Day 7 On the road (again)!

Day 7 Madison, WI to Lincoln, NE

 Our detour out of Zeus’ way took us across a swollen Mississippi River, thru the land of the wind turbine, sprawled across the hills of western Iowa.  They were soo large, yet graceful.  By and large, an uneventful drive to Nebraska.  This was Dad’s first full day of riding, so he was feeling a bit queasy by the time we arrived in Omaha.  We found that sleep can cure all that ales you!

There were a few Triple D locations in Omaha, Nebraska (can you believe none of them were steak places?), but the good spots closed early that day or the ratings were so poor it didn’t really warrant a stop.  One of the good spots, Mama’s Kitchen, offered to take our order and have it for us an hour after they closed if we could make it in time.  It was one of those days we were praying for a time change so that we could make up the hour needed to put our hands on some good ole southern cooking!  It was not to be….

In order to make Dad feel right at home in the heartland of America, we stopped at a Korean restaurant and enjoyed a pretty good Korean meal!  Who’d of thunk it?

Traveling further down the road to Lincoln, Nebraska we began to realize that there was no way to avoid the chill of the front coming through even with the detour that took us further south.  Our RV, let’s call her Betsy (nothing says Americana like Betsy, right?), must have figured something was up because after checking in to the RV Park and hooking up, the propane tank failed to connect (meaning instead of the warm toasty heat we’d experienced the night before in Madison, we had cold air blowing…yikes!). 

Uhhh, 22 degrees and no heat for the evening?  Not my idea of a fun night of camping…After several attempts to make the heater work (we even changed sites), we placed a phone call to Cruise America, which resulted in more testing, to no avail.  This led to a late evening trek to Walmart to pick up personal heaters (an authorized purchase!).  Once back at the site, wouldn’t you know it, the short run got everything all fired up and working again.  So there were a couple hours out of our day to make the night an interesting (yet WARM) one.  BTW, remember sleep being the cure all? Dad slept thru it all and felt quite refreshed the next morning;-)

Bailey's Perspective (drive to Madison, WI) 

After approximately 21 dog hours of driving, we stopped.  I had to take care of business and it was already getting dark outside.  Korean Grandpa knew I had to go because as soon as we stopped, he said “Bai-ry, let’s go.”  I know he means to say Bailey but I guess he has a hard time pronouncing Ls or something.  Its all good Grandpa, I hear you loud and clear every time you call my name. :-)  As soon as I jumped off the RV and looked around, I immediately thought to myself “we are completely lost.  This is not the right place….This had to be a mistake.”  You see, we were at a RV Park.  There was a whole bunch of other RVs and Big Buses parked all around us.  We (mommy, daddy and I) don’t like to camp outdoors and we never go camping, unless it is “Glamping” (i.e. hanging out in the park/woods during the day and sleeping at 5 star hotels at night).  With that said, it was already late and we were stopped at a RV park for the night.  What is going on here?  I quickly took care of business and came back in the RV thinking it might just be a potty break stop. But sure enough, we started getting ready for dinner…..so, I knew this was reality.  Wow, who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks….. I just learned how to camp in a RV park.  After dinner, I went to bed, hoping that I don’t have any nightmares related to camping in the woods or something crazy like wild animals trying to bite me or something…….  Nite nite.

All day drive to Lincoln, NE.

We had breakfast early in the morning and it was really good.  I had 3 strips of turkey bacon, a boiled egg and a little bit of wheat toast.  I think everyone had the same thing.  I don’t know why or I can’t seem to recall when it started …… I can’t stand the smell of regular dog food anymore.  Frankly, it smells…… what do you think? Well, it smells like dog food and I don’t like it anymore.  I love eating a mixture of human food and dog food.  And since Korean Grandpa is traveling with us, I know he will feed me really well.  After breakfast, we started driving again…... this time, we drove forever and ever.  When we finally stopped, we were at another RV park.  Am I dreaming or something? Did we just drive around in circles to confuse me? Or is this the nightmare that I was afraid of?  Either way, this is a cruel introduction to camping….. I don’t like it at all.  I MUCH prefer glamping.  Nite nite…..

