Badlands & Black Hills 2006

21 May 2006 - Since Nick and I had a free week before starting our jobs (my full-time, his summer), we decided to take a road trip. We decided on South Dakota, where neither of us had been, and a trip that would be relatively inexpensive. Our trip started in Rapids, because we were there to celebrate my dad's birthday the day before. We left at 7 am, and had a pretty clear drive. I took the first leg, driving to somewhere in Minnesota (Austin, I think). Nick took over next. We listed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on CD, and I knitted a sock when not driving. I switched back off with Nick in Kennebec, SD. After that, the geography and topography started to get interesting. We finally got in to our hotel south of Rapid City. We stayed at Rushmore Inn & Suites (only $39/night) - clean but worth the price. We got dinner at a nearby grocery store, and headed back to the room to eat dinner and watch TV (Family Guy). Oh, and we stopped at Wall Drug, too. Got a shot glass, bumper stickers and a chocolate malt.

View from our hotel

22 May - We got up early and after partaking of the continental breakfast, we headed out to Badlands National Park. Nick did the driving on the way there, taking hwy 44. Beautiful views as we got close to the park. Almost ran over a snake, though (big snake!). We finally got there about 9 am. We first stopped at the visitor's center. Then drove up the amazing windy road past spires, to a parking lot. We first tackled Notch Trail, which took us through a valley and up along a ledge to a great overlook. Next, we walked the easy Window Trail, which had an amazing view of all sizes and shapes of an "intricately eroded canyon." It was getting pretty warm (it was mostly sunny out, with a projected high of 89°F. So, we found some shade (very rare at this park) and ate lunch. Next, we decided to take the Castle Trail from the parking lot, walk the Saddle Pass Trail and return via the Medicine Root Trail and first leg of the Castle Trail. We started off through the prairie and walked into a canyon. The formations were so odd. They seemed man-made, from gravel and mud. But no, mostly erosion at work. Though there was a nice, strong breeze, the sun was really beating down on us. We walked through prairies, past fantastic canyons, but we were plodding by the time we made it to Saddle Pass. We slowly shuffled our way down, sliding on loose pebbles and over ridges. We through maybe we'd walk the loop road back to the car, but the prospect was painful. I explained our situation to a couple from Georgia, and they graciously agreed to give us a lift. Thank goodness - we were running low on water and heat stroke seemed very possible. After arriving at the car, I ditched my shoes and we stopped back at the visitor's center to replenish our water. I also bought a walking stick as a souvenir. We continued on the loop road to the interstate, passing amazing and colorful canyons. We definitely recognized why they are called the Badlands. The drive back to the hotel was pretty easy. Got in ~3:30. Took much-needed showers and found all the places we missed when putting on sunscreen earlier. Relaxed and watched ESPN before dinner. We drove into Rapid City and went to the Firehouse Brewing Co. for food. I tried their red (okay), while Nick had their pale ale. I got a veggie burger for dinner, while Nick got prime rib. Pretty good. We were both pretty exhausted, so we read and watched some South Park. We learned watching the local news that there was a record high temp today of 91°F. Wow.

View from the Notch

Window Trail

Castle Trail

Bad lands indeed.

23 May - Nick and I decided to scratch Devil's Tower form our agenda when we found out it was going to be raining and it would have taken us 4 hours to get there and back. Instead, we tackled the Black Hills. Early this morning, with Nick driving, we took off toward Mount Rushmore. Very twisty, climbing and falling roads. We were content with seeing the monument from a distance, so we took hwy 16A. Beautiful views of the hills and area. It was also very windy - maybe 20-25 mph speeds. We drove south after that through Custer State Park. Awesome scenery - it would have been nice to stop, but we were on our way to Wind Cave. we had to be content with viewing burros, deer, and buffalo as well as the hillsides recovering from a fire in 1988, from the car. We got to Wind cave in time for the 10:30 tour. Our group was pretty large, and unfortunately, there was a whining/crying/just unhappy toddler on the tour as well. We got to see all sorts of boxwork formations (calcite lattices left over after the limestone was dissolved). The tour lasted ~75 minutes and it was definitely lunch time when we came up to the surface. After eating PB&J sandwiches, we drove towards Custer past prairie dog towns (we also trailed a prairie dog running across a bridge on our way to the cave). We then drove through the Black Hills and some rain. Nick & I switched drivers in Deadwood, and then I drove back to Rapid City through Sturgis. We stopped on the way at a grocery store to pick up a few beverages for tomorrow's drive home. relaxed with a little TV. We ordered pizza and watched more South Park. The wind was really howling out. We were pretty exhausted, so we went to be shortly after the 9 pm news.

Mt Rushmore barely visible behind us

Coming back from a 1988 fire

Wind Cave boxwork

Another view in Wind Cave

24 May - Up at 6 this morning, back on the road ~7. We switched off drivers more often, and with a strong wind at our back, we had excellent gas mileage (36 mpg last full tank). We got into Madison shortly after a strong storm dumped over 1" of rain there. It was a fun trip, but it was nice to finally be out of the car.

{Nick and I also had a fight that lasted for several hours on the way home. I honestly can't remember what about.}
{transcribed 1/27/2020}

2006 Capital One Bowl

31 Dec 2005 - The Badgers were invited to play in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida (Barry Alvarez's last game as head coach). A group of us (my boyfriend Nick, Cassie, her boyfriend Braden, his roommate James and his girlfriend Lori) decided to get out of the cold and make the trip down to Florida. I have to ask - why do all these bowl games we go to have to start so inauspiciously for me? Nick and I got up at 4, me the others at Memorial Union to take the Van Galder bus to O'Hare at 5 am. We got down there about 3 hours before our flight left, but as I was attempting to check in automatically, I realized my walled (with the credit card I charged the entire trip on) was missing. After a few panicked phone calls to the cab and bus companies, my wallet was found on the bus. {which was then returned to me when the bus returned.} We were able to check-in and then setting in for a wait at the airport. We flew United ("Ted") direct to Orlando (uneventful flight) and stepped into the Floridian warmth (mid-70s). After an unexpected experience at the car rental place (we reserved two small cars, but somehow managed to get a Taurus and a mini-van, and then the ordeal of dropping the Taurus because everyone fit in the van - Argh!), we found our hotel and settled in. Everybody threw on their suits and headed to the pool. Almost like bathwater. Because it was New Year's Eve, the place was a bit more crowded than usual. Cassie and I took a drive to find a place to buy some beer. First we stopped at one of the scariest super Wal-Marts on the planet (everyone there had carts full of absolutely random stuff), before finding a grocery store. We ordered pizza for dinner, and hung out until a bit after midnight, when the number of hours we'd been up started to catch up with us.

