US & Canada - ilivetotravel's travel log

Photo of the Week – Sunset over Alta

27 January 2014 by Raul 7 Comments

A decade or so ago, I tried skiing in Alta, Utah for the first and only time. But it is not only because I did not like it: I LOVED it. But the friends I ski with live in Colorado and when I’ve gone to visit and go ski, they have chosen ski areas closer to them (and I am not complaining: I’ve discovered many a place I like there too).

Among the many things I loved about my time in Alta was the time we went up in a cat to a ridge to watch the sun set. A relative of my friends worked grooming slopes so he got special permission to take us up on a fun ride to the ridge.

Nothing like a beautiful sunset!

Filed Under: Special Photos, US & Canada, Utah Tagged With: Alta, mountain, ski, sky, sunset, Utah

The Foshay Tower: A View from Above in Minneapolis

22 January 2014 by Raul 2 Comments

Whenever I go to a new town, I seek to take a peek at it from a good vantage point. That usually means a climb or a ride up somewhere (read about my favorite “climbs” in Europe). When I recently went to Minneapolis, I asked where could I go for a view from above. The Foshay Tower was the answer.

Foshay Tower, Minneapolis, architecture, art deco, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, Minnesota

Meet the Foshay Tower!

Foshay Tower, Minneapolis, architecture, art deco, travel, photo, Olympus, Minnesota

Poster depicting the tower – neat!

The tower, completed in 1929 and inspired on the Washington Monument, was converted from an office building into a W Hotel in 2008. To go up to the museum and the observation deck, one buys a ticket for a nominal fee at the front desk of the hotel. The interior of that area of the hotel is of the period when the hotel was built (art deco) but updated for a hotel lobby. I really liked the elevators as they made me feel I was going back to the time when the hotel was built.

The museum at the top provides the history of the tower and was small enough to check it out before stepping outside for the views. Newer buildings have been erected close to the tower so the views are not completely open all around but, as the photos may show, these buildings can provide interesting targets for photos or even help frame photos.

View of Target Field and Target Center

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My activities in Minneapolis were facilitated by its Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Filed Under: Minnesota, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: architecture, Canon EOS Rebel, Foshay Tower, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Olympus, photo, skyline, sunset

Lake Placid: An Olympic of a Town in the Adirondacks

20 January 2014 by Raul 26 Comments

I have been a fan of the Olympics since I watched the Los Angeles Olympic Games as a teen. I sat in front of the TV watching as much of it as I could – all those countries that I wanted to visit some day were meeting in this one place to compete. And me not there. I watched the 1988 Seoul and Calgary Games as much as I could around school and schoolwork. Years later, when my hometown was bidding for the 1996 Olympic Games, I worked as a volunteer on the bid at the university I studied (Georgia Tech) which was to serve as the Olympic Village. I made it a goal while working on the Atlanta bid to go to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and I did – a great experience that I wrote about. Once the 1996 Olympic Games were being organized, I trained for two years to serve as Envoy to the Chilean delegation. I worked during the Games for the 6 weeks they operated them and had the experience of a lifetime. I have continued to watch Olympic competitions from afar despite the rather dubious way they are operated by a clique of about 100 people. There is just something about seeing all the diverse events that take place in those short weeks!

So, when I had the opportunity during a recent visit to the Adirondacks to explore Lake Placid‘s Olympic-related history, I was all in as you can well imagine!

The Lake Placid Olympic Museum

Lake Placid hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1980. I had forgotten about its earlier stint until I read material from Lake Placid’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Right in the heart of town is the Olympic Center – a collection of facilities that includes the town’s Olympic Museum.

Lake Placid, Olympic museum, New York, Olympus

Welcome to the museum!

I loved the museum because it was manageable and not too big, and also because it had some really interesting collectibles related not only to the Lake Placid Olympic Games but some others about other Olympic Games (such as the commemorative medals, torches, etc.).

I learned some Olympic history and neat trivia which I presume is the point of a museum, no?! For example, I learned that the very first Olympic medal in a Winter Games (the first Winter Games were in Chamonix in 1924) was awarded to local Charles Jewtraw after winning the 500m speed skating event. The Americans swung their arms in the speed skating races – a technique not used before and noticed (and picked up later) by the Europeans. I enjoyed reading about how Godfrey Dewey, after going to the 1928 Winter Games in St. Moritz set out to bring the next Games to his hometown – and got it done within the year! I also read about Sonja Henie, a Norwegian whose name I had heard before but not fully knowing the full story. She was an Olympian in the 1924 Chamonix Games at the age of 11! She finished last in those Games but that inspired her to fight on and win medals in the next three Winter Games! A lot of these exhibits were accompanied by memorabilia such as the following:

bobsled, helmet, Lake Placid, Henry Homburger, Olympus

Bobsled helmet worn by Henry Homburger when he and his team won silver in 1932 – scary mask!

