Meryddian's Journeys

Blizzard!

2011-02-02T13:47:00.000-06:00

Lake Michigan, Chicago

February 2, 2011

Blizzard swept through town last night. It's sunny now, but last night's commute was awful. As a kid, I saw footage from the Chicago blizzard of '78, and still remember the image of a guy staggering down the middle of deserted street through blinding snow and wind. Having had to walk home several blocks from public transportation last night, in wind so fierce that it actually blew me over at one point, I now know how that guy felt.

Minnesota

2010-10-31T21:50:00.000-05:00

Flying over Minnesota

South of Minneapolis

October 30, 2010

Catching up

2010-09-16T13:18:00.001-05:00

Key West sunset

September 2010

Tthis one would be a good start for my first entry in several months!

In case you haven't heard, been a bit of a party in Chicago

2010-06-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the 2009-2010 Chicago Blackhawks

Stanley Cup Champions!

Chicago celebrated this achievement with a massive parade and rally in the Blackhawks honor.
This video is Captain Jonathan Toews' speech at the rally followed by the crowd singing along
to the Fratellis "Chelsea Dagger", which is used as the goal song at the United Center.

(note: video is not filmed by me; and the sound gets a bit round just after the 1:00 mark)

One goal.

2010-06-09T01:52:00.001-05:00

Chicago skyline, partially lit for the Blackhawks Stanley Cup Final round

Game 6 of the Stanley Cup tonight.

You can do it, Blackhawks. We're behind you. We believe.

Light the lamp. Bring it home tonight.

Join the annual Ride of Silence

2010-05-19T13:57:00.000-05:00

There is an important event happening in Chicago tonight: the Ride of Silence, gathering at Daley Plaza at 6:30 and departing at 7pm.

If you've ever seen around town a bike painted completely white and chained to a spot, these are known as "ghost bikes", memorializing a person who was taken in a car-vs-bike accident. Every single one of these memorials is one too many.

I am both a driver, and I ride my bike around town. As a cyclist, I know what it is like to be concerned for my safety on the road. As a driver, however, I recognize that there's an awful lot of cyclists who don't think the rules of the road pertain to them: they ride without helmets or without reflectors/safety equipment; they blow through stop signs; they wear dark clothing after dark or in the rain. I have had angry cyclists do things like pound the roof of my car when I am in a safe, non-blocking position on the road while I've waited for a parking spot.

Both drivers and cyclists need to be more aware and better prepared on the road. The "rules of the road" apply to everybody.

If you're a driver, stay alert, especially in the summer when the number of bikes on the road multiple.

If you're a cyclist, don't assume that people see you. Do everything you can to be visible, to bike safely. Yes, it may be 'more effort' to stop for every stop sign, but what's more important to you - a bit of extra physical effort, or your life?

Chicago at night

2010-05-02T00:48:00.000-05:00

Buckingham Fountain, Chicago

Skyline lit to honor the Chicago Police Department

May 1, 2010

Can't wait to see the city skyline lit up for the Blackhawks :)

2010-04-16T12:02:00.001-05:00

Free entry to national parks for one week!

2010-04-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

Starting Saturday, April 17th, the National Park System will be waiving ENTRY fees for one week. Perfect excuse to go out and enjoy the spring weather and support the NPS!

More cupcakes!

2010-04-15T21:24:00.001-05:00

Yeah, I know, it's a rough job but somebody has to do it. Swirlz Cupcakes rolled out their new spring flavors, and I had to, you know, stop by and try them out. And photograph them, while I'm at it. Nom, nom.

Tiramisu

Maple Pecan Pancake

Passionfruit

A dying American city

2010-04-12T14:13:00.000-05:00

If you like The World Without Us book or the Life After People TV show, you will find this look at Detroit interesting.

Detroit struggles to live on; but its downtown is becoming a real-time look at how the earth recovers its own, and how nature reclaims what man has built. The city has suffered a number of financial setbacks and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country; and as a result, as businesses and people have left downtown, the city is slowly being taken over by disuse, decay, and Mother Nature.

It's the Sports City

2010-04-10T00:40:00.000-05:00

Antti Niemi, Blackhawks goalie (#31)

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Calgary Flames

April 4, 2010

With the Blackhawks regular hockey season wrapping up and the playoffs about to begin, I've been spending a lot more time on my hockey blog than my travel blog.

Chicago is a SPORTS city. I wouldn't call it a "baseball city" or a "football city" or any other specific sport; the city and its citizens simply love sports. For professional sports, there's two baseball teams (Cubs, White Sox), a football team (Bears), a basketball team (Bulls), two hockey teams (Blackhawks - NHL, and Wolves - AHL), and if that's not enough, a soccer team (Fire). The city hosts marathons, half marathons, fun runs, biathalons, triathalons - the list goes on.

Some of the sports events are free, and the rest vary in price, but you will never be bored by the variety of sports available to you in the Windy City.

Congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for clinching the Central Division title for the NHL this year!

The new spirit in the air

2010-04-07T09:55:00.002-05:00

It was almost inevitable that some airline was going to do it sooner or later: Spirit Airlines is going to start charging passengers for carry-on baggage - up to $45 each way. (Purses, computer bags, diaper bags and other items that fit under the seat in front of you will still be free.)

Spirit already charges between $15-45 for checking bags domestically and $20-45 for international flights.

That really is the last straw for nickel-and-diming airline customers to death. "Sure, come fly us, but don't bring any clothes with you, or we'll nail you for it." I can understand the idea of charging for overweight bags or second bags, to discourage people from overpacking - and thus save on fuel charges.

But really, if you want to get $40-80 more out of each customer per flight... just charge more for the tickets to begin with. These new charges are bad for two reasons: first, Spirit is going to alienate customers. (And they're not that big of an airline to begin with.)

If it's an issue about things like people continuing to attempt to bring too many/too large bags into the main cabin: charge them $25 to carry on, but $10 to check the bag - most people will opt for the cheaper option. (But then make sure you improve your successful baggage arrival percentage, or people will complain they had to pay to ship their bag, but it got lost.)

Two: other airlines are keeping an eye on Spirit to see how successful they are with this new fee. If Spirit doesn't suffer from customer backlash on this, expect the big boys to start rolling out similar fees. And you can bet that those with frequent flyer status won't have to pay these fees, which means, once again, that the less-frequently-traveling customers are the ones being hit up to prop up the companies' bottom lines, instead of the travelers who make up 70% of airlines' business.

Spring is sprung

2010-04-01T22:47:00.002-05:00

Ooops... haven't written in a week. See, it's the end of the hockey season and I'm just a wee bit caught up in playoff-season-fever. My team of choice is the Chicago Blackhawks<, and they've been like a roller coaster since the Olympics, but whew, what a game last night...

Anyway, spring is officially here, and temperatures today were downright summer-like. Suddenly the streets are filled with pedestrians and rollerbladers and cyclists, restaurants have set out their sidewalk café sections... ahhhh. The winter has been far, far, FAR too long and Chicagoans have practically been busting at the seems for these days!

To get you in the mood for spring... a few bright blooms!

Life After People

2010-03-23T02:02:00.000-05:00

Love this show; but this particular episode is fascinating for its look at Chicago.

One tree at a time leads to hope

2010-03-19T10:02:00.000-05:00

National Geographic's NatGeo News Watch blog carried the following news article today, about Armenia's efforts to re-forest the country. (Video below; playing time approx. 16 minutes.)

At the very end of the 20th century, Armenia ended up deforesting itself as wood was its primary fuel source. The article states that through the efforts of initiatives such as Armenia Tree Project, that the country has restored about 7-8% of its forests (their goal is at least 25%). The planting of trees is not only important for the country's environmental health, but has been good for the spirits of its people as well.

Ireland, part 2

2010-03-17T11:41:00.001-05:00

Chapel in Bohermore Cemetery (previously known as 'New Cemetery')
Galway, Ireland

Galway, on the central west coast of Ireland, is home to a large and striking cemetery now known as Bohermore. Located within the cemetery, not too far from this chapel, is the memorial for the victims of Hugo de Groot, KLM flight 607-E, which crashed off the coast of Ireland on August 14, 1958. The memorial is elegantly simple, and perhaps all the more humbling as you look at the side by side graves and see how many are marked simply, "Unknown".

William Butler Yeats grave, Drumcliff
"Cast a cold Eye / On Life, on Death. / Horseman, pass by."

Further across the Burrens, in the village of Drumcliff in County Sligo, one of Ireland's favorite literary sons - William Butler Yeats - is buried. Technically, he was re-buried here, as he died in France and was originally buried in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. St. Columba's Church of Ireland and its cemetery lay just off the main road through town; the cemetery is a tumble of well-weathered Celtic crosses and old graves with a beautiful central chapel on the grounds.

Oddly enough, on the fringes of the cemetery's parking lot is a small shop, perhaps seven or eight feet square, where a local artisan sells their wool products - sweaters, scarves, hats, etc. I bought two hats here - one a traditional, off-white woolen winter cap, the other a more rakish, modern hat in a stormy blue color - and I delight in the knowledge of where I got them. I am especially glad I bought them straight from the artist and not in one of the "traditional Irish crafts" stores that seem to dot the major population centers.

This was seen in a castle courtyard. We had planned to take the tour, but they weren't open yet. However, there were a pair of extremely friendly local cats who said hello to us while we decided what to do next instead.

Golf course, Portstewart(?), Northern Ireland

On a more cheerful note... the Irish are just as mad about golf as the Scots are. And since prime agricultural land must of course be saved for food and grazing, you will see golf courses carved out along the coastline - a player's joyful challenge of gorgeous vistas combined with impressively rugged fairways that meander among dunes and rock formations.

After seeing many of such golf courses, it occured to me that learning to golf in Ireland would be like learning to ski in New England: once you can do it there, and do it there well, you can do it anywhere with confidence.

This coffee house's name amused me, simply because I thought it was funny to find a place called "Bubba's" in Portrush, Northern Ireland.

Yeah, maybe I lived down South a little too long.

Northern Irish coast
View of Portballintrae from near Giant's Causeway

One of the absolutely-must-see sights to see of Ireland is Giant's Causeway, on the Antrim coast between Portballintrae and Dunseverick, Northern Ireland. It is a natural wonder that was formed as the result of volcanic activity, which, as it cooled, formed hexagonal columns.

Giant's Causeway

Local legend is far more colorful, however, stating that the Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the Causeway in order to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart, named Benandonner. There are variants on the legend, but Benadonner was fooled into thinking the sleeping Finn was in fact Finn's son, and he thought that if the child was that big that the father himself muts be gigantic indeed, so he fled back to Scotland and destroyed the causeway.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge
Ballintoy, Northern Ireland

A little further east along the coast from Giant's Causeway is another highly popular attraction, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The walk to the bridge is very scenic and worth the walk, even if you don't make the walk across the bridge itself; on clear days, you can see across the water to Scotland.

Originally, the bridge was constructed by fishermen to allow them to more easily cross to the island to check their nets. Today, the bridge stretches approximately 60 feet across a chasm that is about 70 feet deep.

Clonmacnoise
County Offaly, Ireland

After spending a week circling Ireland, we then moved inland to see two of Ireland's great historic treasures.

The first was Clonmacnoise, an extensive religious site along the banks of the River Shannon that was founded by St. Ciaran, and was once a major center of religion, trade, politics, learning, trade, and craftsmanship. Its position put it along a major crossroads and was, for many years, benefitted by its allegiances with local kings.

Although it was plundered many times over the years, it was rebuilt again and again, until it began to fall into decline and was eventually destroyed in 1552. In 1877, it was designated as a national monument, and although it has not been rebuilt, work does continue to preserve the existing buildings and gravestones, and to continue to unearth gravestones which time has buried.

Some of the finest examples of Celtic stone art can be found on this site. The only new buildings here are the museum, and the pavillion which was built to honor Pope John Paul II's visit in 1979.

During the summer, you can ride Viking boats from Shannonbridge to Conmacnoise.

Newgrange

The other historic site we visited was the Newgrange Megalithic passage tomb, part of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Meath.

Older than the Great Pyramid of Giza by 500 years, and Stonehenge by 1,000, the tomb dates to approximately 3,100-2,900 B.C. It lay covered and unknown for many years until its discovery in 1699. Although studied for many years, it was not fully excavated and restored until between 1962-1975.

Like many of the great Neolithic/Megalithic sites, Newgrange is attuned to the seasons. On the winter solstice in December, the rising sun shines directly into the tomb's interior passage, illuminating the central chamber floor for about 17 minutes. Although today the sun takes a few minutes after sunrise to reach this point, when the tomb was built, it would have happened immediately at sunrise. An annual lottery is held for a total of 100 spaces to witness this event each year; however, thanks to the marvels of modern technology, it is recreated multiple times daily for visitors taking the tour.

Ireland, part 1

2010-03-17T06:56:00.002-05:00

Since it's St. Patrick's Day, I thought it would be a good day to take a look back at a trip to Ireland I made with my folks several years ago (2003).

At the time, I had one of my first digital cameras, an Olympus D380. I thought this was a pretty awesome digital camera at the time: it took good pictures even in really low lighting conditions; it made zero noise; it fit easily in your pocket or purse. Unfortunately, one day it just quit working. It's sort of funny - I thought the camera was so awesome when I had it (and I still have it, although it's only useful as a paperweight), but I look back at the pictures I took with it, and, well - perhaps it is the original quality of the pictures. Perhaps the e-files are just degrading over time. Maybe I just shot the pictures at the lowest quality to fit as many as I could onto the camera's memory.

Let's just say they haven't all held up over time, but at least enough of them do that I can present this photo essay, and the pictures are enough to make me return to Ireland and 1. take along a much better camera; and 2. (more importantly) have a much more leisurely, non-rush-rush trip around the beautiful island that is Ireland.

Replica(?) of the harp of Brian Boru, the symbol of Guinness

If you're visiting Dublin, whether or not you actually enjoy beer, it is worth a visit to the Guinness Storehouse at St. James Gate. The self-guided tour is pretty interesting, and at the end of it, you get to go up to their 7th-story bar (called the Sky Bar) for fantastic 360-degree views of Dublin, and belly up to the incredibly-crowded bar for a slow-pulled pint (included as part of the tour fee). My dad didn't drink and neither my mother or I find stout appealing (personally, I think it tastes like liquid peat), so we made some other tourists happy by giving them our drink tokens.

As a final souvenir, however, you get a little plastic paperweight with a splash worth of Guinness sealed inside, which I thought was kind of cool.

My biggest disappointment in Dublin was that I couldn't take pictures inside the Trinity Library (home to the famous Book of Kells). This is one of the most gorgeous, amazing libraries on the planet, and well, I'm a bibliophile.

Ah, well, that's what postcards are for.

The Roseville Inn near Waterford

From Dublin, we headed south towards Waterford, home of the famous crystal-making company. Unfortunately, this beautiful inn was all full up (and we were "winging it" around the country, with a guide to Irish B&Bs in hand) so we ended up further down the road at a place called the Bromley B&B.

The Waterford factory tour is also worth taking, although obviously if you find crystal interesting, you'll get a lot more out of it. It's fascinating stuff to watch the glassmakers at work, and they serve many years' apprenticeship before they're allowed to do the really cool glasswork.

We went out for a bite to eat in Waterford, and this was the sign on the pub we ended up choosing. It reads:

"This pub has been granted the JAMES JOYCE PUB AWARD for being an authentic Irish pub. 'A good puzzle would be to cross.... Ireland without passing a pub,' Ulysses. James Joyce identified and described the characteristic ambiance of the Irish pub so successfully that the characters in Ulysses may be fictional, but they are based on a multitude of living beings, characters who Joyce found in pubs just like this one. The establishment remains an outstanding example of tradition which Joyce immortalised in his works and is an authentic Irish pub which retains a genuineness of atmosphere, friendliness and presence of good company. Best drinks - Best bar."

Although I tried to keep an eye out for more of these signs as we made our loop tour around Ireland, I can say I don't recall seeing more of these signs in any of the pubs we happened to stop in, but I may simply have missed them.

Blarney Castle

From Waterford, it was on to Blarney Castle. Although the castle itself is in a state of semi-ruin, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland, and yes, we made the climb to the top, although I was the only one of us who paid to kiss the Stone of Eloquence, more commonly known as the Blarney Stone. Let me say that this is probably one of the scariest things I've ever done as a tourist, and not because of the... ahem, let's call it "heresay about local rumors".

No, no - in order to lay a smooch on the stone, you lay on your back and grasp onto two thin rails fastened to the crumbly castle wall. Then, because of somebody's quirky sense of humor about where this stone should be mounted, you hold onto those rails and lean way back over nothing, about five stories up. Ok - for safety's sake, there's a guy there to hold onto you, and you're not exactly over "nothing", there are three iron bars which will assumably keep you from falling down, but as you're attempting to do a backbend over a sizable opening in the castle wall, and reach the stone to smooch it, all the blood is rushing to your head, and you get an interesting view of the countryside below. I've done it once - I don't know if it made me any more eloquent or not - so it's not something I will repeat if I ever return to Blarney!

"To the Earl's bedroom" - and you complain about your house!

Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry

From Blarney, it was north to the Kerry peninsula (also known as the "Ring of Kerry"). Alas, we were plagued by rain much of the week, with the sun teasing us on occasion. You can bet that if our plans called for us to be indoors much of the day, it was a glorious sunny day, and if we were planning on seeing lots of stunning natural vistas, it was pouring buckets. Oh well. The country was still beautiful, even soaking wet, and everything was so brilliantly green.

We saw a lot of glorious sunsets in Ireland, however. It seemed like wherever we were in the country, at the end of the day, the sun would manage to break through the clouds and show off the glory of nature.

Typical Irish pub, Glenbeigh

In Glenbeigh, we found a local pub, and I had some of the best fish chowder I've ever eaten. It's funny - before I went to Ireland, a lot of people told me that Irish cuisine consisted of "meat and potatoes with all the flavor boiled out of them." They could not have been more wrong. (Well, there was one fish and chips place we stopped in Dublin that was awful beyond belief. But as it appeared to be some sort of chain/franchaise, I would not deem it "cuisine".)

So to clarify: modern Irish cooking = fantastic.

Adare, Ireland

In some aspects, our trip around Ireland was very random. My father's goal for the trip was to see the whole island. He didn't have any particular sights in mind, however, so choosing what to see what left up to my mother and I. Armed with a couple maps from the tourist board, and an Eyewitness Travel Guide, we picked the obvious "big" sights and tried to pepper in as many other things as we could along the way.

In Adare, we found the Trinitarian Abbey church. Within the church is a sculpture, which contains a piece of rock identified as "a 5 million year old piece of marble from Jerusalem."

