Ranger Dan: 107.1 Tumacacori National Historical Park

Date of Visit: June 23, 2024

Tumacacori National Historical Park Sign

Mission

Mission

My Sketch of Mission

My Sketch w/ National Park Stamps

See full list of Ranger Dan's National Parks Visited here.

Our Koffee Trail: 2nd & Main Coffeehouse

Date of Visit: September 13, 2024

Location: 2nd & Main Coffeehouse, Niles, MI

Mom and Dad visited 2nd & Main Coffeehouse to kill time waiting for their appointment at the DMV for the boat registration.

Mom had coffee flight that included Iced Apple Pie Latte, Iced Pumpkin Brown Sugar Latte, Maple Cheesecake Cold Brew, and Iced Pumpkin Chai. Her favorite was the Maple Cheesecake Cold Brew. She now thinks we should stop here every time we go to the cottage.

To eat, Dad had the Caprese Toast and Mom had apple nachos.

Dad had an Oat Milk Flat White.

Previous Visits to This Coffeeshop:

• July 5, 2024

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Ranger Dan: 106.2 Theodore Roosevelt National Park - South Unit

Date of Visit: June 16, 2024

Dad and I visited the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the morning before the visitor center was open. I sketched Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin. We also drove some of the scenic drive and saw buffalo and prairie dogs. We had done the drive when we last visited Medora in 2007. Thus, we only spent enough there for the visitor center to be open and get the passport stamp (this was where I got my first National Park Passport and starting collecting the stamps in 2007), so we could have enough time to then play mini golf and do the Enchanted Highway that day.

Theodore Roosevelt's Maltese Cross Cabin

My Sketch

Prairie Dogs

Buffalo

Previous Visits to this Unit:

• 106.1 Painted Canyon

See full list of Ranger Dan's National Parks Visited here.

Ranger Dan: 106.1 Theodore Roosevelt National Park - Painted Canyon

Date of Visit: June 15, 2024

Dad I visited the Painted Canyon Visitor Center and hiked a little of the trail down into the canyon.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Sign

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Sign

Painted Canyon

On the Trail

On the Trail

See full list of Ranger Dan's National Parks Visited here.

Our Koffee Trail: Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe

 

Date of Visit: July 21, 2024

Location: Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe, Washington, DC

We heard good things about Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe, which recently opened a location in SW DC, and decided to try it out this morning instead of Dad's usual of The Wharf Starbucks.

I had a Honey Lavender Latte.

I also got a Blueberry Lemonade Glaze donut.

Dad got a coffee and a cheddar chive scone.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Our Koffee Trail: Colada Shop

Date of Visit: July 20, 2024

Location: Colada Shop - The Wharf, Washington, DC

While in DC it's hard to not end up at Starbucks because it opens several hours earlier than the other coffeeshops, so we did go there earlier this week one morning when we did not have any decaf coffee to make on the boat. This morning to go for a walk with a purpose and get my second cup of the day, we went to Colada Shop.

I got an iced Cafe con Leche.

See full list of Our Koffee Trail stops here and Our Koffee Trail Google Maps list here.

Ranger Dan: 42.5 National Capital Parks - Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens

Date of Visit: July 20, 2024

Every time we used to go to Lowe's in DC, we would say sometime we should go to Kenilworth Gardens when we passed the exit for it. While eating lunch Dad was going through his email and discovered that the Lotus and Water Lily Festival was this weekend. We knew it would likely be crowded, but it seemed a good time to finally visit.

Parking was a little difficult. Also, it did rain most of our visit, but that might of helped some with the crowds. The rain was mostly light and the water on the giant leaves was fun to watch.

We enjoyed seeing the Lotus blooms and one or two water lilies. It was interesting to learn a little about the history of the aquatic gardens and the woman that ran it before it became public land.

See full list of Ranger Dan's National Parks Visited here.

Visitor Center

Lotus Bud

Lotus Buds and Lotus beginning to Open

Lotus Opening

Fully Open Lotus

Ranger Dan with Fully Opened Lotus

Ranger Dan with White Lotus

Fully Opened Lotus

Ranger Dan with Marsh Land

Blooming Lotus

Water Lily

Ranger Dan with Water Lily

Mini Golf Adventures: Pixar Putt Wharf DC

Date of Visit: July 19, 2024

Location: Pixar Putt, Washington, DC

Several years ago we were going to do Pixar Putt in Chicago and even had bought tickets, but then we did not end up going to Chicago and when in Chicago later that summer we had heard it was not that great and did not want to pay for it again. At $30 a person, I was kind of hesitant to do it in DC, but Dad and I got done with organizing the storage unit with several days to spare before the U-Haul truck rental and the weather was actually not to bad (warm, but not so humid). Since it was right there by the marina and we could just go back to the boat, we did not worry about making reservations because it cost extra to book online and we ended up a few more bucks with the senior/military discount.

Overall it was fun Pixar theming and do not regret doing it, but we do agree with the impressions we had gotten before that it is not really worth the high cost. The holes are definitely interesting, but they are also very challenging. Part of the challenge is that it is not all turf, but some of it is the playground rubber surface that really affects the way the ball rolls. What was most annoying, though, was that there were several holes that there just was not enough space to stand to hit the ball. This happens at times at many mini golf courses, but usually it is only when you end up hitting your ball to an odd spot and here the issue was at many of the starting spots. There were also several holes where there was not enough room for the ball to go in from certain angles because the pin was not centered on hole.

Hole 1: Toy Story

Hole 2: Turning Red

Somehow a Par 2, but you have to first get it through the angle between the feet and then opening to hole is off to side

Hole 3: Wall-E - encourages you to hit it hard to go around, but that just leads to it bouncing totally off course

Hole 4: Monsters Inc

Hole 5: Toy Story 4

Hole 6: Finding Nemo - I got it in with it stuck between pin and edge of hole, but then Dad had a lot of trouble because there really isn't enough room on backside of pin for ball to go in.

Hole 7: Incredibles - This one was interesting in that there were four different holes you could go for (one under each claw).

Hole 8: Ratatouille

Hole 9: Toy Story - This hole was kind of weird in that you dropped the ball in the hole instead of putting to start.

Hole 10: Cars - This one had a loop to go through the 95. Dad could not get it to go around even after several tries (no one was behind us and we had to wait for the next hole).

Hole 11: A Bug's Life

Hole 12: Coco - This hole was complex with you first going down the neck of the guitar and then having to come back around to go over the guitar to where the hole is. 

Hole 13: Inside Out - This is another hole you drop your ball to start. There are two different ramps it could roll down as well as two other openings at the bottom. Dad ended up with it going down one that made the ball bounce off course.

Hole 14: Onward

Hole 15: Lightyear

Hole 16: Soul - This one you put the ball at the top of the stairs and tap it to go down. Tap too hard and it will probably end up off course. The change to the turf around the hole totally brings it to a stop, though.

Hole 17: Luca

Hole 18: Up - This one is quite hard to get the ball in the house and not bounce out. The staff then cranked the house up and over to drop the ball down the falls towards the hole.

Final Scores

• Kj - 62
• Dad - 67

See full list of our Mini Golf Adventures here.