Category Archives: Other

Chico – The Big Wedding

October 22, 2015

I arrived in Chico for my nephew’s wedding around noon today. My niece, Tammi, had arranged for a nice rental home for the weekend for some of the out-of-towners to stay.

Seven bedrooms, pool, Jacuzzi, giant TV screen, outside wet bar, trampoline and ping pong table, huge and well-equipped kitchen. It was fabulous.  Good job Tammi!

Here are some pics of the house:

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And then … the Wedding of Jordan and Brigette:

This photo was passed out to everyone by the Best Man, Josh.  It shows the very first meeting between the Bride and Groom:

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Reno

October 21, 2015

The first, last, and only time I was in Reno, Nevada was in 1968.  I drove from Vandenberg to San Francisco to meet up with an old South Omaha buddy of mine, Tom Swartz.

He was in the Navy, assigned to the USS Ranger, and I was in the Air Force.  We got together and drove to Reno.  The two things I remember about that trip are:

First – It was in the winter and it was very very cold with lots of snow on the roads.

Second –  Somewhere along the way, one of the headlights in my car went out.  We were stopped by a California Highway Patrolman.  When he found out that both of us were in the military, he just gave me a warning. That was very unusual for 1968.  People in the service were very disrespected in those days.  Thank Goodness that is no longer true.

Here are some pictures of Reno in 2015:
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I don’t know how busy things are in Reno in the evening or on the weekend, but this is how the casino at Harrah’s looked on a Tuesday afternoon.  In Vegas, you had to look hard to find a seat at a Blackjack table.IMG_1129

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The King has an elaborate slot machine.elvis

 

 

 

 

California

October 19, 2015

  1. Santa Monica Pier

You wouldn’t believe it to see me now, but Long Long Ago in a City Far Far Away, I was involved in weightlifting, not bodybuilding like Dana and Jordan, but weightlifting like it is done in the Olympics. I even won a few trophies and got my picture in the South Omaha Sun.  Is that paper still around?

Anyway, I used to read all the weightlifting magazines and in almost every issue there was an article about a place called Muscle Beach, located on the Santa Monica Pier, near Los Angeles. This place was credited with starting the physical fitness craze of the 20th century.  Even the ‘Governator’, Arnold used to hang out there.

It has always been kind of a Bucket List item for me to see this place I had read about so much.  I never did get around to it when I lived in California, but I wanted to go there on this trip.

I found the place, but realized it had changed. A lot.  It is still a place where people go to exercise, but it is not just men trying to see how much weight they can lift.  The barbells and dumbbells are gone (too dangerous one guy told me). Steve Reeves would get a kick out of that.

Now there are as many women as there are men and they have all kinds of exercises and equipment.  Some of these things look every bit as dangerous as trying to lift 400 pounds over your head.

Here are a few pics:

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2. Vandenberg Air Force Base

I was stationed at this base from June, 1968 until April, 1970. That was 45 years ago and I have always wanted to go back and see it, but never had the chance – another Bucket List item. I finally made it yesterday, but it was kind of disappointing.  45 years brings a lot of changes and nothing in the area looks even remotely familiar.  The picture of the Main Gate is not the same gate I knew.  It has been completely rebuilt.  They now launch Top Secret missiles from Vandenberg, so the chances of actually getting on the base are slim and none.

When I look at the base today, the word that comes to mind is “bittersweet“.vafb_01

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3. Solvang

Not too far from Vandenberg there is a little city called Solvang.  It was founded by some Danish immigrants around 1910 and they created a city that looked like the towns they immigrated from.  Over the years, that city has stayed true to its Danish origins.  Walking around in Solvang, you really feel you have travelled to Denmark.  The shops and stores and restaurants are all built to look just the ones you would see in that country.

I visited this interesting city many times when I lived nearby.  It was good to see it again.  Here are some pics:sol_01

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Vegas

October 19, 2015

The first time I went to Las Vegas was in 1966.  I was in college and in the Air Force ROTC program.  They used to take some of us on what they called ‘base visitations’ so we could see what life in the Air Force was like.  I got to go to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas on that first trip.

