Minneapolis 2014

We're not grumpy, the sun was in our eyes

We took an end of the summer getaway to Minneapolis over the Labour Day weekend and had a great time. Never stepped foot in the Mall of America or even a bike shop.

What we did was find new places by not using the gps or the freeways. From the south end of town, Bloomington to be more precise, there a at east a half dozen streets the start at American Boulevard and end up downtown. I would crank up Google maps and plan out a route and then with maybe a few lines on a note in my shirt pocket we would head out. Is it slower than jumping onto I35, yes. Do you actually get to see some of the neighbourhoods and small businesses, yes.

Our first run was up Lyndale Ave. to the Lyn Lake area restaurant  It's Greek To Me, turned out to be a great choice. They were closed Sunday and Monday for the long weekend, lots of smaller places close to give the staff a break. I had roast leg of lamb and Sal had a combo with four different dishes. Parked about half a block away right on Lake Street.

Saturday we did some shopping after a quick breakfast in the hotel. We decided to try Culver's which was the only 'fast' food place we even considered. The roast beef sandwiches were very good. We finished shopping and got ready for our night out. We travelled north up Portland Ave. all the way downtown which was very calm on weekends. We had reservations for 112 Eatery at 5pm, right at opening time and parked on the street just outside the front door. The restaurant is located in an old building that has been revamped and both floors filled up fast. We shared a crab salad and scallop appetizers, Sal had a pasta dish and I had a cheesburger with brie. I found a tasty new porter, Great Lakes Breweries (Cleveland OH) "Edmund Fitzgerald'. We added desert and enjoyed our most expensive meal of the trip. Just the right portion size for the evening we had planned and very good from the app to the dessert. I still think for $9 they could have assembled mine.

We left with about 40 minutes before show time at the Guthrie Theatre and I had to use gps to find the spot just 5 blocks away. :( The building itself was amazing with a large balcony section overlooking the riverfront and the theatre we were in was red velvet everything, curtains, seats and walls. Not that musty old red velvet, new and plush. We had excellent seats in row J and were the first to sit down. Again the place filled quickly and after waiting maybe 15 minutes the show started, a comedy that had a run on and off Broadway and had won several awards including a Tony, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. It started off with a few laughs and by the end of the 2 hour performance you cared what happened to the characters. We drove back through downtown and out Portland to the hotel.

The hotel was a big surprise. We have never used the travel sites that AJ books with but decided it was time to try. I signed up with Trip Advisor and found a room for 4 nights for $362 Canadian tax in through Priceline. It was a Super 8 located right on American Boulevard about 5 minutes from the Mall of America, Ikea, Target, Kohls, REI, Best Buy and so on. It included a king bed, breakfast, 24 hour free coffee in the lobby, a fridge, microwave, and wi-fi with 4 routers to choose from and better reception than we have at home. It was quiet and clean, can't ask for much more.

Sunday we did a little more shopping after trying the Mandarin Kitchen for Dim Sum. It was insanely busy and after circling for 20 minutes looking for parking we got inside and 15 minutes later we heard they served dim sum on Mondays so we mad the choice to leave. We hit a nearby Perkins where most of the seniors residing in Minnesota were having breakfast. We were hungry by then so it did the job. It's hard to mess up omelettes and coffee.

We then headed up Lyndale again and made our way to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. A huge building with a very extensive collection of art and historic artifacts. We spent most of our visit in the Chinese collection and it was very interesting. What did people do before tv and computers? They created beautiful works of art. Some of the carvings and tapestries were enormous and so detailed. It's impossible to imagine how something so impressive could be made by hand from materials also made by hand.

Sunday night we tried to get a reservation at Pizzeria Lola but they don't take them. When we arrived we saw why, no need. A large crowd stood outside the door milling around the 5 small tables where a few lucky groups were eating. I went in and put our name in for a table. An hour wait. We decided to stick this one out. And we were so glad we did. Once inside everything sped up. Drinks arrived and then an amazing salad. I ordered the Hawaii Pie O and Sal had the Sweet Italian. Wood fired just a few feet away and had to be the best we've ever had. We planned to take a few pieces back for lunch the following day but then remembered we were going to try for dim sum again. The pieces never made it to a box. The crust is so thin it just doesn't fill you up,. Strong enough to pick up and eat but almost unnoticeable in your mouth. In honor of one of my bikes I had a Surly Furious beer and then a Surly Bender. Trip Advisor has this place ranked as the number one restaurant in Minneapolis and we would agree.

Monday was a lazy day. We got to the Mandarin Kitchen right at the 10am opening and were eating by 10:05, no crowds on this sunny morning. It wasn't the best dim sum we've ever had but was good. The crab balls were something I haven't had and Sal said she hadn't had one since her dad made them.

We had no other plans so we tried Menards and picked up a few things, then a Super Target. With nothing more planned we chilled at the hotel for a few hours. At about 3 we headed to the Normandale Community College on France Ave. and their Japanese Gardens. A very tranquil and quiet place that we had to share with 3 or 4 others. We also checked out the Wildlife Sanctuary at the far end of American Boulevard. There is a visitor center overlooking the Mississippi Valley but it was closed for the holiday. A sign said that few animals would be seen on summer afternoons especially if it was breezy. It was mid afternoon and windy. Sal did see a few small birds in a birdhouse and then an enormous squirrel, a few chipmunks and a small rabbit so she was happy.

Our last supper of the trip was at Fat Lorenzos on Lake Nokomis. Another excellent find. We shared an Artichoke dip served with garlic toast that was so much better than others we have head, not salty at all and real mozzarella and chunks of artichoke. I had a New Belgian Fat Tire beer and Picanti Grassi, a spicey penne dish with meatball and sausage in every bite. Sal had spaghetti with meatballs, well half of it anyway. The portions were very generous and very tasty. We ordered a cold hoagie for lunch on the way home and enjoyed it at our favourite roadside rest spot just outside Gran Marais, Cut Face Creek.

We stopped in Duluth for some wine and Edmund Fitzgerald to bring home. Sal drove home from the rest stop. The roads were quiet and there was no one at the border. We were second in line on the way down. Other than numerous pauses for construction it was a relaxing drive home. All in all a great long weekend before works tarts for Sal and hockey changes into high gear for me.

On the steps of the Institute of the Arts

Fat Lorenzos unmistakable paint

4 dishes in 1 at It's Greek to Me

Sweet Italian at Pizzeria Lola

Hawaii Pie-O at Pizzeria Lola

Cheesburger at 112 Eatery

Appetizers at 112 Eatery

Some assembly required dessert at 112 Eatery

Dim sum at Mandarin Kitchen

Picant Grassi at Fat Lorenzos

Spaghetti & meatballs at Fat Lorenzos

Buble in Duluth

Our weekend in Duluth began Saturday morning with a search for passports. They weren't where I believed them to be. Sal had an idea but couldn't locate the overnight bag where she hoped they were. The bag was found complete with passports. A long uncomfortable drive followed as sitting in bucket seats is probably as painful as it gets for me right now. We got through the border without the long wait that we heard others faced later in the day. We stopped in Grand Marais for breakfast at the Blue Water Cafe. We arrived in Duluth during the lunch hour and drove through Canal Park without seeing any open parking spots so we took a chance and headed to our downtown hotel in hopes of the room being ready early. We got lucky and I was able to stretch out and give my aches a chance to cool.

We headed back to the waterfront at about four and strolled around a few shops before deciding on Famous Dave's BBQ for supper. After supper some more wandering and then over to the DECC as anxiety over finding our way to our seats took over. Sal found a park bench and I tried to locate the car so we wouldn't get lost after the concert. Along the way I found the main door where Buble goodies were being sold and brought Sal back so she could pick up a t-shirt. We waited near the front of the line for the doors to the Amsoil Arena to open.

At about 7:15 we were headed to our seats which turned out to be great, just 4 rows off the boards and even with about the 10th row on the floor. The stage stretched all the way to the boards so we had a great unobstructed view. We knew we were in for a good show when Naturally 7, the opening act, got the crowd on their feet and into it. They are 7 guys who use only their voices for all instruments and had done some back up work on the Crazy Love cd.

After a short break the lights went out again and the silhouette of Mr. Buble and his 14 piece band projected onto the curtains and they jumped into my favourite track from the Crazy Love cd, Cry Me A River.
I have to say this was one of the best concerts I've been to. He really connects to the crowd with humour and humility. He mentioned more than once that the crowd had spent big money to be there, even joking to the those at the front as he sang from the sound and camera platform at the back of the arena. The band was very talented and his introduction of each member was hilarious. He's one lucky Canuck as he draws a crowd made up of every age group from screaming teenage girls to older couples who enjoy his rendition of music standards.

A short walk back to the car and amazingly we were back in the full hotel parking lot in 15 minutes. I had to use the overflow lot up the hill behind the hotel and then go down and around and back up to the room. By this time my body was saying enough already.

