First, there was North Beach SF, origin of the beatnicks:
Next was Haight-Asbury SF, home of the West Coast Hippies
And today, Woodstock NY...
God help me.... I've gone native!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Hippie Trifecta
Today I scored 3/3 on the Hippie must-see tour.
First, there was North Beach SF, origin of the beatnicks:
Next was Haight-Asbury SF, home of the West Coast Hippies
And today, Woodstock NY...
God help me.... I've gone native!
First, there was North Beach SF, origin of the beatnicks:
Next was Haight-Asbury SF, home of the West Coast Hippies
And today, Woodstock NY...
God help me.... I've gone native!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Not too bad of a coffee addict
Mingle2 - Free Online Dating
Though I'm sure my friend Matt will score a 99%!
(the challenge has been issued!) -:)
Hangin' in the CatsKills
Stopped by Ithaca NY on the way. Here's a bit of the Taughannock Falls...
Here's a taste of the Catskill mountains.
And a rocky creek...
Even found a nearby Episcopal Church - St. James.
Loving it out here....
:)
Here's a taste of the Catskill mountains.
And a rocky creek...
Even found a nearby Episcopal Church - St. James.
Loving it out here....
:)
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Off to the Catskills
"Road Trip!"Kelly & I will be taking a weeks vacation together next week to go see the Catskills. Meanwhile, my parents have offered to catsit Ditzy. I'm looking forward to seeing the land of Irving's Rip Van Winkle. Interestingly enough, my favorite author, HP Lovecraft, set two of his stories: "The Lurking Fear" and "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" in the Catskills.
I've been practicing how to drive a stickshift since my Kelly's AWD is a manual and we'll be taking turns driving. We'll do some camping and stay in some B&Bs later when we're tired of tents.
In my research of things to do for next week, I found some great resources.
Google Earth, of course, is great at viewing the maps of the region, but the 3D feature just adds oh so much to the visualizations. Also, check out the Panoramio buttons on the map. Each one is a picture taken at that particular spot. The catskills are loaded with snapshots... so much to see, so little time.
Wikipedia has a really good entry on the Catskills. What I found most interesting, spatial scientist that I am, was the geologic history of the region. Turns out it's the easternmost portion of the Allegheny Plateau. I grew up in the westernmost portion of the Alleghenies, so I'm sure I'll feel right at home nestled up amongst the eroded mountain peaks. NW Ohio is too flat. Sometimes my thirst for hills drives me crazy out here in the flatland.
Also, the Catskills are a place for fossils! We're be staying for a few days around Gilboa, where they found fossilized tree stumps... the oldest discovered forest known on Earth! I'm planning on seeing them and I'm going to take along some fossil hunting equipment - hammer, brush, etc.. I hope I can find a place where I'm permitted to dig in the rocks.
Now to start the arduous process of making the final preparations.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
An Indiana Easter
This Easter Kelly and I took some time off and headed down to southern Indiana to spend the weekend.
We were originally going to head north up to Frankfort, MI and stay on the shores of Lake Michigan, but a late winter storm had us making last minute preparations for somewhere south.
We were lucky to find a nice place to stay at the Patoka Lake 4 Seasons... there were a few cabins still available and we were able to find one with a jacuzzi and fireplace.
After a long 6-hour drive from NW Ohio through Cincinnati and Louisville, KY, we finally headed west on I-64 into southern Indiana.
These pictures from their site are from the very cabin we rented for the weekend. It really looks that nice in person...
I have to say that the staff was great, the cabins were well kept and overall we had a nice experience. I'd definitely go back.
Kelly and I had never ventured into southern Indiana, and what struck us the most was how this area has been skipped over my commercialization. There is very little in the way of chain restaurants, grocery stores, or chain store shopping. The geography of the area - a mostly rural, sparsely populated, hilly country, part of the Hoosier National Forest, and economically depressed, have somehow protected these hills from becoming an Anytown, USA and have left their original character in tact. We drove through little towns like Birdseye, Eckerty, Mifflin, Taswell... places that at best had a little general store on the corner covered with hand-painted advertisements. At worst the town was a collection of dilapidated houses clustered around an intersection.
On Saturday we decided to head south towards the Ohio River. On the way we stopped by St. Meinrad, one of only 2 archabbeys in the United States.
It was the day before Easter, so none of the 150+ monks in residence were anywhere in sight. We checked out the book store, saw a pickup truck
driving around with a lamb in a cage in the back, and then took a peek into the church.
Despite the church being fairly old, the interior is rather contemporary. The pews have been removed and replaced with chairs. What also struck Kelly & I was how plain the nave was. Then again, it was during Easter vigil, so odds are they had stripped the nave as per the Good Friday ritual.
