2013 NYC by Train 5 - The Gonk

We arrived to our hotel about 8pm, warmly greeted by the "confused" hotel clerk. Many apologies. Mike feeling weak, sat down in a comfy arm chair while I handled check-in. Without asking, a bell man appeared with a wine glass full of cool water. Mike guzzled. Some color returning. Check-in was smooth and we were soon headed to our 6th floor room.

We like lodging at places with historical significance and that's why we choose the Algonquin Hotel in the heart of NYC. It is famous in literary circles, even today. In 1919, "The Gonk" (as it was lovingly known) was located around the corner from the New Yorker Magazine offices.

A group of journalists, editors, and critics regularly lunched at one particular table in the lobby lounge and it became known as the Round Table. Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, and Edna Ferber were the core group, but actors, authors, and playwrights (such as Tallulah Bankhead, George S. Kaufman, Sinclair Lewis, William Faulkner, and Harpo Marx) joined on a "rotating" basis. 

Today the hotel is designated as a NYC Landmark (1987) , a Literary Landmark (1996) , and named as one of "America's Ten Great Historic Hotels" in Historic Travel Magazine's premier issue. See www.algonquinhotel.com/algonquin-hotel-times-square-autograph-collection and www.algonquinroundtable.org for more info.

Although the hotel was built in 1902, it had a huge makeover in 2012, which embodies the original spirit of the hotel. The decor is a mix of elegant 1920's and art deco. Color scheme is dark woods, earth tones, gold and black. There is a wonderful portrait of the prime Round Table members in the lobby lounge (see bar photo above) and a display case with some of their autographs.

And we didn't see the latest, but there has also been a series of hotel cats given full roaming privileges since the 1930's. All the male cats are named Hamlet and the females are Matilda. The current Matilda even has her own Facebook page: Matilda-The Algonquin Cat.


In the public hallways are original narrow staircases with wrought iron railings. Walls are decorated with framed and famed New Yorker Magazine covers. There are also framed copies of cartoons from the New Yorker. Mike and I had to laugh because we talked about how we often did not "get" the cartoons when we saw them in the magazine. We read them now as we waited for the elevator and said we STILL did not get them or at least did not find them so humorous. For the most part too wry, subtle, NYC "insider" for us to think funny.

Each room door has a plaque with a famous quote. Ours said, "I don't believe in astrology. The only stars I can blame for my failures are those that walk about the stage," by Noel Coward (the playwright). We had to laugh at that, as Deb is such a big theatre buff.

Our room was small, but fabulous. Although we usually get a king, we had a queen bed on this trip. Just enough room to walk around the bed at the foot, but adequate otherwise. We're thinking the room size was original and we were OK with that. Above the bed was a blown-up photograph of NYC street life. Very cool, because it was back-lit and offered a very theatrical effect. The reading lights were also intriguing as they were flat to the wall, but turned on when they were pivoted down. Quite clever.


The bathroom was minuscule (still not complaining, just "reporting"), but was luxurious. The shower might be the smallest we have ever experienced in a hotel room. Hard to reach your feet. The toilet was very modern with separate light and "heavy" flush buttons. Towels were plush and toiletries were deluxe.


We actually had three windows, but the views were not on the street side. Still we didn't mind. They were the backs of high-rises, the courtyard of a closed restaurant (tables, chairs, and planters piled high), and typical NYC fire escapes. A street view might have been better, but this was quite quiet. A plus for us.

Overall, we love-loved our room. Good service. No complaints. You felt really good there. We would definitely go back.

As an aside, when I was a little girl I would often visit my grandparents near downtown Chicago. After my afternoon naps, I would sit on my Gramma's lap and chit-chat until I fully awoke. At these times, she kiddingly called me Tallulah. We also had little fashion shows where I would dress up in some new outfit she bought and I was "Tallulah" then, too. I thought that was a silly made-up name, but a really cool name. I sometimes wished that was my real name. But later I figured she took it from Tallulah Bankhead, a pretty wild and rowdy woman for her day. Go to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallulah_Bankhead for more info. To this day, I think maybe it fits (a little)!

2013 NYC by Train 4 - Penn Station to Algonquin Hotel

Pennsylvania or Penn Station was not what we expected. It seemed old, dark, dirty, with questionable clientele interspersed with weary travelers. It is a major inter-city station and commuter rail hub, and services an amazing 300,000 passengers a day.

About an hour before we arrived into Penn Station, Mike got the queasies--sweats and nausea. This we guess from him being awake for 36 hours straight. When we arrived at the station he went into the restroom to splash cold water into his face. It helped a little, but I was quite concerned because we had about a 15 block walk to the hotel and we were dragging our wheelie bags. Not sure if Mike was ready for that. I suggested a cab, but he said to soldier on.

