PITTSBURGH SPORTS LEGENDS OF THE PAST

 

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2024: It was a cold and windy day in Pittsburgh, with off and on snow and rain showers. With the two games here in Pittsburgh scheduled for the evening, I ended up spending much of the day hunkered down in my Room at the Holiday Inn – North Shore.

I did walk about a half of a mile down North Shore Drive to a place called Burgatory for a late lunch. It is sort of like an upscale version of Red Robin. The food was good, but I have to say it was overpriced.

I spent the rest of the afternoon back at the Holiday Inn. With my first game scheduled to tip at 7:10 p.m. I decided to order my Lyft Ride at 5:30 p.m.  While I was waiting for the Lyft in the Lobby, I was able to talk to some of the few Kentucky Fans that were still in town.  Needless to say, the sting of their first-round loss to Oakland hadn’t worn off. They were still upset and wanted Coach Calipari Fired.

It took my Lyft about 20 minutes to arrive and the short drive up to the PPG Paints arena took a little over 20 minutes due to heavy traffic around the Arena. It was 6:20 p.m. when my driver left me out at the Main entrance.

On the way to my seat, I stopped at the Primanti Brothers concession booth and grabbed myself a sandwich and a drink to take with me to my seat. I have to say the concession sandwich was nothing to write home about.  While I have always enjoyed the Primanti Brothers Restaurant Sandwiches, the sandwiches at the concession stand were soggy and really not very good.

The first game between North Carlina State and Oakland, tipped right at 7:10. The game was back and forth all the way and ended up being tied at the end of regulation.  I must say that just about the entire arena, including myself, was pulling for Oakland. In overtime, the game remained close, but N. C. State pulled out the victory 79-73.

The final game of the evening was between Creighton and Oregon. It would have to go some to beat the excitement of the first game but danged if it didn’t. It was a close, back and forth game, and it too was tied at the end of regulation.  In overtime Oregon grabbed a quick 5-point lead and it looked like they would come out on top. But a late 3-pointer by Creighton followed by a turnover that led to two points with less than 5 seconds to go tied the score again at the end of the first overtime.

The second overtime was all Creighton as they stopped Oregon at every turn and ended up winning the game 86-73. Two Overtime Games was a great way to end my in-person basketball season.

Ot was really cold as I waited for my Lyft back to the Hotel. Thank goodness he was close by, and I only had to wait about 5 minutes. The ride back to the Hotel took only about 10 minutes and by 12:20 a.m. I was back in my room.

And with that, my in person basketball season has come to and end.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2024: With the games over, my time here in Pittsburgh is also over,and it’s time for me to move on. I didn’t get back to the hotel until well after midnight last night, so I slept in and didn’t get down to the hotel breakfast until 8:30. By the time I finished breakfast and checking out of the hotel it was a little after 9 a.m.

There were a couple of cemeteries that I wanted to visit that were only about 5-miles north of here. So, my first stop of the day was at the Christ Our Redeemer Catholic Cemetery.

Christ Our Redeemer is also known as North Side Catholic Cemetery. It dates back to about 1888 when the Redemptorist Fathers and St. Philomena Parish established the cemetery as its parish cemetery.  Today the large cemetery covers about 165 acres and is the final resting place of the area’s most prominent citizens.

If you are a football fan, especially a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you will recognize the name Rooney.  Here buried just a short distance from the mausoleum, are the graves of Art and Dan Rooney.

Art Rooney was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He served as the team’s president and chairman from 1933 unit his death in 1988.  While he retained the titles of President and Chairman, he stepped away from the day-to-day management of the team following the Steeler’s victory in Super Bowl IX. He turned the operation and management of the Steelers over to Dan.

During Dan’s tenure as the head of the Steelers, the team won 15-division Championships, 8 AFC championships and a record 6-Super Bowls.  Dan Rooney also served as the United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012. He joined his father, Art, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

It is just a short walk from the Rooney Graves back to the Mausoleum. Here in the Chapel Mausoleum, we find the crypt of perhaps the greatest Pittsburgh Steeler Head Coach of all time. Pro Football Hall of Famer, Chuck Noll.

