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We have returned to Wisconsin.    Our ride home was a good one.   The usual traffic issues but nothing terrible.  We took our time so most days were fairly short rides with a relaxing morning and we stopped by cocktail hour.    Before we left we had a plumbing project that ended up lasting until the morning we left.   We had our main water valve in the condo changed and had issues with turning off the water to our building.   But our plumber was very helpful and moved appointments around to help us out.   So when things went well that morning we packed the car and left in the afternoon for a trip to Savannah Georgia.  Driving through Florida and into Georgia you see the trees and terrain change and it was a pretty ride.   We had booked a hotel in downtown Savannah that worked out wonderfully.  When we arrived in Savannah we checked in and found a great diner right around the corner.  Lot’s of good food and drink in Savannah.  And everyone will give you a to go cup to walk the streets!  On the next day we took a trolley tour and were amazed at the amount of history.  We had not realized their history went back before the revolutionary war.   The historic district is quite beautiful and lots of interesting places to see.   More days could be spent there.   It also lies along a river bank and shipping is still the number one industry.   The river walk has lots of shops and restaurants in what were originally the buildings where cotton was bought and sold and the world wide price of cotton was set through the 1800’s.

We had a good time walking the town but only had a couple of nights planned for Savannah, then drove on to Asheville NC.   Driving into the Smokey Mountains was again a beautiful ride.   Although it seems people in the Carolina’s are taught to drive in the left lane no matter what their speed!  But we found our way to our Holiday Inn which was not right downtown but had a free evening shuttle.   Our shuttle driver gave us a tour of the area and was very helpful.   Asheville downtown is well taken care of and Asheville claims to have the most breweries per capita of anywhere in the US.  Our first night stops were high quality in food and drink!  The next day we had a super southern breakfast in town and spent the afternoon walking the citie’s shops and a couple of breweries!  Out for supper that night we found ourselves talking to a couple from Madison WI and a bartender who was born in Fon du lac WI.  Small world always.

A couple of nights in Asheville and then back through the mountains and on to Lexington Kentucky.   Kentucky is an especially pretty state I think.   Eastern Kentucky is a mixture of the mountains and rolling hills and we could tell Spring had recently been in full bloom.  We stayed just north of Lexington and found a great restaurant in a historic building, and Chris says she had the best Mac and Cheese ever (American and smoked gouda).  Our full day near Lexington was mostly spent at the states Kentucky Horse Park.  Dedicated to the history of the horse and taking care of many breeds and retired champions.  They have many presentations daily and meticulously maintained, it was a lot of fun.   We left only because I wanted to see a couple of distilleries.   We were actually too late in the day to get on the tours but made it to Alltech which makes some very interesting Kentucky beers and also Town Branch distillery.   A little tasting and then left Lexington for the rolling Kentucky countryside and the Woodford Reserve distillery.   A very nice ride and we did get a personalized tasting!

After a long time away from Oshkosh we were starting to get anxious to get back home.  So after a couple of nights in the Lexington area we headed out for home.   Indiana is not the prettiest state but it is spring and green, and we saw some freshly planted fields.  It seems for a number of years we have had traffic problems in Indiana and this time did not disappoint.  My theory is that the State of Indiana does not care about how their construction affects traffic and closes down traffic lanes during the busiest time of day.   So a half hour of stop and go traffic (for nothing going on) I guess was not too bad, and surprisingly Chicago traffic went well so we decided to continue the trip all the way home.  Through Milwaukee just before rush hour and home to our apartment.  Unpacking and some cleaning to an apartment that was empty for 6 months made us hungry and thirsty.  But now settling back into our northern home and will visit our favorite places.  A couple of problems with the car we left behind but those are taken care of already.   Now on to our next phase of the year and adventures ahead!

