Thirty-Thirty Coffee in Peoria Illinois

Check out that bear!

You know...  several years ago, while in Illinois, I picked up a local magazine talking about Thirty-Thirty Coffee Company in Peoria.  I made a note that, next time in the area, I had to check it out.

So, as we drove west, I saw that we would be driving right through Peoria.  Googlemaps showed that we would pretty much be driving right by this coffee shop.

So we stopped by on the second morning of our recent road trip.

The coffee shop is well known for having a legendary stuffed (taxidermy) bear.  It is a polar bear...  and it is black.  At some point, the white bear received artificial coloring.  He looks great though, and he really makes the place unique.

We sat and had some very nice drinks on a slightly cold morning.  The shop was already lively with locals.

There are some interesting painting all through the place, and there is plenty of room for crowds.

We really liked the vibe and the coffee, and I look forward to getting a chance to stop at Thirty-Thirty Coffee again soon!

Hampton Inn Indianapolis South

So, we left after work one evening to begin our South Dakota trip.  Making the drive to Indianapolis would really do a lot for us on the trip....  from a budgeting time stand point.  AND, we always love hanging out in the Circle City.

I often avoid mentioning chain places, but we really liked the Hampton Inn Indianapolis South.  It was convenient and pleasant.

Our room was clean and neat, and the staff was great.  There was a WONDERFUL fellow who checked us in when we arrived.  He had taught at Christian schools for over 40 years!  We had a very nice chat with him!

Go spend some time in Indianapolis and check out this Hampton location!

Outlaw Tales of....... by TD Griffith

As we planned out our trip to South Dakota, I was itching to read some books about cowboys and outlaws in the area.

I found a couple of great books by TD Griffith that really satisfied that need!  "Outlaw Tales of South Dakota" and "Outlaw Tales of Nebraska" were really enjoyable books to get me in a mood for our road trip!

These two books go together like...  well Nebraska and South Dakota.  Also, I have always linked these two states together, like siblings.  In my brain they are connected tighter than the two Dakotas.

Oh, and check out the great covers on both!  I know my bad photo doesn't do them justice, but each book has a beautifully painted front.  Check 'em out!

So, each book contains around a dozen short stories about outlaws in the state.  Most have a very "old west" vibe going on, though each book ends with a somewhat more modern tale (think 40s and 50s).  Horse races, hanging, card games and prostitutes are all over the books.

"It Happened in South Dakota" by Patrick Straub, continued by TD Griffith

So, when we started thinking about going to South Dakota again, I wanted to look up some books that might be fun reads to get me in the mood.  the name "TD Griffith" came up a lot!

I found "It Happened in South Dakota" by Patrick Straub with TD Griffith and it was a very enjoyable volume to read before our trip.

The book has a chronological flow to it, starting with events a long time ago, working their way up to recent times.

Covered are stories you would expect:  Mt. Rushmore, Wounded Knee, Wall Drugs, The Corn Palace, Crazy Horse Monument, etc.  Each of these sections give a very nice and brief few pages about the famous attractions.  Overlooked stories of tragedy are here too, including tales of floods, earthquakes, and fires.

I really enjoyed reading about Sturgis, and how the motorcycle event there really mushroomed into something way bigger than what the founders could have imagined!  I'm not a motorcycle person, but this was an interesting story!

I also loved the chapter on the making of the film, Dances with Wolves!

This was a really nice book to go through before driving out west.

Our South Dakota, Nebraska and a Few Other States Road Trip

 So, we are home and recovering from a massive road trip driving around several cool sites in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana.  It was one really fun time!

This was somewhat of a redo trip from one we did in 2012.  We had a great time on that trip, and we have simply been itching to get back out to the area.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if we got back out there again in the next few years!

Its a nice drive out to South Dakota.  Driving and traffic aren't bad, roads are open, and there is a lot to see!

We did have to do things a little different on this trip though.  Last time, we included the town of Deadwood, and we also made it to Devils Tower.  We would have loved to do those sites again, but, from a budgeting our time standpoint, we just couldn't.

