South Dakota Trip: "New Wheels at Last!"

I was a very helpful shopping assistant for Ann, and even modeled a stylish vacation car, but no luck. She decided to stick with her CR-V and they finally had it ready for us Saturday morning, so we were outta there! Before we left, though, I had to update my dry erase sign from "Mt. Rushmore or Bust!" to "Mt. Rushmore or Bust! (again)" The guys at the dealer though I was crazy and that the first sign jinxed the old CR-V. They couldn't believe we kept the sign, much less updated it. We'll see. I think it's bringing us luck! We could have gotten stuck in the middle of South Dakota, miles from any city. I think we got lucky!

South Dakota Trip: Day 2

Ok. I was holding back information in last night's post. The reason we spent the night in Omaha is because of car troubles. I didn't want to say anything on yesterday's blog because we both didn't want our parents to worry. (Yep, we're both adults, but we still let mom & dad control our actions, even when we're hundreds of miles from home! Crazy.)
Anyway, yesterday, we noticed that the automatic transmition felt strange as we drove the rolling hills in eastern Missouri. First, we thought it might be the extra weight from all that pizza we ate at Shakeapeare's. Ha! Then, somewhere a little north of Kansas City, an indicator light came on and we feared it was getting worse. Nevertheless, we drove the rest of the afternoon thinking positive thoughts while keeping our fingers crossed. Eventually, the positive thoughts faded and our finger got tired. So, as we arrived in Council Bluffs, Iowa, we gave in to the warning signs and pulled off the interstate in search of help. Fortunately, someone was looking out for us (Thanks for all the extra prayers, Mom!) because the place we stopped was a God-send. That's why I've gotta say: the next time anyone's looking for a car near Council Bluffs, Iowa, be sure to check out McMullen Ford. We arrived there at 5:53 p.m. They close at 6 p.m. Anyway, their guy at the front desk, Glenn Smith, helped us find a Honda dealer (We're driving Ann's Honda CR-V.) and a hotel near that dealer so we could get to the dealer bright & early in the morning. As a matter of fact, the Ford guy called the Honda dealer and talked to some people that he knows to try to pull some strings to get us in as early as possible. Wasn't that nice?!?! He even downloaded and printed out a map for us to find the Honda dealer and hotel. Can you believe it?!?! I've never bought a Ford before, but I tell you what, Glenn Smith (the Service Advisor at McMullen Ford) is making me think twice. I just might have to check out a Ford the next time I'm in the market for a car. Glenn was real patient and helpful, and offered us assistance well past the 6 p.m. closing time.

Anyway, this morning, we got to the Honda dealer as they were opening at 7:30. (I was impressed that Ann was coherent. I'm the morning person, not her. So, I was the one jabbering for the first few minutes of the day.) In the photo, you can see Ann checking in her CR-V at the dealer. Little did we know that it was soon to be her car's final resting place.

Found out the car needed a new transmission, which would cost way too much!!! So, we've spent an interesting day at the two Honda dealers in town shopping for a car. We also talked to the car rental people as we considered all our options. It's been crazy! After weighing the pros and cons, Ann decided to buy a used CR-V, which will be ready tomorrow. It's red (Ann's family's favorite car color!), has a sun roof (thought you'd be impressed Betty) and is roomier than the old one. On one hand, we'll be more comfortable. On the other hand, we probably aren't going to Brookings or the Race for Beef & Eggs Saturday morning. Oh well, things could be worse.

Another bright point (Or should I say bright points?) is that I got to return to Chalco Hills Recreation Area and get in a 7-mile run around Wehrspahn Lake. I went for a run there last night (not the entire 7-mile loop) and had to stop in my tracks to take in its stunning beauty. As I ran, I saw lots of lightning bugs along the path around the lake. But one area, about the size of a volleyball court, was simply amazing. It had grass about a foot tall and was just swarming with lightning bugs. Instead of a few random blinking specks, like in my back yard, this area was sparkling because there were so many lightening bugs and they were all going crazy! When I went back this afternoon, I brought my camera. The first picture is a view of the lake's concrete running path, wildflowers and the lake. The second one shows a grassy field that "sparkled" at night because of the massive number of lightning bugs.

South Dakota Trip: Day 1

Made it all the way to Omaha, but now my rear end is sore from sitting all day and that's leading to a weird pain in my left leg. I hope that doesn't affect my running on Saturday.
Omaha is way better than I remember! (I made a college visit to Creighton with some classmates from St. Henry's Prep Seminary during our senior year of high school back in 1984 or 1985. Do you remember that guys?) Omaha's developed their riverfront with walking paths, fountains and places to eat and have a drink. to Lots of beautiful, new construction downtown: 40-story office building (BIG for Omaha), a hip rehabbed area called Old Market District, of warehouses that are now lofts, bars, shops and restaurants, including one offering Persian food! Reminded me of Laclede's Landing in St. Louis, but only better. People actualy live in the Old Market District. Laclede's Landing's curse is that it is disconnected from living spaces and relies heavily on tourist traffic to stay afloat.
However, my favorite meal of the day was in Columbia, MO when we stopped at Shakespeare's Pizza. Ann made the amazing discovery of pizza-by-the-slice which saved us 45 minutes of wait time. We both tried the canadian bacon with pineapple. DELICIOUS!!!

South Dakota Trip: Day 0

Well, it's the night before I leave of South Dakota and I'm prety excited! I'll be traveling with my buddy Ann for the first time. We've each done some traveling on our own, but this is the first overnight together. I hope we're ready for this!
Earlier, I stopped by Oregon Trail Roasting, a new coffee shop in town, and enjoyed a Cafe Latte while reading the Belleville News-Democrat. I was trying to savor the joys of home one last time before hitting the trail myself. The latte was great by the way! Afterwards, I talked with one of the owners/managers (?) named Andrea. She said that they bought the building 9 months ago and just opened on Monday. Since I've been in town (about 10 years) the building has been a photography studio, an antique shop, a gift shop, and mostly just empty. I hope they have better luck. My first impression is very positive. They totally redid the place top to bottom. (Literally! They refinished the hardwood floors under foot and uncovered a fabulous tin roof over head.) She said the nine months of labor was "like a pregnancy", and what a beautiful baby they now have! They make everything from scratch: roast their own coffee beans, bake their own breads, prepare their own sandwiches and cook their own soup. As a matter of fact, I tried the Butternut Squash Soup (Andrea made it herself!) and loved it. It comes with whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of cilantro. It was good, but next time I'm going to try it without the cream so I can savor the cilantro even more.
Anyway, now I'm not onlyhyper because I'm excited about the trip but also because I'm wired from the latte. Oh well, I guess that's OK since I haven't even started packing!
I will post updates when I can. So, if you would like to know where Ann & I are or see pictures of what we've seen, check back here.
Al

Biking the flooded Mississippi Riverfront Trail with Larry

I met Larry at 9:30 this morning at the Riverfront MetroLink station to bike the Riverfront Trail. OK, so at least I was there at 9:30 a.m. (Larry's on "retired time", but that's OK, I'll get there some day, I hope.)
First, we checked out the flooding around the Arch and Landing: not quite as bad as '93, but enough water to close the flood gates and reach about the middle of the first flight of steps in front of the Arch.
Next, we started up the trail, only to be stopped about 100 meters into the ride due to water over the trail. After a little detour, we were back on the trail and headed north to the McKinley Bridge, which just reopened to vehicle and pedestrian/bike traffic. It was exciting to cross and get a new perspective of the downtown St. Louis as well as the flooding. Next, we followed Rt. 3 north (again, due to flooding, the trail was closed on the Illinois side as well) to the Chain of Rocks Bridge, which I crossed for the first time in my life. I'd seen it many times in pictures and from the I-270 bridge, and I knew that it had a bend in it. However, while crossing it, I was still shocked at how sharp the turn actually was. I'm not sure what the speed limit was on the bridge when it was open to cars, but it couldn't have been too high or cars would have flung themselves off the side of the bridge!!!
Back in Missouri, we headed south to downtown, stopping first in the near north side to eat lunch at Crown Candy Kitchen. We ran into Coach Anderson (formerly of St. Henry's Prep Seminary/now at immaculate Conception in Columbia, IL) and his wife.
Finally got home after 3 p.m. Tired from the ride, but satisfied from the adventure!