 

 

 

Getting to the end of April already.   Things are getting quiet here in Florida as more of our neighbors have headed north.  Pete and Pat left today, which leaves a few of us who have not left yet.  The good news is that the weather north has improved a lot lately.  It looks like Wisconsin has gone from record setting snow to spring temperatures.  Chris and I plan to be here at least a couple of more weeks and give the weather a chance to stay warm before we get home.  We have a couple of things planned to take care of before we leave, but will be relaxing and enjoying the end of our winter.  We have already started to clean out our refrigerator and pantry.  And there are always favorite places to eat to visit one last time.  We had some rain this last weekend but the weather is great here.  Warm but the humidity has dropped so the ocean breezes are cool.  We are starting to think about our slow drive home.  Possibly Savannah, Ashville, and Lexington on the way home.   But nothing solid yet.  We will take our time and try to limit the continuous hours in the car – have to be parked by cocktail hour.   We have no dates we have to be anywhere until the beginning of June when we head to Hayward.

We are arriving at our 40^th anniversary.   Chris has had unending patience; MJ did not get much choice!  I have been incredibly lucky to have them both.  We have had a lot of fun and probably more than a few tense moments.   The time has gone too quickly.   I added a few old pictures today,  you can try and guess the years!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot believe we are already half way through March.   Obviously I have not updated our blog for awhile.   It seems we have been busy but really just enjoying the winter!   MJ was with us through the holidays, and then in January and February Marie was with us.  Our old friend Jeff VW has been down to visit a couple of times.   In February I started to golf again, and should have started sooner!  But I always enjoy it and my game is starting to get back to where it was at the end of summer.  Jeff and I have gotten a few rounds in and our neighbors Dan and Christy have been introducing me to new courses.   They have all been impressive and fun!   (I don’t stress over lost golf balls).   And we have seen a few gators!  Old friends John and Debbie also spent a little time with us.   Unfortunately Debbie was unceremoniously let go from her nursing job on the day they were leaving for vacation.   (Like I have seen a hospital that doesn’t need more nurses……)   But we are hoping it turns out into a positive early retirement once they get some things settled.   We had some fun, drank a few beers and took in our first Spring baseball game between the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.  We have since taken in a 2^nd game with Jeff.   It is nice to see March baseball in shorts and sunscreen.   MJ was back in February for winter break and will be back next week for Spring break.  I try to convince her that life is not so terrible.  In April we are looking forward to friends Mark and Terry coming to see us.   In between visits we continue to have fun with our good Snug Harbor neighbors.  We have had multiple group breakfasts and grill outs,  have been working on updating some gardens in our courtyard, and find time just to share some conversation and drinks.    And we have taken some trips to butterfly world and sightseeing cruises on the intercoastal. Unfortunately it will not be long before some of our friends start to head north.  It will be sad to say good bye for the summer.  We do enjoy spending time with them all.  But we have some time left, and Chris and I plan to be here into May.  More good times to be had!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a quick note to all of our friends and family.  We are enjoying Boynton Beach FL, grilling out today and that is our plan for tomorrows Christmas dinner.   Florida is having above average temperatures again this December and we are the beneficiaries.  But on this Christmas Eve we think of all of you, and we wish we could share some warmth with you.  The friendships we miss- but not the cold car and chilling wind!  For some of you it has been a year with some struggles and challenges and we give thanks you have made it through.

Our hope for all is for a magical Christmas and for the year ahead to be full of happiness and health.

Merry Christmas!

We made it to our Florida destination.   We went through Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.   We were welcomed to Boynton by Ron and Verna who beat us here (I think they took a shortcut).  We spent 6 days on our last leg after a few weeks in Albuquerque with Marie. We had a relaxing time and beautiful weather,  all well above average.  We did some fun sightseeing, and MJ flew in for Thanksgiving.  We were able to grill and eat outside for Thanksgiving dinner.

