Gee but it's great to be back home
Home is where I want to be.
I've been on the road so long my friend,
And if you came along
I know you couldn't disagree.
Simon & Garfunkel, "Keep The Customer Satisfied"
It does feel so good to be home. Not much really happened on the last leg of the trip, we got up in the morning and got out of Cedar Rapids, and got home early in the afternoon. And then we relaxed. And nothing else much happened.
Well, we did win the softball game as well, but that's not really connected to the trip.
Besides that, the road trip is done. I really enjoyed it, but I'm also really glad to be back home. I really enjoyed all our stops, from the Rock Hall in Cleveland to the Baseball Hall in New York to PNC Park in Pittsburgh and Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, and to ALBINO PEACOCKS in Kentucky... It was a really fun trip.
I'll keep working for Dad through the summer, and in the Fall I head to Roseville to go to Northwestern College. That's my plans.
Thanks for joining me on this journey! It's been fun, and I can't wait to see you all again.
FINAL TRIVIA SCORE! :D
John - 116
Wendy - 109
Cal - 107
Monday, June 25, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Saturday: I Didn't Know Peacocks Came In White
We went to the Creation Museum this morning. There was an albino peacock in the ground. Let me repeat that: an albino peacock. It was the best thing that I have seen in any museum ever. It was a peacock. And it was white. And not just white, but albino!
... I'll stop now.
Besides that, the museum was very well made. I really liked the art design in the entire place, from the wall art to the props to the wax figures. There was a door which had "THE WORLD'S NOT SAFE ANYMORE" scratched on it, and I thought that was the best thing ever. After walking through it, we ate there and started driving.
We drove a few hours until we got to Iowa and ate in Davenport. I was able to find a little pizzeria named Antonella's which was voted "the Quad Cities' Best Kept Secret", so we decided to try it out. We got a massive 20-inch pizza, which happened to come with a small pizza on the side. Needless to say, we have breakfast for tomorrow. It was actually a really good pizza, even if the bathroom ceiling was barely above six feet tall (let's just say Dad had some trouble). We got to Cedar Rapids by 8. We leave for home sweet home tomorrow, and will hopefully get back in time for the softball game tonight.
TRIVIA SCORE
John - 96
Wendy - 78
Cal - 57
... I'll stop now.
Besides that, the museum was very well made. I really liked the art design in the entire place, from the wall art to the props to the wax figures. There was a door which had "THE WORLD'S NOT SAFE ANYMORE" scratched on it, and I thought that was the best thing ever. After walking through it, we ate there and started driving.
We drove a few hours until we got to Iowa and ate in Davenport. I was able to find a little pizzeria named Antonella's which was voted "the Quad Cities' Best Kept Secret", so we decided to try it out. We got a massive 20-inch pizza, which happened to come with a small pizza on the side. Needless to say, we have breakfast for tomorrow. It was actually a really good pizza, even if the bathroom ceiling was barely above six feet tall (let's just say Dad had some trouble). We got to Cedar Rapids by 8. We leave for home sweet home tomorrow, and will hopefully get back in time for the softball game tonight.
TRIVIA SCORE
John - 96
Wendy - 78
Cal - 57
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Antonella's Restaurante & Pizzeria
Davonport, IA
Food - 19
Atmosphere - 15
Price - 12
Service - 16
TOTAL - 62 (Good)
Art from the Creation Museum.
20-inches of pizza goodness. :3
Friday: Paint It Red
Woke up early today to get started towards Cincinnati. The driving was mostly painless except for some construction and traffic before getting into Cincy. We ate at a nice, homey barbecue joint in Reynoldsburg (just east of Columbus) called The Hickory House, which had some very nice ribs. We got to the hotel and kicked back for a short while before getting in the van and heading to Great American Ballpark for the Twins-Reds game. In the elevator, we met a friendly man who said he was Matt Capps' old high school teacher. He had nothing but high praise for Mr. Capps and the other Twins, even if he was a Reds fan.
After that, we got to the ballpark and I picked up my new Reds hat ($40?!?!) and we got seated on the fifth level slightly on the first base line. I had a pizza that's supposed to be really good (it wasn't bad, really). The stadium is really pretty cool, it's got a nice view of the Ohio river, and is in a pretty nice part of town as well (unlike, say, Target Field...). There was one point in the game where this young lady came around the corner of the stairs with a beer in her hand. I don't know why I took such special notice of her, my only guess is that she was maybe a little tipsy, but not drunk. As she walked and stepped on the step next to me, she started to tip in my direction. I looked out the corner of my eye, hoping that I wouldn't have to be subjected to a beer bath, but she thankfully stumbled backwards and was caught by the glass wall, which I can only guess was put there for that very reason.