The Roadside Tavern, Lisdoovarna

We spent a night in Lisdoovarna, best known as the matchmaking capital of the world. They are also home to many music festivals, and originally was famous as a spa town. The town of about 880 (and apparently quite a few cows) swells to some 40,000 during the September matchmaking festivities.

In Ireland, they refer to fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation as "craic", although you will occasionally see it referred to as "crack". In light of other meanings of "crack", some signs for "craic" can be amusing to outsiders.

Cliffs of Moher

Along the southwest edge of the Burren and near the town of Doolin are the famous Cliffs of Moher. These striking shale and sandstone cliffs rise 400-700 feet above the surging waters of the ocean below, and film fans may recognize them as the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride, or as seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

The wearin' o' the green

2010-03-16T00:11:00.002-05:00

"Irish lads" as seen at Navy Pier

March 14, 2010

I might have missed the annual bright-green Chicago River, but it's impossible to miss the Irish spirit around Chicago in the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day. Long one of the city's favorite holidays, the city celebrates with an annual parade (there used to be two, but the South Side one apparently "got out of hand" and the 2009 one was its last), dying the river green, and basically turning into West Dublin, U.S.A.

These strappin' lads were spied at Navy Pier on Sunday - from their heads to their toes, fully in the holiday spirit!

* * *

Also, because I welcome any opportunity to point out one of the funniest blogs on the 'net, Cakewrecks (cakewrecks.blogspot.com) has an outstanding collection of Irish-themed cakes under the header "I'm Looking Over My Wrecked Up Clover".

St. Patrick's Day is nearly here!

2010-03-09T17:59:00.000-06:00

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Chicago 2009

The annual Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade turns out and dyes the city green - literally - this Saturday, March 13th. Kicking off with the "dying of the river" at 10:45 am, when the Chicago River is dyed a brilliant shade of green, the festivities continue at noon with a parade up Columbus from Balbo to Monroe.

Get there early for the good viewing spots; this is one of Chicago's favorite festivities, when everybody is Irish for a day!

The Olympians are home

2010-03-04T00:15:00.008-06:00

Well, they had to come to an end, eventually. And while of course I was disappointed that the U.S. hockey team didn't get the gold, they got silver, and that's something to be proud of. That final game was outstanding, couldn't ask for a more exciting final game.

And now the NHL season resumes, with approximately six weeks left in the regular season before the playoffs for the Stanley Cup.

As the teams welcome their players back, they honor their Olympians, and Chicago was no exception.

Before their game against the Edmunton Oilers, the Blackhawk Olympians were recognized. The cheering for the hometown boys was deafening. And although the fans briefly booed at the reminder of the loss to the Canadian team (come on! get over it), the fans couldn't be prouder of ALL of the players and how well they did in the Olympics, with Patrick Kane and team Captain Jonathan Toews getting the loudest cheers of all.

This picture is especially for my Canadian friends:

Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith were on the Canadian hockey team and played great.

One of these days I'll, oh, I don't know, win the lottery or something, and actually get to sit down on the glass, instead of up in the nosebleed section and rely on my telephoto lens. :)

Onward to the Stanley Cup!

Olympic goooooold!

2010-02-27T17:56:00.002-06:00

I'm taking a moment out of Olympic fever to say: it has been a fantastic week of hockey. It's like watching a week and a half chock-full of All-Star games. One exciting game after another, and as the weekend wraps up, we're down to the final two games - Finland plays Slovakia tonight for the bronze; and it's team U.S.A. vs. Canada for the gold tomorrow.

My favorite team is the Blackhawks. They sent six players to the Olympics: Tomas Kopecky and Marian Hossa for Slovakia; Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, and Jonathan Toews for Canada; and Patrick Kane for the U.S. - which means that at least four, if not all six, will come home with Olympic medals. Very exciting for a hot, young team, and hopefully the two-week break will not affect their Stanley Cup chances this spring. The team is doing great this season, and I'm very optimistic that this could be the Blackhawks' year in the spotlight!

If you've never watched hockey before, this is your weekend to do it. Finland plays Slovakia tonight at 7pm PST/10pm EST; and the gold medal game is Sunday afternoon at 12:15pm PST/3:15pm EST. (NBC/NBC affiliates, check local listings).

If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere...

2010-02-26T12:40:00.000-06:00

View from Top of the Rock

New York City

February 12, 2010

One among the bustle

2010-02-25T12:13:00.002-06:00

Evening, Times Square

February 2010

New York City

Tally ho!

2010-02-22T15:15:00.000-06:00

Arms and Armor Hall

Metropolitan Museum of New York

February 2010

One of my very favorite books as a child was From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg. This marvelous book is the tale of young Claudia Kincaid, who decides she wants to run away, but feels one must have a goal that one runs away to. So she decides that she will run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, and she brings her younger brother along.

The cover of the book - at least the older paperback editions - shows the two children in their pajamas, each standing on the side of the archway leading into the Arms & Armor Hall, where you see the above mounted horsemen. The first time I ever visited the Met, many years ago when I was in high school, this was the first place in the museum that I wanted to see. It still tickles me pink to see this display, and remember that book.

The Met's armor display has an impressive selection of ornate armors, swords and shields. (I am curious if their sister museum in NYC, The Cloisters, contains more; but I haven't gotten up there - yet.) It is a wonderful place to wander around if you have any amount of interest in arms and armor.

One of my favorite breastplates in the collection is displayed on the west side of the primary Arms & Armor Hall; it contains an etching of mother and child that reminds me of Botticelli's Birth of Venus. While not the most ornate piece of armor in the collection, it displays the incredible craftsmanship of which armorsmiths were capable of producing, hundreds of years before the invention of such things as laser-etching and so forth.

Ornate armor

Metropolitan Museum of New York

February 2010

New York City

2010-02-15T23:12:00.003-06:00

Spent the long weekend in NYC - was great until the point halfway through when I got sick. Few things are worse when traveling than getting sick, because no matter how little or big it is, it's going to ruin your trip to some extent. I'll post more pictures in a day or two; but here's one I captured as my flight was on final approach to LaGuardia on a perfect, clear winter's morning.

New York City
11am, February 12th

Parmegiano food experiments

2010-02-11T00:39:00.004-06:00

For the past week or so, the Whole Foods blog Whole Story has been looking for original recipes to "find and share fresh and innovative ways" to enjoy Parmigiano Reggiano. With over ~~900~~ 1,000 entries, I think this will be a tough contest for the judges!

Yes, I did enter a recipe - a dessert entry, actually - which looks like this:

Raspberry and Parmegiano puff pastries with chocolate sauce

Notes before cooking: It is best to cook the puff pastries directly before serving, as they taste best fresh and warm.

INGREDIENTS:
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Puff pastry
- Raspberries, approx. 1/4 cup per person
- Agave nectar
- Nutmeg
- Hot fudge or dark chocolate sauce
- Crème fraiche, whipped cream, or clotted cream (your preference)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Drizzle agave nectar over raspberries. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Blend enough to coat the berries. Refrigerate while preparing other ingredients. (If you don’t have agave, can substitute sugar, and allow at least 2 hrs to chill.)

Slice puff pastry into either: 2″ squares. Space on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and place in preheated oven to bake approx 12 minutes while you prepare the cheese.

Using smaller-sized shredding holes, shred the Parmigiano Reggiano – you will want approximately 1/4-1/3 cup of shredded cheese per pastry. If you do not have a shredder, you can thinly slice (about 2-3mm) the cheese instead.

When the puff pastry has baked approximately 12 minutes, open the oven, pull the tray forward, and heap shredded Parmigiano over the top of each pastry. (Squares will have puffed up in the middle.) Or, if you’re using slices, evenly cover the top of each pastry. Return pastries to oven and allow to bake another 7-8 minutes. (The melting cheese will cause the middle of the pastry to slightly concave.)

Remove pastries from oven. Individually plate. Drizzle hot fudge/chocolate over the top of each pastry. Dollop a teaspoon of Crème fraiche (or alternative) atop the center of the pastry. Sprinkle with more fresh grated Parmigiano. Spoon raspberries over the top of each pastry, and serve.

—-
Note: You can also roll the puff pastry slightly thinner, coat it with a layer of shredded Parmigiano, and place a second layer of pastry over it. This will create a melted layer of cheese in the middle. If you do so, lower the oven to 350, add the cheese topping at 15 minutes, and bake for approximately 22-25 minutes to ensure pastry is thoroughly cooked.

* * *

But there were two recipes I created in my weekend experimental baking fest that I felt were pretty tasty as well. However, I chose not to enter either because there just were an awful lot of variants on __ parmesan or cheese-baked potatoes.

Since I didn't post them over there, y'all get to enjoy them over here, complete with pictures:

Modern parmesan

The following could be made with veal, chicken or eggplant slices.

Basic tomato sauce:

- 24 oz. can of stewed/roasted tomatoes

- 12 oz. can of tomato paste (get 'Italian style' if you like for flavor)

- herbs of choice

- 2 sticks celery, diced

- several mushrooms, diced or thinly sliced

- 1 small onion or 1 large shallot, diced

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter in a pot over low heat; add celery, mushrooms and onions/shallots. Allow to simmer for a couple minutes as you ready the tomato cans.

Pour liquid from can of stewed tomatoes into the celery/onions/mushroom mix. Using your hands, a pair of knives, or a few pulses in a food processor or blender, break the stewed tomatoes into smaller pieces and add to mix as well. Add tomato paste; stir thoroughly to blend.

Add herbs/spices if you have not chosen to use pre-flavored tomatoes or paste. I like to use sweet paprika, freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of sea salt, cayenne, thyme, rosemary, and dried garlic.

Main dish:

- slices of eggplant/chicken/veal

- polenta flour (or corn meal) approx 1/2 cup

- shredded Parmegiano cheese

- grated Parmegiano cheese, 2-4 Tbsp

- depending on how many slices you are making, 1-2 egg whites, lightly beaten

- angel hair pasta

- leeks, broccoli and red peppers, cut to bite-size pieces

Blend the grated Parmegiano and the polenta on a plate.

Coat the eggplant/chicken/veal with egg whites, and lay on the polenta/cheese mix; thoroughly coat slices.

Heat some olive oil in a frying pan (approx 1/2-1 Tbsp) with a sliced garlic clove. Once it has warmed, remove the clove and lay the coated slices in the pan. Cook on one side and flip over. Load shredded Parmegiano on top, and put a lid over the pan, so that the cheese will melt as the eggplant/meat finishes cooking.

Toss cooked angel hair pasta with some of the shredded Parmegiano. Put a serving (1/2-2/3 cup) onto a plate; place one of the cooked fillets on top. Spoon a small amount of the tomato sauce on top.

Put 1/2 tsp of olive oil in the same frying pan you cooked the fillets in; add the leeks, broccoli and red peppers. Lightly sauteé; then spoon over your pasta/fillet/sauce.

Lamb chops with Parmegiano potatoes

This recipe is easy enough to take the basic recipe (serving for a single person) and simply multiply by how many people you're looking to serve.

Per person:

- 1 large Yukon gold potato, cubed (NOT peeled)

- 2 or 3 lamb chops

- handful of kale (I prefer Italian, but up to you)

- heaping Tbsp of diced red peppers or loosely chopped grape tomatoes

- 1/2 cup grated Parmegiano cheese

- 1 Tbsp Greek yogurt

- Baharat spice blend¹

Add a pinch of sea salt to water and put potatoes to boil. Will take approx 10-15 minutes to make them fork-tender, depending on how small you cubed them. Once the potatoes have cooked, drain well, do not need to rinse. In a bowl, smash the potatoes with 1 Tbsp of butter and 1/2 cup grated Parmegiano per potato. If you have cream or milk, you may want to add a splash for consistency.

Over medium heat in a frying pan, use a small amount of olive oil or butter. Pat dry the lamp chops and place to cook in the pan. Sprinkle a small amount of the Baharat over the chops. Put lid over pan and allow to cook halfway; once they are half-cooked, use tongs to flip the chops over, and sprinkle a bit more Baharat on the cooked side of the chops. Once they are cooked, remove from pan; sprinkle with some more Baharat and keep covered.

Slice the kale into ribbons. Toss and lightly sauteé in the frying pan. (Do not cook til soggy or overcooked!). May choose to squeeze a touch of lemon over the kale.

Add kale to plate, then put a scoop of the cheesey smashed potatoes on the kale. Sprinkle liberally with some more grated Parmegiano. Arrange 2-3 chops per plate and sprinkle red pepper/tomatotes for garnish/flavor.

For a dipping sauce, blend 1 Tbsp of Greek yogurt with an equal amount of grated cheese, plus a pinch of the Baharat. Spoon onto the side of the plate, or in a ramekin.

¹ If you don't have Baharat, make a simple blend of 2 parts of paprika, to 1 part each of cinnamon, nutmeg, chili or cayenne, and with a pinch of black pepper.

The world after us

2010-02-10T23:39:00.003-06:00

How did I not know about this show earlier? History.com's Life After People is sooo cool. You can watch full videos or just quick clips online. If you liked reading Alan Weisman's The World Without Us, you'll love this series!

Snow dibs

2010-02-08T17:03:00.005-06:00

Chicago street "snow dibs"
January 11, 2009

I featured this picture on my blog before, and it just never ceases to amaze me how many hits it continues to rack up on Flickr. I guess people have heard of the odd Chicago snow habit known as "parking dibs". At any rate, because of the licensing rights I put on the picture, it has appeared in a variety of blogs and even a newspaper article or two, and today, I was amazed to find it showed up on the NPR's Bog of the Nation!

I love NPR. Talk about a little gleeful moment when I saw that!

Better the fond memory than a pale copy

2010-02-07T22:31:00.007-06:00

I'm posting a picture here of one of the kitchen experiments I did this weekend, because the picture turned out nicely and the dish looks tasty.

Strozzapreti with Parmegiano cheese sauce and sauteéd mushrooms

I'll tell you why I am not posting the recipe for this one as usual, however.

A few years ago, I had the great pleasure to visit Switzerland on assignment, and one of the best dishes I had on that trip - and still remember fondly to this day - was at a little Italian restaurant located behind the train station in Bellinzona. The restaurant was called Osteria Pedemonte, located at via Pedemonte 12, Bellinzona-Daro (local telephone 825-3333).

Their menu was short - half a dozen or so dishes to choose from, depending on what ingredients are fresh and local, and they are influenced by Italian, Mediterranean and French cuisines. Their wine list featured a variety of Swiss and other regional wines. (Yes, the Swiss have a thriving wine industry; but most vineyards have such small production that you rarely find Swiss wines outside of Switzerland.)

I had been informed it was porcini season in Ticino (southernmost canton of Switzerland). From late August through October, when the porcini mushrooms are in season, they are so prized that whole families will make a day of it, hiking the local mountainsides looking for them. And oh, gentle readers, like any food, the more fresh it is between being plucked and landing on your plate, the more divine.

So, although I rarely enjoy cream sauces, I decided to try the local specialty, and go with the porcini with cream sauce on strozzapreti. "Strozzapreti", by the way, means "priest chokers". The reasoning for this interesting choice of pasta name has been lost to the ages, but is similar to cavatelli, a tube-shaped hand-rolled pasta. I bought some strozzapreti this weekend at Whole Foods, and noticed that the pasta, if cut in half, has an "S" shape to it.

The dish was sublime, a perfect balance between the exquisite freshness of the mushrooms, the delicate cheese flavors in the sauce, and the marvelous chewiness of the fresh-made strozzapreti. If I had been able to spend more time in Bellinzona, I would have happily re-indulged in the dish.

And I have been trying to find - or create - its equivalent ever since.

Since porcini has not been successfully grown in commercial cultivation, it is generally available in dried form most of the year. Any chef will tell you that dried food products rarely come anywhere near fresh for taste. And while I will readily admit that I often use a porcini mushroom powder to add mushroom flavor to dishes, it is something that you only get fresh in the fall. It has a distinct flavor that is highly prized among mushroom enthusiasts, almost sort of a meaty flavor.

This weekend, among other food experiments, I thought I would give a go at attempting a facsimile of the dish I longingly remember from Bellinzona. Let me first admit that my cream sauce was perhaps too heavy on Parmigiano, so the cheese flavor was a bit overwhelming to my choice of mushrooms. Also, baby bellas (portabellas) have a more beefy flavor, whereas porcini have a flavor more reminiscent of pork or veal. So, alas, as tasty-looking as the dish was, it definitely did not live up to that memorable original.

And it's good that it didn't, after all. It gives me a good excuse (one among many) to return to Bellinzona.

Baby, it's cold outside

2010-02-07T22:09:00.002-06:00

Here in Chicago, we barely caught the edge of the big storm that slammed the Mid-Atlantic region. It was enough to give us a bit of snow on Friday and Saturday, and lots of wind all weekend.

I headed down to North Avenue Beach in hopes of catching some stormy-wave action, but forgot that all the wind and water action would simply drive all the surface ice towards shore. The snow/ice crumpled up along the shore, looking calm and flat, but if you looked further out on the lake, there were whitecaps most of the day Saturday.

Most of all, though, it was simply cold, the wind blasting the city. And amazingly, there were some jogging die-hards out there, facing the freezing temperatures.

Chicago
February 2010

A new look for cross-Pacific economy flights

2010-02-01T10:03:00.004-06:00

We would all love the opportunity to fly the incredibly posh first class sections of today's airlines. Two years ago, when flying to China on a frequent flyer award ticket, I flew first class - but that particular airline (I won't name names) had nothing on how mind-blowingly luxurious some first class cabins are. Some airlines first-class seats turn into little private cabins, even.

Air New Zealand has come up with a new concept for their economy class seats on the long hauls called a "Skycouch". The arm rests lie fully flush with the backs of the seat, and the seat back reclines and the seats slide forward enough to create a fully flat couch/bed. (see video below)

According to an article on ABC.com, there will be 22 Skycouches per plane, and passengers will be required to buy a block of three seats - "paying standard rates for two of the seats, and approximately half the price of the third seat".

As ticket prices between New Zealand and the west coast of the U.S. are around $800 each, this means a couple or a family of three could pay about $2,000 for flexible seating that is more comfortable. A single business-class ticket for the same route can easily run several thousand dollars, so this is an extremely clever design choice on ANZ's part.

Hopefully other airlines will follow their lead, and find more ways to make long-haul flying (5+ hours) much more comfortable for the economy-class passengers.

Chasing away the midwinter blahs

2010-01-31T22:04:00.005-06:00

As winter trudges on in Chicago, sticking firmly to the idea of being an organic localvore is a lot tougher than one would like. After all, the frozen plains of Illinois aren't exactly giving up the same bounty that they do in late August. With a bit of determination, however, you can certainly enjoy a diet rich in root and fall fruit and vegetables - ones that store well over the winter - or, if you've planned ahead, a winter full of delicious canned produce.

