August 22, 2015 · 2:56 am

Driving from Chicago to Detroit: decisions

Decision #1: i90 skyway (about $7 tolls total) or i94? My dad suggested the tollway so we tried for the first time. Not the worlds best road (construction) but maybe not as bad as i94 thru Gary.

Decison#2:all important where to eat lunch? We stopped in the pretty lakeside town of st. Joseph and found a good place Cafe Tosi (good tuna melt…tuna with artichokes, feta) and muffuletta.

decision #3: where to stop for fruit. Exit 39 on i94 in Michigan at the stand we think is called fruit acres for good peaches and blueberries. Free samples are not slices of fruit but a whole peach or apple or whatever.

Decidon#4: dinner in Chicago last night. We ate at one of our old favorites…Andy’s Thai kitchen.

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August 19, 2015 · 3:57 am

Iowa state fair 2015: heat, prez politics, cattleman’s

As I was adding a kernel of corn to the jar labeled “Clinton” ( as part of a highly unscientific tv station prez politics poll)  some old crank grumbled “She won’t win.” Then he dropped a kernel into the Trump jar, and I couldn’t resist coming right back at him with “he won’t win.” So it goes during this Iowa State Fair during the run-up to the Iowa caucuses.

I was surprised to see how tiny the Des Moines Register’s soapbox is, where presidential candidates can hold court, if they can bear a heckler or two. Sunday’s selection was less than thrilling — Ben Carson (who I’ve already seen twice, without trying at the farmers market downtown) and George Pataki. My husband got to see Marco Rubio, amidst a sea of umbrellas on a very wet Tuesday at the fair.
Other fair impressions:
— we were astonished to see that the top prize is $2000 for the winning “casual appetizer” in the food hall. I am trying to convince my sister in law to enter next year (mums the world that she lives in LA.) another $2000 purse for the top bacon dessert.
– we finally tried the cattleman’s beef quarters for dinner. Good ribeye sandwich but couldn’t bear to try the hot beef sundae on a hot and humid day. next year, must try the lamb again.

– no real birds this year in “the avenue of breeds” due to the avian flu outbreak but the ceramic chickens on display instead was sweet. I did get an egg on a stick in the ag building..
– we seemed to know every other young wholesome kid working the applelicious food booths

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August 16, 2015 · 5:42 pm

Iowa State Fair (and fair food) here we come!

We are looking forward to some of our fair food favorites for dinner tonight ‘
  •  ice cream at the dairy barn (we love the peppermint squares from Bauders – in photo – but can get those during the year in Des Moines)
  • pork chop (not on a stick) at the pork producers’ spot or lamb (my preference) at the less popular lamb producers’ spot) or ribeye steak sandwich from the Cattleman’s stand (never tried but well-recommended, as is the “”Hot Beef Sundae” which doesn’t sound appetizing in 90-degree weather)
  •  hard-boiled egg on a stick (given out free in the ag hall, even with avian flu jacking up prices)
  • fresh squeezed lemonade.
  • and maybe a cinnamon roll to take home for breakfast tomorrow… at Buni’s.

Also may try out some new things recommended  this story from the DSM Register on Fair Food.

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August 16, 2015 · 5:25 pm

Best resources for planning our Portugal trip

Hard to believe that in my youth, I rarely planned trips and never used guidebooks. In middle-age, with limited time to travel, a slightly bigger budget and advanced pickiness, I’ve taken to booking lodging and sometimes meals in advance using an array of guidebooks and travel articles. Here’s what’s come in handy for Portugal:

Lonely Planet guide – Got this from the public library and have used primarily to find lodging and bone up on cultural activities.

Rick Steves’ guide – It’s not as detailed as the Lonely Planet guide but Rick was helpful in narrowing down where to go during a two-week period. His guide is not as encyclopedic as Lonely Planet – with info on far fewer locations and for the locations it does list, offering fewer options. I didn’t use his lodging suggestions much – Lonely Planet had a wider range, more interesting off-the-beaten-track places and good subtitles like “rural inn” to help narrow things down. I don’t like big hotels or resorts. I prefer smaller family-run places where you can sort of get a feel for what real life is like and connect a little with locals/local life. But I think Rick’s guide will be helpful for actual sight seeing, with some good walking tours in places like Lisbon and Porto…

Newspaper travel stories – The NYTimes has a few including a story on The Other Algarve (which I found a bit late, after I’d spent considerably time trying on my own to figure out the least touristy places to visit) and a 36 Hours Lisbon; But I also found some really helpful stories from the Travel Channel (Anthony Bourdain’s show), the British press including some stories from  the Telegraph and the Guardian, plus Afar magazine.

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August 10, 2015 · 3:30 am

Canoeing on the raccoon river near linden, Iowa

We have been curious about the Raccoon River after riding alongside it on the bike trail between Redfield and Panora, iowa. Today, we finally rented a canoe and tried out a five mile stretch. Nice. The river is fairly narrow and bends gently this way and that, with long stretches of placid waters broken up by short fairly mild rapids. The banks are lined with woods and corn fields, with the occasional muddy sandbar. Much of the time we had the river to ourselves until we neared the end and ran into a half dozen rowdy kayakers. we rented from Linden rentals, a guy with some canoes and kayaks who lives on the tiny Main Street. Worked out well. We stopped on the way back at the busy Dairy Shoppe in Redfield. next time we will are to put out a little further along, at the Redfield dam.

