Nomad Life - Day 61

The wakeup this morning (0500) required an alarm - that didn't bode well for my journey towards the Mountain Time Zone later in the day...  After beginning to telework immediately, I was in front of my computer continuously until 1200, with a very short break to get breakfast in the lobby at the Econo Lodge Amarillo East.  With meetings completed, I checked out of the hotel and made my way north (via TX-136) so I could visit Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument.  Along the way, I was treated to wide vistas across the high (over 3000 feet above sea level) plains - wow!  The day, as it has usually been during my Nomad Life, was wonderful (sunny, breezy and temps in the 70s) and I was able to crank up the speed to reach the park Visitor Center by 1245.  Prior to my arrival, I'd called ahead to ask about the daily tours (that usually take place daily at 1000 and 1400) - I'd been informed that they'd started to leave earlier in the day (due to forecasted heat).  For this reason, I didn't get to take a tour.  No matter - I watched an informative movie, explored the interesting museum and did some birding.  Finished with the only sanctioned park activities, I drove down to the nearby Boat Launch, hoping to get close to Lake Meredith.  Sadly, the water levels were severely reduced (I learned later this was because some dams had been built upstream on the Canadian River (in New Mexico) that limited the flow.  After about 45 minutes on site, I departed the National Monument property (reversed direction from the earlier drive) and headed back to Amarillo.  After reaching the I-40 Frontage Road (1355), I got some gas at a Valero that offered a really good rate per gallon.  Next, I drove about five miles to Blue Sky Burgers (recommended by Trish & Terry) so I could get some lunch.  I arrived at the restaurant by 1405 and, lacking any specific ideas for the food choices, I ordered from the sign that described all the potential toppings.  In the end, this meant that I'd chosen a cheeseburger (with "the works") and some tater tots smothered in cheese and bacon.  The food was good!  While eating, I teleworked a bit more (catching up on emails from my colleagues on the East Coast).  During this time, I was approached by some older folks who asked where I was from.  When I'd finished explaining the details of my Nomad Life, I learned that one of them had run a marathon in 49 of 50 states - he had a business card and everything (and he even knew who Johnny Kelley was).  I was finished with my meal by 1445 and then departed Amarillo (on I-40) to the west.  My subsequent drive across the Texas Panhandle was quite smooth, with the only slow downs being caused by the large number of trucks that kept passing each other.  Last night, I'd considered stopping at the Cadillac Ranch but, in the heat of the moment, I missed the exit. As I passed the cars (the other side of the Interstate anyway), I thought back to visits our family made to the iconic spot during the years we lived in Fort Worth. From that point, there was very little in the way of scenery or landmarks.  Like yesterday, I passed many, many windmills and some livestock in their pens.  One thing I did note was a sign for the Goodnight-Loving Trail, the inspiration for the book, "Lonesome Dove".  I looked to the north and the south and wondered how anyone could navigate without anything for reference...  The high plains eventually gave way to small mesas and, by the New Mexico border, the terrain was an interesting mix of table lands and rocky outcroppings.  At that point, the time-zone changed and I cringed a bit to consider my next few days of acclimatizing with my work schedule.  After seeing countless signs for Historic Route 66 along the way, I got off the highway at Tucumcari and drove along an original section that passed through town.  Tucumcari had definitely seen better days, with about two in three buildings looking abandoned.  There were, however, many inadvertent reminders of Route 66: murals, signs and other monument.  After resuming my drive on I-40, I encountered some light rain but, otherwise, the weather was good.  Just after I passed the town of Santa Rosa, I got off the Interstate and got on US-84, which took me to the north.  Later, I began to see signs that indicated this route was an older version (Pre-1937) of US-66.  I'd hoped to stop for a break or even some gas but there were almost no businesses along this 50 mile stretch of road.  The scenery, though, definitely improved and I was soon looking at the foothills and distant peaks of the Southern Rocky Mountains.  Just before I reached I-25. I saw a sign that indicated I was traveling above 6000 feet above sea level.  Leaving US-84 and swapping the two lane for the Interstate, I headed north until I could exit at the town of Las Vegas. I arrived at my hotel, the Regal Inn. at 1700 and was soon able to unpack my car - this place will be my HQ for the next few days.  As usual, I first confirmed that I had good internet but, for once, I also finished up the remaining time of my telework day.  After that, I went in search of a place that might have local beers.  Google Maps suggested a place called Lupe's Lounge - it was a dive bar in the back of a liquor store.  Surprisingly, though, I found the bartender to be nice, the clientele to be friendly and curious and the atmosphere relaxing.  After noticing what other patrons were drinking, I tried a Sol Chelada (tomato beer from Mexico) - the bartender was surprised that I had never had it ("everyone knows this beer")/  The selection was OK but tasted like alcoholic tomato juice.  New "friends" at the bar suggested that I try a Pacifico Clara (lager from Mexico) and I did - it was better.  As happens nearly every time I show up in a new place, the patrons were very interested in my travels and life on the road and asked that I join them the following evening (I made no promises).  Finished with my happy hour (1830) I drove a short distance to visit the downtown area of Las Vegas.  I'd been warned that a lot of the normal parking lots and roads would be closed because there was some kind of moving being filmed in town - this turned out to be true but I was able to park a few blocks from the famous Plaza.  Right after getting out of the car and noticing signs about the Santa Fe Trail (which had, apparently, come right through the center of Las Vegas), I found nice walking trail through Gallinas River Park. I spent about an hour walking on it and enjoyed the pretty evening weather - almost sweater weather!  A lady walking the other way warned me about a tarantula she'd seen (yikes!) but I didn't cross paths with the arachnid.  My walk ended up being bracketed between the southern terminus of the trail and Mills Street to the north.  After backtracking, I made my way into the historic old Plaza.  It was dark already and there were people departing from the area of a well lit gazebo - it seemed that I'd just missed a musical performance.  After that, I did a full circuit of the Plaza and then headed north on Bridge Street and explored the campus of New Mexico Highlands University.  I got my first "howdy" from a cowboy hatted walking buddy... I briefly considered getting some food (late dinner) but decided against that and returned to my car (1930).  Back at the hotel, I spent the evening reading and relaxing.  Due to my long day and the time change, I went to bed relatively early (2145).  Very glad to be back in the "Land of Enchantment"!

Nomad Life - Day 60

For some reason, I was awake much earlier than I'd hoped - I tried (briefly) to get back to sleep but it wasn't possible...  Instead, I started teleworking at 0500 (0600 Eastern Time) and then took a short break for a little walk (about a mile) and some birding (using the Merlin app) near the Quality Inn and then ate breakfast in the hotel lobby.  Returning to my room, I resumed teleworking.  Even though I'd requested a late checkout (noon), I kept getting bothered by the cleaning staff and front desk - as a result, I left my room and checked out of the hotel at about 1145 (after nearly 6.5 hours of work).  Ironically, the clerk at the desk by that point said that I was eligible to stay in my room until 1300 because of my Choice loyalty status.  SMH.  Due to the time crunch, I ended up skipping a formal lunch (instead, ate snacks in my car).  I got some (very inexpensive) gas at the QuickTrip that was located next door and departed Broken Arrow by 1205.  Since Oklahoma has many, many toll roads, my western progress required some out-of-the-way routing - Google Maps was not very much help and I decided to mostly ignore it.  Instead, I drove through the southern reaches of Tulsa on surface streets and ultimately crossed the Arkansas River at East 96th Street (accessed from Riverside Drive).  Next, I made my way to US-75, which I used to drive south.  Wanting to avoid Oklahoma City, I didn't follow Google Maps (which wanted me to keep going south) - instead, I utilized OK-117 and OK-66 (which followed the path of the historic US-66).  In this area, I encountered a gas station with $2.36 per gallon - wow!  All of the extra work to outwit Google paid off, eventually, when I reached OK-33, a road that basically paralleled all the other toll roads across the state.  Overall, I'd probably lost about 10 minutes in fighting the map recommendations but I had also avoided all tolls and the OKC metro.  Relieved, I settled in for several hours of almost straight line driving across the prairie.  I started to see a lot of oil rigs and massive windmills while towns were few and far between.  Most of the time, I was able to maintain at least 65 mph but, at other times, I could bump up to 70 and the limited traffic kept pace.  I passed through a couple of hamlets while I was listening to an audio book of Jack Kerouac's "The Road" that referenced similar places in OK/TX - small world!  Throughout this drive on OK-33 (which eventually turned towards the Southwest), I rarely had to pass anyone or stop at lights and was very happy with my choice of routes.  Signs I passed in various places indicated that I was very close to the famous Chisholm Trail.  Approaching the town of Thomas, I switched to OK-54 and used it reach I-40 in the town of Weatherford.  From there, the speeds got even higher (75-80 mph) and the high plains (I had already passed 3000 feet above mean sea level) slopped as far as the eye could see in all directions.  During this section of my drive, I noticed signs for the The Great Western (Cattle) Trail.  When I passed near the town of Altus, which I'd flown into several times during my Navy career, I finally figured out that it was the home of the Oklahoma Space Port.  During the rest of my drive, I saw signs (at each exit) for museums and other sites related to Historic Route 66.  I would have liked to check out each of these landmarks but was making good time and wanted to time fuel, food and bio breaks that would allow me to reach Amarillo before dark (so I'd have time for some outdoor activity there).  Just before I reached the town of Elk City, Mollie called and we spoke briefly before I arrived at the Burger King there (1615).  I ate my dinner inside the restaurant, did some teleworking (30 minutes) and then got back on I-40.  Afterwards, I resumed my call with Mollie and we had a nice chat (mostly about her job).  During the conversation, I crossed into Texas and started to encounter light rain.  Once I was off the phone, I stopped a few times: at a fancy new rest area on a high bluff, at the leaning tower of Texas in Groom (Britten Cattle Company ?) and at my first Buc-ee's on the outskirts of Amarillo.  At the latter location, I got a funny photo of me with a statue of Buc-ee and shared it with my daughters (they liked it).  Five miles later (using I-40 West), I arrived at my hotel, the Econo Lodge Amarillo East (1900).  After getting checked into my room and verifying that the internet worked, I departed for a walk near the hotel (1930).  Along the way, I found some interesting lakes, explored the parking lots for other hotels, interacted with some RVers at the Cracker Barrel next door and walked around in the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum parking lot.  After three miles in the cool (60s) evening air, I got back in my hotel (2035) and did my last hour of teleworking.  Before finishing my day, I caught up on several days of blogging (I'd fallen behind); I was finished with my computers by 2215.  Less than 30 minutes later, I was settled into my bed.  Very glad to have gotten today's long drive completed!

