Tag Archives: Council Bluffs

Burger King Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Spring is here! The weather is warm and the forecast for the weekend is nothing short of gorgeous. Let’s get going with tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Burger King > McDonald’s – Would you believe that Burger King is now more affordable than McDonald’s? Last week we ate inside the Burger King restaurant on Sprague (which is in desperate need of a remodel) and got way more food for $20 than we would at McDonald’s. What’s not to like about $2.99 kid’s meals, options galore for adults, and free crowns?! Although Sloan and Beau are loyal to McDonald’s, we will try to shift that allegiance ever so slightly 😊

Sloan and Beau chilling at Burger King last week.

Mario Nostalgia – Who needs the Super Mario movie when you can watch a series based on the Super Mario 3 Nintendo game? If you have a Paramount+ subscription you can watch the show and instantly get a jolt of retro thunder. The show begins with elements directly from the video game including music and the Mario Land game map that shows the level you are on. It kept Beau occupied as well as his daddy.

The Super Mario 3 TV show is actually a thing!

A Fun Time of The Year to Reminisce – At this time each year, I fondly remember an epic road trip that I took with my dad. This week in April back in 2014 was when my dad helped me move across the country. We took a U-Haul from western Montana all the way to the very eastern end of the United States. It was an incredible experience and the towns of Spearfish, SD, Council Bluffs, IA, Paducah, KY, and Camden, SC, will also hold special places in our hearts (well, maybe not Council Bluffs) as those were the towns we spent the night in as we navigated across the United States. Tomorrow will mark the 9-year anniversary of when our U-Haul rolled into Myrtle Beach. By the way, here are my tips for taking a cross country road trip

My dad and I took a celebratory picture after turning in the U-Haul.

Waffle House – I think I have an early contender for my annual “Brent’s Top Songs of the Year.” Two thumbs way up for “Waffle House” by the Jonas Brothers. Not only do I really enjoy the unique 80’s vibe, but the Waffle House reference in the chorus brings back fond memories for me (🎵No, don’t get stressed, it’s goin’ get figured out, oh, deep conversation at the Waffle House🎵). When I lived in the South, I loved finding an excuse to eat at the Waffle House and I would say some pretty epic conversations went down over those meals. Out of all my dining experiences there, I still vividly remember Sidney and I pulling over at a Waffle House restaurant in a small South Carolina town as we neared the end of a long trip coming home from Baltimore. We were tired but so happy!

Shameless selfie photo of me eating at a Waffle House in 2014.

Navigation – I want to end tonight with a meme from Lindsi, my good friend and frequent idea contributor to this blog. It is funny, I look back on the MapQuest era as tough, let alone the period from just a couple decades ago when you used maps and asked for directions from convenient store workers to get where you wanted to go. Needless to say, it is hard to fathom that even those options used to not exist. We are all so spoiled with navigation on our phones and even with such a remarkable tool, I still manage to screw it up on a frequent basis. Props to our ancestors!

Our ancestors are the real MVPs!

———————–

Thanks for joining me tonight. Without loyal readers like you, this blog wouldn’t be as fun. I hope you have a magical weekend and I will look forward to touching base next week. Don’t Blink.

Life on the Road Isn’t Always Glamorous: South Dakota and Iowa

Posted on by
1

If there is one thing I believe after today’s ten hours of driving it is this: South Dakota should present my dad and I with honorary driver’s licenses after we spent almost nine hours driving through its wonderful land. Or, maybe the state should just provide me with a dunce cap after I erroneously stated that I would not spend more time in a single state during this road trip than I did in Montana. Obviously I didn’t look at the map close enough.

So how could it be that my dad and I drove 486 miles in South Dakota? Well, you got to understand that the state by its own right is big. The state is vast from the most western point to the most eastern point, a distance that we pretty much drove. Then throw in that once we got to the east part of the state in Sioux Falls we went directly south all the way through the state’s southeast panhandle (yes, South Dakota does have a panhandle) and you can see how the hours and miles started to add up. By the time we hit Sioux City, Iowa, I had pretty much seen enough of South Dakota.

A look at our second big day on the road.

A look at our second big day on the road.

After we crossed into the Hawkeye state we drove south for about 80 more miles until we hit a city called Council Bluffs, an area that is next door neighbors with Omaha, Nebraska. That is where we parked up shop for the night. If you never have the “opportunity” to visit this town don’t beat yourself up too badly.

Although Council Bluffs is not very fun I was glad that we were off the road for the day.

Although Council Bluffs is not very fun I was glad that we were off the road for the day.

Today can be characterized by a few things: An extraordinary amount of road kill lining the highway, bizarre and random roadside attractions, and lots of flat land. Although not the most scenic drive ever my dad and I had a wonderful time talking with each other, picking up on a couple sports talk local radio shows, and eating terrible gas station food at a joint in Mitchell, South Dakota. Let me give you the vital statistics:

Total Mileage Today: 579 miles

Total Mileage for Trip: 1259 miles

Number of States Visited Today: 2 – South Dakota, Iowa

Number of Stops Today: 4 – Rapid City, SD (U-Haul inspection), Middle of Nowhere, SD (bathroom break), Mitchell, SD (gas and food), Council Bluffs, IA (ending point for the day)

Food Consumed During Today’s Drive: Snickers Peanut Butter Egg, slice of gas station pizza, 1 pack of Planters Heat Peanuts.

Drinks Consumed During Today’s Drive: Can of Xyience Energy Drink (Melon Mayhem flavor).

While we were still in South Dakota we passed this terrible scene of a big truck totally rolled over on the side of the road.

While we were still in South Dakota we passed this terrible scene of a big truck totally rolled over on the side of the road.

From here on out the traffic should get a little heavier and the states a little more frequent. After driving the rest of the way through Iowa we will take on Missouri along with most likely Illinois and Tennessee. It should be a packed Saturday. Make sure to follow me on Twitter (@BrentReser) for live updates and I encourage you to tweet at me using the #BrentCoastToCoast hashtag. The anticipation is building and I am having a very memorable time with my dad. Don’t Blink.