We labyrinthed our way up two levels to the street, one by escalator and one by stairs. Outdoors felt a little more refreshing after the stuffy train and claustrophobic train station. We were at 32nd and 8th Street and had to schlep our way north or uptown to 44 Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. 

I had studied the Manhattan map and I thought I knew which way to head, but decided to ask. Did not want to waste time getting Mikie to bed. Glad I asked because we would have gone the wrong way. (Darn, in this old age I'm losing my spot-on sense of direction.)

The streets were busy and crowded. We weren't the only ones trudging along with bags, but we sure weren't used to trekking through hoards of people with these awkward "pets" slothing along behind us and with worries of people toes being crushed underneath our wheels.

There was every type of human creature you can imagine--females of all ages in skimpy clothing, couples in formal attire and jewels headed to a Saturday night play, one sickly homeless guy laying on the street with his precious belongings scattered around him, heads together in confidence wrangling drug deals, kids running in play, everyday people headed home or shopping or leaning against walls taking it all in, some "normal," some suspicious. Me keeping an eye on Mike ahead and my trailing bag behind.

Eighth Ave was not a particular memorable street, at least at this particular moment in time. Mostly stores selling knock-off type jewelry, purses, luggage, cameras, knick-knack treasures, some higher end stores, but we were not in a shopping or sight-seeing kind of mood. Wall-to-wall people, unknown territory, sick husband. Get us to our hotel !!!

Twelve blocks later (at least they were short blocks) we turned right onto 44th. Ugh. The crowd got more dense with long, thick lines of people waiting to get into theaters. People huddled around ticket windows. Cabbies, dropping off fares. Street vendors lined up taking advantage of your tired, your hungry, your thirsty,... Oh, the hordes of humanity. OK, so now I'm being a bit flippant and a tad exaggerated, but geez.

It all peaked when we hit the crossroads of Broadway, 44th, and 7th--Times Square. I cannot imagine what New Year's Eve must be like here, as this was beyond anything we had experienced since Bangkok, Thailand. The lights. The battalions of people. The difference was I weirdly felt like I was in slow motion. Yes, there were hawkers and walkers, but for the most part everyone was standing still, with mouths open, looking at the dreamlike backdrop of a million-trillion lights illuminating the skyscraper-sized billboards. People mesmerized and trying to verbalize the panorama in every foreign language. Heck, I felt like a foreigner. No photo or TV show could portray the reality of this moment.

My brother-in-law Tom recently reminded me of the classic photo of the sailor kissing the girl in Times Square after WWII. That historic scene never entered my mind, as this was so far removed from that moment in time. We were stuck in our own time warp, trying to take it all in. Overwhelming, but wonderful at the same time. Stop, stare, our mouths hung open, too; not sure where to look, high, low, American flag created in lights, animation, movement, flood of color, flood of humanity. Drowning?!

Oh, boy, back to reality. Catch breath. Mike white as a sheet. Where is our hotel? It should be nearby, but the building numbers were confusing. We need 59 West 44th. But the numbers kept bouncing high and low. 329, then 1109, the 244, then 1549. What the heck. Ask a cop. He should know (the hotel had only been open since 1902 and is quite famous for its literary history). "Could you direct us to the Algonquin Hotel?" He says we are going in the wrong way.

Head back across Times Square. Building numbers still not making sense. Go two blocks. Ask a few more people. Call the hotel. She says keep going, just a bit further. Go two more blocks. Ask a waitress at an outdoor cafe. She checks with the boss. Looks at our map. First person to really stop and take an honest moment to help us.

Sends us back the way we came. Go two blocks back. Worried. Crying. I ask Mike, "Are you ready for a cab?" No, just go. I trust that he is OK if he says he is OK. Call the hotel. Desk clerk confused. I thought it was just us. Says now to continue this way. Cross back across Times Square. By this time, it's not so foreign. Just hot, dense, and over the top, bordering on obnoxious. I tell Mike to rest and hold the bags, while I venture further to make sure we are still not an a wild goose chase. Two blocks later I see the sign. Hallelujah! We were almost there when we had talked to the cop. Just a block and a half beyond that point. Dang it!

OK, no matter now. Get Mike. Get to hotel. Get to room. Exhausted. Both. Get to bed. Happy now. Sweet dreams.

2013 NYC by Train 3 - Trackin' Down the Rails

Our route began in the midnight darkness and continued that way until just past Cleveland. Could not see much except flashing lights and reflections. No details, no outlines, a bit boring. I was able to catch a few winks off and on, but really could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. We bought fresh new neck pillows to support our heads, but that really didn't take the place of our fave bed pillows. Mike just could not sleep for even a moment, but was entertained by his iPod and Kindle books.