Chuck Noll accepted the Steelers Head Coaching Position in 1969. It would be his only Head Coaching job. For 23 years, from 1969 until 1991, Coach Noll led the Steeler to an overall record of 209-156-1.

He coached such legendary players as Jack Lambert, “Mean Joe” Greene, L. C. Greenwood, Franco Harris, Rocky Bieier, Terry Bradshaw, John Stallworth and Lynn Swan. He also led the Steelers to four Super Bowl Championships. Coach Noll passed away at the age of 82 on June 13, 2013, from the complication of Alzheimer's.

There is another well-known personality resting on the second floor in the mausoleum of the Good Shepherd.  Here we find the crypt of legendary professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.

Bruno Sammartino was born in Italy and during World War II his family were forced to hide from the

Nazi’s. After the way Bruno and his family fled to America and settled in Pittsburgh where he attended high school. He took up weightlifting and was discovered by a local wrestling Promoter in 1959 which led to his long association with the Worldwide Wrestling Federation where he won the WWWF championship in 1963. 

He captured the championship in Madison Square Gardens, from “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers in a match that lasted less than 2-minutes. He would hold the title until 1971 when he dropped the championship to “The Russian Bear” Ivan Kolor. Later in 1973 he regained the Title and would hold on to it for another 4-years, Injuries began to take their toll on Bruno and he lost the title to “Superstar” Billy Graham and he was never able to win the title back.

In 1981 he announced his retirement. In retirement his health improved, and his body healed. He felt good enough to return to the ring in 1984 and remained active until 1988 when he retired for the final time.

Being retired from the ring, Bruno became an outspoken critic of Vince McMahon and the direction he was taking the WWE.  Despite his criticism he was inducted into the WWE Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013.

Bruno Sammartino passed away at the age of 82 here in Pittsburgh on April 18, 2018.

My final stop before leaving the Pittsburgh Area was at West View Cemetery, next door to Christ Our Redeemer Cemetery. He we find the grave of Baseball Hall of Famer Barney Dreyfuss.

Barney was born in Germany on February 23, 1865, and came to America in 1881 where he became a baseball Fan. In 1899 he became the owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates and from 1900-1932 he was the team’s president and general Manager.

During his 32-years as the Team’s owner he built Forbes Field in 1909. It was the first modern steel
frame stadium.  His Pirates finished first in their division 26 times, winning the National League Pennant 6-times. The Pirates were World Series Champions in 1909 and 1925.

Barney Dreyfuss passed away at the age of 66 on February 5, 1932. He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

After wrapping up my visit to West View Cemetery, it was time to say goodbye to Pittsburgh. Where am I going? Well, I have a couple of Options. I am just not sure which one I am going to take. Stay tuned to find out.

POP'S, ROBERTO, MR. ROGER'S AND PRIMANTI BROTHERS

 

After a very long and enjoyable first day of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday, I had an off day on Friday. There were no games scheduled here in Pittsburgh on Friday, so I used the day to explore Pittsburgh.

While I have been here to the Steel City several times in the past, it has always been for Pirate games and the North Shore Area has always been crowded. So, even though it was really, really cold and there was a threat of rain, I decided to bundle up and walk around PNC Park and the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

Just across Federal Street from my hotel is Third Base and Left field side of PNC Park. As I make my way up Federal Street, I come to the statue of My Favorite Pirate, Willie “Pops” Stargell.  Willie was a member of the “We Are Family” Pirates that won the 1979 World Series.

I got to meet Willie one time when I was attending a Triple A Ballgame at the old Diamond Ballpark in Richmond, Virginia. Willie had retired from playing and was town scouting. My seats were located next to the Press Box, where I noticed Willie was sitting.

After the game I waited for him to leave the press box and asked him to sign my game program. Even though it was late in the evening, he was so gracious and ended up spending about 10 minutes visiting with me.