The hockey goal from the “Miracle on the Ice” in the 1980 Winter Games was there in the museum along with some pieces of gear from the players.

Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, hockey goal, U.S. flag

1980 Gold Medal match hockey goal and U.S. flag

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Miracle on Ice U.S. hockey team members’ ID badges

I got to try out a bobsled in the museum with fellow traveler Erin, the awesome World Wanderer!

bobsled, Olympic museum, Lake Placid, Olympus

Crash position!

All in all, this little museum packs a punch and is worth the visit for any Olympics fans out there!

Herb Brooks Arena at the Olympic Center

Whether you watched it on TV (I didn’t) or watched the subsequent movie made to tell this amazing story, the gold medal game for ice hockey in the 1980 Winter Games is now the stuff of legends. Back in the days of the bad old Soviet Union and the Cold War, this was a game that had more implications than just sports. I will let you watch the movie if you do not know the story because it is worth watching. But the outcome is well known so I will share – the U.S. won the bragging rights in a spectacular game. Great kudos to the late Herb Brooks, the team of the coach, for whom the arena is now named…

Herb Brooks arena, Lake Placid, Winter Olympic Games, Miracle on Ice, Olympus

Magical Herb Brooks Arena at Lake Placid’s Olympic Center

I got to visit the arena and ponder how the place must have sounded that night (on the assumption that those rooting for the local team “slightly” outnumbered the visiting team… and silver medal winners!). But the real thrill was getting those ice skates on to try the rink! I was part of a group that was being allowed to skate on the rink after a girls’ competition had finished before the Zamboni came onto the ice to work its magic. I had not ice skated for over 20 years and… no, it wasn’t just like riding a bike where it comes back in a flash.

ilivetotravel, ice skating, Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid, Olympus

Lightning flash fast! Watch out Eric Heiden!

We only had like 10 minutes on the ice and by then end I was doing a little better (no falls!) but not the ease of moving around. I was bummed I could not stay another 10 minutes to “find my legs.” However, the miracle that I got to ice skate in this famous piece of ice is definitely one for the books (my books, I suppose!) – we had fun as the following photo with Francesca from The Working Mom’s Travels shows:

ice skating, Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid

Oh,no! I am crashing into Francesca! Watch out!

A little luge please

As part of my little tour of Olympic Lake Placid, I was fortunate to be able to visit a training facility for the U.S. Olympic luge team. This particular facility is only one of two refrigerated start ramp training facilities in the United States used by the U.S. teams.

The start ramp

That day, 1998 Nagano Olympian Larry Dolan was gracious enough to spend an hour of his Saturday afternoon to show the group how to do the luge start. Accompanied by his young cute son (who rode the luge first with his Dad), Larry first had us try the start motion on a luge attached to track (non-iced, and not quite a ramp as it was horizontal). It was awkward to lay down immediately after pushing off so I got to try it twice.

Larry Dolan, luge, Nagano, U.S. Olympic team

With U.S. Nagano Olympic team member, Larry Dolan, our gracious instructor

Then, came the big moment: going down the iced ramp. After pushing off, the luge would go downhill, run horizontal, and the back up a small incline (I assume to help slow it down), ending at a large blue cube made of foam (where the run would end).

I went first. I put my helmet on, stepped on the ice next to the sled I was about to ride. As I touched the sled with my shoe, it moved way more than the force of my hit. Wow, that thing was REALLY sensitive to touch, to movement. Yikes!! How would I keep that thing from going haywire downhill and hit the sides of the track??? I got on the sled carefully. I looked down. I grabbed the handles of the start line that I would use to push off. I swung back and forth using the handles and I pushed off! I leaned back super fast and felt the speed gather. When on the luge, you can’t look forward, your head has to be back and down for aerodynamics (and we were trying to keep form). But I could see the blue cube a the top of the uphill at the end and I could see my feet were pointing to the left side of the cube. Oh, shoot – was I about to end not on the cube but outside and to the left of it?? Never fear, I struck the cube on its left edge and my run was over. Wow, it was a COOL ride! Though I wanted so badly to do another run, there was no time as others had to go and our visit was limited in time. Now that I have tried the start, I sort of wish I could do more. I also wish we had had luge in the Caribbean where I grew up because I think I would have loved this sport! Here is the video of my run. N.B.: the scream is Erin’s not mine!

