Weather or Not

Woke up early, may have been the East facing window, checked the weather and there were storms covering the last 40 miles home but we could go most of the way and see.  I continued my briefing routine and looked at NOTAMs, our fuel stop was closing the runway for the day.  Since they only have one, this presented a small problem.  Luckily I had already planned a backup so after checking that they did not have anything impeding our flight, I canceled my flight plans and refiled with the new stop.

We headed to the airport, packed up the plane and were on our way.  The airport is very nice and used to have American flights to Chicago daily.  They lost those flights, I was told due to the pilot shortage but could not confirm.  Now they only have 2 flights a week to Orlando.  Great if all you do is take the kids on vacation but a problem for business travelers or anyone else that has other travel plans.  The closest airports with service to other hubs are about an hour and a half drive.  Will be interesting to see the long term impact of these changes on places like Dubuque.

The air was smooth but very hazy.  Up at 9000 we could see only about 10 miles out, it doesn’t make for a pretty flight.  It was a straight shot down to our fuel stop and we had mostly no wind or a few knots on the tail.  After crossing Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky we landed East of Nashville at Warren County Memorial (RNC). 

The staff was out to meet us and help us refuel.  It’s a nice stop with good facilities but we made a quick turn and once the plane’s tanks were full and ours were empty, we fired up for the last leg home.  The next leg took us over the mountains, East of Atlanta and then straight home.  

I had filed the airway around Atlanta and received my clearance as filed.  Over Athens Georgia we received a slight re route to avoid military airspace that was in use.  This added 1 minute so it was not a problem. We had been watching the storms all the way down, and we get an updated picture every few minutes.  It had been dissipating and moving South as predicted.  The weather had also improved and it looked like we could forgo an instrument approach.  Checking in with approach, we were told to expect the ILS but that most were picking up the visual.

Passing JAX, we broke out around 3500 and though it was hazy, I picked up the field and we got the visual to 5.  The wind was 10-20 knots but down the runway for a change and we had a smooth arrival home.   We soon had the plane unloaded and back in the hangar, it had been pouring and the evidence was on the hangar floor, it had flooded a bit.

The trip covered 5 states, in 11 days.  We flew about 2350 nautical miles with 13.9 hours in the air which was an average speed of 169 knots.  That seems pretty slow considering our 185 knot cruise but in reality each departure and arrival adds extra miles and must be done at a much reduced speed which cuts into the average.  We climb at 125 and descend at 195 so you never quite make up the speed you lose in the climb.

We also used a leisurely speed to fly to and from Mackinac Island and don’t forget that we had almost all headwinds, a good 10 knots was lost to fighting the wind.  On our flight home from DC we averaged 191 knots even with the addition of the instrument approach but the winds were exceptionally good. 

They built it, I went (#17 Iowa)

Monday we headed out to the airport for the easy flight down to Dubuque.  The staff at Signature was amazing and drove our junk to the plane.  We did some quick sorting of clothe as we were down to 2 days and the weather had changed.  When we started, it was supposed to be cold but Iowa was going to be warm, so we resorted and then loaded up.  This allowed us to leave most of the clothe in the plane and just take what we needed. 

It was a short flight, 44 minutes but it was hazy and bumpy.  It does go by quickly though.  We flew  Southeast until we could see the Mississippi and then we picked up the airport at around 12 miles out.  We were cleared for the visual to 18 with the winds 220@8.  18 was more into the wind but we were lined up on 13 which took us right to the FBO.  

I asked to 13 and was given the straight in.  Made a nice touchdown even though the runway had a good downhill slope.  We rolled to a crawl at the FBO exit and were soon in our space.  The FBO was friendly and had our car but it’s a weird Avis.  Most places they drop the car with the paperwork.  Here they did it all by hand.  The car was fine but the Bluetooth did not work.  

After messing with it a bit, we gave up and headed West.  In 1988, Universal put a baseball diamond in a cornfield in Iowa.  James Earl Jones said it all, “They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom…Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”

If you haven’t figured it out, we were at the Field of Dreams movie site.  They built it, we came.  I am not a sports or baseball person but I liked the movie.  I sat in the famous bleachers and watched families play some ball.  Then it was my turn at bat.  I popped one out to right field and then rounded the bases.  

CC gave it a go as well though even though she swore that she had failed softball in 9th grade.   She got a nice bunt and also somehow turned it into a home run.  After playing a bit more and helping other visitors with pictures, we grabbed ice cream sandwiches at the snack bar.  Oh and the car, on the way out, I had an idea, I went into the menus and did full reset on all the systems.  It still did not work but after we rebooted the car, it came to life and we had on screen navigation.

We headed into town and stopped at the Spanish Mine park.  We took a short overlook trail that showed off the geology nicely and then went to the Julien Dubuque Monument built in 1897.  It looks a lot like a rook but the monument has a nice river view and you can see Dubuque and Illinois,

As we were enjoying the view a bald eagle flew by not more than 30 feet from us.  The eagle then began to thermal up.  We were ready for a break so we headed downtown to the Hotel Julien Dubuque.  Typically we stay at Marriott properties but the choices around Dubuque were poor so we decided to try some history.  