Once we left Rio Rancho we stopped first in Lubbock, Texas.  Going East out of Albuquerque is a pretty trip through the mountains and then opening up into rolling hills and plains.  We drove I-40 to Santa Rosa then south to Fort Sumner and Clovis, NM.  I would have to say the roads got better when we hit Texas even though we would not be on an Interstate.  It was mostly 4 lane and well paved through Texas.  Chris and I did not expect to see so many cotton fields, turns out it is a big crop for Texans.   And we were in prime cotton picking time.  We saw truckloads after truckloads of cotton and white snowy fields waiting to be picked.  Our first night stop in Lubbock was a good night.  Our hotel was nice and we had a great meal in a brew pub close by.  The next morning was a start of a day’s drive through Texas to Austin.   More cotton, cattle, and flat lands turning into hill country with lots of variation in Texas landscape.  The hill country provides interesting views.  We drove through many small towns on our way to Austin to visit our nephew­­ Craig, his wife Andria and daughter Evelyn.  It was super to spend time with them.  Evelyn is growing quickly and a joy to watch.  We shared some good beers, Austin Bar-b-que, and quality time.  After a couple of nights in Austin it was on to Lafayette, Louisiana.  A pretty good ride, although Austin and Houston traffic made us happy to have been in the small towns.   Once we made Houston we got on to I-10 heading East.  It’s a good road but is a major East West passage so  we encountered a lot more trucks than we had previously seen.  Being near the gulf was a lot flatter and we saw a lot more water.

A relaxing night in Lafayette and then further East.   We planned a late breakfast and stopped for Kolaches in Baton Rouge.  Chris found the place that made great dough covered breakfasts.   Then continuing on through Mississippi and Alabama into Florida.   Out West we marveled at roads through the mountains and here we marveled at bridges that went on for 10-15 miles through the bayou.  Louisiana was very scenic with lots of tree lined highways.  Mobile,  Alabama calls us back as it looked so inviting, and the bridge there over the gulf was awesome.  Our stop for the night was in Defuniak Springs Fl.  We had a nice bar-b-que dinner with Gail and Larry.  So glad they could share a Friday night with us and catch up.  After a good night’s rest at a hotel we had been at before we continued heading East on I-10 until we reached I-75 and then were able to head Southeast.  Longwood near Orlando was our next stop.  Darren and Sheryl invited us into their home.  We went out to a great German meal and Polka music in Sanford.   Sooo good.  That pork shank should carry me through the week.   Then after a  Manhattan, back to their house to meet some friends and watch the Badger game.  OK, part of that was not so good but we had a wonderful evening.   They treated us to a relaxing breakfast, then we headed south for the shortest drive of our trip.   Now back in Boynton, unpacking, cleaning up, and settling in.  More to come in the next month, but less driving!

 

 

We have seen some new parts of the country the last few weeks.  It has been a great trip so far, and more to go.  We left Oshkosh for Florida, heading West.  We traveled across Minnesota and South Dakota to start our trip in sunny late October weather.  We were amazed by the size of the cornfields, not the small farms of Wisconsin but straight, long corn rows that went on farther than we could see.   It was fairly flat land rolling on and on, and most of the corn was dry but still standing.  So the first day we saw farmers out working the harvest, hour after hour.   We saw many semi trucks in the fields and were sure the harvesters needed to unload to the trucks before they could finish one of the long corn rows.  Along the way we could not resist stopping for lunch in Austin, Minnesota and taking in the Spam Museum.  Who knew there were so many varieties across the world?  Fun Place!  It was a beautiful day of driving, ending up in South Dakota.  We stayed in downtown Sioux Falls and had a nice supper at a historic tavern.  Our hotel club points gave us an upgrade to a 2 room suite bigger than our apartment, and we relaxed there most of the night.

