June 22nd - Englishtown, New Jersey - A Very Sad Weekend -
As I rolled over in bed last night half asleep and wrapped my arms around my wonderful husband, as I do more times than I probably realize, I woke with the sad
thought that there is one less wife in the drag racing world that can do that. Kathy Kalitta will never be able to kiss her husband goodnight, or feel his warm body
next to hers as she sleeps. She'll never be able to scold him for leaving his socks on the floor of the bathroom, or congratulate him for winning a round in Funny
Car. She'll never be able to make another memory with her husband because Scott's life was taken from him and their family in an instant on Saturday night in a
very violent and terrifying fiery crash that shocked all those that saw it live. Frank was at the starting line when the crash occurred, and I can't stop thanking God
that I didn't go up to the line with him and the rest of the team to watch that round. Just listening to the long silence of the announcer after the run occurred I knew
in my gut he was gone. There's a certain tone in Bob Frey's voice that all of us who know him and listen to him every other week, picked up on. After the crash all
we kept hearing was 'as soon as we hear something we will let you know'. After last years crash with Kenny and John Force they announced right away that
Kenny was out of the car and moments later they reassured us that John was alive and well but being cut out of the car. The phrase 'no news is good news' does
not apply in the world of drag racing crashes. The entire community and family of the NHRA was is tears after the news was told. The worst part was that they
didn't announce it to the fans, and wouldn't do so until the hospital pronounced him dead, so we couldn't tell our hospitality guests and tried to hide our sadness
from the curious fans outside. Our Bernstein camp was staged right across from Team Kalitta, so it made it even harder to face. I did take a picture of the
abandoned pit areas on Sunday morning from inside ours, and another shot of the Powerade poster that was set up for all the fans and friends to sign and give
to Scott's father and team owner, Connie. Racing did go on as usual today, minus the four cars of Team Kalitta, since everyone knew Scott would want the rest of
the teams to race. After first round, Tony Schumacher was asked how hard it was to race after last night's tragedy, he explained how difficult it was and then went
on to add "Anyone out here would give up any trophy in the world to be able to share a beer with Scott tonight". That statement meant a lot considering that
Tony has won 5 World Championships and realizes that in the scheme of things medal and gold are worth far less than the life of a man. We all know Scott went
out doing what he loved, but that doesn't take the sting away from losing a drag racing family member. This sport may seem big on television, but when you've
been intricately involved in it for almost four years it is like living in a small town where everyone knows each other, whether you're just acquaintances or the best
of friends. Please keep the Kalitta family and teammates in your prayers as they deal with this loss. After the crash a lot of drivers were interviewed, and all of
them agreed that they know the risks they face, they know it's incredibly dangerous, but racing is still their passion and they will continue on in this great sport.
As I rolled over in bed last night half asleep and wrapped my arms around my wonderful husband, as I do more times than I probably realize, I woke with the sad
thought that there is one less wife in the drag racing world that can do that. Kathy Kalitta will never be able to kiss her husband goodnight, or feel his warm body
next to hers as she sleeps. She'll never be able to scold him for leaving his socks on the floor of the bathroom, or congratulate him for winning a round in Funny
Car. She'll never be able to make another memory with her husband because Scott's life was taken from him and their family in an instant on Saturday night in a
very violent and terrifying fiery crash that shocked all those that saw it live. Frank was at the starting line when the crash occurred, and I can't stop thanking God
that I didn't go up to the line with him and the rest of the team to watch that round. Just listening to the long silence of the announcer after the run occurred I knew
in my gut he was gone. There's a certain tone in Bob Frey's voice that all of us who know him and listen to him every other week, picked up on. After the crash all
we kept hearing was 'as soon as we hear something we will let you know'. After last years crash with Kenny and John Force they announced right away that
Kenny was out of the car and moments later they reassured us that John was alive and well but being cut out of the car. The phrase 'no news is good news' does
not apply in the world of drag racing crashes. The entire community and family of the NHRA was is tears after the news was told. The worst part was that they
didn't announce it to the fans, and wouldn't do so until the hospital pronounced him dead, so we couldn't tell our hospitality guests and tried to hide our sadness
from the curious fans outside. Our Bernstein camp was staged right across from Team Kalitta, so it made it even harder to face. I did take a picture of the
abandoned pit areas on Sunday morning from inside ours, and another shot of the Powerade poster that was set up for all the fans and friends to sign and give
to Scott's father and team owner, Connie. Racing did go on as usual today, minus the four cars of Team Kalitta, since everyone knew Scott would want the rest of
the teams to race. After first round, Tony Schumacher was asked how hard it was to race after last night's tragedy, he explained how difficult it was and then went
on to add "Anyone out here would give up any trophy in the world to be able to share a beer with Scott tonight". That statement meant a lot considering that
Tony has won 5 World Championships and realizes that in the scheme of things medal and gold are worth far less than the life of a man. We all know Scott went
out doing what he loved, but that doesn't take the sting away from losing a drag racing family member. This sport may seem big on television, but when you've
been intricately involved in it for almost four years it is like living in a small town where everyone knows each other, whether you're just acquaintances or the best
of friends. Please keep the Kalitta family and teammates in your prayers as they deal with this loss. After the crash a lot of drivers were interviewed, and all of
them agreed that they know the risks they face, they know it's incredibly dangerous, but racing is still their passion and they will continue on in this great sport.
After our walk through the old town we headed over to the marina and had lunch on the deck of Docker's Grill. They had the best grilled salmon sandwich ever.
Later this evening as we sat by the fire we began to hear a noise that sounded as though a nearby cow might be dying. We would turn to look in the direction
that the sound came from, but there was nothing to be seen. As the sun began to set the noise got louder and louder and began to multiply. All of a sudden our
campsite was invaded by tiny frogs making the loudest noise you can imagine to come out of such a tiny animal. When they would ribbit their little throats would
get enormous. Once they all made it to the lake's shore they began to quiet down a bit and make more of a regular ribbit sound which was quite soothing.
Later this evening as we sat by the fire we began to hear a noise that sounded as though a nearby cow might be dying. We would turn to look in the direction
that the sound came from, but there was nothing to be seen. As the sun began to set the noise got louder and louder and began to multiply. All of a sudden our
campsite was invaded by tiny frogs making the loudest noise you can imagine to come out of such a tiny animal. When they would ribbit their little throats would
get enormous. Once they all made it to the lake's shore they began to quiet down a bit and make more of a regular ribbit sound which was quite soothing.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Parrottrek Journal 2008
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
May 2- 4th - Madison, Illinois -
To watch an entirely empty parking lot turn into a city of race cars literally overnight is always an amazing thing to see and yet hard to describe to those who
have never been to a drag race, so I thought I would snap a few aerial shots while on my morning run from the top of the stadiums on the circle track to give you
an idea. By the way, I must say that the stadiums here are much steeper and taler than anywhere else we go and my very short legs are feeling it still today, two
days after my last run. Circle tracks always do make for a great workout. This weekend was another not so exciting weekend for the Bernstein cars, but the
weather was awesome. This race has always had the reputation of being one of the hottest ones of the year, and one of the least loved tracks on the circuit
because of the heat. This weekend the warmest it got was around 75. The other great thing about cool weather at the races, is that it makes for some very fast
cars and often some record breaking runs. There were a couple track records set this weekend and lots of personal bests by different teams and drivers.
To watch an entirely empty parking lot turn into a city of race cars literally overnight is always an amazing thing to see and yet hard to describe to those who
have never been to a drag race, so I thought I would snap a few aerial shots while on my morning run from the top of the stadiums on the circle track to give you
an idea. By the way, I must say that the stadiums here are much steeper and taler than anywhere else we go and my very short legs are feeling it still today, two
days after my last run. Circle tracks always do make for a great workout. This weekend was another not so exciting weekend for the Bernstein cars, but the
weather was awesome. This race has always had the reputation of being one of the hottest ones of the year, and one of the least loved tracks on the circuit
because of the heat. This weekend the warmest it got was around 75. The other great thing about cool weather at the races, is that it makes for some very fast
cars and often some record breaking runs. There were a couple track records set this weekend and lots of personal bests by different teams and drivers.
| One of Suzy's many free and private gyms. |
The city of St. Louis in the background
May 5th - Land between the Lakes -
As the Saint Louis race came to a close and we were faced with the daunting task
of figuring out where we would spend our up and coming week off, we found
ourselves in a bit of a dilemma. Should we go back to the Kentucky Horse Park
where we spent a couple weeks last year and loved, or should we go somewhere
new? Should we find a nice place in the mountains with nature all around, squirrels
scampering through the trees, pretty wildflowers to pick as the singing of the birds
lull us to sleep in the evenings? Or should we find a nice pretty lake to sit by and
relax as we watch ducks and turtles play and listen to the water splash as we sit by
the campfire? How are we expected to live under such stressful circumstances?
(hee hee hee) Well, lucky for us God created an amazing place that has all of the
above and more. Land Between the Lakes is a National Recreational Area that sits
between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. On one side of the motorhome our view
is of beautiful trees that house hundreds of squirrels that all love our peanut stash.
