BHS Graduation

What’s up everybody?

I have to apologize for our little hiatus.  Being on vacation and dealing with some things at work, has made it a little difficult for me to find time to sit and write.  That being said, everything is now set in order and I should be able to keep up with my weekly posts.

As I had mentioned above, we recently returned from a trip back home to Utah.  Like most vacations, we would've loved to have spent a few more days out there.  We were not able to visit with everyone that we wanted to, but it was awesome to see the ones we did.  Next time hopefully we wont be as rushed.  We did go on a few adventures while we where out there that I’m excited to tell you about here in the next few weeks or so.

The main reason that we made it out to Utah was to celebrate our sister Makenna’s High School Graduation.  She was 1 of 786 (plus or minus a few) students graduating from the prestigious Bingham High School (BHS).  BHS has a long tradition of excellence in both academics and sports in Utah.  They always seem to be the high school that all other school gun for.

Makenna’s graduation was quite the big deal, as she has become the last sibling to graduate from high school.  The days leading up to the big day had became a stress filled mess.  Pulling everything together for the celebration afterwards became the priority.  Getting food, cleaning the house, putting up decorations and so much more was on menu.  I think Erin’s mom was on the verge of a mental break down.

Once the chaos had settled everything turned out great.  The day of was pretty much as you would expect.  We took pictures and attended the ceremony.  Lucky for us all the speakers were fairly upbeat and kept the audience engaged.  I don’t know about you, but for me I hate it when I’m listening to someone speaking and they are monotoned and uninteresting.

The after party went off without a hitch as well.  Family and friends all came to pay their respects and to wish Makenna well on her big milestone. As the night went on, little by little, everyone eventually left and the core family members were left there to reminisce about the days events. Before running out the door to take new family pictures. Since opportunities to have the whole family together become more infrequent.

I want to personally say how proud we are of Makenna.  I have been lucky enough to watch her grow up into the strong and independent woman that she is.  We can’t wait to see what is in store for her, and the future she will make for herself. We know that there are great things headed her way.

Congrats to all of the graduating classes of 2017.  Until next time.

Josh

WE'RE TRAPPED AND CAN'T GET OUT!

Courtesy: escapestrategyauora.com

What’s up everybody?

Have you ever had the experience of being looked in a room and forced to find away to escape it.  Something like you would see in some horror film.  No?  Well thats ok, nobody really wants to experience that.  Unless you want to partake in an activity that is sweeping our nation.  I’m talking about escape rooms.

If you are not familiar with them, I will give you the gist of it.  Understand that not all places may follow this pattern.  This is just generally speaking.  They give you a scenario of what has taken place in the room.  Then you are locked in said room and have to solve the puzzles and escape before the time runs out.  DON’T LET THE TIME RUN OUT!  You wont like what will happen if you do.  Naw, Just playing.  You’ll just have to deal with shame of losing the game.  Unless you really are in a horror film.  Then heaven help you.  Save yourself.

The place that we went to was Escape Strategy.  Located at 4151 E. McCoy Dr in Aurora.  Some of our group was having some issue booking their appointment.  Escape Strategy staff were friendly and worked hard to fix the problem that they had.  

Escape Strategy sports three rooms for you to choose from.

The Mad-Hatter Room:  In this room you help Alice solve the clues and make it to the tea party on time.  But don’t lose your head to the Queen.

The Senators Office:  You work for a prominent Senator that you suspect of espionage.  You set up a fake meeting to get him out of his office.  You need to  find the evidence before he gets back so that he doesn’t pin it on you.

The Crime Scene Room:  You play the role of a detective.  You have received a phone call that your partner has been killed.  You are tasked with going over the clues left behind to hind the killer, the murder weapon and the way that he escaped the scene.

We had booked the Crime Scene Room.  I don’t want to give away too much, so I am going to keep it a little vague.  No spoilers here.  When we arrived the staff gave us some brief instructions about the room.  When we first entered the room, it was a little overwhelming.  There are “clues” scattered throughout the the room.  For me at least, I kind of stood there for a moment dumbfounded deciding were to start.  Each of us split off in different directions and started our search.  We started figuring thinks out and everything started to fall into place.  Unfortunately for us we ran out of time on the last puzzle.  If we had just a few more minutes we could have solved it.  So close, but not close enough.

All in all, we had a really fun experience.  If you are the type of person that like to solve puzzles and mysteries.  You’ll have fun too.

Until next time.  Thanks for stopping by.

Josh

P.S.  Sorry no picture this week.  They would not let us take our phones in with us.  Like I said.  No Spoilers.

