The Wandering Oddbits go to Wisconsin and Iowa
My Memorial Day weekend was spent traveling to Wisconsin and Iowa with Neb, the Druid, and Raoul. You may wonder why the pope wasn't along or why I didn't join him at Heartland. I have decided that I am not ever camping again and he really wanted to go to Heartland, so we both did our own thing. I think we both had a great time, even though we missed each other.
We began our trip Friday evening. First we drove up to Cameron, Missouri, for dinner at a pub. Much fried food was consumed, including the first cheese curds of the trip (we just couldn't wait till Wisconsin for them!). I am smugly pleased to be on the way and sitting next to a pool boy whose hair attracted much attention. :) I am also suspicious of whatever the Druid is up to here, which is unsurprising.
I took my first turn at the wheel before I completely collapsed from Snot (I spent the weekend stuffed up and/or hacking up snot). I drove as far as Des Moines then turned it over to the Druid. We eventually ended up in Dubuque to fall into bed (Ambien and NyQuil, take me away!)
Next morning, we snacked on protein bars and such for breakfast so we could get up to House on the Rock and environs. In Spring Green, we stopped at a place called the Shed, where even a simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich was quite good and the rhubarb custard pie was amazing. Also, there was a pterodactyl.
The House on the Rock was nearly overstimulating. I walked it carrying a bag for used tissues with a bag inside of unused tissues. I'm sure I looked very odd to passersby. One feature of the house was the somewhat terrifying Infinity Room, which basically is a windowed finger pointing out over the forest. The thing moves as you walk in it like a bridge, but there is no comforting view of the other side of the bridge in this room.
Being in the house felt a little like being in a pocket dimension where time moved at a different rate and the laws of physics didn't quite work the way you expect. In the beginning (other than the Infinity Room), I felt very grounded. The house itself is a wonderful meld of outdoors and in, with trees and ponds meeting plush carpet and built-in couches. Also the earlier collections are housed in the Mill House, which is indeed an old mill and touching the walls is like connecting to the past. However, by the time we got to the Organ Room, I was starting to feel disconnected and the way the tour moves through that room led to my being just a step out of time with the rest of the world. It wasn't a BAD feeling, per se, but it did make the effects of the carousel and dolls and music machines and circus memorabilia that much more surreal.
As we were leaving the place, someone said that if there were reptile men outside, they were going back inside. I don't remember who said it, but it clearly stuck with me!
By the time we got out of the alternate dimension, we were ready to get some relaxation in. We headed up to Wisconsin Dells, which reminds me a lot of Myrtle Beach. There are many t-shirt/bathing suit/beach towel stores mixed with attractions like miniature golf and funhouses, with restaurants and motels everywhere. We got dinner at a fantastic little Cajun place where, by virtue of my stuffy head, I had crab cakes that were probably over my usual spice threshold. Beignets were consumed for dessert -- YUM. Then we adjourned to a sixties-era motel where we soaked in the hot tub for a while before sleep.
The next morning a breakfast search resulted in a surprisingly-good IHOP clone called Mr. Pancake. Then we hit Wizard Quest. I really enjoyed the challenge of using both wits and observation, plus some strategic "I need a smaller person!" moments for getting into small spaces like under tables and into tunnels. The quest is a combination of answering riddles, finding answers to questions by really paying attention, and leaving no stone unturned and no wall unchecked for a possible door. Answering questions earns points which are used to free wizards which have been trapped. But to free them, you also have to find them and not a single one is easy to find. It took forever to find the Fire Wizard and that's why we took 98 minutes instead of the how-you-win 90 to complete the quest. It was still great fun. Here's evidence of how the Scholar will write on anything to preserve knowledge -- look closely at my arm; my knee bears evidence of why the Scholar should not lead the party (I tripped UP the stairs, you guys).
Then we decided to head down to Mt. Horeb, a small town known for its collection of carved trolls. We strolled along the main street and saw lots of interesting trolls, like the gardener and one in a dentist's office. Also, there was the mayor. We dined at The Grumpy Troll, where I had really good fish & chips and was the designated driver so the rest of the Oddbits could try the beer sampler.
We pressed on after dinner to the Quad Cities, adding Illinois to our states for the trip, since we stayed in Moline. In the morning, we headed out to the Largest Truck Stop in the World on I-80 for breakfast. Then we did a drive and stop tour of places in Iowa: Iowa City and Coralville to see the libraries the Druid grew up with, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum (I enjoyed the temporary exhibit of presidents' school records and photos), the Druid's family's tree farm (I actually had a tick on me from this, but it was a dog tick and not a deer tick and it was on my clothes and not my skin thankfully), the Amana colonies (they were a communal society, but they're not anymore), an Amish grocery, and a town called Fairfield where there is an area being built according to the principles of Ayurveda.
After that, we were all ready to get home, so we drove pretty much straight on home from there.
I am tired and sore today and a little concerned about money, but I had a fantastic time (I only really had mood issues on Monday; I'm very fortunate to have amazing friends who will patiently wait for the bipolar to swing back the other way).
