The Trip Home – Days 8,9,10

Since we had a longer drive (500 miles) on Sunday, we got on the road early and had an uneventful drive from Sioux City to Aurora IL.  There had been lots of good-to-see road work with I-70 being widened all across MO, and nearly all of the work we saw was a total road replacement with concrete rather than asphalt.  Properly maintained to prevent water freezing damage, concrete can last many, many years.

Going thru Aurora is not exactly the most direct route home but it did take us for our likely last visit to the Wurst Kitchen that I’ve mentioned many times on here.  We took coolers with us and ended up getting about 30 four-link packages of frozen sausages.  Son Eric lived near there for several years and we would utilize family trips to keep our sausage supply coming but he has since moved and I was hating the prospect of no longer getting this delicious sausage but I was happy when they told us they now ship.

For supper in Aurora, we went next door to the Two Brothers Roundhouse Restaurant where we had eaten at and I blogged about back in 2018.  Bev had the Roundhouse Burger and I had the Pan-Seared Walleye (not unusual in restaurants near the Great Lakes) and we each enjoyed our meals.

We have been eating and making the famous Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches for several years now and when our day two trip home took us thru Louisville, KY, a plan was born.  We decided to stay at the Brown Hotel in downtown so we could try the original and compare it to others.  Per the internet: “A Hot Brown sandwich is an American hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923.”

So, after getting into our very nice period decorated room, we headed to the Lobby Bar and Grill for this famous meal experience. 

We began with an adult beverage.

Since we were still eating light, we decided to share a small Caesar salad and the Hot Brown – First pic is from the web followed by the one we ate.

The ones we make are somewhat different as the hotel version has a one inch thick piece of turkey and ours is about half that, which seems like plenty.  Their tomatoes lay beside the toast but we put ours on top and they have two crossed slices of bacon on top but we chop ours as it's easier to eat.  Finally, after eating one at a different restaurant, we now add a little country ham to ours.

For breakfast the next morning, we went downstairs to J Graham's Cafe.

I had the “THE CLASSIC $22 - Two Eggs Cooked to Order Choice of: Toast, English Muffin or Biscuit, Breakfast Potatoes, Bacon or Sausage, and it was delicious and huge but I forgot the pic.  Bev just had a fried egg and breakfast potatoes and everything was very good.  Not sure if I’ll ever stay again in Louisville but if I do it will be at the Brown Hotel as it was a lot like staying at the Greenbrier in WV in terms of elegance and service.  

We have now stayed at The Brown Hotel and the Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs, WV and eaten at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO and the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.  Now that we have sold the motorhome, I'm hoping to hit a few more of these nicer places while we are still able, beginning with the Inn On Biltmore Estate.

Everything about this trip worked well except for locking the keys in the car and we each gained a pound – probably not too bad for a ten day vacation trip.  Most of the roads were good and there was a lot of road work being done, which I'm glad to see.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/22- 7/1/25 event dates

Kathy And Keith’s Wedding

After being together for several years, circumstances were finally right for Keith and Kathy (daughter) to get married and they chose a beautiful outdoor spot overlooking the Missouri River at the South Sioux City Marriott Hotel where we all stayed.  The wedding was scheduled for 4:30 pm and the early part of the day was spent with the wedding party ladies getting their hair and makeup professionally done at the hotel.

Prior to the wedding ceremony, the guests were treated to hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

Then it was on with the wedding preformed by the minister from their church in Texas who made the trip just so she could marry the two of them.  This is me walking Kathy down the aisle and delivering her to Keith with a kiss on the cheek.

A few shots of the ceremony then the wedding party.

We were all worried about the guests sitting in the hot sun but the weather was perfect – overcast with a low 80’s temp.  Any finally the reception which included a buffet supper was held just inside from the wedding location.

We are all very happy this day was finally arrived and I have to believe Kathy’s smile muscles will be sore for a couple of days.  It's such a pleasure to now have Keith as a member of our family.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/27/25 event date

Nebraska Trip Days 2,3,4,5

When we got up the on the morning of day 2, we drove down the street to fill up with gas for the next leg of the trip and Bev went in the convenience store for a pick-up.  When I opened my wallet to retrieve my credit card, I discovered it missing and decided I must have left it at the restaurant so I asked Bev to get their phone number from the car only to discover it was locked with the keys in the ignition but we had no idea how.  So, we called AAA and they had us on the road in about 20 minutes – not bad, so disaster avoided.

