Mountain Dew Pitch Black

This flavor of Mountain Dew has come and gone over the last few decades or so. Pitch Black even has a die-hard following among Mountain Dew fans. But back by popular demand, it has returned in 2016...with a catch. Pepsi Co. is pitting this flavor against another interesting flavor, which can usually be found exclusively at Taco Bell: Mountain Dew Baja Blast. Fans of these high-caffeine beverages can vote online as to which flavor they want to stick around permanently. Needless to say, #VotePitchBlack.

UPDATE 7-18-16:
The results came in from the poll today and Pitch Black won! It looks like Mountain Dew Pitch Black is here to stay!

World's Largest Stucco Snowman - North St. Paul, MN

You can find this big guy on the northeast corner of Margaret Street North and Centennial Drive in North St. Paul, MN.

USA Today 10/22/15 - "Back to the Future II" Newspaper

In the 1989 film "Back to the Future II"," Marty McFly travels into the future to October 21st, 2015. Doc is concerned Marty's son will be arrested on October 22nd and he shows Marty the cover of the USA Today for the 22nd. You can see Marty looking at the paper in the still above from the film. USA Today put out the same paper in real life on October 22nd, 2015 as an homage to this classic movie. Below is the copy I purchased.

The Return of SURGE

Re-released in very limited fashion, this staple in my adolescent diet returned for who knows how long in October of 2015.

Glencoe Beach - "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" Filming Location - Glencoe, IL

During Cameron's mental breakdown in the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Sloan, Ferris and Cameron pull over and Cam lays on a wall near the beach. Above is a still from the film. The water mass is Lake Michigan and they are sitting near Glencoe Beach which you can see in the background near Ferris' face. Below is the same location in August of 2015. You can find this location at the east end of Park Avenue in Glencoe, Illinois.

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria - Buffalo Grove, IL

A visit to the Chicago area would not be complete without some deep dish pizza. I wanted to try one of the originators of the style: Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. I made sure to visit their flagship location that has been featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel.

The pizza itself is amazing and finding words to describe how delicious it was is hard to do. It's good, trust me! You can find Lou Malnati's all over the Chicagoland area, but this particular restaurant is located at 85 South Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

The Shoe Tree - Woodstock, IL

The Shoe Tree is a roadside attraction my wife and I sought our on out road trip through Illinois. We tied one of her shoes and one of mine together and threw it into this tree, like thousands of others had before us, and made a wish. It's not too hard to find; there is a farm across the road from the tree. The farm's address is 19802 Dunham Road just north of Woodstock, Illinois.