Later on, while Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was batting, he broke his bat on the hit and the thick part of the bat swung around and hit the umpire in the side of the head, stopping play for a few minutes as we waited for the umpire to get up, which he did, and walk off the field by his own power. It was rather scary waiting for him to get up, but he seemed like he'd be alright.
The Twins ended up beating the Reds 5-4, with Glen Perkins striking out the last two batters with a one-run lead and men on the corners. Ryan Doumit had a home run, and Ben Revere had four hits in the game. After that, we walked back to the van and rode away from the stadium to the tune of the fireworks going off in the background.
Tomorrow we're going to the Creation Museum here in Kentucky, then driving to wherever we can on the way home.
TRIVIA SCORE
John - 72
Wendy - 59
Cal - 42
After that, we got to the ballpark and I picked up my new Reds hat ($40?!?!) and we got seated on the fifth level slightly on the first base line. I had a pizza that's supposed to be really good (it wasn't bad, really). The stadium is really pretty cool, it's got a nice view of the Ohio river, and is in a pretty nice part of town as well (unlike, say, Target Field...). There was one point in the game where this young lady came around the corner of the stairs with a beer in her hand. I don't know why I took such special notice of her, my only guess is that she was maybe a little tipsy, but not drunk. As she walked and stepped on the step next to me, she started to tip in my direction. I looked out the corner of my eye, hoping that I wouldn't have to be subjected to a beer bath, but she thankfully stumbled backwards and was caught by the glass wall, which I can only guess was put there for that very reason.
Later on, while Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was batting, he broke his bat on the hit and the thick part of the bat swung around and hit the umpire in the side of the head, stopping play for a few minutes as we waited for the umpire to get up, which he did, and walk off the field by his own power. It was rather scary waiting for him to get up, but he seemed like he'd be alright.
The Twins ended up beating the Reds 5-4, with Glen Perkins striking out the last two batters with a one-run lead and men on the corners. Ryan Doumit had a home run, and Ben Revere had four hits in the game. After that, we walked back to the van and rode away from the stadium to the tune of the fireworks going off in the background.
Tomorrow we're going to the Creation Museum here in Kentucky, then driving to wherever we can on the way home.
TRIVIA SCORE
John - 72
Wendy - 59
Cal - 42
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
The Hickory House
Reynoldsburg, OH
Food - 13
Atmosphere - 15
Price - 20
Service - 15
TOTAL - 63 (Good)
Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati
The Umpire after being struck by the bat.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday: I Met A Drunk Man Today
We got up pretty early today and left Binghamton for
Pittsburgh. We drove through the beautiful Alleghany mountains and stopped at a little Austrian bistro, which had some of the best native Austrian food and best service I've had anywhere. If you're ever in State College, be sure to eat at Herwig's Austrian Bistro. We hit
really bad traffic going into Pittsburgh proper, with long backups and congestion. We arrived at the Hampton in
Greentree, and were able to kick back for a little while before catching the
shuttle to the game. It’s a good thing we did, because it took us a good
forty-five minutes to get there in heavy traffic. PNC Park is a very good
looking park, and I enjoyed a lot of the entertainment-related things more than
the ones at Target Field (though, admittedly, they had a better theme to work
with. Who can’t have fun with pirates?). And while the Twins were soundly walloped,
and it was very, very hot, it was still enjoyable to see the park and eat their
sandwiches (Mom had a Capicola sandwich, a spicy Italian meat, and Dad and I
had the “Pittsburger”, and both sandwiches had French fries and peppered slaw
on them, which really did add to the taste a lot).
On the way out, we crossed the beautiful Roberto Clemente
bridge, and waited for the shuttle to pick us up again. It was there that I had
my first (at least in my short and fickle memory) encounter with a drunk man.
That makes it sound more interesting than it actually was, it wasn’t anything
like “I engaged in vigourous fisticuffs with a inebriated man” (I’ve always
wanted to say “vigourous fisticuffs”), but it was my first face-to-face
encounter with one. Oddly enough, I treated the slurring, stumbling man as I
would any of the many people I know who are inflicted with mental disabilities.
I suppose that says something about the nature of drunkenness, how it is really
a self-inflicted disability. But now I’m getting too philosophical and if I go
on my very tired brain might blow a gasket. Tomorrow we go to Cincinnati and
watch the Twins battle the Reds at the Great American Ballpark.
