Weekend Adventure: Milwaukee, WI

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MAM

So we spent a night in Milwaukee. It was nice. Not spectacular, but nice. Kind of like a first date that ended with a polite peck to the cheek. Not so sure though that there will be a second date.

Taking train to Milwaukee

We took Amtrak and it was pretty cool watching the suburbs turn to small towns then farms and even a few forested spots before it all eventually returned back to industry. It would have been cheaper to drive, but it felt good leaving the car behind. Also we could use the practice for when we backpack through Europe.

There are a lot of museums in Milwaukee including the much recommended Milwaukee Public Museum and the Children’s Museum. We chose, however, the Milwaukee Art Museum (or MAM as the cool kids call it). Sitting pretty on the lakefront in a building shaped like a sail it is an almost dynamic place to be. And pretty family friendly too. There are three separate hands-on kid oriented exhibits including a nifty one focused on Pixar animation. Another very interesting exhibit traced the history of color photography from novelty to conceptual art. The MAM is not big, but it is special and for that reason it is hennacornoeli recommended.

Artist at work

Artist at work

Henna created, hennacornoelidays approved

Henna created, hennacornoelidays approved

The Safe House is also hennacornoeliday recommended. For 47 years, this spy themed restaurant has allowed patrons to enter via a secret book case and then leave through a phone booth. You also get to solve this giant Hocus-Pocus like sliding puzzle and pay a lot of money to have your martini shaken through a clear vacuum tube (the kind that banks use in the drive through). To be honest I got a little tired of being called a spy by everyone working there, but the food was actually pretty good.

There’s not much else to do at night other than drink at a bar or watch television in your hotel room. Just before I went to bed I looked down on the deserted downtown streets of Milwaukee and saw a seagull swoop down to pick at something in the middle of the road. It must have sat there for five minutes before a car came and scared it away. In the morning we walked around and ended up sitting at a park outside of a church. It was a nice church and a nice park and everyone we met was, well, nice. Later we looked for an ice-cream cone and walked a good deal of the city before settling on one at a shopping mall. Even when you consider it was a Sunday it all felt too quiet to be a city. The Amtrak station though was crowded. It seemed like everyone was looking to get out of town. Noel

Southern Illinois Tales: Garden of the Gods and Millstone Bluff

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At the cliff's edge

At the cliff’s edge

Garden of the Gods is a relatively well known place but still involves a whole bunch of narrow winding roads with only limited signage pointing you in the correct direction. The roads are all paved though which puts it ahead of most S. Illinois attractions.

Hanging out at the Garden

Hanging out at the Garden

How the Garden came to be involves millions of years of erosion and a big inland sea that covered much of North America. I think that is what the plaques said. Maybe giants created the whole thing by stomping down. Probably not, but who’s to say? I am sure the Native Americans living in the area had their own explanations, but unfortunately there were no markers giving their side of the story. However you look at it, Garden of The Gods is pretty cool. The River to River Trail also passes through and a lot of people like to camp here.

Garden was happy to see us

Garden was happy to see us

Another sight that could do with a little more indigenous explanation is Millstone Bluff. This one is a wee bit less known and does involve a short jaunt on a gravel road. Thus far, archaeologists have discovered about a dozen “stone forts” in Little Egypt. The best known has been rebuilt and can be found at Giant City State Park. Who built them? Druids (sorry, I just read a good story concerning Stonehenge). Why were they built? At Giant City State Park the experts seem to think it was a holding pen for animals and/or grain. The archaeologists here see a military purpose. There are plenty of plaques that describe in some detail the petroglyphs discovered all over the surrounding rocks. But the actual petroglyphs are so faint (possibly from being touched and rubbed by previous tourists and excavations) that they really cannot be seen at all. I thought I made out a circle or two. Henna thinks not and was a bit disappointed in being unable to make out any animals (it didn’t help any that a couple of signs boasted about all the animal drawings that used to be clearly seen). There isn’t actually a stone fort, but there is a looted grave as well as, get ready, evidence of soil depression. We did enjoy the short but steep hike to the top of the bluff and the nifty views of the surrounding area. Maybe the rock artists were inspired by that same view. Noel

Looted grave

Looted grave

View from Millstone

Southern Illinois Tales: Makanda

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Makanda

There’s not enough Makanda in Southern Illinois. Makanda’s small arts oriented, hippie community is centered on just a few shops on a boardwalk. The ice cream is good and the views are excellent but it could use a few more artists.

Outdoor Sculpture Garden

Outdoor Sculpture Garden

Anchoring the joint is an art gallery that, according to a framed article at another shop, was born the same year as Corey and I (1973). The owner mostly smoked both in and out of his shop while the three of us wandered around. In between conversations with locals, he told me that the exposed brick foundation walls hold up not only his roof, but the road that passes over the shop. When it rains, water drips down the inside of the walls. The back of the shop opened up to a pretty nifty sculpture garden complete with mazes, outdoor turrets, and whimsical metal creations. All of it fit into a space smaller than a city backyard.

Just browsing

Just browsing

Surrounding this breath of life are the rolling hills and forest that make up Giant City State Park. There are also a lot of windy roads (some paved, some not), a scattering of wineries (Owl Creek is the best) and a whole lot of farms. WGN was out and about the same time we were and we caught someone shooting film outside the Blue Sky Vineyard. They also interviewed the artist at Makanda and coaxed him into getting a band to play in his outdoor garden. At another stop, the inn keepers told us that most of the WGN crew was spending the night. Trying to get back to our cabin we got a little lost (we have gotten a little lost almost every time we have explored Little Egypt- we have been exploring this area on and off for eleven years). In doing so we discovered another sight, Grassy Lake, and made a mental note to look it up next year. I hope we can find it again. Noel

Southern Illinois Tales: Pomona Natural Bridge and Little Grand Canyon

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On the west side of Little Egypt is another tiny dot packing a giant wallop. Pomona, Il has not one, but two dramatic natural features. They are the Pomona Natural Bridge and the Little Grand Canyon. There are of course other natural bridges and canyons in the U.S. What Pomona offers that, say, the Grand Canyon does not is solitude and the thrill of finding the right parking lot (and not to mention the thrill of finding your way back to a well marked paved road).

Creek by Pomona Natural Bridge

At the cabin we always rent in Southern Illinois (Rustic Hideaway) there is a guest book. I would venture to guess that every fifth or so entry talks about being frustrated by the loop trail that descends down and up the Little Grand Canyon. A typical entry reads something like this: “Went to the Little Grand Canyon and got lost on the trail. Very steep. I am thankful to have made it out alive.” Once when Henna was very little (less than a year old) Corey and I almost made the full loop. We hiked all the way down and about a third of the way up when suddenly the trail became both very narrow and very blocked by several fallen trees. For a few feet we passed Henna back and forth while taking turns scrambling over the trees. Then our better judgement prevailed and we turned back. Since then we have attempted the trail three times and have never since made it to the bottom of the canyon. Last week we worked the trail backwards which afforded us a view of the Big Muddy (a tributary of the Mississippi). It was cold, we were hungry, and we had no intention of hiking very far. I think that is the best way to approach this unconquerable trail.

Henna and Corey begin journey over bridge

Henna and Corey begin journey over bridge

The Pomona Natural Bridge is a bit of a challenge to get to but easy to take in. The windy gravel road leading to the bridge would not at all be out of place in the west. At the parking lot are a bear proof trash barrel, picnic table, and grill. Someday we hope to make use of those things. There also is a short trail that leads to and over the bridge. And, of course, there are several downed trees which make the trail a bit more challenging than it should be.

Big Muddy River

What else does Pomona have to offer? Bobcats. We saw one pounce along the side of the road. And the Pomona Winery makes delicious apple based wines that we love to sip back at the cabin while nursing our wounds in the hot tub. Noel

Southern Illinois Tales: Cave-In-Rock

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In the spirit of Passover and our own sense of irony, we journeyed back to Egypt this Spring Break. That is, we hung out in Illinois’ “Little Egypt” where the Mississippi flows past Thebes on its way to Cairo. We of course have a few stories to tell and would like to begin at Cave-In-Rock, Il.