Since the ceiling of our campsite is lined with the greenest trees you've ever seen
there are all sorts of birds for ours to talk to and mimic while behind our house is a
beautiful lake with the craziest geese one has ever seen. At first glance we thought
they were penguins, since all we saw was a white belly and what appeared to be a
black head. Knowing that it's a bit too warm here for penguins to reside, we looked
closer and realized they were inverted geese. Apparently there is some kind of dirt
on the bottom of this lake next to the shoreline that has something quite tasty in it
because these geese sit here all day with their beaks as deep as they can get
them and their fannies straight up in the air. You can tell when one of the geese is
just a little too far from the bottom, because his feet will come up out of the water
and kick like crazy as though if he could get just a little more traction from the air
he could reach his feast. There is an entire family of turtles that sun themselves on
a log right on the banks of our campsite. They too our very entertaining to watch
since if one falls off as they try to snuggle in together to stay warm, they turn into
little dominoes and all of them are in the water within seconds. In one of the nearby
trees is an enormous nest. We have looked at it through binoculars to see if there
are any inhabitants, but we haven't seen any movement yet. There are miles and
miles of bike trails here, so tomorrow we will investigate those. Today we took a
nice long drive in the Jeep with the top down through the Elk and Bison Prairie.
As the Saint Louis race came to a close and we were faced with the daunting task
of figuring out where we would spend our up and coming week off, we found
ourselves in a bit of a dilemma. Should we go back to the Kentucky Horse Park
where we spent a couple weeks last year and loved, or should we go somewhere
new? Should we find a nice place in the mountains with nature all around, squirrels
scampering through the trees, pretty wildflowers to pick as the singing of the birds
lull us to sleep in the evenings? Or should we find a nice pretty lake to sit by and
relax as we watch ducks and turtles play and listen to the water splash as we sit by
the campfire? How are we expected to live under such stressful circumstances?
(hee hee hee) Well, lucky for us God created an amazing place that has all of the
above and more. Land Between the Lakes is a National Recreational Area that sits
between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. On one side of the motorhome our view
is of beautiful trees that house hundreds of squirrels that all love our peanut stash.
Since the ceiling of our campsite is lined with the greenest trees you've ever seen
there are all sorts of birds for ours to talk to and mimic while behind our house is a
beautiful lake with the craziest geese one has ever seen. At first glance we thought
they were penguins, since all we saw was a white belly and what appeared to be a
black head. Knowing that it's a bit too warm here for penguins to reside, we looked
closer and realized they were inverted geese. Apparently there is some kind of dirt
on the bottom of this lake next to the shoreline that has something quite tasty in it
because these geese sit here all day with their beaks as deep as they can get
them and their fannies straight up in the air. You can tell when one of the geese is
just a little too far from the bottom, because his feet will come up out of the water
and kick like crazy as though if he could get just a little more traction from the air
he could reach his feast. There is an entire family of turtles that sun themselves on
a log right on the banks of our campsite. They too our very entertaining to watch
since if one falls off as they try to snuggle in together to stay warm, they turn into
little dominoes and all of them are in the water within seconds. In one of the nearby
trees is an enormous nest. We have looked at it through binoculars to see if there
are any inhabitants, but we haven't seen any movement yet. There are miles and
miles of bike trails here, so tomorrow we will investigate those. Today we took a
nice long drive in the Jeep with the top down through the Elk and Bison Prairie.
The National Parks System is doing all it can to have this area returned to how the prairies looked back in the 1800's, so they have occasional controlled burns to
recreate how the people of those days would reseed and replant the grasslands of the prairies. There were about 20 Bison in the back of the woods, but my poor
little camera couldn't quite capture them, but we did get a few good shots of the braver Bison that dared to come closer to the car. Half way through our drive we
stopped off at one of the many pullouts with picnic tables for lunch.
recreate how the people of those days would reseed and replant the grasslands of the prairies. There were about 20 Bison in the back of the woods, but my poor
little camera couldn't quite capture them, but we did get a few good shots of the braver Bison that dared to come closer to the car. Half way through our drive we
stopped off at one of the many pullouts with picnic tables for lunch.
May 6th - A Bike Ride Through Nature -
Since all the trails here are protected by trees and far from the roads we decided to take Cody and Abbey along with us on today's bike ride. Cody was in
heaven! He flew as long as he could as many times as he could and then took a long break perched on Frank's handle bars panting since he was worn out.
Once he caught his breath he would give his "Come on" call and run to Frank's arm for another flying session. He's so darling as he flies since somewhere in his
head he knows that birds are supposed to fly in flocks, he will fly right next to me on Frank's hand. If I get behind at all he will literally stop, look back at me and
call "Come on" again. Once I catch back up with the boys he takes off again an flies until his little wings can flap no longer. A few times he almost gets lift, but
Frank holds on tight enough so he doesn't take off. We had to stop at one point due to a turtle crossing our path. He was so darn slow that we finally had to help
him across the road so we or anyone behind us didn't run him over. We also stopped to see an old cemetery. All of the cemeteries here are set up by families,
so all of the grave sites are all descendants of each other starting back in the early 1800's up to the present. Our total ride ended up being a little over 4 miles.
Since all the trails here are protected by trees and far from the roads we decided to take Cody and Abbey along with us on today's bike ride. Cody was in
heaven! He flew as long as he could as many times as he could and then took a long break perched on Frank's handle bars panting since he was worn out.
Once he caught his breath he would give his "Come on" call and run to Frank's arm for another flying session. He's so darling as he flies since somewhere in his
head he knows that birds are supposed to fly in flocks, he will fly right next to me on Frank's hand. If I get behind at all he will literally stop, look back at me and
call "Come on" again. Once I catch back up with the boys he takes off again an flies until his little wings can flap no longer. A few times he almost gets lift, but
Frank holds on tight enough so he doesn't take off. We had to stop at one point due to a turtle crossing our path. He was so darn slow that we finally had to help
him across the road so we or anyone behind us didn't run him over. We also stopped to see an old cemetery. All of the cemeteries here are set up by families,
so all of the grave sites are all descendants of each other starting back in the early 1800's up to the present. Our total ride ended up being a little over 4 miles.
May 9th - Patti's 1880's Settlement -
In the middle of Land Between the Lakes is a recreated old town called Patti's
Settlement. Here all the employees dress in the styles of the 1800's surrounded
by all the animals you might find on a farm back then including some wild looking
chickens, a few turkeys and lots of ducks. They also have two momma wild cats
that have recently had little ones, so there were darling tiny kittens scampering
all around. My favorite was the little black kitten with a white star on her chest.
She looked exactly like Mew, the black cat I had growing up. Mew herself was half
wild, since my good friend Julie who lived at the top of San Marcos Pass had a
very sweet house cat that was ravaged by the neighborhood roaming wild cat.
There was also a little speckled kitten that resembled a miniature lynx. He ran
around with the black one but never sat still long enough for me to get a good
picture of him. In the woods was a wedding chapel that they still use today
In the middle of Land Between the Lakes is a recreated old town called Patti's
Settlement. Here all the employees dress in the styles of the 1800's surrounded
by all the animals you might find on a farm back then including some wild looking
chickens, a few turkeys and lots of ducks. They also have two momma wild cats
that have recently had little ones, so there were darling tiny kittens scampering
all around. My favorite was the little black kitten with a white star on her chest.
She looked exactly like Mew, the black cat I had growing up. Mew herself was half
wild, since my good friend Julie who lived at the top of San Marcos Pass had a
very sweet house cat that was ravaged by the neighborhood roaming wild cat.
There was also a little speckled kitten that resembled a miniature lynx. He ran
around with the black one but never sat still long enough for me to get a good
picture of him. In the woods was a wedding chapel that they still use today
May 8th - A Relaxing Day at Home -
These past couple days we have done practically nothing, other than sit outside with Abbey, Bradley and Cody and watch and feed all the animals around us. I
almost had a couple of the squirrels eating out of my hand, but at the last second they would chicken out. They're quite funny to watch. They would start to run
up to us and at the last 5 feet or so stop, put their tails in the air, sniff all around and then come closer. As they got closer their tails would start to twitch faster
and faster and then right before they took those last steps to you they would just stand there and look at you and wiggle their little hands as to say "Just give me
the darn peanut so I don't have to get any closer to you." We would end up giving in, they would grab the peanut and dart off. We did figure out that if we shelled
the peanut first and just throw them a half of the nut they would stand there and eat it in front of us, but the whole ones they would take and hide up in the trees,
so we would rotate how we fed them. One thing we did accomplish, or I should Frank did, was to wash and wax the motorhome. Once the entire thing was clean
and shiny, we decided to figure out a way to clean the roof, since it hadn't been cleaned in a little over a year. Not having a ladder tall enough, we improvised.
Frank backed up the Jeep so it was close enough to the bus and we placed the ladder on the roll cage. As I held it in place Frank climbed up to the roof. Once up
there I would thrown him up clean wet rags as he threw down the dirty ones. It worked quite well and in another year or so, we'll know just how to do it again.
These past couple days we have done practically nothing, other than sit outside with Abbey, Bradley and Cody and watch and feed all the animals around us. I
almost had a couple of the squirrels eating out of my hand, but at the last second they would chicken out. They're quite funny to watch. They would start to run
up to us and at the last 5 feet or so stop, put their tails in the air, sniff all around and then come closer. As they got closer their tails would start to twitch faster
and faster and then right before they took those last steps to you they would just stand there and look at you and wiggle their little hands as to say "Just give me
the darn peanut so I don't have to get any closer to you." We would end up giving in, they would grab the peanut and dart off. We did figure out that if we shelled
the peanut first and just throw them a half of the nut they would stand there and eat it in front of us, but the whole ones they would take and hide up in the trees,
so we would rotate how we fed them. One thing we did accomplish, or I should Frank did, was to wash and wax the motorhome. Once the entire thing was clean
and shiny, we decided to figure out a way to clean the roof, since it hadn't been cleaned in a little over a year. Not having a ladder tall enough, we improvised.
