Monday, July 11, 2016

Middle of Nowhere, WI: Que Sehra

Leaving Illinois was bittersweet.. bitter because I fell in love with the serene Gibson City, sweet because my journey is young and there is much more to see and experience. The hosts I connected with in Wisconsin sound great and I'm eager to get there. Driving out of the farmland, I was happy. Enormous windmills surrounded me and there are access roads to drive between them. The weather was warm, sunny, and breezy, perfect for riding with my windows down and music blasting. And it turns out that about 30 minutes in the direction opposite of where I drove in to the city was a bigger city with chain restaurants and stores, just in case I needed more civilization. 



Sunday, July 10, 2016

Chicago, IL: 2013 V 2016

July 2013. One of my best friends graduated with her Master's degree from an online school based out of Chicago. The graduation happened to coincide with her birthday; she, our other friend, and I had never been to the city and we figured there is no better reason than a double celebration! And away we went...

Friday, July 8, 2016

Gibson City, IL: What to do?

Given how much I am in love with this little city, I have decided to take my time here and breathe it all in before going to Chicago. You may be wondering.. with Gibson City being a one stoplight town, what is there to even do there? Well, as a visitor who knows no one, not a whole lot of activities are going on, but there is enough to be entertained. Yesterday downtown and the neighborhoods were explored, so today Neville and I went deeper into the neighborhoods. I have noticed that most of the homes here have an American flag painted on some type of wood and proudly displayed outside. 'Merica! Surrounded by cornfields, kind locals, and bright skies, I could have wandered for days. Really, I'm not even sure why cars are necessary here. 



Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Gibson City, IL: One Stoplight Town

Initially my plan was to go to Indiana after Missouri. I had a WWOOF host secured and was in contact with him when I was finally free to head that way. When I reached out to him to confirm, he gave me different information, as in he wanted me to meet him at his office, he wasn’t sure if Neville was good there, and my trailer would ‘probably’ fit. I had a weird feeling in my gut and already missed 4th of July with my friends there, so I ran the information by Mom who hated the sound of him and asked me not to go. Granted, she had been watching a lot of Criminal Minds, but with both of us feeling uncomfortable I decided to skip Indiana. I informed my would-be host of this and his responses made me happy with my decision to continue on. Chicago was the next city I wanted to be close to and I found a campground about 2 hours away in Gibson City. Once I had this destination locked in and was on my way, I felt much better.  

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

St. Louis: Not All Bad

Amidst all of the nonsense that I experienced in St. Louis, I did take the time to explore the city. Of course the big draw there is the Gateway Arch. The Arch memorializes the story of the nation’s westward expansion and was created without the loss of even one life. It was completed in 1965 and is part of the National Park Service. What they don’t tell you is that you can see it from everywhere in the city. I parked in a nearby garage to see if there was a good view and it was alright. Nev and I took our time walking to the arch and around it, trying to ignore the construction. We sat by the river enjoying the sunshine and listened to the old time music coming from where the cruise boats go out, right up until horse drawn carriages started coming around and pup was losing his mind. There is the option to ride up the arch for city views, but we obviously couldn’t do that. 

 


Saturday, July 2, 2016

St. Louis: If it Weren't for No Luck Pt 2

The following day I arrive at the mechanic and the man barely remembers our conversation from the day before, but says he can at least look at it. The beast and I walk around St. Louis and came to a dog park- resident access only. Ok. Across the street was a coffee shop with outdoor seating and wifi- yay! I got lunch, met a friendly local father/daughter duo, and we spent some time there. Once finished, we walked around the streets more and I called the auto shop. He had no answers and said he needs to rule some things out, but that regardless of what the problem is, he can't get to it until next week. @*!$%*. We walk to the shop and my car hasn't even moved from the spot I parked it with the keys still in the seat- he never even looked at it. Well that was a great waste of an entire morning. A number of calls more were made and I found a shop that asked how soon I could be there.. within minutes! I say. I arrived at Mid Town Tire & Auto, parked, explained for the 28004707th time the issue and the man behind the counter, Dave, hooks it up with the diagnostic test. I tell him that I'll be in the area and leave my number. Retreat Gastropub has outdoor seating so Nev and I head there for a beer and some lunch. The restaurant is open so I do leave Neville attached to his leash with the leash under one of the metal chairs. I go inside for a minute, long enough to order a drink, and there's a huge crash outside. I look out the open door to see my puppy hauling ass, dragging a metal chair into the street. THANK GOD the car driving was going the speed limit and saw him and stopped. I ran outside and the same time a woman ran in to find me; she tells me the umbrella in the middle of the table moved and scared the hell out of my boy, and he took off. The bartender comes out and tells me they have service outside and leaves me with a nice cold beer for my nerves. 