A little spelunking at Cave-In-Rock

A little spelunking at Cave-In-Rock

Cave-In-Rock is known for their cave in a rock adjacent to the Ohio River (which later meets up with the Mississippi at Cairo). Cave-In-Rock is just a tad west of the River to River trail’s beginning at Battery Rock (the River to River trail is a roughly 160 mile journey that wanders over some of the most beautiful land in the country). Lewis and Clark made some notes about the cave in their journey west and it has since been used by river pirates, Confederate soldiers, vagabonds, a movie or two, and at least one church. Today it is an easily accessible wonder with a good amount of spray painted graffiti on the cavernous walls. Like most attractions in Southern Illinois there were no rangers and few signs offering information related to the attraction. Just the cave, a few rusty playgrounds, a diner not yet opened for business, and a few apartment style rooms which offer great views of the river and enough room to spread out (Hennacornoeliday recommended).

Cave-In-Rock State Park

Cave-In-Rock State Park

View from lodge

View from lodge

Cave-In-Rock is also a town that offers a car ferry service to Kentucky and one mighty good fish place called Dutton’s Café. Dutton’s Café’ was the type of place where a regular came by and went into the kitchen to talk to Mrs. Dutton while she breaded his fish. The food was awesome and included two hush puppies with every order (Henna groaned when I joked they were made with 100% puppy meat). We pestered Mrs. Dutton with questions until eventually she broke down and told us all we wanted to know about her town. Turns out she and her family are big Cub fans and on the wall next to framed articles about the town and its citizens was a picture of Ron Santo with two of her grand children. We also learned about the official state mineral fluorite which used to be mined around those parts in great quantities (until they “figured out it was cheaper just to import it.”) Later we met her very fit 96 year old father in law (who returned from a day fishing with some of the most mismatched and colorful duds I have ever seen), and another elderly (but not that elder) gentleman who retired from mining some time ago and is now, along with thousands of his mining brothers, looking to the courts to protect his pension. He was friendly and was quick to note that he did not say anything when he learned we were from Chicago. He also offered to take us out fishing if we ever found our way back to Cave-In. I have a pretty good idea where I might be able to find him if we decide to take him up on his offer. Noel

Special thanks to Liz who let my try out a lens which made the cave pictures possible

An Urban Adventure: A Light In The Dark, The Story Of Helen Keller And Anne Sullivan (Thodos Dance Chicago)

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Photo by Todd Rosenberg for Cheryl Mann Photography

Photo by Todd Rosenberg for Cheryl Mann Photography

Soft lighting and black back drop. Two dancers in middle of the stage, one male one female, dressed in late 19th century clothes. They twirl, leap, run, hold, reach, bend, twist, point and flex. Brother and sister, left in an asylum, away from society. Sister will always take care of her brother. Brother dies. End scene. I look over to see Henna twisting the ends of her blue snow hat, thoughts swirling and emotions pounding.

Henna and I were here today at the Harris Theater enjoying Thodos Dance Chicago’s production of A Light in the Dark, The Story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan mainly because of Henna’s interest in this amazing story. She already knew this tale, as most people do, of the wild little girl who fights her teacher Anne with the sheer stubbornness of a child locked in the quiet and the dark. Watching these events unfold through dance was quite compelling. Each time, Helen threw her body in the air to escape her tormentors, my heart leapt into my throat. Each pained expression of sadness that was danced from Helens parents, as she was dragged away to the “cottage” for teaching, made me brush away a tear. Henna asked questions, repositioned her body in her chair and at times plugged her ears in anticipation of the next move onstage. And as each dance scene propelled the story forward, expressing beautifully with movement the early life of Helen and Anne, the anguish and the triumph, I could feel Henna growing. I believe children learn so much through their experiences, real and artful. They help build the framework of their beliefs in life, assist in making the connections to their world and the one around them and create a sponge to be added to with each new experience.

As parents, these are moments that we strive for. The moments when our child is enraptured by something in which open them up to learning about themselves, society, and possibly how they fit into it all. Not to become too preachy, but in this technological age we need the arts more than ever for their ability to reach deep into someone’s world and rattle their foundation. With Henna, I am helping build that foundation. A foundation that I hope will be compassionate to those who have less or are different from her, one that knows that people are not always what they seem, and that if you scratch just a bit you may be surprised. As teaching moments with Henna become more difficult to find these days, I welcome the unscheduled teaching moments. Watching Henna expand with feelings and thoughts that are forming her judgments and views is a priceless feeling.