Day 4 - 6 Chitown

Days 4-6 Chicago Homestay

 Chicago was alot of down time for us...It was truly a chance to spend time with Nick, Carol and Alyssa, catching up on all that has transpired since we last saw

them in February for Alyssa’s 100 day celebration.  So the snow wasn’t as bad as we suspected although it did clog up traffic driving thru downtown Chicago making a 30 mile trek near unbearable. We were able to enjoy Italian Beef sandwiches and even had the opportunity to take a beautiful walk by the lake to their local shops.  A great place to raise a family!  You'll be happy to know that Alyssa is one of those dream babies...you know the one...always happy, never cries!  YES, they truly do exist.  She’s just shy of 6 months this visit and such a joy to be with.  She’s also extremely strong for her age, doing pushups that would put us all to shame!

   Our Chicago stop was also where we had the pleasure of visiting our second Triple D stop, this time with the company of loved ones…Nick and Carol.  Talk about an amazing spot! 

  

Guy Fieri got it right when he selected Taste of Peru (ToP).  This particular stop would fall in the dive (or hole in the wall) category, but will likely be at the top of our Triple D list for years to come.  Interestingly enough, our first DDD, Momocho, did not fall into any of the categories…it was a rather refined locale.  But I digress, the food at ToP was DELISH! No other way to describe it.  Driving back to the house with the goods in the trunk, it was all we could do not to stop and nibble just a little before lunch:)

The food was so good; we realized (after the fact) that we’d failed to take photos…no use taking photos of crumbs! Fortunately, there were photos on online, which we’ve shared above.  The fan favorites were the Tamales, the Lomo Saltado and the Seco De Carn....We'll be back!

On Day 6, it was time to begin our preparations for the RV trip, but first, we needed to collect some precious cargo...Korean Dad flew into Chicago that morning.  This drive west is an even bigger trip for K Dad...see he's finally retiring and moving with us! Congrats Dad! We know it was a difficult decision to move to San Diego:)  So glad you made the right choice!!  

We commenced to do a little grocery shopping with the anticipation of picking up the RV in the afternoon.  What a mad house at Cruise America…turns out that Monday’s are their busiest days…a note for the next time! After some time, we finally had our traveling abode!  What fun.  It was now time to pack up for the rest of the ride west.  With lots of hugs and kisses for the family, we jumped into the RV and made our way to Madison, Wisconsin.   Nick & Carol, thanks for a relaxing visit...looking forward to seeing you all later this year!

Leaving Chicago

With a continuous eye on the weather, we realized we needed to make some changes to the itinerary.  Winter Storm Zeus was staring us down, so we decided that The Spam Museum (Dad and Tae imagined lots of samples!), Sioux Falls, the Corn Palace (corn is my FAVORITE thing in the world, how could we pass it up?), Mount Rushmore and all of South Dakota would have to wait for another long distance trip.  A few phone calls found us relieved of our reservations all understanding that a foot of snow is not the most suitable travel conditions for a 30 footer.

Our Madison, WI Camp Site

 With the adjustment to our itinerary, we had to call in a favor of our good friend Bob in San Diego.  Bob's a Nebraska native (how many people can say they have friends from Nebraska?!) and seeing that we’d be driving thru the heartland, we figured he had all the info we’d need to fill our days with fun stuff to do....#4 on our goals list.  Bob did not disappoint. 

Bailey's Perspective

The next 21 days (3 human days) were spent hanging out with family, napping, and definitely eating some good food. Time went by so fast….. but I will definitely remember Alyssa’s smile, her laughter and the food.  There are two things I love most….. scent of people I care about and the smell of a wonderfully prepared Bone-in Prime Rib steak.  And during our visit to Chicago, I was able to partake in both.  Ahhhhh, I love this trip so far. I thought to myself, “we need to keep this going….”

