16 April 2006
Postscript
Well, we had planned to do the great Southwest Road Trip in August so that partner could see Arches, Bryce, and Zion, on our way to grandma and grandpa's in Tucson. But, after our Spring Break trip, we came to the conclusion that five 12-hour days with 5YO would not a fun trip make. So, we're currently checking air fares and will probably fly to Arizona in August. But, in the interim we'll be in Amsterdam and Saint Louis, MO and I'll be in Chicago, Cleveland, and Montreal so check back to see if we/I manage to make those travels without unraveling. Cheerio!
Spring Break 2006, Part III
We returned to Branson and spent Thursday evening and Friday there. Nothing eventful to report except that we set up TiVo. Let me just say that TiVo is about the best creation in the world, with the exception of the Internet/WWW. It beats the iPod by a country mile and then some. I LOVE TiVo. Since I'm writing this late, let me provide an example.
I thought that Commander in Chief - a poor, but tolerable substitution for West Wing - had been cancelled. Then, thanks to Newsweek I saw, on Friday the 14th, that it had been broadcast the night before. In LBT (life before TiVo) that would have been a crisis. But TiVo, programmed to record Commander in Chief - by program, not day/time - "knew" that it had been broadcast. A quick check of our "Now Playing" list and there it was! Hooray for TiVo.
Yeah, that may not seem like a real travel tidbit, but I can't tell you how great it is to use the Season Pass and then not have to worry about checking the times, making sure the tape is at the right place, etc. TiVo rocks!
Well, back to travel. On Saturday, we did the 12 hour haul back to Saint Paul. For lunch we stopped at Gates BarBQ in Kansas City. It was good, but I definitely prefer Memphis-style BBQ. And, yes, there is a theme here. One, this trip was about authentic BBQ. And, two, I'd like to try to travel and not each every meal at some national chain that you can see from the highway.
We were pretty tired when we got to the Twin Cities so we did - for better or worse - cave and stop at one of our favorite chains, Panera. In a word - or two - asiago focaccia. Yum. Of course, this was actually a fitting end to the trip, perhaps, since Panera actually began its existence as the St. Louis Bread Company.
That's it for now!
I thought that Commander in Chief - a poor, but tolerable substitution for West Wing - had been cancelled. Then, thanks to Newsweek I saw, on Friday the 14th, that it had been broadcast the night before. In LBT (life before TiVo) that would have been a crisis. But TiVo, programmed to record Commander in Chief - by program, not day/time - "knew" that it had been broadcast. A quick check of our "Now Playing" list and there it was! Hooray for TiVo.
Yeah, that may not seem like a real travel tidbit, but I can't tell you how great it is to use the Season Pass and then not have to worry about checking the times, making sure the tape is at the right place, etc. TiVo rocks!
Well, back to travel. On Saturday, we did the 12 hour haul back to Saint Paul. For lunch we stopped at Gates BarBQ in Kansas City. It was good, but I definitely prefer Memphis-style BBQ. And, yes, there is a theme here. One, this trip was about authentic BBQ. And, two, I'd like to try to travel and not each every meal at some national chain that you can see from the highway.
We were pretty tired when we got to the Twin Cities so we did - for better or worse - cave and stop at one of our favorite chains, Panera. In a word - or two - asiago focaccia. Yum. Of course, this was actually a fitting end to the trip, perhaps, since Panera actually began its existence as the St. Louis Bread Company.
That's it for now!
11 April 2006
Spring Break 2006, Part II
On Tuesday, 4 April, after lunch at the cafe, we took a drive up Canal Street and then over to the Ninth Ward. I was curious to see if I could see much change in the almost two months since I had been there before. We passed one of the Common Ground locations, the one where we had unloaded water back in January. We passed a lot of houses that looked, from the outside anyway, just as they did in January. I noticed in today's New York Times that they are still finding bodies that were missed on the first, or even second, search. That's just about as depressing as it gets. To imagine someone's mother, child, friend, neighbor... having been there for seven months, undiscovered. Even having been there before, it's just overwhelming to try to consider the scope of things. We made our way back to the hotel.
Although it seems horrendously incongruous, we then went for a walk in the French Quarter. Keeping in mind that 5YO was in tow, although the point of the trip was to deliver the donation and for partner to see what I had witnessed in January, we had to try to fit in some "fun." We tried to go to the Central Grocery - home of the muffuletta - but it had already closed for the day. After stopping in a few of the shops that are open for business, we went to Cafe du Monde for the requisite coffee - or milk, depending - and beignets. Now, watching 5YO eat - and pronounce quite well - beignets was a real delight.
On the morning of the 5th, needing a few gifts, we picked up some pralines at Aunt Sally's and started out of town. Now, I'm a pretty risk averse person and driving with the fuel light on is not my idea of a good time. But, there we were, headed East on I-10 on vapors. Did I mention that a lot of the gas stations in the area are not operational. With empty apartment complexes on either side of us and stores, including a Wal-Mart, boarded up, we cruised toward Slidell. Fortunately we made it over the bridge and into a functional station, filling up before continuing on our way toward Ocean Springs, MS.