We had a REAL issue with caves on this trip too!  They were all closed!  Like, all of them.  More on that later, but we struck out going underground.

We were able to visit my all time favorite coffee chain, CARIBOU!  When we lived in Cleveland, I went to Caribou coffee all the time!  Unfortunately, the chain has pulled out of a lot of areas (including Ohio).  They are out west though, and I got my fill!

I was also able to spend a little bit of time at a college I went to BRIEFLY in Nebraska- Midland!  I will tell that story a little later, but I spent a COLD January on that campus.  I had a good time though!  Good peeps.

AND, you can't go to this area without a proper visit to Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse!  We did both carvings again!

THIS TIME, we did do a bus tour through the Black Hills, spending a day with Fort Hayes & Mt. Rushmore Tours.....  LOTS more on that later, but we had a really fun time with those guys.

Anyway, here are just a few pictures from our adventures....

"Building Time at Brushy" by Stonney Ray Lane

After we visited Brushy Mountain Prison in Pecos Tennessee a few months ago, I really wanted to learn more about the site.  It is big, and it has been around for forever!

Unfortunately, there aren’t a ton of books available about Brushy Mountain.  I was a little let down that the gift shop didn’t have something like that available.

Fortunately, former Warden Stonney Ray Lane wrote a nice book about his time there.

The book is close to 300 pages but it flows well, and it is a very quick read for its size.

Stonney talks about his time growing up and he gives a bit of information about how he ended up working at the prison.

The main story that most people are interested in, when it comes to former prisoners at Brushy Mountain is James Earl Ray.  James Earl Ray was the convicted assassin of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  Anyway, Ray found himself doing time at Brushy.

AND, he escaped!  For a couple of days, he and a couple of other inmates hid out in the hills around the prison before getting caught and taken back. 

Stonney was very directly involved in the entire event at the prison and he gives his story.  It was great listening to him talk about butting heads with the FBI and dealing with news reports. 

One of the most interesting moments of the book comes when Stonney asks Ray about the assassination.  Ray indirectly gives a very telling answer.

I would love to find some more books on the prion…..  Please feel free to drop me a line if you know of a good one….  But “Building Time at Brushy” satisfied some of my curiosity.

Concert Memories: Van Halen, Evansville IN 2/9/1992

Van Halen at Roberts Stadium in Evansville Indiana was one of the first concerts I remember going to with a group of people.  My sister drove me, my late cousin Matt, my best pal Brent, and my future brother in law from Owensboro to Evansville to this show.

I want to say the whole show was general admission....  I do remember being on the floor for it.  No seats, just standing.  Matt, Brent and I braved the floor, but my sister and her boyfriend took seats in the slightly upper seating area.  I remember it being a VERY party like atmosphere at this show, and I had a great time.

The Baby Animals opened for Van Halen and I really liked them at the time.  They had a good, hard sound with a female singer.  I also remember they did a CD signing at the old music store at Washington Square Mall before the show.  We stopped there for a bite to eat, and saw the signing as it was winding down.  As a side note, I can't remember the name of the music shop there, but I loved it.  I thought the Baby Animals were a good opening act, and I thought they would break big at some point.  They had a hit song called "Painless" that I really liked, and I still listen to it a lot on my ipod these days.

A Sammy Hagar fronted Van Halen put on a good show.  I remember Sammy having a great, sincere and likeable stage presence.  You truly felt like he appreciated the fans.  I remember being blown away by the Van Halen brothers and by Michael Anthony too.  I know my sister was always a David Lee Roth Fan, but I always like VH with Sammy more.  I think this was a matter of who you came up with.  My sister is 4 years older than me, so the DLR version of the band was all over the radio when she started listening to music a lot, while the Sammy version was all over the air waves when I got a little older.  I loved Roth's first solo album though.