The Hotel Julien Dubuque was first built in 1839. At the time it was called the Waples house. It has been rebuilt since then and now thoroughly renovated to make it a modern classic hotel.  Notable guests include Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and Al Capone. Or so they say, we did not see any of them in the lobby.

We came for the Field of Dreams but Dubuque had many sights to see.  We took a stroll on the Mississippi River walk which had some unique sculptures.  The old shot tower stood at the end.  The tower was originally used to produce lead shot. Lead was melted at the top and passed through a sieve. The drops fell into a pool of water, cooling on the way down creating the spheres.  Ironically it was converted to a fire spotting tower and then it caught fire, not when it was melting lead.  

We also started to find some of the 50 murals that have been painted in the downtown area.  One striking aspect of the city was how empty it felt.  Monday is the night when a lot of restaurants close but we wandered about on a Monday afternoon and it was almost a ghost town, few people and few cars.  With limited choices and not wanting to have fast food, we decided on Greek for a second night.  The gyro was quite good and we had some chili cheese fries which were ok but a bit soggy.

After dinner we took in one more sight.  The Fenelon Place Elevator Company which they claim is the world's shortest and steepest railroad, 297 feet.  Railroad is a stretch, it is a funicular which the rich people installed in the 1800s to improve their commute.  They lived on the bluff above town but had to descend to oppress the workers, sorry I meant manage industry.  

Luckily the train has been upgraded to mostly modern safety standards. It is run from the top so when you are at the bottom, you get in the waiting car and pull a cord that rings a bell.  The operator responds with a bell and then it starts up the hill.  You pay your fare at the top.  It is old fashioned in that it’s a cash only fare. We went the full $4 each for the round trip.  

It has nice views of the city, river and Illinois. It also smells like fresh baked bread.  This was a bit perplexing but the operator told us there was a commercial bakery down the hill and the wind was blowing the right direction. 

We had been pretty lucky with the weather so far and it looked like our return flights would be mostly good weather until we crossed into Florida.  I was watching the pattern to understand it but there was not much I could do about it yet.  We went to bed and woke up to our last day sightseeing.

I say woke up, slept in would be more accurate, we were on vacation.   Our first stop was the Dubuque Arboretum.  It is the largest volunteer run arboretum in the country according to them.  I am not a huge plant person and can only say I have a brown thumb.  The volunteers definitely have green thumbs.

We started at the Japanese garden which had a large koi pond.  We wandered a bit to the main gardens enjoying the plants and flowers and then stopped by the visitor center and bought some fish food.

We headed back to the Koi and all of a sudden we were very popular.  You would think the fish would freeze over the winter but apparently they are pretty hardy, and they can survive if the pond can be kept at 39 degrees or more.  Not sure what they do in Dubuque. 

We wandered a bit more enjoying the cool and sunny morning and then headed back to the visitor center to sample the ice cream.

After the arboretum, we went to Eagle Point Park.  It overlooks the Mississippi and lock and dam 11.  The Army Core of Engineers runs these on the river.  The dams allow them to manage the water flow for both flooding and to maintain water levels to provide navigable channels for shipping.

We were lucky and got to see a boat transit the locks.  They opened  the up river gate and let them in.  The gates closed, the water level fell and then they were let out the down river gate.  We walked about along the river enjoying the view which allows you to stand in Iowa and see Illinois and Wisconsin.  The park is known for Bald Eagle viewing but here we were disappointed.  We had many Turkey vultures but no eagles.

After the park we headed down the hill to the foot of the dam. The core has a nice observation deck that gives you a closer view.  We watched a flock of Pelicans, yes pelicans, I thought they were salt water birds but apparently the American White Pelican is a fresh water bird.

Our next stop was the grocery store to grab some snacks and buy some cheese curds.  Everyone had been pushing the curds so we decided to give them a try.  The curds are underage cheddar cheese.  Yes, they make the cheese, forget to age it and then sell it at a premium.  We had them as a side with our lunch.  They are OK but I don’t get the hype. 

After our lunch break we went for a drive.  We had previously done Illinois when we landed there to visit Missouri, so technically we had not sightseen there .  We crossed the Mississippi and drove to the other side of Lock and Dam 11 which was actually back in Wisconsin.  It was a nice view and we could get much closer to the dam and stand on the levy.

Then it was off to Illinois.  We drove the back roads and saw lots of rolling hills and farms.  We also saw a bunch of happy cows munching away.  Ironically the Wisconsin cows were brown and white while the Illinois ones were the classic Black and White cows in all the Wisconsin dairy ads.  

