We've come to the end of our first "workcamp" experience-- I should say, Mark's first workcamp, since it was pretty much all him. This weekend winds it up for him, and not too soon either. Iowa is giving us a taste of winter this week with overnight temps in the 20's, so we'll be happy to be heading south in a few days.
It was a profitable venture in two ways. I may have mentioned these things before, but here they are again: First, we paid off some RV repair debt from the first of the year. And second, we booked a cruise for the first of the new year. Mark and I have always loved cruising, and have missed it over the years since we retired. Now we mostly "land cruise" from one place to another.
All that thinking about and planning of cruises got us thinking about the food, which is one of our favorite things about cruising. And that got us thinking about the time we spent in Puerto Rico, which got us thinking about one of our favorite dishes from Puerto Rico, which is Mofongo. Mofongo is a dish made from smashed plantain, seasoned with butter and garlic and topped with meat and a delicious red sauce. And so when it came time to celebrate Mark's birthday, we decided to try out a Puerto Rican restaurant in Des Moines that advertised this delicious dish.
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| Their version of this dish paled in comparison with what we enjoyed in Puerto Rico, but it was still pretty tasty. |
Some day, we may have another opportunity to visit Puerto Rico. It's probably the only place you can get real authentic mofongo. (On my bucket list, provided the world doesn't crash and burn first.)
Besides the free camping, Mark received a few additional perks for his efforts. Adventureland provided him with some free passes to the Park. I took two of them and we enjoyed riding the roller coasters and other attractions on two different occasions. The "Monster" is one of their newest coasters, and it's a doozy! Mark rode it twice. I rode it once, and never again! Another fun ride is the "Storm Chaser." This one takes you up 250 feet in the air and whirls you around a few times before coming back down to earth. Mark tried to ride this. Twice. The first time the ride got stuck about half way up and left us hanging for what seemed like five minutes before coming down again. The second time, he stood in line until we got up to be loaded, and then changed his mind. His fear of heights got the best of him.
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| That twirly thing is the "Monster." The tower at the far right is the "Storm Chaser." The red section at the bottom is where the seats hang. |
The other perk I enjoyed (but he couldn't because of his dairy intolerance) was the delicious fudge. Working in the food service, he was able to bring home end pieces and "seconds," which I enjoyed immensely. I do love my fudge.
That's all I have for now. Our itinerary is pretty weak, but there's not much to it. We're heading to Branson, MO, first for 7 - 10 days (not sure yet), and then straight to Shreveport to spend the holidays with the Hoffman clan (Mark's daughter). I'll be updating the itinerary shortly (for interested persons).
God bless & safe travels to all!
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| Daytime view of the Park from our backyard. |
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| Strolling through the Park in the evening. |
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| Mark loves the Ferris Wheel |
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| The Ferris Wheel all lit up |
