Arlington/Dallas, Saturday, June 6, 2015

I arrived into Dallas quite exhausted. Too much work to do, too much travel, and with two hotels booked, both in Dallas and Arlington, and the current one was terrible for working on internet. I had no idea how to get around in the Dallas area without a car, and I needed desperately rest. This is about how people help each others - it happens every day - why fans are fans...

It all started with good friend Roger from Barcelona, Spain. He told me he could not travel to the Dallas show, because his football team Barcelona FC was playing the Champions League football final in Berlin against Juventus the very same day, Saturday June 6, and he was invited to this game. The CL final is as important - or more important - as Superbowl. It is the game of the year in Europe. I understood his problem. He had a top priced ticket for the Stones show in Dallas, he tried briefly to sell it, but he wanted to give it away to someone who would deserve the ticket. He asked me if I could find someone who deserved this ticket when I was in Minneapolis, shortly before arriving into Dallas.

At the same time, between my biking trips in Minneapolis, I was in contact with Nathan from Austin Texas. He wanted to meet me, he missed me in San Diego, and he also offered to drive to and from the stadium. It would save me a lot of time and money, the Dallas tour logistics had been a nighthmare for me. When Nathan noticed I had an extra ticket to give away for a fan who deserved it, he told me he had an old friend from college days who sure would be the right person for this ticket. His buddy David is going to a lot of other "normal" shows, he is the best buddy, the salt of the earth, and he could need the extra ticket. But the Stones ticket was way over his budget. I never said this was a great ticket. But sure it was. It was the most expensive ticket in the house.

So there we were. David got to see The Rolling Stones for the first time in his life in Dallas because another fan, Roger from Spain, was generous enough to give away a top priced ticket, and because a friend, David, took care of it. That's what friends are for. The end of the story? David smiled all the way back from the show, we had a beer at 1:30am and I am sure David is still smiling. As for Barcelona, they won 3-1 against Juventus in Berlin, so Roger was all smiles too. Many happy people Saturday night June 6 both in Berlin, Barcelona and Arlington/Dallas.

I am leaving Dallas for Atlanta. Relaxed and happy, with more friends in Stonesland. As for the Dallas show, yes, it was the best of the tour so far. Mick was fantastic through the entire show. Keith was working hard, all smiles. Ronnie was focused, and Charlie - "keeping the beat like a metronome made flesh" - like the paper here said... I was right next to the rail in row three, Keith sure made many visits, and his eyes sparkle as he is doing the final bow with a final smile.

My report is here:

The Rolling Stones at AT&T Stadium, Dallas, TX, USA, June 6, 2015: [www.iorr.org]

Some pictures from the show:





Bjornulf



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-07 18:37 by bv.

Dallas Stones days June 4-7, 2015

Dallas was a great and relaxing stop on the tour. Because the Dallas area was so big, I just stayed at a cheap place near the Love Field airport. There I found my water hole for the stay. I found out bus transportation took two hours to any places I wanted to go, and taxi would cost 25 to 50 dollars, so I stayed at my favorite place for the entire Dallas stay.

Joe's Crab Shack, 10250 Technology Blvd E, Dallas, TX 75220 : [www.joescrabshack.com]

The crab place was a great place to stay, outdoor service, draft beers of all my favorite beers, low prices, lots of sea food, and most important, friendly staff who talked and were great at understanding my needs and treating me as a customer, not just as a tourist with a possible income for them. I wish I could stay another week in Dallas, but Atlanta was waiting.

Tourist in Dallas? May be next time. Too complicated on this tour...













Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-12 06:02 by bv.

Atlanta , Sunday june 7, 2015

I have been on tour on my own for five weeks now, as I left home on Sunday May 3. Today was a special day, because my wife would come flying into Atlanta from Norway, to visit me for a week on the tour. My Atlanda and Orlando days would be first priority just the two of us on holiday.

I had booked a hotel right next door to the Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, just over the highway bridge. Leaving late like 7:30pm before the show, and coming back "home" just after the show around midnight, I did not leave "home" for more than just a few hours. My wife have seen the Stones a few times, she is not a fan, first time with me in 1973, Scandinavium Gothenburg, Sweden, last time in Oslo, Norway 2014 with all of my family, so she had no need to see the show in Atlanta.

The Atlanta days were great, but I was trying to spend all my time being a family man rather than a fan, the concert was a bonus, a warm, humid bonus, and I will make my Atlanta reports soon. These are just a few of our Atlanta memories...



















Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-12 06:04 by bv.

Orlando, Wednesday June 10, 2015

Arriving into Orlando, I soon found out this was a large, large spread out area. The hotel was not my favorite, I wanted to stay outside all day, at a low cost and with great service. More about a true gem in Orlando soon - The Point Orlando Resort must be one of the best places to stay in the area! And at a budget!





Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-12 06:06 by bv.

Two dollars in Dallas

You need A LOT of change at all times in USA, as you need to have a tip handy and never expect a taxi driver or a bus driver to have any change. If you are at a bar and you pay by twenty dollars it might take a while until the change is arriving, so if the bill is 12 dollar I must have a ten and a five so that I can pay 15 and just leave...

Every day or so I have to sort out all my notes and coins. The coins I dump in my hotel room, just keep 3 quarters for the bus rides, don't even know what the other coints mean, feels stupid but I just hand them out of somebody need exact payment. Then the notes. I sort them out nicely in one, five, ten, twent notes. Never have any larger notes, that is unacceptable at least then tghey would bring up a blue lamp and check if I made it myself, so those four values are all I see. Until Dallas...