Continuing my walk-up Federal Street, I come to the statue of another Pirate Hall of Famer, The Great Roberto Clemente. Many Pirate Fans regard Roberto as the Greats Pirate of All Time. Roberto died at the height of his career when a plane carrying Earthquake Relief Supplies to Nicaragua crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico on December 31, 1972.

The Statue of Hall of Famer Honus Wagner stands outside of the Home Plate Entrance. Honus began his career in 1897 with the Louisville Colonels who were one of four teams eliminated following the 1899 season.  He began his long association with the Pirates in 1900 when Barney Dreyfuss took Honus and several former Colonels to Pittsburgh.

He remained with the Pirates as a player, manager, and coach until 1951.  He was a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1936, joining Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Babe Ruth.

His T206 Baseball card is one of the rarest and most expensive cards. Only 57 of them are known to exist and the last time one came up for sale in 2022, it sold for $7.25 million.

The last statue is located appropriately at the end of Bill Mazeroski Way. It’s the statue of Hall of Famer and hero of the 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski.

The Pirates represented the National League against the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. During the World Series Mazerowski forged a legacy that is still remembered by Pirate fans today. What is often forgotten about Bill’s performance during that World Series is that he actually hit a pair of game winning home runs, but it is best known for the second one which occurred in game seven.

In the bottom of the 9^th inning, Mazeroski faced Yankee reliever Ralph Terry. With the Count 1-0, Bill
smashed a high fast ball over the 406 marker in left-center at old Forbes Field. This was the only home run to end a World Series until 1993 when Joe Carter hit a walk off home run to give the series win to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Just behind the Mazeroski Statue is a section of the Wall taken from Forbes Field which has been demolished. Today the site of the Old Ballpark is on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. All that remains is a lager part of the Outfield wall. The home plate from old Forbes Field is actually encased in glass in Posvar Hall. In a previous trip to Pittsburgh, I was able to visit the site of the old stadium and was able to get in to see home plate.

From the Mazeroski Statue, I walked down the Step to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail that runs along the banks of the Alleghany River. Her directly behind the ballpark, are large baseballs dedicated to the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who played for the Pirates, the Homestead Grays, and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.

I continued my walk along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, which gave me a great view of the Pittsburgh Skyline and Mount Washington. Just a short walk down the trail from PNC Park is Heinz Field, which is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As I walked around the stadium, I came up a historical marker that stands where Three Rivers Stadium once stood.  Three Rivers Stadium was not only the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, it was also the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was here that Franco Harris made his “immaculate Reception” in 1972 and where Roberto Clemente got his 3000^th hit also in 1972.

Three Rivers Stadium was demolished in 2001 to make way for Heinz Field. The Pirates moved just a short distance up the river to PNC Park.

Just outside of Heinz Field is a pretty cool statue of Art Rooney who was the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers and served as the teams Chairman and President from 1933 until 1988. You can actually take your photo sitting next to Mr. Rooney, so I did just that.

Just across from Heinz Field is the very impressive statue of Fred Rogers who was better known simply as Mr. Rogers. He was actually an ordained Presbyterian Minister that went on to host the long running Childrens TV Show, “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” which ran from 1968 until 2001.

Mr. Rogers was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania but for much of his life he lived her in the Pittsburgh Area. He passed away on February 27, 2003, and is resting in the Unity Cemetery near Latrobe.

One of the good things about staying downtown is that almost everything you need is in walking distance. So, I continue my walk by making my way across the Roberto Clemente Bridge into the actual downtown area. 

Now no trip to Pittsburgh would be complete without a visit to Primanti Brothers. Not there are several Primanti Brothers located all around the Pittsburgh Area including one in Market Square. The Market Square location is the closest one to where I am staying but I decided to walk down to the Strip District and have lunch at the original Primanti Brothers Restaurant.

It wasn’t a bad walk. Not too cold and only a little over a mile walk. even though it was almost 1:30 in the Afternoon it was still crowded, and I didn’t want to take up an entire table for just one person, so I opted to sit at the bar.

