A Grand Tour of The Entire Midwest, But Mostly Wisconsin (UPDATE 11/12--BONUS Texas TR NOW COMPLETE)

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow! That was amazing!
I love how you worked in all the amazing details into one short sentence.
Truly a marvel of literature.

That sentence contained every bit of detail that I noticed on the drive.

You can please some of them some of the time.
But you can't please all of them all of the time.

Truth.

Well, sure. Who couldn't?
I mean really. Who wouldn't want a cruise missile after being cut off by some jerk in a Mercedes?

I've often thought that way. But then I remember, sometimes I'm the jerk.

Ok, most of the time.

Wow!



I'll pass.

Can't believe you aren't rushing out to get tickets.

I'm not a baseball fan, but even I have heard of Stan the Man.

Apparently, he was as good a man as he was a baseball player.

Ridiculous.

Of course that's over a million in today's dollars.

Which is the standard pay for backups and some of the lousier guys in the lineup.

No kidding. There's no contest there.

Yeah, that didn't take much thought. Which is good, because it was all I could handle.

How many people were in line?

Maybe 3? And two were my sons.

I have this urge to photoshop... but I don't know how well it'd go over having that symbol photoshopped onto a bat.

Probably a wise decision to restrain yourself.

So... did you send her flowers to make her hospital stay more comfortable?

Nah. She would have complained about them.

Why the heck does that chair have to be that close?
That's.... dumb.

Well... okay, that would be kinda cool.

It's always neat to take a peek behind the scenes. Or go places you wouldn't normally be allowed to.

They get paid to be there... so they can wait for people who are actually doing the paying.

Wouldn't it be nice if the world worked that way?

Looks like an acorn fell on it's head.

It does! I guess I'd be angry, too.

Dang! That's pretty good!

Bets on them winning the pennant?

I think I'm gonna save that money, and use it to buy lunch instead.

You know... that's pretty darn close. Impressed.

I'm not looking forward to the day when Scotty stops doing the stuff we put him up to.

Really? You can't tell.

Now he just puts his hands over his face in every photo.

Nice shot!

I will pass on the compliment to Julie!

Bucket list item.

It was for us, too. Nice to cross it off. I felt like we couldn't visit St. Louis and not go up inside.

I'm okay with that, actually.

<buckles on seatbelt.>

I guess it wasn't enough photos for @franandaj !

"Disregard the bend in the middle, folks!"

Instead of the Arch, we get The Pretzel.

Cool!

I'm with you!

oy. Disney lines all over again.

Yep. No Fastpasses, either.

I really love that shot.
The near side looks razor sharp.

Thanks! That one is my favorite, too.

Cool! And ingenious too. I've wondered for years how the elevator works on that.

I was fascinated. I had seen bits and pieces but never fully pieced together how exactly the elevator (or "tram", I guess) worked to get people to the top. Really cool device.

Hmmm.... I wonder which one....

Tough to tell...

Maybe.... That one?

Did I give it away?

Nice!

I hope so!
You know what they call an unswaying arch?

Rubble.

Exactly.

Of course. This goes without saying.

I feel like it's implied with every meal. That's why I don't bother mentioning it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Our travels this summer took us through St. Louis, but I think your trip to the Gateway Arch was much more exciting! We briefly considered attempting a visit to the arch itself, but after reading the visitor center construction updates and realizing that it would be a pretty long walk (on a knee scooter - daughter with a broken ankle), we decided it was out of the question (and now that I read your report, I'm wondering if we could have even gotten tickets since it was a rather impromptu visit). Anyway, a Google search led us to the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park across the river from the arch. Good views, but definitely not the same as being INSIDE the arch - that looks pretty cool!

Sounds like it would have been a struggle for you guys to get in. And yes, it's definitely a popular attraction in the summer. My suspicion is that Rope Drop works here just like everywhere else.

I had briefly thought about stopping at that park on the way out of town. Looking back across the river, the Arch makes for a very distinctive skyline!

So, it sounds like you are getting ready for a spring break trip to Texas and maybe some other new states? Hope you have great weather and some neat adventures!

We crossed Texas and New Mexico off the list. 42 states down, 8 to go! Had a great time.

Enjoy the BBQ!

