Signs and giant stuff

So there seemed to be a theme to the day...we saw all kinds of giant stuff and some humorous signs.  The signs provided a bit of hilarity, although I only got a pic of one of them.  First was one for the Jerky Outlet, with their slogan proudly proclaiming that you "can't beat our meat"!  That one was pretty funny but I'll admit that after seeing it 4 or 5 times, it wasn't as funny as the first time.  The signs for the tourist trap in the town of Uranus, MO was another story, and the visit to the place didn't disappoint either.  From the space-themed kitsch to the world's largest belt buckle, fiberglass dinosaurs, sideshow oddities, and even a double decker bus. There was even a bar and food  concessions, including sweets. But the most unique part was the fudge sales that inspired their slogan "The best fudge is found in Uranus!"  Don't believe me?  Just look at the pictures below!
We also saw a number of giant-sized figures.  There was the World's Largest Rocking Chair,a giant hillbilly, and a giant neon dripping faucet, even though it wasn't lit up in the daytime...and of course all of the aforementioned stuff in Uranus!
There were two small towns of note too.  Cuba, MO bills themselves as the Route 66 Mural City, and they did not disappoint.  We saw at least ten or twelve murals painted on buildings in their downtown area, and they were all very well done.  The other town was Bourbon, MO, and their water tower is probably the most photographed water tower in the country, for obvious reasons.  By the way Ruth, I was thinking about you on this one!
Something else we've been having fun with is seeing others  taking the same tour we are and running into them multiple times.  The first 2 days it was a couple on motorcycles.  English isn't their first language, so communication was a bit difficult but my guess is that they're Scandanavian.  They were friendly enough though, but we didn't see them at all today.  We did meet a couple from Italy and they took a couple of pictures for us and we did the same for them.  Nice people!  We wonder how much of the humor they were picking up on in Uranus, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
So with all that we've seen, I have to wonder if that's why they call Missouri the Show Me state...because you really have to see some of this shit to believe it!  Signing off for now, your intrepid travelers.

Day 2

We left Bloomington a bit bleary-eyed this morning after having our sleep interrupted during the night by some knuckleheads having a party in the parking lot outside our hotel, but we made the best of things and had a great day of driving and exploring.  We drove through numerous small towns, some with lots of roadside attractions, others that really didn't try very hard to attract the "66" crowd.
Atlanta was one that was particularly memorable, as it had a giant Paul Bunyan statue, a small 66 park, several souvenir stores (although they were closed on this Sunday morning), and a couple of museums (also closed).  But the effort is definitely there and their clock tower was pretty cool too.  I just wish I had been able to see the workings better, as the sun was hitting the glass at a difficult angle.
Springfield was a great stop too.  We stopped and saw President Lincoln's tomb and also the home he lived in before becoming President.  The entire neighborhood had been preserved and is a National Park Service site.  It was pretty cool, as all the homes had a small sign in front detailing who lived there and a bit about them.  It was represented as a very diverse neighborhood, both economically and socially.  Widows, immigrants, laborers, freed slaves, and business owners were all represented and some of the signage suggested that this had influenced him personally before he entered politics.  I found it very interesting.  Even Buddy the traveling wonderdog got in on the act...evidently there is an Instagram site called Fido and friends (Fido was Lincoln's dog), and the rangers take pictures of the dogs that visit there and post them!  Who knows?  Buddy might even get a social media following!
We finished out the drive today getting through St. Louis so we don't have rush hour traffic to deal with in the morning.  Saw the Arch as we entered the show me state, but didn't take the time to stop for photos or other touristy stuff.  We're at a great hotel tonight, and hoping to get a good sleep to make up for last night.  Good night!

Route 66!

So today we started a new adventure...we plan to drive Route 66 from end to end!  We took the Camaro through the downtown Chicago traffic, primarily to get a photo op at the "Route 66 Begins" sign.  The problem with selfies is that while I was in focus, the sign was unreadable if you didn't know what you're looking at.  No worries though...my lovely navigator Elsie came through as a model too, and we have a pic for posterity's sake!
We headed off down the Mother Road, finally getting out of the city and suburbia, passing through numerous small towns, some more picturesque than others.  One we had to stop in was Wilmington, IL, where a friendly biker took a picture of all of us in front of the Gemini Giant.  Buddy wasn't real cooperative as a model, but he's in the picture anyway.
Somewhere near Dwight,IL we missed a turn and got off the route for a bit, but I'm sure that's not the only time that will happen, in spite of the guidebook I bought.  The turn by turn directions are pretty accurate but it's a little vague sometimes.  That's alright...it'll add to the adventure!  We're staying in Bloomington tonight and will probably get past St. Louis tomorrow.  The short distances seem weird to me after all the road warrior trips I've done in recent years, but shorter days in the saddle with more frequent breaks will be a nice change.

Home

Just a quick post today to say I made it home safely.  From the time I left my host's apartment in Auckland until I got home was about 33 hours, and I was tired!  We got held up in Minneapolis for about 2 1/2 hours past schedule by a thunderstorm, but we flew West and South to go around it and made it to Flint by about 2:00 am and I was home by about 2:30.  It always feels good to leave, but equally good to get back home.  Bye!