Nomad Life - Day 59

After a wonderful visit to Northwest Arkansas, I woke up (with my alarm) at 0530 and got ready quickly for my departure from John and Laura's.  I dressed up because I was planning to attend church with my family a few hours later.  Breakfast was a blueberry muffin that my friends had picked up for me late the night before - they've been so nice to me!  By 0630, my car was packed up and I was ready to leave Bella Vista.  John and Laura got up to say goodbye to me and I was on the road about 15 minutes later.  The weather was cool and misty in the Ozarks as I departed to the west on AR-340.  Shifting to AR-279 and, later, AR-72 I passed through the town of Gravette.  Later, AR-59 helped me reach US-412 and the eastern end of the town of Siloam Springs.  By 0720, I was headed west into Oklahoma!  The skies stayed clear, although the temps kept rising as I drove - it was a great day for driving.  For most of my drive, I was on Cherokee Tribal Land; I made sure to keep my speed under control.  Because I've been trying to avoid getting toll receipts by mail during my Nomad Life, I made sure to stay off of the Cherokee Turnpike.  Instead, I used US-412 Alt and had a pleasant drive across rolling hills, which later gave way to prairie land.  Speeds were pretty good and the traffic was light.  I listened to an audio book for much of the morning and stayed on schedule for my planned arrival time in Tulsa.  Just before I crossed the Neosho River, I was able to rejoin US-412 (no more tolls).  As I approached the city, I got on I-44 and followed it to the exit for US-64.  After that, I made my way through a maze of six lane highways and surface streets until I reached Christ the King Catholic Church in downtown Tulsa (0910).  I parked in a nearly full lot and then tried to locate my cousins (Trish and Terry) inside the building.  Fortunately, I was successful and was seated with the family, including their daughters (Megan and Erin), sons-in-laws (Chad and Jacob) and grandkids (Theo, Emelia and baby Edith).  The service began at 0930 and the sanctuary was nearly full - there were a LOT of young families and noisy children.  During the next few hours, I got to know the parish of my extended family (their connection with the church goes back to the founding in the early 1930s).  Following Mass, I joined my cousins and many of their friends in an adjoining chapel for Edith's baptism.  The family's parish priest (Father Vincent) from their time in Minnesota was present to perform the Sacrament and the whole event was very joyful.  After many, many photos, we adjourned to the nearby Catholic School playground for a small reception (special family trail mix recipe, sparking water and very decorative cookies).  Trish and Terry asked if I would join them and Father Vincent for lunch and I eagerly accepted.  We departed from Christ the King Parish at about 1135 and, on the way to Broken Arrow (about 10 miles), I spoke with a former colleague (John S.).  After arriving (1205), we all gathered inside the restaurant, The Ridge Grill, and had an enjoyable meal (I ordered the Focaccia Club and had shoestring fries with it).  Everyone was in good spirits and there was a lot of news to share.  When we were done eating (1315), we headed to Trish and Terry's home (it was very close) and, after I got a tour of the recently completed structure, changed into more comfortable clothing.  Terry, Father Vincent and I watched some football while Trish prepared a large dinner for the entire family that was planned for a few hours later.  During this window, I was able to make a reservation at a nearby hotel but then spent the next few hours visiting and relaxing.  There were also a few opportunities to communicate (via text) with my sister's family, my daughters and Gerard - they were very excited to be hearing from me about the baptism and other family news.  At one point, I tried some Irish Vodka (!) that Trish and Terry had found during a trip to Ireland - it was good - but, otherwise, I drank lots of water.  The home was very light and airy, despite temps being in the mid 90s - I learned a lot about window placement, tinting and other energy saving features.  The high ceilings, wide windows and wonderfully green back yard were wonderful features of the home!  Starting at about 1630, the rest of the family started arriving and I enjoyed catching up on the lives of my younger cousins (Erin, Jacob and Sean K) and their (Chad and Megan) children. The kids had taken a nap and were cheery and smiley as they played with toys and "showed out" for the relatives.  Baby Edith, who'd already slept for most of the day, woke up a few times to provide some more "oohs and aahs".  At 1745, Father Vincent performed a beautiful "house blessing" ceremony for the family (he'd apparently done other homes of theirs before) - it was the first time I'd seen something like that.  Dinner began soon afterward and we had a "deconstructed lasagna", salad and some good red wine (Sangiovese).  At 1900, I called my dad and gave him an update on my Nomad Life.  By then, the family had adjourned to the back yard because the temperatures had dropped into the 70s.  We managed to find time after Chad, Megan and the kids left to view Erin's wedding photos (they were a big hit).  I stayed at Trish and Terry's until about 2045, Erin, Jacob and Sean were ready to leave.  After about a five mile drive to the north, I arrived at my hotel (a Quality Inn, located next to the Broken Arrow Expressway).  After verifying that I had good internet for my work day, I took a nearly four mile walk in parking lots and an Industrial Park nearby.  I wasn't finished with my walk until about 2230 but transitioned quickly to bedtime mode.  There were a few administrative tasks (bills, emails, etc.) that kept me awake for a little longer than I'd hoped - I wasn't "lights out" until 2300.  So glad that I was able to make the quick drive to Tulsa today - the Nomad Life has already provided several great opportunities for family time!  

Nomad Life - Day 58

Many months ago, I made plans with John to attend the Notre Dame versus Arkansas football game on this day.  Actually, the game (along with a flight I have in October out of Los Angeles) factored heavily in the decision to being my Nomad Life.  As a result, it felt very strange to be waking up for this milestone!  I was out of bed by 0500 (without an alarm) and spent about an hour reading and doing Duolingo exercises.  After getting gear together and donning Notre Dame clothes (and hats for both me and John), we were ready to depart Bella Vista (0730).  First, though, we headed over to Thaden Airfield in Bentonville, where we planned to eat breakfast in the shadow of many General Aviation aircraft.  Since the restaurant, Louise, didn't open until 0800, we had time to walk around on the boardwalk trails near Lake Bentonville - there were lots of birds singing nearby on the beautiful morning!  Strangely, we saw a huge number of Tesla Cyber Trucks parked nearby (we learned later that they were connected with an upcoming Airshow).  Once the cafe opened, we ate breakfast (I had eggs benedict).  Our waitress was the happiest and cheeriest person I've yet met on the trip and she expressed her excitement about her job at the airfield.  We were finished eating just before 0900 and headed south out of town on SW I Street.  On the way, we passed Game Aerospace, which specializes in amazing composite stunt aircraft design and manufacture.  Once we were on I-49, we drove south to Fayetteville with minimal traffic until just before we reached the University of Arkansas.  After waiting in a major slow down on a two lane residential street, we started seeing people walking towards the football stadium and it gave us clues that there was some parking in the area.  First, we tried to take advantage of some lots that advertised their spaces for between $25 and $40 - but all of them ended up being full.  Instead, we ended up parking in a residential neighborhood that was next to the Dollar General on Garland Avenue and then walked a short distance to the stadium.  On the way, we encountered lots of Razorback enthusiasm but also saw a lot of green and blue shirts.  Since we still had almost an hour before game time, John and I walked around in the tailgating area, looking for ND fans, but were ultimately unsuccessful.  Instead, we saw lots of Arkansas fans enjoying tailgaters and by-invitation tent parties - it was very crowded!  At 1015, we entered the stadium on the west side (it was easy to get inside there) and located our seats after climbing almost all the way to the top of the stadium.  The weather was spectacular, with clear skies, a light breeze and temps in the mid-70s.  During the following hour, the seats around us filled with Notre Dame fans but the rest of the stadium turned a bright crimson (with tinges of white) as the vibe amped up in anticipation of the game starting.  As the National Anthem played (1110), we were treated to a wonderful fly-by by two F/A-18 Super-hornets (which I believe were from the VFA-143 Pukin' Dogs).  Once the game began, Notre Dame took an early lead and the temps began to climb.  The game was very entertaining and it was fun to watch the home team fans doing their chants of “Wooo Pig Sooie” (known worldwide as a Hog Call) but I commented to John that Arkansas didn't seem to have a very enthusiastic (or fearsome) fan base in attendance.  He replied that he had no frame of reference because it was his first College Football Game.  It was great, then, that he was able to go with me!  At end of first quarter, we went to explore the end zone balcony (cooler and different views than our nosebleed seats) and get some beer.  Unfortunately, we found found huge lines everywhere we went.  As a result, we ended up standing in a line for almost a full quarter of the game.  Again, the lack of fan enthusiasm was on display and it was actually difficult to tell there was a game going on inside the stadium (it was sooo quiet).  John brought up the scoring page on his phone and it was clear that there had been a series of Fighting Irish successes.  By halftime, Notre Dame had taken a sizeable lead and we watched people (mostly in red or white shirts) walking away from the stadium.  Our wait for the beer was finally over, just before the third quarter began, and I realized that I was no longer hot and sweaty (the tunnel where the beer was for sale was cool and pleasant).  Despite our inability to get food (those lines were just as bad as the beer lines), I felt recharged by the time we returned to our seats.  During the second half, we were treated to a much slower pace of play (clock management) but saw some more scoring.  We also got to see the aircrews of the F/A-18s and cheered when two of them revealed their Notre Dame shirts that had been hidden by their flight suits.  Unfortunately, we also saw a horrific injury to a Razorback player...  The stands throughout the stadium were mostly empty by the fourth quarter, although the Arkansas band played valiantly throughout the losing battle.  There were enough Fighting Irish fans that it almost sounded like a home game at times - I convinced John to stay until the end of the contest and there were high fives all around after Notre Dame won.  With the game complete (1430), we decided to walk back to our car and, because we'd parked in a really good location for departing Fayetteville, had very little trouble accessing I-49.  After clearing some traffic near the city limits, it was mostly smooth sailing back to John and Laura's home in Bella Vista.  After we arrived (1545), I relaxed, did laundry and visited with John's neighbor, Tom H, who was an amazing artist, private pilot and author.  We had a great time chatting (lots of mutual interests and he had a painting of a T-2 Buckeye).  As I was leaving, he gave me one of his books and autographed it for me.  Back at the house, I did some blogging and finished up my laundry.  At 1800, John and Laura drove me to Bentonville for dinner.  Prior to our departure, there had sort of been a debate about which restaurant (they had several favorites) but they eventually settled on a place called Pedalers Pub, which was a crowded pizza venue with a well stocked bar.  The restaurant had delicious pizza (I pigged out a bit on that because we'd missed lunch).  I also tried several different beers from the Ozark Beer Company (two were directly recommended by our server).  As we had all week, we enjoyed some great conversation and talked about upcoming travel plans.  We were finished eating by 2000 and returned to John and Laura's.  After arriving, I spent some time packing up my car and thanking my friends for the wonderful visit to their town - we made vague plans to get together again soon and I hope we can make it happen.  I played with the dogs for a little while and then did some reading - bed was just before 2230.  What a great week in the Natural State!

