July 30, 2013 · 5:03 pm

Chicago’s High Line: The Bloomingdale Trail

view of Bloomingdale Trail, looking west at Milwaukee Avenue

CDOT, along with numerous community partners, is building the Bloomingdale Trail and Park– a multi-use linear park that will be the first of its kind in Chicago.

As  a big fan of New York City’s remarkable High Line park, I was pleased to read in the recent Rails to Trails magazine about a similar park under development in Chicago – roughly scheduled  to be useable by fall 2014. Like the High Line, the  2.7 mile Bloomingdale Trail – now under construction – will transform an elevated rail into a recreational trail/park. But there are differences – the Bloomingdale Trail will permit biking (it’s designed to be multi-use); it’s twice the length of the High Line and it runs through four still-bustling urban neighborhoods in northwest Chicago – Wicker Park, Bucktown, Humboldt Park and Logan Square (the High Line does this in spots, as I recall.) For more details, visit  the “Reframing Ruin” photo exhibit at the Center for Neighborhood Technology (1741 N. Western Avenue) about the Bloomingdale rail – pre-transformation (presumably what the photo above portrays) into a trail. for more details see:  http://bloomingdaletrail.org

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July 29, 2013 · 5:30 pm

When next in NE Iowa – Dotzy’s Cafe and Saloon

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Dotzy’s floor was made from 275,000 pennies.

Next time I’m in one of my favorite areas of Iowa – the northeast near Decorah and the Upper Iowa River – I must remember to stop in at Dotzy’s Cafe and Saloon in Elgin for a meal. Heard about it from the Iowa Farm Bureau’s “Family Living” (which my husband edits) – looks like it has a great “Cowboy Burger” with cheddar cheese, bbq sauce and crispy onion rings. The place was opened about a year ago by Danielle Dotzenrod, a former Elgin local who returned to town after moving away as a teenager to become a model, actress and single. She’s still in the biz – (see photo below) somehow hosting two shows for the Tennis Channel while also minding the cafe/saloon in Iowa.

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July 29, 2013 · 3:22 am

Wichita’s Saigon market/NuWay and KC’s Gates

 

Original NuWay located on Douglas Avenue in Wichita, Kansas.

Must say I was impressed with the Best Western north of Wichita this time – more so than the last two. They seem to have bought new mattresses and a new chef who has improved the breakfasts. Nothing fancy but works well for our big crowd/family reunion.

I did sneak out for a few hours to show our Israeli visitor, who is living with us for a few weeks, downtown Wichita and we stopped for a milkshake at the quintessential soda fountain at the original NuWay – very American, very friendly place. She appreciated. Today, we went with a small group of relatives to Saigon Market, my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Wichita – which is saying a lot since there are several. Good service, food, ambiance. And we did pick up some Gates BBQ ribs “packed to travel” on the way home – so we’ll have a ready made dinner tomorrow. The weather was strange in Wichita – usually it’s so hot you don’t want to step outside the hotel. This time, it was cool and this morning almost cold, with rain.

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July 27, 2013 · 6:46 pm

The eternal question: Gates vs. Bryant’s?

Just stopped for lunch in Kansas City at Arthur Bryant’s for Barbecue, en route to wichita. We usually go to Gates because we prefer their sauce. But we wanted our Israeli visitor to experience the BBQ joint character of Bryant’s, which is in a distinctive building in an old neighborhood, with photos pf presidents and other visiting celebs on its worn walls, endearingly scruffy tables and floors, a line that snakes past the windowed meat counter. But I still have to say that I prefer Gates…mainly because of its sauce – which is sweeter and more ketchupy than Bryant’s – and it’s burnt ends which are dry and crispy rather than slathered in BBQ sauce like Bryant’s and its riba which seem meatier. Bryant’s does win the fries competition, with crispier more flavorful fries.And it does have another sauce beyond its original called “rich” that is closer to Gates. if only Gates didn’t feel like a fast food chain inside.