TRIVIA SCORE
John - 66
Wendy - 49
Cal - 37
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Herwig's Austrian Bistro
State College, PA
Food - 20
Atmosphere - 19
Price - 16
Service - 20
TOTAL - 75 (Excellent)
IT WAS ALWAYS TRUE ;_;
Herwig's Austrian Bistro in State College, PA
A (rather fuzzy) look at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
Why yes, that is one of the Pirates' mascots standing on it's head. I don't know why. D:
The beautiful Roberto Clemente bridge in Pittsburgh.
The beautiful Roberto Clemente bridge in Pittsburgh.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday: Baseball and Burgers
The title basically sums up the entire blog: burgers, and then baseball. We got to Cooperstown about 10:30, and bummed around a little bit in the village (that is definitely not a downtown, as a resident pointedly told my father), then ate at the small (and I mean it) Cooperstown Diner (thanks for the recommendation Johnsons!). We all had their jumbo burgers, which are massive beef patties on a bun, for all practical purposes. After that, we headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and I let myself basically drown in the legends there. It was really enjoyable to see all these artifacts from the history of my favorite sport. I enjoyed one room in particular that housed all the record-breaking artifacts and information on the record-holders as well. And seeing all the Twins players housed in the Hall of Fame was really cool too (Steve Carlson, Bert Blyleven, Paul Molitor, Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield... did I forget anyone?). I purchased a retro Pirates cap and a t-shirt with the old A's logo with the elephant, while Dad got a Brooklyn Dodgers hat.
In reality, nothing else much happened... We walked back to the van in the sweltering afternoon heat, and I slept most of the drive back to Binghamton. Me, Molly and Dad all went and swam for a while in the pool with a frisbee. We got some fried rice at a local Chinese place and snacked for a late dinner. Tomorrow we head out early for Pittsburgh and then to the Pirates-Twins game late in the evening.
TRIVIA SCORE:
John - 58
Wendy - 46
Cal - 33
Cooperstown Diner
Cooperstown, NY
Food - 16
Atmosphere - 13
Price - 16
Service - 16
TOTAL - 61 of 80 (Good)
In reality, nothing else much happened... We walked back to the van in the sweltering afternoon heat, and I slept most of the drive back to Binghamton. Me, Molly and Dad all went and swam for a while in the pool with a frisbee. We got some fried rice at a local Chinese place and snacked for a late dinner. Tomorrow we head out early for Pittsburgh and then to the Pirates-Twins game late in the evening.
TRIVIA SCORE:
John - 58
Wendy - 46
Cal - 33
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Cooperstown Diner
Cooperstown, NY
Food - 16
Atmosphere - 13
Price - 16
Service - 16
TOTAL - 61 of 80 (Good)
New Hat :3
It's a very very small diner.
That's a lot of beef.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Tuesday: I Want To Rock And Roll... until about 2 o'clock
So today we got to go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum. It is always an interesting experience, especially since I've only had a fleeting interest in so-called "classic" rock. I still find lots to be interested in there, from their stuff about old folk and blues singers to the part on the San Francisco Sound. I've always preferred the artsier side of rock (I'm a Beatle, not a Stone). I like me some soul as well when I'm in the mood, but I've always been more interested in more modern styles, specifically electronic genres. Even so, I always like to see the roots of the music I listen to. I enjoyed seeing the sections on the British Invasion and Los Angeles Folk styles (I need to get myself a copy of "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks and of "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and The Papas), and seeing the outfits of some of the singers of the soul era is always... interesting. I also really enjoyed the inscription on the back of the massive 30-foot-tall replica of Pink Floyd's The Wall. It was a really interesting glimpse into Waters' mind and the questions he dealt with in the writing of that album, even if he didn't search the right places for the answers. I also didn't see the Grateful Dead exhibit because I was struck by a terrible case of couldn't-be-bothered syndrome.
I picked up a new hat and the family picked up four new albums to listen to on the ride: Bob Dylan's Planet Waves, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, a greatest hits album of bluesman Howlin' Wolf, and The Essential Mahalia Jackson (pretty diverse genres, ay?). I've discovered (again) that I really enjoy Paul Simon's songwriting, especially on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Keeping My Customers Satisfied".
After that, we ended up going to a Honda dealership to have our A/C looked at, since it had been acting up lately. It turns out that one of the coils is leaking freon or something... I know that there is a thing that is leaking another thing and the thing that's leaking needs to be replaced in the near future and is expensive (but then, what isn't on a car?). After an hour of boredom, we drove to New York, stopping for lunch in a little pizza shop in Frewsburg, NY. The pizza was pretty good, but I'm always partial to meat lovers. After that, we had another long, boring drive to Binghampton, where we are right now. We'll set off for an afternoon at Cooperstown in the morning, but now, I need to sleep. Zzzzzzzz....
