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Observations from the road: The “prairie” edition

Published by DJB

Having been warned that we will lose cell and online coverage as we enter the mountains portion of our trip over the next couple of days, I’m writing my next set of “Observations from the road: The prairie edition” from my outpost here on the front porch of the historic Fort Peck Hotel in Fort Peck, Montana. (The beautiful and flat part of Montana, as their website describes it.) You can catch earlier parts of the “Observations” series here (the Central Time edition) and here (essentially the Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana edition).

Fort Peck Hotel Facade — Fort Peck Hotel, Montana

Fort Peck dam was built in the 1930s as a WPA project, and this building was originally constructed to house the workers. It was converted into a hotel in the 1930s, and has served sportsmen, patrons of the Fort Peck Summer Theatre Playhouse, and wayward travelers like Claire and me ever since. The rooms are small and simple but the lobby (where I wrote last evening’s post) is down home and friendly with a well-stocked bar. The only disappointment was that the dining room doesn’t serve dinner on Thursday evenings. Essentially — for those of you old enough to remember — think of us staying at the Shady Rest Hotel in Petticoat Junction…but with a Montana theme. Claire was marveling at the size of the moose head on the wall.

As always with these observations, take them or leave them (or don’t even read them). You’ve been warned.

Lewis and Clark slept here — We have been traveling through Lewis and Clark country, and as a result I’ve had the chance to discuss our country’s relationship with Native Americans with Claire. We stopped at the excellent Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Fort Mandan yesterday, thanks to the recommendation of my colleague Barb Pahl. They have done an excellent job with the museum, and the interpreters are very upfront about the limitations of the reconstructed fort (shown above). But you certainly can begin to understand the hardships faced by Lewis and Clark and their men as they endured their first prairie winter. Claire noted, as we were touring the exhibits, how much the perspective of the people who have assembled the exhibit and tell the story plays into our understanding. Bingo! This is one of the first things all historians and preservationists must learn, if we are to truly capture the richness and layers of history in this country.

You don’t begin to understand the devastating impact of our country’s insatiable thirst for energy until you have driven through the northern parts of North Dakota and Montana — We headed north from Bismarck up to Minot (pronounced MY-not by the natives, although the internet will give you three or four different options), and then west on Route 2. Barb had warned me that this was the “industrialized” section of North Dakota, and man was she right. The oil and gas boom has turned this landscape upside down, with heavy trucks jockeying for position on highways that shouldn’t have cars on them for miles. About every ten miles there is a “camp” made up of trailers and manufactured housing – some of it stacked on top of each other – for the workers. North Dakota public radio had a report the other day about the worker shortage in the state, due to the boom, and I believe it. We passed under a pipeline that spanned a four-lane highway, saw more oil rigs than I’ve seen since driving through Texas, and basically saw that we, as a country, have sacrificed this haunting and beautiful landscape so that we can waste energy at amounts unseen in human history. Unlike West Virginia, where they hide the raping of the mountains for coal off the main roadways, there is no place to hide it in a landscape where you can see for miles. We did pass through one large wind turbine farm, and while the impact on the landscape there was certainly visible, when put into the context against the extractive industries, I’ll take the wind turbines every time. Claire talked about her readings and discussions in her environmental class at school, and noted that we will always need some coal, which I understand. But I shudder to think what the rest of our country could look like if northern North Dakota is the future of the oil and gas industries.

Thank God for the sunflower fields — North Dakota (and to a lesser extent the part of Montana we’ve been through) has an extraordinary agricultural landscape. All you have to do is look out the window (or listen to the agricultural reports on public radio) to understand that this is big business in this state. Without getting into the impacts of “Big Farming” – which is certainly evident here — the fields of wheat, corn, and other crops are stunning in their beauty. And none more so than the fields of sunflowers.

The first sunflower field we passed by almost caused us to wreck the car, as we gawked at the endless view of these distinctive beauties. After the tenth one, we decided we had to get a picture. So somewhere between Bismarck and Minot we pulled off the road so Claire could capture the scene at the top of the post. The rural postman came by as she was taking the picture, and told her that the heads turned to face the sun, which explains why all the fields on our side of the road (going north) were facing east yesterday morning. He also said that in another week or so, this field would be a total mass of yellow. We Googled sunflowers in North Dakota when Claire got back in the car, and found out this was a crop for the seeds — with some plants yielding up to 1,000 seeds. So the next time you see a baseball player spit out sunflower seeds, think of this picture and the North Dakota farmers who grow them. As a Southerner now living on the east coast, I’ve never seen such a sight.

You can find Nats fans all across the country — When I first started wearing my Nationals hat several years ago, I would often get strange looks. Today, Nats fans are everywhere – including the Big Time Bistro in Minot, North Dakota. Claire and I walked into this historic downtown eatery (remember, we have a “no chains” policy on eating), sat at the bar (because all the tables were filled), and looked up to see the cook working next to us wearing a Nats cap. We struck up a conversation, and it turns out he is a Nats (and Redskins, and Capitals) fan from Virginia Beach, who is in Minot to be with his brother, sister-in-law, and his niece and nephew. By the way — did you see that Bryce Harper finally got his home run stroke back yesterday, with a walk-off in the 13th no less?! Go Nats!

