Less Than Perfect Neighbors

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Here’s to the yahoos whose occasional presence makes their absence all the more endearing. Although not in the same league as the gun toting fool in Yellowstone (whose loud proclamations of keeping his family safe from grizzlies led me to tiptoe on my midnight bathroom run), two nights ago a family done near drove me insane at beautiful Lake Durant State Park which is in the northeast corner of the Adirondacks near Blue Mountain Lake. Their bantering and laughing went on all the way to 2 AM. Supposedly the ranger woke them up the next morning to read them the riot act. And so now we appreciate the quiet more than we ever could have.

Sunset and Blue Mountain

Sunset and Blue Mountain

I have been on the road for less than a week now but am already beginning to shed my sedentary self. After the mild disappointment of Geneva-On-The-Lake I am happy to report that the Blue Mountain Lake area (and this campground) exceeds expectations. We had plans to explore more of this area but found ourselves taking the same hike (a moderate trek to the fire tower on Blue Mountain) and swimming in the same lake. From what I can gather, this is a common way to vacation here with people coming to the same place and having the same adventures year after year. Here the pull of the familiar exceeds the lure of the novel.

Peace Out

Before taking our own early respite from the road, we spent a morning in Seneca Falls which definitely inspired the Women’s Rights Movement and, maybe, the film It’s A Wonderful Life. The town gives both their rightful due and make for a good day of walking around. The early Women’s Rights Movement, by the way, concerned itself not only with securing basic property rights (women into the early 20th century were not always allowed to own businesses and home) and the vote, it also sought to end slavery (yeah!) and the sale of alcohol (boo!).
From here we continue our northeast tour of America which will culminate in an Independence Day celebration at Acadia National Park. Happy travels all. Noel

Maybe the bridge that inspired the film

Maybe the bridge that inspired the film

Seneca Falls

Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH: Where I Learn A Little About Time Travel

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First day out and we spent the better part of the day in a hunk of metal speeding down the interstate. Somewhere just shy of Ohio Henna started talking about time travel. The way she sees it is that time can be reduced to building blocks that can never disappear (or else everything falls apart). All it takes then to transport oneself is a heightened memory (time travel here is confined to only ones own personal memories). In that spirit I recall Geneva-On-The-Lake, a once fancy-dancy playground of the very rich (like Ford and Rockefeller rich) that Corey and I last visited almost fifteen years ago on our first trip East. Back in 2000 this Lake Erie resort town was pretty down on its luck and I was not the least surprised to have a hypodermic needle wash ashore a few feet from where we were playing in the waves. But there was this bar/grill/winery with a firehouse theme that was pretty cool. And we thought the wine so good that we bought several bottles for ourselves and family.
The Firehouse Grill

In 2004 the state park built itself a lodge. It’s nice and also the place where I greet you from tonight. The local businesses seemed to take the hint and applied a lot of fresh paint to its façade. The Firehouse Winery is still standing but to be honest between the mediocre food and worse service it just was not the same. It was such a let down we did not even bothering with the wine. But it makes me feel good to know that somewhere there is a building block containing that first time Corey and I came to town. Noel

Crazy clouds gathering over Lake Erie

Crazy clouds gathering over Lake Erie

Thoughts Before Our Trip

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For our, probably, final North American Summer Tour before Europe (2015!) we are taking the show halfway to Iceland (which is closer to St. John’s, Newfoundland than it is to our Chicago home). That’s right, we are venturing into the land of whales, moose, and lovable canines. In honor of the island’s Viking history I plan on growing out my facial hair in fierce directions. I draw my inspiration from the most bad-ass Viking I have ever met, Tim.