Finding Illinois' "Mother Road"

The sun high in the sky, causes the red to glow on your 1948 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight.  You walk around it admiring all the beautiful curves and details put in place by the designers and engineers.  You finally open the door and slide into the driver seat.  Adjusting the mirrors to fit your fancy.  You look up into the rearview and give yourself a little smile before putting in the keys and starting her up.  A thrill shoots up your spine as you step on the gas and listen to the motor roar to life.  You are headed to pick up your lady.  You pull into the drive and honk your horn a few times.  With a bound in her step she rushes out to meet you.  She throws her bags in the back and jumps into the seat next to you.  She kisses you as you speed off down the road.  Making your way through the streets of Chicago, all you can do is dream of the sandy beaches of California.  You pull onto U.S. 66, step on the gas and let the wind blow through your hair.  Soon you will be there.  Making new adventures on the west coast.

Your probably thinking, why are you telling us this story?.  Well I thought that I would give you a possible snapshot of what it would have been like to get ready to travel from Chicago to California in the late 40’s, possibly early 50’s.  For those who are not familiar with what I’m referring to.  I’m talking about the “Mother Road” or better known as Route 66.  In the early years of the century there was not a direct route connecting east with the west.  The interstate system would not come into fruition until 1956.  This all changed in 1927 with the establishment of U.S. 66.  Route 66 connected Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.  The route was 2,448 miles ( 3,940 km) long and passed through eight states (IL, MO, KS, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA).

Over the years the route has gone through changes and reworked to fit into our modern road systems.  Here in Illinois, it starts in Chicago on Adams Street and Michigan Avenue, near The Art Institute of Chicago.  From there it works its’ way to Lake Shore Dr which connects to I-55.  This in turn will take you all the way to St. Louis.  Traveling along 55 will take you through the majority of the cities that the original route passed through.  If you are looking to be more adventurous, you can always take the road less traveled.  What I mean by that is, by taking the route that snakes its’ way through Chicagos suburbs.

We took a day to try to explore the historical places of Illinois Route 66.  We were not able to see all the things along the route, but here a few sites that we were able to see.

We attempted to find the Route 66 starts here sign, but unfortunately could not find it.  At the time we didn't know where it was at.  Hopefully we can find it the next time we go looking for it.  We eventually made our way to Joliet.  Here we found the Joliet Area Historical Museum.  As the name suggests,  the museum tells you the history of the area and about significant people that came from Joliet.  It was Star Wars day when we were there which made it a little more fun for the people visiting the museum. We enjoyed a Star Wars art scavenger hunt to get a free tote bag. As well as got our picture taken with locals dressed up as characters from the film!

We talked to one of the attendants at the JAHM and he told us that the official Route 66 museum for Illinois was located in Pontiac about an hour drive away.  We had nothing better to do so we jumped back into the car and headed down the road.  The Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the old city fire and police station.  The museum has a lot of cool displays talking about all the Illinois cities that 66 passes through.  One thing that was really awesome was an unexpected surprise.  On the upper level of the building lies another little museum.  Unfortunately I can’t remember the name of it, but it is a military museum filled with tons of old and new uniforms and other items from wars past.  We had a good old boy give us a tour of the museum and he was very knowledgable about everything that was in there.  Each mannequin had a uniform with a photo and description of the soldier who wore it. He would lift his cane point to one and tell you in exact detail what war they served, where they were from and a unique story about them. It was definitely worth the trip down there.  This was where our trip ended.  We just ran out of time to explore further.  Maybe next time though.

The Main Street of America has become a dream destination for many road trippers, including myself.  Route 66 has been designated as historical. When you travel it you can see why as it has played an important part in building America’s history.  I have been at the beginning and the end of the road.  One day I would love to fill in the gap.  I know that many of you feel the same way as I do.

Until next time.  Thanks for stopping by.

Josh

Visiting Navy Pier

What is up everyone?

I have to apologies for missing my post for last week and the lateness of this weeks.  We have had some exciting events that have taken place in our little neck of the woods.  I’m not going to get into it right now, but maybe later.  So stay tuned for that.  Alright with that out of the way.  Lets get started.

We were lucky enough to have my parents grace us with their presence over the weekend.  We haven’t seen them in person since December.  We’ve talk on the phone and FaceTimed, but thats not the same as seeing their smiling faces in the flesh.  So when they said that they want to come out and see us.  We jumped into planning mode.  They would have been happy just hanging out at the house.  But nobody want to sit around the house when visiting a new place.