James, Lori, Cassie, Braden, Nick, me

1 Jan 2006 - Got ready and got some breakfast before heading back down to the pool in the morning. After swimming, we went to International Blvd to find lunch and something to do. We found a place called Bahama Breeze that was pretty good. I got a chicken quesadilla, salad and a mojito. After lunch, we walked to a nearby adventure golf place. We had a coupon for half off, so we mini-golfed 36 holes for $8/person. That took a good 3 hours. I got a hole-in-one once. :) After all the mini-golfing, we decided to meet up with Mom and Dad who also came down for the game. We got our suits and headed to their hotel. There were (it felt like) a million preteen cheerleaders staying there, and all of them were in the swimming pool. We carved out a little niche for ourselves and swam a bit. We relaxed a bit after that, then headed out for some dinner. We stumbled upon an authentic English Pub (the Cricketers Arms in the Mercado), judging by the waitstaff and clientele. I had fish and chips, complemented nicely by a pint of Strongbow. We stayed for a while playing darts and talking to other Badger and Auburn Tigers fans. Mom & Dad left to go back to their hotel, and we went to Howl and the Moon, a dueling piano bar. It was a bit less exciting for me as the designated driver, while everyone else got louder and drunker. I had a headache, caffeine tummy ache and a short temper by the time we finally came back and turned off the lights.

{At the pub, we talked to a guy and his wife at the bar. He owned car dealerships in Miami and she had an enormous ring (causing us to recount this part of the tale by not being able to lift our hand from the table). They had Rapids connections. It was on this trip that it started to sink in that Rapids is the Center of the Universe...}

Mini-golfing

Cassie's drink

2 Jan - Owing to the previous night's experiences and the roughly five hours of sleep I got the night before, I wasn't the happiest camper when I woke up this morning. Because the 1st fell on a Sunday (NFL day), all traditionally New Year's Day bowl games were to be played on the 2nd.  As game time approached, my mood improved dramatically. We met up with Mom & Dada at a grocery store, then caravaned up to our parking lot. We got there about 3 1/2 hours before the game. Everyone else was pretty occupied trying to overcome their hangovers. I tried to get a bit of sleep. We met Jerry Fluno (as in the Fluno Center in Madison) and his son Brian. Jerry was originally from Rapids and knew the Dalys. {He invited to pay for us to go to the Alumni tailgate, but my hungover group couldn't be bothered. Still irked about that...} Just another one of those small-world coincidences. We ate some lunch, played Uno, then made our way in to the stadium. We (the 6 of us) were seated in the "student section" and mom & Dad were two sections over. Considering Auburn was ranked in the Top 10 and we have had no luck against SEC teams, I though this game would be a loss. Most of the sportswriters seemed to think likewise. What an extremely pleasant surprise it was when we caused two turnovers and scored 17 points to Auburn's 0 in the first half. {Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played the halftime show, along with way too many cheerleaders.} We had pretty good seats - I'd say they were equivalent to section P row 40 at Camp Randall. We students were loud and obnoxious as usual. I still couldn't believe it when the final score came down to Wisconsin 24, Auburn 10. I'm pretty sure all of us were pretty hoarse. Great 5th Quarter. We tailgated a bit afterward, then bid Mom & Dad adieu as we headed back to our hotel. We tried to find a place to watch the other bowl games, but it was too crowded. Ended up getting subs and heading back to the hotel. A little R&R in the hot tub and having a quiet rest of the evening.

Our view

Badger Fans!

 3 Jan - We slept in a bit more than we intended, but we were all ready in time to catch the early shuttle to  Universal Studios, if we had caught the shuttle, which we didn't. We ended up driving instead. It rained as we got to the park, but soon stopped. We went to Islands of Adventure. It was really nice - the weather ended up being sunny and about 80, and the park wasn't crowded at all. We went on the main roller coaster first (the Hulk) which had a really short line. Over the course of the day, we went on the Spiderman ride, Dueling Dragons twice, the Cat in the Hat ride, and saw the 8th Voyage of Sinbad stunt show. We also went on a Popeye-themed ride, which got us soaking wet. We spent the next few hours drying off. Nick and I bought Thing 1 and Thing 2 (me and him, respectively) t-shirts as souvenirs. We ate dinner at Margartiaville, just outside the park. I had yummy blackened tilapia. We had a little difficulty finding our way back home, but we eventually made it. I opted not to go down to take one last hot tub dip. I got enough water on me today. Nick & I talked a bit, then everyone else came up to watch part of the Penn State-FSU game and pack, because w were leaving the next day.

All wet after a water ride

Cassie and me doing our best Blue Steel.

Having some fun at Universal Studios

4 Jan - We woke up at 4 am, took the rental car back and just caught the airport shuttle that was about to leave. There were Penn State fans (victorious and exhausted) and Ohio State fans on the shuttle as well. We were delayed by ticket lines and baggage problems, but we eventually made it to O'Hare, where we had to wait for the next bus to Madison. I tried to sleep as much as I could on the bus. Finally pulled in around 2, and my roommate Kyle was nice enough to pick us up.

