Edie and I had the pleasure of attending the BPI "40 Who've Made a Difference" Awards where her father, Leonard S. Rubinowitz, was being honored for his notable service in the public interest. The Awards coincide with the 40th anniversary of Business and Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) , a Chicago-based public interest law and policy center and are intended to "honor 40 of the Chicago region's public interest heroes by shining a light on these exceptional individuals whose efforts have made a significant difference".

1988 Gibson Epiphone Nouveau Spotlight CMT (Curly Maple Top)

This is a guitar I've owned for over 20 years. I purchased it in Grand Rapids, Michigan sometime in 1988. There's very little information available for this particular model online and virtually no markings or serial info on the guitar itself. So I decided to post whatever info I've been able to piece together in case you own a similar guitar and are looking for some background.

This was the second trip Edie and I took up to Door County, Wisconsin. The first was purely exploratory for us and we stayed in the Britannia Bed and Breakfast in the town of Algoma. For our second trip we decided to take a couple extra days and seek a more private, lakefront setting, which we found in the "Whispering Pines" cottage at Sister Bay.

The cottage was just beautiful and as quaint and comfortable as we could have hoped. We had a wonderfully quiet few days there listening to the waves hit the shore just a few feet away and warming ourselves by the fireplace.

We happened to be there during a huge annual festival which seemed to involve only battered fish and beer. Rather than join in, we found a wonderfully stocked specialty store, Top Shelf Cafe & Gourmet‎, which wined and dined us throughout our visit.

On each trip up to Wisconsin, we also have the pleasure of visiting Aunt Toots and Fred, who always graciously open their warm home to us. Its a great place relax, catch up on Rubinowitz family history, and hear a deep analysis on the current season's Packers line-up.

Here's the itinerary and rundown on the road trip Edie and I took in late May, 2008. It was a blast and we had a great time throughout. Below you will find the basic framework and links to the specific days.

Our trip lasted a total of 10 days and by its end we had driven over 3400 miles. Here's how it went:

Well, this was undoubtedly the least enjoyable day of the trip with nothing to look forward to other than a full day of driving, headed into increasingly heavy traffic. We spent a total of 13 hours driving, covering a distance of 832 miles. Alot of that was spent navigating the roads and horrifically bad drivers of the state of Missouri. I've heard that Missouri is the "Show Me" state, but I confess I was yelling "Blow Me!" at the many aloof and unaware drivers I had to deal with. There must be something in the water there which numbs the mind.

Anyway, we gradually made our way up toward Chicago and soon saw the Sears Tower jutting up in the distance. Home at last!

This turned out to be a wonderful trip. Edie was an excellent co-pilot and a comfortable fellow traveler to be with. What a great trip!

Well, its Day Nine of our trip and time to starting heading back on the two-day drive to Chicago. Rather than return the same way we arrived, we took the "southern route", comprised mostly of Interstate 40 due East through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma. But first we stopped by Santa Fe, New Mexico and visited several of the Art Galleries on Canyon Road. My favorite was Gallerie Corazon where we coincidentally found paintings by Tracy Turner Sheppard whose art I really connect with. Her paintings, of course, were all too pricey, but my Sweetie Pie Edie bought me a wonderful calendar displaying prints of her work. (Thanks Edie!).

Once out of Santa Fe, we had a pretty full day of driving ahead of us, taking us as far as we could before it got too late. When all was said and done, we had driven over 9 hours and covered 610 miles. We stopped for the night just West of Oklahoma City, in a town called El Reno. The accommodations at the Days Inn were modest but comfortable. We scooped up the free fruit at the reception area, headed back to our room and watched "300" on HBO. I think we both slept very well that night.

Being the open-minded and amiable boyfriend that I am, I asked Edie what she's like to do while in Taos. I admit I was a bit surprised/intimidated when she came up with things like Helicopter Rides and White Water Rafting! But out of my great love for her (apparently a love which knows no bounds of self preservation) I swallowed my anxiety and made reservations for us with the Los Rios River Runners.

Los Rios offered a variety of rafting options ranging from the placidly tame to the outright DareDevil. I thought it best to opt for the middle path and chose "The Race Course" which on most days is a Class Three (moderate waves to exciting boulder-strewn whitewater). Little did I realize that due to the earlier weather (which we experienced in Colorado) and subsequent run-off our little rafting excursion would be on Class Four waters.

ANYWAY, after driving to the pick-up point, we piled on the bus with the other eager rafters and headed south to our departure point. The group divided into teams of six, each of which would board a raft alongside a raft leader. I admit I was feeling pumped up and excited, so when it came time to volunteer to take the point position at the head of the raft I foolishly raised my hand.

After several ominous warnings about falling out of the boat we set out, practicing our rowing directions at the command of the leader. Things started off very smoothly and I was thinking to myself "wow, this isn't hard at all". And then the leader told us we were about to enter the "race course" (which apparently I agreed and paid to ride). They weren't exaggerating on the part about the "white" water. It was fast, furious and VERY cold. As our veteran rafter barked out commands we paddled hard right, then left, then backwards, then left again, all in the hopes of avoiding the major boulders and watery plummets ahead. We indeed missed a few, but hit plenty of others.

