travel – One for the Road

The Foreman 400 Rides Again

This month is already flying by and as I take my morning and evening walks between editing film I have noticed the coolness in the breeze and the smell of Fall in the air. The annual Halloween Party is just a few weeks away and more importantly it is camping season. My favorite time of the year. Now, to get you caught up the ATV had an issue and would not start. Mostly this could be because of me working in Dallas for a year and she was not run nearly at all. And this is a ’98 Honda Foreman 400. The same ATV my father bought brand new when I was a kid. I have so many awesome memories on this thing. I can recall a time back in the day when we were still in Alabama and we were riding this trail called “Powerline” the trail that follows the powerlines that ran for miles. Me and my little Suzuki 160 and my dad on his brand new Foreman 400. I can vividly remember this trail that started off pretty wide and slowly became narrow and more narrow until you reached a spot that your four wheeler could barely squeeze through. Once you were able to get through that though there was this big creek, nearly a river. It was beautiful, something out of a Bob Ross painting. We drove through this river and pushed through to the other side on the Foreman. At that moment I felt like we had crossed an ocean and me and my dad were explorers in an undiscovered forest. I was just a little kid then and the Foreman was a massive beast to me. Fast Forward twenty eight years later and I am upgrading it.

I had cranked it once since I had been back but the editing work was taking all day and I started getting in the hole of staying in my room working all day. I went out to move it and she wouldn’t crank and my heart sank. I could feel how bad she wanted to run in the woods and the fact that she couldn’t even crank made me feel so guilty. It was my fault. If I really cared I would have come out and cranked it everyday and I would have done a test drive every weekend and just keep her clean and beautiful but I hadn’t. My priorities had gone astray so to speak. The first shop I called gave me a long winded speech about how because the Foreman was from 1998 that they could not get any new parts. Then he dropped the fact that if I didn’t drop a deposit that they would not even look at it to tell me what is wrong with it. So that shop wouldn’t work, which was disappointing because I had used this place before, but alas never again. Then I found a place near me and immediately he told me to bring it down and guaranteed he could fix it. A few days later he did and then I pulled the trigger on updates and most importantly the winch I had gotten a year ago. We had used Adam’s and it made me want mine installed even more. That and a laundry list of issues that the previously mentioned shop never caught, or more likely never looked or even cared. This ATV is going to be like brand new. I am already planning the trip to Croom and I am praying that I get a call soon telling me to just come pick it up.

Some people may think that this is an overreaction to something trifle, or perhaps a huge waste of money, and though I did still pay less than I would have for a brand new four wheeler I can still understand why some people may feel this way. The fact is that you may not be wrong but you are also not entirely right. This petrol powered toy doesn’t really serve a huge purpose beyond just making me happy. I do use it to clean up my yard and during hurricanes it is a huge help, but these are tiny moments in my life. Realistically this ATVs main purpose is to bring me joy, make camping films, and bring happiness to my life. With that being said it is hard for me to say how important it truly is to me. Life is very short and often takes more than it gives so it is important to truly live happy and to be alive and present in life. I am blessed that a lot of gear and my ATV have a special story and that they were loved long before they were under my care, leaving them beautiful for me to enjoy. This writer thinks this could be the true secret to a long and healthy life and if not it is a sure good spot to start looking. Thank you so much for reading, God bless y’all and don’t forget to go outside.

Silent Guns & Sunken Iron: Vicksburg and the Cairo

The heat was intense and my back was killing me by the time I was crossing the Mississippi River. I had read so much about Vicksburg and I was lucky that it laid right in my trip’s path on my drive to Alabama from Texas. I pulled in and the first thing that you notice immediately is the great arch at the entrance. Then you begin driving through these hills, now a very quiet and beautiful place. I passed several memorials and markers. About every one hundred yards there was a plaque that was marking the Union trench line. After driving for about 20 minutes we arrived at De Golyer Battery. The first open area that starts to reveal the size and scope of the battle and later the siege. I was stunned to see that many of the earth works, the trenches, and battery positions were still there. I can only imagine the ferociousness and overall size of the conflict that took place here. You can feel the weight of this place as you walk around. A true sense of reverence for all the men that fought here.

We then made my way along the trench line to the Wisconsin Memorial, a large marble obelisk standing tall along the old Union trench. Walking around it seeing the names of all the men you begin to feel the personal cost of this battle. So many names. I had walked up the long set of white marble stairs leading to the top looking up at the figures of the troops flanking each side. Walking down again back towards the car I took the opportunity to run over and take a closer look at the Union trench line that the road follows as you drive through the battlefield. The heat was insane so by the time I had run over I was sweating through all my clothes. I took a look at the temperature in the car when I got back in and it was 104 degrees so it was definitely hot for running around but very much worth it.

