February 27th, 2014
Just a day into our trip, Johnny and I headed out on the road again. We drove through Sedona to a 'scenic highway' towards Flagstaff. This route was supposed to save time but the curves on the highway became sharper and sharper. It became more and more nerve wracking as the lanes narrowed. You never knew when the next care would come around the corner. I had to have full concentration, and with rain and snow in the forecast, there was no time to waste.
We finally made it to a long stretch of highway going west with no sharp turns- and breathed a sigh of relief. The landscape changed quickly from hilly with snow-caped peaks to desert. The last stretch of highway north to the Grand Canyon is desolate. At one point, tumbleweed crossed the road in front of us. The only thing left in the area seemed to be scattered cacti and half abandoned gas stations.
Just outside of Grand Canyon Village, we realized we came ill-prepared. The temperature was about 10 degrees Celsius colder than Sedona and 20 degrees colder than Phoenix. It felt worse with the gusty winds. We stopped at some random gift shop and picked up another hoody to put on top of the rest of our clothes.
Amazing Scope
The Grand Canyon sneaks up on you- can't really tell that what is ahead of you until it is right in front of you. We got off at the South Kaibab Trailhead and neared the edege of the lookout. A huge gust of wind blew sand and cold air into our faces before we could get a clear view.
When you go to Niagara Falls, it is beautiful but you kind of expected something bigger. The same can't be said of The Grand Canyon- it is bigger than what you think it is going to be and that is saying something! The South Rim is full of color, far from the red rock of Sedona, there are greys, green, and blues layering the massive natural made structures around you.
Johnny and I descended down the trailhead against our better judgement. Weaving in and around mules and hikers, we went further and further into the Canyon. Signs are everywhere to warn you about going down too far. Apparently, many people year after year, will try to go all the way down to the Colorado River and back, and without proper provisions. If it weren't for our excessive picture taking, we might have gone too far down by accident.
Somewhere near the 'Oh-Ah point', we got hit by all four seasons in one shot. One minute, it was snowing, the next it was Sunny, the next Rainy, and then overcast. The weather did not want to make up its mind. Whenever we reached a wide open area on the Canyon, the whole place predictably became a wind tunnel blowing debris in our eyes. Frequently, we turned away to avoid the brunt of the wind and tried to keep low to avoid being caught up in a gust of wind.
We made it as far as Cedar Ridge, before we decided to turn back. We took in the view while we there, and took a rest before making our way back up. You can't got that much further than this or Skeleton Point, if you expect to climb back up the same day. Or so says Trip Advisor . Besides, my legs were already wonky, and Johnny was getting out of breath as it is. We were adventurous but not that crazy!
Beautiful View, Cold Hands
We eventually made it back up the trail, and took the car over to Powell Point and Hopi Point. These are great places to take a sunset photo of the canyon. But in February, maybe not so much. We got some amazing vista on camera but our hands were turning blue as we did it. Once the sun finally feel deep into the night sky, and magic hour was over, we packed up and heading back to Sedona.
Not without a stop to Sizzler though! For those who have never gone, it is pretty much Ponderosa or Bonanza. Huge buffet for cheap prices, so it may not have been gourmet but the Canyon makes you hungry and it fit the bill as we needed to stop for gas in Flagstaff anyway. Johnny said it was one of the better meals of our trip, which probably means we picked the wrong restaurants to go to.
Next blog... "The Vortex"...
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Into Sedona
February 26, 2014
We arrived late in Phoenix. So late that the rental clerk was doing double duty handing out cars and running clearly across the lot to open the gate and go back to his post again.
I was traveling with my friend, Johnny, who had a film at the Sedona Film Festival and we were determined to get to our noon screening the next day. That meant I was chugging back Pepsi, weaving in and out of lanes on a dimly lit Arizona highway. In a fog (not literal fog thankfully!) of mountains, stars, and roundabouts, we crawled into Sedona and found our beds.
After a serene breakfast at our Resort (Poco Diablo), we made our way to the screening. Sedona Film Fest goes out of their way to help filmmakers enjoy their experience. Our resort was paid for, there was free lunch and dinner selections from local restaurants in the VIP Lounge and free tickets to the films. Of course, Sedona scenery itself is amazing, the red rocks tower over the sky of this town, like looking at a picture from a National Geographic Magazine.
The screening theatre was packed for our double bill, Johnny's film- The Marvelous Girl followed by the feature length documentary, Dancing in Jaffa. The audience was predominantly in their 50s and 60s but its Sedona- at noon- on a Wednesday. In between screenings, Johnny took the mic for a Q&A with the audience with his nerves going. In the end, the audience was appreciative and he held his own.
This screening seemed to be the most fulfilling one yet, something was different this time, there was a sincerity in their love of the film. As we walked the streets of Sedona, people would stop him to tell them how much he liked the movie. I think it was more than Sedona's mystical energy that was giving everyone good vibrations.
After exploring the downtown, grabbing some late dinner at the VIP lounge, we went to the theatre watch the critically acclaimed documentary The Act of Killing. Admittedly probably not the best film to watch before going to sleep. The night ended much the way the previous one did- driving the dark streets trying to find our resort.
Next blog... "Of Grander Things"...
We arrived late in Phoenix. So late that the rental clerk was doing double duty handing out cars and running clearly across the lot to open the gate and go back to his post again.
I was traveling with my friend, Johnny, who had a film at the Sedona Film Festival and we were determined to get to our noon screening the next day. That meant I was chugging back Pepsi, weaving in and out of lanes on a dimly lit Arizona highway. In a fog (not literal fog thankfully!) of mountains, stars, and roundabouts, we crawled into Sedona and found our beds.
After a serene breakfast at our Resort (Poco Diablo), we made our way to the screening. Sedona Film Fest goes out of their way to help filmmakers enjoy their experience. Our resort was paid for, there was free lunch and dinner selections from local restaurants in the VIP Lounge and free tickets to the films. Of course, Sedona scenery itself is amazing, the red rocks tower over the sky of this town, like looking at a picture from a National Geographic Magazine.