Now, around the corner is Sochi!

After this fun visit to Lake Placid that connected me again with the Olympics in such a powerful way, I wish I could be in Sochi during in a couple of few weeks. But next best is Lake Placid, home of two Winter Games and key training center of Olympic athletes. I’d likely hang out at the Lake Placid Pub & Brewery to enjoy their great beers and food (the mousse glasses for dessert are awesome!) as I watched the events.

I cannot think of a better place to go and watch the Winter Olympics this year than the awesome town of Lake Placid in the beautiful Adirondacks!

luge, sled, Lake Placid, Olympic training facility

Great advice from a sled at the luge training facility!

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My activities in Lake Placid were facilitated by its Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Filed Under: New York, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: 1980 Winter Olympics, Adirondacks, Herb Brooks, hockey, Lake Placid, luge, Miracle on Ice, Olympics, sochi, sports history, Winter Games

A Grain of Truth about Minneapolis

13 January 2014 by Raul 2 Comments

Minneapolis is a northern city by U.S. standards and that often conjures images of snow and cold. While that may be true in winter, as in many places, that is not the grain of truth about the city I want to reveal to you today…

You may or may not be familiar with the history of Minneapolis. It seems just another modern city with a great business environment, beautiful nature, and super nice folks. It may seem that it just evolved in the great “wander West, folks” of the late 18^th and 19^th centuries. Well there may have been some of that but the catalyst that planted the seed of this city was none other than the Mississippi River. Where the city was established as a post along the river, though, was not random. There were these waterfalls named St. Anthony’ Falls that were perfect for powering mills. The post grew and expanded as these waterfalls powered industry whether it be lumber mills or wheat mills. And in the latter is where we find the grain of truth about Minneapolis: wheat was key in helping this city grow and thrive.

St Anthony's fall, Mississippi, Minneapolis, Minnesota, river, bridge, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

St. Anthony’s Falls were long replaced by riverworks; wish I could have seen the original!

See, Minneapolis became one of the great end points for harvested northern Midwest wheat to go to be ground into flour. The mills were located right by the river. Today, you still can see the Pillsbury Mill on the east side of the river. But the best way to learn about the grain that powered this city is by visiting the Mill City Museum on the west bank of the Mississippi river where the Washburn “A” mill was located. Since it was a short walk from my well-located hotel, The Hotel Minneapolis, it was a no-brainer to head there and learn more about the city.

Mill, Mill City museum, Minneapolis, Washburn, history, Minnesota,wheat, photo, travel, Olympus

The inner courtyard of the former Washburn A Mill shows some of the damage from the fire

The Mill City Museum does a great job of taking the ruins of the last mill to operate on that site (a fire in 1991 destroyed the mill, abandoned since 1965, except for its shell) and turning it into a learning experience about Minneapolis history, about the milling process, and even about baking! It is geared for all ages with specific stations for kids to learn hands-on (adults can play too…).

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota, mill, equipment, history, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Exhibits include old mill equipment

Plenty of good signage around!

Many different stations for hands-on experimentation

I enjoyed the the film Minneapolis in 19 Minutes movie which does great job of helping someone like me (read: unfamiliar with the history of the city) understand the city’s beginnings, how it became a major city, and even the trials and tribulations of the changes brought about by the 20^th century (the Great Depression, mills closing, etc.).

The flour tower elevator “ride” was also very cleverly done and I will not reveal any more about it. But I will say that it does take you to the top of the tower where you get great views of the might Mississippi River, the “falls”, and the east side of Minneapolis.

Mill City Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota, mill, Mississippi River, photo, travel, Olympu

A great view on a beautiful day!

I love it when a museum delivers great insights in easy to follow exhibits and narratives. The Mill City Museum is a must-visit for all ages and it help connect you with that grain that seeded its home city!

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My activities in Minneapolis were facilitated by its Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

Filed Under: Minnesota, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, history, mill, Mill City, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mississippi River, museum, Olympus, photos, wheat

The Spared Town in Georgia: Madison

27 December 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

Madison, Georgia is a town not terribly far from Atlanta. Just about an hour east of the city, it offers a different view on the South than Atlanta or towns north may offer. Madison, founded on 1807 (a couple of decades before Atlanta), was spared destruction as the Northern armies moved towards the Atlantic coast after taking Atlanta by the simple request from a woman appealing with all her charms to General Sherman. True or half-true or not-true (the stronger theory is that Sherman had a friend with connections to the town), Madison survived the destruction that was usually meted out to Southern towns rather crassly: 100 Antebellum or “pre-war” houses survive today, quite a number for the South! And we are thankful for that as we can admire beautiful architecture and maybe begin to feel what places around the South looked like. Georgia has a lot of interesting places off the beaten path and Madison is definitely one of those towns! Check out some of this charming southern town…

Madison, Georgia, Morgan County, South, architecture, antebellum, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

rocking chair, Madison, Georgia, Morgan County, South, architecture, antebellum, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Rocking chair at the Rogers House (from the first decade of the 19th cent.)