Through this thoughtful and creative work of art, the story of Helen and Anne touched both Henna and I. Henna knows that the children I work with as a speech therapist have those same “aha” moments that Helen found with help from Anne Sullivan. I live for those special moments when the key is discovered and the moment that language and meaning make that long waited for connection. It’s a moving thing. I think that Henna, who just recently asked what her first word was, maybe understood her mama a bit better today. When Henna was a baby, I borrowed Helen Keller’s sign she used for her mother when she was still locked inside. So today when Henna saw Helen sign “mama” on stage, she sat up and almost shouted, “Mom that was my sign for you!” I knew a moment of clarity and growth were found today.

Thodos Dance Chicago performs regularly at the Harris Theatre and the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie on a regular basis. Ticket prices vary, but are always reasonable. For more information visit: http://www.thodosdancechicago.org

Photo by Todd Rosenberg for Cheryl Mann Photography

Photo by Todd Rosenberg for Cheryl Mann Photography

Weekend Idea: Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet (at Navy Pier)

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Nothing screams out family entertainment like sex and murder. Add a double suicide into the mix and you got yourself a classic. We don’t watch much television and we would never let Henna see a Twilight movie, but put it in couplets and iambic pentameter and we are there.

Playing every Saturday through March 23 at Navy Pier is Short Shakespeare! Romeo and Juliet. For $16 a ticket (plus $14 for validated parking) you get accomplished actors working on one of the most respected stages in Chicago. You also get an expert fight choreographer which made the sword fighting scenes feel like something out of Star Wars. And the production seemed to have free reign over the Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s costume closet. I think a lot of people had a lot of fun putting this one together. Check it out if you get the chance.

Christopher Allen (Romeo) and Laura Rook (Juliet) Photo by Michael Brosilow

Christopher Allen (Romeo) and Laura Rook (Juliet) Photo by Michael Brosilow

Link to more information: http://www.chicagoshakes.com/
Link to my full review at Splash: http://www.chicago-splash.com/publish/Entertainment/cat_index_chicago_entertainment/short-shakespeare-rome-and-juliet-review.php

One more thing: Immediately after the play ended the actors took questions from the audience. And like always I was disappointed in the questions. I want to know, for example, if the swords are sharp, not whether Shakespeare’s words are still relevant today. Oh well.

David Mamet Would Not Approve

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It all came full circle last night. For Hennacornoeliday (our most awesome family holiday and namesake of this blog) Corey got me a bunch of travel oriented books that included David Mamet’s South of the Northeast Kingdom. A collection of thoughts strung together like essays then put into chapters, the book perfectly captures the magic of Mamet’s Vermont. Corey also bought herself Tenth of December by George Saunders (a clever but maybe over rated collection that seems to repeat the same short story over and over). Last Sunday the front page of the Arts and Entertainment section of the Tribune featured a fawning article on George Saunders and a piece by Chris Jones discussing David Mamet’s recent embrace of nutty NRA politics.

South of the Northeast Kingdom by David Mamet

I do not think I have ever felt cooler than I did in that moment. The Chris Jones article concerning David Mamet aluded to how surprised some of his fans are by his almost Rush Limbaugh stand on handguns. There could not have been to much of a surprise for anyone who had read his Vermont book as he frequently talks about his love of hunting and collecting guns. In that same book he slams the Bush administration for its escalating war in Iraq and Afghanistan and subtly but firmly defends same sex marriage (a hot topic in early 2000 Vermont). Above all else, however, is his fawning over hand crafted goods. Mamet is definitely a man who appreciates a sweater woven by hand and worn by generations (where the stain of human urine, used in the processing of the wool, is present for years after receiving the gift). Our own quick impressions of the state confer with Mamet. Not only are Vermont’s byways populated with an abundance of hand made goods, but the population consumes (often literally as it would be hard to find any Vermont native who admits to using Aunt Jemima over the good stuff) those same goods.

