Team Crusty

Team Crusty is Back!!!

2011-05-31T11:35:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true: Team Crusty is back in action. Having participated in Bike the Drive on Sunday, Team Crusty is now setting its sights on the Tri State Tour, a bicycling extravaganza that begins in Hammond, IN and ends in Kenosha, WI.* Three states in one day!

Crusty Cheryl is going into training mode for the ride by heading off to Greece for 2 weeks of relaxation in the sun. Crusty Bill will train equally hard by riding down the hill to the lake and hitching rides back to the top. With only 6+ weeks before the ride, these training activities are crucial!

* assuming Crusty Bill remembers to register....

Training

2008-04-24T13:49:00.002-05:00

Time to break out the bikes. Plan on starting a running regime again of some sort and it does feel nice to be back on the bike. Although I literally tried to break it, the chain popped off and shredded my chain guard. Arg. Polkagrl has been having some bike problems of her own!

Apple Cider Century 2007

2007-10-01T17:21:00.000-05:00

Wow! It was a great weekend for Team Crusty at ACC 2007! The weather was beautiful for a ride, and despit various ailments of the past weeks the team finished another 50 miler in 5 hours. This, of course, included madatory food breaks. It was a gorgeous ride and a lot of fun, people are in much better moods when it's nice and warm! Thanks to Three Oaks Spokes and fellow teammate Crusty Marcia for running another great ride. We're planning to extend our ride next year to a century... a metric century that is... 62 miles! Pics of the event are here.

Unfortunately this looks to bring an probable end to Team Crusty's 2007 season... Stay tuned for more adventures in 2008!

Boulevard Lakefront Tour

2007-09-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

It was perfect weather for a bike ride, and Team Crusty hit the streets of Chicago early in the morning for the Boulevard Lakefront Tour. The route followed the boulevards of Chicago in the early part, past Goose Island Brewery (a SAG stop, but no free beer) through downtown and down the lake, which looked gorgeous! The ride ended with an excellent lunch, some beer from Goose Island Brewery and some interesting music from Mucca-Pazza. Photos will be posted soon to see. Team Crusty decided not to try to win this event and rather use it for training for the next event, the fabulous 50 mile ride through the roads of Southwest Michigan! Go Team Crusty!

Woe is Team Crusty!

2007-09-07T00:03:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty made a valiant attempt at the High Trek Adventure a couple of weeks ago, but got thoroughly stumped on one of the clues in the first set. Having headed to two incorrect locations and lost a great deal of time, we were unable to get to 5 of the 6 locations in the second set of clues.

We drowned our sorrow in a free beer (always good for drowning sorrows!) after the event. And amusement over the "Mouse Cake" on offer at the fine establishment serving as the base for the event. Many, many thanks to our Team Crusty Support Crew: Dad, Marcia, Dan and Mom.

You can see our great pictures here.

Next up for Team Crusty: the Boulevard Lakefront Tour (BLT) and the Apple Cider Century (where still plan to finish and win)! But wait, there's more! 2008 promises more, exciting races... and dare we say, a much larger Team Crusty! Stay tuned!

Ready... Set... Hold on, just one more sip...

2007-08-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

Less than 48 hours to Team Crusty domination! Yes, this is the last chance to get in on the Team Crusty Support Crew. Contact us before Saturday if you haven't already joined the team, we need as big of a brain as we can get! For those watching at home, we will have blow by blow details of the race after Saturday! Go Team Crusty!

Team Crusty Hits the Streets of Chicago!

2007-07-04T17:54:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty will be hitting the streets of Chicago on August 11th as participants in the High Trek Adventure! This event is similar to the Urban Challenge we did a few years back - we will be answering trivia questions to obtain clues to locations we need to race to and photograph.

Stay tuned!

Locust Street Beer Run

2007-06-10T23:56:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty (with newly accompanying member CrustyMarcia) successfully completed the Locust Street Beer Run, despite daunting challenges that included a bum knee, sprinklers, a late start time and an extra beer stop (ok, so that was time well spent!). It was perfect weather for a run, a beautiful sunny day. Team Crusty managed to complete the 1.8 mile course in a mere 35 minutes - woohoo! Imagine if we actually ran it! A half hour is the new goal for 2008. :-P

Team Crusty finished of the event with lunch and a beer at Cafe Hollander. Dee-lish!