Photos linked here are from Neb's flickr. The whole set is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10461369@N02/sets/72157626726636037/with/5780782607/
We began our trip Friday evening. First we drove up to Cameron, Missouri, for dinner at a pub. Much fried food was consumed, including the first cheese curds of the trip (we just couldn't wait till Wisconsin for them!). I am smugly pleased to be on the way and sitting next to a pool boy whose hair attracted much attention. :) I am also suspicious of whatever the Druid is up to here, which is unsurprising.
I took my first turn at the wheel before I completely collapsed from Snot (I spent the weekend stuffed up and/or hacking up snot). I drove as far as Des Moines then turned it over to the Druid. We eventually ended up in Dubuque to fall into bed (Ambien and NyQuil, take me away!)
Next morning, we snacked on protein bars and such for breakfast so we could get up to House on the Rock and environs. In Spring Green, we stopped at a place called the Shed, where even a simple grilled ham and cheese sandwich was quite good and the rhubarb custard pie was amazing. Also, there was a pterodactyl.
The House on the Rock was nearly overstimulating. I walked it carrying a bag for used tissues with a bag inside of unused tissues. I'm sure I looked very odd to passersby. One feature of the house was the somewhat terrifying Infinity Room, which basically is a windowed finger pointing out over the forest. The thing moves as you walk in it like a bridge, but there is no comforting view of the other side of the bridge in this room.
Being in the house felt a little like being in a pocket dimension where time moved at a different rate and the laws of physics didn't quite work the way you expect. In the beginning (other than the Infinity Room), I felt very grounded. The house itself is a wonderful meld of outdoors and in, with trees and ponds meeting plush carpet and built-in couches. Also the earlier collections are housed in the Mill House, which is indeed an old mill and touching the walls is like connecting to the past. However, by the time we got to the Organ Room, I was starting to feel disconnected and the way the tour moves through that room led to my being just a step out of time with the rest of the world. It wasn't a BAD feeling, per se, but it did make the effects of the carousel and dolls and music machines and circus memorabilia that much more surreal.
As we were leaving the place, someone said that if there were reptile men outside, they were going back inside. I don't remember who said it, but it clearly stuck with me!
By the time we got out of the alternate dimension, we were ready to get some relaxation in. We headed up to Wisconsin Dells, which reminds me a lot of Myrtle Beach. There are many t-shirt/bathing suit/beach towel stores mixed with attractions like miniature golf and funhouses, with restaurants and motels everywhere. We got dinner at a fantastic little Cajun place where, by virtue of my stuffy head, I had crab cakes that were probably over my usual spice threshold. Beignets were consumed for dessert -- YUM. Then we adjourned to a sixties-era motel where we soaked in the hot tub for a while before sleep.
The next morning a breakfast search resulted in a surprisingly-good IHOP clone called Mr. Pancake. Then we hit Wizard Quest. I really enjoyed the challenge of using both wits and observation, plus some strategic "I need a smaller person!" moments for getting into small spaces like under tables and into tunnels. The quest is a combination of answering riddles, finding answers to questions by really paying attention, and leaving no stone unturned and no wall unchecked for a possible door. Answering questions earns points which are used to free wizards which have been trapped. But to free them, you also have to find them and not a single one is easy to find. It took forever to find the Fire Wizard and that's why we took 98 minutes instead of the how-you-win 90 to complete the quest. It was still great fun. Here's evidence of how the Scholar will write on anything to preserve knowledge -- look closely at my arm; my knee bears evidence of why the Scholar should not lead the party (I tripped UP the stairs, you guys).
Then we decided to head down to Mt. Horeb, a small town known for its collection of carved trolls. We strolled along the main street and saw lots of interesting trolls, like the gardener and one in a dentist's office. Also, there was the mayor. We dined at The Grumpy Troll, where I had really good fish & chips and was the designated driver so the rest of the Oddbits could try the beer sampler.
We pressed on after dinner to the Quad Cities, adding Illinois to our states for the trip, since we stayed in Moline. In the morning, we headed out to the Largest Truck Stop in the World on I-80 for breakfast. Then we did a drive and stop tour of places in Iowa: Iowa City and Coralville to see the libraries the Druid grew up with, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum (I enjoyed the temporary exhibit of presidents' school records and photos), the Druid's family's tree farm (I actually had a tick on me from this, but it was a dog tick and not a deer tick and it was on my clothes and not my skin thankfully), the Amana colonies (they were a communal society, but they're not anymore), an Amish grocery, and a town called Fairfield where there is an area being built according to the principles of Ayurveda.
After that, we were all ready to get home, so we drove pretty much straight on home from there.
I am tired and sore today and a little concerned about money, but I had a fantastic time (I only really had mood issues on Monday; I'm very fortunate to have amazing friends who will patiently wait for the bipolar to swing back the other way).
Photos linked here are from Neb's flickr. The whole set is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10461369@N02/sets/72157626726636037/with/5780782607/