Rhinelander, Wisconsin, July 4th!

About four and a half hours northwest of Milwaukee lies Rhinelander, Wisconsin. God's country. No Pride flags. No CBD shops. Families, that are actually...families!  You folks from New York, or Los Angeles, or Chicago just would not understand. The state lottery is not pushed on you in every store.  Pawn shops and auto loan emporiums are not visible.  No one is swearing. Rap music is heard nowhere. I like Rhinelander! The local legend here dates back to 1893 as a logger spotted a mini-dinosaur and called it the Hodag.

The Hodag

Tonight the fireworks will be at the park by Boom Lake.  It is called Boom Lake even when there are no fireworks on the schedule.

Boom Lake

Remember John Heisman? Okay, he died in 1936 so you probably do not. He founded the football programs at Auburn and Clemson and is the namesake of the college football trophy presented yearly to the best collegiate player. He's buried here. Apparently he was mauled by a Hodag. 

John Heisman's grave

A 40 minute drive from here is Laona, Wisconsin. We ventured there and rode on the Lumberjack Steam Train. We rode in the caboose as the steam engine brought us on a 3-mile ride to a logging museum.

Lumberjack Steam Train

We had the entire caboose to ourselves and sat up on the cupola.

Caboose

The peeps, all locals, who worked at the little logging city/museum were so friendly and very clean cut. There were farm animals like goats, ponies, llamas, pigs, sheep, and chicks. Logging equipment like saws and chainsaws. Buildings that would have existed in the old logging days like bunkhouses, kitchens and cafeterias, a slaughterhouse, blacksmith shop, and gift shop. Afterwards we ate at the very friendly breakfast and lunch place, Log Cabin Cafe. Again very friendly staff and no annoying music (Rap) playing over the PA. 

Log Cabin Cafe

Before leaving on July 5th we ventured to Pioneer Park in Rhinelander. The park/museum is dedicated to the old logging days of this fine city. A railroad museum, a schoolhouse, a dining and bunk area, logging equipment, and an old steam logging locomotive and train are all here.

Logging Train at Pioneer Park

Sadly we will return to Virginia soon, the world capital of CBD smoke shops, pawn shops, tattoo parlors, and Fast-Cash Loan emporiums. Rhinelander will serve as a reminder the evils that have seemed to take over this country since 2020 may be waning and in some very morally strong areas of this country, never took hold.  All of you who respond "It's everywhere," when commenting on the fall of your city or town... you are wrong...it is not everywhere.

Tarpon Springs, Florida: Greece-Lite

You all saw the movie!  Wait!  It's an old movie so you probably didn't!  Shame!  Find it, 1953's "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef."  Robert Wagner (a really young Robert Wagner), Richard Boone (the greatest actor not on any greatest actor lists), and Peter Graves! Set in Greece...wait, no, not Greece, but Tarpon Springs, Florida.  Same thing.  Picture one of the Aegean islands and the very Greek Orthodox community that lives on it.  Over 70 years after that film was released, is Tarpon Springs still a carbon copy of an Aegean island?

Sponge boats still line the docks of the inlet.  The days take from sponge divers still adorn the decks. Every year a priest throws one of those ornate Orthodox crosses into the inlet and the sponge divers jump in.  Fortune will besiege the lucky diver who emerges with it. 

Trendy, and expensive, and very quaint shops will sell you trinkets, souvenirs, candy, and artsy-fartsy stuff.  A lot of boats will bring you on tours of the inlet.  Get away from the college kids and drunks seeking prurient activities for a more mature day on Florida's Gulf Coast.  

Ask anyone for the best restaurant and you will be told, without exception Hellas Restaurant and Bakery.  Click on this link for their website and menu Hellas website.  Greek food!  Real Greek Food.  The stuffed Grape Leaves they make show why Turkey will never be as good as Greece, and are dripping with egg lemon sauce.  The bakery, which is attached, has Greek breads, cookies, and pastries. 

One wonders if Richard Boone, famous for having Vodka lunches, would have had an Ouzo lunch if he dined at Hellas' during the filming of the aforementioned film. Here are the stuffed grape leaves.

...and the flaming cheese...don't ask.  Sort of a cross between a grilled cheese sandwich and Baked Alaska.  Just go with it!  

Work off the calories after dinner by walking the streets of Tarpon Springs.  Greek flags were very prevalent.  It was nice in the month of June to see Greek flags, American flags, and no other flag.

As a civilizational mindset spreads across Europe, Asia, and Africa, that same mindset, if it arrives here in the U.S. may preserve the Greek culture here in Tarpon Springs.  Where I live in Virginia, the culture is gone and the landscape is teeming with CBD smoke shops, urgent care facilities, and tattoo parlors.  Hopefully Florida will reject what Virginia allowed to happen up there.

Duluth, Minnesota: Big Ships

I voyaged to Duluth, Minnesota, with my son for Memorial Day Weekend.  I had been wanting to visit here for quite some time. For many years I have been fascinated by those 1,000-foot freighters that silently make their way through the oceans, rivers, or Great Lakes.  Duluth seemed to be the place to see these behemoths of maritime construction.  Besides, the Edmund Fitzgerald, the most famous American ship disaster, sailed from here on its last voyage.  Wisely, I booked a room at the Fairfield Inn & Suites-Duluth Waterfront.  My hotel room overlooked the harbor and had a view of these giants arriving or departing from one of the two entrances to Duluth Harbor.  From the harbor, the lock connects with Lake Superior.  My son and I were not disappointed.  Here is one of the ships we spied as it left the harbor, as we looked on from our hotel room.  The Walter J. McCarthy, Jr. (a 1,000-foot diesel Lake freighter).

We also walked to the end of the pier on the lock and watched ships arrive.  Here is a 1,000-foot lake freighter, The MV Indiana Harbor.

These ships are almost silent and quite majestic.  They may be going to other ports, but only as far as the Saint Lawrence seaway. Toledo, Cleveland, or Two Harbors (MN) may be their next stops.  Some will return to Duluth within the week with a new load to be off-loaded. The two pictures below are the drawbridge each of these entering or exiting freighters must pass underneath, and the lighthouse at the end of the pier signals all these ships.

Now, as far as going on these ships...that brings us to the SS William A. Irvin, a 610 foot freighter, served in the Great Lakes from 1937 to 1978.  This ship was retired because it found itself too small as shipyards were turning out 1,000 foot freighters.  The ship is now a museum, fully restored to its 1970s glory.

.

As most of these freighters do, guest quarters are provided for VIP guests who may sail along on their voyages.  The accommodations are quite nice for executives and their families from the shipping companies.  Here are some board room, guest quarters, and parlor pics. 

The restoration and the maintaining of The Irvin is terrific.  Here's a view from the bridge looking towards the stern across the hatches.

Two last shots of the Irvin, from the rear and then a captain's quarters view over the ship.

These ships are fascinating.  If you are wondering if you can book the guest quarters on current ships, for Great Lakes cruises, the 1,000-foot ones...the answer is yes.  I'm told the food is terrific.

DFW: Plane Spotting

Dallas Fort Worth, a massive airport, technically located in Fort Worth, Texas.  I hear it is the size of Manhattan. Airline enthusiasts will love it here, but this 50 year old airport has its flaws...and fascinations.  The parts of the airport outside security are cold, old, and sterile.  No restaurants or nice decorations.

Above is a pic of sunset, looking west from my hotel room.  From my room (located in the international terminal of the airport...Terminal D).  Unlike my home airport (Richmond International Airport...which has no international flights), I've seen all sorts of foreign airlines.  Emirates. Qantas.  FinnAir.  Qatar. Avianca. Singapore Airlines. Lufthansa. Air France. Etc.

This airport is where American Airlines is headquartered and American's Admirals Club lounges are located in each of the five terminals.  When booking a room at the Grand Hyatt, specify a room that overlooks the runway.  So why am I here.  From Richmond International, this is the only destination that will serve a meal.  One has to be in the air over two hours to get fed in First Class.  I had Chicken Parmesan.  

At the Grand Hyatt we have a really nice restaurant.  They gave me a free dessert when they found out it was my birthday. The restaurant is called the Grand Met and this strawberry mousse type dessert was delicious.

I am trying to eat healthy, hence my vegetable stir fry with shrimp from last night.  This place is a little more expensive than McDonald's but McDonald's is not the bargain it used to be.

Enough for now...stay tuned...may do another posting from here late tonight. 
 

 

Passport from 2012

This is a page from an old passport...notice The Maldives, Zurich, Switzerland, Frankfurt, Germany, Jordan....and one stamp I can't make out.

I have been to all 50 states, 8 of 10 Canadian provinces...and 29 countries.  Enjoy this blog as I hopefully add to those totals.  If you have any requests for me to visit and blog about, put it in the comments section.

Zisi's Travels Premiers

Welcome to my 3rd blog. This is my first non-movie one. I will focus on another passion...travel!  All throughout the blog I will take you with me as I explore the world. For example, later this month I will be in Dallas, Texas and then Duluth, Minnesota. All the photographs will be mine.  You will see I travel to interesting places.  Below you can enjoy some pics I have taken in the past. 

The above pic is from Norman, Oklahoma. I was being ordered into a shelter...I decided to follow the tornado instead.  I was not going to tell my wife of my lame-brain decision but when this photo showed up on the ABC Nightly News and The Weather Channel...I was found out.

The above pic is from Havre, Montana.  Why go there?  These are the types of places I voyage to. Start following my blog and find out.

Union Station in Winnipeg, Alberta...0 degrees Fahrenheit.  Why go there in the winter?  That's the type of thing I do...soon I will travel to Saskatoon in the winter. Anyway this is my first entry...soon Dallas.  Don't be surprised if you see me on the road. Airports and hotels are my second home.  TTFN!