Martin and Short…Sioux City–

BOOM!  Steve Martin and Martin Short are playing in Sioux City, Iowa, and we are totally there…here. . .jaaaa!!

Steve’s first line of the night is: “We are so happy to be playing here in Sioux City tonight because Sioux Falls is just too fast for us.”  The crowd groans slightly…my wife and I howl…it’s gonna be a wild and crazy night!

Steve and Martin don’t have to play a place like this, but they do cuz they love to entertain people EVERYWHERE. . .we don’t have to see them in a place like this, but we do cuz we love traveling and visiting EVERYWHERE.  If only everyone loved everything EVERYWHERE…if only.

Go somewhere new…chat with someone ‘foreign’ to you…see new places…eat new things…be open to EVERYTHING, and the world will satisfy and mesmerize you again and again.

I send you wide-open vibes from Sioux City, Iowa…feel them…they are good for your well-being.

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It’s lovely out there.

Hard Rock…Sioux City–

BAM!  The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City, Iowa ROCKS…let’s check it out and see what’s what.

Here in the heart of what the locals call “Siouxland” sits the Hard Rock…it has all of the trimmings, rock-and-roll memorabilia, and amenities of any Hard Rock on the planet.  The staff are helpful and efficient, the building is an old train station that has been restored to the current hotel and casino–really nice job, and the food and drink are outstanding–really tasty.  We are having a hard time believing it, but we are totally happy here. . .in fact, the Hard Rock is pretty much the only hotel game in town, so if you are planning on visiting here then just know that this is the main place to stay.

There is not much else going on in Sioux City…the main industry here is food packing with a Tyson meat plant employing about four thousand folks, and it seems like a lot of them hang out in this hoppin’ spot.

So, we just mosey up to the bar, order our complimentary arrival cocktails–two margaritas, pleeeezzzz–and then get busy with some grub: potato leek soup, buffalo chicken wings, grilled salmon, and fish & chips with nicely sauteed brussels sprouts…all of this stuff is DELICIOUS. . .mmm, aaaahh!  We wash the whole meal down with a soothing bottle of Pinot Gris from Oregon–niiiiice!

If you find yourself toolin’ around out here in the great midwest of the U.S. of A., then you will do well to spend a night or two at the Hard Rock in Sioux City, Iowa. . .the folks here will welcome you with open arms….jaaaa!

“Iowa, Iowa, that’s where the high corn grows!”  Sing it!!

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It’s lovely out there.

Longest road in America–

Here it is…Highway 20, the longest road in America…3,365 miles long, according to Wikipedia, stretching from California to New England…mmm, aaahh!

We are only doing a little over 300 miles of it straight across the state of Iowa from Dubuque to Sioux City and back again as we continue our tour of the great midwest of the U.S. of A.

There is so much to see: corn fields, corn fields, more corn fields, AND the “world’s largest popcorn ball” in a town called Sac City. . .most wonderful!  Oh, and we had to stop for a photo in Correctionville where one is encouraged to ‘jog down our main street.’  I wonder what happens if one simply meanders down their main street. . .hopefully nothing more than friendly smiles and ‘hello’s from the locals. . .hopefully.

Not much else is going on along this road. . .we drive along, and there is nearly no traffic at all. . .vast expanses of farmland with the occasional pick-up truck passing by.  People are friendly to us, and we are friendly back to them at various rest stops. . .it feels a bit rustic in the heartland…it feels a bit hardscrabble…it feels a bit foreign.  Folks here are working hard to get along…to eke out a living…to survive…while we drive by and say ‘thank you.’  Thank you for raising and growing our food…thank you for continuing to strive, to work, and to be productive amidst the ongoing flow of time and the mystery of all existence.

I send you contemplative vibes from the center of Iowa…feel them…the will help you sleep well tonight.

To see more amazing images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you know you wanna.

It’s lovely out there.

 

No, it’s not an island–

Rhode Island, baby…BAM!  Out here rockin’ it in the northeast of the U.S. of A.. . .specifically in Providence, the capitol of Rhode Island–jaaa!!  Here are some fun tidbits about this place for you to ponder forever and ever:

The full official name of this state is “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.”  This name comes from the official charter for the state issued by King Charles II of France in 1663.

The name Rhode Island is derived from a description of the area by a dude called Giovanni da Verrazzano…yes, the same dude who named the Verrazano Narrows back in New York and the namesake of the Verrazano Bridge.  (Giovanni spells his last name with two “z”s, and the bridge is spelled with one “z.”  Lazy Americans:-))

Verrazzano was working for King Francis I and Charles II back in the 17th century…exploring the northeast of the ‘new world’…and he wrote a note to Francis about this area saying it looked like the “Ilande of the Rodes” in Greece.  He was specifically commenting on a small island now called Aquidneck Island out in Narragansett Bay. . .anyway, long-story-short, folks eventually referred to this whole area as Rhodes Island, then just Rhode Island. . .no one wanted to say the complete charter name, “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” over and over again, and we now simply have ‘Rhode Island.’

The landscape is varied, the capitol building is lovely, the roads are slap-dashed together, and the people are switched-on and a bit kooky.  Brown University is here…Rhode Island School of Design is here…University of Rhode Island is here…fresh seafood is here, etc. and so on.

Come to Providence, RI some time. . .you will love it, me thinks–jaaaa!!

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It’s lovely out there.

Bowie exhibit…Brooklyn Museum–

Out here in the wilds of Brooklyn, NY is the Brooklyn Museum located on Eastern Parkway near Prospect Park. . .the Brooklyn Museum is GREAT, and it is greater at the moment because the “David Bowie Is” show is happening. . .you gotta check this out if you can–jaaaaa!!

‘David Bowie Is’ is a collection of Bowie’s costumes, musical instruments, hand-written notes, travel gear, album covers, videos, audio and video interviews, paintings, drawings, performance pieces, etc. from his 50 years of artistry in music, theater, fine art and film.  Each visitor is given an electronic headset that plays relevant songs, recordings and interviews for each “station” or display in the show–totally new use of technology to create a lively experience for each individual as we all make our way through this gorgeous and extensive show. . .most wonderful!

This show is extremely popular…I highly recommend that you purchase your tickets online before attempting to visit…otherwise you will spend unnecessary time in line with other folks who weren’t switched-on enough to get their tickets beforehand, and that would be a shame…you wanna get in this show and see it upon arrival. . .yes, you do, don’cha?!

David Bowie is DA MAN…”David Bowie Is” is DA SHOW…Brooklyn Museum is DA PLACE.  Plan on visiting this if you can. . .you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

“Let’s dance, put on your red shoes and dance the blues”…mmmhhmmm!

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It’s lovely out there.

Cafe Altro Paradiso…NYC–

YES!  We are dining at Cafe Altro Paradiso located on Spring Street just off of Sixth Avenue here in the Soho section of Manhattan, and our lives are better because of it. . .let’s explore what’s what in this delicious dining spot and CELEBRATE!

A dude called Ignacio Mattos runs the kitchen…he was just on Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain exploring his homeland of Uruguay…we are glad that he returned to be sure that all is good with the delectable tidbits that Altro Paradiso serves.  During our meal we devour the charcuterie plate full of tasty prosciutto, other cured meats, cheeses, olives and fruits–YUMMY…we then ingest a burratta–smooth and creamy…a salad of greens, chickpeas and meats…a tasty fish dish…and a lasagnette with beef and pork ragu–satisfying and delicious. We wash this whole meal down with a kooky Sicilian white called ‘Sinfonia di Grillo’–mmm, perfecto!

The vibe here is lively and pseudo-chic…lots of folks are dressed for dinner or arriving from the office in business attire…everyone is pretty–lots of eye candy to be had in the patrons, the food, the drink, and the staff–mmmm, aaaahh!. . .please consider doing a meal in Cafe Altro Paradiso the next time you are hangin’ in Soho…you will love it, I gar-ron-taaaayy!

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It’s lovely out there.

Take the road less traveled…

…and smell the flowers along the way.

Following the crowd is boring…sticking with the group is constricting…and adhering to the rules is blaaaaaaahh!

Let the sun beat down on your face…flow with the wind…seek out the warmth…and follow your bliss. . .

. . .this is easy to do out here in the wilds of southwestern Wiskonsen.  There is no one around…just fields, sky, clouds, and seemingly endless wide-open roads and spaces–perfect terrain for cruisin’ on the Harley. . .mmm, aaaahh!!

Get oot ‘n’ aboot wherever you are, and if you are feeling a bit cramped then check out America’s Dairyland–it’s here waiting to be explored by you.

Oh, and don’t forget to smell the flowers along the way.  Cheers!

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It’s lovely out there.

Breaking the fast in Viroqua–

POW!  Surrounded by organic farms and the rolling hills of southwestern Wisconsin is the town of Viroqua…lots of farmers about, lots of crunchy hipsters mingled in, and lots of good drink and grub. . .let’s do some brunch here and see what’s what.

We pop into a joint called the Rooted Spoon, and we are happy.  The place is packed…there is a guy in a corner spinning 45s on an old record player–ah, the days of vinyl…everybody is chill…we are welcomed at two stools at the bar…we settle in and order the good stuff: an egg scramble full of peppers and veggies and potatoes topped with bacon and buttery toast on the side. . .and a hash of dirty rice and smoked trout and chick peas topped with poached eggs and sausages and greens on the side. . .DAMN, this stuff is good. . .we inhale everything with no problem at all.

Everything is washed down with bottomless cups of coffee and iced tea. . .the bloody mary looks extremely tasty–gonna have to pop back in some time when I am not driving and sample two or three of those babies…mmmhhmmm!!

Please consider stopping in at the Rooted Spoon here in Viroqua the next time you find yourself touring around out in the great midwest of the U.S. of A.. . .you will love it here–I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

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It’s lovely out there.

We…love…good…grub–

YES!  We are back at The Charmant Restaurant located inside The Charmant Hotel here in beautiful La Crosse, Wiskonsen…let’s have a look at the delectable items we are gobbling now…mmmm, aaaaahh!

During this meal we are ingesting a housemade terrine, a potato leek mushroom soup, a French onion soup, a bucatini carbanara thing, and our old stand-bye: the rib eye cooked a perfect medium rare. . .everything is well-seasoned, cooked skillfully, and served up with love. . .YES!

We wash down this meal with a bottle of Rhone white…dry, crisp, slightly mineral-ly, and totally satisfying.

Good food, good drink, cozy setting, welcoming staff, and a loved one by your side. . .what else does one need?  Not much else…not much else, indeed.

Please consider popping into The Charmant if you ever find yourself in La Crosse. . .you will be well taken care of, I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

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It’s lovely out there.

Hot spot…La Crosse, WI–

WOW!  We just found a new spot that is serving tasty grub and delectable bloody marys here in La Crosse, Wiskonsen–The Mint…let’s check it out.

Finally, there is a desirable place for us to eat in outside of our favorite hotel, The Charmant, where we do most of our eatin’ ‘n’ sippin’.  The Mint is high quality, cozy, and totally restorative.

The Mint is run by the same people in town who run a place called The Root Note–another chilled-out eating and drinking and hanging out place that is a tad edgier, i.e., they allow amateur rappers to perform at various ongoing open-mikes during prime hours…we find that this impedes our ability to have a good relaxing time…ah well, we’re gettin’ old.

While at The Mint we feel more at home. . .the waitstaff are helpful and relaxed, there is a lot of dark wood everywhere that we find soothing, and the food is great.  During our visit we gobble something called ‘Hot Hash’–smoked trout sauteed with potatoes, yams, greens, and radishes served with runny eggs on top–really tasty…a burger cooked a perfect medium-rare topped with cheese and served on a soft brioche bun–delicious…a side of sunnyside-up eggs and bacon for gnoshing and dipping of burger into runny yolks–mmmm, aaaaahh!

And everything is washed down with a couple of delightful bloody marys topped with pickles, cured meat, cheese, and pickled beets…really good and totally satisfying–jaaaa!!

Please pop into The Mint in La Crosse, WI if you ever find yerself toolin’ around in da great midwest of the da U.S. of A.. . .you will find lots of gobblin’ ‘n’ sippin’ satisfaction here–I gar-ron-taaaayy!!

To see more magical images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .so much to see and sooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.