On the third morning, Korean Grandpa showed up in Chicago.  I guess he flew in directly, since he did not travel with us to Chicago in the minivan.  He is a smart man.  Why drive when you could fly right?  I was really happy to see him.  I ran up to him, said hello, and immediately looked at his hands and smelled his jacket for treats.  You see, he has a tendency to pack treats for me, even bringing home Korean BBQ in a napkin from dinner so that I can enjoy human food, aka goodness.  You see, he loves me sooooo much.  And sure enough, he had treats for me….. Slim Jims, fresh from VA. 

After having lunch, we started packing our belongings into a bigger vehicle.  It was MUCH bigger than the minivan.  So, once the packing started, I waited outside to remind everyone “hey, don’t forget about me!!!”  Mommy and daddy left me with family and friends while they were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.  But this was different.  We were going on a family trip to CALIFORNIA.  Still, I did not want them to leave me in Chicago by mistake or something crazy.  Do you know how cold it gets in Chicago? Every morning, there was frost on the grass outside in mid/late April.  Enough said….I am definitely a warm weather dog, aka a California dog.

After exchanging hugs, kisses and taking pictures, we loaded up and drove away from Chicago.  It was a bit sad…. But we will see them again soon.  They will visit us in California soon, especially after Alyssa gets a little bigger.  I will teach her how to swim.   In other good news…. Korean Grandpa was riding along with us.  This is going to be a fun trip.  While thinking about how much fun we are going to have…. I fell asleep.  Night night…..

Day 3 Pro Football Hall of Fame

Day 3 Cleveland to Canton to Chitown (Three Cs)

We were greeted on the morning of Day 3 with gale force winds and rain.  Welcome to Cleveland:-)  So much so, that prior to departing to Canton for the day to enjoy Day 2’s planned activities,  we watched the rain come down sideways for 10 minutes before attempting to get to the van.  Finally, the rain subsided and we were off to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to meet the Ziarkos. 

We did not know what a treat we were in for!  In those years, they’ve met almost all of the Hall of Famers and had lots of great, personal stories to share throughout the tour that literally brought the Hall to life.  One that stuck with us is the story Papa Ziarko shared of Hall of Famer Joe DeLamielleure, Class of 2003, who played for the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills.

Joe DeLamielleure showed up to the HoF on the day of his induction surrounded by his family and dressed like any other (joe for you military folks!) individual in jeans and a t-shirt.  Upon entering the Hall, he was asked by one of the attendants, “How can we assist you?”  He stated that he was there to be inducted to the Hall and wanted to know where he could pay.  The attendant asked his name.  He responded, “Joe DeLamielleure.” The attendants recognized the name (there were only 5 inductees in 2003) and attempted to usher him and his family into the Hall.  Joe still wanted to pay for he and his family.  The attendant assured him, “This is your house…you’ve already paid!’  Such a humble, unpretentious man…this story brought a tear to our eyes!

The 50 year anniversary of the Hall of Fame, 273 inductees later, this will be some year for attendance in August! The Hall itself was under many renovations in preparation, yet still, it was extremely impressive.  For those who enjoy the sport, it was truly worth the visit.  Talk about a feeling of accomplishment and pride (without ever even stepping on the field of play!).  The room of golden Busts of each HoF members was a sight to behold along with being able to see every Super Bowl ring side by side.  It was like being a kid in a candy store…except you don’t get to take anything home, save a few souvenirs from the gift shop.

But why Canton?  We found out the reasoning behind it all:

1)   it’s where the American Professional Football Association (now NFL) was founded,

2)   the Canton Bull Dogs (an early pro football contender) were the first 2 time NFL champ, and

3)   the citizens of Canton launched a strong and aggressive petition for the Hall to be in their hometown

It demonstrates what a community can accomplish when they band together for a cause, big or small!  Thanks again Mom and Pop Ziarko! We had a fantastic time and look forward to the next time we can spend quality time together!!

It was finally time to get back on the road and head out of Ohio and onto Chicago, but not without some challenges.   We had snow forecasted for Chicago…yes, SNOW in mid April!  But we would travel through rain, hail, sleet and yes, snow (like the US Post wo/men) to see our Chicago family…Nick, Carol and Baby Alyssa! So off we went.  