I have been in USA dozens and dozens of times. Once I read about the two dollar note. I thought about going into a bask and asking for it. But I never got to it, also it is sort of cheating. Well it took four decades of travel but in Dallas it happened. I was sorting my one's and there it was - a TWO DOLLAR NOTE! It brough a surprise and a smile to my face, it was immediately taken out of circulation and it is now part of my numsimatic collection. So great. And I am told it is bringing luck!



Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-20 08:14 by bv.

From Orlando to Nashville, Monday June 15, 2015

Getting to and from the Orlando show was a nightmare. Nothing is easy in Orlando without a car. So for one day I broke my rule of never driving a car on tour. Luckily theer was a car rental next door. The car cost $36 and insurance $50 and they probably added something more by the time I get the bill back home, but there was no option. No taxis in Orlando after the show was what I assumed, and right, I was lucky to have my car. The distance from my hotel to the venue was 7 miles i.e. 11 km. That took one hourv exactly. Each way. So I could probably walked in two hours and saved some money, but still, I got there safely, and back "home" safely, even if I messed around a lot with exits and wrong turns.

Orlando was a great place to take a break away from the tour. I had five days by the poolside bar, total vacation, doing nothing, relaxing. The outside pool bar had a large TV screen so there we could watch the NHL hockey finals number four and five. Tampa was in the lead 2-1 in games, but that changed with the two games we saw while we were in Orlando. Chicago won those two games, nothing wrong with that, they were a better team.

I never went downtown in Orlando. International Drive is like the Las Vegas Strip, just a long long road with hotels, entertainment, restaurants. No real people living there, just tourists flying in&out every 3-4 days. During my five days by the hotel I noticed most people stayed shorter than five days, as most people were new every 2-3 days. For a change Orlando was great, but five days was probably perfect. There is a limit of how long I am able to do nothing and postpone 80% of all my work.

So I was on my own on my flight to Nashville, mixed emotions...

Nashville is truely a music city. Already on the airport, as I arrived, there was a band playing in the arrivals hall. There was a bus every hour or so, a taxi was the only option to get into town fast. With a fixed rate of 25 dollars plus the usual tip, that was efficient. I was online in my hotel room within half an hour. Catching up on work, reports, pictures, back from holiday.

















Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-20 08:07 by bv.

Postcards with new great stamps, Nashville, Tuesday June 16, 2015

Every new city I buy some postcards, minimum five to my grandchildren. Then I have been chasing nice looking stamps, but all they have given me in the Post Offices is boring standard stams. So I complained about that a while back here, and much to my surprice, I was contacted by Stephanie about sending me some music related special stamps. As I am on the move and change city two times per week it is hard to mail anything to me, but Stephanie surprisedd me by sending me the stamps by Fed.Ex into Nashville, to my hotel there. They arrived in the morning, I had already my cards ready. So beautiful stamps! Jimi Hendrix. Edith Piaf. Ray Charles, Miles Davies. Johnny Cash. Janis Joplin. !!! How great they arrived into the music city. And many, many thanks to Stephanie for this great gift, I wish I could pay back some time. Now I have stamps for the rest of the tour, I can send more postcards, this is great fun!



Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-20 08:08 by bv.

Bobby Keys tribute show by The Suffering Bastards at the Mercy Lounge, Nashville, Tuesday June 16, 2015

I had been in a big mess for a while travel wise. Just going from city to city. Flights, travel, bus or taxi, work, ticket, work, IORR, more work, city, tourist, biking, work, show, work, travel and on and on. I had the Bobby Keys show low in my radar, as I sort of thought it was the day before I arrived into Nashville. But then I got a message from Lauri saying she had an extra ticket, and she asked if I wanted it. Sure I wanted it. Thank you so much Lauri - you made my day!

It turned out to be a great show and a memory to keep forever. Bobby Keys was part of the Stones. This is what I wrote shortly after coming back from the show. I took the pictures below from my front side left.

-----

The first part of the show was Pierre and the other Stones guitar and present+former backline technicians like Dave doing a long long blues like 40+ minutes, with guests on blues guitar. Darryl was one of these guests - on guitar. Pierre talked a lot about Bobby Keys, it was the perfect long lasting blues.

Then there was a break in the show, they returned the screen on stage (it was there before the show started), and we saw Bobby Keys and Stones touring pictures for a while. Then the main part of the show started. A great show. Tim and Karl shared many saxophone solos. When did you see Can't You Hear Me Knocking with TWO sax players interchanging up front? Same with Brown Sugar. They had a lot of fun on stage, and Tim+Karl had a very close collaboration on stage for many solos.

I had my eye on the side door and backstage and I saw they arrive one by one : Charlie, Ronnie, Keith, Mick. I saw Matt Clifford (not on stage), and Lisa was there too I am told. Everybody in the band was there. A lot of Stones crew was there, it was packed in their section on "Ronnie side"... I never made pictures of them because it was clear they were there private. Offstage is private, onstage is public...

Keith and Charlie went backstage halfway in the second part of the show but they did not go on stage.

I have seen Charlie some times on such non-Stones shows/events, also Ronnie some times, Mick may be 20 years ago, but never Keith. It was a great tribute to Bobby Keys.

As far as I know this event took place organized by his son Jesse Keys among others. Jesse took the microphone some times to say some great words about his father. Some of us know Jesse from touring, he was with his father Bobby on tour with the Stones. Bobby lived here in Nashville just outside in Franklin. The Suffering Bastards is a great band and it was a great tribute.

They had placed Bobby's saxophone on the front of the stage, it was retired there, an d it was shining, really shining up there. On the very last song his son Jesse picked up his own saxophone (not the one on stage) and joined in with Tim and Karl for the ending. That was a great moment.

