Category Archives: Travel

An Ode to Rest Areas

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Up until a few days ago, we’d been staying in casino lots and rv parks with our little home on wheels. Then Monday night we were heading for another casino lot when we thought we’d check out a very cool rest area in Northwood, Iowa. We had hoped to stay in a different rest stop near LA Crosse, Michigan. By going to the state website’s you can get details on what’s allowed and services available. Michigan allowed overnight parking (NOT camping); Minnesota does not.

So we drove a few extra miles to Iowa. The rest area we stayed at had a coffee shop, free Wi-Fi, tourist info, vending machines AND they let us stay there all night! (I realize that Shelley and Dennis have already discovered the magic of rest areas! Forgive our late arrival to the party!)

Here’s a photo of the Northwood, Iowa rest stop:

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🙂 Yay rest areas!!!

Notre Dame, Wisconsin and more

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Sheesh! We’ve got some catching up to do!

On Sunday we visited Tamiko’s (and Dan’s) alma mater. Notre Dame’s campus is beautiful! It must have been a joy to go to school there. We happened to visit on graduation day which was actually kinda fun – and bittersweet. It’s a little emotional/nostalgic to see all of that youth and promise and hope.

Okay ENOUGH of that! On to the fun stuff. Here’s a photo of the basilica (fun fact: the holy water was heated!):

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And I wanted Tamiko to know that there is now a Starbucks in “The Huddle” (student center):

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Sunday night we stayed at the Hollywood casino in Joliet, Illinois. It was completely nonsmoking!

Yesterday (Monday) we drove to La crosse, Wisconsin to see Marty’s high school buddy John Elvik. It was so great to see him! We had a really good visit.

Last night we stayed in a rest area in Iowa. I’m gonna talk about that in my next blog!

When in Canada, eat as Canadians (eh?)

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Behold, a healthy side of poutine.

As we were leaving Montreal, our landlord there asked if we’d eaten poutine while we were there. We had not. So our first order of business in Quebec City (QC) was to right that wrong. Bunny did the ordering, concerned that Marty might say “Je voudrais une putaine” instead of poutine and accidentally order a prostitute. 🙂

My first international political travel blog topic: toilet seat covers

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It appears that my public is crying out for a blog from me. Heh, heh…

So here we go! (The following opinion piecee falls under both politics and travel – enjoy!)

First one comment:>I am using a tablet with a bluetooth keyboard., If my tying or writing is anhything less than exemplary, vblame it on techbnology!!!

Back to my blog: When we were here in 2012, I noticed something that shocked me, amazed me and caused me to question the very core of Western civilization. What I had discovered was this: Nowhere (and I mean even in England!) could I find a protecto toilet seat cover! I vowed to investigate this phenomenon when I returned to the US = but, of course, I did nothing.

Now I’m back again and, two years later, still no toilet seat covers. (There are bidets everywhere but that’s another blog…)

So why are there no awkward paper-like, donut-shaped covers available to protect us from, you know, whatever, here in Europe? Turns out, according to most experts, that toilet seat covers really protect us from nothing save our own phobias. Health authorities confirm that it would have to be a very, very extreme situation in which those flimsy covers would make a difference. Yet they are EVERYWHERE in the US (probably Canada too – I’ll report on that later this year!)

So this intrepid reporter/blogger dug further. It turns out that the largest manufacturer of these faux germ fighters is James River Corporation. AND James River Corporation is owned by – wait for it – Koch Industries. Yes, the Koch brothers are, once again, finding fortune feeding off the phobias of feckless folks (like you and I). (sorry about the alliteration – I’vehad three cups of coffee…)

All for now.I’ll let you make your own conclusions about how the Koch brothers are, ultimately, fear mongers and care for very little save their own bank accounts…

Gotta go now and figure out how to use that bidet…