We didn't spend too long at the church. Soon we were back on the road winding through the Hoosier National forest and headed for another quirky place hidden in southern Indiana: Santa Claus!
Santa Claus, Indiana. With landmarks like Frosty's Place, Santa's Candy Castle, and Christmas Lake, this town definitely lives up to its name. Here's Kelly standing in front of the Santa Claus Post Office. Statues of Santa like this one can be found all over town. And a big one sits on top of the tallest hill in town.
This statue, at the bottom reads "Dedicated to the children of the world in memory of an undying love." When it was erected it was said to be made of granite, but now that it is aged it is obvious that the statue is made of concrete.
Just down the lane from the statue site Santa's Candy Castle. The castle was originally ran by the same people that made the Baby Ruth candy bar. It has sat in disrepair for decades. But just recently, a developer bought the property and started restoring it. The candy castle just opened last year. In its heyday, Santa's Candy Castle included a toy workshop and even Santa's shooting range. The inside of Santa's candy castle includes many archival photos and artifacts from its earlier days.
And on the day we visited, the Easter Bunny had made an appearance. Several families had brought their children to come do some Easter activites (Egg Hunt, coloring contest, dyeing eggs, etc.) and they all seemed to be having a great time. We ordered some fudge to snack on and sent out some postcards to our friends and family from the land of Santa Claus.
After getting turned around a few times, we were back on our way towards the Ohio River when this little roadside decoration caught my eye: The Bunny express
There it was, within 10 feet of the road out on the side of a cornfield. Cute, and well built for just a decoration. The folks in Santa Claus sure love their holidays. In fact, they have an amusement park in town named Holiday World, where the rides are themed to major American Holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.
We finally made it to the Ohio River, and drove alongside it for a ways. We reached Troy, IN, and headed back north. On one of our maps a covered bridge was marked and we wanted to check it out. Eventually, we found it. The entrance above the bridge says "Huffman Mill Bridge - Built in 1863 - Cost: $5,700". We took a walk across the bridge. The timbers making up the floor creaked as we walked out to the middle. This bridge is definitely old and I'm sure has seen better days. About this time we were getting hungry. There isn't much in the way of restaurants down in this section of Indiana, but we had brought plenty of groceries with us, so we headed back to the cabin to prepare supper and then just kick back, relax, and enjoy our weekend.
And what a relaxing weekend it was!
If you want a weekend away from it all, southern Indiana is a pretty remote place!
We were originally going to head north up to Frankfort, MI and stay on the shores of Lake Michigan, but a late winter storm had us making last minute preparations for somewhere south.
We were lucky to find a nice place to stay at the Patoka Lake 4 Seasons... there were a few cabins still available and we were able to find one with a jacuzzi and fireplace.
After a long 6-hour drive from NW Ohio through Cincinnati and Louisville, KY, we finally headed west on I-64 into southern Indiana.
These pictures from their site are from the very cabin we rented for the weekend. It really looks that nice in person...I have to say that the staff was great, the cabins were well kept and overall we had a nice experience. I'd definitely go back.
Kelly and I had never ventured into southern Indiana, and what struck us the most was how this area has been skipped over my commercialization. There is very little in the way of chain restaurants, grocery stores, or chain store shopping. The geography of the area - a mostly rural, sparsely populated, hilly country, part of the Hoosier National Forest, and economically depressed, have somehow protected these hills from becoming an Anytown, USA and have left their original character in tact. We drove through little towns like Birdseye, Eckerty, Mifflin, Taswell... places that at best had a little general store on the corner covered with hand-painted advertisements. At worst the town was a collection of dilapidated houses clustered around an intersection.
On Saturday we decided to head south towards the Ohio River. On the way we stopped by St. Meinrad, one of only 2 archabbeys in the United States.It was the day before Easter, so none of the 150+ monks in residence were anywhere in sight. We checked out the book store, saw a pickup truck
driving around with a lamb in a cage in the back, and then took a peek into the church.Despite the church being fairly old, the interior is rather contemporary. The pews have been removed and replaced with chairs. What also struck Kelly & I was how plain the nave was. Then again, it was during Easter vigil, so odds are they had stripped the nave as per the Good Friday ritual.
We didn't spend too long at the church. Soon we were back on the road winding through the Hoosier National forest and headed for another quirky place hidden in southern Indiana: Santa Claus!
Santa Claus, Indiana. With landmarks like Frosty's Place, Santa's Candy Castle, and Christmas Lake, this town definitely lives up to its name. Here's Kelly standing in front of the Santa Claus Post Office. Statues of Santa like this one can be found all over town. And a big one sits on top of the tallest hill in town.