Nomad Life - Day 57

Despite my busy and active day yesterday, I was awake (without my alarm) by 0500 and teleworking very soon afterwards.  Since I had a project that kept me busy for a few hours, I didn't take any breaks until nearly 0900, when I went upstairs to get some breakfast (muffin, tea).  Returning to my pleasant working environment (in John and Laura's "guest floor"), I kept my nose to the grindstone until 1030, when John offered to drive me to see the Walmart Campus in Bentonville - I'd been hearing about this for the entire visit and I was glad to have a chance to see it!  As we got in John's car for the tour, I was pleased to see that we had beautiful day (mid 70s and clear).  Hoping to get some more birding observations in another new state, I asked John to take me about three miles north so we could cross the border into Missouri (near the town of Jane) - he agreed and we soon arrived at the location I'd seen on Google Maps on the Little Sugar River.  There was supposed to be a canoe/kayak launch there but someone had blocked the road.  Fortunately, we did find a heron, red-shouldered hawk and some crows during our five minute visit.  After that, we headed south on US-71 drove through Bella Vista and entered Bentonville.  Following some of the same roads we'd seen the previous evening, we reached an area of town where we started to see a series of huge buildings: three different denominations of churches, a brand new (Walton Family funded) hospital, an art museum and some youth and family centers for the town.  Beyond that, our visit to the Walmart Campus was amazing - everything looked very new and there were SO many new and fancy buildings. Along with many huge structure dedicated to managing the world's largest retail business, there were parking garages with over 1000 vacant spots, a canteen and a special store for employees.  John told me that most of what we'd seen had been built during the previous two or three years - amazing!  On the way back to John and Laura's, we stopped (1200) to pick up some lunch at a Chicago style pizzeria (Gusano's).  It ended up taking almost 30 minutes for our takeout and we barely made it back to the house in time for my scheduled call with my cousin, Jerry C (1230).  While talking to him, I ate my lunch (buffalo chicken wrap) and then resumed working.  At 1515, John suggested that we take another tour of Bella Vista so he could show me two different waterfalls that were located near his house.  Our first stop was at a cascade that flowed out of Lake Windsor (Reservoir) - while there, we walked on the Tanyard Creek Nature Trail and got plenty of pretty views.  We also nearly got hit by a golf ball from the nearby driving range!  Next, we toured some other bike trail areas that John told me he uses nearby every day, visited the wonderful Veterans Memorial, toured Blowing Springs Park and stopped to see a second waterfall at the Lake Ann (Reservoir).  Even though all of these things were very nice, the biggest highlight of the tour was visiting the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel.  The church, which was an amazing building that appeared to be built out of very narrow pieces of wood and had huge glass windows, was the quintessential wedding venue and, in fact, we couldn't go inside because someone was using it for wedding photos.  Instead, we walked on some trails nearby and then headed back to the house (arrived at 1615).  I wrapped up my telework day (finished at 1700) while John started preparing his truck and several bikes for our planned mountain bike outing.  Laura wasn't finished with her telework - I was willing to wait until she was ready but she kept suggesting we depart without her.  During this time, I watched John working on his bikes and learned about his extensive collection.  He had chosen a wonderful bike for me to use and I was eager to get on the trail as soon as we could.  By 1730, Laura informed us that she was ready to join us - John had, by then, packed and repacked the car with three, then two, then three bikes.  All of this effort was worthwhile because I'd really hoped we'd all get to ride together and that was then possible.  From their home, John drove Laura and me south on US-71.  We parked near a restaurant in (North) Bentonville called The Bend.  From this location, we were able to get on the Razorback Greenway and head south (1745).  I should note that all of the trails that we planned to ride were clearly marked on Google Maps, making for an amazing evening of exploring without any worries of getting lost.  While I mainly rode on the paved or gravel trails, John and Laura would zip off to access dirt or gravel tracks that had jumps and other obstacles.  It was very clear they were comfortable on two wheels! After taking a fork onto the North Bentonville Trail, we stopped at the North Skills Park (it had jumps and hills and ramps) and watched Laura riding on an *real* obstacle course - she was amazing!  Meanwhile, I experimented with my own bike, an amazingly advanced and rider friendly model.  I started to feel comfortable with all the wonderful features (shocks, adjustable seat, great big wheels, etc.) and this allowed John and Laura to coax me into trying some "off road" mountain biking.  After checking out a few of the easier tracks and following Medieval Trail, we ended up near a place called the Oz Castle.  The coolest thing about that location was that riders who reached the top were able to choose from about six different trails (of varying difficulty) for their descent.  John and Laura told me it might not be fun but encouraged me to try to climb the hill.  Reluctantly, at first, I gave it a shot.  It took a lot of balance and pedaling on the Lombard Trail but I ultimately made it!  John and Laura said they were surprised I'd been able to get there and that praise felt good.  While I was catching my breath, John and Laura each chose a trail and raced to the bottom of the hill - they then rode back up to the top for more tries. After some photos (and a bit of walking to reach an area where I thought I could ride safely), I made way downhill without fanfare (or jumps/obstacles) on the Firnas Trail.  I only lost my balance once!  Laura continued to pile on the kudos and I thanked both of my friends for encouraging me to try the challenging ride.  We next followed a bike trail that paralleled NE A Street and later transitioned to the Crystal Bridges Trail.  visited a few more places (including saying "hi" to Sassy the Sasquatch) and found a few more obstacles.  The most impressive of the latter locations was "The Masterpiece", which John and Laura ran repeatedly (while I watched and filmed).  It would have been great to visit Crystal Bridges because there was a Frank Lloyd Wright home there but, by then, it was getting dark.  As we backtracked towards our car (using the same route as before), we took one detour on the All American Trail, which proceeded deep into the woods.  Along the way, we visited a steep hill and trail called the "Bush Push", which former President G. W. Bush apparently climbed (unassisted) in 2010.  Laura made it to the top (she had some e-assist) but John and I just watched in awe.  After we returned (through the woods) to the Greenway, John and Laura spent more playing on the parallel tracks as we headed north.  Their skills were very impressive!  Meanwhile, I checked out the speed qualities of my borrowed mountain bike and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing on my face.  Back at the truck (1930), we stowed our bikes and then ordered dinner at The Bend, which turned out to be a mini-bar that had its own food truck.  I got a something called the (Ozarker Dagwood) sandwich and tried a local beer (all good).  Our conversation went pretty well until we were interrupted by movie night at the restaurant ("Jurassic Park") - then it got loud.  Meanwhile, the temps started dropping (almost jacket weather!).  At 2045, we departed for home and, after arriving, I spent over 30 minutes looking through my bags for Notre Dame apparel (in preparation for the football game in the morning).  I also played with the dogs a bit and then said goodnight to my friends.  For the rest of the evening, I worked on my travel blog, finally wrapping up my interesting day in Northwest Arkansas at 2300 (bedtime).  Can't beat the biking in the "Mountain Biking Capital of the World"!

