Vol. 23 No. 4 - 30 June, 2019

1 June was a trucking day, and we got to Austintown, Ohio.  There was a bar across the street from the truckstop called Ice House Inn, an interesting, local bar - the coldest beer since 1934.
Website:  If you told Joe Mousie back in 1934 that his bar would serve the Mahoning Valley for over 85 years, he would tell you to go kick rocks!  But here we are, 85 years later, serving the coldest beer in town.  We serve the freshest burgers around, straight from the butcher down the street.  Amazing appetizers, gigantic sandwiches, and delicious dinners every weekend.
We had dinner there.  This nice old flatbed pick-up truck was outside.  From the era when ice and coal was home delivered.

Sunday, was a an easy day, cleaning the truck, checking things.  No problems, so we went for a walk.

Wildflowers in eastern Ohio.

Just a short walk was the Harley Davidson dealer - Bike Town, and The Biker Brewhouse. The brewery is inside the Harley Davidson dealer building.

A great place, Jim and I were the only ones in the brewery, but several people in the Harley Davidson showroom which the brewery is part of.

I had the Blueberry Beer - Blue Balls.

We bought a 32 oz growler of Hot Blonde Habanero beer for later.

A Quaker Steak & Lube Restaurant was near to the Harley Davidison dealer & brewery.  Classic cars were in the parking lot for the Sunday Car Cruise-in. It was a good place for dinner.

The door handles to Quaker Steak & Lube.

Motorcycle manufacturers engraved into the counter.  No "Moto Guzzi" to be seen!

Wow!!  A Moto Guzzi hanging from the ceiling! 

Wandered around the parking lot for a little while - interesting and classic cars.

On the walk back to the truckstop, we saw this interesting motorcycle.

Monday morning we delivered the heat exchangers to a heating and plumbing company in New Franklin, Ohio, then to Cleveland to Universal Intermodal Container yard to load one 40 foot empty shipping container. 

Cleveland, Ohio to Buffalo New York.

Took the container to Buffalo, New York to deliver at RiverWorks in the elevator district.  

A couple of years ago, we were at RiverWorks with Bob and Janice - it is a great tourist attraction - a lot to see and Buffalo history.

This moss covered rock at Joe and Michele's - it has been a very wet spring!

A few days in  Buffalo, visited Bob and Janice; and met 'Rite and Mike and they took us to Charlie's Boat Yard restaurant.  It has recently been remodeled - a larger outside deck and another dining area added. 

Website:  In the past, Charlie’s Boat Yard (formerly Dug’s Dive) has been fairly one dimensional, which has served its purpose as a summertime, waterside escape – a place to grab a burger, a beer, and an ice-cream.  It’s a great place for families. Whether, boating, biking, or simply watching the waterfront activity, it is a great locale, albeit seasonal.

It is now an all season restaurant at the waterfront.

A quick visit to Windy Brew on the way back to Joe and Michele's.

Beer and pizza at Windy Brew.

Headed off to Westfield, NY on Friday morning - stopped at Paula's Donuts.  It was National Donut Day, so a coffee and donut was for us.   

We also had time to stop at Chestnut Ridge in Orchard Park.  I wanted to see Eternal Flame Falls - from the car park it is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) hike to the waterfall.  Jim opted to wait in the car park.

Internet:  Eternal Flame Falls – Chestnut Ridge Park, Orchard Park, NY.  Eternal Flame Falls is a waterfall on Shale Creek in Chestnut Ridge Park.  A grotto on the right side of the falls has several fissures through which methane gas escapes.  There are lots of fissures in the creek bed, and you will smell it as you approach the falls, but can’t be set aflame because they are dissipated by air currents or are underwater.

Contrary to the name, the Eternal Flame is not always lit, but can be easily lit, if it has been extinguished by excessive water or wind.

The trail is along the ridge, down to Shale Creek, along the edge of the creek (and  a few times - through the creek!)

Several small waterfalls along the trail, flowing into Shale Creek.

Then back along the trail - mostly uphill.

The town of Portland, NY was home to the creator / artist of the comic strip Marmaduke.  

A bronze statue of Marmaduke and Brad Anderson.

On to the KOA Campground in Westfield to set up our tent and greet moto guzzi friends from all over for the Rally in the Vineyard.  

Our view and 'home' for the weekend.

Friday evening at the campgrounds.

Saturday was a day out and about with Art. Stopped at the Grape Discovery Center.

