PEACE ON THE ROAD
From The Great Lakes To
The Big City
June 22, 2012
I am sure that all of you
have seen signs that make you shake your head in wonder. When we
were in Duluth, MN we drove by a business with a large LED sign. One
of its advertisements was for “Organic Smoking Products.” Let me
see if I've got this straight. First a smoker is putting a match to
tobacco and burning it. Then they are breathing the smoke which
has
over 4,000 chemicals in it with at least 69 of those chemicals which
are known to cause cancer. Then they are going to worry about some
farmer fertilizing the field with chemicals that are not strictly
organic.
Maybe there is some sense in that but to me it is totally ludicrous.
Maybe I am just behind on the organic food scene.
Another
thing that I have to laugh about is tree planting. We stayed in a RV
park that had a couple lakes. Our site was 75 yards from a lake and
we could see it out our front window. On the lake was a loon family,
parents with two babies. We could actually see the place where the
loons were nesting. One time there were also at least 8 mated pair
of Canadian geese with 6 to 8 young each. All of these birds plus
others could be seen on the lake once in a while. The camp owners
have planted many trees along the edge of the lake and in a few years
they will be large and beautiful. When the trees reach that maturity
they will block any view of the lake. I would have to ask, “Would
I rather camp where I can see a lake with birds swimming and maybe
fish jumping or a row of trees that are blocking the view?”
Forty-five
years ago I saw my first Yellow Lady Slipper Orchid in the wild but
could not photograph it. While not far from Egg Harbor, WI, I was
fortunate to find a stand of many of what I believe are called Small
Lady Slipper Orchids. To find even one would be exciting but I found
an area that could well have had over a hundred, perhaps more if I
had wanted to search. In the same area were some Wood Lilies. Both
are beautiful wild flowers. Some people say, “Stop and smell the
roses!” I say, “Stop and photograph the flowers!” Of course
while you are at it photograph everything else too.
TWO
SMALL YELLOW LADY SLIPPER ORCHIDS (one for each of the ladies feet)
We
have traveled up into the northern Part of Wisconsin into Door
County. There are lots of trees, picturesque farms, small lakes,
the great lakes and quaint villages. There are more lighthouses than
any other area that we have been. The biggest problem with them is
that mostly the view is inaccessible except by water or blocked by
trees. Across the US we have seen several lantern housings on
lighthouses that have had the light on the land side blocked by a
solid wall rather than open through windows. We heard a tour guide
telling people this was done because the light bothered the people
living in the area and also their farm animals. The tidbits of
information that we pick up in odd places is amazing. Traveling is
not only fun but it is educational if the time is taken to pay
attention.
Have
you ever been to a “fish boil”? Or maybe I should ask have you
ever heard of one. I have seen on TV fish boils being served and was
not impressed. Our friends took us to eat at one. I do not believe
that we would ever have gone on our own, and that would have been a
mistake. Real life action was a whole bunch more fun than it has
looked on TV. At a fish boil a pot of water is heated to boiling on
a fire. A sieve holding potatoes is lowered into the boiling pot of
salted water. Then another sieve is added that holds cut up white
fish. The one we went to used 15 gallons of water with seven pounds
of salt. The salt brought the boiling temperature up to 220 degrees.
Right at the end the cook threw some kerosene into the fire which
caused the fish oils to be frothed out of the pot and burned in the
fire. It is then ready to serve. I have to say that it is
delicious. Much better than I expected.
INSIDE
THIS FIRE IS THE POT WITH THE POTATOES AND FISH READY TO EAT
There
are many restaurants that we have either tried or have heard about.
When we are in an area we try to enjoy the local cuisine. Sometime
there are just too many places to eat in the time we are in the area.
