Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 13: Heading Home on Our Last Anniversary

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022

There was a still a clown hanging around this morning outside our room, only now wearing a bathrobe and later tourist clothes (but still with clown face painted on)  Not something you'd expect to see outside your door in the morning.  And, actually, a little bit unsettling.

Went to the Grant Hills Motel office for coffee and today's Dubuque newspaper.  The manager asked if we were going to stay another day, but Liz had already told me she wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home.  I told her that we didn't want to stay and she said that was alright as they still didn't have any room cancellations.

Read the newspaper outside and we headed for home at 10:30.  I had considered driving the Stagecoach Road on the way home, but Liz said she wasn't feeling well, so took the usual US-20 route.

Instead of going on the US-20 bypass around Freeport, we took Business US-20, the original US-20 through town. It sure seemed like we went a long way on it.

When we got home after a 353 mile drive for our anniversary, I cut the grass and then we went to Sunnyside and the McHenry American Legion.

Little did I know at the time, but this was to be my last anniversary with Liz and that we only had less than a month before her death.  Today, December 23, is the third month since she died.

Sure Going to be a Strange Christmas This Year.  --RoadDog

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 12: Filming for a TV Pilot Show

AUGUST 26, 2022

Back to Grant Hills Motel and it was getting quite crowded with people walking all over the place.  There was even a movie crew there setting things up and testing a drone for aerial shots.  We knew that we couldn't get the room for tomorrow night because of a big wedding taking place nearby, so thought they must be there to film it.  With a twenty-person film crew, what kind of big deal wedding was that going to be?

We went inside, got our drinks and back outside to sit and watch the goings on.  Again, this is why we like mom and pop motels.  That sitting outside on a pleasant night is just the ticket.

We later learned that the film crew (and actors) were there to film a pilot for a new TV series or possibly a film about clowns.  There was one guy in a particularly striking (and a little scary) clown outfit.  They had already filmed some exterior shots around the motel.

And, they even filmed a segment in the room next to ours where a bad cop went in and killed two people.  The two people in the room were not actors but motel guests who had been asked to do the honors.  We had even talked to them a bit when we arrived back at the motel.

The cop had a fake gun (probably because of the accidental killing of a cast member in a big Hollywood film shoot earlier this year).

Watch Out for the Clowns and Cop.  --RoadDog

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 10: Cajun Jack's and the VFW

FRIDAY,  AUGUST 26

I was sitting out by the Grant Hills Motel's pool at 12:45 pm.  It was nice when the clouds rolled by, but very hot when they were gone.  They are cutting the grass and I sure love the smell of fresh mown grass.  One of those great smells of summer.

I've seen a place in Elizabeth called Cajun Jack's advertised quite often and we drive by it every time we  go to Galena.  But, we'd never stopped in.  Any place with a name like that will be of interest.  So, today was the day we would check it out.

They have great decor outside and inside.  We ordered beers and got a half order of Cajun chips with steak and all sorts of fixins' for $9.  We could not finish it.  We just had one draft beer apiece and would have had more had we known that they were just $1.75.  That is a good price these days.

Back to the motel then downtown Galena and, like yesterday, almost unbelievably found a parking place right in front of the VFW where I wouldn't have to parallel park.  This is especially hard these days since I lost my depth perception.

--RoadDog

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 9: A 'Great" Morning at a Mom and Pop Motel

Continued from November 13th.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2022

Got my coffee from the office as well as a free copy of today's Dubuque (Iowa) Telegraph-Herald.  The price of it is now $1.50 Monday to Saturday.  A little bit higher but definitely better than the Chicago tribune which is now $4 daily.  I will be cancelling my subscription, sadly, soon.  I love having a print paper in my hand, but not at $140 every two months.

Sat outside the room, had my coffee and read the paper.  Now that's good living to me.

The neighbors in Room 14 left for breakfast and a boat ride  in Dubuque, but will not be coming back to the motel.  Too bad, we sure had a nice conversation with them last night.  Those old Mom and Pop motels are very conducive to sitting outside your room and talking with fellow travelers, something you can't do in newer motels.

I watched some of "South Park," a really funny adult cartoon show which unfortunately attracts a lot of kids to watch it.  It is hilarious, but things they talk about and cursing should not be for kids.

--RoadDog

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 8: Toasting 49 Years and That Little Bottle of Blue Nun

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

We walked over to the VFW, about a block away and enjoyed their $2 drafts and especially enjoyed talking with the other folks there.  You can almost always strike up a conversation at this "Cheers" kind of a place.  Hopefully, the Gold Room will be better the next time we go there as it is a "Cheers" kind of place also.  Yesterday, we only had one and then done.

Returned to the motel and had our Riesling wine while we toasted 49 years of being wed and Amby and his little bottle of Blue Nun.

We didn't have anyone sitting outside their room last night, but tonight was different.  The people in the rooms next to us were outside and we had a great talk with them.  One couple were farmers from near Galesburg.

Sitting outside your room and talking with fellow travelers is one of our favorite things about staying in a mom and pop motel.