Primanti Brothers never disappoints, and the food is always good and its always a great atmosphere, especially here at the Original restaurant.

By the time I walked back to the Holiday Inn, the rain clouds were moving in. According to my Fitbit I have walked a little over 5 miles. So, I am going to give my knees a rest and just kick back and relax until time for dinner.

A steady drizzle has set in and I opt to just walk across the street and have supper at a restaurant called SoHo. It was a good choice. The food was prepared to order and served hot.

While having supper, I check the NCAA app on my phone and discovered that our two game on Saturday were going to be late. The first game between Oakland and N. C. State is scheduled to tip at 7:10 p.m. and the Nightcap between Creighton and Oregon will tip about 9:40 p.m.

Looks like tomorrow will be another late night.

EVERY VILLAGE HAS AN IDIOT

There was once a popular say “That it takes a Village.”  But I like to say, “Every Village has an Idiot,” and to prove it, you have to look no further than the Village of Dolton, Illinois. For the past few weeks, I have been following the ongoing turmoil between the village administration and the elected Mayor. Believe me when I tell you that Hollywood could not come close to coming up with something like what is going on there.

I am not really sure how the local or state government functions in Illinois. From what I have been following there is a place just south of Chicago call Thornton Township which has its own form of government.

Within this township there are a number of small villages that also have an elected governing body that is responsible for the administration of the Village. Things like business licenses, utilities, and even police protection within the Village fall und the Village Administration.

The Village of Dolton is one of the Villages within Thornton Township.

Now, the village administration is made up of a group of elected trustees (kind of like town councilmen) and an elected mayor.  There is also a Village Administrator appointed by the Mayor that is responsible for the day to day operation of the village, including paying bill that have been approved by the Trustees. 

There is also a Village Attorney that is responsible for advising the mayor and trustee on all legal issues that the village faces.

The Mayor of Village of Dolton is a person named Tiffany A. Henyard, the self-proclaimed “Super Mayor.”  The “Super Mayor” is also a supervisor in Thornton Township. So, in effect she is double dipping and gets a salary from both the Township and the Village.

Over the past several months, the “Super Mayor” has taken over every aspect of the Village Administration.  She has round the clock police detail that chauffeurs her around and surrounds her everywhere she goes.

She has taken over the administration of the Village finances and cut out the trustees. She evidently reviews all license applications and if she likes the person their application is approved. But if she doesn’t like you, she stalls the application or flat out denies it.

Now, the way that I understand it, for the village to pay its bills, the invoice has to be approved by the trustees and then the treasurer and the village administrator will issue and sign the check. It takes two signatures.

When I first started following the crap show back last October, there was an ongoing feud between the trustees and the mayor over checks that had been issued without proper authorization. Sever of the checks seem to include overtime for the police officers that provide round the clock protection for the “Super Mayor.” One officer racked up a whooping amount of over $13,000 in overtime in just one month.

There were checks issued to cover the cost of the “Super Mayors” trip to Las Vegas along with two of her allies on the board of Trustees. This also included a number of Police officers who accompanied the “Super Mayor” on the trip.  There were a few other people including village employees and assistants to the mayor on this trip.

A few weeks back, one to the assistants who accompanied the Dolton Delegation to Las Vegas, filed a complaint or Lawsuit claiming that she was sexually assaulted by one of the Trustees and had reported the assault to the “Super Mayor,” who attempted to cover it up and eventually fired the person who was making the allegation.

Over the past few months, the feud between the Trustees and the “Super Mayor” has intensified, making it almost impossible for the Village of Dolton to conduct any business.  This was evident back in Late February or Early March when the leasing company who provided the police vehicles for the Village threatened to repossess the police cars because they hadn’t been paid since October.

For several months, the Trustee have been attempting to obtain financial records relating to the village. Record that they are fully entitled to. However, the “Super Mayor” and her handpicked Village administrator have refused to produce any records. According to some of the Trustees, the village is more than $7 Million in debt. The majority encountered by the uncontrolled spending of the “Super Mayor.”