I didn't quite get around to canning my own produce like I thought I would last summer, although I did freeze some. Frozen fruit and vegetables - properly prepared for the freezer - is nearly as healthy as fresh-picked, and often more so than canned, which may have sugars or preservatives added. Unfortunately, not all produce freezes alike.

A year or two ago, when CopperBlue closed, I went for dinner there on one of the last nights it was open, and ordered the chef's choice prix fixe. One of the dishes came out garnished with Brussel sprouts. I must say with all bluntness that I was never, up until that point, a fan of Brussel sprouts. It is a misfortune of the vegetable, like rutebegas and its cousin, cabbage, that when they're bitter, they're awful and there is nothing you can do to fix them.

But to my astonishment, the Brussel sprouts neatly arranged around the fish were superb. Delicious, even. I was so astonished that after dinner, I stopped by the kitchen to ask Michael what he had done to them.

"Aw, Brussel sprouts get a bad rap," he said, smiling. He went on to explain that when overcooked, Brussel sprouts release a sulfur-based compound which is what gives them the infamous bad flavor. (Similar substances can be found in foods such as kale, broccoli, turnips, cress, radishes and mustard, among others.) Properly - lightly - cooked, they taste quite good.

He told me the recipe was quite simple - parboil the sprouts for a minute or two in salted water; once they turn bright green, drain off the water, slice them in half, and give them a quick sauteé in olive oil with pepper and a touch more salt.

Of course, I went home and tried it myself a few days later, and of course, he was totally right. When I went to my mother's for a visit not long after, I made Brussel sprouts for her - she, too, had a bad history with sprouts and was skeptical that I could convert her. She, too, was convinced, and a month or two later, she called me up to tell me she'd tried making them herself, with good results.

As Brussel sprouts are very nutritional, I was glad to add them to my repertoire in the kitchen. And thanks to Chef Tsonton (now executive chef over at the new Hotel Sax here in Chicago) for showing me that long-held opinions of food can be changed in an instant.

Brussel sprouts and golden beets

I make a fairly simple variant on the simple Brussel sprouts recipe by adding golden beets to the mix, and then sprinkling diced red peppers over the top to add color and variety.

Turn your oven on to 350 to warm it up to roast the beets. Three beets (roughly baseball size) and a small bag of sprouts will be enough to serve two as a main course or 4-5 as a side dish.

For the beets, trim off the greens - can save them for cooking on their own if you like their flavor, peel, and chop. (I chop them into eighths, top to bottom). Unlike the red variants, gold beets will not bleed color all over your chopping board and hands; nor do they taste quite as powerfully tangy as the red ones. I usually line the cooking sheet with parchment paper to make cleanup easier; spread the beets in an even, singular layer. Although some would recommend olive oil, I usually just sprinkle some water over the slices, toss a little bit of spices over the top, and put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes while I work on the sprouts.

Get the Brussel sprouts ready: trim the stem and peel off the outermost leaves. Fill a frying pan about 1/2 full with water and add a pinch of salt; cover and allow to come to a shallow boil. Add the sprouts in a single layer; put the lid on, and allow them to boil for 1-2 minutes (depending on size), until they turn bright green.

Drain the water; then chop the sprouts in half along the core. Add about a teaspoon of olive oil into the frying pan, toss in a bit of salt and pepper, then once the oil has warmed up, toss the sprouts in for a quick sauteé. I add a small pinch of the same spices that I used on the beets; in the photograph above, I used the Spice House's "Sunny Spain" variety, but I think there are plenty of traditional spices, like thyme or a ratatouille blend, that would work very well on these vegetables.

Once I've tossed the sprouts into the oil, I pull the beets out of the oven and toss them in with the sprouts. I take half a lemon and squeeze it liberally over the mix as it cooks for 30-60 seconds - remember, no overcooking! The lemon gives a nice tang to the dish, especially using that Sunny Spain blend, which already has a touch of lemon in it.

Remove from heat and serve immediately. (Even properly cooked, Brussel sprouts are best when fresh and warm.) As previously mentioned, a garnish of diced red peppers adds a nice perk to the look of the dish.

February is free at the Art Institute

2010-01-27T17:51:00.002-06:00

Haven't made it out to the Art Institute to see the new Modern Wing yet? Been meaning to check out old favorites? Admission to the Chicago Art Institute is FREE for the month of February!

Hours are M-Tu-W 10:30am-5pm; Th 10:30am-8pm; F 10:30am-5pm; Sa-Su 10am-5pm.

Pictures from Tibet, 2007

2010-01-25T23:20:00.003-06:00

Was sorting through my photography and decided to post more of my Tibet pictures. I never get tired of looking at these pictures, and I am eager for the day that I can return to this incredible part of the world.

Door at Tashilhunpo Monastery
Shigaste, Tibet
October 10, 2007

Jokhang Square, Lhasa, Tibet
October 5, 2007

Monk at Sera Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet
October 6, 2007

First good look at Everest
from the Friendship Highway, Tibet
October 11, 2007

Farmers at harvest
Between Gyantze and Shigatse, Tibet
October 2007

One to watch: "Home"

2010-01-25T00:42:00.005-06:00

Tonight, I watched an amazing film called Home, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Arthus-Bertrand is perhaps best known for his aerial photography; so it should not be surprising that this film is shot almost entirely from the air.

Like An Inconvenient Truth, this film is about the planet and the damage the human race has done to it in the past 50 years. Home is rich with glorious photography about the planet, and it is highly impactful, especially when it cuts between the lush beauty of unspoiled landscapes and the human landscapes.

You can watch it online at YouTube, or, if you don't like watching extended videos on your computer, rent it at your local movie store (Blockbuster.com carries it; Netflix probably has it, too).

One of the points the film mentions is that Haiti was once considered the "jewel of the Caribbean", but - even with the recent earthquake issues aside - today, the country can no longer feed itself without the help of foreign aid.

Each of us needs to make the conscious choices, every day, to reduce, recycle, renew, regrow. The statistics, facts, and figures are all too staggering to fully comprehend as a whole, but the end result is undeniable: humans once lived in harmony with the earth, and, as the film says, "It's up to us to write what happens next, together."

While ideally we should all take large steps - and our governments should take even bigger ones - we should all at least take whatever small steps we can. Like any lifestyle change, the small choices lead to bigger habits. I try to support as many "green" companies as I can when I travel. I support farmers' markets, and try to eat as organically and as locally as possible. I know I should probably give up my car and rely solely upon public transport - I do live in a major city with a pretty good public transportation system, after all - but at least I make the effort to consolidate my driving and/or to carpool when I can.

The claim that gets tossed around the most is that being good to the Earth - and thus to every species on this planet and most of all, to ourselves - is not "financially viable". The shift from an agricultural society to an industrial one - which has occurred within the last 175-200 years - is what changed our lives as human beings. Where once humans only took what they needed from the earth and lived in balance; today, we create new "needs" (or what they should be called, "wants" and "desires") every day and live in excess.

Perhaps one of the best things that has come out of our recession is that most people have chosen to review their finances - and with it, their lifestyles - and that has led to downsizing. Not simply downsizing, but changing how they entertain, how they live, what they spend money on, which charities they support and how much they donate doing so, how they exercise, and most importantly, how their family dynamics work. The New York Times recently profiled this change in an article titled In Recession, Americans Doing More, Buying Less".

It is truly a shame that it took the economic downfall of the past several years to get people to do simple things, like spend more time with their families doing less expensive things - such as taking nature walks, going to local museums, and going camping - even if it's just camping in their own backyard. Being in touch with nature in even small ways makes us appreciate it on a larger scale, and take it less for granted. Being together more with your family makes you take them less for granted, too, and improves communication and bonding. At no other time in history, have we had so many ways for people to connect with each other, and yet personal relationships be further apart.

Nicholas Kristof, one of the NY Times' excellent op-ed writers, asked that question this weekend in his article titled "What Could You Live Without?", a piece that is as much about a particular family's unique answer to that question, but also invites everybody to answer that question to themselves.

Why do you travel?

2010-01-22T10:05:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, the New York Times published a slideshow titled "Why We Travel", in which 5 pictures accompany personal stories about trips taken in 2009. It is worth reading for the personal connections, but it also gives a lot of inspiration for new places to travel.

What has inspired you to travel in the past year?

Be heard!

2010-01-21T16:21:00.002-06:00

Budget Travel magazine has made a name for itself in the travel industry, not only by presenting great ideas on how to travel well on a budget, but because it listens to its readers.

For its 10th anniversary issue in May 2008, it was filled with readers contributions (including photography of New York City by yours truly to accompany the article "50 Reasons You Love New York City"); and the magazine has long had regular features where readers directly contribute.

If that's not enough, their website features a comprehensive section called "My Budget Travel" where you can share your pictures and travel reviews, a la sites such as IgoUgo.com and Yelp.

So for their October 2010 issue, Budget Travel is featuring a Readers Choice poll. Head over to their website to contribute your thoughts; topics will change over the next few months (current topic is "Best food city in America"). My choice? Chicago, of course.

Cupcakes!

2010-01-13T00:41:00.008-06:00

Swirlz Bittersweet Chocolate cupcake

I may have previously mentioned Chicago's relatively new fascination with cupcake stores. They've sprouted across the city with names ranging from the simple - Molly's Cupcakes - to the cute and clever - Sweet Honeybee Bakery, Luscious Layers Bakery, Sweet Mandy B's, Sweet Cakes, Sensational Bites.

In Lincoln Park, one block south of Fullerton and just off Lincoln Ave., is a shop called Swirlz (705 W. Belden, Chicago; tel. 773-404-2253). The shop is tiny, and parking in the area is fairly limited - although they do have a spot or two in front of the store where you can dash in for pickup (15 minutes, max). Also, in terms of the "Chicago cupcake scene", they lean towards the pricier side - $3.50 for one; $20/half dozen; $40/dozen.

But wow, what awesome cupcakes. Definitely worth searching this darling bakery out!

Swirlz red velvet cupcake

Each one is packed with flavor - from the super-rich and delicious buttercream frosting, right through the rest of the cupcake. And they're really filling as cupcakes go - so although $3.50 for a cupcake may seem like a lot, trust me, it'll be plenty.

Their "old favorites" (vanilla, chocolate) are good, but if you're going to search this place out, go for the really good stuff: flavors like Boston cream pie, Twixie (think Twix bars), caramel mocha cappucino, chocolate raspberry cream cheese, or red velvet.

They have a rotating schedule of flavors: five flavors that are available daily (vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, red velvet, carrot cake, and vanilla on chocolate), a daily "surprise" flavor, and then two other flavors (such as the Twixie), plus one gluten-free flavor, and one vegan gluten-free flavor per day. The gluten-free/vegan gluten-free flavors change daily.

Swirlz carrot cake cupcake

I'll even put in a thumbs-up for the carrot cake cupcake -- and that's saying a lot, as I'm just a so-so fan of carrot cake. I think the frosting was what made this really good. Swirlz's frosting is delicious, no matter what flavor.

Swirlz chocolate raspberry cream cheese cupcake

Swirlz had first caught my attention in the new Whole Foods superstore, located just off the junction of North & Clybourn in Chicago. Whole Foods features Swirlz's gluten-free cupcakes in on of their dessert dairy cases (look for the dessert section between the meat and cheese departments on the back wall) - in cool flavors like tiramisu, chocolate grasshopper mint, banana nutella, and others. But I didn't realize they also had a local store until I got a Groupon for them.

Last weekend, I finally got around to using my Groupon, and got over to the store for pick-up. (They can also deliver; and can specialize orders for special events.) The staff was friendly, and picking up my order was a breeze.

But getting to try out the various cupcakes was even better!

My favorite flavor - Swirlz twixie cupcake

Although I would definitely say I'm a fan of most of their flavors, the one that took the cake for me (pardon the pun) would be their "Twixie". (I'm assuming the name is a mix of both Twix bars, which the cupcake seems to take inspiration from, and a play on "Lincoln Park trixies", a local nickname. But I may be wrong.)

Anyway - the Twixie is a chocolate cupcake, topped with chocolate, a thin crispy cookie, a carmel-flavored buttercream, a drizzle of caramel, and then a bit of chocolate butttercream and little chocolate chips.

I've tried a lot of cupcakes around Chicago by now, and I think the Twixie just nudged its way into being my "favorite cupcake variety in Chicago".

Search Swirlz out - you will not be disappointed in the quality or the flavors!

Healthy breakfast (well, mostly)

2010-01-13T00:11:00.003-06:00

Omelette on whole-grain pita with sauteéd mushroom and sundried tomato
with papaya and potatoes

It has taken me thirty years of cooking - and honestly, a little bit of cooking experimentation after watching Julie & Julia and reading Julia Child's My Life in France - but I finally figured out how to cook eggs without overcooking them. In particular, omelettes, which have always been a challenge for me.

Now, I'm not quite ready to hit the flip-'n-fly method that looks so impressive in restaurants. And, frankly, I could use a small omelette pan so that they fit on plates better. (My old one's Teflon coating shredded, which is irritating when I took great care to never use any metal utensils anywhere near the pan!) But I have, at last, figured out that if I cook my omelettes - or scrambled eggs or sunny-side up eggs - at around 4, maybe 5 on the heat scale (out of 10), they cook evenly and look beautiful.

There's a lot of orange and yellow in this picture, I know, but as I set the plate down to photograph it, I realized I had no kale - nor anything else - to break up my color palette for the morning. Oh well. The fruit on the left is papaya, and the potatoes in the background have a coating of The Spice House's Bridgeport seasoning, which, as it would turn out, is reddish-orange.

Using a full-size pan and 4 eggs, with a 10-12" pita, it is very easy to make this dish for two. I use the eggs straight up - no longer diluting with milk - and the topping is made from baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced, lightly sauteéd with shallots (onions are fine too), with a few strips of sundried tomatoes thrown in for color.

I'm fond of red pepper hummus - Chef Earl's red pepper hummus to be exact, but I think that's a brand local to Chicago. Few things work better to keep sandwich contents inside a pita wrap than a smear of hummus, so if you look closely at the picture, you can see the orange-colored hummus between the eggs and the pita.

The potatoes are pretty easy, too. I prefer Yukon Gold, which has a great taste, a firmer consistency when cooked, and tastes tremendous in recipes. I chopped them up, boiled with a pinch of sea salt, drained them, and tossed them with a few shakes of the Bridgeport seasoning and just a sliver of butter (to help the spices stick). Fantastic.

I tossed a little bit of Whole Spice's Napa Valley Rub on the plate, as much for looks as the fantastic smell the blend has. Yum!

What's your place to go in 2010?

2010-01-11T16:16:00.004-06:00

My travel expectations are a bit modest this year; I'm hoping to do an extended camping/road trip with my partner, but I would also like to go some place warm and tropical, like Belize or Costa Rica. I am also becoming very indecisive about my frequent flyer miles, as my airline of choice seems to always manage to raise their mile requirements just as I manage to get in reach of my goal reward.

Yesterday, the New York Times listed an article with "The 31 Places to Go in 2010". The great irony about these kinds of lists, of course, is that then all the tourists rush to go there, and suddenly those "quiet hot spots" become the latest too-trendy spot.

I'm glad to see Sri Lanka on the list; like Nepal, it suffered from a lot of civil unrest and is now welcoming visitors back. Ever since falling in love with the country through - of all things, Duran Duran's Rio videos back in the early 80s - I've wanted to visit. On a side note, according to the Times, Nepal, and particularly Kathmandu, is apparently a hot new spot for gay culture, because gays, lesbians and transgendered people were given equal rights by the country's Supreme Court about two years ago.

Antarctica - another dream destination for me - is also on the list, with the caveat that it is likely that tourism will begin to be curtailed to the frozen continent due to concerns about environmental impact.

There's multiple cities - LA, Mumbai, and Copenhagen among them; historic hot spots like Marrakesh, Istanbul (not Constantinople), and Macedonia; and areas with high-profile sporting events this year - Vancouver (Winter Olympics) and South Africa (World Cup).

It's an interesting list to peruse, and not the usual listing of "best-kept secrets".

What's your place to go in 2010?

Travel humor

2010-01-07T22:26:00.004-06:00

Ok. I admit it. My first writing post of the new year was going to be a look back at 2009's traveling adventures.

But then I got the link to "Oddly Specific" from a friend, and well... it makes me laugh even more than I Can Haz Cheeseburger?. (Be aware that some of the oddlyspecific.com signs may be a bit NSFW.)

So, based on that site... what's the funniest sign you've seen while traveling or just around home?

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:53:00.004-06:00

Chicago Blackhawks vs. NJ Devils hockey game
December 31, 2009

In what was for me a great evening, I ended 2009 at a Chicago Blackhawks game with a friend. They tromped the NJ Devils 5-1; it's looking like a really great year for the Blackhawks to be in strong contention for the Stanley Cup. That would be fantastic - although the team is one of the National Hockey League "Original 6", the city hasn't had a hockey championship in 47 years. We'll see how the season plays out, but the team this year is strong and has really come together.

It's also great to see the "Madhouse on Madison" be packed to the gills. Prior to the 2004-05 lockout, I remember going to a few of the games and the stadium would only be half-full. A year or two ago, the Blackhawks became what was probably the last team in the NHL to start broadcasting their home games in the local market. It was a strange holdout in the age of modern technology, but Bill Wirtz, the previous owner, was strongly "old school", and apparently felt that by denying local fans the capacity to watch their home team play at home on TV, it would instead drive them into coming to home games.

Due to the fact he also raised the average ticket price to $50, and as recently as 2004 the Blackhawks were dubbed as "the worst franchaise in professional sports", it is little surprise that most local fans preferred to go catch a Chicago Wolves game instead. The Wolves - an AHL team (the hockey equivalent of the baseball "bush leagues") - have been extraordinarily successful in their 16-year history, including four playoff championships. By contrast, the Blackhawks, who've been around for 83 years, have only won the Stanley Cup three times.

Wirtz died in 2007 and the new owner - his son, Rocky - immediately set about to change a lot of his father's unpopular policies. He improved marketing, negotiated with local stations to broadcast home games, and in short, put the team back in the spotlight in front of the sports-rabid Chicago fans. Thanks, Rocky!

The Winter Classic is in its third year; last year, it was played in Wrigley Field in Chicago. This year, it is being hosted in historic Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts - and is about to kick off. (1pm ET, New Year's Day). Check it out!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-26T18:50:00.004-06:00

Happy Holidays! No matter what you celebrate, may this season find you with happiness, joy, love, and abundance. May the New Year be a better one for you. Wishing each and every one of you the best this season has to offer.

My cube had a little holiday, too.

It's red, it's a cube, it's art! ... does that make it Cubism?

2009-12-18T13:31:00.004-06:00

The Chicago Art Institute has been running a year-long art project called "500 Ways", designed to get people to think about modern art - and public art in general - in new ways.