We had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom and picked up some afternoon snacks at the Tato-Nut Donut Shop. Then, we drove over to the beach area so that 5YO could run around a bit. I noticed that a few of the homes that had been destroyed but, as of January, not cleared were now gone. As I said in January, you just can't believe what the wind and water can do.
We left Ocean Springs and went over to I-90 in Biloxi - up to I-10 and west because the I-90 bridge is gone - and drove along the coast to the US-49 access in Gulfport. I didn't think that things looked much more cleaned up than in January. I did notice a few places where some clearing was done, some reconstruction has started, but mostly it's just devastating. 5YO, as we explained to him about "the storm" said, "It's like a nightmare." I think this is a line from one of his DVDs, but found it interesting that he made the connection. Yes, it's a nightmare.
From Gulfport we headed north on US-49 toward Jackson where we picked up I-55 to Memphis.
Although it seems horrendously incongruous, we then went for a walk in the French Quarter. Keeping in mind that 5YO was in tow, although the point of the trip was to deliver the donation and for partner to see what I had witnessed in January, we had to try to fit in some "fun." We tried to go to the Central Grocery - home of the muffuletta - but it had already closed for the day. After stopping in a few of the shops that are open for business, we went to Cafe du Monde for the requisite coffee - or milk, depending - and beignets. Now, watching 5YO eat - and pronounce quite well - beignets was a real delight.
On the morning of the 5th, needing a few gifts, we picked up some pralines at Aunt Sally's and started out of town. Now, I'm a pretty risk averse person and driving with the fuel light on is not my idea of a good time. But, there we were, headed East on I-10 on vapors. Did I mention that a lot of the gas stations in the area are not operational. With empty apartment complexes on either side of us and stores, including a Wal-Mart, boarded up, we cruised toward Slidell. Fortunately we made it over the bridge and into a functional station, filling up before continuing on our way toward Ocean Springs, MS.
We had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom and picked up some afternoon snacks at the Tato-Nut Donut Shop. Then, we drove over to the beach area so that 5YO could run around a bit. I noticed that a few of the homes that had been destroyed but, as of January, not cleared were now gone. As I said in January, you just can't believe what the wind and water can do.
We left Ocean Springs and went over to I-90 in Biloxi - up to I-10 and west because the I-90 bridge is gone - and drove along the coast to the US-49 access in Gulfport. I didn't think that things looked much more cleaned up than in January. I did notice a few places where some clearing was done, some reconstruction has started, but mostly it's just devastating. 5YO, as we explained to him about "the storm" said, "It's like a nightmare." I think this is a line from one of his DVDs, but found it interesting that he made the connection. Yes, it's a nightmare.
From Gulfport we headed north on US-49 toward Jackson where we picked up I-55 to Memphis.
Spring Break 2006, Part I
On Friday, 31 March, we headed South; destination: Bethany, MO - a mere pit stop on our way to Branson, MO. Question: Does anyone successfully travel the interstate highways without stopping at McDonald's? Okay, anyone with a five year old in tow? After a night at the Super 8 (where the wireless was less) we arrived in Branson on Saturday, early afternoon. After the requisite stop at "grandma's house" we went and checked in at Sunterra's Plantation at Fall Creek. The concierge looked - I'm not kidding - absolutely crestfallen when I told her that we would not be needing a copy of the show schedule, thank you very much. I don't think she could believe it. Yes, it's true. Much as I might have liked to see a taping of the Jim Bakker Show... So, our first day and a half were spent visiting with family. I say Fellini; partner says Tennessee Williams. Need I say more?
On Monday, 3 April, we left promptly at 6 am, headed toward Memphis. It was actually a great drive, winding our way through northern Arkansas, down to Little Rock, and then east. But, make a note - Exit 7, I-55, Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue. You can't go wrong there, trust me! After a fabulous lunch we continued on our way south, right through the heart of Mississippi. Let me say that it occurred to me more than once that I was glad to be driving a rental car and not our little Civic with the Howard Dean bumper sticker and the Unitarian Universalist Uncommon Denomination/Civil Marriage is a Civil Right bumper sticker. Call me crazy.
Now, Mississippi was quite pretty. Maybe it was the green - Minnesota does have long winters and there was still some snow when we left. Maybe it was the fact that they use inmates to keep the highways neat and tidy. But, it was weird to be thinking about the events that took place in Mississippi during the 1960s as we sped down the highway. That very week on my campus was Social Justice Week honoring Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney. It was just weird. And, then, those Barbie moms at the McDonald's play area... scary.
We arrived in New Orleans around 7 pm and made our way - after a brief and unintended detour over the bridge to the West Bank - to the Country Inn & Suites on Magazine Street. I highly recommend this place for anyone who appreciates renovated spaces. This hotel was created out of seven historic buildings dating to the mid 19th century. But, free wireless, room safes, comfortable beds, and a great location make it one to consider if traveling to NOLA. The valet only parking is a bit pricey, but I just tried to think of it as my contribution to the NOLA economic recovery.
