Mid-July Update

We have been bouncing back and forth at Madison urban campgrounds, taking advantage of all the great restaurants and music venues.  But it's been hot!  With the heat index, the combined humidity and temps into the mid 90's have  made it hotter than Tucson. Additionally, in the last week, the wildfire smoke from Minnesota and Canada has completely socked us in.  Basically, it's like sitting at the campfire with the smoke blowing in your face all the time.  

With a front coming in yesterday, we have a respite today with better air.  But the forecast is smoke tomorrow.  Temperatures are supposed to return to the 80's and even the 70's later next week,which will be a relief.

Allie is in the air, as I write this, flying to Wisconsin for a week to spend some time with us before continuing to Connecticut to spend time with her boyfriend and his parents.  She now shares a new apartment with the boyfriend at the Wharf in S.F.  He works in banking. 

Today, I'm playing in a pickleball tournament in Madison which is somewhat of a Chinese and American cultural exchange.  There will be 8 doubles teams from each group.  I missed the informal one held a couple of years ago.  This is a more formal tournament with advanced players.  I feel like I've improved since moving to Tucson, but this will be a good test. My doubles partner is recovering from a sprained ankle, so it will be a test for his ankle.  I hope we both pass.

Music on the patio at the High Noon Saloon

Summertime, and the Living is Easy (Sometimes)

We are settled into our routine in the Madison, Wisconsin area for the summer. We lived thirty minutes north of Madison for thirty years, and it was a frequent destination for breweries, restaurants and music.  Summer is the best time of year to be here with many festivals and outdoor beer gardens to sample.

Two nights ago, we went to Octopi Brewing's patio and heard a band called "Don't Spook the Horse." Clouds threatened rain all night, but it never rained.  The band's motto was every third song must be a train song (half-joking, I think).

Last night we went to La Fete de Marquette, an annual festival for Madison's Marquette neighborhood and its 20th anniversary.  Los Lobos was the headliner last night.  They might be old, but they can still rock.

The best thing about all of these festivals and bands is that they are free.  Well, the beer isn't free, but the music is.  

 

 

With friends Steve and Trish

 

We won the Lottery!

Not the kind of lottery that makes a fellow rich in Trump meme bitcoin.  On our second try, we won the lottery for a Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Permit. Looks like we may be hiking down to Bright Angel Campground sometime in November.

Time to get our backpacks out this fall and do some training. Julia has never backpacked before.

 

Iowa River Towns

 

I’ve blogged about this area of the Mississippi River between Dubuque and Bellevue, Iowa on several previous occasions. We’ve always liked the summer vibe here: breweries, music, farmer’s markets, the slow pace, and the lower cost of living. 

Cedar Rapids

We are winding down our multi-day stay in Cedar Rapids. I don’t have any particular fond memories of this city, which is also known as the  City of Five  Smells: Captain Crunch cereal, cooking oats, ADM/Cargill food processing, the Cedar River, and wastewater treatment. 

However, it was a lifelong home for my grandparents and great grandparents. It’s where my dad lived his final days and where my mom has chosen to live for church and friendships. 

During our stay, we took a day trip to Mount Vernon to buy my mom some local honey and to walk the campus of Cornell College (the Iowa Cornell). We (Julia and I) also managed a beer at Big Grove Brewery, a lager house. My amber lager was quite good. 

We also toured the Czech Slavic museum. My great grandmother was Bohemian and part of the large Czech community that formed in this part of Iowa. The clock tower goes off every hour from dawn until dusk. The characters represent different types of Czech workers/members of society. 

Acorn Valley COE

There is a lake here, but it isn’t viewable from our campsite. However, the price is right with the 50% Senior Pass discount. We are close to Drs Moines and in a holding pattern to get to Cedar Rapids for an available campsite. 

On our first day here, we ventured to a nearby brewery not worth mentioning. It’s never a good sign when the oatmeal stout is translucent. 

Cedar Rapids is where my mom lives, so we will be there for several days this coming week. 

We did get in our first campfire of the year last night and saw our first fireflies.

Look closely for the flashes.