Website:  Welcome to the Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt.  Visit the Grape Discovery Center in Westfield, NY and view exhibits and displays that tell the story of over 150 years of grape growing along the southeastern shores of Lake Erie in western New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania.  This area is home to the oldest and largest Concord grape-growing region in the world and is bursting with natural beauty, historic communities, and places to explore.  From wineries and museums, to festivals, fishing, shopping and dining, you’ll find plenty to discover and enjoy in America’s grape country.

A wine water feature!

Display of local wines, cider, and grape products.

Luensman Overview Park,  This lookout at Brocton is a nice spot, and it was a clear, sunny day - the view was spectacular.
Website:  A 70-acre overlook on a glacial ridge, view of Lake Erie, and on a clear day you can see Canada!

We checked out a new Brewery in Maysville - Big Inlet Brewery. Nice old truck out the front.
Big Inlet Website:  Our goal is to provide the highest quality craft beer available in a farm-oriented, family friendly environment. Our home on Elm Flats Road was once an actual working farm, complete with horse and cow stalls.  It has been fully converted into a small batch microbrewery with farm related décor.  Using New York State and locally grown/produced ingredients, Big Inlet Brewing produces small batch, and handcrafted beers.

Back to the Campground for Chicken BBQ dinner and the awards

Then a walk to the cliffs near Lake Erie for the stunning sunset. 

Sunday morning was sunny and warm - no rain forecast and did not have to pack up in the rain as we mostly have done.  The small creek in front of our tent.

The park across the street from the campgrounds where we watch the sunsets.

Some left over drinks.

Art all loaded up and getting ready to head back to Buffalo.

Bob and Jim.

Dave, Grace and Riley pack up and headed home.

Bob's ford and Danny's bike.

Clean up and pack away once back at Joe and Michele's.  Monday morning Jim was busy, and there was a woodpecker nearby, and I wanted to take its photo.  It was elusive, so I took a few photos around the yard, while hoping for it to appear.

Buttercups.

The Blueberry patch - flowers and immature berries,.

The closest I got to the woodpecker! On the roof of the house.

Had a lovely, but quick lunch and visit with Aussie friend, Stephen near Rochester at Bergen Diner.

On our way to Endicott, NY to load Thursday morning, 13th June.

Batavia, New York,

Endicott, New York to St. Cloud, Florida.

Slow travelling through Jacksonville, Florida on the Friday afternoon peak hour traffic.  Mostly 'stopped'!

Headed to the house, crossing the Halifax River over the Main Street Bridge (drawbridge), we stopped for the Dine&Cruise Boat.

Thursday evening, we took a trip to Beachside Brewpub for a beer and ended up eating from the Food Truck Sweets 'N' Eats.  Great food!  We shared shrimp spring rolls and a BBQ brisket pizza.

It was a surprise to find a small chocolate chip cookie under the pizza!  Dessert!

Friday evening, after running around doing errands, we stopped at The Daytona Beach Brewery.

Saturday morning our neighbour friend, Diane and I went for a walk along the ocean.  Very relaxing, a bit of exercise and a chance for us to catch up.  We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for a latte. There are many interesting things along the beach and A1A.  I took a few photos of local flavour.

The tall palm trees on A1A in front of the Hilton Hotel.

This alligator has been outside a souvenir shop for years, this time someone had put a flower in its jaws.

The turtle in the play area near Ocean Walk.

Fern growing on a palm tree trunk.

The afternoon was overcast and storm clouds around.  We took the motorbike and headed north to Flagler Beach.  The Flagler Beachfront Winery has been open for a few years, but this was our first visit.  We were impressed.  The frozen wine and fruit juice slushies are very refreshing.

Internet:  Flagler Beachfront Winery is an upscale winery making great wine oceanfront.  We offer a variety of wines made onsite from some of the best growers in different regions across the USA.  Relax on our ocean view patio with some tantalizing tapas, decadent desserts and wonderful wines.  Come for the wine, stay for the view.

Rode along "the Loop" along the western side of the Halifax River, through the moss covered oak trees and the intracoastal waterway.  Stopped into Red Pig Brewery in Holly Hill.

Cocina shell stone columns with growths.

I like this wall of potted plants at Red Pig Brewery.

The free Friday and Saturday evening concerts at the Bandshell started at the end of last month.  Jim, Diane and I walked there and enjoyed "Let it Be" - a Beatles tribute band.  They were very good, fun and singalong music.  The rain drops started just as the concert was ending, but the fireworks went ahead.