I lucked out and found a cube; my assignment was "Theodore Robinson’s The Valley of Arconville shows someone getting away from it all. Where in the Art Institute can you get away from it all? Take a photo of the area (or work that inspires your mental state) and upload it (to the site)."

While I've been having fun fulfilling this assignment, I'm also stretching outside the box, so to speak. ;)

400th!

2009-12-14T21:35:00.004-06:00

I have to admit that it's taken me a while to decide what I'd like to post for my 400th blog post. But Air New Zealand and Southwest Airlines solved my dilemma with their commercials (ANZ) and the response (SWA)...

Southwest's response...

It's nice to know that in the midst of a lot of changes that have swept through the travel industry - and most of those changes affecting the more casual travelers - that there are still some airlines with a good sense of humor - and we love to fly them!

More winter photography

2009-12-03T23:30:00.003-06:00

Frozen Wings
January 2009

Baby, it's cold outside...

2009-12-03T17:04:00.003-06:00

Winter's evening
February 2009

A little green home rehab

2009-12-02T11:06:00.003-06:00

Although I primarily talk about travel here, I have also to a lesser extent been talking about the "green" lifestyle and integrating organic/green living into both everyday life and traveling.

I am a big fan of "Freshaire" brand paints, which are VOC-free. The paint hardly smells at all when you're painting (in fact to me, it smells a little bit like pumpkin), and it dries really quickly - my experience has been within half an hour, which means you can paint and put the furniture back in place almost as soon as you're done.

Room by room, I have been working my way through my condo, turning a personality-free off-white living space into a colorful home. The bedroom is two shades of blue ("Beckoning sea" and "Winding river"); the living room is now a pale terracotta ("Ginger root"), as is the bathroom; the kitchen is a cheerful combination of white enamel and yellow ("Delightful daffodil"). My latest project has been the combination living room/dining room.

I already have an existing look to one side of the room. (The giant wall map is a National Geographic product. People always ask.)

The map, the colors - I really loved the look I created on that side of the room, but the long wall that joins the living room and dining room has been boring - blah - with a bunch of birch-colored furniture and an off-white color. (It doesn't help that the carpet is also a dark cream color. Not my choice - it was newly installed by the seller when I bought the place. But since it's new, I'm not in a hurry to rip it out, either.)

I needed a color that would draw together my existing elements in the big room - the dark green of the couch; the multiple hues of green in a large wall painting done by a friend; the soft sage of an area rug under the dining room table. A pale sage (or as Freshaire calls it, "Arbor vine") was the perfect choice. It also compliments the birch-colored furniture nicely and really makes the room pop.

One of my more unusual storage needs - and I have lots of storage needs, thanks to near-non-existent closet space - was that I needed someplace to stick about two cases' worth of wine until I can get around to purchasing a wine fridge. (You know, one of those 35-50 bottle wine fridges.) As it was, I had three Ikea "Billy" bookcases that I was moving from the long wall to the short wall in the dining room. The bookcases didn't quite fill the wall, but the narrow "Benno" CD/DVD tower was perfect to fill the gap.

And, as it turns out, the Benno is working decently as a makeshift wine rack, although I wish Ikea had a variant that was twice as deep, so the bottles didn't stick out the front, and had less risk of falling out. The shelves are adjustable - I left a large gap at the bottom to fit a couple of oversized books - and you can easily fit two regular-sized bottles or three half-sized bottles per shelf at this configuration.

I cut some small pieces of padded shelf liner for each shelf, to ensure the bottles would not roll out of their nooks. Although it is not likely to be a permanent solution - I would still like a wine fridge so that I could actually keep and age some reds - it was a handy fix.

Smart holiday travel tips

2009-11-25T11:44:00.002-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving weekend, everyone. As you prepare to travel (or receive guests), I hope you have safe journeys and an enjoyable holiday.

IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFORMATION

- Due to changes in regulations, the name on your ticket should match the government-issued ID that you use to travel with, be it your passport or driver's license. So where it used to say middle initial or name wasn't mandatory, that is now changing. The more closely your ticket matches your ID, the less likelihood you will have of delays.

- Many airlines have changed their checked-baggage rules: ranging from charging for every bag you check, to charging for two or more bags. Southwest is one of the few airlines that allows your first two bags to be checked free, so long as they are not over weight restrictions. Check your airline restrictions on the airline's home page; if you are traveling on more than one airline, make sure you check all of them. Keep in mind that international flights, and flights that use "regional jet" or smaller aircraft may have different regulations.

- Airlines are getting a lot more clever about tacking other fees on, too: ranging from small fees to reserve seats ahead of time on discount airlines, to "early bird" fees that allow you to get a seat or boarding pass assignment early. Several airlines have chosen to nail holiday passengers this year with a "holiday surcharge", which may add $10-30 each way onto your holiday tickets! These fees may be hidden in your flight costs as a "miscellaneous surcharge" - so in short, you may think you're getting an amazing ticket deal with a $59 each way base price, but once all the surcharges, fees and taxes are tacked on, you may find that "bargain" $118 round trip ticket suddenly costs $260!

- Know your airline's restrictions. Every airline has pages on their website dedicated to those! Standing at the ticket counter and trying to plead your way into the ticket agent's good graces by saying "I didn't know" isn't the way to go.

- Do NOT gift-wrap gifts you may be carrying on your flight. TSA has the right to unwrap to examine them!

- Any sort of canned, bagged or jar food that is liquid or is semi-liquid (including soft cheese and other foods!) are considered liquids under TSA guidelines. If they're not under 3 oz. and fit into your 1-quart bag, put them in your checked baggage or ship them ahead.

GENERAL HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS

- Print your boarding passes in advance. Almost every airline allows you to check in online and print out your boarding pass 24 hours in advance. (If you have top-end frequent flyer status, you may be able to check in 36 hours in advance.) You should still check in (using kiosks) upon arrival to the airport, so the airline knows you are a confirmed passenger.

- Just because you checked in online in advance, doesn't guarantee you a seat on the plane if you show up late. Every airline has a deadline, usually 30 minutes ahead of flight time (up to 3 hours for international flights), where you must have checked in at the airport. If you have not checked in by then, your seat is subject to being given away.

- Airlines have really been striving to improve their departure and arrival times, which means they're looking to have everybody on the plane and the doors closed by 10 minutes before flight time, so that they can have an on-time departure. If you aren't on the plane when they're ready to close the doors - tough luck. Personal experience - when departing Baltimore airport last year after the Innauguration, there were only three people working security, and although the two security lines were marked "slow" and "express", several women with young children, who were taking their sweet time in the x-ray lines as travelers seethed behind them. Although I was at the airport with plenty of time to spare - 45 minutes - I got so hung up going through security behind these women, that by the time I got through, and sprinted through the terminal to my gate, the airline was in the process of closing the doors, and myself and another passenger - who'd also been held up in security for the same reason - had to stand there and be told we couldn't get on the flight, even though it was still 10 minutes before departure and the plane was still at the gate and the gangway was still in place.

- Use self-serve kiosks whenever possible; it will help speed up your check-in versus standing in line. Plus, you may be able to purchase upgrades or better seating. Some kiosks even allow rebooking.

- Airlines have cut capacity, so anticipate planes to be packed and there to be waits, delays, or flat-out cancellations. Be prepared for these kinds of problems: make sure you're carrying your cell phone charger with you (not buried in your checked baggage); make sure you have anything you might need if you get delayed.

- Most if not all airlines have a flight notification service, which can update you by phone call or text message about flight delays. You will need to go to your specific airline's website and register for information for a given flight.

- Sites like Flightstats.com also can help you plan your trips by showing you on-time performance ratings, airport tips, airfares, frequent flyer promotions, flight information (flight status, gate information), and more.

- Remember the 3-1-1 rule for the security checkpoint:
3 oz/100 ml. bottles (by volume) of liquids;
1 quart-sized, clear plastic zip-top bag;
1 of these bags per person.

If there's anything else you might ask to have hand-inspected, put that in a similar bag within easy access; don't go digging around for it last-minute in line. Certain items like medications, baby formula/food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities, but you must declare them when going through security.

- If you are carrying powder that looks suspicious, you might get inspected.

- Prepare yourself while standing in line for security/x-rays. Not only 3-1-1, but there are signs all over the TSA/security checkpoints stating you must put your coats/jackets and shoes through the x-ray machine, for example. You will not be an exception! Take your coat off while you're still in line; unlace your shoes; make sure you're not carrying any soda/water/etc.

- If you're really a "green" passenger (traveling with kids, needs assistance in what's going on, are a little disorganized) do NOT be discourteous and get in the "black" (expert traveler) line because it is shorter or moving faster! You're being really rude to your fellow passengers. (See my example listed above about missing a flight due to people like this.)

- Arrive early and be patient. You're not the only one traveling; delays and other issues are not a personal affront to you, lots of other people are inconvenienced. Again - see the "be prepared" item.

- Assume on heavy travel days that there WILL be long lines to get through security. This means the two days before Thanksgiving, the Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, and a week before and after Christmas, especially on the weekends. Assume that you will spend somewhere between 15-45 minutes in the security lines, depending on what day and what time of day you're traveling.

- Be prepared: assume the possibility of delays, lost baggage, or other issues. Somewhere in your carry-on bags, carry the items you would need most in your first 24 hours - i.e., a change of underwear, toothbrush/toothpaste, medications, etc.

- Keep in mind that if you are checking baggage, most airlines require you've checked your bags a minimum of 30 minutes ahead of your flight - and many now say 45+ minutes depending on how busy they are; some require 45+ minutes on all flights; international flights require even more time. Check your airline's website to make sure you know your airline's rules. Also - it doesn't matter if you got in line an hour before your flight. The timer on your bag is based on when you actually get to the counter and get your bag checked. Allow extra time if you need to get your bags checked!

- Not sure how heavy your bag is? Get on your home scale, weigh yourself, then pick up your bag and check your weight again. Keep in mind that your home scale and the airline scale may differ slightly, so to be on the safe side, subtract 5 pounds off the airline's guidelines. (Most airlines have 40 or 50 lb. weight limits per bag; a few may be less. Again, check the airline's website...)

- Make sure you have phone numbers for your airline, your hotel, your car rental agency, and any other place you have reservations with. In case you are delayed, you will able to avoid cancellations and/or possible cancellation surcharges - and you'll be able to ensure that your room/car is not gone when you are a no-show. The smart thing to do is to program them into your contacts list on your phone - that way, should you need them for ANY reason on your trip, you have them readily and immediately available.

- If it's valuable, critical, irreplaceable, or fragile - put it in your carry-on baggage, NOT your checked baggage. If you absolutely have no other alternative and must place it in your checked baggage - especially if it's fragile - make sure it is securely packed, and where appropriate, insured.

- Carry a copy of your presciptions with you (both medicinal, and eyeglasses, if you need them to drive, etc.), but make sure it is kept separate from the actual medications. That way, if you lose one, you have the other. Or, if you're traveling within the U.S., check to see if your pharmacy has branches in the state you're traveling to, where you could pick up a refill if necessary. (Walgreens, CVS and Rite-Aid have locations in most if not all states.)

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

- There is a complete listing of aviation consumer protection rules online; but you can also buy a pocket-sized version of this booklet for $4 through the Federal Citizen Information Center. (If you print this webpage out, it's 22 pages.) From that website:

The DOT requires each airline to give all passengers who are bumped involuntarily a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn't. Those travelers who don't get to fly are frequently entitled to an on-the-spot payment of denied boarding compensation.

The amount depends on the price of their ticket and the length of the delay:

— If you are bumped involuntarily and the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to get you to your final destination (including later connections) within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation.

— If the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to arrive at your destination between one and two hours after your original arrival time (between one and four hours on international flights), the airline must pay you an amount equal to your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $400 maximum.

— If the substitute transportation is scheduled to get you to your destination more than two hours later (four hours internationally), or if the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation doubles (200% of your fare, $800 maximum).

— You always get to keep your original ticket and use it on another flight. If you choose to make your own arrangements, you can request an "involuntary refund" for the ticket for the flight you were bumped from. The denied boarding compensation is essentially a payment for your inconvenience.

Like all rules, however, there are a few conditions and exceptions:

— To be eligible for compensation, you must have a confirmed reservation. A written confirmation issued by the airline or an authorized agent or reservation service qualifies you in this regard even if the airline can't find your reservation in the computer, as long as you didn't cancel your reservation or miss a reconfirmation deadline.

— You must meet the airline's deadline for buying your ticket. Discount tickets must usually be purchased within a certain number of days after the reservation was made. Other tickets normally have to be picked up no later than 30 minutes before the flight.

— As noted above, no compensation is due if the airline arranges substitute transportation which is scheduled to arrive at your destination within one hour of your originally scheduled arrival time.

— If the airline must substitute a smaller plane for the one it originally planned to use, the carrier isn't required to pay people who are bumped as a result. In addition, on flights using aircraft with 30 through 60 passenger seats, compensation is not required if you were bumped due to safety-related aircraft weight or balance constraints.

— The rules do not apply to charter flights, or to scheduled flights operated with planes that hold fewer than 30 passengers.

— The rules don't apply to international flights inbound to the United States, although some airlines on these routes may follow them voluntarily. Also, if you are flying between two foreign cities-from Paris to Rome, for example-these rules will not apply. The European Community has a rule on bumpings that occur in an EC country; ask the airline for details, or contact DOT.

Also, if the airline loses your bag, the airline has to provide reasonable temporary replacement for toiletries and even possibly clothing. (When I went to Arizona, my bag was for some reason unloaded at our flight's stopover point. Southwest gave me an incredibly nice toiletry kit, although it was clearly a kit aimed at men, not women, as it contained a men's-scented antiperspirant. But it had anything I might need overnight, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, a comb, antiperspirant and a few other items.)

- If it's a weather problem or you are late arriving to the airport, you're on your own. But airlines can still sometimes help you find a discount for lodging in these cases, and should definitely assist you in getting rebooked.

- But remember: airline policies vary, and each airline employee will choose to enforce some rules over others. Stay polite and friendly, and this will get you a far better response than the jerk who's standing there screaming at the ticket agent/baggage agent/etc. for something that is not their fault to begin with.

Although these are intended as helpful guidelines for the holiday travel season, keep in mind that they pretty much apply for the whole year, too!

Pacsafe's CamSafe 200

2009-11-23T17:13:00.011-06:00

Recently, I received the Pacsafe CamSafe 200 as a birthday gift, just in time for my California trip. (Thanks, Mom!) I had been looking for a really secure camera bag that was easy to wear, and didn't feel odd or overly bulky when carrying it around. When the CamSafe series came out (there is also the CamSafe 100, a slightly smaller bag), it seemed like the logical choice - I love Pacsafe products, and what more could a photographer want than to feel that their camera items are safely and securely stashed away?

The CamSafes come in two colors: black and olive. I got the black one, which as you can see from the picture has a very nice, stylish, professional appearance. It doesn't look like a typical camera bag.

Their website gives the specifications as 12.5" wide x 9.8" high x 6.6" deep (32 x 25 x 17 cm) with a 9 L volume. If you have a small frame or do not have a lot of extra gear (i.e., extra batteries, lenses, light meter, etc.), you might consider the CamSafe 100 instead, which is smaller. The strap is slash-proof, with the wire reinforcement found throughout Pacsafe's bag lines.

Like their CarrySafe strap line, the CamSafe has an adjustable, padded shoulder strip which is lined with a rubber-like material which helps the strap slide around less. (please note: this picture is a detail shot of the CarrySafe 100 strap, not the CamSafe strap. However, the interior lining detail remains the same.) The bag is fairly comfortable to wear when hung across your torso (the safe, smart traveler way). It is probably a little on the bulky side (as most camera bags are) to want to simply hang it off one shoulder.

Pacsafe products are about traveler security/peace of mind. The shoulder strap is very well-stitched. On the right end, it has a secure metal anchor which connects to a triangle- shaped loop. Although it looks like a carabiner, I must say it is very firmly attached - I don't think you'd be able to undo this without a wrench, or some incredible arm strength.

On the same end of the bag is a pocket designed to hold a water bottle or can of soda. This pocket is very spacious - as you can see, it easily holds a can of soda (or a good sized water bottle) with very little extra stretch. The other end of the bag has a similar pocket.

It's the other end of the strap, however, which is particularly exceptional. Pacsafe has designed an anchor lock for this bag: you need to enter your personal code in order to unlock and release the strap from the bag. However, in addition to that safety feature, the same anchor has a small strip of coated wire which passes through the zippers of the main compartment of the bag, and locks it shut. Obviously, this makes you feel a lot more secure about the contents. Here's the great part about this strap: since it both locks the bag shut, and locks the slash-proof strap securely to the bag, it means you can lock your bag to something else, such as your chair when you sit down to dine, or to your bed once you're in your room. (Mind you, I would still always recommend putting your valuables in a safe, but this is a pretty good alternative.) You set the 3-digit code yourself.

CamSafe secured in action

The front of the bag has a series of loops that look like they were designed for traditional film canisters. They do not stretch, so I found they were useful to put a carabiner on, and then attach a SIGG-style water bottle. You could probably also attach/strap a lightweight tripod to the front of your bag using those, I would think.

When you lift the front flap, you see one of Pacsafe's traditional security features: a metal clip sewn into the bag which allows you to clip the interior zippers together. (The same feature is found on their other bags as well, such as the MetroSafe, which I previously reviewed.) No stealthy fingers thinking they might nab something from underneath your flap here! Because the cord on this clip is short, it takes a moment to undo the zippers. But again - peace of mind! There is also a mesh outer pocket, which you would probably not put anything secure in, but which is handy to stash a map or something similar.

The lower front and bottom panels of the camera bag are lined with Pacsafe's eXomesh® Slashguard. This front pocket opens accordian-style to reveal four smaller pockets and a couple of loops that are good for holding pens, etc., as well as a key strap. The zippered inner pocket is a good size to hold several digital memory cards; the other inner pockets are suitable for various small items like extra batteries, filters, business cards, cell phone, etc. As you can see, the pockets are deep, because I have something in every one of the pockets!

The back of the bag has one open-top pocket that is large enough to accommodate a book (or other similarly-sized items) with room to spare. There is a carrying handle attached to the bag as well.

Unlike most camera bags, the top flap of the bag does not open from the front; instead, it opens along the back. This not only allows you to access the contents of your bag more readily without removing the bag from your body, but makes it a lot more difficult for people who shouldn't be putting their fingers in your bag.

However, Pacsafe designers understand that a photographer out in the field might want to repeatedly access their bag contents over a short period of time, so the bag is designed with an interior Velcro strap that you can pull out to secure the top flap of the bag for easy in/out access.

When not in use, this strap attaches to the inside cover of the bag, and I found this to be much more useful as a means to secure something that otherwise might take up a lot of room in the bag - a camera strap, for example; or a tabletop tripod. (Pictured: the CarrySafe 100 camera strap).

