Trip#3

Coming to a blog near you....

November 13th :)

Where could I be going now???

Update.

So it's been a hot minute since I've been on a Johnny journey.  Life has been quite a commotion since the last trip....here's the skinny.

After months of procrastinating and facing my fear of another relationship, Jerry & I officially became an "item."  It's funny because we did everything ass-backwards from the start of our relationship as far as dating standards go, but it worked out really well.  I trust this boy with my heart.  He makes me laugh, cooks me dinner, encourages my outrageous road trip behavior and loves me for me.  *Boy, if you're reading this...you break my heart, I break your face.  Love you.*

We adopted little Addison Lou, a 5 year old min-pin/rat terrier mix whom is unfortunately named after the Cubs.  It was a sacrifice I had to make to get her home with me.  Addison is after the road Wrigley Field sits on, and Lou for Lou Piniella.  She is a complete and utter spaz, words cannot describe how off-the-wall quirky this little dog is.  She was rescued from a hoarder/breeder along with 20 other dogs that had never seen life outside a wire cage.  Slowly she's getting used to a spoiled life.  And Jasmine is getting used to having that perpetual shadow follow her around 24/7.
Let's see...what else....

Oh, I've moved.  We got a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom house with a full basement in Hobart.  I must say it's definitely "home."  There is a county kitchen, complete with knotty pine walls and hand-me-down 1960's cookbooks from Jerry's Grandma.  I must brag about how sweet this boy is, he says my cooking is good even when it's too salty/runny/burnt/etc.  I have my own craft area(score!) littered with glue, paper, scissors, fabric and a freakin stupendous sewing machine.  There you can find all kinds of do-it-yourself projects I have started, but in true Mandy fashion not finished.  The basement is undergoing renovation to become the party pad, with a donated Pool and Foosball table.  I have plans to build a bar with my bestest Mary, but that'll have to wait til the snow falls and apprehends my "go go go" spirit.  We've adopted a neighborhood cat, who I call Kitty Kitty, that waits for me every night I get home to feed her.  She roams the neighborhood fighting crime and planning the ultimate demise of the world.  This is why I try and stay on her good side.

Other than that, life just goes on one day at a time.  I haven't forgotten about you Johnny, I've started a Cash record collection. I'm still trying to scrape up a couple extra pennies to do another Johnny trip before winter.  I'm planning one ginormous, awesome, kickass trip in spring of 2011...so you'll just have to keep your eyes and ears open for that blog.  Until the next quest, keep it classy San Diego :)

Trip #2- Part 2. 4 down. 88 to go.

10am and I'm awake, refreshed and ready to hit the road.

I hop in the bubble and pull out the atlas. Ok, here's the bad part...skip it if you must. I'm a bad girl and can't find my way to Baraboo, so I pull out the TomTom. Whew, I hate to admit it, but I had to get it off my chest. There was no way I would've found my way alone. TomTom showed me the way down some crazy country roads, some lightly used highways and through hours of cornfields. It was a beautiful summer day, the air was warm and buzzing with a nice breeze. High 80's, so very tolerable. I jam out to some Rascal Flatts, Devil Doll, Johnny Cash and Sarah Blackwood, what a day to sing at the top of my lungs. Dear residents of Wisconsin, I apologize if I pierced any eardrums on the drive.

I wind through a couple small towns, speed limit 25. Really? Really? Are you worried a cow is going to jump in front of a car? Anyways, I land in Baraboo around noon. The downtown area is set in a square fashion, a reminder of old days with little shops, bars and the A.L. Ringling theater. I was too late to take a tour, but it looked pretty rad from the outside. It was built in 1915 by Albert Ringling, one of the founders of the circus. I snapped a few pics and head over to Square Tavern for a beer, burger and fries. It was definitely the "neighborhood" bar, with Mr. I'm getting a Divorce, wheres my pity party next to me. On the other end was Mr. Anti-social with his grumpy attitude and newspaper to hide his face behind. I devour my lunch, ask the bartender about the local attractions and find my way to Rock Springs, WI. About 20 minutes west of Baraboo I hit up the locally owned Big Cat Rescue. Home to 26 big cats, including 16 Tigers, 7 Lions, and 3 Leopards. My favorite was Beemer, the old man of the place. He was a lazy lil lion the just looked at me like "it's hot, I'm grumpy, leave me along." I feel ya old man.

I decide it's time to head home...get in the car...continue blasting my music and sit in traffic for the next 4.5 hours, yay! I stop for a romantic dinner at the Hindsdale Oasis, woo hoo for Panda Express. Arrive home around 10pm and happy to see my lil Jasmine who stayed with her auntie Fay for the weekend. She meets me at the door whining with some kisses, looking for a sympathetic belly rub. Another successful weekend down in the books. 491 miles added to the speedometer. Now...where should I go for trip #3?????

Trip #2- Part one. 3 down. 89 to go.

My alarm screams at me. It is a gloomy 8am, following a 2:30am bedtime. Those drinks were definitely not a good idea, stupid Vodka. I hear the rain tapping on the siding as I roll my chubby butt out of bed and throw on some clothes. Good thing my bag was already packed. Hungover Mandy, meet road trip number 2.

I fuel up, grab a mountain dew and a bag of Doritos(I swear this is a staple of the road trip diet,) and head down I-94W. To my surprise traffic really wasn't that bad, I arrive in Milwaukee right around 11am. Right off the interstate I land in a not single girl friendly neighborhood, or at least the influx of cop surveillance would make me believe so. On my left I spot an eye-catcher. Leon's Frozen Custard, here I come! They've been servin up frozen treats, along with hot dogs and burgers, since 1942. I pull up to the old school custard stand and order myself a strawberry shake. Total num num quality. Time to leave the ghettotastic area. I wander downtown, in awe of the beautiful historic buildings and gorgeous scenery. I never pictured Milwaukee being such a beautiful place, I'm glad I could take it all in. After cutting a car off(sorry buddy, next time use the turn signal) I hit up the Forest Home cemetery for a look at heroes past. I find many unique gravestones and mauseleums, my favorite being the final resting place of Valentin Blatz, one of Milwaukees groundbreaking brewers. Besides Mr. Blatz, I seek out August Krug, Joseph Schlitz, Frederick Pabst and the Davidson family(as in Harley-Davidson.) To my disapointment, I'm not able to locate Jacob Best(founder of what would become Pabst.)

After I say my goodbyes to the deceased, I head towards the Miller Brewery for a afternoon tour. Our tour guides, Amy and Diane(whom sounded straight out of the movie Fargo) showed us the brewing process, the warehouse floor, and the underground caves. After a rainy morning, the underground caves tingled my nose with the scent of wet dog meets grandma's nasty basement. But it was still pretty cool to hear how they used to line the caves with ice to keep the beer cool during the summer months. We head off to the beer garden, where I am blessed with a glass of Miller lite and two samples to choose from. I choose a new beer, still in the baby stages, called Batch 19. It has a nice smooth flavor and goes down quickly. I will partially blame this on the fact it was hot as a mug and boy was I thirsty. I wrap up the tour with another sample of the Batch 19 and head my way back to the bubble.

I dart across town a few minutes to the Pabst Mansion. Random thought, why must all breathtakingly beautiful historic houses always be in the ghetto? Anyways, after circling the neighborhood I finally find the home to the sea captain/brewer, his wife, daughter and granddaughter. Built in 1890, the structure took two years to finish. I can't even describe the elaborate details, both inside and out. The home was lived in by the Pabst family from 1892-1908, until the deaths of both Mr. & Mrs. Pabst. It was then purchased by the archdiocese of Milwaukee. They proceeded to cover the walls/ceilings in a stark white paint and cover the hardwood floors with beige carpet. I couldn't imagine such a place losing the very identity that it once showboated back in the day. Since then the historical society saved it from becoming a parking lot and is working on bringing it back to life. There are many authentic paintings, furnishings and even safes still intact, which allows the mind to imagine the captain sitting in the Music room, smoking a cigar laughing with the gents. Or Maria Pabst, sitting in the ladies parlor gossiping with her closest friends surrounded by lavish pink and gold interior. They have painstakingly restored the home by hand painting the ceilings and refinishing the floors. The quirkiest part of the home, to my opinion, is how there are random Hops built into the home. Mr. Pabst was a avid beer man after all :)

Following the tour of the mansion I head to 10th and Highland Street, home of the Pabst Brewing Company. Since the brewery closed their doors in 1997, not much is left to see. The buildings are delopatated and boarded up. But I don't mind, my imagination likes to run wild. I imagine workers surrounding the plant in its prime during the late 1800s. Its beauty runs farther than the fumbling brick and broken windows, it has a rich history and colorful past. If only modernization hadn't left it behind...

It's evening, I'm tired and ready to take a break. I hop in the bubble, continuing on 94, and hit Fond du Lac around 7pm. After finally finding a place to sleep(who would've know that one of the largest air shows is going on?) and unpacking, I lay on the bed pondering what to do now. I hop in the shower and hit up downtown Fond du Lac. I browse through all the little stores in this old-fashioned strip of town and wind up at JD Finnagans. The little dive bar on the corner just so happened to be calling out my name with Pabst on Tap. What a way to finish the day. The locals were very friendly, asking me about my trip and laughin at some lame jokes the drunk in the corner was throwing out.

I head back around 11pm and fall asleep on the softest bed ever made in the world(yes, it was that good.)

