Canadian Buffoon's Semi-EPIC Vacation - 10/29 - Link to new TR!

Holy crap was that good!
I mean... deep fried, banana
stuffed sourdough, dusted
with cinnamon sugar???
So it was worth going to the Poly for breakfast?

I'm glad you enjoyed it and it lived up to the hype.
I popped into the butterfly
garden where people were
being swarmed by flying
insects looking for the blood of...

Um... no... hang on...
That's life in Northern Canada.

This was a bit less... draining.
But those butterflies are slightly smaller than those Canadian mosquitoes, aren't they?
And then I had... THIS!!!!

Maybe!!
What the...
Yeah, um... no idea
what this was.
Oh... so I'm not the only one confused by that blob? Good!
Maple Popcorn Shake
Because you're from Canada...
Then again... there probably
wasn't a place on Earth
that was anywhere near as
hot as it was that May
in Florida.
::yes:: True statement.
Without your comments,
encouragements and occasional
put-downs (you know who you are)
Sorry.
 
So it was worth going to the Poly for breakfast?
::yes::
While the sausage was
sub-par, the spam was
interesting and the

Tonga Toast was great!
I'm glad you enjoyed it and it lived up to the hype.
I don't know if anything at
Disney lives up to the hype.
We tend to overblow anything
even remotely Disney.
(And that's okay. We love it.)
But this was really tasty

and I'm glad I had it.
But those butterflies are slightly smaller than those Canadian mosquitoes, aren't they?
Oh, no.
You're being silly.

They're quite a bit smaller.
Oh... so I'm not the only one confused by that blob? Good!
Nope. You're not alone.
Because you're from Canada...
:blush:
:laughing:
 


I didn't know (or missed) you were starting a new job. Congrats!
Thank you! I have two weeks under my belt now and have been loving every minute :goodvibes (thank goodness! :laughing:)

Funny thing, when we met, that didn't come up...too many other things to talk about.
Way too many things to talk about! We could have spent the rest of the evening doing just that and never ran out of things to say! :hug:
 
I knew as I've been reading your new TR that I never read the end of this one! I was right!

Who wants to go home
after a Disney vacation?

Not me!

There's a special joy that
everyone has when they first
arrive on site and you see
people making the walk of
shame to DUD.
(Disney's Unmagical Depress.)

True. It's the exact opposite when you're the one leaving and watching people show up so excited to check in.

"If we can't find a parking spot."
Elle said. "I guess I can't leave!"

I agree with this logic.

I told my boss last week that I could not find a parking spot so I was not going to come in to work. She didn't agree.

Luckily, while I did see some ominous
looking clouds off to the East,
(I think it was East? Pretty sure by
then I was heading South...)
I never did see any tornados.

This is a good thing.

Thank goodness!

DSC07560_zpsdrbaxqmv.jpg

That is gorgeous!


Oo I want to take this picture too. Although I've been told it's not the true southernmost point, it's still a fun photo op!
 


I knew as I've been reading your new TR that I never read the end of this one! I was right!
Yes. I didn't want to say anything.
I've been patiently waiting all this time.



:rolleyes:
No one!
True. It's the exact opposite when you're the one leaving and watching people show up so excited to check in.
::yes::
Then you want them to just
stop looking so happy.
How can you when I'm so sad!
I hope it rains nonstop for your

entire vacation!!!!!
I told my boss last week that I could not find a parking spot so I was not going to come in to work. She didn't agree.
Your boss is totally illogical.
That is gorgeous!
::yes::
I wished I could have spent more
time there.
Future trip. :)
Oo I want to take this picture too. Although I've been told it's not the true southernmost point, it's still a fun photo op!
I'm glad I got it. I also have a
Harley shirt with it on it.
I know it's not technically the exact
spot, but it's close enough that you
can still say you've been there...

because you probably did.
 
FINALLY made it back her to finish up this TR! I was only 40 pages behind, no problem. Definitely not going to try to comment on anything at this point. :rotfl: Now I'm off to get caught up on your new one.
 
Start Your Engines

Another quick real-life update.

