Religion is not the same as the American Dream. The sooner we admit that, the better off we will all be.
Religion is about making broken pieces whole. The American Dream is about doing life bigger, better, faster, stronger ... whatever "it" may be.
The American Dream works very well with some things. That notion has created much of what we, as Americans, see before us today (perhaps we should save whether what we see is good or bad for another day). Unfortunately, the American Dream has also worked hand-in-hand with Christianity, in many cases, to produce what is often misunderstood as religion, things like:
*Churches whose sole purpose is to pack as many people as possible into its building, inevitably giving into the temptation to attract so-called non-believers in any way possible.
*Summer camping organizations that try to do outdo last year's and other camping organizations' salvation and re-dedication numbers. (Have you ever been a part of a fifteen minute-plus altar call?)
*Evangelism tracts filled with hate and fear, distributed by people yelling on street corners.
As with so many other things, if people and groups want to do this, okay, they are absolutely free to do so. But that does not make good or right.
And it sure does not make it religion.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
The Power of Blessing
Religion has tremendous power. Religion has the power to curse, to shame, to embarrass, to look down upon. Religion also has the power to look up to, to comfort, to provide meaning, to bless.
In his book, Blessing: Giving the Gift of Power, Myron Madden states that blessing, or genuine acceptance, is the best gift we can give to others and receive from others. There is great power in blessing, particularly for children.
The lesson, though, applies to adults, as well, as he, himself, notes: "No adult can Christianly hold absolute power or authority over another adult. In like manner, no adult can Christianly subject oneself absolutely to the authority or power of another human being."
Easier said than done, right? ... particularly in religious settings.
The Library of Horrors is already chock-full of books written about and by people for whom religion has served as a tool of embarrassment, of shame, of curse. That's too bad. In fact, it's more than that. This reality is sad ... because it flies completely in the face of what religion is.
Religion seeks to make broken pieces whole. So anytime a person is turned away from serving in a church leadership position because of their gender or sexuality, religion ceases to exist there. Anytime a person's past mistakes are brought up in public in an effort to look down upon them, religion ceases to exist there. Anytime someone is made to feel less than the wonderfully-created, image of God-bearer that they are, religion ceases to exist there.
Religion has the power to do so much good. There is great power in blessing. Let's use religion to be a blessing and not a curse.
In his book, Blessing: Giving the Gift of Power, Myron Madden states that blessing, or genuine acceptance, is the best gift we can give to others and receive from others. There is great power in blessing, particularly for children.
The lesson, though, applies to adults, as well, as he, himself, notes: "No adult can Christianly hold absolute power or authority over another adult. In like manner, no adult can Christianly subject oneself absolutely to the authority or power of another human being."
Easier said than done, right? ... particularly in religious settings.
The Library of Horrors is already chock-full of books written about and by people for whom religion has served as a tool of embarrassment, of shame, of curse. That's too bad. In fact, it's more than that. This reality is sad ... because it flies completely in the face of what religion is.
Religion seeks to make broken pieces whole. So anytime a person is turned away from serving in a church leadership position because of their gender or sexuality, religion ceases to exist there. Anytime a person's past mistakes are brought up in public in an effort to look down upon them, religion ceases to exist there. Anytime someone is made to feel less than the wonderfully-created, image of God-bearer that they are, religion ceases to exist there.
Religion has the power to do so much good. There is great power in blessing. Let's use religion to be a blessing and not a curse.
Friday, October 3, 2014
Fundamentalism & Domestic Violence
There is a huge problem going on. With each passing day, another story surfaces of a sports player beating up a woman.
Preachers can preach against it. People can say it needs to end. But until fundamentalism looks itself in the mirror, it is not helping the cause.
There are, unfortunately, many churches and religious groups that believe women are not as good as men. Any group that does not allow women to do anything they allow men to do is not helping the cause against domestic violence.
Churches that say it’s best if women are not deacons ... churches that bar women from being their pastor ... denominations that force leaders to sign statements that say women are in a different classification as men ... these things tell their followers that men are the ultimate kind of humans and everyone else is just following and playing along.
Sure, these so-called religious bodies cite scripture in their fight against women. The problem is the Bible does not state that men are better than women. Parts of the Bible describe how certain groupings of people decided to do things, once upon a time. But the Bible does not prescribe that just because a group two thousand years ago decided to have only men in leadership, then the only way to do church today is by telling women they’re not good enough. In other words, the Bible does not give groups like the Southern Baptist Convention leeway to tell its churches that only men can be pastors of their churches.
If churches want to make the choice to limit women, okay. But quit saying that it’s God’s way.
Because when you say it’s God’s way, that tells little boys and little girls that there is a hierarchy, with men at the top and women at the bottom. They’re born either good enough or not good enough; and that’s all there is to it. Then those little boys and little girls grow up and learn to deal with the world on those terms.
This is not to say that fundamentalism directly leads to domestic violence ... It is to say that fundamentalism helps create an environment in which bringing an end to domestic violence is really, really, really difficult.
Preachers can preach against it. People can say it needs to end. But until fundamentalism looks itself in the mirror, it is not helping the cause.
There are, unfortunately, many churches and religious groups that believe women are not as good as men. Any group that does not allow women to do anything they allow men to do is not helping the cause against domestic violence.
Churches that say it’s best if women are not deacons ... churches that bar women from being their pastor ... denominations that force leaders to sign statements that say women are in a different classification as men ... these things tell their followers that men are the ultimate kind of humans and everyone else is just following and playing along.
Sure, these so-called religious bodies cite scripture in their fight against women. The problem is the Bible does not state that men are better than women. Parts of the Bible describe how certain groupings of people decided to do things, once upon a time. But the Bible does not prescribe that just because a group two thousand years ago decided to have only men in leadership, then the only way to do church today is by telling women they’re not good enough. In other words, the Bible does not give groups like the Southern Baptist Convention leeway to tell its churches that only men can be pastors of their churches.