The screening theatre was packed for our double bill, Johnny's film- The Marvelous Girl followed by the feature length documentary, Dancing in Jaffa. The audience was predominantly in their 50s and 60s but its Sedona- at noon- on a Wednesday. In between screenings, Johnny took the mic for a Q&A with the audience with his nerves going. In the end, the audience was appreciative and he held his own.
This screening seemed to be the most fulfilling one yet, something was different this time, there was a sincerity in their love of the film. As we walked the streets of Sedona, people would stop him to tell them how much he liked the movie. I think it was more than Sedona's mystical energy that was giving everyone good vibrations.
After exploring the downtown, grabbing some late dinner at the VIP lounge, we went to the theatre watch the critically acclaimed documentary The Act of Killing. Admittedly probably not the best film to watch before going to sleep. The night ended much the way the previous one did- driving the dark streets trying to find our resort.
Next blog... "Of Grander Things"...
Thursday, March 20, 2014
What's that Smell? Mushroom Gravy?
August 4th, 2013
Buffalo- the Queen City is the butt of many jokes on both sides of the border about its aesthetics, weather, and being the poor cousin of New York City. It is also noted as having a smell. Now, I have only been to Buffalo a couple of times but I thought that everyone was talking about some sort of industrial smell- much like Hamilton's steel smell (which is not as bad as everyone says by the way- maybe in East End...). To my surprise, it was an almost pleasing smell.
Walking around Downtown Buffalo with Paul and Andrea, we took a view of the sights of the city before the baseball game. When we stopped to smell the roses so to speak, Paul turned to us, and said, "What's that smell?". I took a big whiff and I think you already know the answer, I said "I think it's.... mushroom gravy?". "Definitely mushroom gravy." Paul said. Turns out, we were sort of close. We found that General Mills actually has a factory and Buffalo, and that smell is actually Cheerios. One Buffalo writer has gone as far as suggesting that they should be promoting that the city smells like cereal. Perhaps, it is not the worse idea, but I digress. The trip also saw the brief appearance of "Buffalo Steve" where Paul and Andrea at least humored me into believing I was delivering one zinger after another. Well Paul was telling me I was anyways.
After another border adventure, not quite as bad as our Chicago trip- no nerd gang this time, we checked into the Adams Mark Buffalo. The hotel itself is not far from the border, or Coca Cola Field- the home of the Buffalo Bisons baseball club (Triple-A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays). It is not the Ritz, but it is probably one of the nicer hotels in its price range. We got a great deal on Priceline or Hotwire, one of those internet discount sites, and it turned out to be perfect for our uses. The hotel is the relic of an upscale hotel chain that has long since disbanded but still retains the name. The rooms themselves are pretty comfortable and there is a big pool and restaurant- neither of which we had time to take advantage of.
The Pearl Street
On a previous trip to Buffalo for a Pearl Jam show, Andrea and I had stopped at the Pearl Street Bar and Grill and we enjoyed it so much we took Paul with us this time around. They have a great variety of beers, food, and the bar's atmosphere is one of the best in Buffalo. They usually have at least 10 of their own selections available on draft in sizes for the lightweight (10 oz) to something called the Annihilator- a 180 oz beer tube! I don't go that far but my personal favorite beer at Pearl Street has to be the Don Cherry Cherry Wheat, despite being named after the Gregg Zaun's idol.
To compliment my beer, I had to go with one of the Buffalo Classics, the Beef on Weck- a very filling roast beef sandwich on a caraway bun (kimmelweck). If that doesn't entice you, there is large burger and pizza selection, wings, ribs, salads, and even fish tacos. The prices are relatively affordable as well with the average meal running from $10-$12 not including beverages.
Minor League
Coca Cola Field is right off the highway from the border, and is probably one of the most fan friendly places to watch a baseball game, and was a great introduction to minor league baseball for us. I was clamoring for years for the Blue Jays to move there AAA club to Buffalo and it finally happened in 2013- one of the good things about last year!
The stadium itself is by no means imposing but the ballpark has a great feel, and the fans are really friendly, except to the opposing players. One Pawtucket Red Sox player kept getting the gears from a fan in the second deck- I guess Hazelbaker was asking for it. I could have sworn I was in a scene from Rookie of the Year. One Bisons fan questioned her husband why mascot/baseball player Munenori Kawasaki was such a popular guy with Jays fans. His response was something like, "He's just a fun guy".
There was a great food selection at the park, and a good selection of craft beers. Even though we had not eaten that long before, we indulged in a few treats. All the Buffalo classics are represented here- beef on weck, sausage, fried bologna sandwiches and of course chicken wings. They even brought Poutine in this year to cater to the increased cross-border visitors for Bisons games.
The game itself featured some prospects- mostly for the Red Sox- Aruba's Xander Boegarts, who showed off his glove and bat. It was clear he was going to be someone to watch, and why Boston coveted him so much. The Bisons didn't seem to show up for the game overall- losing 8-1, including a boneheaded play in Center Field by Anthony Gose when he seemed to lose the ball in the lights and two runs scored. Kevin Pillar got the Bisons only RBI.
After the game, they provided the fans with a Bisons Home Run Derby and Fireworks. It was a lot of fun with Luis Jimenez hitting the most dingers into the dark Buffalo sky. Despite the dreadful score in the game, it was a very fun night- and I would go back to Coca Cola Field in a heartbeat.
We capped our trip off with some outlet mall shopping at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls the next morning but heading home.
Next blog.... "Into the Sedona Sun"
Buffalo- the Queen City is the butt of many jokes on both sides of the border about its aesthetics, weather, and being the poor cousin of New York City. It is also noted as having a smell. Now, I have only been to Buffalo a couple of times but I thought that everyone was talking about some sort of industrial smell- much like Hamilton's steel smell (which is not as bad as everyone says by the way- maybe in East End...). To my surprise, it was an almost pleasing smell.