Madison, architecture, Georgia, Morgan County, South, architecture, antebellum, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Morgan County Courthouse

Heritage Hall (circa 1811)

architecture Madison, Georgia, Morgan County, South, architecture, antebellum, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Heritage Hall (circa 1811)

Filed Under: Georgia, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Civil War, Georgia, historical town in Georgia, history, Madison, southern architecture, southern charm, southern cities

Sports Travel: Not My Usual Pursuit but Fun

13 December 2013 by Raul 3 Comments

I am not much a sports traveler. I don’t chase “my” teams. I don’t go checking off famous sports arenas. I don’t chase big sports events. Heck, what am I saying, I am not much a sports spectator. I do it in big occasions (usually involving Georgia Tech, my alma mater) or when the opportunity comes up to do so and enjoy being with family or friends (which, I admit, is not often). However, there are some things I have greatly enjoyed related to sports and travel.

All that said, I can get into sports easily when the right opportunity comes up. Here are some examples of how travel and sports have offered some great experiences…

Traveling to the Olympics

First on that list is going to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics which I shared in another post. Yes, a big enough event gets its own post :).

I worked in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, lived in the Olympic Village, and got to see many events (for free and in the dignitaries’ seating area!) – but that was not travel for me (though it was to many who came to be part of this great event).

Olympic Village, cafeteria, Atlanta, Olympics, sports, travel

With my awesome Mom at the Olympic Village cafeteria

Traveling for the Olympics may involve more expensive hotels than normal for the location, patience with crowds at events and in public transport, etc. But it is a fun way to see a new place. The older I get, the less likely I am going to want to deal with the crowds of these large events but I may have a Football (Soccer) World Cup in me…

Baseball’s World Series

Baseball may or may not be the world’s most boring sport (or is it cricket?) though it is a fun sport to be at to socialize. But when the stakes are high, it can be as intense as any other sport. I got to watch game 2 of the World Series in Toronto in 1993 where the Blue Jays played the Philadelphia Phillies. I was working in Toronto at the time and our local office partner was able to produce tickets for us to attend (he wanted us happy about having to travel to Toronto weekly for months on end). No complaints here. And Toronto won that series on game 6.

World Series, baseball, Toronto, Blue Jays, Phillies, Skydoe, ticket, souvenir, travel

My ticket!

Rugby Down Under

The day I landed in Sydney, Australia from the U.S. there was a key rugby match (away) between New South Wales and Queensland. My friend is a big fan of his home state’s team and he asked if I was too tired to go to the pub with him to watch. I was jet lagged and had spent the day walking around the city but could not say no. Well, I could have but part of me was intrigued about how Australians watch their sports in pubs so I tagged along He did a great job explaining the sport and the differences between union and league as I had watched international rugby matches before and was getting a little confused by what I was seeing in this match. In any case, though I slowed down during the middle of the game, I soon got my fourth wind of the day when the game approached its exciting end. It was a great intro to Australia right after arriving to hang out with him and his friends watching a sports event that locals love.

I had coincided with the Rugby World Cup when I went to Paris in 2006 but was not clued in before I went and was not yet too into the sport to have bothered to try to watch a match. I regret that as I now find rugby an exciting sport to watch. By the time I went to New Zealand in 2009, I was more into it having watched on TV some of the international series. So I enjoyed a couple of nights going to a local pub and watching with the locals.

rugby, World Cup, 2007, Paris, photo, sports, travel

An English fan in Trocadero and a rugby ball in the Eiffel Tower during the 2007 World Cup

And Football (Soccer) Down Under

While visiting friends in Melbourne, the opportunity came up to watch a football (soccer) match where Australia played Japan. One of my friends and I went with some co-workers.

The match was a friendly match and nothing to write home about but what is something to write about is how much drinking goes on in these matches and how not-well some of the locals handle their over-drinking. Yes, sometimes as you walked around the stadium, you had to hold your nose as not everyone managed to reach a trash can or a toilet on time. It was like a minefield! No pictures needed for this…

stdium, sports, soccer, football, Melbourne, Australia, photo, travel

Phone photo does not expose the minefields!