Most Bad Ass Viking I Know

Most Bad Ass Viking I Know

Besides the rocky Dominion of Newfoundland (its official name prior to becoming Canada’s tenth province in 1949), we plan on swimming in Adirondack lakes, sampling Vermont syrups, and doing a bit of beach combing in Acadia National Parks. There’s also a good chance of us making friends on PEI and then making terrible cultural blunders in Quebec. It all should be good for a laugh or two and hopefully nobody gets deported. Noel

I was in Target gathering last-minute things for our trip, when I rounded the corner past the beauty items to see the long line reaching to the hair brushes. Some kind of computer glitch had taken out all the systems in the surrounding area. I am a patient girl, and I tried to make friendly conversation with the folks in front and behind me. And it did not happen. Come on people, I said in my head. A little humor together could make this waiting go faster, or at least pleasant. A couple registers came back to life after a re boot, and the line started to crawl forward. I finally made it to an actual “line” in front of an actual register thinking this was almost over. As I was looking around, realizing this is what it would be like if all computers died suddenly after all the satellites fall from the sky or something, I turn to see this old man with blue eyes behind me. We made eye contact, and began talking about the ridiculousness of this mess, but with a bit of fun and joking. I instantly liked this old man, and knew that if anyone in this place had time to spare, it was him.

We begin talking about life, and his belief that the solution of all the world’s problems could be answered in one word….”Honesty”. He wanted me to think about that for a minute, really think about it. Well, standing in the line, which was still stopped because of the computers, I had a few minutes to do just that. Our conversation then spanned topics such as Sweden, Noel and I, cultural pride, Antisemitism, the holocaust and the importance of continuing to talk about it with our youth. It was a warm and full conversation; he quoted my favorite Einstein quote, “Imagination is more important than Knowledge”. He advised to let my child be creative and explore, and only then do more answers pop up to be solved. Life is a race he advised, that no one wants to win. He divulged that his girl friend, saying this as a young boy would reference his girl, is always looking to that other event, that other place to be while not fully being in the moment. He lectured that people are not comfortable in the moment, and they rush to the next one, not knowing that you must feel content during every moment of life. I wanted to hug this old man, take him home in my pocket and bring him out every now and just to listen to his words of wisdom, which I already try my damnedest to live by every day. He was the old man version of myself, and I so wanted to laugh out loud. I told him about our upcoming trip and he wished me and my family well as I finally successfully paid for my items. Our summer trips have crazy amounts of moments like this one, and I am excited to begin that journey. I am looking forward to letting our family be content and fully aware in every moment we stumble upon.

Albert "Big Brain" Einstein

Albert “Big Brain” Einstein

As I turned to leave I felt sad I was not going to see him again. I told him I was ever so glad that the systems decided to conk out, so that I was able to chat with him for so long. He smiled sweetly because I knew he was glad too. Corey

A Few Summer Ideas

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At the request of a friend looking for somewhere sort-of wild to go camping this summer, I listed a few places a day’s drive from the big city. My bias for the summer is north (mostly because I hate heat and humidity). Do you have a favorite summer camping spot? If so, let us know in the comments.

Ludington State Park (Michigan Coast, about 6 hours away)

Ludington State Park

Ludington State Park

This is a new favorite place for us and we have yet to sample it in the summer (this is what we wrote a few months ago). Summer here should be a lot of fun too ’cause it has a big lake for contemplation and a smaller one for swimming and canoeing. There also is a lighthouse, bike trails and rentals, and a pretty cool nearby town.

Kettle Moraine South Unit (near Whitewater, WI. About 2-3 hours away)

Henna and her friend Nicole at Kettle Moraine South Unity

Henna and her friend Nicole at Kettle Moraine South Unity

Along the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, this park was awesome for us and several other Edison Park families one late May weekend. It has a great lake with a smallish but decent enough sandy beach, good fishing, and a roomy campground that lacked electricity (yeah, more stars at night) and plumbing (I swear the nicest vault toilets ever). The park is known for mountain biking which people do on the cross-country ski trails.

Sparta-Elroy Bike Trail Area(Northwest Wisconsin; 3 hours away)

Situated in the Driftless region of northwest Wisconsin (the area of Wisconsin not flattened by the glaciers) the area boasts a very long, mostly flat crushed limestone bike trail that weaves in and out of the hills. So you bike a few miles through farmland then come into a small town where you eat some ice-cream before hopping back on your bike. Along the trail there are three tunnels with one so long that it is pitch black in the middle. Closer to Elroy there is a great private campground that also offers bike rentals.

