Midwest Road Trip - Springfield, IL

There is currently a heat wave through out the Midwest. People's lawns are turning yellow and its hard to go outside without feeling like you have just put your head into an oven. Even for Midwest summers this one really sucks. But, that's part of the Midwest experience and with good air conditioning - not a deterrent to traveling. It was time to head into the Land (and City) of Lincoln.

We left St. Louis and made our way up the I-55 to Springfield. There is a small red Lutheran Church on the highway that I've always loved and is a perfect spot for sketching - if one is so inclined. On the right are the Cahokia Mounds. This was once the sight of a large civilization with cities that rivaled and even surpassed their European contemporaries. Yet it disappeared and the investigation is still on to find out why. I would strongly recommend this as a place to check out:

http://cahokiamounds.org/visit/

After about an hour and a half we arrived. Springfield is where I went to high school, meet some excellent friends, and became a U.S. Citizen (in the words of Apu of the Simpsons - "Now which way to the welfare office?!"). The old capitol is where I was sworn in back in the 6th grade. 

It was amazing to see everyone and revisit the downtown - which houses a nice library and history museum. The Hilton, pictured here, is the tallest building for a hundred miles in any direction. We managed to get into the roof top restaurant to see the fireworks for the 4th. This restaurant- which unless you love the view - is not exactly the best place to get food. That said, it seems like there is a bunch of cute little restaurants in the downtown which are built into charming old buildings. We went to one place called "Incredibly Delicious" which had, as the name implies, excellent food and is built into a old downtown mansion.

The rest of the time in Springfield was based on meeting people. It was nice to come home to mom's. What can I say about the place? People are always coming and going and my mom's house is apparently the place to be. Every night someone would stop by to eat, drink, and listen to music.Coming home, I also found out that my mom has a pellet gun she uses to deter rabbits from eating the plants in her garden.   

Being back in Springfield was also like a high school reunion. As luck would have it, my friend Doug and Racheal - now happily married with three kids and living in FLA - just happened to be in town. Ally and Bill, also long time friends, came out along with their two amazing kids. Maria was a bit dazed from meeting some many people. On our last night in town we all met for food where the rest of the crew showed up. Clay, Jaime, Mike, Tony and too many others to list easily all joined us. It was good to see everyone doing so well.

(How much for the little girl?)

I would be remis if I didn't mention that every possible Lincoln site is avaible to the Lincoln Junkie. As I've been to all of the them to the point of nausea - I'd just recommend googling the sites for info

Midwest Road Trip - St. Louis, Part 2

 Heat wave be damn! Granted its 110 out there and the humidity is enough to make one's rubber soles melt into the sidewalk, but we still managed to go about the city with daily siestas mixed in to avoid the blistering heat. This, and a bunch of bandaids to help with the blisters.  

Forest Park, in the center of St. Louis is one of the largest metropolitan parks in the world. From what I've read, its bigger than Central Park in New York. There is a nice history museum and art museum that was once the center piece of the 1904 world fair. We hit the art museum - which has a strange mix of items where you go from colonial furniture to egyptian relics to mesoamerican artifacts as you go from room to room. In the front is a moving statue of King Louis the IX - a crusader king that lead his forces to total ruin in Egypt and then in Tunisia in the early 13th century. Good photo op if nothing else.

Forest Park is where I usually went biking and running and the city maintains the place well - but sadily I wasn't able to do that this time around as the weather would simply not permit it. However, I did see some brave souls attempting runs well past 9 PM. What I'm impressed with, is that this park not only has decent attractions, but more importantly, the city is expanding most of them and they are all free. 

The next stop wasn't free - but I think it is well worth it:  

Missouri Botanical Gardens

 No trip to St. Louis is complete without hitting the botanical gardens. I would argue that one can even skip the arch in order to get here. Its amazing on all fronts - the plant collections they have here are extensive - they even have a 1800 number if a person has questions about gardening. The tropical habitate - the "climitron" is an impressive feat of architecture and the Japanese Gardens are some of the best I've ever seen - and even put the one's in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to shame.