Frank backed up the Jeep so it was close enough to the bus and we placed the ladder on the roll cage. As I held it in place Frank climbed up to the roof. Once up
there I would thrown him up clean wet rags as he threw down the dirty ones. It worked quite well and in another year or so, we'll know just how to do it again.
May 11th - The World's Fastest Half Mile - Bristol Motor Speedway - Bristol, Tennessee - Happy Mother's Day -
Last night we went to a concert that the campground hosted and had a fun time. Among the audience were a few families with little ones that danced on the
dance floor half the night and kept us all entertained. We woke up early this morning and went to the church service at the campground here in Land Between
the Lakes. Of course out of all of the mornings that had to be freezing it had to be today. We bundled up best we could and headed to the outdoor amphitheatre.
Apparently not too many other people were brave enough to bundle up and head into the cold morning, since there were only three other people at church. The
pastor was absolutely darling and gave a very good sermon about Mary and her role in Jesus' life in honor of Mother's Day. After church we had planned on
taking Cody for one last bike ride to wear him out for the upcoming drive, but due to the frigid temperatures we decided to stay home, make some hot cocoa and
pack up and head to the track a bit early since Bristol is one of the most beautiful tracks we go to all year. Once we arrived at the track we found our friends Mark
and Evie camped along a very pretty brook on the property of the track, so we parked right next to them for the night. It turned out to be a very delightful evening.
Mark bar-b-qued our steaks for us along with their own while we all sat outside watching a family of Canadian Geese swim by. After dinner we walked over to the
circle track, which hosts two NASCAR races a year and is the most impressive track you can imagine. The bank of the turns is incredibly steep. In fact Mark
walked up and down them a couple times, and as he hit the top of the turn he literally had to hang onto the railing above in order not to roll down the very steep
hill. As the sun began to set we walked to the top of the stadiums and watched the clouds turn beautiful colors. AJ, Mark and Evie's little dog, and Cody got along
great. As we began to leave the circle track, we ran into a security guard that was just locking the last gate that would allow us to exit. Lucky for us we apparently
made enough noise walking down the stairs and laughing that he was able to hear us, come back inside, realize we weren't vandals and was nice enough to let
us exit and not be stuck inside all night. I swear, there's never a dull moment out here on the road, but then again, that's what makes this lifestyle so great!
Last night we went to a concert that the campground hosted and had a fun time. Among the audience were a few families with little ones that danced on the
dance floor half the night and kept us all entertained. We woke up early this morning and went to the church service at the campground here in Land Between
the Lakes. Of course out of all of the mornings that had to be freezing it had to be today. We bundled up best we could and headed to the outdoor amphitheatre.
Apparently not too many other people were brave enough to bundle up and head into the cold morning, since there were only three other people at church. The
pastor was absolutely darling and gave a very good sermon about Mary and her role in Jesus' life in honor of Mother's Day. After church we had planned on
taking Cody for one last bike ride to wear him out for the upcoming drive, but due to the frigid temperatures we decided to stay home, make some hot cocoa and
pack up and head to the track a bit early since Bristol is one of the most beautiful tracks we go to all year. Once we arrived at the track we found our friends Mark
and Evie camped along a very pretty brook on the property of the track, so we parked right next to them for the night. It turned out to be a very delightful evening.
Mark bar-b-qued our steaks for us along with their own while we all sat outside watching a family of Canadian Geese swim by. After dinner we walked over to the
circle track, which hosts two NASCAR races a year and is the most impressive track you can imagine. The bank of the turns is incredibly steep. In fact Mark
walked up and down them a couple times, and as he hit the top of the turn he literally had to hang onto the railing above in order not to roll down the very steep
hill. As the sun began to set we walked to the top of the stadiums and watched the clouds turn beautiful colors. AJ, Mark and Evie's little dog, and Cody got along
great. As we began to leave the circle track, we ran into a security guard that was just locking the last gate that would allow us to exit. Lucky for us we apparently
made enough noise walking down the stairs and laughing that he was able to hear us, come back inside, realize we weren't vandals and was nice enough to let
us exit and not be stuck inside all night. I swear, there's never a dull moment out here on the road, but then again, that's what makes this lifestyle so great!
Our campsite by the brook
You can hardly see the babies in the grass
May 15th - Cody Meets a Cat, Abbey Meets a Duck -
At our last race Frank and I were given a fun little duck that when squeezed says Aflac! Aflac! AFLAC!!! We aren't quite at liberty to disclose where we got said
duck, but let's just say that if all goes well the Aflac duck might be wearing a Frankenstein or Dracula or any other garden variety scary costume next year.
Anyways... ... Abbey, who hates every other living or inanimate object other than her mother, has taken quite a liking to the Aflac duck, so we hope this might be
a good sign for all interested parties. Cody on the other hand was introduced to Larry and Linda's kitty this weekend. Neither of them knew quite what to think of
the other, so they sat and stared at each other for awhile and then went on to completely ignore each other. This evening the track fed all of the teams and all of
the vendors. Bruton Smith, the owner of this track and a few other tracks around the country, is always an amazing and gracious host and we can hardly wait to
see what his newly constructed North Carlina track will look like. We will be in Charlotte in just a few months, and have already heard great things about it.
At our last race Frank and I were given a fun little duck that when squeezed says Aflac! Aflac! AFLAC!!! We aren't quite at liberty to disclose where we got said
duck, but let's just say that if all goes well the Aflac duck might be wearing a Frankenstein or Dracula or any other garden variety scary costume next year.
Anyways... ... Abbey, who hates every other living or inanimate object other than her mother, has taken quite a liking to the Aflac duck, so we hope this might be
a good sign for all interested parties. Cody on the other hand was introduced to Larry and Linda's kitty this weekend. Neither of them knew quite what to think of
the other, so they sat and stared at each other for awhile and then went on to completely ignore each other. This evening the track fed all of the teams and all of
the vendors. Bruton Smith, the owner of this track and a few other tracks around the country, is always an amazing and gracious host and we can hardly wait to
see what his newly constructed North Carlina track will look like. We will be in Charlotte in just a few months, and have already heard great things about it.
May - 18th - Another Race Without the Monster Racing - :-( -
Well, on the upside of the weekend, we had great seats to watch the whole race.
Our hospitality tent literally backed up to the racetrack so we could see all the cars
right in front of us, as did all the friends and family that attended for the weekend
including Tommy and his parents. The funny thing is that every section of the
fence had warning notices about the danger of standing that close, or a sign that
actually said NO STANDING ALONG FENCE, but that didn't stop a single one of us
crazy spectators. Our Monster car had a couple really good runs, but none quick
enough to get them in the show. The Budweiser car however had a very good
weekend and went a few rounds to pick up a few points and stay in the top 10
which is very important to keep hold of to enter the Countdown To The Champion
Well, on the upside of the weekend, we had great seats to watch the whole race.
Our hospitality tent literally backed up to the racetrack so we could see all the cars
right in front of us, as did all the friends and family that attended for the weekend
including Tommy and his parents. The funny thing is that every section of the
fence had warning notices about the danger of standing that close, or a sign that
actually said NO STANDING ALONG FENCE, but that didn't stop a single one of us
crazy spectators. Our Monster car had a couple really good runs, but none quick
enough to get them in the show. The Budweiser car however had a very good
weekend and went a few rounds to pick up a few points and stay in the top 10
which is very important to keep hold of to enter the Countdown To The Champion
Frank, such a rule breaker!
| Cody watched as crazy Mark hikes up and down the track |
Frank and Cody watch the pretty sunset
Hang on Mark!!!
St Louis has nothing on the steepness of this
track and it's stairs. Ouch my legs are still sore
track and it's stairs. Ouch my legs are still sore
May 22nd - The Parthenon - Greece? - Three years on the road! -
To celebrate our third anniversary of being crazy road warriors we decided to travel to another country. The bus did
pretty well floating across the Atlantic and only sank to the bottom of the ocean twice. Luckily Frank was strong enough to
pull it back to the surface by it's bumper and float on. Okay, okay so we didn't actually travel to Greece, since lucky for us
the crazy people of Tennessee decided to build their very own actual size replica of the Parthenon with all the Greek gods
right where they stand on the original. It is beautiful with all it's pillars and stonework, and since it sits in the middle of
Centennial Park there are lots of rivers and ponds and fountains all around to give it a picturesque setting. After our tour
of the Greek god's home we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was pretty good, but nowhere as good as the
original movies. You know, back in the olden days of our youth when men did their own stunts all the special effects
weren't made on a computer or blue screen. In fact we came home after and watched the original and enjoyed it more.
To celebrate our third anniversary of being crazy road warriors we decided to travel to another country. The bus did
pretty well floating across the Atlantic and only sank to the bottom of the ocean twice. Luckily Frank was strong enough to
pull it back to the surface by it's bumper and float on. Okay, okay so we didn't actually travel to Greece, since lucky for us
the crazy people of Tennessee decided to build their very own actual size replica of the Parthenon with all the Greek gods
right where they stand on the original. It is beautiful with all it's pillars and stonework, and since it sits in the middle of
Centennial Park there are lots of rivers and ponds and fountains all around to give it a picturesque setting. After our tour
of the Greek god's home we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. It was pretty good, but nowhere as good as the
original movies. You know, back in the olden days of our youth when men did their own stunts all the special effects
weren't made on a computer or blue screen. In fact we came home after and watched the original and enjoyed it more.