The interior of the bag has one large main pocket, with two adjustable padded dividers. There is a small interior pocket on either end of the bag as well. What you see as a zipper hanging down in this picture is a shallow interior pocket at the top edge of the inside of the bag. I didn't even notice this pocket at first, but found it when I saw the zipper pull.

The small zippered pocket has a set of elastic loops inside. I found these could easily accommodate two, sometimes three each, of SanDisk Ultra SDHC memory card cases (depending on how bulky the plastic casing is). The slightly larger SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash Card cases are a slightly tighter fit, but you can still fit two per loop, for a total of eight. There is just enough room in the pocket that you would still have a little extra space to stash your credit card or cash, etc.

On the CamSafe 200, the interior is spacious enough that you can fit a surprising amount of gear in what looks like a compact bag. In this shot, I have stashed remote control cords in the side pocket, a Nikon D80 with 18-135mm lens attached, a Canon 50D body on the right with its 18-200mm lens detached and placed under an interior divider on the left, and still have a bit of extra room for straps or other items.

In this set up, I have placed the same Canon D80 with lens attached on the right. On the left are various extras - a boxed light meter, two pocket cameras (Canon PowerShot A570 and Pentax Optio W30), some extra batteries and a couple extra filters for the Nikon. The small top pocket also has several memory cards in it. Still plenty of room.

The Pacsafe CamSafe 200 bag, typical of all Pacsafe products, is sturdy and well-constructed. Whether just a hobbyist or a pro, you will feel comfortable that your equipment is secure and protected. I spent a lot of time hiking around parks in California with this bag, and liked that it always felt comfortable, and I felt secure with all the bag's features. The many compartments and pockets made it easy to keep all my gear organized, and to easily separate my unused memory cards from the ones I had already filled. It was easy to get my cameras in and out of the bag, and I particularly liked the locking strap. I would feel comfortable recommending this bag to other photographers who are looking for a solid, mid-size bag, and especially to those who are concerned about the security of their gear.

The frozen north

2009-11-21T18:02:00.008-06:00

Northern Greenland
September 11, 2007

I was going through my pictures from my China trip, and I had forgotten about the bunch I took on the plane ride - notably, a lot of pictures of Greenland, northern Canada, and the Arctic. I had thought that a lot of them might be unusable for display, due to haze, but I ran them through Photoshop Elements "Smart fix", and lo, it cleared up the haze. Makes me wish I took a lot more pictures on the flight over - but I was concerned about having enough memory cards to last for the month+ I was in China. (If you know me and photography, this is a valid concern. And I didn't know how easy it would/would not be to find more memory cards for my camera.)

Not everything was a barren frozen landscape devoid of colors, however. Northern Canada, with clean waters and clear skies, offered up a Caribbean-dazzling array of shallow blue waters against prehistoric rock landscapes:

Canadian wilderness, somewhere over Nunavut
September 2007

It was really amazing to fly over such a pristine landscape. The snow, everywhere, so white, so clean, untouched, untracked - blown by the wind into knife-sharp edges standing crisp over mountains; glaciers hidden under a fresh coat of snow; wisps of clouds drifting among the mountains. Most of these peaks probably have never been climbed - or even named. The air was so clean that the afternoon sun cast sharp shadows across the landscape, making the mountains pop into even more dramatic relief.

Frozen wilderness - Northern Greenland
September 2007

I can understand why other people spend flights wrapped up in paperwork or reading or watching a movie or snoozing. But for me, one of my true delights about flying has always been the landscape out the windows. There are many variants on the quote, "It's not the destination, but the journey", and when traveling for pleasure, that's still true. After all, a bad travel experience can put you in a bad mindframe for the rest of your trip.

I actually got sort of irritated when the flight attendant came over and told me to close my shade because others were sleeping. Wasn't that what the little eye masks in the "convenience" kit were for? I had saved my frequent flyer mileage for years to get this first-class ticket to China, and I didn't want to miss one bit of it - especially not flying over this magnificent mountain landscape. When would I get to fly this route again? It was doubtful that I'd ever journey to this area of the world otherwise; I wanted to drink in every second of the view. (I can tell you that my books and magazines were utterly forgotten.)

I wanted to her, "Are you so used to flying this route that you're bored by the amazing views out the window?" Now, granted, sure, it's not like the flight attendants get to look out the windows much. But still, I think they could show a little courtesy towards the customers in that aspect. Maybe one day, I too will grow so bored of the views out the window that I will happily slide down my little window shade and snooze away the journey.

But I don't think that will be any time soon.

It's beginning to look like shopping season... support local artisans!

2009-11-21T07:14:00.003-06:00

The annual DIY Trunk Show is TODAY in Chicago - open 10am to 5pm at the Pulaski Park Auditorium, 1419 W. Blackhawk (three blocks NE of the Milwaukee/Ashland/Division intersection; Blue line - Division stop) - with FREE admission! The DIY Trunk Show promotes themselves as "a diverse gathering of creative talent to showcase, sell and promote handmade arts, crafts, goods, and endeavors of all kinds". With 95 vendor spaces, you're sure to find artists who tweak your interest.

Lillstreet Art Center at 4401 N. Ravenswood Ave. (corner of W. Montrose & N. Ravenswood; Brown line - Montrose stop), has also kicked off their 34th annual Holiday Show, which is a combination art sale/art show.

At both sales, you're supporting local artisans and crafters - and you are certain to find hundreds of unique and interesting gift choices!

Photographer's playfulness

2009-11-16T03:03:00.003-06:00

Yosemite, October 2009

I have to admit I get a little bit of a kick out of photographing other photographers, mainly because I enjoy people-watching - and photographers can provide both entertainment and education. I like to see how they set up their shots and what catches their eye (vs. what has caught my own). No matter how much I learn, I always feel like there is still more to learn, explore, and experiment with in photography.

Thanks for coming along on my own photographic journey!

New 2010 calendar now online!

2009-11-15T21:59:00.003-06:00

Meryddian Photography's 2010 calendar is now available online through zazzle.com. Use code "CALENDARS998" to get 44.4% off the price - making it only $11.65 (plus shipping)! This offer is good through November 23, 2009 at 11:59pm PT.

After evaluating several different websites' product quality, I have decided that Zazzle produces the nicest-quality calendars, so although this means my product will be slightly pricier than previous years ($20.95), I feel that you are receiving a more superior product.

The 2010 calendar features photography from California: San Francisco, Salt Point State Park, Napa Valley, and Yosemite.

Bodie, a national historic ghost town

2009-11-13T11:58:00.004-06:00

Methodist church
Bodie, California - October 25, 2009

I have a mixed approach to travel: I want to plan enough to know I have some interesting or favorite sites in mind, but open enough to explore places with... potential.

Several years ago, I stumbled into geocaching by accident. It's a fun hobby, but so far I haven't gotten around to buying myself a GPS unit - since I wasn't out doing hiking in the wilderness or something where such an item would come in really handy. Right before the California trip, there was an ad in the local Craigslist for a GPS, a fairly decent one at that, for only $25. I swapped a few emails with the guy, but the deal didn't happen. I was disappointed, as I had hoped to surprise my boyfriend with the GPS unit - as he had just found out about geocaching - and had thought it would be a fun addition to the trip.

Not to be deterred, I dug through the Geocaching.com site along our expected routes, trying to find geocaches close to the road or at locations we could possibly find without a GPS unit. That's how I discovered Bodie a ghost town located on the eastern side of Yosemite.

Gold was discovered at what is now called Bodie Bluff in 1859. Twenty years later, it was a Wild West boomtown of several thousand people and two thousand buildings. About ten percent of those buildings still stand.

The achievement seems particularly amazing when you approach the town. There are two routes to Bodie from route 395, which runs from Bridgeport to Lee Vining. If you're coming from Lee Vining, you can turn right onto 167 along the north shore of Lake Mono, and after several miles turn left onto Cottonwood Canyon Road (marked with a sign to Bodie). Alternatively, you can follow 395 to 270/Bodie Road, and follow that into Bodie. Both roads are only paved for a few miles and dirt road the rest. Although the park is open year-round, the roads leading to town are generally closed due to heavy snowfall. (Mud can be an issue in the spring.)

After a few miles of teeth-jarring roads, seeing Bodie nestled ahead is a welcome sight. You can only begin to imagine how settlers felt in this town's heyday, after crossing the Rockies, especially as it stands at an elevation of 8,379 feet with little to no water in view.

Bodie was a rough town, once called "the wildest camp in the West" - with barroom brawls, duels, murders and holdups. So unusual was a quiet night, that in June 1881, it was actually of major note in the local newspaper that there had been no killings in a week. It had brothels, gambling halls, opium dens, and at its heyday, 65 saloons lining Main Street. It also had an opera house, banks, two churches and a school.

Due to its location on an exposed plateau, and elevation, the weather here can be brutal - even in the summer, evening temperatures can drop below freezing. There is little in terms of natural resources - either wood or water - here, so you can imagine what a challenge it was to live here.

This remote Sierra town was amazingly cutting-edge; in 1893, the Standard Company built a hydroelectric plant on Greek Creek, above Bridgeport, California (northwest of Bodie), which supplied electricity to the town - a whopping 130 horsepower / 6,600 volts, which was primarily to power one of the town's mills. This was one of the United State's first transmissions of electricity over a long distance.

By 1910, the population was under 700. Two major fires had destroyed much of the town, and declining mining returns led people to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

The town was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and became a state historical park the following year. It is being preserved in a state of "arrested decay", meaning the structures will be "maintained enough to not be allowed to fall over or deteriorate in a major way".

If you look closely at the buildings as you walk about the town, you can see where repair work has been carefully carried out, designed to match the look of the existing structures. A few of the better preserved homes serve as offices or lodging quarters for the rangers who serve the park.

Facilities are extremely limited at the park - restrooms at the parking lot, and a small bookstore for souvenirs in the museum. There is no food or gasoline on-site, so be sure to check your fuel levels before leaving Lee Vining or Bridgeport.

Make sure you pay attention to how you came into the park, and leave the same way. As you come into the park, you may not even realize that Cottonwood Canyon Road and Bodie Road merge close to the park entrance, s0 you might make the mistake I did, and think the other road leading out of the parking lot is the one you're looking for. In fact, the other roads leaving out of the parking lot are unpaved, unmarked jeep trails leading through the nearby hills - best left to BMX and 4-wheelers. I will admit I drove out of the park the wrong way and it took me a few miles to admit I made an error, but at least the views were amazing. I retraced our route back to town. We originally came in from Lee Vining via the 167 road, and left - after that slight detour - by 270/Bodie Road towards Bridgeport.

As Bodie disappeared behind us, and we crested a hill, I have to say that it felt like I was momentarily transported back to Tibet. We were on a dirt road that wove among dusty hills covered with a low scrub; ahead of us, a line of mocha-brown hills formed the horizon line, and beyond that, the Sierras leapt heavenwards, their eastern faces shining under white snows. I was reminded sharply of the roads we'd traveled in and out of Everest National Park. It was a few miles down the road before I realized I should have stopped to take a picture, but at the moment, I had been so enthralled with the memories, and still wrapped up in the unusual experience of Bodie, that for once, I just kept driving.

More Salt Point pictures

2009-11-13T03:40:00.003-06:00

I've put Salt Point pictures up a few times already in the past couple weeks, but it's just a really extraordinarily spot on the coast. On one side, I am mostly thankful that it is, indeed, a relatively lesser-known park, at least to most. It keeps the park as it should be: pristine and beautifully wild, as befits the ocean-sculpted California shoreline.

Sandstone carved into tafoni
Salt Point State Park - October 2009

On the other hand, I like to talk about travel bargains, and most travel magazines/sources will rave on and on about Big Sur. Well, yes, Big Sur is fantastic, it really is. But because it is far better known, it is also much more expensive. And perhaps, yes, it's a little more dramatic because down south of San Francisco, Coastal Highway 1 clings to the shoreline much more closely than it does heading north.

Incoming tide, Salt Point
October 2009

But if you brave the drive north, you will not soon forget the drive. For starters, the road is incredibly dramatic, ranging from high on the golden California hills, to skirting calm bays and inlets. Tight, narrow curves winding through clutches of redwoods alternate with views where you can see for miles. Little towns - hamlets, really - dot the coast, giving you the feeling of being removed from the high-pressured modern life.

You can see some of the same rocky coastline with big, dramatic wave action along the Sonoma coast and points north that you would at Big Sur. But the beaches are quieter, and the restaurants and hotels a little less packed. Of course, San Franciscoans and others have known about the wonderful north coast for ages. And if it's what you really want, you can find luxury B&Bs and spas along the north coast, too.

Flora on the shore
Salt Point State Park - October 2009

But it's almost like you could take a ruler and draw a line across California below Monterrey, and separate the more laid-back, relaxed northern California from the more glitzy southern California. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of things I enjoy about southern California, too. But northern California has long held a special spot in my heart, a place I enjoy visiting again and again and again.

Salt Point State Park

2009-11-11T15:06:00.005-06:00

Salt Point State Park
October 2009

One of California's greatest natural assets is its geological diversity. Its still-active fault line activity continues to shape the state. From the lowest point in the nation - Death Valley, -282 feet below sea level; to the top of Mt. Whitney, at 14,505 feet the highest point in the lower 48 - the state's diversity includes deserts, farmland, mountains, seascapes, forests... with the climate ranging from Mediterranean along the coast, to subarctic in the high Sierra.

The state also contains an incredible diversity of plant species, including sequoias, the tallest trees on the planet; and one of the most antique - bristlecone pines, with the oldest living one, known as "Methuselah" is 4,789 years old.

And although the state is the most populous in the nation, people live mostly concentrated around the major cities - primarily in the greater Los Angeles basin area, but also San Diego, the San Francisco Bay area, and a string of cities along the Central Valley.

State and national parks liberally cover California. Some of them are very well known - Yosemite, Death Valley - and heavily visited, but many are hidden gems, mainly known to locals.

One of these is Salt Point State Park, located on Coastal Highway 1 in Sonoma County, between Jenner and Gualala, approximately 90 miles north of San Francisco. A visitor center is only open on the weekends, April through October, but the park is open year-round (admission, $6/car).

During the mid-19th century, sandstone from Salt Point was used to pave the streets of San Francisco; if you look closely, you can still see evidence of the park's history. Today, it is a haven for nature enthusiasts, with miles of hiking trails, campsites, and an underwater preserve. Scuba diving is allowed, although divers are warned to be cautious in the kelp forests that line the shore. The park's most striking feature is the tafoni that lines the six miles of shoreline. Tafoni is a honeycomb-like natural carving in the rock caused by the elements.

The park is also home to a good selection of wildlife, both onshore and off. Although I had been to the park a few times before, this trip was the first time I'd seen deer - and a lot of them - wandering through the scrub along the shore.

You may witness grey whales during the winter migration season, or seals year-round. Bring a good zoom lens or binoculars; the seals tend to favor the offshore rocks rather than the ones along the short cliffs. In some places, you can make it down to the water and see tidal pools. Wear sturdy, waterproof shoes and dress in layers; even in summer, the weather can be brisk and the temperatures can change abruptly.

Site #15 at dawn, Gerstle Cove Campground
Salt Point State Park
October 2009

This trip to California also gave me the opportunity to do something I had wanted to do for many years - camp overnight at Salt Point. There are two campgrounds at the park - Gerstle Cove, which lies between the ocean and Route 1, and Woodside on the other side of Route 1. The drive-in campsites are $25 (reservations strongly recommended April to October); the walk-in campsites are $15; "hike and bike" sites $3. Each site includes a fire pit, picnic table, and wildlife locker (there are lots of raccoons in the area!).

You can buy firewood/kindling on-site ($6/$1), but if you arrive late in the day, supplies may be limited. California campgrounds require no firewood be brought from any further than 50 miles away, in order to prevent spread of invader species bugs; you will find that gas stations and convenience stores close to camping areas sell firewood also.

We arrived at the park just after sunset. If you arrive after the ranger is gone for the day, you can self-register your car for your campsite at the entrance to either campground. Unlike many California campgrounds, if you make a reservation here, you do not pre-choose your spot, you pick out your site on arrival. We picked out a site with wide-open views of the sky and admittedly, close to the bathrooms. (There are bathrooms, but not showers, available in both campgrounds. There are other campgrounds with coin-operated showers available a couple miles south at Stillwater Cove, or several miles north at Gualala Point Regional Park. In the morning, we used the shower at Gualala Point, which was clean, and thankfully, warm.) The campsites are spaced far enough apart at Salt Point that they feel at least semi-private. The parking spots are large enough for 30-35 foot trailers; check the reservation site for specifics.

The nighttime views we saw in Yosemite a few days later were undeniably spectacular. But oh, the evening skies at Salt Point - stars so thick in a moonless sky that you felt it was possible to reach up and pluck a few. Clear coastal skies, miles from the closest towns. I live in a major city - I'm lucky to see a handful of stars on the clearest of nights - so for me, it is a great joy to see nights like this. (It also admittedly strongly appeals to my inner outer-space geek.)

And aside from what sounded like a horde of raccoons invading the campsite at midnight, looking for any possible remains from dinner, it was an otherwise peaceful and quiet night, the soft sound of surf lulling us to sleep. I was up before dawn, eager to get the early light on the shore (always keeping photography in mind...), and loved the beauty of a little sea haze drifting through the trees.

Whatever your reasons for going, Salt Point is definitely worth seeking out. Enjoy your explorations there.

If you're so inclined, I'd appreciate a vote!

2009-11-06T20:24:00.004-06:00

If you liked this picture of Simon (posted on this blog not too long ago), and want to help me out in a pet/animal photography contest, I would love your vote here. Takes just seconds and then you confirm your email (contest is designed so folks can't vote more than once).

Thank you in advance!

If you like good deals...

2009-11-04T09:27:00.002-06:00

I've been using a site called Groupon.com for a couple months now. It's free to sign up and get their daily notices, but the good part about the website is that it provides extremely good deals (50-90% off) for various goods, services, restaurants, etc.

The way it works is that you sign up for the Groupon; and if enough people sign up for the deal, then you get charged for your Groupon. You have 1 year to use your Groupon. (You can peruse the site to see previous deals.) Since you can sign up to get whatever cities you like, it's also a good way to score some savings for vacation trips!

Available cities: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Minneapolis / St Paul, Nashville, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St Louis, Tampa, and Washington DC.

New exercise journal on Lulu.com!

2009-11-03T11:06:00.005-06:00

Chicago Lakeshore
June 2008

If you've followed my blogs for a while, you know that I have worked very hard at diet and exercise and have lost/kept off about 80 pounds since my top weight. But I, like many dieters, hit a plateau, and have needed to turn back to one of the most important tools I learned about at the NWM Wellness Center - the fitness journal.