If churches want to make the choice to limit women, okay. But quit saying that it’s God’s way.
Because when you say it’s God’s way, that tells little boys and little girls that there is a hierarchy, with men at the top and women at the bottom. They’re born either good enough or not good enough; and that’s all there is to it. Then those little boys and little girls grow up and learn to deal with the world on those terms.
This is not to say that fundamentalism directly leads to domestic violence ... It is to say that fundamentalism helps create an environment in which bringing an end to domestic violence is really, really, really difficult.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
The _____ Issue
As far as religion is concerned, there is no <insert topic here> issue.
So, there is no gay issue, no abortion issue, no evolution issue, no race issue, no <anything> issue.
Religion is about making broken pieces whole. To speak of an issue is to imply at least two different sides to that issue, which implies a right side and a wrong side. Religion does not force you to pick sides.
During an interview for a job at a church years ago, I was asked me to state my side to six different issues. I cannot remember the exact list; but I know it included abortion, homosexuality, science, etc. Half way through the list I could tell by the looks on their faces that my sides were not matching up with their sides (so I got up and walked out).
It's too bad that they did that in an interview. But it's even worse that some churches do that to begin with.
Religion does not tell you who is right and who is wrong, who is out and who is in, whom God loves and whom God does not. When we find something that does these things, that's not religion.
So, there is no gay issue, no abortion issue, no evolution issue, no race issue, no <anything> issue.
Religion is about making broken pieces whole. To speak of an issue is to imply at least two different sides to that issue, which implies a right side and a wrong side. Religion does not force you to pick sides.
During an interview for a job at a church years ago, I was asked me to state my side to six different issues. I cannot remember the exact list; but I know it included abortion, homosexuality, science, etc. Half way through the list I could tell by the looks on their faces that my sides were not matching up with their sides (so I got up and walked out).
It's too bad that they did that in an interview. But it's even worse that some churches do that to begin with.
Religion does not tell you who is right and who is wrong, who is out and who is in, whom God loves and whom God does not. When we find something that does these things, that's not religion.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
One Thing I Wish Church Members Could Understand
I have a book on a shelf that some good friends gave me, entitled, Ten Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You. The idea is that ministers cannot always say what is on their minds because receiving paychecks is a good thing. In other words, if ministers really spoke their minds, there would be few of them left employed.
The things mentioned in this book, that ministers wish they could say, are things like how the Bible was actually constructed, all people (no exceptions) are good and loved by God, etc.
The book is a really good read. Seeing it on my shelf got me to thinking: One thing I wish members of churches could understand is that the ministers of their churches are people, simply people.
Your ministers, former ministers, and future ministers:
*Are not perfect. (That’s a good thing by the way. That helps you relate to them better.)
*Are, generally speaking, not trained to be counselors. They can help you, sure. But they are not trained to provide psychological/mental health counselors. Other people are trained to provide that.
*Again, generally speaking, they aren’t big fans of the comparison of their daily schedule to “bankers’ hours.” If you looked at the schedule of their average day, you’d be amazed. And while we’re at it, let’s give bankers a rest. How many bankers really only work 9:00 - 3:00? Perhaps we should just trash the term “bankers’ hours.”
*Have lots of stuff going on. At their best, they are able to give you their full attention and provide you with what you need. But who among us is always at their best? Between committee meetings, weekly sermons/Bible studies, life away from church, their families, time in the office, and the tons upon tons of stuff they are dealing with at the church and in the lives of church members that hardly anyone ever knows about, it’s amazing that ministers have any time at all. So if they do not seem to be at their best (or what we think should be their best), there’s probably a whole list of reasons why.
*Have a relationship with you that is designed to be different than most of the other relationships in your life. Sure, your minister, in many ways, can be a friend, someone to console you, someone to listen to you, someone to encourage you, someone to challenge you. But at the end of the day, your minister is the minister of all church members ... not just you. That means that your minister must treat you the same way, without favortism, as they treat all other church members.
*Are with you for a certain time period. Hopefully, this time period is a wonderful one. But when that time period is over, that time period is over. You will likely maintain some sort of contact, directly or indirectly, with that minister in the future. But for your good, for that minister’s good, and, especially, for the next minister’s good, that time period is over.
*Last, and perhaps most importantly, are who they are. Way too many conflicts arise because church members expect what their ministers cannot give them. Ministers are people: some of them are outgoing, some are quiet and reserved, some of them excel at pastoral care, some struggle to do that part of their job, some of them are great administrators, some do better to fly by the seat of their pants. Placing our expectations upon other people is rarely, if ever, a good idea. Let’s learn who other people are and then learn to deal with them on those terms.
The things mentioned in this book, that ministers wish they could say, are things like how the Bible was actually constructed, all people (no exceptions) are good and loved by God, etc.
The book is a really good read. Seeing it on my shelf got me to thinking: One thing I wish members of churches could understand is that the ministers of their churches are people, simply people.
Your ministers, former ministers, and future ministers:
*Are not perfect. (That’s a good thing by the way. That helps you relate to them better.)
*Are, generally speaking, not trained to be counselors. They can help you, sure. But they are not trained to provide psychological/mental health counselors. Other people are trained to provide that.
*Again, generally speaking, they aren’t big fans of the comparison of their daily schedule to “bankers’ hours.” If you looked at the schedule of their average day, you’d be amazed. And while we’re at it, let’s give bankers a rest. How many bankers really only work 9:00 - 3:00? Perhaps we should just trash the term “bankers’ hours.”
*Have lots of stuff going on. At their best, they are able to give you their full attention and provide you with what you need. But who among us is always at their best? Between committee meetings, weekly sermons/Bible studies, life away from church, their families, time in the office, and the tons upon tons of stuff they are dealing with at the church and in the lives of church members that hardly anyone ever knows about, it’s amazing that ministers have any time at all. So if they do not seem to be at their best (or what we think should be their best), there’s probably a whole list of reasons why.