I had a grand total of $35 with me and somehow managed to make that amount last for the two days I was there.  I was broke when the trip was over, but I had become addicted to the city out there in the desert.  Over the years, I have returned many times, at least 100. Sometimes I repeated my first time and left broke. Sometimes I left with more money that I came with.  Over all those years, I suppose I have come pretty close to breaking even moneywise, but I have had a blast.

So now I am back again. After spending several nights sleeping in my car, I decided to splurge and get a nice room at the Circus Circus Hotel. It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it.

I looked over the shows that were playing the two days I was going to be there and I decided to see the Penn & Teller show. I am a big fan of magic shows. I have seen David Copperfield and Criss Angel and their shows were amazing, so I was looking forward to P&T.

I was not disappointed.  Their show did not have spectacular special effects and expensive props like the two I mentioned, but they were excellent at their kind of show. The showroom at the Rio Hotel is fairly small, so everyone really has a good view of what is happening.  They also use a lot of people from the audience to help with some of the illusions. The woman who was sitting next to me participated in one trick.  Shen went on stage and Penn read her mind. When her part was over, I asked her if she was working for the magicians and she denied it.  I suppose that is what she would have done if she was an accomplice, but I believed her.

They made an elephant disappear right before our eyes. Actually, it was a cow with plastic ears and a metal tube for a trunk, but it was amazing nonetheless. They must have a smaller budget than Copperfield.

After the show, Penn & Teller came into the lobby and took pictures with anyone who asked.  Copperfield and Cross would never have done that. Snobs.

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Here is something they did not have in 1966 – Virtual blackjack dealers:

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At the Sportsbook you can watch any sporting event that is going on and make a bet on the outcome. I watched the Nebraska game on Saturday.  They won (finally) and I made a few bucks.

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It only rains about 4 inches a year in Vegas, so this is something you don’t see often:

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OK. I’m done with Vegas.  California here I come!

Denver

October 17, 2015

Finally made it to Denver. Got a home-cooked meal at Nancy and Ron’s house.  That is my sister and brother-in-law. I have another sister there, Rosemary, but she is still in the ‘workforce’ and was unable to meet me.  She missed a very good lunch and some scintillating conversation about the sad state of affairs in the world today.

I didn’t stay long because I wanted to get on the road to Vegas and I will be seeing them again at the wedding next week.

It has been many years since I drove to Colorado.  I had completely forgotten what an awesome experience driving through the Rocky Mountains outside Denver is. You get on I-70 West  just outside Denver.  The highway winds up and down and round and round through some of the most spectacular vistas anywhere.

It is especially wonderful this time of year when all the trees are changing colors (no color-blind comments, please).  These mountains are like the Texas Hill Country on steroids.  As you make your way between the mountains, you travel right next to a stream that becomes a river that turns into a lake and then back into a stream again. You can see people fishing or just walking along the road or taking pictures.

I took some pictures also, but I am not going to post them because they just do not do the experience justice.  If you have not driven through the Rocky Mountains west of Denver, you must do it.  You simply must.  Take a moment right now and put it on your To-Do List. You will not regret it.

If you have taken this route, you know exactly what I am talking about.

One thing I did notice was that there are large areas of dead trees.  I do not remember if these areas were there the last time I made this trip, but I don’t think so.  I would have remembered.

I Googled ‘dead trees in the Rocky Mountains’. If you do that, you will get a lot of theories about what is going on. Some people blame drought, others blame global warming, others say they just don’t know. One site predicted the Rocky Mountain forests will almost completely disappear by 2060 if something isn’t done.  I don’t want to get political and I won’t be around if that happens, but I hope they figure it out in time.

Before I left Denver, I passed by the establishment in the picture below.  You can’t read all the signs, but this is a place where you can now get some legal cannabis. It looks like it could be a store run by hippies from the 1960s.

In case you are wondering, I did not stop and make a purchase.

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Next stop – Las Vegas.

West Texas

October 16, 2015

I love Texas.  I really do, but I have to say that, when you are driving from Austin to Denver, you spend an eternity in West Texas and it is pretty boring (sorry if you are from there).

I really didn’t see anything worth talking about, so I will answer some questions I have received about the way I am travelling.

I decided that I was going to put a bed in my car and sleep there instead of spending a lot of money on motels along the way. At first, I was a little nervous about doing that.

What if I were alone in some isolated spot at 3 o’clock in the morning and there was a prison break at a nearby woman’s prison?