Mick, Keith, Charlie, Ronnie was there through the show. It is very unusual for me to be in a crowd where they are just a few feet behind. I tried not to turn my back and check what they did at all times, and concentrated on the show, but I have to admit I had my eyes around more than usual.

It was a fun night. Rest In Peace Bobby Keys.

















Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-20 08:16 by bv.

Show day Stones in Nashville, Wednesday June 17, 2015

This show was so great and emotional. I have been high for two days now, but I will try to write some words on the reports pages soon. They will show up here:

[www.iorr.org]























Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-20 08:18 by bv.

Nashville Centennial Park, Thursday June 18, 2015

This day in Nasville is dedicated to my father.

Most of my tourist plans for Nasville did not work out. I just stayed in the city, no time to see the Hermitage Presidential Plantation house, or the Civil War memorial places around Nashville. But I got to see the Stones show of course, and also the Bobby Keys memorial show.

On the day of departure from Nashville I downsized my tourist plans into visiting the Centennial Park. It is a short one hour walk from downtown, and it is including a replica of the Parthenon from Greek Acropolis. The building is impressing, but some times the smaller things are more impressing than the larger things.

My father was a gardener. He taught me the names of all the flowers, trees and vegetables in Norway. Even if I have three brothers and two sisters, he spent a lot of time with each and every one of us, also with me, he was always there, and I have a lot to thank him for. This came to my mind today in the Centennial Park, like it is coming to my mind many other times. First he told me the name in latin, he knew all the names in latin, then he told me the name in Norwegian. Still today I do know them all, thanks to my father, and I try to pass them to the next generations. Hvitveis, Hestehov, Maria Nøkkelblom, Blåveis, Ask, Eik, Or, Lind, Hassel, Alm, Revebjelle, Lerk, Barlind, Hengebjørk, Petunia, Stedmor, Lobelia, Svibel, there are many, many. So I wanted to become a farmer and a gardener like my father. Then he said I should use my mind and get an education, not to work in a farm or in a garden. I did not understand what that ment then, but now I know that I could never have followed the Stones across the world for decades as a farmer and a gardener. Every time I leave home for shows my garden is getting into a big danger. Hopefully my Peachtree, which is rare in Norway, is carrying a lot of peaches by now, small funny looking peaches, but they are plenty. Anyway, because I can do most of my work on Internet, thanks to my fathers advice on getting to the University and doing a degree, I have had the freedom to do whatever I wanted to do during all these years. And a very understanding wife and family helps a lot too of course.

All of this came to my mind when I walked into the flower garden of the Centennial Park. It is just beautiful, like the summer flower gardens my father made. Every time I see such great gardens, like in London, especially the Inner Circle of Regents Park, I am back in time to my childhood. Flowers, trees, fruit trees and vegetables, making these grow and survice during rain, frost, cold, warm, dry, all sorts of weather in our arctic area of Norway is something I will always bring with me. Is there a rose garden around I will go see it. When all tours are over, I will spend more time in my garden. That is for sure.

So I was very happy about going to the Centennial Park and to see the small but still beautiful flower garden there. Goodbye Nashville. I miss you. But be sure, may be one day I will return, with or without the Stones.













Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-22 09:01 by bv.

Pittsburgh Friday June 19, 2015

Arriving into Pittsburg around midnight, Southwest was two hours late. I was not bothered much, because it gave me two hours extra working time on the airport in Nashville. But... I had plans for a budget bus ride into my hotel. Revised plan: Taxi. I noticed there were hills in Pittsburgh. Perfect for biking, as most of the other cities on this tour have been flat as a pancake.

Falling to sleep at 1am or so, I never took any notice of the externals of my totel or my room. As I woke up, at 9:45am, too late for breakfast, I noticed I had a corner room with almost touching hands distance to the Interstate 279 and Highway 65. No wonder I can't open the windows in my room!

First thing to do in Pittsburgh is to walk the city. I think I walked from noon until 6pm. With a short lunch break that gives a rough five hours walk. I crossed several bridges. After 20-30 minutes walking I was right on Market Square. Already I was in love with the city. Some times it takes longer, some times it never happens, but PØittsburgh downtown is just great.

There are many monuments around my area near Heinz Field. I don't like museums, but walking by memorial sites for wars, big names in history, these sites are always very emotional to me.

As I was looking for a bike rental place, I had two addresses. One was further out on my side of the river. All I met was a rabbit, more highways, no people waling, just cars. Finally I found what is claimed to be the largest bicycle museum in the world. They have hundreds and hundreds probably thousands of bikes, a lot for rent, but too bad only tourist bikes. I need an MTB with disc breaks so I had to continue searhing. The other shop was on First Avenue. They I hit hjackpot. There were great people at the shop, they knew about biking long distance. I got a great 29er ready for a long ride tomorrow. May be I can do 3 or 4 hours, as long as it takes me, I just need to make sure I can get back in time for the show.

Finally, when the bike was safe in my room, I needed a great place for dining and drinks. Close to my hotel, close to the venue. I had checked ou several places nearby, there are plenty, but this one will be my permanent waterhole here in Pittsburgh for various reasons:

Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36
393 N SHORE DR
PITTSBURGH, PA 15212
(412) 224-6287

[jeromebettisgrille36.g3restaurants.com]

First of all because I will be able to hear the soundcheck as soon as they are on shortly after 5pm on show day. Secondly because they have one of the best views in the city to the river when you sit outside. Thirdly because their food is superior. It takes long, very long, to get a table, and also drinks, but it is all worth the wait. I am picky, very picky, but these are fine. They will be jam packed on show day so I will probably be there early like 3pm or 4pm at the latest, hopefully everybody else is late.