{transcribed 1/27/2020}

2005 Outback Bowl

29 Dec 2004 - The trip started pretty inconspicuously for me, when I bruised the top of my foot, took a huge chunk out of my heel trying to get into the shower {at Nick's house} and nearly fainted as a result. I recovered pretty quickly and got a band-aid from my boyfriend Nick for the wound.

Let me back up a minute. This year, the Badgers started the season 9-0, then lost the last two games to go to the Outback Bowl in Tampa. As I was a student at the university again, I wanted to sit in the student section rather than with my parents and Grandma Kienert. The group I went with was Cassie, her boyfriend Braden, Nick and the guys' roommate James.

We left at 9:15 from Madison and made our way south. We drove straight through, each taking turns at about 3-3 1/2 hours each. I drove through all of Tennessee and had to deal with the only congestion from an accident.

30 Dec - I caught about an hour or two of sleep between Chattanooga and Atlanta. We pulled into the Day's condo in Sarasota around 8 am ET. Had a bit of breakfast with the folks and Grandma, then tried to get some sleep. Went down to the beach to get a few winks by the surf. Very nice day, if a little windy. The high was in the 70s, but in the direct sunlight, it felt a lot warmer. We all ate lunch upstairs, then came down to onto the beach for more relaxation. Later in the afternoon, Mom and I went to the grocery store to buy pizza makings for dinner. I felt like I was going to crash, but held off, or I wouldn't be able to sleep later. After dinner (and a light tiff between Grandma and Mom), we put on the bowl games and played sheepshead for a while. Everyone but Cass played, with James learning how with Dad. I decided I'd had enough of being awake and went to be around 10.

beach bums #1

beach bums #2 (Dalys' condo in the background)

31 Dec - We started to get up around 8:30 this morning. Dad, Grandma and Braden headed down to the beach. Nick and I went to Barnes and Noble. He got a Stephen King book and I got the first three books of the Series of Unfortunate Events. We got back just as Mom was setting out sandwich makings. After lunch, we all watched some bowl games before heading to Tampa around 1:30. We got to our hotel, deep in questionable part of town, just off the Interstate. We unloaded and watched some more football. We were pretty hungry, so we took off towards Ybor City, where the pep rally and parade were being held, by cab. We were dropped off by where the parade started, and got a ton of beads from floats as we walked looking for a place to eat dinner. We ended by asking a police officer for a recommendation, because the place we went to the last time our family was here (Cha-Cha Coconuts) was no more. We found a bar/restaurant just off the parade route. Good food at M.J. Barleyhoppers. We called Mom, Dad and Grandma, who were at the parade, to tell them where we were. They joined us as we were eating dinner. After we were all finished, we said bye to the folks and went in search of a bar. We ended up at the Irish Bar, where a very loud band was playing. We went out to the beer garden in back, where the rest of the crew ran into the parents of a friend of their who passed away a few years ago. we stayed there until about 10:30, then took a cab back to the hotel. We wanted TV until midnight, then called it a night shortly afterwards.

Road trip gang on the beach

Post-dinner in Ybor City

1 Jan 2005 - My first time writing that. :) We got up at 8, and after getting ready and eating the complementary breakfast of tasteless grits and hard pancakes, we left shortly after 9 for the stadium. We found parking just north of the stadium among many Georgia fans. Tailgated a bit before heading into the stadium. James, Nick and I wore cow costumes that the guys had bought and wore during the football season. We got a lot of smiles, laughs, and pictures taken of us. Our seats weren't together, but we still managed to sit in a group. The game was exciting, but bad referring and missed opportunities resulted in a 21-24 loss. At least the weather was nice (almost 80) - I got pretty dehydrated. After the band played 5th Quarter, we met up with Mom, Dad & Grandma for a while. We came back to the hotel to see what was going on in the other ball games. We then drove to Ybor City for dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse. Mmm. We walked around a little while afterwards, then drove back to the hotel. Watched the Rose Bowl and had a few intoxicating beverages. So tired I went to sleep around 9:30.

{I must have been been so tired that I didn't both writing down some of the things I remember about the game to this day. We were seated in the "student section" in the end zone at Raymond James. We found seats together directly across the aisle from rabid (not literally?), drunk Georgia fans. They gave us some crap about our costumes, and the student section in general. They REALLY did not like it when students started passing out newspapers that we could hold up in front of us when the Georgia band played at halftime. One guy in particular was belligerent, but we could not understand half of what he was saying. With Georgia's victory, the drunk Georgia guy decided to be nice, and invited us all to his tailgate after the game. Yeah, pass.}

We three cows

Our view

Rather read the paper than watch Georgia's band (James middle left)

2 Jan - We were all up, packed and fed by 9 eastern, so we checked out and left Tampa shortly after that. The drive back had a lot more areas of congestion, especially north of Tamp and southern Georgia, as us Wisconsin fans, Georgia fans, and those who attended the Iowa-LSU game in Orlando all were using the same roads to get home. My stretch of driving was from Macon to Chattanooga. I got a bit of sleep afterwards, then stayed up with Nick as he took Kentucky and southern Illinois.

3 Jan - We ran into a lot of rain in S IL and it turned into freezing rain as we went north. Braden and Cassie took it slow in the early hours of the morning. We got back to Madison right around 6 am. I slept for a few hours, then drove Cassie home. I was going to pick up my cats, but they didn't want to come, so I left them in my parents' care for a few more weeks. Drove back to Madison and that's enough driving for a while, I think.

{transcribed 1/21/2020}

Appalachian Trail Hiking 2004

30 July - After my new friend Bend told me of this adventures hiking on the nearby portions of the Appalachian Trail, I decided  that a hike of my own would make for a nice summer vacation. Ben & I started making plans a few weeks in advance, and today, my adventure was about to begin. I left Madison around 4:30 am. I left early so I could avoid Chicago rush hour traffic and get to Blacksburg early. My drive was pretty uneventful - long, but uneventful. I liked the mountain curves in West Virginia. I got to Blacksburg at 6 pm. Ben showed me around his place and then we headed out to dinner. We headed to a place downtown that served Lebanese food. After dinner and conversation, Ben took me on a walking tour of campus. I had been to Virginia Tech once before, but I didn't remember much of it. It was getting kind of late when we got back, but we watched Old School before calling it a night.