Near the Sparta-Elroy trail

Near the Sparta-Elroy trail

South Haven Area, Michigan (2.5 hours away)

Covert KOA

Covert KOA

Not a big fan of the very noisy and crowded state parks around South Haven. As a good alternative, try this wonderful family run campground. You are going to have to drive to the beach, but they have blueberry picking and a very nice pool to go with their wood lodge like facilities. Last time we camped the bugs in the tent area were pretty bad, but maybe it was just the season. The cabins make a nice alternative and have AC. If you go, check out the scene at St. Joseph (very cool public beach and a so-so Children’s Museum).

Pike’s Peak State Park (North East Iowa, 3-4 hours away)

View from Pike's Peak

View from Pike’s Peak

Named after the same Pike whose peak in Colorado exceeds 14,000’, this peak is not quite as tall. But the views of the Mississippi are pretty cool. And the ancient burial mounds making up Effigy Mounds are something that has to be seen to be believed. Again, our only experience here is in the fall (where the Great River Road’s foliage has to rival anything in Vermont), but Summer is likely just as good a time to visit. Noel

Happy Summer everyone and hope you find time to follow us on travel northeast all the way to Newfoundland!

City Museum (St. Louis)

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City Museum Photo 2

There I was, gravity pushing me head down into a five foot drop that ended with a concrete slab, and I could not for the life of me swing my legs around to cushion the fall. Maybe a dozen kids were stopped up behind me in the tunnel as I tried and tried and to fit my feet under my chin. And just when I was about to yell for help I was able to just barely free my feet and then jump harmlessly to the ground. Henna followed me down (she of course had no problem whatsoever navigating her way within what is essentially a giant Slinky toy) then we climbed a few steps into a stripped down airplane. While a bunch of little children pretended to fly the Junker, I looked out the window at the greater St. Louis skyline. We did not allow ourselves to become too complacent, as there was still a giant slide between us and firm ground.

City Museum St. Louis

The place is not for everyone. I do not, for example, recommend that my mom venture anywhere near the museum (because she just might faint if she saw her eldest son and granddaughter stuck several stories high). And to be honest, it is not exactly the safest place around as we witnessed several people hitting their head on concrete overhangs (a wallet also fell a few feet from Corey who was minding her own business on the ground floor). But if you are not squeamish around heights (or sliding your way in and out of incredibly intricate man-made caves that extend upwards for close to a dozen stories), then you really need to check this place out.

The City Museum is the brainchild of artist Bob Cassilly and his ex-wife Gail Cassilly who purchased a vacant former shoe factory in order to sink an artistic anchor into a dying industrial part of town. Bob was relentless in this pursuit and over time he created a living, breathing art piece that doubled as a playground (the area benefitted nicely too as there now exist several condos and boutiques where once there were only abandoned buildings). Using as much discarded materials as possible as well as the remaining guts of the factory, Bob cluttered floor after floor after floor with giant turning devices, slides that only hint at where you might end up, and climbing apparatuses that allow children to coast along the ceiling and then into different floors. He also designed an amazing labyrinth of caves which both rise vertically as well as outward so that one can either ascend ten stories up or go a few yards to the side. A master of concrete, he filled these caverns with perfectly realized sculptures of animals, and mermaids, and whatever the heck else he thought would complete a subterranean dream. Outside the museum are several slides and rising tunnels that lead to things such as the aforementioned airplane. The City Museum also offers circus classes, an aquarium, an arts and crafts center, and a pretty nifty collection of recovered gargoyles and other things people threw away when knocking down classic buildings. And on the roof are a Ferris wheel and other goodies (which unfortunately for us did not open until mid May).

Speaking of closing, the place is closed on Sundays, but is open most weekends until midnight. Midnight! They even have a couple of bars, serve decent and not too expensive food, and offer gated parking across the street ($5 the day we were there). Sadly Bob died a few years ago while working on another project in an abandoned concrete factory north of town. But as long as his museum lives so does a part of him. Noel

City Museum

Southern Illinois Snapshots

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For your Easter viewing pleasure, here are a few pics from our Southern Illinois Spring Break 2014 Extravaganza. This was maybe our tenth time exploring the area and we still managed to uncover a lot of pretty cool stops along the way. If anyone is ever looking for things to do down south, reach out to us and we will be sure to hook you up. Noel, Corey, and Henna too

A new favorite hangout- the Quetil Trail which begins in Alto Pass (near the Rootbeer Saloon) and maybe goes all the way to Makanda. At least part of it is perfect for bikes. Look for the hidden stairs leading to an overlook.