Next, we drove to the highest point on the battlefield, Fort Hill. I did stop at a few spots on the way up the hill, investigating the Union lines and the different approaches and the earth works creeping towards the Confederate readouts and defenses. It was amazing to see for myself a place I had read so much about. It is easy to tell you are at Fort Hill as you pull off in your truck on the top of the mountain. Overlooking the great Mississippi River and how it bends going into the city of Vicksburg it was very clear why this was one of the most important positions for the Confederates. The heavy artillery could fire directly onto the river and any Union Ironclads making a run on the city.

It was getting late in the day so I immediately made my way to one of the most important places of the trip. Time to see the Union Navy Ironclad the Cairo. The first thing that blew me away was the sheer size of the ship. I had only ever seen pictures obviously, since the Cairo is the only ironclad that exists today, the rest being repurposed or dismantled after the war. So, I had never really had an idea of how huge they really were until that moment. In the bow there were two 42 pounder rifles and an 8 inch smoothbore between them. On the Port side three 32 inch smoothbore and an 8 inch smoothbore. The Starboard was equipped with a 42 pounder rifle, an 8 inch smoothbore, and two 32 pound smoothbore. Finally, at the stern of this iron beast of war was a 30 pounder parrot rifle, which is a rifled cannon, on the left and a 32 pounder smoothbore on the right. Seeing this ship of war paddling its way up the river must have been terrifying. Cairo was a paddlewheel steamer like most of the ironclads that fought in the Mississippi River Campaign. Walking through it though was one of the most amazing things I have ever done and as a historian something I can’t believe took me this long to do.

After exploring the great ship I made my way into the Cairo Museum. This amazing part of the Vicksburg National Military Park not only shows the work put into recovering the great ship from where it was sunk by a mine but also shows all the equipment, weapons, and even personal belongings of the sailors on board. It was amazing how the ship acted as a type of time capsule locking everything in how it was when it sunk during the beginning of the siege on December 12, 1862, North of Vicksburg. The video I made of this trip is still the most popular one I have ever made up to now and one of favorites. If you love history or anything maritime this is definitely a location you may want to check out and if you are interested in the history of the Civil War it is most certainly somewhere you may want to wander through for a day or two. Thank you so much for reading friends, God bless you, and don’t forget to go outside!

Pneumonia, Nassau, and the Sea

These last months have been quite a wild ride. It started about a month ago or so when I swore I had some kind of ear infection. Well, it’s a very good thing I am not a doctor because the symptoms got much worse before I decided to go see one only twenty four hours after speaking to a doctor on Teledoc. Which, the doctor on there only heard what I told him so there’s no way he would have known how bad I actually was so I am not trying to throw any shade towards them, not at all. But, I had gotten in pretty bad shape. After several tests and an X-Ray later it was determined I had Bronchopneumonia. Apparently a much tougher, bigger pain in the lungs, than your average bronchitis or pneumonia, like all the fun of both in one convenient package.

So, for about a month I had the most intense pain in my entire chest. From my muscles burning because of the constant coughing and hacking. The first couple weeks were the most painful. It was like an asthma attack but it wouldn’t end and nothing would help. I couldn’t sleep except by sitting nearly straight up and if I did pass out the hacking and chest pain from not being able to really breathe woke me up. Another issue I am still dealing with, how much that reversed my sleep schedule. Even now, I am writing this at 12:45 at night. Another reason I had to be well was because I was taking a cruise over to Nassau and Coco Cay with Leonor for some important family stuff. So, I needed the Fat Man and Little Boy of antibiotics dropped on my immune system and burn this sickness out of me as quickly as possible. It took me a month before I could even talk without losing my breathe and I am still running out of breathe after a mile hiking in the bush so when the time came to set sail I was still pretty rough but no longer sick or on meds.

When we set sail it was on the Utopia of the Seas with the Royal Caribbean. I have to say that every single time I take a cruise with Royal Caribbean I always have the time of my life. I get onboard the ship and make my way to our stateroom, Leonor and I. We were in an interior cabin this time, so no balcony. But, honestly it gave me a great reason to spend a lot more time exploring the ship and spending time on deck. After dropping off the luggage we headed to the deck and I had my signature, get into cruise mode, double of Irish whiskey and a coke. I may have had two. Of course I had just gotten over being sick so I got pretty buzzed fairly quick. So, what is a man to do when he gets a little buzzed on deck. Why, he makes his way to the free ice cream of course and has a nice cold vanilla, chocolate, or a swirl of both while you decide what you are in the mood to eat. Personally, I had a vanilla cone and then followed it up with a brat sausage, something Leonor knows I love. A tasty brat and some mustard and ketchup. Across the water you could see Cape Canaveral and the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building as well as the launch towers. I remember watching the last shuttle launch from there. It didn’t take long to lose sight of land as we made our way into the Atlantic with Nassau as our first port of call, a location that would leave some definite memories.