Bailey's Perspective

I woke up this morning after approximately 70 hours of sleep in dog years and……… I was still tired.  I don’t know what it is lately but I guess I need to change my diet or something.  I know I am bit older these days but everybody gets old. J  Not only that, I still manage to maintain a lady like figure, keeping my weight at about 90 lbs….. 88 lbs on a real good day, when I am not bloated or retaining water.  Perhaps, the Californian, all natural, organic diet will be good for me.  I’m looking forward to it.

Soon after waking up, daddy took me out for my morning walk.  As we approached the rear exit of the hotel, I noticed torrential rain fall and thought to myself “ummm, does he really think I am going outside in this? We need to find an alternate option.”  But to my dismay, daddy forced me to go out in the rain and take care of business, which I quickly did and came back inside. Luckily, mommy had a towel waiting for me upstairs in the hotel room to dry me off.  Mommy loves me…. Daddy….well, not so much this morning for messing up my beautiful coat and making me smell like a “wet dog”.  Who likes that? 

After a yummy breakfast, we headed into the minivan and drove again.  I guessed that mommy and daddy had an important appointment or something cuz we drove through heavy rain.  Even getting into the car was a challenge as it was raining “Cats and Cats”.  After driving for a short period, we stopped for a potty break….. potty break for me that is.  We were at a football field of some kind.  I don’t care too much about football.  However, I LOVE football Sundays at our house.  It means mommy will make wonderful treats for all and when we have people over, I get to eat so much human food….and it taste soooo good. Anyhow, mommy and daddy left me in the car and went into the building for about 14 hours, aka 2 hours human time. When they returned to the car, both of Aunt Holly’s parents were with them.  How nice….. they must have linked up again to spend some additional QT together.  Shortly thereafter, it was once again time for hugs all around.  The hugs were a bit longer this time, so I knew we would not be coming back here tomorrow.  Goodbye Aunt Holly’s parents and thank you very much for your hospitality.

We drove……and this time, it was a long drive.  I can’t tell you how long it was but by the time we got to our destination, I was exhausted.  To my surprise, when we finally stopped, we were at Uncle Nick and Aunt Carol’s house in Chicago.  Yeah….. I haven’t seen them in a long time, can’t recall how many dog years….so the long trip was so worth it. Then, I noticed a scent in the house that I’ve never smelled before.  It was definitely a human scent but I could not place it.  Am I losing my sense of smell?  I doubt it.  I act like I have selective hearing now and then but my sense of smell is still spot on.  A little later, Aunt Carol carried baby Alyssa (Uncle Nick and Aunt Carol’s daughter) downstairs and introduce me to her.  She was so adorable….  She was the cutest thing ever.  And right then and there, I promised to take care of her and protect her to the best of my abilities.  And I realized why Uncle Nick and Aunt Carol did not come to visit us in VA….. they were busy starting their own family. 

After eating Chicago’s own, Italian Beef sandwiches, I slept like a champion.  Night night……

Day 2 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Day 2 - (North Canton, OH to Cleveland, OH)

Day Two at Bed & Breakfast Ziarko began with breakfast in bed….no, no, no, that’s near correct!  We were served a scrumptious breakfast before heading off to the NFL Hall of Fame.  I say scrumptious because there’s just no other way to describe the blueberry coffee cake we enjoyed.  As we arrived, we noticed fire trucks alongside the building and people leaving the Hall en mass.  A quick conversation with a few of the buildings workers revealed a gas leak that may have stemmed from renovations…the Hall would be closed for a period of time, leaving us to revise our plans for the day.  To make the most of the day we decided to do Day 3’s activities in Cleveland on Day 2.

A short trip up to Cleveland found us checking into a hotel of unsavory sorts.  It was a rather quick turn around, right back to the car. Apparently a 3 star rating means something completely different in Cleveland!  After finding much more suitable accommodations (thanks to Service Pup Bailey & Starwood!!) we enjoyed a day at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with dinner at our first Triple D stop (Diners, Drive ins and Dives from the Food Network as referenced in Day 1's blog).   

