Stuart Beach August 1995

I took the photograph above of my sister Susan and mother Mary at Stuart Beach back in August of 1995. My mother lived in Stuart, Florida for almost 30 years and just loved it there, and Susan and I would usually visit her 2 or 3 times a year. Susan and I have been renting her condo out for the past 15 years, since she passed away, but we have decided to finally take it back and enjoy the place while we can. I really love Stuart, but last year when we went down there from Denver to visit our tenants, we discovered that all the beach shelters where we used to sit and look at the ocean have been removed and replaced by a restaurant. I know I have complained about this on my blog before, but I don't care. It bears repeating. And why did they do this? Probably to create another income stream for Martin County. You can't make money by letting people just sit around and enjoy looking at the ocean. Not yet, anyway. Give it a couple of years.

Mark Hosts A DU Pizza Party!

My friend Mark, who works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library), and seen in the center of the photograph above, hosted a pizza party yesterday evening. In attendance was Wally, the former Operations Manager of the DU Bookstore (on the right in the photo), Darrel, the former Accounts Payable Manager for the bookstore (on the left in the photo), and me, the former Finance Manager for the store. Mark ordered the pizza from Bella Italia, located on Leetsdale Drive here in Denver, and it was excellent. Unlike Mark, a relative youngster compared to the rest of us, Darrel, Wally, and I are all retired, making us footloose and fancy free. Darrel and his wife Linda recently returned from a trip to Iowa to visit family, and had a great time, while Wally and his wife Linda hope to be in the Bay Area when their daughter Lydia gives birth to their first grandchild. Mark plans to spend the 4th of July weekend up in Steamboat, Colorado with his family. My sister Susan and I hope to travel to Florida over the summer to experience not only the heat, which we have plenty of here in Denver, but the humidity, too. Who doesn't love humidity?

Georgetown During The Summer

I drove up to Georgetown, Colorado from Denver a few days ago to have a look around. Since it was a weekday afternoon, it was not all that busy, but there were still a few tourists out and about. Georgetown is a small mountain town (elevation 8,500 feet) with about 1,100 people, but with many commercial buildings and homes from the Victorian era. It was first settled in 1859 by miners who discovered gold near there. The gold soon petered out, but a few years later a large vein of silver was discovered, and the population grew to over 10,000. After the collapse of the silver boom in 1893, the population began to dwindle, and the town remained a backwater until the ski industry started to grow in the 1950s and 60s, when it became a stop for tourists and skiers looking for apres-ski spots.

The Hamill House Museum, seen in the photograph on the right, and owned by Historic Georgetown, was built in 1867 by a silver baron. But after the silver boom collapsed and all the mines shut down, the then owners could no longer afford to update the place, and so the house, grounds, and furnishings are mostly all original. Bad luck in the past is often good news for tourists in the present. The Hamill House is reputed to be haunted, with reported sightings of a woman in a Victorian dress wandering around upstairs. Both the Hotel de Paris Museum, built in 1875, and an historic saloon, now an Italian restaurant called "Troias," are also reputed to be haunted. That old saloon is allegedly possessed by a man who was hanged after shooting his opponent during a poker game. But there were, unfortunately, no ghostly sightings while I was in town, and so I headed home in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid Denver's rush hour.

Hanging Out At Cerebral Brewing

This past Saturday afternoon I visited Cerebral Brewing, located on Monroe Street, just south of Colfax Avenue, in Denver's Congress Park neighborhood. It was voted as having the best brew pub patio in Denver in an article that I read, and so I decided to give it a try. It has been around since 2015, and so yes - it took me 9 years to check it out, but what the hell - its time had finally come. The patio is located in a residential neighborhood, with lots of trees and flowers around, and the place has a real laid-back feel to it. It is definitely a neighborhood gathering place, very dog and kid friendly, and it was fun to just hang out there. I ordered a West Coast IPA which was very good indeed.

My only complaint was that it was a bit on the pricey side. Two beers and a $2 tip set me back $20, which is getting very close to Coors Field beer prices. But you pay for the atmosphere, as well as the beer, of course, and so an extra 4 bucks won't kill you once in a while. The brewery is located not too far from the Tattered Cover's Colfax Avenue bookstore, where I worked as the company bookkeeper for 4 1/2 years before retiring to a life of fun and relaxation. This would have been a great place to stop for a beer after work if I had known about it back then. Perhaps I should apply for a part-time job there now, as a cashier. I could still make that after work thing happen. Or perhaps not.

Summertime In Boulder!

