I thought I’d share a little holiday/Christmas story. Maybe it’s not so little, but there is a treat for you at the end. I won’t be insulted if you skip to the end. But what kind of person does that make you? Probably like me. This story is really about the world-famous (??) Flintlock, a… Read More A Christmas Story – Dec 2020
2020 has been the worst year ever – right? Watching 2020 unfold was like watching porn. First it was titillating, then it felt unseemly, and lastly you got a sinking feeling in the pit in your stomach like you get two minutes after wolfing down a quarter pounder and large fry. No happy ending, so… Read More 2020 in Review – Dec 2020
Thanksgiving won’t be the same this year with Covid; limited or no travel, no big gatherings – I think we all know the list of “not that”. We won’t be with our kids this year – first time ever. Nevertheless, it is a time for thanks! We will be doing a Zoom call with the… Read More Thanksgiving Retro Style – Nov 2020
Any excuse to go see your kids is a great excuse. We didn’t need an excuse, so off to Denver we went, since it was right on our way to… well, Denver. Queue whisper-like Nat Geo voice: “Here you see the Child Unit in its’ native habitat.” We camped at our go-to campground, Cherry Creek… Read More Denver – Oct 2020
Occasionally, one comes across some spectacular event or sighting that stops you in your tracks. This is not that. However, on our trip through the Midwest we came across a few sightings that made us glad we were off the interstate. These (and so many other sightings) make up the rich tapestry of this country… Read More Midwest Corn Musings – Oct 2020
I said to Karen, “Did you know that Sparta, Wisconsin is the bicycling capitol of America?” Duh. It was a layup, right? We all know that. She thinks to herself, what does he know? Less and less as I prove every day. However, there is a billboard on Interstate 90 in Wisconsin that tells you… Read More Bike 4 Trails – Sept 2020
I have posted several “heading west” blog posts over the years. But the truth of the matter is that if you live on the east coast, you inevitably need to, well, head west. I suppose you could go north or south, but really – who does that. Crazy talk. We headed west from New Hampshire… Read More Heading West – Sept 2020
Most people attribute the term “dismal science” to the study of economics, but I maintain it is the study and execution of the game of golf. Summer is winding down and I thought I would capture a few thoughts on one of the activities that, particularly in these strange times, can provide a little outside… Read More Golf: The Dismal Science – Sept 2020
You had to know I would be the one to point out there are meteorological and astronomical ends of summer. “How do you come up with this shit” should your first thought. The mind works in curious ways. So yes, this is the end of the meteorological summer – the 3 months of June, July… Read More End of the Meteorological Summer – Aug 2020
This may be a lot about naught. We are, after all, largely in shutdown mode. Being retired as we are, we have nothing to complain about, given all the unemployment, health, emotional and psychological tolls, and the myriad of issues young families face. But if you wanted to be depressed, you’d simply turn on the… Read More Summer Sequester – Aug 2020
There is something mystical about buying and trying a new meat smoker; a new device to smoke meat, a new technique to improve cooking results. What do you suppose was the genesis of slow cooking? Do you suppose cavemen (cavewomen, cavepeople?) sat around the fire and said, “Hey, let’s smoke this brontosaurus leg low and… Read More New Smoker Ooh-ee-Ooh – June 2020
OK, we weren’t really in Atlanta and we didn’t really go to Boston. But you get the idea – we headed north. In our never-ending search for the perfect climate, we have departed the Atlanta area and have headed north to New England. Nothing says leave Atlanta better than 90+ degree temperatures. Our first stop… Read More ATL to BOS – June 2020
Another year of graduating students! Or was it just another year!?! I believe this year was, shall we say, distinctive. Let’s consider the traditional high school or college graduation ceremony. I won’t lie – I don’t remember a damn thing about my graduation ceremonies. I don’t have pictures of my high school graduation, and my… Read More Graduation Day – May 2020
Since this is (arguably) a travel blog, I thought I might talk about… travel. You can be forgiven if you have already forgotten what “travel” is. Perhaps this is where you queue the Dave Matthews Band, The Space Between… or the Eagles, Taking it Easy. This post in particular is about tweens. No, not teens,… Read More Tweens – May 2020
Like any photographer, amateur like me or otherwise, most have hundreds if not many thousands of photos, depending on how long you have been shooting, how liberal your shutter finger is, and how conservative your delete button is. With a little bit of free time on my hands, I went through and selected a dozen… Read More Way-back Machine – May 2020
