Cheese Please

Wisconsin. Home of cheese and as we would soon find out, home of beer drinking. Before any cheese intake would begin, we traveled our way to some RV Park in the lower half of Wisconsin that touted river tubing. Never having done this before, but thoroughly enjoying river rafting, it seemed like a good idea. Cheap tubes, pretty river...how could you go wrong? But let's just say river rafting and river tubing are two different animals. The real problem with tubing is that the river doesn't really seem like it's moving. One mile takes about five hours. And we didn't really figure this out until hour three. So it seemed a tad bit....seemed a tad bit boring. Even for a tanning loving person like Britni. But to our surprise the river was busy. Tubing was the thing to do in Wisconsin. And then it all made sense as we saw tubes with no people and just coolers full of beer. And as we paddled down river trying to cut our five hour/one mile long trip to a somewhat shorter adventure these Winsconsiners would tell us that this is what they do. They drink beer and they tube. Of course one of them added that he did go to work that day, but was quick to follow that as soon as he got off he grabbed his tube, his 18 pack of Keystone Light, and hit the river. And I thought it was all about cheese in Wisconsin!

Next day we did make it about the cheese. We hit up Decatur Diaries, a cute little cheese factory with award winning cheese (it was actually world championship cheese as they had one the recent global competition for their Muenster). Never thought I really liked Muenster all that much, but let me tell you, it's delicious. Anyway, nice thing about these small little cheese factories is they are not busy and they are willing to take you on a tour....a personal tour at that. Brit and I were escorted around the whole facility (inside and out) by a fine older cheese maker who was a very jolly fellow. I guess that's what a lot of cheese eating does to a person....just look at Brit! But the tour was great. Got up close and personal to the big vats, the salt container where the cheese solidifies, the packaging area, and the back room where 100,000 lbs. of cheese sits and waits distribution. Very cool. Definitely exceeded our expectations for the tour and I definitely gained me some points. :)   (if you want to taste the cheese we are talking about, it's Boar's Head: Muenster. Available at most high-end supermarkets....delicious).

Kansas? Nope, Illinois

We had thoughts of following Greensky to a music festival in Missouri, but it was overbearingly hot for outdoor dancing. So we did a little ad-lib and decided to head up to Illlinois and Wisconsin.

Southern Illinois was definitely not what I thought it to be. Don't exactly know what I thought it to be, but it kind of reminds me of like Kansas. Of course, I've never been to Kansas either, but I think you get the idea. Barren, flat, cornfields with occasional windmill here and there. Pretty, but not expected. We stayed at Lake Shaboygan State Park. The park was pretty nice, but we ran into one of the gnarliest thunderstorms that night. Torrential downpour/flash flood status for about an hour and then it was completely gone. Seems to be the M.O of the Midwest/East Coast. Definitely strange for us California folk, but at least the lightning is entertaining.

Tracked our way up north to the Chicago suburb of Joliet. Made home for a few days at a local RV Park and constructed our plans for Wisconsin. Big plans, might I say. When you are dating a cheese-loving woman, Wisconsin comes to be one of the most important places of the trip. So the pressure was on. What to see, where to go, and what to do? Pretty much I had to get this one right otherwise I'm losing some major points. So took a few days (longer than our usual one day) at this Joliet RV Park until the plans were set and to Wisconsin we go!

Missouuuu!

Three days, 25 hours, and a whole lot of gas money.... to Missouri we are. Didn't really realize that it was half way across the country, but definitely realized after those hours of endless driving and for Greensky it's worth it. It was hot in Missouri (and I mean hot), but we eventually reached our destination in Columbia and stayed at an RV Park (with a pool and full hook-ups) and tapped into the AC. Got a good spot, called the cab, and off we go to the show.

Show was good! Always is...and the boys were happy to see us. So happy they actually gave us free tickets (always a plus).

Next day....St. Louis for another show. Stayed right across the river from the arch at some random Casino RV Park. Pretty view, but unfortunately the arch was closed for maintenance...maybe next time. Took the train from East St. Louis, Illinois across the river to the ballpark in St. Louis, Missouri. I was interested to see the ballpark, seen the Dodgers lose there in the last three playoffs. So it was intriguing to see what I see on TV the last few years.

Show was good again!. St. Louis was pretty barren aroud the ballpark and venue, but seemed like a cooler city compared to some we have seen before.

Decision time

We had plans to circle the New England area for a month until our favorite band (Greensky Bluegrass) hit the Northeast so we could go on tour for 4-5 shows. 

But this is what we call Decision time.... with the money running a tad bit low and really not much else to do until they came... it became the decision whether to wait it out or head back west. 

Conveniently Greensky was playing 3 shows in Missouri 4 days from today.  So we could still see the band and dance a little bit without having to aimlessly meander for a month (and save a good chunk of change on those daily RV parks fees).  So... as any tough decision... we sat and thought about it for a few hours.  But then decided it would be better to begin the westward ho.

To Missouri we go    

Acadia to Bangor, ME

Acadia is probably one of the lushest places I have ever been.  Green trees for as long as the eyes can see.  Bar harbor is a real cute little town that sits pretty much right in the park.  They got it real good there...



From Acadia we headed to Bangor Maine to see some music.  Moe. (one of my favorite bands) and government mule (warren haynes from Allman brothers' new band) were playing together on the river.

We, luckily, got to stay the night right on the river for free.  Here on some pics of that

 

And this is what your feet looks like after a show

 

Acadia National Park pictures

Maine

So Maine is great.  But its going to cost you a pretty penny to get there.  And its not just Maine that taxes you... New Hampshire gets their share as well.  What do I mean... I mean tolls.  Lots of tolls.  Every 30 miles there is a toll.

So we leave MA and head north.  Get to New Hampshire and there is a toll.  Just a couple of dollars.  No biggie.  We get to the end of New Hampshire..... another toll.  Just a few more bucks.  No biggie.  We get to Maine... toll.  Another 5 bucks.  OK OK.  We drive about 30 miles more into Maine (same road/freeway)... toll.  Another 5 bucks.  What?!!!!  We drive another 40 miles... (again same freeway) toll.  Oh my gosh.. what the ^&$#... this is crazy. 

5 tolls (2 in New Hampshire.. which is literally 30 miles wide) and 19 dollars later.... 

Welcome to Maine :)