Friday, July 1, 2016

St. Louis: If it Weren’t for No Luck Pt 1

After saying goodbye to Lance, Ray, and the farm babies, I was St. Louis bound. A few days prior, I had contacted a man who said he could host Neville and I; we emailed, texted, and spoke on the phone. When I was on the road, I asked the man for his address. He responded saying he can send it, but he can't accommodate the Drag Queen or Neville. WTF?! We spoke in detail about this! I informed him that his listing clearly states RV/pet friendly and suggested he update it. I found a Walmart off the highway and discovered that I have a gift- a gift for finding the Walmarts with no wifi. Super. This should've been an omen that this city is not the city for me, but I kept searching. I used my phone and found a campground that only charged $8 a night. I only planned to be in STL for 3 nights, so I can handle that. Back on track! En route, the directions took me back through my favorite state of Kentucky.. chose there to pull off for gas and a potty break. I notice that the gap between the wall and the bathroom door is huge- I HATE when bathrooms do this. WHY? As I'm minding my own business in the stall, this woman stands directly in front of the crack and is just staring at the wall. Oooook... go away. Stand somewhere else. What are you looking at? The situation reminded me of a friend's husband who was in a similar predicament, but far more intimate since the person on the other side of the door was a child and blatantly stared at him through the crack. When she leaves, I exit and notice that there is a Bible verse painted around the border of the bathroom. Of course.  


Monday, June 27, 2016

Nashville, TN: The River

As mentioned, Timmery and I loosely talked about plans for a river day. These locals know folks that have property on the river and with the heat of the summer, I can think of no better way to spend a day than to be in cool water for hours. Everyone brings some food, hammocks, kayaks, and whatever else and escapes... can't wait! I kiss my sweet pup goodbye, hit the store, and off we go! 

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Nashville, TN: Downtown

Lance was not only my host, but my tour guide as well. As I was driving out the driveway, JJ and Spot (the lambs) followed us.. all the way out to the road. Lance had to get out of the car, scoop them up, and then they got a quick ride in the backseat of my Expedition. We drove to a gate that led to the property where he hoisted them up and over, back home. I was elated to have two lambs in my back seat; that's definitely not something I would have pictured happening on my trip. Or anywhere else. Once they were back in their safe zone, we headed downtown, in the hot hot heat and humidity that is the South. 


Friday, June 24, 2016

Nashville, TN: MV Inhabitants

The guys continued to fill me in on Mystic Valley and it’s inhabitants. The farm is home to Ray and his family, Lance, dogs, cows, lambs, and horses. The dogs mainly stayed up at the house we first passed when entering the property and the cows were far out on the land, but the the lambs were always nearby. Once situated, we proceeded to see how Neville feels about the two baby lambs, JJ and Spot. He is eager to get a good sniff in and comes on strong, as usual. The lambs are unsure about him, rearing up to headbutt him whenever he comes close. They were indifferent toward me, but loved their Lance. 


 

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Nashville, TN: Mystic Valley

The next morning Neville and I take off to the city of Nashville (again)! Well, more appropriately, a farm named Mystic Valley, about 20 minutes north of the city.  The day was as hot and humid as ever and there are so many strange bugs in this state that I don’t even question them anymore. As I approached the property I called my host, Lance, and picked him up just down the road from the driveway so he could guide me in. This is my first time as a Workaway-er and his first time as a host, so we will learn together. 

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Nashville, TN: Wingin It

When I left Autumn Olive Camping, my GPS took my a route that I never knew existed. A one lane, dirt road, that curved around a few miles before bringing me to a highway. Over the past few days I have reached out to a number of people in the Nashville area to host me, but with no luck. I decided to go there anyway and see if anything came through. It was nice driving to my next destination and not have the car struggling uphill. Siri took me through some cute, small, country bumpkin looking towns, one of which was named Allardt: Home of the Giant Pumpkin. When I stopped for gas I FaceTimed some girlfriends and showed them the man dressed in overalls riding his tractor up to the gas station. Inside, everybody working there knew everybody coming in and there was a plethora of tobacco selections for sale. 