Near Cleveland (6am), I was up for the count. We had visited Cleveland recently (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) and knew some other landmarks to look for (Cleveland Browns Stadium, wind turbine, Lake Erie, downtown skyline). It was still dark, but we could recognize a few. It's hard to get a good photo on the train, especially at night. The train is so bumpy, there are lots of unwanted reflections, and the windows are dirty/streaky.

Near Erie PA the sun burst through the clouds in a lovely sunrise and a sign of wonderful traveling days ahead. Around 6:30am we jolted our way to the dining car. It was a bustle. We got the last open table and were soon joined by Brett, an interesting man from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He and his son had sleeper-ette seats (not a sleeper room but reserved seats that completely recline to make a bed) and told us all about how that works. He owns a recording business and travels on the train a lot. We chatted about the interesting places we had all been to and experienced.

You had four choices for breakfast. I chose the scrambled egg and grits. I always get grits when they are available on vacation, cuz I never make them at home. Mike had pancakes. Our table mate had a spicy Mexican frittata. All the dishes and silverware were thin plastic, unlike the fancy china you see on trains in movies. I was expecting at least ceramic, but it did display the Amtrak logo. The food was not outstanding, but acceptable. The waiter was brusque, but likable. The coffee was excellent.

Back in our seats, we traveled along the Erie Canal with its numerous mini-locks. After seeing the Soo Locks earlier this year in upper Michigan, these seemed VERY small. Here's a photo of our two engines as we traveled around a wide curve. We figured there were nearly 20 cars on our train including the sleepers, lounge, dining, baggage and cargo storage, and reserve seat cars.
We saw train after freight train going in the opposite direction and some passing along side us in the same direction. I mean one at least every 10 minutes or so. One complaint of many avid train travelers seems to be that they feel Amtrak should own its own tracks rather than sharing with freight trains. I have to say many places along the way were very bumpy and sway-y. So bumpy at times that I was looking for my non-existent seat belt. I'm sure it is due to the heavy dual usage on this rail infrastructure. Mike compared this with his train experiences in Europe and commented "those Europeans must be appalled when they ride our rails."

Soon we got into the New York State area and views got a little more interesting. We traveled through the Mohawk River Valley, Berkshire Mountains, and the Hudson River Valley. We did not realized just how very wide the Hudson is. It is 315 miles long and must be over a mile wide in some areas. We saw at least four lighthouses along the river, conveyances of every kind (freighter, tug, Chinese junk, canoes, kayaks, speedboats, classic sailboats, sea-doos, ...). There were huge beautiful mansions cut into the hills with perfectly manicured emerald green lawns terraced down to the river's edge.

We went to lunch about 2pm and met two more interesting folks--a lady professor that was traveling from Seattle to upstate New York and a typical Italian New Yorker headed to Croton. One too chatty, the interesting one not so much. The prof had a sleeper room and gave us the low down on that. I asked about the meals. They are included if you have a sleeper or sleeper-ette. But there were only 4-5 choices for each meal and it turns out these are the same every single day. No changes. Ugh! Not good for foodie devotees like us. I had a veggie sandwich (very good) and Mike had penne and meatballs (good taste, too dry). 

Back to our seats. More interesting views included numerous vineyards and crops of soy, corn, etc. Although the water looked too brown for me, there were many swimmers and water enthusiasts. I imagine it was sanitary, but just "muddy" from the swift downstream current. We saw a bald eagle and lots of wild flowers. A few trees were beginning to turn red ALREADY! We saw a MetLife blimp hovering over the city of Rochester. There was lots of artful graffiti on the walls, tunnels, bridges, and boulders along the way. We saw interesting structures in the cities we passed--domes, churches, skyscrapers, modern, classic, abandoned factories, lots of junkyards, and fronts and backs of old houses in the smaller towns. We saw a cool farmer's market in Syracuse.
In Albany, the train let loose of those cars headed to Boston, as well as the cafe car (snack and bar car). We got a replacement engine and continued on our way to New York City. At this point our car was right behind the engine. We hadn't noticed it before, but we could now clearly hear the train whistle at most highway intersections. We continued to follow the Hudson for the last 2-1/2 hours to our New York City destination. Near the end we crossed over a few bridges and then through a tunnel under the Hudson River. We arrived at Penn Station near sunset and pretty much on time at 6:35pm.

