Gobblin’ in La Crosse–

WOW!  The grub here in La Crosse, Wisconsin continues to be tasty and alluring…mmmm, aaaah!

The menu at The Charmant Hotel Restaurant has been revised to include steak au poivre, heirloom tomatoes, and asparagus with egg yolk…AND they still serve a tasty French onion soup smothered with gruyere.  Wash everything down with a tasty California merlot, and we are good-to-go.

A new chef has taken over at Charmant…we are told that he is changing the menu again–perfect reason to pop back out here to see what he gets up to when the time is right.

The previous Charmant chef, a dude called Spencer Schaller, has opened a new joint in town called the Restore Public House…we checked this out, and it is quite good.

Spencer is serving up grilled carrots–similar to the bbq carrots from The Publican in Chicago…scallops and clams…various cuts of beef to include rib-eyes, sirloins, skirt steaks, etc–quite delectable…a mouthwatering burger…gnocchi…dessert waffles…and extremely delicious sorbets.  We sample all of these items and wash everything down with a rose just for kicks. . .not bad, not bad at all.

So, the next time you find yourself wandering around in La Crosse on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River here in western Wisconsin please consider dining at Charmant and the Restore Public House. . .you will love ’em both–I gar-ron-taaaaayy!

It’s lovely out there.

Meditative motorcycling–

MMMeditative mmmotorcycling mmmakes mmme mmmove mmmagically.

Damn…the breezes are August warm…the skies are bombastic blue…the clouds are puffy pillows…and the roads are open, clear and soothing. . .Harley and Davidson done built this machine right–it feels like it will roll on and purr forever and ever, as long as I remember to change the oil on a regular basis.

I can ride through the rolling hills of southwestern Wisconsin all day long…thinking about this ‘n’ that…laughing about those ‘n’ them…breathing in ‘n’ breathing out. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!

The world is in turmoil or parts of it are…this is what we are told, this is what we are fed.  Can’t feel any of that out here…in the land of personal responsibility…in the land of ‘you ride your ride, and I will ride my ride.’

I send out scintillatingly uplifting vibes from a road somewhere in ‘America’s Dairyland’. . .feel them. . .may they help you find the ride that is most helpful to you.

To see more stupendous images from around our teeny-tiny planet 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 soooooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

 

Ready to go–

Motorcyclists have their individual style all over the world, but this guy cruising across Iowa and Wisconsin has us all beat.

Skull helmet, skeleton jacket and a mobile casket making him ready for the aftermath of a major crash…easy clean-up, no worries…WOWEEWOWOW!

“No apologies…just gonna ride my ride…bury me where you find me.”

All of you bikers out there, ride often and ride safely.

I send you self-contained vibes from the midwest of the U.S. of A….feel them…the will help you sleep in peace for a long time.

It’s lovely out there.

FLW magic in Iowa–

Frank Lloyd Wright built this house in 1950 for a dude called Lowell Walter in Quasqueton, Iowa.  Lowell lived here with his wife, Agnes, for 30 years.  They had many parties and guests over the years–he was sort of the Jay Gatsby of eastern Iowa.

The Walters had no children.  Just before he died Lowell willed the house along with the property and all of his belongings to the state of Iowa.

The house is called Cedar Rock, and today this whole property is known as the ‘Lowell and Agnes Walter Estate at Cedar Rock’–an official state park in Iowa’s park system.  You can visit this estate throughout the spring, summer and fall…entrance is technically free, though they love it if you leave a cash donation in the donation box.

The house sits on a hill overlooking the Wapsipinicon River…Wapsipinicon comes from an Ojibwe word that means ‘river abundant in swan potatoes’–swan potatoes being artichokes.  A fun legend says the name comes from a Sioux dude called ‘Wapsi’ and a Fox chick called ‘Pinicon.’  As in Romeo and Juliet, Wapsi and Pinicon loved each other but were not allowed to be together because of tribal rivalries…so they jumped in the river and floated away to be together forever and ever…much nicer story than a river abundant with artichokes…yes?  YES!

Call this place and this river anything you want…names don’t matter here, but the feeling you get when visiting does. The grounds are soothing…the house is magnificent…the furnishings are relaxing…and the overall effect of Cedar Rock on us is calming and uplifting at the same time…mmmm, aaaah!

If you ever find yourself driving along Highway U.S. 20 through Iowa (the longest highest in the U.S. of A.–it winds across the entire country), then look for the Cedar Rock sign at exit 261…turn off, drive about 8 miles, and BOOM you will arrive at the Walter Estate. . .spend about an hour checking it all out and then continue on your way.

Lotsa fun to see what’s doin’ here in Quasqueton and anywhere else that you find yourself exploring.  So much to see and soooo little time.

It’s lovely out there.

Chicago grub–

MMM!  Chicago grub makes us happy…we love gobbling burgers and seafood pasta at Tavern On Rush…we love eggs benedict at The Peninsula Hotel over on Superior Street…we love the whole roasted fish soup at Szechuan Cuisine in Chinatown. . .this stuff is all delicious and worthy of your attention.

You gotta make the best of things wherever you are. . .in the midwest Chicago is the heart of food goodness, and it all spreads out from here to Milwaukee to Minneapolis to New Glarus to Dubuque, etc. and so on.

Definitely bring your appetite the next time you pop into Chi-town. . .there is a ton of stuff to ingest…eat high, eat low, eat far, eat wide. . .it’s good and good for you.

Stay curious…resist sclerosis.

It’s lovely out there.

Play ball, Cubbies!

BAM!  We made it to the second oldest baseball stadium in da U.S. of A.: Wrigley Field in Chicago (Fenway in Boston is the oldest). . .let’s check this baby out, and see what’s what.

First off, we are extremely lucky with the weather…currently 80 degrees Fahrenheit, about 60 percent humidity, light breezes out of the east, clear blue skies, and sunshine on the field–though our seats are in the shade–niiiiice!!

Wrigley Field opened in 1914, and is still rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’ today.  It is located on Addison Avenue in the northern section of Chicago…just ride the red line of the L-train to Addison, and you are here in no time at all.

It looks like the place has been refurbished on the outside and, more importantly, on the inside.  I keep hearing dudes in the bathroom saying things like, “wow, so much better with more urinals and troughs in these bathrooms.”  It feels real good to me…lines move fast, dudes are in and out, and we all move on with our lives quickly after taking care of our business.

The concessions are plentiful and efficient…lots of great stuff to eat: Italian beefs, Chicago-style hot dogs, footlongs, pizza, nachos, beer, wine–rose anybody?–soda, water, etc….and the staff are helpful, welcoming and professional. . .we love this whole place.

Then we get to our seats…a couple of nice ones behind home plate…great views of EVERYTHING.

The game flows along and 3 hours later the Cubs win…and we get our first experience singing ‘Go Cubs Go’ with all of the happy Cubs fans. . .kinda lovely singin’ away with all of these midwest folks–jaaaa!

If you love great outdoor experiences in historic stadiums, then you gotta do a game at Wrigley at least once in your lifetime.  Pop on over to Chicago some time, score some Wrigley tickets online–very easy, and take someone you love out to the ballpark. . .you and everyone with you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaayy!

Go, Cubs, Go!!

It’s lovely out there.

Chinatown…Chicago-style–

Here we are puttin’ on a major feed at a joint called ‘Szechuan Cuisine’ on Wentworth Avenue in Chicago’s Chinatown…let’s check it out.

Stephanie Izard famously brought Anthony Bourdain to this restaurant during one of his Chicago shows, and they totally enjoyed themselves because the food here is wonderful.

During OUR visit we gobble the following: mapo tofu, chongqing chicken, sautéed pea shoots with garlic, and a whole roasted fish in Szechuan broth…everything is washed down with cold bottles of Tsingtao and glasses of white wine…delicious!

All of this stuff is full of Szechuan peppercorns that create a slow and soothing warming of our mouths, throats, and stomachs.  This digestive warmth then turns into a general warming of our bodies that makes us go, “mmmm, aaaaahh!!”

It is great to dine in another spot that Bourdain loved…other patrons are also here because of this as well as the fact that the food is outstanding.  The staff remember Bourdain’s visit well…answering questions about it from various diners throughout the evening…niiiiice.

So, pop on down to Chinatown during one of your visits to Chi-town…the whole thing is located on about 5 or 6 blocks of Wentworth Avenue–easy to find, easy to navigate, and easy to find delicious types of Chinese food to jam into your gullet…especially the food at ‘Szechuan Cuisine’…you will love it–I gar-ron-taaaaayy!

It’s lovely out there.

Local boy done real good–

Virgil Abloh…born and raised in Rockford, Illinois…starts a t-shirt company called ‘Pyrex’ in his teens…gets noticed by lots of folks…finds fame with a t-shirt designed for ‘Colette’…rises to be the head of men’s design for Louis Vuitton…now divides his time between Paris, Milan, L.A., N.Y., Chicago, etc. designing stuff. . .local boy done real good, indeed!

A collection of his clothing works as well as some of his art is currently on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) on Mies van der Rohe Way here along the “Gold Coast” of Chicago. . .totally worth checking out.

Virgil appears to see everything, and his various installations, silk screens, and clothing reflect and comment on stuff happening all around him and us at any given time.  We love strolling through his works here at the MCA…quite thought-provoking…and I am confident that you will love it, too.  Check it out if you can, and let me know what you think.

Stay curious…resist sclerosis.

It’s lovely out there.

Keep ridin’, baby!

Glorious blue skies, warm breezes, and uncrowded roads welcome anyone who can make it out to The Great River Road on the west coast of Wisconsin–aka, Harley Country…mmmm, aaaahh!

The Great River Road runs along the mighty Mississippi River starting up near Duluth, Minnesota and continues south down to St. Louis or so…and might even continue beyond down through Mississippi and into Louisiana…Google it to learn more.

Find an open road wherever you are, get on or in your motorized vehicle–gas or electric (even a self-powered bicycle would be fine)–and keep ridin’…ride it long and hard and safely…feel the wind on your body…take in the scenery…breathe in the air…send out magical vibes to the world around you, and be alive NOW.

I send you invigorating vibes from a fuel stop along The Great River Road in western Wisconsin. . .feel them. . .they will make you go, “yeeeee-haaaaaa!”

It’s lovely out there.