Walking around Downtown Buffalo with Paul and Andrea, we took a view of the sights of the city before the baseball game. When we stopped to smell the roses so to speak, Paul turned to us, and said, "What's that smell?". I took a big whiff and I think you already know the answer, I said "I think it's.... mushroom gravy?". "Definitely mushroom gravy." Paul said. Turns out, we were sort of close. We found that General Mills actually has a factory and Buffalo, and that smell is actually Cheerios. One Buffalo writer has gone as far as suggesting that they should be promoting that the city smells like cereal. Perhaps, it is not the worse idea, but I digress. The trip also saw the brief appearance of "Buffalo Steve" where Paul and Andrea at least humored me into believing I was delivering one zinger after another. Well Paul was telling me I was anyways.
After another border adventure, not quite as bad as our Chicago trip- no nerd gang this time, we checked into the Adams Mark Buffalo. The hotel itself is not far from the border, or Coca Cola Field- the home of the Buffalo Bisons baseball club (Triple-A Affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays). It is not the Ritz, but it is probably one of the nicer hotels in its price range. We got a great deal on Priceline or Hotwire, one of those internet discount sites, and it turned out to be perfect for our uses. The hotel is the relic of an upscale hotel chain that has long since disbanded but still retains the name. The rooms themselves are pretty comfortable and there is a big pool and restaurant- neither of which we had time to take advantage of.
The Pearl Street
On a previous trip to Buffalo for a Pearl Jam show, Andrea and I had stopped at the Pearl Street Bar and Grill and we enjoyed it so much we took Paul with us this time around. They have a great variety of beers, food, and the bar's atmosphere is one of the best in Buffalo. They usually have at least 10 of their own selections available on draft in sizes for the lightweight (10 oz) to something called the Annihilator- a 180 oz beer tube! I don't go that far but my personal favorite beer at Pearl Street has to be the Don Cherry Cherry Wheat, despite being named after the Gregg Zaun's idol.
To compliment my beer, I had to go with one of the Buffalo Classics, the Beef on Weck- a very filling roast beef sandwich on a caraway bun (kimmelweck). If that doesn't entice you, there is large burger and pizza selection, wings, ribs, salads, and even fish tacos. The prices are relatively affordable as well with the average meal running from $10-$12 not including beverages.
Minor League
Coca Cola Field is right off the highway from the border, and is probably one of the most fan friendly places to watch a baseball game, and was a great introduction to minor league baseball for us. I was clamoring for years for the Blue Jays to move there AAA club to Buffalo and it finally happened in 2013- one of the good things about last year!
The stadium itself is by no means imposing but the ballpark has a great feel, and the fans are really friendly, except to the opposing players. One Pawtucket Red Sox player kept getting the gears from a fan in the second deck- I guess Hazelbaker was asking for it. I could have sworn I was in a scene from Rookie of the Year. One Bisons fan questioned her husband why mascot/baseball player Munenori Kawasaki was such a popular guy with Jays fans. His response was something like, "He's just a fun guy".
There was a great food selection at the park, and a good selection of craft beers. Even though we had not eaten that long before, we indulged in a few treats. All the Buffalo classics are represented here- beef on weck, sausage, fried bologna sandwiches and of course chicken wings. They even brought Poutine in this year to cater to the increased cross-border visitors for Bisons games.
The game itself featured some prospects- mostly for the Red Sox- Aruba's Xander Boegarts, who showed off his glove and bat. It was clear he was going to be someone to watch, and why Boston coveted him so much. The Bisons didn't seem to show up for the game overall- losing 8-1, including a boneheaded play in Center Field by Anthony Gose when he seemed to lose the ball in the lights and two runs scored. Kevin Pillar got the Bisons only RBI.
After the game, they provided the fans with a Bisons Home Run Derby and Fireworks. It was a lot of fun with Luis Jimenez hitting the most dingers into the dark Buffalo sky. Despite the dreadful score in the game, it was a very fun night- and I would go back to Coca Cola Field in a heartbeat.
We capped our trip off with some outlet mall shopping at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls the next morning but heading home.
Next blog.... "Into the Sedona Sun"
Friday, January 17, 2014
Fog Before the Storm
One of these days I am going to write these in succession, and not months apart. But here goes nothing...
Monday, June 10th, 2013
'Twas the morning before the Blue Jays 11 game winning streak- one of the bright spots of an otherwise dismal season that began with such promise and hope. We decided to head downtown for an architectural boat tour, and hopped on board the Chicago Architectural Foundation's cruise- something we had always wanted to do. Perhaps, it was not the best day to go on a cruise, it was slightly foggy already and the drizzle came down as we tried to stay dry.
We had a particularly enthusiastic tour guide, an older lady with big blonde hair in her 60s. She was quite knowledgeable but did not seem to be on her 'A' game, I felt like we did not get the tour guide that everyone had raved about- must have been having an off day, right? She fixated on Aqua, she proclaimed to the heavens numerous times "Look at Aqua" as if the gods were listening to her tell the tale. This building does have a notable fact- it is the tallest building in the world to have a woman as lead architect- Jeanne Gang. It is actually is a pretty nice building, just felt it was being a bit oversold you know?
All kidding aside, the view from the river is great for taking photos of the buildings- especially if you have a decent lens and camera. On the tour is all the greatest hits- the Sears Tower (Sorry Willis Tower ugh), Merchandise Mart, the Civic Opera House, Chicago Board of Trade, Tribune Building, Trump Tower, and my two favorites- 333 Wacker Drive and the Marina City Towers (it was on the cover one of those Wilco albums). I love Chicago's architecture, the diversity of old and modern buildings inspired by every architectural movement of the last 100 years. Such an amazing city to look at- it's exhilarating. Too much? Ok maybe. The tour really was informative, and there is a bar on board for those who want to get wasted watching the world pass you by (yes I ripped that off Depeche Mode).