We drove to Oak Grove, MO for our next night as we wanted to eat at PJ’s Family Restaurant for the third time and have onion rings and chicken fried steak.  As is often the case with nostalgia creep, the meal was good but less so than we remembered.  We each ate two of the seven large onion rings (judge by Bev’s IPhone), then I ate about a third of my steak, some cottage cheese, and a few bites of potato and I was full.  Here are a couple of shots and the big plate of disks is Bev's side order of fried zucchini – you won’t leave this place hungry.

The last outbound trip leg took us the Kathy and Keith’s home to spend some quality time with them and look over their extensive house remodeling (mostly on the outside).  No Pics taken but one I wish I had gotten during the drive.  We were driving up I-29 in Iowa, a little north of Omaha and approaching an exit when there appears a sign announcing "Ski Area" and it cracked me up - there is snow skiing in Iowa?  When I got home, I did a web search to discover Crescent Hill At Hitchcock Ski Resort with a hilltop elevation of 1500' and a vertical drop of 300'.  For comparison, Colorado's Aspen Mountain has a vertical drop of 3267'.

On Thursday, we all made the hour drive to the Marriott in South Sioux City, NE to begin the wedding festivities beginning with a family and close friends supper at 4 Brothers Bar & Grill just across the Missouri River in Sioux City, IA.  

No food porn taken.

Friday was the day before the wedding and it was spent on errands, relaxing, a trip to the spa for the ladies and final wedding plans, including a rehearsal.  Then we went to the Soho Kitchen & Bar for the rehearsal dinner which included families, friends and the wedding party.  This is Kathy and Keith, flanked by Keith’s daughter and son in law, enjoying themselves.

Since we are eating less, Bev and I opted to share a Caesar Salad and the "MIDWEST PORK TENDERLOIN $18 - A HUUGE hand-breaded, crispy golden center cut pork tenderloin served on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles. A Midwest classic-crispy, juicy, and way bigger than the bun!"  We thought it would be similar to the one served at the Maryville Hot Rod’s Diner.

But to our surprise, they really meant HUUGE.

I ate one of the pieces protruding from the bun and Bev ate about half of the sandwich after cutting off the other piece.  I’ve never seen anything like this.

The dinner went very well and everyone seemed to have a good time visiting and eating from Soho's eclectic menu.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/23- 6/26/25 event dates

Dockside Grill And A Trip To Nebraska For A Special Event – Day 1 to Cape Girardeau, MO And Supper At Top Of The Marq

Our daughter Kathy and her boyfriend (fiancée) have been together for several years and have now decided it’s time to get married in Sioux City, IA and since she wanted me to walk her down the aisle, I thought we should go.  We opted to drive rather than fly and go to their house in Hartington, NE first to have a look at their home renovations before going to Sioux City - about an hour east.  It’s over 1000 miles to their place and in our younger days we would have made it a two trip but not anymore so we decided on three days at about 350 miles each day.

But before leaving for the trip on Monday, we decided to eat out on Sunday to prevent a kitchen clean up and to have leftovers for supper.  Since it was Fathers Day, to beat the crowd, we headed up early to Dockside Grill At Tellico Marina which is a place we really like and I’ve blogged about before and it’s only about 10 minutes away.  We got there about 10 minutes after they opened and at least five tables were already full.  Since it is owned by the same person as Countryside Restaurant, I can go there and get my favorite, awesome, fried catfish which I did for this meal and the only protein side dish they had was baked beans so I got two of them.

That is two giant pieces of fish and I ate about ¾ of one and about ¾ of one of the beans so plenty left for supper and maybe for breakfast as well.  Can you believe they serve all of that food for $15 especially at a place like a marina.  Bev had a smoked, fried boloney sandwich with tater tots at $11 and Pat had the catfish PoBoy with mac & cheese for $12.

And now for the trip.  We took our normal route to the Northwest with the first six-hour leg taking us to Cape Girardeau, MO and since there was no reason to get there early and we were gaining an hour, we left home around 11am Monday and left Cindy, Pat, and the pups in charge on the home front.  The drive went smoothly except in rained for about 2/3 of the trip which lowered the temperature to 62F and we were both dressed for 80F – I didn’t bring any clothes with long sleeves but Bev said she may have a light jacket in the big suitcase if we can dig it out.

