Way Back Machine - '73 - Griswold Family Vacation

Old Tucson

The way back machine takes us to 1973 today for the Reeves' version of "the Griswold vacation." Three kids with attitudes and two parents telling themselves "never again" after the week was up (joking, we did in fact do it again later in the decade) heading west to visit my grandparents in Tucson, Arizona. We didn't see the biggest ball of string but did see "Old Tucson" for some gunfight re-creations, the Grand Canyon and the grandaddy of them all, a trip to the Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse. The place is famous for cutting the neckties off of customers and pinning them to the wall. I looked it up and they are still cutting ties off today. The outstanding leisure-wear you see below was just before our trip there. The GQ of the 70's...not.

Trail Head



bro and sis do NOT look happy





bro in the distance getting his tie cut off - sweet lamb chops on my dad



Last Float For Summer Calendar

nightcrawler harness - 17"

I'm not sure if it was the warm front coming through or the southwest winds stirring it all up but the lake of a thousand casts, Dunham, served up some nice keepers Saturday morning for Doke and I on the last official weekend of summer. For all the 10 to 13 3/4 inchers that this lake normally produces, I'm not even going to question it as doing so is doing the impossible. The lake should be re-named Lake Anomaly.

The lure of choice for me was a mix of a nightcrawler harness to troll with and a pink wacky to throw. Both did quite well with the pink grabbing a monster that I "horsed" near the boat and lost. Wa wa.... There is your fish story for today. Doke, meanwhile, went with the crankbait angle the entire time; one lure, and would have had quite a bag to present had we been keeping the fish.

Thanks go out to Al for the portage.

Trail Head





tough doing the fish selfie out of the kayak as Doke shows

 

Nine Live Radio

In a postscript to the Chip float last weekend, the radio did indeed survive the drink in the river I am happy to report! This radio, which I've had for probably 25 years, is the Rambo/Jason of Friday the 13th/Freddie Krueger of radios; it will not die! It has also taken a drink ice fishing, been dropped, thrown, dropped again, and survived that as well. And yes, that is a file for the antenna. Are you going to get crystal clear digital tuning with Bose surround sound? Yeah.....no. One speaker and a wobbly tuning button will get you where you need to go, however. Keep on keeping SoundDesign!

Trail Head

 

 

Chip Floatin'

The mountain town called four former Chippewas this weekend for the annual Chippewa River float. We've been doing this for about a decade now and I was wondering on the drive up why the canoe rental owner doesn't recognize us by now. Well, the first words out of his mouth as we approached the rental office were "I remember you" so I guess our mark has been left. We even striked a pose for his Facebook page (noted below; yes cheesy).  The river did not disappoint as Al and Doke probably brought in 40-50 per angler under optimal weather conditions. I got my quota (one). Besides my radio taking a drink in the river, which I'm confident will live another day, no casualties to report.

Good time; good people.

Trail Head 



pose for the canoe rental's Facebook page