Last weekend, I had a small little road trip
to Newton, Iowa.

What's in Newton, Iowa?
Well... not a whole heck of
a lot, really.
But I did have a reason to go.


I didn't go straight there, however.
I instead went straight south
to Omaha, Nebraska, which is
two and a half hours west of
Newton, Iowa.

Why?
Because I collect Harley Davidson
poker chips and going that way
brings me half a dozen more chips.
(A hundred and forty-six now, for those
of you who've been asking.)

I don't normally post much about
those stops, but I did see this
at one of my stops in Omaha:

IMG_2527_zpsncle7n4i.jpg


Thought that was pretty cool.


I overnighted in Omaha
and the next day, before
heading East I took the time
to sashay along the Bob Kerry
Pedestrian Bridge.

DSC07738_zpsfujnvbs0.jpg


The bridge is 3,000 feet long
and spans the Missouri river
connecting Nebraska to Iowa.

DSC07743_zpszqesedpl.jpg


DSC07744_zpskdvw8sg0.jpg


The only real question you have
to ask yourself is...
Why would you want to go from
Nebraska to Iowa.


I'm guessing it's to compare corn.


Before I left the massive metropolis
of Omaha (pop. 467,000), I took one
last photo of the fountain at
Heartland of America Park.

DSC07750_zpsplke38wa.jpg


That's as close as I got before
fleeing eastward into Iowa.

Did you know there's corn
in Nebraska... and in Iowa?

I didn't see anything else,
so that's all I can comment on.


Corn


Lots of corn


As I traveled eastward
through field after field
of corn, I decided to stop
for gas.
I still had half a tank, but...
If I filled up now, I wouldn't
have to worry about it.

I'm sure most of you know the setup.
There's a sign proclaiming
gas/food/lodging or combination
thereof just up ahead.
You take the exit and right there
are two gas stations, a fast food joint
(usually a McDonalds) and possibly
a chain hotel.

I saw the sign...
I took the off ramp...


And there was nothing.
Just a sign saying there
was a town seven miles north.

And beside that, a sign proclaiming
the Danish Museum was coincidentally
also seven miles north


I hesitated...
Get back on the highway and find
a more convenient source of petrol?
Or take the plunge and drive fourteen
(round trip) miles out of my way.


I took the plunge.


One mile later I saw another sign
for the Danish Museum
(6 miles ahead!)
and a mile later another
(5 miles ahead!)
and then
(4 miles ahead!)
and
(3 miles ahead!)
followed by
(2 miles ahead!)
and finally
(1 mile ahead!)

I admired their persistence.


At this point, it was pretty
much a foregone conclusion
that I'd be going to the Danish Museum.
When I drove into town, the first
thing I noticed (because it's almost
impossible not to) was this:

DSC07766_zpsovmg2yns.jpg


I mean, it's hard to miss a
bright yellow building, amiright?

Oh, and if you look closely,
there's a windmill too.


And...
That's not the museum.
I thought it was, but...


I got the car fuelled up
and asked about the museum.
The gas attendant was very
enthusiastic about it
and told me that "Terry"
would be working at the desk today.

Armed with that knowledge,
I dutifully followed his directions
("Turn left at the first corner right
over there and go about two blocks.
You'll see the sign and the driveway
goes down and curves around.")
and arrived a minute later, here:

DSC07752_zpsses4ikaa.jpg


I walked in and saw a woman
at the front desk.
"Hi Terry!" I said. "How are you?"

Too bad it was a different woman.
Apparently, Terry was on a break.


I felt betrayed and lied to.

Which may or may not be better
than the confusion the woman
at the desk felt.


The museum was quaint,
a cut above most small town
museums.
There was of course at least
two or three mentions that Lego
was invented by the Danes.

DSC07759_zpsl9ha1v5o.jpg


But (for me) the real prize came in
this discovery:

DSC07764_zpsvobnxfxd.jpg


DSC07762_zps5oufl1uu.jpg


If you're not familiar with Victor Borge
(1909-2000), feel free to simply put
it out of your mind and read on.
(Or stop reading out of sheer
boredom, frustration or revulsion.)


