Go West!

No, this won't be a post about the band Go West - I wish! This will be a post about my recent move to the west coast.

I wanted to write this trip recap down before the memories fade. The backdrop is that I was moving from Madison, WI to Morgan Hill, CA. To send my belongings, I used a Pods moving container. For myself, I chose to drive my vehicle along Interstate 80, basically all the way to the destination.

Though I had a slight "detour" the week before this to Minneapolis, I actually started this final leg on Saturday 03/17/18... and it took me almost an entire week to arrive at the final destination.

Day 1 - Madison WI to Glenview IL (2 hours)
Day 2 - Glenview IL to Omaha NE (8 hours)
Day 3 - Omaha NE to Cheyenne WY (5.5 hours)
Day 4 - Cheyenne WY to Salt Lake City UT (6.5 hours)
Day 5 - Salt Lake City UT to Reno/Sparks NV (7.5 hours)
Day 6 - Reno NV to Morgan Hill CA (5 hours)

It was about 34 hours of car time. It included one of the best chicken fried steaks of my life, a couple fun breweries (Accomplice & Wasatch), Western wear shopping (don't ask), lots of IG posts, copious food bars & drinks, almost daily caffeine for the car, and some interesting people.

The most interesting couple was probably the chicken fried steak night in Cheyenne, WY. A gentleman next to me at the bar just started talking and wound up telling me a lot. About his girlfriend (who soon joined), his trucks (that he restores), and his ability to withstand the cold (the most ever being 7 hours at -45F in North Dakota working on a oil rig). He wears little in the way of insulated clothing (fills with sweat) and just seems to be able to handle it. Yikes.

Here are some of the shots taken during the daily driving and nightly stops, in chronological order across the country and about 20 images in all:

Heirloom Kitchen & Bar, St. Paul, MN

I'm a little preoccupied this week - all pics below. Not open too long, this place is right on Marshall St near the river. Great space, service, and foods. Definitely grab some foodie (or not) friends and go to this place.

Replanting the Transplanted Chicagoan, Morgan Hill, CA

It's time again for this Transplanted Chicagoan to replant myself in a new location. I will soon be in Morgan Hill, CA, working at the company that makes the bikes below. This is what you'll see if you visit me at the office (hint, hint)...

Current designs, historic bikes, and projects of the future too.

Even funky old stuff too...

Like my previous employer, I've been around this brand since '92, at my first bike shop. I have some old product still at home, and some old pics of the first real MTB I ever owned.

(these gloves were the shit in the 90s)

1992 Stumpjumper M2, bought as a rigid bike and fork added later.

Heritage Tavern, Madison, WI

This post's tavern will be almost a 180-degree change from the previous post on Chief's Tavern. This is a very much an upscale tavern off the Capitol Square in downtown Madison. It's not a "local", unless you live in a condo nearby, I 'spose. In much the same way as Chief's though, I really enjoyed this place... of course, for different reasons, and maybe some not so different.

It's in the basement or ground floor of a stately brick building, but still gets sunlight through windows at street level...

Once you're in it's very cozy, warm, and inviting...

They have a large bar down one wall, small tables with chairs and a banquet opposite, then a whole other room for dining. It's pretty big for how quaint it looks from the outside. It's well-appointed and nicely decorated, up-to-date design and materials. You can also see into/watch the kitchen from one half of the restaurant, which is always kind of cool.

They have a very nice bar menu and drink menu. I was just in for a quick beer at happy hour.

The service felt a bit "Madison", which means the student bartenders and servers are either disinterested in being attentive or simply haven't been trained how to yet. Despite that, it's a really nice place and relaxing way to start the evening hours. I would go back in a heartbeat.

(That's the Winter Solstice on nitro from Boonville, CA - delicious and smooth)

Pop quiz - how many images or parts of a fox do you see in this post? I believe it's their logo/mascot. Kinda fun and definitely unique.