Sunday we had breakfast at Perkins and then hit the mall, Target and Kohl's. We spent some time searching for Twin City Cyclery and I was disappointed that they had no Surly gear in sight. We drove into Canal Park and over the lift bridge out to Park Point. A mass of traffic in the distance had me turning around and then as we waited for the bridge Sal saw a small bear up in a tree about 50 yards away. How a bear would get to this highly populated narrow strip of beach I cannot imagine.

We returned to the hotel and got our tablets out to check for a restaurant for supper. We decided on Va Benne, a small Italian cafe on Superior Street. We shared an artichoke dip and Nicoise salad. Sal had pasta primavera and I had arrabiata al padre ricardo which can be ordered with heat from 1-10. I choose 6 and that was plenty warm enough. The meal was excellent. We returned to the hotel and solved the parking light mystery on the Impreza without removing any fuses. I had tripped a switch on the steering column and it left lights on while we were eating and I was sure I would have to remove a fuse to prevent draining the battery but a search of the manual pointed to the simple solution.

Monday morning we packed up and headed for breakfast at one of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives feature spots, At Sara's Table Chester Creek Cafe. We both had the meal that was shown on the show, french toast with wild rice and cranberry bread. Speed was not important and that was a good thing as service was slow but well worth the wait. I was in no hurry to make the long uncomfortable drive home anyway.

One Week To Go

I can't believe it's been so long since last posting. Putting up meals everyday got to be a chore. My weight has gone up a couple then down four over the last two Mondays so I'm definitely on the rollercoaster, at 246 this week. We leave on our western adventure next Thursday and are really looking forward to getting away. Hopefully the Trans-Canada is above water and the wet weather moves on.

I received e-mail from Conquer Cancer last week after 4100+ riders collected more than $16 million. I was tempted to jump right on it and sign up but haven't yet. Still might but I'm more nervous about the financial end of fundraising and travel than the actual ride. I'll make up my mind soon, or the spots will be gone.

For father's day Sal and Jen teamed up and gave me a Garmin hand held. I checked out bike mounts and they make one but no stock anywhere. So I went with a new smart phone, Sony Experia X10. It's built on Google's Android platform and does everything from wi-fi to gmail, has an 8mpixel camera, came with 16gig memory card and a ton of things to learn. It multitasks (right now I'm listening to my fav jazz album -Wynton Marsalis, Standard Time Vol. 2) and uploading the pix of a gaggle I rode over on Tuesday). Once Rogers and TBaytel get their stuff together it will be the best of both.

The geese were passing under the bridge on Balmoral as I was going over. There were two huge groups of gosslings and only a few adults. They take over the paths as the males will make hissing charges at anyone passing near. Not to mention the land mines they leave behind.

Go West Old Man

Plans for Calgary (and now Vancouver!) are coming together. We both have the time off and have a room booked in Brandon for the night of the 1st. It will be a couple of long days driving but great to get away for a bit. Checking out the massive amount of bike paths and singletrack in Calgary is interesting. There's a provincial park about 20 minutes from Mike and Mel's back door with more than 50 miles of trails. Better raise the seat up on Mel's bike and get your legs in shape Mike, we're going for a ride or 2.

My energy was still up today. Took the long way to and from work with a medium route at lunch. After supper I headed out through town to the far side of Westfort on Molly. A strong headwind made the outgoing part of the loop tough, Molly's 48-16 gearing is a b***h. The return was much more enjoyable. New saddles have cleared customs so I should have a smoother ride by sometime next week.

Tinkering With CPAP

I'm not sure if messing with my CPAP settings last night has anything to do with it yet but I took a 'no destination' ride tonight for the first time in a long while. My thinking is that with putting on some weight the prescribed pressure setting was too low and I might have been having some low level apnea episodes. Not severe enough to have me nodding off at traffic lights but enough to where my energy for extra activity was just missing. I've been reading lots and often have to munch on something so that I don't snooze, not abnormal I guess but I can do without the munching.

Eowyn has benefited recently from the donated gift card I was given by the Northwood parents. All used parts but definite upgrades. Front wheel, tires, stem and hopefully a new 'old' crank soon. I ordered from ebay for the first time ever, picking up some Giant decals, and she looks almost complete. I sawed off 2 inches from the On One Mary handlebars and have a saddle on the way. Building her up is a big incentive to get out and ride more.

My new plan for Northwood registration seems to be working. I have 6 kids signed for next season. Bingo participation is up and people seem to be happy with the setup so far. Over at Lakehead Minor we're putting in a new constitution and I think the group is finally all on the same page.