On one particularly steep drop, yours truly found himself staring the raging river in the face and as the raft popped back up out of the foaming divot, so did its plump point man -- up and OUT of the raft!! Finding myself suddenly alone in the frigid, violent waters, I was surprised at how calm I was. I wondered how man other great men have perished by similarly falling out of a rubber raft. At the time, I couldn't think of any. Thanks to a burly, young police officer who happened to be honeymooning in our raft, I was safely pulled back in to all our wide-eyed astonishment. It was then that I opted to let a much younger lad take the point for the remainder of the course.

After our adventure was over, the veteran rafters all patted me on the back and congratulated me for being a new member of the elite Rio Grande Swimming Team.

Well, one things we learned quickly was that the Native Taosians love their roads au naturale, as in unpaved and bumpy no matter how steep or dangerous. We found this out the hard way on what was supposed to be a short relaxing drive to the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs for a day of massages and relaxation.

We took what appeared to be the shortest route, that of "Highway" 567, which cuts across the Rio Grande south of Taos and heads due west toward the Springs. I put highway in quotes because while it is marked as such on maps, it is in fact nothing but a small, narrow, bumpy gravel road which switchbacks up the sheer cliffs of the Rio Grande. I referred to the drive from Colorado to Taos as "white-knuckled and scenic". This, however, was solely white-knuckled as my poor little Honda, even in its lowest gears, barely chugged up the steep inclines we found ourselves on. At one point as we faced a very sharp bend followed by an exceptionally steep climb, I confessed to Edie that I was more than willing to "turn back" (as if that were even possible). She thought it wise to press on and so we did, eventually reaching the top of the cliff. We were both hoping that the mineral springs exceeded their reputation for healing and relaxation, as we both were rather pale and wide-eyed from the drive. I've added some images of the so-called "highway" 567 below.

The Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs has been a popular gathering spot for nearly 1000 years. First used by the Native American Tewa tribes, it later became a favorite location for the Spaniards in the 1500s. In 1886 a sanitarium was constructed and the spa became nationally renowned for its healing waters. Today it consists of 10 pools each with differing types of minerals and ranging in temperature from 80 to 104 degrees. Some are located in rock-hewn grottos while others are expansive outdoor pools. The variety of pools include: The Lithium Spring, the Iron Spring, the Soda Spring, the Arsenic Spring and the Mud Pool.

This was indeed a very relaxing spot and we made as much use of the various springs as time allowed us. Edie and I also got massages at the spa complex and then sat under a star-filled sky in our own private hot spring and kiva fireplace. Very romantic!

From Taos to Ojo Caliente:

No driving today!! (Woo Hoo!)

We visited the nearby Pueblo de Taos, the oldest continuously populated communities in the USA. It was settled by the Pueblo Peoples nearly 1000 years ago and they have remained there since. The architectural structures date back to between 1000 and 1450 A.D and consist of two large complexes. A third structure, the San Geronimo (St. Jerome) Chapel dates back to 1850. It its a rebuild of the original chapel dating back to 1619 which was destroyed in the US-Mexico War in 1847. The Pueblo has played a significant role in history and was the seat of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680

Approximately 150 people still live in these building with a much larger population of Taos Indians residing in the nearby area.

One Day 5, we set out toward our primary destination, Taos, New Mexico. My intended route was to take CO-82 through Aspen and "Independence Pass" at an elevation of 12,000 feet, but the pass was still closed due to snow. So we chose a new, unchartered route heading due south from Glenwood Springs taking CO-133 through the mountains and the CO-92 and Interstate 50 through Morrow Point Resevoir and Curecanti National Recreation Area. From there we followed Interstate 285 out of Colorado and onto Taos.

CO-92 and Interstate 50 provided some of the most scenic, white-knuckle driving of the entire trip. I am a very able and confident driver in heavy urban settings and even on fast-paced highways, but Illinois is FLAT, very flat. Driving at the heights these roads took us through, with sheer cliffs at the pavement's edge with no guardrails whatsoever took every ounce of concentration and cool exterior I could muster. The experience was grand and I wouldn't have traded this route for a more placid one. But at the time there were definitely moments of repressed anxiety. Ive added some photos of the road's wandering, cliff-side path below. I would've taken some photos myself, but I couldn't pry my hands off the steering wheel.

In all, the trip from Glenwood Springs to Taos took about 8 hours and covered 375 miles. The change of scenery, from the lush green forests of Colorado to the gradual browns and reds of New Mexico was marked. This was undoubtedly the most beautiful and amazing drive of the trip.

We got into Taos well before sundown and were able to take a brief look around. We then headed to the nearby town of Arroyo Seco where we had rented a Casita for a few days. The place was quaint, clean and beautifully decorated. It was a wonderful place to "come home to" after our four day trek thus far. We had a very nice dinner at Sabroso in Arroyo Seco and then headed back to the Casita to enjoy a night in the hot tub under the stars.

The route from Glenwoods Spring, CO to Taos, NM: