#iowadivebarroadtrip Archives

General April 30, 2023

Lessons from Nashville…The Iowa Roadie’s Unorthodox Travel Guide to Music City

I recently took a trip to Nashville.While there, I unfortunately did not see any big country music stars. Nor did I drink out of a boot.However I DID do a little line dancing…That is, if being two beats off during “Cotton Eyed Joe” and stomping on a stranger’s foot qualifies as line dancing.I left Nashville with the following:* A pair of flared jeans that I’ll likely never wear again* Some mild liver damage* An empty checkbookSo, dear readers, to help you avoid these pitfalls & truly enjoy your time in Music City, I want to share a few words of wisdom with you. (Background Johnny Cash music is optional.) Lesson #1…Honkytonk drinking is expensive.I love listening to live music in Nashville. The talent no matter where you go is incredible. It is easy to sit and listen for hours while sipping a few cocktails.The problem with hours of honky tonk…

General February 5, 2023

A Hiccup in the Road (or bar)…Destination: TC’s Pub (Marshalltown, Iowa)

I recently had my wisdom teeth out.Most people have them removed when they are young. I am 51.I would be lying if I said I had not been dreading the process. I remember my kids having their wisdom teeth extracted. To suppress the pain, they functioned in a semi-drug induced state for several days.Case in point… my oldest had her wisdom teeth pulled right before Christmas. The drugs caused her to burst out crying every time someone said “Baby Jesus.”You can only imagine the uncomfortable scenario that ensued at our church’s nativity pageant. Poor Joseph & Mary. The angel’s glad tidings could not be heard over our teenage daughter’s wails.And silent night…let’s just say, it was not so silent.Fast forward ten years to MY Oral Surgery Event. I was terrified.My only consolation was the drugs I knew I would get to quell the pain.Praise Baby Jesus.Instead…this is what happened.My surgery…

General August 18, 2020

Farting Cars & Pickle Shots… Destination: Whiskey Junction (Denver, IA) & Wooden Foot Saloon (Waverly)

There are certain things in life that warrant a strong cocktail. Here are three: A bad day at workCar problemsMenards Not necessarily in that order. I realize that for many of you, there are a multitude of issues more disturbing…A family squabble, finances, the Redskins being renamed “The Washington Football Team.” (OK…you may have a point with that one.) Yet I maintain…a trip to Menards is as provoking as anything. Case in point: Caulk. There is nothing exciting about caulk. Or electrical tape. Or any of the other kazillion home improvement items you can buy there. So instead of the required masks, I propose that Menards hands out mini bottles of alcohol. Suddenly there’s a party in Aisle 2. Unfortunately Menards has yet to realize the benefit of intoxicated home improvement shopping. Which meant that the first stop for the Iowa Roadie & husband after buying a “self-adjusting rotating level,”…

#dive bar May 4, 2020

Scotcheroos & Double Dog Dares… Destination: Lehigh & Anywhere Post Quarantine

I double dog dare you. That was the challenge issued by the Iowa Roadie’s husband when I told him I was not only going to write a new blog…but make scotcheroos as well. Whoa! A blog AND scotcheroos? In hindsight, that DOES sound a bit ambitious…particularly when I didn’t even know if we had rice krispies in the house. (This is because cereal has sugar and carbohydrates, and we are supposed to be “eating healthy”…no thanks to a “mildly obese” ruling at last year’s Iowa Roadie physical. ) However that diagnosis was far from my mind when I made such a bold claim. What I WAS thinking about was how tasty the Captain Morgan and root beer cocktails were that I had just consumed. All while sitting on the sunny patio of Lehigh’s Riverside Tavern after two months of quarantine drinking at home. TWO MONTHS of Aldi’s wine on my…