As I couldn't find a journal that suited me (too cutesy, too skimpy, not organized well enough), I ended up designing my own. And then I thought perhaps some other people might find it useful as well, so I published my Diet & Exercise Daily Journal on Lulu.com. You can buy it printed and spiral-bound for $16; or download the PDF and print it yourself for $5. I specifically designed it with a spiral binding to make it easier to take to the gym, and to be able to stick a pen or pencil into the coil. Enter code "GREATBOOK" while ordering and you will get 10% off the cost of your order! (offer good through 11:59pm ET on 11/30.)

I've also begun my "thousand mile" challenge. I know a lot of people do a 1K challenge in a much shorter time frame than I do - say, over the summer or during three months. But as I'm just ramping up my fitness level, I'm trying to meet the "10,000 steps" daily challenge - that's approximately 3 miles of walking per day. So my thousand mile goal is a bit long - several months - but hopefully I will finish it long ahead of schedule!

Wine country

2009-10-29T23:31:00.004-05:00

Napa Valley has certainly changed a great deal in the twenty or so years that I have been visiting there. I can still remember that on my first visit there - when I wasn't quite yet 21, but I never got carded once (and my parents let me taste wines, within reason) - that we were often the only folks in the tasting room. The people serving us and discussing vintages with us were often the owners or their head winemaker; this was prior to the major surge in popularity that Napa enjoyed in the early 1990s (thanks to major marketing efforts).

The laid-back lifestyle portrayed in Bottle Shock was not long past - in fact, wineries were just starting to charge for tastings, and some seemed downright sheepish about the fact they were doing so.

Fast forward to 2009. If you can, look up James Conaway's pair of books - Napa: The Story of an American Eden and its follow up, The Far Side of Eden. These two books give an excellent picture of the history of Napa - the first, its history up until the dot-com boom years; the latter, how Napa was affected by the 1990s boom time. In short, everybody with money to burn wanted to get into the winemaking business. The bucolic vision of a vintner's lifestyle within easy reach of the big city (in this case, San Francisco) drove up land prices in Napa to unheard-of sums for agricultural land - and with it came the boutiques and high-end restaurants and pricey B&Bs and so forth.

There's nothing wrong with that lifestyle, of course; but for a while, it threatened Napa Valley's own existence. There was only so much land to be had; and only a given percentage of that land would yield the elusive good - nay, great - grapes to make quality wines.

Needless to say, with its easy proximity to Silicon Valley's good fortunes, and having done its job well with marketing after the famous "Paris tasting of 1976", Napa enjoyed a strong boom of growth throughout the 1990s and into the early years of the new century. Today it is more stabilized; its number of wineries settled somewhere around 400 - almost double the number that existed in the early 1980s.

Of course, with good wine, one should enjoy good food, and many wonderful places for food have sprung up in Napa Valley - ranging from famous high-end restaurants like the French Laundry (where $240/person, gratuity included, will get you an unforgettable meal) to local olive oil producers, and combination vintners/farmers who produce organic vegetables, beef and lamb alongside their wines, cheeses, and olive oils.

Thankfully, California has recognized in itself the need to produce its food products in a healthy manner, if it is to continue to sustain itself - and its role on the American table. More and more farmers and vineyards are turning to Biodynamics, and other organic methodologies.

Oxbow Public Market, Napa, CA
October 2009

You need not go far to enjoy some of the finest that Napa - and its nearby neighbors - have to offer - just make time for a stop at Oxbow Public Market, located at 610-644 First Street in Napa (at the junction of First and McKinstry Streets).

Approximately two dozen specialty stops cluster together in a building on Napa's southeast side, serving up a variety of foods, as well as cheeses, wines, spices, and more.

Hog Island Oyster Company chowder
as seen - and enjoyed - at Oxbow Market, Napa
October 2009

I had found out about Oxbow completely by chance. I wanted to enjoy Hog Island Oyster Company's delightful seafood while I was in California, but didn't have the time while in San Francisco to visit their location in the Ferry Building. I was happy to discover they had a brand-new location at Oxbow, and since I had the time while in Napa, I made a point for us to visit there.

Hog Island doesn't disappoint. To be frank, their New England-style clam chowder is one of the, if not THE, most amazing chowder I have had in years. (The only place I've found in Chicago that makes outstanding clam chowder is Glen's Diner, over on West Montrose at the brown line.) Their fresh oysters are also superbly tasty - a real treat if you enjoy oysters!

Hog Island Oyster Company raw oysters on the half shell
Oxbow Market, Napa
October 2009

We spent quite a while at the market, and a couple other discoveries we delighted in included Kara's Cupcakes; the Whole Spice Company (in worthy company with the likes of Chicago's Spice House); and finally - Three Twins Ice Cream.

I can tell you unabashedly that prior to tasting Three Twins' espresso ice cream, I had never considered ordering ice cream by mail. I'm actually sort of thankful they don't offer their products by mail (yet), because their ice cream was ... wow. I have tried ice cream and gelato all over the world, and all I could manage to keep saying as we walked out to the car was, "OMG, this ice cream is SO GOOD." Italics and all, I kid you not. ;)

Yeah - if you don't go to the Oxbow Market for the cool cooking-related shops or the cheese or the wine or the restaurants or the cupcakes - go for the ice cream alone!

Some days, I'm glad at the ways that Napa has changed over the years.

More California photography

2009-10-28T10:15:00.004-05:00

"Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin.
Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved."
- Medieval German saying

Late-season grapes
Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford, California
October 23, 2009

Although harvest is mostly done in California's northern wine-producing counties, you can still see grapes, ripe and heavy on the vine, at some wineries. The vines and trees were at their showy best last week - the reds of the vines contrasting beautifully with the yellows of the trees that line the roads of Napa Valley.

We did not have enough time to stop at too many wineries on this trip, but one that I made a special allowance for was Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford, CA. Miljenko "Mike" Grgich - who founded Grgich Hills in 1977 - is perhaps best known as the winemaker of the 1973 Chateau Montelena chardonnay that won the white wine category at the famous 1976 'Judgement of Paris tasting'. As my travel partner was absolutely brand-new to tasting wines, I felt it was an important stop for us to make, so that he could taste some really exceptional Napa wines.

The five we tasted were all good; but we had a special treat and were able to taste the 2006 Violetta - at $85/bottle, a very very special treat, indeed. And it was delicious and heavenly - so if you happen to be visiting Grgich Hills - or just perusing their website for wines - I would readily recommend it, if you enjoy late-harvest/dessert wines.

Yosemite - a national treasure

2009-10-27T23:13:00.004-05:00

View of Half Dome, seen from Glacier Point, Yosemite
October 24, 2009

It's about an hour's drive from the valley floor, but definitely worth it to be up there at sunset. Bring a hat, gloves and a jacket - even in summer - because you're at high elevation, and the temperature drops quickly after sunset. I remember the first time I came up here for a sunset was a Saturday night in early September 2000 - it was only me and one other photographer. The night we were up here, there were a couple dozen photographers lined up with their massive telephoto lenses, capturing that last light of the day.

Early morning in Camp Curry, Yosemite valley floor
October 24, 2009

Camp Curry - formerly Curry Village - is a favorite for those who want the camping experience, but who don't have the camping equipment - or don't want to lug it along. These cabins are for the most part, very basic - a raised wooden floor and frame, with waxed canvas walls/roof. The most basic units (like we stayed in) contain a dressing table, an overhead light, and a bed or beds (either two twins, a queen, or a queen plus a twin). The beds are basically very sturdy cots, so don't expect something fancy! The Camp supplies sheets and wool blankets. Some of the "upgraded" cabins include heat, and there are also "regular" style cabins (with walls and windows). I thought Curry was pretty decent, and would willingly stay there again.

Oddly enough, the night we stayed in Curry was much colder than the night we stayed in our own tent over in the Upper Pines campground. In Curry, we bundled up in three or four layers, including hats and gloves, in our sleeping bag, plus three layers of wool blankets. In Upper Pines, we just had our sleeping bag and flannel throw - and we were very warm in just two layers of clothes.

Dana Meadows, Tioga Road, Yosemite
October 25, 2009

The beautiful Dana Meadows is perhaps not as well known as Tuolumne Meadows, which are located further west along the Tioga Road. But the views here are lush in autumn, and the air incredibly brisk and clean. It's a nice place for a bit of a hike, or simply a wander.

California coastline

2009-10-27T01:04:00.003-05:00

Salt Point State Park
Route 1, between Jenner and Gualala, CA
October 2009

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away...

2009-10-19T16:01:00.003-05:00

Who do you like to fly with, and why do you fly with them? The Consumer Travel Alliance recently polled travelers, and the results were interesting.

Southwest came out strongly on top for their combination of great prices and customer service.

And - did you pay attention the other day to my budget travel discussions about frequent flyer programs? - American Airlines came out way ahead of the pack for their frequent flyer program.

I was interested to see the poll so strongly reflect my own flying patterns, although the fact that American and Southwest are both two of the strongest airlines in my local market is pretty important, too.

Tis the season

2009-10-16T16:05:00.001-05:00

Budget travel tip of the day : an article in the NY Times today reports that holiday airfares are rising steadily, so don't wait for the last minute for travel bargains like you could last year.

And if you're not already aware of it, airlines are getting quite clever at tacking on new fees - even airlines like Southwest are finding ways to get into the "added value fees" business by offering their new "early bird check in" service.

Read your ticket over carefully when buying it. Those "$49 bargain!!" one-way fares can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars, especially on overseas flights.

The Glimpse Correspondents Program

2009-10-15T13:53:00.002-05:00

The "Glimpse Correspondents Program" is for "writers and photographers with a passion for storytelling and a knack for finding truly unique stories. The program is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 34 who will be working, volunteering, or studying outside of their home country for at least 10 weeks." Their spring 2010 deadline for applications is November 8th. Do you qualify or know somebody who does? Then check out this introductory video:

Looking for travel bargains, part 2

2009-10-14T18:42:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of people who say they like to "wing it" and have a good time - a great time, even. I've done it myself, and have had a great deal of fun. Much more frequently, however, I like to do some research before I go.

My father used to take us on some crazy trips. The first time I ever visited California was back in 1985 or 86. If you're old enough, you might recognize the airline named "People's Express". People's Express was one of the first airlines to rise of of the deregulation of the airline industry back in the early 1980s. Their claim to fame were dirt-cheap coast-to-coast flights. This also meant they packed people into their planes like cattle - but they were still more generous with amenities than some major airlines today.

My father bagged a couple of super-cheap tickets on People's Express to take my brother and me on a whirlwind trip to California. We put around a thousand miles on our rental car between arriving just after midnight on Friday morning, and flying out of Sacramento the following Monday morning. Our trip encompassed San Francisco, Muir Woods, Santa Cruz, Monterey and the 17-Mile-Drive, Lake Tahoe, and Yosemite.

His philosophy on travel was, "You can say you've been there, and if you like it, you can always go back."

Well, he was right about California - I have returned to the state over and over again, and would happily live there if I could. And if I said I completely avoided driving like a bat out of hell on trips, well, that'd be a lie. Sure, I can lie on a beach and do nothing for two weeks. But I also enjoy road trips. Must be in my blood.

My father mostly liked to "wing it", and maybe that's why I prefer to plan things out - I don't like driving around as it's getting dark, trying to find a hotel cheap enough and clean enough to suit both the budget and health standards - not to mention worrying about how safe said cheap hotel might be. Oh, I could tell you some stories about "bargain" rooms our family has stayed in over the years! And those kind of colorful stories are worth having, sure. But peace of mind is pretty important, too.

RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH

Yes, it IS fun to happen upon festivals by accident, to discover natural wonders you didn't know about, to pull off the road to check out a historic marker and find out about something you didn't know existed before.

But as I mentioned in part 1, it is not much fun to find yourself stranded or missing your travel connections because you didn't look up schedules, and assumed buses and trains ran every day. Or, like happened to me and my mother in Firenze, missing out on the Uffizi Gallery, because we were in the city the one day of the week the museum was closed. It really, really is a drag to be standing outside the ONE place you really wanted to see on your trip, and be met with a big "CLOSED" sign!

The internet is a great blessing to the travel industry. You can see pictures of the places you might like to go, examine road maps, get advice from locals and tourists alike, find hotels, book flights... the list goes on. (And you can do it all on the spur of the moment!)

I'm a bit of a history geek. I like to know the history of places to better appreciate them, but it's also fun to learn-as-I-go. When I went to Switzerland a few years ago, for example, I had no idea that the Swiss have a thriving wine industry, or that their countryside is studded with castles. It was fun discovering these things last-minute.

ORGANIZE YOUR SEARCHES

I subscribe to a couple travel magazines, but rather than have them stack up around the house, I pull out the articles related to places I'm interested in visiting, and save them in a folder or binder for later, and recycle the rest of the magazine. I also research online, printing out information, and printing double-sided with maps or directions on the back. Likewise, I may check out a book from the library and just photocopy the pages relevant to my travels.

Whatever way you do it, when you finally do plan that trip to "Exotic Locale", all you need to do is go into your files/binder, and pull out the sheets you need. No need to lug around ten pounds of guide books!

Simalarly, if you're crusing around the internet, and a location catches your eye, of course you should bookmark it. But keep your bookmarks organized; learn how to use the "folders" feature, and then sort your links into folders labeled by country, city, region or other. (I usually sort mine as Travel > Continent > Country > Region/Cities.) That way, instead of having to search through hundreds of links you've saved, you can go straight to the sites you're looking for.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FREQUENT FLIER MILES

It is a good thing to sign up for frequent flyer or frequent guest clubs; most of them have weekly or monthly newsletters offering members exclusive discounts/special offers.

If you're concerned about those emails cluttering up your mailbox, create an email account using a free service such as Yahoo or Hotmail, and keep that email address just for online shopping, etc.

Unless you travel frequently for business, chances are good that many of us will never see enough airline mileage to qualify for much more than a domestic ticket (25,000 miles, off-peak). But there ARE ways to maximize the mileage you get.

First, know your local market. If you live in a city like Chicago, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, or similar - congratulations, you live in an airline "hub" city, where a major airline makes their home base and where many/most of their connections fly through. (Chicagoans are lucky, they get at least three - O'Hare for American and United; Midway for Southwest). If you live in a market that has less choices - well, then, make sure you pick an airline that actually services your local airport!

Pick a major airline that you like, and focus your business with them. You'll build miles faster if you're simply focusing on one program - ideally, with an airline that services your closest airport(s) AND which has enough flexibility in their program to meet your needs.

Check your airline-of-choice's website, and look for alternative ways to build mileage. American, for example, has a particularly extensive network of partners, but they are certainly not alone. American's program includes ways to build mileage through purchasing anything from flowers to your mortgage, from movie rentals to cell phone companies, dining out and more.

Worth noting: NO airlines give you credit towards their premium frequent-flyer programs based off non-airline spending. You still need to fly - and fly on paid tickets - to earn those privileges.

Also, most airlines offer credit cards that will reward you with mileage based on your spending, anywhere from $1=1 mile to $5=1 mile. You may want to consider switching to an airline-loyalty credit card if you currently have a credit card that doesn't otherwise reward you. (And when it comes to finances, don't go crazy with credit cards just for the rewards.)

The important things to keep in mind are:
- Know your airline's expiration restrictions (you'd hate to build up a nice supply of mileage and then lose it to "inactivity"!)
- Choose an airline program that you feel best suits your general lifestyle - that is, has the biggest return on a regular basis, not just when you fly.
- Keep an eye on the airline's reward redemption levels. These seem to change at the drop of a hat, and you want to make sure you're getting good rewards for your hard-earned mileage.

YOU DID THE PLANNING - NOW YOU CAN JUST ENJOY, RIGHT ? HERE'S WHERE LUCK COMES IN

One of my most vital reasons for research is, of course, cost. Even if you have money to splurge, there's no reason to spend more than you have to. Especially not in today's economy! If you book a room or car well in advance, check back on the website periodically and look for specials or discounts - or newer, cheaper rates. Don't be afraid to call up the hotel / car rental company / spa / airline / whatever to ask for the better price or better deal. The worst that can happen is they say no; the best is that you get a lower price!

I will use a recent trip I took as an example:

- After booking a hotel at an initial rate of $139, I found a better hotel in a better location for a better price ($110). Parking at the hotel listed on their website as $30. About two weeks after I booked the new reservation, their website began offering a "online booking $25 cash back" promotion. I called the hotel and they honored the new special on my reservation - and that $25 pretty much covered the parking cost.

- I booked a spa treatment for two at a favorite spa. There were no discounts when I booked; but a couple weeks later, the spa's email newsletter came out, offering a free upgrade to certain treatments. I was able to call and add the free upgrade to my existing reservations, a $40 value.

- After booking my car at what I thought was a pretty good rate, I kept my eyes peeled for coupons or other possible discounts. Fluctuations in the rate have so far saved me over $35, just by rebooking my reservations when I noticed the rates had dropped.

These are just three examples on one trip that are going to save me at least $130 (and give me some nice perks), simply by taking a few minutes to go back and double-check rates and finding new discounts after I had already booked the rates. The money I've saved is equal to getting one of our hotel nights free!

Very few places will deny changing your rates if you find a better rate - after all, they want your business, and they rather honor the discount than lose your business entirely. If the general clerk you first talk to says they are not authorized, then politely ask if there is a manager available who can help you with your reservations.

The part that is most negligible about getting better rates is airlines. It used to cost $50 to change plane tickets - and that was back in the days when you actually had to call the airline, and somebody would have to manually change your ticket, and then you'd have to go exchange your paper ticket. These days, you usually have to take care of the changes yourself online, and the change fee has gone up to $150 or more!

That's just one of the reasons I love to fly Southwest - not only do I really enjoy them as an airline, but if you need to change your ticket, you'll only pay more money if the fare went up. If the fare went down, you get a refund/credit (depending on your fare).

If you're flying another airline, you can still save money, however - and if you got a particularly expensive flight (especially flying pricier routes or classes of service), you should definitely keep an eye out to see if rates change.

However, if you're dealing with an airline that charges a change fee, then the new fare has to be worth the difference. Let's say you book a ticket to see your folks at the holidays and you pay $500 for the ticket. A day or two later, you find the same flights for $400. In this case, unless the change fee is very cheap ($75 or less), it's not worth the hassle - and you'll probably end up paying more out of pocket (in change fees) to get the cheaper fare. But let's say that fare drops to $250. Even if you pay $150 as a change fee, you're still going to get $100 back - and that kind of deal is worth it.

More tips to follow soon!

Looking for travel bargains, part 1

2009-10-12T18:33:00.004-05:00

Time and time again, I hear friends bemoan to me, "I wish I could travel as much as you do, you're always off to somewhere exciting."