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This is a photo of lily and Michal, who is from Rehovot, Israel, at a rest area near Ottawa, Kansas where it is oddly cool and rainy for a Kansas summer day.

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July 26, 2013 · 3:56 pm

Bolt Bus from NYC to DC?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/travel/busreview/

I am contemplating a trip from NYC to DC in August and found a handy roundup of bus options from the Washington Post. (see above) Bolt Bus looks like a good option from what I can tell. Otherwise, Amtrak although it’s pricier.

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Prevost X3-45 #0800 departs New York City
Slogan Bolt for a Buck

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July 25, 2013 · 10:58 pm

Ragbrai withdrawal…

Never saw sunscreen in the gallon size before RAGBRAI.

Never saw sunscreen in the gallon size before RAGBRAI.

Now I understand my long-Ragbrai riding friends who are blue once the big ride is over – and this after I only rode two days. I found myself back in my office at my desk on a pretty summer day, daydreaming about being back on the backroads of Iowa riding my bike. Of course, I also found myself aching more than usual – after riding 100 miles over the course of two days. But not as achy as expected. I am enjoying reading the NPR (No Pie Refused) reporters blog about RAGBRAI http://returntoiowa.tumblr.com/ they did a good job of documenting some of the highlights I saw on Tuesday and Wednesday including the photo above (from today…)/ Particularly enjoyed their “pie” chart documenting what types of pies they’ve eaten, by percentages. (Now I know why I couldn’t find any strawberry-rhubarb pie in Monroe yesterday – I had to settle for plain old rhubarb. Still good.)

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July 25, 2013 · 1:24 am

RAGBRAI – Des Moines to Knoxville (about 50 miles)

Classic Ragbrai photo by my friend Gary Fandel (a professional photographer and it shows)

Classic Ragbrai photo by my friend Gary Fandel (a professional photographer and it shows)

Another perfect day of bike riding weather and another great RAGBRAI ride, this time from Des Moines south and west to Knoxville, passing through some lovely countryside and several welcoming small towns including Runnells (where we were greeted by the local high school’s boisterous, enthusiastic and totally endearing Pep Band) and Monroe (where riders could don firefighter gear and shoot water hoses at a bucket or some such dangling from a line – sounds strange but people stood in a long line to give it a go.)

It was exhilarating to ride out of downtown Des Moines today at 7:30 a.m. with the sun still rising and the air almost crisp and the light magical. We quickly got a taste of what we had in store for the day – with a steep uphill by the golden-domed Iowa State Capital building – and it was way cool to have the route go right through the Iowa State Fairgrounds. As we were riding up the midway in a seat of bikes, I heard one person say “What is this place?” So I put on my Iowa tour guide hat and pointed out various highlights of the famed fairgrounds.

The route was very hilly – up and down and up and down the hills we went. I gradually got more comfortable with soaring down the hill but it was often tricky because there were so many riders. I did see one scary accident which appeared to be a collision between two riders and saw one rider down but she was talking to the people helping her. There were ambulances stationed for precautionary reasons along the route – and we heard some with their sirens activated on occasion.

In Runnells, I ended up joining a flash mob that I happened into – locals and riders all doing a funny dance routine in the street. It was so much fun! I also bumped into even more friends and neighbors today along the route, which is always a kick. By the end of the day, I was very weary but wished I could keep riding tomorrow. Maybe I’ll try to do more next year. Such a great experience.

Last night, Des Moines hosted a fantastic party downtown on a perfect clear, not too hot or cold night – with bands, food, thousands of people all gathered along the river. It was Iowa at its very best!