Baseball around North American Cities

One cool thing about catching a sports event in another town is getting to see the arenas where these events are held (though some I could care less if I see). Sadly, professional sports are way too commercialized and the owners hold cities and their taxpayers hostage (don’t get me going on this…) so I seek to not sponsor the businesses with any regularity. But I don’t deny having enjoyed watching the Yankees play at the no-longer-around Yankee Stadium or the Mets at no-longer-around Shea Stadium. Though I admitted not being much into sports travel, I have to confess I DO want to go to Fenway and Wrigley some day as well as watch the Green Bay Packers play at home in the middle of a snowstorm (for real!).

Bobby Dodd Stadium at Historic Grant Field

I may be biased but one of the most historic college football fields is Georgia Tech‘s Grant Field where Bobby Dodd Stadium sits which celebrates its 100th birthday this year (as a full stadium). It IS the oldest stadium in Division 1. And it is the site of the most home wins in Division 1 (I’d like to see more of these lately…). The foundation of the stands was built by students back in 1913 – amazing, huh? Of course, a lot of re-building has taken place on the facility, some good and some not visually impressive but it really is not THAT important as the facility is a great one to watch sports: it is not an abomination in terms of size so you really feel close to the field and it has great views of the Atlanta downtown skyline (I love being in the west stands late in the afternoon – great colors!). This stadium witnessed the most lop-sided win in history in 1916 (granted the rules of the game are not the same now) where Tech beat Cumberland 222-0. Not even a basketball score gets that high! All school loyalty aside, it is part of college football history and a great place to experience. I enjoyed it as a college student and now as an alum!

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So all this said and done, the opportunity to visit a landmark in sports history has come my way and I will be going in January 2014. Stay tuned to find out where this is!!!

What fun sports travel have you done?

What do you recommend I don’t miss out?

Filed Under: Australia & NZ, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Atlanta, Australia, barcelona, baseball, Bobby Dodd, football, Georgia Tech, Grant Field, Olympics, rugby, soccer, sports, Toronto, travel, World Series

What’s in a Mall? Mall of America

11 December 2013 by Raul 21 Comments

I am no fan of walking around shopping: I normally go to a store with a clear target of what I am going for – no strolling around for me. Online shopping also has had an impact in my shopping mall visits, sometimes eliminating heading to a store. So, in short, going to the mall is not something I like doing. Well, except The Mall in Washington, D.C., which is not really a mall but a collection of open spaces, museums and monuments – a great place for a walk or a run for sure!

But I digress. Malls are not my thing. Until I saw what is in the Mall of America (MOA). During my recent visit to Minneapolis I decided to park my mall bias and see what the MOA was all about since it is the largest mall in the U.S. With that qualifier, I’d thought the least I’d do is go to see what the buzz is about and get some exercise in with a good amount of walking.

Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota, entertainment, shopping, travel, Christmas, Olympus

The halls decorated for Christmas

Getting there is easy

The first good surprise was how accessible it was. If it had been too much of an effort, maybe my curiosity would have lost to my “laziness” but the MOA is on the light rail line which makes it a short ride from downtown and one stop away from the airport. I did some research and found out there was storage for luggage at the mall so I decided to go there straight after landing in Minneapolis. Sure enough, one of the places to leave luggage is located by the entrance to the mall closest to the light rail stop. Well done.

The shops

There are tons of stores from locally-headquartered Best Buy to Eddie Bauer (my favorite clothes) to tourist souvenir shops to large department stores to boutiques to Apple and Microsoft stores (that almost face each other across the aisle!). There is every kind of shop you could be looking for. But my favorite shop is the Lego store!!! Pieces and sets galore as well as some massive pieces hanging up high!

Lego, Legoland, Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota, entertainment, shopping, travel, Christmas, Olympus

The large wall of pieces is imposing!

Large Lego creations “atop” the store

And you don’t only shop but you can make your own figurines – for the kids only, of course…

More than shopping

As I walked in, I first ran into an atrium area with a stage and two massive silver Christmas trees on either side of the stage. This is where I first confirmed that the MOA is not just about shopping. It is an entertainment center, not just a shopping center. Shopping is maybe the anchor business but it is just part of a series of entertainment options for young and old. Famous acts perform and other presentations, like book signings, take place at this stage.

The main stage area, nicely decorated for the holidays with two large trees

The “corners” of the mall also have smaller atria and these also have music or other similar activities. Of course, the mall houses movie theaters. Finally, the top level has bars and clubs. I did not get to experience these entertainment options but I hope to some time.

