Sixty Septembers

U.S. Post Offices

2011-03-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

U. S. Post Offices
This is one of the kindest things you may ever see. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.
Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,
Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.
Love, God

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrows keep you Human,

Failures keep you Humble,

Success keeps you Glowing,

But Only Friends Keep You Going!

Hidden History

2011-03-13T17:22:00.003-05:00

Hidden History: Maimed and Slaughtered Men, Women and Children---Big Business Perpetrators Go Unpunished
Robert Watson
March 13, 2011

At the dawn of the 20th century, the mines of Colorado were among the most hazardous places in America to work, claiming a steady blood toll among those who toiled long hours in harsh, unsafe conditions. As if the unlivable wages and brutal taskmasters were not challenging enough, miners' paychecks were often redeemable only at company-owned stores, which routinely overcharged workers for food and essential supplies.

By 1913, desperate miners throughout southern Colorado attempted to unionize and bargain for the terms of their employment. But the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation, which owned the mines and was a Rockefeller family holding, refused even to discuss terms. In fact, the company responded by evicting workers and their families from their company-owned homes, which happened to be the only housing permitted in the area. Miners were forced to erect tent cities on private lands around the mines, but they continued their effort to unionize.

That fall and winter, the company ordered a campaign of terror against their employees. In October, one of the miners was shot and killed. A young daughter of another miner was shot in the face and a boy's legs were strafed with machine gun fire. Such random violence from gun-toting company thugs was so common that miners resorted to digging deep holes under their tents to escape the nightly sniping.

Rockefeller and his business partners put additional pressure on Elias Ammons, the governor of Colorado, to break the persistent miners. The governor complied, summoning the National Guard to "restore order." What followed was anything but civil or law-abiding.
Heavily armed and 150-strong, the militia, supplemented by private security forces on Rockefeller's payroll, descended on the 1,200 miners and their families living in one of the largest tent cities near the town of Ludlow. On April 20, 1914, the army opened fire on the camp, despite it being Easter morning and without regard to the workers using the tactics of "passive resistance," which would later be employed by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Panicked miners and their families fled in desperation. By luck, the conductor of a passing train observed the slaughter and stopped so some of those fleeing the carnage could board the train and be carried to safety. Others were unable to escape. One of the labor organizers, Louis Tikas, attempted to call a truce. However, when he approached the commanding officer of the National Guard, his face was smashed with the butt of a rifle. As Tikas lay on the dirt wracked with pain, his body was pumped full of bullets. That night, the tent city was burned to the ground.

The miners were unsuccessful in their efforts to unionize and secure humane wages and working conditions. Most were replaced by non-union workers too intimidated to speak up. None of the guardsmen or mine owners was ever prosecuted, even though numerous miners were killed along with two women and 11 children. The death toll included 3-month-old Elvira Valdez and two of her siblings, aged 7 and 8.

However, a young man named Godfrey Irwin gave his account of the massacre to the New York World newspaper. The horrific details outraged Americans across the country and spurred countless other oppressed workers to seek relief by organizing.

For much of the first half of the 20th century, states and communities across the country had ordinances against trespassing and public assembly. These measures, along with anti-picketing statutes and outright violent attacks, were used to deny workers of all backgrounds and endeavors their basic rights. It would be several years before federal laws were passed to protect America's workers but, as recent events in Wisconsin and elsewhere indicate, the lessons of Ludlow remain timely, and America is still struggling to value the dignity of work.

Robert Watson, Ph.D., is a professor and coordinator of American studies at Lynn University.

With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in men, than any other association of men. ~ Clarence Darrow

Apologies...

2011-02-26T06:28:00.001-06:00

I just can't get over here to blog. Too involved now with Facebook, where I post daily, photos included.

Sorry, readers (if any of you are left.)

There's just more interaction over there...and I need that. FB is the first thing I log onto every morning to see what my friends and family are up to and to keep them abreast of my daily life.

Don't know when I'll be blogging again......

On NellJean and Hot Tubs

2011-01-15T20:06:00.000-06:00

It only takes one. One new reader with encouraging words. "Just blog. Blog about everyday life." Thank you, NellJean. I needed that. (Animation of a face being slapped. Wasn't that an old commercial for, what, aftershave?)

Ok, so here I sit in my rented winter condo on Miramar Beach in the Panhandle of Florida watching football playoffs for Super Bowl 2011. A perfect day: Breakfast at Another Broken Egg, biking in sunny 56 degree weather, sunset cocktails, dinner out, football playoffs...and it isn't over yet...late night hot-tubbing to come.

(Click photos to enlarge)

More everyday life to come....but NellJean, I hope I can come up with some interesting stuff....didja see my Destin blogging from last winter/spring?

Happy New Year 2011!

2011-01-01T14:58:00.005-06:00

At the urging of a couple of blogger friends, I'm back. But I need to find a focus about which to blog. I just reread my last year of posts, and even I am bored.

To fill in the missing time, I've been in Atlanta for three months, renting a little unfurnished apartment near my son's family, which I had fun furnishing with a few Craig's List items and Goodwill finds. To think I made three trips, a week each, to the North Carolina furniture malls to furnish my newly-built house back in the '90's only to give half of that stuff away when I downsized twelve years later...not the best financial move when I discover that you can find some really nice stuff on Craig's List...especially dining room furniture, some of the most costly to buy. I happily discovered I didn't need that much and lived simply with a bed I'd bought for my son's guest room, two little nightstands I found on Craig's List, a borrowed TV, and three chairs, two chests in the living room, a few lamps, and silk plants and picture frames from Goodwill (.99 - 4.99 each.) Didn't even need a table and chairs for those months!

(Click photos to enlarge)

So I'm back to blogging (maybe.)

If I can find a focus.

I don't really want to do the random thoughts thing anymore. I'd love to do an "all travel blog." I blogged a bit about the Panhandle when I stayed the winter there last year, and about my son's area in northeast Atlanta, and about my city condo and suburban place. But I don't really "travel" anymore. Did a lot of that in my 30's and 40's, and now prefer to "relocate" during the winter months.

Also blogged a lot about my biking passion. But haven't been able to bike the last couple of months here in Atlanta, as it has been way too cold.

Tomorrow I go to Florida.

Maybe I'll think of a longterm topic there.

(If you are still reading me, I wonder why....just a glutton for punishment? But thanks, glad you're here!)

Solo Travel in Paris

2010-09-04T21:15:00.000-05:00

Posted on September 1, 2010 - by solotraveler
Solo Travel in Paris – Great tips from a Francophile

Welcome to guest blogger Priscilla Pilon, author of the blog Weekend In Paris. Priscilla is a Francophile, Freelance writer and marketer who is passionate about all travel, with an emphasis on Paris. All photos courtesy of Priscilla Pilon

Solo Travel in Paris poses no problems for me, nor should it for you. Pre-planning mixed with a hint of spontaneity will combine to set the stage for a fantastic trip for one to Paris!

For Starters
A must, in my opinion, is to book a hotel with breakfast included. This ensures that you will start off your day with a fabulous cup of coffee while getting mentally prepared to speak a foreign language. Practice French with the morning desk clerk, plan your routes, and seek advice from fellow map wielding travelers in the lobby who will hopefully offer insider tips for your day ahead.

Stay Busy
Organized activities focus your day and help break the ice meeting others, making solo travel something to be embraced, not dreaded! Sign up for a session learning the history of chocolate making (tasting included) at La Maison du Chocolat, book a wine and cheese tasting at O Chateau, or head for a concert at la Cité de la musique. These experiences are great alternatives that give you the opportunity to mingle with locals and tourists alike while experiencing something nouveau.

Solo in a Group
Craving dinner companionship at the end of the day? I have never been, but hear from a very reliable friend, Stuart, that dinner at Jim Hayne’s house is quite an adventure. Strangers from all over the world show up solo or in groups and engage in repartee while dining on fabulous home-cooked food. Jim seeks a donation only to defray the cost of the meal. Anything extra reportedly gets passed along to various artistic charities. The suggested donation is 25 Euros and there is no need to bring a thing – wine included! Reservations can be made at Jim-Haynes.com. What better venue for solo travelers to not feel alone in a foreign city!

Incognito and Introspective?
More traditional ways for parties of one to tour Paris incognito or to meet other people include museums and cafés. Museums are an obvious choice because you have the option to take a guided tour to be with others or purchase headphones and go on your own if you are feeling especially introspective. Cafés and Brasseries are the preferred places to eat when solo in Paris – you will see many a Parisian dining alone outside (no matter the weather) facing the street where it’s the best people-watching in the world!

Whether traveling alone for business or choice, Paris is one of the easiest places to amuse oneself. The Joie de Vivre is infectious – go for it!

My note: This is so absolutely cool: http://www.jim-haynes.com/. I vow to do this the next time I am in Paris! I wish every city had something like this!

Happy Labor Day My Biking Friends!

2010-09-03T10:35:00.000-05:00

Tall Ships in Chicago

2010-08-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

The Tall Ships have arrived at Navy Pier. Here they are, right outside my window!

(Click photos to enlarge)

Opening Day parade of the tall ships on Lake Michigan

Close up of one of the tall ships

Shooting off the cannon

Circling past Navy Pier and out onto the lake again...

...past the lighthouse.

Flowers in the City

2010-08-24T08:32:00.001-05:00

Some people have this impression that the city is all concrete. Maybe many cities are, but Chicago is known for its lakefront beaches and biking/jogging path (some 20 miles of it north to south) completely dedicated to the recreation of its citizens (no shipping, commercial industry), its parks, and its FLOWERS! Mayor Daley has done a great job of beautifying the city and at one point (not sure if it is still true) Chicago was leading the pack in "green cities." He started the green movement in Chicago by constructing a roof garden on city hall, encouraging other buildings to follow suit.

These are a sampling some of the flowering planters and landscaped areas around the city....

(Click photos to enlarge)

And these are just examples of planters around Streeterville, my neighborhood. All along Michigan Avenue are center planters filled with seasonal foliage; window boxes and planters hang from many buildings on many streets in the city; the developing River Walk (a subject for a future post) displays gardens and plantings; and rooftop gardens abound in our city.

Women Traveling Alone, Pt. III -- 7 Reasons to Go

2010-08-23T07:20:00.003-05:00

Reposted from Solo Traveler
August 18, 2010 by Janice

A twitter friend, @ DSXmac, told me that she heard a woman say that all women should travel alone before they get married.

Interesting comment. While I don’t like the “should” word – it’s quite judgmental in my mind — going solo is a good idea for women (and men) at just about any stage of life. Whether you’ve never been married, are married with kids, divorced, widowed, partnered with an empty nest… here are some great reasons to travel solo.

7 Reasons to Go

1. Discover yourself as you discover the world – before you get tied down, learn self-reliance, decision-making and how to organize your time.

2. Do what you want to do when you want to do it.

3. Have a last hurrah before you have children.

4. Discover who you are when you’re not responsible for children or a partner

5. Take a break from endless daily responsibilities and come back refreshed.

6. Build confidence after a divorce or loss.

7. Eat dessert first – do anything you want to do without being judged.

A Little Secret

2010-08-04T01:54:00.003-05:00

If you, like me, aren't a bent-like-a-pretzel-over-the-handlebars, ride-as-fast-as-you-can cyclist and like to leisurely bike, looking at people and places, I'll share with you a little secret place of mine to bike: Grant Park. During the week, not the weekend.

Usually during the week, it's fairly empty and clear for biking back and forth and around and around. I ride along the lakefront path (which can be actually dangerous with all the joggers and other bikers) past the yacht club and boats and cross over into Grant Park. The city has newly paved around Buckingham Fountain, so it's nice to do a few rounds feeling the spray on your face, then if it's hot, stick to the heavily shaded paths. I clocked 15 miles the other day just biking back and forth around the park and the strip of bike path between Museum Campus and Monroe Avenue!