*Have a relationship with you that is designed to be different than most of the other relationships in your life. Sure, your minister, in many ways, can be a friend, someone to console you, someone to listen to you, someone to encourage you, someone to challenge you. But at the end of the day, your minister is the minister of all church members ... not just you. That means that your minister must treat you the same way, without favortism, as they treat all other church members.
*Are with you for a certain time period. Hopefully, this time period is a wonderful one. But when that time period is over, that time period is over. You will likely maintain some sort of contact, directly or indirectly, with that minister in the future. But for your good, for that minister’s good, and, especially, for the next minister’s good, that time period is over.
*Last, and perhaps most importantly, are who they are. Way too many conflicts arise because church members expect what their ministers cannot give them. Ministers are people: some of them are outgoing, some are quiet and reserved, some of them excel at pastoral care, some struggle to do that part of their job, some of them are great administrators, some do better to fly by the seat of their pants. Placing our expectations upon other people is rarely, if ever, a good idea. Let’s learn who other people are and then learn to deal with them on those terms.
What Religion Is ... And Is Not
To describe what something is is much better than describing what it is not. However, there are exceptions to the rule.
Religion is an exception to the rule.
Religion is about making broken pieces whole.
The roots of the word come from the idea of making something that is broken, something that does not fit together correctly to be made whole, to fit together correctly.
To be able to say what religion is, how it is supposed to function, what it is supposed to look like would be much more preferable. Heck, it’d be a whole lot more fun.
However, I do not know one single person for whom religion has not at some point in their lives functioned as a tool to divide, to exclude, to bring about fear, to point a finger of blame.
So, we need to say what religion is not. Maybe one day, down the road, we can be constructive, put the broken pieces back together, and say what religion is ... but not today.
Here’s what I think:
Religion is not supposed to make us fear.
That’s what fundamentalism does.
Religion is not about shame and embarrassment.
If something claiming to be religion shames and embarrasses its followers, that’s not religion.
Religion is not one-sized-fits-all. We are all different. It seems that God likes that (see the Tower of Babel story).
Fundamentalism is one-sized-fits-all. Fundamentalism does a great job of telling you exactly how to live and how to think.
Religion is not corny and cheesy.
If a particular brand of religion does not work for you, that’s okay. Bless it and realize it works for others.
Religion is not about excluding other people.
That’s what fundamentalism and kickball are for. Picking sides does no one any good.
Let’s use our words thoughtfully. Religion means making broken pieces whole. If a so-called religious system, religious denomination, religious church, etc. does something that is not making broken pieces whole, okay, they have the freedom to do that. But that’s not religion.
Religion is an exception to the rule.
Religion is about making broken pieces whole.
The roots of the word come from the idea of making something that is broken, something that does not fit together correctly to be made whole, to fit together correctly.
To be able to say what religion is, how it is supposed to function, what it is supposed to look like would be much more preferable. Heck, it’d be a whole lot more fun.
However, I do not know one single person for whom religion has not at some point in their lives functioned as a tool to divide, to exclude, to bring about fear, to point a finger of blame.
So, we need to say what religion is not. Maybe one day, down the road, we can be constructive, put the broken pieces back together, and say what religion is ... but not today.
Here’s what I think:
Religion is not supposed to make us fear.
That’s what fundamentalism does.
Religion is not about shame and embarrassment.
If something claiming to be religion shames and embarrasses its followers, that’s not religion.
Religion is not one-sized-fits-all. We are all different. It seems that God likes that (see the Tower of Babel story).
Fundamentalism is one-sized-fits-all. Fundamentalism does a great job of telling you exactly how to live and how to think.
Religion is not corny and cheesy.
If a particular brand of religion does not work for you, that’s okay. Bless it and realize it works for others.
Religion is not about excluding other people.
That’s what fundamentalism and kickball are for. Picking sides does no one any good.
Let’s use our words thoughtfully. Religion means making broken pieces whole. If a so-called religious system, religious denomination, religious church, etc. does something that is not making broken pieces whole, okay, they have the freedom to do that. But that’s not religion.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Ah, the Feeling of Summer
With tomorrow being June 1st, I have a feeling of anticipation, of excitement.
I always do, every since . . . well, every since I was a kid, I guess. For me, as a child, summer was the most exciting time of the year. It wasn't Christmas, wasn't my birthday, or anything like that. It was summer . . . because summer meant school was done . . . for a couple of months, at least.
It's funny that I still have a sense of excitement and anticipation, many years after my final day of school, with June being one calendar day away.
As a kid, summer also meant getting to stay up late and watch baseball. It normally meant going to a Texas Rangers game, or two, or three. And when I was younger, summer meant playing baseball. Pretty much, to me summer = baseball.
The Texas Rangers have always been my team. Win or lose, rain or shine, through thick and through thin, I have been right there with them. Through division championships, through relievers throwing chairs into the stands, through no-hitters and perfect games (I was at Kenny Rogers'!!!), through Oil Can Boyd, through having first-half leads to fading back after the All-Star break, through it all, I've been there.
Fortunately, I was also at one of the biggest World Series games ever to be played in Arlington.
The idea of the Rangers playing in a World Series has been laughable for most of my life. The Rangers are the lovable losers, the "Aw shucks, we'll get 'em next time" team. The fact that they played and had a really good shot (it still hurts) at winning a championship still blows me away because just like I dreamed about summer for nine months out of the year, I also dreamed about the Rangers playing in a World Series.
But just like summer eventually came around on the calendar, the Rangers also eventually had some World Series success:
And like so many things in life that we dream about, it was . . . well . . . awesome.
I had the unbelievable fortune of being able to be at Games 3 & 4 of the '11 World Series. Game 3 was not too much fun, on the Rangers side. But Game 4 was incredible. I still have the front page of the newspaper hanging in my office, commemorating what a historical game it was.