31 July - First thing in the morning, we packed up our hiking and camping gear. Then, we went out to a place called Gillie's for breakfast. Very tasty way to start the day. After that, we drove back to Ben's to pick up our gear and my car. We drove separately to the parking lot by where we would finish our hike, and left my car there. Then we rode together to the start of the trail. Once parked, we were off. It was a pretty sunny, warm day. This first part wasn't the AT, but a trail leading to it. Unfortunately, it was mostly [straight] uphill. There were a few occasions where I had to stop and catch my breath. About halfway up a really steep part, I had to stop and reset for about 15 minutes until I felt well enough to keep going. After that, I was okay, but I felt pretty bad about it. Our first day was pretty light overall. Once we hit up with the AT, we walked downhill to our campsite. I think it was about 4ish when we started to set up camp. The forecast said there was a chance for rain during the day, but luckily, none came. While we waited for dusk to start cooking dinner, Ben and I played various card games, chatted, and watched a pair of deer come really close to us. Once it got dark, Ben proudly showed me the tin can stove he made. We boiled water for our dehydrated Pasta Primavera and mashed potato feast. Ben also brought along a bottle of wine which we shared. After dinner, we tried to get a good fire going, but most of the wood was too wet to get anything decent going. After a long time trying, we gave up and decided to call it a night.

Officially made it to the Appalachian Trail!

1 Aug - I had a bit of a tough time sleeping the night before, so I work up still a little tired. Ben & I packed up the tent and everything, ate a protein bar each for breakfast, and used Ben's water filter to give ourselves enough water for the day. It was cooler but still very humid this morning. We had to backtrack to where the Andy Lane trail met the AT. That was mostly uphill and I was a very sweaty, hard-breathing gal by then. Where the two trails met was called the Scorched Earth Gap, and from there, it was a half a mile uphill to Tinker's Cliffs. By the time we reached the cliffs, the sun had come out and was starting to burn off some of the haze. We ran into a pair of high hikers and their dog at the top, then wandered along the long stretch of cliff face marveling at the view. Only the day before, Ben had pointed out the narrow ribbon of rock high above that I was standing on. From Tinker's Cliffs, we could see where we were going for the rest of the day - following the mountain ridge along to the next big peak, McAfee's Knob. It looked a loooong, hard climb up to it, but there was no turning back now. I had a bit of a scare leaving the cliffs and rejoining the trail - there was a snake curled up right where I was about to walk. Ben pointed out that it was a harmless snake, but harmless or not, I didn't want to get bitten. It slithered away, and I was able to walk on. From that point for the next few miles, the trail led downhill, through the woods along the top of the ridge. I'm glad I had my mom's walking stick, because it gave me more stability, and I didn't jar my knees too much. It was pretty peaceful there. Every once in a while, Ben & I would have a conversation, but for the most part we walked in silence. Up, down, up, down, over the path covered in tree leaves, rocks and the occasional tree root. It continued on like that for a few miles before we stopped to rest briefly at the top of a rock overlooking Carvan's Cove. Ben got out his maps and trail books, and showed me what the rest of the hike had in store. I really wasn't looking forward  to that final push towards McAfee's Knob. Shortly after that, it started raining pretty hard on us. Thankfully, it wasn't storming. We up ponchos on our packs and kept hiking. The rain actually felt really good. We kept on hiking until we reached the campsite at the base of McAfee's Knob. There, we rested up, and I ate a sandwich. I needed some energy for the next big hike. Ben told me that the last time he climbed this bit, his friend had to stop often. I was pretty sure I would be the same way. For the first time, as we were leaving, we started meeting other hikers on the trail as we left the campsite. And up we went. It was a long series of switchbacks to the top. Surprisingly, I made it to the top pausing only once. I had a huge amount of endorphins coursing through my body after that, so I felt really good. We put our packs down and admired the view. We didn't stay there long. Ben wanted to show me a better area, so we went down looking for the trail to it. Finally, we found it, got on the rock, and put our packs down. Ben got out his camera and had me stand on a certain portion of rock near the edge. A couple came by and offered to take our picture together. Afterwards, I walked back and got a look at what I was standing on - a relatively thin overhang of rock. Good thing it wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere. We sat up there for a bit taking pictures and resting under a light fall of rain. We still had a good bit to go before we got to my car, so we didn't sit long. Going back down was a little tricky, because the trail was covered in small rocks. I was about 3.5 miles from McAfee's Knob to the parking lot - a long way on tired feet. Oh, I forgot to mention that the elevation of the Knob was 3,200 ft. We ran into a group of volunteers who where working on moving a section of the trail. We got into a steady rhythm going down. After a while, we had to make the choice of taking the real trail the rest of the way, or a fire road. I elected to go on the fire road, because it seemed a lot smoother and wider. We set off down that and after a little ways, came across something strange. Ben put out a hand and held me back. Up ahead on the road was an eastern rattlesnake. We backed up and waited for it to make a move off the trail. It looked a little strange. It seemed to be writhing and had flies all around it. After watching it for a bit, we realized that it didn't have a head. We started to walk around it when it flipped over onto its back. That pretty much indicated it was dead, and sure enough, it didn't have a head. However the snake lost its head, it mush have happened right before we got down there. From then on, it was a quiet walk, with a surprising number of uphill climbs. Finally, we got to the highway. All we had to do was cross the road and we could finally stop walking. A hiker came by asking for a ride to nearby Dragon's Tooth. It wasn't far, so we obliged. After dropping him off at his car, I drove with Ben to where we had parked his car the day before. After that, it was a 30-40 minute drive back to Blacksburg through windy little roads. we got back to his place, unpacked, and I took a nice shower. Ben & I were both pretty exhausted, so we just made a frozen pizza and watched Idle Hands before calling it a night.