2013 NYC by Train 2 - An Away We Go

Travel prepped all day Friday (8/9)--cleaning (we like to come back to a clean home and especially clean sheets), cat set-up (dual litter boxes while we are gone, oversize water and food bowls, find all the cat toys, make sure good window viewing spots available, set-up neighbor to look in on Bella), juggling clothes and suitcase options (at least it will be all warm weather clothes instead of a mixture of hot/cold), balance checkbook and review finances, set-up mail hold by the P.O., gathering travel docs and tourist info, etc. etc.
Left home at 9:30pm Friday night for the drive to Elkhart, Indiana. The train station is only about 40 miles away, but on the mostly 2-lane roads it takes about 1-1/2 hours to get there. The cars in the free long-term parking lot looked more "presentable" (not raggedy and abandoned as they seemed on our previous trial run down here). So with that and advice from friend Carla, we decided it was OK to park there after all.

No one manned the ticket window as we entered the depot, but a handwritten note advised our train was running about 15 minutes late with a 12:37am departure. We were quite entertained by the cutsie train station while we waited. The wooden benches looked to be the originals and still in fine shape. The ceiling was arched and decorated like an old west train. Walls were lined with maps, guidelines, official statements about train procedure and security, and classic old train posters. There was a framed letter from Bob Hope and his wife saying how much they loved their stay in Elkhart. He must have been playing at the old Lerner Theatre we talked about previously. Three freight trains passed while we waited.

About 15 minutes before departure, passengers started ambling out to the tracks. The night was pleasant and had kind of a romantic glow from the night lights. There were maybe six others waiting and a few here to greets those getting off. We all talked in a quiet, confidential tone, so as not to disrupt the peacefulness. The scene reminded be of the Edward Hopper Nighthawks painting, but instead of a cafe it was a train station.


Two more trains passed before the lone headlight of our train slowly meandered into sight, closer and closer. About 30 de-trained, mostly Amish folks. Men with their long white beards, suspenders and broad-rimmed straw hats, and women demurely wearing "plain" calf-length dresses and white cap-bonnets. No one looked very happy, but maybe it was the hour.

The route we were taking included stops at Elkhart IN, Waterloo, Bryan OH, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie PA, Buffalo NY, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, Albany. In Albany, some of the cars split off and went to Boston, while we continued on to Poughkeepsie, Croton, and finally New York City at Penn Station. We were assigned seats as we boarded. Got a good location on the right side of the train with a nice window. Seemed roomy and comfortable enough (to start!). There was a foot rest, "calf rest," and the seat reclined way back, all adjustable.

We settled in and the click-clack of the train wheels on the track began our 18-hour journey.

2013 NYC by Train 1 - Pre-Trip to Elkhart

Mike and I are going to New York City in August and plan to take Amtrak out of Elkhart, Indiana, to NYC-Penn Station. The train station in Kalamazoo is only a block away, but that train does not go direct to NYC. You have to take the train from here to Ann Arbor, then a bus to Toledo, Ohio, and then a direct to NYC from there. Adds a lot of hours and hassle, so we will board the train in Elkhart instead. That station is about 40 miles south of here, so not too far.

Not knowing anything about Elkhart, we decided to make a "pre-trip" down there to scope out the station, parking, luggage handling, etc. The ride is mostly back roads, so it took about 1-1/2 hours to get there, but a very pleasant drive. Once you hit Indiana, much of it is along the winding St. Joe River. As we got closer to Elkhart the farm houses turned into more modern ranch style homes, and then finally into old mansions as we got close to town.

We headed straight to the train station which took us through downtown Elkhart. Lots of older but nicely kept up buildings. The train station, originally built in 1900, sits across the tracks from the National New York Central Railroad Museum (www.nycrrmuseum.org). We didn't have time to browse the museum but it looks interesting enough for another trip.

We found nearby long-term parking but were not impressed. Parking is free, but no parking attendant. The cars parked there looked pretty run down, maybe abandoned. We drove downtown in hopes of an alternate parking plan.

Elkhart is a small, rustic town in the heart of Indiana Amish country. Both driving in and out, we saw their small black buggies and trotting horses traversing next to us along the roadside. The town grew out of an area inhabited by Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potawatomi Indian tribes and dates back to the early 1900's. It is located where the Elkhart River tributary runs into the St. Joe River.

In 1949, it was officially dubbed the "RV Capital of the World" because several RV manufacturing companies were located here. As a matter of fact, when we moved from San Francisco to Kalamazoo in 2003, we drove a rental RV and this town was the drop off point. That time we only saw the outskirts of the town and didn't realize how nice it was. It is also known for its past and current history of manufacturing musical instruments and its other nickname is the "Band Instrument Capital of the World."

As we walked the streets of downtown looking for an information sign, we could not miss the lovely Lerner Theatre, opened in 1924. It is in pristine condition after a total renovation, and has a seating capacity of 2,000. Although we did not see the inside, from the website www.thelerner.com/about.html it would rival any theatre in Chicago or New York.