Sunday after lunch we were in the truck and headed north to north-east Georgia to be ready to load. On Monday we loaded at JCB Inc., one Loadall forklift.
Then a small LTL shipment at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. It is a subordinate airfield connected to Fort Stewart.  Hunter features a runway that is 11,375 feet long and an aircraft parking area that is more that 350 acres.
Loaded an old four wheel 'dolly'.

Savannah, Georgia to Kansas and Nebraska.

 Wednesday, delivered the 4 wheel dolly to Fort Riley in Kansas.  A huge recycling depot there for military equipment no longer useful.
Thursday morning delivered the forklift to United Rentals in Omaha, Nebraska.  Spent the rest of the day and half the next day at the Sapp Bros. truckstop in Omaha, waiting for a reload.  Lots of loads, but either too heavy or too cheap a rate for us.
Finally agreed on hauling one out of Dubuque, Iowa (330 mile deadhead!) for Monday, 1 July, and started driving there Friday afternoon.

At the TA truckstop in Brooklyn, Iowa sunrise Saturday 29 June.

Parked the rig at a truckstop west of Dubuque and unloaded the motorbike late Saturday morning.

Internet, Dubuque, Iowa: This city is located along the Mississippi River, at the junction of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, a region locally known as the Tri-State Area.  It serves as the main commercial, industrial, educational, and cultural centre for the area.  Geographically, it is part of the Driftless Area, a portion of North America that escaped all three phases of the Wisconsinian Glaciation.

First tourist destination was Crystal Lake Cave.  Internet.  Discovered in 1886 this Cave was found to contain a fabulous collection of crystals including argonite, travertine, satin stalagmite, stalactite, and calcareous spar.  In 1932 they opened to the public, named it Crystal Lake Cave.  Today it is the longest living show cavern in the state of Iowa, and growing everyday.
The guided tour was 45 minutes, the cave was 52 degrees F (11 Celcius), which was refreshing because it was hot and humid outside.  Narrow walkways, and the floor was covered with water.  It was interesting, and informatively narrated.

Then back to Dubuque city centre - Masterpiece on the Mississippi.  The City has "Arch Days" in April to make aware the architecture and history of the city.  I loved the old buildings.

The dome of Dubuque County Courthouse.

The Public Art and murals covering historic buildings in Dubuque is beautiful!

Internet:  The Town Clock stands on Main Street in Downtown Dubuque.  The clock has stood over the city for over 130 years (originally erected in 1873).  The present clock is the second, the first collapsed in the 1870s, killing three people.

The clock, accurate to within two seconds each week, was operated with weights wound by cranks, which ran through a shaft into the basement of the building.  Two boys spent an hour and a half winding the weights sufficiently to operate the clock mechanism for one week.  In 1927, a new Seth Thomas mechanism was added and the clock was electrified.

The clock was removed to The Plaza in 1971.  In recent years, Main Street from Fifth Street to Ninth Street was reopened to automobile traffic after it was determined that the pedestrian plaza was no longer an effective option for the downtown area.  This would have left the Town Clock standing in the middle of Main Street, but a small traffic circle was built around the clock.  The clock continues to stand as a distinctive Dubuque landmark.

A trip to the northern outskirts of Dubuque to where we were to load on Monday at John Deere.  Beautiful, old homes and architecture along the way.

John Deere Works in Dubuque, Iowa.

A drive around the farmlands back into Dubuque.

Called into Back Pocket Brewery Taproom in the Millwork District.
Internet:  The Historic Millwork Districk offers authenticity, character, and valuable lessons about the importance of sustainable urban design strategies.  At the start of the 20th century, the District was the innovative and entrepreneurial centre of the region and was the backbone of the regional economy.
Made up of large industrial buildings, the district represents the period of transition when Dubuque went from lumber production to millwork production.  All the buildings are of brick construction, and are between two and five stories in height.  Decorative features include pavillions, pilasters, large entry arches, decorative pediments and parapets. The most substantial buildings were built between 1881 and 1924. Two of the buildings fill an entire block, while three cover half a block.
The revitalization of the Historic Millwork District will renew the area with a strategy that connects people, planet, and profit in a mixed-use neighbourhood.

Back Pocket Brewery and Taproom, Dubuque.

A large historic building where Back Pocket Brewing is located.

