Trip #4. Day 9. 1 down, 82 to go!

Day - Sunday, 24, 2011

Miles: I've lost track by now.
Weather: Warm and overcast
Lowest Gas Price:
Johnny stops: Pasadena, CA

Today we start route 66, score!  We don't set the alarm, waking up around 10am for our goodbyes to the Dolphin Motel.  Grab a pop tart and soda from the back of the car and hit the road.  I am so nervous to fight L.A. traffic, although my nerves were calmed by the fact it was Easter Sunday.  Traffic wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.  Once we make it to the 101, home of the famous O.J. Simpson car chase, I'm in awe of the big city.  Our first goal was to make it to the Hollywood sign, an icon in American pop culture.  I did my homework before leaving and found one of the best places to see the sign is a dog park in the Hollywood Hills.  So we wind up the Yaris and head up the steep hills towards our destination.  The incline isn't the problem, but the teeny tiny skinny roads around sharp turns with no warning of cars coming from the other direction, that sucks.  We pass up a few Porsche, Rolls Royce and nice ass Cadillacs on the street side, yum.  After about 45 minutes of maneuvering around we make it to the top and park the car for a photo op.  After a few snapshots we hop back on the 101 and hit up the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood and Vine.  I seek out a few of my favs: Patsy Cline, Mae West, Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn.  It's so cool to think about how this intersection shaped modern show business, by harboring so many careers pre-1960s.  I stop at a shop to browse souvenirs and head towards another Johnny city, Pasadena.

Skipping through a couple less than attractive parts of town, we hit Pasadena around 5pm.  Of course the city sign was located on the highway so we scope out the police station for a quick pic.  And hit the road headed towards Barstow, Ca.  A short drive away we pull into a very sketchy Route 66 Motel, and unwillingly check in for the night.  Our room smelled like death and had marijuana laying on the nightstands, we ask for a refund and get the hell out of town.  It's still somewhat early so we decide to roll until we get tired.  We follow Rte 66 through the Mojave desert for the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen in my life.  The reds, yellows, blues and oranges illuminate the desert sky in an almost indescribable way.  The pictures do not begin to describe the beauty, you'll just have to go see it for yourself.  We stop for the night at a Motel 6 in Needles, Ca for the night.  The place is either brand new or completely remodeled and a great place to lay our sleepy heads.  We walk across the parking lot for a quick late night dinner at Dennys and head back for dreamland.  Goodnight Cali.

Trip #4. Day 1. 4 down, 83 to go!

Day 1- Friday 15, 2011

Miles: 682
Weather: Cold, Windy, Rainy, all around blah!
Lowest Gas Price: 3.58 (Montezuma, IA)
Johnny stops:  Davenport, IA; Oskaloosa, IA; the state of Nebraska; Panama, NE

The alarm screams, its 4:30am. If you know me, you know I am NOT a morning person, at all. Not even a little bit. Not even if you tried to coax me with chocolate or Derek Jeter. Besides the fact, I do kinda alright. I wipe the drool off the corners of my mouth and nag Jerry to get up. We walk around like zombies for about a half hour while getting dressed and throwing the last minute essentials in the car. My goal was to be in the car and on the road by 5am. Guess what folks?! We made it by 4:59am. With one minute to spare(score!) It is cold, I have a headache and by this point managed to halfway come to life. We swing by the gas station and I pickup a Starbucks Vanilla Latte. This makes my morning so much better, thank you caffeine.

Surprisingly we fly through Chicago traffic on I-80, not even blinking an eye and head out West. About 9am we cross the state line and land in LeClaire, IA. History lesson for the day, this town is the home of Buffalo Bill Cody. We drive through this quaint little town looking for Antique Archeology, home of the History Networks show "American Pickers." This town is as big as a supermodels appetite. It was odd that we had trouble finding what I thought would be the highlight of the locals. Jerry finally spotted it, hiding behind a house. We were taken back to find it was a tiny garage, and that was about it.  Nothing fancy, not even close. I give props to the cameramen for making it look like a big deal. I feel deceived. We were going to grab breakfast in town and hang around until the shop opened, but I figured there was nothing worth waiting for. So we jumped back on the highway and headed to our first Johnny town- Davenport, IA.