Sal and I have tentatively set the first couple of weeks in July as holiday time so we're planning a trip to Calgary. We've decided to take the Impreza as airmile bookings are already filled for the summer months. Once we hit the divided highway Sal says she'll help with the driving. We'll hit in time for the Stampede and maybe even find a few days in BC. Now if I can just find a way to stow a bike so I can do some riding out there.

Catching Up

Sunday was #52 and I spent an hour and a half riding Jill to the Sturgeon Bay turnoff on our way to supper. A nasty headwind and a totally wrong notion that this would be an easy ride made for one of the toughest of the year. Jill had been hanging on a basement wall since our Toronto trip so we were eager to get out. Supper was great as we sat around laughing, talking and catching up with family that we just don't get to see enough. Got home and pulled Jill off the truck and onto the street and found another flat. Two this week on separate bikes.

Late Sunday night I launched my plan on Sal, a 3 day trip to Minneapolis. We made some quick reservations and noted some places we wanted to see, e-mailed those we needed to and hit the road at 8am Monday. Our trip down was uneventful. One of the spots we (I'll explain the we part later) wanted to hit was the Bikery in Stillwater, a bike shop and a bakery run by a Belgian mechanic-baker. Just before the east-west split of I-35, Gloria our GPS had us heading into rural Minnesota bound for buns and bikes. The quiet country roads through rolling farmland were a welcome change from the 4 lane madness. The roads were smooth and hilly and the shoulders were nice and wide. I wished I was riding rather than driving. We got to the shop and it was closed (Mondays), at least the drive there was a treat. The drive back into rush hour traffic wasn't. It was only 2:30 and it had already started.

After checking in we headed for Mall of America in a bumper to bumper race a snail could have won. The drivers are pretty courteous letting each other merge. We did a lap of each of the 3 levels and actually went into about 3 stores. Most of our time and our only dollars were spent in a kitchen store, Le Gourmet Chef that has tons of gadgets and ingredients. We finished our hike and had the feast for 2 at Famous Dave's BBQ. Both the food and the music were great. We headed back to the hotel and our 6 hour bed, any more than 6 hours in it and you're ready for traction.

Tuesday morning began with rain and thunder. I was awake at about 5:30 reading as my back decided a chair was more desirable than the bed. It poured for quite a while but by time we were heading out things were starting to break up. We jumped head first into the morning traffic and headed downtown to One On One, a trendy bike shop in the warehouse district. They have a coffee bar, some bike history and art, new and used parts and of course bikes. We looked around a bit and it didn't seem to match the hype until I was told that everything happens in the basement, or didn't happen. Not sure what that exactly meant I headed down the old stairs past the guard cat and Sal decided to skip the best part and promised to send a search party if need be. A few unclaimed bikes crowded around the bottom of the wooden stairs and then as I rounded a corner I saw a massive collection of used bikes, frames and categorized parts in plastic bins. At a rough guess I would say there were as many as 1,00o bikes literally piled in the basement. I emerged about 30 minutes later. With a flashlight and time you could probably find just the part you were looking for but I had neither. We gps'd our way to another shop and found a second next door but nothing like One On One. Eric's was very clean and new but had none of the atmosphere, they didn't even have coffee. Next door at Varsity Bike & Transport they had some great prices on single speeds and lots of colorful parts, a bit more of an edge and more piercings and tattoos than a Satan's Choice convention.

And now the 'we' explained. I thought it was time for some 'normal' shopping but Sal said we should return to the Bikery so we entered the address and followed Gloria again. The bike part of the business is very small, the bakery is the draw. The owner does both the mechanic and baker duties with a staff of 2. We had tomato and basil soup with fresh bread and coffee, all of which were very good.

We headed back towards the Twin cities and stopped at a Target for our normal shopping. We picked up quite a few things, mostly excellent deals. The weather was now warm and sunny so we decided to visit the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory which was close by. The zoo is an old style, small enclosure collection of primates, big cats, a few African hoofed (we only saw giraffes) and a couple of seals and sea lions. Watching the gorillas, tigers, cougar and lions reminded me of the bears in the old Chippewa Park. The enclosures were bigger but the result was the same. Drowsy looking animals either sleeping or walking in their sleep in endless circles. The silver-back gorilla looked so much like a little old man it made me want to leave. Not my cup of tea I guess. The conservatory was more lively with a collection of vegetation that was extensive. We both enjoyed the small collection of bonsai.

We got back into traffic later in the afternoon but the flow was a bit better and we crossed town quickly. I made one wrong lane choice but Gloria came to the rescue again. Having one of these units allows you to explore a city to your heart's content. We hit the Olive Garden for supper, gassed up and back to the room for the night. I slept until about 4:30 again, thank God I brought a good book. We were up and in the truck at 6:15 (5:15 their time) and there was still too much traffic to really feel comfortable. A short but fun few days exploring, next time I'm bringing a bike.

