tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41166473900213346922024-03-17T02:40:52.517-05:00My Kind of Town (& Around)My name is Karla Zimmerman. For more than 20 years I've been eating, drinking and playing in Chicago and around -- and writing about it for publishers like Lonely Planet, the BBC and Sutro Media. Looking for pie, beer or something oddball in the region? This blog's for you.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-12059897547729727972015-01-27T08:47:00.000-06:002015-01-27T08:53:14.464-06:00Offbeat Chicago: the Busy Beaver Button Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L87tM9hBS5o/VMekEQoeZtI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/-EHcpvrJipA/s1600/buttons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L87tM9hBS5o/VMekEQoeZtI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/-EHcpvrJipA/s1600/buttons.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
In Chicago's museum pantheon, there's the Art Institute, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, blah blah blah. They're fine if you like Impressionist masterpieces or T-rexes or whales. But wouldn't you rather see George Washington's campaign button from the late 1700s? Or a <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/devo-energy-domes">red-cone-hat Devo button</a>? Or a <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/button-woman-wearing-button">century-old button of a woman wearing a button</a>?<br />
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The <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/">Busy Beaver Button Museum</a> has the goods. Exhibits start with the Father of our Country showing his flair (though in his era buttons were sewed on). Pin-back buttons came along in 1896. Badge-making company Busy Beaver chronicles their history in displays holding thousands of the little round mementos. They tout everything from <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/missing-persons-photograph">Dale Bozzio</a> to <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/bozo-clown-0">Bozo the clown</a>, <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/cabbage-patch-kids">Cabbage Patch Kids</a> to <a href="http://www.buttonmuseum.org/buttons/big-rock-point-nuclear-plant">Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant</a>. They're fascinating to browse, and the hipster office staff is totally gracious about letting you gawk over their desks where the framed cases hang. Ring the doorbell to enter any time between 10am and 4pm on weekdays. Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-7146939807298922812014-12-31T17:47:00.001-06:002014-12-31T18:15:16.181-06:00Buddy Sings the Blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIfy2jhni9U/VKSRP_YU46I/AAAAAAAAAfA/NaM3-oz5UMk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-12-31%2Bat%2B6.11.15%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIfy2jhni9U/VKSRP_YU46I/AAAAAAAAAfA/NaM3-oz5UMk/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2014-12-31%2Bat%2B6.11.15%2BPM.png" height="320" width="169" /></a></div>
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</style>It's January in Chicago, and you know what that means:
wintry balls-out cold, of course. But it's also the month when Buddy Guy gives
blues lessons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Every Thursday through Sunday, Buddy shreds the stage at his
downtown club. He does it each January. Tickets sell out fast, because Buddy is
the last real bluesman left, and at age 78, who knows how much longer he'll be
bending strings (he bends his really, really hard, incidentally - just <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/billrobinson/mr-buddy-guy-blues-master_b_6158104.html" target="_blank">ask his guitar tech</a>).</div>
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Chicago blues is its own genre, what happened when Delta axe-men
like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and Howlin' Wolf plugged in their amps. Their
sick licks and electric sound paved the way for rock 'n roll, influencing the Rolling
Stones, among many others. Their Chicago story plays out at the <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2011/06/rockin-at-chess-records.html" target="_blank">old Chess Records site</a>. </div>
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Buddy is the last link to the old timers. He was a session
guitarist at Chess and backed Muddy and Howlin' Wolf. He might tell the story
during his January residency, and you'll be close enough to hear it, since the
room only holds 550 people. He might also mention how Leonard Chess slammed him
as just making noise, or that pre-fame Eric Clapton used to sleep in a van to
come see Guy play when he toured England.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">So Chicago in January does have a hot spot. While you're in the minor-key
groove, why swing by <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2011/06/jammin-at-muddy-waters-place.html" target="_blank">Muddy Waters' home</a>? And later in 2015 road trip to St
Louis for the opening of the new <a href="http://www.nationalbluesmuseum.org/" target="_blank">National Blues Museum</a>. Buddy will certainly be
there.</span>
Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-20103987984589096022014-11-24T15:24:00.000-06:002014-11-24T15:24:37.133-06:00Where the Dead Meet the Dogs in DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5FVHderwWo/VHOhgFBX2-I/AAAAAAAAAew/JdzLUApNQTc/s1600/hoover%2Bgrave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5FVHderwWo/VHOhgFBX2-I/AAAAAAAAAew/JdzLUApNQTc/s1600/hoover%2Bgrave.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
It <i>is</i> jarring the first time you see a dachshund lower its haunches and poo right next to a tombstone. Some people say it's disrespectful. Others say the dogs saved Washington, DC's <a href="http://www.congressionalcemetery.org/" target="_blank">Congressional Cemetery</a>. <br /><br />Founded in 1807, the burial ground had become a forlorn place of crack deals and toppled monuments by the 1990s. But then a group of locals had an idea: turn the graveyard into a members-only dog park, and use the fees to restore the site. <br /><br />It's now a lovely spot to ramble, and the cemetery has done a fab job documenting the dead. Pick up maps at the entrance to find famed civil rights heroes, global explorers, beer brewers, War of 1812 officers, and loads of other people you should know. Favorite spirits to seek out:<br /><br />* <a href="http://www.mathewbrady.com/" target="_blank">Mathew Brady</a>: The Civil War photographer is known as the father of photojournalism. He took the picture of Lincoln that's now on the $5 bill.<br /><br />* <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belva_Ann_Lockwood" target="_blank">Belva Lockwood</a>: She ran for US president in 1884 as the Equal Rights Party's candidate. Yes, she was aware women didn't have voting rights at the time. She still got 4000 votes.<br /><br />* <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover" target="_blank">J Edgar Hoover</a>: The infamous FBI director has a grave that's surrounded by a fence and faces DC's jail.<br /><br />Just watch out for loping black labs, stick-chasing Yorkies and other members of the K9 Corps patrolling the stony rows. Incidentally, it's a year-long waiting list to join the pack.<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-55574469496973602822014-10-22T20:40:00.001-05:002014-10-22T20:41:53.476-05:00Mustache Tourism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What? You've never heard of it? People travel all over the globe for their lip doilies. Here's where: <br />