As the sky went from a bright blue to a dark black matched only by the black of the sea that was impossible to differentiate between. It is a darkness that is impossible to really explain unless you have seen it. So intensely dark, it is almost ominous. But, there was no ominous feeling on the deck that was alive with laughs of children and adults enjoying the beauty of the sea and relishing the distance from the world’s troubles. When eight thirty rolled around it was dinner time. We all made our way to the main dining hall and were seated immediately. I had a delicious meal. A perfectly cooked crab cake for a starter, fried chicken which was amazing with mashed potatoes and biscuits with honey. Finally ending the meal with a Key Lime Pie. That was awesome. We then made our way around the ship enjoying the stars and I enjoying a coffee before we headed down to the casino. Leonor’s parents were there already warming up the poker tables and doing very well. Something about gambling at sea always makes them lucky. I don’t gamble so I enjoy playing a slot or two before having another coffee and disappearing on deck to enjoy the view of the deep darkness trying to find where the dark sky met the black sea.

Arriving in Nassau I was excited to visit a new territory outside the U.S. The last country I got to enjoy exploring was England. I did just finish field work in Dallas and a long drive from Texas to Vicksburg, Mississippi and then through Alabama and then on to Florida. I have been to a few countries: England, France, Belgium, Venezuela, and Gary, Indiana by way of Chicago, which, if you are from South Florida is definitely a different country. The first thing that really strikes you are the amount of vendors the moment you leave what most people call the resort area, but I will refer to this as the Green Zone. Walking out of the Green Zone I am almost immediately attacked by vendors and salesman. It is kinda like those videos of Egypt with the vendors following you except a bit worse. After graciously saying no to the thousandth person I was beginning to hear someone scream that I was a racist because I would not rent an ATV. I immediately found a taxi and went to another Green Zone in a cab. That other Green Zone: The Atlantis Casino and Resort, a very beautiful and very expensive resort right on the water with million as well as billion dollar yachts hanging out in the private marina the Leonor’s Dad led us through. The ships that were there reminded me of movie stars and Bond villains. Then relaxing in the casino I posted up at the bar where I was given the most amazing service, as well as, the most well made coconut rum mixed drinks I have ever had in my entire life. A local coconut rum with pineapple juice and grenadine and as a garnish a dried out pineapple dried out to look like a flower dropped on top, AMAZING! After winning a buzz at the bar and Leonor’s parents winning at the tables we all made our way back to the ship where we would be on our way to Coco Cay but my next port of call would be enjoying the on-ship bars, restaurants, and even winning at some trivia with Leonor, all because of her TV sitcom knowledge, and enjoying the no cell phone coverage and private interior stateroom.

I have said it before and I will probably continue to say it, because it is a quote I love and feel deeply. It’s by Khalil Gibran and he said “There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea.”. I love the sea, and for me there is something very calming and centering in my soul that comes from the sea. I come from a family of mariners from Tipperary, then Norwich, and now, finally, in Tampa, so I suppose it makes sense that I love to look out into the vastness of the Atlantic and almost feel as if I am seeing an old friend. If you haven’t taken a trip lately whether it is at sea or your local state park I encourage you to go, explore somewhere new, and let the worries of the what the world tells you to think fade and blow away in the strongest wind cooling your brow. Thank you so much for reading, until the next adventure my friends, take care and God bless you.

What’s a bill when you’re at Willie’s?

As we came close to the end of my birthday celebration in New Orleans I wanted to finish it up with a delicious Seafood Boil. We find an awesome place called Willie Seafood Boil near Bourbon Street. On the corner we walked in and they sat us immediately. They were really quick about getting us in our seats and getting us a drink. As it was the last day of vacation I had my traditional double shot of whiskey and a Dr Pepper. Sipping my whiskey as I explored the menu. Leonor was checking out what the table next to us was having. A huge table a couple were sharing that looked absolutely delicious. We agreed that was the way to go. I was committed to drinking at this point and had passed all food decisions to her and simply nodded with approval when any questions were directed to me. I couldn’t see how anything could possibly go wrong for me tonight. Just enjoying some Irish whiskey in the Big Easy.

