Author: dickenslj

By non guest blogger, Jim Dickens

The Ridgeline Tour west logged 4,600 miles routing through Denver, northwest Colorado, Boise to Bozeman, and Craig MT to Mt Rushmore before returning to Chicago.  The Ridgeline is repaired and was an awesome machine out west despite the disparaging remarks from guest bloggers.  Now, the Ridgeline is about to show of it’s versatility and turn into a tailgate machine supporting my conversion into a Superfan.

So if it’s your youngest kid’s last season and you are retired, you go to every game including weekdays because you can.  Part 1 through September is in the side page.  I’ve never been a Superfan before but more of a band wagon jumper.  When a team I have a past connection with does well, I become a fan. And, when they stop doing well I jump on the next bandwagon.  A lot of sports fans don’t respect that, but hey I’m happy more often and spend more time doing stuff than watching down on their luck teams.

In becoming a super fan, I speak regularly with my daughter learning about the upcoming evil opponents, player injuries, keys to the game and all other details I can think of.  My wife reminds me to support the team by helping with team family events, post game meals and constructive cheering (not coaching or refereeing) from the stands. Those reminders are needed.

Additionally,  I plan on initiating and using the Ridgeline to host a series of tailgates starting September 15 in Cleveland.  Lori, my wife, will be a Superfan as well going to all games while still teaching mid week.  It will require some complicated logistics.  Along with the tailgates,  I’ll get to see old friends in Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

For the opening games last weekend, old friends the Kenny’s and Bacon’s road tripped from Chicago.   We did a little kayaking to Lake Erie, an Indians game, and of course the home opening victory of the CWRU Spartans Women’s soccer team.  Our daughter is healthy and happily playing for now.

A special thanks to our road trippers for making the weekend a true Ridgeline Tour event, great experiences with great friends!  And thanks to our daughter for letting us hold on a few months longer.   Lori and I are now Superfans.

By Guest Blogger Peter Mathieson

On this leg of the tour we were honored to be joined by fellow yinzer and the originator of “the trout-about” Pete “trico” Perkins. Together, Pete and Slim lined up the best water, guides, hotels, restaurants, etc,etc for a truly epic leg of the tour. Life is truly good when you are with these guys!

Following the unparalleled chicken dinner (and multiple shots of moonshine with the bartender) at “THE BEST BAR” in America (and closest to my cabin) the Gallatin Riverhouse , we received the unfortunate news that the Ridgeline wouldn’t be ready until the afternoon of the 14th. This meant that we would have to slum it in my dirty old Suburban (without the rod racks), but just for the day. Unfortunately, that day on the Madison was a disappointment, not sure if it was the guides, the weather or the fact that we were all missing the Ridgeline, but Chet’s big brown trout (and his buddies) were able to avoid our flies. Collectively we did catch many trout, just not the bounty we had hoped for.

 

The next day was scheduled to be a travel day. I got 2 weeks of work done while the retired guys (Slim and Perk) explored the expansive Buck Ridge in the ATV.

 

 

 

Around noon we packed up the now clean Suburban and headed to the body shop to finally pick up the star of the show. Once in cell coverage , we received the unfortunate news that the truck was delayed at the Honda dealership…”oh my, how can this be happening”. Ironically, the man who literally invented the network of tying insurance companies with body shops and parts distributors to streamline the whole process of automobile repairs was now being tripped up on repairing his own vehicle . This irony probably would have sent the old Slim over the top and down the throats of anyone involved in the mishap, but the new, improved (nose job) and retired Slim took the news (mostly) in stride. After transferring some precious gear from the parked Ridgeline into the same old standard “Mantana Suburban “we were on our way up North to fish the Mighty Missouri River.

(Side note… Perk and I had an interesting talk with the service technician who let us know that the delay was due to the fact that Slim had requested that the rear sensor be reprogrammed to prevent the Ridgeline from getting into accidents while traveling 35 mph in reverse, into guide trucks traveling 50 mph towards him. Not an easy programming task, but one they could handle in Bozeman, albeit with a bit more time. The tech also told us that we’d be much safer in the Montana friendly Suburban, as there are all kinds of bounties out to get all Ridgelines off the roads. She said it was because they technically are not considered “trucks” out west, and she was right… we never saw another Ridgeline, anywhere, including dealership lots.)

 

 

 

By Guest Blogger Lori Dickens

I have the opportunity to be the next guest blogger on the Ridgeline Tour.  I am Jim’s wife and have been one of Jim’s traveling buddies for just over 30 years. It has been an adventurous and joyful ride.  I have had the opportunity to see many new places and have exciting experiences I would never have had without Jim’s vision and energy.  The purpose of this trip was to see family and friends which is my favorite kind of trip.

Our first leg of the journey was a quick flight from Chicago to Cleveland.  At the airport we rented a Cadillac which we would later use to drive further across country.  Where is the Ridgeline you ask?  Still in Bozeman, Montana.  I refer you to blog post from July 14^th.

We picked up daughter Emily and started the journey with a rooftop drink and a delicious dinner followed by the musical Hamilton at Playhouse Square.  We have been told many times what a wonderful musical it was and I felt the hype set us up for possible disappointment.  We all agreed, it was as good as we were told. Jim – admittedly not a musical guy – loved it.  Thanks to the Bacons who shared the music with us in advance.  Cleveland continues to surprise us with little pockets of coolness. As long as Emily is there, we will be drawn to the Rock and Roll Capital of the World.n

The next morning we walked to the CWRU soccer field and Jim stood in goal as Emily hurtled balls into the net with an occasional save by Jim.  Jim has stood in goal for many years for Emily.  The differences over time have been field location, size and strength of Emily, and ball velocity. What Jim lacks in agility he makes up for in bravery.

We next rolled across beautiful and lush Pennsylvania countryside to Philadelphia in our rented Caddy to the MacGibbon’s lovely home.  In my opinion, Fernfield (home of Jamie and Glen) gives Tara (home of Scarlett O’Hara) a run for its money.  After a drink on one of the many MacGibbon porches, we met The Simmons, and Dan Willcoxon for dinner.  How awesome to reunite with these friends who I haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time with since the late 80’s and early 90’s. As it goes with old friends, you pick up where you left off.   Of course, many of the old stories resurfaced causing loud laughter – much to the chagrin of the other diners.

The next morning we landed at the home of Momma and Poppa Dickens who greeted us with a warm welcome and big smiles.  We were happy to have Jim’s  brother Tim join us.  Soon, in a flurry of texts amongst Tim’s family, we landed at Tim and wife Nancy’s house with nearly the complete “Philly Dickens” contingent present.  We missed our nephew-in-law to be Matt, but are confident we’ll catch him when we return. We are keenly aware that a BIG motivator to gather was the promised appearance of the tiny and beautiful Miss Emma Brauchli Dickens – our newest great grandniece.   We will ride on her coattails any day.  She is a precious little bundle who tolerated being held by many different adults with great composure.  The visit reminded me of a similar one Jim and I took in 1991 across Pennsylvania to meet Emma’s daddy, Michael.  What a blessing to see the family grow in such a wonderful way and to have the opportunity to spend time together.

Same traveling buddy, same friends, same family with some new players that make it all even better.  It is a new season of life for me and my traveling companion. I am filled with gratitude for all our many blessings along the road. . . no matter what car we’re driving.

Lush, warm, and energetic, summer in the Chicago area is excellent, .  There are great music/food events all over the place.  Golf, biking, boating and bags tournaments are in full swing.  However, having to go to work the next day curtails fun the day before. Even if you loved your work like I did, there was always a transition to get ready.  One of the best things about retirement is it lets you have “a better Sunday night”.

I spent a couple of days over in New Buffalo, part of the Southside Riviera, with my good buddy,  Roger Wood.  As I found out, New Buffalo has too many local breweries for an overnight stay.  We also got to play Harbor Shores, this year’s Senior PGA Tournament course.  You’ll need to bring your A game, not your post brewery tour game to properly enjoy it.  I still have a little PTSD from that round.

In addition to golfing with friends and neighbors, I played in the Laurie S. Bauer Foundation for Sudden Loss tournament founded by my old coworker and friend Andy Balbirer. It was great weather, a great cause and good fun with ex coworkers. Many current employees played and I felt for them as they had to work the next day.

If you are invited to go to see the Lost Bands of the Eighties tour make sure you go with good friends, food, and drink.  It was poor music, played badly and plenty of intermission.   Ravinia on a beautiful evening with Lori’s childhood friends and spouses, who after 30 years are now my good friends, saved the day.  Too bad it was Sunday and we decided to leave early to ease Monday work.

Being back in Chicago wasn’t all fun and games as being home also means home maintenance.  Had to stain the deck which is oversized, see first picture, and various other smaller jobs.  It’s time to get back out there.   Decided to head east this weekend before heading west next week.  Next blog post on the travels to Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Last week, I had the fortune of joining Jim on the July Idaho/Montana leg of the Ridgeline Tour. Conditions were perfect for an outstanding week of touring, hiking and fishing.  Jim picked me up in Boise, Idaho with the specially outfitted, gleaming and plushy Ridgeline pick-up.  The vehicle was certainly comfortable and functional but it raised a few eyebrows in “cowboy country” as it was not a burly Ford, Chevy or Dodge.  Jim soon corrected that image of a pretty pick-up by backing into a fishing guide’s Chevy Tahoe and smashing the Ridgeline’s tail light, bumper and rear quarterpanel into a gnarly mess.  For the rest of the trip we looked a lot “tougher” and more acceptable to the Montana natives.

After some challenging and exciting fishing in Henry’s fork of the Snake River, the tour proceeded into Montana for some world class casting in the Madison and Gallatin Rivers.  The day on the Madison was notable for the fact that Jim and I were on our own.  No guide. No help with equipment.  No directions on how or where to fish.  We had a beautiful, sun-splashed day.  There was typical fly fishing frustration – endless casts with no bites – as well as fish hooked but lost back to the river. Finally, after much experimentation with various combinations of flies, I hooked into the “big one”- a massive brown trout.  The current was fast and the fish was furious.  The fight went on for what seemed like an eternity.  Gradually, I was able to maneuver the fish closer to the bank.  Jim gallantly jumped into the water in order to assist with the landing.  Although tiring, the fish was still moving quite rapidly.  Jim readied the net to grab the fish.  The water was rushing.  In an instant, before Slim could react, the trout swam between his legsand snapped off the line. It then disappeared back into the Madison.  Massive disappointment set in.  At that point, Jim and I knew how Bill Buckner must have felt when he let that ball go between his legs in the 1986 World Series.

None of this deterred us.  The rest of the vacation was outstanding with excellent fishing, hiking, sightseeing and honkey-tonk hanging. A new crew including expert fly fisherman Pete “buzz” Mathieson will be returning in August.  They will have another crack at the “Buckner” fish. Hopefully, he can be landed this time.

Hi to all!  Jim has invited me to be a Guest Blogger this week for the Ridgeline Tour and I’m very happy to be here.  I will do my best to write up to Jim’s high standards and expectations.

My name is Dede Gruenberg; Lori’s (just slightly) older sister and Jim’s sister in law.  My husband Wes and I moved to the Boise area in 2015 to be closer to our grandbabies (four girls ages three months to seven years).

This year marked our third annual #LaFamiglia Reunion complete with patriotic commemorative tee shirts.  The idea of an annual family reunion was birthed by Jack Dickens (Jim and Lori’s oldest son), when we moved to Idaho.   As our families have grown and spread out over the years, it has become more challenging to be all together in one place over the holidays so this summertime gathering has been a wonderful compromise.

This leg of the Ridgeline Tour found our adventuresome travelers Jim and Lori departing at the crack of dawn and heading west from Naperville on Thursday, June 28^th. Despite some annoying road construction and a nasty microburst in Iowa; 15 hours later, Lori and Jim arrived safely in the Denver area.  They were met there by sons Jack and Chris who flew in from San Francisco, daughter Emily from Cleveland and Auntie Susie (middle sister) from Chicago.  Susie spent the week celebrating her big ‘six – oh’ my gosh how did this happen?  Friday night they went to Red Rock to see the folk musical group The Avett Brothers.  As you can see that the venue is gorgeous and apparently provides the opportunity for some hiking in order to get to one’s seat. I understand there was quite a bit of curiously smelling low hanging ‘fog’ at the concert that seemingly was emanating from the patrons; as this is Colorado where ‘fog’ is legal.

Saturday morning, Jim, Jack, Chris and Emily departed in the Ridgeline to begin their two-day drive to Boise complete with stops for hiking and overnight tent camping.Apparently, by the time they arrived at their chosen campground it was completely full. However, somehow, they were able to share a spot with a lady who was sleeping in her car with her dog.  Everything worked out fine**Editorial comment: Everything worked out as fine as it can, considering they were sleeping in tents and not an RV with running water, flushing toilets and A/C. In this blogger’s opinion, ’Glamping’ is always the bestway to rough it

The Ridgeline Tour arrived in Boise on Sunday at roughly the same time as Susie and Lori who decided flying from Denver was a better option.  Jim was able to rent a VRBO that was only a mile from our house.  Ideally, we all like to be under the same roof but this worked out fine too.   We gathered for an evening meal together and celebrated June birthdays with laughter, presents, pie and ice cream.

Monday the ladies enjoyed mani/pedis and lunch together while Jim and his boys muscled my son’s smoker into the back of the Ridgeline and hauled it to the rental home.  Then they hung out together at a sports bar to enjoy World Cup soccer.

The weather this week was gorgeous in Boise; warm dry days and cool evenings were ideal for pool time, hikes, ice cream, mini golf, fun, food and laughter.

The 4^thof July was the last night for many in our group who were heading home the next morning. So, we celebrated the holiday and Susie’s 60^thwith beer, bags and brisket which was smoked and tended for 18 hours by Chris and Jack. And of course, no 4^thwould be complete without watching fireworks.  We were invited to my daughter in law’s parents home to watch the local festivities from their back deck. They have a beautiful home that sits on a ridge that overlooks the entire Treasure Valley

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It’s a most interesting thing.  Summer is wild fire season in the west and Idaho is no exception. Yet, fireworks are sold from tents at most major intersections.  Apparently when purchasing them, you must sign a paper that says you agree not to launch them in Ada county where they are sold. From Dave and Linda’s deck not only were we able to view firework displays from public venues like the Meridian Speedway and local businesses, but also displays from people’s backyards.  There were literally too many to count, most rivalling the public displays.   It was really beautiful and also a little frightening to think that this much explosive power was in the hands of people who likely are not pyrotechnically trained and may have been drinking too much beer.

The day after the 4^thbrought early morning departures for the Dickens boys as well as my daughters and son in law.  Jim and my son Wesley enjoyed a restorative sleep of about four hours and drove to Oregon to fish the Owyhee River where Wesley caught a 22-inch bass; his personal best.  The air temperature in the canyon was over 100 degrees however the frigid waters of the Owyhee kept them cool, even through their waders.

Thursday evening was spent, once again eating, drinking and enjoying one another’s company at a local Italian eatery.

Friday the 6^thmarked the official end of this leg of the Ridgeline Tour as Jim picked up a friend at the Boise airport and they headed to the east side of the state and points beyond to pick up the adventure again.  My sisters and niece Emily flew home to Chicago and Cleveland, respectively and personally, I am missing everyone more than words can say; it was an amazing week that passed all too quickly.

There’s nothing better than family, food and fun and we are blessed to be rich in all three.  Thanks for tuning in to this week’s installment of Jim’s blog!  Stay tuned for the further adventures of the Ridgeline Tour.

I’ve been on the much anticipated 1st West Coast swing and I have realized that what I think happens isn’t reality and others have different and very cool perspectives.  Therefore you can anticipate from now on that I will be inviting guest posts from others on the Ridgeline tour.

My dear wife, Lori, drove from Chicago to Denver in one day.  We went through horrendous weather and construction but she was in with me.   Our kids and Lori’s sister Susie flew into Denver to meet us.  The Concordia’s, old friends, were out of town but shared their sensational home with us so we could have a close base to see the Avett brothers at the Red Rocks amphitheater.  I highly recommend Red Rocks and will be back again.

Lori flew to Boise but my three kids jumped in the Ridgeline with me and we  hiked and camped for a couple of days on the way to Boise.  I highly recommend getting altitude acclimated before hiking from 9,500 to 12,400 feet.

In Boise we had a family reunion for several days and it went from perfect to hot.  I ended up fishing in a canyon at a 105 with 55 degree water, a very weird sensation.  But we did catch some big fish.

Finally my old friend Chet, joined me to fish from Boise to Bozeman.  We did too much too fast, again, but old friends can adjust without drama.

Look for posts from my son, Jack, on hiking and camping, my sister in law, Dede Gruenberg, on the family reunion, and good old Chet on fishing from the desert to the forest.  The Avett brothers had a message of do no harm and make no enemies to which I totally relate.  The saying “there is too much hate in the world” rings true.  Next time I see you let’s smile.

Guest Post by Jack Dickens

On the first day of being 26, I found myself carefully considering whether or not I believed in omens. Because if I did, what was happening around me was definitely not good. Hail was pouring down, lightning was streaking across the sky, and thunderous booms were echoing across the valley.

As I looked behind me in concern I was greeted only with the maniacal smiles of my dad, brother, and sister who were taking a sick joy in our predicament. My dad was so happy with the situation that he was bursting into song. I did not feel confident that this would be a good year.

But we hiked on through the Mt. Zirkel wilderness and as we continued the storm subsided. When we got to the last mile the sun broke through the clouds and the hill came alive with the color of the mountain wildflowers. We reached the summit of our hike with a cloudless sky and an electric blue alpine lake. I was and still am, struck by how much changed in a matter of hours.

And if there was a takeaway from the Mt. Zirkel hike it was this- keep on hiking with the ones you love- through the mud, lightning, hail and rain. Because soon enough the storm will break and the sun and wind will be at your back. The storm will have made it all the sweeter. Cheers!

If you remember, the Ridgeline tour is not about traveling but reconnecting and having great experiences with friends and family.   I have an extremely small extended family, one uncle and two cousins.  The Uncle and one cousin live in Oxford, England and the other cousin lives in Rome, Italy.

The cousin in Rome Italy needed help getting her small children, 4 and 6, to Oxford, England to see their grandfather, my uncle who is fading.  Lori and I agreed to help her get her children to and from England.   And, we planned see other friends and family as well.

Mid June gives you a good chance to see England at its best weather wise.  The sun was out along with the flowers, leaves, and people. The Cotswolds are idyllic and there we visited second cousin, Hugh, and his wife, Rosie.  The have a large rambling home with 4 golden retrievers and 14 horses.  We had a fantastic time visiting over a dinner of Welsh leg of lamb.

Hugh, by the way, is the most interesting man in the world having commanded a tank battalion in West Germany, appeared in the movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, played in a rock band and is currently a successful photographer  recently shooting the Royal’s playing polo.

I got to play two great golf courses, Minchampton and Oxfordshire with Hugh and my cousin, Simon, respectively.  My uncle, Peter, helped found Oxfordshire, so Simon and I were able play.  They still have a plaque commemorating the opening and a tree planted for my uncle.

Did we see some sites, yep, plenty of them but it’s way more fun to see them with your family and friends even if they’re 4 and 6 year olds who speak Italian.  Despite the best efforts of the Fiumicino airport to foil our plans, my persistent cousin, Alison, made sure we got there and back.  By the way, the funnest way to learn Italian but not the best is to have a 4 year old girl be your teacher.

To accelerate my learning of golf, I have decided to do a golf marathon.  Read the next post to see how that goes.

If you ever have to miss a flight, try to avoid doing it in the Rome Fiumicino Airport.  It’ll make you dig deep and test your fortitude.  However, if you want to see a lot of great western civilization history, Rome is awesome.

We hired tour guides to take Lori and I to see the Pope’s House, Renaissance and Baroque architecture, the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and the Forum over three 1/2 day tours. From Emperors, to Popes, to Barbarians, to Kings, I’ll share a few of my strongest impressions.

Rome is old, twice as old as England.  Civilization has reinvented itself and built over itself at least four times.   My favorite place to feel Roman power was standing outside the Pantheon in front of its immense columns.  I am close to a pagan but gazing upon the Pieta in St. Peter’s Basilica was religious.  Imagining Roman commerce while standing in the Forum made the old stones come to life.  The Kings were short lived and thought Mussolini was a good idea so nothing from them. Having good tour guides and viewing city center is a +10. The airport is a -10.

Fiumicino is filled with airport employees and processes I have never before seen.  Airline Alitalia is on the verge of bankruptcy and I’m not surprised.  The excessive number of airport employees serves to increase bureaucracy instead of increasing service.  When we missed our flight, we got to rebook for $1800 on the next flight 4 hours later. And, we nearly missed the new flight despite steadily working through ticketing, security, passport control and numerous other checks without reason.  It’s bad enough to do it on your own but with a 4 and a 6 year old in tow who don’t speak english you have to dig deep.

As you may wonder about the youngsters, they were the purpose for the trip and the reason we traveled from Rome to England and back.  Read the next blog to find out more.