Then I searched for their address and this is what their web site, so I am not the only one who fancy their food...

Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36 has been voted Pittsburgh’s best sports restaurant every year since it opened
As close as you can get to Heinz Field...

Finally for the day, nothing is more romantic than a wedding. I had just picked up my bike, on my way back, and was so lucky to see this great couple. Made my day. I wish I can see wedding couples in every city.













































Bjornulf

Stones fans on the Zip Code Tour

The Rolling Stones tour is so much more than just the shows. It is also the fans. I get to meet many fans, some I have met many times, some I meet for the first time. These days I am so busy I am hardly outside my hotel room until show day afternoon unfortunately, but I hope to meet some more fans still, even if it is hard to make appointments.

If you asked to meet up, or if you sent me an e-mail, I am sorry I am now four days behind in my e-mail, may be even six days on some e-mail, but I will try to reply to some more backlog e-mail tomorrow before I go biking Pittsburth.

Dallas:
Juno and Gary "StonesMalf" from California, USA


Orlando:
Meeting up with Argentina fans


Nashville:
Luc and Johan from Belgium


Pittsburgh:
Trish and John from Connecticut, USA:


PS. I don't want my picture taken, that is how it works, don't know why, but some times I make an exception, Argentina! Argentina! It was in Orlando I got the messages that made it even more probable with shows in South America later this year, Oct/Nov 2015 probably...

Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-20 08:37 by bv.

Biking and show day Stones in Pittsburgh, Saturday June 20, 2015

It was seventeen days since I had been biking on this tour, in Minneapolis. Finally I had a day where the bike was in my room and I had cleared 4-5 hours for some long distance biking. I took off at noon, knowing I had to be back by 5pm in order to be ready for the show today. I was told I could bike forever up the Monongahela River. The Monongahela River joins the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River at Pittsburgh, and I understand they call Pittsburgh the "three rivers city". Many large bridges, I tried to cross most of them by bike or by foot.

In case of an accident like broken chain or multiple flat I had a cutoff time of 1 h 30 min. By then I would have biked 32 km (20 miles). It would take 6 hours to walk back and 4 hours to run the same distance, it is not ideal to be that far away so close to show time.

By the time I passed by McKeesport and crossed the bridge over Youghiogheny River, I knew my deadline had passed, time to return into the city. I took some pictures of the rather unique houses out there, and of the nearby bridges, also of some interesting flowers I had by the biking path all the way.

Anyway, as I returned back, and after an hour or so could see the downtown skyline in the remote distance, I could challenge the bike and do some great speeding back, as well as a side trip on top of the Duquesne Heights, a plateau with a great view of the city.

Back "home" to the hotel at 4pm the parking was packed with tailgate party, I had a shower, went down, and it was rain! In half an hour or so the weather had changed from nice into grey and rainy. Staying inside for the rain, I enjoyed having everything in my hotel, including the concert meal.

Show start early at 9:15pm. The rain had stopped by 8:30pm, unbelievable. Another great show. Hopefully I will be able to write a report soon. One of the many highlights:

The stage is dark. They are preparing for the first encore "You Can't Always Get What You Want". Mick and Keith are standing right next to each other half way between Charlie and the front of the stage. Mick with the acoustic guitar, Keith with his guitar. Side by side. Nothing to see on the monitors, it is dark, but I am up close and I see them clearly. I see Mick is impatient, he is so ready for the song. He is moving his shoulder over to Keith and is bumping Keith gently. They both have a great laugh. Mick does this often with Ronnie, but never with Keith... This is just for themselves, not for the cameras. So great to see they enjoy being on stage together!

More pictures and reports from the Pittsburgh show here:

[www.iorr.org]



















Bjornulf



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-22 19:42 by bv.

The taxi driver from New Dehli

She was a beautiful woman with long, long dark hair. She picked me up in the recepion, where I was asking for a taxi to the airport. For the next half hour she wold take me on of my most memoriable trips so far of the tour. As we talked, I noticed her accent, probably from India, but I did not want to interrupt our great conversation at this stage. But first ... a quick rewind into the morning...

It is the morning after show day Pittsburgh. Post show day means very short sleep day, I woke up shortly before nine, may be five hours sleep, and went down for breakfast. My flight was shortly after noon at 12:30, I had pleny of time. The breakfast area was very busy. Luckily I met superfan and good friend Gricha from Vietnam. He goes to many shows like me, we have met in Newark, Singapore and many other places. We talked about family, travel, Vietnam, rice fields, Asia, how time flies. I travel without a watch, so I said I had to go. Back to my room I thought about checking public transportation. Then I noticed it was 10:15am. Just over two hours until my flight is taking off, and I am still unpacked... Twenty minutes later I was in the taxi with the female driver from New Dehli.

Female taxi drivers are as rare as the two dollars note. They rarely happen. She asked me about my destination and what brought me to Pittsburgh. Soft spoken and very nice, we talked like old friends within minutes. She said she liked to travel, and to see big tourist attractions. She had seen the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tower Bridge in London, Golden Gate, Alcatraz and more. She used to live in California, but now she was driving the taxi in Pittsburgh. I told her about my family and my grandchildren. She made me talk about climbing trees. When people open up I open up and we just communicated so well.

Then I sort of very discretely asked her about her accent. She said she was from India, from New Dehli. Then we really started talking. She brought me to her home country, to New Dehli, to Taj Mahal, to the north, to the south, and to the seasons. I could sense the same smell as I sensed on my travels to Zanzibar, spicy, Indian, even if I have never been to India. I wish I could go one day, the Stones shows in India are the only shows I have lost in the Far East in ages. But if you have such a friendly taxi driver from New Dehli you may travel to India for a short while still.