This resulted in the Trustee requesting a special council to name to conduct a full and impartial investigation. The person chosen was the former mayor of Chicago Lori “Beetle Juice” Lightfoot. Come on now, really?

A week or so after “Beetle Juice” was appointed, it was announced that the Illinois Attorney General’s Office had opened an investigation into the sexual assault allegation that took place in Las Vegas.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, it was announced that the Federal Government was opening an investigation into what was going on in the Village of Dolton. Shortly thereafter the Village Administrator a man by the name of Keith Freeman was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of Bankruptcy fraud. Freeman is a close friend and ally of the “Super Mayor.”

Then last week, federal agents showed up at the Dolton Village Hall with search warrants for “Court authorized records” from the Village offices including the office of the “Super Mayor.” Many people including a couple of the village trustees think (or hope) that the first domino to fall was the indictment of Keith Freeman. They are hoping that his indictment will be followed closely by indictments for the “Super Mayor” and her associates.

And finally, just a couple of days ago, the Village Attorney, resigned. It appears that he hasn’t been paid either. Every Village does have an idiot and the Village of Dolton, Illinois has more than their share.

2024 NCAA TOURNAMENT ADVENTURE - MARCH MADNESS IN THE STEEL CITY

 

Every year since 2001, I have attended the first an second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Every year that is except the COVID Years of 2020 and 2021. I returned to the Tournament in 2022 and went to Greenville, South Carolina. Last year I stayed close to home and traveled to the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

This Year I had Originally Planned on traveling to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Tournament. Now, Charlotte is NOT one of my favorite sites but like Greensboro it is close to home.  But my plans Changed when the Ticketmaster Website for Charlotte, showed SOLD OUT Just moments after Tickets went on presale.

I checked other sites, and they too came up either sold out or nothing but nosebleed seats available. It appeared that I was out of luck and would be watching this year’s tournament from home.

Then in January, I decided to Check StubHub to see what kind of seats were available and how much they were going for. I first checked Charlotte and found that tickets for all three sessions in the lower-level tickets were going from $815 to $1,200. That was too much for me.

Not wanting to Give up, I decided to check tickets for the Pittsburgh Site.  I was surprised to find that Lower-Level Ticket in the PPG Paints Arena were a little more affordable. I spend some time searching the other Tournament sites and to my surprise, Pittsburgh was the most Affordable.

After checking Hotels in the Pittsburgh Area, I found the Holiday Inn – North Shore would be my best option. It was located just across from the Pirates PNC Park and I had stayed there before when attending Pirates Game.. While the Holiday Inn was across the Alleghany River from Downtown Pittsburgh, it was only about a mile from the PPG Paints Arena. There were plenty of restaurants within walking distance.

So, after weighing my options I decided that I would head to Pittsburgh for this year’s tournament. I bought my ticket off StubHub. I purchased a single ticket for all three sessions, on the aisle about 10-rows from floor. After sellers mark up and StubHub fees the ticket for all session cost me $517.

I made my 4-night reservation at the Holiday Inn North Shore for an average rate of $151 per night. Like all downtown hotels, you must pay for parking. That figures out to be about $30-$40 dollars per night if you park in private garages. 

The Holiday Inn has a parking Package where you can pay for parking up front for $28 per night. Because I was staying multiple night and was a Holiday Inn Rewards Member, my parking rate was reduced to $20 per night. By the time you figure in all the city and state taxes, my four-night stay ended up costing about $185 per night.

So, on March 20, I headed out to the First and Second Rounds of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  I have been to Pittsburgh several times time for Pirates Games at PNC Park. But this would be my first time attending an event at the PPG Paints Arena, which is the home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

I left home about 8 a.m. to clear skies with morning temperatures in the low or mid-40’s. I stopped a couple of times for coffee at Sheetz along the way. When I have traveled to Pirates Games in the past I have always stopped at Gino’s in Weston, West Virginia for lunch. I did so again and then headed on to the Steel City.