A new favorite hangout- the Quetil Trail which begins in Alto Pass (near the Rootbeer Saloon) and maybe goes all the way to Makanda. At least part of it is perfect for bikes. Look for the hidden stairs leading to an overlook.

Along a gravel road near Piney Ridge Nature Reserve

Along a gravel road near Piney Ridge Nature Reserve

Alto Pass Vineyards

Alto Pass Vineyards

Pomona Natural Bridge

Pomona Natural Bridge

A bit of nature art along a trail

A bit of nature art along a trail

Along the Giant City Nature Trail

Along the Giant City Nature Trail

Southern Illinois Mayhem
View of Bald Knob Cross (which our broke state helped pay to restore and also where a volunteer pushed a little bit too much his religious views)

View of Bald Knob Cross (which our broke state helped pay to restore and also where a volunteer pushed a little bit too much his religious views)

Hiking along abandon tracks near Green Earth Nature Preserve in Carbondale, Il.

Hiking along abandon tracks near Green Earth Nature Preserve in Carbondale, Il.

Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago) Family Day

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At the MCA

They had me at free. Free is a good thing. Free means that we are willing to take chances and brave lousy traffic and worse weather just so that we can hang out somewhere different. The Museum of Contemporary Art is different and almost always overlooked by the casual tourist. Although wedged inbetween Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, it does not draw the same interest as the Shed or Field Museum or the Art Institute. The latter of those has that famous dot painting (which Seurat actually first titled “That Painting in Ferris Buellers Day Off”) and a whole bunch of other vintage classics from the world’s golden era of art (lets say a few hundreds years B.C. to 1960). The MCA, as it is called by those in the know is a lot more modern, more risk taking, more….. out there.

OK, I am not the biggest fan of modern art. Henna loves it. Corey is somewhere in-between. But every second Saturday of the month, the place is free just as long as you come with at least one kid or, at the very least, a tiny adult dressed as a kid. And on Family Day, the museum provides way cool hands on art exhibits led by resident artists who are all approachable, patient, and good with kids.

Amazingly they do it completely different each month. The theme yesterday was “drawing” and they offered a chance to contribute to a post-it note mural, had a team of poets armed with typewriters who punched out poems based on whatever your kid presented to them (we actually missed out on that one thanks to our typical late start to the day), and a whole lot of yarn and some temporary fence posts. Weaving was never so much fun and the only negative was some crazy out of control boy with a pair of safety scissors. How bad of a parent do you have to be to let your kid run crazy through a field of art yarn with a pair of scissors?

Caught up in yarn

Another fan favorite on Family Day are the projected trippy short videos and free snacks in the basement viewing area. Last month we spent close to an hour vegged out on their comfy chairs, sipping on boxes of apple juice and munching away on some Pirate Booty. Families came and went and we stayed memorized by the stop motion photography and cool beats. No segment lasted more than five minutes so even if we did not always get it, there was always the chance we would enjoy the next offering. As a wise poet once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Noel

Not quite Spring

Polar Plunge 2014: Chicago

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Last weekend for kicks I jumped into Lake Michigan. Actually, I did it because someone at work asked me to and because it benefitted a good cause (Special Olympics). Jimmy Fallon and Lord Voldemort (my nickname for our mayor or “He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Re-elected”) were there along with Corey and Henna (who took all the photos you see below). Not sure if I would exactly call it a fun time, but it was a bonding experience. I am lucky to work with some of the best people on the planet and that includes the parents who motivate me to do my best. To paraphrase one of those parents, it is great that once a year people are willing to jump into a frozen lake to raise money for the Special Olympics. It would be even better though if they insisted on superior or just adequate public services for children with special needs the other 364 days of the year. Next year I am going to the Key West Polar Plunge. Noel

Noel in cold water

A little Polar Vortex fun

A little Polar Vortex fun

Clowning around

Clowning around

My Crazy Work Buddies

My Crazy Work Buddies

Shakespeare in The Frozen City

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Photo: Michael Brosilow/ A Midsummer Night's Dream at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Photo: Michael Brosilow/ A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

