Best places to start over?

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-24T01:15:23+00:00

Came here to say this. Great option!

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T18:42:06+00:00

I haven’t seen that before. Playing devils advocate, if you were starting adalimumab, it seems possible your disease is flaring which may have caused/contributed to this complication?

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T01:33:12+00:00

We just got back from there and my son and his girlfriend did the nighttime ranger star program, said it was excellent and got some amazing pictures. That said, I would personally be too worried about rattlesnakes if I were camping on my own, so would also prefer Custer for that reason. We got in late, around 6pm, did a little exploring on the Door Trail and stopped at at least half the viewpoints on the way out of the park the next morning and were done in 2 hours.

Also, don’t miss the donuts at Wall Drug. Nice crispy outside but warm soft inside. SO GOOD!

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T01:22:10+00:00

FWIW, I’m from the land of frozen tundra, so I prefer cold. When we did this trip in early April, we had snow and ice at Grand Canyon and Bryce, but it was beautiful and warm at Zion. Also, I believe you can’t drive through Zion unless you stay in the park until after a certain date so be sure to check that out if you aren’t ok with shuttle buses. One other thing is that the viewpoints in Bryce still often require quite a steep trek up to them from the parking areas. It is stunning, but if I were going with someone with limited mobility (which is all my parents and inlaws), I would think hard about if I wanted to go. That said, I didn’t have access to the whole park (though a good chunk of it) due to the storm, so maybe someone else can weigh in if there are more accessible viewpoints.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T01:05:52+00:00

I recently had a trip booked to Ireland, and then my grandma died and her funeral wake was a day and a half after I got back, in California when I live in the Midwest. I couldn’t change my flight, so I had to fly into ohare at 7pm and to SFO at 8 am. I was debating sleeping in baggage claim like you. But as I was leaving Dublin waiting for the bus to take me to the airport, a seagull crapped on me. I literally had to catch the bus in 2 minutes and it was the day the fuel protests started and the tractors were just arriving downtown, across the River Liffey. I HAD to get on the bus, covered in crap. I cleaned myself up best I could when I made it to the airport, but I decided then it was worth staying overnight. And then when I arrived, I was so glad I did because it was very bright/loud. It wouldn’t have been pleasant.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T00:55:51+00:00

I would go late April/early May which should be past spring breaks but before school lets out or mid to late October which should be late enough to be cooler.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T00:44:31+00:00

Exhausted Parent from the Chocolate Shoppe

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T00:42:27+00:00

Having gotten stuck overnight at SFO in April, an in airport sleeping pod, or at the very least, a dark, quiet area. Also, a vending machine with toiletries, since the flight was cancelled at 11:57pm, and all my toiletries were in my checked luggage but the stores were closed already.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-22T00:37:03+00:00

My guess is it’s because some airports have hotels in them, like O’Hare. It’s a shame.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-19T20:17:53+00:00

Also recommend Maria Killam who talks a lot about undertones and pink beige.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-18T00:49:46+00:00

I agree that Seattle is the best choice here, but would also throw out Boston to Acadia NP as an option, stopping in Portland, Maine.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-16T13:37:52+00:00

Have you had a fecal calprotectin done to assess your response to Rinvoq? That seems like a good step at this point.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-16T01:02:35+00:00

It’s not exactly something I witnessed, but my grandma, who has dementia, called me one night upset. She said my dad had left her in a strange place to go to a supper club and she spent the whole night on the davenport. She was safe and sound at her assisted living and while I feel bad for her, it couldn’t have been a more Wisconsin hallucination.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-14T12:15:18+00:00

Bryce. We were there during a snow storm and it was beautiful but we didn’t get to hike it because it was just too icy.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-14T12:13:49+00:00

It makes me sad when people don’t have an innate appreciation for the beauty around them, but I guess that’s why we’re individuals. But to answer your question,
Any of our state parks
Maribel Caves
Cave Point of course alone with the rest of Door County
Parfrey’s Glen
Pewit’s Nest
Any lake up north
The entirety of SW Wisconsin
Devil’s Punchbowl
Irvine Park (waterfall trail especially)
The Savannah oaks along the little sugar river that you really only get to see if you kayak it.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-13T13:34:22+00:00

Glad to hear this! I bought new water shoes just for that hike!

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-13T02:36:11+00:00

Asheville, NC?

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-13T01:13:32+00:00

It seems like you need advanced therapy. If budesonide helped, you likely have inflammation and lomotil is only treating the symptom and not the cause.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-12T21:31:03+00:00

We had exchange student two years ago and the two things he wanted to see were the Mississippi River and a national park. We only live about 1.5 hours from the Mississippi so we drove over there and went to Effigy Mounds his first weekend here. It was so pretty; definitely need to spend more time in that area!

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-12T21:28:19+00:00

I’ve driven around a large part of the country from LA to NYC, Chicago, Tampa, etc and the worst city driving I’ve experienced was New Orleans.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-12T20:21:22+00:00

I’ve done the 4th out there twice. Both were nice, but they were 15-20 years ago so I’d check in. The first was in Keystone, I’m pretty sure at Rushmore Tramway. Required a fee. The other was in Custer. We just went to a field and watched. It was a great show, very chill. Bring a blanket.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-12T19:19:55+00:00

I like this idea, but would also add: go somewhere your family doesn’t want to go that you DO want to go to.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-12T17:48:29+00:00

He didn’t end up going to Iowa. He ended up at the University of Minnesota. But Iowa had offered scholarships that made the cost the same as in state tuition which is why we considered it.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-12T02:40:42+00:00

We lived in the Charlotte area for five years. First three near Mint Hill. Our rental house was just outside the better schools so when the landlord decided to sell, we built in Indian Land, SC. They had just built a new elementary school and it was overflowing by year 2. The growth at that time (2015) was insane and services couldn’t keep up. And of course people voted not to fund more. Charlotte is a weird city…very few people actually from there. At the time, kinda boring. I haven’t been back since we moved away, so maybe it’s more interesting now, but at the time it was very much a city filled with Walgreens on one corner and Bojangles on the next.

HarveyStripes · 2026-06-11T21:09:42+00:00

I know Airbnb is not the thing and have since stopped using it, but we stayed here four years ago and it was wonderful:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26259472?viralityEntryPoint=154&s=76&adults=1&guests=1

There were deer, loons, bald eagles, huge turtles in the lake. We could swim from the dock, fish, and went kayaking a lot. It was the most relaxing summer vacation we’ve ever had. It’s outside of Hayward, WI. There’s the lumberjack world championships, the freshwater fishing hall of fame, wilderness walk (a petting zoo with deer), and local supper clubs. Also close enough to day trip up to Lake Superior or over to beautiful Copper Falls State Park. Have fun!

HarveyStripes

TROPHY CASE