Near the theatre was the Elkhart Visitors Center. We went in, grabbed a few brochures, and asked about parking. They had no idea!! 

Across the street was the Midwest Museum of American Art, located in a beautifully restored neo-classical style bank building (www.midwesternmuseum.us). We were impressed one more time. It houses over 2,500 works in its collection including some of my favorites--Rockwell, Warhol, Rauschenberg, Calder, and three generations of Weston family photographers. And only $5 to get in. BUT they didn't know anything about parking. They called City Hall for us and directed us there.

Well, actually they directed us to a court house (a ugly, blocky 50's building that did not fit into the rest of the quaint town) and THEY directed us to City Hall (1915 red brick structure). Outside was mundane, but inside was lovely with a grand staircase and marble everywhere. After some discussion and a few phone calls, they said all parking in town was free, but none was attended. They recommended a parking structure near the police station. We checked it out and decided that was the best spot.

By that time we were hungry. We asked for a recommendation and were directed to the 523 Tap and Grill (www.523tapandgrill.com). The person said just look for the green and white elk. What a pleasant surprise--classy and lots of interesting things on the menu. Mike had a perch sandwich and I had fish tacos with pesto sauce. Nice bar, too. Would definitely go back there.

Regarding the elk, Elkhart must have had an artsy elk decorating contest. All around town were elk "statues" painted in varied themes. Kind of like the taxis in Kalamazoo or the guitars in Cleveland (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), or the giant cherries in Traverse City.

Well, our trial run was over. Time to head home and wait for the day of our actual train trip to NYC.


PS - A couple of days later a friend advised she goes down to Elkhart all the time to catch the train to NYC. She parks her Mercedes in that long term lot behind the train station. After all that, guess we will, too.

7/15/2013 - We're Famous

There is a wonderful local public TV program named Under the Radar (or UTR). Mike and I love to watch the show because it gives us ideas for new places to visit in Michigan and great restaurant reviews. It is amazing all that the state of Michigan has to offer. This week the show featured Kalamazoo. Turns out our loft home was on TV, as well as our little silver Prius.

See the parked car next to the low red brick building (behind the low white building) kind of to the left of middle. That is Sparky, our hybrid (gas-electric) car. Our building is the taller building to the right of the car. The one with the smaller green roof on top. We live on the third floor facing the car. In any case, it was sure fun to see our home on TV.

Our previous loft was often seen on TV and in advertising for Kalamazoo because the silver Radisson Hotel is in the background. Our old unit was upper left in the orange brick building, with the odd angled roof line.

In the 2006 movie Kalamzoo?, it was even intimated that our unit was the home of the lead male character. Stars in that movie are Mayim Bialik (of the Big Bang Theory), Claire Bloom, Chita Rivera, Dee Wallace, and others. Some locals were in the movie as well, such as Suzanne Parish (well-known aviator of WWII, co-founder of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo, and supporter of the live arts Kalamazoo Civic Theatre). Here is a photo during the making of the movie with Claire and Chita in the cool red car.

Always fun things to see and do in Kalamazoo!

Summer 2013 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo 2 - Garden Tour

The small public Five Senses Garden was my favorite today. It is part of the Kalamazoo Public School system. It was designed to support programs for youth at risk or with disabilities, but is also a wonderful place for anyone to spend time. As we entered, we found a basket of blueberries. We were invited to take a few. A taste.

You proceed down a walkway to experience the other senses. Each time you change "senses," the sidewalk changes to a different media / texture. Also to help guide you is a little sculpture sign of a nose or whatever. Very clever.

The smell area included lavender; taste area had chives and oregano; hearing had water features, an "echo" spot (this alone is worth the trip) and reeds and rushes; sight area had lovely flowers; and touch area had pebbles, and prickly and other touchy things. At the end were raised beds tended by the special childrens' programs. Benches throughout let you relax and take in the diversity of this very special place.

Stop 4 was the Giving Garden. This is a volunteer project of the Master Gardeners of Kalamazoo County, sponsored by Michigan State University Extension, in collaboration with the Food Bank of South Central Michigan, through land loaned by the Kendall Electric and Humphrey companies. That is a mouthful and a mouthful is the end result of this program. Their mission is to provide fresh veggies to the under-served. Last year they grew and gave away 15 tons of produce to Loaves and Fishes and other local community food banks. None of the food grown is for-profit. They also use "compatible" growing methods, like radishes near cucumbers and potatoes near beans. I'll have to look into this a little more for next year.

