Tom Fassbender

Welcome to Sacred Monkey Forest “It felt like one of those horror-movie moments a character stumbles upon some cute thing and then it turns evil and kills them.”

Eleven years ago we ventured into the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud Village in Bali. We survived to tell the tale but the (mental and emotional) scars remain. #monkeys #bali #imminentdeath

Bed & Breakfast Train in Trego, Wisconsin | Wisconsin Explorers Guild If you've had romantic ideas about train travel, then the Bed & Breakfast Train operated by the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad just might be for you.

If you've had romantic ideas about train travel, then the Bed & Breakfast Train operated by the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad just might be for you.

#train #wisconsin #explorewisconsin

The Games We Play In which the author prepares for the imminent winter weather by changing a lot of oil, maintaining and storing the small engines, and playing a few video games.

Dispatch No. 23. In which the author prepares for the imminent winter weather by changing a lot of oil, maintaining and storing the small engines, and playing a few video games.

The Special Coffee-Only Dispatch In light of some special days dedicated to coffee, I decided to release this special Dispatch featuring news and thoughts about coffee on the tenth anniversary of International Coffee Day. #ICD2025

What's this? Another Dispatch already? Indeed! A special #newsletter release to commemorate International Coffee Day. #ICD2025

Dispatch No. 21 The Southern 45, Zevon Square, Punctuation Woes — in which the author comes up with a solution to a problem that has long vexed him, waxes nostalgic about lines of parallel, and samples some more chip...

Dispatch No. 21 (The Southern 45, Zevon Square, Punctuation Woes) in which the author comes up with a solution to a problem that has long vexed him, waxes nostalgic about lines of parallel, rants (slightly) about punctuation, and samples some more chips. #newsletter

Visible Bucky in Madison, Wisconsin | Wisconsin Explorers Guild On the near-west side of Madison, you can find Visible Bucky, a revealing look at the University of Wisconsin's much-loved mascot.

Since 2018 Visible Bucky, one of the former Bucky on Parade statues, has been letting it all show on the streets of #Madison, Wisconsin.

Birth of the Cheeseburger Back in 1924 teenage cook Lionel Sternberger accidentally created the culinary staple we know today as the Cheeseburger at a roadside restaurant called the Rite Spot on Colorado Boulevard.

Happy #NationalCheeseburgerDay! In case you aren't aware, America's favorite sandwich was invented at The Rite Spot, a roadside restaurant at 1500 West Colorado Blvd in (then) Pasadena. Today, there's a commemorative plaque.

Ticks, clear headlights, and standing on the 45 One of the dangers of living here in the Middle of Nowhere is dealing with a larger than normal number of ticks.

In the just-released Dispatch No. 20, the author does battle with the black-legged tick (and gets the worse end of the conflict), polishes some headlights, and tests out a new coffee-brewing device.

Ship Rock in Richfield, Wisconsin | Wisconsin Explorers Guild Along a lonely stretch of Wisconsin highway, you'll come across Ship Rock, a towering sandstone formation that bears an uncanny resemblance to an oceangoing vessel.

The intrepid adventurers over at the Wisconsin Explorers Guild pay a visit to Ship Rock in Adams County, an imposing formation of Cambrian sandstone and spray paint.

French Dip Feud in Los Angeles For nearly a century, a vicious battle has raged on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles — two opposing factions make the bold claim as the rightful originator of the French Dip Sandwich. And it&#82…

The news of Cole's P.E. Buffet imminent closing has spread across the internet. I will miss the constant feuding between Cole's and Philippe the Original over where the #FrenchDip sandwich was invented. Learn about the Los Angeles French Dip Feud over at the Los Angeles Explorers Guild. #losangeles

Hamburger Charlie Statue in Seymour, Wisconsin | Wisconsin Explorers Guild Charles Nagreen (known as Hamburger Charlie) invented the hamburger at the Seymour Fair in 1885. His contribution to culinary culture is honored with a statue.

There are three semi-recognized "National Hamburger Days." July 28th is one of them. So join us in celebrating Hamburger Charlie, the enterprising gent in Seymour, Wisconsin who is (one of) the credited inventors of this iconic American sandwich, way back in 1885. #hamburger #nationalhamburgerday

A #mushroom on #monday for #MushroomMonday

Sweet James is here to let you know that whatever it is you're asking him to do, he isn't having it. #cat #cats #catsofbluesky #catsky

Fair point. It was meant more of an homage to the region's agrarian roots.

The World's Largest Potato Masher at the Food+Farm Exploration Center in Plover, Wisconsin | Wisconsin Explorers Guild In Plover, WI you can visit the World's Largest Potato Masher at a rural farm exposition center operated by a family-owned potato-farming conglomerate.

Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Explorer's Guild journeys to the farming community of Plover, Wisconsin and visit the World's Largest Potato Masher. It's more than a roadside attraction. It's a beacon showcasing the adjacent the Food + Farm Exploration Center, an agricultural learning facility and museum.