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July 23, 2013 · 10:49 pm

2013ragbraiphotoWhat a perfect day for RAGBRAI! My friend Anne and I joined an estimated 30,000 riders (yes 30,000 riders) cycling from Perry, Iowa to Des Moines, a relatively easy 50 mile ride with suddenly perfect cool weather. It was glorious.  Never had 50 miles go by so fast on a bike.  Beautiful Iowa scenery – endless cornfields, bucolic farms, welcoming small towns. Saw lots of old friends and neighbors and even exchanged hellos with Iowa’s governor who was on the ride. Met people from all over the country/world. Ate with abandon – pancakes in Minburn, a hotdog, corn on the cob and Bauder’s peach ice cream in Van Meter, a fantastic Thai pork wrap by the great WDM restaurant Baru 66 at the party in Valley Junction. Now, after a shower at home, we’re off to downtown DSM for the festivities.

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July 22, 2013 · 2:43 pm

NPR reporters ride RAGBRAI and my last minute bike repair!

naylorb:</p> <p>Some Aloha spirit in Iowa.<br />

naylorb:

Some Aloha spirit in Iowa.

Join 3 NPR reporters as they explore the Iowa they didn’t see on the presidential trail.

Don Gonyea, Scott Horsley and Brian Naylor will tour the state by bike this time around, as part of the Des Moines Register’s 41st Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, better known as RAGBRAI.

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FUN to see three NPR political reporters from Washington on Ragbrai this week as part of the cleverly-named No Pie Refused team!! http://www.desmoinesregister.com/VideoNetwork/2557490429001/NPR-s-No-Pie-Refused-trio-rides-RAGBRAI-XLI.

They’re blogging about the adventure – of course and posting some classic RAGBRAI photos. see: http://returntoiowa.tumblr.com/?ft=1&f=2,5,1013,1014,1016,1017,1134,1929301

We ended up riding in the rain (there was a boom of thunder as we set off) yesterday so I could get in one pre-RAGBRAI ride after three weeks away from serious bike riding. Unfortunately I had a little mishap that now requires a last minute bike repair job before I ride RAGBRAI tomorrow. This is not the the best time to be taking my bike into the shop – the bike stores here are stressed, to say the least, not only because they have mechanics along the RAGBRAI route but because the whole shebang comes o Des Moines tomorrow. But they promise to have my bike repaired (I need a new rear wheel rim) by the end of today. Here’s hoping – otherwise I’ll use my husband’s bike.

We’re lucky our mishap didn’t lead to serious injuries. My tire got caught in a slick rut along the Great Western Trail (that trail is getting a tad old and the makeshift repairs to the asphalt – black tar poured into cracks – are themselves a danger, especially in wet weather). My bike tipped over  but somehow I managed to right it and not hit the pavement. We didn’t realize until later that the bike got banged up in the process. Poor D, who was riding behind me, wasn’t as lucky. He braked to avoid crashing into me and fell, landing on his chest on the asphalt. He got a few cuts and bruises but professed to be okay. Scary.

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July 21, 2013 · 2:45 pm

Getting excited for RAGBRAI ride

 

It’s hard not to feel the excitement about RAGBRAI this year, which begins today in western Iowa – – especially since the whole city of Des Moines, where I live, is gearing up for the arrival of thousands of riders here on Tuesday (the route, which changes every year, goes through DSM for the first time in ages this year!). There are all sorts of parties, concerts, food vendors, residents readying for the big event!

And our friends in Windsor Heights (a DSM suburb) are among many who are opening their homes to host a few riders – and those riders  will definitely luck out. They’ll get a fantastic outdoor pool, beautifully landscaped yard, drinks, meals and meet two of the nicest Iowans ever (and that’s saying a lot)! Just heard from a friend in Ames who needs a place to stay – and even more important “a real shower” during the Des Moines overnight so looks like we’ll be squeezing some more people into our house. (We’re already hosting an Israeli exchange student as of today for several weeks).  The more the merrier.

I just pulled out the stuff from my official RAGBRAI packet (this is the first year I’ve gone legit and paid to ride for two days, rather than just hoping on the ride for a day as I did two years ago) and I’ve got various wristbands and bike tags. Cannot wait!!

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