Our last stop was the Trybal Revival Eastside Eco-Garden. It is an experiment in permaculture. This was a new term to me and I found its premise is 1) take care of the earth and its life systems, 2) people use only resources necessary for existence, 3) return surpluses back into the system so waste can be recycled into usefulness. This is very simplified, of course.

Anyway, the Land Bank tore down dilapidated houses here and converted the four empty lots into a greenspace. The south-sloping space is being developed into a "food forest" through the principles of permaculture. Nut trees are planted near the top, berry bushes a little lower, a veggie garden on the bottom flats, and table grapes are grown on the surrounding fence. It is all quite new and an ambitious, long-term project.

Also located here is the Community Garden Resource Shed (yellow structure in back). The new "shed" (I used " ", because it is quite nice) was built by the Land Bank to house garden tools from shovels to rototillers. These are loaned to any community gardener for a day. The loan "payment" is for five hours of garden community service during the year and you can borrow as many times as you need to for that one five hours. Great concept. At this space few hors d'oeuvres were served, mostly veggie related.

This was a very nice opportunity to discover some places and things I did not know existed in Kalamazoo. Thanks, Land Bank and Common Ground.

Summer 2013 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo 1 - Tip Toe Through the Gardens

I have been part of an effort to start a community garden in downtown Kalamazoo since 2004. We are very close. Last week Downtown Kalamazoo Inc helped finalize a lease from the City of Kalamazoo for a small plot at the corner of Eleanor and North Burdick. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation presented us with a grant of $1,000 for start-up costs. Tom Shuster (of Shuster Electric) and I contributed another $500 each toward these costs. And Tom and Will Derouin of Western Michigan's Sustainability Office are heading up construction. Central City Community Garden (CCCG) finally seems a reality. More on this later. 

There are about 30 community gardens in Kalamazoo County. They are of every size and variety. To learn more about how community gardens operate and succeed, I participated in a community garden tour today which was sponsored by Common Ground (www.CommonGroundKalamazoo.com) and the Kalamazoo County Land Bank. The Land Bank acquires land through tax abandonment and changes these blighted properties into affordable housing opportunities to help stabilize property values.

We met at Riverview Launch, a new Kalamazoo Land Bank project to revive a greenhouse, barn, and lands along the Kalamazoo River. There was a choice of an inner city bike tour or an "outer" city bus tour. I chose the bus tour (as I don't own a bike). The bus tour included five different garden venture. Here we go...

DeLano Farms at The Kalamazoo Nature Center is an educational sustainable working farm. It offers a Community Support Agriculture (CSA) program, where shareholders pay up front for their share of the harvest. Shareholders may also volunteer their time to work on the farm. I understand, as a shareholder, one used to just pick up their box of veggies. Now each week shareholders choose what foods they prefer in a market style atmosphere. It also has a cool labyrinth with fennel at its heart.

Also, so my first Daddy Long Legs spider in decades. One was climbing on my foot (minor freak out at first glance) and then saw one scampering down the roadside. I tried to get a photo, but no luck. I am a spider-a-phobe, but for some reason these guys seem kinda OK. Last time I saw one was when I was a teen maybe, but then I'm a pavement person. These are good guy spiders, so glad to see they are still around.

Willard Street Rain Garden was built as part of a transformative block project. Two blighted houses were torn down and new houses were built in the style of the old time neighborhood. The block is on a little hill and curb cuts were made so that rainwater does not go into the sewer, but diverts into wild flower gardens planted between the street and sidewalk. Downspout runoffs were also added to the new houses which also diverts water into two other sunken garden areas. Pretty slick! This project inspired neighbors to build nearby raised veggie beds on a vacant lot, and more beautiful flower gardens between sidewalks and curbs.

Continued tomorrow.

Fireworks and Ice

Mike and I have been talking about some other memorable fireworks displays we've seen in our past. Here are a few that stand out:

- When we were first married, we lived in Dearborn, Michigan. Each year in August, Dearborn celebrates with a Homecoming event. This is for all those that lived there, past and present. Past-timers return for the weekend, see the City displays, shop their old fave stores, picnic with friends, play old-fashioned kid games like three-legged sack races and such.

Among the many festivities is always a fabulous fireworks display at Ford Field Park. I remember one particular year when Tchaikovsky's The 1812 Overture was synchronized with the fireworks. That was the first time we experienced this coordinated production and it was spot on. It made you stand up on your feet and cheer for Dearborn and the USA.

- Another summer, we attended a Detroit Express (last played in 1980-81 for Detroit, became the Washington Diplomats, and then folded after one season) soccer game. This event was at the Pontiac Silverdome (http://silverdome-architect.blogspot.com). Anyway, after the game people were shooting fireworks off in the parking lot.