It's fun . . . and fulfilling, in a way, to be able to actually see something that we have hoped and dreamed about come to fruition. The World Series being played in Arlington actually happened.
And once again, just like it does every year, at midnight tonight, June will happen.
I always do, every since . . . well, every since I was a kid, I guess. For me, as a child, summer was the most exciting time of the year. It wasn't Christmas, wasn't my birthday, or anything like that. It was summer . . . because summer meant school was done . . . for a couple of months, at least.
It's funny that I still have a sense of excitement and anticipation, many years after my final day of school, with June being one calendar day away.
As a kid, summer also meant getting to stay up late and watch baseball. It normally meant going to a Texas Rangers game, or two, or three. And when I was younger, summer meant playing baseball. Pretty much, to me summer = baseball.
The Texas Rangers have always been my team. Win or lose, rain or shine, through thick and through thin, I have been right there with them. Through division championships, through relievers throwing chairs into the stands, through no-hitters and perfect games (I was at Kenny Rogers'!!!), through Oil Can Boyd, through having first-half leads to fading back after the All-Star break, through it all, I've been there.
Fortunately, I was also at one of the biggest World Series games ever to be played in Arlington.
The idea of the Rangers playing in a World Series has been laughable for most of my life. The Rangers are the lovable losers, the "Aw shucks, we'll get 'em next time" team. The fact that they played and had a really good shot (it still hurts) at winning a championship still blows me away because just like I dreamed about summer for nine months out of the year, I also dreamed about the Rangers playing in a World Series.
But just like summer eventually came around on the calendar, the Rangers also eventually had some World Series success:
And like so many things in life that we dream about, it was . . . well . . . awesome.
I had the unbelievable fortune of being able to be at Games 3 & 4 of the '11 World Series. Game 3 was not too much fun, on the Rangers side. But Game 4 was incredible. I still have the front page of the newspaper hanging in my office, commemorating what a historical game it was.
It's fun . . . and fulfilling, in a way, to be able to actually see something that we have hoped and dreamed about come to fruition. The World Series being played in Arlington actually happened.
And once again, just like it does every year, at midnight tonight, June will happen.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Chicago Travel Guide, Part IV
If we're doing a travel guide, we have to talk about food, right?
That really is the truth. Food is so much of our experience in a place. Food helps us get closer to the culture of a place. It shows us what is important to a locale, what locals like, perhaps what locals don't like.
And Chicago is no different. I went into my trip to Chicago excited about their famous foods: deep dish pizza, Italian beef sausages, Chicago dogs. And for the most part, I was not disappointed.
I had always heard about the hot dogs at Wrigley Field. And I'm not sure why. They were not that tasty. The Old Style beer was, though, even though temperatures hovered in the 30s on the day I went. If I were really in the mood for a good dog, though, I'd go to Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers Dogs are out of this world.
But back to what Chicago does well . . .
Yes, that's a pizza. And yes, it's good.
This is Lou Malnati's. And it was the best pizza we had in the Windy City. We also tried Gino's East. Many tourists opt for Pizzeria Uno. The word on the street is that is where tourists go . . . but it's not that good. What I do know is that deep dish pizza is truly a pie . . . or more like a casserole.
We didn't eat there. But that is a really big McDonald's.
Just down the road from the Mickey D's is a place called Portillo's. Everything we had there was good. Supposedly, they have really good Italian beef. I cannot say from personal experience how good that is . . . but I can say their dogs are dynamite, as well as their cake shakes:
What's a cake shake? A milkshake with a piece of chocolate shake. Hands down, one of the most unique . . . and best things I have ever put in my mouth. So good, we had to try it twice. I had always wondered how good a pickle on a hot dog could be. Now I know; it's tasty. Don't believe me? Just ask The Fridge:
And last, but most certainly not least, the Italian beef sandwiches (I would recommend getting them wet everywhere you go):
Mr. Beef is good. And as you can tell from the building's facade, it's a very authentic experience. But my vote for best in the city is Al's #1 Italian Beef:
I recommend ordering it hot, which means it comes with peppers on it. But then remove the peppers before eating. That will give the beef a nice flavor. But the beef is so good and is so overpowering that the peppers really get in the way when trying to eat the sandwich. Al's has a number of locations around town. I enjoyed the downtown one, as you are able to stand at the counter and watch everyone go by and, if memory serves me right, catch a good view of The El (the downtown subway line).
That really is the truth. Food is so much of our experience in a place. Food helps us get closer to the culture of a place. It shows us what is important to a locale, what locals like, perhaps what locals don't like.
And Chicago is no different. I went into my trip to Chicago excited about their famous foods: deep dish pizza, Italian beef sausages, Chicago dogs. And for the most part, I was not disappointed.
I had always heard about the hot dogs at Wrigley Field. And I'm not sure why. They were not that tasty. The Old Style beer was, though, even though temperatures hovered in the 30s on the day I went. If I were really in the mood for a good dog, though, I'd go to Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers Dogs are out of this world.
But back to what Chicago does well . . .
Yes, that's a pizza. And yes, it's good.
This is Lou Malnati's. And it was the best pizza we had in the Windy City. We also tried Gino's East. Many tourists opt for Pizzeria Uno. The word on the street is that is where tourists go . . . but it's not that good. What I do know is that deep dish pizza is truly a pie . . . or more like a casserole.
We didn't eat there. But that is a really big McDonald's.