Unfortunately, on this particular day, the city was setting up all over the park for the annual free Lollapalooza (free bands playing F-S-S and vendor tents galore) so in some parts I had to dodge workers and fencing and tent frames going up. Ugh. I hate Lollapalooza. In my early years, I'm sure I would've been one of the teens or 20-somethings going to hear the music, drink and look for the opposite sex, but nowadays, I see it as just a huge crowd of noisy, drunken kids. I'm officially o-l-d, I guess.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Clear and free paths around the park during the week (usually without the ugly event fencing, set up now for Lollapalooza)

Signage for Lollapalooza

With giant four-sided schedules of bands playing for the event

But still lots of open paths for biking

Just the occasional group of segway renters (and not the tent framing being put up that you see in this photo)

Buckingham Fountain with the landmark Hilton Hotel in the background

With the 200' center spray, a new tourist feature...

And "new" Chicago on the south side of the park

Rainy Day in the City

2010-08-03T08:52:00.000-05:00

No biking the Pier this morning.

(Click to enlarge)

7AM Biking on the Pier

2010-08-02T20:22:00.002-05:00

My city condo faces Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. I never tire of the view. Peaceful waters, sailboats, dinner cruise ships, motorboats. The Ferris Wheel and amusement park rides. Crowds on the Pier, Bubba Gump's, Harry Carrey's, the Beer Garden and the Shakespeare Theater.

And in the early morning, nothing but a few walkers, joggers, cyclists and delivery trucks. Oh, and fishermen.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Backside of Pier, John Hancock building in background

Early fishermen

Planters all along the backside of Pier

The city as seen from the back of Navy Pier

Early walkers, joggers, cyclists on the Pier

Another view of the city from the Pier

Front side of Pier, my building in the distant middle

Shakespeare Theater, dinner cruise boats, my building in the distance

Further down the Pier, restaurants, Ferris Wheel, rides, bike rentals

City from the Pier, hot air balloon in center

Early morning on the lake

Back in the [City] Again

2010-07-31T09:37:00.006-05:00

You older Baby Boomers, will recognize that spin on the old Western cowboy song, "I'm Back in the Saddle Again."

Oi. I have not much to blog about this morning, so I'll just share some photos of "being back" in my city place for the weekend.

Snore.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Full moon over the lake

"Computer Corner" from where I'm blogging right now

"Reading Corner"

"Writing Corner"

"Bike Corner"

(typical storage in a city condo, when you don't want to use the bike room)

"Cooking Corner"

"Sleeping Corner"

My condo in the city is so tiny, I just have "corners" as designated areas. But its sufficient for me.

A Platinum Bike Town

2010-07-30T12:59:00.001-05:00

I just found this doing a Google search for bike-friendly towns. I'm getting more and more interested in the idea of living somewhere that promotes everyday biking, instead of using cars. Since I can't figure out how to copy and embed the short video showing how bike-friendly Davis, California is, I've included the link to click to see it.

Davis, California: A Platinum Bike Town

Now I have to go Googlemap Davis and see where it is. Being in CA, I doubt that I could afford real estate there. But the search begins.

One of the Pleasures of Biking

2010-07-30T12:34:00.000-05:00

Saw this photo on one of my favorite blogs, Ride a Bike, Change Your Life. Had to repost it here, because the same thing happened to me a few years ago with my bike and the friendly Grant Park (Chicago) squirrels! (And I thought my experience was unique. Ha!)

17 Years of Silence

2010-07-30T12:10:00.000-05:00

Travel Solo in Silence… at least some of the time.

Posted on October 15, 2009 - by Janice

From Solo Traveler

Imagine choosing not to speak for a day and the experience lasting 17 years. John Francis did this. He decided to try a day and found the experience so valuable that he carried on for a week, and then a year, thinking that he would talk on the anniversary. That didn’t happen. He continued his silence for 17 years while earning a BA, MA and Ph.d — even while teaching college students he didn’t speak. Why did he do this? Because one learns more by listening and observing than by speaking.

Watching this video (which I hope you will do as it has more to offer than just thoughts on silence) got me thinking about solo travel because traveling solo imposes silence… at least some of the time. If you’re not talking you can listen.

John Francis says that on the first day that he stopped talking, he began listening. Watch this TED Talk and hear what he has to say; his participation in a conversation actually limited communication. It limited learning.

I think that solo travel, more than any other form of travel, provides a similar opportunity to listen and learn.

When we travel solo, we naturally spend more time with our thoughts, listening to ourselves, because we don’t have someone else with whom to speak. When we are alone, we spend more time observing, taking in the local culture, customs, the environment, fashion, people working, playing… living. This experience of listening and observing is amplified if one doesn’t speak the local language. When speaking is not really possible, we spend even more time listening, observing and learning.

Traveling alone and not speaking the local language may present its challenges from a practical point of view but a naturally imposed silence that causes one to pause, listen, observe and learn has overriding benefits.

And finally, a quote by Mark Twain which I have referred to before on this blog: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” I would like to suggest that taking the time to travel solo and travel in silence… at least some of the time, will do even more to help us learn about and appreciate each other.

Just because....

2010-07-20T09:14:00.000-05:00

Going Eco-friendly

2010-07-20T07:10:00.002-05:00

My second day of biking my errands one day the other week.

(Click photos to enlarge.)

I started with breakfast at a local restaurant.

Egg white/feta cheese omelet, rye toast and tomatoes for the body, crossword for the brain.

Back to the library to pick up a book.

Passing houses in town riding from the library to the shops.

I've always loved big, old-fashioned front porches.

Brink Street Market place downtown

Old movie theater-turned-cultural center (Bill Cosby opened for it!)

Sidewalk Sale days

Pops Corn Crib at the downtown train depot

Leaving town, riding along the bike path to Ace to get extra keys made.

Back to town, past my old high school.

Ye olde Alma Mater.

Where I spent my Saturday afternoons, cheering on the track at football games.

And after a few hours of biking my errands, lunch at Vickie's Place on the Fox River (which I did not bike to, as it is in the neighboring town.)

Grant Park

2010-07-14T23:41:00.002-05:00

One day last week, I spent almost all day on my bike (with rest stops, of course) riding the lakefront path, around Grant Park, Olive Park, Oak Street Beach, North Avenue Beach, the harbors....

I rode down to the south end of Grant Park, where my love affair with the park and city began some nine years ago. I would occasionally spend weekends at the Essex Inn, across the street from the Hilton. They had great rooms with very reasonable rates, an attached restaurant which served good breakfasts and good enough lunches and dinners, a health club and indoor pool, and were across Michigan Avenue from the south end of Grant Park. And I could hop the free Hilton Hotel shuttle up Michigan Avenue in the winter!

My first searches for a city condo all took place on the south end, the up-and-coming side of the city, which I was assured would have lots and lots of restaurants as soon as the new condo buildings were occupied. I'm glad I took my time getting to know the city, though, because here we are nine years later and in a housing downturn in the U.S. and although there are lots of new inhabitants on that side of the city, there are still not a lot of new restaurants. Although, the building along Roosevelt Road is coming along with new stores, a Whole Foods among them. In the end, after I rented a furnished apartment for four months to make sure I would really like city living, I bought my condo in Streeterville (River East-ish area) north of the park and couldn't be happier with my neighborhood.

But here is where it all started.

(Click photos to enlarge)

The Essex Inn

(and behind it the very first condo building in which I looked at units for sale)

The Hilton next door

South Michigan Avenue

Grant Park's south end across from the Essex Inn

Did you know there was a statue of Lincoln in Grant Park and Ulysses S. Grant in Lincoln Park?

Taking a photo break (not The Bee...this is my hybrid Giant in the city)

Looking northward

Summerdance (free dance lessons and dancing) takes place here

At the very south end of Grant Park is the sculpture Agora, 172 torsos with legs, several meters high, and made out of cast iron by a Polish sculptor. Walk or run through the sculpture, and definitely take photos.

Bonus: one of Chicago's best breakfast/brunch places is more or less across the street -- Yolk!

A Giggle

2010-07-14T19:35:00.000-05:00

This ad for a bike from a bike blog I read just tickles me. Can you figure out why? ;)

Music on the Esplanade at Chicago's Botanic Garden

2010-07-14T18:08:00.001-05:00

Chicago's Botanic Garden is legendary. There are so many activities/events/projects going on at the Garden, it would be impossible for me to discuss them all in one little blog. To see some of them and new ones as they develop, go to the Chicago Botanic Garden blog. There are videos and information now ranging from the Green Youth Farm to Creating Lily Hybrids at Home to America's Best Rose Garden to the Baby Swans Born at the Garden to Tips for Conservation and Sustainable Living to Prime Crabapple Blossom Viewing to How to Plant a Tree.

Here is an Interactive Map of the grounds.

"Want to see all the splendor and learn all the facts? The Garden offers two types of 35-minute tram tours. Both the Grand Tram Tour and the Bright Encounters Tour are open to visitors with no advance arrangements needed, no minimum numbers. The Grand Tram Tour is a narrated tram tour around the perimeter of the Garden providing an overview of all areas. Trams are wheelchair-accessible. The Bright Encounters Tour is a narrated tram tour that offers a close-up look at the gardens on the main island."

About the Chicago Botanic Garden

"The mission of the Chicago Botanic Garden is to promote the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of plants and the natural world.

The Garden continues to strive to meet the lofty goals set more than a century ago. The Chicago Botanic Garden, with its world-renowned plant collections and displays, is one of the country's most visited public gardens and a preeminent center for learning and scientific research.

The 385-acre Garden features 24 display gardens and four natural areas, uniquely situated on nine islands surrounded by lakes.

The Chicago Horticultural Society was founded in 1890. At its heart was the understanding that the city of Chicago was incorporated with the Latin words Urbs in Horto, meaning "city in a garden." The Society hosted nationally recognized flower and horticultural shows and supported Chicago's lakeshore improvements and park system.

After a period of inactivity, the Chicago Horticultural society was restarted in 1943. In 1963, the Chicago Horticultural Society was granted 300 acres of forest on the outskirts of the city, and the Chicago Botanic Garden established roots. With the groundbreaking for the Garden in 1965 and its opening in 1972, the Society created a permanent site on which to carry out its mission. The mission encompasses three important components: collections, education, and research.

From its founding, the Garden has hired leading architects, beginning with the master plan by John O. Simonds and Geoffrey Rausch. Edward Larabee Barnes designed the Education Center as the Garden's first building in 1977. The Malott Japanese Garden, Sansho-En, was completed in 1982. Throughout its existence, the Chicago Botanic Garden has developed gardens and educational facilities with a meticulous eye toward its original mission."

But what I most love (apart from my favorite gardens, The Waterfall Garden and The English Garden) are summer evenings at the Garden. Monday evenings are Carillon Bell Concerts and lights on Evening Island, Tuesday evenings are Music on the Esplanade concerts, Wednesday evenings are Dancin' Sprouts (music and entertainment for the young) and Thursday evenings are Hot Summer Nights music and dance lessons (samba, tango, swing, Hawaiian, etc.)

Eighty dollars a year for membership to the Chicago Botanic Garden is a real deal! There is even easy access to the North Shore bike trail from the Garden, so making a day of biking, then dinner and a free music concert is a great time!

Here are some photos of last night's Jazz on the Esplanade, which I enjoyed with a friend:

(Click photos to enlarge)

Bring your chairs, tables, dinner, etc.

Listen to great, free music (this is a jazz band tonight.)

Walkway from the gift shop and cafe to the gardens.

Outdoor deck of the cafe.

Note: For pictures of some of the garden beauty, see post entitled "Too Much of a Good Thing" from October 25, 2009 in my archived posts (along the right side of the blog.)

My City

2010-07-06T23:38:00.002-05:00

Lifted this off of one of my friend's Facebook pages....(thanks, Nita!)....because of its unique vantage point. It was taken from the Columbia Yacht Club in the harbor outside my condo building. My building is the third one left of Lake Point Tower (the building on the right side of the photo.)

I love the view of Lake Michigan and sunrises and Navy Pier and free fireworks displays all summer long.

But this evening shot of my Chicago neighborhood is great!

(Click to enlarge)

BikeLike

2010-07-06T23:31:00.000-05:00

I found these photos reading biking blogs and wanted to share them with you. I'm totally in "bikelike" and the affair is growing. I'm biking almost daily, often times around town to do my errands. By "town", I mean my suburban place...too chicken to bike in city traffic.