May 21st - The Dave Ramsey Show - Brentwood, Tennessee -
As we drive across the country we listen to lots of different things on XM or our iPod and one of our favorite shows is "The Dave Ramsey Show! Where debt is
dumb, cash is king and the paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice." Since his studio and offices are here in
Brentwood Tennessee, we decided to see if we could stop by and watch the show. His very friendly and helpful staff said sure, just come on over. We sat in
chairs right outside his studio and listened to the show live. He started out with a guest and friend, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who has written a book called Thou Shalt
Prosper. After the first segment and the Rabbi left, Dave went to taking calls from listeners. It's a great show with the very simple concept of how to get out of debt
by, God forbid, living on less than you make and borrow NO money for anything other than a home loan that fits into your income nicely without going broke. It's
amazing how hard that concept is to grasp by 90% of the country, even we didn't follow those rules when we lived in California and had nice cars and new boats
every so often. Since we hit the road, almost three years ago, in order to keep our fun lifestyle we have done just that, live on less than we make, so when we
found Dave's show we felt right at home. When the temptation to buy something outside our budget comes up, we always ask ourselves "What would Dave say?"
This of course always talks us out of said purchase which is nice. He takes calls from people all over the country with all sorts of debt issues and problems and
helps them through them with a good Christian heart and no judgement since he himself has been through horrid money problems and learned the hard way. On
Fridays he takes calls from people that have followed his plan and are finally debt free. These people scream at the top of their lungs with their spouses and kids
"WE"RE DEBT FREE!!!" for the whole country to hear and it always makes you smile. He has two books out about how to do what he calls the Baby Steps of
Financial Peace. One is called Financial Peace and the other is the Total Money Makeover. We highly recommend both these books to everyone!
As we drive across the country we listen to lots of different things on XM or our iPod and one of our favorite shows is "The Dave Ramsey Show! Where debt is
dumb, cash is king and the paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice." Since his studio and offices are here in
Brentwood Tennessee, we decided to see if we could stop by and watch the show. His very friendly and helpful staff said sure, just come on over. We sat in
chairs right outside his studio and listened to the show live. He started out with a guest and friend, Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who has written a book called Thou Shalt
Prosper. After the first segment and the Rabbi left, Dave went to taking calls from listeners. It's a great show with the very simple concept of how to get out of debt
by, God forbid, living on less than you make and borrow NO money for anything other than a home loan that fits into your income nicely without going broke. It's
amazing how hard that concept is to grasp by 90% of the country, even we didn't follow those rules when we lived in California and had nice cars and new boats
every so often. Since we hit the road, almost three years ago, in order to keep our fun lifestyle we have done just that, live on less than we make, so when we
found Dave's show we felt right at home. When the temptation to buy something outside our budget comes up, we always ask ourselves "What would Dave say?"
This of course always talks us out of said purchase which is nice. He takes calls from people all over the country with all sorts of debt issues and problems and
helps them through them with a good Christian heart and no judgement since he himself has been through horrid money problems and learned the hard way. On
Fridays he takes calls from people that have followed his plan and are finally debt free. These people scream at the top of their lungs with their spouses and kids
"WE"RE DEBT FREE!!!" for the whole country to hear and it always makes you smile. He has two books out about how to do what he calls the Baby Steps of
Financial Peace. One is called Financial Peace and the other is the Total Money Makeover. We highly recommend both these books to everyone!
May 23rd - A Walk Around Town -
Today, after giving the manager of Prevost the above picture and thank you card from Cody for letting us stay here for the entire week without having any work
done, thank you God everything in the bus is working well, we drove down to an old guitar shop and walked around the, for the most part, pretty downtown of
Nashville. All of the structures here have the most amazing architecture, especially the old churches and Union Station. We went to dinner at the Hard Rock Café
and then headed back home so the dental patient could crash for the night before the sun set. The pain is slowly subsiding and I can function longer and longer
each day, but those early afternoon naps and early bedtimes sure help in the healing process. Have I mentioned how much I hate dental work yet? :-(
Today, after giving the manager of Prevost the above picture and thank you card from Cody for letting us stay here for the entire week without having any work
done, thank you God everything in the bus is working well, we drove down to an old guitar shop and walked around the, for the most part, pretty downtown of
Nashville. All of the structures here have the most amazing architecture, especially the old churches and Union Station. We went to dinner at the Hard Rock Café
and then headed back home so the dental patient could crash for the night before the sun set. The pain is slowly subsiding and I can function longer and longer
each day, but those early afternoon naps and early bedtimes sure help in the healing process. Have I mentioned how much I hate dental work yet? :-(
May 20th - An Entirely Yucky Day!! -
As much as I would like to sugar coat today, I cannot. There comes a day in the life of a somewhat optimistic person
that there isn't a bit of optimism to be found. The last few months I have had quite a bit of pain in the upper right hand
area of my teeth, hmmmm, do teeth really have a right hand area? As much as I tried to ignore it, this horrid pain
would not go away. I tried lots of Advil, a few miscellaneous pain killers from friends that in and of themselves scared to
me to take, but the pain outweighed any fear of what might be in these pain killers from Mexico where because of the
American doctor bills have forced most of our full timer friends to turn to Mexican doctors. There isn't anything illegal in
these narcotics mind you, just perhaps a few things that might not be FDA approved, but then again what does the
FDA know? Knowing that sitting in a dentist's chair was in my very near future, I bit the bullet, contacted an
acquaintance we have here in Nashville, got a referral of a dentist's office and made an appointment. Luckily for us,
God was looking out for me and sent me to a very good family dental practice that had a dentist that just happened to
be an endodontist as well. I had an appointment at 8:40am today and by 12:20 I exited the office with a fixed tooth
along with a completed root canal. Frank, my night in shining armor, sat in the waiting room the entire time. Once done
he offered to take me somewhere fun, but I told him all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. I went to bed at 2pm,
As much as I would like to sugar coat today, I cannot. There comes a day in the life of a somewhat optimistic person
that there isn't a bit of optimism to be found. The last few months I have had quite a bit of pain in the upper right hand
area of my teeth, hmmmm, do teeth really have a right hand area? As much as I tried to ignore it, this horrid pain
would not go away. I tried lots of Advil, a few miscellaneous pain killers from friends that in and of themselves scared to
me to take, but the pain outweighed any fear of what might be in these pain killers from Mexico where because of the
American doctor bills have forced most of our full timer friends to turn to Mexican doctors. There isn't anything illegal in
these narcotics mind you, just perhaps a few things that might not be FDA approved, but then again what does the
FDA know? Knowing that sitting in a dentist's chair was in my very near future, I bit the bullet, contacted an
acquaintance we have here in Nashville, got a referral of a dentist's office and made an appointment. Luckily for us,
God was looking out for me and sent me to a very good family dental practice that had a dentist that just happened to
be an endodontist as well. I had an appointment at 8:40am today and by 12:20 I exited the office with a fixed tooth
along with a completed root canal. Frank, my night in shining armor, sat in the waiting room the entire time. Once done
he offered to take me somewhere fun, but I told him all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. I went to bed at 2pm,
woke up around 7 with my stomach telling me I was starving and my teeth screaming at me saying "if you try and bite on anything we will all revolt!" After a bit of
negotiating they compromised on letting me drink some soup, head back to bed and sleep until Wednesday at 9am. Dental work truly is a pain in the @%##!
negotiating they compromised on letting me drink some soup, head back to bed and sleep until Wednesday at 9am. Dental work truly is a pain in the @%##!
May 25th - Jam Sessions -
We spent today doing a little housekeeping, along with Frank and Cody washing the motorhome. Well Frank washed as Cody played in the tree, but at least he
was occupied long enough to keep him out of Frank's way. While the boys were washing the bus, a couple of our neighbors, Cathy and Vern, came outside to
see Cody playing in the tree. It turned out she is a gospel singer and they are on a weekend tour. The four of us sat outside half the evening listening to Frank
and Cathy play different songs on their guitars. It was great entertainment and to top it off she gave us one of her CD's. We swapped information and e-mail
addresses and it turns out they live just off the highway that leads to the Chicago race, so we have made plans to meet up again in about a week or so.
We spent today doing a little housekeeping, along with Frank and Cody washing the motorhome. Well Frank washed as Cody played in the tree, but at least he
was occupied long enough to keep him out of Frank's way. While the boys were washing the bus, a couple of our neighbors, Cathy and Vern, came outside to
see Cody playing in the tree. It turned out she is a gospel singer and they are on a weekend tour. The four of us sat outside half the evening listening to Frank
and Cathy play different songs on their guitars. It was great entertainment and to top it off she gave us one of her CD's. We swapped information and e-mail
addresses and it turns out they live just off the highway that leads to the Chicago race, so we have made plans to meet up again in about a week or so.
May 24th - War Memorial Plaza and Downtown Nashville -
The best part about traveling in the South is that all the towns and cities close
down on Sunday, even the businesses that aren't county and city run. This
enables us to be able to walk through all the parks and places like War Memorial
Plaza without another soul around. There is a statue memorializing both the
Korean and Vietnam War. At the end of the War Memorial Plaza stands the State
Capitol building made out of limestone, designed by William Strickland and built
between the years of 1845 and 1859 by slaves and convicts and was used as a
fortress during the Civil War. Outside the Capitol stands a statue of Edward W.
Carmack who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1897 to 1901.In
1908 he was shot down in the street for a remark he made in a local paper, so this
The best part about traveling in the South is that all the towns and cities close
down on Sunday, even the businesses that aren't county and city run. This
enables us to be able to walk through all the parks and places like War Memorial
Plaza without another soul around. There is a statue memorializing both the
Korean and Vietnam War. At the end of the War Memorial Plaza stands the State
Capitol building made out of limestone, designed by William Strickland and built
between the years of 1845 and 1859 by slaves and convicts and was used as a
fortress during the Civil War. Outside the Capitol stands a statue of Edward W.
