Monday, July 11, 2016

Van Trekker is Back -- sort of


Friends....  I have restored the old blog.  Please be so kind as to set your bookmarks back to the old URL.  You will be beamed to 

VanTrekker.com


In a few seconds.  Take care and thanks for following!


Live long and prosper!

-- Brad, the "Van Trekker"

Friday, July 1, 2016

Star Trek Parade Pics


"Live long and prosper"... and wear some new tie dye!



Hello and welcome to the blog!  It's been almost a week since the Star Trek parade in Riverside, Iowa.  I've been busy with work and fishing... but finally got around to getting these pictures together.  There will be a number of photos with minimal verbiage...   It sure was a fun time hanging out with fellow Trek geeks!





Background...  In the movie "Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home", William Shatner's character, "Captain Kirk" mentioned "I'm from Iowa; I only work in outer space."  The town of Riverside petitioned Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and was given the distinction of being the "future birthplace of James T. Kirk" on March 22, 2228.  There is a discrepancy and some documents say 2233.  I guess we will never know!  But Star Trek lore has contributed a lot to our society - even the naming of a space shuttle - and we "trekkers" (not "trekkies") are a dedicated bunch.


The USS Riverside NCC-1818


Celebrating 50 years of Star Trek


A shuttlecraft replica

The smallest vessel that is equipped with a "warp drive"
and it's own "photon torpedo" launcher.


The sculpture is a "Herky" hawk, the mascot of the University of Iowa.
Notice that this Herky is giving the Vulcan greeting (as we saw "Spock" do
so many times.)  The "V" shaped hand is actually part of an old Jewish blessing ritual.

The pizza slice guy was here representing Casey's Pizza, sold in Casey's convenience stores.
In the movie S.T. IV, Catherine Hicks and William Shatner ordered a "large mushroom, 
pepperoni and extra onions and a Michelob."  Great  choices!

No parade would be complete (in Iowa) without old tractors... We had a bunch!


It was a fun little trip to Riverside.  The love of Star Trek is alive and well.  A new movie, "Star Trek - Beyond", will hit theaters on July 22, 2016.  I'm not sure of the work schedule but my own little white futuristic van vessel -- the "USS Serena", NCC 2708, will be provide camping somewhere nearby a movie theater on that day.

That's it for now.  Thanks a bunch for visiting!  Happy and safe summer travels!  Have a happy Independence Day!  Live long and prosper.  :)

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa

Friday, June 24, 2016

Fishing With Buddy Kenny

Buddy Kenny trying to get the fish from under the dock.. It was a nice pole bender!

Hello and welcome to the blog today.  It's Friday and a busy one at that.  After working this evening, I'll be taking off with the van and going to a parade tomorrow morning.  In the meantime, here's a recap of a fun fishing trip with buddy Kenny.  We used to fish together 20+ years ago and just got back together to do some fun angling.

On Thursday we took off and went to the fishing pond at the hatchery.  Due to all the recent heavy rains, the trout streams were bloated and murky.  I knew the pond would be in perfect condition.

So that's how they keep the plants looking so good!
On the way north, Kenny and I stopped at Pedretti's bakery in Elkader to get some cookies and sweet rolls for the trip.  That's where we encountered the guys with the golf cart and watering apparatus.

 Limited out by 8:00 AM...  and there nothing like a cold orange juice....
well, more like "Henry's Hard Orange Soda".

The angling action was swift, as expected.  I'd limited out first.  Shortly thereafter, Kenny got his fifth trout.  He caught some very nice fish - two that were much larger than mine.  It was fun and we've already decided to go back again soon.

A very friendly Muldovy duck watching the angling.

While fishing, this Muldovy duck watched every move we made.  He was particularly interested in my Danish roll and "Edgar" ended up enjoying a couple of bites.

The friendly Muldovy duck which I nicknamed "Edgar"


Woody at work

Woody was present at the hatchery and doing his thing.  Recently Gary, the hatchery biologist, had posted on Facebook that Woody is the one and only volunteer at the hatchery.  He is always present.  I kept him busy clearing sticks from the pond and he would bark until I threw them back out into the water.

Gary S, the hatchery biologist.  He does a great job maintaining a fun venue
for fishing men, women, and children of all ages.


Before leaving home, I had gotten up and cooked a ribeye steak and egg breakfast sandwich on a kaiser roll.  As you can see in the picture above, Gary got to the food first but Woody was able to eat the rest.  I assured Gary that on the next camping trip I'll bring some steaks and we'll have a feast.