Entertainment does not end with these. There is a nice aquarium, Sea Life, also near the entrance closest to the light rail. It has a long tunnel that goes under the tanks and it is fun to watch the sea life from below.

aquarium, Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota, entertainment, shopping, travel, sea life, Canon EOS Rebel

Some of the creatures that reside at Sea Life

So what’s in a mall?

I don’t know what the answer is in general, but what is in THIS mall, its pièce de résistance, is what is at the center of the mall. As you may know, the center of the MOA has an amusement park: Nickelodeon Universe.

From a Ferris wheel to a carousel to a rope course to a roller coaster, this is an amusement park for real!

I definitely left the Mall of America completely understanding why people love going there, including people who come from other countries to experience it. It can easily keep a visitor occupied for a few days with a great range of options on what to do. And… I hear more is coming!!

Filed Under: Minnesota, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: amusement part, entertainment, Legoland, mall, Mall of America, Minneapolis, Minnesota, roller coaster. rides, shopping

Minneapolis: A City of Arts and Culture

2 December 2013 by Raul 21 Comments

If you are from Minneapolis, don’t take this the wrong way but I was NOT expecting the vastness of the opportunities for art and culture in your town that I discovered in a recent visit! As I pored over the options, I settled for visiting a few museums and checking out one show for this short visit knowing full well that there were a lot of options – just too little time (this trip!).

Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA)

In terms of art, I chose the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) not just because it was free but because it is vast in its scope and collection.

Entrance to the MIA

It was well laid out and quite manageable facing a nice park with the city’s skyline as its backdrop.

statue, sculpture, Minneapolis, art, skyline, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Chinese statue at the MIA with the skyline as its backdrop

It has a large section on China, including reproducing the interior of a home, as well as art collections ranging from medieval Europe to contemporary “art” (some of which could be just from some yard in the mountains of the South; hence the quotation marks….).

museum, art. Minneapolis, statue, sculpture, Canon EOS Rebel, travel, photo

Across the way at the MIA: a sculpture in flight!

table, French, Etruscan, Minneapolis, art, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Etruscan style table from France from the 19th century

In any case, one of my favorite pieces was the Olive Trees with Yellow Sky and Sun by van Gogh. Oh, heck, I liked all the impressionist art – there is just something either appealing, reachable, or understandable about impressionist art for me. (I was reminded I like Signac but always forget him when I cite favorite impressionist painters…)

painting, impressionist, Signac, art, museum, Minneapolis, snowy scene, Canon EOS Rebel

Late 19th century painting by Signac: Snow, Boulevard de Clichy (Paris) – awesome piece

The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA)

Being a lover of Russian history, The Museum of Russian Art intrigued me and I was rewarded not just with art but also with a great exhibit about the Romanovs, thereby satisfying my eternal curiosity of Russian history – a great wealth of artifacts and video clips from the Russian monarchy.

Russia Museum of Arts, Minneapolis, Soviet, art, museum, Olympu, travel

The Russian Museum of Arts

They also had another exhibit about “Christmas” decorations from the Soviet era. I did not know about the New Year’s Tree, the Soviet re-invention of the too-religious Christmas tree. They had sample ornaments made during those times, some quite homemade and others of a little better professional manufacture…

American-Swedish Institute (ASI)

In this trip, I was seeking to learn more the history of the city and I was made aware of the American-Swedish Institute (ASI). Minnesota has a lot of Swedish blood and one of the Swedish families – the Turnblads- built a mansion in the Golden Mile district of the city in the early 20^th century. The house eventually was donated by the family and now houses the ASI which is much more than a museum – it is also an important cultural center.

American Swedish Institute, history, culture, arts, Minneapolis, cultural center

The Turnblad Mansion reflected off the new building housing the Institute – great juxtaposition

American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, Turnblad, mansion, Golden Mile, stained glass window, architecture, travel, Olympus, photo

Detail of the architecture of the Turnblad mansion – its huge stained glass window!

The house is open for visits and, during the time of the year when I visited, was decorated for Christmas. But it was not just decorated for the season but it did so in the styles not only of Swedish traditions, but also in the traditions of the other “Scandinavian” countries: Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

American Swedish Institute, Christmas, decorations, table setting, Norway, travel, museum, Minneapolis

Detail of the table setup display from Norway

A nice touch was that they also presented Mexican Christmas traditions given the strong Mexican presence in the area where the Institute is. I have to say that when I first walked into the Institute (not the house itself) and saw the cafeteria area on the left, I felt I had walked into IKEA! That soon passed though as, clearly, this was not an IKEA store.

