Wandering Wahls

One of the reasons I enjoyed being stationed in Okinawa is that living on the little island made me feel remote from the problems of the States – it was like we had the benefits of being an American but didn’t have the daily intrusion of crime stats, actresses being jailed, famines, plagues, locusts (well, you know what I mean). Living in the states though, I woke up to this blaring headline today:

“Pentagon braces for much deeper military spending cuts as part of debt deal,” and, word that there’s a “a plan that would shrink the Pentagon’s planned budgets by $1 trillion over the next decade.”

Now, I do concede that there are areas than can be cut (combine the medical services, PCS members after 4 or 5 years, charge O-6 and above fees for their preferential parking, etc.).

And I know that a lot of the politician’s talk is just bumper sticker phrasing – goodness knows that politicians wouldn’t want to offer substantive ideas that they might be held accountable for.

But whenever the issue of cutting defense is brought up, I become concerned about the frequency and ease that specific cuts are directed toward active duty members and their families. As Robert Kagan says: “defense has no domestic constituency.” (It is a relief to know that there is a corporate constituency that legislators will listen to and avoid cutting any military related pork that might harm their reelection funds.)

I may know one reason for my concern: these proposed cuts are usually suggested by groups whose names include important sounding terms like Initiative, Foundation, Institute, Business Board, and Committee for something. And these groups seem to be staffed by budget wonks, Congressional 20-something staffers, senior “fellows” (do their business cards actual read “fellow” as their job title?) and other bureaucrats – all nice people I’m sure, with nice degrees who get nice press coverage, but with probably little or no military time PCSing, TDYing, or deploying.

Thus, cuts to retirement plans, housing, schooling, medical, etc. get tossed around pretty easily without a handle on the impact to the people serving (such as described in this article, “Daddy, Why Is My School Falling Down?”) or the impact on retention and recruitment.

One proposed area of change consistently mentioned is the retirement system and making it mirror the plans of non-military careers. This idea always intrigues me. The military is a workplace that is different than the typical job (on call anytime to deploy down range or for humanitarian reasons, ongoing physical fitness requirements, advanced degree requirements, get promoted or get out, move every 2 or 3 years, etc.). Thus, this type of job requires a retirement plan that is different from the standard workplace in that it is more rewarding, as well as attractive enough to get people to sign on to these conditions. Maybe I’m naïve but if the military changes to a standard retirement plan like non-military jobs, it’s going to be tough to attract people as well as retain the good people.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what specifics come about from negotiations between Congress and the President. But, thankfully, there is a voice for military members that will be involved speaking up for and delivering information to the military member and his or her family – an organization I like to call MOAA.

And, it even has staff who are non-military, wonks, Generals, Admirals, etc. who work hard to listen to and understand the concerns of military members and their families – and are all nice people! (I don’t know if we have any “fellows” though).

We’ve eaten very well and very inexpensively on the “Eating Our Way Across America” portion of our trip. From the $1.75 hot dogs at Coney Island in Fort Wayne, IN to a little joint in Coeur D’Alene, ID whose name I have forgotten. The place only offered hamburgers (with or without sauce), fries, and a drink. The line moved quickly and the food was delicious, and under $2.00 a hamburger. In Tempe, AZ we had fabulous Mexican food at a little inconspicuous place set away from strip malls and trendy areas.

However, we have encountered a few meals where we ask “why?” when discovering the taste/price ratio. These places tend to be in touristy areas where the tourists must feel it is part of the experience to dish out too many dollars for too little taste. A coastal town in California was part of this experience. We heard the place’s (I’ll keep the place nameless) cookies were the best around and worth having with their $4.00 cup of coffee. That price should have given us a warning.

But, since MC and I enjoy a cookie now and then (more of “NOW!” for me actually), we walked over to try the cookies. At first the price wasn’t so daunting, $3 for a couple of cookies – I mean, they had brown butter and sea salt in the ingredients so they must be gourmet (I was trying to not to sound too uncouth otherwise). Two surprises came – they weren’t that tasty and they were small! We had committed to pay for barely more than a quarter-sized cookie! Maybe the sea salt shrinks them.

Oh well, the weather was good and the beach fun. On to eating our way across America!

Let's go get a cookie!