The Tradition Continues
Much to the annoyance of Andrea and Genevieve, myself, Dave, and Paul have an obsession with throwing the baseball around in parks of cities we visit. We played catch in Baltimore, we did it as Harvard in Boston, and this time was no different. After meeting up with Maya again, we walked around Millennium Park- which may be a bit of tourist trap but it is actually quite nice. It does not have the tackiness of Navy Pier, and the Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) is probably one of the coolest pieces of art you will every see.
We moved over to Grant Park and found a relatively empty section of Grant Park, and starting throwing playing catch while the ladies took a rest on the lawn. I am sure we impressed them with our athletic abilities- being able to throw the ball away from each other and make the other person run after is highly sought after skill. Drives the women wild. The group made one last stop at the Buckingham Fountain for a picture- because well you have to do that.
In a Fog
U.S. Cellular Park is one of the less visually remarkable ballparks in the MLB but it is not without its charms. First of, the food selection is amazing- not quite Miller Park amazing though. It has a good selection of beers and other beverages as well but the food is what really shines here. How great would it be for the Rogers Centre to have elote served on the concourse? For those who don't know what elote is, it's mexican corn on the cob with mayo, spices, and lime or some variation thereof. Surprisingly delicious!
Other than that, the fans at the park are great. Everyone was either really friendly to us or were playfully razzing us. Don't get me wrong, there were a couple of annoying fans, and I swear there is even more fights at the Cell than at Blue Jays games. At least, in my prior experience there has been.
Things got foggy real fast into a less than promising start from staff ace, R.A. Dickey. In the 3rd inning, the umpires delayed the game to the jeers of White Sox fans, who thought it was playable. I am surprised the players could see the ball at all. The delay lasted over an hour, in which the U.S. Cellular sound crew sounded a fog horn numerous times, and played every pun laden weather song they could find. When the fog finally lifted enough to play, they of course played "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash. The Jays were eventually done in by two home runs from Adam "I Hate Baseball" Dunn and lost the game 10-6.
Little did the White Sox know that the next night, that Jose Bautista would tie the game with a homer to take into extra innings, and start the best stretch of the Blue Jays season. A game we listened to over the radio driving through the dark stretches of highway going back to Toronto.
Next blog..."What's that Smell? Mushroom Gravy?"
Monday, June 10th, 2013
'Twas the morning before the Blue Jays 11 game winning streak- one of the bright spots of an otherwise dismal season that began with such promise and hope. We decided to head downtown for an architectural boat tour, and hopped on board the Chicago Architectural Foundation's cruise- something we had always wanted to do. Perhaps, it was not the best day to go on a cruise, it was slightly foggy already and the drizzle came down as we tried to stay dry.
We had a particularly enthusiastic tour guide, an older lady with big blonde hair in her 60s. She was quite knowledgeable but did not seem to be on her 'A' game, I felt like we did not get the tour guide that everyone had raved about- must have been having an off day, right? She fixated on Aqua, she proclaimed to the heavens numerous times "Look at Aqua" as if the gods were listening to her tell the tale. This building does have a notable fact- it is the tallest building in the world to have a woman as lead architect- Jeanne Gang. It is actually is a pretty nice building, just felt it was being a bit oversold you know?
All kidding aside, the view from the river is great for taking photos of the buildings- especially if you have a decent lens and camera. On the tour is all the greatest hits- the Sears Tower (Sorry Willis Tower ugh), Merchandise Mart, the Civic Opera House, Chicago Board of Trade, Tribune Building, Trump Tower, and my two favorites- 333 Wacker Drive and the Marina City Towers (it was on the cover one of those Wilco albums). I love Chicago's architecture, the diversity of old and modern buildings inspired by every architectural movement of the last 100 years. Such an amazing city to look at- it's exhilarating. Too much? Ok maybe. The tour really was informative, and there is a bar on board for those who want to get wasted watching the world pass you by (yes I ripped that off Depeche Mode).
The Tradition Continues
Much to the annoyance of Andrea and Genevieve, myself, Dave, and Paul have an obsession with throwing the baseball around in parks of cities we visit. We played catch in Baltimore, we did it as Harvard in Boston, and this time was no different. After meeting up with Maya again, we walked around Millennium Park- which may be a bit of tourist trap but it is actually quite nice. It does not have the tackiness of Navy Pier, and the Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) is probably one of the coolest pieces of art you will every see.
We moved over to Grant Park and found a relatively empty section of Grant Park, and starting throwing playing catch while the ladies took a rest on the lawn. I am sure we impressed them with our athletic abilities- being able to throw the ball away from each other and make the other person run after is highly sought after skill. Drives the women wild. The group made one last stop at the Buckingham Fountain for a picture- because well you have to do that.
In a Fog
U.S. Cellular Park is one of the less visually remarkable ballparks in the MLB but it is not without its charms. First of, the food selection is amazing- not quite Miller Park amazing though. It has a good selection of beers and other beverages as well but the food is what really shines here. How great would it be for the Rogers Centre to have elote served on the concourse? For those who don't know what elote is, it's mexican corn on the cob with mayo, spices, and lime or some variation thereof. Surprisingly delicious!
Other than that, the fans at the park are great. Everyone was either really friendly to us or were playfully razzing us. Don't get me wrong, there were a couple of annoying fans, and I swear there is even more fights at the Cell than at Blue Jays games. At least, in my prior experience there has been.
Things got foggy real fast into a less than promising start from staff ace, R.A. Dickey. In the 3rd inning, the umpires delayed the game to the jeers of White Sox fans, who thought it was playable. I am surprised the players could see the ball at all. The delay lasted over an hour, in which the U.S. Cellular sound crew sounded a fog horn numerous times, and played every pun laden weather song they could find. When the fog finally lifted enough to play, they of course played "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash. The Jays were eventually done in by two home runs from Adam "I Hate Baseball" Dunn and lost the game 10-6.