I call it the Prince Howard Way, because this neighborhood has clearly been touched with love and compassion. When asked recently to donate for healthcare workers at the local hospital, the neighborhood quickly responded with acts of kindness, caring, and consideration. I know this is not just happening in our neighborhood; it is surely happening… Read More The Prince Howard Way – Apr 2020
This year may not be the primo get-out-on-the-road year, what with all the impact from the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Duh. But that does not mean we are unable to navigate our own yard! So, in lieu of captivating photos and stories from our RV travels, sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee, pour yourself a cold… Read More Our Yard – Apr 2020
Well, another year in the books at Steamboat Springs, CO! Damn, what a great place, great skiing, beautiful area – and the opportunity to spend time with Child Unit 2 and friends! It does not get better. You know it has to be a worthy place to go if it gets me up before the… Read More Steamboat – Mar 2020
Atlanta this year has received a boatload of rain, and yesterday was no different. In a typical week this year, it is my belief we have “enjoyed” about 5 ½ days of rain, a day of clouds, and about 2 hours of sun. I decided that today I was in charge, not the weather, and,… Read More Sope Creek – Mar 2020
We just spent the last month in (mostly) rural America, driven primarily on back roads. Upon our return home, for some unexplained reason, I logged into my LinkedIn account. Why, you ask? No clue – purely random. I hadn’t logged on in memory (my blog posts do automatically post on LinkedIn – but without my… Read More LinkedIn… and Rural America – Feb 2020
Want to know the most beautiful road in America? We’ll get to that shortly. Patience (Yoda). We finished up our stint at the fireworks show, and were now prepared to head east towards home. But we wanted to map a route that a) was not on interstate highways, b) was pretty and/or interesting, and c)… Read More Eastward Ho! – Feb 2020
You know your unhealthy interest in fireworks is excessive if it has caused you to make a 1,500-mile trip to attend the Western Winter Blast, an assemblage of like-minded individuals who have a slightly outsized and unnatural attraction to exploding cylinder shells. Combine Woodstock (add 40 years to the average attendee’s age), the tailgating of… Read More Lake Havasu City (AZ) – Feb 2020
This will be a short post, but it has been confirmed (photos don’t lie) – the pot of gold is located in the campground dump station! You can all breathe a sigh of relief. Or perhaps that’s not the best analogy. We camped again at Organ Pipe National Monument in southwest Arizona, literally on the… Read More Organ Pipe – Feb 2020
Spectacular. Simplest way I way can say to describe a short stay at Whitewater Draw. You likely have never heard of Whitewater Draw – I never had. But my bride had and scheduled it into our trip. Whitewater Draw is a wildlife preserve in southern Arizona, located on and around an ephemeral lake – a… Read More Whitewater Draw – Feb 2020
Admittedly our stop in Las Cruces was designed as a “utility” stop… do laundry, shop for food, really cool stuff like that. Awesome you say? Totally! Best. Laundromat. Ever! Kidding. We camped at Siesta RV Park, although “camped” would be better described as “parked”. But as said, our goal was utility and this campground (parking… Read More Las Cruces (NM) – Feb 2020
“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.” Technically we are a bit south and west of the heart of Texas, but I think we can be forgiven for a little literary license. We have been to many parts of Texas, yet we have barely scratched the surface. For… Read More Southwest Texas – Feb 2020
It’s been three years since our last visit to Big Bend National Park (TX), and we again realize why we love this place so much. It is not for the “epic” things you see (think Mount Rushmore, Half Dome, El Capitan…), but instead the myriad “little” things of beauty here. The fact is, you can… Read More Big Bend NP – Feb 2020
Keep Austin weird. We’re doing our part, just by being here. Forgive me if I repeat myself, but Austin is one of our favorite places. One of these days we’re just going to have to spend a month or two here – get it out of our system. But for now… We took several walks… Read More Austin – Jan 2020
We are camped at an Airstream-only campground (NTAC – North Texas Airstream Community) in Hillsboro, TX as a home base for a few days. I think it is common knowledge that we Airstreamers are like lemmings. “Lemmings have periodic population booms and then disperse in all directions, seeking the food and shelter their natural habitats… Read More Waco – Jan 2020
OK, so it’s been awhile. I know. I thought I no longer needed the self-therapy of writing blog posts, but Karen has convinced me that my mental instability is in dire need of some serious assistance – she has informed me I am neither stable or a genius. WTF. We headed west (from Atlanta) to… Read More Winter Road Trip – Jan 2020