Does it HAVE to be this hot?!?!?!?!

So...here it is, the day before we embark on a "circle Lake Michigan" BBQ tour, it's 7 AM and already nearing 90 degrees! Should make packing up all the more special!

We leave tomorrow for Lowell, Michigan, a really great little town that wakes up for a weekend and plays host to thousands for thier Riverwalk festival. Last year was their first effort at doing a BBQ contest, and they did a great job! We are really looking forward to this years event, and hope we can improve our scores from last year, (11th of 21 overall, 3rd ribs, 6th brisket) Our freinds the Smokin Scotsmen took the grand championship, and we couldn't have been happier for them.

So anyway, now it's this year. The thermometer is spiking, and it looks as though we'll be dodging the raindrops today and tomorrow, but we're still pretty psyched!

Now, I should say, there is a HUGE contest this same weekend, and it's closer to us, in Shannon IL. The "Field of Dreams" as it's called it one of the larger and more highly rated comps going. And word has it this may be it's last year, as the folks largely responsible for it, Mike and Theresa Lake, are talking retirement to warmer climes. If that happens, we'll miss them dearly, as they are the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet, and Mike, as the acting president of KCBS, is, to us anyway, kind of the face of barbecue. But Lowell is more on our route to what follows, the UP Hog Wild competition in Kingsford, Michigan (UP der eh?)
So we will forgo the annual spectacular thunderstorms, gale force winds, etc of Shannon in favor of the hopefully more hospitible climes of my home state of Michigan! I'll be keeping an eye out for Shannon results though. Best of luck to all our freinds competing there!

Well, enough chatter, it's time to load the trailer and hit the Restaurant Depot! Updates to follow.......