--RoadTalk

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 7: Galena's Log Cabin Restaurant

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

We then drove to downtown Galena and amazingly, found a parking space, one that I could pull into and not have to back into (again, my depth perception has faded).  It was right in front of where we were going to eat our anniversary dinner, The Log Cabin Steakhouse (with that great old sign hanging over the sidewalk).  This is where we ate our first meal together on our honeymoon.

As we walked up to the door, they opened it as they open at 4 p.m. and that was the time.  We were the first customers of the day.  I had thought of having one of their notable steak dinners, but they started at $38, a bit more than I wanted to pay.  Instead, I got my usual catfish dinner for $19.95, only this time I had it made up Greek style.  Liz ordered the cod dinner.

The place looks exactly as it did 49 years ago.   Another reason we like it so well.

As usual, we got a hot loaf of bread and a relish tray with some of the best cheese spread anywhere.  I also got a baked potato with the order.

We had plenty left over.  Thankfully, our room at Grant Hills Motel has a minifrig.

--RoadAnniversary

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 4: Hanging Out and Going to Dubuque

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

There were three motorcyclists who stayed at the Grant Hills Motel last night and we said hello as they passed by, but as cyclists often are, they only wanted to talk with each other.  Not with car folk like us.

I sat out by the pool and wrote in the journal.  The clouds were gone, sunshining and actually getting hot.  Cars, trucks, motorcycles and lots of SUVs going by on US-20 (the U.S. Grant Highway)  The U-Haul trucks are parked by the side of the pool.  The motel also rents them.

Liz and I drove to Dubuque, Iowa.  US-20 from Main Street in Galena all the way up the hill is really torn up with construction.  Galena High School is called the Pirates and they have the same dopey-looking logo as our Palatine High School Pirates.

Anyone who thinks Illinois is a flat state need only drive US-20 from Freeport to Dubuque to change their mind.  Passed the Swiss Inn in East Dubuque, Illinois.  We have stayed there often and like it especially because there is a bar attached to it.

We crossed the Mighty Mississippi on the bridge and were expecting to find cheaper gas prices in Iowa.  From the bridge there is quite a climb up a hill to get to the main store area of Dubuque on US-20.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why do you fill out a form by filling it in?

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary-- Part 2: Galena's Gold Room, Paradise and VFW

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24

We then drove back to downtown Galena and began the long look to find a parking space somewhere.  It is a popular tourist spot, so always a lot of cars (especially on the weekends).  Of course, a new problem is that my depth perception has really gotten bad, so parallel parking would not be a good idea.  We saw several good parallel parking spaces of course.  

I dropped Liz of outside one of our favorite watering holes in Galena, the Gold Room and then spent another ten minutes looking for a spot and finally found one at a good distance from the Gold Room.  Walked back and we went inside.  Sadly, the place was dead so just had one beer and left.

We were planning to eat at Dirty Gurt's nearby, but they are closed on Wednesdays.  Continued walking and found a likely place called Paradise Pub & Grub and stopped in.  They had a spaghetti special so I got that and Liz had a pork loin sandwich.

Next stop was at our favorite drinking place in Galena, the VFW which still has their $2 Busch Light pints so thoroughly enjoyed them.

Went back to the Grant Hills Motel and sat outside.  Unfortunately, no one else did. so it was just Liz and me.  Folks need to know that when you have a motel like that, you should sit outside.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:   Why is QUITE A FEW the same as QUITE A LOT?

Our 49th Wedding Anniversary

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

This was the first time Liz and I had been farther than about twenty miles from the house since March 2020 because of the COVID thing.  I had driven as far away as 35 miles to Marengo a couple times (and even to the Indy 500, but friends drove).

We went to Galena, Illinois, where we went on our honeymoon in August 1973.  This was before it became such a popular place as it is today. 

We took Il-47 to Il-176 and then US-20 (US-20 is the U.S. Grant Highway in Illinois because of his living in Galena) the rest of the way.   We stayed at the Grant Hills Motel just south of Galena.  This is an old mom and pop kind of motel where you park right outside your room.  We especially like this place because you can sit outside at night and talk to other people staying there.

This was a 130 mile trip.  That is really not that far, but since this was way farther than I had driven since 2020, I was quite tired when I got there and had to take a nap. 

After that, we drove on US-20 past the that neat old downtown to Wal Mart to stock up on beer and a bottle of Jim Beam for that outside sitting at night.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  If it was just a three-hour trip, why did Mrs. Howell have so many clothes?

Just Got Back From Our 45th Anniversary Trip

Liz and I just got back from a seven day trip out to the Mississippi River and back for our 45th wedding anniversary.  The trip covered seven days, 401 miles and three states.

We were married in DeKalb, Illinois, on August 25, 1973, and went to Galena, Illinois, for our honeymoon.

This trip was out to Galena for four days and to Dubuque, Iowa, for two days.

And, by coincidence, this year August 25 fell on a Saturday, the same day we were married.

We went to a lot of bars in Galena and stayed at the Grant Hills Motel, a mom and pop place.  Enjoyed sitting outside the room and talking with other  travelers, something you can't do in the new motels.

I also did a lot of history at the Washburne and U.S. Grant homes and the LST-325 World War II ship in Dubuque.

A Real Good Time.  --RoadDog