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Knoxville, TN: Explore

Four years ago, three girlfriends and I enjoyed a weekend at Autumn Olive Camping. None of us had been camping in years (or ever) and it was quite the adventure. From Vicky scaring us so badly no one except her could sleep in the tent the first night, to shooting guns, drinking moonshine, and just generally acting a fool. None of us had been to Knoxville before so we planned to spend the last night of our weekend there. The majority of our time was spent on Gay Street and we had an absolute blast! We saw the sites, met many locals, danced to Gangnam Style in the square, and gained superhero powers after dark. This time around, I got to explore Knoxville with my family. No superpowers came to light, but we did have fun. 



Saturday, June 18, 2016

Norris Lake, TN: Reunion Day

While this whole weekend is a family filled weekend, Saturday is the only day where everyone is here for the whole day. We declare it this year’s reunion day! Aunt Joyce rented a pontoon boat for a few hours out in Norris Lake. Certainly not a paddle boat, like Mom told Lori. That would be one hell of a day for our crew. Aunt Joyce also gifted us Autumn Olive Camping t-shirts; she’s the best. Everyone piles into someones car and we set off! The ride took longer than anticipated due to A) construction and B) one wrong turn. Cousin Josh is driving the car I’m in and he tells us (after we’re on the road) that in Tennessee the law is that a passenger in the car can drink, just not the driver. Good to know. I actually just now looked this up to verify and there are 7 other states where this is legal. In fact, in Mississippi the driver can also drink, so long as his/her BAC is under .08%. The more you know.

Friday, June 17, 2016

LaFollette, TN: Family

When I was a child most of my family lived within 20 minutes of each other. There was a time when I was visiting Aunt Joyce’s house and I heard a scary voice coming from behind her couch, but couldn’t see who it belonged to. She explained to me that it was Aunt Tilly, a mean old lady who hated children. I can't remember how long I thought this was true, but over time she would tell me, “no, you can’t go in there, Aunt Tilly is in there” or “you better be good, Aunt Tilly is watching” and things along those lines. Needless to say, I was terrified of this woman that I had never met, and never would meet because she didn’t exist. Aunt Joyce claims that she never knew I really believed in Aunt Tilly.. I don’t know if I believe her. Fast forward about 20 years, I fostered a mastiff mix who was just a unique dog with a creep stare that had a high prey drive. She needed a name and was gifted with ‘Tilly’. Aunt Joyce loved it and the name fit my girl so well. She didn’t last long as a foster dog before she became my forever furbaby. I’ll come back to Aunt Tilly.

R.I.P. Tilly

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

LaFollette, TN: Autumn Olive Camping


Nestled in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains is a rustic, fun, and best yet- inexpensive campsite. There are four cabins varying in size that are set up with comfortable beds, electricity, and heat/AC. There is space for tent camping as well, either bring your own or rent one. A clubhouse is available with a large satellite TV, pool table, dart board, hottub, wifi, outdoor games, and indoor plumbing. The owners provide you with the option of having them cook for you; I recommend it, the food is delicious... the got-to-have-it speciality is the biscuits and gravy. The name of the campsite comes from the numerous Autumn Olive trees on the land. A variety of products are made by the owners using the Autumn Olive leaves, such as chapstick, sunscreen, bug spray, soap, face cream, and the list goes on. Within an hours drive are fishing spots, hiking trails, ATV tours, and Norris Lake. The property is located about an hour north of Knoxville in LaFollette, Tennessee. All of that being said, the highlight of your visit will be the company. 

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Louisville, KY: The beginning and the end

Kentucky is the next stop on my route. The only other time that I have been to Kentucky was a year and a half ago with my mom and two of my cousins; we drove up from Tennessee to go to a mall since none of us had ever been to the state before. The ‘mall’ we came to was one of a few businesses in a small plaza and it was more like a flea market. Granted, we did find some awesome things in there. I found a sign that says something along the lines of: I got gas here! and has a photo of a gasoline pump on it. Because I’m classy. Mom had the best find, though. Her sister, who we were visiting in Tennessee, runs a campsite business with her husband (more about that later) out in the boonies. The cabins have electricity, but no water, so Mom found a portable potty for my aunt to scare future campers with. Then we went where any other person just over the state line would go to extend the trip- Kentucky Fried Chicken! And our trip was complete.