Little did the White Sox know that the next night, that Jose Bautista would tie the game with a homer to take into extra innings, and start the best stretch of the Blue Jays season. A game we listened to over the radio driving through the dark stretches of highway going back to Toronto.
Next blog..."What's that Smell? Mushroom Gravy?"
Friday, November 1, 2013
Cubbie Blue Super Arcade Fun Time
Sunday, June 9th, 2013
I have not written in months, so this is yet another postponed post but enjoy...
On the morning, we were on the road again. When we reached Chicago, it was almost game time. We checked in with our hosts- Chris and Stephanie at a place I found on airbnb just a 10 minute walk from Wrigley Field. We also figured out Billy Corgan's old house and the Family Matters house was close by but you can only have so much fun.
Return to Wrigley
This was my fourth time at the Friendly Confines, and it did not disappoint again. Everyone talks about how great Fenway is, sure it has its charm, but I'll take Wrigley over Fenway any day. It is as Dave or Paul called it 'timeless'. If it weren't for the video screens, you would think you were watching a baseball game in any era. Those ivy covered brick walls, where Andre Dawson can get lost (who is also always nude in Dave's mind for some reason), and outfielders legitimately fear for their life. I may be wrong, but I feel like this is where they coined the term- warning track. I know I'm wrong but it sounds right, doesn't it?
Anyways, after loading up at the concession stands on a souvenir pepsi cup, fritos dog, and chili cheese tater tots at The Works Loaded Dog stand- the group of us moved towards our seats. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. I decided to book us terrace infield seats, so we could keep cool and out of the sun but our view of the historic scoreboard was slightly obstructed. Next time, I would move further from home plate if it meant having a clearer view of the field.
The game itself was slow at 1st but picked up. Pirates hurler, Jeff Locke had a no-hitter going for nearly 6 innings but the Cubs finally broke through with it. I already saw Verlander no-hit the Blue Jays a couple years back- didn't need to see my NL team no hit. This would have turned out to be a real ugly no hitter, Locke kept walking people and a Cubs run had already score due to some good base running. Cody Ransom was the Cub of the day scoring the 1st run, and breaking the tie with a 3 run home run. Somehow Kevin 'Greggles' Gregg managed to save the game- something he never seemed to do without giving everyone a heart attack during his time in Toronto!
Before the game was done, I found myself a nacho helmet (they had a chicago dog variety as well), and shared the behemoth with the group. At the end of the game, we had that damn 'Go Cubs Go' stuck in our head as the Cubs were victorious. I felt for the Cubs Store workers as one girl told me they basically had it on a loop for an hour after the game. Brutal. But catchy!
Cubbie Blue
After meandering around Wrigleyville, and checking out sports store, we made our way to Goose Island Brewery. This place is the best! They have beer flights available- so you can sample a few of the beers in smaller portions. The tastiest beer I had was the Cubbie Blue, but the 312 Urban Wheat is also excellent. We hung out on the surprisingly available patio- maybe it was because rain was threatening most of the day but held off. Go here, you won't regret it- touristy or not.
Pizza Night
I tried to warn everyone that two deep dish pizzas were going to be too much, but did they listen? No one ever does. Fairly sure that one small deep dish stuffed pizza can serve a family of 10. We were sitting in the Giordano's at Belmont, and a contingent wanted to have pepperoni or bacon or some other pork product that I could not partake in. So we ordered a small veggie and medium meat pizza, plus all you can eat salad, bread, and pop. Did I mention that we had some beer in the afternoon? Well this was a combination for delicious disaster. I don't think we even finished half the pizza but you know what- who cares, we had fun!
By the way, this is my rank of Chicago deep dish pizza joints (chains anyway): 1. Giordano's, 2. Lou Malnati's, 3. Gino's East (when they aren't taking forever), 4. Pizzeria Uno (but to be fair, I had it at O'Hare Airport- so that doesn't count). Never understood why Chicago Deep Dish has not made its way in Toronto more. There has been like 2 or 3 places in the GTA that has ever made it- and 1 of those is in Hamilton.
Double Door and Pacman
We met my friend Maya near the Double Door in the always great and formerly trendy (maybe still trendy), Wicker Park. Someone Maya knew was playing in a band there, but I think by the time we waddled our pizza filled bodies onto the 'L' train, they were already done. Still had to see the Double Door, had never been in my life.
We traveled into the danker and quirky basement space as the main venue was not being used for a Sunday night show with maybe 50 people at it. I will have to go back there with the main venue in use. Anyways, Maya showed me the billiards room where there were poster upon poster of great and not so great bands from over the years. It was a cool peek into the history of the venue. I don't remember much about the bands we did see play, but they were loud, and maybe trying a little too hard. But we enjoyed the company, and the atmosphere- even randomly dancing with strangers.
Once things winded down, we moved over to the Emporium Arcade Bar to play some classic video games. Maya hit it out of the park by taking us there, it made me hope that Toronto had such a place. This wasn't Dave and Busters or Playdium, this was a legit bar with a great craft beer list and everything from Asteroids to Duck Hunt to Turtles in Time. It was incredible- especially for nerd gangs like us. It was a great end to the night.
Next blog... "Fog Before the Storm"
I have not written in months, so this is yet another postponed post but enjoy...
On the morning, we were on the road again. When we reached Chicago, it was almost game time. We checked in with our hosts- Chris and Stephanie at a place I found on airbnb just a 10 minute walk from Wrigley Field. We also figured out Billy Corgan's old house and the Family Matters house was close by but you can only have so much fun.
Return to Wrigley
This was my fourth time at the Friendly Confines, and it did not disappoint again. Everyone talks about how great Fenway is, sure it has its charm, but I'll take Wrigley over Fenway any day. It is as Dave or Paul called it 'timeless'. If it weren't for the video screens, you would think you were watching a baseball game in any era. Those ivy covered brick walls, where Andre Dawson can get lost (who is also always nude in Dave's mind for some reason), and outfielders legitimately fear for their life. I may be wrong, but I feel like this is where they coined the term- warning track. I know I'm wrong but it sounds right, doesn't it?