After spending perhaps 30-60 minutes
exploring the museum, I continued
on my way to Des Moines where
I was going to make my pied-à-terre.

I had a couple of stops planned first, however.
And a "couple of stops" turned suddenly into
a few more...


But I'll get to that.


I'd noticed in the Iowa tour book that
there was a winery fairly close to Des Moines
and not far off from the route I was following.
I thought "why not?", followed by "I did."

DSC07785_zpsa5trlohk.jpg


I was a bit surprised to see...
no vineyard.
Apparently, that's up the road a bit.
I tried five different tastes of wine
(including a red! which should shock
you if you know my tastes at all.)
All but the last one I tried was quite nice.
And if you think the last one was
the red wine, you'd be wrong.
I went from driest to sweetest.
And the last and sweetest was
cloyingly over-sweet.

I ordered a glass of my favourite
and sat and relaxed for a bit.

DSC07781_zpsvllvyz6n.jpg


While I was sipping, something finally
clicked in my brain.
(If you beat me about the head long
enough, thoughts eventually get through.)

Covered Bridges winery.
In Madison County.

If you've never heard of the movie
(or book) called The Bridges of Madison County...
Well... whatever. The point being I'd heard of it.
And I'd also never seen a gosh-for-real
covered bridge before.
Yay! New goals!
I set out to find one.
I plugged an address into B****ing Betty,
my semi-trusty, mostly nagging, GPS
and set out.


She unerringly directed me to...
a street in the middle of Winterset, IA.


Well... I was going to Winterset anyways,
since it was nearby and is the birthplace
of John Wayne.
I'm not a huge fan of his, but... I have seen
several of his movies and I'm passing right
by it, so...

Why not?

DSC07788_zpssb8djrcj.jpg


DSC07792_zpsx2zrmdb1.jpg


After dutifully snapping the photo
of the house (the museum was closed;
which was fine, I really just wanted to
see the house, itself.)
I got in my car and drove slowly away,
trying to figure out a plan of action.
I glanced in the rear-view mirror
and noticed that there was someone
behind me.
I pulled over into a vacant lot
and tried to figure out what to do.
Just then, a police cruiser pulled up
alongside me.

Uh, oh.
What did I do?
Was I weaving?
Had I made an illegal turn?
I rolled down the window
and the cop, still in his car,
asked. "Are you lost?"
My first instinct was to
immediately say "No".
But my mouth had other
ideas (it frequently does)
and I heard myself loudly
proclaiming: "YES!"

I asked him if he knew where
a particular covered bridge was.
He started to tell me, thought
better of it and instead said.
"How about if I take you there
and you follow me?"
I happily agreed.
Several minutes (and several turns) later,
he pulled into a parking lot.
"It's just over there." He gestured
in the direction of the nearby bridge.
"Hey." He continued. "If you want,
you can follow this road up the hill
and it will take you to a stone tower."
I thanked him, and he drove off.

And now... behold!
My first ever covered bridge.

DSC07793_zpse1n4e8ha.jpg


Okay... so it's not the Taj Mahal,
but it's kinda neat anyways.

After inspecting the bridge,
I followed the narrow lane
up into the forested hills.
After a few minutes, I began
to grow concerned and started
to listen for banjo music,
but eventually found this:

DSC07796_zpsrzmmze0t.jpg


It was interesting enough,
but not exactly a show stopper
since it was built in 1926.
I.e. not really all that old
or historic.
You can read about Clark Tower
if you feel so inclined.
There weren't any bathroom
facilities in the area
(what do people do?
pee in the woods?
I can hear that banjo music
getting louder and louder...)
so I headed out after only
a few minutes.


I arrived in the enormous super-city
of Des Moines (pop: 218,000),
later that day and checked into my hotel.

While I hadn't come to Iowa specifically
to sight-see, I thought it'd be a shame
not to see a couple things.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending
on your viewpoint) for you, I only took
photos of one of those things.
The State Capitol of Iowa.
(The other being Valley Junction,
a quaint market area of town.)