San Francisco has great bike lanes...I see cyclists in Chicago weaving in and out among the cars and it scares the sh#t outta me...we need these lanes!

And this just makes me scratch my head and go, "Huh?"

Share the Road

2010-07-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

I love this San Francisco police training video concerning traffic and bicyclists' rights and responsibilities. I admit ignorance of Chicago's policies, even though I'm active in two bike organizations and have volunteered for bike events in the city.

I'm going to have to find out how ours compare now.

Belated Birthday Wishes to my Sweet Little Character of a Grandson!

2010-07-06T20:46:00.000-05:00

And just because, when scrolling back to January posts, I see I was remiss about posting birthday wishes for my darling little grandson, Cayden.......

Happy Third Birthday, last January, Cayden Matthew!

Happy Fifth Birthday, My Dear Granddaughter!

2010-07-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

Madison Olivia turns 5 today!

Who could ask for a sweeter granddaughter? I am blessed.

Riding South

2010-07-06T18:20:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I usually ride north from my condo along the lakefront path when I'm in the city. Last week I decided to ride south and rode about 6 miles, although I could've continued further. But it was awfully hot and a 12 mile ride was about all I could take in the sun.

South is less populated along the path and an easier ride, as you can let your guard down a little and enjoy the scenery rather than constantly glancing in the rear mirror for riders who come up quickly on your left, many of whom don't know the proper bike etiquette and don't "announce" and then scare the crap out of you. You also aren't continually ringing your bell (yes, I proudly own a bike bell) or yelling "passing on your left" and hoping the people you pass aren't ones who don't speak English, don't know what you are saying, and step to the left right in front of you, causing a nasty spill. Sometimes I get an ulcer riding north.

The key to it all, though, is to take off at 5:30 or 6:00 AM on a weekday and then you pretty much have the path to yourself, except for the more adept bikers who do follow etiquette.

But I'm not often up at that hour. Hell, I was up earlier than that for 32 years. I deserve a break.

(Click photos to enlarge)

South of Museum Campus

Past Soldier Field, the lakeside of McCormick Place

McCormick Place from the path

Tribute to fallen Chicago firefighters

A shady spot to stop behind McCormick

Bikers resting at the water's edge

Gardens behind McCormick Place

People who think the city hasn't natural beauty are people who don't know the city!

A nice, shady section

Bad storm damage along the path

This little guy didn't stand a chance.

Halfway back north to the city

Even during Taste of Chicago in Grant Park, the south beaches are much less crowded than the north. (My building is the first one to the left of Lake Point Tower...)

My favorite resting spot

Be sure to enlarge this one (click it) as it is a great cityscape from the south, with the Sears Tower on the left and the John Hancock building on the right!

Lots of great space to take a sandwich and a book for a couple of hours

Behind McCormick on the ride back

A cyclist rides right along the water, off the path.

Burnham Harbor

Segway tour and a cyclist with the Sears Tower in the background

The Planetarium behind Burnham Harbor

Rounding the bend on the path lakeside of the Shedd Aquarium

The Planetarium now behind us

Coming back up to Lake Shore Drive and the south end of Grant Park

Back to the Field Museum and Museum Campus

From here, a ride along the lake past Grant Park, Buckingham Foutain, Columbia Yacht Club and DuSable Harbor and home, across from Navy Pier.

A great ride. I feel so lucky to live in Chicago.

Solo Travel for Inspiration

2010-06-26T21:38:00.002-05:00

Posted on June 26, 2010 - by Janice
on Solo Traveler

Solo Travel for Inspiration – a new passion

The human eye is designed for distance. Unfortunately, I work on a computer many hours a day using a focal length that can be measured in inches. I live in a city where my view bumps up against buildings rather than enjoying the sweep of the landscape. And when I get outside Toronto into relatively flat Ontario, my vision is stopped short by trees.

That’s why I love to travel to mountains where I can stretch my eyes and really see the horizon. When I do, I’m inspired. When I lived in western Canada, I knew the pleasure of mountains. But for the last 25 years I’ve lived in the east. I forgot how mountains enrich life.

In November, I rediscovered their wonder when I went to the Lake District and walked for four days. Climbing the fells was not just exercise for my legs, a work-out for my heart and fresh air for my lungs, it was also a relief for my eyes. And, as my eyes drank in the view, I could think differently. I was inspired.

The Fells of Cumbria - better known as the Lake District

In January, Utah was my mountain destination. I went and volunteered at the Sundance Film Festival but the best day of my trip was skiing at The Canyons.

At 10,000 feet, the views were stunning. The thin air may have contributed to the Rocky Mountain high that I felt for days afterward but the mountains served well to free my mind and inspire creativity.

It doesn’t surprise me that the famous poet, William Wordsworth, went to the Lake District of England and stayed. In the same way, it’s not surprising that the mountains of Utah are the backdrop to the Sundance Institute to support emerging and aspiring filmmakers. It’s simple; mountains are inspiring.

The view from the top of The Canyons ski resort in Utah.

When I plan my travels, I now try to include some time at a higher elevation with a view. It frees my eyes to do what they do best and, in the process, frees my mind to new inspiration. It has become a passion of mine.

My Almost-Daily 10 Mile Ride

2010-06-26T17:40:00.005-05:00

Ventured back onto the Prairie Path today, Saturday, to resume my almost-daily route. Not the best day for my after-crash ride. It's quite busy on weekends. A couple of times some cyclist was on my tail and left side before announcing ("Passing on your left"...c'mon riders....learn the rules of the bike path....announce as you're coming up not when you're right there. Some didn't even announce.) And since my collision with the woman who had no mirror on her bike nor looked over her shoulder before turning, I am very sensitive to that now.

Usually when they do that (after I jump out of my skin from the scare) I politely yell (can one "politely yell?") "Announce, please!" Damn. I mean someone has to teach them!

That aside, it was a pleasant ride. Until the stretch of path with all the cracks and bumps. Just when I was ready to let loose with some of my favorite frustration words, bam! I'm on this section of path that is repaved and my bike is gliding like a skater on ice! Whoa, I had no idea that in the time I was recuperating from my crash, Dundee had repaved its portion of the path! Thank you, Dundee!

Now we just need to get Algonquin and Crystal Lake to follow suit.

Taking it easy, after 5 miles, I stopped at the Measuring Cup cafe in Dundee for breakfast. This is a great little eatery, very popular with cyclists, especially on weekends. They have the best scrambled egg and cheddar cheese panini! I took my crossword book (gotta keep the mind sharp now that I'm not working), had a nice breakfast, and rode the 5 miles back. All in all, a good morning.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Great Destinations

2010-06-26T15:22:00.001-05:00

(Check it out: Chicago is #2! But I could've told you how great Chicago is!)

Posted on June 24, 2010 - by Janice

Women Traveling Alone Part II – Great Destinations

This is the second in a series of posts specifically for women solo travelers. The first post, Women Traveling Alone Part I – 10 tips offered ideas that make travel for a woman easier. They were based on personal experience. You’ll also find tips from others in the comments to the post. This time, the theme is great destinations for women solo travelers – especially first-timers.

I find it relatively easy to answer questions about how women can get the most out of the solo travel experience. I find it a bit more difficult to suggest where they should go. After all, I haven’t been everywhere.

So, in this post I share with you some of my favorite destinations that I also think would be great for solo travel novices. To broaden out the perspective and identify more great destinations for women, I also offer the results of a little crowdsourcing I did using Twitter.

Great destinations for women traveling alone – a few of my favorites:

Most of my recommendations for women traveling alone for the first time are places where English is spoken, or, it would not be surprising to find someone who speaks English. Being able to communicate in your own language is helpful – especially if you are a newbie.

Here’s my list:

•The Lake District – if you are at all outdoorsy – or even if you’re not – the Lake District is a fabulous place to visit for it’s natural beauty and local charm. It’s easy to see why this area was the inspiration for much of Wordsworth’s poetry. Walking by day. A pint at the local pub by night. It’s a perfect solo travel destination.

•Chicago - I love New York City but it is almost too obvious for a list like this. I recommend Chicago for it’s fabulous downtown, waterfront, architecture, great use of the river, cycling, arts scene, blue/jazz scene, sports traditions… and they have a wonderful free greeters program to introduce you to the city as well.

•Amsterdam – Amsterdam is a city rich in history, fresh with pop culture and on the leading edge of social change. It is a place where women, pedestrians and cyclists are all respected. Yes there’s the red light district but it’s also very family friendly. Unlike Paris which is a city to look at, Amsterdam is a place to infiltrate – at least that’s how I felt when I was there.

•St. Remy & Arles, France – I absolutely love France and the part of France I love the most is the south near Arles and St. Remy de Provence (they are about 30km apart). Arles is the bigger city with a Roman arena. St. Remy has roman ruins as well though smaller. The area is famous for inspiring Vincent Van Gogh who lived there from 1889 to 1890, a year of intense productivity of master works. It’s beauty lies in the landscape, history and French countryside charm.

•Cross Canada by Train – Traveling coach across Canada is a fabulous experience for a woman traveling alone. On route, you make friends, pick up a card game, have cocktails at 5pm… In first class where people have bedrooms its not quite as social. Traveling coach is very communal. If you’re worried about sleeping upright for three nights well, it can be done. A carry-on is the same height as the seats so a perfect extension if you’re lucky enough to get a double. But, we can make do with what we have. Beside me a lovely couple from Newfoundland sat and slept side by side for four days.

Great destinations for women traveling alone – recommendations from Twitter.

•New Zealand – it’s safe, very friendly… simply spectacular all around. CarolineAttack.

•Japan, Thailand, Vietnam… – I think Buddhist countries in general are good bets for women traveling alone zoezolbrod

•Thailand and Malaysia were great for solo women travelers as well! cbrodzky

•Chile – I was mostly in cities, but it felt incredibly safe & ppl were helpful. That said, I’ve traveled to ~15 countries alone… I should add also that the hostel scene in Santiago is amazing (lots of women staffers at CheLagarto, where I stayed) jilliancyork

•Australia was a great place to start as a woman solo traveler. I went there for 4 months. Then 3 months in New Zealand. MissAlisa75

•Netherlands – Top pick 4 solo women travelers is Netherlands/small, English spoken,women there considered equal 4 a long time- most imp! Journeywoman

•Seoul – is my recommendation for you; this city is probably one of the safest places to stay and look around. Experience thousands of years walking around old palaces. And You should try temple foods. medicomm

•Singapore, Australia and Baguio in Philippines are perfect places for first time solo women travellers prime_sarmiento

Biking as Transportation

2010-06-26T15:03:00.000-05:00

Been reading some interesting biking blogs lately, as it is fast becoming my passion. Not racing, just biking. Despite the fact that a woman crashed into me on the bike trail two weeks ago and I ended up with bloody and purple palms, a sprained left hand, and scrapes, bruises and swelling from my knee down to my ankle --- and this on the knee I've already had two surgeries! Thank goodness, it appears nothing is damaged inside.

Since the bruises are gone, the swelling almost completely down, and my left hand partially healed, I've jumped on the bike again. Have to ride kind of one-handed, as the injured hand can't really grasp the handlebar, just rest on it for balance.

But I decided to stay off of the trail yesterday and instead, inspired by one of the blogs, do my errands around town on my bike.

Off I went. And I have to say, it was fun! Being on my bike makes me feel like a kid again. And I like it so much better than walking for exercise, because (1) you cover more ground and see more stuff and (2) no matter how hot it is, biking always generates a little breeze.

So now I'm thinking, "Hmmm, is there a cute little town somewhere like mine, on a lake like mine, but where everyone bikes for local transportation? I'd like to live there!" Yeah, probably somewhere in Europe. Oh, well, it's fun to dream.

(Click to enlarge photos)

Breakfast in town

Little diner with mostly locals as patrons

A stop at the bank and the library to return some DVD's

And along the south end of the lake to the bike/walking path of the neighborhood I used to live in.

Stranger Danger - Pt. III

2010-06-20T14:33:00.000-05:00

Posted on June 19, 2010 - by Janice

Solo Travel Stranger Danger Part III – Recognizing Danger

Parisian taxi drivers are known for overcharging. Watch the meter and ask questions if the price doesn't sound right.

This is the third post in the three part series on solo travel stranger danger. Part I emphasized the kindness of strangers. Part II told a cautionary tale of an experience I had in Paris that was very dangerous. Today, we delve into strategies for recognizing potential danger so that it can be avoided. .

Let me start by continuing on [a prior post], Caught in a Con Game.

After I phoned my friend’s friend in a panic and lost all my money, I hopped into a cab and made my way to her place – she said she would pay the fare. On route, the cab driver started flirting. In my limited French I explained that, no, I didn’t want to spend the next day with him. And I explained why. Oh, he wanted to show me that the men in Paris could be wonderful. I still refused. Then, when we reached my destination, he tried to charge me double what was on the meter. My friend came out to pay for me and tore a strip off him for trying to rip me off.

We really have to be careful. So, how can one recognize dangerous situations so that they can be avoided? Here are some ideas.

Take note of how you feel.

•Follow your gut. When your Spidey senses tingle, pay attention. Malcolm Gladwell studied the potential of an intuitive response in his book BLINK: the power of thinking without thinking. Here is a very good summary. It’s from a review by Barbara MacKoff on Amazon.com:

The key is to rely on our “adaptive unconscious”–a 24/7 mental valet–that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea. Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us “mind blind,” focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to “the Warren Harding Effect” (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president).

•Don’t be rushed into making a decision – whether its a purchase, transportation, accommodation…. If you feel rushed you won’t be thinking clearly. Rushing causes confusion and poor decision-making. Unsavory characters know this and use it to their advantage.

Read the obvious red flags

Being aware of your surroundings and how people are acting is critical to your safety.

•Recognize the signs of a bad area: poor quality buildings, poor lighting, closed stores, few people, no families wandering around just people of one gender or generation.

•Recognize the signs of an unsavory person: contradictions in their story, difficulty maintaining eye contact, making inappropriate demands

•Services that don’t look legitimate: as person on the street offering a great exchange rate for money, unofficial accommodation offers, gypsy taxis.

Know the common scams before your travel.

Watch out for people:

•Posing as police, showing fake ID and asking to see your wallet for counterfeit currency. Scam.

•Giving you something apparently free such as a bottle of water or a flower and then demanding payment. They can be very difficult to say no to but you have to. They’ll demand payment as soon as the item is in your hands.

•Taking your picture for you and then demanding a fee.

•Spilling ice cream on you or causing some other distraction so that their partner can pickpocket you.

Fox and Obel

2010-06-19T23:22:00.001-05:00

(Click photos to enlarge)

The gourmet grocery store down the block from my city place is one of my favorite places to have breakfast or just sit and people-watch. There's a little cafe along the street to watch people passing by and another in the back on a canal that leads out to Lake Michigan. Both are nice to spend time in.

And now the new park is finished with benches, a water feature, a dog park, and some lawn expanse for kids to play frisbee.

Absences

2010-06-19T13:36:00.001-05:00

Just a note posted to say I've been lax about blogging lately, because I've been fighting strep. For the last few weeks, I've had days where I've been tired, taken two-hour naps (I don't nap!) and had a sore throat (all since the flu I had late May) yet I've had some days where I've felt energetic enough to bike 10-20 miles. It has been very confusing.

I finally went to my doctor and was diagnosed with strep. How odd. Haven't felt that sick. On meds now and hoping I'm up and running in no more than a week.

Meanwhile, I'll try to find something to post about.

Caught in a Con Game -- Pt. II

2010-06-13T08:40:00.006-05:00

Posted on June 12, 2010 - by Solo Traveler

Solo Travel: Stranger Danger Part II

Caught in a Con Game

(This is part II in the series on Stranger Danger. Please have a read of June 6th's post. It shows the wonderful, magical, positive side of strangers in five short stories.)

I was almost taken in Paris. If I had been, I would not have had a Liam Neeson to save me.

This is a story of firsts. My first time in Europe. My first really solo travel adventure. And my first – and last – time being caught in a con game. It was 1985, I was 27 and I really should have known better.

My trip began in Paris where I spent my first days tripping around the city with fellow hostellers – men and women. I felt safe and confident. On the day I was to leave for Salzburg, I felt the same way. I was to take an afternoon train so I stored my backpack in a locker at the Gare de L’est station around noon then went across the street to look over a menu outside a restaurant. A man approached and checked it out as well, we chatted and went in to spend lunch together. No big deal. Meeting and hanging out with people in Paris seemed pretty normal at this point.

While we were eating, a man at another table leaned over and asked for a light for his cigarette. The fellow I was with (let’s call him John) provided it and we all got chatting. It turned out that we were all heading to different cities in Austria.

The other man (I’ll call him Peter) got up to leave and casually mentioned that he had to pop into a bank to pick up the Austrian Schillings required to enter Austria. This was before Euros and was news to me. Assuming that this was a detail I missed, I joined the two men and went to get my money changed.

The bank we went to couldn’t change our money. It is only with hindsight that I realize that it was likely a commercial bank. I didn’t even know of their existence then. From this point on, my life took a very dangerous trajectory that fortunately ended well. My choices at each step may suggest that I am a stupid woman but I’m not. I was, however, very naïve. I reveal my failings here to save others as they travel.

A con game is all about gaining the confidence of the mark – in this case, me. The end objective is different with every con artist but the process is pretty well the same. Prey on a human frailty such as vanity, greed or naivety, gain the person’s confidence, then get what you want from them. The thrill of the con is often as important as the results.

After being unsuccessful at the bank, the three of us set out for an Austrian restaurant which John knew. He was sure that the owner would exchange our money so that we could continue our travels. We positioned ourselves at a café across the street from the restaurant. I went to the restroom and took money out of my money belt, went back to the table and gave it to him. Peter gave him cash as well.

As John entered the restaurant across the street, Peter asked how long we had been traveling together. To his apparent shock, I said we weren’t travel mates – that I had just met him.

- But you’re my insurance he said.

We both sat back and waited anxiously to see if he had taken off with our money. John returned and gave our money back saying that he had failed. Confidence earned.

We then went to another Austrian restaurant on the Champs Elysees and repeated the process. This time John returned with Peter’s money exchanged, but there had not been enough for both of us. He again, gave me back my money. Confidence confirmed.

Peter wished us luck and continued on his way. John and I then headed for the west bank where we would try once again. I know. You’re thinking how crazy I was, but it actually seemed pretty realistic. They were pros!

The day was getting on. This time when John went to get the money exchanged, he returned and said he had to leave it at the restaurant but that we could return in an hour to get it. Naturally this made me anxious. We went for dinner across the street to wait it out.

At dinner, he mentioned that we had missed the train and would have to stay overnight and that we could share a room. I refused and he got angry. When I moved to leave he settled down. After doing this dance a couple of times, I pulled out a photo of my two-year-old son. He looked at me, stunned.

- How old are you?

It was not a good scene. I left him and looked for phone booth to call a remote connection I had in the city. The booth was occupied. I knocked. I got the one minute hand signal and the person’s back. I looked and saw John watching me. I went to the other side of the booth and pounded on it furiously. The man eventually left in a huff and I called. Once it was clear that I was talking to someone, John took off – with my money of course.

Long story short, I grabbed a cab and went to my contact’s home. She said that had John been successful, I would have been on route for the white slave market. Is that the case? I’m not sure. But I certainly wasn’t going on any holiday.

The details of that day are indelibly marked in my memory. What saved me was the fact that I stayed in a public place. While I was significantly poorer in the end, I was left with my life – and a lifelong principle for solo travel: Public is always safer than private.

That trip lasted another 7 days. I criss-crossed Europe by train, as far as Budapest in the east and Amsterdam to the north, and many points in between. As I did, I told the story to as many women as possible. Now, I write a blog on solo travel in which safety is a major theme.

My note: Articles like these are why I love this blog, Solo Traveler, and repost them with full credit to the author, here.

And remember my post of February 11, Why I Travel Solo? Go back and read at the end of that post my own personally naive story of my Paris incident I now suspect was more than an Algerian wanting a green card! I was probably very lucky, too.

Women Traveling Alone

2010-06-12T14:06:00.001-05:00

Posted on June 10, 2010 - by Solo Traveler

10 tips for Women Traveling Alone

I’ve written all sorts of posts on how to travel alone. Posts on solo travel safety, eating alone, how to spend evenings… This post could cover all those again because they all apply to women traveling alone. However, I’m not going to try to say everything. This time I am writing about things specific to women – serious issues and girly things.

1. Have patience. Even as an experienced solo traveler, every time I start a new trip it takes me a day or two to get solo stable — to shed those initial nerves of being out there on my own managing all the details, logistics and documents. Be patient. You’ll find your strength.

2. Be cautious. If you are a young woman you need to be far more careful about unsavory characters than us more mature women. At least, that certainly is my experience...read the Solo Travel Safety section [at Solo Traveler] for lots of tips on staying safe.

3. Pack light. You’re going to save money and be more mobile if you pack light. It requires a bit more planning to have a wardrobe that stretches from hiking boots to high heels but it can be done. Choose a base color (black, brown, beige, navy), a contrast color (white, beige…) and a color or two to accessorize and pull it all together. Watch the videos in my post on packing light.

4. Dress conservatively. Maybe revealing tops and short skirts should be fine but, in reality, they can get you into trouble in many countries, including North America and Europe. You are always more vulnerable when you’re off your home turf so compensate by dressing conservatively. Read 10 Tips to Survive Culture Shock for more on this topic.

5. Don’t make your hair an issue. Before I left on my long term trip I had long hair that was colored blond. It took too long to dry and the roots showed every five weeks. It was going to be a hassle that I didn’t need so I had it cut less than an inch long and let it go gray. Your situation need not be this extreme but it is worth having easy hair options so your travel time is not consumed with such a mundane task as your hair.

6. Plan your first night well. At minimum, have a place to rest your head on the first night and plan to arrive by mid afternoon. It’s important to have the time to find your hotel or hostel in daylight and time to change your accommodation if you determine that this is not the place for you.

7. Other women are not necessarily safe. Women often feel safer with other women. And, when it comes to small time danger, we probably are. But there are also dangerous women who are just as capable of luring you into bad situations as men. Be cautious.

8. Choose your purse carefully. While a day pack designed with security features is ideal for travel you may prefer to carry a purse. If you do I recommend purses that you wear across your shoulders. In Naples a few years back I was the victim of a “scooter bandit”. What’s that? Two guys on a scooter. The driver charges through a cross walk against the light and behind a woman. The passenger grabs her purse. In my case, all he got was the strap.

9. Take care of your feet. Nothing will ruin a trip faster than sore feet. Women’s shoes are notoriously bad for feet. Choose comfort over fashion.

10. Pamper yourself. Women traveling alone are, just that, alone. No kisses from family. No hugs from friends. A manicure, pedicure, massage… are all safe ways to get a little human touch. Everyone needs that once in a while.

Go Hawks!

2010-06-10T09:43:00.000-05:00

Temporary Home

2010-06-10T09:29:00.001-05:00

When you feel discouraged, lonely, fearful or sad.....

Two Passions: Solo Travel and Cycling

2010-06-09T19:25:00.001-05:00

Posted on June 8, 2010 - by Solo Traveler

Two Passions: Solo Travel and Cycling

I can’t remember where I first heard about cycling and hosteling but I do remember when. I was ten years old. It struck me as terribly romantic in the literary sense of the word. Maybe it was a character in a book that introduced me to the idea, I don’t know. But when I asked my Mom if it was still done she fueled the romance by describing her days as a teenager cycling and hosteling the Eastern Townships outside of Montreal.

Four years later I was on my first cycling tour. I saved my money carefully for 10 months to take a trip that my parents didn’t really think I’d manage to do. I spent one month in Wales and southern England cycling and hosteling. My bike was a white Peugeot.