We were on our way to Galena, Illinois. Galena was once the home of President Grant. It also boasts a downtown of historical buildings which now house a bunch of junk shops for tourists.  On the plus side they also sell ice cream and I somehow needed to try some.  After a nice stroll we headed back to Dubuque.

Our final sightseeing was to look at some more of the Dubuque murals. Since 2016 there have been over 50 added to the downtown area. We topped the night off with some local BBQ and split a meat sampler, ribs, pork two ways and brisket.  It may be a controversial statement as BBQ is portrayed as a Southern thing but they hold their own up here in Iowa. 

Weather was looking pretty good with the exception of home which was calling for thunderstorms. Again, not much to do about it the night before except plan some alternates and get a good night's rest.

The Eagle Has Landed (#18 Minnesota)

Weather had been a big factor on the way to Oshkosh.  Saturday morning was nearly perfect for our flight to Rochester Minnesota.  It was a cool 50 degrees so we started and idled for a few minutes to let the oil gently warm.  As we sat we got to see the EAA Ford Trimotor doing touch and goes.  Not quite full on Oshkosh but not bad.

I had struggled with Minnesota, initially I was thinking to visit Duluth as they have some nice hikes but we had just done the UP and Duluth was even colder.  My next thought was Minneapolis but logistically it was hard and it was not that enticing. In the end I chose Rochester as a good base to see something that caught my eye and allow us to drop by the big city.

The flight was an hour and basically a straight shot.  Arriving in Rochester we pulled up at Signature.  Now Signature has a bad reputation among some due to high fees, high prices and poor service for piston planes.  My experience is that it is very location specific.  Today there were no fees, the gas was a good deal and we even got 50 cents off for buying on the weekend.  The service was also friendly and efficient.

Our rental car was waiting and though it was 10 AM I checked and the hotel had a room ready.  We stopped by and dropped our junk and then set out to sightsee.  Our first stop was a famous water tower.  As we pulled up we saw that there was a farmers market and after making some comments on the corn tower, we strolled the market.

Lately the markets we have visited seemed too pretentious for my taste.  I remember farmers markets being full of fresh produce at good prices.  Not anymore, everything was triple the cost of the grocery store and didn’t look any better.

After the market we headed off to see rural Minnesota.  We drove East towards the Mississippi River through rolling hills of farms.  There were a good many cows, we assumed of the dairy variety.  Also lots of fields.  I had figured that the land would be flatter but this corner of the state is hilly.  Ironically Minnesota is ranked as the 5th flattest state, beating out Kansas. 

The National Eagle center is located in Wabasha on the banks of the Mississippi. We had signed online up for the 1 PM program.  The center is a small museum with information on Bald Eagles and other eagle related facts.  The best part of the center is the eagle room where they have 3 rescue Bald Eagles.  Two birds had bad wings and the third was rescued in our town with a significant tumor.  The eagle was cured but had lost an eye and could no longer survive in the wild.

We finished the center and still had 25 minutes before the program so we walked across the street to get ice cream. We walked downtown and then back down the river eating our treat.  We ate quickly and made the show with plenty of time to spare.

The show was 30 minutes learning about Bald Eagles and then 15 minutes with a live eagle.  The highlight is watching the eagle eat.  He had a nice chunk of fresh rabbit.  Apparently we missed rat day.  We were told that he sometimes takes it in one gulp but we got lucky and got to see him rip it apart and savor it. We really got lucky because we were also told sometimes the Eagle sends the food back out as part of the process. We were in the splash zone but luckily stayed dry. 

After the show we drove up the Mississippi to Red Wing.  We did not stop for any boots though we saw plenty of signs for footwear.  On the way back we happened upon a covered bridge so we stopped to look. Apparently it is the only one in the state and was built in 1860 for stagecoach traffic.  It had been moved a few times but was in good shape.

We have eaten well on the trip but there has not been much unique local food.  Yes we tried local places but pizza and salad is pretty standard.  Tonight I saw a taco truck and we decided we would give it a try.  Long time readers will remember our taco truck adventure in Oklahoma City.  That was a high bar to beat but we gave it a go.  

Francis Tacos is a non mobile truck and the specialty is Tacos.  Cc got Pollo and Asada, I got Chorizo and Al Pastor with a side of rice.  I also ordered a side of sweet corn with mayo and chili.  This was unusual but quite tasty. The food was excellent but I think Oklahoma City was slightly better though it may just be nostalgia talking.

We spent Sunday in Minnesota.  I decided to see the big city so we drove up to Minneapolis.  I was not too enamored with the city.  They have a neat sculpture garden and nice parks but I could tell that it was mighty cold most of the year.  Don’t think I will be moving there.  They also had a race in progress while we were trying to view the sculptures.

After the big city we headed back to Rochester and enjoyed a walk in a nature area. We finished up with some local Mediterranean food which was quite good.  The flight planning was pretty easy with good weather and only 120 miles. We had been sightseeing pretty hard and it was good to kick back for a few hours and read a book and just relax.