TOASTING SUCCESSJuly 5, 2010 Our great American road trip came to an end just in time to celebrate the nation’s beginning. As millions of people readied themselves (some smuggling fireworks into MA) for a long 4th of July weekend, our friends and families welcomed us home. After brief visits, our restless spirits were on the move again, this time to our final destination. We drove down to Somerset, MA for an Independence Day weekend on the Taunton River with Andy’s family.  We played silly games like Bocce Ball and lawn darts, sat around camp fires at night, and of course had some fun on the river (despite all the jellyfish!). Kayaking the evening of the 4th gave us the best sunset view of the trip! We could see fireworks in all directions, both near and far. And as we celebrated America’s birthday with a sparkler in one hand and a tasty beverage in the other, we tried not to think of the responsibilities that would soon require attention: work, bills, finding an apartment….Going back to “reality” won’t be easy after two months away. We spent countless hours planning, organizing, and arranging before the odometer even registered the first mile out of Hanson. And as those miles piled up, our efforts multiplied exponentially, as our whole existence was devoted to a transient life and taking advantage of every opportunity that came our way. It’s easy to think how exhausting it must have been, but the truth is we never really grew tired of immersing ourselves in new territories or the work it took to put us there. We are truly sad this journey is over and that we’ve left behind epic landscapes and the promise of the open road, but we know that many more adventures lie ahead of us. And for the near future we can dedicate ourselves to an even more thrilling endeavor - spending time with our loving friends and family.

TOASTING SUCCESS
July 5, 2010

Our great American road trip came to an end just in time to celebrate the nation’s beginning. As millions of people readied themselves (some smuggling fireworks into MA) for a long 4th of July weekend, our friends and families welcomed us home. After brief visits, our restless spirits were on the move again, this time to our final destination. We drove down to Somerset, MA for an Independence Day weekend on the Taunton River with Andy’s family. 

We played silly games like Bocce Ball and lawn darts, sat around camp fires at night, and of course had some fun on the river (despite all the jellyfish!). Kayaking the evening of the 4th gave us the best sunset view of the trip! We could see fireworks in all directions, both near and far. And as we celebrated America’s birthday with a sparkler in one hand and a tasty beverage in the other, we tried not to think of the responsibilities that would soon require attention: work, bills, finding an apartment….Going back to “reality” won’t be easy after two months away.

We spent countless hours planning, organizing, and arranging before the odometer even registered the first mile out of Hanson. And as those miles piled up, our efforts multiplied exponentially, as our whole existence was devoted to a transient life and taking advantage of every opportunity that came our way. It’s easy to think how exhausting it must have been, but the truth is we never really grew tired of immersing ourselves in new territories or the work it took to put us there. We are truly sad this journey is over and that we’ve left behind epic landscapes and the promise of the open road, but we know that many more adventures lie ahead of us. And for the near future we can dedicate ourselves to an even more thrilling endeavor - spending time with our loving friends and family.

Posted 1 year ago
NEW YORK, NYJuly 3, 2010 Andy double-checked the GPS. “Yes, I have the address right.” On the other end of the phone Neil wondered why we had ended up in the ghetto instead of at the Courtyard Marriott. “Ohhh, you’re in Brooklyn!” Same address, wrong borough. And Kelly was already desperately in need of a bathroom. An hour and a half later we made it to the hotel - and a restroom. We just had to park the car. Andy brought the car to the garage, but was flagged down by the attendant eyeing our rooftop carrier saying “It won’t fit!” The front desk had told us the clearance was 10’ and we had squeezed under 6’ 8” in Seattle. Again Andy asked the clearance but was repeatedly told “It won’t fit!” and was then even kicked off the property when he tried to temporarily park and figure out what to do with an oversized vehicle in Manhattan. We ended up having to pay $80 for valet parking. Ugh. The evening was salvaged with a delicious dinner at Uva. We met up with Neil and Mike and splurged on appetizers, drinks, dinner, and dessert! It was our last hurrah before heading home, so we had to enjoy it. After dinner, we retired early to rest up for the jam-packed day Neil had planned for us on Wednesday.  It was refreshing to follow Neil and Mike’s itinerary after two months of our own rigorous schedule, but Neil woke up a little bit under the weather. We skipped the Met’s exhibit on women’s fashion from 1890 to 1940 and took a little bit too long to get ready, just making Neil’s noon meeting at Tisch. After a walk through the set of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (literally - we walked right through craft services), we had lunch at Chelsea Market. The former National Biscuit Company factory was gutted and refurbished for use as retail space where restaurants, markets, and book and novelty stores line the halls. We strolled through High Line Park (above), a public park system that was once used by elevated trains to avoid street-level congestion, on our way to the TDF Costume Collection. We toured aisles and aisles of professionally made garments while Neil did research for next year’s play.  In the evening, we met up with Kelly’s friend Brianne for dinner at Dos Caminos, a delicious Mexican restaurant. We then proceeded to The Campbell Apartment, which Brianne selected specifically for Andrew and Neil who would appreciate its 1920s history. However, at the door, we were denied entrance because of a dress code issue. Andrew, a captain of efficiency and practicality, was dressed in shorts and sneakers for walking around on a hot summer night. So we sat outside on the terrace and were joined by fellow Whitman-Hansonites (and current New Yorkers) Mike and Bridget. We ended the night at Mad 46, a rooftop bar nearby, where we could visit with our friends a little more affordably.