I did a number of other tours after that. Some with a couple of friends, others on tours that I joined. While marriage and kids put hosteling off my agenda, I never gave up cycling at home and on vacation.

You can rent a bike at the McDonald's Cycle Center in Millennium Park, Chicago.

City Cycling and Solo Travel
When I plan to travel, I don’t choose my destination based on whether it’s good for cycling but, if it is, I make plans to make it happen.

Chicago is definitely a bike friendly city. Before going to Chicago I requested a guide from the Greeter program and specifically asked for someone who cycled. The result was a fabulous day. We picked up my bike at the McDonald’s Cycle Center in Millennium Park (just a few blocks from my hotel, the Hotel Monaco which was fabulous) and rode along the waterfront.

When I took my recent trip around Lake Ontario I brought my bike with me. I cycled in Kingston and Rochester. Neither city is really set up for bikes but each is small enough to make city cycling quite safe. It’s a great way to get around and see the many sights.

At home in Toronto, my bike is transportation April to October. The system of bike trails and lanes in Toronto is quite good. If you plan to visit Toronto you can get a free cycling map from the city. The best bike rental I’ve found in Toronto is Community Bicycling Network.

Country Cycling
If I had had more time on my trip around Lake Ontario, I would certainly have spent it cycling both Prince Edward County and around Niagara on the Lake. It would be the perfect mode of transportation for visiting the vineyards. But I was packing so much into that trip that it just wasn’t possible.

The one day I did get out of the city cycling was when I was in Kingston. A 15 minute ferry ride from downtown Kingston to Wolfe’s Island and you are in the country. The wind may be more of an issue than the island’s rolling hills.

Cycling is a wonderful way to explore a city and country. The pace is slower. It involves more of your senses. You breathe deeper. And, I’ve found that you meet more people just because you’re on a bike.

Stranger Danger -- Pt. I

2010-06-06T10:39:00.005-05:00

Posted on June 5, 2010 - by Solo Traveler

Solo Travel: Stranger Danger Part I

New friends I made at Hogan's Hideaway in Rochester. Friday night Fish Fry - extra crispy as per Sandy (l to r, Tom, Darlene, Sandy, Mark)

As I travel solo, I am often the recipient of extraordinary kindness from strangers. But on one solo trip, I fell into an extraordinarily dangerous situation due to strangers. In this three part series, (three Saturdays in a row), I’ll share with you my experiences with strangers, good and bad, and then, a few things I’ve learned about telling the difference between the good ones and the bad ones. In this post, I begin with the goodness of strangers.

Solo Travel Enriched by Strangers
I suspect that we have all relied on the kindness of strangers from time to time. I certainly have. At times it’s been needed but on most occasions, these acts of kindness have simply enriched my travels.

Here are just a few of my favorite moments with strangers who, for a short while, became friends.

The Docent, the bouncer and a half day cultural exchange.
On my trip down the Blues Highway one of the big surprises was Jackson, Mississippi. As I traveled there on the train, I began to second guess my decision to go. People asked why I would stop into Jackson. To be honest, my reason was simply that it was the right distance between Memphis and New Orleans. But, once there, the people of Jackson made it clear that it is a place worth stopping at.

One morning I visited the Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History. I got chatting with the docent at the front desk and, before I knew it, I was invited on a personal tour of the city by this lovely woman who was born and bread there. We had lunch together and then she toured me through parts of the city that I would not have otherwise discovered providing information that can only come from locals.

Then, in the evening, I went out to the 930 Blues club where I met many friendly people, but the special act of kindness came at the end of the evening. I arranged for my taxi and waited for it on the front porch with the bouncer who had a broken leg. When the taxi arrived, the bouncer went down the stairs despite my objections, took me to the car, opened the door, helped me in and looked directly at the driver and said “you take good care of my friend here, ya’ hear?”. He was doing more than his job. He was taking care of a stranger.

On the morning I was to leave Jackson for New Orleans, I joined a family from Texas for breakfast at the Fairview Inn where I was staying. We chatted casually. They were a lovely family and, you may be surprised, but I accepted their offer of a drive to New Orleans. We each learned a lot about our respective countries in a half day cultural exchange.

Ten bikes and two pickup trucks in PEI
This example goes back quite a few years to a bike tour I was given as a high school graduation gift. I joined the tour as a solo traveler. We rode through Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and the Magdalen Islands. On the day we left Summerside, PEI we headed across the island and then up the coast to the ferry. Across the interior was fine but when we reached the coast we fought a strong headwind. We all became scattered. I was cycling alone when a pickup truck pulled up beside me. It wasn’t danger, it was PEI hospitality in action.

One of our group had alerted a farmer to the fact that ten of us were strewn over this stretch of roadway. The farmer got a friend and the two of them collected us in their pick-up trucks and took us to their respective farms where we fed a fabulous dinner. Later they drove us to our camp ground. Such kindness.

Hungarians, Cubans and a Canadian Go Dancing

In 2004, I was in Havana for a week by myself and really wanted to go Salsa dancing. I figured that the club recommended by the travel guide, Casa del Musica de Centro Habana, would be touristy enough but when I got there, there was a line up of hundreds of Cubans waiting to go dancing – and this was the afternoon.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into — I don’t go to clubs like this at home. I hesitated and then saw three people who were definitely tourists. I slid into line beside them, introduced myself and explained that I just wanted to join them until I was inside. As it turned out, they were Hungarian and understood very little of what I said. But they did let me join them.

When we got in side it was a huge, exciting club. I stayed close and soon, to my surprise, their tour guide arrived with three more Hungarians. When their guide discovered that I spoke English, he practically jumped over the table to join me. He taught me to Salsa and the eight of us had a fabulous night.

Raising a glass on Guy Fawkes Day
After a day walking in the Lake District, nothing tastes better than a pint at a local pub. I was in Ambleside, Cumbria last year and my pub of choice is the Unicorn Inn. I went there three nights in a row and all three nights I had a fine time with new friends. But, on the fourth night, I had a fantastic time. When I walked into The Unicorn on Guy Fawkes night I felt like Norm walking into Cheers! This small pub erupted in welcome. It was not possible for me to buy a pint. And songs were sung in honour (I just had to slip a Canadian spelling in at this point) of me being Canadian. Fantastic!

Sharing a Meal in Rochester
New friends made another evening memorable in Rochester, New York. It was more quiet than The Unicorn but equally convivial. I arrived at Hogan’s Hideaway for dinner planning to sit at the bar to eat. When I arrived, a couple moved a bit to make space and we got chatting. When their table was ready, they invited me to join them.

The conversation was great. As they were regulars, I asked them to order my meal (a common practice of mine in such situations). We all had the Friday night Fish Fry. It was fabulous. Friends of theirs arrived and our conversation circle got larger. And, at the end of the evening, I couldn’t pay for my dinner.

These are just a few stories that demonstrate how the vast majority of strangers are wonderful, kind and generous people. I feel truly fortunate to meet so many.

The Fog Comes on Little Cat Feet

2010-06-01T20:30:00.001-05:00

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg, Chicago Poems (1916) "Fog"

US biographer & poet (1878 - 1967)

I awoke this morning to these incredible foggy views from my window in the city....Lake Michigan, Navy Pier, Ohio Street Beach and Olive Park.

(Click photos to enlarge...)

Bike the Drive

2010-06-01T19:42:00.001-05:00

(Click photos to enlarge)

We have a yearly event over Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago called Bike the Drive. Lake Shore Drive runs parallel to Lake Michigan from near Evanston up north, way down south, more than 30 miles. Along all of this is, in addition, a lovely biking/walking paved path that I ride most days when I stay in my city condo.

But on this one special Sunday, cars are outlawed on Lake Shore Drive itself from 4:30AM until about 10:30AM, while volunteers set up, conduct and then dismantle Bike the Drive! This year 20,000 bikers participated in the ride. (The event is hosted by MB Financial Bank and the Active Transportation Alliance in the city, which advocates for cyclists throughout the city/state.)

What a marvel to be biking down Lake Shore Drive (strains of the old tune in my mind) in absolute quiet, except for people's laughter and birds singing! Couldn't we please have this every Sunday?!

The Damage is Done -- Boycott BP

2010-05-24T09:54:00.001-05:00

The White House said Sunday the Justice Department has been gathering information about the oil spill. Press secretary Robert Gibbs didn't say whether the department has opened a criminal investigation. He would only tell CBS' "Face the Nation" that department representatives have been to the Gulf as part of the response to the oil leak.

Even if BP's top kill procedure works this week, the damage has been done.

On Sunday, some brown pelicans coated in oil couldn't fly away on Barataria Bay of the Louisiana coast. All they could do was hobble. Their usually brown and white feathers were jet black, and eggs were glazed with rust-colored gunk.

When wildlife officials tried to rescue one of the pelicans, the birds became spooked. Officials weren't sure whether they would try again, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Stacy Shelton said it is sometimes better to leave the animals alone than to disturb their colony.

Pelicans are especially vulnerable to oil because they dive into the water to feed. They could eat tainted fish and feed it to their young, or they could die of hypothermia or drown if their feathers become soaked in oil. Just six months ago, the birds had been removed from the federal endangered species list.

From "Frustration Grows Along With Gulf Oil Spill" by Greg Bluestein and Matthew Brown, AP

Boycott BP

2010-05-24T09:41:00.002-05:00

A few years ago, BP petitioned the EPA to allow them to INCREASE their waste dumpage into Lake Michigan. Where is their environmental conscience?

Here in Chicago, a grassroots movement and boycott of BP products ensued and BP printed a statement of retraction, seeming to reverse its decision. I am not sure if they have stuck to that decision or have secretly implemented more dumping. Maybe a reader can fill us in.

Now the massive oil spill in the Gulf, which officials are saying has topped the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

View some of the tragic results happening to the island off LA which is home to hundreds of nesting brown pelicans and other birds. The oil has desecrated hundreds of miles of beaches in LA and AL already and is sitting at the gulf of the Mississippi River.

Throw the book at BP. Revoke any rights to oil drilling in the U.S. BOYCOTT BP!

(This video shows oil-damaged pelicans, many of whom can barely fly, says one of the filming biologists.)

The Recital

2010-05-23T23:10:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm back home after 6 1/2 months in Florida and Georgia. I am slowly adjusting.

The bad: It's not nearly as pretty here as it is in the Atlanta area where my son lives and, of course, he and my grandchildren are there, not here. And I have the flu with major aches. Ugh.

The good: I'm out of the humidity (whew!) I could never live in Florida or Georgia during the hot months. That humidity just drags the life out of me.

So here are photos from Madison's dance recital....sorry the quality isn't the best, but they were taken from far out in the audience with the zoom. And my camera is 10 years old.

(Click to enlarge photos)

Ballet Picture Day

2010-05-06T16:18:00.004-05:00

Today, a week before the ballet recital, was picture day at class. Fits were thrown, heels were dug in -- until Mama did a little tough love stance and "I-don't-wanna-wear-that-costume-cuz-it-itches" granddaughter capitulated.

See if you can figure out who granddaughter is. She's the one with the "itch fix."

(As always, click to enlarge photos)

Good Morning, Everyone!

2010-05-04T06:23:00.000-05:00

Alpharetta Greenway

2010-04-30T22:17:00.002-05:00

WHAT IS A GREENWAY?

"A greenway is a linear park. A greenway is about people and the land they love. It is about conservation. It is about recreation and alternative transportation. It is about environmental education. It is about connecting the quality of life Alpharetta now has with the future plan that will help maintain that quality of life. Our greenway is an investment in the future of Alpharetta...an Alpharetta that is green, with open spaces for people as well as natural areas for plants and animals."

"The Big Creek Greenway is primarily a 12-foot wide concrete path that meanders through the deciduous woods along Big Creek. The greenway offers an ideal setting for walking, jogging, inline roller blading, and biking. Dirt mountain bike trails are located on the east side of the creek 2/5 mile south of Webb Bridge Road."

