I’m starting to think we should visit the Big Island during our trip to Hawaii in January, which will start with a conference in Honolulu. I’ve gotten some suggestions from VBT’s walking tours catalog – including visiting Pu’uhonua o Hanaunau, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hamakua Coast/Wilamea/Anna’s Ranch , Kohala Coast, Hilo and staying at: Kilauea Lodge, Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, Hapuna Beach Prince Resort.
Any other suggestions welcome!
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Filed under Chicago, Illinois, Uncategorized
Friends are going to Milwaukee for a college visit to Marquette U. so here are a few suggestions of things to do/see/eat:
– Three Brothers – a Old World Serbian restaurant in a neighborhood just north of the airport. Yes Serbian food. Good. Try the burek, sort of akin to Greek spinach and cheese pie
– The Milwaukee Art Museum, designed by Santiago Calatrava. The building alone – looking like bird landing on the lake – is worth a wander. There’s an exhibit on the building of the museum, marking its 10th anniversary. (more below)
– Usinger’s Sausages – okay, you don’t have to go to the original store downtown but it’s kind of a kick. there’s a stand selling them at the Milwaukee Airport.
September 8, 2011–January 1, 2012
It has been named the sexiest building in the world, featured in TV ads and shows and Hollywood movies, and it has transformed the city of Milwaukee. In September, the Milwaukee Art Museum celebrates the 10th anniversary of its iconic building, the Quadracci Pavilion, with the exhibition Building a Masterpiece: Santiago Calatrava and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Designed by internationally renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, the Quadracci Pavilion was the Spaniard’s first completed commission in the United States. In 2001, it was named Time Magazine’s “Best Design of 2001.”
Filed under Uncategorized, Wisconsin
Last week, we thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (aka Mass MOCA) in the old factory town of North Adams, near Williamstown. It was raining, which made it easier to spend a September day inside – and we were impressed not only by the exhibits but the building itself – a huge sprawling weathered old factory. The show on oppressed workers (see description below) was engrossing – as was the semi-permanent (“on view through 2033” according to the website) retrospective of bold colorful Sol LeWitt wall paintings (especially engrossing was a video of young people creating these paintings, following LeWitt’s instructions.)
I thought the Tate Modern in London was huge – but Mass MOCA is even huger and the enormity of some of the art installations (by Nari WArd and Katarina Grosse) is astonishing. The museum also has a good cafe (Lickety Split) with large well-done salads and sandwiches. And if it had not been raining, would have been fun to poke around town a bit, especially some of the galleries that have sprung up in the wake of Mass MOCA.
THE WORKERS exhibit: “What does work look like today in a global economy marked by outsourcing, rapid migration, disruptive economies, and a state of labor that seems fractured, precarious, and almost invisible? With video, sculpture, photography, and performance art from 25 artists, this exhibition examines the way labor is represented today (and how some contemporary workers choose to represent themselves). “
Filed under Massachusetts, THE ARTS, Uncategorized
The very good news is that our friends in Trumbull finally got their power back yesterday, eight days after Tropical Storm Irene. Beyond that we’ve seen a few downed trees and some dramatically rippled parking lot along the waterfront in Guilford, when it comes to storm damage. In Guilford, we walked around the pretty pristine New Englandesque town green, stopped in at the pleasant local bookstore and had a drink at Cilantro, a little coffee shop next door. In New Haven we had Pepe’s pizza in the Little Italy area which was as good as promised followed by Italian Ice and Gelato at Libby’s (I think.) Today we walked along the beach in Fairfield and stopped at Chef’s Kitchen for lunch (good tunafish in the salad bar.) Things are looking good for our drive to the Berkshires and Vermont – at least in terms of the roads, not so sure about the weather although my son managed to make it to the U.S.Open without rain, so far.
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Made it home without a hitch yesterday after a 5.5 hour drive from Chicago which started with some very stormy weather. Didn’t have much time to explore the city since we were just passing through but did get a take out pizza from Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria – an outpost of which recently opened in my aunt’s Gold Coast neighborhood in the old Anthropologie building. Looked like a fun place to eat – especially the outdoor patio. We opted for takeout and thin crust, not Chicago thick. It was good – especially the unusual crust that I believe is made with cornmeal – but wasn’t that bowled over. Certainly will try again. Another place to remember – the original Heaven on Seven, a Cajun restaurant downtown near the old Marshall Field’s and near my stepdaughter’s new place of employment. Comes well recommended by several.
Before leaving Michigan, we had to cram in a trip to Leo’s Coney Island in Royal Oak for my son who happily and quickly devoured two Coneys. And I do need to add – for one blog reader who protested – that Lafayette Coney Island was much more crowded when we tried to go there Saturday night than when we passed by midday Saturday. Unfortunately it was so busy that we couldn’t find a place to park and had to forego our visit.
Filed under Chicago, Detroit, DINING, Uncategorized
If you want to see new presidential candidate Rick Perry up close and personal, a good opportunity awaits at the Iowa State Fair today where he will be speaking at 11:15 or so at the Des Moines Register’s “soapbox” at the Iowa State Fair. The fair was blissfully free of Republican presidential candidates last night but packed with people thanks to the recent arrival of perfect summer weather – low 80s, a light breeze, flawless blue skies. Annual fairgoers are used to much hotter muggier weather – so this nice stuff was a real treat.
I’d also recommend the lamb kebob, one of several lamb entrees offered at the Iowa Sheep Industry Association’s stand, located in a relatively out-of-the-way spot amidst the livestock barns (east of the sheep barn, across the street from the always popular Big Boar who this year was a 1,700-plus pound boar named Tiny). The pork producers outpost is much closer to the action – near the midway and along the grand concourse – and much busier than the lamb folks’ operation. But I found the pork chop rather dry and unflavorful, especially compared to the juicy well-spiced lamb. As always, a chocolate ice cream cone at the Dairy Barn was the perfect treat. And I gladly skipped the newest entry to the fried food on a stick category – fried butter on a stick.
One other tip – hitch a free ride on one of the tractor-drawn open-air shuttle wagons that winds through the fair. It’s very handy when your legs are suddenly getting worn out from so much walking and a good way to people watch as the shuttle moves slowly around the fairgrounds.
Filed under Iowa, Uncategorized
After touring a reconstructed prairie in 100 degree heat (which was lovely except for some very irritating little flies with a nasty bite), we stopped by the Peace Tree Brewery in nearby Knoxville, which is in an airy old brown brick building, and then ate burgers around the corner at the Swamp Fox, in the town’s cultural center (which were guessing was once an old meeting hall.) Darned good patty melt! We passed a good looking ice cream stand on the way west out of town but were too full to partake. Peace Tree is open officially for samples on Thursday and Friday late afternoon and eves and on the weekends. We’ll have to return sometime.
Filed under DINING, Iowa, Uncategorized
NYTimes readers recently weighed in on where to go in Vermont – and since we hope to go there in September, I duly note them here:
– For hiking ideas, check out “The Walker’s Guide to Vermont” and “The Long Trail Gide”. In Burlington, hike around Camel’s Hump and Mount Mansfield. In the south, (where we’ll be, hike sections of the Long Trail with Stratton Pond as a destination) or near Killington. Also good hiking in the Green Mountain National Forest – Mount Moosalamoo near Lake Dunmore.
– for food in Burlington, try Bove’s on Pearl Street (Italian)
– in Waterbury – Alchemist for beer/pub grub and Hen of the Wood for fine dining.
– Drive south to north on Route 7.
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We inadvertently picked the best day to canoe on the Kickapoo River in southwest Wisconsin last week – a Monday. We were going to go on Sunday – when it would no doubt be crowded – but the weather wasn’t promising so we waited a day and had the river almost entirely to ourselves, which was a treat. We rented a boat from a rental place in Ontario called Titanic (and managed to stay afloat!) – good boat, fiberglass with molded seats so slightly more comfortable. We opted for the 3.25 hour trip, which was a little shorter than that, put in at the landing beside the rental place and were picked up right on time at Bridge #5 (helps that the canoe rental guy had few other customers.) The river itself is narrow and very curvy, with high grassy banks and forested stone bluffs. Really lovely. Must do again! There are several other canoe rental places next to Titanic but it suited us well.
Filed under Uncategorized, Wisconsin
TakeBetsywithyou
TakeBetsywithyou 