The mascot of the Valley Fish Market


 After fishing Kenny and I crossed over to the Wisconsin side and visited the Valley Fish Market.  Please check out their link.  I picked up some smoked catfish that was to die for.  Kenny got a chunk of smoked buffalo.  The market also stocks many different Wisconsin cheeses.

Later Kenny and I visited Cabela's and did some shopping.  Fascinated by a jar of "Blackberry Salsa", I drank most of one container and ended up having to buy another.  It was tasty.

After cleaning the fish, Ken and I visited the meat locker in Edgewood and picked up some bargains including irregular sized Polish sausages, pork and pineapple snack sticks, and even some Philly steak beef brats.  Great stuff!

It was brief but enjoyable trip.  I'm looking forward to hanging out with Kenny again soon.  We had as much fun fishing on Thursday as back in the early 1990s!

Stay turned for some cool pictures from the Star Trek parade on Saturday.

Take care and thanks for visiting!  Happy and Safe Travels!

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa


Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Here's the Rub...

Clockwise from the top:  Smoked paprika, mustard powder,
fresh rosemary, cinnamon, shallots, cayenne, fresh cilantro,
fresh ground black pepper, kosher salt, and garlic powder.

Hello and thanks for visiting the blog today.  The ribs pictured above were an experiment for an upcoming camping meal.  I wanted to create an amazing rib rub that could be applied to a rack of loin back pork ribs for later roasting at a campground.  The experiment was successful and Jesse liked the pork.



Things have been busy lately at the job but that's a good thing.  I've got a new position at work (Photo and Electronics Department) and it's turning out to be fun.  After having wandered around the last few years, it feels good to plant some deeper roots although there hasn't been a whole lot of time to do much outdoor stuff.  

Thursday of this week the plan is to go north again but this time with a friend.  Kenny, a fishing buddy from 20+ years ago, has offered to drive us up to the trout streams to do some angling.  It's always fun fishing with a pal.  If we go (depending on the weather), there will be pictures.

Star Trek "Transporter Chamber" from the 2015 parade in Riverside, Iowa


Also on the horizon is the annual Star Trek parade in Riverside, Iowa on Saturday.  I go every year and am excited to be able to visit again this year.  For convenience, the plan is to head down there (60 miles away) and camp overnight at the local casino.  On the way home the next day, I'm anxious to try out a pizza restaurant with an unusual theme.



One last thing... If you like sun tea, please click on the link in the caption and check out a very short little video.  It's a 48 second second clip that spans nearly an hour of real time.  In an effort to drink less soda, I've been keeping lots of tea on hand.  It's cheaper and healthier.

Click on the link for a 48 second video and watch
sun tea being brewed from start to finish via time lapse

Stay tuned.  It looks like a fun time over the next few days.  Take care!  Safe and happy always!


Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa


Sunday, June 12, 2016

Tractor Museum Trip

1/2 scale model of John Froelich's invention


Welcome to the blog.  Earlier last week Jesse and I traveled north, camped, fished, and visited a very special museum.  The museum was dedicated to John Froelich, the son of German immigrants.  Froelich's invention was the first gas powered tractor capable of forward and reverse motion.  It was invented in Clayton County, Iowa in 1892.

Within 2 years, John Froelich and partners formed the Waterloo Gasoline Traction Engine Company in Waterloo, Iowa.  By 1918 the John Deere Company bought the Waterloo plant.  The Waterloo Tractor Works exists to this day and is one of the largest tractor factories in the United States.  From its humble beginnings, John Froelich forever changed farming and how the worlds people are fed.




The Village of Froelich is central to many Clayton County attractions.  Each fish
denotes a great place to catch some trout.  The best rural food in the county
is in the little town of Gunder.

Froelich is easy to find and just as easy to accidentally drive past.  At its peak, this town boasted a population of 50.  As of now, about a dozen people live there.  So where is it?  Many folks have heard of the town of Marquette or have toured nearby Spook Cave.  Froelich is just west of there - about 12 miles west of the Mississippi River on Highway 18.  It's central to the trout fishing streams and that great restaurant in the neighboring town of Gunder.

The Froelich Museum located at the old General Store

The Froelich museum is housed in the Burlingame General Merchandise building.  The general store was run by various owners, the last of whom were the Burlingame family.  The building had been clad in metal siding back then.  Why?  The train passed so close to the store that the metal siding was needed to prevent sparks from the train's steam fired engine from burning down the building.  The warehouse (which you can see behind the store), had an opening at the right height to allow freight to be moved from a box car right into the warehouse.  That was pretty cool!