I hadn't researched the Capitol building
other than to see it was one of the top
tourist sites in town.
Who was I to argue?

I parked the car and took a hurried
couple of shots before heading inside.

IMG_2543_zpspxlrhovf.jpg


IMG_2542_zpsbvicppxe.jpg


Hurried, because I didn't want
my rapidly melting shoes to
sink into the bubbling lava-like
concrete.

It was a tad.... scorching out.
(36C/97F)

Once inside the building...
I was shocked at how beautiful
it was!
I expected a fairly plain,
governmentally drab interior.
I was dead wrong.

IMG_2528_zpsxsq9vfdh.jpg


IMG_2531_zpswczagmd5.jpg


IMG_2532_zpsjfrjdrui.jpg


IMG_2533_zpsmnnoux5y.jpg


The place was so full of marble
and glass and statuary that it
would be very easy to lose track
of time.
(Which you can track if you have
a phone... unless you lose that too.)

There was a massive scale model
of the Battleship Iowa.

IMG_2535_zps1mgmpeul.jpg


What I found most interesting
is that the ship was in commission
from 1943-1949, again from 1951-1958
and again from 1984-1990.

I continued my self-guided tour,
paying visits to both the Senate
and House of Representatives.

IMG_2538_zpsahx7w5ii.jpg


IMG_2540_zpsw2ln8cyd.jpg


I left the building thoroughly
pleased with my decision to visit.
Heck, there was so much to see,
I wouldn't have been surprised
if I'd gone back a second time!


One other thing that I finally
was able to check off my to-do list
(It wasn't on my bucket list, but...)
I finally got to try Chick-fil-A.
I won't say it's the best chicken
I've had (far from it), but I will
say that I enjoyed it quite a bit.
So much so that I had it again,
on the drive home.


Saturday morning dawned and
brought the reason I'd made this
trip in the first place.

I made the forty-minute drive
to the incredibly huge, ginormous
city of Newton, Iowa (pop: 15,000).

It was surface of the sun hot when
I got there and stepped out of my
air-conditioned car.

I caught my first glimpses of the
Iowa Speedway, home of IndyCar's
Iowa 300.

I'm an IndyCar fan and they
were racing here this weekend.
I'd been to a few other races
including the Indy 500.
The difference between the two
tracks was immediately evident.
Indianapolis speedway is two
and a half miles long.
The front (and back) straight is
5/8ths of a mile long.
The Iowa track is a short oval at just
under a mile in total length.
(7/8ths of a mile, in fact.)

I've been to Indy, Toronto, Long Beach,
and Edmonton (when they raced there.)
One super speedway and three street
courses. This would be my first short oval
experience and I was really looking
forward to it.


The race wasn't until 7:00pm,
but the venue was open at noon.
I had purchased a paddock pass
(the paddock is really just a fancy
name for the garage area)
and intended to look around a bit
before settling in for the race,
later that evening.

It was scorching hot so I gratefully
accepted a shuttle ride in a golf
cart to the ticket office where I
exchanged my paddock pass voucher
for a wrist band.
I then took another golf cart
into the infield where the paddock
was located.
Apparently, they didn't want people
walking to the paddock.
Just too hot and no shade and
miles of concrete.
Perfect recipe for heat stroke.
I'm sure they had some nurses
around on hot-standby.
(See what I did there?)

There were team members going
to and fro and cars being prepped
for the upcoming race.

I took this photo of one of my
favourite driver's garage.

DSC07810_zpscwai95dn.jpg


There were a few relics of
a bygone era of racing on
display and I snapped a
couple of photos.

DSC07808_zpskqywpy0f.jpg


DSC07809_zpsoxgut5ur.jpg


It was hot with no shade and
I made the executive decision,
once I'd seen everything I wanted to see,
to head back to the hotel and cool down.

I paused to snap another shot of
that same favourite driver's car
as it was being wheeled to technical
for evaluation.

DSC07814_zpsmqqtslwt.jpg


In technical, cars are measured,
weighed and examined to ensure
that they meet all the stringent
criteria that are required of them.