 

The Hall was celebrating an induction this very day in Los Angeles.  The likes of Donna Summer and Quincy Jones (lifetime achievement) are being inducted this year.  Who can forget “Bad Girl…toot toot, beep, beep!”  The museum itself was a collection of celebrity costumes, instruments, writings and recordings.  It explored how early forms of blues, jazz and gospel (and others) influenced rock and roll, the attempt to smother the music form by labeling it demonic, the wide swath of music considered rock and roll and the people who contributed to it making it what it has become today.  It was educational and quite fun.

Dinner reservations at (DDD) Momocho did not disappoint.  We made it in for Happy Hour experiencing ½ priced taquitos and drinks.  First, let me assure you that the taquitos are not what you’re thinking.  They were not the little cigar rolled, fried, corn tortillas that we’ve come to know as taquitos…no…the filling was served in a casserole with hot, fresh corn tortillas served along side.  We had two types, the first a coffee braised short rib and a second dish consisting of kale, sweet potato & plantain…a stellar combination!  The grilled corn that was going to surely make our day was not being served until next week.  A bummer, but there will be grilled corn in Vegas.  More on that much later in the trip!  As usual, we made friends at the bar and soon learned all the items we needed to order for dinner.  Score!

Weary from a full day and the drive the day before, we retired to our hotel room to spend some quality time on the couch with Bales and prepping ourselves for Day 3…with Day 2 activities that is:-)

Bailey's Perspective

Woke up this morning, energized and refreshed.  Aunt Holly’s dad made breakfast for everyone, including me.  I had some egg yolk with my breakfast.  He is so nice and surprisingly, he knew exactly what I liked to eat for breakfast.  Humans are so smart.  Or do all dogs like to eat eggs for breakfast? Hummmmmm…..while pondering about what other dogs eat for breakfast, I fell asleep in the living room.  Yes, I fell asleep and I am proud of it.  What do you expect me to do after a nice meal? 

I woke up later to mommy and daddy packing up the car again.  So, I knew we were leaving and waited by the car, politely without saying a word. Took pictures in front of the house, everyone exchanged hugs and daddy helped me into the car.  We were driving again….. but this time, I fell asleep immediately rather than trying to see where we were going.  An hour or so later, we pulled into a cigarette smelling hotel in a not so nice looking neighborhood. Knowing my parents, I knew we would not be spending the night at this horrible place.  We, as a family, were too classy for a place like this and I knew it.  As predicted, we went upstairs, checked out the room, came back down stairs and checked out of the hotel.  :)   We eventually settled in to a different hotel by an airport, much nicer….more my style or should I say, our style .  After checking in, mommy and daddy left for a while and I fell asleep in a cool, comfortable room.

They returned with smiles, belly rubs for me and importantly, awesome Mexican food.  Daddy took me out for a quick walk and upon returning to the room, I ate delicious short rib surrounded by corn chips.  Mommy and daddy love me very much….. But then again, what is not to love about me? I am the coolest Lab/Ridgeback mix on the east coast (soon to be west coast!). 

Based on their nonverbal, and mainly daddy working on his computer, I surmised that we were not going anywhere tonight.  So, off to sleep…... night night..… I’m sure we will start driving again tomorrow.

Day 1 Leaving Lorton(ville)

Welcome to our Cross Country Blog!  As you all know, Tae, Bailey, Korean Dad & I are on our way from Lorton, Virginia to sunny San Diego via cross-country road trip.

A couple of themes for this trip…
1)   no more than 5-6 hours of driving per day,
2)   visit friends wherever we can,
3)   eat at Triple D restaurants in towns we travel through, and
4)   have fun doing it!
  
Day 1 (N. VA to North Canton, OH)

We've been planning this move from some time and while we're sad to leave our friends and family on the east coast, it's time for the next chapter of our lives in San Diego. We hope our move inspires each of you to travel to the west coast for a visit and to find out why we love it so!  Our road trip started off simple enough with a mini van filled to the gills (don’t despair, the RV comes later in the trip!).  On day 1, Tae, Bailey and I traveled through Maryland and Pennsylvania (quite uneventful although we did get this awesome photo during that stretch of the road...)

and into Ohio to our first stop in Canton, Ohio.  What pray tell is in Canton you ask?   Our good friend Holly’s parents reside there and kindly offered to put us up on our first stop of the NFL Hall of Fame.