Surprisingly, the traffic wasn’t too bad, and I made my way unimpeded through the Fort Pitt Tunnel and across the Roberto Clemente Bridge, arriving at the Holiday Inn a few minutes before 4 p.m.

By the time I arrived in Pittsburgh, the temperature had dropped and was in the md-30’s. The strong wind made it feel even colder. Before I headed out for supper a couple of snow showers had passed through. Yes, I said snow. My original plan was to walk back across the Roberto Clemente Bridge and have supper at one of the downtown restaurants. But the wind and cold changed my mind and I ended up walking next door to the North Shore Tavern.

Since I was walking, my supper consisted of hot wings and a couple of IPA Beers. The wings were good and the beer cold. It was a good choice. Being so cold, I hustled back to the Holiday Inn and settled in for the night.

The Holiday Inn is located right next to Interstate 279 and the traffic noise is horrible. But I came

prepared and brought some ear plugs from home. The ear plugs allowed me to get a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, I had breakfast at the Hotel. While I was having breakfast, I met several other people who were in town for the games. It was an enjoyable breakfast with some new friends.

The cold weather settled in overnight so rather than walking to the PPG Paints Arena, I chose to order a Lyft. This was a very good choice, I waited only 5 minutes for my driver to show up and 10 minutes later she dropped me off right in front of the arena. The ride cost me $8.75. She was prompt and safe so I tipped and additional $5.00.

The Afternoon Session consisted of two games. The first saw the Creighton Blue Jays defeat the Akron Zips by a score of 77-60. The second game was between the Oregon Ducks and the South Carolina Gamecocks.  Oregon came out on top 87-73.

Most People don’t realize that TV Networks sets the Tip Time for games and because of that, the Akron Crieghton Game didn’t tip until 1:10 p.m. with the Oregon – South Carolina Game schedule for 3:40 p.m.

We were essentially the last game to tip in the afternoon block of games. The first game of the evening session was between the Oakland Golden Grizzlies and the Kentucky Wildcats. It was scheduled to tip at 7:10. This was the first game in the evening block of game.  We had this same schedule in 2021 in Greenville and it was a disaster. Late afternoon and early evening, is never a good idea.

The arena is completely cleared between the afternoon and evening session. Because both afternoon games ran long, the afternoon session didn’t end until 5:50 p.m.  The arena was cleared, and I immediately got back in line.  Because Kentucky was scheduled to play in the first game there were several thousand Big Blue Fans already in line waiting to get in.

If Pittsburgh Followed the Greenville example it would be close to an hour before the doors would open for the evening session. It was a good chance that the Kentucky-Oakland Game would start with an empty arena.

As I was walking toward the back of the very long line, I saw a couple of people who were staying at the Holiday Inn and who I had met over Breakfast this morning. They yelled at me and as we were talking the doors reopened. I looked at my watch and it was 6:25 p.m. Hats off to the Staff of the PPG Paints Arena Staff for turning the arena around in about 30-minutes. 

I had time to visit the concession stand and was back in my seat a little after 7. Come to find out, CBS Didn’t want to start with a virtually empty arena and ended up delaying the tip until 7:30.

When Kentucky and Oakland Tipped at 7:30, the PPG Paints Arena was only about a quarter full. Hopefully, CBS will learn not to schedule late in the afternoon and early in the evening.

The Oakland – Kentucky game was why we refer to this time of the year as March Madness. It was nip and tuck all the way. When all was said and done, the #14 seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies defeated the Wildcats 80-76. To say that Big Blue Nation was Irate and Headed Home. A couple of the Kentucky Fans sitting near me were so upset, they said, that “Calipari needs to be fired immediately, don’t even let him back on the plane.”

A few weeks later, John Calipari would resign of his own accord and become the new head coach at SEC Rival Arkansas. Boy I bet Bud Walton will be off the chart when Kentucky Comes Calling.