Also included in the tour was an ice house, one room school house, blacksmith's shop, 1903 era barn and more.  The cost was only $5 and the tour took over two hours, including a couple of well produced videos.  (After fishing in the morning, a chance to sit down was most welcome!)  There was a tremendous amount of history and I learned a lot while visiting the tiny village.  It was the highlight of the trip.

The Burlingame General Store as it would appear in the early days.


Do your eggs measure up?
I've traveled to this area dozens of times yet each trip there seems to be a new and exciting experience and lots of interesting history... such as encountering this egg scale - one of the many artifacts on the tour.

Thanks for riding along!  It's likely I'll be doing a little camping and fishing again soon... well, at least camping.  There's the most interesting pizza restaurant that sounds appealing.  For those who watch "The Big Bang Theory" on TV, this restaurant sounds like a place character "Sheldon Cooper" might enjoy.  Stay tuned!

Safe and happy travels always!

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa

Taken earlier that day, this is the pond at the Big Spring trout hatchery... a
great place for "reflecting"...


Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Jesse's Trip Pictures

He's got the best seat in the house...


Hello and welcome to the blog!  Jesse and I just came back from a couple days spent fishing, visiting a cool tractor museum and enjoying the outdoors.  We had a blast and both of us had a lot of time to play.  I'm working on a post about the tractor museum but in the meantime, I thought Jesse could share his pictures.

Here are some photos of our visit to the "driftless area" in Winneshiek, Allamakee, and Clayton Counties.  The jagged line is the Mississippi River bordering Iowa from Wisconsin and Illinois.  To the north of Winneshiek and Allamakee Counties is Minnesota.  This morning we fished a mile south of Minnesota near the line separating the two counties.


These counties are in what is called the "Driftless Area"
meaning they were not covered by the last ice age.  The water
flowing through the area carved deep bluffs, leaving behind
pristine streams and breathtaking scenery.


Chilling at the campground in Decorah (Winneshek County) and watching the river

He is tired from many miles of driving and much time playing outside.

Here he is resting at the park in Postville, Iowa.  Above Jesse numerous black birds
gathered in the trees chanting jeers... but he looks pretty content.


We were checking out Lake Meyer in Winneshiek County.  It looks
like a great place to camp and lake fish.  Jesse really liked this place.


Jesse and I were pretty wiped out after fishing.  It was a fun time for the two drifters to visit the driftless area.  With warm weather moving in, it's not likely he will be camping on any long trips with me this summer.  But the cool weather was welcome and the little guy seemed to enjoy himself the last couple of days... as did I!

Stay tuned for more pictures from this interesting area.  Did you know the first gas powered tractor was born in Iowa in 1892?  More about that history on the next post.  Take care!

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa

Saturday, June 4, 2016

A Little Time to "Waste"

Hello and welcome to the blog today!  I've got a week off from work and plan to do some fishing and camping around northeast Iowa.  If the time and weather allows, I'm thinking it might be nice to visit a tractor museum.

For now, there's been time to work around the house and make this little wastebasket to bring along on trips.

An easy idea to keep the liner in your trash can...

I saw this idea on Facebook.  It works great for a trash can or a "gut bucket" for those of us who fish. This is just an el cheapo 5 gallon white bucket from Walmart.  Using a couple of "3M Command Strip" hooks, one can affix the hooks upside down to make retainers for the bag.  The sack is from a clothing retailer, but Menards also has some larger bags... as does Walmart.  I'm going to use the same type bucket outside at home where so often fish meet their fate...

Okay, now on to something more appetizing... and very healthy!


Sweet, sour, and fruity...  Rhubarb dishes are a midwest favorite!


In preparation for the upcoming trip, I decided to make some strawberry-rhubarb sauce.  It will be used on pancakes or waffles as a healthy topping.  This version is very low in calories thanks to Splenda, it keeps a while (due to its acid content), and is as delicious as candy!

Rhubarb sauce over low sugar ice cream


So what is rhubarb?  This plant is enjoyed in many parts of the country while other areas have never even heard it.  Rhubarb (sometimes called "pie plant") has stalks that look much like celery.  This very tart plant is used in breads, desserts, even cooked into bratwursts.  It is nearly always sweetened because rhubarb is so very sour.  Based on an internet recipe, I changed the proportions a bit to personal taste (It's quite tart!).  Here is the recipe made tonight... the sauce that will go along on the next outing.


Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

4 cups diced rhubarb
16 medium strawberries sliced
16 packets of Splenda
Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, Splenda, and lemon juice.  Reduce heat to very low.. Simmer for 25 minutes until mixture has thickened.  The sauce is very low in carbs - the main source being the berries.  Enjoy as a topping for pancakes, waffles, ice cream, or shortcake.