View to McAfee's Knob

On a cliff

With Ben on the cliff

Carvan's Cove

On McAfee's Knob

 2 Aug - My initial intention was to drive back to Wisconsin today, but because I could barely walk yesterday, I asked Ben if I could stick around one more day to recover. He was kind enough to consent. We slept in this morning, with Ben waking me when he had to come into his room to get ready for work. I got ready for the day after he left, watched some TV and read. I met up for lunch with him at an Indian restaurant. Yummy buffet. After lunch, I took a quick drive to see if I could find the restaurant that I had been to on my previous visit to Blacksburg. I found it, then drove back to Ben's. I spent the afternoon reading until Ben came back from work. We chatted for a while, then decided tonight would be a beer-tasting and movie night. He wanted to show me a place called The Cellar, but it was closed. Instead, we went to Kroger and got a bottle of Belgian beer, a six-pack of apricot ale, and some bread and cheese for dinner. When we returned, Ben made me a drink called a caipirinha with the Brazilian liquor cachaça. Very tasty. We had a nice dinner of bread, oil & balsamic vinegar and Camembert, and exchanging stories. After dinner, we watched Ocean's Eleven. I was pretty tired through it. After the move, Ben & I had a little chat which cleared up a lot of things. I ended up going to bed around 2. Too late a night, since I had to get up so early.

3 Aug - My alarm woke me at 7 am, and I was on the road shortly after 7:30, having packed up and said thanks and good-bye to Ben. There's always something about the return drive that makes it seem so much longer than the drive there. It was pretty uneventful, and I spent most of the drive listening to The DaVinci Code on CD. I decided not to go back through Chicago on my way back, because I would have hit the city around the afternoon rush hour. Instead, I dealt with the infinite flatness of central Illinois. I called my friend Becky to liven up my drive. Finally, I made it safely back to Madison, through I ran straight into some traffic in Janesville and a thunderstorm. I was sore & tired, but I wouldn't have traded this past weekend for anything!

{transcribed 1/15/2020}

2003 Music City Bowl

29 Dec 2003 - It's a bit of a different situation going to a bowl game this year. Instead of traveling solely as a family unit, this year, some of Cassie's friends are joining us. Mom & Dad left Sunday night to go to Waupaca. They would be dropping her [Grandma Maxine] off at her sister's on the way down. Cass & I got up bright and early, when we began our leg of the journey. We were taking off to Germantown, where we would meet up with the three other kids (Brian & girlfriend Sheri, and Cass's boyfriend Braden.) Going down via Appleton, we made great time and had time to kill before the designated hour. So, I started looking for anything familiar, since I lived in that town from 1-5 years old. Eventually, I found the way to our old housing complex. I don't think Cass remembered it much. By that time, we got over to Brian's house just as Sheri & Braden were pulling in. After a bit of chitchat, we loaded up the van and we were on our way. The drive was pretty uneventful. I spent it either reading, napping, or watching whatever movie they'd put in up front. Through it was raining pretty hard when we got in to Nashville, we managed to find our hotel. About a half-hour later, Mom & Dad showed up. Pretty early night for all of us.

30 Dec - The next morning, when we were all up and breakfasted, we drove over to the Opry Mills Mall to do some shopping. The college kids took off while I wandered around with Mom & Dad. My big purchase was an Old Navy sweater for $15. Eventually, we met up with the others around 2, and decided it would be a good time to go downtown. We drove and got lucky with parking. Since we hadn't eaten lunch, we stopped at the Old Spaghetti Factory for food. After that, the kids went off while Mom, Dad & I did some exploring. We stopped for drinks at an Irish pub Mom had visited before while in the city. They got to talking with another couple and all sorts of "small world" stuff came out. I nearly had to drag them out, because we were supposed to be meeting Cass & Co for the Battle of the Bands. It was the UW Marching Band vs. Auburn's, and there was no contest. I think Badger fans outnumbered Auburn's 10-1. Badgers played a good 5th Quarter show. Auburn, popular music. Booo. They were like my old high school pep band, only worse, because there were more dancers and baton twirlers. After that, Mom, Dad & I headed out for some food before bed. Ended up at the Taco Bell down the road. Pool night!

View of the Battle of the Bands from a parking structure

31 Dec - We were up and out bright and early this morning, but that didn't matter much as we got stopped in traffic. It took an extra hour to reach the stadium. Not having as much time as we hoped, we did a quick tailgate with the kids before heading in. It was a little confusing where our gate was, so we walked around nearly the entire stadium. Our neighbor in Rapids, Mike Daly, got us great tickets in the club level (= swanky) of the stadium. It was a beautiful day. Relatively cloudless skies, temps in the low 60s. Too bad the game wasn't as nice. Putting up with an obviously biased announcer and a huge Auburn fan contingent was one thing. But putting up with our near-complete lack of game was another. If the game had ended six minutes sooner, we had a chance to win, but it didn't and we blew it. The one highlight for me was tracking down Kendra and Paul after 5th Quarter. After the game and some tailgating, Mom, Dad & I headed back downtown to do some souvenir hunting. We stopped in a few shops, bought Cass a new fake ID, got my picture taken with a wooden Elvis, and had a very nasty pint before going back to fetch Cass & Braden before getting Mexican for dinner. That was about it. I wasn't even awake when the clock struck 12. Happy New Year.