I did!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Unfortunately, you’ve already headed off on this excursion so I’ll just have to wait and see which of these fine diversions that are all close to the TX/OK boarder got chosen:

Was it:
The Circus Cemetery in Hugo…
The World's Largest Peanut in Durant…
The Cloverleaf: Quirky Store in Ardmore
Or the Sipokni Western Town in Reagan

Sorry, I must not have been clear. We didn't get to OK last week. Oklahoma's border will be briefly crossed as we travel through Arkansas this summer.

Knowing the types of visits that I choose to “collect”,
That right there also qualifies as a very fine pastime indeed.

Whatever floats your boat!

So long as the picture doesn’t include my mug.
Nothing truly justifies that.

Don't sell yourself short, Judge. You're a tremendous slouch.

Certainly a big something…

Fill in the blanks, I guess.

Nope…
You did that one to yourself.

Gotta head off as many insults as I can.

A phrase that is exceeded only by “hold my beer” when used as the explanation for the foolishness that is to follow.

So, you didn’t even stop by the Auto World Museum in Fulton or the Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame and Museum in Wentzville?

…Not even at the Budweiser Clydesdales Ranch in Booneville?


For shame.

So many places, so little time.

I bet Clydesdales like PB&J.

Probably more than we do!

But then again, I can’t really argue with your clock management here.

I always aim to do better in that department than Andy Reid.

It’s been pointed out to me that I ain’t very stereotypical…
But I do enjoy watching baseball.

In a ballpark that is. On the Telle, the games are right boring.

I agree. Much better in the stadium. Hockey is actually better live as well.

It might at that.
I’ve never actually seen an MLB game live…

Well, it's not like they're very convenient for you.

… And that’ right there is the second most important reason why.
(the first being that the nearest major league team to me is 250 miles away and the nearest ones I’d consider going to watch are between 400 and 500 miles off)

Yeah, I imagine the cost and distance would be strong disincentives.

Pretty sure we all supposed to have a constitutional right to a cruise missile.
Something needs to be done about correcting that.

Wouldn't that be awesome? Of course, sooner or later we all do something worthy of being on the receiving end of a cruise missile.

The reserve clause in action…

Granted, that’s equivalent to $12,500 bucks a month (which quite handily makes a mockery of my paltry salary), but still…

And it's still not close to what the best players make today!

I don’t know…
I bet there are a few a few broadcasters that could learn a thing or five from your young’ens.

Broadcasting is definitely a subjective trade. Everybody has their favorites.

No bat for you!

Precisely.

Or who has saved enough funds to acquire a cruise missile.

Unfortunately, that rules me out.

“This guy threw at his own son in a father son game.”

JUST a bit outside.

You’ll need to complain to Barry about that once you get to mostly Wisconsin.

He's a Cubs fan. Won't do any good.

Looks more like a “Which way to the C-SPAN Marathon” impression to me.

Definitely a possibility.

“I've never heard of half of these guys and the ones I do know are way past their prime.”
“Most of these guys never had a prime.”

This guy here is dead!

Or a Cricket Match.
(which I understand is close akin to the length of a typical ice age)

Ok, so this is a bit of a long read. But the best description of cricket I've ever read comes from Bill Bryson's book In A Sunburned Country (an excellent book in general), which described his travels in Australia.

http://www.wandererscricket.com/Yank_view.html

Or was Drew was just practicing his double face-palm in anticipation of the next thing dad was bound to do?

Always a possibility.

You may fire when you are ready, Gridley.

So be it!

Sounds about right.
I’d be on the category A.
But I might be making the trip by myself if we were ever to travel there.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

So, it’s a bit like waiting for TSMM, then?
Got it.

Pretty much. Only you score fewer points.

A bit…
Maybe…
But just a bit.

Only a thousand miles difference or so.

Sounds like a question Walt would have asked.
Certainly one that many a sci-Fi author has dealt with.

Definitely something an Imagineer would ask.

Interesting solution to the problem.
I knew there was a way up to the top but never looked into the exactly how till now.

I thought it was pretty ingenious!

Extra points for bravery.

A Midwestern version of the Statue of Liberty

It’ll be my luck that when I finally get there that will be closed for repairs as well.

Hopefully all of the major work will be done for a while after what we saw. I think it tends to shut down in winter for rehab.