Carmack who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1897 to 1901.In
1908 he was shot down in the street for a remark he made in a local paper, so this
May 26th - A Very Scary Storm -
Every so often we drive through a hearty rain storm, but today's rain storm was the darkest we have seen yet. We had to
slow down quite a bit in order to see through the rain. Off to our left we could see creepy looking black clouds which
appeared to have tornadoes at the base of them. According to the news we have heard that in the states all around us
and above us there have been some very bad storms and lots of tornadoes. The worst part of the rain storm is that Frank
and Cody just washed the motorhome and waxed part of it, so all the shiny stainless is now filthy and streaked with dirt.
UGH! Finally the black clouds began to get lighter and lighter and finally turned to just a regular rain storm. We stopped
for the night at mile marker 128 in Missouri after the rain had stopped and received some fabulous news! We and the
people-who-will-hopefully-be-the-new-owners-of-our-California-house-in-30-days have come to a price agreement. All
parties have signed the contract and tomorrow we should officially start escrow. Yahoo!!! To celebrate the event we
opened a bottle of champagne with a prayer that everything will go smoothly and close without a hitch in those 30 days.
Every so often we drive through a hearty rain storm, but today's rain storm was the darkest we have seen yet. We had to
slow down quite a bit in order to see through the rain. Off to our left we could see creepy looking black clouds which
appeared to have tornadoes at the base of them. According to the news we have heard that in the states all around us
and above us there have been some very bad storms and lots of tornadoes. The worst part of the rain storm is that Frank
and Cody just washed the motorhome and waxed part of it, so all the shiny stainless is now filthy and streaked with dirt.
UGH! Finally the black clouds began to get lighter and lighter and finally turned to just a regular rain storm. We stopped
for the night at mile marker 128 in Missouri after the rain had stopped and received some fabulous news! We and the
people-who-will-hopefully-be-the-new-owners-of-our-California-house-in-30-days have come to a price agreement. All
parties have signed the contract and tomorrow we should officially start escrow. Yahoo!!! To celebrate the event we
opened a bottle of champagne with a prayer that everything will go smoothly and close without a hitch in those 30 days.
statue was erected in his honor with many of his famous quotes engraved on it. After our tour of the city, which also included the Tennessee Supreme
Courthouse we found another statue, this one in honor of Chet Atkins one of the greatest guitar players and the writer of many of the songs that Frank has
learned to play so we of course had to stop and take a picture with Frank and Chet. Too bad Frank didn't have his guitar, that would have made a great shot.
Courthouse we found another statue, this one in honor of Chet Atkins one of the greatest guitar players and the writer of many of the songs that Frank has
learned to play so we of course had to stop and take a picture with Frank and Chet. Too bad Frank didn't have his guitar, that would have made a great shot.
Later This Same Evening - Grand Old Opry Free Concert -
The other day as we were walking around the Grand Old Opry, we noticed a group of sound guys setting up an outside stage and all the sound equipment for
what appeared would be an outdoor concert. We asked these gentlemen how the outdoor concerts worked and when they were. To our delight they told us they
were every Saturday night and they were free. "Just bring your lawn chair and a picnic dinner and it makes for a great date." We decided we would have dinner
at home in order not to have carry a bunch of stuff with us and found a nice park bench to sit on and enjoy the bands. After about an hour of listening we walked
over to the mall and hit Johnny Rockets for a milkshake. While we were enjoying our milkshakes and watching the waitstaff sing and dance along with a bunch of
50's songs, remind me never to apply at a Johnny Rockets I would rather die than sing and dance in front of a bunch of strangers, we received a fabulous phone
call from our Realtor telling us that we had an offer on the house. Hooray!!! We told her to fax us the paperwork and we would look at it first thing in the morning,
since we are 2 hours ahead of California at the moment, and we just bought tickets to see a movie. Of course not being able to sleep with all the excitement, we
pulled up the fax as soon as we got home, signed everything including our counter offer to them and faxed it back. This took until around 2am since our fax
machine is an online account and only allows four pages to go at a time, but none the less we got it all sent and are now waiting for a response from them.
The other day as we were walking around the Grand Old Opry, we noticed a group of sound guys setting up an outside stage and all the sound equipment for
what appeared would be an outdoor concert. We asked these gentlemen how the outdoor concerts worked and when they were. To our delight they told us they
were every Saturday night and they were free. "Just bring your lawn chair and a picnic dinner and it makes for a great date." We decided we would have dinner
at home in order not to have carry a bunch of stuff with us and found a nice park bench to sit on and enjoy the bands. After about an hour of listening we walked
over to the mall and hit Johnny Rockets for a milkshake. While we were enjoying our milkshakes and watching the waitstaff sing and dance along with a bunch of
50's songs, remind me never to apply at a Johnny Rockets I would rather die than sing and dance in front of a bunch of strangers, we received a fabulous phone
call from our Realtor telling us that we had an offer on the house. Hooray!!! We told her to fax us the paperwork and we would look at it first thing in the morning,
since we are 2 hours ahead of California at the moment, and we just bought tickets to see a movie. Of course not being able to sleep with all the excitement, we
pulled up the fax as soon as we got home, signed everything including our counter offer to them and faxed it back. This took until around 2am since our fax
machine is an online account and only allows four pages to go at a time, but none the less we got it all sent and are now waiting for a response from them.
Two hours later they lighten even more
About an hour later, they start to lighten
Very black and spooky clouds
Hooray, we made it through and lived!
The Korean War Memorial
The Vietnam War Memorial
Tennessee Supreme Court
Frank and Chet
Suzy and Edward Carmack at the Capitol
Outside the Aquarium at the mall
The members of the very fun and free concert outside the Grand Ole Opry
Union Station and it's amazing architecture
The old time guitar shop we visited
A closer shot of the pillars
A free trip to Greece
Cathy and Frank play their guitars for us
Cathy's most recent album
The crazy and noisy frogs with their puffy throats swarming our campsite
We had lunch overlooking the marina
Think it will carry Frank to the roof?
He made it safely to the top!
He looks a little nervous
Abbey watches the ducks from camp
Goose butts!!
Mr. Turtle was in no hurry to cross the road
Weeeee! The last hill to home was downhill
What a fabulous week this has been
Celebrating a very happy occasion
May 31st - O'Reilly Summer Nationals - Topeka, Kansas -
Today was one of the greatest days of the year! The temperature was 90 degrees, the humidity was around 123% and as we stood in the shade we were all
sweating like pigs. We four ladies of Kenny Bernstein Racing made bets to see who would be the first to shove our heads into the ice cooler or climb into the
refrigerator. Julie and I actually pulled out a few shelves in the fridge to see if we would fit. Who could ask for a better day? Oh, I guess you are wondering what
was the good part of it is right??? Well, the fact that the MONSTER TEAM GETS TO RACE TOMORROW!!!!! No, your eyes and ears aren't deceiving you, the
we-haven't-qualified-in-five-races-and-the-sponsors-are-sooo-happy-about-that team, actually gets to race. We are ecstatic for the Monster Men, and have to
take a little bit of credit for it. I have never been a superstitious person in my entire life, but in the past five races listening to all crazy ideas these guys have had
to change their luck, and trust me most of them are not PG-13, Frank and I decided to put a little bit of PG-13 superstition in their vocabulary. Back in Atlanta,
the last race we qualified for, on Friday night Phil had a little rubber ducky that someone had given him. Considering at the moment we were not qualified, Brian
decided to chop the little duck up. Needless to say we got into the racing field on Saturday, so Frank and I thought it was time to get Phil another duck and
perhaps have Brian or another team member sacrifice him. He is still in one piece, and part of the team so let's hope he keeps bringing us luck all day tomorrow.
Today was one of the greatest days of the year! The temperature was 90 degrees, the humidity was around 123% and as we stood in the shade we were all
sweating like pigs. We four ladies of Kenny Bernstein Racing made bets to see who would be the first to shove our heads into the ice cooler or climb into the
refrigerator. Julie and I actually pulled out a few shelves in the fridge to see if we would fit. Who could ask for a better day? Oh, I guess you are wondering what
was the good part of it is right??? Well, the fact that the MONSTER TEAM GETS TO RACE TOMORROW!!!!! No, your eyes and ears aren't deceiving you, the
we-haven't-qualified-in-five-races-and-the-sponsors-are-sooo-happy-about-that team, actually gets to race. We are ecstatic for the Monster Men, and have to
take a little bit of credit for it. I have never been a superstitious person in my entire life, but in the past five races listening to all crazy ideas these guys have had
to change their luck, and trust me most of them are not PG-13, Frank and I decided to put a little bit of PG-13 superstition in their vocabulary. Back in Atlanta,
the last race we qualified for, on Friday night Phil had a little rubber ducky that someone had given him. Considering at the moment we were not qualified, Brian
decided to chop the little duck up. Needless to say we got into the racing field on Saturday, so Frank and I thought it was time to get Phil another duck and
perhaps have Brian or another team member sacrifice him. He is still in one piece, and part of the team so let's hope he keeps bringing us luck all day tomorrow.
June 7th - Chicagoland Raceway - Tornado Watches All Around -
Another very wet weekend in the world of NHRA. This time though the storms were really bad and the rain was the hardest we have ever been in. This weekends
storms were even harder than the one we drove through the other day. The weather went from a tornado watch, which means the winds will be around 30 miles
an hour and could form into a tornado at any time, to a tornado warning, which means a tornado has hit ground within 30 miles of your current location. YIKES!