Nomad Day - Day 56

This morning, I was awake (with alarm) by 0500 and started teleworking from the living space at John and Laura's house.  This area (located in the basement) was huge and included two large bedrooms (and a smaller one under the stairs, ala "Harry Potter").  There were snacks, a mini fridge, microwave and lots of tea/coffee - everything was very nice.  A few hours into my work day, I took a short break for breakfast (muffins, tea) and visited with John and Laura (they were working remotely too).  Back on my computer, I participated in meetings for most of the day but was able to spend time playing with each of the dogs.  Coco and Evie were little fuzzballs and quite friendly to me - Lizzie, on the other hand, was very rowdy (she was still a puppy).  All three dogs had special needs but I was most impressed by Coco, who was completely blind yet was able to find her way around the house easily (Laura said she thought the dog had "mapped" the home and used some kind of echo-location to find ranges).  At lunch time, we all had Caesar salad and biscuits and then I resumed teleworking until 1415.  One of the things I hoped to do while in Northwest Arkansas was to visit the Pea Ridge National Military Park, site of an 1862 Civil War battle which basically ensured that Missouri wouldn't secede from the Union.  John drove me over to the park - it was only about a 30 minute drive - and we passed LOTS of construction along the way.  Like Bentonville and Bella Vista, Pea Ridge was growing rapidly!  The weather (temps in the mid 70s, clear) was awesome again and, after we arrived at the Visitor Center , we knew we couldn't pass up a chance to hike.  Before that, though, we watched an informative movie about the battle, visited the small museum and then drove around the circuit road, stopping often to read the interpretive signs and marvel at the cannons.  Eventually, we stopped at the parking lot for the Elkhorn Tavern and followed a local ranger's advice about hiking the Old Telegraph Road (a track through the woods).  Starting at about 1600, we logged four miles on several well-marked routes (including a ravine trail) to the Tanyard and Military Hospital.  Along the way, we encountered huge flies, crickets (or grasshoppers) and LOTS of mosquitos.  At one point, I tried to fan away the latter insects and could feel them moving "by the handful"!  We also so deer and a fearless armadillo (within about five feet of us!).  The walk was enjoyable and John and I were able to keep catching up on our mutual Navy friends.  We were finished with our hike by 1730 and then drove back to Bella Vista.  At John and Laura's again, we all cleaned up for dinner.  Before everyone else was ready, I spent some time sitting outside on their wonderful deck - the hummingbirds buzzed around nearby and the green trees provided a pleasant shade in the warm afternoon air.  By 1800, we drove (in John's car) to eat dinner in Bentonville.  John took us through several neighborhoods, pointing out the many bike paths that covered nearly every acre in the town.  We passed lots of nice old homes but the word of the day, like in Pea Ridge, was more construction of very kind.  There is a definite boom going on in Benton County and it was clear that everyone was happy to join in the fun.  We soon arrived in the old downtown and parked very close to the site of the original store that was owned by Sam Walton (in the 1940s) before he founded Walmart.  Unlike many other "down town" areas across the USA, Bentonville had a very vibrant feel, including all kinds of outdoor stores, boutiques and restaurants.  We walked around a bit in the town square and enjoyed the "Hallmark Movie Town" ambiance.  Our dinner destination was a place called Table Mesa (Mexican fare) and we were quickly seated inside the restaurant. However, the ambiance was very loud (there were too large work parties) and I asked if we could move outdoors.  The pleasant evening air was the perfect setting for our meal.  I ordered a special brisket enchiladas with sides of esquites (corn) and coconut rice.  I tried a couple of good local beers and enjoyed the good conversation with my friends.  Meanwhile, the restaurant was very busy and it was clear that our server was overwhelmed with impatient customers and a slow kitchen.  We tried to be nice and she apparently felt very supported - at the end of the meeting, she rewarded us with some free (tres leche) chocolate cake!  Afterwards (2100), we spent more time exploring the town square and stopped pay homage to Sam Walton's "5 and 10" store.  There was a museum located inside but it had just closed.  (I learned later that the first Walmart was opened in in 1962 in the nearby town of Rogers.)  I'd never expected to visit this town but I wouldn't have wanted to miss the famous landmark!  The night was wonderful and many other people must have agreed - there were so many walking around, riding bikes, etc. in the dark. After our fill of Bentonville by night, we headed back to Bella Vista (arrived at about 2130) and I said goodnight to my friends.  Back in my basement hideaway, I got ready for bed quickly and then tried to do a bit of reading - this ended up being difficult because I kept falling asleep.  I turned the lights out by 2215 and called it a day.  Very enjoyable evening in the town that the Walton's built!

Nomad Life - Day 55

The night was filled with a series of horrible thunderstorms and (I learned later) tornadic activity.  Fortunately, I was safe in a dry hotel and kept my eyes away from the weather reports.  Since no sirens were heard in the area, I slept well again.  Because I wanted to stay as close to my normal (i.e., east coast) routine, I'd set my alarm for 0500 - for the first time during my Nomad Life, I actually made it all the way to that wake-up without an interruption!  Almost immediately after getting out of bed, I started teleworking, although I took a break to eat breakfast at my hotel (Quality Inn I-540 in Fort Smith).  I encountered one more SNAFU - Comcast texted to ask why I hadn't turned in come of my internet service equipment.  Yikes - that's somewhere in my storage unit...  A phone call with their Customer Service department gave me hope that I could resolve everything when I reached Albuquerque (I appear to be in the middle of a Comcast "desert"). Otherwise, I teleworked continuously until I was forced to check out (1100).  Since this was my typical lunch hour, I thought it might be a good idea to try to get a flu shot at the local VA Clinic I'd seen on the map.  Normally, I'd get this shot in White River Junction so I can volunteer with the VA Adaptive Sports Team but I had to be resourceful this year.  I arrived at the clinic (located at the Fort Smith Regional Airport) and sweet talked my way through the process - it helped that everyone was extremely nice.  About 20 minutes after I'd arrived, I had completed all administrative requirements and even gotten the jab itself.  Awesome!  Afterwards (1130), I did about 30 minutes of teleworking from my car.  John T had told me about some interesting aviation activities he'd seen at the airport and I did get a few glimpses of C-130 operations (no fighters, though).  Unlike the previous few days, the outside temperatures were pleasant (mid 70s) and the overcast weather kept the sun from breaking through.  Just after noon, I decided to check out nearby Arkoma Park, located in a small sliver of Oklahoma that was sort of "marooned" east of the Poteau River.  In this unique part of the state (likely created due to the use of north-sound boundary lines and the reality of migrating rivers), I was able to park very close to the river and watch birds while I walked around a bit.  Yesterday, I noticed that Fort Smith NHS claimed it was located in both Arkansas and Oklahoma - I think the state boundary in the Arkoma area must account for this...  After about 30 more minutes of relaxation, I backtracked to the east (and into Arkansas again) so I could access I-540.  Since I still had about an hour before my next work meeting, I decided to try to join that discussion from Fayetteville (30+ minutes to the north).  To this end, I got on I-40 and briefly drove east.  Everything was going smoothly until I got stuck behind a truck that was towing a blade from one of the huge windmills in the area - geometry and the curvature of the I-49 exit ramp was not friendly to this poor drive.  Fortunately, it wasn't long before I was able to get moving quickly towards the north.  The loss of about five minutes, though, meant that I clearly couldn't reach Fayetteville in time.  Instead, I focused on just finding a good place with cell service.  The rolling hills of the Ozarks, along with a deep tunnel on the route, made that a bit more difficult than I'd hoped and it was with a great sigh of relief that I exited the Interstate in the little town of West Fork just before my meeting was supposed to begin (1330).  After some creative positioning in the parking lot for a Harps (grocery) store, I got connected.  Unfortunately, the weather posed the next challenge - dark, ominous clouds started filling the sky and it began to rain.  Soon, my laptop microphone began to exhibit disturbances that people on the call noted to me.  By that point, I began to seriously wonder if a tornado wasn't too far away...  Meanwhile, though, the local people didn't seem phased by what I was seeing - one nearby truck driver actually loaded up a car on top of his trailer (a complicated process that took over 30 minutes).  When my call ended (1445), therefore, I felt confident in resuming my drive to the north.  First, though, I stopped inside the Harps to pick up some lunch (a ready-made club sandwich).  While eating, I did a bit more telework and then drove through West Fork so I could get on US-71.  The traffic was light and this allowed me to make good time to the Air Museum at Drake Field (outskirts of Fayetteville) and take a look at the aircraft on the flight line.  John T had recommended that I visit - I didn't buy a ticket but got as close as I could to the T-2C Buckeye they had!  (Later, I checked my log book and determined that I hadn't flown that particular aircraft.)  Continuing north (1510), I followed US-71 all the way to the town of Bella Vista, where my friends (John T and Laura) lived.  They had mentioned they'd be home by 1630 so I set up in a parking lot for the Bentonville/Razorback Greenway (Lake Bella Vista section), which was located next to Lake Bella Vista.  A map I found indicated that this was just one trail allowed bikers to access what looked to be hundreds more miles of trails.  Starting at about 1545, I spent more time teleworking and took a short walk before it started raining.  By 1615, I had completed all of my required telework hours and had received confirmation from John that I had a green light to arrive.  From the parking area, it only took me about 10 more minutes to reach the beautiful home of my friends and they, along with their three little dogs (Coco, Evie and Lizzie), were very excited to see me.  We visited for a little while but then they showed me to the guest room (I should say "floor"!).  I confirmed that the internet was good for my next workday and then returned to visit with John and Laura some more.  They'd kept some mail for me, from OtterBox and Erin - the latter item, sadly, ended up being only an empty envelope (the letter must have fallen out somewhere).  Their home felt very welcoming and I could have sat in their living area and played with their dogs for hours.  John suggested that we head into town for dinner so, at about 1745, we drove a short distance to eat at Bella's Table, a pleasant venue that featured many Mediterranean dishes.  We continued our fun conversation, which was mostly about the their mountain biking hobby and my Nomad Life.  I learned that Bella Vista is considered by many to be the Mountain Bike Capital of the World and the information my friends shared seemed to support that contention.  We finished dinner just after 1900 and returned home to the dogs.  It was no longer raining so I decided to take a walk in the neighborhood.  The temps were pleasant but the terrain in the area was clearly evident - it was good to work my calves!  At 2000, it started to rain and I was barely able to reach shelter before a deluge had begun.  Back inside the house, I spent over an hour talking with John, reminiscing about our time in the same Navy Squadron (mid '00s).  Laura liked our stories and the dogs kept on asking me for attention (of course, I obliged).  At about 2130, I excused myself and headed down to relax a bit before bed time.  It was easy to get settled in the comfortable setting and I did a little reading, Duolingo, catching up with texts and emails - by 2230, I turned out the light.  Another wonderful day in Arkansas!