The second game of the evening session featured the Red Raider of Texas Tech taking on the North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Wolfpack wasn’t even supposed to be in the tournament, but they won 5-games in 5 days to claim the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championship and claiming the ACC’s Automatic Bid. The Wolfpack’s winning ways continued as they won the last game of the day 80-67.

It was just a little after midnight when I made it out of the Arena and ordered my Lyft Ride back to the hotel.  It was really cold and thank goodness the traffic around the arena wasn’t bad and my driver arrived in less than ten minutes.  My driver was familiar with the downtown area and was able to navigate the maze of street closures and traffic. It took only about 15 minutes for him to get me back to the Holiday Inn. plus, use it was after midnight the ride rate increased and cost me $13.86 plus a $5.00 tip.

Still it was better and a lot warmer than walking. My 2024 NCAA Adventure was off to a great start.

CHANGES TIMES & NOT FOR THE GOOD

As we say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024, it’s time to start planning my next adventures.  I have a few ideas and have begun some initial planning. I am looking at several options and, in the weeks, ahead, some of them, for various reasons will fall by the wayside. Usually, I narrow my plans down to two or three viable adventures. Then it’s time to go about creating a timetable and locking them in.  

One thing that I have realized is just how much times have changed in recent years. Everything from where I stay to how I travel has changed. Hotel, Restaurants and most any aspect of the Service Industry has changed tremendously in recent years. When you get right down to it every aspect of how, when, and where I travel has changed.

It is the popular belief that COVID caused all these changes, but in reality, the reason for these changes is that more and more people have not work ethic and basically just don’t take any pride in themselves, so how can we expect them to take any kind of pride in a job.

As I look back on previous adventures, I came to the conclusion that many of these changes have been caused by the Political Climate in this Country. It is my opinion that Politics are responsible for most of the negative things that we are seeing throughout the country. You are either perceived to be far left or far right. The is no Middle Ground.

One other thing is people do not know how to mind their own business and then get offended when they see something they don’t like or agree with.

Back during my 2021, Dakota Adventure, I was having breakfast in a Hotel in Indiana.  I was sitting at a table alone, Minding my own business. Suddenly, a lady approached me to tell me that she found the shirt I was wearing insensitive and offensive. Wow, Really

My reply was a curt and dismissive, “I don’t care, trying looking somewhere else and Leave me alone.”

She continued to push it by telling me that “I was “Triggering her Anxiety.”

I again replied that “I could care less about her, or her anxiety so please leave me alone.”

Just for the record, the t-shirt I was wearing simply said, “You are so ugly, when you sit in the sand the cats try to cover you up.” 

I have never been or worried about being politically correct and I am too old to start now.

Another thing that has changed due to the political climate is where I stay when traveling.

Back in 2018, I retired from my job that I had held for 43 years. When I retired one of the thing that I wanted to do was Travel. I kicked off my retirement with a month-long adventure exploring Texas.  During that trip I visited all the Major Cities in Texas, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Amarillo and El Paso. I never thought twice about visiting or staying in these cities.

I spent several days staying in and exploring these cities. While I am always aware of my surroundings, I was never concerned about my safety when walking about or traveling in these larger cities. Then, the Political climate changed dramatically, and crime surged in cities across the nation.

To make matters worse, inner-city politicians have handcuffed the police which allows criminals to remain free to prey on their citizens and visitor who visit their city. People who live in or visit any of the major U. S, Cities these days must be concerned for their safety.

For safety reasons, I have chosen to forgo visiting most large cities during my travels. If I do visit, I limit my time to daytime visits and I am certainly well clear of the inner city by the time it gets dark. I no longer book hotels in the city.

Back in 2018 and before, I often looked for hotels in the city where I could easily drive to or take public transportation to the attraction.  During My 2018 Texas Adventure, I stayed in Downtown Dallas and San Antonio. This allowed me easy access to several attraction. In San Antonio, I could walk to The Alamo, and enjoy all the Riverwalk has to offer.

Nowadays I do not even consider staying in the city, rather I look for hotels well removed from the downtown area.  Last year when I took a weeklong trip through Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, I made it a point to book rooms in well outside of the large Cities.