I bought a "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" shirt at the show and I totally wore that thing to school a LOT.  Only one teacher said anything about it, my art teacher, Ms. Hailey.  She was a lot of fun though, and had a great sense of humor.  I think she made fun of me for wearing it.

As another side note, I once won a CD from local radio station 96WSTO by calling in and identifying Michael Anthony as the bass player from Van Halen, who's birthday it was that day.  The DJ told me that he had callers guess every member of Van Halen EXCEPT Michael Anthony before my call.

Buca di Beppo, Norwood, Ohio

 While we were in Cincinnati, we had a meal at Buca di Beppo!

I remember loving this place when we lived in Cleveland.  We hadn't been to one in some time though.....  so we were really happy to get to visit one while we were in Norwood!

We actually walked through the kitchen on our way to our seats.  They even have a booth IN the kitchen!

We were taken through a maze of rooms and seating areas as we made our way to where we would eat.

There were pictures and statues everywhere that made you think of Italy and Italians.  Pope items were everywhere. 

Its a bit loud and over the top, but it made for a fun atmoshere. 

Buca di Beppo is known for serving food family style.  We ordered a great salad, spaghetti, chicken Parmesan and mac and cheese for our friends kids.

There were 6 of us, and we all really enjoyed our food, and we had a lot of it.  It was a bit pricey, but we felt it was definitely worth what we paid.  Also, there was a ton of food to take home.

Molly's Cupcakes- Liberty Township, Ohio

 After we grabbed some David's Tea while we were in southern Ohio, we stopped by Molly's Cupcakes!  Its right next door!

We had a very nice cake that was plenty for two of us.  They have a sprinkle station too, which I had never seen before!

The inside dining area was really cute too....  there are some nice vintage lunchboxes displayed, and you can actually set on a swing and enjoy your cupcakes!

David's Tea- Liberty Township, OH

 I wanted to mention briefly that we stopped by another David's Tea, this one located near Cincinnati, in Liberty Township Ohio.

We love the one in Indianapolis, but we were in the southern Ohio area...  and we were thrilled to stumble across another David's Tea.

Concert Memories: Kansas, Owensboro, KY, 11/27/1992

Kansas at the Executive Inn in Owensboro in 1992.....  Its funny to me now...  because that seems like a long time ago.  I went with my buddy Vernon and I remember him talking about how they were more of an arena band back in the 70s.  The 70s seemed like a long time ago when this show happened.

I remember Kansas doing their hits, and sounding really good.  Other details form this show that happened over 25 years ago escapes me now.

I feel lucky that I was able to catch some shows at the Executive now though. 

Mammoth Cave River Styx Tour and a stay at the Mammoth Cave Lodge!

 We had been itching to get back to Mammoth Cave for some time!  We really wanted to visit in the winter too, so a few days ago we went down!

I remember one day in high school…..  lets say in the early 90s….  it snowed a lot, and me and my buddy Brent decided to drive to the National Park for the day.  We truly felt like we had the entire park to ourselves.  I’m sure there were some other people there, but I don’t remember them.  It was a great day to visit.

Well, when my wife and I went on a nice January weekend, we had a bit of a similar experience!

Also, we had never stayed at the Mammoth Cave Lodge so we thought this might be a nice weekend for that!

We drove down very early on a recent Saturday.  It had been windy and rainy.  There was debris in the road as we drove towards the MCNP.  Even within the boundaries of the park we had to watch out for small twigs and branches.

It is always a great drive though.  AND, I never fail to see plenty of deer around the visitor center.

We arrive right as the visitor center opened, and we went in to pick up our tickets for our 9am River Styx tour.  The tour had sold out, as there are less tours offered in general on winter days.

We met our tour guide, Teddy, under an awning right behind the visitor center.  Teddy was a very pleasant young man and he told us about the basics of the tour and he then led us down the steep hill to the historic cave entrance.  Our tickets were torn and we went down into the cave.

The River Styx tour is the normal historic tour, but with a brief side trip to see the river that runs through the cave.  Teddy explained that they used to do boat tours at Mammoth Cave on the River Styx.  That ended in the 90s though when they realized that the boat tours were affecting the animals in the river.  The boats were removed and given to Lost River Cave, where you can still take a boat ride through a cave!

It was fun looking down on the river on this little trip.  They actually do not have lighting in this area, so guests are able to carry supplied lanterns with them.  It’s a pretty cool experience.

You cover a lot of ground on this tour.  We walked by the Giants Coffin, and through Fat Man’s Misery.  I hadn’t been through this part of the cave in a while.  Its very twisty and turny, and I noticed a lot of tall people having trouble squeezing through here too!

Near the end of our 2 plus hour adventure, it felt almost like it was raining in the cave at one area.  One of the guides told us that it had been raining hard during our tour, causing the water to come down.  Later, after leaving the cave, we would see water flowing forcefully down various hills, creating a very cool waterfall effect towards the cave.

There is a long stairway tower that you must go up at the end of this path to leave the cave.  It is a bit intimidating when you see it, but there are several places along the way to stop for a break, if needed, as you walk up.  Our guide Teddy joked that, if the guides need a break, they will stop and point to a rock, any rock, and talk about it for some time as they catch their breath.

After our great River Styx tour, we went to the Mammoth Cave Lodge and had lunch in their Green River Grill.  I’ve always enjoyed this restaurant.

My wife had a very nice salad, and I had a catfish po boy with some great chicken soup.  It was a very nice meal and we enjoyed it and the setting of the restaurant very much.  We had a great waitress too who kept our water cups full!

We stopped by the gift shop at the lodge for some postcards.

  

There was a very pleasant young volunteer there named Quintin.  We ended up talking to him for some time.  I asked Quintin if there were any new tours coming up at the cave, as I feel like I have taken then all several times.  Quintin is a big fan of the cave himself, and he excitedly told us that the park is working on REOPENING a couple of old show caves on the property!

An old theme park and cave called Wondering Woods is being cleaned and prepared to reopen!  Also, one of Floyd Collins’ caves might be open for tours too!  I’ve googled around after hearing this, and these rumors look to be true!  I was so glad that I got to talk to Quintin about this and to hear about the old caves opening again.  I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to visit these caves when they reopen!

We ended up checking in to our room at the Mammoth Cave Lodge.  The main lodge building houses a couple of gift shops and restaurants.  You check in there, and then drive to your room. 

This was a fun experience, but I am not sure if I would stay at the lodge again.  

There were some issues (one of the beds had a stain on it, a window was cracked, and we couldn’t get any TV channels).  These were all very minor issues.  The window wasn’t that noticeable, the other bed was perfectly clean and we wouldn’t have watched much TV anyway…..  but, our room was far from perfect. 

Also, for the price, we could have stayed at the very comfy Grand Victorian Inn we had stayed at before nearby.

There was a great view from our lodge room though.  Looking out, there was just woods.  We left the blinds open all night and that was great.

We did drive away from the park in the evening and had dinner at Cracker Barrel.  I love the nearby Cracker Barrel, and we had a great waitress named Jessica, and great food too.  We would actually go back again in the morning before leaving town, and had another great waitress named Tonya.  More great food (I LOVE Cracker Barrel breakfasts).

Back to our night at the Lodge....  as we drove back from dinner to a VERY empty parking lot in the dark, we saw a TON of deer!  They were everyone!  Some were very sweetly laying down right next to the main lodge building.

We did see, at a bit of a distance, some deer crossing the road (again, it was at night and dark) but the deer were closely followed by another critter hot on their trail!

There was one other car at one of the lodge buildings, but that was it.  It gave us some comfort knowing that we weren't totally alone.

I joked with my wife that there is the hockey mask wearing ranger who patrols the park at night.  She didn't think this was as funny as I did.

As we left the park early Sunday morning, we noticed that a tree had fallen in the road.  It must have happened after we drove through the night before, after getting back from Cracker Barrel.  Park staff had obviously sawed through it though, and cleaned up most of it.