We had come up with a few ideas and set our plans in motion.  We kept our plans fluid so that we could change them if we needed to.  Which was a good plan for us, because over the weekend we ended up have some major rain storms that caused some flooding throughout the Midwest.

My mom has always want to see one of the Great Lakes.  She didn’t care which one, as long as got to see one.  Lucky for her, since we move to Chicagoland we are about a 45 minutes drive from Lake Michigan.  What a better way to see it than heading to Chicago’s former number one attraction.  Navy Pier.

The pier was originally open in 1916 and was built by famed architect Charles Sumner Frost.  Back then it was known by it first name, the Municipal Pier.  It would be used for freight, passenger traffic and it also had space set aside to be utilized as public indoor and outdoor recreational areas.

The pier would not receive its iconic name until 1927.  It was named Navy Pier in honor of the naval veterans that served during World War I.  Over the years the piers identity and purpose changed.  Until it eventual fell into disrepair.  In recent years it has gone through two rebirths.  The first was back in 1989  when the City of Chicago tasked the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to reimagine the purpose of the pier.  The ULI created the the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA).  They would be task with managing and maintaining Navy Pier as well as McCormick Place.  One of the largest, if not the largest, in North America.  I have not been inside of it yet, but believe me its huge.  In 1995 the public was reintroduced to the Navy Pier.

Fast forward to 2014 to when the second rebirth of the pier start to take place.  In prep for the upcoming 100th anniversary of the pier, a new redevelopment plan was instituted.  The Centennial Vision would turn the pier into a world-class public space.  Offering new evening and year-round entertainment.  The initiative was completed in the summer of 2016 to the delight of the people of Chicago.

There is a lot of thing to do at the pier.  One of the biggest draws in the ferris wheel.  Back in 2015 it was closed and replaced with a new high tech one.  The Centennial Wheel soars about 200 feet into the air.  Not terribly high, but can be intimidating for those that have a slight discomfort with heights.

Probably my favorite part of trip to the pier was the river tour of the city.  There are several boat tour that you can take.  The one that we took was an architectural tour.  Our knowledgable tour guide explained all the fascinating detail of the buildings on the river.  There is so much history in Chicago and I found it very interesting.  If you find architecture interesting, or even if you don’t, it was well worth the time.

We had a lot of fun down at the pier, but I think the highlight of the trip for all of us did not take place there.  There has been an article floating around Facebook about a restaurant in Chicago that serves a pizza pot pie.  I know, at first it sounds a little weird.  Don’t let that fool you though, it was extremely delicious.  The Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company is located on 2121 N Clark Street in Chicago.  Just a few blocks from the Lincoln Park Zoo.  The building has a history of its own as it is located across the street from where the Valentine’s Day Massacre took place.  It is said that look out hid in waiting for the marks to arrive.  Really a cool little eatery.  I highly recommend trying it, but a heads up it is a cash-only restuarant.  No plastic.

All in all we had a excellent time exploring the pier and other areas of Chicago.

Until next time.  Thanks for stopping by.

Josh

National Park Service

What’s up everyone?

Sundown with Old Faithful

In honor of National Park Week, I thought that we would take a look at the National Park System or Service(NPS).  

With the signing of the Act of March 1, 1872.  Congress had establish the first designated park in the Montana and Wyoming territories known as Yellowstone National Park.  The park would be regulated by the Secretary of the Interior.  The founding of Yellowstone sparked a worldwide movement for preserving lands and establishing parks.  Currently 100 nations participate in a park program with over 1200 areas set aside for Parks and Preserves.

Delicate Arch

Over the following years more and more land were set aside for parks, monuments, and historical site.  Unfortunately, they were not all regulated by the Sec. of the Interior.  Some monuments and military sites were regulated by the War Department and the National Forest Service.  

August of 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act that established the National Park Service.  They celebrated 100 years in 2016.  The NPS would be a new division of the Department of the Interior.  It would be tasked with protecting the then 35 National Parks and Monuments. It wouldn’t be until 1933, when an Executive Order was passed that transferred all military sites and monuments to the NPS.  Finally uniting all national lands under the banner of the NPS.

Grand Tetons

The United States National Park Service now consist of more than 400 protected areas made up of over 84 million acres.  These areas can be found in all 50 states, including D.C., American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the Virgin Islands.

For most of my life, I grew up within a few hours drive from Utah’s Big Five (Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Capital Reef) and not to mention the countless monuments and state parks.  In my younger years I never really appreciated what they had to offer.  At the time I thought we were just walking around for long periods of time looking at things that all looked the same.  As I got over I came to appreciate them more.