We have made it to RV parks at Air Force, Army, and Navy bases; now, we’ve finally made it to a Coast Guard’s RV Park – and what a delight!

We’re at the Coast Guard Training Center in Petaluma, California, about halfway between Petaluma and Bodega Bay on the California coast. The latter is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed “The Birds.” We saw that movie a few weeks ago by chance, so our stop in Bodega Bay was fascinating to the kids. We’ve also been wary of anything flying that might be flocking around us.

The base is the country’s largest Coast Guard base and they provide training here for such things as medical, cooking, and law enforcement. Since I tend to lead with my stomach when I travel, so to speak, I particularly enjoy the Galley. Given that they are training cooks, the food offerings are extensive and really, really good. If this is the food they serve up on Coast Guard ships, sign me up.

The Training Center is a beautiful base in a prime location. We’re lakeside, nestled among trees with deer roaming around us. We’re also close to the coast and Point Reyes National Seashore (one more Junior Ranger program knocked off, along with a bobcat sighting).

Finally, the friendliness and service of those who serve here has taken us aback. The lead cooking instructor (I’m sure he has a more appropriate title) made sure we were taken care of and satisfied. The Chaplain was friendly and welcoming. And, Mark the engineer came out to thaw our frozen water hose (we hit sub 30 temperatures), and he came back while we were sightseeing to replace a faulty gasket he found in our hose. Wow.

If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by the Galley. But lunch is between 12:00 and 12:15 so be on time.

Other than Whidbey Island, Key West, and Newport, RI, we haven’t stayed at Naval bases. Our stays at these Naval RV parks have been among our best spots though – next to the water, well maintained, good prices, and relaxing. The last couple of weeks though have brought us to new Navy bases (and Marine, they’re all one family, right?). We stopped at Port Hueneme, Seal Beach, Camp Pendleton, and Fiddler’s Cove RV Park (part of North Island NAS). The Navy and Marines have some nice bases. One could come up with a dream tour for these guys: California, Hawaii, Okinawa, Florida, maybe a last stop in Okinawa.

Anyway, one of the places we visited at Pendleton and North Island was the exchange. As an Air Force family, we’ve had to get use to the AAFES BX system and their mundane Food Court selection. After seeing Pendleton and North Island, I think the Air Force might want to consider having the NEX system take over.

First, the NEX stores were well stocked, had a nice bookstore, and looked sharp. More important though, since I tend to travel on my stomach, was the NEX’s Food Court. It was nice to be away from the AAFES regulars and actually have some good-tasting food options: great Chinese, fresh Mexican, and even a “5 Guys” hamburger spot. Our kids have been missing 5 Guys since friends in DC took us to one.

Maybe it was just these southern California bases, but we enjoyed the on-base selections. Good job, Navy. Now, we’re headed inland though, away from the Navy’s presence and back to Robin Hood, Anthony’s Pizza, etc. Maybe we’ll go back to cooking in the RV.

Marines at Camp Pendleton

We made it up to Lac-Saint-Jean in northern Quebec to see our friends in the Canadian Air Force, Chris and Nancy LaRouche. Our friends were stationed in Germany with NATO, and lived in our village; attended our church on base; and, drove the same model Volvo – what a match! We ended up spending the last couple of Christmas Eves with them and other Canadian Air Force members celebrating Christmas in the French-Canadian style: eating “tourtiere” at midnight on Christmas Eve, having Santa arrive, and trying to understand rapid-fire French.

In Germany, we took a couple of trips with the French-Canadian contingent of NATO, but nothing prepared us for our entry into Quebec – it was more foreign that traveling in France. I think France has more spoken and written English than Quebec. Quebec is like a distant, foreign country plopped into North America.

Our friends took us north to camp at Lac-Saint-Jean, which sits on the only fjord in eastern North America. The beauty was spectacular. The best part of this excursion was continuing our “Eating Our Way Across America” segment into Canada (we’ll have to change the name now). We went berry picking and had the best raspberries yet (sorry, New England). The kids were popping them into their mouths left and right. No wonder our boxes were continually empty. It was great to hear the kids exclaim that they wished movie theaters sold berries instead of popcorn.