When our food came I was at first confused. Since we had not received one but two huge platters with two lobsters, some snow crab clusters, a few dungeon crab clusters, shrimp, mussels, sausage, and oh my giddy up so much food. I looked at Leonor in utter bewilderment and asked, “What did you get?” her horrified expression immediately told me she had this well in hand and everything was under control. Or maybe not. I took a moment after calculating the mountain of food to look at the price for such a large meal. I had somehow nodded a five hundred dollar boil to my table. As we explained our case to an even more confused server and manager I once again employed my nodding and motioned my hand to forget any complaint and I simply said bon appetite.

The manager seeing the mistake and how we wanted to enjoy it either way made everything awesome when he laughed and said that we may eat everything. I thought that would be impossible looking at this mountain of food. You should never underestimate the power of Irish whiskey and weed munchies in moments like this. I started with the shrimp and then after enough of those delicious morsels were cleared I finished off the perfectly steamed crab legs. Amazing… I then finished off the shrimp and then tore into the mussels. I then finished it off with not just my corn on the cob but Leonor’s as well. I will never forget the managers face as he rounded the corner just in time to see me clear my plate and give me the most dry hilarious “I told you so” stare before I shrugged the most “yeah you totally did” grin back to him before we broke out laughing and he offered us another drink which I happily accepted. It was the most expensive meal I ever paid for but I think I got more out of that meal than just amazing food. Money always comes back, but living your life, that is something you can never get back. Life is a lot like a great meal, best enjoyed in good company.

Evening Run to Vulcan

My nephews and I have created this tradition that every Thanksgiving I drive my family up to my old hometown in Alabama and after we have our big meal that is usually around twelve in the afternoon we go up to Oak Mountain and hike up to Peavine Falls. Oak Mountain is a huge State Park near Birmingham and is probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Now, one thing I always do is, when I am at the top of Red Mountain I would always survey the neighboring mountain tops for Vulcan. Now, Vulcan is the largest cast iron statue in the world and it too sits atop Red Mountain so I am surveying the tops of all the surrounding peaks but I can’t see him, I never do. Then I launch into my usual speech about how much I wish we could take a side quest to Vulcan before heading home but there is no way it would be open that late… or would it? I had equipped my phone now with the latest in AI technology that even James Bond would feel a twinge of jealousy about as I asked ChatGPT what Vulcan’s hours were. I was blown away when I saw it was open until ten. I immediately rounded up the children and made the twenty minute drive to Vulcan Park. It was a very short drive so it was not long before we were coming up the road taking us up the mountain when we saw him. Vulcan, the largest cast iron statue ever made in the world. The gray steel colour was outlined in the dark blue sky standing high on his pedestal reaching up towards the sky. It was nearly sunset. We first headed into the museum to get our tickets to go to the top of Vulcan but we were once struck with a kind providence as we were informed that their computer systems were down and therefore we would not be charged. We were given our official post it note and made our way over to the pedestal that Vulcan sat atop. The entire monument was being renovated so naturally the lifts were out but that was fine by me as I was interested in seeing the guts of the statues as we lumbered our way up. The pedestal was a stone mason style that felt like an old turn of the century design. Accurate since it was made in the early nineteen hundreds. The bottom of the stairs was a white marble room with the stairs starting on the right and wrapping around the wall going to the left. After going up the original stairs the marbles gives way to a dark stone. The original walls of the statue. Going up the only hint to how high you are is the thin windows. Approaching the top, the large steel doors open to an outside view of downtown Birmingham from almost two hundred feet above Red Mountain. I am actually slightly averted to heights but I can never say no to a breathtaking view and the thrill of filming it. As I stepped outside into the cold high altitude breeze I could see the lights of downtown lighting up and in the distance the sky was a deep red being washed out slowly by a black star dotted sky. I made my way slowly walking around the entire deck and seeing the entire three hundred and sixty degree view that Vulcan offered. There is something almost spiritual for me being in places like this. I had visited Vulcan years ago when I was a kid and it was an inside observation room and you couldn’t see Vulcan but just the surrounding view but now being outside in the wind looking up and seeing the great cast iron olympian and not only see the view but really feel. The grating was a little bit of a shock when I realized I could see all the way to the ground. After taking a moment to really take in the view I had been waiting to see for years I took my time climbing back down the stairs. I felt like I was leaving a friend’s house that I knew I wouldn’t be seeing again for a very long time and it was a little sad. Before leaving though we took a walk through the Museum at Vulcan Park, spoiler alert, there is a celebrity housed there, Bill for Capitol Hill, if you know you know. Making my way back to my ride I stopped and turned around and took a moment to really let the moment sink in, to really let it settle in my memory before heading back. If you are ever in Birmingham, Alabama I highly recommend a stop to enjoy it. Sunset, in my opinion, is the very best time. Until next time dear adventurers, God bless you, St. Brendan travel with you, and may you always find the right trail.