Sunday, June 12, 2016

Cleveland, OH: Last Day

One of the spots my wonderful hosts got me excited for was the West Side Market. The Market opened to shoppers on November 2, 1912, and is Cleveland’s oldest continuously operating municipally owned market. It was built to replace the Pearl Street Market, located on the opposite corner since 1840, and was one of three public markets in Cleveland (the other two were Broadway Market and Central Market). All three served Cleveland’s growing immigrant population in the early 20th century and only the West Side Market remains. The parking there is an event in itself, but once inside there is everything you could want. The best part for this fat kid was the free samples everyone hands out. I picked up produce, pasta, and meats, and only spent $30! Once all was put away in my camper and I cooked some lunch, it was really starting to look like I actually live in the Drag Queen. Feeling like home & I love it.




My time in Cleveland is drawing to an end so I decided that I needed to get some Honey Hut as a souvenir. The line was significantly longer this time around, but it is so so worth it. They give you a brown bag to bring the ice cream home, but they call it Karry Kool.. this entertained me. The drive back to the house is mainly through residential areas and on one street I saw a deer. This deer was just chilling in someone’s front yard, no worries to be had. It reminded me of a conversation Kelly and I had one night when she told me that deer will occasionally stroll down the middle of the street. And I got to witness it!

 




My last day with Dave and Kelly started off with a group trip to Edgewater Dog Park. Three humans, three pups, and lots of beach to wander. Beasts are off leash, Davinci and Neville run around sniffing who knows what, and Frank heads for the water. Dave throws Frank’s toy and he is after it, treading water, taking the waves, he gets it and is ready for more. Neville is not much of a water dog- the only time he has been swimming was when he was a puppy and my niece and I took him in my mom's pool. He swam, but only because he had to, not to enjoy. Imagine my surprise when he went into the water after Frank! Not all the way in, of course, but his feet were wet. He retreated when the waves started coming, but hey, progress! There are rocks and sticks mixed in with the sand on this beach and full bodied dead fish, too. Cute. Davinci goes and hangs with his family and I throw a stick for Neville. He eventually settles down in the sand and chews on his favorite snack, getting up every now and then to dig it a little hole. A small dog and her owner walk down the beach and Neville takes off! I keep telling him he needs to work on his approach because he comes on pretty strong; he still doesn't get it. Thankfully, this dog takes it in stride and the two of them chase each other around for a few minutes. After a while the pups are good and tired, Frank is exhausted, and we walk up the beach. On the drive out there is a beautiful view of the city with the beach in the foreground.



Photo Credit: Kelly




Photo Credit: Kelly

Photo credit: Kelly




Photo credit: Kelly



Neville and I drove downtown- well, I drove and he laid in the back seat- and walked around. We walked through Playhouse Square and up 6th Avenue. There were a whole bunch of teenagers lined up around the block for something. According to the guy working in the store CLE, it was for a local band. Good for that band! The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is downtown; it is a 125' column topped with a statue of the Goddess of Freedom, defended by the Shield of Liberty, commemorating the American Civil War. The base is surrounded by a Memorial Room and four bronze groupings depicting, in battle scenes, the Navy, Artillery, Infantry and Cavalry. The interior of this old Monument was built in 1894 and was recently rehabilitated. Colossal Cupcakes was the sign that caught my eye next, walking around in this heat and all. The interior is decorated in different pink hues and the bakery serves cupcakes, vanilla ice cream, and cake shakes. I was curious about a cake shake so the girl cut me off a piece of the maple bacon something cupcake to try and whipped the rest of it with some ice cream for a shake. Pretty good.




 







Back at the house I wasn’t able to open one of the windows in my camper, I just couldn’t figure it out. I showed it to Dave and he saw the confusion I was talking about. He fiddled with it for all of 4 seconds and figured out all you have to do is push up. It is ridiculously simple. Window 3, Dave 1, Rebecca 0. My last night here, I relaxed with Neville, enjoying my newly opened window, and heard a dad yelling at his kid across the street. They have no clue I am in the Drag Queen and can hear them. This could be fun! But no, it was short lived and pretty uneventful. On my walk with the dog that night, I noticed that the houses have a lot of variety and character on most streets, but the houses on a few streets weren’t too different from each other. It reminded me of the theme song from Weeds.


Wifi again won't let me post the YouTube video, so you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/u4KfJztaJ5I

I am so grateful to have met Dave 10 years ago and thankful that he and Kelly opened their driveway and their home up to me. I had such a good time reconnecting and exploring with them and the pups. There were many laughs, new sites, delicious food, and a rising level of excitement about the future. Can’t wait to come back for a visit and return the favor to you guys. Best of luck to you when you head out on your own adventure!