DSC07815_zpspfsss7jf.jpg


Okay... it's too danged hot.
It was still five hours to race time.
I made the 40-minute drive
back to the hotel where I
showered and changed.
In that order.

Around 4:00pm or so, I headed
back to the track.
The forecast was showing a pretty
good chance of thunderstorms
and I kept glancing up at the sky
as I drove.

I arrived back at the track and parked
the car. I was walking back to the track
when a loudspeaker announced that
lightning had been detected within
twenty miles of the track and all
spectators were to return to their
vehicles.

Well... that doesn't sound great.
As I walked back to the car,
I took this photo:

IMG_2547_zpsjizalrbj.jpg


A couple of comments.
1. The sky was a lot more ominous looking
then the photo really shows.
The sky wasn't just dark... it was dark green.
2. Those jets you see are all owned by
race car owners.
N500PR is Penske Racing while the other
two are owned by Andretti family members.
(All of the well-known Andretti drivers have
the same initials. Mario, Michael and Marco,
hence the tail numbers ending "MA".)


About a minute after I got back to my car,
the skies opened and it poured out.
And the lightning! I've never seen
such a display!

For the next four hours, I huddled in my car
as Extreme Storm warnings blared out
from a tower mounted loudspeaker.
The storm was... impressive.
Here's a screen capture I did
of the race that I'd tried to record:

lightning_zpsaxdb65jx.jpg


During my sojourn in my car,
I suddenly realized that my
race ticket was missing.

Great.
I was going to wait hours for
a race that I wasn't going to be
allowed to even see!


Finally, the storm abated, the rain
lessened and the track reopened
to the remaining race fans.
I know some people left, but the
majority still seemed to be there.

I went immediately to the ticket booth
where I was reassured that they could
re-print my ticket for me.

<phew!>

I took this photo once I was settled
into my grandstand seat.

Untitled_Panorama1_zps38ztlslr.jpg


If you look closely enough, you can see
several vehicles congregating
on the bank at the far left.
The track was leaking water there
and they had to repair it before the
cars would be allowed to race.

There was a neat moment when
Gene Kranz, who was the Chief
Flight Director for Gemini and Apollo
space missions (including Apollo 11)
dedicated the race in honour of the
50th anniversary of the moon landing.
(Sorry about the poor quality.
Phone plus dark plus bright TV = crap photo.)

IMG_2553_zpsv0lqk4z6.jpg


A funny moment on that big screen.
They were showing live tweets from
fans at one point and one
clever wag called the race
the Midnight 300.

Finally, at 10:50pm, almost exactly
four hours after the 7:00pm
scheduled race start time,
the cars started to circulate.

IMG_2555_zpsqyhpynx0.jpg


About 20 minutes later, I felt a fat
rain drop land on my cheek.
I was listening to the live TV broadcast.
The feed didn't cut out during commercials
and you could still hear the announcers.
I heard one announcer (Paul Tracy, if that
name means anything to you) say:
"Oh, no. You're kidding!"
And a second later, they stopped the race
for another rain delay.

Luckily, this one only lasted about
half an hour and soon we were back
to racing.


The race turned out to be a good one.
My guy finished second after having
gone down a lap midway through the race,
so I was satisfied with the result.


I drove back to the hotel and shortly
after leaving the track, drove through
heavy rain showers.
They'd got the race finished just in time!

I got back to the hotel sometime after 2:00am.

Tired... but happy to have seen the race.


Coming up: Back to Disney!



Loving your TR. . . and this chapter! My hometown, Des Moines! Thanks for the ride along mini “ trip” back home to Iowa.
 
Thanks!
And... even though this one is done
and I've even just finished another one...


:welcome: to the TR!

Oh!
So... how'd I do with that?

You're welcome!
Hope you enjoyed it. :)
I do enjoy your TRs! You did great with Iowa. That Capitol building is gorgeous.

and I know my husband wants to get to that race in Newton sometime...we’d be driving from...you know...the Center of the Universe.
 

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