What if a gang of escapees came upon me all alone and decided to have their way with me and there was no one around to hear me scream?

These are things which went through my mind, but, not to worry. I have downloaded an app for my phone that tells me where all the rest stops are along my route.  The first night on the road, I made a discovery.  There are a lot of people who stop at these rest areas and sleep in their cars. In addition, 18 wheeler drivers also stop to spend the night, so I am never really alone.  At every stop, there are 20 – 30 cars and about a dozen trucks keeping me company.

Also, these are pretty interesting people, kind of like gypsies roaming the highways and byways of the U.S. I have met some of them and have had some good advice on this type of travelling.

I have no doubt there will be someone to help in case that band of escaped women prisoners comes upon my car, so those of you who have expressed concern can stop worrying.

This morning, I will be headlining to Denver, Colorado to visit with two of my sisters.

Also, I want to see what all this fuss is about Mary Jane who Rick James keeps singing about. (If you are confused, Google it.)

Road Trip Numero Dos (Austin to Chico)

Wednesday, October 14, 2014

OK. It’s time for the next road trip. I will be going to Chico, California for the wedding of my nephew, Jordan, on October 24. I am leaving 10 days early so I can take my time getting there. Before I get to Chico, I plan to stop at:

-The Pike San Isabel National Park in Pueblo, Colorado
-Denver, Colorado (to visit my sisters, nieces and nephews)
-Las Vegas (I hope to get tickets to see Penn & Teller at the Rio)
-Los Angeles, California (to see if Julia Roberts still has a restraining order against me)
-Lompoc, California (to visit Vandenberg AFB, where I was stationed in 1968)
-Reno, Nevada (you know why), and, finally
-Chico for the wedding.

Getting back to Austin is still a road trip in development. Stay tuned.

On my road trips, I plan to visit any National Park that I come near. This time, it will be the Pike Isabel National Park.

I usually do not take advantage of ‘senior” discounts, but I do have a senior pass to all National Parks and I plan to use it every chance I get. There are a whole bunch of them between Austin and Chico.

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Dallas Cowboy Stadium

October 1, 2015, 5P

I stayed at the Fair all day Tuesday and Wednesday.  I am pretty sure I saw everything there was to see. I must have walked about 75 miles.

As long as I was in Dallas, I thought I might go and see what a $1.2 billion dollar stadium looks like, so that is what I did today.  I took a tour of the AT&T Stadium where the Cowboys play football.  Here are some pictures, and Yes, I did sneak into the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders locker room.

I am now back in Austin.  It was a good first trip.  The next trip will be to Chico, California for my nephew Jordan’s wedding on October 24.  I plan to leave about 10 days before the wedding and to take my time getting there.

Come back then.

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Texas State Fair

September 29, 2015 All Day

The first person I wanted to see at the Fair was Big Tex:big_tex_sign

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2002 file photo, Big Tex welcomes visitors to the Texas State Fair in Dallas. Fire destroyed Big Tex on Friday, Oct. 19, leaving behind little more than the metal frame of the 52-foot-tall metal-and-fabric cowboy that is an icon of the State Fair of Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

I read about a big theft:
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And took a selfie with him:
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Here is some of the food:  Chicken Fried Bacon, Fried Banana Split, Deep Fried S’mores, Fried Jelly Beans, Fried Bubblegum, Fried Lemonade, Fried Mac & Cheeseburger, Fried Coke, Deep Fried Peaches & Cream, Fried Banana Pudding, Deep Fried Latte, Fried Caviar:
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This was advertised as a “Real, Old fashioned Chocolate Soda”.  I know what a real chocolate soda tastes like.  Zestos, in South Omaha, used to make them back in the day. My verdict?  They are right!  This was excellent.

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If you have ever wondered why they say “Six Flags Over …”, here is what they mean,  In the history of Texas, six flags have flown over the state.  Here are those 6 countries:
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Dallas

September 28 – 6:35 P

Took my sweet time to get to Dallas, so it is too late to go to the Fair today.  I will head over there first thing in the morning.   I am at a rest stop just outside the city and they have free Wi-Fi.  (Yeah!)  .. so I can make this short, boring post.  It is really just a test of what I can and cannot do, digitally speaking.

See you tomorrow!