The emphasis on recycling, up-cycling, and reusing items was evident in all the downtown buildings in the Historic District of Dubuque.  Back Pocket Brewery was my favourite.  The Taproom features shuffleboard, darts, vintage arcade games, pool tables.  Areas of comfortable couches, coffee tables, local art work on display.  The lighting and furniture was adapted (up-cycled), and was unique and appealing.

Back Pocket Brewery occupied half of the first floor of the building, and had many areas that could accommodate large groups.

Shuffle Board.

Back Pocket Brewery did not serve food, so we went around the block to 7 Hills Brew  Pub for a great, late lunch.  An historic building, and large.  A wedding was going on when we were there, it was busy but fast service and great food.

Internet:  The Upper Mississippi River extends from St. Paul, Minnesota to the joining with the Missouri River near St. Louis, Missouri.  (The river in this area led Algonquian-speaking natives to name it the “Father of Waters”, misi “big”, sipi “water”.)

When white explorers first visited Iowa, the Mississippi was a major source of food for the natives.  The great burial mounds along the River contain evidence that prehistoric tribes depended greatly on this “Father of Waters” for stable food supplies of both freshwater mussels and fishes.  Geologists believe the Mississippi has existed for two hundred million years.

We did not have time, but The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is located on the Riverfront - it explores life in around the river. I would have liked to spend a couple of hours there!  Also nearby is the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.

 The Mathias Ham House is a 19^th-century mansion, this is the 1833 log cabin on its grounds.

The Riverfront has walking trails, gazebos and lawns. 

Towards late afternoon and we had planned to stop at the third brewery in Dubuque, also in the Millwork District.  Some more old buildings and murals.

We did two laps of Dimensional Brewing Co., but could not find a parking spot.

Skinny Maginny's Irish Pub looked interesting, so we had a beer there, before heading back to the truckstop. 

Sunday, mid-morning we were on the bike and headed south from Dubuque.  US Highway 52 parallels the Mississippi River on the western side.  Started out hot, very humid and overcast.

Had planned a coffee stop in Blanding, Iowa where there is a lock and dam, but nothing was open.

There is an island in Iowa!  The town of Sabula, nicknamed "Island City", is on an island in the Mississippi River.  The island is one mile long and a quarter mile wide, and is connected to Iowa by a causeway, and to Illinois via a bridge.
It wasn't always an island.  It was connected to Iowa until 1939, when Lock and Dam #13 was built.  The dam permanently submerged the lowland area to the west of the town, leaving Sabula cut off from the state.

 Crossing the Mississippi bridge into Illinois, is the town of Savanna.  

 Found a lovely cafe in Savanna for brunch, Cafe Crumbles.

 Savanna, Illinois is another old river town.

Saw this hot rod in Savanna, Illinois.

We headed north out of Savanna, to Galena, Illinois.  We visited Galena several years ago.  A lovely city, and a big tourist district.  A lot of cafes, restaurants, specialty shopping, antiques, history, and 19th century buildings.

Internet:  Galena is named for the mineral galena, (the natural form of lead sulfide, and most import lead ore).  It was mined by Native Americans for over a thousand years and used in burial rituals.  Owing to these deposits, Galena was the site of the first major mineral rush in the USA.  By 1828, the population was estimated at 10,000 rivaling the population of Chicago at the time.  The city emerged as the largest steamboat hub on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis.  Galena was the home of Ulysses S Grant and eight other Civil War generals.

 Stopped in at Galena Brewery.

There were several classic cars in the streets.

The stores have mostly kept the old fittings.  I liked the two blade fans all running via pulleys, old lighting and the decorative tin ceiling.

Not too far back to Dubuque, crossing the Mississippi River bidge.

 Tried the Dimensional Brewery again, and was not crowded.

Got back to the truck late afternoon. I had seen this fluffy grass in front of the truck.

Also, a bright blue dragonfly like insect flying around.  I had the wrong camera for a nice close up.

A dandelion ready to multiply.

As we were loading the motorbike, the west sky became very dark with storm clouds.  Almost had the bike tied down and covered when the storm hit!  Tornado warnings, severe storm warning - ended up with very strong straight line winds.  Luckily the force hit the rear and the headache rack.  The worst we have experienced the cab being shaken.

We had no damage, but part of the truckstop roof was blown off, outside fixtures blown around and over, and the front sign was bent.  Yikes, very scary.