Well, I wish I could travel as much as friends and acquaintances seem to think I do!

Aside from my China trip - which was something I planned for over the course of 18 months, and took off six weeks of vacation time (saved over two years) to do, I rarely do wildly extravagant vacations. I am not often staying in top-end, luxe hotels; nor dining every night at five-star restaurants; nor being ferried about the countryside by a private chauffeur.

I wish, indeed.

However, with the right planning, some disciplined budgeting, doing research, and a bit of luck, you too can travel in style without breaking your bank or your budget. Here's my list of tips on how to afford traveling.

BUDGET AND MONEY

The very first step in any travel planning is budget: what can you realistically afford? Travel is a luxury, so like any larger-scale purchase, it is something that you want to carefully examine your budget and decide how to make room to afford what you want to do, and from there, be able to work out the details.

Open up a savings account specifically to set aside your money for travel. Direct deposit into there if possible, and make sure it isn't attached to any of your debit cards so you aren't tempted to spend the money on an impulse buy.

Is your budget tight? Do you think you can afford $5/week? Five dollars a week only comes out to $260/year, so unless you plan to go camping locally or only travel on leap years, this is a pretty low budget. But if that's all you can afford, then it's still possible to make that work. If you can manage to put away $75/month ($900/yr) or $25/week ($1,300), or more, figure out what your comfort point is. Are you willing to give up your second Starbucks of the day, buy store-brand instead of name-brand food items, etc., in order to make your dreams happen? Be realistic with yourself.

So now that you have your budget pinpointed, then you can start dreaming about what you want to do with that money. Remember, if you travel by yourself, it will be the most expensive, because you have nobody to share expenses with you. But if you have a partner or friends or family that are willing to travel together, it becomes cheaper all around for everybody.

On the other hand, when you're traveling with other people, then you will have to hope (or know) that you are fairly compatible with that person/those people. If you've never traveled with somebody before, do a trial run at home - take an overnight trip someplace close (2-4 hrs) to home. Share the planning, and see how you like traveling together. Can you stand being in the same car or wandering around museums or doing whatever together? Great.

It is VERY important to clarify all money matters up front, because nothing can ruin a relationship (of any kind) faster than hurt feelings and resentment that somebody isn't "putting in their share". Split things like hotel costs and car rental evenly. If there are three of you, and somebody has to sleep on a a rollaway bed, take turns with the rollaway. Each person traveling counts as one unit, so say, if you're traveling with a couple, expenses should not be split "50/50" between you and the couple; expenses should be split 33/33/33.

For things like meals, tips, gas, etc - all the various expenses that make up the bulk of expenses beyond the hotel and the car rental (if car rental is applicable), the best idea I've heard is to use a common pool. Start out the trip with everybody contributing an equal amount of money to the pool (say, $500). Pay for all the group day-to-day expenses out of that. At the end of the trip, whatever money is left over is equally divided and split. However, to make this work, you have to not feel resentful if you eat a salad every day and the other people seem to eat steak or something more expensive. If you're going to constantly eyeball other people's spending and not just relax and enjoy, then you might as well each pay for your own food. But it is still a good idea to pool a certain amount of money for things like gas, tolls, tips, etc.

Will one of you be putting the hotel bill and/or car rental on your credit card, and the rest of your group pay them back? When you make a reservation, you get an estimated total for these kind of bills up front. Use your reservation emails to tally the totals up front, figure out everybody's equal share, and pay for your share ahead of time. That way, whoever is putting down the plastic doesn't feel like they have to chase you down later to get your share of the cost, and all of you will be able to enjoy the trip with less concerns on the brain.

PLANNING

With all that said, now it's time to get realistic about money. Let's say you can only save $500/year, but you want to go someplace "warm and exotic". Remember when you were a kid, and ANY beach was warm and exotic? Try to approach adult travel that way, too. If you can afford to stay at the Four Seasons on Miami Beach and fly there in your private jet - fantastic. Most of us have to be a little more budget-conscious, however - and we may have to swap glitzy ideals of South Beach for two days in the car and a week on Carolina Beach.

Here's the thing to know when being realistic about a tight budget but champagne tastes: every desirable travel destination in the world has "high" and "low" seasons. For example, if you want to go to the Caribbean but you want it to be affordable? Go in the summer. Sure, it's hurricane season, but the water's warmer (which means the coral is more colorful and you see more fish), the weather's better, prices are cheaper, you're more likely to negotiate bargains, and your chances of being in a hurricane are a lot slimmer than you think they are. Plus, most locations in hurricane-prone areas are aware of the risk, and will either work with you to rebook if hurricanes threaten, or offer full refunds. After all, they want good publicity, not bad.

From personal experience, I can tell you I traveled a number of times with my family to tropical locations in the summer - Grand Cayman, Treasure Cay, Eleuthera, Barbados, Hawaii, Puerto Rico. The weather was always fabulous, the hotels cost half of what they do in the peak winter season, and there's usually a lot less people. In Eleuthera, there had been a drought for two years before our visit, and there were so few people staying in our hotel that we felt like rock stars in a private resort. We literally had a half-mile long pink sand beach to ourselves most days. It was fantastic. (Mind you, we are not the "crazy night life" people on vacation. You have to plan around what you love, not just around the bargains.)

Look beyond the name brands. A lot of people only feel comfortable if they're staying in a name-brand hotel from home. That's their loss, because the big-brand hotels aren't always the best deal or the best place to stay. Now, granted, if you're using frequent-stay points (for example, if you travel a lot for work), that will narrow down your choices. But the whole point of traveling is to get out and experience new people, new places, new things. That's why I love B&Bs. You can use a site like Bedandbreakfast.com, or you can simply Google your destination (use the format +"location"+"B&B") and search from there. Look through the bulletin boards and reviews at sites like Frommer's, Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree, IgoUgo, Yelp, etc; find local chat boards through LiveJournal or other blog networks. A couple hours of networking and internet searching can find you a more affordable, more interesting place to stay, tips from locals "in the know", and so much more.

That being said - don't discount the name brand chains entirely, either. I usually start with a simple search on a site such as Travelocity or Expedia to get a ballpark idea of what rates are like, and work my way forward from there.

An important tip - unless you get some sort of crazy, "wow, I can't BELIEVE this bargain" price off one of the large-scale broker sites - try to book your hotel direct through the hotel's website. Most travel sites - be it airline, hotel or car rental - now promise some version of the "online low price guarantee" - that is, they will match or beat the best price you can find for their property online. Plus, you're doing yourself a favor - by booking through their own website, it sends the message that you care more about their brand name than the bargain. Mind you, this isn't always true, obviously - but if the hotel is overbooked when you check in, and you're standing next to somebody who has the same exact reservation rate but they booked through one of the general brokers (and you booked through the company website), the other guy is a lot more likely to get "walked" than you. (Not 100% true - you might both get walked - but it's a fact that's been cited by a large number of articles and books about the hotel industry.)

Some other things to keep in mind when booking for the best rates:

- Are you traveling to attend a specific, high-profile event? ie. Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, etc. - something you know the dates and location well in advance. Then book as far in advance as possible, and be conscious of cancellation policies. (Cancellation policies for big, special events usually have a lot less leeway to prevent last-minute changes - ie., 2 weeks instead of 2 days.) You're more likely to find cheaper rates the further away the event is, AND you're more likely to be able to book your hotel, etc., closer to the action. Remember: if you find a better bargain, you can always cancel. It's better to book ahead and cancel, than to scramble last-minute and pay through the nose!

- If you're not traveling for a specific event, research two things - 1) see high/low seasons, as mentioned above; and 2) are there events going on that you didn't know about which might affect travel costs, or things like transportation? Does an entire town or country practically shut down for a specific holiday? These are important things to know, and not the kind of thing you want to find out by surprise when you're stranded 200 miles from an airport, less than 24 hours til your flight home, and no way to get between points A and B.

* * *

Stay tuned - more budget travel planning tips to follow!

Exercise CAN be fun!

2009-10-11T21:20:00.002-05:00

*SO* awesome.

I always try to find ways to make exercising more fun or to work it into everyday activities - doing pliés while brushing my teeth; leg kicks on the elevator; taking the stairs instead of the escalator where possible, and so forth.

These guys take it to a whole new level. Remember the piano scene in "Big"? Even better:

Making a difference, one life at a time

2009-10-09T22:46:00.005-05:00

I read quite heavily, both online and off, and lately for books I have focused mainly on environment, nutrition, and politics.

One of the most amazing books I have read lately is Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Kristof and WuDunn are a husband-wife journalist team - they won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1990 for their coverage of the Chinese pro-democracy student movement and the related Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. They both write regularly for the New York Times newspaper.

Half the Sky is loaded both with statistics and with personal stories about how helping women helps the world in general. An article that Kristof and WuDunn wrote this summer titled "The Women's Crusade" (adapted from the book) that highlights the differences that supporting, educating, feeding, sheltering and in general, caring more for women, most notably in the poorer parts of the world, makes on society as a whole. Even if you do not read the whole book, I would strongly encourage reading at least that article.

One of the organizations the pair talks about is called Kiva.org. Kiva is an online organization designed to provide microloans to those in poverty as a means to spur entrepreneurship and growth. Think about what $25 means to you, in whatever currency you use - perhaps ten morning coffees; or a pair of novels; or a new pair of earrings. Perhaps a t-shirt; a dozen music downloads; a pair of CDs or a DVD.

To the people that Kiva (and other organizations like it) support, $25 can mean a chance to improve their entire life. It can provide the seed money to start a woman or a family or a group to start a business, a chance to pull themselves out of poverty, to provide an education and food for their children, to get the most basic health care that most of us in the Western world take for granted.

Their website rates loan applicants by risk and past performance (where applicable). You can browse through the site and choose exactly who you wish to support - the minimum amount to loan is $25. You can choose to give a little extra to Kiva to support their efforts, as well (15% donation comes to around $3-4 on a $25 loan). And unlike a straight-up donation, you will be paid back, allowing you to re-invest your $25 (or more) into another loan, thus improving another life, somewhere in the world.

Pretty amazing stuff - you can change a family's lives, just by giving up your morning coffee for two weeks.

Recipe du jour

2009-10-07T21:07:00.005-05:00

No picture for today's entry, my apologies - I ate it up, and then went, "D'oh, I forgot to take a picture!" But the recipe is easy, fast and tasty enough to make up a main entry.

Cheesy Potatoes

- Red potatoes (2-3 per person for a side dish; 4-5 if used more as a main entry)
- Grated Parrano cheese or similar firm, aged cheese (Gouda would work well; sharp cheddar; etc). Approx. 1/2 cup grated per 4-5 potatoes is good - you're not drowning the potatoes in cheese, simply flavoring them
- A few pinches of the Spice House's Bridgeport seasoning

You can cook the potatoes in a bigger pot for a larger serving, but I found that if I quartered the potatoes, I can make 2-4 servings' worth by laying them in a single layer in a frying pan, covered in lightly salted water with a lid on it. Bring water to a boil, put potatoes in, lower heat to about 50%, put lid on. Cooking time approx. 15 minutes, til tender.

Drain potatoes; put back in pan. Sprinkle grated cheese over the potatoes and allow the residual heat of the pan to melt the cheese, stirring a little to make sure it evenly melts.

Sprinkle seasoning over the potatoes and serve.

* * *

Notes: I raved about Parrano a few entries back. It's delicious eaten as-is, but it really makes an amazing cooking cheese - melts quickly, tastes awesome, and so far, delicious on anything I've tried it on. Here in Chicago, you can find it in Whole Foods for about $8.99 at the moment ($10.99/lb. regularly).

And yes, yes, I rave about the Spice House quite a lot too, but if you were familiar with them, you would, too. According to their website, the Bridgeport blend contains "red peppers, romano, Kosher salt, toasted onion, thyme, rosemary, cayenne, basil, white onion, and Tellicherry pepper". Yum. That mix is awesome on so many things, but works especially well on potatoes!

If you are hesitant to mail-order spices, check your local yellow pages. Chances are very good that there's a local equivalent to the Spice House in your city.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

2009-10-02T09:41:00.000-05:00

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - known to the world simply as "Gandhi" or as "Mahatma Gandi" - was born today in 1869. He is best known as a political and spiritual leader of India during its independence movement in the 1940s; but he first organized peaceful protests as early as 1915.

Today in India is "Gandhi Jayanti", a national holiday - and worldwide, it is the International Day of Non-Violence.

Fitting, then, that today in Copenhagen, the International Olympic Committee will be announcing the selection of the city chosen for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

For this day, some favorite Gandhi quotes:

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

I want freedom for the full expression of my personality.

It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.

One needs to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it-- always.

You must be the change you want to see in the world.

You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right.

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park

2009-09-30T23:55:00.004-05:00

The P.J. Hoffmaster State Park is located between Grand Haven and Muskegon, Michigan, on the shores of Lake Michigan. The park features a nature center, trails to hike, dunes and some very nice beaches. If you hike into the beaches along the south side of the park, you will very likely have them all to yourself (or at least, very few other people).

Hoffmaster State Park
May 27, 2007

Simon & Kaylee

2009-09-29T21:35:00.005-05:00

Since I usually try to discuss travel, food and green living, you'll have to forgive me the occasional indulgence to show you... my cats. I photographed them over the past two weeks and I'm just particularly pleased with how these shots came out.

The camera I used is a Panasonic DMC-FZ28, which I bought a few months back to replace my Canon PowerShot S3 IS (I managed to break the back viewscreen). So far, the DMC-FZ28 has been quite the little workhorse for me, easily transitioning for a wide range of uses - pet photography, portraits, get-togethers, outdoor scenes, architecture, night captures. The Lumix lens is sharp! And the camera - while lightweight - has enough heft that it feels pretty solid in the hand.

This is Simon; he's the more difficult to capture on film. (He can't be bothered to sit still when I want to take pictures - either that, or Kaylee comes to check out what's going on, and ruins the shot.) So when I capture good snaps of him, I'm doubly pleased.

Kaylee, on the other hand, is a massive goofball. Not only does she constantly seek out attention but she is a big ol' ham:

(Yes, I do pet portraits in the Chicago area!)

New Mexico, May 2008

2009-09-29T01:24:00.002-05:00

Northern New Mexico
2008

Sadly, what I remember most about this trip was that I came down with terrible altitude sickness, so there's a number of pictures I took on the last two days of the trip (including this one) that I cannot precisely pinpoint where I took them. Albuquerque sits at over a mile high (5,312 ft.), and so we went from pretty much sea level up to very high altitude. Then we drove up to Durango, Colorado (6,523 ft.), Mesa Verde (around 8,000 feet) and on to Taos (6,969 ft.) and Sante Fe (7,260 ft.).

Unlike when I went to Tibet - when I took Diamox - I didn't realize the altitude at which we'd be travelling, so on the next-to-last day of the trip I ended up in the ER with typical altitude sickness symptoms. But apparently the doctor who attended me wasn't familiar with altitude sickness, assured me it wasn't the plague (which is apparently alive and well around the Four Corners area), and sent me back to our hotel with a prescription for antibiotics. Pretty much as soon as I went home to Chicago, I predictably felt better.

Help vote for my photography if you like it!

2009-09-25T13:42:00.002-05:00

Experiments in food photography

2009-09-25T10:45:00.002-05:00

Fig September 2009

Tangelo September 2009

Another Pacsafe review - the new TourSafe handbag

2009-09-22T18:08:00.007-05:00

If you are a long-term reader of this blog, you may recall that I bought a Pacsafe MetroSafe 200 before I went on my China trip in late 2007, but that the MetroSafe was still going strong - and still is, over 2 years after I bought it - I still love the bag.

One question I was asked on occasion when I told people about the bag's safety features was, "Wow, that's really great. Do they make anything, you know, more feminine looking?"

Traveling fashionistas need not worry any longer: Pacsafe has come out with a women's bags with that thought in mind. I was recently given the opportunity to field-test one of these bags, and here's what I think about it.

This is the TourSafe handbag in "taupe". Like the MetroSafe, the bag features the common Pacsafe safety features including eXomesh® Slashguard, tamperproof zippers, slashproof shoulder straps, and a snatchproof anchor clip.

Another view of the bag as modelled on a friend. This is one of the larger purses in this product line, so you can see it is a good-sized purse. (If you have a very small frame or you simply want something smaller, you may want to consider their TourSafe petite handbag or one of the SlingSafe series instead.)

Like most of their bag products, this purse comes with what they call the "snatchproof anchor clip", which is a heavy-duty metal clip that will allow you to easy run your purse strap through the slats of a chair, around a table leg, etc - thus discouraging run-by purse snatching. Of course, you should always exercise caution in areas known for crime by keeping your bag in sight, but this provides an addition deterrent to thieves. Somebody who is looking for easy pickings doesn't want to wrestle with your bag; they want to grab-and-go.

The other half of this safety equation is that Pacsafe has twin lightweight wires concealed within the construction of the straps to make them slashproof, thus further deterring thieves. (A technique used in some areas of high volumes of purse snatching, theives will slash your purse strap and run away with your purse before you've barely realized what happened, even with it crossed over your torso. The wires in the Pacsafe prevent this technique.)

The strap also comes with a cushioned removable shoulder pad, but whether you find this useful would be up to the individual user. I am more of a messenger bag-type user, so I tend to sling my purse back and forth quite a lot. In my case, the shoulder pad ended up sliding around a lot, and then I ended up using it to cover up the zipper clasp. (see below) I had a friend try out the purse as well, and she did not report the same issue. The bag is very light, and even when I had the bag full of stuff, I did not feel like the strap was digging into my shoulder - a big plus.

As mentioned, on this particular model, the purse is also lined (lower front, lower sides, bottom panels) with Pacsafe's eXomesh® Slashguard. Like the slash-and-grab technique, some thieves prefer the method of slashing and bag and grabbing whatever they can out of it (or what falls out of it); the eXomesh® Slashguard helps prevent this technique from being effective. It's certainly better to have your bag's slightly ruined and still have the contents safe, than to lose all you've got.

In addition to the other safety precautions, Pacsafe uses what they call tamperproof zippers. While not as well-concealed as the MetroSafe's zipper, it does offer more peace of mind that it's a little more difficult for unwanted fingers to get into your bag.

Let's talk about the exterior of the bag now. This particular bag does also come in different colors (black, and "tabasco" - a warm auburn shade); and their various other women's bags do come in a variety of trendy colors such as sage, gold, powder blue, chocolate, and charcoal. (My favorite color from their women's lines would be what they call "red" but is more a cranberry shade on products such as the ToteSafe 200 computer tote.)