Considering the winds were about 35 miles an hour that meant the tornado within 30 miles could be on us in a matter of minutes. The rain was sideways at some
points in the day due to the high winds and there were some very ominous looking clouds around us that resembled tornadoes themselves. Being from
California, where we barely ever get rain let alone real thunder and lightening storms that last more than a minute or two, we had no idea what we were
supposed to do if and when the tornado sirens start to go off. Apparently the racetrack built all the bathroom buildings and concession storage areas out of
concrete blocks for the soul purpose of keeping tens of thousands of people safe and dry during a tornado. Frank had his own plan and noticed a drainage
ditch nearby that he planned on heading too since tornadoes, when they do touch down, stay flat on the ground and won't dip into ditches, again I have never
been in a tornado so I was fully prepared to follow the locals that have seen their fair of them here in the Midwest and even more prepared to drag my husband
along with me, even if I had to carry him out from the drainage ditch myself, which I figured would be overflowing with rain water by the time the twister hit us. As
the rains got stronger and the clouds got darker we could hear the tornado sirens off in the distance and began to get a bit concerned. What scared me most
was the thought of the motorhome with my three sweet babies in it being carried off into the twister. Listening to the locals they said by the look of the clouds
above it didn't appear that the twister was headed in our direction but the thunder and lightening might get pretty bad. Sure enough the tornado turned East on
us, but we were treated to another thunder and lightening show and since it was still daylight it wasn't quite as impressive as the other night's storm. Lucky for us
within about 30 minutes the rains began to die down, the clouds began to clear up and the tornado sirens began to quiet. Thank You Jesus, we were all saved
from Dorothy coming through the pits this fun filled Saturday. It just happened that on Sunday morning talking to a few of the people in our hospitality tent, two
tornadoes did hit down about 12 miles and 14 miles Northeast of us and leveled a few of their neighbors homes. Very scary stuff! We will stick to either Florida,
where you get plenty more than a 5 minute warning when and if a hurricane is about to hit, or California where, even though people think they happen all the
time, we might run into an earthquake or two every ten years. I don't think I could handle going through Saturday more than once in my life and considering
tornado season is weeks on end at times and the Midwest see far more than 1 every 10 years. The amazing part of the weekend is that they were able to get all
four qualifying rounds in and all of Sundays racing. Our Monster team almost made it in the race, they were about a tenth of a second too slow. Mr. Duck is still
alive and well and living in the trailer, however he might just have to end up like his predecessor before the next race to help out the good luck side of things.
Another very wet weekend in the world of NHRA. This time though the storms were really bad and the rain was the hardest we have ever been in. This weekends
storms were even harder than the one we drove through the other day. The weather went from a tornado watch, which means the winds will be around 30 miles
an hour and could form into a tornado at any time, to a tornado warning, which means a tornado has hit ground within 30 miles of your current location. YIKES!
Considering the winds were about 35 miles an hour that meant the tornado within 30 miles could be on us in a matter of minutes. The rain was sideways at some
points in the day due to the high winds and there were some very ominous looking clouds around us that resembled tornadoes themselves. Being from
California, where we barely ever get rain let alone real thunder and lightening storms that last more than a minute or two, we had no idea what we were
supposed to do if and when the tornado sirens start to go off. Apparently the racetrack built all the bathroom buildings and concession storage areas out of
concrete blocks for the soul purpose of keeping tens of thousands of people safe and dry during a tornado. Frank had his own plan and noticed a drainage
ditch nearby that he planned on heading too since tornadoes, when they do touch down, stay flat on the ground and won't dip into ditches, again I have never
been in a tornado so I was fully prepared to follow the locals that have seen their fair of them here in the Midwest and even more prepared to drag my husband
along with me, even if I had to carry him out from the drainage ditch myself, which I figured would be overflowing with rain water by the time the twister hit us. As
the rains got stronger and the clouds got darker we could hear the tornado sirens off in the distance and began to get a bit concerned. What scared me most
was the thought of the motorhome with my three sweet babies in it being carried off into the twister. Listening to the locals they said by the look of the clouds
above it didn't appear that the twister was headed in our direction but the thunder and lightening might get pretty bad. Sure enough the tornado turned East on
us, but we were treated to another thunder and lightening show and since it was still daylight it wasn't quite as impressive as the other night's storm. Lucky for us
within about 30 minutes the rains began to die down, the clouds began to clear up and the tornado sirens began to quiet. Thank You Jesus, we were all saved
from Dorothy coming through the pits this fun filled Saturday. It just happened that on Sunday morning talking to a few of the people in our hospitality tent, two
tornadoes did hit down about 12 miles and 14 miles Northeast of us and leveled a few of their neighbors homes. Very scary stuff! We will stick to either Florida,
where you get plenty more than a 5 minute warning when and if a hurricane is about to hit, or California where, even though people think they happen all the
time, we might run into an earthquake or two every ten years. I don't think I could handle going through Saturday more than once in my life and considering
tornado season is weeks on end at times and the Midwest see far more than 1 every 10 years. The amazing part of the weekend is that they were able to get all
four qualifying rounds in and all of Sundays racing. Our Monster team almost made it in the race, they were about a tenth of a second too slow. Mr. Duck is still
alive and well and living in the trailer, however he might just have to end up like his predecessor before the next race to help out the good luck side of things.
June 4th - A Show of Lights - Joliet, Illinois -
This evening we watched the most amazing sunset followed by an insane thunder and lightning storm all across the sky. In our bedroom we have windows that go
from about waist length to the top of the ceiling and curve a bit up the roof on each side which makes for some great storm watching. I have never seen so much
lightning in my entire life collectively as we saw tonight. There was bolt after bolt after bolt, and quite often there were two or three bolts striking down at the same
time. My camera couldn't quite catch them, or would snap a shot a moment too late or a moment too soon. Even when it did get a shot, through the rain and the
windows it looked like nothing other than a blurry mess. Most of the lightning just shot across the sky lighting up the clouds, but quite a few of them went straight
down to the ground and were incredibly thick and sharply jagged bolts. We tried to count them to see how far away they were, which was really hard since there
were so many and we weren't quite sure which one we were counting. We finally figured out that we could only hear the really large bolts and the thunder was
anywhere from 7 - 11 seconds behind, so we figured we would be safe from being struck until they got within 3 seconds, which thankfully they never did
considering we do live in a metal structure. Right before we went to bed we unplugged everything electronic to keep them safe on the off chance that our house
was struck. The rain and the thunder and lightning show lasted about 3 hours and poor little Bradley was scared to death the entire time and right next to Frank.
Cody didn't seem to mind the lightning and Abbey just stayed in her carrier that she sleeps in every night and peered out the peek holes to watch the storm.
This evening we watched the most amazing sunset followed by an insane thunder and lightning storm all across the sky. In our bedroom we have windows that go
from about waist length to the top of the ceiling and curve a bit up the roof on each side which makes for some great storm watching. I have never seen so much
lightning in my entire life collectively as we saw tonight. There was bolt after bolt after bolt, and quite often there were two or three bolts striking down at the same
time. My camera couldn't quite catch them, or would snap a shot a moment too late or a moment too soon. Even when it did get a shot, through the rain and the
windows it looked like nothing other than a blurry mess. Most of the lightning just shot across the sky lighting up the clouds, but quite a few of them went straight
down to the ground and were incredibly thick and sharply jagged bolts. We tried to count them to see how far away they were, which was really hard since there
were so many and we weren't quite sure which one we were counting. We finally figured out that we could only hear the really large bolts and the thunder was
anywhere from 7 - 11 seconds behind, so we figured we would be safe from being struck until they got within 3 seconds, which thankfully they never did
considering we do live in a metal structure. Right before we went to bed we unplugged everything electronic to keep them safe on the off chance that our house
was struck. The rain and the thunder and lightning show lasted about 3 hours and poor little Bradley was scared to death the entire time and right next to Frank.
Cody didn't seem to mind the lightning and Abbey just stayed in her carrier that she sleeps in every night and peered out the peek holes to watch the storm.
June 9th - Martin Diesel - Defiance Ohio - A New Generator -
We left Joliet at 3:30 this morning in order to give us enough time to arrive here
in Ohio so Paul, the very handy technician and generator guru, could remove our
old generator and begin preparing the empty bay for the instillation of our new
one tomorrow. Frank was like a little kid checking out all the filters and wiring and
hoses of the new one as it sat on the shelf waiting for it's new home. Considering
the old one was the original one that came with the bus, making it 18 years old
and beginning to show it's age. It puts our minds at great ease knowing that this
new one will last another 18 years, has a lot more power than the old one, the old
one was 15 kilowatts and the new one is 20 kilowatts and keep our birds nice and
cool and safe in the up and coming summer months while we are at work.
We left Joliet at 3:30 this morning in order to give us enough time to arrive here
in Ohio so Paul, the very handy technician and generator guru, could remove our
old generator and begin preparing the empty bay for the instillation of our new
one tomorrow. Frank was like a little kid checking out all the filters and wiring and
hoses of the new one as it sat on the shelf waiting for it's new home. Considering
the old one was the original one that came with the bus, making it 18 years old
and beginning to show it's age. It puts our minds at great ease knowing that this
new one will last another 18 years, has a lot more power than the old one, the old
one was 15 kilowatts and the new one is 20 kilowatts and keep our birds nice and
cool and safe in the up and coming summer months while we are at work.
A close up of the old one
A close up of the new one
Our home for the week
Waiting for the new generator
It took a forklift to remove the old generator
June 10th - Independence Dam State Park -
This morning as I left the house to find a jogging path I realized that camping in the boonies for a week is fabulous.