That’s enough for today. I have to go and see if Claire is awake so we can hit the road. We have 5+ hours ahead of us as we land tonight at the foot of Glacier National Park. I’m not sure when you’ll hear from us next, but we’ll be certain to keep the memories and pictures coming…just on a time delayed basis.

More to come…

DJB

Image: Field of sunflowers (by Claire Holsey Brown)

A jewel on the prairie

Published by DJB

Some of the most amazing finds on the road occur in the most unlikely places.

When my colleague Jenny Buddenborg learned I was traveling cross-country with Claire – and taking in North Dakota in the process – she directed me to one of America’s hidden gems: a college campus in Bismarck, North Dakota designed by Marcel Breuer, one of the masters of Modernism.

The University of Mary is a small, Catholic school located on rolling hills about 7 miles outside of Bismarck. The university’s website picks up the story from here:

In the 1950’s, when the Benedictine Sisters of the Annunciation founded their original priory and later planned for the first campus buildings for Mary College, they asked Breuer if he would create the architectural designs. To their delight he accepted and conceived expansive structures of native prairie stone and exquisite concrete shapes, notable for their interplay of light and shadow.

Breuer called it his “jewel on the prairie.” After an hour touring the campus this morning, I wouldn’t disagree.

Thanks to Jenny and the good efforts of Amy Sakariassen, Elizabeth Gross, and Neal Kalberer of Bismarck, I met Jerry Anderson at the foot of the beautiful Breuer-designed bell-tower this morning for an hour’s tour of the campus. Jerry has worked at the university for more than 25 years and brings a design eye to his tours of the Breuer buildings. He was able to explain the design philosophy behind the campus, and also added fascinating details (such as the fact that Breuer placed the cut-out cross in the bell tower so that at noon on Christmas Day the sun shone through and placed a cross at the door of the main chapel).

We began our tour in the main chapel. The impact is immediate and stunning.

The native fieldstone that Breuer employs throughout the campus is painted white on the walls of the chapel. The beautiful stained glass on the right, as you look at the altar, captures the rose colors of the morning sun…

University of Mary chapel window for morning sun

While the opposite window captures the golden glow in the afternoon.

University of Mary chapel window for afternoon sun

Everywhere one looked, Breuer created spaces with wonderful light and shadows that brought the outdoors into the building and framed the wonderful natural vistas available on campus.

Interplay of Exterior and Interior at the University of Mary

University of Mary facade of Breuer building

The tour had to end much too soon, so we could get on the road. But in a short hour, I came away incredibly impressed with the vision – of both the Sisters and Marcel Breuer – which is maintained to this day.

Thank you Jenny, Amy, Elizabeth, Neal, and Jerry. A fabulous way to end our time in North Dakota…with a jewel of the prairie.

More to come…
DJB

Observations From the Road (The “Central Time” Edition)

Published by DJB

Claire and I were driving through the heart of Central Minnesota today when the Pokey LaFarge paean to Middle America – Central Time – popped up on the iPhone playlist.

Yet another omen!

The Missouri is my right arm, the Ohio is my left

But I’m livin’ on the Mississippi River where I like life the best

I don’t mind the west coast, and I don’t mind the east coast

Oh, baby, but I ain’t gonna live on no coast.

I’m just a plain ole Midwestern boy,

Getting by on Central time

So thanks to Pokey’s reminder, here are a few (more) observations from the road – in the Central Time edition.

Some oddities really are worth seeing – We went an hour out of our way today to see the largest ball of twine rolled by one person, and it was SO worth it. As the great post on the Roadside America blog puts it, “One runs across more than a few balls on the obsession landscape…But special tribute must be paid to the Mother of the moss gathering pursuits – the giant twine ball.”

We left Minneapolis in a fever (to paraphrase the great Johnny Cash) in anticipation of our trip to Darwin, Minnesota. At this point, I’m going to turn it back to Roadside America:

Francis A. Johnson was a quiet man who spent his entire life in Meeker County (His dad, Magnus Johnson, was briefly a U.S. Senator from Minnesota). For reasons that are lost to time Francis began rolling a ball of twine in his basement in 1950. Francis rolled twine four hours a day, every day. He eventually moved the ball onto his front lawn and used railroad jacks to ensure proper wrapping; Johnson cared as much about his ball’s roundness as its diameter. For 29 years this magnificent sphere evolved at Johnson’s farm, and he eventually built a circular open air shed to protect it from the elements.

Johnson didn’t stop until 1979. By then his ball weighed almost 9 tons and was 12 feet wide. He died of emphysema, and the town figured that nearly thirty years of twine dust killed him. But Darwin was also proud of Johnson, and somehow rolled his big ball next to the water tower. It’s known as “World’s Largest Twine Ball Rolled By One Man” because a rival twine ball in Cawker City, Kansas, is regularly added-to by visitors and townspeople. Darwin feels that this is cheating.

While the “Twine Ball Museum” was closed, the ball itself is fully accessible. We spent a good 15 minutes checking it out and taking photos. I suggested the hashtag #perseverance to Claire, but she used “Look what I did” #justkidding instead.

If you are near Minneapolis, DO THIS! Your life will otherwise not be complete.