Nomad Life - Day 54

After a decent night of sleep, I woke up early again (0500, without an alarm) and started working immediately.  I took a short break so I could have some breakfast (very filling) in the lobby of the Rodeway Inn.  The weather outside was cool and it hadn't started raining yet, although major storms were forecasted for the state of Arkansas.  Most of my work connected with regular meetings, which went on for much of the morning.  One (rare) downside was that I had slow internet at tines (weather related).  I packed up the car during one short break in the action and was ready to check out of my room by 1100.  Departing from Hot Springs, Google Maps routed me through the Gulpha Gorge (connected with the National Park) and then made my way towards AR-7.  This road turned out to me an extremely scenic route to the north - it was very steep and winding.  Unfortunately, I had no cell signal after about 10 miles of driving so was very relieved to find some as I passed Lake Nimrod.  I stopped for another work meeting (1200) and waited at an Army Corps of Engineers Station until it was finished.  Continuing my scenic drive on AR-7, I drove north over rolling hills and around many hairpin turns until I reached the town of Dardanelle.  The terrain there was much flatter and the only real landmark of significance was a long plateau to the west - since I was in the area to visit Mount Nebo State Park (recommended by my friend, John T.), I deduced that must be what I was seeing.  Meanwhile, AR-7 ended and I briefly used AR-22 turning on to AR-155 to head west into the park.  Mount Nebo was so pronounced on the otherwise mostly-flat terrain that the views in all directions were tremendous!  When I reached Mount Nebo State Park (1345), I headed to the Visitor Center and was treated by an even more spectacular panorama: the Arkansas River (in the form, locally, of Lake Dardanelle), a huge nuclear power plant and some of the Ozark foothills (to the north) were easy to see from that location and the nearby Sunset Point.  The weather conditions on top of the mountain (elevation 1350') were sunny, with temps in low 80s and a stiff wind.  From some angles, the haze was building - things still looked good, though.  Along the way, I read several interesting interpretive signs about the "water" Trail of Tears.  I'd previously heard about the long walk required of the Native American tribes in the southeastern US but there was also, apparently, a river route that brought the migrants through the Dardanelle area to merge with the land route. There were (more) fearless Arkansas deer on the mountain and I briefly enjoyed some bird watching on the plateau.  I visited Sunrise Point (opposite end of the plateau) before I decided to return to the lower elevations.  Unfortunately, there was only one road (AR-155) that could be used to enter and depart the park.  I was VERY careful in the steep descent, trying not to overheat my brakes.  When I reached the bottom, I was able to access a residential street that took me north to intercept AR-22 again.  Surprisingly, Google Maps told me that the route to Fort Smith followed this road all the way.  Later, I learned that AR-22 was recently designated as "The True Grit Trail" because it connects with the Charles Portis book (and John Wayne movie) - Mattie Ross followed this route from Dardanelle to Fort Smith.  I may not have mentioned earlier but the plan for the rest of my day was to make a quick stop at the Fort Smith NHS and then drive to the home of my Navy Friend, John T., in Bella Vista (far NW corner of Arkansas).  However, there were reports of nasty (tornadic) weather along the route of my trip.  At this point in the day (1430), it didn't seem possible that any weather would cause any concern.  I'd been following the southern bank of the Arkansas River and was soon in a wide open plain that stretched unendingly to the west.  There were almost zero clouds in the sky, as far as the eye could see!  Regardless, John continued to warn impending nasty weather and I started to conclude that it must be worse to the north (where I couldn't see).  Meanwhile, the speeds along the two lane AR-22 were very good (even through towns).  My gas tank started getting close to empty and I started thinking about stopping.  One prime candidate for a break was the town of Subiaco, which featured a beautiful Benedictine Abbey and Academy.  Unfortunately, the food and fuel options were pretty slim there so I continued driving west.  A bit later, I reached the town of Paris and decided to stop for a late lunch at the local Taco Bell (1430); I ate in the restaurant.  As I was getting back in the car, I realized (with surprise) that I was in one of the areas I've called a "Coogan Corridor" during my genealogy research - there were a string of towns along AR-22 in this area that had an association with a large group of people who share my surname.  I briefly considered stopping (maybe checking out a cemetery?) but, due to the weather concerns, I kept driving.  My pace continued, unabated, until I rolled into Fort Smith (1530) - true to Google Map predictions, I'd never departed from AR-22...  By then, my engine was running on fumes so I stopped at the Murphy Gas station (Walmart brand) for fuel (1540) and was very pleased to only be paying $2.53 per gallon!  At that point, the weather was still quite nice - John, though, kept telling me to be careful of predicted flash flooding.  Recalling a quote from a squadron ready room - "If there is any doubt, there is no doubt" - I decided to stay in Fort Smith for the evening.  Fortunately, it didn't take me very long to use from Choice Hotels rewards points for a stay at a nearby Quality Inn (located at the intersection of AR-22 and I-540).  After checking into my room (1615), I verified that I had good internet and then changed clothes so I could try to reach the Fort Smith National Historic Site before the Visitor Center closed.  All I needed to do for that purpose was to get back on AR-22 and drive west - I did make one mistake near the center of town that required me to redirect.  Regardless, I arrived at the park by 1645 and had enough time to talk to rangers about the best thing to see with my limited time.  They suggested looking at the preserved courtroom of Judge Parker and I took their advice - that was really interesting!  Otherwise, most of the important things related to the park (e.g., gallows, remains of the original fort, walking trails) were located outside.  Between 1700 and 1745, I walked around the grounds and enjoyed the cooling weather.  Meanwhile, to the north, there was a major storm brewing and I saw what looked like "tornado fingers" descending from the black clouds.  Fortunately, I managed to log roughly two miles of walking before any raindrops fell on my location.  Once the precipitation arrived, I headed back towards my hotel (on AR-22 again).  When I was passing a Walmart Neighborhood Market, the sky opened.  There was just enough time for me to get inside!  I ended up finishing the rest of my 10K steps while the raindrops pounded on the roof of the building - yikes.  By 1830, I'd had my fill of walking and, since there was a lull in the rain, I headed back to the hotel (arrived by 1845).  In my room, I resumed teleworking and got the rest of my required time (about 90 minutes) online before 2030.  After that, I worked on blogging, read and watched some videos.  Outside the hotel, the sound of thunder and the brilliant light of the heavy storm were very distracting - I actually thought I'd have trouble sleeping.  Regardless, I turned out the light just after 2200 and managed to fall asleep quickly.  Very glad I called an audible tonight - no need to add any scary weather stories to my Nomad Life story!

Nomad Life - Day 53

My body still had not adjusted to the Central Time Zone and I was wide awake just after 0415.  I didn't fight the situation, though, and spent about 45 minutes reading and getting ready for my day.  After beginning my telework day (0500), I took one break for breakfast (very good and very filling) in the lobby of the Rodeway Inn.  Since most of my meetings were canceled for the day (due to travel requirements for our management team), I was able to catch up on reading and some ad-hoc phone calls.  One thing I noticed along the way, though, was that my work computer didn't automatically update to the new time zone - I put in a trouble ticket but it appears I'll need to stay vigilant as I move around the country... Still feeling full from my breakfast, I didn't eat lunch - instead, I just worked through to the afternoon.  During the morning, the rain started in earnest and it became clear that my options for activities in the National Park might be limited in the afternoon.  My hotel (through the check in clerk, Carol) had given me a brochure for the Buckstaff House and I thought "maybe I should check out the spa there."  After a quick call, which informed me of the updated prices and that the facility was "first come, first served", I took a break from work (1300) and drove down the street to try my luck.  It was still raining and, since closer parking cost money, I had to walk through the weather and soggy sidewalks.  Still, though, I was at the front desk of the Buckstaff at about 1315 when the queue began moving.  Almost all the other patrons were women - this worked to my advantage because there were separate men and women areas for the services.  My thinking as I reached the counter was "in for a penny, in for a pound" and I purchased the Deluxe Package.  This option afforded me a chance to experience nearly all of the historically accurate spa treatments that might have been available for patrons when the Buckstaff opened in 1912.  Once inside, I was given a locker for my clothes and de-robed (down to a large sheet).  With the prep staff, I received a paraffin treatment (three full immersions in wax for each of my hands) and then given a bed to relax on in a quiet room.  I relaxed there for about five to 10 minutes and then had my hands cleaned (the wax was removed).  After this, I moved into the larger bath area and was taken to a small alcove that had a huge tub in it.  The staff were very discrete as I got into the water, which was from the famous hot springs.  Then, the "hydrotherapy" began - I didn't have my watch but I believe I got about 20 minutes of time with the jacuzzi-like jets.  Meanwhile, I scrubbed down all of my skin with a luffa glove.  The water temperature was close to 105 and felt quite pleasant - I definitely started feeling quiet relaxed as the time went along.  When my "spa guide" returned, he guided me over to a special sitz-bath, which allowed hot, sprinkling water to target my lower back.  I got 10 minutes at this station and can definitely attest to the healing properties of the hot spring water on my body.  I forgot to mention that I was provided with little cups of water as I went along and it felt quite nice.  The next stop on this wonderful spa tour was at a kind of sauna-cabinet.  The contraption was all metal and had a bench inside it, along with a little hole at the top for my head.  To cushion the sharp (and very hot) edges, a towel was inserted between my skin and the metal.  The steam inside the box warmed my body constantly - I think the temps were closer to 120 degrees.  My helper (Mason) walked away, telling me that he'd be back in three minutes.  I started counting and, somewhere around 90 seconds, the experience began to feel as claustrophobic as I have ever imagined.  I called out for assistance and Mason returned, telling me I'd made it about 2.5 minutes (he added that he only likes the steam chamber for one minute).  Feeling more relaxed again, I was escorted to a nearby bed and wrapped in hot towels (sort of a cocoon).  Actually, the hottest one was on my back and my forehead got an ice cold compress.  The overall effect was quite pleasant and I enjoyed the fact that only one other patron was in the entire bath area.  At times during this roughly 20-30 minute period, I nearly fell asleep.  Mason changed out the cold towel at one point and it made such a difference in my overall comfort.  Once the bed/cocoon portion of the treatment ended, I was escorted to the massage area and was given about 20 minutes of work on the table by a young man named Josh.  He did a great job massaging away the tight muscles that I'm sure were the result of over 50 days of driving and life on the road.  He made my heel bursitis feel better too - a nice bonus.  With this last last stage of the spa treatment complete, I got dressed again and tipped the spa staff.  By the time I looked at my watch, I noticed that over 90 minutes had elapsed since my arrival.  What a great experience - I felt rejuvenated and, even better, the rain had stopped!  This allowed me some time to walk around near the Bathhouse Row, including a stop through Fordyce Bath House (the National Park Visitor Center), which included displays of nearly all the spa stations I'd experienced at the Buckstaff Bath House.  Next (1450), I walked around nearby to rediscover the many exposed hot springs nearby - I'd taken photos the previous day but it was in the dark, so today's pictures were much better.  I thought about re-visiting the Superior Bath House Brewery again (for some more tasters) but then noticed a sign about Happy Hour at the Hale Bathhouse (this was the same building I'd visited the evening before that I learned was also a special boutique hotel).  I got inside just as the HH was beginning (1500) and was the only patron at the bar.  My bartender (Maggie) was very friendly and assisted me in selecting several local beers that were on tap - I tried all of them and they were great!  She also gave me a bottle of clear water that came from the hot springs (it was so refreshing).  For my early dinner (after my missed lunch), I had a delicious smash-burger and some thinly sliced fries.  The conversation with the bartender was great and I also had the freedom (without anyone around) to accept a call from my friend, John T., who was asking about my arrival at his home in Northwest Arkansas.  Maggie told me that she had observed that I seemed relaxed and happy and I believe this was a combination of nearly two months of Nomad Life and the earlier spa treatment.  Wrapping up my dinner and delightful happy hour at 1645, I continued exploring along Central Avenue (AR-7), visiting some more springs, checking out the Ohio Club (meeting place for gangsters during Prohibition), read signs that focused on the baseball history of Hot Springs, found the 93 foot street that is the site of the annual St. Patrick's Day Celebration (it was painted Kelly green) and then took a walk on the Grand Promenade, which was located on the hill behind Bathhouse Row.  By the time I was done exploring, I'd walked more than two miles on my feet and was interested in checking out more of the National Park.  Carol had told me about a beautiful viewpoint on West Mountain and I followed signs to the parking lot at the summit and then started hiking on the Sunset Trail (1755).  The trails were pleasant and I passed at least one fearless deer on the way; only a few people were in the woods with me and the sounds of the town and traffic were very subdued.  By this point, the temperatures had dropped into the mid 70s - what a relief!  I did, indeed, get some wonderful views of Hot Springs and the surrounding mountains and was happy for such a good ending to my visit.  After finishing the rest of my 10K steps, I returned to my car and descended West Mountain.   Driving through town, I briefly considered doing a bit more exploring but then decided to just return to my hotel.  Back in the room (1900), I resumed teleworking until I was able to complete my last hour for the day.  After that, I read, relaxed and watched movies on my streaming services (a first since early in the trip).  The "laziness" was a wonderful respite from my normal routine...  Bed time was 2215 again and I fell asleep quickly.  What a relaxing day!