The next days’ drive was across South Dakota.   We had more clouds and a 30 mph sustained wind plus some gusts.  So we saw less of the farmers out but lots of corn stalks and tumbleweeds hitting us across the highway.  Our miles per gallon on the car took a hit but it was still a good drive.  Our friend VW recommended taking a sidetrip off I-80 to the Badland Loop which we did.  It was beautiful, on our list now to go back in hopefully sunny weather.  The South Dakota rolling hills turned to rock and canyons and beautiful color, with lots of wildlife from deer to mountain goats and pronghorn.  Being from Wisconsin we are not used to pronghorn, I thought some type of deer.  A naturalist in Wyoming later explained they are not deer or antelope but their own species.  And we have seen them throughout the West.  This time of year they are herding up so were easy to see in the plains and the mountain valley.  In the badlands we were close to our next destination of Keystone, South Dakota.   The hotel was a welcome stop, and we parked the car, checked in and were able to walk across the parking lot to a decent bar/restaurant.  We were almost assaulted by mule deer walking back to the hotel, but made it safely.

The next day started off at Mount Rushmore.  It is an awesome sight.   You pay for parking and we got a senior/off season deal, and the park entrance is free.  The movie and museum are fact filled and interesting.  Then to walk out and see the mountain in front captures you.   We spent a number of hours there and then headed to the Crazy Horse mountain site.  It’s an interesting story, even though after many years of slow progress (now done mostly by volunteers), only the face is done.  But a worthwhile place to take in and have a nice lunch.  This region of South Dakota is mountainous terrain and a treat around every corner.  We decided to take a tour through Custer State Park in the afternoon which again provided inspirational views.  We saw our first Bison herds among the great views and other wildlife.  We really enjoyed it and the only draw back was the sun was dropping when we decided to leave and most roads in the area are small winding two lane roads.  Around every turn seemed to be more deer.   I noticed they all did not look like mule deer, and later learned that yes whitetail were also in the area.  But we saw more deer in one evening than I may have seen in my life.  We often found the mule deer grazing on the edge of, or right in towns.  We made it back to the hotel without incident and were happy for a cocktail and dinner.

The next day we continued West.  The first hours were very scenic leaving South Dakota and entering Wyoming.   But many hours after that we concluded Wyoming was something to be missed.  Long flat lands with a few cattle, pronghorn and occasional people.  A naturalist later told us that at one time there were more pronghorn in Wyoming than people (not long ago).   There were not many places that looked like places we may want to stop until we got to Southwest Wyoming.  We made it to Salt Lake City Utah after a long day.  But it was quite scenic near the end of our day.  We found our way to our hotel, then a nice brew pub, and our first Uber drive home.  Uber worked very well.  Sunday Yelp found us an Italian restaurant downtown for early lunch that was very enjoyable.  Then we walked through downtown and the beautiful Temple Square area.  It was interesting and nice sunny day that eventually found us at another brew pub, go figure.   The downer in Salt Lake City was the high number of homeless people on the streets.  One of the reasons we used Uber for our first times (we were at a hotel just out of downtown) because we did not feel comfortable walking through/over so many homeless, even though no one was aggressive.  We see them in all cities, certainly South Florida.  But in Salt Lake City the homeless seemed to be much more present.

The next day was South through Utah and into Nevada.  As boring as Wyoming was, this day was filled with exciting sights.   And in the last hours of Southern Utah, Arizona, and Nevada we were both awestruck with the idea of how they could have built this road through the mountains.  It is well worth taking this drive.  And at the end of the rainbow is Las Vegas!  We had made a room reservation a couple of days before at Paris Casino.   Mike S had warned me about “resort fees” added to hotel daily fees.  How do they get away with listing an unreal price?  But we found a decent deal in the middle of the strip and for a few bucks upgraded to an end suite, very nice room.  Vegas is a lot more expensive than the old days when we used to go often.   The Paris food was excellent, the cocktails expensive, and the casino somewhat dark.  But it was enjoyable to see Vegas again, we visited a number of casinos and took in the sights, and we did not leave much money behind even after a full day.

