A Chain O' Lakes Oldie, a Long-Time Owner and Harley Wayne

MONDAY, AUGUST 1

We met Kevin and Kelly at Oak Park Lounge on Pistakee Lake where they were celebrating owner Tom Fuch's 46th year of owning the place.  That's a real long time to run a bar, especially considering that even though he grew up in the Johnsburg area, he had never gone there before buying it.  Talk about your on-the-job learning.

And, Oak Park Lounge is a Chain O' Lakes original, built in the 1890s and looking pretty much the same since then.  We had some drinks with Tom.

Afterwards, we went to Sunnyside Tavern for a couple or three more brews.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 2

A history day for me, and I love history.  I drove out to Marengo, Illinois, and had lunch at The Spot, home of the 3/4 pound cheeseburger for $7.99.  What a deal and what a meal.

Then, I went to the McHenry County History Museum in Union and met with Bob and Ellen, who are busy working on a book about McHenry County's Harley Wayne, a captain in the 15th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War who was killed at the Battle of Shiloh.

They let me peruse some primary source materials about him and I even put in a couple suggestions for the book.  Later, Bob and I took a walk by Harley Wayne's mansion which is just a couple blocks from the museum.

Congratulations Tom.  --RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  If you can make amends, can you just make one amend?

JSS: Gas Prices-- Flower Sales Finally-- Buddy Denny's Massive RoadTrip-- A Fish Fry and View With a Brew

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  GAS PRICES--  After last year, when the prices were so low, but essentially nothing was open, we have been in for a massive gas gouge as things open up and people hit the road.  Gas around here in northeastern Illinois are anywhere from $3.00 to $3.50.  Go over the border to Wisconsin (inly about eight miles away) and the gas is $2.95.  Guess where I get my gas?

2.  FLOWER SALES FINALLY--  All last year, I waited for annual flowers to go on sale, but it never happened.  I was beginning to give up for this year as well.  The best I could find were clearance flowers at Wal-Mart which were near dying, but recoverable.

However, the last two days I was on a buying spree at Menard's as their six pack annuals and seed geraniums were 50 cents.  Six packs of wave petunias are $1.25.  Now, I just have to find someone to plant them.  Any volunteers?

3.  BUDDY DENNY'S MASSIVE ROAD TRIP--  In a few hours I will be driving over to Marengo, Illinois, to meet my buddy Denny, who, after chomping at the bit last year, finally got to go out on the road and what a trip he has been on.  He has driven the entire length of the old Yellowstone Trail which traverses the U.S. from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound and is coming back from Oregon to Massachusetts on U.S. Highway 20.  Marengo is on US-20.

4.  A FISH FRY AND VIEW WITH A BREW--  Last night, we met up with friends at 'Cuda's on Grasslake Road in Antioch, Illinois, for their wonderful beer-battered fish fry, then adjourned to the nearby Lake View Bar on Grasslake and sat out on the deck, enjoying the view toward Blarney Island, the sunset and especially the $1 brews.

Great Times.  --RoadDog

DeKalb Kind of a Weekend-- Part 2: Color and Settlers Days Parade

OCTOBER 12TH, 2014:

It sure hurt to have our 28-game home winning streak snapped yesterday, especially since it was homecoming.  But, Central Michigan played well, we played extremely badly.

After I had the continental breakfast at the Baymont, I took a drive around campus and the Lagoon.  Stopped there and took a walk around the beautiful body of water, always one of the prettiest spots on campus and with the castle, Altgeld Hall looming over it.  I found the stone with the plaque for William Goose (we called him Gus Goose), honorary NIU student.

Out to Sycamore Road (Il-23) and went to Lowe's, Wal-Mart and Barnes & Nobles.

Back to the hotel and then Liz and I ate at Culver's and drove to Genoa and took Genoa Road to Belvidere and then US-20 to Marengo where we watched the Packer game and the Marengo Settlers Days parade at North Side Tavern.

Then, drove to McHenry to Twisted Moose and watched Da Bears defeat the Falcons and then home.

Definitely a Football Weekend.  --RoadDog

Football, Parades and Boating Over Last Five Days

FRIDAY, OCT. 11TH:   Boating. Richmond-Burton High School victory over Burlington Central.

SATURDAY OCT. 12TH: Drive to Dekalb for NIU's 108th Homecoming. Alumni Tent Area. Met author of new "Huskie Football" book and new NIU President Doug Baker. Seats on the 45 yardline. NIU wins. Dekalb Footstompers at Lord Stanley's.