Cass, Braden, Sheri, Brian with the sign Cass & I made

Love me tender, wooden Elvis

1 Jan 2004 - Drove up to Dearborn w/Mom, Dad & Grandma. They moved me out of my apartment the next day. Bless 'em!

{transcribed 1/14/2020}

Ireland 2003

16 Oct - I took the day off [from working at Ford in Chicago] in preparation for going to Ireland on vacation. Finished packing, said bye to the kittens [Rugby and Cricket], and got my ride to the airport. Traveling was pretty good. I few on the smallest plane with the chattiest flight attendant. After a few hours' layover in Philadelphia, I found myself in the very back row of my international flight. I had a Philly-area bartender playing copilot next to me. Even bought me a drink during dinner. I managed to catch a little bit of shut-eye before I woke to the faintest glimmerings of dawn as we made our approach into Dublin.

17 Oct - Dublin - I am currently sitting in the bar on the 6th floor of the Guinness Brewery, pint in hand, writing while the sun beats down on my back. So far, I've managed to make the most of my time here in Dublin. Since I packed light and carried on all my baggage, I was quick out of the airport. I had bought a bus ticket into town, so I spent the next 45 minutes accustoming myself to everything. I was dropped off next to Trinity College, then I hoofed it through the early morning (9 am) crowds to my hostel. It was too early to check in, so I dumped my bags, ate some breakfast and headed out. I brought my jacket along, but as the morning warmed, I didn't need it. I had a bit of trouble with my camera, but a quick stop into a camera shop got it all sorted out. From there, I walked back towards Trinity College. I wanted to make sure I got all of my purchases while I could, and I found a great little shop that had everything. I got Aran Island sweater for mom and me (€125 each! ouch), as well as an Irish crystal vase for Becky & Andrew's wedding present, small vases for the grandmas for Christmas, and a small bowl for myself. With shipping, $411 all told. I decided to ship it so I wouldn't have to lug that much extra stuff with me. I'm keeping my sweater along for the ride, though. From there, I went to see the medieval Book of Kells, an illustrated gospel. The detail in the drawings was amazing. Those monks were either very dedicated or had far too much time on their hands. From there, I walked (sense a theme?) to the Dublin Castle to explore the grounds. I took a few really neat pictures. Then I trekked on all the way to the Guinness Brewery. I took the tour to learn how the wonderful Black Magic that is Guinness (their take, not mine) is made. So now, I sit, resting my feet and nursing my pint. I know I'm not doing it justice. It's cold, think, rich and smooth. I'd better finish it soon, because I have more places to visit and a nap to take.

Just as I was leaving the Brewery, I was struck again by the fact the first think you smell going there is not beer, but rather horseshit from the carriages for tourists. I was walking down the street when I got asked to be in a picture with a random guy. Turns out he's a Swede living in Amsterdam so I spoke a little Dutch with him. How bizarre. I walked along, feeling slight aftereffects of the Guinness until I got to St. Patrick's Cathedral. I took a few pictures, then walked back to the hostel. Got my room - a tiny little private. I managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours, then lay in bed for a bit debating if I really wanted to get up. I finally did, and after making myself presentable, I went out in search of dinner. I stopped at a vegetarian restaurant just up the street. I'm not sure what I ended up eating, but it was pretty good. I walked back to the hostel to continue my quiet night. I should be downstairs socializing and I should be going out to a pub, but I'm alone, female, and too damn tired right now. Maybe next Thursday after my tour. But tonight, it's going to be "LotR: The Return of the King" and me. Sidenote - the sweater I got was handknit by J.W. Loowe. I really wanted to get one in the "Cara" style (naturally), but they were all too big. I forgot that after going to the Dublin Castle, I got a sandwich and tea at a little shop, then I bought a claddagh ring a few doors down. It's not the traditional type, but rather looks like this [drawing]. Today, I bought all of the souvenirs that I really wanted from Ireland - the sweater & the ring. The crystal bowl was definitely a why-not? I figure it will come in handy. I'm really excited about seeing the true Ireland starting tomorrow.

Dublin Castle

Me and random gigantic Swede

18 Oct - I nearly had a heart attack last night when I found that my travel voucher said I was traveling on the 20th. Lost a little bit of sleep thinking about that. No worries, through. The front desk called and confirmed that I was indeed on today's tour, and at 9:40, I was on the bus. Everybody is pretty young (about my age [23]) and very friendly. I shared a seat with Tiana, who's from Austrialia but is now working as a nanny in London. We took off from Dublin in our little bus and headed south. Along the way, we stopped and climbed about the ruins on the Rock of Dunmase. It was a gorgeous sunny day, with a nip in the air and a bit of haze on the horizon. From there we stopped in Abbeyleix for a spot of tea and scones at a half bar/half shop called Morrissey's. From there, it was on to Cashel in Tipperary Co. We ate lunch and chatted a bit with our driver/tour guide/entertainment, Oliver. I met two other girls from the US - Renee and Anne. Then we all (minus Ollie) took a little walk towards the ruined abbey before getting a group tour of the Rock of Cashel. That was a pretty cool collection of cathedrals/church buildings and a cemetery with lots of Irish crosses. The wind picked up in the mid-afternoon and definitely started to get chilly. We all (there were 22 of us - some on the 3-day tour, others like me on the 6) piled back on the bus and headed south one more. we stopped off for provisions in Mitchelstown, then finished the rest of the day's driving, ending as the sun set, in Cork. We're staying in Sheila's hostel tonight - 8 of us (7 girls, 1 guy) in our room. Tiana and I went out to get some dinner, walking through the streets of Cork. I ended up with some deli salads from the supermarket that we ate at the hostel. A bunch of folks and I got together to play a few hands of asshole. I got online and watched the end of the Badger game. Afterwards, we all headed down to a pub. Tiana & I drank our pints (Balmurs [for her] & Murphy's for me) with Kendra & Liza from Canada. Had nice long conversation while getting progressively pissed. At about 10:30-11 we walked back to the hostel and threw ourselves in bed.

Our tour guide Oliver is from Barry. Where? Barry!