Just down the road from the Mickey D's is a place called Portillo's. Everything we had there was good. Supposedly, they have really good Italian beef. I cannot say from personal experience how good that is . . . but I can say their dogs are dynamite, as well as their cake shakes:
What's a cake shake? A milkshake with a piece of chocolate shake. Hands down, one of the most unique . . . and best things I have ever put in my mouth. So good, we had to try it twice. I had always wondered how good a pickle on a hot dog could be. Now I know; it's tasty. Don't believe me? Just ask The Fridge:
And last, but most certainly not least, the Italian beef sandwiches (I would recommend getting them wet everywhere you go):
Mr. Beef is good. And as you can tell from the building's facade, it's a very authentic experience. But my vote for best in the city is Al's #1 Italian Beef:
I recommend ordering it hot, which means it comes with peppers on it. But then remove the peppers before eating. That will give the beef a nice flavor. But the beef is so good and is so overpowering that the peppers really get in the way when trying to eat the sandwich. Al's has a number of locations around town. I enjoyed the downtown one, as you are able to stand at the counter and watch everyone go by and, if memory serves me right, catch a good view of The El (the downtown subway line).
Friday, May 24, 2013
Chicago Travel Guide, Part III
Wicker Park is a lovely little area of Chicago. I say little because it is so quaint and nice that it feels like a small area. I have no idea how large Wicker Park actually is.
You could literally spend all day walking around the area, looking at the homes. I only had a couple of hours, so I hit the high spots noted in the Frommer's Day-to-Day Guide.
The following is pretty typical of the gardens and yards of the houses in the area:
.JPG)
Along Hoyne Ave. (I believe that's where it is), you'll find this little gem:
I had breakfast the morning that I was in Wicker Park at the Bongo Room. Wow. My travel guides did not steer me wrong. If I remember correctly, there is more than one Bongo Room in Chicago. I believe there is a good location close to Soldier Field, just south of downtown. One thing that makes Bongo Room great is you never know exactly what will be offered on the menu, particularly in terms of their specials, because they offer whatever is in season (a sign that fresh ingredients are being used). Fortunately for me, this little ditty was offered when I was there:
Red velvet pancakes with vanilla bean sauce. Damn straight.
I realize that the next pic will not interest everyone. But I have always been fascinated by strange architecture, buildings that don't necessarily make sense. The Flatiron Building in NYC has always blown my mind. And after seeing it in person, my mind is truly blown. Chicago has their own Flatiron Building. Not nearly as large, it, nonetheless, sort of has a Chicago feel to it:
Wicker Park is a great place to visit, a nice little excursion from the rest of the Windy City. Much of it has a trendy vibe to it that is contagious. Lots of locally-owned restaurants and shops. And it's not far at all from downtown or other major spots around the city, just a few subway stops. In fact, in this picture, taken from the subway boarding area, you can see just how close downtown is (note the Sears Tower in the right background):
Just hop on the blue line and stop at Damen:
You could literally spend all day walking around the area, looking at the homes. I only had a couple of hours, so I hit the high spots noted in the Frommer's Day-to-Day Guide.
The following is pretty typical of the gardens and yards of the houses in the area:
.JPG)
Along Hoyne Ave. (I believe that's where it is), you'll find this little gem:
I had breakfast the morning that I was in Wicker Park at the Bongo Room. Wow. My travel guides did not steer me wrong. If I remember correctly, there is more than one Bongo Room in Chicago. I believe there is a good location close to Soldier Field, just south of downtown. One thing that makes Bongo Room great is you never know exactly what will be offered on the menu, particularly in terms of their specials, because they offer whatever is in season (a sign that fresh ingredients are being used). Fortunately for me, this little ditty was offered when I was there:
Red velvet pancakes with vanilla bean sauce. Damn straight.
I realize that the next pic will not interest everyone. But I have always been fascinated by strange architecture, buildings that don't necessarily make sense. The Flatiron Building in NYC has always blown my mind. And after seeing it in person, my mind is truly blown. Chicago has their own Flatiron Building. Not nearly as large, it, nonetheless, sort of has a Chicago feel to it:
Wicker Park is a great place to visit, a nice little excursion from the rest of the Windy City. Much of it has a trendy vibe to it that is contagious. Lots of locally-owned restaurants and shops. And it's not far at all from downtown or other major spots around the city, just a few subway stops. In fact, in this picture, taken from the subway boarding area, you can see just how close downtown is (note the Sears Tower in the right background):
Just hop on the blue line and stop at Damen:
Monday, May 20, 2013
Chicago Travel Guide, Part II
Chicago's downtown area is a great place to spend the day . . . or the week.
This above picture is not actually in downtown . . . but it's of downtown. It's taken just north of downtown, along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. But this picture gives you a hint of the skyline of downtown. As I mentioned previously, Chicago has the feel of NYC. But it is much, much more manageable.
The next picture, on the other hand, is not something you would expect to see close to the downtown of a large metropolitan city. But this is what makes Chicago great:
Many great people hail from Chicago, such as Paul Harvey:
The Magnificent Mile is a great road to walk up and down and window-shop. Lots of high-end shops, similar to Fifth Avenue, but much more accessible. I wouldn't spend tons of time on it . . . and I sure wouldn't walk an entire mile on it (though I'm not sure there's really that much to see, anyway). But it's an interesting spot.
The Chicago River meanders through downtown. And the city has done a great job of capitalizing on it (this is from the Michigan Ave. bridge):
Much of what makes downtown great is all of the beautiful things you happen upon:
And the remarkable things that you happen upon:
If you are an art fan, the art museum on the eastern edge of downtown is a must. You'll see classics, such as Seurat:
And one of my personal favorite artists, Van Gogh:
And American Gothic:
This above picture is not actually in downtown . . . but it's of downtown. It's taken just north of downtown, along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. But this picture gives you a hint of the skyline of downtown. As I mentioned previously, Chicago has the feel of NYC. But it is much, much more manageable.
The next picture, on the other hand, is not something you would expect to see close to the downtown of a large metropolitan city. But this is what makes Chicago great:
Many great people hail from Chicago, such as Paul Harvey:
The Magnificent Mile is a great road to walk up and down and window-shop. Lots of high-end shops, similar to Fifth Avenue, but much more accessible. I wouldn't spend tons of time on it . . . and I sure wouldn't walk an entire mile on it (though I'm not sure there's really that much to see, anyway). But it's an interesting spot.
