Busch(ed)

The family was exhausted.  Stopping to see the massive ball of string was the final straw.  They were "over it."

But I had one more trick up my sleeve.  A dear friend secured tickets for the Cardinals-Cubs game.  It was a Saturday matinee game, with a 3:15pm start, between two bitter National League rivals.

While driving Friday afternoon across Missouri towards St. Louis, we heard on the radio that Saturday's game would be postponed until 6:15pm.  Not good. We planned to drive after the game and get closer to home.

We were already a day ahead of schedule, deciding against an Iowa fair on Friday.  The gang was ready to be home.  Really ready! I was sensing rebellion in the ranks.  What could I do?  I thought about the dilemma while zooming across the Show-Me state.  We're baseball fans, but after four weeks on the road they weren't interested in another game.  They wanted to get our dog and sleep in their own beds, in that order.

Fearing mutiny, I hatched a plan:  1)park near and visit the Arch, 2)walk 5 blocks to Busch Stadium, 3)get tickets at Will Call, and 4)trade them on the street for Friday night's game.  It was a tall order, as it was 6:30 when we parked the RV at the edge of the Mississippi between the Arch and a docked riverboat casino.  This area looked sketchy; I wasn't sure if the Paddy Wagon would be safe..  I had reservations about the "parking attendant," thinking he could've been hustling tourists.  "Parking" was embroidered on his knit polo shirt.  Why wasn't he sitting inside the small air-conditioned booth?

I was relieved when the Park Ranger at the Arch said I had indeed chosen the safest place to park the RV.  I could stop worrying about the Paddy Wagon and focus on trading with the real hustlers on the street outside the stadium.

The game started just about the time I got my tickets at the window.
"You guys stay here, and take some notes."
I donned my game face and marched across the street to find an active market.  I found some "floor traders" under what looked like a buttonwood tree.

Watcha got?

John:  Yo, I need to trade 4 tickets for tomorrow's game for tonight's game.
Scalper #1:  Oh really?
John:  Yeah, these are four good seats, together.   Everybody's gonna want tomorrow's ticket.
Scalper #2:  For real?
John:  Whatcha got, my man?
Scalper #3:  Sir, tonight's ticket is hot.  That's what folks want.
John:  Funny you still got 'em.

Just then, the crowd cheered as Cardinal first baseman Lance Berkman hit into a fielder's choice for an RBI, scoring the third run of the bottom of the 1st..  We were standing near the outfield section and a group of homeless watching the jumbo monitor were dancing a jig.  All citizens of Mound City hate the Cubs.

John:  It's 3-0 Cards.  This game's over.  In 15 minutes, you'll wish you traded those tickets to me.  You're holding confetti, dogg.

Scalper #4:  Here; I'll trade.   You're not a Cubs fan, are you?
John:  Not tonight.

We enjoyed a great game in club level seats, and the Cards won 4-1.  That's a winner!

There was also great entertainment on the street after the game:

A very happy crew walked back to the river under the iconic arch after the game.

The Arch

Last National Park visit

World's Largest Ball of String

"Hey, hey, easy kids. Everybody in the car. Boat leaves in two minutes... or perhaps you don't want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth, which is only four short hours away?"
 -Clark Griswold

After some research, it appears there exists some controversy about exactly who's amassed the largest ball of twine. Not wanting to take sides or rekindle this old rhubarb, we opted instead for the world's largest ball of string.

Ballers

 
It's displayed at O'Malley's Irish Pub (Weston MO) now, a perfect place for it.

A sign mounted outside of O'Malley's:

If you're going to drive a man to drink,
please drive him here. 

Down to 4

We were glad Grandmom could join us for part of our trip.

After leaving mom with the good folks at American Airlines in Omaha, we hit the road for our last stops before our final leg home.


We had planned a surprise of the kids in St. Louis.

But maybe we could squeeze in one more roadside attraction before our return to Mound City.

Omaha Stake-out

Mom wanted to take us to dinner at a special steak house in Omaha, but we were chasing sunlight, and wouldn't reach Nebraska in time.  We stopped in Sioux City and had dinner at Eldin's.  This local restaurant among a sea of familiar chain restaurants was perfect after a long day on the road.

Holland got a chicken-fried steak and ate every bite, save the two she gave me.  It was absolutely perfect; I was reminded of my southern roots.   It was like the scene in Ratatouille when the censorious critic is immediately transported back to his childhood by a single bite of the mouse's simple creation.

We mounted up and drove to the Omaha area.  Mom needed to be at Epply Airfield at 9:00am the next morning for her flight.  We boon-docked in Council Bluffs, IA, across the Missouri River from Omaha.

This appealed to the historian in me.  Council Bluffs served as a final departure point for most of the pioneers heading west from 1840-1870.  The Mormon Trail started here.  The hand cart we saw in the Virgin River Valley in Utah?  Probably bought and assembled right here in Council Bluffs.

I couldn't find a quiet place nearby, so I settled for the front of a very busy TA Travel Center truck stop.  The generator remained on all night, providing power for the A/C and a constant din to mitigate the truck refueling activity.  It was easily the worst camping spot of the entire trip, but it was 11:00 pm and I was exhausted.  At least it was safe; the remainder of Council Bluffs didn't engender that feeling.

Wait a minute, man!

Now I was really testing the limits of of the kids' patience.

Just outside the Badlands National Park, there is another national park near I-90.

The Minuteman Missile National Park is dedicated to the nuclear missiles that were stored in "silos" and aimed at targets in the USSR.  This cold war-era operation is captured well in the film and artifacts housed at the museum.  The crews were subjected to days of monotonous waiting interrupted by seconds of sheer terror.  It took the coordinated effort of four individuals to launch these irrevocable nuclear payloads.

The START treaty signed in 1991 led to the deactivation of 150 of these missiles in South Dakota. Who talks about the Cold War nowadays?  This was the children's first exposure to this 50-year threat to the planet.


http://www.nps.gov/mimi/index.htm


Holland scored her last junior ranger badge of the trip.  Still going strong!

Goodbye to an old friend

I finally had to bid adieu to an old friend in the Badlands.

I've used this old polyester-woven chair at sporting events and other gatherings for years.  This was a rare creature amongst the newly-fashioned chairs with their compact features, drink holders, and foot rests.  It always got a laugh with friends and strangers alike.

While I had threatened to reweave and extend the life of this relic, the stark truth is I couldn't locate a Roses, Kresge's, Zayre's , or Ben Franklin 5 & 10 on the trip.  The Jockey Lot (Anderson, SC) is likely the only place on earth with a reservoir of NOS (new old stock) repair kits.

Last sit as dry rot claims another victim.

I decided to give it a proper burial in the Badlands, by stripping the fabric and recycling the aluminum.