After Jerry tries to kill us by suggesting I turn left on a one-way street, going the wrong direction, we scope out a small restaurant inside the city limits. The Village Inn is a cute little diner filled with the elderly. Not gonna lie, I felt like I was visiting a nursing home. But the menus definitely grabbed my attention, they had a great selection of real food.  Now I know this isn't much coming from a chubby person, but the food was rockin. I ordered "Farmers Market Potato Cakes." They were topped with scrambled eggs, spinach,artichokes, mushroom, hollandaise sauce and cheese. It was absolutely delectable. It would even
make Gordon Ramsey smile. We also ordered a Strawberry Crepe, with the freshest strawberries ever, to share. Is your mouth watering yet?  It should be. After this lovely excursion we swing by the local police station for a quick honorary Johnny pic to prove our presence.  If it weren't for the shitty weather we would be tourists. But its way to cold and windy, we move on.

Taking a little detour off of 80, we jump on 63S and head towards Oskalussa, Ia. Our second stop on the Johnny journey. The highway is mostly fields, cows and dilapidated homes. We swing through North Sharon and stop in the two block section of town deemed as downtown.  We stop in D&K Collectibles and browse the overpriced merchandise consisting of beer memorabilia, cookie jars and ragged furniture. I find a Sammy Davis Jr. vinyl from 1962 for $2. Stoked about my find, we wander across the street to Crows Feet Antiques. This was more of an upscale craft boutique. But we find a killer brick stamped with Oskaloosa and an antique Pabst Blue Ribbon can, total of $12. Another great find!  After that keep on to Oskaloosa and take our pics, by this point the wind had to be gusting up to 70mph and the temp had plummeted. We couldn't get back in the car fast enough. I wish it were nicer out, this was one of the cutest towns I've ever seen. The downtown area had a big antique gazebo and little shops everywhere. Very kitsch.

Also, a strange fact I must share with my friends, super unleaded gasoline is cheaper than regular unle

aded gasoline in Iowa. This is something very strange. According to Google it has something with the fuel including ethanol and the government subsidizing the addition. Weird, right?

Another short out-of-route nears in as we head towards Panama, NE. This small community with a population of barely 200 was nothing more than a tiny dot on the map. We found the sign, took a pic and headed back towards 80. The land was full of hills, farms and gorgeous homes.  After another couple hours in the car we veer off into the state capital of Lincoln into an Economy Inn. We check in just about 8pm, drop off the bags and head for some grub. We hit up a restaurant that is like a mall food

court, but in restaurant format. Choosing between Chinese, Thai, burgers, subs and ice cream I go for some Beef Lo Mien. It was three out of five stars, not too terrible.

Well I'm sitting in bed now, ready to doze off for another busy day tomorrow. Thanks for visiting my blog and stay tuned for more useless ramblings!

I'm starting to hate you, Chicago.

So the ol' man and I have been to Chicago at least a handful of times in the last month. (If you go, House of Sushi and Noodles on Belmont Street has the best EVER all-you-can-eat sushi, a must try!) If you remember, it is on the Johnny list.  But to much avail we have yet to find a dang City of Chicago sign.  Blasted!  Hopefully when the weather warms up we can get outside of the car and wander.  Until then, I'm not your friend Chicago.  Does anyone know where we can find one? 

Now that I've done my venting, I must take a brief moment to gush about our upcoming trip.  All hotel/motel reservations have been made.  We got the very last wigwam in Holbrook, AZ...this makes me very happy because I would have definitly thrown a massive hissy fit if they were sold out!  I've started picking up little odds & ends at Walmart and the dollar store, I've stocked up on aspirin for when me and J get sick of each other in the blue bubble :)  It's only 36 more days and I'm super stoked!

The countdown.

Well hello there 2011, I'm glad to see you!  As the new year starts, I've gone to town on my calendar tallying days down.  The official count as of today is 64 days til vacation!  Woo-freakin-hoo!  I've been scouring the web for hot spots, motels, roadside attractions and just about anything cool.  Being the stupendous girlfriend I am, the boy received Cubs vs. Rockies tickets to start our trip in Denver.  I'm pretty stoked about that for two reasons 1: to see the cubs lose and 2: I'm a sucker for a good beer, hot dog and ball game.  So now I must start the search for an awesome Rockies shirt to root for the hometown boys.  Anyways, I've been over planning(like I always do) the trip and this is the estimated plan:

Friday, April 15:           Hobart, IN- Omaha, NE
Saturday, April 16:       Omaha, NE- Denver, CO: Stay with cousin Danielle(thank you!)
Sunday, April 17:          Denver, CO- Green River, UT: Robbers Roost Motel
Monday, April 18:        Green River, UT- Las Vegas, NV: Bills Gamblin Hall
Tuesday, April 19:        Partyyyy in Vegas :)
Wednesday, April 20:   Still partyyyy in Vegas
Thursday, April 21:       Las Vegas, NV- San Diego, CA: The Dolphin Motel
Friday, April 22:           R&R in San Diego, CA
Saturday, April 23:       More R&R in San Diego, CA
Sunday, April 24:         San Diego, Ca- Barstow, CA (start of Route 66 journey): Route 66 Motel
Monday, April 25:       Barstow, Ca-Holbrook, AZ : Wigwam Motel
Tuesday, April 26:       Holbrook, AZ- Williams, AZ: The Canyon Motel(see Grand Canyon!)
Wednesday, April 27: Williams, AZ- Albuquerque, NM: Sandia Peak Inn Motel
Thursday, April 28:      Albuquerque, NM- Amarillo, TX: The Big Texan Motel
Friday, April 29:          Amarillo, TX- Tulsa, OK: Desert Hills Motel
Saturday, April 30:      Tulsa, OK- St. Louis, MO: Stay with Aunt Judy (thank you!)
Sunday, April 31:         St. Louis, MO- Hobart, IN (HOME SWEET HOME!)

Wheeewwww!  I can't wait!  Can you tell?

So does anyone have recommendations for places to see/visit/do enroute?  I'd love to hear your suggestions!

That time of the year...

Well my dear blogspot friends, we are well into the "my head is spinning from too much to do" holidays.  It is only 4, yes count them 4, days from Christmas.  My eardrums cannot wait for the holiday to be gone and over, as they are about to start bleeding the tunes of Christmas music.  My wallet also cannot wait to rejoice in joy over the lack of monetary funds conducive to the holidays.  Regardless, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend filled with friends, family, love, laughter and fattening food.  This will be my first year cooking, I hope the Chinese take-out down the street will be open.  The menu will include ham with cider glaze, green bean casserole, baked sweet potatoes, apple and cranberry stuffing and a couple bottles of wine.  Everyone wish me luck, I'm not quite the domesticated diva in the kitchen! 

2010 has been a pretty gracious year to me...falling out of love, falling in love, starting to really find myself, having nowhere to go to having everything I always wanted.  Well this will be my last blog of 2010, so everyone please have a safe and fun Christmas and New Years!  I'll catch ya'll next year :)

Countdown to mother of all road trips: 114 days (woot! woot!)


p.s. Dear Santa, I still really want that Airstream trailer to travel the world.  I promise I'll be a good girl next year(or at least try!)

Who kept me in the dark?

While sitting through dinner with my pops the other day we were discussing my adventures in Johnnyland.  He completely threw me off when he stated "well you've been to one of the Johnny cities many times."  To which I replied with a confused glance.  Come to find out Mr. Cash sings a rather funny tune about good ol' Michigan City, Indiana.  Now is the part I am completely flabergasted!  Who kept me in the dark about this for so long?  Why has nobody told me?  Anyways, turns out the song was released in 1976 about VanDyke Grigsby: confined for 66 years at the M.C. Prison for murder.

 It's kinda catchy :)
Check out the song, it's definitly good times: Michigan City Howdy Do!

Trip #3- Day 3.

Oh home, how I've missed you.  This is the only thing I could think of when I awoke with every single muscle in my body aching.  This bed was pure torture on me.  Once again I grumble to myself as I get out of bed and get dressed. 

We pack up the Yaris for the last time this weekend and check out.  I beg my darling boyfriend to go back to Traders World.  I know, I should of had enough the first day.  But I really wanted to get some extensions for my hair.  I'm so sick of it being drab.  So we pick up some brown lucious locks for my scalp and hit the road.  We are so exhilerated to leave the state of Ohio and cross back into Indiana, we actually may have given Ohio the middle finger.  Sorry to all the cool cities that I'm sure exist somewhere, but Dayton gives you a bad name. 

We go off route a bit to check out Philadelphia, Indiana.  I found it on my handy dandy atlas Friday night when I was checking out the route and could NOT pass it up.  It is a tiny po-dunk town just past Greensburg.  We found a beat down motel for sale and I vow to go back and build it up to it's former glory.  Jerry suggests we name it "It's always sunny."  Bonus points if you understand that.  Once back on the highway we come across a candle outlet/Ford museum.  The museum was filled with old Model-Ts, everything from a fire truck, ambulence, farming truck, snow plow, race car and camper.  It was a pretty cool gig for $2 to break up the drive home.  We pulled in the driveway about 7pm...I walked in the house, put my stuff away and relaxed with my girls.  I think a sign of Mandy getting old is that I was more excited to be home than to leave.  Let's hope this doesn't become a trend :)  Well thanks for reading once again...