That first night of the trip, we stayed at The Courtyard By Marriott in downtown so we could just walk across the street and eat at the 4.7 star Top Of The Marq restaurant .  We got there shortly after five and it was pretty empty but by six, the place was humming. 

From this 7^th floor restaurant, the muddy Mississippi River could be seen out the window.

Bev enjoying a cocktail.

They specialize in Social (small) Plates and I went with one of them while Bev ordered an entrée.  She decided to get risky and order Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps: sautéed Thai chicken, carrot sticks, chopped cucumber, chopped cashews, green onion, served in romaine boats, sweet chili sauce, peanut sauce, $19.Turns out to be a worthwhile risk as she really enjoyed it.

I had the Hangar Steak: medium rare, sliced, marinated hangar steak with chimichurri and two bean citrus salad, $17.  I thought mine was very good and satisfied my desire for plenty of protein.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/22/25 event date

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas And Black Beans

Instead of a weekly get together for cards, it is now monthly but it still includes supper and for this meal I was looking for dishes high in protein and can be cooked in advance or while we are playing cards.  As luck would have it, two of my blogger buddies had recently posted dishes that fit the bill.  Dennis posted a recipe for Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas on his “Ask Chef Dennis” blog which contained chicken and dairy for the protein.  And for a side I went with Pam’s recent post for Spicy Black Beans from her “For The Love Of Cooking” blog where the beans are the protein source.  Cindy made the enchiladas and I made the beans (the easy part by far).

Day Trip To Crossville For Bird Houses And Lunch With Friends

Several years ago, at an RV rally in Crossville, TN, we bought a few bluebird houses from a representative of the Cumberland County Bluebird Club and we stationed them around our property.  Since bluebirds are very territorial, it is suggested they be placed at least 100’ apart, which we did.  Starting last year, tree swallows took over some of the houses and since they are bug eaters, we decided to welcome them.  The swallows are also territorial so they also need to be spaced out but after some research, I learned they can co-exist in close proximity with bluebirds and the houses for the two of them can be 25’ apart.

With this new knowledge, we decided to make a trip to Crossville to get six more houses from the bluebird club along with two of the predatorproof poles for our on hand bird houses – the ones the snake invaded.

Since we were going to Crossville, we didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to see friends Diane and Milo so we arranged the visit around their schedule then we met for lunch at the Beef & Barrel Restaurant & Lounge.

We got there early and were the only diners at that time (Pat still using a walker from her knee replacement).

I forgot to have the server get a pic of us at the table but we spent the first 20-30 minutes visiting before we got around to ordering.  I couldn’t find a decent menu pic on line so I took my own pics of it – still not great but better than online.

Bev and Pat each had a Reuban Sandwich with one side.

Diane ordered the Chicken Pesto Sandwich and a side.

Milo chose the Patty melt with a side.

And to maximize my protein and minimize calories, I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich and a side of Steamed Broccoli.

I ate all of the broccoli and less than half of the meat from the sandwich – no bread.

The Verdict:

I believe everyone enjoyed their meals and we enjoyed the visiting even more.

Bird Houses

Following the meal, we drove to the upper end of the Fairfield Glade community to pick up the bird houses and poles which filled up the back of our car.  In addition to the predator guard, they have an easy installation system where a piece of re-bar is driven into the ground then the aluminum pole just slips down over it.

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

6/17/25 event date

Smothered Mediterranean Pork Chops, Karen’s Salad, And Posting Philosophy Addendum

Our kids, Rhett and Beth, gave us some special Iberico Pork from Spain’s Campo Grande for last years Christmas and we are just eating the first of it. From the web: “Known as the "Wagyu of pork," Ibérico pork is a premium meat from black Iberian pigs native to the Iberian Peninsula."  Renowned for its rich marbling, buttery texture, and nutty flavor, it is sourced from humanely raised animals with a traditional diet of grass and acorns.” For this meal, I selected a four-bone rack of pork chops which I cut into individual chops.  I looked around and found several recipes but smothered meat and pork is always a favorite of ours so I used the recipe for Smothered Mediterranean Pork Chops from the “A Labour Of Life” blog.