Devenport

Okay, so today was my last full day on this side of the planet.  I took it kind of easy compared to some of the other days I've had recently.  The health app on my phone counted around 21,000 steps and calculated over 8 1/2 miles.  I took the ferry across the harbor to Devenport.  You can drive around the harbor to get there, but it's quicker by water and considering I haven't driven or even had the inclination to drive since I left home, it just seemed like the thing to do.  Devenport is a quaint little town, with lots of cool old architecture on the houses, mature trees along the shoreline, a naval base and museum, and a couple of old volcanoes providing scenic overlooks.
I had a first happen today; I stopped in a store (thought it was an art gallery, but was more of an interior decorating establishment), and when the young lady working there realized I am American she asked about the election.  As usual, I apologized for the ballot that is being put out there and to my surprise she was in favor of Trump.  I couldn't believe it, especially as she is only 21, as I found out later.  We discussed the situation for quite awhile and she agreed to do some additional internet research into Mr. Trump's background.  She wasn't aware of his bankruptcies, the fact he inherited his money to get started.  She thought he was a self made man, and when I asked what she liked about him she responded that he is an outsider, not a politician, and "He says funny things."  Fern, if you're reading this, I hope you looked up some of the things we talked about.  I would be interested to know if any of this has changed your mind.
So the score on this now stands as follows: Trump? Really?-27 Trump-yes-1.  That's how they seem to feel about us on this side of the planet.
Anyway, it was a nice day although it is raining now, and probably will be in the morning when I have to walk a few block to catch a bus to the airport.  I'm mostly packed, so all I have to do in the morning is shower and pack my toiletries and head out the door.  I've met a lot of really nice people along the way, and I really like the Airbnb setup.  This has been very helpful in combating the loneliness that can set in when traveling solo.  It's really easy to just hole up in a hotel room and not talk to anyone all night, and living in someone else's home, that's just not polite.  So, to Belinda and Patrick, Juan and Dominique, Cate, and Heather, I say thank you for helping to make my trip more enjoyable.  Your kindness and hospitality has been very much appreciated.  G'day mates!

Waiheke Island

I purchased a package excursion this morning for Taste of Waiheke (pronounced wa-hee-key) that included a ferry ride, wine tasting at three vineyards, olive oil tasting, and bus transportation on the island.  This island is a beautiful place with green rolling hills, sandy beaches, and spectacular water views.  The tour was a bit rushed but enjoyable all the same, and I purposely missed the bus back to the ferry as did another half-dozen or so of my fellow travelers.  We stayed late at the last vineyard, sipping some delicious wines and talking and laughing.  We represented Australia, USA, Great Britain, Estonia, and India, and we all had a great time joking and swapping stories.  Too bad governments can't seem to get along as well as ordinary citizens.
Everywhere I go people are asking me what is going on in the U.S. with our elections.  They all express disbelief that Trump is one of the best we have to offer, and I can only apologize on behalf of my country and explain that I think people are so disgusted with the status quo in Washington and desperate for change that they see him as a viable alternative,  Of course I disagree vehemently with that view but I think that's what has happened.  Anyway, just so you know, the people on this side of the world think our country has gone F@#$%^^ nuts, and even though they don't get a vote they do have a stake in this.  What our country does affects everybody in the world in some way and they are all concerned.   This is not to say that Clinton is loved and adored, but they certainly view her as the better of the two options.
I'm going to sign off now, and hopefully my internet issues from last night won't prevent me from posting pics again tonight.  I have one more full day here before I start the long journey home and I intend to make it count!  G'day mates!

Museum Day

Waking this morning to a chilly, rainy, windy day, I decided that this would be a day best spent inside, so I started out only a few blocks from my accommodations at the New Zealand Maritime Museum.  It's a nice place, and really well done.  They have a big collection of boats on display, mostly inside the building, ranging from little wooden sailboats to a big America's Cup racing yacht.  There was also extensive displays set up relating to emigrants and how they were enticed here, their passage and conditions and what they encountered upon arrival.  The whaling industry was a huge influence here. primarily in the 1900s, and the displays about that were extensive and well done.
Moving on, I went to the Museum of Transportation and Technology.  What a place!  It actually has buildings in two locations with old electric trams (similar to San Francisco streetcars) running a shuttle back and forth between them.  The satellite location was huge and had dozens of aircraft on display, as well as military vehicles and a small steam railroad that ran and gave short rides around the place.  The main campus was just as cool, with a massive display of stationary steam engines, fire fighting equipment and a really extensive kids area set up to teach and stimulate them.  But the best part in my opinion was a display of Leonardo DaVinci's machines.  There were miniatures or replicas constructed of all these cool ideas DaVinci had.  That man was so far ahead of his time!  Anyway, it was a really cool day and I learned a lot, and got a lot of ideas for things to do at the Michigan Railroad History Museum, but right now I am tired and going to call it a day.  G'day mates!