Sweet James the cat relaxing on some bubble wrap.

Sweet James is here to tell you that this bubble wrap is pretty comfortable, if he does say so himself. And he does, in fact. #cat #cats #catsofbluesky #catsky

The Giant Donuts of Los Angeles Los Angeles is a town filled with donuts. And some of those donuts are giant donuts on top of small shacks.

Because of a certain picture in recent media reporting, the Giant #Donuts of Los Angeles feature on the Los Angeles Explorers' Guild is seeing an uptick in traffic.

We've done some extensive exploring of the #giantdonuts scattered across the L.A. landscape. Check it out here.

#donut #losangeles

Sweet James the cat sitting on a concrete drive, looking askance.

Sweet James would like you to know that he's glad you're home, but also that his food dish has been empty for at least 15 minutes. #cat #catsofbluesky #cats #catsky

New Season, New Game, New Holiday Dispatch No. 17. Having shaken off the winter doldrums, our hero prepares for the sudden onset of spring with a round of small engine maintenance. Plus there's talk of passwords, word games, lyrical t...

Dispatch No. 17. Having shaken off the winter doldrums, our hero prepares for the sudden onset of spring with a round of small engine maintenance. Plus there's talk of passwords, word games, lyrical treats, and a little update on Sweet James the cat. Enjoy. fordsbasement.substack.com/p/new-season...

Sometimes Sweet James will sit still for a close-up. Not often, it's a good idea to catch him when you can.

#cat #cats #catsofbluesky #catsky

The Bicerin: The Greatest Drink in the World | Taking on the World With layers of chocolate, espresso, and cream, the bicerin is quite possibly the greatest drink ever and has been served at Caffé Al Bicerin in Torino since 1763.

The Bicerin Experience — www.takingontheworld.net/world-travel...

Close up of a bicerin (beverage consisting of espresso, dark chocolate, and heavy cream) from Caffé al Bicerin in Torino, Italy

Happy International Bicerin Day! #bicerin #internationalbicerinday

The Cruelest Month I never really enjoy February, mainly because it gets so damn cold around here. This issue I talk about how I got through the most dreary month and what there is to look forward to in the coming days....

The latest (sorta late) issue of Dispatches from Nowhere — The Cruelest Month (that'd be February) — has dropped.

A cat named Sweet James looking unhappy that he has snowflakes on his head.

Sweet James is here to tell you that, while he's not all that thrilled about spring snowstorms, he's here to help you shovel. (And by "help," he means get in the way as you clear the driveway.)

#cat #cats #catsofbluesky #catsky

World's Largest Grandfather Clock | Wisconsin Explorers Guild In downtown Kewaunee, Wisconsin you'll find the world's largest grandfather clock.

Back in 1976 furniture manufacturer Svboda Industries hired a team of skilled artisans to build the World's Largest Grandfather Clock. The fully functional clock stood outside the company's Kewaunee factory until 2014 when the monument was moved to downtown Kewaunee — where it stands today.

Sparta Fiberglass Mold Graveyard | Wisconsin Explorers Guild You can investigate a vast wonderland of molds for fiberglass figures in the Sparta Fiberglass Mold Graveyard.

What you can expect to find during a visit to the Fiberglass Mold Graveyard in Sparta, Wisconsin where thousands of fiberglass molds rest in a vast field behind the Fast Fiberglass manufacturing facility.

World's Largest Six-Pack | Wisconsin Explorers Guild La Crosse, Wisconsin is home to the World's Largest Six-Pack. Here's a little history behind this iconic monument and Old Style's return to its city of origin.

For more than 50 years, La Crosse, Wisconsin has been home to the World's Largest Six-Pack. The six storage tanks for City Brewery, dressed up to look like giant cans of Old Style, hold 688,200 barrels of beer.

Happy Twin Peaks Day! | fordsbasement February 24 has been known to fans of the television show Twin Peaks as Twin Peaks Day. So go celebrate!

This is the first #TwinPeaksDay without David Lynch among us. Bittersweet.

Montello Cottonwood: The Biggest Tree in Wisconsin | Wisconsin Explorers Guild The Montello Cottonwood has been called the biggest tree in Wisconsin.

Once upon a time, this tree, a massive cottonwood standing in the heart of Montello, Wisconsin, held the crown as the largest tree in the state. She's taken a few hits over the years and lost a few branches. So from a distance she might not look like much — but she's got it where it counts.

Rockton Mill Stones | Wisconsin Explorers Guild In Vernon County you'll find two different sets of Rockton mill stones that powered the Rockton flour mill in the latter half of the 19th century.

Rockton, Wisconsin is known for a few things. The Rockton Bar. Wild Things Fur. A float down the Kickapoo River. But in the late 19th century, the town was once home to the Rockton Mill. And Vernon County pays homage this history with two different sets of honorary millstones from the Rockton Mill.