Candice makes the best trail mix. Period. – When we left on Friday, Candice sent us off with lunch and two big bags of homemade trail mix. One-third of the way through the trip, we are still working on the first bag. Today – with seven hours in the car – was especially hard on the supply, but this wonderful mix has remained fresh. Thank you, my darling, for providing for us in such a tasty way!

Too many places to see, not enough time to stop (round two) – As I mentioned in the first edition of these observations, there are way too many places to stop and see given the time allotted for this trip. Today’s candidates in the “We know you are there, but we just couldn’t stop” category include the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, ND; the Kensington Runestone in Alexandria, MN; the Sinclair Lewis Interpretive Center Museum in Sauk Centre, MN; the Grumpy Old Men Movie Town in Wabasha, MN; and the world’s largest buffalo in Jamestown, ND.

When you are in a car with your daughter for eight hours a day, you’d best be ready to talk about anything – During our time in the Central time zone (since last Saturday), we’ve discussed life after college, dysfunctional families, relationships and love, living in the present, why neither one of us can do a decent pull-up, reasons to cut back on sugar, Ebola, immigration, what it means to be the level-headed one among the siblings, and good names for bands. On that last one, we decided that one of the best names we’ve seen pop up on our various playlists is The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (on Claire’s playlist), while one of the best album names is the Tim O’Brien/Darrell Scott album We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This (on David’s playlist). And speaking of sugar, I’ve stopped adding it to my coffee on this trip – at Claire’s suggestion.

Google Maps need some work – I have planned this trip based in part on the times Google Maps told me it would take to get from Point A to Point B. The only problem is, those times are only accurate if you never stop for a bio break, gas, or lunch. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to manage that feat. We couldn’t get to Bismarck in time this evening to make our planned visit to the Marcel Breuer-designed University of Mary. We’ll work it in tomorrow, but it is frustrating to think you have all the angles covered, only to have it pointed out to you (again) that you really have no control over anything.

Always ask the server for a recommendation on the local beer – Claire and I are trying out craft beers along the way. So when we get to a restaurant – as we did today at the Broadway Bistro in the heart of historic downtown Alexandria, Minnesota – we ask for a recommendation for a regional I.P.A. or something with “some hops” that we could split. So far, we’ve never been disappointed. Today, the chef/owner – Matthew Jensen – recommended Bells’ Smitten Golden Rye Ale, and it was wonderful. Plus we had salads (and are feeling somewhat healthy again).

Claire is a wonderful, sensitive, and thoughtful individual – which, of course, I knew in the Eastern time zone before I left on this trip. But I just wanted to say it again today. She is one in a million.

Tomorrow we continue to cross North Dakota (Motto: We have way more bales of hay than people!) and enter into Montana and the Mountain time zone. So let’s turn to Pokey again to take us out on Central Time.

Enjoy.

More to come…

DJB

With Liz and Dave at the Twins game 08 05 14

Main Street, baseball, and rhubarb crisp (?)

Published by DJB

Main Streets and baseball. What could be more American? More importantly, can you have a bad day when these two things converge? Not in my book. But how did the rhubarb crisp replace apple pie? Well, you’ll just have to read on to find out.

We began our first Tuesday – Day 5 on the Not All Who Wander Are Lost cross-country tour – in tiny Spring Green, Wisconsin. For a town of 1400 (I love town signs that post the population), Spring Green had much to offer. The downtown has a variety of interesting shops and services, and my friend Oakley Pearson – who drives through this area each year on his way home to Minnesota – recommended the Spring Green General Store for breakfast. Claire and I took him up on that recommendation, and after a great bowl of oatmeal (see, we can eat healthy food), we’re glad we did. Business was hopping with a great mix of patrons. I stopped by one table to tell the guy wearing the 1952 Vincent Black Lightning t-shirt that I was glad to see a Richard Thompson fan here in Spring Green. When he looked at me quizzically, I quickly said, “Oh, you must like the Del McCoury version” to which he replied enthusiastically, “Yes! Del McCoury!”

Suitably fortified, we hit the road to Minneapolis – but sticking to the back roads and the small town Main Streets along the way. We passed through Viroqua – a Wisconsin Main Street community – and we crossed the Mississippi at La Crosse, a winner of the 2002 Great American Main Street award. Oakley had suggested we take the river road up the Minnesota side, and so we drove through the fantastic Main Street along the river’s edge at Winona, and stopped for lunch in the thriving Main Street community of Red Wing.

The St. James Hotel (pictured above) is a Historic Hotel of America, but we had our sights set on another Red Wing institution – Bev’s Cafe.

As Claire declared at the end of another satisfying meal, “The rhubarb crisp (with ice cream, of course) at Bev’s makes any stop in Red Wing worthwhile.” Amen. Amen! Amen!! Can I have an Amen!?!

Oh, and did I mention that we passed through the town where water skiing was invented (Lake City, MN) and the birthplace of ski jumping (Red Wing)?

We ended our day in Minneapolis – tired but satisfied. And yet, another adventure awaited us. One of my former assistants and a dear friend – Liz Welsh McGonagle and her husband Dave – joined Claire and me for a night of Minnesota Twins baseball at Target Field. On my scorecard, where it asks for the weather at first pitch, I simply wrote “Perfect!”