The half hour or so to the airport passed by so fast. As we entered the airport I realized I was a customer and not a friend, because I had to pay her for the ride. Thank you so much for a very nice ride to the airport, with a side trip to your family and of course to India!

My e-mail address for comments : iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-22 19:53 by bv.

South West singing a song in Chicago

I went from Pittsburgh into Chicago on a flight with Southwest. The flight was full as always. Four times per year Southwest give you a drink for free, that is if you ask, and if you are over 21 years old. On Mothers Day May 10, Memorial Day May 25, Southwest birthday (44 years old company this year) June 18, and on Fathers Day June 21. So it was June 21 today, and just like on the flight from Nashville into Pittsburgh, Southwest gave me a free glass of wine. Usually there are very few drinks around on these flights, after all they usually cxost five dollars, but on this short trip of one hour to Chicago, our three stewardesses were very busy.

Arriving into Chicago Midway airport early. "Good news and bad news" the captain says. Good news are we arrive early. Bad news are we arrive early. There is another plane still on our gate. So we were stuck parked in nowhereland on the airport. After ten minues or so one of the stewardesses says she will sing us a song, so that the wait will not be so long. Then she sings this nice litte song which makes us all happy, and at the end of the song she sings "... and we are all three single!" ... So sweet. Five to ten minutes later we were at our gate and I was in Chicago. Then on to Union station, Amtrak to Milwsaukee, that is another story.

My e-mail address for comments : iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-22 19:53 by bv.

St Hans Evening bonfires today June 23 in Norway

Some think we burn our Viking Ships in Norway. It is not true. Sure we do have viking ships. They are preserved in our Viking Ships Museum in Oslo, and everyone going to Oslo, Norway should visit there. But we might of course burn an old and worrn out wooden boat today, on St Hans evening, if the boats is worth nothing. Then it is ending up in on of our numerous bonfires by the fjords and lakes, just like all other spare wood around.

At around 7pm to 8pm local time Norway the St Hans bål, large heaps of bonfire material, will be lit all over Norway. Some wait until sunset, or twilight, but then they would have to wait LONG, as the sun do not set until 11pm or so in the south of Norway now, in the north above the polar sircle the sun never set now.

The St Hans celebration with the bonfire is an old tradition, always on the evening of June 23, two days after the summer turning of the sun on June 21. Families get together, we grill sausages and other food on a barbeque, have drinks, some get drunk like the old vikings, others have a soda. Usually I get a case of fresh strawberries, 6 kg that is, from our local strawberry farmer at Vettre Gård, for all of my family, and we eat strawberries as much as we can. This summer strawberry season is two weeks late, and it is too early in my area. Bad news and good news, because the strawberry season is so late it might still be there when I arrive home mid July...

I will miss my family more than usual today, being in Milwaukee is sort of far away from the St Hans celebration, but I will mark the day with some bonfires here, and later today I will see the Stones at the Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest in Milwaukee.

The biggest St Hans bonfire in Norway is built by kids in Ålesund, near my parent's home ground, among the beautiful Sunnmørsalpene - the "Alps" of Sunnmøre... The bonfire is 30 meters i.e. around 90 feet. The kids does this every year, the police and the local authorities including parents are a bit worried, but kids are kids, no accidents ever happened. They have been working with the bonfire for two months...

[www.aftenposten.no]











Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-23 18:45 by bv.

Milwaukee days with The Rolling Stones at the Summerfest - Tuesday June 23, 2015

Summerfest Milwaukee is the world's largest music festival. I enjoyed my three days in Milwaukee. Fresh and cool air, cheese, great beers including my new favorite "Spotted Cow", and another great show by the Rolling Stones. Arriving into Milwaukee I was a bit tired from big city travel through Chicago and so on, but as I left Milwaukee I was relaxed with a big smile and some new great memories. See reports and pictures here:

[www.iorr.org]

By the way, the following picture is taken by Jim Pietryga, a friend from the Chicago area who just love to shoot great Rolling Stones pictures. This picture from the show in Milwaukee is just perfect. Congratulations Jim. Met at work. The perfect Stones picture. I have to get a large high res print and get it on my wall in the living room.



These are some of the pictures I took in Milwaukee, the last one ready to go...











Bjornulf

Breakfast in America

Nothing is like a great looking great tasting breakfast. This one is my favorites so far on the tour, Milwaukee days!




Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-27 08:49 by bv.

Roadtrip to Iowa

Ever since I saw the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" featuring covered bridges in Madison County, I wanted to see these old and unique bridges for real. Then, when I was on this tour, in Pittsburgh, I did a search for the bridges, and found out they were just three hours north of Kansas City. Great! I planned for a roadtrip on the first two of my four days Kansas City stay.

To be sure I don't miss anything important in a new city, I do always visit the official tourist office. They have maps, brochures, everything I need for planning. Then I spent the morning of Thursday June 25 making notes of every highway, names of bridges, where to go, what to do if I got lost and so on.




Bjornulf

Winterset Madison County Iowa Covered Bridges - Thursday June 25, 2015

I got a car by 2:30pm downtown Kansas City, and headed north on I-32N. First stop was Imes Covered Bridge, right off the highway. I was impressed! Walking this old, old bridge, smelling the old wood, making pictures, wathing the little lake under it, observing how they had built the bridge, highly impressed!

On my way to the 2nd bridge I noticed there were signs to John Wayne's bithplace. It was just a few miles away, so that were to be mu next stop. It was right in the middle of little Winterset center. A cute little white house.