Anyways, after loading up at the concession stands on a souvenir pepsi cup, fritos dog, and chili cheese tater tots at The Works Loaded Dog stand- the group of us moved towards our seats. I have to say I was slightly disappointed. I decided to book us terrace infield seats, so we could keep cool and out of the sun but our view of the historic scoreboard was slightly obstructed. Next time, I would move further from home plate if it meant having a clearer view of the field.
The game itself was slow at 1st but picked up. Pirates hurler, Jeff Locke had a no-hitter going for nearly 6 innings but the Cubs finally broke through with it. I already saw Verlander no-hit the Blue Jays a couple years back- didn't need to see my NL team no hit. This would have turned out to be a real ugly no hitter, Locke kept walking people and a Cubs run had already score due to some good base running. Cody Ransom was the Cub of the day scoring the 1st run, and breaking the tie with a 3 run home run. Somehow Kevin 'Greggles' Gregg managed to save the game- something he never seemed to do without giving everyone a heart attack during his time in Toronto!
Before the game was done, I found myself a nacho helmet (they had a chicago dog variety as well), and shared the behemoth with the group. At the end of the game, we had that damn 'Go Cubs Go' stuck in our head as the Cubs were victorious. I felt for the Cubs Store workers as one girl told me they basically had it on a loop for an hour after the game. Brutal. But catchy!
Cubbie Blue
After meandering around Wrigleyville, and checking out sports store, we made our way to Goose Island Brewery. This place is the best! They have beer flights available- so you can sample a few of the beers in smaller portions. The tastiest beer I had was the Cubbie Blue, but the 312 Urban Wheat is also excellent. We hung out on the surprisingly available patio- maybe it was because rain was threatening most of the day but held off. Go here, you won't regret it- touristy or not.
Pizza Night
I tried to warn everyone that two deep dish pizzas were going to be too much, but did they listen? No one ever does. Fairly sure that one small deep dish stuffed pizza can serve a family of 10. We were sitting in the Giordano's at Belmont, and a contingent wanted to have pepperoni or bacon or some other pork product that I could not partake in. So we ordered a small veggie and medium meat pizza, plus all you can eat salad, bread, and pop. Did I mention that we had some beer in the afternoon? Well this was a combination for delicious disaster. I don't think we even finished half the pizza but you know what- who cares, we had fun!
By the way, this is my rank of Chicago deep dish pizza joints (chains anyway): 1. Giordano's, 2. Lou Malnati's, 3. Gino's East (when they aren't taking forever), 4. Pizzeria Uno (but to be fair, I had it at O'Hare Airport- so that doesn't count). Never understood why Chicago Deep Dish has not made its way in Toronto more. There has been like 2 or 3 places in the GTA that has ever made it- and 1 of those is in Hamilton.
Double Door and Pacman
We met my friend Maya near the Double Door in the always great and formerly trendy (maybe still trendy), Wicker Park. Someone Maya knew was playing in a band there, but I think by the time we waddled our pizza filled bodies onto the 'L' train, they were already done. Still had to see the Double Door, had never been in my life.
We traveled into the danker and quirky basement space as the main venue was not being used for a Sunday night show with maybe 50 people at it. I will have to go back there with the main venue in use. Anyways, Maya showed me the billiards room where there were poster upon poster of great and not so great bands from over the years. It was a cool peek into the history of the venue. I don't remember much about the bands we did see play, but they were loud, and maybe trying a little too hard. But we enjoyed the company, and the atmosphere- even randomly dancing with strangers.
Once things winded down, we moved over to the Emporium Arcade Bar to play some classic video games. Maya hit it out of the park by taking us there, it made me hope that Toronto had such a place. This wasn't Dave and Busters or Playdium, this was a legit bar with a great craft beer list and everything from Asteroids to Duck Hunt to Turtles in Time. It was incredible- especially for nerd gangs like us. It was a great end to the night.
Next blog... "Fog Before the Storm"
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Moon Women, Secret Agents, and Cerveceros
Saturday, June 8, 2013
And now the well belated continuation...
After a night of pleasant sleep on the floor of a Holiday Inn Express- it was time to get up. By pleasant, I mean terrible and virtually non-existent but it was my choice to sleep on the floor. Still beat the tent floor in Cooperstown!
With self pity out of the way, and the waves of post road trip showers over- we ventured out to taste America. Paul and Dave were already ready to go to Denny's next door but the ad for the Red, White, Blue breakfast plate gave us a final push in that direction. When an old man in a commercial declares his pancakes to taste like America, how can you not resist?
From what I understand, American tastes like something between disgusting and great. The pancakes were covered with icing of some kind, and were sickly sweet but compelling nonetheless. While everyone else partook of typical Denny's fare, I played spoiler by getting one of their healthier options- a surprisingly good veggie omelet with turkey bacon. This was topped off with all you can drink breakfast Dr. Pepper.
Drunken Visions in the Forest
Upon the advice of a few Milwaukeeans, we headed over to the Miller Brewery tour. The brewery campus is fairly large but the tours start in the gift shop on the West side, something that took us a few minutes to figure out.
On the tour, they start you off with a short film about Miller's long history. The film covers how they bailed out the City of Chicago with booze during the great fire. No doubt something Brewers remind Cubs fans all the time. The movie continues to tell the tale of the 'Girl in the Moon' which is featured on Miller High Life. Apparently, a Miller employee got lost in the forest after a work function and had a vision of the girl in the moon. I translate the story as meaning he got really tanked, stumbled into the forest and started hallucinating. Not as inspiring as a 'vision' though, so I see why they chose the former explanation.