I can’t wait to hold them to this declaration next time they ask for popcorn at the movies and I pull out my snuck-in stash of berries.

We spent a few nights at Hanscom AFB in order to see Boston. One of our day trips though was back into Rhode Island to see Mary Claire’s good friend, retired Col. Deb Erikson-Owens. She was a former consultant to the Air Force surgeon general and senior certified nurse-midwife in the Air Force. Deb was Mary Claire’s mentor in the Air Force and the person responsible for urging her to enter midwifery after being a labor and delivery nurse.

We first stopped and picked blueberries. You pick and then your basket is weighed when you’re done. So we went off to pick. Actually, we picked a little, ate a little, picked a little, ate a little, picked, picked, ate a lot, and picked a little more. Thank goodness they didn’t weigh each kid before and after picking and only weighed the boxes we filled.

Next up was a stop at the little market across the street for some local pie. We needed to compare Rhode Island berry pies to Maine’s. The findings: well, we’ll have to go back and have some more from each location to figure this out. Oh, we also had a Rhode Island delicacy from Del’s — lemon icees (watermelon for the adults) — man, these were good, even on a misty, cold day.

We ended up at Beavertail Lighthouse for a picnic and, since it was on a coastline, watching the kids explore the rocks and tide pools. They found numerous starfish and, in the spirit of the original 13 colonies, started new colonies for the little guys by gathering them from all over and putting them into “colonies” (as Joe succinctly called it).

The visit was short but fabulous. We’re very thankful for the opportunity this trip has given us to see old friends like Deb (and have Mary Claire get some career ideas about teaching nursing at a university).

Thanks to our friends at MOAA, we had great tips on where to go in Maine. This was, perhaps, the state have been looking forward to seeing more than any other, since we had never been there and heard so many good things about it. I’m happy to say, Maine exceeded all our expectations — in natural beauty, lovely people, and divine cuisine.

Our first stop was Booth Bay Harbor. This is the “quintessential Maine” we were told about. This small village has a long history of lobstering. We hopped on a boat with Dan-Dan the Lobster Man, and spent a couple of hours on the bay learning about the lobster industry and hoisting up lobster traps. The kids loved it. “Heave ho, heave ho, this is the way Dan makes his dough!” we chanted as we pulled up the traps. All this lobstering made us hungry, and it just so happens that Dan-Dan the Lobster Man owns a fabulous restaurant serving fresh seafood, and of course, lobster. What a deal — 1 ¼ lb fresh steamed lobster, cole slaw, and rolls for $14.99. (I’ll have to admit, though, that getting the good stuff from the lobster is a lot of work, and then there was that green stuff, which Dan said was good to eat.)

Who knew that Maine had such great food! Booth Bay Harbor was abounding with restaurants, lobster shacks, and homemade pies. (Prices in this not-so-touristy town were very reasonable.) We made it a point to try every kind of pie we could find: blueberry, strawberry, apple, and whoopee! The Wahls voted whoopee and blueberry as the winners.

I judge holidays a lot by how we eat (as some people might notice). If we can leave an area having had good food, my memories of the stay are fonder (particularly if the cuisine is Asian; the best Indian food I’ve had was in Amsterdam). As you might expect, one of the best parts of our cross-country journey has been finding local eateries that offer delicious local foods. I’ve written about some stops, and they’ve included ($1.50) Coney Island dogs in Fort Wayne, Ind. (this place opened in 1914, and one of my favorite trip memories is having asked a woman leaving her table if the hot dogs were good, to which she replied: “They must be, I’ve been coming here since 1940!”); sumptuous Key Lime Pie at Herbie’s on the Florida Keys; the best Chinese takeout while in Little Rock, Ark.; and the best homestyle cooking at a small diner in Nappanee, Ind.

However, the eating place that stands out so far is in Marfa, Texas. This small town (which I think was named by a guy with no teeth) is famous for its Mystery Lights and the hotel where James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rock Hudson stayed while filming “Giant.” The hotel looked great, and the lights were mysterious, although my oldest thinks someone with a car is in the hills and fooling everyone. However, the best find was Foundation Pizza — for the food and the story.

Foundation Pizza is in a former gas station. We stopped there to eat and kill time waiting for darkness and the start of the Mystery Lights. The place is kind of funky, and the pizza and salad offerings weren’t typical for west Texas — and they were delicious. After the pizza, I was at the counter paying. We were talking with the couple that owned Pizza Foundation about where we were from. That’s always a hard question to answer, but I went into our litany of having no home and of living overseas with the Air Force.

The wife said her husband’s aunt was in Okinawa, Japan, and now lives in Florida. We asked the aunt’s name and she replied Pat Sweeney. My wife’s eyes lit up. Pat is Mary Claire’s oldest friend from the Air Force, having shard three assignments (for Pat’s clarification: oldest in terms of how long they’ve known each other, not age). Mary Claire had even visited with the husband’s mom and stayed with the family. And, we had stayed with Pat twice on our Florida leg of the trip. The husband’s jaw dropped when he realized how close Mary Claire was to Pat and Pat’s family. And here we were in little Marfa, and here was a Sweeney (with the exception of Pat, the Sweeney clan is in the Boston area). What a small world, made even smaller by our military friendships. We like Marfa.

We have finally returned to an area of cell phone coverage; southwest Texas is sparse as far as Verizon coverage goes (does someone out there work for Verizon, I have a complaint or two). Anyway, two thoughts occurred to me as I was driving through west Texas toward Guadalupe National Park I thought I’d share as reflections upon returning to the U.S.

First, it appears that America has lost its ability to create original items. I thought this back in July when gas was $4 a gallon, and I realized U.S. car companies had great pickups and Hummers, while the Japanese had great pickups AND great hybrid cars. I was reminded again as I heard on the radio that Hollywood is remaking a Three Stooges movie (to star Sean Penn and Jim Carrey) and Flashdance — that stellar dance flick from the ’80s. What happened to the Hollywood that made great original films like West Side Story and Hud (I’m thinking of Hud as I drive through west Texas)?

Speaking of west Texas, we’re cruising along U.S. Highway 80, a great byway of pre-interstate years. This leads me to my other thought: I used to like Ike, but not anymore. I am coming to despise the interstate system he developed. It’s crowded and ugly, has 18-wheelers doing 85 mph in the left lane, and stops full of the same restaurants. On the byways, travel is less crowded, less stressful, and faster. Oh, and full of great original food. We just had fabulous mesquite smoked brisket sandwiches at a little gas station at the entrance to Langtry, Texas. What a find!

Enough of my soapbox. I better concentrate on my driving instead of my typing.

The kids (and parents) had their introduction to Mardi Gras and the parades. First, as we were walking through the French Quarter, the Babylon group were being escorted to their hotel in preparation for their parade the next night. The members were tossing beads and hats, and our kids lucked out with both items. That excitement got them in the mood for the real parade later.

From there, we went to the Garden District and ate soul food with a New Orleans twist at Café Atchalfaya. We had a collection of Shrimp and Grits, Sweet and Sour Shrimp, Gumbo, Fettuccini with Crawfish, Potato and Garlic Soup, and Crab Cakes. The meal was fantastic! I think it rates as our best yet on our trip. Plus, the owner was a good guy and chatted with us. He even let us know that Atchalfaya was Choctaw for “long RV trip!” What a coincidence. There’s no better restaurant experience than one with good food and a funny owner.

Finally, we made it to the parade. The Druids were riding by in their floats along with high school marching bands, a band from the U.S. Marine Corps Academy, and floats from the Navy and Coast Guard. The kids really got into collecting the beads, dolls, and cups thrown from the floats — and, no, no one had to raise their shirt. It was a really good time and showed us that even families could safely enjoy Mardi Gras (I was a little concerned before we got to the city).

Finally, I have a new appreciation for the city of New Orleans, and I can see why there has been a concern about making sure it is brought back from Hurricane Katrina. The effects are still evident, from dilapidated buildings seen form the Interstate to empty businesses in the French Quarter. Our visit there, though, showed us what a unique American city New Orleans is and how its history has contributed to the development of our country, especially culturally. After having lived overseas for so many years and appreciating the various cultural activities of Asia and Europe, New Orleans offered us a good opportunity to show our kids cultural aspects created in the U.S. from diverse influences worldwide.

Now, it’s off to Mississippi and Alabama to explore some of the Civil Rights history of our country.