More bridges, all a bit different, all from around 1883 or so. I am told they were covered because they were wooden, they would last longer with the cover, and also the horses would not be distracted by the water as they crossed the rivers.

During the next three hours I criss crossed the countryside of Winterset for these great bridges. I walked them both ways. I was on my own most places, not any tourists around, it was peaceful to smell and walk the same bridges people had been walking one hundred and thirty years ago...
























Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-27 08:50 by bv.

Lincoln Highway through Ames Iowa - Friday June 26, 2015

When planning this roadtrip I was aiming at the Clear Lake Buddy Holly site, see another entry later on here. To have easy access to this place I needed to stay north of Des Moines. Going to bed 3am this morning, with a wake up call at 8am, I had a busy schedule on this roadtrip for day two.

I had settled in at Ames Iowa, one hour north of Des Moines. The reason why I chose this place is because I found out the Lincoln historic Highway was passing by here. I wanted to drive it for may be half an hour, but I ended up driving this scenic route for hours, exploring the remote parts of Iowa, also with a side track to something called "Dragoon Trail".

From Wikipedia:
The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway for automobiles across the United States of America. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 1913, the Lincoln Highway ran coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Lincoln Highway map and info : [www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org]

Dragon Trail : [www.fortmuseum.com]











Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-27 08:52 by bv.

Lamoni Iowa Amish sidetrip - Friday June 26, 2015

On my way outbound for the covered bridges in Winterset on Thursday I noticed there was a sign saying "Lamoni Amish Market" just as I crossed over the border to the state of Iowa. So on my way back I took a sidetrip into this small town. It did not take long - there they were - I saw the Amish on horse, several moving around in the small town area.

I don't know much about the Amish, but they are certainly living a very different life from most of us. My plan is to visit some larger Amish communities in Ohio later on during this tour, to see and learn more.

Lamoni was such a great little place, but Kansas City was waiting...











Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-27 08:55 by bv.

The lost Buddy Holly roadtrip

I told my good friend Dean about my plans to go to Iowa when we met in Milwaukee. Then he told me I should look into going to the Buddy Holly memorial sites approx 120 miles north of Des Moines, Iowa. Buddy Holly performed his last show at the Surf Ballroom Clear Lake on February 2, 1959. Then the next morning his chartered plane crashed in a terrific weather into the corn fields just a few miles away. He died there at age 22 on February 3, 1959.

My roadtrip to Iowa took longer than expected. I followed the Lincoln Highway for hours, and I just could not turn back and spend four more hours going north for the Buddy Holly sites. So for now I will share the links and the info I had as I prepared for the trip this week. Enjoy the pictures Dean took on his much more extensive Buddy Holly roadtrips, and read his blog about them all, it is fascinating!

Some links in case you want to explore the area:

Dean's Buddy Holly blog: [www.deangoodman.com]

Boddy Holly on Wikipedia : [en.wikipedia.org]

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-27 08:59 by bv.

Kansas City Missouri Friday night June 26

Welcome back Kansas City Missouri! It was two great days up in Iowa. Now it is time to see more of the downtown Kansas City, and tomorrow Saturday it is show time Rolling Stones at the Arrowhead Stadium!

The Marriott hotel downtown KC has lights all over with the Stones tongue, and they run a light show with the letters THE ROLLING STONES and JUNE 27, 2015 all over the front of the hotel wall this evening. A great view in the night!







Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-27 09:01 by bv.

Kansas City show day Saturday June 27, 2015

I was booked in for four nights at the Adams Mark Hotel just one mile from the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, arriving into KC from Milwaukee. As I had planned for visiting Iowa during the stay, I delayed my Adams Mark Hotel for two days until Friday June 26. I stayed downtown KC, then one night in Iowa, and arrived back Friday afternoon like 5pm. Kansas City looked like a war zone as I got closer to the stadium area. Streets were blocked by fallen trees, everyone was working on moving away trees. There had been a storm tonight...

When I walked into the Adams Mark Hotel, they told me they had been out of power since the morning, and they were closing for the night. I moved back into the city. The gazoline stations in the area were closed too, I had been messing around to find the hotel quite a bit, not having any GPS, and the car meter said I had 34 miles left on gaz as I drove into a gaz station - which was closed, no power. They told me to stay on I-70 West direction downtown and hold my breath. There were queues on the gaz station I picked hafway back downtown, but I got my tank filled up and was finally at my new hotel by 7pm.

Show day Saturday and the bonus was I could walk the downtown Kansas City area all day, just had some work to do in the morning. I walked over to the Crown Center District. Lots of renovation works between downtown and this area. On my way back I wanted to make a picture of the impressing Kauffman Center for Performing Arts. Right next to it I found a beauty that was not listed on any tourist brochures, yet later on I found out it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Webster House on 1644 Wyandotte is actually a renovated 1800's shool building. It looks great, and if you come close, you will see the following at the top front of the building: "Webster school 1885". I stopped for a beer and a lunch there outside, it was a great relaxing place outside the big city buzz. And inside is a shop/museum in it's own, such a great hidden gem in Kansas City. See more info here: [www.websterhousekc.com]

By 2pm I had to check out, so I left my luggage in the hotel, and walked north, over one of the the Missouri bridges. On my way I passed some great paintings on a house, the local market with a band peforming there, and I was virtually alone as I walked the 15 minutes or so it took to cross the large wide river of Missouri over the Heart of America Bridge. Then I walked back, took a taxi to my hotel number four in four days, the Adams Mark Hotel. They had the longest check-in queue I have been at in my life. I arrived 4:45pm and got my key at 7:30, it took almost two hours. Show day... The check-in queue went all across hasll, the bar, the back and side doors, the cafe and all the way back to the reseption. Half an hour I got my key, after a quick shower and a short walk, I was inside the stadium.