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1. Portland, Oregon: It hosts the <a href="http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/" target="_blank">World Beard and Mustache Championships</a> on Oct. 25. Contestants twist, curl and wax their facial hair into spectacular formations (some with flowers, like <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/american-festivals/world-beard-mustache-championship-photos/#/mustache-competition-990-350007-c_16758_600x450.jpg" target="_blank">this</a>).<br />
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2. Budapest, Hungary: The nation has such renowned 'staches it gets <a href="http://beardteamusa.org/nationalchampionships/categories/hungarian-moustache/" target="_blank">its own bushy category</a> at the World Championships. Travel to Budapest, home of the <a href="http://www.magyarbajusz.hu/" target="_blank">Hungarian Moustache Society</a>, and you'll see the lady ticklers firsthand. <br />
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3. London, England: Have a "hirsute appendage of the upper lip, with graspable extremities"? That's the qualification for membership in the <a href="http://www.handlebarclub.co.uk/index.php" target="_blank">Handlebar Club</a>. Join the gents achieving mustache excellence at monthly meetings in a Marylebone pub.<br />
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4. Trondheim, Norway: Epic mustache history here. It's Norway's Viking capital - the very dudes who originated badass whiskers. It's headquarters of the <a href="http://www.dnm91.no/" target="_blank">Norwegian Mustache Club</a>. And Trondheim has twice held the World Championships. <br />
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5. Liverpool, England: A mustache museum! OK, officially it's Merseyside Maritime Museum with a "<a href="http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/archive/displays/moustaches/index.aspx" target="_blank">Mustaches from the Past</a>" exhibit. Most go walrus style. Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-29092784480786896222014-10-15T07:17:00.000-05:002014-10-15T07:17:49.557-05:00Amsterdam's 7 Oddest Museums<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-If4kj_7hRhc/VD3k_V4VJFI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/jKtKTO0YsEg/s1600/hemp%2Bmuseum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-If4kj_7hRhc/VD3k_V4VJFI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/jKtKTO0YsEg/s1600/hemp%2Bmuseum.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>Everyone goes to gape at Van Gogh and ogle Rembrandt. But where are the neck violins and fluorescent rabbits? The bong displays and erotic music boxes? Amsterdam has a sublime assortment of oddball museums. <br />
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1. <a href="http://www.kattenkabinet.nl/" target="_blank">Kattenkabinet</a>: Art devoted to cats – including works by Picasso and Rembrandt – hangs in this creaky old canal house.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.tassenmuseum.nl/" target="_blank">Tassenmuseum Hendrikje</a>: The Museum of Handbags and Purses shows arm candy throughout the ages, with lots of sparkling celebrity clutches.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.torturemuseum.nl/" target="_blank">Torture Museum</a>: Spooky galleries display skull crackers, finger screws, a guillotine and the Iron Maiden of Nuremberg.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.sexmuseumamsterdam.nl/" target="_blank">Sexmuseum Amsterdam</a>: Good silly fun, especially the penis-encircled baptismal font and automated farting flasher.<br />
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5. <a href="http://electric-lady-land.com/" target="_blank">Electric Lady Land</a>: The world’s first museum of fluorescence lays out glow-in-the-dark rocks, rice and rabbits. Trippy!<br />
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6. <a href="http://www.pianola.nl/" target="_blank">Pianola Museum</a>: Listen to rare jazz and classical tunes unroll on vintage player pianos.<br />
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7. <a href="http://www.hashmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Hash, Marijuana and Hemp Museum</a>: Ganja galore in the Red Light District. Browse the whopping pipe collection and roomful of big-budded plants, then send an e-postcard of yourself in a pot field.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-27586204846085602662014-10-14T16:40:00.000-05:002014-10-14T16:40:46.473-05:00Top 5 Museums a Zombie Would Love<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VRBc4CKKDY/VD2WysIE2lI/AAAAAAAAAd4/-XIYq5J52WE/s1600/zombie_stock_11_by_jaded_ink-d2zus77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7VRBc4CKKDY/VD2WysIE2lI/AAAAAAAAAd4/-XIYq5J52WE/s1600/zombie_stock_11_by_jaded_ink-d2zus77.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead" target="_blank">The Walking Dead</a> had record-breaking ratings for its premiere on Sunday. Zombies are hot. Zombies are everywhere. But when they're done face-eating, what do zombies do for entertainment? <br /><br />Here are the top 5 museums a zombie would love:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.imhm.org/" target="_blank">Indiana Medical History Museum</a>: The room inside an old insane asylum filled with brains in jars is like a cannibal candy shop. <br /><br />2. Philadelphia's <a href="http://muttermuseum.org/exhibitions/albert-einsteins-brain/" target="_blank">Mutter Museum</a>: Einstein's braaaain is here, in 20-micron-thick slices. <br /><br />3. Cornell's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhkGAHT-8tQ" target="_blank">Wilder Brain Collection</a>: The smorgasbord of juicy lobes includes doctors, suffragists and serial killers. <br /><br />4. <a href="http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ThinkTank/TheBrain/default.cfm" target="_blank">National Zoo</a>: Zombie pets will lip-smack at the pickled brains, from pygmy hippos to blue whales, white-tailed deer to red foxes. <br /><br />5. <a href="http://www.livingdeadmuseum.com/" target="_blank">Living Dead Museum</a>: This one's for reanimated corpses with a sense of humor. It's set in the house where <i>Night of the Living Dead</i> was filmed and is stuffed with rotting legs, eyeball-less faces and other movie props. <br /><br />Photo from <a href="http://jaded-ink.deviantart.com/art/zombie-stock-11-181155139" target="_blank">jaded-ink</a><br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-9356860981340878152014-07-11T22:22:00.000-05:002014-07-11T22:22:02.066-05:00Beer-Filled Donuts, Craft Classes & Modern Art: 5 New Things LeBron Can Do in Cleveland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zfhhPxn7yhQ/U8CpJJfLH6I/AAAAAAAAAdg/8O37k0Vi05s/s1600/safe_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zfhhPxn7yhQ/U8CpJJfLH6I/AAAAAAAAAdg/8O37k0Vi05s/s1600/safe_image.jpg" height="103" width="200" /></a></div>