The Chicago River meanders through downtown. And the city has done a great job of capitalizing on it (this is from the Michigan Ave. bridge):
Much of what makes downtown great is all of the beautiful things you happen upon:
And the remarkable things that you happen upon:
If you are an art fan, the art museum on the eastern edge of downtown is a must. You'll see classics, such as Seurat:
And one of my personal favorite artists, Van Gogh:
And American Gothic:
Chicago Travel Guide, Part I
I have heard it said that Chicago is a more manageable New York City. I think that is true. Chicago has the feel of a very large, metropolitan city. But it is not so large; and there is not so many things to do and see that one feels overwhelmed and not able to even find a place to begin.
We had basically a long weekend in Chicago, when we were there.. I would love to go back and spend more time there. But even our limited time, I felt, gave us a good primer, a good introduction to the city. Three days and two nights afforded us the opportunity to hit the main places that we wanted to go. But it was by no means enough time to do an exhaustive tour of the city.
Unless you absolutely detest baseball, or sports as a whole, an absolute must is Wrigley Field.
I truly believe that this would be a great place for anyone to go, even if you only have a cursory interest in the Chicago Cubs, baseball, or sports. This stadium is so unlike any other stadium around that it is truly a novelty.
There is much about modern stadiums to be desired . . . the music blaring through the speakers, the larger-than-life scoreboards, the food that is out of this world . . . those things are all good and great. But Wrigley Field takes you back . . . back to the way baseball used to be. It leaves you to wonder if this is the way it still should be?
Be it that way or not, going to Wrigley is an experience that every baseball fan should attempt to make at some point in their lifetime. It truly is unlike any park around.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Boston Travel Guide, Part IV
You gotta eat. So if you're gonna eat, eat well.
The aforementioned Pizzeria Regina is definitely at the top of my list for things to recommend in Boston. It just might be the best pizza I've ever had.
This place was very interesting:
Unfortunately, I have no recollection of the restaurant's name. I know it's in the North End. I'm 99.9% sure it's on Hanover St, on the east side of the road. What you see is what you get with this place: one room. Literally, that is all that the restaurant is. 4 or 5 tables and the kitchen is literally right beside you. I wound up ordering octopus (by mistake). But the presentation of the meal was incredible. They served it to me straight in the pan it was cooked in. Incredible.
Charles Street, close to the Charles River, is a great street to walk. We found a number of good eateries on that road, including a great breakfast spot, Panificio, as well as some wonderful small Italian restaurants.
I do remember being offended (sort of), though, while at Panificio, from the following conversation:
Guy in restaurant: "Yeah, not looking forward to today."
Proprieter: "Why not?"
Guy: "Gotta go to some little po-dunk town in Texas."
Proprieter: "Oh yeah, where?"
Guy: "Abilene."
I lived in Abilene for seven years. Abilene is not po-dunk.
A good rule of thumb when trying to pick among a number of restaurants (like on Charles St.) is to look for stickers on the door. Along with the stickers of which credit cards restaurants will take, some great restaurants will have certain identifiable stickers on their door, such as Zagat, Trip Advisor, etc. It's not that you can't go wrong when you see a sticker, as we have been disappointed in some places with those markers. But more often than not, I have found, that if a place has a Zagat sticker on it, you will most likely enjoy your meal.
A place I would not recommend going is Cheers.
I was told by others that it was not worth time. And they were correct. It's not worth your time, either. Fortunately, I was in the area, so I was walking by it, anyway. I would recommend only stopping by if you are literally walking by it. If not, you will regret the minutes it took you to get there.
The aforementioned Pizzeria Regina is definitely at the top of my list for things to recommend in Boston. It just might be the best pizza I've ever had.
This place was very interesting:
Unfortunately, I have no recollection of the restaurant's name. I know it's in the North End. I'm 99.9% sure it's on Hanover St, on the east side of the road. What you see is what you get with this place: one room. Literally, that is all that the restaurant is. 4 or 5 tables and the kitchen is literally right beside you. I wound up ordering octopus (by mistake). But the presentation of the meal was incredible. They served it to me straight in the pan it was cooked in. Incredible.
Charles Street, close to the Charles River, is a great street to walk. We found a number of good eateries on that road, including a great breakfast spot, Panificio, as well as some wonderful small Italian restaurants.
I do remember being offended (sort of), though, while at Panificio, from the following conversation:
Guy in restaurant: "Yeah, not looking forward to today."
Proprieter: "Why not?"
Guy: "Gotta go to some little po-dunk town in Texas."
Proprieter: "Oh yeah, where?"
Guy: "Abilene."
I lived in Abilene for seven years. Abilene is not po-dunk.
A good rule of thumb when trying to pick among a number of restaurants (like on Charles St.) is to look for stickers on the door. Along with the stickers of which credit cards restaurants will take, some great restaurants will have certain identifiable stickers on their door, such as Zagat, Trip Advisor, etc. It's not that you can't go wrong when you see a sticker, as we have been disappointed in some places with those markers. But more often than not, I have found, that if a place has a Zagat sticker on it, you will most likely enjoy your meal.
A place I would not recommend going is Cheers.
I was told by others that it was not worth time. And they were correct. It's not worth your time, either. Fortunately, I was in the area, so I was walking by it, anyway. I would recommend only stopping by if you are literally walking by it. If not, you will regret the minutes it took you to get there.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Boston Travel Guide, Part III (Things Worth Checking Out)
My time in Boston consisted of a Thursday morning - Saturday morning. I literally squeezed every minute out of those days to see what I could.
The only problem is it rained about half the time I was there. However, I did not let that stop me. While nearing ruining a pair of shoes and almost catching pneumonia, I walked all over Boston, checking out the sights.