Brave New Workshop

I did not have too much time left to squeeze in show but I had Saturday night open so I opted for the Brave New Workshop comedy theater as my show to see. This is the place where Al Franken from SNL fame started so I thought I’d check it out.

Marquee of the Brave New Workshop

The cast was composed of 5 actors who were quite funny on their own merits but some of the pieces written for them were simply brilliant. The mix of their skills and the pieces exploded when it came to their spoof or “Royals” by Lorde and the “Twelve Days of Christmas”. The theater is cozy and after the function, everyone is welcome to hang around for a full session of improv. I had had a long day and, sadly, felt that it was time to leave to get a good hot shower and hit the sack. But if you go, plan to stay on as I can ONLY imagine what this cast got into after I departed!

Art outdoors

Feel the need for fresh air and the outdoors? Well, in Minneapolis there is art outdoors too! The Walker Museum’s Sculpture Garden offers some interesting work near the art museum of the same name (which I will visit next time I go!). Just cross the bridge from Loring Park (perhaps, as I did, before or after stopping at Café Maude for brunch or dinner – I enjoyed the country hash for brunch!), the garden is free and offers not only great art but a phenomenal backdrop with downtown’s skyline and the Basilica of St. Mary.

cherry, spoon, Walker Garden, Minneapolis, art, sculpture, Basilica St. Mary, travel, photo, Olympus

The spoon with the cherry at the Walker Garden Park (the Basilica of St. Mary in the background)

Even in random places you may find art… As I made my way back to my hotel, I passed the U.S. Courthouse area – in its plaza, I found some really curious figures and landscape items. Though the work on the plaza is not explained via signage, the whole plaza evokes Minnesota’s land and its many types of inhabitants: wooden benches that are just logs, frogs, snakes, rocks, and many other cute characters. I can see kids loving this plaza! The plaza brought a large smile to my face as I headed to check out of my hotel and leave town.

rockmen, minneapolis, sculpture, courthouse, downtown, art, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

A rockman on its way to the pile of rocks…

A fellow tourist like me photographing the plaza

If you head to Minneapolis, or if you want to explore arts and culture beyond the predictable places in the usual suspects (e.g., NYC), I think you should plan to explore these unique Minneapolis offerings (or the others I did not get to explore) – you will not leave disappointed!

The Minneapolis Convention and Visitors’ Bureau helped me plan my weekend based on my interests and kindly obtained visitor’s passes for me to these places.

Filed Under: Minnesota, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: arts, culture, entertainment, Minneapolis, Minnesota, museum, Romanov, Russian art, show, Soviet art, Swedish immigrants, theater

Fried Chicken Worth the Pot-hole in Atlanta

6 November 2013 by Raul 9 Comments

I love finding new places to eat in my hometown, Atlanta, because I can be a creature of habit when it comes to restaurants. Nothing wrong with that, right? If you like it, why go elsewhere? Well, because it is good to expand horizons and you never know what you will find! So it was easy for me to accept a friend’s invite to try a new place in town: Buttermilk Kitchen, up on Roswell Rd. but inside the Perimeter (as we call I-285 around here).

In an unassuming building (with a pothole right where I parked,…), the good news is all the assuming will be done on your plate!

We went for their once-a-month dinner service (they are only open for breakfast and lunch otherwise; I am told I need to try their breakfast on a weekend day). Their once-a-month dinner service is a fixed menu centered around fried chicken.

My friend is a regular so she knew to sit at the “bar” area (in quotes because they do not have a liquor license since not normally open for dinner; you CAN bring your own beverage of choice though!). At the bar area, it was easier to interact with the staff and the owner.

The menu started with a fall salad based on arugula with farro, raisins, black rice, and butternut squash with a champagne vinaigrette. They use produce from the area so the salad was fresh and the combination of flavors really nice. It was a good way to start our dinner. The salad actually went well with the Cabernet Sauvignon we were drinking from Conn Creek in Napa Valley.

The next plate serve was the cheese plate: herb-goat cheese spread on a homemade emmental cracker topped with a delicious onion jam. I could have eaten a dozen of these, left to my devices but the main course was soon following AND I knew what dessert we were going to be served…

Then the star of the night made its appearance: the fried chicken! A breast and wing battered and fried to perfection. Moist, well-cooked – how do they do that?? I have never had a perfectly cooked piece of fried chicken like this. It was paired with a sweet potato puree with quinoa crumbles and with braised mustard greens with apples. The idea of pairing apple with the mustard greens was brilliant. I never thought I’d say mustard greens could wow me but they sure did!