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July 30, 2015 · 2:16 pm

Boutique hostels in Chicago and beyond

We’re staying at what I gather is called a boutique hostel  in Lisbon. Come to find out they’re all over, including in Chicago. When I was a youngster roaming around Europe, I became a big fan of youth hostels – because they provided not only a cheap place to stay (often in surprisingly great locations) but lots of new friends to travel with. Never understood why they didn’t take off as much in the U.S. (I did stay at a few in Colorado – and have heard good things about the one in downtown chicago.) Now that I’m a bit older, a “boutique hostel” sounds just about right! More here:

The new world of upscale hostels, bridging the gap between backpacker basic and four-star chic, are in prime spots, offering affordable rooms with amenities.

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July 29, 2015 · 4:38 pm

for future reference: Wallowa County Oregon

Met someone from Wallowa County almost 1.5 years ago and have been wanting to go there ever since! This article reinforces that! Someday….

Heritage and Healing

BY TIMOTHY EGAN

Ranchers whose great-great-grandparents may have stolen land once vital to the Nez Perce now sit side-by-side with Indians.

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July 27, 2015 · 2:13 am

Ragbrai 2015 – greatest hits….

I rode the last three days (210 miles plus) this year – but my husband and son rode the whole week (500 miles plus)  from Sioux City to Davenport (actually Moline, Illinois, where the Team Skunk bus was parked). Here’s the stuff I (and they) liked the best.

Most charming little overnight town: Eldora – beautiful courthouse and square; Storm Lake close runner up.

Best meal: pulled pork sandwiches at the Masonic Lodge in Wilton, Iowa (Day 7); runner up – Mexican restaurant in Storm Lake (Day 1) and Monica’s for pasta Bolognase in Coralville (Day 6); homemade glazed donuts from Bread Garden in Iowa City; the Skillet where we hunkered down during a rain storm in Mount Vernon (although still miss the Lincoln Cafe there).

Best homemade lemonade: Not the chemical stuff – lemons, sugar, water. outside Moscow, Iowa

Best ice cream: the The Outside Scoop (food truck from Indianola and visits Des Moines weekly!) Best flavor: lemonhead custard.

Best overheard comments:

“I’m kind of leaning towards Walker – he’s the governor of Wisconsin”

“Great shirt – I’m tired of looking at all these bike jerseys” (someone praising my son’s Kafka shirt)

“I used to think this guy I work with from Iowa was such a nice guy. Now I realize after being here he’s not that exceptional.”

Toughest ride/but most gorgeous scenery: Day 5 from Cedar Rapids to Coralville (via Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Coralville Dam.)

Most memorable shower: Cattle wash at the Hardin County Fairgrounds in Eldora.

Awesomely generous overnight hosts: Jim and Myrna in Cedar Rapids (great company, conversation, shower, dinner, bed, tour of revitalized NewBo area and beyond downtown)

Best beer garden: Back Pocket Brewery; runner up: Jackson Street Brewery in Sioux City

Eldora Iowa courthouse

Eldora Iowa courthouse

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June 28, 2015 · 2:52 pm

Casa de Oro/Perry (Iowa) and bike trail from Waukee to Perry

The bike trail between Waukee and Perry in Central Iowa is about 18 miles – long and straight, cutting through classic farm country, fields of rising green corn, the occasional abandoned see-through wooden barn, a smelly hog confinement operation and a smelly fertilizer plant, a pretty farmhouse surrounded by a white picket fence dotted with orange tiger lilies.  We rode in the late afternoon and early evening – returning just before 9 p.m., with the trail and the terrain all to ourselves. Or so it seemed. The light was stunning. A light breeze. Dragon flies whizzing around in front of us, hovering over the pavement. The sound of birds, frogs and crickets.

We stopped for a drink in the small town of Minburn at a depot that’s recently been turned into a little restaurant and then in Perry for dinner at Casa de Oro (after finding our usual Mexican place, Taco Villa, closed). Place was busy and the fajitas good. We’ll be back.

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June 16, 2015 · 1:42 am

Maggie Daley park, Hubbard street dance, Acanto, Neocon, Riverwalk — Chicago

imageMy stay in Chicago has unexpectedly been prolonged, thanks to intense rain that led my 10:15 p.m southwest flight home from midway to be delayed two hours. At which point I was able to reschedule my flight at no cost to tomorrow at noon. Thank you Southwest. (Apparently this is possible after your flight is delayed more than an hour.)

Meanwhile, we had a good day in Chicago yesterday starting with a great performance by Hubbard street dance at the Harris Theatre. After the matinee, my sister and I walked around the new parts of Millenium Park/grant Park including

At Maggie Daley park

At Maggie Daley park

the lovely prairie gardens of Lurie Park and the cool kids playgrounds and  snaking ice rink at Maggie Daley park, although I gather locals were not pleased that old live trees were cut down to  make way for the playgrounds, which oddly feature bizarre dead trees.  We had an excellent dinner outside overlooking Michigan avenue at Acanto, a new restaurant owned by the same person in charge of The Gage, next door, (try the chicken piccata and the Bellini desert- a scoop of peach sorbet in a pool of prosecco.)

Today I went with my sister–in -law, a designer, to NeoCon, the enormous commercial  interior design show at the Merchandise Mart; then I walked along the new Riverwalk east to Michigan avenue. Chicago, looking good. Now if only it would stop raining.image

 

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