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.

Another Day, Another Lake

 The drive from Oklahoma into Kansas was mostly on two lane highways and without any breakdowns or unpleasant surprises. We pulled into Hillsdale State Park in the early afternoon and took Callie on a walk around this huge park with multiple campgrounds. 

Then we headed into town for some Kansas bbq at Poppa C’s.

On the next morning, there was a beautiful quiet sunrise.

We spent that day relaxing. Julia rented a kayak for a couple of hours. 

We picked up supplies at a local grocery store. I’ve never seen an entire aisle dedicated to bbq sauces. 

Early the next day, we dumped tanks and were headed to Iowa.