy all 4 ground based solar panels in addition to my roof panels. This was enough to keep my Jackery going to power my Starlink internet and the battery for my trailer as long as there was sun in the day.

Appalachian trail post. Thought I would include this for the haters out there.

 

Pretty view.

Some poor hiker falling off the edge of the cliff screaming for help. Alas, but at least he had good taste in beer based upon his hat.

I was able to enjoy the fall colors in the park. I have a video of the drive through the park but I am not particularly in love with the time-lapse feature of my dash cam. It looks a little nauseating based upon the playback speed. I could post it anyhow but that seems to be below the standard of excellence I show with the quality of this blog. Oh, Big Foot was still not found despite reports to the contrary. While there have been sightings of wild Big Feet, I am searching for the more sophisticated creature with a discerning taste. 

Finally, I ran into an issue with the trailer in Maryland. Apparently the slide cables (which move half of the trailer in and out to provide extra living space) had a malfunction. I was able to correct the issue and move the slide back in otherwise the trailer would be trapped in Maryland. I had a mobile RV tech check out my work and he noticed a problem with the other side of the slide where the cables were incorrectly routed and were rubbing and grinding. I noticed the noise earlier, but I have no idea what a cable slide sounds like as this was my first so I assumed it was normal. It was not. Most importantly my work was done correctly. I have decided to get this cable issue addressed when I am stationary for a longer period. I plan on spending a month at a spot in Missouri in November and should get it addressed then. Until then, I am hopeful the cables do not fail and the slide and half of my trailer doesn’t fall off while driving down the road. I am headed west again and will be going through Tennessee and onto Arkansas so you might want to avoid that area in case there is an issue.

 

Until next time,

 

Thor

Braxwood.com

Connecticut

It was an exciting and productive hunt for Big Foot in Connecticut albeit a bit rainy. In fact, it seemed to rain nearly every day, but I am sure that would be nearly impossible to believe. The fall colors started to kick in which was part of the reason for the visit, but it was far from peak color. You still have time to go.

I was joined on the hunt for Big Foot primarily with my brother J. Since the supercomputer that comes up with random letters seems to constantly come up with a J for every one of my brothers, I have decided to reprogram the system to produce a two-letter identifier for my brothers. Hopefully this reduces confusion as I unable to get the highly evolved processing unit to properly randomize with just one letter their names. Therefore, this brother after regeneration is now JM. His wife K was able to join in on a few of our explorations but alas, some people need to work and cannot spend as much time hunting Big Foot as I. Despite not finding Big Foot in Connecticut, it was a nice visit with JM&K along with my nephew, J, and his girlfriend M. 

JM and I visited a series of likely Big Foot hangouts throughout the southern New England region. I would say greater Hartford, but we even extended our search one day to Massachusetts. To be fair, these are all small states, and a two-hour drive would put you in southern New Hampshire. I know this as we made a side quest to look at alternative Big Foot hunting equipment for me but more on that later.

This will end up being a photo dump and some discussion of each establishment as far as I recall. It turns out Big Foot hunting is thirsty work and I tend to forget where I’ve been on a given day – especially when it never stops raining. I try to utilize my credit card receipts to remind me, but JM&K often treated which was awesome and yet exposes a disturbing lack of preparedness on my part for this blog. It is almost like I sit down with an adult beverage and just start writing as a stream of consciousness.

In any event, here we go and in a semi random order.

JM at Urban Lodge Brewing Company in the basement. Tasty but it did rain this day.

I have chosen to not include a picture of one of the places we went. Let me just say a few words and you can draw your own conclusions. Hooker. I had two and was quite satisfied. JM paid and was impressed with my stamina. And it did rain that day so one could say it was moist.

Connecticut Valley Brewing. Actually quite delicious and seriously overpriced. Since it was raining, we didn't have much choice.

2nd Bridge Brewing Company. This was a really cool place and it would be an awesome hangout. Lower level of an old mill and it felt very comfortable. Beer was excellent but no Big Foot. And yes, it rained that day.

East Hartford Brewing. Awesome beer. Seriously drinkable and I got some to go. They had a clever event for dogs where the dogs would do some paining without getting messy. I can share details if one is interested. It was raining so hard that the flooding make it impossible to enter through the normal door and we had to go through a side door. 

Paddle Creek Beer Company. Not the best of neighborhoods but really good beer. A home brewer that grew to run a part time brewery. These kinds of places are amongst my favorites as I admire the passion and dedication. 

We planned on another night that didn't happen to have rain to go to Hops On the Hill with JM&K. Unfortunately it was packed and we knew Big Foot detests crowds so we went to Elicit Brewing. As luck would have it there was a fundraiser for youth soccer that night and it was packed. Since there was no Big Foot at least we could have something to drink and a bite to eat. It was a big beer hall and packed with people but overall not a bad place. I would generally not hang out there with those large crowds but at least I know parents will drink to support their children. 

JM&K also took me to Willimantic Brewing Company. Good food and good beer. A bit of a drive from Hartford, but that doesn't mean much. Speaking of a drive, I mentioned JM and I went to New Hampshire. On the way back we stopped at the Tap Brewing Company. If you should ever find yourself in Massachusetts, I would recommend checking this place out. Great food and awesome beer.

On the last few days we prepped the pool for closing for the season since the rain finally relented. We headed one more time to Hops on the Hill. Turns out the parking was packed again but we braved it anyhow and it was great. Beer was awesome and there was enough space to spread outside (since the monsoon was finally over) and we were able to find some seats.

Good beer but again really expensive. I mean $9 for a pint is ridiculous since that same pint is only $6 elsewhere. Of course since the beer was good and the place was packed, who cares.

As I previously mentioned, I went with JM to look at Big Foot hunting equipment. I am looking at alternatives like a truck camper and JM&K are exploring getting into Big Foot hunting and would need equipment too. They have more space needs than I which is not surprising since they have a larger dog (Rosie) than both of mine combined and then doubled. No decisions have been made and won’t likely be made until I decide on procuring a base of operations. That was my original plan, but I got distracted along the way. Once I decide on if I need a base of operations, and where that base would be located, then I could decide on what changes need to be made to my Big Foot hunting equipment if any.

More adventures await as I head to New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland for my next installment. I am actually in New Jersey as I write this and I never thought I would be towing a camper and able to see the skyline of Manhattan at the same time. Or was it I never thought it would be a good idea? In any event, I am still alive and hunting.

Until next time,

Thor

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