Next on the itinerary was to start heading East.  Neither of us had ever seen Grand Canyon, which is a fairly easy drive from Las Vegas.  So we had another enjoyable drive and short enough that after checking into the hotel we still had time to head to the canyon and take in some sight seeing.    We took lots of pictures but none do it justice.  The park is laid out nicely and has a number of free shuttle bus routes.  The drivers are helpful and the stops are often to give you lots of options.  The first afternoon we parked at the welcome center and took a couple of bus routes to see lots of viewpoints and get the lay of the land.  We stayed to watch the sunset and then headed back to our hotel in town.  The next day we had a good idea how the routes worked and did more sight seeing to the landmarks, galleries, shops in the park.  We often stopped to take in the view.  Different times of day the light brings out new views, new awesomeness.  Nothing overhyped about these views.   We did take in an Imax movie about the Canyon at the start of our full day which was fact filled and well done, a good way to prepare yourself for the day.

The next day was a ride further East to Albuquerque, where we are now.  Spending some time with Marie and giving the car a break.   It has been a wonderful ride, and looking forward to much more!

 

 

 

 

 

Not only another month gone by but the summer is gone.  Time has continued to fly by quickly, retirement is wonderful!  We still have had some warm weather in Wisconsin but those days may be numbered.   So it is time for Chris and I to be thinking about leaving!

September and early October was a time to get caught up on lab tests, doctor appointments, dental appointments.  We have survived those mostly intact, and hopefully we have those taken care of for some time to come.  This winter we will look for a Florida dentist to keep up with our cleanings.  In between appointments I had a chance to get some golf in, and to brew some beer with old friend Mark.  We made a big stout, so some bottles will be able to wait for me to return next summer.  To start out October Chris and I spent some time in Door County.  We had a couple of days in Fish Creek and then were able to spend a long weekend on Washington Island helping celebrate Janet and Steve’s 45^th anniversary.  They had many friends come to wish them well and we had a lot of fun.  A number of us received our bitters club card (ask us sometime!).  The following week Chris and I finally had a chance to golf with old friends Jim and Nancy in the Madison area, and to attend a fund raiser at the Minhas Brewery for a friend injured in a motorcycle accident.

So now for our next steps in the year.  We are thinking of leaving Wisconsin shortly, heading to Florida via South Dakota and Utah.   If you know your geography that may not make sense,   but neither of us has ever seen the Mount Rushmore Memorial, and Salt Lake City sounds like fun.   Then head south for possibly Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.    All to spend some time in Albuquerque with Marie.  Then after Thanksgiving head on to Florida.  That is the tentative plan, we will watch the weather and leave room for adjustments.  We do have time to change if we want!  We look forward to some new sights to see and things to do.   Enjoy the fall!

 

 

Another month has gone by quickly.   After our July time in Door County being so much fun, August did not disappoint.  After seeing Marie off in Milwaukee we had took care of some Milwaukee appointments and had the chance to see our niece up close and personal.  Craig and Andria brought Evelyn to Milwaukee for a visit which was perfect timing for us.  They are back in Texas and doing fine and we hope for the best for Andria’s relatives in the Houston area.

The next week we were back in Milwaukee for Irishfest, the biggest Irish festival outside of Ireland.  Chris and I have enjoyed the music for many years and this year was as good as ever.  We had a wonderful weekend of music, friends, and drink.  After a couple of days home to Oshkosh Chris and I packed up and headed out.  We spent an enjoyable night in Sault Ste Marie ON, then on to Tamagami Ontario to see our good friends Ron and Verna; our Florida neighbors. They are wonderful hosts who put us up for 4 nights.  They introduced us to some of their wonderful friends.  We saw bear, eagles (missed seeing a moose) and fit in a long boat ride.  We got to see some of Ron’s  years of work out on the islands and had a tour of a work in progress from their friends Joe and Marian.  We had a multi course meal at another friend who is a wonderful host and loves to cook.   Thanks Sandi and Bob for hosting us another afternoon, it was great to see you again!   And at Ron and Verna’s we ate, and ate, drank and ate.   It was a wonderful time we will treasure, and hope to do again.