We went there on a night for the Chinese Lantern exhibit - which I personally thought was a joke. For those of you who are thinking of going to this thing, avoid it and await the next exhibit. The lanterns are extremely cheesy and make this beautiful park look like a 2nd rate Disney world. We managed to find our way to the end of the park as the sun was setting and meandered about the gardens at night. That is, until someone found us and told us to get out. There is a portion at the back of the park where there is a low chain fence - where if one was inclined to place a bottle of wine or some beer for later retreval after one has entered the park - it is possible - but thats just what I've heard only from others. wink wink. 

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

Our last night in St. Louis we spent walking the streets of the central west end hand in hand. The moon was full - or nearly so and cast a lazy light through the clouds on us. The warm humid air made me remember the past life I once had here. I've had so many memories of coming here and spending amazing times with a host of friends. For me it was sad to say goodbye - again. I'm still proud of my time here and still consider my experience of living in St. Louis as a big part of who I am.  

Midwest Road Trip - St. Louis

Its been years since I've been back in St. Louis. Most people in Cali ask me, "why?!" as if going to the midwest is that part of the map that used to have " dragons and monsters be here." I can understand their reserve. Anyone who has live in Cali for any length of time can appreciate everything that it has to offer. St. Louis lies someplace in "the middle" where people raise chickens or something. 

I don't see it that way. For 11 years this was my home. There are so many cute neighborhoods and places to check out. Granted - if you know your way you can check out most of them in a week (if not sooner). But I had to take Maria around. We arrived in the middle of a heat wave and the average temp outside was 105. The humidity makes it 115 - the type of weather that makes you regret coming here. But like I always said, the only thing worse than a St. Louis summer is a St. Louis winter. I find myself looking down at my iPhone and scoping the weather back home - San Francisco 65 bright sunny and perfect (sigh) - but moving on. . . 

 So places one must go (part the first). Soulard was high on my list. This is the old french quarter of St. Louis. The buildings are old and have incredible character. The brick houses, the iron fences, and quaint balconies all bring back memories of small bars and excellent restaurants. I'd recommend:

1) McGurks - irish bar that has music and an excellent back porch beer garden.

http://www.mcgurks.com/

2) Molly's - Creole food at its finest

http://mollysinsoulard.com/

3) Soulard Coffee Garden - excellent place for breakfast

http://soulardcoffeegarden.com/

4) Sydney Street Cafe - Amazing food - good wine selection

http://www.sidneystreetcafe.com/

5) 1860's Saloon - Beer eh!

http://1860saloon.com/

I'll be honest, there are a ton more - I can only name a few and for all those places that were amazing - I'm sorry I could not name you! Also there is a bar and restaurant that is technically not in Soulard but is worth a visit - called the Venice Cafe. Its an experience all on to itself and definitely worth a visit.
http://www.thevenicecafe.com/

By the way - Soulard also hosts the world's 2nd largest Mardi Gras every year! From what I remember in 2005 when New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Karina, it was the largest Mardi Gras in the country.

Then of course there is also the Busch Brewery tour - I had my reservations about this, as Busch had been bought out by InBev and from what I hear InBev is own by McCain's wife. So aside from the crappy beer it pumps out, it is also apparently owned by right wing crazy conservatives. Think I'm going to stick to wine for a while. That said - you do get two frees beers out it - woo hoo!

Yes - we did the arch. Did we go up in it ? No - why? cause it is a tourist trap and its always an oven at the top. Besides, there is only so much of the arch that one can take. The museum at the bottom is not bad. I personally recommend heading over to Laclede's Landing next door to listen in on some good music. But be careful as a lot of the rednecks love to descend on this place and there is usually a fight that breaks out somewhere on a Saturday night.

Washington Ave. has got to be one of my favorites. Its urban renewal at its best. I owned a loft down here and had I kept it, I'm sure I would have been able to sell it for an amazing profit - but I had dreams of The West to fulfill. On a Fri/Sat night, this is the place to be. Everyone is dressed well and the bars, restaurants, and nights clubs are a buzz of activity. It was incredible to be back here again. I missed the hot humid nights on Wash Ave with a martini in one hand - and now Maria on the other.