From The Big Creek Greenway Trail System on the web

Ventured onto the Greenway this morning and found it to be delightful. With all the shade and those huge trees giving off oxygen (isn't that what we learned in science class? Don't trees suck up the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen?) I can see how the Georgia natives cope with hot, humid summers.....that and the abundance of neighborhood pools.

Clocked 18 miles on the Giant this morning. Hillier than I like or usually ride, but for the most part, not too difficult. And the creek runs parallel to the path, with a miniwaterfall now and then. Two small deer crossed the path in front of me, too fast for me to stop and grab the camera, and I'm sorry to say, a black snake a little further on.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Most of the greenway is dappled shade, with a few sunny lengths.

There are bridges to go under....

and over.

A fork or two in the path to choose direction....

And some paths only for those on foot...

And guidelines to follow to preserve the greenway for years to come.

All in all, quite a nice find for someone like me who was afraid all of northeast Atlanta was going to be too hilly to make biking pleasant. I'm happily surprised!

Goodbye, Florida

2010-04-28T22:43:00.001-05:00

It's my last night in Sandestin and I'm all packed. I leave tomorrow morning. I've taken a hot shower to ease my aching back from lifting all my stuff and smashing it into every conceivable space in my car and trunk, and just popped three Advil to boot.

When I awake, I'll just shower and dress and make a little breakfast with some leftover food I still have. Then I'll put the few remaining things into the car, bungee the bike onto the bike rack, start the dishwasher for the rental agency and put the trash on the curb and go.

But I don't want to.

This last month has been perfect weather...sunny 70's...only two days of humidity. I'll miss the biking around here; I'll miss sitting at the pool reading and people-watching; I'll miss the beach and sand and free Wednesday night music concerts and the Village. I'll miss the natural beauty and peacefulness of Sandestin and the beaches and nature trails; I'll miss all the water, water, water everywhere.

(click photos to enlarge)

So goodbye beautiful sand and Gulf, stay soft and white and emerald....

Goodbye morning sun out my front door...

Goodbye Rum Runners and Baytowne Wharf....

Goodbye, boats and marina at the Village....

Goodbye friendly gate guards....

Goodbye AJ's, keep the bands playin'....

Goodbye, Pompano Joe's....

Goodbye, Donut Hole....

And goodbye everything I've come to love about this area. I can't wait to get back next season.

Last Day in Paradise

2010-04-28T21:21:00.000-05:00

It was my last day to bike my 20 miles, last breakfast at Another Broken Egg, last drive through the resort and down Scenic 98 along the Gulf, and last day to sit at the pool and read and people-watch. It was just me and "the guys" (whoever they were) this afternoon.

(click to enlarge photos)

My little shaded corner.

Pond behind my pool.

One of the neighborhood pools in Sandestin...with golf course and bay beyond.

One of the four golf courses in Sandestin and the bay beyond it.

The fountain sends me a rainbow as goodbye!

Twenty Mile Trek

2010-04-27T19:51:00.000-05:00

My first 20 mile round trip trek took me along Scenic 98 which runs by the Gulf and all the beaches. Seasoned cyclists may scoff at my starting sojourns (bear with me, I'm in an alliteration mood) but I'm pretty proud of my progress. At 60, I'm working my way up and hope to someday join one of those biking tour vacations, during which the group cycles 35+ miles a day (forget the 60, I'll never get there!)

(Click to enlarge)

Path after leaving Scenic 98

Entering Henderson Beach State Park

The End of a Beautiful Day

2010-04-27T19:38:00.001-05:00

(Click to enlarge)

Sunsets have shifted since I first arrived in November...now they are behind this condo building on the bay behind my rental.

Have Bike, Will Boogie

2010-04-27T19:18:00.001-05:00

My time here is almost at its end and I still haven't checked out all there is in the area. But that's okay. More new stuff to discover when I return next season.

I did find a few more places to bike this past week, though. And the weather has been gorgeous -- sunny 70's and only two days of humidity for a month!

I even got up to 20 miles on my rides finally, although most days I bike between 10-15. Here are some new routes I found:

(Click photos to enlarge)

Entrance to Topsail Preserve

Start of the bike trail

The lake at the end of one bike path...with dunes and Gulf in distance.

Rest stops along the path every so often.

Unlocked bikes everywhere...a refreshing sight!

This Chicago girl's bike...note the heavy-duty lock.

Bike path on left, birding path on right.

Boating on the Gulf beyond the dunes.

Topsail has won awards for its pristine condition.

Stopping at the beach

Love the lineup of shoes!

The fluffiest, sugar-white sand and emerald-green/azure blue waters anywhere!

Easy to find private spots here.

Looking back toward bike/walking path.

Weekend Wonderful

2010-04-21T17:56:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm back to post photos of the weekend with my son and granddaughter.

I won't do any "narrating," as it is so annoying when friends go through a stack of photos with you, slowing your viewing pace down by having to comment on every single one, what day of the trip it was, who is in the shot, where they are, what they ate, why they ate it, how they ate it, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Most of the photos are self-explanatory or you don't really give a hoot about how they met the couple from Idaho or what they bought shopping or where they ended up eating the best buffet ever. If you were curious about something in the picture, you'd ask! You would happily view the photos if they'd let you just view them. And shut up.

So I'm shutting up.

(Click to enlarge)

At Miramar Beach

At Baytowne Wharf (Sandestin's Village)

Pools and Spas

Tree houses, nature trail, and playgrounds

(Daddies like them, too!)

TCBY

Baby Alligators

Weekend Review

2010-04-19T17:28:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I've posted, but I have a good reason: My son, Patrick, and my 4 1/2 year old granddaughter, Madison were visiting me. I spent a few days cooking up stuff to keep in the fridge for their visit (and we ate so little of it....went out most of the time) and then had no inclination to spend time writing here while I was lucky enough to have them in my house!

So today, after I've biked to the beach to meet a friend and have lunch, I sit on the screened porch and create a "weekend review" for the blog.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Calmer golf course now that winter is over and summer vacation hasn't started yet.

Hey, I can watch Jeopardy while sorting photos for the blog!

Weeks of 70+ degree weather....Heaven.

Against My Better Judgment...

2010-04-14T18:49:00.003-05:00

...I will post this article from the Miami Herald. I hope it doesn't cause a flood of people to come here now. But then, the Herald has more readers than my blog (by a bit) so if they come, it's the Herald's fault, not mine.

THE PANHANDLE

New Panama City airport could stir Gulf Coast's sleepy way of life

Getting there: Panama City-Bay County Airport, to be re-named Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, opens in May. There are no nonstop flights from South Florida, but Southwest and Delta will fly to Panama City from Fort Lauderdale, and American and Delta from Miami, with one stop or change of planes in under four hours. Travelers can also fly to Pensacola, although it is farther (70 miles to Grayton Beach). American flies nonstop from Miami in an hour and 45 minutes; several other airlines fly from South Florida, with a change of planes, in just under four hours.

BY ELEANOR BERMAN
Travel Arts Syndicate

SOUTH WALTON -- They call it the Emerald Coast for the blue-green water, but the color I remember best about the beaches of South Walton is white: wide expanses of sand so white it glistens in the sun. Few beaches in Florida or anywhere can match this 26-mile shoreline in Walton County, bordering the Gulf of Mexico in Florida's northwest Panhandle. The sand is nearly pure quartz crystal, dazzling to the eye and soft underfoot.

This beach lover's paradise has been a semi-secret, known mostly to visitors from Atlanta, Birmingham, Tallahassee and other areas within driving distance. But that may change this spring when an international airport opens in Panama City, a half-hour away.

Beaches are not the only thing special about South Walton. More than 40 percent of the region is preserved as state parks and forests, meaning highways are lined with tall trees instead of strip malls, and the recreational possibilities, from kayaks to fishing to nature trails, are endless.

A string of 15 small, low-rise, low-key villages border the sea running along Scenic Route 30A, where a bike lane stretches the entire 19 miles of the highway. Each town has its own charming cottage architecture and locally-owned boutiques and restaurants. Vacationers can settle into a cottage or condo and walk to beach, shops, dining, tennis, outdoor concerts and other recreation. While there are plenty of luxury options, many rates are lower than better-known resort areas.

THE OLD TIMER
The oldest of the communities is Grayton Beach, which celebrates its 120th birthday this year. The shoreline of Grayton Beach State Park was named a national winner in 1994 by ``Dr. Beach,'' Stephen Leatherman. The park boasts massive dunes, winding trails, abundant wildlife, and Western Lake, one of the loveliest of the 15 coastal dune lakes found along Highway 30A.

The town itself is a laid-back place with oyster shell roads where historic cottages mix with modern beach houses in the shade of pines and oaks. For a long time, ``town'' meant one combination general store and Saturday night dance hall. That building still stands as the very popular Red Bar.

The original breezy, weathered cypress homes in Grayton Beach were among the inspirations for neighboring Seaside, the best-known village along the highway. This planned community developed in the early 1980s is in a style known as New Urbanism, imitating compact towns of the past where neighbors visited on the front porch and could easily walk to town.

Pastel cottages with pretty porches and white picket fences are set on narrow lanes, all no more than a five-minute walk from the town center or beach. A network of sand walkways cuts through the middle of blocks, allowing for a comfortable barefoot walk to the beach. At the end of each street stands a beach pavilion; there are nine in all, no two alike.

Seaside was the setting of the idyllic town featured in the movie The Truman Show.

Similar developments followed, each with a spirit of its own. Rosemary Beach, boasting a wide village green, has a West Indies influence. WaterColor added a luxurious seaside inn and gourmet restaurant to the mix. The newest development, elegant Alys Beach, has a Bermuda look.

ARTS SCENE
Driving from town to town is a treat because each has its own shops and galleries. Florida's Panhandle definitely is Deep South, and there's a lot of appealing Southern folk art to be seen with artists often on hand to tell you about their work.

Big Mama's Hula Girl Gallery in Grayton Beach is a hoot, a funky and delightful mix of artwork by the owner, Debbie Weant-Lane, and whimsical glass mosaics by Phil Kiser, who was a recent Beaches of the South Walton Artist of the Year.

Seaside's Eileen West gallery is filled with charming Southern folk art known as ``Outsider'' for artists who have no professional training. The gallery is set along Ruskin Place, a cache of shops and galleries around a scenic green where an open house Art Walk takes place the first Friday of each month.

The Artists at Gulf Place in Santa Rosa Beach is a cooperative artists' colony and open air market where the wares include handcrafted jewelry, pottery and beach photography, as well as all kinds of local art.

The gallery of Justin Gaffrey in Blue Water Beach shows the work of another former Artist of the Year whose oil paintings are done in a style called ``impasto,'' using thick applications of paint to produce a textured, three-dimensional effect.

WaterColor has a satellite branch of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the New Orleans museum that has the country's largest collection of Southern art.

Those in search of more traditional shopping should take the 20-minute drive to Sandestin on U.S. Highway 98 (the Emerald Coast Highway), where they will find familiar stores like Chico, J.Crew and Coldwater Creek. The Silver Sands Factory Stores complex features names like Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole and Michael Kors.

Sandestin will also please vacationers who prefer a complete resort. The Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort offers seven miles of private beach plus bay front for boating, four championship golf courses, and Baytowne Wharf, a pedestrian village with more shops, some of the area's best dining and lively nightlife.

While some of the area's few high-rise hotels are here, the beautifully landscaped acres also include a number of cottage communities in keeping with the spirit of the region. The variety of lodgings means rates for every budget. Convenient resort shuttle service means you can relax once you arrive, with no need for a car to get around.

Like all of little-heralded South Walton, the resort is a find. (Note: Sandestin is where I am this winter. And you can see lots of photos of it, plus some of the places listed in this article in other blog posts.)

80 Degrees and the Beach

2010-04-12T17:17:00.004-05:00

It hit 80 today! Didn't swim, because the purple flag is up (meaning dangerous marine life...stingrays and the such) but did watch others risking it while I lunched at the Hilton's outdoor restaurant next door to my resort.

Shrimp wraps and fresh fruit!

(Click to enlarge photos)

Ships in the distance

Sundeck and restaurant

Restaurant

My granddaughter would love the pink umbrellas!