The hometown Twins – in front of almost 35,000 fans – played smart baseball and beat the Padres 3-1 in a crisp game (especially by American League standards). Kennys Vargas hit his first major league home run for the Twins, and it just happened to be the game winner. Along the way it was great to catch up with Liz and Dave, and it was also terrific to check another ballpark off my bucket list.

This was also a landmark day for Claire. Earlier in the day she texted her friend Kyra to ask about fried cheese curds. Kyra replied, “They are like mozzarella sticks, only better.” So tonight, Claire got some at the ball park, for the first time.

Here’s the text exchange between Claire and Kyra that followed:

Claire: My life has been forever changed!
Kyra: You can now divide your life into two parts: pre-cheese curds and post-cheese curds.

I will say that the stadium is wonderful – a great place to watch a ballgame. While I still prefer the Nationals scoreboard for detail, the information at Target Field was an improvement over Cleveland’s Progressive Field scoreboard. But the mascot race was lame. They were too nice. (Imagine that, in Minnesota Nice.) Heck, at National’s Park Abe Lincoln would have cleaned the clock of Wanda the walleye well before she reached the finish line.

So I’m down to an even dozen! Woo hoo!! For those keeping score, here’s the ballparks visited list:

Atlanta Braves – Fulton County Stadium (multiple visits in 1980s; still need to visit Turner Field before they tear it down, but this counts given my rules)
Baltimore Orioles – Camden Yards (multiple visits in 1990s and 2000s)
Boston Red Sox – Fenway Park (1988)
Chicago Cubs – Wrigley Field (1964, 2007, 2012)
Chicago White Sox – US Cellular Field (2013)
Cleveland Indians – Progressive Field (2014)
Colorado Rockies – Coors Field (2008, 2013)
Kansas City Royals – Kauffman Stadium (2009)
Milwaukee Brewers – Miller Park (2005)
Minnesota Twins – Target Field (2014)
Oakland A’s – Oakland Coliseum (2008)
Philadelphia Phillies – Citizens Bank Park (2008)
Pittsburgh Pirates – PNC Park (2013)
San Francisco Giants – AT&T Park (2012)
Seattle Mariners – Safeco Field (2009)
St. Louis Cardinals – Busch Stadium (old – 1993; new – 2012)
Tampa Bay Rays – Tropicana Field (2012)
Washington Nationals – RFK (multiple times) and Nationals Park (multiple times + part of a season ticket group since 2012)

And here are the ballparks remaining to visit list:

Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field
Cincinnati Reds – Great American Ball Park
Detroit Tigers – Comerica Park (Another park I’ve seen but haven’t made a game.)
Houston Astros- Minute Maid Park
Los Angeles Angels – Angel Stadium
Los Angeles Dodgers – Dodger Stadium (This is the only park that a family member – Claire – has seen before I have had the opportunity. That’s just not fair!)
Miami Marlins – Marlins Park
New York Mets – Citi Field (I think this is an easy one to do, but it never works out.)
New York Yankees – Yankee Stadium (I know – how can I not have made it to Yankee stadium yet?! Just goes to show I’ve never been a big Yankees fan)
San Diego Padres – Petco Park
Texas Rangers – Texas Stadium
Toronto Blue Jays – Rogers Centre

That’s it for the ballparks on this trip, but it was great to share my passion with Claire and with Liz and Dave.

On Wednesday, we’re off to see the world’s largest ball of twine (rolled by one person). Be still my heart!

More to come…

DJB

A remarkable afternoon at Taliesin

Published by DJB

Some days on the road are magical.

Yesterday — spent at Frank Lloyd Wright‘s Taliesin — was one such afternoon.

DJB with Effi and Floyd at Taliesin 08 04 14

Our cross-country road trip includes a couple of places that are clearly what one could tag as a busman’s holiday. Thanks to the generous offer of my good friend Jeff Grip of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Claire and I were met at Taliesin – Wright’s Spring Green, Wisconsin, home – by Effi Casey, a member of the Taliesin Fellowship; a graduate of the architecture school at Taliesin; the widow of the long-time dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, Tom Casey; and an accomplished violinist who serves as the Director of Music at the school. We were also joined for the afternoon by Floyd Hamblen, a member of the Taliesin Fellowship who serves on the faculty of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, is a practicing architect, and lives year-round with his family at Taliesin. I’m pictured with the two of them inside Effi’s home on the grounds, known locally as the Engineer’s House. We were later joined in the main house by Victor Sidy, the current dean of the School of Architecture.

Having the opportunity to be with three such accomplished, yet humble, individuals who wanted nothing more than to ensure that we had the chance to see and understand Wright’s vision of Taliesin made a lasting impression on both of us. As we drove off more than three hours later, my lovely Claire said, “Dad, they even talked to me throughout the afternoon, and they were interested in what I was doing, not just in talking preservation with you. But what they had to say about Taliesin was so interesting, I loved it.” Effi, Floyd, and Victor all were so gracious with their time, knowledge, and perspectives. When we first sat down in the dining hall of the studio building, Effi began by saying, “I read your recent posts on the future of preservation, and I like where you are going with those writings. So much of preservation is stuck in the past, but your emphasis on people in preservation and the thought that the ‘period of significance is now’ rings true.” That was just the start of an afternoon of thoughtful conversation.

For the uninitiated, here is a short history lesson on Taliesin, taken from the website:

“Taliesin was the home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. He first designed the home for himself in 1911. From that time until his death in 1959, Wright continuously changed the home and the surrounding landscape, which included buildings that he had designed for his family.

At the time of Frank Lloyd Wright’s death, “Taliesin” referred to the home, the surrounding 600-acre estate, and 4 other Frank Lloyd Wright-designed structures.“

Having heard of Taliesin for years, visiting this iconic National Historic Landmark that has a thriving present and a future as visionary as its past was more than just a bucket list check-off while on a cross-country trip. Understanding the philosophy behind Taliesin’s educational purpose and preservation, and then seeing it in practice, has already started wheels turning in my head about work we do at the National Trust, both at our historic sites and with our National Treasure campaigns. But I won’t go into that here, other than to say I love how the stewards of this place are all working – through their own understandings of the way forward – to continue its use as a thriving, alive, and purposeful place for the future.

Those who tour Taliesin are not allowed to take interior photographs, and out of respect for that policy I have only posted two interior photos – the one above in the Engineer’s House and one below taken by Floyd Hamblen of Claire and me in the living room of the main house at Taliesin. There are plenty of interior views online for the curious. In addition, it was a gray, windy, and occasionally rainy afternoon, so these are photos best understood in that light.

We began our tour at Hillside, where one finds the drafting studios, the dining hall, and the theatre. (If you are lucky enough to be in the Spring Green area this Sunday, get a ticket to hear the Brahms Requiem that Effi has organized in the beautiful theatre space.)

The Drafting Studio at Hillside at Taliesin

After a wonderful tour of the theatre, drafting studio, and dining hall, we drove up to the Engineer’s House – where Effi opened her home to us – and we also toured the recently restored Tan-Y-Deri. Wright’s “Romeo and Juliet Windmill” makes for a unique rural backdrop to these two homes.

Claire and Effi head to the Engineer's House at Taliesin

Finally, we ended our day at the main house. When Wright designed his own home, he gave it the Welsh name Taliesin, meaning “shining brow.” Frank Lloyd Wright placed Taliesin on the brow of a hill, leaving the crown, or top, open – as you can see in the next two pictures.

Entranceway to the house at Taliesin 08 04 14

We toured throughout the main house, seeing the variety of preservation projects underway.

And finally, we ended on the brow of the hill, looking at the exterior – and the view.

There is so much more to see and say…but this will have to do in whetting your appetite. Taliesin is about 3 1/2 hours from Chicago and less than an hour from Madison. Don’t wait as long as I did to see it.

Thanks again to Jeff, Effi, Floyd, Victor, Taliesin Preservation, Inc., the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture – and everyone who helps this wonderful place stay fresh and alive.

More to come…

DJB

You Want Nutrition, Eat Carrots!

Published by DJB

Here we were, just two unsuspecting East Coast types, stopping off in Madison, Wisconsin, for a short two-hour visit with Claire’s college friend Kyra and her father Dennis, followed by lunch along State Street. Why we even went for a hike on the beautiful trail around Lake Mendota off the Union Terrace.

We were feeling very righteous.

Then, we met Ian’s By the Slice Pizza. And Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. And tonight in Spring Green, we met Phil and his wonderful selection of local beers at Arcadia Books cafe.

Oh. My. Goodness.

These folks put cheese on ANYTHING. Claire, of course, had to try the Mac and Cheese pizza. As she noted, it was ONLY one slice…but it was a slice of pizza WITH pasta on top.

Then we ran into the Serious $&@! – you don’t believe me, just check out the sign below.

We can’t say we weren’t warned.

And here at Arcadia Books – a wonderful book store/cafe in Spring Green – I’m working on a Moon Man Pale Ale from New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin, while Claire is sipping on a Lake Louie I.P.A. Phil is the man to make the recommendations, which are perfect after a long and satisfying tour of Taliesin. That will be a separate post, but we’re living large here in Wisconsin (in more ways than one).

From the road in the heartland.

More to come…

DJB

From the silly to the sublime

Published by DJB

Today we played tourist in Chicago – a great city with way too much to see in one lifetime, let alone one day.

Work takes me to Chicago three or four times a year, so with the exception of a 90-minute architectural tour taken by boat on the Chicago River – something everyone should do once (or more) in their lives – I turned Sunday over to Claire’s interests.

We left Aunt Susan and Cousin Zoe’s home in Evanston and took the CTA ‘L’ train into the city. When we stepped out from the below-ground station at Lake, Claire started looking around and said, “This feels like New York.” What she meant as a first time visitor was that the crush of people, the canyon walls of buildings, and the energy felt like a big city. The pep in her step was quickly evident, as we headed out to Millennium Park.

Why Millennium Park? Because what self-respecting tourist to Chicago these days doesn’t want to take a selfie at Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (or – as everyone knows it, The Bean.) Mission accomplished!

Claire also wanted to go on the famous Ferris Wheel at the Navy Pier – the same Navy Pier where her grandfather – my father – was stationed during WWII. So away we went! Hope you enjoy Claire’s panoramic view taken as we were near the top.