After seeing the inner workings of the plant itself, they took us into the underground caves where Miller used to keep the beer cold in those pre-mass refrigeration days. Then came the best part of the tour- free tastings! These started in their tavern with a generous serving of Miller High Life-which we had to down pretty fast. We chased this with two more samples- I had the excellent 'Canoe Paddler', as well as the watery low calorie offering- Miller 64. Don't try the 64, not worth the calorie savings.
Half intoxicated, except for Dave, who was driving, we stumbled into Downtown Milwaukee. We walked a bit around the core but not enough to truly felt like we really experienced downtown. The canals were beautiful and every patio along the river seem to be calling us. I will have to return again.
We made our way to a nondescript alley to a door labelled 'International Exports', that's when we knew we were at the 'Safe House'. This spy themed restaurant and bar will make sure you work for your entrance if you don't know the password. In our case, we had do the hokey pokey while everyone in the restaurant watched us on camera.
Through the door, the place was full of spy movie memorabilia, posters, and pun filled signs. Once, our waitress starting calling us 'spies' in a silly earnest voice, we realized she could not turn off the shtick intended for kids. It was all in good fun, so we played along. The food was pretty good in the end- Andrea and I split the 'Our Man from Havana'- a Reuben with Caribbean dressing, which still had far too many fries. Overall, a silly but fun experience.
Into the Ballpark
After a pit stop at the hotel, we made it to Miller Park via taxi. Word to the wise, if you want to use your hotel's shuttle, you will likely have to be part of a Brewers hotel package. There is also a ton of bars downtown that offer shuttles- but our hotel was out west- so its a moot point.
Miller Park is a cross between a baseball stadium and an airline hanger, but it definitely works as a dome. It is elements of those retro ballparks but with ultimately a modern feel. An outdoor ballpark that can be covered if necessary. This is in stark contrast to our concrete monstrosity here in Toronto which only feels like a ballpark when the top is popped. Add to that, the food selection and beverage choices were aplenty. I searched for Cheese Fries in a helmet in vein, but I did manage to get deep fried cheese curds, and a hot dog. Andrea grabbed one of the many flavour of baked potatoes- this one of a tex mex variety, and of course a pretzel. There are many more adventurous food choices like a meatball stuffed with spaghetti, deep fried cheesecake, deep fried bacon, and every type of sausage or meat product ever imaginable. They amazingly have vegetarian and kosher options- even though they are rare to find.
At the ballpark, they were celebrating Latin Heritage night, so the Brewers had their latin inspired 'Cerveceros' jerseys on, which personally I would love if the Blue Jays did something similar. Our organization owes a lot to the latin communities, as long as it is done in a respectful manner, and not in a patronizing way that these theme nights can sometimes turn into. The atmosphere was fun at the ballpark, but the whole game had a weird feeling since we had no stake in whichever team won- but we decided to cheer for the Brewers. The home team ended up prevailing 4-3 after the Phillies made a late surge on the back of Dominic Brown.
One Last Dance
One thing I can say is that the ballpark's outdoor parking lot is massive, which caused a lot of headaches getting out of the park via cab. There does not seem to be a whole lot around Miller Park, except you know, highway, so walking anywhere would have gotten us just as far.
Once we got back to the hotel, some of us were tired while others wanted to continue partying. I found myself somewhere in between and we dragged ourselves over to a nearby hotel bar which was seemed to be Jimmy Buffet inspired. It was a weird mix of older women and college age kids, and a really loud, obnoxious R&B cover band. Maybe it's just not my scene, but after a drink, we called it a night, and prepared ourselves for the trip to Chicago.
Next blog, "Cubbie Blue Arcade Super Fun Time"
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Long Drive to Centerfield
Friday, June 7th, 2013
Before the border, everyone has the jitters. There is something utterly irrational about this anxiety, considering we were just on vacation, and had done nothing wrong. By the time our passports had been given the once over, our fears had come true.We were asked to go into the office and are interviewed again by a 2nd border guard. We sat and we waited.
After a long delay staring at business news, suddenly the alarm bells go off and guards run out of the building and converge on a car. It soon becomes clear they will be leaving soon, because the border guards found what they were looking for. From what we gathered, a gang of white men with glasses, or the 'nerd gang' were on the loose wreaking havoc everywhere they went, and we loosely fit that description. Maybe we were stopped because we made the mistake of telling the border guard we would be painting the town red, and he misunderstood. Not quite sure.
After a couple came in with handcuffs and were brought to the 'interview' rooms, we were released shortly thereafter with a 'you can go'.
We drove through Michigan, which seem to stretch on for days, signs for McDonald's, adult video superstores, and of course the occasional abandoned movie house (see: Flint) scattered along the way. By the time, Indiana came it was nightfall, and it was my turn to drive. Everyone was tired by this point, and we ran into a bit of construction, low light, and quick turns in a short span. It was a bit harrowing, but we got through it, even if it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. I should have volunteered to drive a bit during the day, just to get used to it again- it had been months since I had driven. No dents or lost limbs, so we'll put this one in the books as a small victory.
Gary, We Hardly Knew Ye
After all the legends Paul and I had told the group about the city of Gary, most of the group thought we were going to get shot at on the highway. Thankfully, these fears never came true and we made an effort not to stop anywhere in the city. Although the birthplace of the Jackson 5, Gary has a reputation due to its being the murder capital of the U.S. for quite awhile, and its economic strife. I can remember going through Gary on a Greyhound sometime ago, and seeing industrially scarred buildings along the highway, and the downtown looking mostly rundown as we passed through. Needless to say, we made it through Indiana quickly.
Despite my not so great start to my driving, I was now driving straight into Chicago. The skyline at night sparkled and it was a shame that we were not staying in the city until a couple of days later. We drove on through until we needed to make hotel arrangements for that night. We got off the highway, and stopped at a McDonald's in Skokie. It was near the end of the night, and the place was crowded with rowdy High School students, but seemingly only one cashier to take our orders for our late night snack.