NEW YORK, NY
July 3, 2010

Andy double-checked the GPS. “Yes, I have the address right.” On the other end of the phone Neil wondered why we had ended up in the ghetto instead of at the Courtyard Marriott. “Ohhh, you’re in Brooklyn!” Same address, wrong borough. And Kelly was already desperately in need of a bathroom. An hour and a half later we made it to the hotel - and a restroom. We just had to park the car. Andy brought the car to the garage, but was flagged down by the attendant eyeing our rooftop carrier saying “It won’t fit!” The front desk had told us the clearance was 10’ and we had squeezed under 6’ 8” in Seattle. Again Andy asked the clearance but was repeatedly told “It won’t fit!” and was then even kicked off the property when he tried to temporarily park and figure out what to do with an oversized vehicle in Manhattan. We ended up having to pay $80 for valet parking. Ugh.

The evening was salvaged with a delicious dinner at Uva. We met up with Neil and Mike and splurged on appetizers, drinks, dinner, and dessert! It was our last hurrah before heading home, so we had to enjoy it. After dinner, we retired early to rest up for the jam-packed day Neil had planned for us on Wednesday. 

It was refreshing to follow Neil and Mike’s itinerary after two months of our own rigorous schedule, but Neil woke up a little bit under the weather. We skipped the Met’s exhibit on women’s fashion from 1890 to 1940 and took a little bit too long to get ready, just making Neil’s noon meeting at Tisch.

After a walk through the set of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (literally - we walked right through craft services), we had lunch at Chelsea Market. The former National Biscuit Company factory was gutted and refurbished for use as retail space where restaurants, markets, and book and novelty stores line the halls.

We strolled through High Line Park (above), a public park system that was once used by elevated trains to avoid street-level congestion, on our way to the TDF Costume Collection. We toured aisles and aisles of professionally made garments while Neil did research for next year’s play. 

In the evening, we met up with Kelly’s friend Brianne for dinner at Dos Caminos, a delicious Mexican restaurant. We then proceeded to The Campbell Apartment, which Brianne selected specifically for Andrew and Neil who would appreciate its 1920s history. However, at the door, we were denied entrance because of a dress code issue. Andrew, a captain of efficiency and practicality, was dressed in shorts and sneakers for walking around on a hot summer night. So we sat outside on the terrace and were joined by fellow Whitman-Hansonites (and current New Yorkers) Mike and Bridget. We ended the night at Mad 46, a rooftop bar nearby, where we could visit with our friends a little more affordably.

Posted 1 year ago
ANN ARBORJune 30, 2010 Super 8 had yet to let us down. And then we were introduced to the one in East Hazel Crest, Illinois outside of Chicago. There were holes in the wall, stains on the pillows, and a rip in the comforter. We asked to switch rooms and discovered a couple of large dead bugs in our new digs. So we looked up reviews on TripAdvisor and found reports of thefts and muggings there. We promptly left. “I don’t think this is right for us,” Kelly politely informed the concierge. We drove an hour to Michigan City and paid twice as much, but we were able to rest easy. A short drive to Ann Arbor the next day brought us to the Michigan Man himself, Quinn Strassel, and his better half, Adrienne. They welcomed us into their lovely 1880s farmhouse, and gave us a tour of their old high school and college stomping grounds. They brought us to the Top of the Park, a summer festival held downtown. The evening consisted of ice cream, bluegrass music, and an outdoor showing of Sherlock Holmes. The Ann Arbor tour continued in the morning with a walk through the Nichols Arboretum and lunch at the world-famous Zingerman’s Delicatessan. Apparently renowned chef Mario Batali had visited a few hours before us. We packed up our leftovers and hopped in a rented canoe for a paddle down the Huron River. We picked up Adrienne from work and drove to her parents’ house in the country outside of Ypsilanti. Her brother Vincent welcomed us and we all went for a swim in the pool (after several minutes of figuring out how to get the vacuum to work). From there we went to Sidetrack to sample one of GQ’s “top 20 burgers to eat before you die.” And then it was off to Quinn’s parents’ house to join his folks for a backyard campfire and s’more toasting. Our hosts showed us a TON during our stay. It was fantastic to see the sights, but also to learn their connections to Quinn and Adrienne’s past. We could probably write Behind the Music: Quinn Strassel at this point. After all, he is a rockstar.