Like the MetroSafe, I found this handbag to be incredibly water resistant for the contents inside. It must be noted that the outside fabric itself is very smooth and glossy to the touch; but it does soak up water. The liner of the bag seems to be what makes the difference in this case. I washed the bag twice: once after noticing normal day-to-day wear, and once after intentionally dropping the bag into a Chicago puddle. (You may think a puddle sounds innoculous, but trust me, any puddles in Chicago after a rain are an odd shade of dark grey. I figured if I could wash that nasty stuff out of this bag, then I would definitely give it a thumbs-up.) The bag does clean up easily with soap, shampoo or detergent, although you may have to scrub a little with some kinds of stains. (The Chicago puddle nastiness did wash out.) In fact, I would be willing to bet this purse could easily be thrown into a washing machine and drip-dried if need be. When in the middle of washing the bag one time, I left it under a heavily running sink for at least five minutes, and came back and found the inside was still dry.

All that being said, I must say one caveat. The zippers are not waterproof, so if you spill or get anything liquid directly onto the zipper areas, not only will the contents of your purse get wet, but the lining is so wonderfully waterproof that you may find you have water pooled in the bottom of your purse. This is a minor detail, but one you will want to pay attention to if you get stuck in a downpour!

The exterior of the purse has three pockets. There is one on each end of the purse for which the purpose is not immediately clear. That being said, the two pockets are very different in appearance. The first is designed to expand a little bit, and I found that it is more secure for putting a cell phone or even a small pocket camera into. It takes a little bit of effort to put anything in the pocket, as the elastic does not give a great deal - which balances things out, because nobody is going to easily get something back out of that pocket without you noticing. (However, for safety's sake, I would always recommend putting any tempting electronics inside your purse!)

I also discovered it was also the perfect size pocket to fit one of those tiny Starbucks Double Shot cans in. Red Bulls also fit into the pocket, but a tradition-size soda or a bottle of water will not fit. If you have a really small compact folding umbrella, it may also fit in this pocket as well.

** Edit - update 9/24 - I have found out that this pocket has now been modified and should fit a Nalgene 16 oz water bottle. Good news!

The other end pocket can accommodate a cell phone (for a size comparison, I use an LG Voyager), but I would only use that pocket as a means to temporarily free my hands of a phone or other small, slim item; or to stick a map, etc. into.

On the back of the bag, there is a zippered component that covers approximately 2/3 of the back panel. This is fairly spacious, easily big enough to hold a paperback novel, a stash of maps, or whatever you would like to stick in there.

The inside of the bag has two main compartments. The smaller of the two compartments is large enough and deep enough to hold one of those larger paperbacks (5.5"x8") that seem to be the more common size today. However, because this is the zippered inner compartment, it is probably where you would want to stash your passport, checkbook, etc.

The larger inside space has a decently-sized slash pocket for loose change; the pocket also contains a snap for attaching your keys. The center divider has two pen slots, a couple of credit card/other slots, and two "padded electronic gadget pockets" which are a good size for cell phones, pocket cameras, MP3 players, or anything else you may wish to protect a little better. This primary interior space is spacious indeed - I was able to stuff it with my cell phone, pocket camera, hefty tour guide, wallet - and still have plenty of room.

Although it is definitely not designed as a camera bag (although Pacsafe does design camera bags as well), the whole bag is lightly padded, and you can fit a larger camera into the bag as well. I have carried around both my Nikon D80 with a large zoom lens together with my Panasonic DMC-FZ28, plus at least one Pacsafe CarrySafe 100 camera strap (I love my Pacsafe camera strap) in the bag, as well as a book, my wallet, and a rolled up t-shirt. So the interior of the bag is definitely spacious for the size of the bag. And even when I had the bag full, it didn't look like it was bulging or misshapen - it still looked like a handbag.

In summary, this bag is a good value for a woman looking for a travel purse that is secure, yet stylish enough to wear in a more formal travel environment. It cleans up quickly, and can easily accommodate large volumes of items. Thumbs up for this bag.

The latest in my culinary experiments

2009-09-21T00:00:00.007-05:00

To my reading faithful: sorry for the dearth of posts. Been super-busy with the end of summer, and am finally catching up on a huge pile of photography, reviews, and writing. Will post a LOT in the next week!

I'm getting quite a collection of recipes and pictures to go with them. People keep telling me I should write a recipe book, but - well, I'm no Julia Child. And I also have a really bad habit of "winging it" in the kitchen. Hard to write a recipe book when your recipes rarely come out the same way twice!

Vanilla ice cream with vanilla-bourbon sauce and fresh fruit

Ingredients:
1 cup bourbon (I used Knob Creek, but that just what I had in my liquor cabinet)
1 fresh vanilla bean (I make my own vanilla extract, which is vanilla bean-heavy, so I just used that)
4 Tbsp honey or agave
1/2 cup sugar
juice from 1 orange (or 1 large tangelo), strained
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
a few slices of fresh ginger, peeled

1 pint vanilla ice cream (Ben & Jerry's fair trade vanilla is excellent)
fruit of choice - either half a cup of berries per person; or 1/2 fruit per person (pears, apples)

Makes 4 servings.

Slice open vanilla bean and scrape out the beans. Place them in saucepan with all other ingredients. Cut the bean in half and put it in there, too. Notice the aroma of the mix; you should currently be able to strongly smell the alcohol in the mix.

Bring up to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Stir or swirl regularly. You want to cook the sauce until the pungency of the alcohol disappears from the cooking scent, about 10-15 minutes.

This sauce will not be thick like a syrup. (You probably could add corn syrup to thicken, but I thought it tasted great as-is.) You can cool the sauce and then put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes if you want a slightly gooey consistency.

Two ways to serve:

- Scoop ice cream on a plate or in a bowl. Spoon some sauce around the ice cream; add fresh berries on top. I thought the tang of blueberries went particularly well with the flavor of the sauce. (This style would probably also work for sliced bananas.)

- Slice and core pears or apples. Place in sauce and cook 5-10 minutes, until fruit is tender to the touch but not mushy. Scoop fruit and sauce around ice cream, same as previous.

This sauce went fantastic with vanilla ice cream. I'm going to have to try it over coffee-flavored ice cream next!

The 60-second pita pizza

Ingredients:

- 1 pita (whatever your brand of choice is. I like Trader Joe's.)
- your cheese of choice, approx 1/4-1/2 cup - cheddar and mozzarella work fine; in the picture above, I used a hard cheese called Parrano Uniekaas (a Dutch Gouda varietal) because it was all I had in the house.

If you use a cheese that melts easy, put a little extra in the center and don't put the cheese all the way out to the sides. If you're using a firmer cheese, slice thinly and cover the pita evenly.

Place in microwave (recommend putting parchment paper or a plate underneath) and cook on high for 45-60 seconds depending on how quickly the cheese melts.

This is easily adapted to any number of toppings, so long as you know they'll be cooked (or melted) in under a minute.

Sprinkle some spices over the top (optional). Slice into 6 pieces and enjoy!

Eggs "frittata" on pita with fresh veggies and hummus

This is the "oops" version of my omelette efforts this weekend. However, like Julia Child would advocate, I am showing you that it's possible to make an "oops" and still make it look nice and yummy for your guests.

In this case, I had whisked the eggs and thrown some spices in, then poured in my frying pan over some sautéed mushrooms. A phone call distracted me longer than intended, so when I came back and flipped over the omelette, it looked more like a pancake than an omelette.

I threw it on a pita, slathered on some red pepper hummus, did a quick sauté of shredded kale, chopped up some peppers and tomatoes on top... yum.

Cheese and peppers omelette with kale topping

I make my omelettes with 4 eggs, no milk. I find if you whisk the eggs with a proper whisk instead of a fork for a little longer, the eggs get fluffier and set better as an omelette. I also dice red peppers and throw them into the eggs just after I have poured the raw eggs into the frying pan.

I would definitely not impress anybody with my omelette-flipping technique, so I'm glad I found the extra-wide spatula at Ikea. Once I get it flipped, I toss a little bit of cheese on top to soften while it finishes cooking, then fold and slide off the pan onto a plate. To balance out the flavor of the kale you'll add later, I'd recommend a harder cheese, like shaved parmesan; something that will melt a little but will not look gooey and runny when the omelette is cut open.

For the topping, while the pan is still warm from the eggs, I shred some kale - I prefer the darker varieties that look like oversized spinach vs. the "curly" varieties. Toss the kale into the pan, squeeze a half lemon over it, a touch of salt and pepper - and heat it just long enough so it looks cooked but has not turned limp. Pile over the omelette.

I must admit, I did not used to be a fan of kale. But after tasting some cooked properly, I changed my mind, just like Brussel sprouts. It has a flavor similar to spinach, although a little stronger; and holds up much better to cooking. Besides, it packs a big nutritional punch - low in calories, high in vitamins A and C, and high anti-inflamatory properties.

* * *

So there you go - the latest in (mostly organic) experiments from my kitchen!

Willis Tower

2009-09-20T23:27:00.004-05:00

Sunset on the Sky Deck, Willis Tower, Chicago
September 2009

They might've changed the name, but I still get people who ask me for directions to Sears Tower. It's Willis Tower now. They have these new additions to the Sky Deck, the tower's 103th story observation deck - called "The Ledge". Three boxed windows jutting 4.3 feet out into the sky, 1,353 feet up. A fourth is under construction.

Have I mentioned the Ledge boxes are all glass? All four sides?

If you peer really, really closely at the top of the tower in this picture, you can see the Ledge boxes sticking out.

Different angle, at 18x zoom (love my Panasonic DMC-FZ28's zoom capacity). You can see the decks more clearly - and the people in them.

It now costs $14.95 to go up in the tower; if you want to skip the lines, you can pay twice as much for "express" (which also allows you to skip the 10-minute mini-documentary they show you to distract you from the length of the line you've been standing in). Our wait was close to an hour from the time you step through the front doors until we got up to the Sky Deck; this includes going through a metal detector and having any bags you brought with you x-rayed. I haven't been in a couple years, and some friends from Michigan came down and wanted to go.

The Ledges have been incredibly popular since they opened, and you can expect to wait several minutes to get into one at busy times. (I must say, some people are some real time hogs while they're in there, too, as if they didn't know there was a big line of people waiting to get in the same spot they just waited a long time to get into.)

I don't have a fear of heights; however, the thought of falling from heights is a different story. I will admit I clutched a bit at the framing (which prompted a female Japanese tourist to offer to hold my hand if I was scared... hello, embarassment city...) when I stepped in the first time. I mean duh, of course the thing is safe. The Mayor was up here, for crying out loud.

Still - when you step up to the Ledge, and put your foot out over the emptiness... it makes your stomach take a little leap of faith.

The long view down, Willis Tower "Ledge" at the Sky Deck
September 2009

Sunset view

This isn't a HDR shot - this is just me pressing my camera up to the glass, holding it as steady as possible, and hoping I didn't shake the camera while the exposure shot.

Phew - it was a wild experience and I would do again - minus the wait!

A different point of view

2009-09-16T12:30:00.004-05:00

In traveling across Tibet, I found the landscape reflected exactly - for the most part - what I had expected of it. But there were moments of visual delight I did not expect: tree-lined roads outside of Lhasa; lazy turquoise-blue rivers and lakes laying among green hillsides. Tibet is one of the most visually spectacular regions of our globe and I cannot wait to return and explore further to see what it has to offer.

When you say "the Middle East", what do you picture? Deserts, camels, bare rock? Yeah, I thought that too. Then I discovered Lucie Debelkova's incredibly lush, startling photography. In addition to her SmugMug-powered site, she also has an extensive collection on Flickr. I would highly recommend perusing her photography - not only is it richly saturated and eye-poppingly gorgeous, but she gives a different view of the Middle East than we see through traditional news media.

Just two weekends left for Bristol Ren Faire!

2009-08-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Face painting woman / Steampunk style at Bristol Ren Faire
August 22 & 23, 2009

They are not dead yet...

2009-08-18T08:20:00.003-05:00

Zombie Anne Boleyn
as seen at Bristol Renaissance Faire, Wisconsin
August 15, 2009

Last Saturday was "Plague Day" at Bristol Renaissance Faire. The zombies were fantastic, although I think this was my favorite - zombie Anne Boleyn.

Air Show 2009

2009-08-16T12:21:00.001-05:00

Thunderbirds, as seen at the Chicago Air & Water Show
August 14, 2009

Rain, rain...

2009-08-13T12:07:00.002-05:00

This is what happens when your camera decides it wants to focus on something entirely different than you were trying to photograph. But I liked the colors and how it came out.

I do believe in fairies! I do believe!

2009-08-05T07:50:00.002-05:00

One of the best parts about Bristol Renaissance Faire is a group called the Fantastikals - the fairies. And it's the absolute best to watch them when adults let children really believe that they are fairies, because oh yes, children do believe.

And it is such a delight to watch the joy and wonderment children have, as they interact with the fairies. Often it is the children who have come to the Faire dressed as little fairies themselves who really have great reactions - here is a great big "adult" fairy!

I have no doubt that this little girl will grow up remembering the day that she played with and even napped with the magical fairies.

Latest product in my Zazzle store

2009-08-03T12:28:00.004-05:00

If you're a photographer, show it off in this t-shirt, now available through my Zazzle store! Customizable in a wide variety of colors and sizes, as well as the capacity to add your own text to the back (promote yourself!). T-shirt says "photographer" in 18 languages, including Japanese, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Thai and Chinese.

A fun food fest

2009-07-25T23:10:00.003-05:00

Being of Polish heritage and having grown up in New England, I can safely say that I have been to a lot of Polish and/or pierogi festivals in my time. Chicopee, Massachusetts, used to be the site of an annual kielbasa fest - which several times served up the world's largest kielbasa - but that festival ended in the mid-1990s.

When I heard about the Pierogi Fest in nearby Whiting, Indiana, I knew we had to go. Where else can you see Mr. Pierogi, the Babushka Brigade, and the Lawn Mower Drill Team?

Pierogi Fest
Whiting, IN
July 24, 2009

Two great FREE reasons to visit Lincoln Park

2009-07-25T22:58:00.003-05:00

Reason one - the Lincoln Park Conservatory.

Constructed at the end of the 19th century, the Lincoln Park Conservatory has, for over 110 years, both showcased exotic plant species as well as providing plants to be placed in the park system throughout Chicago. Can't afford or don't have the means to make it out to the Chicago Botanic Garden? The Lincoln Park Conservatory - and its sister garden site, the Garfield Park Conservatory - are easily accessible via public transport.

The Lincoln Park Conservatory is located on Stockon Drive in Lincoln Park, just south of Fullerton. It is located next door to one of the entrances to the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is also free! If you have kids, you will definitely want to take them to visit the Children's Farm, located on Stockton Drive, a little bit north of North Avenue. This "Farm"/petting zoo allows children the opportunity to get up close to a variety of domesticated farm animals, including goats, cows, heirloom chickens, and domesticated rabbits, among others, as well as providing an education about farming.

I was particularly impressed to see a pair of domesticated rabbits today. I had no idea they got so huge - the pair on exhibit were huge, bigger than my mother's cat (and my mom's cat is 17 lbs.).

If I had a superpower, I'd wish it were flight...

2009-07-23T18:45:00.002-05:00

Seagull
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
U.P., Michigan
July 2009

Chalk this up to "signs I never expected to see"

2009-07-23T18:25:00.004-05:00

45th Parallel
As seen on route I-75 south of Gaylord, MI
July 2009

One must wonder: they went through the trouble and expense to make this sign specifically for this spot. Since I had to circle around an exit to come back and take a photograph, I can tell you that the same sign does not exist on the south-bound lane of the same highway. That being said, you have to wonder how much Michigan saved to use a "-" symbol instead of an "&"?

It would have been fun if they had a pullout where you can take your picture with the sign, but no such luck.

I must also note that Wisconsin has no such sign, at least not along route 41, much to my disappointment. Edit - apparently Wisconsin does (see comments), but it's much more subtle! :)

Nature's palette

2009-07-23T09:57:00.004-05:00

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Munising, Michigan
July 2009

Located along the northern coast of Michigan's upper peninsula (the "U.P."), Pictured Rocks is best seen from the water, which allows you full views of the spectacular cliff formations, stained with colors caused by mineral seepage from the rocks. A 2-1/2 hour boat tour leaves from Munising and gives great close-up views of the park.

You can also see limited views by driving into one or two access points within the park; or hike the park's trail system (the park contains more than 42 miles' worth of trails). The park is popular with hikers and campers - the lakefront campsites are incredible.

Life is but a dream...

2009-07-20T08:52:00.002-05:00

Fantastikals
Bristol Renaissance Faire
Kenosha, Wisconsin - July 2009

Room with a view

2009-07-20T08:50:00.002-05:00

View of Pritzker Pavilion and Lurie Gardens
as seen from the new Modern Wing at the Art Institute
Chicago, July 2009

People watching people

2009-07-15T12:48:00.002-05:00

Everybody likes people watching
Shigatse, Tibet

One of my favorite pictures from my China trip two years ago - I was looking down into a courtyard where I could see a few members from our tour group relaxing on some steps. Behind them stood a pair of Tibetan women, one in more traditional and one in more "modern" gear, discussing the foreigners and occasionally pointing at something (I couldn't quite figure out what).

Why costume contests are fun

2009-07-13T19:04:00.003-05:00

I don't usually "show off my geek" here, but this entry from the 2009 SOE Fan Faire contest was so much fun that I have to share it:

I can't even begin to explain about the guy in the banana suit.... ;-)

Memories of summer

2009-07-09T00:32:00.001-05:00

Navy Pier, Chicago
June 2009

A book worth getting if you're into HDR

2009-07-07T17:53:00.003-05:00

The world of photography has become a strange world: there are many photographers, like myself, who prefer to create their imagery straight from the world, to capture the essence within the original snapshot with minimal post-processing their final image; and there are just as many if not more who take the original image and turn it into something else. Where is the fine line when you have crossed from straight-up photography into 'art', when the photograph is no longer exactly what your eye could have seen? After all, even Ansel Adams, the patriarch of American photography, manipulated his film images into something spectacular and almost unworldly; but nobody would hesitate to call his work anything but photography.

I'll be the first to admit that I generally declare myself on the fence when it comes to HDR (high dynamic range imaging). With the advances in digital photography to create images far closer to film than ever before, combined with a sensitivity beyond most eyes, however, photographers began experimenting with their images and have created a new kind of art, HDR.

I consider HDR to be more art than pure photography, I admit, because it IS art. Most HDR photos are combined using several exposures to create images that range from eye-poppingly color-saturated to extreme resolutions/shadings that make your eyes and brain feel as if you're looking more at a three-dimensional artwork than a flat image. (Flickr is full of people's experimentations in HDR.)

Trey Ratcliff, who has an excellent HDR tutorial on his blog, Stuck In Customs, has now released a book about HDR, and it features plenty of his own very, very excellent HDR photography. If you're interested in the HDR artform, this book or his blog would be an ideal place to start your explorations.