Sparkling water

Spring Breakers Gone?

2010-04-12T10:44:00.001-05:00

Since this is my first winter experience in the Panhandle, I don't know if the missing crowds I saw yesterday signals that spring breakers, for the most part, are gone now or if we have one more week of them. I'll find out when I venture out today. But it sure is nice to have the place to myself again.

Witness the 2PM lunch I had at Hammerhead's in Baytowne Wharf yesterday. Yep, the guy still sang his Jimmy Buffet and other songs from my generation for about six of us. What a nice relaxing lunch it was!

Click to enlarge photos

Our entertainer

I counted only ten others there at this time.

Hammerhead's on the bay...live music daily.

Julie and Julia

2010-04-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

I just watched Julie and Julia again for the seventh or eighth time. I love it. I love it so much that I bought it tonight for $7.99 at the local DVD store going out of business.

If you like Meryl Streep (and who doesn't?) and Amy Adams (ditto) and Stanley Tucci (ditto ditto) and happy, feel-good movies, you will love it, too. And the fact that it is based on a real story makes it even better.

I did like The Blind Side and I did think Sandra Bullock's Oscar-winning performance was good, but IMHO, I think some popularity and sympathy voting (Bullock had never won one before and Streep has) accounted for her win this year. I believe Streep deserved it. She had Julia Child down pat.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it, you should.

You really should.

And I Didn't Think It Could Get Any Better.....

2010-04-08T23:12:00.000-05:00

Obviously, being gone a week proved me wrong! Can it get any better?! It's lovely walking and biking around Sandestin in April!

Click to enlarge, as this size just doesn't do the photos justice

My "neighborhood"

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2010-04-07T18:19:00.003-05:00

Aaaaahhhh, good to stretch the legs. I just drove 6 hours from Atlanta back to Sandestin without stopping. I really should stop and stretch and move about, as it is healthy for so many reasons, but once I'm on the road, I just want to keep going until I reach my destination. And there aren't any great places to stop from Atlanta to the Panhandle (through Alabama.) The drive is easy and pretty, but nowhere fantastic to stop. So...............

I'm home. It's q-u-i-e-t. Ahhhh. I know I'm gettin' old when after about a week with my son and his lovely family, I have had about all I can take of the kids' TV shows, dog barking, kids' volume voices (kids do yell, scream and shout you know...whether in fun and laughter or tears and squabbling....) It pains me to think I can't block out noise like I used to when I was younger and I dearly, dearly love visiting Pat, Kate, Madison and Cayden. But I guess that's just the way it is now.

I am getting o-l-d. Period.

But I feel so grateful for my son, his wife and my grandchildren! They are so good to me when I'm there and I always have fun. So many memories of good times. And tomorrow I will miss them already.

From 2007, but the only one I have of them all together on this computer's hard drive:

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T17:02:00.010-05:00

The weather here in Atlanta has been warmer than where I am wintering in Florida! What the heck is going on with our climate? We had low 80's for the last three days. But it makes for a wonderful Easter Weekend, as you can see! (Click photos to enlarge)

Bear wants to join the fun (look behind glass door)

At the Ballet

2010-04-02T21:18:00.001-05:00

In Atlanta with my son's family and arrived in time to capture a few moments of Madison's ballet class. No tap today, because we are practicing for the May recital. And our new aqua ballet costumes are "beeeyouuuteeful!" (To be displayed in May photos of the performance)

Click to enlarge (although my focus isn't the greatest)

Listening to the teacher (Madison in pigtails)

Dancing Darlings

Found 'em

2010-03-31T17:09:00.001-05:00

Ok, Noreen, I took your advice and went searching this afternoon. By car. I'm such a great detective. Happened to notice a TV van alongside the back of The Crystal Beach Hotel or Inn at Crystal Beach, whatever, can't remember the exact name. So I parked and went into their lobby, faking like I was interested in their restaurant and looking for a take-out menu. (As if anyone would've cared that I was looking for the Weather Channel's setup.....)

And yup, there it was/is. Right on the back veranda, right on the beach, just the way it appears on camera (TV camera, that is.)

So here are your photos, of course minus Stephanie Abrams, Mike Bettes and the whole crew, because it was about 4PM and they shoot their live show from before dawn until 11AM. (Wonder where they stay? Hmmmmm....)

(Click photos to enlarge)

My "clue" that they were here (but I saw it from behind, not this angle)

And there it sits, just like on TV!

Seen from the beach where they did the "sand angels."

Outside eating area next to the veranda

Scenes of the City

2010-03-31T09:42:00.001-05:00

Here are some outstanding scenes of my city, Chicago.

C H I C A G O

The Weather Channel in Destin!

2010-03-30T21:03:00.004-05:00

Wow! I turned on TWC like I do most mornings (musta missed the news of this, though) and lo and behold there they are, Stephanie Abrams and Mike Bettes, broadcasting from the Emerald Coast!

One of my Canadian snowbird friends, already returned to the North, emailed me asking why I didn't go down, photograph them, and put it on the blog. Now why didn't I think of that?!

However, it's a good thing I searched the web first and found these photos, as I would never have been able to figure out what hotel or condominium deck they are shooting from....the beach goes for miles, so I could've walked myself to death searching.

So I'll just cleverly repost the photos they posted on Facebook.

(Click to enlarge photos)

Abrams and Bettes with Harbormaster Greg

Guess they went fishing the first day here...Destin does make this boast:

Bettes' grouper and Abrams' chocolate porgy (don't ask me...that's what it said on Facebook)

On Day 2, they set up before daybreak...

And start before the sun even rises....

Posing with the staff from Another Broken Egg, one of my regular breakfast places. Guess they bring them breakfast before shooting.

Part of today's show, making snow, um, I mean sand angels.

I guess this week's show is focusing on spring at the beaches. So we'll be seeing more of them. Stay tuned for more.....

Which Is Healthier?

2010-03-30T16:47:00.000-05:00

Question

Multigrain vs. whole grain: Which is healthier? I'm trying to eat a healthy diet. Is multigrain the same thing as whole grain? Which is the healthier choice?

Answer from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.

Multigrain and whole grain are not interchangeable terms. Whole grain means that all parts of the grain kernel — the bran, germ and endosperm — are used. In contrast, multigrain means that a food contains more than one type of grain; it doesn't tell you whether they're whole or refined grains, or a mix of both.

Whole-grain foods are a healthy choice because they contain nutrients, fiber and other healthy plant compounds found naturally in the grain. Look for products that list the first ingredient as "whole grain," "whole wheat" or "whole oats." Healthy adults should eat at least three 1-ounce equivalents of whole grains a day as part of a balanced diet.

(from Mayo Clinic's website)

Flashpacking

2010-03-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

(Reprinted post from Solo Traveler, one of my favorite blogs.)

Solo travel by flashpacking: cheap travel with a few perks.
Posted on March 29, 2010 - by Guest

I am pleased to introduce David Jedeikin as this week’s guest blogger. David Jedeikin is the author of Wander the Rainbow, an upcoming chronicle of a gay solo traveler on a seven month flashpacking trip around the world. You can follow him on Twitter where he is @wanderrainbow.

The fabulous hotel I stayed at in Bali for around $40 a night

If there’s one thing backpackers love to hate, it’s “flashpacking,” loosely defined as backpacking with a few frills. “It’s not a real experience,” “you won’t meet people,” “You won’t see the true [fill in the destination of your choice].” All untrue: It’s eminently possible to travel more comfortably than the backpacker norm and still garner incredible adventures. Here’s how:

1. Travel solo and hang with friends (and family)
This applies to everyone, not just flashpackers: if you have contacts or kin anywhere you’re going, make a point to look them up. In much of the world hospitality is highly prized, and friends and relatives may be eager to put you up. Assuming these folks have the space and the inclination, you can be assured of a decent place to sleep and possibly a great tour guide in an unfamiliar locale.

2. Travel Solo and Stay local
What if you don’t have cousins in Cape Town or buddies in Beijing? Staying at a Westin or Marriott isn’t the best-value alternative: international chains charge a hefty premium for predictability. But comfort can be had for a lot less at smaller midrange accommodations geared at local travelers. In expensive cities like Rome or Tokyo, sweet private rooms can be had for under $100 a night; in Bangkok, Bali, or smaller Indian centers $30 to $50 is the norm. Plus many hostels in Europe, Australia, and especially New Zealand offer private rooms for about $50 a night.

3. Scour the web before you travelsolo
The days of leafing through guidebooks or traipsing from guesthouse to hotel are mostly behind us; guidebook recommendations can date quickly, but online resources offer current reviews from fellow travelers. The best-known of these are TripAdvisor (hotels and guesthouses), and Hostelworld (hostels and other budget digs).

4. Gear up – but not too much
Portable electronics have never been cheaper: in addition to digital cameras are iPods (perfect for that just-right playlist atop Macchu Pichu), unlocked cellphones, and especially netbook computers. Internet cafés can be handy – and they are everywhere – but there’s nothing like having a basic machine of your own for privacy and convenience.

Me with my netbook blogging

5. Socialize as you travel solo.
Private accommodations mean you’ll have to work a little harder to meet people – but not too much harder. If you’re staying in a hostel room you can still take advantage of group activities – beer-tasting nights in Belgium or a downstairs bar or dining room. If you identify with any subgroup – gay, Jewish, Rastafarian, role-playing gamer, whatever – by all means make the effort to connect with that crowd.

6. Mix it up
Vary your accommodations choices; the best part about having a little extra cash is flexibility: try a hostel room in one place, a guesthouse in another, a bed & breakfast somewhere else, even a fancier hotel if you snag a deal (hint: off season is best).

7. Flex your points
If you’re flashpacking you’ve probably traveled some already. This is a great time to use those frequent flyer miles: alliances such as Star Alliance and OneWorld offer great value-for-miles awards on long-haul, multi-destination trips; for the equivalent of a simple round-trip to Europe you can fly a half-dozen or more (non round-trip) segments. The rules can be a bit involved and there’s some advance planning required – but most of these awards allow date changes with no extra charge. Some award categories even offer business class for not a whole lot extra.

Comfort on a budget – now that’s what flashpacking’s *really* about.

Palm Sunday

2010-03-28T21:03:00.001-05:00

Background - Palm Sunday

In fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 62:11 & Zechariah 9:9), Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The crowds lined the street shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." (Psalm 118:25-26) They placed palm branches and robes in front of Jesus. This was particularly disturbing to the religious leaders who were jealous of Jesus. They demanded that Jesus silence the crowd, but he responded that even if the crowd were silent, the stones would cry out.

The events of the next week would forever change the world. Jesus entered Jerusalem and the crowd welcomed him as a king. By the end of the week they were demanding his death. His followers abandoned him in fear. None of his close followers had really understood the events of Palm Sunday and Holy Week until after Jesus returned. They had all expected Jesus to be an earthly king, but God had given them something so much better - an open door into a Kingdom that would never end.

Palm Sunday, in the Christian calendar is the Sunday before Easter, sixth and last Sunday in Lent, and the first day of Holy Week. Palm Sunday 2010 is celebrated on March 28. The other important days of Holy Week include:

Palm Sunday - Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday - The Last Supper and betrayal.

Good Friday - The arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus.

Easter Sunday - The day Jesus rose from the grave.

http://kingskidstuff.home.att.net/palm_sunday.htm

What is it about Mr. Darcy?

2010-03-27T10:01:00.004-05:00

This is a repost from Solo Traveler, a blog I read. If you'd like to comment on it, as the auther asks at the end, please go to: http://solotravelerblog.com/travel-solo-bath-austen-mr-darcy/#comment-3529

Posted on March 26, 2010 - by Janice

Travel Solo to Bath: What is it about Mr. Darcy?

Janice at The Jane Austen Centre Tea Room

To travel solo to Bath, England is to wander into many centuries of the spa experience from Roman times to modern with the Thermae Bath Spa. But there’s much more. There is the beautiful Pulteney Bridge, one of only four in the world with shops along the full span on both sides, fabulous shopping on the high street for current fashionistas, the Royal Crescent and, of course, Jane Austen.