ANN ARBOR
June 30, 2010

Super 8 had yet to let us down. And then we were introduced to the one in East Hazel Crest, Illinois outside of Chicago. There were holes in the wall, stains on the pillows, and a rip in the comforter. We asked to switch rooms and discovered a couple of large dead bugs in our new digs. So we looked up reviews on TripAdvisor and found reports of thefts and muggings there. We promptly left. “I don’t think this is right for us,” Kelly politely informed the concierge. We drove an hour to Michigan City and paid twice as much, but we were able to rest easy.

A short drive to Ann Arbor the next day brought us to the Michigan Man himself, Quinn Strassel, and his better half, Adrienne. They welcomed us into their lovely 1880s farmhouse, and gave us a tour of their old high school and college stomping grounds. They brought us to the Top of the Park, a summer festival held downtown. The evening consisted of ice cream, bluegrass music, and an outdoor showing of Sherlock Holmes.

The Ann Arbor tour continued in the morning with a walk through the Nichols Arboretum and lunch at the world-famous Zingerman’s Delicatessan. Apparently renowned chef Mario Batali had visited a few hours before us. We packed up our leftovers and hopped in a rented canoe for a paddle down the Huron River.

We picked up Adrienne from work and drove to her parents’ house in the country outside of Ypsilanti. Her brother Vincent welcomed us and we all went for a swim in the pool (after several minutes of figuring out how to get the vacuum to work). From there we went to Sidetrack to sample one of GQ’s “top 20 burgers to eat before you die.” And then it was off to Quinn’s parents’ house to join his folks for a backyard campfire and s’more toasting.

Our hosts showed us a TON during our stay. It was fantastic to see the sights, but also to learn their connections to Quinn and Adrienne’s past. We could probably write Behind the Music: Quinn Strassel at this point. After all, he is a rockstar.

Posted 1 year ago
A TALE OF TWIN CITIESJune 26, 2010 No sleeping in on our second day in Minneapolis! We were up bright and early and heading off to Mall of America. This gigantic mall, complete with an amusement park and water adventure park, is one of the largest in North America. We didn’t go on any of the rides, but we did do a little bit of shopping before heading back to Kim’s for the afternoon. We met up with Chelsea for some lunch at Urban Harvest, and ventured over to her neighborhood to check out her newly purchased home! From there, we headed over to Minnehaha Park for a walk to the falls and wading pool. As the skies darkened, we decided to leave, and did so just in time. As soon as we got home, rain poured down,  thunder boomed, and lightning crashed.  When the storm had passed, we went over to Chatterbox Pub for dinner and drinks. This was a great spot to kick back and have some fun for the evening. The bar is full of comfy seating, serves delicious food, and best of all, keeps a full stock of board games for it’s patrons! We chose Taboo and had a blast buzzing, guessing, and laughing our way through the night. Our visit to the Twin Cities has been a spectacular experience! We had planned to stay one more night, but with a 13+ hour drive looming ahead of us, we decided it would be best to break it up into two days of driving. We were truly sad to leave Minneapolis and our awesome friends!

A TALE OF TWIN CITIES
June 26, 2010

No sleeping in on our second day in Minneapolis! We were up bright and early and heading off to Mall of America. This gigantic mall, complete with an amusement park and water adventure park, is one of the largest in North America. We didn’t go on any of the rides, but we did do a little bit of shopping before heading back to Kim’s for the afternoon.

We met up with Chelsea for some lunch at Urban Harvest, and ventured over to her neighborhood to check out her newly purchased home! From there, we headed over to Minnehaha Park for a walk to the falls and wading pool. As the skies darkened, we decided to leave, and did so just in time. As soon as we got home, rain poured down,  thunder boomed, and lightning crashed. 

When the storm had passed, we went over to Chatterbox Pub for dinner and drinks. This was a great spot to kick back and have some fun for the evening. The bar is full of comfy seating, serves delicious food, and best of all, keeps a full stock of board games for it’s patrons! We chose Taboo and had a blast buzzing, guessing, and laughing our way through the night.

Our visit to the Twin Cities has been a spectacular experience! We had planned to stay one more night, but with a 13+ hour drive looming ahead of us, we decided it would be best to break it up into two days of driving. We were truly sad to leave Minneapolis and our awesome friends!

Posted 1 year ago