Maple Syrup works; time consuming and done with pride

Maple Syrup works; time consuming and done with pride

This brings me to the circle complete. Yesterday night on NPR I heard that Makers Mark (a favorite drink of mine) is going to dilute their product by 3% http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-11/news/chi-makers-mark-water-20130211_1_maker-s-mark-jim-beam-bourbon-drinkers due to an increase in demand. So, instead of allowing the market to inflate the cost of their product, a good honest one that has brought joy to many a Hennacornoeli Day celebration, they are going to cheapen it in order to make more money. They have every right to do so. But I know David Mamet would not approve and neither do I. Noel Schecter

Jim Beam, producers of Makers Mark

Jim Beam, producers of Makers Mark

Update: After a lot of angry customers weighed in, Makers Mark changed their mind and decided not to water down their product. I like to think it was this post that sealed the deal.

Great Travel Books: Orphans Preferred by Christopher Corbett

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It is cold today. Not a typical summer day in San Francisco kind of cold; this is an Artic sort of not quite ten degrees but a lot colder with the wind kind of day. Maybe if I lived in Fairbanks I would not think anything of it, but in our Global Warming spoiled Chicago, this feels pretty cold. All three of us are a bit under the weather too so do not be expecting much in the way of adventure from us. Instead I bring you yet another “Great Books in Travel History.”

Orphans Preferred by Christopher Corbett

Orphans Preferred by Christopher Corbett

Orphans Preferred (by Christopher Corbett) is not the easiest read. Truth be told it took me a few starts and stops before I was able to read the thing cover to cover. Like the Pony Express itself, the book tends to cover the same ground over and over again without ever really declaring what the true facts of that endeavor were. For example, it is not yet settled as to who took that first run out of St. Joseph, MO. What is certain is that the Pony Express was never profitable and did not last very long. Also a certainty is that the true heroes of the Pony Express, men such as Pony Bob Haslam (who once rode 400 straight miles in the midst of an Indian uprising) are mostly forgotten whereas others such as Buffalo Bill (who may not have actually ever ridden for Express) are forever linked with this privately run mail enterprise.

It is in the retelling of the legend of the Pony Express that Christopher Corbett shines. I have twice spent the night in Cody, WY (a mostly Disneyesque Western themed town that William Cody created) but never understood just how popular the man was. Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show were as big as they get in his time and he extensively toured Europe and America (and even performed before most of European royalty at Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee celebration). A big part of that Wild West show was always an incredibly fictionalized account of his Pony Express experience (which in actuality may have only consisted of him feeding some horses). Hollywood later seized upon that legend and to this day the Pony Express conjures images of an untamed West filled with an adventure.

That same Hollywood West has always captured my imagination and is a big part of the magnet that draws us west most summers. Truth be told, the real west is better than the legend. It also is a lot more fun.

The Great American West

The Great American West

Sweet Finds: Fair Oaks Farms (Fair Oaks, IN)

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Fair Oaks Farm sign

One of the most depressing things about traveling through America is the limited diversity of food options. The sad fact is that if you want tasty, fresh veggies over anything, a good place to look would be in the city. Road side stands aside; too much of rural America eats out at Applebees. . Not that there is anything wrong with Applebees. It is just that Applebees (and Dennys and Culvers and TGIF, etc) is the same in Portland, OR as it is in Portland, ME. Your local diner is usually just as bad as they serve the same trucked in fries, burgers, and ribs that the diner three states over serves. There are of course exceptions to this and we think Diners, Dives, and Drive Ins does a great job of highlighting those gems. But Guy Fieri cannot be expected to be everywhere and for that reason we have decided to periodically offer you are own Sweet Finds.

busy cafeteria

First up is Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana. Off Interstate 65 between Chicago and Indianapolis is a tasty alternative to the Subways and McDonalds that are spread out evenly across the highway. Per the teenage worker we asked, Fair Oaks Farm is the collaborative work of several farming families. Fresh cheeses, milk, and ice cream are offered cafeteria style along with gooey delights such as Reuben sandwiches (the king of NY deli) and French onion soup. They are also known for their grilled cheese sandwiches (which Corey and Henna both enjoyed).  Within the same building as the cafeteria is some sort of dairy operation that was quiet the day we were there (most of Indiana is quiet on Sunday). On the large grounds of the Fair Oaks Farms are a “birthing barn” and a “cheese factory.” We were too close to home and too cold for us to check these things out the day of our visit, but we would love to make it back there some time. Their website makes it quite clear that they are more than open to field trips coming over.

Working dairy

Fair Oaks sign

For more information on Fair Oaks Farms, click here: http://www.fofarms.com/en/home#Scene_1