This statue, at the bottom reads "Dedicated to the children of the world in memory of an undying love." When it was erected it was said to be made of granite, but now that it is aged it is obvious that the statue is made of concrete.Just down the lane from the statue site Santa's Candy Castle. The castle was originally ran by the same people that made the Baby Ruth candy bar. It has sat in disrepair for decades. But just recently, a developer bought the property and started restoring it. The candy castle just opened last year. In its heyday, Santa's Candy Castle included a toy workshop and even Santa's shooting range. The inside of Santa's candy castle includes many archival photos and artifacts from its earlier days.
And on the day we visited, the Easter Bunny had made an appearance. Several families had brought their children to come do some Easter activites (Egg Hunt, coloring contest, dyeing eggs, etc.) and they all seemed to be having a great time. We ordered some fudge to snack on and sent out some postcards to our friends and family from the land of Santa Claus.After getting turned around a few times, we were back on our way towards the Ohio River when this little roadside decoration caught my eye: The Bunny express
There it was, within 10 feet of the road out on the side of a cornfield. Cute, and well built for just a decoration. The folks in Santa Claus sure love their holidays. In fact, they have an amusement park in town named Holiday World, where the rides are themed to major American Holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.We finally made it to the Ohio River, and drove alongside it for a ways. We reached Troy, IN, and headed back north. On one of our maps a covered bridge was marked and we wanted to check it out. Eventually, we found it. The entrance above the bridge says "Huffman Mill Bridge - Built in 1863 - Cost: $5,700". We took a walk across the bridge. The timbers making up the floor creaked as we walked out to the middle. This bridge is definitely old and I'm sure has seen better days. About this time we were getting hungry. There isn't much in the way of restaurants down in this section of Indiana, but we had brought plenty of groceries with us, so we headed back to the cabin to prepare supper and then just kick back, relax, and enjoy our weekend.
And what a relaxing weekend it was!
If you want a weekend away from it all, southern Indiana is a pretty remote place!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Kurt Vonnegut, Dead
America has just lost a national treasure....
I just read that Kurt Vonnegut, an author I love and respect, just passed away.
Vonnegut's writings were always relevant to me, addressing the big issues we face today. With a wry humor akin of HL Mencken and Mark Twain, he commented on the absurdities of our society, its great triumphs, and its deplorable vices.
He was a humanist, honorary president of the American Humanists Association (AHA), succeeding Isaac Asimov for the title. vonnegut once said of the humanist
"being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead."
When Vonnegut spoke to the AHA after Asimov's death, Vonnegut recollected in his book "A Man without a country"
We had a memorial service for Isaac a few years back, and I spoke and said at one point, "Isaac is up in heaven now." It was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, "Kurt is up in heaven now." That's my favorite joke.
So, please join me and take a moment to say, "Kurt is up in heaven now."
Wikipedia - more on Kurt Vonnegut
my previous blogs on Kurt Vonnegut...
Vonnegut tells it like it is
More from Kurt Vonnegut
See the cat? See the cradle?
I just read that Kurt Vonnegut, an author I love and respect, just passed away.
Vonnegut's writings were always relevant to me, addressing the big issues we face today. With a wry humor akin of HL Mencken and Mark Twain, he commented on the absurdities of our society, its great triumphs, and its deplorable vices.
He was a humanist, honorary president of the American Humanists Association (AHA), succeeding Isaac Asimov for the title. vonnegut once said of the humanist
"being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead."
When Vonnegut spoke to the AHA after Asimov's death, Vonnegut recollected in his book "A Man without a country"
We had a memorial service for Isaac a few years back, and I spoke and said at one point, "Isaac is up in heaven now." It was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, "Kurt is up in heaven now." That's my favorite joke.
So, please join me and take a moment to say, "Kurt is up in heaven now."
Wikipedia - more on Kurt Vonnegut
my previous blogs on Kurt Vonnegut...
Vonnegut tells it like it is
More from Kurt Vonnegut
See the cat? See the cradle?
Monday, April 02, 2007
Jumping on the Bandwagon
I saw this over at my friend's blog site....
It's a cute quiz. You should give it a try.
It's a cute quiz. You should give it a try.
| What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Artistic Nerd Whether it's painting, sewing, drawing, arts and crafts; or just splashing paint onto a canvas and calling it art; you mostly fit this description. Lots of people envy the artists, but be humble and keep working on it. There is a shortage of true artists today who actually contribute anything to society. | |
| Literature Nerd | |
| Gamer/Computer Nerd | |
| Musician | |
| Social Nerd | |
| Science/Math Nerd | |
| Drama Nerd | |
| Anime Nerd | |
| What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace | |
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