Getting There is Half the Fun (Jamaica Day1)

Curtis gave us a lift to the airport and of course our flight was delayed an hour before we even checked in. When I am picking someone up I'm always monitoring the status of the flight online so I don't have to sit and wait if there are delays, and there are delays, lots of delays. Never thought to check for my own flight. We arrived in Toronto at about midnight and after getting our luggage and making the journey to the other terminal it was 1am. Everything was closed and other than a few people sleeping the terminal was deserted. We settled in with our books and magazines to wait for our 6am flight. AJ and Brad showed up from their long day meeting with friends and then the Merciers came in from the hotel they stayed at. Before we knew it we were sitting on a 757 high over the states on our way to Jamaica. 

The flight seemed to take forever. We were lucky enough to be located a few rows behind the Princesses of Mississauga, a group of 5 married women heading down without their husbands. They were loud. I've never seen a flight attendant snap but one of the princesses managed to arrange that for us as she took off her seat belt and stood up before the crew had even moved when we touched down. They had a unique way of dealing with cabin pressure change, they sat with dixie cups pressed to their ears during the descent, and then they got louder as they squealed about the water. I wonder why NASA never picked up on that economical method, I stuck with my gum. 

The views coming in over the water were amazing as we could see Cuba and many small islands in the turquoise water. Once we landed and were herded into the terminal in Montego Bay we began the long process of lining up and waiting to line up and wait some more. That feat completed we were directed to our bus that would take us to the resort. Our bags were quickly snatched by a uniformed gentleman who rolled them the 100 steps and then dropped them at the back of the bus for his waiting partner. "you have something for me and then you watch you bag go on the bus mon, take care of the boy there mon". All I had was $15 in Canadian at this time so he got the $5. His partner picked up the bags and put them in the cargo hold and followed me to the front of the bus looking for his share. Sal and I got on the bus and we decided to give him something as well, might as well have our luggage when we get there. This was going to be expensive, we weren't even out of the airport and were uncomfortable twice. 

I'm not sure what to say about my first impressions of Jamaica. Most cities and countries hide their poverty stricken and uglier spots. Jamaica lines the main highway with them. As we careened down the road, dodging slow moving vehicles, passing like we were in a Porsche and tailgating like the peloton in the Tour de France it was all there. Mansions on manicured landscapes and shacks pieced together from any available materials, beautiful golf courses and garbage strewn lots, schoolkids in their uniforms and the poor. There must have been a huge clearance sale on building blocks as it seemed everyone was building a house or adding another floor. The craftsmanship of the block work was, well let's just say some of our masons here could run a class or two starting with how to lay a level line. Many of the creations had very ornate designs but were only partially finished, without a roof or missing a wall, surrounded by scaffolding but devoid of any workers. In some cases a long wall resembling a fence would be sitting in an empty area without any concievable purpose, alone on the property.

Formula 1 should really look into holding a race in Jamaica. There is an excellent pool of drivers. Every vehicle has a working horn, a hard working horn. At one point we were passing a slower vehicle after having it disappear. We were high up in the third row in the coach-style bus and I could not see its rear window. As we passed on the 2 lane road another car passed us using the shoulder of the oncoming lane. Beep beep. I'm sure the law reads 'one must honk at every other driver at least once, and then attempt to beat him to wherever he is going'.

We made a stop about midway to Ocho Rios for refreshment, primarily Red Stripe beer, the local brew. It was pretty tasty, similar to Rickards Red with a bit of a bite in the aftertaste. This spot was probably the hottest I felt during the entire week.

When we finally pulled into the long palm tree lined driveway of the Riu resort everything changed. It was beautiful. And then there is the beach, fine sand stretching into the water giving it the turquoise color. Some rooms weren't quite ready but we had a quick look around, checked in and then relaxed. The endless buffets had a pretty good mix and the main courses were changed up enough to provide variety. They also have some specialty restaurants but their story will be told in a later post.

Day at the Museum

We decided that for our last full day in the GTA we would walk over to the Royal Ontario Museum. It was very interesting, we spent 5 hours wandering around the exhibits and were amazed by the dinosaurs and the Darwin display. I feel smarter already. They also had a section on Shanghai China. We watched an hour long video about the destruction of old neighbourhoods for skyscrapers and the rapid expansion that forces people that have been in their homes since the '30's. Wedgewood china, ancient architecture, pottery, weapons and much more in a building that is both modern and traditional at the same time.