travels

All posts tagged travels

VMUnderground 2010: WUPaaS (Warm-Up Party as a Service)

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on September 9, 2010
Posted in: Technology, Travels, Virualization. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

First off, my hat goes off to both Sean Clark and Theron Conrey for organizing an excellent gathering which mixed geeks, beer and munchies at the Thirsty Bear. I got to rub elbows with Scott Lowe, author of Mastering VMware vSphere 4, which was instrumental in my obtaining my VCP 4 certification this year. I resisted the urge to ask for a photo, but I did manage to get his business card.

Anyway, I think Theron and Sean will need a bigger venue next year. The place was packed with people, but just to capacity. I’m sure interest in this event will grow for next year so I hope they can find a suitable location. Maybe get a few kegs from the Thirsty Bear to keep the tradition going?

Hopefully I can make it again next year. I need to get better at introducing myself to people and socializing. Guess I’m just your average introverted Geek, but I’m working on it!

Night Time Frogs at Honey Creek Resort

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on May 30, 2010
Posted in: Photos, Travels. Tagged: , , , .

Click the photos or go to this set’s Flickr page for larger versions and slide show.

Took a business trip to the Moravia, IA area. Josh More ( www.starmind.org ) and I found these frogs on the shore of Lake Rathbun.

The photos were taken with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens using a tripod for stability and hand held flashlights for lighting. I used the camera’s self timer because I left my cable release behind.
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Just back from vacation, but not ready to be back!

Posted by Kenneth Ristau on October 27, 2008
Posted in: Travels, Writings. Tagged: , .

Over this past weekend, Lori and I took this trip and stopped over in Sparta, WI for one night and Gays Mills, WI for two nights, then back home.

In Sparta, WI, we stayed at the wonderful Franklin Victorian Bed and Breakfast. We’ve stayed there before, but we tried a new room this time — the Franklin Suite. We had an excellent stay and recommend this B&B to anyone.

In Gays Mills (actually, half way between there and Soldier’s Grove), we stayed at The Inn at Lonesome Hollow. This was quite the find, and I hesitate to mention it here for fear that it will become too busy 😉

Lonesome Hollow is tucked back in a small valley of its own, and really gives you the feel of being secluded. I wish we had stayed longer so we could hike and explore around more of the acreage.

While we were in the Gays Mills area, we visited several apple orchards. Most of them were very commercial and easy to find, so they don’t warrant mention here. If you want to go off the beaten path to an orchard with more of a family farm appeal, check out Turkey Ridge Organic Orchard. Here is a write-up with some info about the orchard. Here is a map of the location. We didn’t buy a lot, but the apples were delicious, the cider tasty and the people working there were very friendly.

My only regret is that we didn’t take gobs of photos. I’ve gotten out of the habit of taking photos and need to re-acquire this important skill for trips like this.

Here are a few more maps:

  • The route we took to visit orchards on Friday. This starts at the Franklin Victorian in Sparta, WI and ends at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow in Soldiers Grove, WI.
  • The scenic road trip we took Saturday. The next two routes are more detailed maps of the two side trips we took around Ontario, WI.
  • Route we took Saturday through Wildcat State Park.
  • Route we took Saturday through the Amish area just West of Ontario, WI.