SUNDAY, OCT. 13TH: NIU souveniers and CDs at Wal-Mart and Barnes & Nobles. Breakfast of Champions at White Castle. Marengo Settler's Day Parade. Bar-Hopping at Coleman's and Red Mill in Woodstock.

MONDAY, OCT. 14TH: Halloween decorations. Boating. Kevin and Kelly. American Legion and NTN and pizza at J's.

TUESDAY, OCT. 14TH: Movie "Gravity." Shopping in McHenry.

Great Time. --RoadDog

Fighting the Civil War, Eating BBQ, and Going Back to the 60s

Saturday and Sunday, I helped man the Camp Douglas Sons of Confederate Veterans tent at the Lakewood Forest Preserve in Wauconda, Illinois, for the 18th annual Civil War Days. Camp Douglas was an infamous prison in Chicago where over 6,000 Confederates died after being incarcerated there.

We did quite well in the recruiting area, with three new members (remember, it's not easy recruiting behind enemy lines) and about six possibles. Plus, I was happy to hear the Confederation in Illinois might be growing two more camps, one in Rockford and another in Peoria.

I saw two battle re-enactments and definitely had to keep an eye out where you walked because of all the horses.

Saturday evening, Camp Douglas had a fantastic barbecue out at Compatriot Mark's farm west of Marengo. And then, there was that smoother-than-smooth "recipe" moonshine which we all enjoyed. One of the member's daughters did not know what a live turkey looked like (well, city gal, you know). These turkeys were descendants of the ones the Pilgrims brought.

I will have more about Civil War Days in my Civil War Blog: http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com


SUNDAY: THE WAR AND THE BAND

Sunday, I was back there again, and after breaking camp, Liz and I went to Peterson Park in McHenry for Fiesta Days and saw the 1960s-1970s band, Berwyn's Pride and Joy, the Ides of March, who had hits with "You Wouldn't Listen," "LA Goodbye," and "Vehicle."

Then, member Jim Peterik had success writing with .38 Special and Survivor and especially the huge hit "Eye of the Tiger."

Really good show and worth the $5 to get in.

I'll write more about the show in this blog.

Having My War and Music Too. --RoadDog

Road Trip- 34th Anniversary- Part 2 Floods, Elizabeth, Dubuque, East Dubuque

We left this past Wednesday and encountered water over the road on Queen Anne Road as we were trying to bypass Woodstock. A short time later, there was another fording situation on Illinois Highway 176 east of Marengo.

We got on US-20 at Marengo and took it the rest of the way to Dubuque, Iowa. US-20 is one of my favorite highways, along with US-12, US-66, the National Road, and US-50. We stopped at a new visitors center east of Freeport. This is a very good one with lots of info and a good place to stretch.

US-20 is one of the most beautiful drives in the US between Stockton and Dubuque. If you think of Illinois as being flat, this will surely change your mind. The road follows the ridge line with great vistas off to the sides.

Elizabeth is a quaint little town. Then there's Galena, the town that history forgot. We went on past it as we'll be there tomorrow. The rains that have assaulted the Midwest caught up with us here and the twenty mile drive to Dubuque was done in a nearly blinding torrential downpour, just what we really needed.

In Dubuque, we went to the west end and played NTN at BW3 and then went to Paul's Tavern with all those stuffed animal heads.

We went to East Dubuque and checked into the Swiss Inn, a mom and pop place with rooms at around $50. They have food, but the oven was broken, so we drove to downtown East Dubuque and had one of the best roast beef sandwiches I've ever had at George and Dale's.

Day Two- Thursday- We took a ride out to the Lock and Dam in Dubuque. We go here every winter to see the bald eagles. None around here today, but the Mississippi was high and full of algae. Drove up to Eagle Point Park which has magnificent views of the Mississippi.

Spent $10 apiece to go into the National Mississippi Museum and Aquarium at Ice Harbor, and it was worth every bit of it. We particularly enjoyed watching the river otters and turtles. If there is any animal on earth that has more fun than an otter, I'd sure like to know.

Drove to the Ramada Inn west of Galena and checked in. This is on the site of the old Palace Motel, where we went on our honeymoon. We then went downtown in Galena and checked out some stores and had cocktails at the American Legion before dinner at the Log Cabin, dating from 1935. We ate here on the Sunday after we were married, and it has been a tradition ever since.

Stopped at the Keg and Cask and bought a bottle of Blue Nun wine. Liz's dad, Ambrose, gave us a small bottle to drink once we got out to Galena, and that has been a tradition all these 34 years. We had it out on the Ramada's deck and watched a toad going after the many crickets. OK, so we were hard up for entertainment.

To Be Continued. --RoadDog