Yep…
Now I can pretty much assure you that I’ll be doing that one by myself.

Oh well. More fun for you, then.

That which is ridged, can be more easily broken

Yep.

You chose wisely.


I may have to go get me some of those for lunch today.

Mmmm...melty cheese...

You sit on a thrown of lies!

Hey, I had a salad once. Maybe not on this trip.

That Toddlin’ Town with the giant Bean?

Actually, a specific place within that toddlin' town.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That's about as descriptive as it gets!

You can just sit back and bask in the mental images.

Wow! Either fate sounds equally as evil.

Remind me not to offer you any baseball tickets.

I would have just cropped or photoshopped the chair out of the picture. But what I don't get is where doe the pitcher plug in the heater on the mound and if he throws it, won't the cord get in the way?

I'm not real good with photoshop. And in this case, if I get rid of the chair, then it looks like I'm standing too close to home plate for no reason. It was just a cramped space.

Anyway, if you're going to bean a guy with a heater, or at least give him a little chin music, you probably need some French burnt butter to go with the high cheese.

Poor Drew. "No not the sun! so bright!"

Maybe he's a vampire.

Interesting how each location celebrates the purchase. It was a little different in Lousiana, but sort of the same.

It certainly was a big deal! Doubled the size of the country overnight.

Three? I was ready for a whole lot more!

Well, I had 13 photos of the entire Arch experience. That's a lot for me, right? You know how I hate posting 8 versions of the same photo.

I think I would have been iike, Cool! and as I got to the top

I think a lot of people are in that boat!

Sort of....that's really high up!

But so cool!

OK that would totally freak me out! Even though I realize it's necessary!

I imagine that gives just about anyone pause, especially if they aren't used to it or expecting it.

Except I couldn't hardly see it in any of your shots!

Well, I'm not into selfies. And we're usually taking a lot more pictures of the kids than of ourselves. Anyway, the important thing is I was wearing it!

I don't believe it one bit! Pictures or it didn't happen!

Dang it! I knew someone would use that against me.

I vaguely remember that. It was a while ago (like a loooooong looooong time ag), so...

I only vaguely remember it as well.

Please tell me it's sitting in your garage right now. Did I ever tell you I know a programmer who worked for Lockheed on the ICBM projects? She thought it was a pretty great job! (Yes, a woman in a high paying STEM job!)

Very cool! I wish I had one in the garage. There's no room due to all the other crap we have piled in there.

Hey, I'm all for women in my STEM field. Even my daughter is moving in that direction!

But wait--this is high-paying? Did I miss something?

Nice chair-crowding technique there!

I'll tell her where to put her chair.

Well, dang! That might have been a nice place to walk a bit.

Yeah, it was a bit of a bummer.

Yeah! That's a pretty cool view!

Of course not! The Oblivious Family always leaves the landscaping alone.

Who let this guy in?

I'm just glad I'm not the target for once!

I think I'm all caught up now. I haven't been commenting - just reading here and there while getting ready for work each morning. Thanks for sharing your trips here on the dis. I really enjoy reading them and seeing many parts of the country that I may or may not get to.

Welcome back! Thanks for continuing to read along! Hope you get to travel and see some of these places someday.

I was watching tv the other day - a bacon flight was advertised......where have I seen something like that before.....oh yeah....Captain O TR.

Mmmm...bacon...

Summer is almost here, have you announced your 2017 summer trip?

Not officially, I guess. I usually do a Poor Man's PTR at the end of each TR. We just did Texas and a bit of New Mexico over Spring Break, and we're hoping to tour the deep south this summer so we can get a taste of the stultifying heat and humidity.

Ok, I'm not really looking forward to that, but such is the curse of having to fit within the school year. We need to pick up several states in the south, so we'll be trying to visit Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. As well as a few more familiar places.

 

[Steppesister]

Hey, I'm all for women in my STEM field. Even my daughter is moving in that direction!


But wait--this is high-paying? Did I miss something?

Really?! What's Sarah thinking? That's great!

Maybe that's only for programmers? Dunno.

I'll tell her where to put her chair.

I'm just glad I'm not the target for once!

I could say the same thing lately....

 

[pkondz]

That's really why I keep posting here. The salary.