After unloading our stuff we wandered over to the French Quarter for a bite. We stopped at Cafe Maspero's because it looked kid friendly, or at least as kid friendly as any place in the French Quarter can be. This much was true. But, I had a catfish sandwich that was horribly bland. Famous Dave's BBQ back in Minnesota has better catfish. Partner had red beans and rice that were okay, but not fab. And, five year old (hereinafter 5YO) had a grilled cheese that was actually quite good. One thing of which we took immediate notice was the smoking. Yup, just days after Saint Paul enacts its smoking ban, we go to New Orleans to suck in somebody else's poison. Go figure.
The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed over to the First Street United Methodist Church to meet Reverend Lance Eden. I had a donation to deliver and was anxious to turn it over to them. Well, I called his cell and, as it turned out, he had had to run up to Baton Rouge. After hanging out in the Hands On space for a bit, we connected with Miss JoAnn and delivered the goods. Yippee!
We then made our way to Westwego, over the bridge. Wanting to include something for 5YO I had booked a swamp tour with Westwego Swamp Tours. This was way better than I expected. Before boarding "Captain Tom" showed us an alligator snapping turtle and a few other reptilian creatures. Our cruise director, "Captain Gary," grew up on the bayou and provided a very informative and colorful narrative as we cruised the water watching for alligators. We saw probably 9 or 10 'gators. He tried to grab one and get it in the boat but it escaped. Note: He has the photos to prove earlier success. One tip I picked up was this migraine treatment: find a white willow tree, drive a nail into it - leaving some sticking out, lean your head against the nail and it will "suck the migraine out of you." I highly recommend this activity - the tour, not the headache treatment - if you're looking for something to do besides wander the French Quarter. There's a nice cafe as part of the operation where you can get a great Po-Boy. I had crab cakes with a terrific remoulade and onion rings that were perfect.
That's it for now. In the next post I'll talk about our drive around New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
On Monday, 3 April, we left promptly at 6 am, headed toward Memphis. It was actually a great drive, winding our way through northern Arkansas, down to Little Rock, and then east. But, make a note - Exit 7, I-55, Jim Neely's Interstate Barbecue. You can't go wrong there, trust me! After a fabulous lunch we continued on our way south, right through the heart of Mississippi. Let me say that it occurred to me more than once that I was glad to be driving a rental car and not our little Civic with the Howard Dean bumper sticker and the Unitarian Universalist Uncommon Denomination/Civil Marriage is a Civil Right bumper sticker. Call me crazy.
Now, Mississippi was quite pretty. Maybe it was the green - Minnesota does have long winters and there was still some snow when we left. Maybe it was the fact that they use inmates to keep the highways neat and tidy. But, it was weird to be thinking about the events that took place in Mississippi during the 1960s as we sped down the highway. That very week on my campus was Social Justice Week honoring Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney. It was just weird. And, then, those Barbie moms at the McDonald's play area... scary.
We arrived in New Orleans around 7 pm and made our way - after a brief and unintended detour over the bridge to the West Bank - to the Country Inn & Suites on Magazine Street. I highly recommend this place for anyone who appreciates renovated spaces. This hotel was created out of seven historic buildings dating to the mid 19th century. But, free wireless, room safes, comfortable beds, and a great location make it one to consider if traveling to NOLA. The valet only parking is a bit pricey, but I just tried to think of it as my contribution to the NOLA economic recovery.
After unloading our stuff we wandered over to the French Quarter for a bite. We stopped at Cafe Maspero's because it looked kid friendly, or at least as kid friendly as any place in the French Quarter can be. This much was true. But, I had a catfish sandwich that was horribly bland. Famous Dave's BBQ back in Minnesota has better catfish. Partner had red beans and rice that were okay, but not fab. And, five year old (hereinafter 5YO) had a grilled cheese that was actually quite good. One thing of which we took immediate notice was the smoking. Yup, just days after Saint Paul enacts its smoking ban, we go to New Orleans to suck in somebody else's poison. Go figure.
The next morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed over to the First Street United Methodist Church to meet Reverend Lance Eden. I had a donation to deliver and was anxious to turn it over to them. Well, I called his cell and, as it turned out, he had had to run up to Baton Rouge. After hanging out in the Hands On space for a bit, we connected with Miss JoAnn and delivered the goods. Yippee!
We then made our way to Westwego, over the bridge. Wanting to include something for 5YO I had booked a swamp tour with Westwego Swamp Tours. This was way better than I expected. Before boarding "Captain Tom" showed us an alligator snapping turtle and a few other reptilian creatures. Our cruise director, "Captain Gary," grew up on the bayou and provided a very informative and colorful narrative as we cruised the water watching for alligators. We saw probably 9 or 10 'gators. He tried to grab one and get it in the boat but it escaped. Note: He has the photos to prove earlier success. One tip I picked up was this migraine treatment: find a white willow tree, drive a nail into it - leaving some sticking out, lean your head against the nail and it will "suck the migraine out of you." I highly recommend this activity - the tour, not the headache treatment - if you're looking for something to do besides wander the French Quarter. There's a nice cafe as part of the operation where you can get a great Po-Boy. I had crab cakes with a terrific remoulade and onion rings that were perfect.
That's it for now. In the next post I'll talk about our drive around New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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