*Harvard--What a great place. The whole area and much of Cambridge is a great place to simply walk and take it all in. Unfortunately for me, my time at Harvard is when it rained the hardest. Therefore, I have almost nothing in the way of pictures. However, I was able to snap this picture while under an overhang. The picture doesn't do it justice because Memorial Hall is beautiful:
*Nooks & Crannies--It seems to be a universal lesson in travel, all around the world that things you find most interesting during your travels are not the things you set out to see and experience . . . but the things that you find along the way, such as this little gem at 17 Milk Street:
Now that being said, there are plenty of things worth your time and energy to see in Boston, like . . .
*The Old State House--You have to pay to go in to see the good stuff. But I just enjoyed seeing how it has been preserved amongst the newer architecture and buildings. It was here that the Declaration of Independence was first read:
*Paul Revere Statue & Old North Church--Boston has its share of statues, many of which are great. This particular view in the Paul Revere Mall is of note because of the view in the foreground of the church from whose steeple the lanterns were seen by Revere, telling him that the British were coming:
*Boston Common--No matter what time of year it is, this city park is great to walk through:
*Be Aware!--Not of crime, of which we witnessed none during or stay, or anything like that. But be aware of your surroundings. Boston is such an old, well-preserved city that breathtaking views are literally all around:
The only problem is it rained about half the time I was there. However, I did not let that stop me. While nearing ruining a pair of shoes and almost catching pneumonia, I walked all over Boston, checking out the sights.
*Harvard--What a great place. The whole area and much of Cambridge is a great place to simply walk and take it all in. Unfortunately for me, my time at Harvard is when it rained the hardest. Therefore, I have almost nothing in the way of pictures. However, I was able to snap this picture while under an overhang. The picture doesn't do it justice because Memorial Hall is beautiful:
*Nooks & Crannies--It seems to be a universal lesson in travel, all around the world that things you find most interesting during your travels are not the things you set out to see and experience . . . but the things that you find along the way, such as this little gem at 17 Milk Street:
Now that being said, there are plenty of things worth your time and energy to see in Boston, like . . .
*The Old State House--You have to pay to go in to see the good stuff. But I just enjoyed seeing how it has been preserved amongst the newer architecture and buildings. It was here that the Declaration of Independence was first read:
*Paul Revere Statue & Old North Church--Boston has its share of statues, many of which are great. This particular view in the Paul Revere Mall is of note because of the view in the foreground of the church from whose steeple the lanterns were seen by Revere, telling him that the British were coming:
*Boston Common--No matter what time of year it is, this city park is great to walk through:
*Be Aware!--Not of crime, of which we witnessed none during or stay, or anything like that. But be aware of your surroundings. Boston is such an old, well-preserved city that breathtaking views are literally all around:
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Boston Travel Guide, Part II
If you are in Boston; and you are a fan of baseball . . . or of sports . . . or of history . . . or life, you simply must go to Fenway Park.
I was surprised to see that the Citgo sign is not right outside the left field fence. In fact, the sign is not anywhere close to the field. It's a few blocks away.
Fenway Park is a beautiful sight.
At a capacity of 37,400, it is one of the smallest parks in the country. That also means there is not a bad seat in the house.
The Green Monster seats (on top of the left field wall) are pretty cool.
We were in Boston the week of the World Series. Since the Sox were not in the Series, not that I could have gotten tickets for it had they been, the only way to see Fenway was a tour. I highly recommend the tour.
I was surprised to see that the Citgo sign is not right outside the left field fence. In fact, the sign is not anywhere close to the field. It's a few blocks away.
Fenway Park is a beautiful sight.
At a capacity of 37,400, it is one of the smallest parks in the country. That also means there is not a bad seat in the house.
The Green Monster seats (on top of the left field wall) are pretty cool.
We were in Boston the week of the World Series. Since the Sox were not in the Series, not that I could have gotten tickets for it had they been, the only way to see Fenway was a tour. I highly recommend the tour.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Boston Travel Guide, Part I
Boston is a great city, full of history and spunk. It was in Boston that it first realized, though I had heard others speak of it for years, that there truly is a difference between the northern part and the southern part of the USA. I do not mean to say that one is better than the other; they are just different. To overexaggerate it a bit, people are overly nice to your face in the south; people pretty much give it to you straight in the north.
We experienced that while on a sidestreet in the North End, Boston's Italian community. We were looking for a specific pizza restaurant, which I must highly, highly, highly recommend. I'm not sure if it's possible to say something is the best. But if it's possible to classify pizza as the best I have ever had, this would be it, Pizzeria Regina:
Darn good pizza.
Anyway, back to my story. While trying to find Pizzeria Regina, we were walking down a sidestreet, off of one of the main drags in the North End, Hanover Street. We realized that we were clearly not headed in the direction that we wanted to be going, so we decided to ask for help. A foreman of a construction crew was the first person we saw. We hesitated to ask for his help because he was in the middle of cussing one of his crew members up and down. But we decided to go ahead and ask for help. It was amazing. He finished his profanity-laced stream, looked at us, asked if we needed help, provided help in a very friendly, warm fashion, then went right back to giving it to his guy. Very refreshing.
The lesson learned is one that we already knew and one that we continue to learn every time we travel. The main roads of a location and the main sights of a town can be very rich in flavoring your experience there. For instance, you simply do not want to miss things like Harvard, Fenway Park, and a cannoli at Mike's Pastry Shop. But what really makes your trip worthwhile and memorable is the places that are not highly touted in travel books, things that you never expected to experiences because these sorts of things get you in touch with local people, people living their day-to-day lives in ways that you do when you're at home. Getting off the beaten path, perhaps even getting lost, helps you connect with the true heartbeat of a place. When you do that, you come across the most amazing things, memories like this on a seemingly remote part of Beacon Street:
We experienced that while on a sidestreet in the North End, Boston's Italian community. We were looking for a specific pizza restaurant, which I must highly, highly, highly recommend. I'm not sure if it's possible to say something is the best. But if it's possible to classify pizza as the best I have ever had, this would be it, Pizzeria Regina:
Darn good pizza.
Anyway, back to my story. While trying to find Pizzeria Regina, we were walking down a sidestreet, off of one of the main drags in the North End, Hanover Street. We realized that we were clearly not headed in the direction that we wanted to be going, so we decided to ask for help. A foreman of a construction crew was the first person we saw. We hesitated to ask for his help because he was in the middle of cussing one of his crew members up and down. But we decided to go ahead and ask for help. It was amazing. He finished his profanity-laced stream, looked at us, asked if we needed help, provided help in a very friendly, warm fashion, then went right back to giving it to his guy. Very refreshing.
The lesson learned is one that we already knew and one that we continue to learn every time we travel. The main roads of a location and the main sights of a town can be very rich in flavoring your experience there. For instance, you simply do not want to miss things like Harvard, Fenway Park, and a cannoli at Mike's Pastry Shop. But what really makes your trip worthwhile and memorable is the places that are not highly touted in travel books, things that you never expected to experiences because these sorts of things get you in touch with local people, people living their day-to-day lives in ways that you do when you're at home. Getting off the beaten path, perhaps even getting lost, helps you connect with the true heartbeat of a place. When you do that, you come across the most amazing things, memories like this on a seemingly remote part of Beacon Street:
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Nashville Travel Guide
Nashville is a great place to visit. Even if you're not a country music fan, you can find plenty to do and see during your time in the city. It's a great weekend excursion, though I'm not sure you could make a whole week out of the city, unless you plan on really exploring the area around the city.
I was impressed with the laid-back feel to the city. My first trip to the city found me staying at a retreat center, Scarritt Bennett Center, close to the campus of Vanderbilt University. That area really scratched my itch, as it has sort of an old, historic feel because of the beautiful buildings, mixed with a college vibe, with some organic, locally-grown food thrown in for spice.
Since Nashville is the capital of Tennessee, there is plenty to see and be a part of for the history buff:
There is more than enough to tickle your fancy with music. I was impressed that country music is just part of the Nashville scene. Much has been done there outside of country music. But country music does dominate:
I was impressed with the laid-back feel to the city. My first trip to the city found me staying at a retreat center, Scarritt Bennett Center, close to the campus of Vanderbilt University. That area really scratched my itch, as it has sort of an old, historic feel because of the beautiful buildings, mixed with a college vibe, with some organic, locally-grown food thrown in for spice.
Since Nashville is the capital of Tennessee, there is plenty to see and be a part of for the history buff:
There is more than enough to tickle your fancy with music. I was impressed that country music is just part of the Nashville scene. Much has been done there outside of country music. But country music does dominate:
While we did not actually take in the Grand Ole Opry or any other major country music sight, we have been to the Bluebird Cafe a number of times. Since I have already mentioned it in a previous post, I won't go into length here about it. But it is a really cool place:
Regardless of your musical taste, you really need to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Even if you are not a fan of the twang of a country music ballad, the slide guitar of a honky tonk, or the sad feeling of a tear in your beer, this place is very interesting:
I could write multiple reviews about the food. I won't bore you with all the details. So let me just list a few places that I would highly recommend you check out: Pancake Pantry, Fido's, and Donut Den.
Take a drive, walk, or ride up and down 16th & 17th Avenues, otherwise known as Music Rows. Recording houses and the meccas of music line these beautiful streets.
I wouldn't say Nashville should be on your list of places you absolutely must see. But, if you happen to be in that part of the country or can somehow make it there for a few days, by all means, do it.
Published!
Check out the great travel web site, Indie Travel Podcast (indietravelpodcast.com). A part of their site is a wonderful section of reviews of all sorts of different things, from places to accommodations to travel gear: reviews.indietravelpodcast.com
Part of what makes the reviews so wonderful is the reviewers. Ha! (I'm one.)
Anywho, I just had a review published: http://reviews.indietravelpodcast.com/books/2013/frommers-day-day-travel-books/
I've got some others ones on there, as well.
Part of what makes the reviews so wonderful is the reviewers. Ha! (I'm one.)
Anywho, I just had a review published: http://reviews.indietravelpodcast.com/books/2013/frommers-day-day-travel-books/
I've got some others ones on there, as well.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Food Is Good
When my wife and I travel, we tend to base our experiences off of what food is available and what food we consume.
I don't think that's really right or wrong. But I do think it's rather unique.
When others look through our travel photos, they either laugh or remark how good of an idea it is that we take so many photos of the food we eat. And as we think back over our travel, we tend to rate our trips based upon how good the food was.
So, with that in mind, a trip to Austin, Texas last year was really, really good.
I don't think that's really right or wrong. But I do think it's rather unique.
When others look through our travel photos, they either laugh or remark how good of an idea it is that we take so many photos of the food we eat. And as we think back over our travel, we tend to rate our trips based upon how good the food was.
So, with that in mind, a trip to Austin, Texas last year was really, really good.
My mouth waters just thinking about it. The top pic is from Juan in a Million in Austin. I wouldn't necessarily say it's the be breakfast taco I've ever had. But it's definitely the largest.
Then there's Kreuz's Market in Lockhart. Hands down, best barbeque brisket I have ever had. Wow. So good you don't even need any sauce. And that's a good thing because they don't serve it, anyway.
Then there's Lone Star Donuts in Round Rock. Yep, they make a donut that is that big. We didn't get it. But their regular-sized donut is out-of-this-world.
One could have a great trip to Austin just by eating their way through these places. And as you find with most great eateries, it's not just the food but also the experience, the charm of the place where you eat it that makes the experience what it is.
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