Figured that it'd be about the figures.

I would think for you, it would be regruets.

Touché.

Or as you Americans say: Toche.

And I'm wasting my material here!

Dump this place and come over to the dark side.

Too bad you weren't here for the TR when we were in Ohio and ate at the place with a full-size X-wing fighter in the parking lot. That was an experience.

Cool!

Those are so hard to cash at the 7-11, though.

Only in the US. Not here.

We have more pterodactyls than you think.

I was on a float trip down the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park with my family when I was a kid. The guide was pointing out a bald eagle nest along the way. Then a plane flew overhead, and my brother, being a smart-donkey, asked what kind of bird that was. Without missing a beat, the guide said, "That's a Teton Pterodactyl."

 

[pkondz]

That sentence contained every bit of detail that I noticed on the drive.

Always good to have an observant TR writer.

I've often thought that way. But then I remember, sometimes I'm the jerk.

Ok, most of the time.

Truer words were never.... uh... I mean... Nah.

Apparently, he was as good a man as he was a baseball player.

Oh? That I didn't know.

Which is the standard pay for backups and some of the lousier guys in the lineup.

Don't get me started....

Maybe 3? And two were my sons.

What? I assumed that there was this huge line.... which is why you couldn't stay long....

Oh for Pete's sake.

It's always neat to take a peek behind the scenes. Or go places you wouldn't normally be allowed to.

I think I'm gonna save that money, and use it to buy lunch instead.

Lunch is never a bad buy.
But it sucks more when you lose your lunch.

Now he just puts his hands over his face in every photo.

Smart. He's learning.

I felt like we couldn't visit St. Louis and not go up inside.

Instead of the Arch, we get The Pretzel.

mmmmm.... pretzels........


Sorry... what were we talking about again?

 

[franandaj]

Anyway, if you're going to bean a guy with a heater, or at least give him a little chin music, you probably need some French burnt butter to go with the high cheese.

That makes more sense to me than your original post! Probably because you used the words butter and cheese.

 

[pkondz]

That makes more sense to me than your original post! Probably because you used the words butter and cheese.

Mark... always buttering up the ladies.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Sorry, I must not have been clear. We didn't get to OK last week. Oklahoma's border will be briefly crossed as we travel through Arkansas this summer.

Ahhhh…
Well I know that trip is already well planned out so I won’t go offering up any other outlandish destinations.

Don't sell yourself short, Judge. You're a tremendous slouch.

Right in the Lumber Yard…


Actually “Tremendous Slouch” is one of the working names we use for our various garage bands.
True story…

I always aim to do better in that department than Andy Reid.

Setting quite the bar there, are we?

Yeah, I imagine the cost and distance would be strong disincentives.

Mostly it’s the distance.
I’m less than 10 miles from an NFL stadium, but the ticket prices ensure that I’ve never once seen a game there. The MLB, though not cheap, is a better bargain if you can just get there.

sooner or later we all do something worthy of being on the receiving end of a cruise missile.

Pretty much daily if I’m honest about it.

He's a Cubs fan. Won't do any good.

Good point.

This guy here is dead!

Then cross him off the list.

http://www.wandererscricket.com/Yank_view.html

Hey, I had a salad once. Maybe not on this trip.

Nor the last one, I’d wager.

Actually, a specific place within that toddlin' town.

Another two hour wait for pizza?

(if it were me, I’d be going back to the science and history museum)

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Really?! What's Sarah thinking? That's great!

Her high school asks students to have a "major" (concentration) and she chose the STEM path. (She can still take arts courses.) She really loves building with her hands, solving problems, and shows an aptitude for computer-aided design. But she also has a talent in art. Her dream job would be as a Disney Imagineer.

Maybe that's only for programmers? Dunno.

I suspect it has more to do with me being on a government salary.

I could say the same thing lately....

Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue. We all get our turn!

Figured that it'd be about the figures.

Go figure.

Touché.

Or as you Americans say: Toche.

Gesundheit.


Whoops, sorry. Gesndheit.

Dump this place and come over to the dark side.

I'm coming, I'm coming.

Only in the US. Not here.

Does Timmy's prefer large denominations?

Always good to have an observant TR writer.

Whatdja say? I was skimming.

Truer words were never.... uh... I mean... Nah.