My internet time is running out - but I'll write more soon. St. Louis you rock! . . . in your own cute little way.

Midwest Homecoming

It was nearly Sept of 2005 and everything that I owned had either been packed up or was in the trunk of my car. I was about to travel from what had been my home for the past 11 years to go west. I remember reading a lot of Steinbeck and wondering what the California experience was really all about.

I went downtown to take in the views. The melodrama in me told me that this was perhaps the last time I will ever set foot in this city - even though I knew it wasn't true. It does make for more intrigue.

I'll be heading back to the Midwest soon. For Maria, it will be her first time. We will hit St. Louis and then make our way up to Springfield, IL and then on to Chicago. I can't express how much I'm actually looking forward to this. In a way its like coming home.

2012 - Part the Third

 BAY TO BREAKERS 2012!

Every May in San Francisco they have the bay to breakers "race". For the those serious runners in the first tier it truly is a race and most finish the 7.2 mile run by the time those in the 2nd tier get to the starting point. For the rest of those who participate it is a moving Halloween. The costumes are elaborate - or in some cases are a lack of clothing completely - which unfortunately is usually reserved for those who should not really be naked in public in the first place. 

 Recently they have imposed guidelines to make the race "safer" by making it the rule not have have alcohol, no public urination, and no grand floats to plug up the race. I get the impression that most people just have decided not to follow these rules - VIVA LA SAN FRAN!

For those of you out there who worry about not being a runner - you don't need to worry, this race requires no experience - or training for that matter. Just an open mind and perhaps a empty canister to fill with something other than water.

This year we were actually able to find a place to park in the Marina and walk across the city to the starting point. Forget about hailing down a cab - most have been reserved the night before - which might be a tip for those of you from out of town. 

I think the part that I love most about this race - aside from the colorful outfits that people love to wear, the crazy attitudes and music that people play along the way, and the sense of fiesta - is the chance to realize how small S.F. really is and how much is packed into such a small area. The race is a tour of all the fantastic neighborhoods from SOMA to Cole Valley to the Haight and onward to the Panhandle and then the Sunset. For anyone who wants to know about S.F. or for those who are from S.F. and want to become more intimately associated with their city - this is the place to be. 

 Well with that said - I finally had a day off and got in a day of hiking. Even though I've lived in S.F. for 7 years (almost - come Sept 1st). I still find it amazing to find new things in my backyard. Here is pic from a hike along the Marin Headlands that goes near the crest of Tennessee Valley called the Miwok trail. The views in the setting sun are a sight that I think everyone needs to see. 

2012 Part the Second

TAHOE 2012

 Ok, had to post a few more pics. The one above is from Mt. Pluto in Tahoe. I've only stayed in the north rim of Lake Tahoe. The skiing up there is fantastic and as Maria is still new to the whole snow cold and skiing thing we usually end up staying at Northstar which has become my favorite thus far. If you get up in the morning and go to the top of Mt. Pluto (8617ft / 2626m) you can begin skiing on a ridge that heads towards the lake. In the mornings the lake is usually shrouded by a veil of fog that gradually dissipates as the day progresses. In my opinion it is one of the best views of Tahoe.

This time up there we managed to find a really good deal - if you go to the Ritz Carlton's website and go their "package deals" you can get a room on the weekdays with a 14 day advanced purchase that is only $50 more a night than staying in the village of Northstar below. If you factor in the fact that you can ski-in and ski-out from the hotel and that its amenities are incredible it helps justify the cost. Other than that - as I always recommend - bring your own supplies (i.e. snacks, water, etoh) as the hotel charges an arm and a leg for its own perks.

Wilderness Medicine CME - Kauai!

    A few weeks later, in April, we signed up for the Wilderness Medicine CME. If anyone out there is into any form of hiking or camping this is a must! The lectures are some of the best I've ever attended. The people giving the lectures have excellent insight and remarkable stories.