But the evening was not over. Oh no, it was not. We were about to be shown a masterpiece of pound cake-dom: a caramel pound cake served next to vanilla gelato with pie crumb around and an apple chip topping it – oh, and those pomegranate seeds added a great mix to the flavor and texture combination. I am glad they only serve one piece because I don’t care how full I was, I would have done a round two in heartbeat and pounds (sic) be damned!

Suffice it to say, between the food and great staff and chef, I am going back in November for dinner service -pothole or not-, wondering how Buttermilk Kitchen will top these dishes!!

Filed Under: Georgia, Good Eats and Drinks, US & Canada Tagged With: arugula salad, Atlanta, caramel pound cake, foodie, fried chicken, photos, restaurant

A Fall Outing that Helps Keep the Doctor Away?

15 October 2013 by Raul 5 Comments

Fall is here and it is time for lots of good things: cooler temperatures, awesome colors of the trees as they move to winter “mode”, and apple picking!

Apple, picking, mountains, fall, red, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, outdoors, nature

Beautiful day and beautiful apples

I was invited by friend to join them in taking their young daughters for a fun outing of apple picking about an hour or so north of Atlanta in the north Georgia mountains at Hillcrest Orchards. This is something I was highly unlikely to ever put on my quite-full to-do or want-to-do list but the opportunity to be with friends and see the kids do something like this was something I did not want to miss.

I have no mind for types of plants or fruits. I know an apple is an apple but if you put three different apples in front of me, I’d be hard pressed to tell you if they are this or that. So that’s my way of saying don’t ask me what types I saw or which was my favorite 🙂 It will also explain why no photo caption will say anything more specific than “apples.”

An apple… or an apple cam??!!

The girls had a lot of fun going around the multiple aisles of different kinds of apples and picking them from the tree (not the ground!).

A busy little picker, being picky about her apples

They left with greatly loaded bags, too heavy for them to carry. But the important part is they had fun! And so did we watching them enjoy themselves though I may also add the beautiful day up in the north Georgia mountains was quite enjoyable.

Leaving the grounds after a successful picking…

Do you have other fall traditions? – or other traditions that help keep the doctor away? 🙂

Filed Under: Georgia, US & Canada Tagged With: apple, Atlanta, blue sky, Canon EOS Rebel, fall, Georgia, kid-friendly, north Georgia mountains, picking, red apple

Photo of the Week – A Storm over Washington, D.C.

13 October 2013 by Raul 5 Comments

No, I am not referring to the government shutdown or any of the infinite number of incidences of stupidity that emanate from the politicians who make a career in DC at our expense and to our detriment (soap BOX!!!)… This is a literal storm caught from my hotel in Arlington, Virginia looking towards Reagan-National airport and the Potomac River right behind it. If it were not raining, you would see in the distance the silhouettes of the famous buildings around The Mall. But that is not to be in this moment.

I love the clear outline of the core of the storm as it seems to hang over the Potomac. Quite a sight!

Filed Under: Special Photos, US & Canada, Washington, D.C. Tagged With: airport, cloud, DC, DCA, grey, photo, Potomac, rain, Reagan National, river, storm, travel, Washington

My First Real Hike: to Pawnee Pass in the Rockies

7 October 2013 by Raul 10 Comments

When I went to Boulder, Colorado for my first summer internship, my college roommate drove with me the 24 hrs. it took us to get there almost non-stop (except for the St. Louis Arch from where we got a great view at night time). It was a wild drive in a way but we made a pact to pull over if while driving we felt sleepy and the other one was asleep. It worked well and we made it safely to Boulder. We had dinner and downed almost a pitcher of beer each. Then we slept about 14 hrs. straight!

My roommate had family in Boulder and I got to meet them which was very nice. It turned out to be my introduction to hiking. My friend’s uncle invited me to go hike with him and his not-quite-a-teen son up to Pawnee Pass passing Long Lake and Isabelle Lake along the way to get to our destination at 12,550 ft in altitude, right at the Continental Divide. I had no training for hiking and had only spent a couple of weeks at Boulder altitude. This was going to be FUN.

The views along the way were like nothing I had seen before. While I had just driven around the Rocky Mountain National Park a couple of weeks before, these views were more pristine as this was a hiking trail, not for visiting drivers!

National Park, Colorado, Long Lake, Rocky Mountain, hiking, view, vista, photo, Pawnee Pass

My hiking partners and I reach Pawnee Pass

I felt the altitude and the exertion but pushed myself through all that. Oh, to be 24 again! “Juventud, divino tesoro, te vas para no volver…” as the famous poet wrote mourning youth’s departure to never return…