Trip #3- Day 2. 5 down. 87 to go.

I lay in bed and listen to the alarm scream at me. Bastard, I don't want to be up this early. After staring at the wall for five minutes I decide to get my lazy bum out of bed, hop in the shower and get ready for the days shenanigans. We check out and head towards Dayton about 8:30. We could not stop laughing as we hit miles and miles of Tom Raper signs. This guy has RVs, homes, and truck parts. I'm not trying to be full of hate, but if my last name were Raper, I would not advertise it. Just sayin. Full of excitement, we inch closer to the next Johnny destination. In my mind I imagine Dayton as a close relative to Indianapolis, a smaller big city. When we pull into town I am full of disbelief of how quiet and bare the streets look. Now is the part where you look away if you are a fan of Dayton, or Ohio in that matter....you have been forewarned. Dayton sucks.

Seriously folks, we wandered around the supposedly "hot spot" of Dayton for about two hours waiting for the shops to open. Everything was closed and the streets were bare. We stopped in a liquor store/deli and I asked the young man what was good with Dayton. To which he replied "Nothing." Great, this trip is off to a fantastic start. Around noon the sleepy town starts to awaken, bodies appear on the sidewalks and the doors open for business. I picked up a couple new albums for my record collection including Dolly Parton, Conway Titty and Loretta Lynn duets, a Johnny album I don't currently own and and last but not least a Kenny Rogers album that supposedly has a history with my parents. Jerry picks up Aerosmith, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and a couple others I can't recollect at the moment. We hit up a vintage 50's clothes store called Feathers, the Goodwill and decide that there is nothing else in this area. Lets wander the city.

After riding in circles for about a half hour we find the baseball stadium and take a couple pics. With this city failing to keep my attention we agree Cincinnati would be a great destination. Hop on I-70 to I-75 South. Now if you are my true friend, compadre, partner in crime, or just a really good acquaintance you know I absolutely heart anything kitschy. For those of you new to my world here's a quick definition...
Kitsch (kch) 1. Sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts.

So the plans to hit Cincinatti were slightly derailed when we crept up on this wonderfully tacky flea market. My world was turned upsdie down once I came across Traders World. This unique flea market is decorated with giant cement giraffes, ducks, buffalo, frogs, etc. The sheer "wow" factor of the outside made my toes curl in excitement. This very thing made up for Dayton sucking. Filled with generic tools, hats, car accessories, clothes, toys, sports memoribillia, restaurants, a pony ride, and a carousel among many other things. The madness sprawled over twelve different builidings, both inside and out. I cannot begin to explain the hilbillies that surrounded us, it seriously put People of Walmart to shame! We spent about 4 hours getting lost while picking up a Rte. 66 sign and some kettle corn that was addicting like cocaine.

After hours of overbearing excitement the nearest motel was calling our names. We headed out to the Economy Inn, dropped off our bags and headed out for a bite to eat. The county brochure recommended we try out Riverside Cafe in Hamilton, OH. We did, it was okay. The best part about it was watching Jerry make this lil old mans day by discussing sports. I concentrated on the beer in front of me. We then hit up an Irish "Pub" across the street from our motel. It was more of a sports bar but seduced our appetites with some wonderful burgers and beer. Much more my pace than the upscale bar with $5 beers. This called it a night and we head back to the motel for a good nights sleep.

Trip #3- Day 1.

I pull up to the house with a surge of panic running through my veins.  Damn to-do list.  Take the dogs out, empty the dryer, put the clean dishes away, make the bed, make the guest bed, feed the dogs, pack my bags, pack the cooler and nag the boy to get ready in a proficient manner.  Using my new domesticated super powers I knock them out one-by-one and burst out the door in a frenzy.  Jerry grabs our mega-can of change and we head to the nearest Coinstar to help fund the newest Johnny trip.  After joyfully losing the bet of how much we have saved up, we hit the road with an extra $55 in our pockets.  After a quick stop at the gas station to feed the Yaris, we hit the road about 6:30pm. 

After a boring 3 hour drive on I-65 South we jump onto I-70 East towards Ohio.  By now Mandy has sleepy eyes and is ready to find somewhere for the night.  We get off in Greenfield, check in at the Dollar Inn and plop down on the bed.  It's only 10:30(eastern time) but I am exhausted.  After eating some sandwiches from the cooler and laughing at the always ridiculous Bill Maher, it's snooze time.

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.)

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.

For your formal education...

This may take a while....
I've been to a handful of these cities over the years, but as a new challenge I'm starting with a clean slate. How many road trips do you think this will take?