There are miles and miles of roads where a car is rarely seen with fields of corn and all sorts of other crops. As I was
heading home, I noticed a state park sign, so I decided to cross the street and check it out. Independence Dam State
Park turned out to be a great place to finish my jog. It was about 3 miles to the back of it and nicely laid out all along the
Maumee River. The lock was over flowing which was amazing to see and hear the power of the water as it poured over
the top. What was a nice flowing glassy river on one side turned into small rapids with lots of driftwood making small
dams in the waves. Later this afternoon Frank, Cody and I took a nice long bike ride all the way to the end of the park
and a little ways into the hiking trails where Cody met a friend. We clocked it at about 6 miles round trip, with Cody
flying on Frank's hand so he was able to lots of exercise and was well worn out when we got home.
This morning as I left the house to find a jogging path I realized that camping in the boonies for a week is fabulous.
There are miles and miles of roads where a car is rarely seen with fields of corn and all sorts of other crops. As I was
heading home, I noticed a state park sign, so I decided to cross the street and check it out. Independence Dam State
Park turned out to be a great place to finish my jog. It was about 3 miles to the back of it and nicely laid out all along the
Maumee River. The lock was over flowing which was amazing to see and hear the power of the water as it poured over
the top. What was a nice flowing glassy river on one side turned into small rapids with lots of driftwood making small
dams in the waves. Later this afternoon Frank, Cody and I took a nice long bike ride all the way to the end of the park
and a little ways into the hiking trails where Cody met a friend. We clocked it at about 6 miles round trip, with Cody
flying on Frank's hand so he was able to lots of exercise and was well worn out when we got home.
June 12 - The Final Installation of the New Generator -
Yahoo!! The new generator is in and running like a champ. We had it running all day with all three air conditioners, all
three stove burners, the convection oven and all the lights on in the house along with the water heater to see how
powerful it is. With everything on that possibly could be on it still worked perfectly and hardly made a noise when the air
conditioners would click on and off when their assigned temperatures were hit. Yahoo!!! Frank, in his infinite wisdom and
handiness, fabricated a mud flap that goes behind the generator and keeps the hot air that comes out of the radiator
from coming back into the generator in order to keep it's temperature down a bit in the hot months. The guys here at the
shop let him use all the tools he needed to finish his project and install it, and it works perfectly. Since we have tested out
the generator long enough here,which included an evening of sitting around it watching it hum away, and are getting a
little antsy sitting still, we have decided to head out tomorrow morning and make our way to New Jersey via Philadelphia.
Yahoo!! The new generator is in and running like a champ. We had it running all day with all three air conditioners, all
three stove burners, the convection oven and all the lights on in the house along with the water heater to see how
powerful it is. With everything on that possibly could be on it still worked perfectly and hardly made a noise when the air
conditioners would click on and off when their assigned temperatures were hit. Yahoo!!! Frank, in his infinite wisdom and
handiness, fabricated a mud flap that goes behind the generator and keeps the hot air that comes out of the radiator
from coming back into the generator in order to keep it's temperature down a bit in the hot months. The guys here at the
shop let him use all the tools he needed to finish his project and install it, and it works perfectly. Since we have tested out
the generator long enough here,which included an evening of sitting around it watching it hum away, and are getting a
little antsy sitting still, we have decided to head out tomorrow morning and make our way to New Jersey via Philadelphia.
Frank's invention of the day
Paul lines up the generator
... and one last heave-ho push
Taa Daa!!! Isn't it a beauty?
With a little help from the handy fork lift... ...
The park ended with a trail into the woods
Before the Lock the river was calm
The raging river over the top of the Lock
Cody meets a shy turtle on the trail
Very scary tornado looking clouds
A beautiful Chicago sunset
The rain was sideways and incredibly hard
The duck is safe and in one piece.... for now!
Benjamin Franklin's grave in Philadelphia
Independence Hall
Suzy, Frank and Thomas Jefferson
right after he signed the Declaration
right after he signed the Declaration
| Stalone's footprints from the Rocky movie as he looked over the Philly skyline |
St Augustine's Catholic Church
Betsy Ross' House
P.S. Government buildings close on weekends
June 14th - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -
Well we did today what we usually try and avoid. We did a touristy thing on the
weekend. We parked the motorhome at a nearby Wal-Mart and drove into the city
of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is one if the most historic cities in the country. After
all, the Declaration of Independence was signed here, Betsy Ross sewed the first
American flag here, Benjamin Franklin was laid to rest in this great city, the film
Rocky was filmed here, oh wait okay so maybe that isn't as historical for those of
you who didn't grow up in the 80's. Anyways... The largest U.S. Mint is here where
80% of all coins that Americans use today are printed, by the way it was closed
today, ugh! St. Augustine, one of the most gorgeous churches in the country is
here and of course the great and infamous original Liberty Bell is housed here.
Well we did today what we usually try and avoid. We did a touristy thing on the
weekend. We parked the motorhome at a nearby Wal-Mart and drove into the city
of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is one if the most historic cities in the country. After
all, the Declaration of Independence was signed here, Betsy Ross sewed the first
American flag here, Benjamin Franklin was laid to rest in this great city, the film
Rocky was filmed here, oh wait okay so maybe that isn't as historical for those of
you who didn't grow up in the 80's. Anyways... The largest U.S. Mint is here where
80% of all coins that Americans use today are printed, by the way it was closed
today, ugh! St. Augustine, one of the most gorgeous churches in the country is
here and of course the great and infamous original Liberty Bell is housed here.
Well with that said, I must add, it isn't the prettiest city that we have come across, which was a little sad to see. The city is very run down and in quite a dilapidated
state, which I think our founding fathers might frown upon, but then if they came back in today's world they would probably frown upon many more things than the
condition of Philly, but then again if we fed them a good Philly cheese steak sandwich they might just forgive us. We had a good time today, but we did realize just
how much we love playing tourist on a Wednesday versus a Saturday. The only down side to our traveling the country at our own pace is that we often forget
what day it is. Note to self - check calendar before entering big city in the future. Another thing that was a bit frustrating with the city is that 90% of the streets are
one way, so when you miss something that you wanted to stop at, you have to drive an extra block out of your way and then backtrack another 2-4 blocks just to
make sure you don't miss it a second time as you circle the block. Good thing we had the entire day to blow on the 'City of Brotherly Love'. The great thing about
Philadelphia is that all the historical sites are nicely placed within a one mile square, so you don't have to rely on public transportation to get anywhere, just your
legs. The other plus is that it gives you more of a history lesson of our country in one day than any class you can take anywhere which was well worth the trip.
state, which I think our founding fathers might frown upon, but then if they came back in today's world they would probably frown upon many more things than the
condition of Philly, but then again if we fed them a good Philly cheese steak sandwich they might just forgive us. We had a good time today, but we did realize just
how much we love playing tourist on a Wednesday versus a Saturday. The only down side to our traveling the country at our own pace is that we often forget
what day it is. Note to self - check calendar before entering big city in the future. Another thing that was a bit frustrating with the city is that 90% of the streets are
one way, so when you miss something that you wanted to stop at, you have to drive an extra block out of your way and then backtrack another 2-4 blocks just to
make sure you don't miss it a second time as you circle the block. Good thing we had the entire day to blow on the 'City of Brotherly Love'. The great thing about
Philadelphia is that all the historical sites are nicely placed within a one mile square, so you don't have to rely on public transportation to get anywhere, just your
legs. The other plus is that it gives you more of a history lesson of our country in one day than any class you can take anywhere which was well worth the trip.
The Philadelphia Bank
The location of Washington's inauguration
| The apartment of Yoko Ono and the late John Lennon |
Apollo Theatre in Harlem
Greenwich Village
Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Home of Seinfeld's infamous Soup Nazi
The Meryll Lynch Bull on Wall Street
The Mercantile Exchange
June 16th - New York City - Downtown Loop Tour -
After lunch we hopped on another double decker bus to see what Downtown Manhattan
had to offer. The first bus we got on had a very annoying tour guide that sounded as
though her voice was only able to make one monotone sound and the microphone
squealed the whole first block. Compared to witty Tom we were greatly disappointed, so
we decided to jump off the bus and wait for the next one to come along. Lucky for us the
buses pass each stop about every 10 minutes, so the wait was very short, and Leanna,
our new tour guide was 100 times better and the microphone didn't make any sound
other than the voice of the tour guide. On this tour, we learned all about The Empire
State Building, where we did our best to get a self portrait while the bus was driving by,
not too bad I must say. Also on this tour we past by the Flatiron Building, Broadway,
Union Square, Chinatown and Little Italy, City Hall and many other historical sites along
with the building where George Washington was inaugurated and still stands today, even
after a terrible fire a century ago where almost all of Manhattan burned to the ground. It
also survived the bombing of the World Trade Center when part of the building came at it
and was caught by an enormous tree that stands above it. We did drive by the World
Trade Site, which looks great compared to two years ago. You can see the beginning of
the foundation of the Freedom Building which will take the place of the fallen Twin Towers
and include a memorial in the middle of the seven buildings, once finished. It's amazing
how often what happened seems to be forgotten in the rest of the country, but when you
walk into this city and see what these people have to look at everyday it sure does bring it
all back. We drove through all the different areas of Manhattan as well, including
Greenwich Village and The Garment District, SoHo, past the New York Court House,
where my favorite show of all times, Law and Order, is often filmed. We drove past Wall
Street and the very famous bull. At the end of the Downtown Loop, we got off at the
shores of East River, which as most people know it isn't actually a river at all, but in fact
the ocean, so the tide comes in and the tide goes out which makes it a bit rough in the
early evening. We walked around this area for a bit before jumping on the Brooklyn Loop.