Hey, I had to say it before any of you guys could.

Oh? That I didn't know.

Yep, from all accounts Stan Musial was a wonderful person and a pillar of the St. Louis community. Unlike, say, Ty Cobb. I love the line about him in Field of Dreams when the ballplayers are listing the guys who came to play:

"Ty Cobb wanted to play, too. But none of us could stand the SOB when he was alive, so we told him to stick it!"

Don't get me started....

I'd love to say it's not our money, but then again they keep raising ticket prices.

What? I assumed that there was this huge line.... which is why you couldn't stay long....

Oh for Pete's sake.

Lunch is never a bad buy.
But it sucks more when you lose your lunch.

Truth.

Smart. He's learning.

That, or he's a toddler. It's what they do.

mmmmm.... pretzels........


Sorry... what were we talking about again?

I dunno. I got distracted, too.

 

[juniorbugman]

pkondz said: ↑
mmmmm.... pretzels........


Sorry... what were we talking about again?
Today is National Pretzel Day so go out and celebrate.
Judy

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

That makes more sense to me than your original post! Probably because you used the words butter and cheese.

Now I'm hungry.

Mark... always buttering up the ladies.

If only it ever worked...

Ahhhh…
Well I know that trip is already well planned out so I won’t go offering up any other outlandish destinations.

You've given me plenty of ideas!

Right in the Lumber Yard…


Actually “Tremendous Slouch” is one of the working names we use for our various garage bands.
True story…

That is an awesome name for a band!

Setting quite the bar there, are we?

That's the key to getting through life. Setting low expectations.

Mostly it’s the distance.
I’m less than 10 miles from an NFL stadium, but the ticket prices ensure that I’ve never once seen a game there. The MLB, though not cheap, is a better bargain if you can just get there.

I think the dirty secret about NFL games is that it's actually better to watch the games on TV.

Pretty much daily if I’m honest about it.

Me too.

Nor the last one, I’d wager.

Another two hour wait for pizza?

(if it were me, I’d be going back to the science and history museum)

I can definitely confirm that I'd only want to repeat one of those experiences.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

pkondz said: ↑
mmmmm.... pretzels........


Sorry... what were we talking about again?
Today is National Pretzel Day so go out and celebrate.
Judy

Don't have to tell me twice!

 

[pkondz]

Go figure.

I was speaking figuratively.

Gesundheit.


Whoops, sorry. Gesndheit.

I thought you yanks spelled it Gesondheit.

Does Timmy's prefer large denominations?

Don't forget that a CDN $1,000 bill is only worth about $1.27 US.

Whatdja say? I was skimming.

I wouldn't know. I don't read what I write.

"Ty Cobb wanted to play, too. But none of us could stand the SOB when he was alive, so we told him to stick it!"

I remember that.

Today is National Pretzel Day so go out and celebrate.

Dang. This was yesterday. Can I still celebrate today?

 

[juniorbugman]

↑
Today is National Pretzel Day so go out and celebrate.
Dang. This was yesterday. Can I still celebrate today?
Sure go out today and have a few pretzels.

 

[pkondz]

↑
Today is National Pretzel Day so go out and celebrate.
Dang. This was yesterday. Can I still celebrate today?
Sure go out today and have a few pretzels.

I'm having them right now.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I was speaking figuratively.

What, literally?

I thought you yanks spelled it Gesondheit.

A Canadian arguing for Americanized spelling of German words. We're way off the reservation now.

Don't forget that a CDN $1,000 bill is only worth about $1.27 US.

I wouldn't know. I don't read what I write.

I just sign my name to whatever my staff produces. It's middle management 101.

Dang. This was yesterday. Can I still celebrate today?

Today is National Pretzel Day so go out and celebrate.
Dang. This was yesterday. Can I still celebrate today?
Sure go out today and have a few pretzels.

I think every day is Pretzel Day.

 

[pkondz]

What, literally?

Liturgically.

A Canadian arguing for Americanized spelling of German words. We're way off the reservation now.

Ah yes. I remember those days when our dollar was that close to the US greenback.
The good ol' days.

I think every day is Pretzel Day.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Liturgically.

Chapter and verse.

Ah yes. I remember those days when our dollar was that close to the US greenback.
The good ol' days.