Our friend, Bruce, happened to have a Roman candle. He set it up in a pop bottle, lit it, and oh, boy. The bottle fell over and the rocket shot horizontally a few inches off the concrete in a hot and speedy direction. We all hopped in the car and scrambled out of there as fast as that rocket. The next day we were all checking the newspaper to see if anyone was reported hurt. No such article. I guess everything was ok, but to this day I wonder and still feel a bit guilty.

- Frankfort, Michigan, is where Mike's grandparents owned cherry orchards and he spent many a youthful summer vacation working the orchards with his cousins. So we often drifted there on adult getaways to enjoy the sleepy little town on Lake Michigan. One thing we tried not to miss was the July 4th fireworks off the long breakwater that goes out into the lake. There is also a lighthouse at the end of that pier and it is silhouetted by the fiery display. Fireworks can be seen in the sky as well as in the reflection of the water. People line up all along the sandy shore to see the wonderful display. Pretty romantic, too, huddled and cuddled on the beach.

- On our first 4th in Half Moon Bay, California, the fireworks were close-up and personal. The official show is shot into the sky from a raft out in the Pacific Ocean near Princeton Harbor. Highway 1 runs along the shore there, with beach on one side. On the other side is an up-sloped, weedy field. People from the five nearby towns park and gather on this slope to watch the display over the ocean.

This first year, however, there were no limits on personal fireworks, so everyone and their brother/sister/father/aunt/dog had the biggest and best fireworks money could buy. Up and down the coast in this field, they were shooting off in every direction, firing horizontally a few feet off the ground, exploding on the ground, lifting high or low, and dive bombing back into the crowd. It was so insane that I felt like I was in a war zone. I can't imagine what Viet Nam might  have looked liked, but this certainly was a glimpse. As far as we know, thankfully no one was hurt. And the dry weeds "only" had a "few little fires." By the next year there were some strict laws put in place and a lot more police presence, so no instant replay.

- Most years in Half Moon Bay in the summer the air is filled with a low fog. More than a few years of our 20 years there, we watched the fireworks through the clouds. You couldn't see any details, but more a puff of color. Not your ideal fireworks show, but beautiful in its own way. 

- This isn't about fireworks, but about fog. My friend Lisa and I would go to Fog Fest every year in September in Pacifica (a town about 20 miles north of HMB). They called it Fog Fest for a reason, because it was usually fogged in. Each year they would have an air show with jets doing acrobatics, but (big BUT) we maybe saw it only two times in 15 years because it was all happening above the fog!! One thing we didn't miss was their special cocktail call the Fog Cutter. Um, good.

- Fireworks in Kalamazoo is a treat. They happen twice a year--on the 4th of July and New Years at midnight. As I said, up until last year for the 4th, they had displayed a show from the minor league stadium here, but not currently. I'm sure glad we still have that wonderful view along the horizon I told you about in our last blog entry.

For New Years, there is also a fiery display along the whole horizon. In addition, the City has a family celebration and a huge fireworks display that is shot off from the Radisson Hotel parking lot right behind our building. We usually have a few family and friends over, we all get a glass of champagne or cider, bundle up, and go round the building outside to watch the up-close (but safe) display. They are so close that you are almost looking straight up to seem them.

One year it was just Mike and I. Snowflakes drifted slowly down. We plopped on a parked bench, wrapped in each others arms, and watched the display. One of our most romantic moments ever, in my opinion.

Usually there is snow on the ground, but none falling. Three years ago was a fantastic exception. It was snowing VERY hard. So cool to watch the fireworks through the snowflakes. They lit up in different colors and it was like being in fairyland. The flakes felt so refreshing on our faces. The cold flakes against the fiery sky was a unique experience.

The last couple of years, the New Years fireworks have been launched off the public parking ramp, about three blocks away, BUT on our side of the building. We could actually go out on our balcony and stretch our necks slightly over the side for a great view. Not quite as good a view as from the Radisson, but on the other hand, quite convenient.

Can't think of anymore of "the best" fireworks ever, but sure a lot of good memories came to mind once we started talking about it. Hope your 4th fireworks show was safe and spectacular. Photos are from various events taken from our Kalamazoo balcony.

7/4/2013 - Blow Out the Candles

Upon looking up what birthday year this is for the USA, apparently it depends upon how you look at it--from the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1776) or the signing of the Constitution (1789) or when England officially recognized the USA as the USA (1783). We'll go with the Declaration of Independence, which means this is the 234th birthday of the USA.

We see by our blog stats that people from USA, Canada, Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, China, United Kingdom, and Indonesia are reading this blog. Some may not understand the custom to "blow out the candles." Here, on your birthday you get a birthday cake with the number of candles on it matching your number of birthday years. You make a wish and blow out the candles.