See Team Crusty's photos of the event here.

Beer Run 2007 is upon us.

2007-06-06T12:35:00.000-05:00

After much excrutiating training during the last... years... Team Crusty is ready for the Beer Run! Well, except for the whole running part. PolkaGrl has proposed that we run every leg in a different style – backwards, skipping, sprinting, etc... which is probably better than my proposal for the legs:
1: Running
2: Slow jog with a slight grimace
3: Walking with a expression of pain
4: Limping while cussing

PolkaGrl goes to Croatia!

2007-05-04T09:59:00.000-05:00

Good luck to TeamCrusty team member PolkaGrl as she ventures to beautiful Croatia. It should be great!

Team Crusty Turns Up the Training

2007-03-13T17:44:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty, as you already know, needs to be ready for anything. And with the warming weather, that means training season has begun! CrustyBill, having sustained an injury during a skiing exhibition (attempting the dreaded, avoid-the-six-year-old manuever) has been making a steady road to recovery. The bike is out now and hopefully running will begin soon with his newest training partner, CrustyMarcia. PolkaGrl will also begin her bike training soon assuring a glorious victory in the ACC2007!

Team Crusty 2007

2007-01-08T11:28:00.000-06:00

Schedule so far...

June: Beer Run

September: ACC again? Will Team Crusty finally finish?

Stay tuned!

Happy Crustmas!

2006-12-18T15:00:00.000-06:00

Reunited

2006-11-27T11:48:00.000-06:00

and it feeeeels so gooooood! G.Nome traveled to Milwaukee for Thanksgiving to visit Ed and reminisce about old times.

From Thanksgiving ...

The two chatted about their European travels and, trouble-makers that they are, got into the booze...

From Thanksgiving ...

Luckily, they were too tired (ahem, hungover!) to wreak havoc with the credit cards on Friday!

Team Crusty ACC pictures are here!

2006-10-31T20:47:00.000-06:00

The moment you have all been waiting for... the Official Team Crusty ACC pictures are now available! Check them out:

Team Crusty at the 2006 ACC

Team Crusty invades ACC 2006

2006-10-02T17:47:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty is victorious once again! The competition at the 2006 Apple Cider Century in Three Oaks, MI trembled in fear at the sight of Team Crusty and their new official team Tuques. Passing multitudes of bikers, Team Crusty, finished 50 miles in under 5 and a half hours. Team Crusty, slightly beaten and sore, triumphantly glided across the finish line... er... wait. Oh noes! Team Crusty forgot to cross the finish line! Ahhhhhhh!

Team Crusty where art thou?

2006-09-14T16:33:00.000-05:00

Where have we been you might ask? What adventures have kept us from posting you want to know? Unfortunately that information is classified as Top Crusty. Okay, I just made that up. We've just been busy, but that doesn't mean we don't have things coming up... The DVD of our adventures in Europe will soon be completed (hopefully). And in the beginning of October, we will again be riding 50 miles in the Apple Cider Century ride. On Big Wheels. Well, probably bikes.

Team Crusty Europe Video World Premiere

2006-08-03T10:05:00.000-05:00

On July 21st, Team Crusty traveled to Riverview, MI for the premiere viewing of Team Crusty's Europe video! We didn't bother with a red carpet, preferring to keep it low-key... Busia and Dzia-dzia seemed to enjoy the video - Busia repeatedly commented on recognizing names from Dzia-dzia's letters, while Dzia-dzia not only remembered the names but also recognized a number of places: the Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg, Hollenfels Castle (kind of).

One place that made a big impression on Dzia-dzia - which was a bit of a surpirise to us - was the former Army hospital in Liege. He kept saying things to the effect of "I'll be - the hospital!" during that part of the video. CrustyBill and I were so glad we'd looked for and found it!

All in all it was a great experience to share the video with Busia and Dzia-dzia. It was nice for Dzia-dzia to see all of these places again, 60-some years after he was there. And it was satisfying for us to fulfill the purpose of our trip (no, it was not beer tasting - that just happened to work in well!). Kudos to CrustyBill for an excellent job on creating the Team Crusty video, a.k.a. one of the least boring, most-polished vacation videos you'll ever see!

Aachen! Doors!

2006-07-11T15:24:00.000-05:00

Hello! It's been a while... A small snippet frpm Aachen, Germany for you.

See the Official Team Crusty European Tour photos!

2006-07-03T09:58:00.000-05:00

At last, the OfficialTeam Crusty European Tour photo album is online. Check out every thrilling moment and every delicious meal! And if you have a taste for a beer afterwards - don't blame us!

Urban Tadpole Domination!

2006-06-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

Well, the meaning of domination is completely relative. But Team Crusty persevered just fine in the Urban Tadpole thank you. Despite some unforseen complications like the running being further than expected, Team Crusty finished all the tasks, enduring incredible heat. Camelbaks performed beautifully throughout the race tho, providing much needed nourishment. Crustiness was achieved, tiredness was definately achieved and the drinking was much deserved.

Focused Energy Please

2006-06-15T23:44:00.000-05:00

Ok, Team Crusty is going to need your help this Saturday. The Urban Tadpole takes place and we need the concentrated energy of all our readers/viewers/webbers (eh... whatever)!!! We need you to focus your energy on Team Crusty so they can crush the competition, or at least make them think that we might be able to. Seriously... like you should be lying on a couch, almost in a comatose state. We need all the energy we can get!

TC Europe Part 2: Wet Croissants

2006-06-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

TC Europe Part 1: In the Beginning

2006-06-10T09:09:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty Satellite Technowonder™

2006-06-06T17:29:00.000-05:00

Using the latest technology available to Team Crusty, the fabulous Team Crusty Satellite Technowonder™ , follow the path taken the previous month. It's fabulous, it's fasinating, it's something to watch at work!

Brought to you by Google Earth

Stairway to... our hotel in Paris

2006-06-05T22:30:00.000-05:00

Okay... to keep you all happy, here's a bit on our hotel in Paris. Oh it was a fine and affordable place...

Funny moments

2006-05-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Travel always involves humourous moments - some intentional, some not. I thought we'd list a few of the funnier moments from our trip here:

At the hotel in Paris, asking the desk clerk about internet cafes. She had no idea what we meant, until: "Internet? Internet? Ohhh, een-tair-net!" Apparently our French accent was off!
The urinals in Verdun (see picture above).
CrustyBill trying to subtly take the bartender's picture - over his shoulder - in Luxembourg.
The big asparagus statues by the side of the road. Asparagus in Germany is white. Yeah, it looked a bit.... odd.
Being unable to work the luggage lockers not once, but twice, in Belgium. We don't do well with Belgian lockers. Not funny then, but a little perspective helps!
That huge Hoegaarden glass in Brussels! It was more like a bucket!
That darn tour train! It kept following us.... and it never stopped! Where did it come from?!?!? -cb

Wow, I'm glad I lugged that home!

2006-05-22T11:04:00.000-05:00

As you may already know, we stopped by Cantillon Brewery For anyone that is a beer lover, especially of Lambic style beers, this tour is a must when visiting Brussels. The process they use to make their beers is more like wine making, some of their beers taking up to 5 years to age in oak barrels. The taste is more bitter/sour, but very good and not as rich and sugary as the more corporate Lambics styles. The self-guided tour was excellent, we liked the tasting the best! At the end we decided to bring home 3 beers each, costing us about 11 bucks for each three pack. Last weekend I went to a bar that actually carried Cantillon (they have small distribution in the States), and I could have bought one bottle there for... 24 bucks! Holy Schmloley! Looks like I'm gonna be going back to Brussels with an empty suitcase!

Decompression

2006-05-19T10:16:00.000-05:00

Just so you know, we definitely aren't done posting stuff about the trip. We did see some cool historical things we would like to talk about more, as well as post some photos and video of the trip. We're also adding in links to previous posts that we didn't have time to add while on the road.

It was really cool to see some of the place our grandfather might have seen, even if they look a lot different from when he was there. The museum in Diekirch is a must for any WWII buffs.

And oh yea, I made it home safe and sound yesterday. Thanks to Megabus! (Only 8 bucks, can't beat that!)

Team Crusty's Europe Tour: By the Numbers

2006-05-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

Days traveling: 9
Cities visited: 11
Legs traveled by air: 5
Legs traveled by train: 6
Legs traveled by bus: 2
Legs traveled by car: 4
Legs: 4
Miles flown: 8895
Miles travelled via land: oh, I can't add that high!!!!
(over 1,250 km/780 miles - cb)
Miles travelled by foot: a whole heck of a lot
Beers (types) consumed: 20?
Beers brought home: 9
Waffles consumed by CrustyBill: 17
Frites consumed: 10 lbs.
Museums visited: 4
Pictures taken: 100+
Video taped: 2.5+ hours
Notre Dames visited: 3
Postcards mailed: 40

Team Crusty's European Tour Concludes

2006-05-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Well folks, Team Crusty has made it home (I think - more on that in a minute). We had a lovely afternoon and evening in Brussels, taking in sights, beer and waffles (I think CrustyBill had about 20!). We wrapped up the day with a beer on a restaurant patio in the town square, which was a tad chilly but beautiful.

No hitches getting to the airport or on our first flight yesterday... but after hanging out in JFK for 5 hours we ran into the curse that is O'Hare and bad weather. Our flight was delayed, eventually leaving at 10 pm and arriving in Chicago at 11 pm Central. Of course everyone else's flights had been delayed as well so there was an obscenely long line at the cab stand! Ah well, thank godness for CTA. We got to Polkagrl's apartment at 12:30 a.m., 24 hours after stepping out of the Hilton in Brussels.

Although Polkagrl was home, CrustyBill still had a ways to go, and after catching some zzzs headed to Union Station to try the new Megabus service to Milwaukee. Hopefully all went smoothly!

Glad to be home and have the chance to reflect on this fantastic trip. We saw so much that some of it has not yet sunk in! It definitely was a blast.

whew!

2006-05-16T09:51:00.000-05:00

Brussels is great, lots of fantastic shops throughout the city. CrustyBill had a chicken sausage/frenchfry sandwich and Polkagrl had frites with mayonnaise for lunch. And of course.... beer.
Went to a brewery tour in the morning of Cantillon brewery, very nice place with delicious beer. Sad that the trip is ending soon... but don't fret, more is to come!
p.s. we are also bringing home some goodies, including..... beer!

Beer, glorious beer

2006-05-16T02:56:00.000-05:00

Liege was a busy city. We walked a LOT around this crowded city. CrustyBill got his Gaufre (waffles), Polkagrl got her crepes with Nutella, both had a wonderful (large) apple tart and of course beer.

Liege wasn't too picturesque but there was a lot to see...

For dinner, we had a humungous sausage and onion sandwich with a beer on the street and then grabbed the train to Brussels. Our hotel was small, but nice... and close to some more beer and the pee pee guy (a.k.a. Manneken Pis).

Au revoir, le car

2006-05-15T05:41:00.000-05:00

After another delicious breakfast of rolls, cheese, eggs, meat, and Nutella, Team Crusty hit the highway for their last drive in Europe. We arrived in Liege ahead of schedule and easily found the former hospital of the U.S. Army (now a school). Then it was off to the train station to store luggage, Hertz to return the car, and an internet cafe to.... POST THESE ENTRIES! (We have been desperately missing our Internet fix!)

Now that we are back to transport by foot & train, we are off to have a beer....

Alten Kirchen, Neuen Kirchen (old church, new church)

2006-05-15T05:26:00.000-05:00

Had a wonderful German breakfast on the morning of the 14th. We left and headed onto the autobahn to Koln. Woohoo! Ed was hung over so CrustyBill drove. Landed in Koln around 10:30 and headed to der Dom, a huge, 700 year old church. absolutely gorgeous. Climbed the stairs (almost) to the top! Lunch was at a Brewery Beerhall, which was excellent even tho we weren't hungry. (picture to come) We didnt stay too long as we had to head north to Neuenkirchen around 3. Got there a few hours later and we were so happy to find it! We went to the distillery where Iggy and his company would sneak some drinks. It's expanded and still brewing. This was the best dinner yet, could not finish it all. Polkagr talked with the owner of the place (in German! I want credit for holding a conversation in German! -pg) and he took us to where the actual distillery and sold us a bottle for Iggy. Definitely the highlight of the trip. Drove back late and crashed in the hotel around midnight. Liege and Brussels next!

Hollenfels to Aachen

2006-05-15T05:10:00.000-05:00

Driving from Luxembourg city to Hollefels turned out to be quite an adventure... adjusting to the local road marker system at night truly tested Team Crusty's navigation abilities! Luckily Crusty Bill is not averse to asking directions, and we made it to the hostel with 10 minutes to spare (whew!).

We had a yummy breakfast in the morning and took lots of pictures and video of Hollenfels Castle, which was literally right next door to the hostel. (more pics & video to come....)

We set off for stop #1 of the day, Diekirch. The scenery on the way was gorgeous - hilly and very green. Diekirch turned out to be an adorable little town, so we walked around a bit before heading to the museum. The museum was HUGE and there was so much to see, it took us almost 2 hours to get through. We had a tasty lunch afterwards!

From Diekirch we headed to Bastogne for a beer stop, where Polkagrl had an interesting beer glass, and to see the monument and museum there. After Diekirch, this museum was a bit anticlimatic (but still very interesting). We climbed to the top of the memorial, which gave us a great view of the area. Afterwards, it was off to Aachen!

Luxembourging

2006-05-12T12:46:00.000-05:00

We walked all over the city of Luxembourg today (literally!) and picked up our car for the next few days. We got an upgrade to a Ford Focus (not the kind in the US). We had some great food (lots of wurst for CrustyBill) and great beer today.... even an NA on accident! People are nice and MUCH easier to understand... although the tourist office could use some help!

We're heading to Hollenfels for the hostel as soon as I sign off... Our feets are so tired and ready for a car ride.

The Wurst Day

2006-05-12T03:52:00.000-05:00

In Luxembourg today, got up super early, nice train ride though.... and still a full day ahead. No internet in Verdun, so we're catching up!

Verdun That

2006-05-12T03:46:00.000-05:00

Woke up and had a great breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards walked to get bakery treats for our trip to Luxembourg tomorrow. Visited the Citadel, which was pretty amazing from WWI. We had lunch from a bakery of cheese and bread for Bill and quiche for Cheryl, how can you go wrong with that? Visited Verdun's famous almond candy factory in the afternoon after we got our train tix. The tour was all in French, so we learned they make stuff there.

Had some beers along the Meuse river and then dinner at the restaurant next to the Hotel in the back patio. It would have been romantic if we weren't brother and sister! Early train in the morning so after a short post-dinner walk, we hit the sack!

Verdun There

2006-05-12T03:43:00.000-05:00

We did have some great duck and wine in Paris for dinner...

Left Paris early and grabbed some bread, cheese and meat for the train. The train went as far as Châlon-en-Champagne and then we switched to a bus to Verdun. Arrived in Verdun around 3 pm and grabbed a room at the first hotel we saw. Walked around town, very nice, hard to imagine this town saw so much conflict. Had a wonderful dinner of steak and ham and a dessert I dont know how to pronounce. Went to the microbrewery till midnight and had some excellent French beer. (Ed and G.Nome got a bit too rowdy at the bar.)

Everyone has been incredibly nice and accommodating to our poor language skills. Thank goodness for that, as very few people speak English here!

Wet and French

2006-05-09T16:11:00.000-05:00

After 12 hours in planes and airports we left for France, in Business Class! WOOHOO!

We arrived to a wet Paris at 9:30. After getting a hotel we trekked around the city in a drizzle, to see Notre Dame, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triumph (from a distance) and too much coffee. More Paris and on to Verdun tomorrow. Ed and G.Nome are starting to get too comfortable with each other.....

Yawn!

2006-05-08T05:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we're leaving a bit earlier... which is probably okay since I was planning to get up earlier to lessen the jet lag. We leave for the airport in about an hour and we're on our way! Woohoo!

Yep, Crusty Bill, one week!

2006-05-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

Looks like Crusty Bill and PolkaGrl are on the same wavelength - hopefully this bodes well for the trip!

Team Crusty wants to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has given us support (moral, immoral, and otherwise) in this endeavor. We're not going to do any shout-outs here, just a general note of appreciation - you know who you are. Well, maybe we'll do official Team Crusty sponsorship labels on our luggage. Like NASCAR cars. Ha ha I think Bill will kill me if I ask him to do any more artwork before we leave!!!!

Which reminds me, I wonder if my official t-shirt is ready or if I should adjust the t-shirt count for packing? And is one pair of shoes per day too many? We are taking a sherpa with us, right? Right?

What? One Week!

2006-05-01T16:47:00.000-05:00

Holy Schmoley! It's down to wire now. I've never been gone this long and I'm trying to make sure I get everything done. I am also learning fast how to pack a lot of stuff into a teeny bag. Need enough room left over to bring back goodies of course! (but then that's what the mail and the magical expanding duffel bag are for!) We're planning to meet our friends from Germany, Heike and Andre probably in Aachen, so that should be fun. Although I will definitely get picked on for my German not getting any better. Also, it's very comforting know we can contact the Team Crusty Support Crew (Marcia) if we run into any trouble!

I think we're almost ready!

CrustMobile (undeleted)

2006-04-30T11:28:00.000-05:00

Looks like the Smart car may not happen in Europe (never giving up tho). So Team Crusty's ride will most likely it will be the diminutive VW Polo! ...or whatever the rental agency decides to give us at the time.

Get to know TC: Lil' Ed

2006-04-28T11:16:00.000-05:00

Lil' Ed, although quiet, is known to be quite mischevious while traveling. His antics on trips have been a constant source of amusement and bewilderment for many of his traveling companions. Although he considers himself a skilled driver, his driving skills will be put to the test on the confusing streets of Europe. Lil' Ed is looking forward to chumming it up with his new found friend, G.Nome.

Get to know TC: G.Nome

2006-04-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

A quiet and studious fellow, G.Nome is well known for his support of the Garden Gnome Liberation Front . He has gladly been a traveling companion of PolkaGrl for some time now and is often found hamming it up for the camera (although many times out of focus). His organizational skills are essential to Team Crusty on Mission:WWII. G.Nome hopefully have a good influence on Ed, although their common love of the liquored arts may become a problem.

Only 2 more weeks....

2006-04-24T11:09:00.000-05:00

Holy crap! In two short weeks, Team Crusty will set off on our great adventure through Europe. After more than 7 months of anticipation and (sporadic) planning, it's hard to believe that it's almost time to actually go on the trip. Better start making the packing list (ha ha already wrote mine! And yes I know I'm a little, um, obsessive) and photocopying all of our travel info.

Oh yeah - we managed to take care of our last remaining hotel booking. So, in Brussels, we will be staying at the Hotel Galia one night and splashing out at the Hilton Brussels City for the final night of the trip (thanks to Hilton HHonors points!).

SLIM shirts

2006-04-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

Just in case you want a swell shirt similar to what we we will be sporting in Europe, head over the store and pick up your SLIM EUROPE 2006 shirt. If you hurry you will actually have one before Team Crusty does. *ahem*

Uniform Crusty-ness

2006-04-07T13:31:00.000-05:00

See, we are a real team... we have matching shirts even. Oh yeah! We're sporting the newer, slicker (slickier?) Team Crusty racing logo at last years ACC ride. And as far as you know, we won that fair and square!

Crustastic Music?

2006-04-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

In case you all haven't figured it out, the little Team Crusty logo up the has both a on/off button (the lower left hand corner) and a music selection button (top left), Ed prefers the bagpipes. I was wondering just how annoying you guys think it is. Discuss!

Team Crusty Screentest

2006-03-24T07:42:00.000-06:00

Oh the hijinks that ensue while Team Crusty plans their trip! Well... not really. But this is from our planning weekend in Chicago and a brief test of Team Crusty's new video abilities on the InterWeb!™

Aachen Art Hotel

2006-03-14T11:31:00.000-06:00

These will be our digs while we're stationed in Aachen, Germany: Aachen Art Hotel. From here we will explore Germany, like Köln (Cologne), Neuenkirchen, Spa... and also wash our stinky clothes and relax in the hot springs! Not necessarily in that order.

Coming Soon! (if Europe doesn't kill us)

2006-03-13T16:32:00.001-06:00

Team Crusty enters into urban competition again in the Urban Tadpole this summer. Stay tuned as we bike, run, paddle and whatever else they throw at us to ~~victory~~ somewhere-maybe-in-the middle-of-the-pack but-not-last. This also means Team Crusty has to get out and start training. Which I'm sure will start tomorrow...

Gnome and Ed research breweries for the trip

2006-03-11T22:33:00.000-06:00

The past weekend was jam-packed with research and planning for the trip. We went to the Savvy Traveller and picked up a few necessities, and the Chicago library for a huge stack of guide books. Bill also brought the vast stack of tourism materials he'd received from several of the cities we're going to.

We spent a few hours in the Four Moon going through as much as we could, picking out information we should take along and identifying where we wanted to go. I don't know that I've ever seen anyone in there before with a map of Europe spread across the table! We actually managed to look at it all and get the stack down to a manageable size.

On Sunday, we got a thrill when we finally located information about Neuenkirchen, which is too small to appear in any guide books. It may be small but it looks like there are a lot of restaurants there! And a distillery, which Mr. Ioanes mentioned in his e-mail! This is so exciting.

So 8 weeks to go... I think we'll be ready...!

Luxembourg Hostel

2006-03-07T11:43:00.000-06:00

Here is the hostel we will be staying at in Luxembourg:

Hollenfels Castle Hostel

Tracking the 137th Signal Radio Intelligence Company

2006-03-06T17:04:00.000-06:00

Way back when this trip was a might-happen-someday dream, Bill and I got a copy of the history of our grandfather's WWII unit, the 137th Signal Radio Intelligence Company, from him. One of the members of the unit, Mr. Ed Ioanes, had written the two-volume history. Being a history buff, I found it interesting even before we decided to go on the trip; you can find a summary version of it here.

Once we started planning our actual trip, the unit history was invaluable. We were able to roughly map the path the unit had taken through continental Europe then sit down to figure out what we could cover in 9 days (not much!).

We talked to our grandfather during our visits and looked at his scrapbook from that time to work out what places and sights really stuck out to him, so we could focus on those. We also decided we would try to cover some important historical sites and museums on the way. But there was this feeling that we were probably going to miss some interesting buildings, or wander around aimlessly with the camcorder recording everything in sight (especially after a tasty beer).

And then, ta-da! I was able to get in touch with Mr. Ioanes by e-mail. He sent me a long, incredibly helpful and detailed message with suggestions including some specific buildings that may be of interest in various towns. Very cool.

So our itinerary is filling in... we have a car reserved (not a SmartCar, boo!), one more hotel booked (the Art Hotel in Aachen), and Bill's French is coming along nicely. Okay maybe not so much the last part.

Chocolate, Wine, Beer, Waffles ...and History

2006-02-15T12:55:00.000-06:00

A map for those of you unfamiliar with the region. We will be video taping the trip and hopefully have a über-cool dvd after the trip to show off. There will be firsts of many kinds for Team Crusty: three unvisited countries, the longest trip together by the Team Crusty siblings, the first trip with BOTH Ed and Gnome and of course the excitement of European stand-by flying!

Team Crusty starts planning!

2006-02-15T12:06:00.000-06:00

Yay! We've finally moved beyond "uh yeah, we have plane tickets" and settled on our itinerary, which we developed from talking to Dzia dzia and from reading his unit history. We plan to hit Verdun, Luxembourg, Aachen (with day trips to Cologne & Liege), and Brussels. And we're doing this in approximately 9 days, including travel time, so we'll really be hustling!

The cool thing is that the castle where Dzia dzia's unit was stationed at in Luxembourg is now a hostel, and Bill and I have managed to book ourselves a night there! (The other cool thing about this is that we now have lodging for TWO nights - yippee!)

We're still wrestling with the transportation question. I really want to rent a SmartCar for part of the time (they are so cute!), but we're not sure whether taking trains make sense the whole time, or if we'd be better off renting a car for part of it - in which case, no SmartCar for us.

In the meantime, Bill is figuring out the camcorder (right, Bill?!?) and amassing a collection of materials from various tourist bureaus. We should probably look at that stuff.

Stay tuned for more Crusty updates!

Team Crusty Europe 2006

2005-08-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

Team Crusty heads to Europe in May 2006.

The European WWII Iggy tour will consist of:

CrustyCheryl (PolkaGrl) - historian, interpreter

CrustyBill (CrustyJoe) - navigation, photographer

CrustyEd - driver, beer expert

CrustyGnome - organization, wine expert

Go Team Crusty!

2005-08-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

Follow Team Crusty's Exploits here!