I picked up a new hat and the family picked up four new albums to listen to on the ride: Bob Dylan's Planet Waves, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, a greatest hits album of bluesman Howlin' Wolf, and The Essential Mahalia Jackson (pretty diverse genres, ay?). I've discovered (again) that I really enjoy Paul Simon's songwriting, especially on the songs "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Keeping My Customers Satisfied".
After that, we ended up going to a Honda dealership to have our A/C looked at, since it had been acting up lately. It turns out that one of the coils is leaking freon or something... I know that there is a thing that is leaking another thing and the thing that's leaking needs to be replaced in the near future and is expensive (but then, what isn't on a car?). After an hour of boredom, we drove to New York, stopping for lunch in a little pizza shop in Frewsburg, NY. The pizza was pretty good, but I'm always partial to meat lovers. After that, we had another long, boring drive to Binghampton, where we are right now. We'll set off for an afternoon at Cooperstown in the morning, but now, I need to sleep. Zzzzzzzz....
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Frewsburger Pizza Shop
Frewsburg, NY
Food - 16
Atmosphere - 10
Price - 12
Service - 12
TOTAL - 50 (Average)
Me at the Pizza Shop.
Mom at the Pizza Shop.
Monday: Driving
We got on the road around 9am from Mauston and made a good, fast run through Chicago. Before we got there, we stopped at an Oasis and got one of those iPass doohickeys, so we didn't have to stop at all the toll booths. While there, I got my picture next to Herbie the car. We drove through Chicago and into Indiana before stopping in the city of LaPorte for lunch.. Our first choice was a place called The Warehouse, but once we got there, it looked like little more than a dive bar (not to mention it was closed). We went with a little hole-in-the-wall called King Gyros, and to say it was "lacking in atmosphere" is an understatement. The food was decent, but nothing to get really excited about.
From LaPorte we charged through to Cleveland, where we got rooms at the Crowne Plaza in Independence at about $70 off the usual rate. We ate at the Melt Bar and Grilled on recommendation from the hotel staff, and found an excellent little hipster-like sandwich place with the largest melted sandwiches I've seen. I had "The Dude Abides" (apparently a reference to The Big Lebowski, I wouldn't know, haven't seen it), a sandwich made out of homemade meatballs, fried mozzarella sticks, maranara sauce, and provolone and romano cheese. Dad had "The Godfather", with was basically a lasagna sandwich, and Molly had a sandwich made of pizza rolls. They also had some very good steak fries, some of the best.
We're going to the Rock and Roll Museum today, then we'll drive to Binghampton to stay before going to Cooperstown tomorrow.
Current Trivia Score:
John - 26
Wendy - 19
Cal - 15
(Molly is the card-reader)
King Gyros
LaPorte, IN
Food - 12
Atmosphere - 4
Price - 12
Service - 7
TOTAL - 37 (Awful)
Melt Bar & Grilled
Independence, OH
Food - 15
Atmosphere - 13
Price - 16
Service - 13
TOTAL - 67 (Very Good)
From LaPorte we charged through to Cleveland, where we got rooms at the Crowne Plaza in Independence at about $70 off the usual rate. We ate at the Melt Bar and Grilled on recommendation from the hotel staff, and found an excellent little hipster-like sandwich place with the largest melted sandwiches I've seen. I had "The Dude Abides" (apparently a reference to The Big Lebowski, I wouldn't know, haven't seen it), a sandwich made out of homemade meatballs, fried mozzarella sticks, maranara sauce, and provolone and romano cheese. Dad had "The Godfather", with was basically a lasagna sandwich, and Molly had a sandwich made of pizza rolls. They also had some very good steak fries, some of the best.
We're going to the Rock and Roll Museum today, then we'll drive to Binghampton to stay before going to Cooperstown tomorrow.
Current Trivia Score:
John - 26
Wendy - 19
Cal - 15
(Molly is the card-reader)
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
King Gyros
LaPorte, IN
Food - 12
Atmosphere - 4
Price - 12
Service - 7
TOTAL - 37 (Awful)
Melt Bar & Grilled
Independence, OH
Food - 15
Atmosphere - 13
Price - 16
Service - 13
TOTAL - 67 (Very Good)
Me at the Belvidere Oasis in Illinois with Herbie!
Waiting at the Melt Bar & Grilled in Cleveland.
The Dude Abides sandwich at Melt Bar & Grilled.
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