A couple of days ago Corey showed me an article dissing Navy Pier for being slightly less than the authentic Chicago experience. While most people I know do not spend their summer days spinning away on the Ferris Wheel (although the Ferris Wheel did debut less than a mile away at the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893), Navy Pier actually has a lot to offer to the hardened Chicago citizen (the views alone are almost worth the $20 parking fee). And although I am not a big fan of the place in summer (when tourists from Ohio outnumber Chicagoans at least 80 to 1), on a cold Polar Vortex day in March it felt good looking across the frozen ice to downtown.

The reason we ventured out of our snug little cave was to review Chicago Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Part of the Short Shakespeare! series, the play comes in at 75 minutes and costs $16 -$20 a ticket. For those two things alone (the cost and brevity) I would recommend you exposing the kiddies to some Shakespeare. But the truth of the matter is that this production is actually quite funny. Not “funny for a kid’s rendition of Shakespeare” but funny in the “I forgot I was reviewing the play and laughed harder than I have in some time” way (the review I wrote for Splash is here).

Another reason to recommend this play is the cast. They rock. They don’t just do Shakespeare, they do it well. And the family friendly format, where the cast remains on stage for an extended time after the performance to answer questions, fits them well as they obviously enjoyed being in this production.
Which brings to me back to something that Corey wrote about last week; art needs roots in order to blossom. Sometimes art flourishes in the hard-to-get-to obscure sections of the city or is partially buried amongst the warehouses. Other times it is right under your darn nose in one of the busiest tourist traps known outside of Chicago. Both flowers are worth your time. Noel

Photo by Michael Brosilow. Actor: Alex Wiseman

Photo by Michael Brosilow. Actor: Alex Wiseman

For tickets or other information go to chicagoshakes.com

The Art of Staying Still

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Simone Lazar by Cole Simon

Simone Lazar by Cole Simon

While driving home from Evanston last night (where Henna and I helped Noel review a circus titled The Magical Exploding Boy) we talked a bit about staying still. This might sound funny coming from a family which mostly likes to move on, but let me explain.

We were in Evanston, a place we almost called home. Evanston is a community that thrives on art and this local reach among the residents is tangible; visceral. We had come from an old school building turned cultural center (the Noyes Cultural Arts Center) which now houses various artistic residents within its old walls on a night in which they were holding an open house. Most of the artist’s doors were open to allow spying eyes a glimpse a bit of their life’s passion. We heard a youth choir singing pop songs in a show tune way; we oohed and awed at lovely acrylic paintings that I could only ever hope to paint; and visited a few theatre companies. All of these endeavors are housed in a former school on Noyes Street. This home grown need for art was palpable, and filled me with great hope as I am certain that art in any form educates, equalizes and humanizes us. It’s something I so deeply believe in, and try to expose Henna to every chance I get. And here we were, among a community that does as much within its boundaries as a city to promote, support and develop art.

So back to the whole the art of staying still thing. Staying still, putting down roots, is essential to the type of art that flourishes. The show we saw was the best, most kick ass recital you’ll ever see your kid in. The Actor’s Gymnasium provides classes for gymnastics, circus performing, clowning, circus arts and more with this show part circus recital/ part professional art. It was amazing, and Henna loved it. But this theatre class company has been in Evanston for almost twenty years. It has set up base providing the area with something that is exciting, artistic and real. It is not only teaching the circus arts, but is also putting together a show that not only showcases their children’s talents, but also inspires the audience with a message. Art touches us. It also changes our perspective. Most of all it makes your heart beat fast and halts the rush of life to take notice of something amazing happening live right in front of you. I am thankful for creative folks who put so much work into these moments they share. It is this beauty of art within a community, laying roots that help to keep art alive and real. It is the antidote to the fast information, fast entertainment, quick, quick, and quicker.

Art is a powerful force than can transform neighborhoods and breathe life back into them sometimes, so much so that a push begins to happen, and these artists get displaced. Chicago also has many neighborhoods and artists that are putting everything into their passion and it makes me proud to be within that community, putting down our roots, and supporting it as much as we can. Corey