Weekend Review: On the Road Again

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Taylor and I decided to take advantage of the high fuel prices around the country one more time this weekend and drove across the state of Iowa one last time to close my summer break. Our travels took us to the sprawling metropolis of Millersburg (population 135), home of Taylor's family.

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The World Melted

It was just really hot. Heat indices of 110+ are not meant for the Midwest.

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We Shopped

Because farmers love to stay up-to-date on the latest fashions, people decided to build a big outlet mall in the middle of a cornfield in Williamsburg, Iowa. I'm partial to Nike and Under Armour, but there's a lot of other things to see if you're ever traveling between Iowa City and Des Moines. We met family there, and they surprised me by buying me a Chicago Bears shirt. Justin Fields will lead us to the promised land.

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I Finally Ate Some Totchos

While the ones I ate did not at all resemble the picture above, I was able to finally try the Midwest's closest attempt to bridging multiple cultures in one dish: totchos. In retrospect, I should have anticipated the digestive discomfort I would experience after consuming copious amounts of tater tots covered by cheese and beef, but alas, I still survived. Overall, "The Raider" in Williamsburg could stand to cut down on the salt. I don't think I'd order them again, but I do like the restaurant. I included a bathroom review to give some more context.

I've been in worse bathrooms, but I was still a little perturbed in this one. The smell was subpar, and the garbage can was overflowing. I appreciate the effort of putting an air freshener in the bathroom to improve the smell, but nothing replaces an actually clean restroom. If you're looking for a bathroom in Williamsburg in a pinch, this one will fill the need. If you're expecting to be pampered, look elsewhere.

Final Rating: 5 out of 10

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Fun Day for Days

Taylor went to high school in North English, Iowa, and we happened to return to the area to visit on the very weekend when the "North English Fun Days" were happening. From inflatables to "dummy board" (bean bags/cornhole to literally anyone outside of the North English area) to a glorious parade, we happily took in all that makes the town of 1,087 people so special. We also apparently look young enough to get loads of candy thrown our way (not that I'm complaining).

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Swimming Stole the Show (Again)

I've always loved the Summer Olympics, largely because of the fact that I grew up during the heights of Michael Phelps' career. For one week every four years, I fall in love with the sport of swimming, and this Olympics was no exception. The easy star of these Olympics is 5-time 2021 gold medalist Caeleb Dressel, but numerous other moments injected pure electricity into what was a somewhat lackluster Olympics before. Robert Finke's final 50 meters in the 1500m freestyle were absolutely magical, and Katie Ledecky's excellence was familiar but enjoyable. Swimming is the best (until next week)!

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Big (but not enormous) NBA Weekend

The NBA Draft went down, and some eye-opening picks were made in the first round (see: the Spurs). Despite rumors swirling for weeks about major stars being moved in trades on draft night, though, the only major transaction that occurred this weekend was Russell Westbrook heading to Los Angeles. I'm not a GM, but I just don't see the rationale behind the move for the Lakers. Westbrook helps lighten the regular season load on Lebron and A.D., but he doesn't fit with those two players in a playoff setting. I don't like the move for L.A.