     The picture above is from The Waimea Canyon. It is the "Grand Canyon" of the Pacific. We got up early, packed up our food, and drove for an hour to get here. The path up the canyon ridge was pleasant and as we rounded the top to get to the tourist viewpoint we found the whole area completely covered in clouds. It obscured the view and left us staring at a cloud. Which of course made the whole effort completely ludicrous. So naturally I began laughing at it like an idiot and then ran around asking all the tourists what they thought of the view - which to me was funny. Here is the website, in case you are interested in knowing what it really looks like:

http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai/regions-neighborhoods/west-side/waimea-canyon

     I think that one of the best parts of the trip, was having my friends along. Both Chase and Airi joined us for this one. We managed to get in some hiking and rented a car to go check out the Island. Heres a picture of the two in a cute upstairs restaurant that we ate at on our way to Princeville. Granted, we didn't exactly make it all the way up there. Along the way we got distracted at the northern light house. We pulled up along side a group of locals who were watching the sunset and decided to join them. Sometimes its not about the destination but the journey. 

     Later that trip Maria and I rented some everlights - think lawn chair attached to a lawn mower engine propeller attached to a hang glider - which is arguably one of the most dangerous things one can do (I'll post pictures later). Chase joined Airi for surfing where the board caught him off guard and he broke a rib or two. I have to hand it to the man, dispite that he walked away from this trip smiling. 

     The convention was at the Grand Hyatt - which is located on the southern portion of the Island along Poipou Beach. Its a nice enough location - but reminds me of Disneyland along with all the other resorts, not to mention that the prices around here are insane! I felt that the locals avoided this locale like the plague. 

     Next time, I think I'm going to rent a beach house on the northern end of the Island near Princeville. That area seems to have a great deal more of charm. Plus I can get a place where I can make my own meals. 

Here's a pic of me and the little one on a hike to the interior of the Island. The views are amazing and Kauai is now my favorite Island. That said, I think staying more than a week would have driving me crazy. Ok - now time to make some coffee and start my day

2012 - Part the First

Seems that 2012 has been a very busy time. We have had plenty of visitors and have been putting in a considerable time at work. Ok, a bit of laziness has also been a part of it as well. In either case, finally found a small bit of time (and motivation) to add to the blog. 

Maria found this on the Living Social website - its called Barkissimo. Its a boat in the bay that can be accessed from the Emeryville docks. The guy who owns it is a writer and artist and converted the boat into his home and then later into a bed and breakfast. We got there late in the evening and as we were wandering around the docks - I was thinking - where the hell have you taking me woman? But the stay was amazing. What's more, the guy who owns it is also a chef and the breakfast was beyond gourmet. Besides that it gave Maria and I a chance to just hang out and watch the water. We took a walk that night along the rest of the boats and the adjoining marina. The sense of calm was juxtaposed with the surrounding scenery of the bay and its cacophony of lights. 

http://www.barkissimo.com/

 

Then it was back to work for a while.

A few weeks later we took the back roads up into west marin. There is a small village called Nicasio - its about 8 or 9 miles south west of Novato. The town square is a baseball diamond flanked by a small church, an awesome little restaurant  - that plays some good music venues (nearly nightly), and a few houses.


From here you can take a variety of trails into the hills surrounding the quaint little hamlet. Down the road is an organic creamery that creates some of the best cheeses. We came on a rainy and cold day - but plan on returning. We are thinking - perhaps bring a few friends hike some trails and then hit that restaurant - by the way heres is the link:

http://www.ranchonicasio.com/

Of course getting back to the city is always a charm. I don't think I've posted a picture of Sri - here he is in all his glory at the ace wasabi restaurant in the Marina. It seems like we hit this place a bit too often. But Maria knows some one who knew someone from the old school days. Doesn't matter the derivation - we end up with off menu items from the chefs.

Alright. Enough for now, need to catch up with some emails and clean up the house - bye for now. And post comments people!