This city rose to prominence in the 18th century and was made a World Heritage Site in 1987. I can’t help but think that Jane Austen, the continued popularity of her novels and especially her enigmatic Mr. Darcy, had a lot to do with it.

As I travel solo I often hold internal debates.

This time I debated Mr. Darcy. What is it about him that attracts the women so. Yes, Colin Firth is fine to look at, but the sullen nature of the Darcy character is more than I can bear. Am I alone in this opinion?

According to some reading I’ve done, Mr. Darcy is not only loved for the character we know but also as he shows himself in other personas and time frames. He is Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind and Big in Sex in the City. How can I be the only one who objects to these men. I won’t deny that they have a certain sex appeal but I find the entire package to be more repelling than compelling.

And yet, I went to the Jane Austen Centre and thoroughly enjoyed the introductory presentation and seeing the costumes that had been used over the years in various renditions of Austen’s stories. I saw the portrait of Darcy (Colin Firth) on the wall and smiled. There was something familiar and warm about it. And, I must confess, I think the warmth I felt had more to do with a certain sensibility (no prejudice against Pride) than the fact that I had found a warm shelter from the cold rain outside.

My trip to Bath highlighted my ambivalence towards Mr. Darcy and I’d like to learn what the women readers think. Do you find the Darcy character attractive? And, whether you do or don’t, why?

My comment: I, myself, used to be attracted to that type, and still can be, until I remind myself that most tall, dark, handsomely brooding and quiet men I've known were much different than I’d thought. Often the “still waters” did not run deep, if in fact, they ran at all. Or they were nursing some deep hurt/anger/bitterness with no sign of letting it go any time soon. In my humble opinion, some women are drawn to those strong, mysteriously quiet types, because they can ascribe to them the characteristics they would like them to have. If someone isn’t real forthcoming in telling you who he really is, you can just imagine the best. (It’s mostly in fiction that some man is dark and mysterious and shy and quiet until he gets to know you, and then, lo and behold, he emerges smiling and happy, an open book, spilling forth his deepest feelings and showering you with love and outward signs of affection, never again to take up the brooding persona.)

The Florida House

2010-03-26T16:01:00.001-05:00

I feel like a food critic with my restaurant reviews.

I did find a new one this morning and thought I'd post it for all of my Canadian snowbird friends (and U.S.) as most of them are back up north now. We have only a few decent breakfast places that I have found so far -- three locations for Another Broken Egg, two for the Donut Hole, and then down in Seaside, The Great Southern Cafe with their famous Grits a Ya Ya -- so I am always asking people if they know any good breakfast places. Usually they come up with these same ones and nothing else.

But I stopped into The Florida House this morning, a cute little red-painted, flower-boxed eatery along #98. It's right next to AJ's, a popular casual seafood place which hosts live bands and is a favorite for snowbirds when they are here, as well as the young during Spring Break.

To my delight, it has an inviting interior, tables and comfy booths, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. And they have a good selection. Breakfasts range from the usual bacon and egg dishes, to omelets, specialty egg dishes, French toast, pancakes made with almost whatever you want, Benedicts and fruit, yogurt and granola. Lunches offer appetizers (try the fried artichoke hearts) to soups and salads, entrees of fish (grouper, salmon, crab, shrimp), turkey, chicken, and meatloat to burger and sandwich platters. And dinners offer their own different appetizers (my favorite being coconut shrimp) with soups and salads and a good variety of entrees, a few of which are Baked Stuffed Shrimp, Pan-Seared Grouper, Beer-Battered Fish and Chips, Salmon, New York Strip Steak, Filet Mignon,. Seafood Fra Diavlo, Surf and Turf, Chicken Marsala, Chicken Mediterranean, Tortellini Carbonara and Alfredo Cajun. More children's choices, too, than just hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken nuggets.

Take a look and click to enlarge photos, if you wish:

Front door

Inside

Sitting at my booth (taking photos)

Cheery flowers inside and out with little cafe curtains

So there you have it. A new eatery in Destin, sure to become a popular place, not even "officially" open yet, but serving the public until the Grand Opening soon. I'll give it two thumbs up (because, um, that's how many I have.)

Just another beautiful evening in paradise........

2010-03-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

(Yeah, now it's paradise....LOL!)

Excuse the clarity...it was taken through the screened porch.

P.S. Eat, Pray, Love

2010-03-24T12:54:00.000-05:00

Just read that in 2008, Time magazine named Gilbert one of the most influential people in the world. If you'd like to know more about her, her website is http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/.

Haven't been to it myself, but thought I'd include it.

(If anyone finds a photo of her husband, Felipe, I'd love to see it!)

Eat, Pray, Love movie-to-come

2010-03-24T09:10:00.007-05:00

'Eat, Pray, Love': Delicious Details About the Movie
By Amber James Posted Mar 23rd 2010 04:10PM (reposted from PopEater.com)

The trailer suggests that the movie will offer a lot more backstory than the book, where Gilbert's ex-husband and former lover are discussed only in flashback. The film was also shot in exotic locals, so the gorgeous scenery will definitely set the movie apart from the book.

Roberts admits the role "was quite a huge undertaking. It was a little bit daunting, dragging three little kids around the world, but well worth it." (via Women's Wear Daily.)

"I think that [Gilbert] just showed so much courage and humor. I just felt an incredible sense of need to accomplish the task on a great level. Ryan Murphy, who adapted the screenplay and was our director, was incredible."

"It was really like the acting Olympics. It's been a long time since I've had a full-time acting job. I am really glad that I made the decision to go off and do that movie. I hope that Liz [Gilbert] really likes it more than anything. She's a really interesting woman. I'm pretty fascinated by her, and I think a lot of people relate to her. So that's the greatest challenge [with] a book that's so well-known: You want people to see the movie and have that same sense of interest and comfort that they got from reading the book," Roberts continued.

Gilbert gushed about the new film on her Web site. "There is something surreal about the whole experience, but then again, there has been something surreal about 'Eat, Pray, Love' from the beginning. I have never entirely understood the rocket-like trajectory of that book, and so -- with the movie as with all of it -- I stand back, amazed, watching it all unfold and wondering at this strange turn of destiny."

Of course, readers may already know the big spoiler. In the book, Gilbert falls for an older Brazilian man, Felipe (Javier Bardem). The story ends there, but their love lives on. We can expect a sequel.

(My note: And if you've read Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage by Gilbert, you know the interesting dilemma that led to Felipe's and her eventual marriage!)

The Book versus the Movie

2010-03-23T22:08:00.003-05:00

Since offering my opinion on this topic not too many posts ago, usually liking the movie over the book, I learned some exciting news at the theater last night (in the preview trailers before seeing both Alice in Wonderland in 3D and Bounty Hunter...the former very entertaining and fun in 3D, the latter fairly lame, but sometimes ya just gotta go for the light stuff.)

The exciting news is that one of my favorite books, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert will be out as a film this summer! Julia Roberts plays her ("her" being Elizabeth Gilbert, as the book is really autobiographical.) Not my first choice. I think I might have preferred Gwyneth Paltrow. It will be good to see Javier Bardem in a role that might help fade from my memory his sinister No Country for Old Men role. Scared the bejesus outta me.

But I am looking forward to comparing it to the book. We might have a winner in the book this time, but that remains to be seen.....

And the movie trailer:

Sailing to the Mediterranean

2010-03-23T21:34:00.004-05:00

And by that, I mean I'm slowly experimenting with more Mediterranean dishes, as I posted what seems like a year ago.....

So I'm "sailing" there rather than "flying"....it will take some time. But I am cooking more. And I'm so proud of my little creation that I thought I'd share it with you.

I now make my own version of guacamole (stop snickering over there...anything not ordered in or cooked from frozen is a step up for me.) I'll even tell you what I put in it, although I can only estimate amounts (hey, I think that's what a real cook would say! Wow!)

Two ripe Hass (or is it Haas?) avocados
Two packages of prechopped tomatoes (sold at the Publix, so I can't tell you how many ounces)
Maybe a sixth of a package of prechopped red onion (ditto)
A whole lotta fresh cilantro chopped
Half a small lime's juice
Maybe a T. of cumin (might be a bit less....I just shake it in)

Mash it all together and it is so fresh and yummy! But don't eat it with chips....just toast some pumpernickle bread and spread it on. And you have a major healthy, what, open-face sandwich? Snack? Or dip some Triscuits in it. By adding all of the chopped tomatoes, you really add volume, so the calorie count isn't bad, either. And hey, it's the good kind of fat....monosaturated!

And it is that healthy fat that links it to my Mediterranean venture. (What a segue!)

My Favorite TV Commercials

2010-03-23T20:23:00.010-05:00

I have many faults, but one of them is not doing the "Oh, I'm soooo not into television....I don't do the couch potato thing" thing. As if people who enjoy television don't also enjoy being active. Or using their minds.

Now, some people truly aren't television watchers. But you know the ones I'm talking about: The "Oh, I am so above the rest of you who waste your precious earth moments sitting staring at a rectangle" people. As if anyone who likes television only watches reality shows, The Bachelor, and inane sit coms. (Oh oh, now I'm sounding judgmental, aren't I? And not all sit coms are created equal, let me admit right now.)

Anyway, I love film and for all of its aspects, not for merely a good story or escapism. So I will watch movies on TV all the time (not Lifetime stuff....real movies....judgmental again.) I also like smart sit coms like the unfortunately now-defunct Sex and the City on HBO. And let me add that My So-Called Life of long ago was the only show to date (sorry, Room 222) that depicted high school true to life (and I should know, since I spent my entire pre-retirement years teaching there.) It presented timely issues and made the audience think. In addition, I sometimes watch the Weather Channel as if it were a movie, some fascinating recounts of disasters and important information for viewers regarding safety in "what if" situations.

I depend upon CNN to keep me up to date (sorry, conservative Fox viewers....) and am glued to the educational programs that have been created either in specials (HBO is excellent at this) or on channels such as A&E or the History Channel. And hey, I never would've become interested in cooking, which I just didn't do in my married life or while raising my poor little ravioli-out-of-the-can son, had it not been for the Food Network. Thanks to Rachel Ray, Paula Dean and The Barefoot Contessa (plus retired, unstressed days and rested body), I now have started a like affair with the activity.

That said, let's get back to the real subject of this post, which is television commercials. Most stink and are annoyingly too loud. (Isn't some congressman/woman sponsoring some bill to outlaw that devious automatic volume-raising?)

I have to admit, I do sometimes get my daily quota of laughter from television commercials. Others I think are either so touching (they really know how to manipulate us, don't they?) or clever, that I am impressed! ( A college sorority sister of mine wrote commercials for a living and ascended through the ranks way back when to head up Leo Burnett in Chicago. She was always so creative and I really admired that. Digression, digression....)

So here are a couple of my favorite commercials. Have you seen them?

The Betty White Snickers Commercial

The Geico Pothole Commercial

and as acted out by a five year old:

I can just see my little granddaughter and grandson acting like these kids do....he watches and copies her and laughs at her "stuff." :) And sorry, they didn't offer a screen size small enough to entirely fit onto my blog with this commercial.....

Great Views of Sandestin

2010-03-23T12:27:00.001-05:00

I've posted my own shots of this Panhandle area previously, including lots of photos of the resort area I'm located in this winter, Sandestin.

But I've just recently come across some aerial and other views, so thought I'd include them, too. I'm staying Bayside at Sandestin this year in the little enclave called Bayou Village. Next year, I'm staying on the beach.

Bayside at Sandestin

Bayou Village

Golf at Sandestin

Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin

Beachside Pool

Beachside Pool (from a friend's condo)

Grand Boulevard

2010-03-21T22:09:00.003-05:00

Grand Boulevard is a shopping, dining village adjacent to Sandestin, along the Emerald Coast Parkway. It is where I grocery shop at Publix, and I can easily ride my bike here in 10 minutes or so if I want to pick up a few things and take them home in my bike bag.

(Click photos to enlarge)

Favorite Ice Cream Shop

Upscale, yummy restaurant adjoining the clothier....

Publix

Even the parking lot is pretty!