Don't be jealous...

but I have the coolest boss ever. She picked up a handy dandy United States map on her last trip to the office supply store to help me mark out my journey. It is now hanging on the once bleak white wall in our office. How awesome is that?

P.S. I'm planning trip numbero deuce as I type...

Trip #1- Part 2. 2 down. 90 to go.

By now my tummy is growling and all I can think of is food. Nom, nom, nom. I decide an essential stop in Grand Rapids is necessary to visit the marvelous HopCat. I deviate the blue bubble to 131N, arriving downtown in about an hour. After a chuckle at the fact they actually have scooter parking, we park the Yaris and wander over to the brewery. To my suprise it wasn't busy at all. We pick a table relatively close to the door and are quickly waited on by a very nice waiter. I order a Hard Apple Cider beer, brewed by Vandermill Winery Spring Lake in Michigan. It was a tasty treat that danced on my taste buds! We ordered an appetizer, Pita chips and their secret cheese dip. I chomped down half of my meal, Rosemary Chicken Salad Wrap, and was completely stuffed. Five out of Five HopCat, hats off to you. If you don't visit HopCat for the assortment of brews or the enticing food, it is worth the trip to just people watch.

Now with a full tummy, some 80's tunes and a tired body we continue our trip up 131N. About 40 miles outside of Cadillac I find it impossible to keep my eyes open. I pull out the TomTom and find the closest Motel. So let me fill you in, since old school travelers stayed in Mom&Pop style motels, so will I. The first one we come to, Paris Motel, was a bit...well...creepy. There were people staring out the windows at us, I was overcast with an eerie feeling. When nobody answered the door we decide to take off to the next place. About 10 miles down the road was Reed City Motel. We arrive to find a 5lb. dog barking at us, a table of "hillbillies" drinking in the yard and 3 drunk 18 year olds checking us in. Let me correct myself, 3 very drunk 18 year olds. They tell us about their tattoos, traveling adventures and finally hand over a key. The door to our room was open, no working air conditioning, no toilet paper and half the blinds were broken. We shall now refer to this as the Motel from Hell. But I was exhausted from being on the run all day, so I plopped on the bed without a second thought. About a half hour later the cops show up looking for someone across the yard. Quite an adventurous motel, to say the least. We wake up in the morning, relieved to still be alive. Cadillac here we come.

Cadillac is quite the quaint little town. Between the gorgeous old structures and the pink strip club, we find ourselves shopping in the antique store(where I picked up an adorable penguin.)

A quick trot by the lake, check out some cool looking bars, and take our pics with the city sign. We head back south, on the long drive home. 131S to 10W to 31S. We stop for lunch at Rays in Grand Haven, an old-school burger shack that has been standing since 1960. I had a two thumbs up Double BeefBurger and fries. Following that we hit up a classic car show in downtown Grand Haven. That made Mandy a very happy girl. 31S to 94W to Red Arrow Highway. I take a quick jump into Lake Michigan outside Lakeside, MI(I forgot my swimsuit, so clothes and all) and hit up Oinks! in New Buffalo for Ice Cream. The blue moon gave me a wicked blue mouth, but was well worth it. I drop Jerry off about 6pm, head home and relax after a whirlwind 24 hour road trip. Total miles: 551. Not too shabby for a starter if you ask me :) Stay Tuned for trip #2.

Trip #1- Part one. 1 down, 91 to go.

Day #1- Saturday, July 10 2010.

Off to a late start. Following my first practice teaching a new colorguard(which ran over late) I head home in a quick hurry. Being a "responsible" adult, I did not make it home until 2am in the morning. Leaving absolutely no time to pack for my first Johnny trip before I leave for practice. Oops. I throw some clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush into a bag and run out the door, but not before a guilty look from Jasmine(my lil mutt.) After a quick rummage through the car for garbage, a stop at the gas station to fill up, a purchase of a Monster energy drink and a quick look at the atlas I'm off to pickup my partner in crime, Jerry. I remember thinking to myself, I hope this boy is prepared(looking back, I don't believe he was.) Although, you can't really prepare yourself for a Mandy style road trip, just come with an open mind and sense of adventure.

Just about 5pm, we hop on I-94 East. There's no turning back now. I torture him with the likes of Patsy Cline, Hank SR. and a wide variety of my favorite tunes. We talk about love, life and the lack of upcoming plans. We roll into a gas station just inside of Kalamazoo about two hours later. After a quick purchase of a wonderful Voltage flavor Mountain Dew and some batteries for my camera, a quick Q&A with the cashier about my tattoos, and potty break we head across the street for picture time with the Kalamazoo sign. To our disbelief we get passed by a school city of Hobart bus! 116 miles from home, and we get passed by the white short bus, complete with the brickie painted on the back. We continue to get proof of our trip, thanks to my fantastic Canon PowerShot, then jump into the car for part two.