The show? STREET FIGHTING MAN!!!!! I had to write a report, even if there is nothing more to say now, except they are great.

The Atlantic City Arrowhead Stadium show reports:

[www.iorr.org]

Comments or questions? Feel free to e-mail me at iorr@arena.no





















Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-29 07:35 by bv.

Boone North Carolina Monday June 29, 2015

Eight weeks into my Stones tour travel, work is finally slowing down slightly, as schools closed by June 19 in Norway, and my customers start their holidays gradually now. For two months I have been looking for something exciting and great to do outside of this tour, on my travel. Thanks to great advices from those who follow this blog, I will be in Boone North Carolina for two days now. I spent all of Sunday flying from Kansas City via Baltimore Maryland and to Charlotte North Carolina. The airport tourist information knew exactly what I was after, I got the three brochures I needed, just perfect. Those who know me will know what I will do during the next two days. I might not be online that much, but I will bring my camera. And I have to be in Raleigh NC by Wednesday July 1. It is three hours driving from Boone.

Thanks to everyone who send me e-mail about what to do on my travel if I had a spare day. I am still way behind on replying to e-mail, sorry about that, but I will get to in within a week or so. Boone North Carolina will be my first major stop. The next one will be Ohio, after the Indianapolis show. I will go to Cleveland, and look for the Towpath Trail.



Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-29 07:58 by bv.

Grandfather Mountain North Carolina Tuesday June 30, 2015

First of all thanks to Chris, who told me about the mountains in North Carolina, part of the The Appalachian Mountain chain, the largest mountains in USA outside the Rocky Mountains. And they were on my way from Kansas City to raleigh NC...

I had planned to do biking, hiking and running in the mountains of North Carolina today, as well as yesterday afternoon. When I arrived into Boone Monday at noon, I realized this was not really a "high mountains relaxing place". There were four lanes roads with cars speeding in all areas. Even at may be one thousand meters i.e. 3,000 feet above sea level, probably more, the car were still in the lead in the area. Biking would be suicide. Also biking is forbidden in my main target Grandfather Mountain. So I went there, to Boone Bikes, I saw their great 29er just waiting for me, but I left, there were no mountain paths to be recommended. I went back to my hotel and did some more planning.

Then I went to see Blowing Rock. Such a great little village, and such an amazing story about this little shark shaped rock that gave name to the charming little village. The Blowing Rock is a small rock that is sitting above the valley, in such a way that wind is making snow in the winter fall up and not down. A must see and I saw it.

Boone village was not much to see, no interesting hotels but a nice place still. Blowing Rock village was a place I could go back to, it had many small cottages and inns, I could stay there for a week as a base for hiking in the nearby mountains.

Tuesday morning I did the usual work on my PC. When I woke up at 8am my office was already at 2pm and there are still many many e-mail to handle every day. I checked out by 11am. Then I took the Blue Ridge Parkway, such a scenic road, that start in Virginia in the north, then cross through the north west of North Carolina, and end up in Tennessee. A total of 469 miles of road in the middle of nowhere, far away from the nearby four to eight lanes highways.

Then Grandfather Mountain was next. The main tourist attraction on Grandfather Mountain is the Swinging Bridge. It is sort of base camp Grandfather Mountain. You can actually drive up there, walking is not permitted on that road, and I went there, tried the Swinging Bridge in heavy wind, sure it swing, a lot!

As a grandfather myself I wanted to do the Gradfather Mountain. It is not something you should do unless you have done some other mountains. It is steeper and more "air under your wings" than any other mountains I have done before. Linville Peak (5,295 ft.) was easy, it is the reason for the Swinging Bridge, to get to this peak. Then I asked the tourist info at the Swinging Bridge about how much time I would need to get to the very top - to Calloway Peak. He said 5-6 hours both ways, lots of climbing, ladders, ropes, steep... and he told me I had to be back by 6pm, then the park closed. Also, there was a forecast for rain and thunders in the afternoon. He was not encoraging,. but he saw this gradfather in front of him and he just wanted me to forget the whole thing... But I had to give it a try. One hour later I was on top of the Calloway Peak (5,964 ft.), the highest peak of Gradfather Mountain, and the most remote one, but the most impressing peak was still the MacRae Peak (5,844 ft.), a sugar mountain sort of rocky peak that you need to access through a ladder. It was still windy, but I went up there and felt like a bird almost flying, but I triud to keep low, very low.

The most challenging part of the hike - or the climb - was avoiding breaking any legs. I was alone, I met may be 5-6 people on the last half of the hike, with all the scramble it would be easy to break a leg. I did not have any mountain shoes, just my tor shoes, still good jogging shoes. Luckily it was dry rocks with litte sand, I had control most places, and used the ropes and the trees around to secure I could be at the show in raleigh tomorrow and not in the Boone hospital.

The vegetation in the area was great. Lots of Rhododendron with many flowers, a strong sweet smell you only feel in the bush, and it was unusual for me to walk at this altitude and still have a lot of vegetation around, all the way to the tops.

Then down, it took another hour, and three hours in the car to raleigh, where the rain and thunders just set in as I arrived.

I had two short but great days in the North Carolina mountains. And the best part... you plan something, and you are actually succeeding, even if it takes a lot of improvisation on the way.

























Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-01 07:02 by bv.

Hotels

Checking into my hotel in Raleigh, this is my hotel number seven in seven days. I had four hotels for the Kansas City stay, and so far three hotels for my North Carolina show. Luckily this hotel in downtown Raleigh is just great, love it, don't want to leave it, but I guess I will do a quick check tomorrow of Raleigh downtown, may be also Durham, which is just 30-45 minutes away, to the north.

