Reality Check Tour 2022: Milwaukee; Ontonogan, MI; St Paul, MN; Sioux City, IA; Laramie, WY

 

"Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour" (Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour), was featured by Cheap Trick, the warm up band for Rod Stewart.  What is the story behind this blog entry opening?  Well, this week felt like a magical mystery tour.

I closed my last entry with me hugging my first grandchild, baby Kennedy.  The next day I went to the Harley Davidson Museum before heading out of town:

My Ducati was a little out of place at H-D :)

A high school friend, Chris Smith, who I have neither seen or talked with since 10th grade, contacted me on Facebook.  He provided a detailed itinerary of his RV campground sites; and, if I were close, I should drop by for a visit.  So, I decided to take him up on it: I backtracked 5.5 hours and drove up to Lake Superior, Ontonogan, Michigan.  Chris and I took up where we left off 55 years ago:

Chris & Robbyn in their wonderful RV.

Chris and Robbyn are truly amazing people.  Many people contemplate getting an RV and traveling around the country.  If you are one of those people, you better talk with Chris - he has it down to a science.  With a large RV, you have to know where you will be, when you will be there, travel routes that will accommodate the hight of the RV, gas mileage, services provided at a site, pay deposits well in advance, with economic analysis of costs of repair, etc. etc.  You cannot be a packrat.  Everything with this lifestyle requires practicality.

We talked until midnight and, in the morning Chris made me an organic breakfast as a send off to my next destination.  Thanks to Chris & Robbyn - I am sure it will not take another 55 years to get together again.

At this point of the tour, I had a major concern: I needed an oil change.  I have already driven about 4500 hundred miles in three weeks.  I knew that I would have to plan a route from Ontonogan to the nearest Ducati dealer.  This is where divine providence took over.   I found a dealer in Monticello, Minnesota; about 40 minutes NW of Minneapolis.  I called the dealer and they informed me that would have to show up on that day by 4 pm since they did not have any other open spots until the following Tuesday.  I hightailed it to St. Paul and made it by 2 pm.

On the way to Monticello, I called an old friend, Ken Meter.  We had worked together on food policy when I was doing my organic/local food policy work in Sioux City, Iowa (about 10 years ago).  He suggested we meet for dinner at the Ngon Vietnamese Bistro in St. Paul.  I reserved a room at the St. Paul Hotel, then met him at the restaurant later that evening.

The next morning, I packed up my luggage expecting to depart the hotel and head for Sioux City, IA.  I was stopped by a man (Wolfe) who inquired whether I was the guy riding around the country on a motorcycle.  He said the entire hotel staff were talking about my tour.  I was flattered and bewildered.  Turns out that this man is from Nashville and is a close friend of Marc Allen Barnett - co-writer of my album "It's About Time".  

Wolfe said that I simply must stay another night so that I can attend the Rod Stewart/Cheap Trick concert playing across the street.  I walked over to the ticket office; but found that it did not open until 3 hours later.  I walked back to The St. Paul Hotel, and informed the hotel manager of what had transpired.  He had given his "comps" out.  At that point, two people overheard my conversation with Ken, the manager.  They took my name and number and said that they had guest tickets to the concert.  I was in!

Ken - the coolest hotel manager ever.

I later went to the ticket office and picked up the ticket:

Not bad hah?

A fabulous concert.  A Las Vegas style concert - one of the best concerts I have ever seen:

The next day, I headed to Sioux City to see my old friends: Jackie, Dennis, and Pat.  We had a drink on top of the old Warrior Hotel .  Lew Weinberg, of Sioux City, had worked for decades to resurrect the Warrior Hotel.  Now, the hotel is a work of art:

The next day, I traveled to Valentine, Nebraska.  All the eateries were closed (Sunday), so I checked into the hotel, and traveled to Kilroy, NE, about 22 miles away to get a prime rib dinner at the Borderline Steakhouse.  It is called Borderline because it sits close to the imaginary line where Central Time turns into Mountain Time.  Is it 3pm or 4pm? - depends on where you are standing.  

I entered Borderline where I was confronted by the remnants of a cowboy party: they were celebrating the completion of branding calves on the various surrounding cattle ranches (can you say "Yellowstone"?):

I ate my prime rib dinner while watching The Cowboy Network of the bar TV.  No ESPN for them!

My meat allocation for the next 10 years.

The next day I took off for Laramie, Wyoming.  The drive was incredible: 66 degrees driving through grassy hills for miles and miles.  I even had to stop for cows that were standing on the road.

We are not in Florida anymore.

I arrived in Laramie to a warm welcome by Ryan, Shawn, and Candi from north of Vancouver, Canada who are on their own special annual trek:

My initial plan was to go from Milwaukee to Jasper & Banff, Canada.  Time contraints did not permit that travel since I have to be in Breckenridge, CO on July 15.  I plan to visit good friends in Beaver Creek, CO from July 13 to July 15 before heading to Breckenridge.

A lot of magical moments on my tour don't you think?