Nomad Life - Day 52

I was up very early (0500) at the Super 8 Hermitage and got breakfast (ho hum) at the hotel as soon as the little dining area opened.  After getting packed up, I drove south on Old Hickory Boulevard to try to access J. Percy Priest Reservoir, a huge lake on the southeast side of Nashville.  I was unsuccessful at this, initially, because of all of the private land.  Even an interesting place called the Nashville Shores, which had open gates, didn't seem welcoming to enter...  I finally got lucky when I drove down to their Marina; the signs hinted at towing penalties but there was almost no one around.  While I was doing some bird ID and watching the fisherman, I kept a close eye on my car and enjoyed the crisp morning air.  By 0730, I was ready to depart for Belmont University and my morning meet up with Ella.  I used Old Hickory Boulevard to reach I-40 and headed west - I followed that until I could access I-440 and then took that road around the south side of the city.  I had to switch to I-65 in order to reach the Wedgewood Avenue exit and then follow a series of confusing Google Maps directions (to avoid one way streets).  Ella had suggested we meet at the Belmont Mansion and I found some (free) parking at the Lila D. Bunch Library.  By 0800, I had found Ella and we walked all over the campus of Belmont University, visiting classrooms, dorms and student unions that she frequents.  During this part of the day, the weather was wonderful (70s, sunny, clear) - I've been so lucky on this trip!  It was wonderful to catch up with my niece, who seemed very happy with her independent life in "the big city" and was very gracious as she guided me along the pathways across the quads.  Our two days of visit turned out to be a wonderful break on my long drive towards the western US!  After saying goodbye, I left the Belmont campus and checked out the (very close) nearby Vanderbilt campus - Ella had mentioned that it wasn't as pretty as Belmont and I definitely agree.  By 0900, I was making my way back towards I-440 and I used this road to get back on I-40.  Along the way, I listened to audio books and tried to avoid the many large trucks that were all around me on the Interstate.  At one point, I was passed by a line of five cars that said "ICE" on the side - they looked like they were on a mission... Just like earlier in the morning, I had great weather for driving as I continued west towards Memphis.  Unfortunately, the nice weather started to degrade it started to rain as I approached Kentucky Lake (part of the Tennessee River).  After that, the steady precipitation seemed like it was going to disrupt the many hundreds of miles I still had left to drive before I reached my hotel for the evening.  Fortunately, the rain stopped as I was passing Natchez Trace State Park and I had clear sailing after that point.  Regarding the aforementioned park, I was startled to see mention of the Trace so far north because I'd driven the entire Natchez Trace Parkway previously and it didn't come anywhere near this location.  (Further research indicated that the original Trace stayed west of the Tennessee River for much longer than the route that inspired the Parkway route.  Interesting!).  Milking my gas tank for all I could, I stopped for gas (at the latest possible moment) at a Pilot station in Mason (1120).  I briefly thought about getting some lunch but ended up skipping the meal (anticipating a bigger dinner when I reached Hot Springs).  From there, I had several choices on routing but I wanted to make sure I arrived in Little Rock before the Clinton Presidential Library closed (1700).  As a compromise, I chose to continue on I-40 until I could switch to I-240 on the outskirts of Memphis.  I followed this road until I could exit on to US-51 (to the south).  I'd hoped to make a quick photo visit at Graceland but found that the whole parking/driving set up had changed tremendously since the last time I'd been anywhere nearby (see MAY 2000).  Sadly, it was obvious that I couldn't get near the gates of Graceland without paying an arm and a leg and, even worse, I didn't have the time. Paying quick homage to "The King", therefore, I continued south into Mississippi.  Upon reaching the border (town of Southhaven), I turned on to State Line Road and drove towards Mississippi River.  Without a full picture on my Subaru's display, I could only see what looked to be a bend near the town of Lakeview - after arriving there, though, I found that all of my attempts at water access were blocked by private property signs.  Only after I zoomed out on my map did I realize that I was actually adjacent to Horn Lake, a marooned section of the Mississippi.  As a result, I continued south on US-61 until I reached the town of Walls.  From there, it was a nearly straight shot to the west to reach the actual river.  Along the way, I saw several signs for Indian Mounds nearby - I hoped to visit those but eventually lost the trail (I learned later that I missed a turn that would have taken me out to the Edgefield Mounds).  Fortunately, there were better signs for a place called Hernando Desoto River Park (near the town of Norfolk, Desoto County) and I reached that place by driving across wide open cotton fields and a huge levee.  There were several armadillo carcasses along the road - it's been a long time since I've seen one of them!  After parking along the edge of the Mississippi River (1245), I walked around the park and did some more birding with my Merlin app.  It was REALLY HOT (mid 90s).  There were a few other people there and I talked to them about the "missing mounds" - two ladies told me they hadn't found them either.  More interesting, though, were two older gentlemen, quintessential southern "PawPaws", who were watching the dredging boats in the river.  Referring to the activity as "watching our tax dollars at work", they also explained that the lack of rain had caused the Mississippi to essentially shrink to less than 100 yards of navigable width.  They pointed to a huge group of barges that were "stranded" south of our location - these boats couldn't pass the park where I was unless the busy barges cleared more draft for them.  It looked like a major project and, even though I was fascinated by the activity, I knew I needed to get moving west again.  Reluctantly (1305), I made my way back to US-61 and (while talking to Mollie, who called during this window) got on I-55 so I could cross the Mississippi River.  What a major milestone on my trip - I'm in the "real" west now!  After rejoining I-40, I tried to make good time among the many trucks and "left lane drivers" (I guess Virginia isn't the only state with that major problem...).  I continued listening to my audiobook and also really used my SiriusXM subscription for once.  Meanwhile, the miles ticked away smoothly because the land was very flat.  I stayed on I-40 all the way to the northern suburbs of Little Rock.  After switching to I-30, I crossed the Arkansas River and used the exit Third Street.  Google Maps had been squawking about a road closure but this warning only became clear when I encountered a major Food Truck Festival - access to the Presidential Library was completely blocked.  After driving around a bit nearby, looking for a "safe" (towing wise) parking spot, I was able to leave my car in the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra overflow lot.  From there, it was a short walk to the the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Park.  By 1530, I'd gotten inside and was easily able to walk through the three floors of exhibits over the next 45 minutes.  There were almost no other visitors but the staff was exceptionally nice to me and suggested several things I didn't want to miss.  For example, there was one room with almost every conceivable news story from the eight year administration of the 42nd US President - I was very impressed.  Other highlights included seeing a full mockup of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room.  Adding this location to my list of 20+ other Presidential homes/libraries was well worth the effort!  Afterwards (1615), I went outside and found signs for the Arkansas River Trail (southern side of the river) - from there, I walked across the river on the old Union Pacific Railroad bridge.  The scenery was very nice and I got a good look at the city skyline.  Other observations during this period: a HUGE storm was threatening to the west (it never materialized near me) and the happy (and loud) sounds of the Food Truck Festival music drowned out almost everything else.  I reversed direction on the north bank of the Arkansas River and then explored the William E. Clark Presidential Wetlands (saw an egret).  As it got later (1645), I made my way through the Food Truck Festival (didn't buy anything) and got back in my (very hot) car.  I then followed Google Maps instructions (and surface streets) to rejoin I-30 and headed west on I-30.  The drive was pretty easy and, less than 30 minutes later, I reached the exit for US-70, which I followed (on rolling hills) towards the town of Hot Springs.  Towards the end of this drive, I used US-70B (a four lane highway) - overall, the route was pleasant.  My main reason for visiting the area was to check off another one of the National Park units but I'd heard good things about the town and mineral water springs too.  Fortunately, it was off season for the area and this meant that I got a good rate for my hotel, the Rodeway Inn.  As I was checking into my room (1755), the desk clerk (Carol) gave me a VERY detailed story about the town and recommended a LOT of businesses and attractions for me to visit - what a wonderful welcome!  After I made sure that the internet worked well in my room, I got changed and drove over to the historic part of town.  It took a bit of time to find a parking spot (fortunately free because it was Sunday) but I was soon walking around on pretty streets as the sun began to set behind the western mountains.  Initially, I wanted to check out the different bath houses along Central Avenue but then I realized it would be wise to sit down at a restaurant.  Taking Carol's advice, I got a table outside at the Superior Bathhouse Brewery (1840) and ordered a flight of beers (all made with mineral water from the hot springs) and dinner (toasted turkey club and 1/2 Caesar salad).  The food was good and I enjoyed trying the specially brewed beers.  It got completely dark and the temps (which had been masked by the "misters" at the restaurant) dropped significantly after that.  Finished with my dinner (1940), I spent the next 30 minutes walking along "Bathhouse Row", marveling at all the opulence and strategizing for the rest of my visit.  I found a few places where I could access the hot springs - while passing each place where the water was coming out of the ground (fountains, pools, etc.), the temperature difference (hot!) was noticeable, even in the warm air.  As I reached the end of the Row, I found a family filling bottles of hot mineral water from the town spring - they were happy that I could take their photos.  Walking back towards my car, I stopped in to visit the Hotel Hale (lodging with hot springs in the room) and the Arlington Hotel (very fancy).  After that, I headed back to the Rodeway Inn.  When I shut off the car, I noticed that I've already driven 4000 miles on this Nomad Life trip - wow!  I was already pretty beat by the time I got inside my room (2100) but spent about an hour trying to stall my bedtime.  Needless to say, I was ready for sleep when I turned off the lights (2215).  Very glad to be in the "Natural State" for the week!

