Final dive of the season, what better way than to carve pumpkins and a turnip!

After returning back from the last Florida adventure, one would think that, that would have been enough. That, as per tradition, it would be another six or so months before those bad choices were once again made. However, they would be wrong and this time, an even worse idea was planned; flying into Florida, and then driving back to Chicago. The saving grace being we to knock out diving in Alabama and Tennessee along the way.

Another drink, another bad idea, and several bad influences all led to yet another trip down to Florida. This time however, to undertake the biggest heist of the century. No, it wasn’t the Aqua-Bandit to rip off Disney Springs. Our plan was simple; under cover of darkness (early morning), steal (charter) a boat, go out to the Spiegel Grove and steal the flag (with a Navy Vet, change it and replace it with a new, clean flag on 9/11) and row back (sit and chat) to Spain (Key Largo) like there’s no manana. Basking in our riches (a “neatly” folded flag.)

It's been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The wrecks had never been dove. The buoys had never been cleaned. Gilboa Quarry was called the Quarry of Drea-, oh shit...That’s was the Titanic. This was very much not that, but we did have frigid temps and a hunt for the angry squirrel.

The Cold War is underway, and the threat of attack is on the forefront of the American government. Thus, the long-range intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was born, used to help protect the country from foreign attacks. The Atlas F missile program began in 1961 and 72 silos were constructed around the country. The silos were distributed across 12 Strategic Air Command bases spread throughout Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Washington and other states. The silos in Texas were the only ones to be completed under budget, ahead of schedule and with the lowest number of deaths during construction. However, due to advancements in missile technology, primarily solid-state fueled ICBMs, the Atlas program was shut down in 1965.

A lazy afternoon exploring around Pearl Lake.

“Want to come to Puerto Rico? We’ll be staying in the middle of the jungle, and the house that we’ll be staying in doesn’t have an exact address, but I can give you some GPS coordinates, and we should have power. You most definitely shouldn’t get murdered at all during the trip. However, I can’t promise that you won’t be and if you are, I get your scuba gear.”