Back and better than ever

No, I couldn't possibly care less that those trollops are back. They had one outstanding hit, and that was about it as far as I'm concerned.

No, the news is that the summer's big vacation (details to follow, keep reading) is over, and I am back to blog for you.

This post is gonna get the major details of the vacation out of the way, and tomorrow we'll begin with more of the same gorgeous blogaction that you've come to know and expect from me.

In order, beginning on the 20th of June, year of our lord, two-thousand and seven...

6/20...drove to Indianapolis...lunch with Googs...good to see 'im...onward to Madison, WI...great dinner at Frida (outstanding fish tacos)...wandering State St (walking mall six blocks long)...loved the city...walking around UW's campus...loved the city...

6/21...returned rental car #1 (broken air conditioning)...breakfast at Mickie's Dairy Bar (great, cheap breakfast)...drove to Spring Green, WI (tiny town, though we were staying there)...headed 15 mi south to House on the Rock Inn (where we were actually staying)...went to House on the Rock (which I'd been desperate to see)...turned out to be annoying, crappy, awful...just deplorable as a tourist destination...not enough bad things can be said (smelly, weird, cramped, strange)...dinner at The Shed...meh...boring dinner...round #1 of mini-golf...got The Girl to watch Office Space..

6/22...onward to the Wisconsin Dells...like Gatlinburg North...very touristy...Lower Dells boat tour - good time, little chilly that day, didn't want to see Upper tour because of the jumping dog...lunch at High Rock Cafe - best meal of the trip, so good we went back for dinner, amazing food (especially the Soprano sandwich and the Cusabi wrap)...rounds #2 & 3 of mini-golf at Pirate Cove (Pirate's Lookout & Challenge) - turns out that 36 holes of mini-golf is above The Girl's limit of patience and indulgence...cheesecake on a stick...hit a deer with rental car #2 just north of Loganville, WI - minimal damage, sheered off the rear-view mirror on the driver's side, left a dent in the driver rear door...called various insurance and rental care folks...

6/23 - back to Madison to get rental car #3 (thankfully our last of the trip)...great farmers' market - like six+ blocks of produce, cheese, baked goods - wonderful...wandered State St again...very cool Madison Museum of Contemporary Art - wonderful sculpture garden on the roof, great views of the city and lakes...lunch at Tutoo - decent, not spectacular...shopped through Urban Outfitters...picked up an Uglydoll...li'l snack at Paciugo gelato before heading to Natural Bridge State Park - big disappointment, only about 1 mile of trails, lame natural bridge...bad chinese takeout from Dodgeville for dinner...

6/24 - left Dodgeville via the Spring Green Arts & Crafts Fair and onward to camping in Buckhorn State Park - site 26 to be specific...good evening - marshmallows, graham crackers, mosquitos and flies, avoided the 100% deet in favor of 40% deet - which still wasn't good enough...

6/25 - gave up on camping because of the mosquito infestation...breakfast at McDonald's on the road...tried to stay in St Paul, but they were full...stayed in Minneapolis at Radisson right on UofM's campus...great location...did some laundry crashed at the hotel after wonderful dinner at Pop! including amazing crepes...

6/26 - to the Como Park Zoo...wandering 'round Dinkytown - neat neighborhood, good breakfast at Al's...picked up two new cds...walked all 'round campus, including across the mighty Mississippi and back...saw a cool museum designed by Gehry from a pretty neat walking bridge...

6/27 - to the Science Museum of Minnesota which was phenomenal...even played nine holes of science-themed mini-golf - amazing, truly phenomenal...dropped to Ikea - picked up bed spreads and a couple of other things...through Uptown - picked up The Girl's long sought larger wallet...caught up with friends in the Twin Cities...took in a ballgame on the carpet...

6/28 - slow day...nice to relax in a home instead of a hotel room...Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for a nice afternoon...

6/29 - Ah, commerce at its finest at the Mall of America including a Lego store...The Girl got to cook dinner (something she'd been missing) and there was a bit of wine had by all...

6/30 - to the Walker Art Center for some culture - easily my favorite muesum on the trip, amazing building, wonderful art, would love to spend days and days there...also to the sculpture garden (also amazing) across the street...dinner at Maynard's for some fresh fish...then a revelation that Wayne did voice work on an anime series - very, very cool...

7/1 - bit of gaming - loads of fun...and a dream come true - real grass mini-golf - I'm spolied...dinner at Floyd's...

7/2 - headed to Chicago...stopped in the Dells for another shot at the High Rock (sadly closed for the 4th - two days early?)...instead to Mexicali Rose for the single worst meal of the trip - avoid it like the plague...onward to Chitown...great music on the way in...tried to get a Taste but too late...so dinner was at the Italian Village...

7/3 - long day of walking but a good tour of the lakeside...morning at the Shedd - amazing to see the old girl in fine feather now, loads of fun...looked through lots of CoolGlobes...walked through Grant & Millenium Parks...up to Navy Pier for good times...wandered through Stained Glass museum - some very neat, some a little too liturgical...good pizza at Pizano's...and down to Taste to see the fireworks..

7/4 - checked out of the best hotel of the trip...breakfast at the Golden Apple and then homeward...slept in my own bed for the first time in two weeks...

Wherever you wander,
Wherever you roam,
Be happy and healthy,
And glad to be home...

Anything you want to know more about?