Rather Than stay in Chattanooga, I booked a room in Cleveland, Tennessee, about 30 miles north of the city. Rather than staying in Birmingham, I stayed about 40 miles away in Jasper, Alabama. The last time I went to Nashville, I chose to stay in White House, Tennessee about 20-miles north of the city.

In addition to staying outside of larger cities, there are just some cities that are so crime ridden and nasty that I won’t visit at all. I used to enjoy riding Amtrak into Washington, D. C. and spending a couple of days visiting the monuments and museums. Not Anymore.

Washington is a cesspool of crime and criminal. It is not safe to walk the streets in broad daylight, and you sure don’t want to get caught on the street after day. Once in D.C. I could ride the Metro to just about any place I wanted to go. Not anymore. Crime on the Metro is rampant, and it is NOT a safe means of Transportation.

Places like, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Yor City and Memphis are just a few cities that Have been added to a fast-growing list of Cities to stay clear of. The politicians that govern these cities are aiding and assisting the criminals and are basically just as guilty as those committing the crimes.

Another thing that has changed over the years is where I stay when Traveling. For years I was loyal to the Choice Hotel Brand. Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites and Sleep Inn’s were all under the Choice banner.  For the most part they offered clean, comfortable accommodation at a very reasonable price.

They also had a very generous rewards program for members and for more than 20-years I was a Choice Privileges Member. I racked up points that allow me to book free nights. During my 2018 Texas Adventure, I was on the road more than 30-nights. Of those 30+ nights, I enjoyed 14-free nights at Choice Properties.

However back about 2014, I noticed a change in the quality of customer service at some of the Choice Properties. This caused me to look at other options. So, while Choice was still my go to accommodation, I also joined the Holiday Inn reward program and began staying at Holiday Inn a few nights each year.

I didn’t travel much during COVID, and when I returned to the road, I discovered that Choice Properties had suffered a further decline in not only customer service but the cleanliness and overall condition of the property was by and large unacceptable.

So, Holiday Inn became my go to accommodation, and I stayed only with Choice enough times as to ensure that I wouldn’t lose my Choice Privileges Points. In 2023, after back-to-back bad stays at Choice Properties near Huntsville, Alabama, and Cookeville, Tennessee I pretty much said goodbye to Choice and Now Stay almost exclusively at Holiday Inn and at Hilton Properties. I am a rewards member of both brands and plan to use them exclusively in my future travels.

Finally, there have been tremendous changes in the restaurant industry.  Again, this is due to the political climate and the aftereffects of COVID.

During COVID, many restaurants closed their dining room, offering only take-out and delivery. When the Country Re-Opened after COVID many restaurants found it difficult or impossible to hire enough employees to all them to return to full service.

These staffing difficulties along with government mandates concerning minimum wage made if difficult for restaurants to function normally or even survive. Some small hometowns and fast-food restaurants have chosen to reduce staffing and service. Because of minimum wage mandates, many fast-food restaurants have discontinued inside counter ordering. Instead, they offer only self-service kiosks where customers place and pay for their order. This allows the restaurant to drastically reduce labor costs by hiring less people.

Several time during my travels in 2023, I made my way to a restaurant only to find a sign posted at the door saying, “Closed today due to Staffing Shortage.” And on my 2023 Canyonlands Adventure many of the McDonalds and Taco Bell, had no counter service, only self-ordering kiosks.

In addition, the full-service restaurants like Cracker Barrel, Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesday, service is often slow due to staffing shortages.  Several Times last year, I found that even though these full-service restaurants were open they were able to operate at reduced capacity due to staffing issues.

 As I look forward to my 2024 Travel Adventures, I have no reason to expect that anything will change for the better. If anything, the political climate where the Republicans will further demonstrate they are not capable of governing, and the democrats demonstrate that they want to turn this country into a socialist state.

The good old day where a person could travel free and without fear are long gone. But I plan on continuing to travel and my 2024 adventures are taking shape. So, stay tuned.