That's about all for now.  The van is mostly packed and ready for another outing in a few days.  There will be pictures coming later in the week!

Thanks for stopping by!  Happy and safe travels!

Brad, Jesse, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa








Monday, May 30, 2016

Gone but Not Forgotten



Hello and welcome to the blog.  Happy Memorial Day!  It is a great time to step back and give thanks for the many brave people who have kept us safe these many years.  While technically Memorial Day was meant to honor those who died in service of our country (and Veteran's Day is for all veterans), it's good to honor all veterans all the time.


Today I stopped by Dad's marker and "planted" some artificial flowers.  The cemetery was decorated beautifully.  Feeling a bit guilty for not visiting more often, it was good to take a few minutes and remember many pleasant moments.  Dad and Mom are gone... but not forgotten.  I'm sure they would be proud that Sis and I have continued on.  Every day the efforts of Dad and Mom bless us in some way.  It was a good era in time for growing up and living... despite the Cold War, some nuclear fears, etc.  We grew up in the "good old days" and owe a huge debt of gratitude to so many who have served our country.

God Bless the USA!



So what's on the horizon?  Prior to transitioning to a new role at work, I've got a week off to rest up starting next weekend.  The weather looks fantastic.  With lows around 60, it's a perfect time to do some free camping.  Jesse and I are going to do a lot of fishing but this time it won't just be for trout...  There are also some new, fun places to visit, including a tractor museum.  We're going to be cooking some tasty meals along the way, such as a "Strawberry-Rhubarb" whole grain breakfast waffle made with Iowa rhubarb and fresh organic strawberries.  Stay tuned!

For now, thanks for stopping by.  Safe and happy travels always!

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Sometimes Ya Gotta Quit The Quitting

This was Woody's plate at the Big Spring Trout Hatchery


Hello and welcome to the blog today.  It's been an interesting week with plenty of developments.  On the last post, I'd indicated that there was a job change in the works.  Well, there sort of is... but not as expected.

After conversing with Management, I've accepted a parallel transfer to a less physically demanding job at the same employer.  It will mean about the same hours and pay,... and the opportunity to work with the same friends.  The icing on the cake is that my job continues to be just 1/2 mile from home.

Resonating through my mind most of the night (and as I retire) is a manager's words "I don't want to lose one of my good people."  I hope to never forget those words and how much they meant to me tonight.

Serena's little solar cross at our favorite campground in NE Iowa


Earlier in the week I had a couple of days off and was kind of distressed while applying for work, the intention being to change jobs.  That did not go so well.  None of the jobs around here pay as well.  There would be a commute... and the nature of the work was not as appealing.  That's why I headed north to relax a bit and rest the mind.  My two week notice was counting down all too fast.

The first stop was at Dutton's Cave.  The sun was going down and the gnats were fierce.  I had to look at my little pal Serena's memorial and was happy to see the solar cross was functioning perfectly.  It's a special place... Everyone needs a location to reflex / relax / cry / meditate.  I'd planned to sleep here but unfortunately, I saw some evidence of recent drug activity and decided to camp elsewhere.

Campground at Big Spring Hatchery

A short drive away was the Big Spring Hatchery and campground.  This is a favorite place to fish and rest.  The primitive campground is just $5 and has a spectacular view of the Turkey River... On the next visit I plan to fish the river for bass and walleye.

A killer clown from the movie Krampus


I'd arrived at the Big Spring campground as the sun went down.  Setup with the van is basically non-existent.  Within a couple of minutes, I was sitting in the easy chair, sipping a cocktail, and watching the scary movie "Krampus".  While this evil, double-jawed clown was killing, a twig fell on the van and scared the crap out of me!  Nonetheless, the sleep that night was peaceful... While isolated, this campground is one of the quietest and safest places on earth.

There's nothing like a good outdoor hearty breakfast


The next morning I went fishing in the Turkey River.  The trout were not biting worth a darn but the gnats sure were.  Around 7 AM, the appetite took over and I took a break to cook a terrific breakfast of bacon, hashbrowns, farm fresh brown eggs, and pancakes.  It sure hit the spot!  Knowing the mascot dog Woody was sure to make an appearance, I fixed a second plate... He devoured it in 15 seconds.

Big Springs Hatchery Building and Raceways

The drone picture above was taken near the river, looking back at the hatchery.  Water runs from a huge spring through each one of these concrete raceways.  Hundreds of thousands of trout are raised in these structures.  Trout are sensitive and require clean water.  With fresh spring water constantly flowing, the many fish flourish under optimal conditions.  The DNR staff feed them every morning.  As the water exits the fenced-in raceways, the flows are combined and dump into the Turkey River.  Multiple times per week, stocking trucks load up fish and deposit them in various area streams.

The Turkey River (below the hatchery)


The limit of 5 trout was caught well before lunch time and it was necessary to return home to check on the cats.  I hope to roast some fish the next time when camping, perhaps with Jesse or Jennifer along.  The ones from Tuesday will go into the smoker Wednesday morning.

It was fun to get away on Monday and Tuesday.  A person needs to rest and sometimes step back just a bit.  It's good not to have to change jobs... and to break the cycle of walking away from jobs... Sooner or later a person just has to quit the quitting.  I'm lucky to work with a great group of people doing work I enjoy... and know they value my efforts.

That's about it for now.  On Friday, I'll be in a neighboring town at a cool 80s rock concert.  More about that will be coming up toward the weekend.

Take care and thanks for visiting!

Brad, Jesse James, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa



Thursday, May 19, 2016

Fun with Jesse and Johnnie

Jesse likes the "kitty condo" (a jungle gym) at Hills, Iowa

Hello and welcome to the blog!  The last couple of days Jesse and I went for a little overnight trip to Muscatine, Iowa to visit buddy Johnnie.  It was a fun time because we didn't have anything really important to do or places to go... no stress.  The trip was badly needed.  Work has been extremely intense and I've been in a lot of physical pain and having frequent anxiety attacks and such.  Life's been pretty tough lately.

Believe it or not, I've been too exhausted to fish lately... so this trip the kitty got his chances for recreation.  Jesse ended up playing at five different places.  That settled him down to where he was content to ride on my left leg and watch the scenery go by.  Jesse really seemed to enjoy himself - an encouraging sign for future trips!

Johnnie (and Jesse near the right rear wheel)

Johnnie and I hit a bunch of thrift stores and enjoyed a nice meal at an amazing  Oriental restaurant in the Davenport area.  He had Chinese food and I loaded up on sushi and raw oysters.  Jesse?  I sneaked him out four nice cooked shrimp... and he was pretty happy.

While "junkin" at the Salvation Army, I picked up another waffle iron and to carry it, a small laptop bag.  It's going in the van for all the future camping trips.  After the sun went down, Jesse camped in the van last night... I was lazy and slept in Johnnie's guest bedroom.  As a non-smoker, I think it might have been preferable outside.  :)

This morning I cooked Johnnie a bunch of waffles (for freezing) while he was trying to wake with a bad hair situation.  The waffles that we ate were adorned with strawberry cream cheese, fresh strawberries, and some whipped cream.  He's now a fan of breakfast waffles.  

A fun picture of Johnnie's bad hair day


After saying goodbye, I drove west and hit the Riverside Casino for lunch.  They had sent me a couple of free buffet coupons.  Lunch was delicious.  The icing on the cake was the 2 cent slot machine.  I put in $20 and after a few minutes, I hit $156+ on the machine.  That paid for the trip!  



From there it was on to the nearby Riverside Star Trek Museum.  I've mentioned the town of Riverside a number of times.  Back in the Star Trek IV movie, Captain Kirk (played by William Shatner) said, "I'm from Iowa.  I only work in outer space."  Immediately, Riverside petitioned Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and it was decided this town will be the future birthplace of Captain Kirk... on March 22, 2228.

NCC 1818 - The USS Riverside marks the Riverside Star Trek Museum

Here are a few pictures from the museum.  It costs nothing to tour but you'll want to spend some money there if you like Star Trek!


Time Capsule to be opened on March 22, 2228


What a cool collection!


The original series (left) and TNG (Star Trek - The Next Generation) uniforms


Museum and the USS Riverside NCC 1818

If you're in the area, the museum is a "must see".  It's packed with Star Trek memorabilia and the collection keeps growing.  I ended up buying a T-shirt, a button, and a cool yard ornament.

A starship watching over my herb garden!


It was a very enjoyable trip the last couple of days!   I feel a lot better after having given a 2 week notice at work the other day.  A person wants to do his/her best at a job... but when a company deliberately understaffs a store, it's not my problem when the shit keeps hitting the fan on a near daily basis.

Now it's possible to focus on moving on to something more uplifting.  I'm pretty excited!

After looking at the forecast (highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s) the weather is looking great the next few weeks; there will likely be more fishing and stealth camping soon.

Thanks for visiting today!

Safe and happy travels always!

Brad, Jesse, and Jennifer
Jones County, Iowa