I was totin my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca(NV) road
When along came a semi with a high canvas covered load
If your goin' to Winnemucca, Mack with me you can ride
And so I climbed into the cab and then I setteled down inside
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand
And I said, "Listen! I've traveled every road in this here land!"

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breatherd the mountain air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Reno (NV)
Chicago (IL)
Fargo (ND)
Minnesota
Buffalo (NY)
Toronto (ON, Canada)
Winslow (AZ)
Sarasota (FL)
Whichta (KS)
Tulsa (OK)
Ottowa (KS)
Oklahoma
Tampa (FL)
Panama (NE)
Mattua (ON, Canada)
LaPaloma (TX)
Bangor (ME)
Baltimore (MD)
Salvador (Brazil)
Amarillo (TX)
Tocapillo (Chile)
Barranquilla (Columbia)
Padilla (Columbia)
I'm a Killer

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breatherd the mountain air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Boston (MA)
Charleston (SC)
Dayton (OH)
Lousiana
Washington
Houston (TX)
Kingston (ON, Canada)
Texarkana (AR)
Monterey (CA)
Fairaday (LA)
Santa Fe (NM)
Tallapoosa (GA)
Glen Rock (NJ)
Black Rock(AR)
Little Rock (AR)
Oskaloussa (IA)
Tennessee
Hennessey (OK)
Chicopee (MA)
Spirit Lake (IA)
Grand Lake (CO)
Devil's Lake (ND)
Crater Lake (OR)

For Pete's Sake
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breatherd the mountain air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Louisville (KY)
Nashville (TN)
Knoxville (TN)
Ombabika (ON)
Schefferville (QU, Canada)
Jacksonville (FL)
Waterville (ME)
Costa Rica
Pittsfield (MA)
Springfield (MO)
Bakersfield (CA)
Shreveport (LA)
Hakensack (NJ)
Cadallic (MI)
Fond du Lac (WI)
Davenport (IA)
Idaho
Jellico (TN)
Argentina
Diamondtina (Brazil)
Pasadena(CA)
Catalina (AZ)

See What I Mean
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breatherd the mountain air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Pittsburgh (PA)
Parkersburg (WV)
Gravelbourg (SK, Canada)
Colorado
Ellisburg (WA)
Rexburg (ID)
Vicksburg (MS)
Eldorado (CA)
Larimore (ND)
Atmore (AL)
Haverstraw (NY)
Chattanooga (TN)
Chaska (MN)
Nebraska
Alaska
Opelika (AL)
Baraboo (WI)
Waterloo (IA)
Kalamazoo (MI)
Kansas City (MO)
Souix City (IA)
Cedar City (UT)
Dodge City (KS)

What A Pity
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breatherd the mountain air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

My idear.

It all started on a breezy day in early June. It was the kind of air that was crisp, clean and just made you feel good. Aside from every other American, I love to have my windows down breathing it all in. Why breathe compressed, stuffed air conditioning? Gag. Anywho, in good Mandy fashion I had the windows rolled down jammin out to my homeboy, Johnny Cash.

It wasn't until recently I discovered the full spectrum of Johnny's awesomeness. I'd always enjoyed singing out to his tunes on the radio, and along with the movie Johnny and June. Minus all the drug addictions and ambitious women flocking to him at every turn, he was basically just another man trying to make ends meet. He was not only a musician, but a lover, a rebel, a hero, and American badass. I am forever addicted to his CD "Unchained." His voice alone speaks volumes of how I feel in everyday life...the good, the bad, and the truth. He struggled with emotions and life, and felt the pain of love. At this part of my life (27, single, no kids, dysfunctional family, no light at the end of the tunnel) there are times where I feel so alone, so weak, but still not ready to go down without giving a hell of a fight. My eye is on the prize, I want a life full of knee-bending love. I want to look back and not regret wasting time being unhappy. I want to live out my days doing things my way and not giving a damn about what others percieve of me. I love my gypsy lifestyle, and do not intend to give up on it.

So we go back to this day...just me, Johnny and the blue skies ahead. It was exactly at this point that I realized that I was entrapped by the moment. It was a point of pure bliss, no worries, no time, no overanalyzing life. So I continued down the road, belting out the lyrics(most likely as off-tune as possible) and living in the moment. When track #14 came on I knew exactly what I must do. I must live out Johnnys words, "I've been Everywhere." Now I know that critics will blast, it wasn't his song. Sure, it's a cover, but a damn good one. And Johnny has been everywhere...old school style. Pack up the car and let's go. So now, my mission, should I choose to accept it....I'm going Everywhere!