A lot has changed in the years you've been gone, LeBron. Enjoy the new, cool Cleveland. Here is your to-do list:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brewnutscle" target="_blank">Brewnuts</a>: This Tremont shop fries donuts using C-town brews in the batter. And <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/drinks/index.ssf/2014/07/lebron_james_beer_what_would_y.html" target="_blank">they're making you your very own boozy treat</a>. It'll likely be a long john-type donut named King James. Suds to be decided....<br /><br />2. <a href="http://gottagrooverecords.com/" target="_blank">Gotta Groove Records</a>: Gotta Groove presses 70,000 records a month in an old elevator factory downtown. They'll preserve your crooning onto 7-inch or 12-inch vinyl. Staff will even give you a tour if you call ahead. <br /><br />3. <a href="http://theclevelandflea.com/" target="_blank">Cleveland Flea</a>: The city's hipsters unite one Sunday per month from May through October for a crafty street market. The group also hosts underground dinners to which you are invited, LeBron, as well as DIY classes where you can learn to make your own craft cocktails with habanero-flavored salt.<br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.clevelandart.org/" target="_blank">Cleveland Museum of Art</a>: Fresh off a whopping expansion, this place will blow your mind with rock star works from Impressionists, Picasso and surrealists. Bring your mobile device, because the museum makes sweet use of digital technology.<br /><br />5. <a href="http://www.mocacleveland.org/" target="_blank">Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland</a>: MOCA is where you can get your fix of Belgian video artists and feminist performance artists, LeBron. If nothing else, gape at the shiny new building of geometric black steel.<br />
<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-67939551137867386182014-06-28T11:30:00.000-05:002014-06-28T12:43:42.137-05:00Signs of the Times<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Svp6nUof74k/U63vknrdJOI/AAAAAAAAAc0/YldftNnZPX0/s1600/Cincy+-+sign+museum+golf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Svp6nUof74k/U63vknrdJOI/AAAAAAAAAc0/YldftNnZPX0/s1600/Cincy+-+sign+museum+golf.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a>If you're driving through Cincinnati, Ohio, and you pass an old parachute factory with a giant genie beckoning out front, stop. It's the <a href="http://www.americansignmuseum.org/" target="_blank">American Sign Museum</a>, chock full of flashing neon beacons that will sear your retinas. Vintage drive-in marquees, the Frisch’s Big Boy and Charo's Vegas billboard ("The Can-Can goes Cuchi Cuchi") are among the cache of nostalgic novelties. </div>
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The museum was born from one man's passion and collection of salvaged signs. A neon-making shop onsite guarantees a future for the industry.</div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxrjc2txyZE/U63vnnXTb_I/AAAAAAAAAc8/V_VqXr2uCzk/s1600/Cincy+-+sign+museum+big+boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lxrjc2txyZE/U63vnnXTb_I/AAAAAAAAAc8/V_VqXr2uCzk/s1600/Cincy+-+sign+museum+big+boy.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3JuxGzh_Vc/U63qW81sJwI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/QpmPjvQc-MA/s1600/elvis+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3JuxGzh_Vc/U63qW81sJwI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/QpmPjvQc-MA/s1600/elvis+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I've written about Indianapolis' offbeat attractions before: the rejection letters at the <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2011/11/so-it-goes-at-vonnegut-library.html" target="_blank">Kurt Vonnegut Library</a> and brains in jars at the <a href="http://www.mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2012/02/brains-in-jars.html" target="_blank">Indiana Medical History Museum</a>. Add the Elvis marker to the list. <br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley" target="_blank">Elvis Presley</a> played his last-ever concert in Indy. It happened 37 years ago almost to the day, on June 26, 1977. The city put up a plaque to mark the spot, and buried the King's scarf underneath in tribute. The neckwear was part of his outfit for that final show, along with a gold and white jumpsuit.<br />
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Alas, critics panned Elvis' performance as sloppy and lethargic. Seven weeks later, on August 16, he was found dead on his bathroom floor.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-90207558286140263532014-03-03T16:38:00.000-06:002014-03-03T16:38:18.260-06:00Paczki Day(s) in Chicago<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry, blog. I abandoned you last year while I was off to other projects. But I'm back now, and what do you think has prompted the return? <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2009/02/donut-diaries-entry-1.html" target="_blank">Donuts</a>.<br /><br />Or paczki (POANCH-kee), to be precise. They're the sugar-coated, jelly-filled Polish pastries that have become a much-gobbled, pre-Lent tradition.<br /><br />Paczki are denser and eggier than typical donuts, and their deep-fried goodness has spawned an eponymous holiday. <b>Paczki Day</b> is celebrated the Thursday before Lent in Poland. The custom blended with local Mardi Gras traditions when it came to the US, and immigrants began marking it on Fat Tuesday.<br /><br />In Chicago, which has one of the world's largest Polish populations, we honor both days. This means we munch paczki - in all of their cherry, strawberry, apricot, prune, custard, chocolate and raspberry-plumped incarnations - from Thursday through Tuesday. And then Lent begins, when many folks give up such sweet indulgences.<br /><br />Top 3 bakeries to get sugarcoat your face?