If you can blow them all out in one breath, your wish will come true (or so goes the story). You are not supposed to say your wish out loud because then it won't come true. We still wish for "equality and tolerance worldwide, and clean water and healthy food on every table," as our wish this day and EVERY day.

Fireworks are a big tradition on the Fourth of July in the USA. In previous years there would be a huge fireworks display sponsored by Kalamazoo and the local minor league baseball team. They were launched from the ballpark just to our southeast. But the team shut down, so no official Kalamazoo fireworks this year. We hear another team will probably start up next summer, so we hope they will re-institute the fireworks tradition.

Another great option we have had in the past is going to my brother's near Lansing. He lives on a lake and sets up a huge display down by the dock. But, as we've been out of town the last few days, we decided to stay home this holiday. 

Even though we don't have the ballpark display these days, our balcony is still an excellent spot for fireworks viewing. All the little towns around Kalamazoo have their own displays and we can see many of them along the horizon to the north, east and south. The shows started about 9:30pm and some places continued until after midnight. It was fantastic. Everywhere you look, they were popping in a constant stream of color and variety. So Mikie and I had a gin and tonic with lime, some nibbles, and enjoyed a romantic evening on the balcony. Just the two of us.

Bless you to the USA and congratulations on your 234th birthday!

June 2013 MICHIGAN Sault Ste. Marie 6 - Bella, We're on Our Way Home

Headed home today. Really missing Bella. Many understand this concept, especially those without kids. This kit is our kid.

Skipped the freebie hotel breakfast (anticipating it had not improved since yesterday or the day before) and headed down the road with Mike at the wheel.

We like to try new places to eat, so this time stopped in St. Ignace at The Galley. Mike had his fave pancakes and I had a breakfast burrito. Both good. Coffee strong, but tasty. And a nice view overlooking the harbor area.

St. "I" also had its Old Car Show this weekend, so we saw a lot of vintage hot rods, jalopies and, what I call, "teen idol" cars of the 50's and 60's. From their advertising, they say there could be up to 3,000 cars attending. Good timing by us to miss the peak point of these cars squeezing into little St. "I." We really liked the oldie race above. It had the original Mobile Oil flying horse symbol on the trunk. It was rusted and had been run hard, but had its appeal.

Continuing on we saw lots of folks up on Castle Rock, as it was a beautiful day for long distance viewing. Reminded us that we had not checked it out in probably 30 years.

Back south over the Mackinac Bridge. Still a thrill, especially on such a clear day.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful. The only stop was a muscle-stretching walk around Evart. It is a small town and the downtown was empty. We were the only car parked for two blocks on either side of Main Street. We ran across an open ice cream shoppe though, and treated ourselves. Not sure how much this contributed to the economy, but we tried.

About 10 miles before reaching home we hit a big rain squall with lightning. Once home, we waited in our car a few minutes, hoping it would subside, but no. We and all our stuff, including our bed pillows, got soaked between the car and the front door. The cool rain felt refreshing on my face.

At our loft door, we expected to find Bella waiting for us. Sometimes she is and sometimes she isn't. But, no, she was sleeping on her cat condo in the bedroom. It took a day for her to cozy back up to us. I think she was mad that we left her alone for 3-1/2 days. Oh, well, such is the world of cats. No way to second guess them.

STATS: 
Drove 762 over the weekend for a total drive time of 12 hours 37 minutes. Most of this was home to The Soo and back. Cousins Don and Chris did most of the touring in SSM itself. Thanks, Cousins!

Interesting note: Mike has a Scan Meter on the car that hooks up to the engine computer. It displays a lot of statistics like how much you spend on gas for the day. But as we were leaving home to go Up North, he noticed it took 4 cents just to start the engine before putting it in gear.

Things we still need to do in SSM the UP:  the River Museum; see the Tugboat Parade, Tugboat Races, and the Coast Guard Station and CG ships display on another Engineer's day; tour the Museum Ship Valley Camp; spend a night in SSM, Canada; go to the Bushplane Museum there; climb Castle Rock again; take a Pictured Rocks boat tour; spend the night in a lighthouse (maybe Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn); and see more of west Michigan, especially Marquette.

Little known facts: SSM is the oldest city in Michigan, founded in 1668 by father Jacques Marquette. Population in 2010 was 14,440. Sault Sainte-Marie translates from French into "the rapids of Saint Mary." The largest ships passing through the locks are 1,000-feet long by 105-feet wide. This is roughly 3.3 football fields in length! SSM is also the home of the International 500 Snowmobile Race. It started in 1969 and was inspired by the Indy 500 race.

Here's Bella on her scratcher/lounger. She loves sitting here and often takes a nap here.