As a matter of fact that is true in most cities. One restaurant we
had to see but did not eat at was in Sister Bay, WI. Al Johnson
built a restaurant back in the 1950's, got married in the 1960's and
in the 1970's had a building fabricated in Norway, shipped to the US
and assembled over his restaurant. On top of the building there was
a special under layer laid down. This layer was seeded with grass
and goats were placed on top the building to forage. The restaurant
never closed during all the construction. There are two “goat-cams”
mounted on the roof which cover up to 95% of the total roof. The
goats are on the roof during the daylight hours during the tourist
season, from May to October. At night they are taken down and kept
in a barn on the outskirts of town. To say the least it is a very
interesting place to see. The reports are that the food is also very
good. Check out the “goat-cams,”
http://www.aljohnsons.com/goat-cam/
It really needs to be seen to actually believe it does exist.
GOATS
ON THE ROOF OF AL JOHNSON'S RESTAURANT
We
decided that we would stop in Chicago and do in part of it. Somehow
we got mixed up and it did us in. We went to the Museum of Industry
and Science (MIS) and saw part of it. To say the least it is big.
It is also expensive to go “one” day. If I was to go again, and
I really think I should, I would do things differently. I would plan
to stay in the area at least a week or maybe two. I would purchase a
membership to MIS. That would allow me to take a guest for free as
many times as I wanted. Then instead of going once and trying to see
all I could, which is exhausting, I would go several times and see
one or two areas very well each time. I would take my tripod for the
camera and take better pictures than I did this time and take a lot
more pictures. The light in MIS is good for viewing but not for
picture taking. I would visit one day and then take a day off to
rest and reflect. In other words I need to get away from the mindset
that when I go someplace I am on vacation and I have to see it all.
Forty to fifty years of my adult life that has been true but not
necessarily anymore. I am retired and my plan is to see and enjoy
the places I go. I do not think that spending an entire afternoon
viewing and touring the only captured German WWII submarine in the US
would be difficult at all. The U-505 is the only German submarine of
its type to survive to this day, and it was once scheduled to be used
as target practice and sunk. It is interesting to me that it was
captured on my Fathers birthday, June 4, 1944, when I was two years
old. Another area of MIS features several pieces of farm equipment
that were built by John Deere. I grew up farming with John Deere's.
Granted the ones I drove were two cylinders engines that were nick
named Johnny Pops and I don't considers four and eight cylinders to
be proper. Still the tractor and combine with GPS technology, AC,
CD/radio, etc were very impressive.
THE
GERMAN SUBMARINE U-505 IN THE MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE
In
driving through many cities in over 38 states and years ago in Canada
I have come to the conclusion that drivers have a lot of times been
given a bum rap. Having just driven in downtown Chicago and the main
highways in and out of the city during the rush hour, in construction
and at both high and low speeds I conclude that the vast majority of
the drivers are courteous, considerate, and caring for the well being
of their fellow drivers. All it usually takes is a flashing light to
get a space to pull into. Several times I have seen two or three
cars changing lanes at the same time each taking the space vacated by
one of the other vehicles. In a way it looks like a choreographed
dance on the highway. Sure I have seen accidents, a couple I even
saw happen, but considering the number of cars on the road passing
any given point I think that people are doing a great job. One thing
that I hope is that I am not the cause of a accident due to my own
ineptitude. It also would be too much trouble to get repairs.
We
are currently in Elkhart, IN and are slowly headed to Rochester, NY.
That decision was pretty much necessary about a week after we left
the Winnebago factory and decided that we were mobile again.
Although while we were in Door County, WI we were shut down for a
short time. At a campground the first thing we do is put the
leveling jacks down. One pair went down and the whole hydraulic
system shut down. We could not finish leveling or put the slides
out. I even had to spend the night on the couch. Since two jacks
were down I dare not move the motor home even an inch. It was a
simple fix that I can now do if it happens again. But it took three
hours for the service technician to find the problem. Not only did I
learn something, so did he. An education can be expensive at times
but one thing for sure is that being uneducated or as some would say
“stupid” is even more expensive.
Till
Later This Is Doug Of,
PEACE
ON THE ROAD
No comments:
Post a Comment