Over the years I have been able to visit 16 parks, monuments and historical sites.  Some I don’t remember very well, others I would have like to spend more time in, some I’ve visited multiple times, and some I may never get back to.  Throughout my adventures, I’ve come to the realization that every park, even though they may seem the same, has their own identity and beauty.  

Glacier NP

Whether you are a seasoned outdoorsmen or a new adventurer looking for something to explore, I highly recommend visiting our National Parks. They have something for everyone.  Sometimes they can be crowded, but you will not be disappointed in what you discover.  When you spend time out in nature you develop a bond with it and those you share it with.  You may even find something inside you that wasn’t there before.  At least, I know I have and I believe it will happen for you as well.

Now that we have moved to the Midwest, it gives a new place to roam and explore.  We have a lot of plans to visit the parks around us and excited to share them with you as we fulfill those plans.  Get out and explore.  You will not be disappointed.

Until next time.  Thanks for stopping by.

Josh

Easter Traditions

What’s up everyone?

With Easter just around the corner, thought turn to a fluffy bunny running around hiding decorated eggs and delivering baskets full of toys and candy.  But for my family, when we think about Easter we think about red rocks, beautiful vistas, and Jeeps.  I know. You think I’ve gone crazy.  What does any of that have to do with Easter?  Well, I’m talking about the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari.

In 1967 in an attempt to bring in tourist, the Moab Chamber of Commerce held the first official Easter Jeep Safari.  On the Saturday before Easter, members of the Chamber lead tourist into the backcountry for fun and adventure.  Behind the Rocks was the first tail followed by the now infamous Moab Rim the following year.  In the early days they offered an ice cream package.  During lunch time, local pilots would drop frozen treats to the people below.  It would be nice if they still offered this.  Some of those days are scorchers.  I know I wouldn’t complain to have something to cool me off.

It was ran this way until 1982 when BLM regulations required permits and insurance.  The Chamber found themselves unable to sustain the Safari.  The Chamber turned to the a recently formed club for help.  The Red Rock 4-Wheeler agreed to take over the event in the early months of 1983.  Since then the event has blossomed into what it is today.

The Easter Jeeps Safari is a nine day event that, as the name implies, takes place over the week of Easter in the eclectic town of Moab Utah.  Moab has become a Mecca for off-road enthusiast.  Every year thousands of people from around the globe participate in the event.

For us it has truly become a family affair.  My grandparents moved down to Moab after deciding that they need a change of pace.  With each trip down to visit, we became more intrigued with the Jeep culture.  We participated in our first Safari in 1989 and we have been hooked ever since.  Over the years our ragtag group would continue to grow.  We started with close friends joining our ranks, but it would eventually include my brothers and my own in-laws.  At current count there is about 12 Jeeps (give or take a few) in our crew and still growing.  Not all of us are together at the same time though.  We have a core group of 5 vehicles (well 4 now that I’m currently in Chicagoland) and the others join us if and when they can.

The excitement for Moab starts months before the events.  We pull out our vehicles and make sure that they ready and willing.  If we need to make any improvements or repairs this gives us plenty of time to do it.  We usually have one planning meeting with everyone so that we can decide on what everyone wants to do.  We typically plan on doing 2 to 3 trails leaving the rest of the time to do whatever we want.  There is plenty to see and do in the area and sometimes its nice to have leisure time back at camp.

It seems like the biggest decisions that we have to make during our meetings is about meal plans.  Usually breakfast and lunches is up to the individuals of the group.  We truly shine when we have dinner.  To be honest it seems like we have the best meals when we are out camping.  Barbecued meats and dutch oven meals are usually on menu, but we always like to mix it up by adding something interesting.

We all make our way down to camp.  If able we travel together, but life has its way of interfering and sometimes forces us to make adjustments.  I can recall a time that I had to work until 10 at night and I was registered for a trail the next morning.  I really didn't want to miss the trail, but it would not have been a good I deal to head out that late of hour.  What I should have done and what I did was two different things.  What I should have done was head out when I woke up and missed the trail.  But whats the fun in that?  I set my alarm for 2:30 in the morning, was on the road by 3, and made it to camp with plenty of time to spare.  My parents weren't too thrilled by this decision but were happy to see there.

Once camp is set up and vehicle are unloaded, thats when the fun begins.  Everyday is a different adventure.  We continue to challenge ourselves on every obstacle we attempts.  Unfortunately some reach their breaking point and in this case its literal.  At some point everyone eventually breaks something on their vehicles.  In the worst cases, they go ass-over-teacup and roll their vehicles.  I’ve had some close calls in my time but nothing to serious.  I can’t say that about other in our group but we all have our bad days.