Me near the Rock of Cashel, ruined abbey behind

19 Oct - Morning came far too early. After a shower and quick check of email, I ate breakfast with everyone. Special K, soda bread with Nutella & tea. I had to pop by a shop to pick up some cameras because one of my two camera batteries was already dead. After a bit of standing around in the cold, we got on the bus and headed for the Blarney Castle. After a short drive, we arrived just prior to opening. Tiana, Jason (from Australia) & I climbed up the castle to the top first to kiss the Blarney Stone. I wasn't going to, but I figured, what the heck, and gave it a quick smack, hanging upside down and grasping bars a couple stories about the ground. That having done, Tiana & I went to explore the grounds. I thought the grounds were much better than the actual castle itself. It was almost magical - trees, paths, boulders all over - like a fairy land. I could have played all day there and klettered about on the rocks. After a while, we got back on the bus and headed southwest. Our next stop was at Killarney National Park. It's an area of three lakes and a mountain ("very tall hills") range. We hiked up and saw the Torc waterfall. It was about 70 ft of water falling over mossy rocks. I climbed up right next to the water and had a drink. Nice and cold, a little mossy, through. :) Then we continued our climb up and took a hike through the woods. Quite a nice hike. It was a little cooler and cloudier than it has been in the past couple days. When we all got back on the bus, we drove into Killarney and grabbed a bite of food for the road. From there, we made the decision to try to get to the Cliffs of Moher today versus tomorrow. We went through Tralee to Tabert where we took a windy ferry ride across the Shannon River. we drove on some more along the coast. This area is really what I thought Ireland would look like - really green, gentle rolling hills, stone walls. We finally got to the Cliffs. Oh. My. God. They were absolutely breathtaking. We jumped over the safety fence (like everyone else) and got down near the edge of the cliffs. It was about a 600-650 ft drop to the ocean below. I slowly crept toward the edge on my stomach and looked down. It was a bit windy, but I didn't feel like I was going to be blown off. We walked around a bit to get different views. Finally after getting plenty windblown, we got back on the bus. Oliver gave two girls a bit of a chase to get on. From there, we drove on about ten minutes to Doolin and our hostel (Paddy's Doolin Hostel). We checked in, changed, then headed to Gus O'Connors for some good craic and toot. Got myself a pint of cider and vegetable lasagna. Then we went into the main room of the pub for a bit of live Irish music - me, Tiana, Kendra, Liza, Aaron, Bruce, Joby & Matt. How's the craic? Oh, it's grand! We were joined by everyone else on the tour and just sat around chatting. Matt, Bruce & Aaron treated us to a New Zealand Haka (All-Black rugby). At about 11, a few girls & I headed home. We were just getting ready for bed when the Kiwi guys came to tuck us in. Matt gave me a lovely kiss good-night. (The stars were absolutely gorgeous!)

Torc Waterfall

Cliffs of Moher

Tour group in Doolin

20 Oct - We got up this morning, ate breakfast and froze while waiting to go. We headed up the road a bit to the Burren - this area by the ocean full of cracked limestone and very green plants growing in the cracks. Took a couple good pictures. Matt & I climbed up to the higher cliff and built our won little rock pile like others we saw up there. Then we got back on the bus and drove along the coast into Galway. We all ate lunch at the King's Head, watching some rugby. Then Matt & I wandered around the city a bit. The 3-day people were taking off then to head back to Dublin. Matt was supposed to be going but he decided to stick around to be with me a while longer. Aw! After a group photo, the 6-dayers headed out. We drove up the coast a bit more and went through the Connemara. We stopped quick to see a monument in a tiny town. We got back in the bus to drive through huge craggy hills. We got out again to learn about peat bogs. After driving along the fjord of Killam Harbor, we stopped in a village for a hot toddy. It started raining for the first time on the tour. We drove on past Croagh Patrick before coming into Westport. I was completely knackered from lack of sleep, so as soon as I got my bed, I settled in for a nap. Matt cam by to tuck me in again. After a refreshing bit of R&R, Matt & I made a stir-fry dinner in the kitchen. We ate and had a nice chat. It was raining, so it didn't seem like a great idea to head to a pub. We played a game of snooker, which I, amazingly enough, won. It was getting late and I was getting tired, so we headed to bed. Damn fine night.

Building a rock pile on the Burren

Connemara

21 Oct - It stopped raining just as we headed out of the hostel this morning. Of course, it started up soon after we got on the road. As we drove through the countryside, Ollie told us about some of the history of Northern Ireland. Pretty interesting stuff that is the reason why the North has the troubles it does. After a bit of a drive, we stopped to climb a big huge hill [Knocknarea] to see Queen Maeve's tomb. It must have been 300-400 m tall, and very windy. I thought I was going to slip and fall more than a few times. When we got to the top, we took some photos of the gorgeous panoramic views. Ollie told us then the ending of the story of Queen Maeve, and we tossed stones onto her tomb for luck. Since we were all rather cold and windblown, we stopped shortly after in Sligo. Matt & I headed to an internet cafe, then got soup for lunch at a little cafe. After that, a quick walk around the downtown because we had some time to kill. After heading a bit out of Sligo, we got a few of Benbulben and stopped at a church that is the final resting place of W.B. Yeats. A little ways on from there, we stopped at a 3000 BC burial tomb. We drove on through the rolling green countryside until we nearly got to the border of Northern Ireland. We drove up the hill until we got to Griannan an Ailleach. It was a small round fort built a long, long time ago. Great views, but very cold. Then once again, back on the bus and headed into Derry. Ollie told us some of the history and troubles of the city as he drove us around a bit. Then we checked into our hostel. I was a wee bit tired, so I had an invigorating nap. Matt & I headed out at 9 to meet up with the others at the Ice Wharf. Had dinner, drinks and some good craic. Then we moved on to another little Irish pub (Peadar O'Donnell's) that was playing live music. It was about 12:30 when we headed back to the hostel. (we stayed at the Derry Independent Hostel).