After a quick Chicago dog for me and a vegetarian “Green Bay” dog for Claire (she wanted the extra cheese), we headed over to meet up with Susan and take the wonderful Chicago Architectural Foundation river tour. This is something I never tire of, and even though we had to dodge (or not) raindrops off and on for the 90 minutes, it was still a treat. I will spare you the 92 pictures I took, and will limit myself to three, beginning with Bertrand Goldberg’s iconic Marina City – in memory of the recently demolished Prentice Women’s Hospital, also by Goldberg.

Next, I loved seeing Jeanne Gang‘s wonderful Aqua Tower from the river, with the unique terraces and glass creating the illusion of water flowing. As one of the best and brightest of the more recent additions to Chicago’s skyline, this was a treat to see from a different angle.

Every time I take this tour, I see new buildings that have been built in recent years. But I also enjoy the views of old friends like the Tribune Tower.

After a stop in the Chicago Bridgehouse Museum (recommended), we boarded the ‘L’ back for Evanston and a quick change into dry clothes, before heading out to carbo load at Walker Brothers – the original Pancake House. My oh my…how wonderful!

Susan, Zoe, Claire and I then headed up to the beautiful Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette for the last stop of the day, as the daylight was fading. Previously, I had only driven by this marvelous structure – the oldest surviving Bahá’í House of Worship in the world, and the only one in North America. So it was a treat to step into the visitors center and learn about how this structure was built, and then to tour both outside and inside (where photos are not allowed). Magnificent. This is a place that makes you feel like a house of worship should make you feel.

It has been a wonderful 24 hours with family we see much too infrequently. Thank you, Susan and Zoe, for your wonderful hospitality. While we started the day on a silly note, you certainly took us to a sublime ending.

More to come…

DJB

Image: Inside Cloud Gate by Claire Holsey Brown

Observations from the road: First edition

Published by DJB

With Kathleen Crowther in Shaker Heights

John Kennedy once famously observed that Washington, DC, was a city with “Southern efficiency and Northern charm.” As a native Southerner, I believe that the geniuses who run the Ohio Turnpike will give those of us from the South a run for our money when it comes to inefficiency!

But hold that thought…I am getting ahead of myself.

On past travels chronicled on More to Come… I have taken short observations that don’t deserve full blog posts (some might say they shouldn’t be uttered in any forum) and strung them together as Observations from the Road. I can already tell, after two days, that there will be a number of these on our cross-country trip. So here I go with the first edition. Read on at your own discretion…you’ve been warned.

Wondering about the origin of words and phrases ain’t what it use to be – While driving through Pennsylvania yesterday, Claire asked “Where did the term ‘Bucket List’ originate?”

Years ago, when you had a question where you weren’t absolutely certain of the answer, we would have kicked around a number of theories and probably passed a good hour in conversation making (mostly) uneducated guesses. But our minds would have been stretched a bit. Now, after I replied that it referred to things you want to do before you die – or “Kick the Bucket” – she wanted to know the origins of that term. And not waiting for me to answer, she picked up her iPhone and Googled it. The common meaning refers to execution by hanging, when the poor soul who was about to lose his or her life stood on a bucket while the noose was slipped around the neck. When it was time to do the deed, the bucket was kicked out from under the feet. Of course, on the upside, instead of speculating on the origins of kicking the bucket, we spent some time thinking about what should be on a bucket list.

I write about this because we’ve already had a number of these conversations – including at least one with our hosts last evening, Herb and Kathleen Crowther – where we ended the conversation with “Oh, we’ll Google it.” Examples include, “How did the term “‘tater” come to mean a home run in baseball?” (Answer, according to Wikipedia’s Glossary of Baseball – “The term started to appear in the 1970s, specifically as “long tater”. The ball itself has been known as a “potato” or “tater” for generations. A long ball is thus a “long tater”, shortened to just “tater” for this specific meaning.”)

Sometimes I miss the speculation aspect of conversation.

You really get to know people when you relax with them in their homes – I’ve known and worked with Kathleen Crowther (pictured above), the incredibly talented President of the Cleveland Restoration Society, at least since the early 1990s. Her husband, Herb, has joined her at many an event with the National Trust. But until Claire and I had a beer with them on their wonderful front porch in Shaker Heights, toured the neighborhood, and enjoyed a bountiful breakfast together before hitting the road this morning, I didn’t “know” Kathleen and Herb. Outside of our work, we found many common interests and Herb has a number of professional and personal pursuits that parallel things I’ve been working on myself. I’ve been reminded of this truism in the past when I spent time in the homes of colleagues Myrick Howard, Mark McDonald, Paul Edmondson, and many other folks too numerous to mention. Professional life is such a narrow slice of who we are – and it was great to be reminded of that again. Thanks to Kathleen and Herb for your wonderful hospitality!

Comments you want to hear from your daughter (#1) – As we were listening to the Dixie Chicks sing Tortured, Tangled Hearts, Claire opined that “One sure way to have a relationship fall apart is to put the guy’s name on you as a tattoo.” Amen. Amen. Amen! Can I have an Amen! For those who don’t know the song, here’s the first verse:

Well there was a little falter at the altar of confession
Down on its knees true love did fall
After 31 days of sleepless nights, she woke up to end it all
With “I love you” on a fresh tattoo engraved upon his chest
She tore her name right off his heart
So here’s to the unblessed

And I promise that will be the last Dixie Chicks reference this trip!

And the winner of “Best placement for a billboard is…” – Claire and I were driving through Gary, Indiana today when we nearly ran off the road. With the factory bellowing smoke in the background, some enterprising attorney had strategically placed a billboard offering help with Cancer Lawsuits! Claire’s hashtag, I believe, was #wellplayed.

Too many things to see, not enough time to stop – This country has too many things of interest to see – even when you’ve allotted three weeks to wander cross-country. Among the places we passed on the road today that screamed out for a visit, but wouldn’t fit in the schedule: the Recreational Vehicle/Manufactured Housing (RV/MH for those in the know) Hall of Fame and Museum in Elkhart, Indiana, dedicated to the pioneers of the “industry”; and the Duct Tape Capital of the World in Avon, Indiana. Fascinating!

Good omens can be found anywhere you look – I am actually writing this in the World of Beer in downtown Evanston, Illinois, while Claire meets up with a friend from school. (There is enough time to stop at the right places on this trip!) I almost fell off my bench (and I had not – I swear – had a drop at that point) when the waitress showed up with the beer coaster pictured above. How cool is that for the Not All Who Wander Are Lost tour? Now we don’t need t-shirts. We have official beer coasters!

Even though Andrew isn’t with us on this trip, we still think of him often – Claire’s twin brother Andrew is still in Washington finishing up his summer internship before he returns to school. But we think of him often while on the road. When Herb Crowther said, “You have to go and see how they are redesigning Euclid Avenue in Cleveland to accommodate many different modes of transportation,” we thought – “Yes we do…and we have to take a picture for our Urban Studies student back in DC. So Andrew – this picture is for you. I’ll explain more about how the bike, bus, car, and pedestrian elements are all wonderfully coordinated when I see you later this month.

Comments you agree with that your daughter says…but perhaps you need to remind her that this is a family blog (#2) – As we were driving through the mess that is Chicago traffic today, a huge SUV started tailgating me, then switched lanes quickly once or twice, only to start tailgating this poor small compact WHICH WAS DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT! The jerk stayed right on the compact’s tail, until the driver pulled over to the next lane to let the SUV speed by. Claire and I were aghast, and she said, “I think before anyone can buy a big car they have to pass a ‘No a*#%@&$ test.'” Amen! I was trying to think if I could have phrased it differently, but in fact she pretty much nailed it. Sorry for those who are offended. We’ve been to the Rock and Roll HOF on this trip, where they warn you as you come in that the content is often “For mature audiences.” Perhaps I should have done that before beginning this series of observations.

Comments you agree with that your daughter says…and you realize that she is wiser than you (#3) – And now, to redeem Claire a bit (if such a thing is even required). We were driving along the turnpike today, when we passed a billboard for a “Plus Size Bridal Boutique.” I made some sort of snarky comment, and Claire immediately caught me up short by saying, “I think that’s a really good idea. Imagine you are planning one of the great days of your life, and you can’t find a decent wedding dress because they are all designed for thin models.” She then went on to tell me about her studies of how obese people are seen as fair game for discrimination by many Americans. It was a (not altogether rare) instance of my seeing that I have a very wise (and thoughtful) daughter.

And finally, can’t anyone run a decent toll road/turnpike up here? – You thought I had forgotten about that Ohio inefficiency, didn’t you? Well no. I’ve just been letting my rage build up. We left Cleveland with beautiful sunny skies. We arrived in Chicago to beautiful, sunny skies. In between, we hit some “weather” as they say. Claire’s hashtag for the photo above was #ominous.

So that was the setting today on the Ohio turnpike. Perhaps it was all the water coming down, but we both decided we had to make a pit stop. Quickly. Unfortunately, the folks who run the turnpike have decided that information isn’t really something that drivers need very often. And, they also want to force you to use their service plazas. We had no idea when one was coming up, and – for once – Google failed us as we searched. But Claire did find a Marathon service station off the turnpike in a mile or two, so we quickly took the exit. Only to find that the toll plaza was backed up to Cleveland because 1) they can’t figure out how to give Easy-Pass cars their own lane, and 2) because we always pick the lane with the guy who forgot to get a ticket and has to explain that in great detail to the attendant. After a five-minute wait to get through a simple exit ramp toll plaza we race to the gas station…only to find that here in the 21st century, we found the only gas station without indoor bathrooms. Yep. Go to the porta potties in the back. Did I mention it was raining. This really is a family blog, so I won’t describe the conditions, but – well, let’s just say that we were cursing the Ohio turnpike commission as we were getting back on the road after our adventure.

So we were already a bit perturbed as we came to the last toll booth in Ohio…and we were backed up. Two miles from the toll booths. And the reason – once again – the Easy-Pass folks couldn’t zip through as you can at almost any other state because they put up crossing arms that drop down between every car. JUST TAKE A PICTURE OF THE OFFENDERS AND LET THE REST OF US THROUGH!