Nights are for us to gather around and enjoy good food and quality time with each other.  Conversations usually turn to days events and plans for the next day.  To be honest some of us are getting a little older and its nice to sit there and recoup from the beating that your body take from the day.

Of course we don’t ignore the holiday.  On Easter Sunday we wake up and enjoy a good breakfast.  One of the few times that we all get together for breakfast.  And watch as the young one run around camp finding the treats the fluffy bunny left them the night before.  I realize I should specify.  Toys and candy not the other bunny “treats”, if you know what mean.

The Easter Jeep Safari, and Moab in general, has become one of my favorite places to be.  There is something magical about it.  Its almost primordial.  Moab is a “Chose Your Own Adventure Book”.  With hundreds or maybe thousands of miles of backcountry roads and several National and State Parks to explore.  You are bound to find something within yourself that you did know was there.  I have been doing this for nearly thirty years now.  I still haven't seen everything that Moab has to offer.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our Easter tradition.  We hope that you enjoy your Easter traditions and continue to share them with your families for years to come.

Until next time, wishing you a Happy Easter.

Josh and Erin

Odin's Pet Adventuring Tips

What’s up everyone?

Like many of you, pets have been a big part of my life.  Getting a pet as a child taught us many life lesson.  These lessons we really didn't understand at the time, but as we got older they would become very important to us in our daily lives.

I have had all types of animals.  All pets have their good and bad qualities.  It all comes down to personal preference.  No offense cat people, but I feel the dog is the superior pet.  And before you jump my case. YES! I have owned cats in my time and YES! I acknowledge that they have their place with some people and their lifestyles.  Just not for me.  Dogs are a loving and a constant companion, which brings us to the topic of todays post.  Adventuring with pets, more specifically with dogs.

We have been adventuring with pets since I was a little guy.  An adventurous Lhasa Apso named Bernardo.  Bernie loved to get in the dirt.  He enjoyed the red rocks of Moab and the sandy dunes of Little Sahara Sand Dunes.  He even made it up to Yellowstone a few times.  He had adventured with us up until he physically couldn’t, even though he wanted to.

Now a days we adventure with a goofy and hyperactive American Bulldog, Odin Wrath Child. He looks intimidating when you first see him, but this quickly dissolves when you get close to him.  He is more playful than aggressive and doesn’t understand just how big he is and watch out for his tail.  Its like being hit with a hammer.

This K-9 loves to get into the wilderness and experience new places and smells.  Back in Utah we would take him camping and hiking. He also loves water, which is strange because he hates taking baths.  Go figure.  He was a trooper on our cross country trip when we move to our new home.  Since we moved to Chicagoland his adventuring days have slowed down.  A few years back, a K-9 flu swept through the area causing many issues for the dog community.  In response to this new regulations and restrictions were put in place.  Do to this and still learning the area, he is limited in what he can do.  At least we have a dog park near us that we can take him to so that he can get his energy out.

Through my experience and looking at the internet, I have come up with some tips I feel will help you adventure with your pet better.

• Start them young:  This establishes guidelines, rules and expectations.  Also it get them used to the sounds of your particular activity.  Less distractions and more focus on what around them.

• Make sure they are health and up to date with their vaccinations:  Animals come into contact with a lot of thing out in the wilderness.

• Ease them into it and understand their limits:  proper conditioning can prevent injury for you and your pet.

• Have the proper equipment:  This usual qualifies as a good collar or harness, but it boils down to the activity.  Consider vests (life or hunting), goggles, cold weather protection.  A K-9 first aid kit is not a bad idea to have.  Some things in human kits will work, were others can cause harm.  K-9 kits have items specifically formulated for them.

• Have plenty of water, food and snacks:  Consider having a special toy or treat that they only get when adventuring making it more special for them.

• Bring a copy of medical records with you:  Especially if you plan on crossing state lines.

• Research and plan:  This I consider to be one of the most important things when adventuring with your pet.  Look into animal friendly hotels, restaurants and camping areas.  Each state has their own laws and regulations when it come to pets.  This also extends to National and State Parks.  Additional fees may apply to have pets with you in certain areas.

• When road tripping plan on stopping every 2 - 3 hrs:  This allows them to stretch out, use to facilities and get some food and water.  

Adventuring with your pet can be a fun and rewarding experience.  It does take more planning and consideration, but in the end it will be worth it.

Until next time.  Thanks for stopping by.

Josh