Worst thing about checking into a new hotel is entering the room. How is it like? Will I be able to relax and work there? My home for the next one, two or may be even 3-4 days. If I don't like it, I know within a minute. Then I decide there and then to cheeck out next morning, to find a better place. Life is too short to be uncomfortable in a hotel room on tour. I need to relax, and to work.

As I open the door to any new hotel room, the first impression is always crazy. Dark dark dark. Cold cold cold. All curtains are always closed, probably to save energy. The aircondition is making the rooms feel like the North Pole, usually at 66 F or colder, which is so cold that the beer would stay cold (if I had any beer...) and I would get laryngitis within an hour. So I search for the OFF button to the aircondition and I get the daylight into the room.

Next, getting rid of a number of pillows. Some times there is a ton of pillows in the bed. I hide most of them, but after cleaning next morning, all curtains are closed once more, and most often all the pillows are back on my bed. It drives me crazy. When they leave the extra pillows where I put them I always add a much better tip as I check out.

My Raleigh hotel is everything I want. Great room, ok internet, a restaurant that have everything I need, that comes handy when it is rain and thunders outside, and a great view of the city. And a great price. I have always looked at life on the bright side. Raleigh is great so far, I have seen all the shows in North Carolina lately, usually in Charlotte, the show tomorrow will be great I am sure.

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-01 07:09 by bv.

Raleigh North Carolina Wednesday July 1, 2015

Show day lunch time and I am armed with the tourist map, ready to walk Raleigh downtown. According to the map the downtown is sort of ten by ten blocks. There are districts, and I see one is called "Historic Oakwood". Sounds like a place I need to visit. Most of my pictures are from there.

The Oakwood area have these old South State style buildings with a large entrance where you may sit outside, there are chairs and if I was old and lived in such a house in NC I would sit out there on the patio all day and smell the air and listen to the noise.

The noise is strange but pleasant, at least for me, not used to grasshoppers, tree frogs, crickets and all sorts of other small bugs and birds and whatever that makes this strong daytime buzz everywhere. And there are lots of trees. Everywhere. Trees means life. Birds. Bugs. Life. The beautiful red, lilac Crepe Myrtle trees of all sizes dominate the colors in the area. There are white versions, may be the same tree, also pink. And the houses are all old style and nice.

Then I walk over to the Moore Square, to the parks, to the market, which is not in use, to Glenwood South, and to the other districts. The buzz is gone, the Crepe Myrtle trees are fewer, and I want to return to Historic Oakwood, where it was so great to be.

But I have been walking a few hours, more work to do, then around 5pm I start walking direction the Carter-Finley Stadium. It was an easy walk 1 1/2 hours according to the map, but I am smart and follow a bike path that takes me another 45 minutes around the area, I arrive at the stadium some time after 7pm. Still plenty of time.

The Avett Brothers - the warmup band. I am paralyzed. Normally I just give the warmup band a five minutes listen, I just can't concentrate on the warmup bands. But The Avett Brothers are doing such a great performance, I just loved it. So much energy on stage, sort of folk rock music, not really my genre but a great show.

I meet new and old friends, my seat is great. The Rolling Stones! That is why I am here! Nobody is bothering me during the show, I just enjoy and absorb the great performance. Then back home, so lucky I am to catch a taxi after ten minutes walk. I am at my hotel eighteen minutes past midnight, just forty minutes after the final bow!

Goodbye North Carolina. I will miss you, I had such a great time and wish I could stay longer.

Raleigh NC concert reports and pictures: [www.iorr.org]

Memories from Raleigh North Carolina:





















Bjornulf

Indianapolis Thursday July 2, 2015

My road trips in Iowa and North Carolina came with a price. I stayed at seven hotels in eight days. While I had great days on the road, my real work was piling up. I had more than one hundred e-mail pending as I arrived into Indianapolis. The backlog was killing me, and I grounded myself for the entire three days stay in Indianapolis.

My Indianapolis hotel was ten minutes from the airport with a free hotel shuttle. Bus number 3 was right across the 3+3+2+2 = ten lanes of traffic that went through my local area. The highway was just up the road. I stayed for free with my loyality points, with an upgraded room that would have cost me a fortune if I had booked it by normal money. With two weeks left of the tour in a travel that is almost three months long that is a bonus, you don't have to struggle with a tiny little room that you hate for three days. By now I am homesick and The Rolling Stones and their shows is the only reason why I don't go home rith away.

Just settled in after a long day of travel from Raleigh my first mission is to find my outdoor diner. Is there one? Will I be a prisoner of an indoor air condition hell here? There were like five two star hotels in my area and a large, large empty parking area as I arrived Thursday afternoon. Luckily there was a local diner with some great outdoor seating just a five minutes walk from my hotel - Kazablanca Bar & Restaurant. With an outdoor patio I just loved it. The fake plastic palm trees and the some times slow service was made up by the always friendly waitresses. I spend every spare minute over there, all my meals, all my drinks, all my time reading tourist brochures about Indianapolis, which I had collected at the airport on arrival. My two star hotel had no tourist brochures. They did not really understand my question when I asked for a map of the local area. People stay here, they do not tourist... So I had to walk it on my own to draw my own map in my mind.

There was a Mexican grocery store with everything I needed like water, bananas and peanuts. Also, like every tiny little place of one half block in USA, there was a liquor store and of course a gazoline station. A couple more water holes with aircondition, some fast food places, and of course the end station of bus number 3, which would take me into town tomorrow.

Cars on the Indianapolis airport:





My local Indianapolis airport area:





For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf