Milwaukee

Towards Friday late afternoon, a friend asked me... so what do you do if you happen to have the weekend off? Well, first of all, I have to share that Parker and I never really talk about that. Truthfully, it is not even in our vocabulary. But the reality of being on the PGA Tour is that it can happen.


So this weekend we decided to stay and make the most of being in Milwaukee. Parker felt like he needed a mental break from golf so we took the 2 days off completely and he didn't even go out to the course. He was tempted to go home and not play in the Canadian Open but after sleeping on it Friday night, he decided that a couple days rest would be just what he needed to prepare for one more tournament week.

We had the chance to catch up on the British Open and had a fishing trip planned for Saturday with some friends on Tour. Unfortunately, the weather changed our plans so we all went and saw The Dark Night and then went bowling. Basically just a nice "hanging out" couple of days, something that we don't get to do too much of when we are on the road.


This week wouldn't have been complete without some Wisconsin Cheese! On Wednesday before the tournament I went with a friend to visit the Wisconsin Cheese Mart, which holds the largest selection of Wisconsin Cheese - my absolute weakness.




We also visited the Miller Brewery. This was my first experience with a Brewery, I couldn't believe how much beer gets produced & shipped out everyday! The warehouse was 5 football fields long (And yes, it was full!) It was nice to visit the facility when we did because Miller has recently merged with Coors and they will begin expanding the facilities to produce both brands. A tour of a brewery was a unique experience to Milwaukee (even the Baseball team is named after the history of "breweries" in the area).




















Parker and I visited one last Milwaukee staple last week - Kopp's Frozen Custard & Jumbo Burgers! It was kind of like an In n Out - with amazing burgers and and old school burger joint feel.



We have finally made it to Canada, after our flight was canceled last night, we spent an unexpected evening back in Milwaukee. I guess with the amount we travel, we can't complain too much when things like that happen. But then again it is hard to always be at the mercy of the airlines. It's situations like these that really can test our patience on the road. We always try to stay savvy and ahead of the game as much as possible, but sometimes you have to just roll with the punches!

From the East Coast to the Midwest

On our drive to the Congressional Country Club

Parker and I just arrived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has been a great last few weeks on the road... It is hard to believe that we are embarking on week #4!!!





Two weeks ago at the AT&T National we enjoyed a festive 4th of July week in our Nation's Capitol. We were really looking forward to this year's tournament because he was actually in the field. (he was the on site alternate last year and didn't end up getting in). We didn't fit in quite as much site seeing as we would have liked this year but still were able to enjoy a night out in Georgetown and spent some great time with good friends who were also celebrating the holiday in D.C. On the 4th of July Parker didn't walk off the golf course until about 8:00pm because of the rain delays, but we made it back to the hotel just in time to see the view. We actually watched about 6 firework shows from our hotel room that night.

An Evening in Georgetown

Dinner with Friends in D.C.

This past week at the John Deere Classic we enjoyed a nice change of pace. Moline, IL has such a great small town feel. It was nice to escape all of the chain restaurants and surprisingly Parker and I found some incredible exotic cuisine in this small Midwest town. Our favorites were a Thai Restaurant on the way to the course and and Indian Restaurant that we happened to find last year. Moline, IL is also home to some of the best ice cream in the US. One of the highlights of the week was that we were treated to Whitey's Ice Cream in the club house after his rounds. They are famous for their shakes that are so thick that they can be turned upside down with nothing spilling out!

One Last Whitey's Ice Cream Shake

The John Deere Classic

Today Parker played in a Pro Am in Rockford, IL. After Sundays round we all got on a bus that drove us about an hr 1/2 to Rockford. Instead of a typical bus it felt more like and RV...It was a great way to travel! All of the guys hung out and played cards and were able to relax... and I was able to take in the views of miles and miles of cornfields between the two cities.

-Kristy

Staying in the US

Today Parker had his British Open Qualifier in Dearborn, MI. It was another 36 hole day! Since he missed the cut at the Buick so at least he had a bit more time to prepare for this qualifier (compared to the US Open one a few weeks back).

Maple St.
I had the day to myself since it wasn't much of a spectating type of tournament. For me, it was that ultimate "living on the road" day. I had to pack up and check out of the hotel, after checking in only late the night before...(I don't even think we were there for a full 24 hrs?). Then I drove to this quaint little town called Birmingham about 30 minutes away. It had great little boutique shops, lots of restaurants, and coffee shops. I just loved getting walk around. Then I did little errands (I guess just like I would have done at home). I found a tailor to mend something for me in a couple hours, I got a birthday present had it gift wrapped and shipped, and then found a fax machine to send urgent materials before the end of the day... I thought to myself - those tasks seem so normal when you are home, but when you are practically living out of your car in foreign town... you have to be a little creative and resourceful in order to get everything done.


Unfortunately Parker missed qualifying only by a couple of strokes. I think we were both really hoping to get into this tournament, but I guess the positive side is that he can really focus on his upcoming schedule here in the US. He shot seven under and nine under went into a play off. I am just really encouraged with how well he is playing and am excited for it to all come together in a tournament round very soon.

Now it is off to Washington DC for the 4th of July!