Knocknarea panorama

Freezing on Griannan an Ailleach

22 Oct - This morning, we gathered in the cold at 9 for a tour of the city walls of Derry. Fantastic bit of history, especially that dealing with Bloody Sunday. After the tour, we stopped at a cafe for a bit of light food and warmth before heading back to the bus and out of the city. We drove up and along the coast until we got to Dunluce Castle. We got a talk and walked around the ruin perched at the edge of the ocean. From there, it was just a short drive to the Giant's Causeway. That was really spectacular to see all these strange columns of basalt sinking into the ocean. It started to rain a little bit as we climbed back up the hill. Matt & I got a cup of coffee and a slice of cake before getting back on the bus. I tried to take a little nap as we drove towards Belfast. When I wasn't sleeping, I was treated to views of the green Glens of Antrim and the ocean. Ollie gave us a quick spin about the nicer area of Belfast before setting us down at our hostel. Spent some time reading, and catching up on my journal when I met up with Matt again. At about 8, we walked down to the deserted shopping district in the freezing cold to grab a quick bite at McDonald's. I like that European Mickey D's at least try to accommodate vegetarians by offering veggie burgers. We finished eating and walked back to the hostel. I was beginning to feel a bit down, because this was the last night everyone from the tour was together. Plus, it was that much closer to when I'd have to say farewell to Matt. But I was determined to enjoy myself, so I pushed that stuff out of my mind. We met up with the others from our hostel to be driven to a pub downtown. It was called The Crown and it was fantastic! It was built around the turn of the 20th century (1910-ish). Tin ceiling that was black, little cubbies with tables and seats inside that be closed off to others. Pretty cool on the whole. A whole gang of us from the tour - Matt, Aaron, Bruce, Liza, Kendra, Anita, Sharon, and the two Australian guys that started the tour late - crammed into one of those little nooks. Lots of good craic. I as nearly dead tired by the time midnight rolled around, so a few of us headed back to the Linen House Hotel [on Kent St near Union St]. We were just settling in when the noise of people coming back from the pubs kicked into high gear. And then after a long while, that was replaced by the cacaphonic symphony of snorers. Rough night.

Giant's Causeway

In a snug

23 Oct - So needless to say, I was a wee bit tired this morning. We had to be up and ready by 9 to go on a Black Taxi tour of Belfast. Matt, Bruce, Aaron, Anita, Sharon and I were in a taxi together. Naturally, it wasn't black, it was green. Our driver was neat - he didn't feel like being in the caravan with the other taxis, so we got a personalized tour. He started explaining the history of the troubles, then took us first into the Catholic side of the city. We visited a few memorial gardens and learned of some of the incidents that occurred there. Then we stopped a few times to see some murals. The ones on the Catholic side were pretty artistic and mostly memorials honoring the dead. We stopped at the Sinn Fein bookstore for a look around. I could have bought IRA propaganda, had I been so inclined. We drove on into the Protestant side of as a comparison. The murals were a lot more aggressive (also about 5 years newer than the Catholic ones). A bit of history on what happened in the Protestant sector, and then our tour was over. Oliver gave us an hour before we were going to leave. Matt & I checked email, then walked down to the nearby Tesco for sandwiches and fruit. I had to get another pack of Starburst. Mmm. Blackcurrant. After the remaining folk got on the bus, we headed back towards the Republic. Along the way, we stopped at Monasterboice. There was an old tall round tower, and some fascinating 10th century Irish crosses. Ollie had a great time explaining the scenes depicted on them. A few of the guys kicked around a rugby ball and managed to get it stuck in a tree. Aaron was the lucky one who got to go up and shake it down (but not after a mop and pieces of peat where thrown at it). Then back on the road for a while before stopping at Slane Castle. We didn't get out, but Ollie told us a story about going to a U2 concert there. As we wound our way back towards Dublin, sun shining straight in my eyes, I got email addresses from the people I got the closest to on the trip> We finally pulled into Dublin and said our good-byes. I accompanied Matt to the bus station. He had to figure out a way to get to Edinburgh by Saturday. After he booked a flight, we walked to the Avalon House where I had a room. Matt stayed with me so we could have a bit more time together before we both leave. We were both knackered, so we took a mightily invigorating nap. At about 8, we showered and headed to a restaurant called Wagamama for dinner. Trendy place that served Asian-style food. After dinner we just headed back to the hostel because we were tired & Matt was feeling a bit under the weather.

Catholic mural

Protestant mural

Monasterboice

24 Oct - This morning came far too quick for my liking. We got up and out of the hostel at 10. We decided to catch a bite to eat for breakfast before I had to catch my bust to the airport. We found ourselves at the Dome restaurant at Saint Stephen's Green shopping center (Matt actually gave up watching New Zealand play in the Rugby World Cup to stay with me). He got the massively huge cooked Irish breakfast, while I got a scone and some fruit. And tea. Mmm. After we ate, we had to look around a bit before we found where the aircoach picked up. I was pretty sad to see the bus round the corner, because I would have to say good-bye to Matt. I gave him one last wave as the bus pulled away. I don't know if I'll ever see him again (I hope I do!) but I wouldn't trade the time I was with him for anything. Sitting here at the crowded airport gate helps me to realize how incredibly magical and wonderful this whole trip was for me. Definitely one in a lifetime through I wouldn't mind a repeat.

I very nearly missed my flight back to the US. I didn't realize I had to go through Customs before I checked in, so I sat waiting at the gate. Oops. But, I wasn't the last to keep the flight waiting. The flight wasn't bad, merely long. I watched The Italian Job. Right about when we started out descent, I started talking to the older gentleman next to me. Turns out he was from Belfast. So, I told him about being there, then showed him my pictures of the rest of the trip. If I have to be back, I'm looking forward to getting to my apartment again.

[Postscript - I kept touch with Matt for a while via email, but we fell out of contact, and I have yet to see him again.]

{transcribed 1/8/2020}