Nomad Life - Day 51

After a wonderful week of exploring, tasting and visiting in the Blue Grass State, it was time for me to depart this morning.  I'd earlier made plans with my niece, Ella, to get together near her school in Nashville and had a big drive ahead of me.  I was awake (after another restful sleep) by 0600, got ready and was packing up my car before 0700.  Michael and Camille had suggested that we have breakfast together and I'd asked if I could treat them - they accepted my offer and we departed for a nearby (still Shelbyville) Cracker Barrel at 0730.  At the restaurant, I ordered a Hashbrown Casserole - it was delicious and filling.  I visited with Michael and Camille for just over an hour before I finally said goodbye (0850).  From there, I got on I-64 and headed west.  Traffic was pretty light but there was still some construction to contend with - I passed the time with some audiobooks.  Reaching I-265, I drove around the southeast side of Louisville until I was able to get on I-65.  During this part of the day, I saw a lot more signs for Distilleries on the Bourbon Trail and considered stopping (especially when I passed Bardstown).  Wanting to get to Nashville ASAP, I didn't tarry in the area.  Along the way, I was reminded of the few years I'd visited Louisville regularly (see 1989 to 1991): Bernheim Forest, Fort Knox, etc.  Apparently, I could have stayed in Kentucky for a lot more time than seven days...  Just before I crossed the KY/TN border, I realized that I was going to arrive much earlier in Nashville than I'd planned because I had finally reached the Central Time Zone!  This meant that I had time for a walk nearby and, since it wasn't too hot yet (low 80s), I stopped at the Tennessee Welcome Center to ask for directions to a rail trail.  At first, the ladies working there didn't know what I meant but they collaborated and sent me towards the town of White House, which had a paved trail.  When I arrived there (1030), I realized I had roughly 45 minutes for outdoor activities and started south from the Andrew Jackson Trailhead of the White House Greenway.  During my walk, I found several interesting birds with my Merlin app, explored some side trails near the James K. Polk Trailhead and ended up logging about two miles in the time I had allotted.  As I finished (1115), I noticed that there was a LOT of traffic and people in the immediate vicinity - there was some kind of festival happening in town.  I would have liked to have stayed but, by then, I had lunch reservations with Ella on the east side of Nashville.  Fortunately, I didn't have too long to drive and I arrived at the Nectar Urban Cantina by 1200.  Ella texted that she was running behind so I went inside the restaurant to get a drink of water.  When I first looked at the menu, I found it to be quite "granola", with all kinds of organic drinks with "superfood" additives.  Almost everything I saw was also related to breakfast or brunch.  When Ella arrived at 1215, though, she found a completely different menu that I'd missed - it was mostly Mexican and Latin American food that was much more to my liking.  I got the Burrito Bowl (with a cheesy ground beef as my protein) and Ella got a special salad with avocados and chicken.  While we ate, Ella and I talked about her life in Nashville and made preliminary plans for a potential 2026 Thanksgiving Celebration.  I also gave her details about my Nomad Life (she had lots of questions) and we made plans to go to The Hermitage later in the day and to meet up at Belmont University the following morning.  After wrapping up our meal, I left my car at the restaurant and rode with Ella (in her Subaru Outback) to the site of Andrew Jackson's home.  Since I was a little boy, I'd been interested in visiting this historic mansion and I was very happy that Ella was interested enough to go with me.  We arrived in time for us to join a tour of the home at 1345 - it was amazing to see all of the original items and learn about the history.  It was quite warm (high 80s) outside by this point but the interior of the house was air conditioned.  Once finished with our tour, we were able to use some recording devices (that seemed to be activated by RFID chips at each sign) to learn about the Jackson family and the enslaved people who worked for them.  We paid our respects to the President at his tomb and then toured the museum (including viewing a film).  After walking through the pleasant gift shop (done by 1545), we returned to Ella's car and she drove me back to the Nectar Urban Cantina.  After saying goodbye (1605), I drove a short distance to Church of the Holy Rosary so I could attend the Saturday Vigil Mass.  Once parked, I walked around nearby (to complete my 10K goal for the day) and then went inside the church to prepare for the 1700 service.  It was interesting to see yet another Parish in action and commune with my fellow Catholics in new and different places.  Afterwards (1755), I departed to the east (Lebanon Pike, back roads and a brief drive on I-40E) until I reached my hotel, the Super 8 Hermitage (1815).  Once I was checked into my room, I faced a big choice: stay in or go out for more exploring.  I was tired and knew that the time difference was going to affect my sleep patterns.  As a result, I spent the entire evening resting and blogging - I finally caught up on all the days of the trip!  By (the new) 2225, I was ready for bed and turned out the lights.  Another great day of Nomad Life!

Nomad Life - Day 50

My day began early again (0615) but I missed seeing Michael because he'd apparently left for work much earlier than usual.  Camille relayed that I was welcome to visit his classroom between 1000 and 1200 and I decided to keep my commitment to volunteering while living the Nomad Life.  First, though, I ate some breakfast (cereal) and got ready for my day - I actually donned some black dress pants and my NH KofC shirt, in anticipation of visiting a Catholic School later in the morning.  Between 0645 and 0945, though, I teleworked (no meetings but plenty of document review).  Before I realized how quickly time had flown, it was time for me to depart for Corpus Christi Classical Academy (in downtown Shelbyville).  It only took me about 15 minutes to reach the school, park and arrive at the front entrance.  Michael saw me coming through his classroom window and escorted me inside the building.  His classroom was named "Saint Gabriel" and he had seven eager young people (5th and 6th Grade students) waiting patiently there for me.  They were all dressed in green uniforms of varying design and were reciting a poem about the Crusades that was written by Hilaire Belloc ("The Kings come riding back from the Crusade / The purple Kings and all their mounted men / They fill the street with clamorous cavalcade" / etc.).  After that part of the class was finished, though, the kids all wanted to know more about me and why I'd come for a visit.  Michael and I had made plans for these questions and I started talking about my life and my time hiking the Appalachian Trail.  Of course, each of the children had plenty of questions to ask me that didn't exactly have to do with my talk but they were very eager, respectful and interested.  As I was nearing the end of my talk, the Academy's Principal interrupted the class to ask all the children (50+) in the entire school to sing happy birthday for the (Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish) Priest.  That was an interesting experience too.  Returning to the classroom, I wrapped up my story and then Michael led the children through a review of material they'd been covering about Orders of Insects and the History of Medicine.  I was quite impressed by the knowledge on display and all the kids seemed very engaged in their unique, classically inspired curriculum.  Before the lunch time break, I got to see some of the insects that the students had brought to be displayed under Michael's powerful microscope - what a treat!  By noon, I wrapped up my volunteering day (two hours) and the kids all said goodbye (reluctantly, since they hoped I'd stay for recess and lunch).  Returning to the west on US-60, I remembered that I'd seen some inexpensive gas in Simpsonville and that the station was located very near a Culvers.  With a fuel tank fill-up and butter-burgers in mind, I headed over to KY-1848.  After getting the gas and cleaning a LOT of bugs off of my windshield and car-top carrier (1230), I got lunch at the Culvers (1230) - I was soooo lucky to have ordered my food right before a huge busload of people...  Once I was finished eating the delicious meal, I returned to Michael and Camille's home and resumed my telework day (1300).  I ended up with an impromptu work call but managed to complete my (shorter than normal) work day by 1700.  Since I'd made dinner plans with my Antarctica Cruise friend, Jennifer M., so changed my clothes for the third time in the day and had barely enough time to talk with Michael (he'd just arrived home from work as I was leaving) about the success of my visit to his classroom (he thanked me for "making the kids' day").  At 1715, I departed Shelbyville and drove (via US-60, KY-55 and I-64) to Frankfort.  I'd coordinated with Jennifer to meet at 1800 but she texted while I was enroute to inform me that she'd gotten held up at work (at her job in Lexington).  It didn't matter by that point because I was almost to my destination: Cattleman's Roadhouse.  When I arrived (1745), I found the parking lot almost completely full and a long queue outside the door.  Fortunately, I managed to get my name on the waiting list and the restaurant was using a text reservation service.  Since it was still light out (and the temps had dropped into the 70s), I decided to walk around near the restaurant while I waited for the 20-30 minutes the hosts had predicted.  While making a short lap of the parking lot, I spotted a Buffalo Wild Wings and wondered if there was still time for me to get a drink during their normal afternoon happy hour.  By the time I got to the bar, there were only three minutes remaining for the special but the bartender poured me a Goose Island Wild Herd (20 oz).  This was a new beer for my Untapped app and it turned out to be pretty good.  I took my time and was wrapping up the drink just as I received a text from the Cattleman's that my table was ready.  After being seated inside (1810), I heard from Jennifer that she was still a few minutes away.  When she finally arrived (1830), we started catching up on all the things that had happened in our lives since we'd last encountered each other onboard Viking Polaris (see FEB 2024).  We ordered old fashioned drinks that were made with Knob Creek Single Barrel (a new bourbon for me) and then I got the Country Fried Steak (mmmmm) and the house macaroni and cheese (also good).  Jennifer let me try some of her Dusty Trail Alfredo (with grilled chicken).  We continued our conversation until 1945 and Jennifer asked if we could adjourn to another venue to keep talking.  She was familiar with a few of the bars in Frankfort but hadn't tried the Howser Tavern - since I'd given that place a good review, she agreed to try it.  Jennifer drove us into the downtown (it only took about 10 minutes) and we found some street parking very close to St. Clair Street.  Unlike the nights I'd spent in Kentucky's Capital, the eating and drinking establishments were much busier and there were a lot of people walking along the streets.  However, we entered the Howser and found it almost empty!  It was only at that point that I thought of playing a sympathy card - when I'd tried to visit the hotel's speakeasy earlier in the week, I'd been told there wasn't enough staff.  With two or three bartenders visible, I used the password that I'd been given by the hotel (and explained the whole situation).  Minutes later, Jennifer and I were whisked inside the "back bar" and found a much larger crowd of revelers.  I ordered "The St. Clair" cocktail, which I'd been eyeing a few nights earlier and Jennifer got a martini made with Buffalo Trace Sazerac Rye.  Our conversation continued and we stayed engaged with the nice bartender lady (a different person from my earlier visits) and the other guests.  Before I knew it, my watch showed 2115 (much later than I'd planned to stay out for the night, due to the drive and being courteous for my friends).  Reluctantly, I suggested that I needed to get back to my car and head to Shelbyville - Jennifer was very nice about wrapping things up early.  After she got me back to the Cattleman's, we said goodbye and I made the 30ish minute drive back to Michael and Camille's.  My friends were asleep when I arrived (2215) so I skipped the walk I'd hoped to do - this ended up being the first time in years where I had two less than 10K days of walking in a row...  Instead, I packed up my bags (to make the morning go more quickly) and headed to bed as early as I could (2240).  Very glad that I got to do some volunteering and to try a few more drinks in Bourbon Country!