<br /><br />* <a href="http://www.delightfulpastries.com/" target="_blank">Delightful Pastries</a>: When you dream of paczki, it is Delightful's pillowy dough-balls that pop up. Delightful will bake 20,000 paczki for the six-day "season," and they'll bake many of those with booze. The joy of chasing a whiskey-and-chocolate-custard donut with a vanilla bean-vodka donut cannot be overstated. <br /><br />* <a href="http://www.bennisonscakes.com/" target="_blank">Bennison's Bakery</a>: Evanston's popular pastry shop makes a mean enough paczki that contestants want to shove trays of them down their gob for the Annual Paczki Eating Contest. Last year's champions look a little woozy in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILu3Y567pVk" target="_blank">video</a>, but hey, they won $300.<br /><br />* <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bridgeport-Bakery/121801737833300" target="_blank">Bridgeport Bakery</a>: The South Side stalwart is not kidding around, with heaps of cheesy, creamy, fruity paczki options for a butt-cheap 95¢ each.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140303/chicago/paczki-day-chicago-map-of-where-buy-polish-treats" target="_blank">here</a> for a map of more places to buy paczki around Chicago. Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-18046577575050227252013-04-15T18:15:00.001-05:002013-04-15T18:16:10.212-05:00Cow Pies and Cheese Castles in Wisconsin <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tkJ6uIsIHxA/UWx1rRbQ0WI/AAAAAAAAAaE/QkIDi-_oK6s/s1600/cow+pie+from+wisconsin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tkJ6uIsIHxA/UWx1rRbQ0WI/AAAAAAAAAaE/QkIDi-_oK6s/s200/cow+pie+from+wisconsin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nGbKm3CE5Jk/UWx1v6h-wLI/AAAAAAAAAaM/KLQxQuEN6L0/s1600/cow+pie+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nGbKm3CE5Jk/UWx1v6h-wLI/AAAAAAAAAaM/KLQxQuEN6L0/s200/cow+pie+2.jpg" width="200" /></a>Wisconsin embraces its cheesiness with udder dignity. Take the state's most prevalent candy bar: the <a href="http://www.baraboocandy.com/" target="_blank">Cow Pie</a>. The pecan-chunked chocolate mound is modeled after a bovine poo. How many other states have that sort of chutzpah?<br />
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Then there's <a href="http://www.marscheese.com/" target="_blank">Mars Cheese Castle</a>. It is a real castle (well, a hulking turreted building with faux drawbridge) stocked with 300 types of cheese. Cheddar <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_curds" target="_blank">curds</a> sell best, along with beer-mug-shaped hunks. Cow Pies get lots of shelf space. As do foam-rubber cheese wedge hats. And a giant pie-eyed mouse wearing a cheese wedge hat watches over it all. <br />
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You might as well embrace the theme when visiting. These random facts can help:<br />
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* The state considered making "Eat Cheese or Die" its <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/08/us/wisconsin-s-license-plates-won-t-say-eat-cheese-or-die.html" target="_blank">official motto</a>.<br />
* Of the 2.6 billion pounds of <a href="http://media.eatwisconsincheese.com/dairyimpact/statistics/cheeseStatistics.aspx" target="_blank">cheese Wisconsin produces annually</a>, 34% is mozzarella and 21% is cheddar.<br />
* The state law requiring restaurants to put a slice of cheese on apple pie? It's a myth (though <a href="http://host.madison.com/news/local/are-restaurants-in-wisconsin-required-to-put-cheese-on-apple/article_f6490062-bc20-11de-a56b-001cc4c03286.html" target="_blank">Wisconsin did flirt with the idea</a>).<br />
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<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-90429562246813945892013-03-14T18:04:00.000-05:002013-03-15T12:35:22.536-05:003.14 Pie Thoughts on Pi Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year Pi Day gets more popular, with math geeks hopped up to celebrate the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter (aka 3.14) on March 14. For the rest of us, it's just a cheap excuse to discuss crust, fillings and flaky matters such as:<br />
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1. Why do more states have an official dinosaur than an official pie? Seriously Oklahoma: you name flesh-ravaging <i>Acrocanthosaurus Atokensis</i> as a Sooner symbol, but you can't bother with pecan pie? (It's listed only in conjunction with the "state meal".) Eight states dub official dinos. Only Indiana, Florida and Vermont bake a certified pie. <br />
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2. Why is Boston Cream Pie called a <i>pie</i>, when it is actually a spongy, custard-filled <i>cake</i>? Historians think it's due to the cookware used in the mid-19th century during the treat's genesis: bakers had pie tins available, but not cake pans. <br />
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3. Who makes the best pie? It's impossible to crown one particular shop, but we're going to say the Midwest wins for dreamy, creamy regional excellence. Little roadside shops slice thick slabs of banana cream, sugar cream, sour cream raisin, coconut cream, chocolate cream, peanut butter cream - you don't have to be hit on the head with a fork to get the gist.<br />
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.14. Consider the photo's message (above). It's an original artwork from the now defunct Pie of the Month Club. Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-70378230150544670132013-02-28T15:23:00.000-06:002013-02-28T15:23:36.478-06:00Midwest Round-up: 7ft Sausage & Chloroformed Dummy <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Midwest is always weird and wonderful, but some weeks are weirder and wonderful-er than others. Like this week:<br /><br />* Guido, the Milwaukee Brewers' 7ft-tall racing sausage mascot, was stolen during a gig at the city's Curling Club. Local mustard and sauerkraut companies offered condiment rewards for his safe return. The costume eventually turned up in a bar. "Like I didn't just see two guys plop a sausage on a barstool," the bartender said about the anonymous drop-off. More on this immortal Wisco story <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-27/sports/chi-racing-italian-sausage-20130227_1_bar-stool-italian-sausage-costume-mascot" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />* The annual <a href="http://www.midwayvillage.com/wordpress/event-registration/?regevent_action=register&event_id=46" target="_blank">Sock Monkey Festival</a> rolls in Rockford March 2 and 3, with monkey-making workshops, the Sock Monkey Hall of Fame inductions, and healings at Sockford General Hospital. This <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2012/02/sock-monkey-festival.html" target="_blank">earlier blog post</a> has the lowdown.<br /><br />* Chicago's <a href="http://www.imss.org/" target="_blank">International Museum of Surgical Science</a> remains as creepy as ever. The ancient Roman vaginal speculum stays "fearsome looking" (according to its placard), the chloroformed female dummy is still passed out, and the murals of blood-spattered surgeries continue to be available as postcards in the gift shop. All pics per my recent visit. Yeah baby!Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-78121265343680994002013-02-21T11:39:00.000-06:002013-02-21T11:39:35.974-06:00Pour George Another Whiskey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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George Washington's birthday is tomorrow, and if he was around you can bet he'd celebrate by tossing back a whiskey or three. <br /><br />Rumors of his temperance have been greatly exaggerated. Not only did he cook up his own whiskey at Mt Vernon but, according to a sign at the <a href="http://www.mountvernon.org/visit-his-estate/plan-your-visit/distillery-amp-gristmill" target="_blank">historic distillery</a> there, "he imbibed a variety of alcoholic beverages: …Port and Madeira and rum made into punch, along with beer and whiskey.”<br /><br />That distillery - which pumped out a whopping 11,000 gallons during its peak in 1799 - still operates today. It produces an <a href="http://oldtownalexandria.patch.com/articles/rye-whiskey-for-sale-at-historic-mount-vernon-3cbec3e4#photo-3609488" target="_blank">authentic version of Washington's rye-based recipe</a> that's sold around Christmas time.<br /><br />If you don't have a bottle, but you need to commune with George now, look at your local liquor store for <a href="http://www.michters.com/" target="_blank">Michter's</a>. It's the whiskey Washington used to fortify his troops at Valley Forge, and it's being percolated once again by a Louisville microdistillery.<br /><br />So now you know to raise a dram to George: Father of our Country, and Father of the American whiskey industry, as many drinkers dub him.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-64316172426067945702013-02-14T15:51:00.000-06:002013-02-14T17:59:35.220-06:00Chicago's St. Valentine's Day Massacre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Al Capone did not send Bugs Moran candy on Valentine's Day 1929. Instead, he sent hit-men to kill him. They missed Bugs, but massacred seven of his buddies.<br />
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It happened at the garage that used to stand at 2122 N Clark St. Bugs' guys arrived thinking they'd buy bootleg booze, but it was a set up. Capone's gang entered dressed as cops, lined the men up against a wall, and sprayed them with more than 100 bullets. Lucky for Bugs, he'd already left.<br />
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Developers tore down the garage in 1967. Before the wrecking ball swung, Canadian George Patey bought all the bricks. He displayed them in a nightclub and eventually sold a few as souvenirs. In December 08, after Patey's death, his family put the rest of the blocks for sale on eBay.<br />
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Today a fenced lawn and trees mark the massacre site, at which passing dogs bark and howl and strain their leashes in the opposite direction.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-30193586286778930492013-02-08T11:34:00.000-06:002013-02-08T12:44:15.074-06:00Chicago's Coolest Quarter for Record Shops <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146882/" target="_blank"><i>High Fidelity</i></a> crew were scouting for a Championship Vinyl today, they'd totally head to Logan Square. Get in the Grammy mood (awards are Feb. 10) by trawling the bins at:<br />
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* <a href="http://sakistore.net/" target="_blank">saki</a> - Forgive the lower-case. Focus instead on the intimate, in-store concerts by indie groups like Brokeback. They're free, as is accompanying food and drink by Goose Island Brewing, Bang Bang Pie Shop and other locals. The shop sells arty posters, zines and books alongside the CDs and vinyl. Plus, by god, saki accepts gift certificates from other retailers. So you can trade your lame Staples gift card for that new Panda Riot album.<br />
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* <a href="http://www.logan-hardware.com/" target="_blank">Logan Hardware</a> - It's hard to resist a shop where flicking through a bin of "Non-Religious Gospel" is followed by a knockdown game of Donkey Kong. Rock, oddball and Chicago band LPs fill the crates, but the bonus here is the attached vintage arcade museum. Relive your '80s on the free Pac Man, Tron and pinball.<br />
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* <a href="http://bucketoblood.com/" target="_blank">Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records</a> - Punk and metal vinyl comprise the "records" half of this wee niche shop, while sci-fi and horror paperbacks make up the "books." Owner Marc Ruvolo, who also runs the punk label <a href="http://www.johannsface.com/" target="_blank">Johann's Face</a>, curates the wares and distills his bizarro favorites into the aptly named Awesome section.<br />
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Hell, you might even find some Sonic Death Monkey in the 'hood.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-86151875134834276042013-01-29T10:25:00.000-06:002013-01-29T10:25:56.533-06:00Has Chicago Lost its Blues Mojo?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Sweet Home Chicago" ain't such a sweet home for preserving blues history. Which is a shame for a city that cashes in big on its long-running Blues Fest and bluesy clubs around town. Here are 3 seminal sites in jeopardy:<br /><br /><b>1. Muddy Waters' house</b> - Last week, a big red "X" appeared on the brick two-flat at 4339 S Lake Park Ave, an early step in the demolition process. I wrote about <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2011/06/jammin-at-muddy-waters-place.html" target="_blank">Muddy's house</a> - where legendary jam sessions broke out in the yard - a few years ago, when it was still in decent shape. Now the windows are boarded up and ominous yellow warning signs hang in front. Urbanist Lee Bey looks at whether everything gonna be alright in this <a href="http://www.wbez.org/blogs/lee-bey/2013-01/everything-gonna-be-alright-muddy-waters-historic-south-side-home-could-have" target="_blank">article</a>.<br /><br /><b>2. Chess Records Studio</b> - While Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bo Diddley and the Rolling Stones all plugged in at <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2011/06/rockin-at-chess-records.html" target="_blank">2120 S Michigan Ave</a>, this building also was on the chopping block until <a href="http://www.bluesheaven.com/" target="_blank">Willie Dixon's Blues Heaven Foundation</a> bought it. (Dixon was the bassist who wrote most of Chess's hits.) Dixon's family opens the studio for tours most days, but it's ramshackle with few original artifacts on display. Still, when Willie's grandson hauls out the bluesman's standup bass and lets you take a pluck, it's pretty damn cool...<br /><br /><b>3. Blues Museum</b> - Chicago has been trying to open a blues museum for years. The latest incarnation was in summer 2012, when the city floated the idea for a <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/17072207-421/chicago-loses-blues-museum-momentum-to-st-louis.html" target="_blank">"Blues Experience"</a> museum/nightclub downtown on State St. Cue the hemming and hawing. Meanwhile downriver, St Louis secured $6 million to build the <a href="http://www.nationalbluesmuseum.org/" target="_blank">National Blues Museum</a> to launch in 2014. <br /><br />Chicago needs to get its mojo workin', as in this <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/checkerboard-lounge-live-chicago-1981-mw0002400335" target="_blank">live album</a> when Waters and the Stones played the Checkerboard Lounge in 1981. <br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-75766852693552272002013-01-23T13:18:00.000-06:002013-01-23T13:18:59.068-06:00National Pie Day: 4 Things to Know <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cFh0-BKsX0o/UQA05YsjvBI/AAAAAAAAAXg/ucuvMXOM-O8/s1600/pie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cFh0-BKsX0o/UQA05YsjvBI/AAAAAAAAAXg/ucuvMXOM-O8/s200/pie.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today is a big one on the pie calendar. It's National Pie Day, as decreed by the American Pie Council. That means <a href="http://www.piecouncil.org/Events/MoreHappenings" target="_blank">sweet contests and free slices</a> around the country. Random info in honor of the occasion:<br /><br />* It's also the 4th anniversary of <a href="http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2009/SRESF/SC0005.html" target="_blank">Indiana's law</a> making sugar cream the official state pie. Only Florida (key lime) and Vermont (apple) take their crust as seriously and have passed "state pie" legislation. Oh sure, Maine, Massachusetts and Delaware list pie for a "state dessert" (blueberry, Boston cream and peach, respectively). And Oklahoma includes pecan pie as part of its "state meal." But c'mon: be bold and declare an official PIE.<br /><br />
* President Obama has been top of mind since his inauguration two days ago, and pie <i>is</i> his favorite dessert. He forked into <a href="http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2013/01/dessert-recipes-for-president-obamas.html" target="_blank">maple-caramel-sauced apple pie</a> at his post-swearing-in lunch. He's also fond of <a href="http://www.oxy.edu/news/presidents-favorite-pie" target="_blank">coconut chiffon pumpkin pie</a>, according to his college roommate's mom.<br /><br />* Norse Nook in Osseo, Wisconsin, routinely stays open during blizzards. The "Pie Fixes Everything" motto tells you why. Check out this <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/norskenook/pool/" target="_blank">Flicker group</a> of Norse's banana cream, raspberry white chocolate and other sky-high pies.<br /><br />* To salivate over regional variations in flaky goodness, click to <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/texas/travel-tips-and-articles/76256" target="_blank">American pie: slicing across the country</a>. Peanut butter, gooseberry, sour cream raisin...<br />
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Mmmm, pie.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-28215069350310466722013-01-22T21:30:00.000-06:002013-01-23T07:47:45.409-06:00Presidential Pets: Hippos, Badgers & Cows (Oh My)<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMDslt2PBek/UP9WQa1BamI/AAAAAAAAAXM/UIsrCqVUedE/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HMDslt2PBek/UP9WQa1BamI/AAAAAAAAAXM/UIsrCqVUedE/s200/images.jpg" width="200" /></a>As Bo Obama, the presidential pooch, settles in to his second term of <a href="http://www.peoplepets.com/people/pets/article/0,,20654125,00.html" target="_blank">posing for White House Christmas cards</a> and <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/01/22/potus-flotus-and-bo-obama-surprise-wh-tourists/1855781/" target="_blank">greeting Blue Room visitors</a>, it's a good time to reflect on his predecessors. There's <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2008/11/ruh-roh-is-barn/" target="_blank">Barney the terrier, who bit reporters</a> for George W. Bush. And Clinton's furry pals Socks the cat and Buddy the Labrador. But others in the first menagerie have been a bit more peculiar:<br />
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<b>*</b> <b>Adams-Hoover alligators</b> - The Marquis de Lafayette gifted John Quincy Adams with a gator, which Adams housed in the White House bathtub. A century later Herbert Hoover outdid him by having two pet alligators that waddled the West Wing.<br />
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<b>* Josiah the badger</b> - In 1903, a girl in wee-town Kansas asked the visiting Teddy Roosevelt if he would like a badger. "I said I would," and so Josh (Teddy's nickname for his new pet) rode the train back to Washington with the prez, joining his hog, rat, macaw and one-legged rooster.<br />
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<b>* Pauline Wayne the cow</b> - A Wisconsin senator gave Pauline, a bodacious Holstein, to William Howard Taft, who let her graze the White House lawn throughout his term. The trade-off? Miss Wayne provided milk for the first family.<br />
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<b>* Billy the pygmy hippo</b> - "Hmm," thought rubber maker Harvey Firestone. "What'll I do with this pygmy hippo that's wandered onto my Liberian rubber plantation? I know: I'll give it to Calvin Coolidge!" For the record, Coolidge already owned a wallaby, a duiker and a raccoon. <br />
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For more on Washington, check out recent posts on <a href="http://www.mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-10-freebies-in-washington-dc.html" target="_blank">DC's top 10 free things to do</a>; the city's <a href="http://www.mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2013/01/dcs-top-5-sites-for-political-intrigue.html" target="_blank">scandal sites</a>; and the lowdown on its <a href="http://www.mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2013/01/dcs-most-peculiar-museums.html" target="_blank">giant hairballs and bong museums</a>.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-9964956851041300892013-01-17T15:15:00.000-06:002013-01-17T15:27:30.575-06:00DC's Most Peculiar Museums <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_EBiJb0SNM4/UPhpm8MmgzI/AAAAAAAAAW4/dF-vH7JIWds/s1600/doobies+at+DEA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_EBiJb0SNM4/UPhpm8MmgzI/AAAAAAAAAW4/dF-vH7JIWds/s200/doobies+at+DEA.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Smithsonian grabs all the glory, its multiple venues rising up around the Mall like an educational fortress. But where are the giant hairballs and handcrafted mayonnaise-jar bongs? Here:<br />
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<a href="http://www.deamuseum.org/" target="_blank">DEA Museum</a> - One minute you're watching a video called <i>One Sniff Can Kill</i>, the next you're admiring an array of tightly rolled doobies. The federal, taxpayer-funded Drug Enforcement Administration curates the wares (located in the agency's lobby), which range from counterculture propaganda to undercover pimp gear like rabbit-fur jackets. Read more <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2012/09/national-museum-day-outcast-2-dea-museum.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.medicalmuseum.mil/" target="_blank">National Museum of Health and Medicine</a> - You might want to go light on breakfast before visiting the brains, spines and other body parts in jars. The stomach-shaped hairball leaves a lasting impression, as does Lincoln's assassination bullet and bits of his skull.<br />
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<a href="http://www.alexandriava.gov/Apothecary" target="_blank">Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum</a> - Antique glass medicine bottles and Martha Washington's Scouring Compound line the shelves of the 1792 shop. <br />
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<a href="http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org/" target="_blank">Woodrow Wilson House</a> - While it's swell to see how genteel Washingtonians lived and socialized in this 1920s home, the chatty docents are the real draw. They spill the beans on today's neighborhood elite, everything from which ambassadors shack up in their embassies illegally, to spot-on directions to the Clintons' nearby home (recognizable by the muscular Secret Service dudes sitting out front in SUVs and staring you down).<br />
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This is part 3 of a DC series. Part 1 covers <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-10-freebies-in-washington-dc.html" target="_blank">DC's top 10 free things to do</a>. Part 2 covers where Mayor Barry smoked crack, Nixon wiretapped and other <a href="http://mykindoftownandaround.blogspot.com/2013/01/dcs-top-5-sites-for-political-intrigue.html" target="_blank">scandal sites</a>. <br />
<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-9602697121167484302013-01-15T10:16:00.000-06:002013-01-15T10:16:49.558-06:00DC's Top 5 Sites for Political Intrigue & Scandal<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvOMEAscFuk/UPWAgLngz_I/AAAAAAAAAWk/gW2tTdtJ7nE/s1600/watergate+bldg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvOMEAscFuk/UPWAgLngz_I/AAAAAAAAAWk/gW2tTdtJ7nE/s200/watergate+bldg.jpg" width="200" /></a>Whaddya know? They're all hotels. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.watergatehotel.com/" target="_blank">Watergate</a> - Perhaps you've heard of the chi-chi apartment-hotel complex on the riverfront? Hint: a little break-in occurred here in 1972, something to do with Richard Nixon and wiretaps. Monica Lewinsky, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Condi Rice have all lived at Watergate, despite the sad 60s architecture.<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wassh-renaissance-mayflower-hotel/" target="_blank">Renaissance Mayflower Hotel</a> - J Edgar Hoover ate lunch here every day for 20 years. John F Kennedy reportedly sampled the charms of the fairer sex here. And NY Governor Eliot Spitzer infamously rendezvoused with a call girl here (room 871).<br /><br />
<a href="http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/district-of-columbia/washington-hilton-DCAWHHH/index.html" target="_blank">Washington Hilton</a> - This is where John Hinckley tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan on March 30, 1981. Hoping to impress the actress Jodie Foster, the disturbed young man shot Reagan, his press secretary and an FBI agent near the T St NW entrance.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.westinwashingtondccitycenter.com/" target="_blank">Westin Washington DC City Center</a> (formerly the Vista Hotel) - In 1990 DC mayor Marion Barry was caught puffing crack cocaine in room No 727. The FBI had a surveillance camera inside that also captured Barry uttering his timeless quote - 'Bitch set me up!' - in reference to ex-model (and police informant) Hazel 'Rasheeda' Moore, who was with him. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.washington.intercontinental.com/" target="_blank">Willard InterContinental Hotel</a> - President Grant coined the term "lobbyist" here to describe the many political wranglers trolling the lobby. You'll still find quite a few of them in the hotel bar, swirling single-malt Scotches and determining your next tax hike. <br /><br />
This is part 2 of a week-long series on DC. Part 1 reveals where to see nuclear missiles, the gun that shot Abe, and 8 other <a href="http://ow.ly/gOeXg" target="_blank">awesome things for free</a>.<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-12417402422770042422013-01-14T16:17:00.000-06:002013-01-14T16:17:53.301-06:00Top 10 Freebies in Washington, DC<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1DRg1KyIN_M/UPSCNIwvxUI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/XhRAQsqDVM0/s1600/lincoln+memorial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1DRg1KyIN_M/UPSCNIwvxUI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/XhRAQsqDVM0/s200/lincoln+memorial.jpg" width="150" /></a>The spotlight swings to DC on January 21 for President Obama's inauguration. Just so happens I co-wrote <a href="http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/usa/washington-dc-city-guide-5/" target="_blank">Lonely Planet's new DC guidebook</a>, so for the next week I'm going to post stories about the city. First up: my favorite freebies in town.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.si.edu/museums" target="_blank">Smithsonian Institution</a> - It's actually a collection of 19 museums, all gratis thanks to an eccentric Englishman named James Smithson (more on him later). Top draws are the rocket-fueled National Air and Space Museum and the dinosaur-and-diamond-stuffed National Museum of Natural History. <br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.nga.gov/" target="_blank">National Gallery of Art</a> - It takes two massive buildings to hold the trove of paintings, and sculptures. Monet? da Vinci? Pollock? All here, plus a trippy tunnel connecting the two sections. <br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/linc" target="_blank">Lincoln Memorial</a> - Massive Abe sits and gazes from his neoclassical temple. And you can stand spot-on where Martin Luther King Jr gave his 'I have a dream' speech. <br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.archives.gov/" target="_blank">National Archives</a> - Gawp at John Hancock's, er, John Hancock scrawled across the real-deal Declaration of Independence. The Constitution and Bill of Rights unfurl alongside it.<br /><br />5. <a href="http://www.fords.org/" target="_blank">Ford's Theatre</a> - See where John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln that fateful night in April 1865. The basement museum shows artifacts such as the murder weapon. <br /><br />6. <a href="http://www.visitthecapitol.gov/" target="_blank">Capitol</a> - Button-down guides take you through the mighty, white-domed sanctum of Congress, cluttered with busts, statues, frescoes and people in power suits.<br /><br />
7. <a href="http://www.moneyfactory.gov/" target="_blank">Bureau of Engraving and Printing</a> - Though the Treasury tour is about money, it won't be taking any of yours. Watch millions of dollars as they're printed, cut and inspected.<br /><br />
8. <a href="http://www.loc.gov/" target="_blank">Library of Congress</a> - The world's largest library is more than a stack of books. It's a museum with 500-year-old world maps, historic photographs, concerts and film screenings.<br /><br />9. <a href="http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/" target="_blank">Kennedy Center</a> - No dough for a big-ticket show? Fear not. The Millennium Stage hosts a free performance each evening at 6pm. Could be anyone from the National Symphony to a gospel group or Indian dance troupe. <br /><br />10. <a href="http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/things-do-see/tours-trails/neighborhood-heritage-trails" target="_blank">Cultural Tourism DC</a> - It provides free maps, apps and audio for DIY tours around the city that uncover civil rights sites, espionage hot spots and other historic places.<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-54690254281735881682012-11-29T17:05:00.000-06:002012-11-29T17:05:31.157-06:00Go Local with Bike & Tour Websites<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wuzltYSRDuA/ULfpniI6-6I/AAAAAAAAAV4/tUBDbvDfO1c/s1600/bicycle_repair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wuzltYSRDuA/ULfpniI6-6I/AAAAAAAAAV4/tUBDbvDfO1c/s200/bicycle_repair.jpg" width="200" /></a>Indie travelers strive to get beneath the surface of destination, beyond the middling attractions the <span id="goog_1611539820"></span><span id="goog_1611539821"></span>tourism bureau is paid to promote. They also want to connect with locals. A couple of new websites are here to help.<br />
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<b>* Liquid</b> (<a href="http://www.doliquid.com/">www.doliquid.com</a>) - Connects bicycle owners with visitors who want to rent a bike. Owners submit photos and details of their sweet chariot; Liquid verifies the offer, and then posts it online. Visitors search by location, bike size and type, then deal with the owner directly to rent their wheels. It's like <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">AirBnB</a> for pedalers! So far Liquid is in the US only, but it plans to branch out to 400 cities in 80 countries. <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lgQrv_fn_C4/ULfpgEnniCI/AAAAAAAAAVw/4IMPUbcGcv4/s1600/2012-05-02T025310Z_01_LAX04_RTRIDSP_3_NBA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lgQrv_fn_C4/ULfpgEnniCI/AAAAAAAAAVw/4IMPUbcGcv4/s200/2012-05-02T025310Z_01_LAX04_RTRIDSP_3_NBA.jpg" width="142" /></a><br />
<b>* Gidsy</b> (<a href="http://www.gidsy.com/">www.gidsy.com</a>) - “Gids” is the Dutch word for “guide.” The service matches locals who lead offbeat activities - say, mushroom hunting in an Austrian forest or snowboarding on a Washington mountain - with visitors looking for novel experiences of a place. Tour/activity prices are cheap compared to their professionally led counterparts. For details, <a href="http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/the-paid-piper/" target="_blank">read this article</a> about a Gidsy guy who leads a food scavenging tour through New York City. Ashton Kutcher is an investor in the Berlin-based company (he also invests in AirBnB, by the way).Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-76833659633681263832012-11-06T12:16:00.000-06:002012-11-06T12:18:25.517-06:00Obama's Election Day Ritual in Chicago<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SgDTPuHepVw/UJlQwoQb_DI/AAAAAAAAAU4/q_qPkqHEiXM/s1600/hair+salon+price+list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SgDTPuHepVw/UJlQwoQb_DI/AAAAAAAAAU4/q_qPkqHEiXM/s320/hair+salon+price+list.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DZClkxrJeNM/UJlQrSL9HpI/AAAAAAAAAUw/Hm1v4GwIZsY/s1600/presidential+barber+chair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DZClkxrJeNM/UJlQrSL9HpI/AAAAAAAAAUw/Hm1v4GwIZsY/s320/presidential+barber+chair.jpg" width="240" /></a>If you're Barack Obama, today is a pretty stressful day. Will I be president for another four years, or won't I? He has decided to stick to close to his Chicago home, play basketball in the 'hood, and maybe get a haircut to take his mind off the matter. <br />
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His barber, Zariff, at the <a href="http://hydeparkhairsalon.net/" target="_blank">Hyde Park Hair Salon</a> was coy when asked by local news reporters whether Obama would be dropping by. The prez would, presumably, get the "Obama Cut" ($21, as per the price list), though he won't be able to sit in the original presidential barber chair, which is now encased in bulletproof glass.<br />
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It's one more thing to add to the day's drama: <i>if</i> Obama stops by, and <i>if</i> he wins office again, perhaps we'll have a second enshrined barber chair....<br />
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<br />Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4116647390021334692.post-9260774040139545612012-11-05T20:25:00.000-06:002012-11-05T20:25:05.589-06:00Road-Tripping on the Lincoln Highway<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vsVsmv5MTHI/UJg9mtrJLiI/AAAAAAAAAUc/HdUAIS1KzZI/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vsVsmv5MTHI/UJg9mtrJLiI/AAAAAAAAAUc/HdUAIS1KzZI/s200/images-1.jpg" width="200" /></a>It has been 99 years since the Lincoln Highway - christened on October 31, 1913 - made it possible to drive coast-to-coast in America. The road beat a path from New York City to San Francisco, unfurling 2900 miles of pavement through the nation's heartland.<br /><br />But today the highway is fading. It doesn't appear on most maps, because it's no longer an official road, but rather a patchwork of federal and state byways. The <a href="http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/" target="_blank">Lincoln Highway Association</a> works to preserve the route. Pez museums, fried-chicken diners,
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In Illinois, a series of murals also marks the way, denoting hot spots such as Rochelle, where Emily Post honed her admirable manners in 1915, and University Park, where the Van Buren sisters revved motorcycles for their historic cross-country journey. See more on the Illinois artworks in my AAA article <a href="http://aaaliving.chicago.aaa.com/nxtbooks/aaaliving/aaaliving_illinois_20120708/index.php?startid=40" target="_blank">here</a>.Karlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01423883235964383602noreply@blogger.com0