After lunch we hopped on another double decker bus to see what Downtown Manhattan
had to offer. The first bus we got on had a very annoying tour guide that sounded as
though her voice was only able to make one monotone sound and the microphone
squealed the whole first block. Compared to witty Tom we were greatly disappointed, so
we decided to jump off the bus and wait for the next one to come along. Lucky for us the
buses pass each stop about every 10 minutes, so the wait was very short, and Leanna,
our new tour guide was 100 times better and the microphone didn't make any sound
other than the voice of the tour guide. On this tour, we learned all about The Empire
State Building, where we did our best to get a self portrait while the bus was driving by,
not too bad I must say. Also on this tour we past by the Flatiron Building, Broadway,
Union Square, Chinatown and Little Italy, City Hall and many other historical sites along
with the building where George Washington was inaugurated and still stands today, even
after a terrible fire a century ago where almost all of Manhattan burned to the ground. It
also survived the bombing of the World Trade Center when part of the building came at it
and was caught by an enormous tree that stands above it. We did drive by the World
Trade Site, which looks great compared to two years ago. You can see the beginning of
the foundation of the Freedom Building which will take the place of the fallen Twin Towers
and include a memorial in the middle of the seven buildings, once finished. It's amazing
how often what happened seems to be forgotten in the rest of the country, but when you
walk into this city and see what these people have to look at everyday it sure does bring it
all back. We drove through all the different areas of Manhattan as well, including
Greenwich Village and The Garment District, SoHo, past the New York Court House,
where my favorite show of all times, Law and Order, is often filmed. We drove past Wall
Street and the very famous bull. At the end of the Downtown Loop, we got off at the
shores of East River, which as most people know it isn't actually a river at all, but in fact
the ocean, so the tide comes in and the tide goes out which makes it a bit rough in the
early evening. We walked around this area for a bit before jumping on the Brooklyn Loop.
New York - Upper Loop Tour -
The first tour was the Uptown Tour which included Central Park West and Central
Park East along with Harlem, Strawberry Fields, the memorial for John Lennon,
Museum Mile, The Upper West Side, Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle along with
all the sites in between, which included a few famous television sites such as
where The Late Show with David Letterman is filmed and the Soup Kitchen that got
it's notoriety from a Seinfeld episode where the owner was nicknamed the Soup
Nazi because he would scream "No soup for you" and refuse to serve you soup if
you didn't order it in a very particular way. Our tour ended as we entered Times
Square and our very funny tour guide tried to explain best he could what it's like to
be in Times Square on New Year's Eve. He told to imagine all the cars gone,all the
buses and taxis gone as well. He told us to just imagine if the streets were filled
with about 500,000 people. Imagine those 500,000 people going crazy and
jumping all around once midnight hit and partying all night long, and imagine trying
to get out of that mess. As we drove closer to the site where the ball falls on New
Year's Eve Tom, our tour guide, began a countdown from 10, that we all ended up
joining in on by the time he 1 and then screamed Happy New Year! He started to
wave at all the people below, had all of us yelling Happy New Year and then
announced that we all could scratch 'attend New Year's Eve in Times Square' off
of our 10 things we must do before we die list since we just took care of it in June.
It was a lot of fun, and made for the most fun tour of the day. Before catching the
Downtown Loop, we decided to walk around Times Square and have lunch.
The first tour was the Uptown Tour which included Central Park West and Central
Park East along with Harlem, Strawberry Fields, the memorial for John Lennon,
Museum Mile, The Upper West Side, Lincoln Center, Columbus Circle along with
all the sites in between, which included a few famous television sites such as
where The Late Show with David Letterman is filmed and the Soup Kitchen that got
it's notoriety from a Seinfeld episode where the owner was nicknamed the Soup
Nazi because he would scream "No soup for you" and refuse to serve you soup if
you didn't order it in a very particular way. Our tour ended as we entered Times
Square and our very funny tour guide tried to explain best he could what it's like to
be in Times Square on New Year's Eve. He told to imagine all the cars gone,all the
buses and taxis gone as well. He told us to just imagine if the streets were filled
with about 500,000 people. Imagine those 500,000 people going crazy and
jumping all around once midnight hit and partying all night long, and imagine trying
to get out of that mess. As we drove closer to the site where the ball falls on New
Year's Eve Tom, our tour guide, began a countdown from 10, that we all ended up
joining in on by the time he 1 and then screamed Happy New Year! He started to
wave at all the people below, had all of us yelling Happy New Year and then
announced that we all could scratch 'attend New Year's Eve in Times Square' off
of our 10 things we must do before we die list since we just took care of it in June.
It was a lot of fun, and made for the most fun tour of the day. Before catching the
Downtown Loop, we decided to walk around Times Square and have lunch.
June 16th - Brooklyn Loop Tour and Evening Dinner Tour -
The Brooklyn tour was quick, but fun. We drove over the Manhattan Bride and
attempted another traveling self portrait, since the Brooklyn Bridge doesn't allow
anything over 4 tons to drive across it and definitely nothing commercial. As we
drove into Brooklyn the city skyline was beautiful, and if I did ever live in New
York, I think Brooklyn would win as a place to live in order to see the skyline
every night. As we drove around Brooklyn Heights and the other neighborhoods
the Brooklyn Bridge peaked out almost around every corner which was neat to
see. The upper right picture shows an abandoned area that they are making
into a park along the river. It should be a beautiful place when it's done. The
Brooklyn Tour ended with a drive by Radio City Music Hall and NBC Studios.
The Brooklyn tour was quick, but fun. We drove over the Manhattan Bride and
attempted another traveling self portrait, since the Brooklyn Bridge doesn't allow
anything over 4 tons to drive across it and definitely nothing commercial. As we
drove into Brooklyn the city skyline was beautiful, and if I did ever live in New
York, I think Brooklyn would win as a place to live in order to see the skyline
every night. As we drove around Brooklyn Heights and the other neighborhoods
the Brooklyn Bridge peaked out almost around every corner which was neat to
see. The upper right picture shows an abandoned area that they are making
into a park along the river. It should be a beautiful place when it's done. The
Brooklyn Tour ended with a drive by Radio City Music Hall and NBC Studios.
June 16th - New York City -
Since the motorhome has an appointment to get it's oil changed tomorrow here in New Jersey at Prevost, we decided to take full advantage of our close proximity
to New York City and our up and coming two days off. Considering that we arrived in New Jersey on Sunday, and have sworn off ever visiting a destination place
on a weekend we stayed home with the birds all day yesterday, washed the Jeep and motorhome and did a bit of research on what we would do today in the city.
Since the best way to see everything and not have to navigate ourselves, seemed to be atop the second floor of a double decker bus, and since we had so much
fun on the Chicago one two years ago, we decided to climb aboard one in the Big Apple. We bought the all day all loop ticket, since we wanted to see all there
was to see and this way we would know right where to get off and explore after we familiarized ourselves with the city.
Since the motorhome has an appointment to get it's oil changed tomorrow here in New Jersey at Prevost, we decided to take full advantage of our close proximity
to New York City and our up and coming two days off. Considering that we arrived in New Jersey on Sunday, and have sworn off ever visiting a destination place
on a weekend we stayed home with the birds all day yesterday, washed the Jeep and motorhome and did a bit of research on what we would do today in the city.
Since the best way to see everything and not have to navigate ourselves, seemed to be atop the second floor of a double decker bus, and since we had so much
fun on the Chicago one two years ago, we decided to climb aboard one in the Big Apple. We bought the all day all loop ticket, since we wanted to see all there
was to see and this way we would know right where to get off and explore after we familiarized ourselves with the city.
The Needle at Times Square
Grant's tomb
Central Park
Museum Mile
| New York City Court House, where many a Law and Order scene was filmed. |
Self portrait at the Empire State Building
After the Brooklyn Loop we walked around a few blocks, including 6th Avenue and stopped for some pizza at Ray's Pizza Shop. We were gong to head home and
not take the evening tour, since we were still a bit hungry, but we decided to stop and ask one of the tour guides what the evening tour involved. The clouds
above us looked a bit black and we didn't want to sit in the outdoors in the rain and cold. We noticed a few buses parked, and one of them had an enclosed glass
roof. We asked if they all did that. The man said no they didn't, but if we wanted to go on that one instead of the regular tour we could. This one, he went on to
tell us also served dinner. Thinking that it sounded too good to be true, we explained to him that we only had the regular tour tickets, but he told us it wasn't a
problem, just go ahead and get on the bus, so we did. It turned out that this tour is still in it's testing period, so they needed people to take it, and give them some
feedback. Hey, you want to send us on a fun dinner ride and not charge us extra we won't complain. I'll be your guinea pig for those types of things any day.
not take the evening tour, since we were still a bit hungry, but we decided to stop and ask one of the tour guides what the evening tour involved. The clouds
above us looked a bit black and we didn't want to sit in the outdoors in the rain and cold. We noticed a few buses parked, and one of them had an enclosed glass
roof. We asked if they all did that. The man said no they didn't, but if we wanted to go on that one instead of the regular tour we could. This one, he went on to
tell us also served dinner. Thinking that it sounded too good to be true, we explained to him that we only had the regular tour tickets, but he told us it wasn't a
problem, just go ahead and get on the bus, so we did. It turned out that this tour is still in it's testing period, so they needed people to take it, and give them some
feedback. Hey, you want to send us on a fun dinner ride and not charge us extra we won't complain. I'll be your guinea pig for those types of things any day.