Nomad Life - Day 49

Thankfully, I slept well again and was teleworking from Michael and Camille's home by 0600.  During an early break, I got some breakfast downstairs (with both Camille and Michael).  Once I'd resumed teleworking, I continued online (meetings), with only minor breaks, until 1245.  I ate lunch (chicken soup and home-made bread) with Camille (she was working from home too) and then got back to work - the rest of the day was filled with lots of meetings and pop up technical discussions.  At a few intervals in the afternoon, I had a chance to confirm plans (for Thursday evening and Friday) with Michael, Steve/Donna and Jennifer M. (who I'd met on my Antarctica Cruise (see FEB 2024). After finishing my longest work day of the week, I started getting ready for the evening and departed Shelbyville (1630). My destination was the nearby town of Fisherville, where some Notre Dame alumni I'd met on my Danube River Cruise (see AUG 2024) lived.  To reach my friends' home, I used US-60, KY-1848, KY-1399, KY-148 and some back roads.  The temperatures were already dropping by the time I arrived at Steve and Donna's (1700).  I was amazed to see their beautiful home nestled among farm fields and tree lined pastures.  Steve later told me he that he had added the biggest feature - a large fishing pond - himself.  During our planning, he'd hinted that he wanted us to go fishing but after I got inside, he said he thought it was too hot to sit outside.  Instead, he showed me how to make is "famous" old fashioned; it included four kinds of bitters, some special sugar and various other ingredients that (even while he was mixing) I could tell would make the drink taste very good.  When he wrapped up with two fingers of Elijah Craig Small Batch and some huge ice cubes, I was very eager to taste the concoction.  It was everything I expected - and more!  As we were drinking, Steve and Donna showed me around their spacious home, which they'd constructed on eight acres almost 20 years before.  They had at least four bedrooms, a wonderfully large deck, a three car garage and a huge family/living area.  Everything was custom made, beautifully decorated and very functional.  This last fact got me and Steve talking about our engineering backgrounds - we figured out we'd worked on similar projects over the years and that kept our conversation going.  Meanwhile, Donna was putting together the basis for our upcoming meal.  At about 1830, Steve got the grill going and put about three pounds of seasoned salmon (along with some buttered asparagus) on to cook.  We continued visiting until the food was ready and then sat down to eat in one of Steve and Donna's dining areas (they had several).  Our wonderful conversation (about the cruise, mutual friends, Notre Dame and my Nomad Life) continued while we ate the delicious dinner and I got to sample some good Pinot Noir with the food.  Before we knew it, the clock was striking 2100 and I reluctantly excused myself from the company of my gracious hosts.  It was completely dark by that time so I took my time during the drive (reverse directions from earlier in the day).  Steve had warned me about the numerous deer, narrow and winding roads and other potential hazards to safe driving.  I was very careful and thought I was home free as I approached KY-1848.  Sadly, that's when I encountered one of the longest trains I've seen in many years - it seemed like it was crossing forever!  By the time it finally cleared the crossing, I'd lost about 10 minutes on the (normally) relatively shot drive.  As a result, I didn't get to Michael and Camille's home until they had already gone to bed (2155).  For my part, I was quite tired and decided to forgo reading for the evening - instead, I had the lights turned off by 2215 (the earliest evening I've had in a while).  What a great visit with wonderful friends!

Nomad Life - Day 48

I slept so well that I was surprised (because it was still dark) to check my clock and find it was 0600!  Camille and Michael had showed me an office across the hall from my bedroom and I immediately started teleworking there.  For the next 90 minutes, I kept at my normal tasks and then decided to check downstairs to see if anyone else was awake.  I found Camille getting ready for her own telework day and she pointed me towards some breakfast items - I ended up having cereal and a bagel and then resumed my telework.  As my Wednesdays typically go, I had meetings scheduled all morning, with a break after lunch and then more meetings.  With the little window (roughly two hours) I had, it seemed like a good idea to try to squeeze in another Distillery tour.  I was able to make one at the Woodford Reserve property and, after getting some more work (and laundry) done, I left Shelbyville (1140) and drove (via I-64) the towards Frankfort suburbs (I exited the Interstate at US-60, south of the Capital).  Unfortunately, this wasn't enough time for me to make it on time to Versailles and the Distillery - I arrived about five minutes late for my 1215 tour and no one at the check-in desk was able to escort me to join my scheduled group.  Since I was in the wrong for arriving late, I figured I'd just be sucking up the cost of the missed tour.  Instead, though, the staff apologized to me and gave me a voucher for tasting in the gift shop.  I later learned that this credit was a good bargain because the tasting alone (full price) cost $30 and I hadn't even spent half of that for the tour.  Also, I only had to walk a short distance to reach the tasting area and was treated to a flight of the Woodford Reserve family of brands: Bourbon, Rye, Malt, Wheat and Double Oaked.  I'd had a few of them before but it was interesting to try them all in a series.  The gift shop building had lots of walls with glass cases for the many Woodford Reserve varieties and it reminded me of my friend's (Danny's) collection in Virginia Beach... While I was tasting (1230), I struck up a conversation with an older couple who I later learned were from Wales.  They were recovering from the extreme heat and weren't in the mood to try the different whiskeys.  Still, they were very interested in what I thought and then introduced me to their extended family: daughter (from Wales), son-in-law (from Galway, Ireland), daughter (from the US) and her boyfriend (US Army Veteran from the US).  The entire group was very friendly and offered a lot of suggestions for places I should go in the area and activities I shouldn't miss.  For my part, I was very intrigued to learn that they were "horse racing people" who had just taken a tour of the stables where "American Pharaoh" (triple crown winner) was kept.  With the horse "family" life they lived - and a bar with off-track betting facilities they owned - they definitely had the connections to get such a tour.  In addition, they told me I should attend a local horse auction that was connected with Churchill Downs - it sounded very swanky.  By the time we all departed (1300), I had a feeling that I really hadn't "missed" the tour but, instead, had a better time tasting on my own.  From the Distillery, I returned (via the same route I'd used earlier) to Shelbyville and had a nice phone call with my friend, Ramesh B.  At 1345, I arrived at Camille and Michael's home again and, after she made me a ham & cheese sandwich (accompanied by veggie chips and cantaloupe), I resumed my telework day.  At 1530, I took another break and drove Camille to a nearby auto repair shop (she needed to pick up her car there).  The weather was still pleasant but it was very warm (high 80s).  After a quick car swap back at Camille and Michael's home in Shelbyville, I rode with Camille into downtown Louisville (US-60, KY-1848, I-64 and I-264) so we could visit the Zoo.  There was plenty of westbound traffic for some reason...  We arrived at about 1645 and (thanks to Camille's annual membership) spent the next 75 minutes walking around (about two miles total) and admiring the many interesting exhibits.  The shade in the zoo was very conducive to being outdoors (not so hot without the direct sunlight).  Everyone in the area has been so friendly and respectful.  Before we were done with our visit, we saw some amazing animals and I had only one regret: I was sad that I didn't get to see the Snow Leopard.  Unfortunately, the Zoo closed at 1800 and we had to return to our car.  Using I-264, I-64, KY-1848 and US-60, we returned to Shelbyville.  We made a stop so that Camille could shop at the Walmart (I waited in the car) but, by 1845, we were home again.  Once inside, I immediately returned to teleworking and kept at while Camille cooked dinner.  By 1930, I was able to join her and Michael for another delicious meal (organic burgers and baked potatoes) - even after we were finished eating, we continued talking until well after 2030.  After that, though, Michael excused himself and headed to bed.  Camille and I still had conversation left to share and weren't finished until almost 2130.  After she went to bed, I took a short (1 mile) walk (to get the rest of my 10K steps) in the neighborhood.  By then, the weather was much nicer (temp-wise) and I was glad I'd thought of going outside again.  Once I was finished (2200), I got ready for bed and then read until about 2300.  Along the way today, I figured out that I might not have done any activities or exploring in the Louisville city limits since mid 1991 (!) - it was good to be back!