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with much fanfare and love. Mom and Pop Ziarko not only put us up for the evening, but served a first class meal in a home as lovely as a bed and breakfast.  Lucky us! I quickly became engaged with the tales of the kitchen renovation and missed the excess slurping of water by Bailey.  The slurping promptly resulted in a blessing of the Ziarko home.  Fortunate for us they’re a dog friendly family, hence not at all fazed by the inconvenience.  Thanks a million for your kind understanding Momma & Poppa Z!

Holly’s childhood home was filled with beautiful daffodils from the garden and plenty of cute photos of an adorable teenaged version of Cheerleader Holly! The backyard was a field of green shared by all the neighbors with not a fence in sight.  You could just imagine the many neighborhood kids whoops of joy as they played outside (back in the day) into the early evening each summer amid the calls from the moms to come home for dinner.

Dinner was filled with good food and great company!  The pineapple upside down cake was literally the icing on the cake:)  We eventually sent Bailey to bed and stayed up til the late hours of the night enjoying our chosen family.  Thanks again to the Ziarko’s for your kind, gracious hospitality!  Day 1 safely completed!

Bailey's Perspective

Today was a very interesting day.  Mommy and Daddy started packing up for what appeared to be another one of their weekend getaways.  But this time, they were packing boxes into a vehicle that I did not recognize.  A sliver Chrysler minivan with all the seats folded down…. So, I assumed it was going to be a weeklong trip or so. Then, mommy started bringing down ALL of her plants to the minivan as well.  Having my dog inspector license and using my feminine intuition, I realized this particular trip was going to be different.  So, I immediately went down stairs and waited by the door thinking “no way you are going to leave me here in VA while you go away on this fun trip!!”  The minivan was packed to max and daddy saved some space for my bed, where I can lay out and do what I love….sleep.  After taking pictures in front of the house, we started driving and both mommy and daddy seemed a bit sad.  I started thinking…. “we might not be coming back to our home anytime soon……”

We started driving….and kept on driving.  I tried to look out the window to see where we were going but I get dizzy and car sick easily.  So, I just listened to mommy and daddy say “Bailey, blah blah blah blah blah and blah blah blah, California.”  My ears perked up at hearing California.  I lived in California before and I loved every minute of it.  Hanging out in Carmel’s white sand beach and living the West Coast lifestyle….. it was truly amazing.  I am hoping that we are driving out to California, but then again, it is a very long trip and I am NOT looking forward to a drive across country.  As I was thinking about and contemplating on the possibility of the long drive ahead, I fell asleep.  I just needed some sleep to catch up on my beauty rest.

About 6 ½ hours later, that is 45.5 hours in dog years, we pulled up to a beautiful home with well manicured grass.  Yeah!!!!  I had to go take care of business (number 1), so timing was perfect.  Then, Aunt Holly’s parents stepped out of the house and gave us all a very warm greeting.  What a pleasant surprise?  I see them during Easter time in Alexandria, but we didn’t go over to Aunt Holly’s for brunch this year on Easter.  So, I was very happy to see them.

After a long care ride, I was very parched. So, as soon as I walked inside, I drank approximately 6 cups of water very quickly….too quickly perhaps.  Almost immediately, I threw up approximately 5 cups of water in the kitchen.  Don’t worry, I threw up on tile, not carpet….I’m not that rude.  I felt bad about the mishap but the long car ride had me feeling a bit nausea.  After settling down, we had nicely prepared flank steaks, double baked potatoes, and perfectly cooked vegetables for dinner.  After dinner, I was really tired. Mommy and daddy took me to the guest room and I fell asleep soundly for the rest of the night.  Before falling asleep, I wondered how long we will be visiting Aunt Holly’s parents…….. they are so wonderful, I can certainly stay here for a while and I would not complain at all.