The only good side of this…we got to tell the nice folks in the car sitting next to us – for minutes, it seems – that we liked their array of bumper stickers, which included Vietnam Vet, Ready for Hillary, Not a Republican, and a couple of others that were pretty darn funny. They waved and thanked us. That contrasts with the bumper stickers on two cars that were tailgating us through an especially difficult traffic period on the Indiana turnpike. The bumper stickers on the tailgaters? Grace. And Turn to Jesus. I don’t mind turning to Jesus, I just don’t want your bad driving habits to force me to meet him on the other side sooner than I am ready.

Now…that I’m through with that rant, I’m ready to go have a nice dinner with our extended family here in Evanston.

More to come…

DJB

Taking the long way

Published by DJB

California or bust!

We had barely slipped the bonds of the beltway as we began our Not All Who Wander Are Lost tour when the Dixie Chicks tune The Long Way Around popped up on Claire’s playlist. We both laughed and agreed it was a good omen for our less-than-direct trip to Southern California.

Today was the day to hit the ground running and make it to Cleveland. Almost six hours of driving lay ahead of us, and we wanted to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, spend time with my colleague Kathleen Crowther and her husband Herb, and take in a Cleveland Indians game.

We didn’t make any stops, but we did see our first set of absurd billboards. As we crossed the state line into Pennsylvania, a series of ads from the state’s coal and energy producers sprang up touting the benefits of “clean coal.” Who knew?! The best was the billboard that asked, “Would You Take Energy Advice from Someone in a Meat Dress?” alongside a ridiculous picture of Lady Gaga.

Our second omen that this was going to be a good trip? We pulled into the parking lot at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Linda Ronstadt — a 2014 inductee — began singing from my playlist. Be still my heart! Once inside, we had fun looking at the exhibits in the museum – from Beyonce to the Beatles and more.

From the garishness of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we shifted gears to tour the architectural beauty of Shaker Heights. We couldn’t have had a better tour guide than the director of the Cleveland Restoration Society and her husband, a Shaker Heights native. It whetted the appetite for more.

Finally, we closed out the night at Progressive Field, where the Cleveland Indians pounded the Texas Rangers. We saw a “Tribe ‘tater” (home run by the home team, to the uninitiated) and lots of hits. This field is wedged into downtown Cleveland, but is a delightful place to take in a game. In true urban fashion, we rode the “Rapid” in from Shaker Heights and we also (or at least I did) indulged in dollar dog night!

And yes, we proudly wore our Washington Nationals hats to the ballgame!

There is more to say, but I’ll just leave it that with Cleveland, I’ve now passed the halfway point in visiting all of the MLB ballparks. One more to go on this trip!

But now it is time to get some sleep…after a little more of The Long Way video.

More to come…

DJB

Image: Claire and DJB head out on August 1, 2014, on our “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” cross-country tour

Not all who wander are lost: The tour

Published by DJB

I have always wanted to drive cross-country.

So when Claire left for college in California as a freshman in the fall of 2011, I told her about my bucket list dream and promised that one of her trips from Washington (the east coast one) to California would take place in a car with her dad.

Guess who begins her senior year at the end of August? And guess who passes a major birthday milestone next winter? With those deadlines looming, we leave on our drive tomorrow, August 1st. It was now or never.

And we are pumped about this trip!

As we’d both driven much of the “southern” (i.e., direct) route in shorter trips, we decided to wander around a bit in the Midwest, the Great Plains, and the Pacific Northwest before we finally make our way to Southern California. I’ve dubbed it our Not All Who Wander Are Lost tour. I just wish I’d thought ahead to have t-shirts made! (Cue the eye rolling by Claire.)

So over the next 20 days, you’ll get all sorts of updates from various cool places along our route here on More to Come… We are taking the Going to the Sun Road through Glacier National Park, along with long sections of the coastal highway in Oregon and California. Claire is getting her first visit to Cleveland (where she is very excited about the Beyonce exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; me, I’m heading for Linda Ronstadt). Also on her first-time list will be Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Portland. I’m checking off four bucket list items over this time – not only the cross-country tour, but two more stadiums on my quest to see all the MLB ballparks and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. In fact, in one 24-hour period, we’re going to see a Minnesota Twins baseball game with my former assistant Liz and her husband Dave, checking out the world’s largest ball of twine rolled by one person, stopping by the Roger Maris museum in Fargo, and getting a tour of an entire college campus designed by Marcel Breuer. Is this a great country or what!?!

Best of all…I’m getting 18 days in the car with a wonderful, talented, thoughtful, and graceful young lady who just happens to be my daughter. (Cue the second set of eye rolls by Claire.)

So come back often. I’ll try to get something posted most nights, but there are no guarantees. However, my track record is pretty good. This blog started as a way to send information on our trip to the four corners in the Southwest to friends and family. I’ve captured trips to visit New England colleges, tours of the Dutch Antilles, and more on this blog.

Thanks for reading and sharing. And if you happen to be in North Dakota in a few days and see a car come whizzing by with some Dixie Chicks blaring on the radio, check it out – we may be wandering your way.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

With apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien.

More to come…

DJB

Image: The “Not all who wander are lost” tour map

MORE TO COME…

Encounters, discoveries, and observations from the slow lane of life.

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