From Tamagami we headed south to cross off another thing from the bucket list.  We headed to Niagra on the Lake ON, the gentler Canadian side of Niagra Falls.  Our daughter suggested Niagra on the Lake instead of the more commercial Niagra Falls, which was a good choice.  Niagra on the Lake is full of bed and breakfasts and we found a good one.  We did the scenic ride to see the falls and some sightseeing in and around Niagra on the Lake. It was relaxing and fun.  There are wineries everywhere!  After a couple of great breakfasts we headed West to the Detroit area.  We spent Labor Day weekend with MJ and John. We saw MJ’s school room, had some grill outs, and watched lot’s of tennis!  Oh and some football.  After a stop to leave some of my money in a Michigan casino we made it back to Oshkosh.  We had a lot of fun.  On the downside during the 2 weeks we see more changes in the colors of the leaves, and the weather is cool.   On the upside we made it home to win 2 free pizzas and some 50 cent drinks back at Cranky Pats!   Thanks to Ron and Verna and all who treated us so well.  Our thoughts to those in Houston and thoughts to those ahead in the Caribbean and Florida.

 

The last month has been busy.  We headed to Michigan before July 4^th and had a great time.   A night in Marquette MI, Gaylord MI, and some time with MJ and John in the Detroit area.  We also spent a couple of nights in Ann Arbor.   Lot’s of good food and beer was involved along with scenic countryside.  Upper Michigan and northern Michigan are very scenic.  And we made the 5 mile ride over the Macinac bridge and took some scenic roads.  We were back for July 4 and participated with some friends in our July 4^th weekend bike ride.  Beer was involved…..   Marie, Chris and I spent a couple of days in New Glarus WI.  Chris’s grandmother took them there each year to celebrate their Swiss heritage.  The Swiss Heritage Museum was eye opening for the story of the Swiss immigrants that started the town.  Then we prepared for our annual Door County camping trip.  This year we rented an RV for Chris and I which made hauling our equipment much easier.  We had a wonderful time.   Since we have been doing this for 35+ years it feels like home to be with our old friends.  Mj and Denise camped for a week.  I did manage to get some golf in!   Now home, un packed and most of the clothes washed and put away.  Marie is on her last few days here in Wisconsin and will be heading home to New Mexico on Wednesday.  There is still some summer left and Chris and I will sit down to make some plans one of these days.   Life is good.

 

 

 

About a month back in Wisconsin now and life is good.  The weather has warmed up and been good overall.  Some storms over the last month but we don’t have a yard to clean anymore or a house to worry about.  So other than catching a few rain drops it has not gotten in our way.  We picked up Marie in Milwaukee on Memorial Day weekend and spent a couple of days walking downtown.   Then home to Oshkosh briefly and then on the road to Hayward.  We made what has become an annual trip to visit Dick and Carol and get some fishing in.  Actually more eating and drinking than fishing but Dick and I gave it a good effort.  Even though we were later than usual by a week the water was still cold and the Crappie still were not spawning.  But we still caught some along with some Walleye and Northern and had fun, as well as bringing some filet bags home.   We spent a lot of time out in nature watching the eagles, hummingbirds and new born fawn.  The days went by too quickly.

After getting home Chris and I have been catching up with appointments.  I had my root canal finished and the doctor was happy with the progress.  We are catching up with our favorite Oshkosh bars and restaurants, took in some Irishfest music and a nice Waterfest night with Brian Setzer rockabilly.  I have been able to get some rounds of golf in, which is wonderful!   My old friend John goes out early many mornings and I have been lucky enough to join him.  And I even got my friend Mike out although the course was shortened by the rain storm the night before.  We had a good time.  Next up is a trip to Detroit.  We leave for Marquette Michigan tomorrow then through Michigan’s UP to the ‘mitten’.  So some time to spend with MJ and John, a couple of days in Ann Arbor, then who knows what is next!  No schedule to be home so we will plan our route when the time comes.  The next trip will be Door County camping at the end of July, looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends then!