After waiting what seemed like longer than our border stop for food, we ate and tried to figure out our next move.The Wi-Fi was fast enough, but Paul couldn't get Hotwire to extend our Saturday stay one way or another. When we called Hotwire directly, the operator seemed like they wanted to get rid of Paul, and suggested he tried and call the Holiday Inn Express directly to see if they could give us an early check-in at 1am. A hotel is not likely to forgo a whole night's worth of money to accommodate an early check-in 13 hours in advance.
Andrea and Genevieve were getting antsy, and did not understand why we couldn't settle the hotel issue on the road, while Dave tried to look up Skokie hotels just in case. Paul finally was able to talk to someone at the Holiday Inn Express, albeit with a patchy phone connection. It seemed that the gentlemen had to put Paul on hold to get the spelling of his name right but that might have just been fatigue talking. We were able to get a room in the hotel but no cot.
Milwaukee Bound
On the road again, we made our way to Milwaukee, and members of the group dozed off one by one. Of course, there was a long detour to our hotel due to construction on the exit off the highway. Just our luck.
Paul, Dave, and I went into the hotel and talked with the front desk attendant, Darrell, who actually turned out to be pretty awesome. Just as we were checking in, a local twenty something drunk staggered into the hotel looking for bars. Darrell assumed he was with us. The drunk in question followed us out to our car, and started asking what we do for a living. Dave remarked that he was an actor and comedian, and which point the man said that Dave was not very funny. He also told us all his past experience with Canadians, which every drunk American has the compulsion to do. Eventually, we were able to shake him and make it to our room, not looking back.
Within minutes of settling in the hotel, Andrea opened the bathroom door, and the mirror on it dropped to the ground and cracked. We hoped this would not be an omen of things to come...
Next blog, "Moon Women, Secret Agents, and Cerveceros"
Before the border, everyone has the jitters. There is something utterly irrational about this anxiety, considering we were just on vacation, and had done nothing wrong. By the time our passports had been given the once over, our fears had come true.We were asked to go into the office and are interviewed again by a 2nd border guard. We sat and we waited.
After a long delay staring at business news, suddenly the alarm bells go off and guards run out of the building and converge on a car. It soon becomes clear they will be leaving soon, because the border guards found what they were looking for. From what we gathered, a gang of white men with glasses, or the 'nerd gang' were on the loose wreaking havoc everywhere they went, and we loosely fit that description. Maybe we were stopped because we made the mistake of telling the border guard we would be painting the town red, and he misunderstood. Not quite sure.
After a couple came in with handcuffs and were brought to the 'interview' rooms, we were released shortly thereafter with a 'you can go'.
We drove through Michigan, which seem to stretch on for days, signs for McDonald's, adult video superstores, and of course the occasional abandoned movie house (see: Flint) scattered along the way. By the time, Indiana came it was nightfall, and it was my turn to drive. Everyone was tired by this point, and we ran into a bit of construction, low light, and quick turns in a short span. It was a bit harrowing, but we got through it, even if it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. I should have volunteered to drive a bit during the day, just to get used to it again- it had been months since I had driven. No dents or lost limbs, so we'll put this one in the books as a small victory.
Gary, We Hardly Knew Ye
After all the legends Paul and I had told the group about the city of Gary, most of the group thought we were going to get shot at on the highway. Thankfully, these fears never came true and we made an effort not to stop anywhere in the city. Although the birthplace of the Jackson 5, Gary has a reputation due to its being the murder capital of the U.S. for quite awhile, and its economic strife. I can remember going through Gary on a Greyhound sometime ago, and seeing industrially scarred buildings along the highway, and the downtown looking mostly rundown as we passed through. Needless to say, we made it through Indiana quickly.
Despite my not so great start to my driving, I was now driving straight into Chicago. The skyline at night sparkled and it was a shame that we were not staying in the city until a couple of days later. We drove on through until we needed to make hotel arrangements for that night. We got off the highway, and stopped at a McDonald's in Skokie. It was near the end of the night, and the place was crowded with rowdy High School students, but seemingly only one cashier to take our orders for our late night snack.
After waiting what seemed like longer than our border stop for food, we ate and tried to figure out our next move.The Wi-Fi was fast enough, but Paul couldn't get Hotwire to extend our Saturday stay one way or another. When we called Hotwire directly, the operator seemed like they wanted to get rid of Paul, and suggested he tried and call the Holiday Inn Express directly to see if they could give us an early check-in at 1am. A hotel is not likely to forgo a whole night's worth of money to accommodate an early check-in 13 hours in advance.
Andrea and Genevieve were getting antsy, and did not understand why we couldn't settle the hotel issue on the road, while Dave tried to look up Skokie hotels just in case. Paul finally was able to talk to someone at the Holiday Inn Express, albeit with a patchy phone connection. It seemed that the gentlemen had to put Paul on hold to get the spelling of his name right but that might have just been fatigue talking. We were able to get a room in the hotel but no cot.
Milwaukee Bound
On the road again, we made our way to Milwaukee, and members of the group dozed off one by one. Of course, there was a long detour to our hotel due to construction on the exit off the highway. Just our luck.
Paul, Dave, and I went into the hotel and talked with the front desk attendant, Darrell, who actually turned out to be pretty awesome. Just as we were checking in, a local twenty something drunk staggered into the hotel looking for bars. Darrell assumed he was with us. The drunk in question followed us out to our car, and started asking what we do for a living. Dave remarked that he was an actor and comedian, and which point the man said that Dave was not very funny. He also told us all his past experience with Canadians, which every drunk American has the compulsion to do. Eventually, we were able to shake him and make it to our room, not looking back.
Within minutes of settling in the hotel, Andrea opened the bathroom door, and the mirror on it dropped to the ground and cracked. We hoped this would not be an omen of things to come...
Next blog, "Moon Women, Secret Agents, and Cerveceros"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)