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North America » United States » Illinois » Chicago March 18th 2024

Some Chicago events for March: 3/16 Wizards vs Bulls (the Wiz are awful, we plan to skip it!) Pretty Woman (Broadway in Chicago) I prefer My Fair Lady, so we are going on Friday night. Portillo's (a must stop for me) Eataly (always an adventure) Yolk (breakfast in a nice clean, and quiet place) Second City Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and more honed their wit at this slick venue with nightly shows. The Mainstage and ETC stage host sketch revues (with an improv scene thrown in); they're similar in price and quality. If you turn up around 10pm Monday through Thursday (or 1am Saturday or 9pm Sunday) you can watch a free improv set. Steppenwolf is Chicago’s top stage for quality, provocative theater productions. The Hollywood-heavy ensemble includes Gary Sinise, John Malkovich, Martha Plimpton, ... read more
Belushi
Mafia?
Eataly

North America » United States » Illinois » Chicago March 18th 2024

I am stopping in Chicago, on my way back from Annapolis/Baltimore and my visit with Dirty Pat, and Mrs. Pat. I am here to complete the last part of my journey to document and discover the places where my parents spent time during World War 2, including their incarceration in Gila, AZ (I visited in March 2023). After my parents eloped to Phoenix, while incarcerated at Gila, they left Arizona on a work furlough. Internees were allowed to leave the camps, provided they had a job in the interior part of the country, to help in the war effort due to a severe shortage of manpower. I plan to visit two locations, the apartment where they lived, and the famous Nisei Lounge. The Nisei Lounge: From their website: Nisei Lounge (at 3439 N. Sheffield) is proudly ... read more
Nisei Lounge notice
Store front
Inside the Lounge

North America » United States » Louisiana » New Orleans March 18th 2024

After a very comfy night's sleep, we had a pretty early start driving to some birding places north of Lake Pontchartrain. Sadly, the target bird (the red cockaded WP) wasnt cooperating. We chatted to a very nice local couple, where he is a pastor from Honduras and she from Indiana, and they said they see the woodpecker there frequently, but not today. Today they heard a king rail, but we did not. 6 ospreys at a big nest though and a lovely sunny but cool day. We then drove about a half hour to another place, a very nice state park with a beach onto the lake. Another very nice walk, but few birds. However, when we walked to get closer to some really big turtles around a little fishing lake, we stopped in our tracks ... read more
2 Blue winged teal
3 Giant thistle and butterfly
4 Many osprey

North America » United States March 17th 2024

Have you ever dreamed of soaring through the skies in your very own private jet, savoring every moment of your journey in absolute luxury and style? Well, guess what? That dream can become a reality, and today, we're here to unlock the secrets of luxury travel and show you how private jet charters are redefining the entire experience. The Evolution of Luxury Travel Luxury travel isn't just about reaching your destination; it's about the journey itself. And let me tell you, the journey has come a long way. Gone are the days of cramped seats, long lines, and lackluster service. Today, luxury travelers demand more - and they're getting it with private jet charters. The Rise of Luxury Travel Experiences You step onto your private jet, greeted by your dedicated flight crew and a glass of ... read more

North America » United States » Louisiana » New Orleans March 17th 2024

Saturday was a beautiful day. We packed up early and took the back road back to Lake Coleman to look once again for the elusive Red Cockaded woodpecker and Red Crossbill. Using the Merlin app on our phone we could tell that these birds were nearby and David swears he saw the both birds fly. No photographs, so we face the deep philosophical question of do we count birds in this second of our “Big Year of birding” by hearing only, which evidently is a very recognized and respected way of counting your species. The other very exciting thing that’s happening is that every time we stop at a Circle K we get $.25 off a gallon and free goodies like a soda every time. This only works on the club member Circle K’s, but they ... read more
Great blue heron
Great Horned owls
Kestrel

North America » United States » Illinois » Chicago March 16th 2024

For some reason I have always wanted to do this. Perhaps due to my Dad's birthday, St. Patrick's Day, we must be part Irish?? From Only Illinois: If you visit Chicago during St. Patrick’s Day, you will undoubtedly witness one of the strangest traditions in the country: the river dyeing. For five decades, Chicago has transformed the waterway into a shade of bright emerald green by dumping 100 pounds of environmentally friendly dye right into the Chicago River. This year will mark the 61st anniversary of this unique event. According to url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchicagoist.com%2F2016%2F03%2F16%2Fst_patricks_day_history.php&data=05%7C01%7C%7C642b22acf1294e103bda08dbee197842%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638365565398023001%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7... read more
And a green river
Color me green!

North America » United States » Illinois » Chicago March 16th 2024

After a dozen trips to Chicago, I must admit I am not a deep-dish pizza fan. I love a thin crust pizza, like Serious Pie in Seattle. Serious Eats describes the differences: Chicago deep dish is remarkably distinct from pizza as it’s known elsewhere. Baked in a tall, circular pan, it features a thick crust filled with cheese on the bottom, toppings (optional) in the middle, and sauce ladled on top. But here’s the tricky thing: Not all thick-crusted pizza in Chicago is deep dish. In fact, deep dish is just one of at least three different kinds of thick-crusted pizza you'll find in the Windy City, which is to say nothing of the numerous styles of thin-crust pizza. Though real differences exist, there’s confusion because these styles look so similar. Each is thick and features ... read more
Famous Gino's East
Thinner crust for me!

North America » United States March 15th 2024

Dear friends and family, For this blog, I’m going to try something new. I’m trying to dictate the news on my phone. Why? Because when we are in Ecuador – our next big adventure – I don’t want to have to take 2 laptops (one for me to write the blog and the other for David to be culling his photos) – or to wait forever and fall asleep. We made it to Banner Elk North Carolina with no difficulty, and had plenty of time to share a nice dinner at the red Onion with Cinda Williamson, just like we did three Christmases ago. In fact, we had enough time to stop at a birding area on the amazing but hilly campus of Appalachian State University, which is right in the center of Boone, North Carolina. ... read more
WOODPECKER PILEATED MALE
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DSC_0015_InPixio

North America » United States » Illinois » Chicago March 14th 2024

Illustrious url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alinearestaurant.com%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7C5b80405382664132672108dbed0bf451%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638364407827473449%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rGTbjg0dZGLpophQFGxxOnmRsiLmXumlYKdiO3%2FlMA4%3D&reserved=0Alinea takes the art of cookery and dissects it to a molecular level, turning raw ingredients into amazing dishes using physics and chemistry. Everything on the menu is carefully planned by Grant Achatz, the restaurant's chef and co-owner, and a master of molecular gastronomy. Meals here are an assault on the senses, with each dish presenting a different thrill. Expect to see things like spherified dips, distilled liquids made from green chilis, and marzipan frozen with liquid nitrogen. Don'... read more
Famous deep dish pizza
Love Manny's


In the late 1980s, url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Memorial-service-set-for-Pi-Day-creator-Larry-Shaw-12206726.php#photo-12531763Larry Shaw, a staff physicist, tinkerer and media specialist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, came up with what may be the world’s nerdiest holiday: Pi Day. Now celebrated globally each March 14, Pi Day salutes the popular mathematical constant pi, an endless decimal representation used in the measurement of a circle whose first three digits are 3.14. What makes pi so intriguing? Divide any circle’s circumference by its diameter and the answer is always pi, no matter the size of the circle. Oh, and to sweeten up the holiday a little more, March 14 is also the birthday of Albert Einstein. Competing for bragging rights on who can recite the most digits is a popular Pi Day activity in many schools. How many digits of p... read more
How many can you do?




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