I was up in Boulder last week, and the Pearl Street Mall was in full summertime mode. It was just a little after noon, and the restaurant patios were filled with diners, tourists were walking up and down the mall, and as usual, University of Colorado students were everywhere, deciding to spend their summer break right here. Although Friday and Saturday nights seem to be the liveliest times to enjoy the Pearl Street Mall, what with the buskers and all the people walking about, it appears that things are happening on Wednesday nights, too. A weekly concert series called Bands on the Bricks takes place near the courthouse along the mall, with a wine/beer/margarita garden opening at 5:30 P.M. and musical acts from 7:00 until 9:00. Tonight, Hazel Miller and The Collective will be playing, a popular local band which I remember seeing back when there was a weekly concert series during the summer on Denver's 16th Street Mall, which is now long gone. There is also a free weekly guided walking tour of Boulder's public artwork that starts at 5:30 P.M. every Wednesday. Fun times along the Flatirons. What could be better?

The Instruments Of Darkness

I just finished reading The Instruments of Darkness, John Connolly's latest Charlie Parker thriller. Parker is a private detective living in Portland, Maine, who takes cases that always have a supernatural aspect to them. In this story, a young mother is accused of abducting and murdering her child when a blood-soaked baby blanket is found in her car. Almost everyone in town believes she is guilty. Her attorney hires Parker as an investigator, and Parker begins to piece together the truth, which involves a sinister house in the Maine woods, and a psychic who comes to Parker and tells him the dead child is buried there. I really enjoyed this novel - it is definitely a page-turner, with an exciting finale. Be sure to pick up a copy from your local library today. And yes! I took the above photograph of that book with my condo's pool in the background. It recently reopened for the first time since 2022. The HOA at my building is nothing if not dedicated to dotting every i and crossing every t before taking any action on important issues like opening a swimming pool for the season. Very admirable indeed, although my fellow tenants might disagree. I myself never use the pool.

Carl Hiaasen: In Retirement But Still Stirring The Pot

I have been reading Carl Hiaasen's comic Florida crime novels since the 1980s. Hiaasen was a columnist for the Miami Herald from 1985 until March of 2021, when he decided to retire. And after retiring, I was hoping he would continue to write more of those comic novels. I keep checking to see if a new book might be coming out, but so far, the only thing he has written is a children's book (he has been writing those, too, for quite a few years) titled Wrecker, an adventure novel for young adults that takes place in Key West. That book came out last September, and amazingly enough, three of his speaking engagements at schools were canceled due to complaints about the book. The objectionable part was because it took place during the pandemic, and the young hero begs his father to get a Covid vaccine to avoid getting sick, something that happened to the father of one of the boy's pals. The schools which canceled the events were located in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia. Surprise! Thank God all those students were kept from being brainwashed into thinking vaccines might actually be good for you. Just incredible that this is happening in this day and age. And by the way, I took the photograph above of Hiaasen when he was promoting his novel Razor Girl (which is really really funny, by the way) at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Littleton, Colorado, back in 2016, when I was still working at the TC as the bookkeeper. And come on now, Carl - make sure your next book is for big people, okay?

The 2024 Highlands Street Fair

I attended the 2024 Highlands Street Fair yesterday afternoon, and as in previous years, I really enjoyed it. This is a neighborhood festival that stretches for 6 blocks along Denver's West 32nd Avenue and attracts annually over 35,000 people. There are food booths, bars selling cocktails and local craft beer, artisans, as well as live music. Plus, it is a great opportunity for people watching. I know about this festival because I attend it every year, and search for when it will take place on the internet. Otherwise, at least this year, I would not have known about it, since I have not seen any publicity for it in the newspapers or on television. Denver Pride Fest is taking place this weekend, too, and I suspect all the coverage over that event has overshadowed the Highlands Fair.

The Highlands neighborhood is located on a hill northwest of downtown Denver and the Platte River. Although the townsite was laid out in 1858, it wasn't until 1875 that the Village of Highlands was established across the Platte River from Denver City and Auraria (both the Highlands and Auraria and were incorporated into Denver by the end of the 19th century). The Highlands is filled with trendy restaurants, bars, and boutiques, not to mention many Victorian era homes. When I first moved to Denver back in 1981, the Highlands was being promoted as "the low-cost alternative to Washington Park," one of Denver's most popular and prestigious neighborhoods. Needless to say, it is still an alternative, but definitely not a low-cost one. Just to the east of the Highlands is the Lower Highlands (LoHi), which used to be a rather poor neighborhood before being discovered, no doubt by Californians, and is now Denver's hippest hangout. I used to work with a woman at the Tattered Cover Bookstore who grew up in that neighborhood, and still lives in the home where she grew up. She longs for the good old days when there were crack houses in the area, the place was uncrowded, and property taxes were very low. There is definitely a high cost to gentrification.

This street fair is very dog friendly, and a number of booths cater to people and their pooches. In fact, for a number of years, a veterinarian practice was one of the main sponsors of the event. The fact that the practice is located in a beautiful Victorian house on 32nd Street, right in the heart of the Highlands, says a lot about how profitable a veterinarian practice can be, not to mention the cost of care to pet owners. But I digress. This was a very fun event, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and I even found a parking spot just a few blocks away very quickly. And best of all, I saw a sign advertising the Highlands Oktoberfest. This inaugural event will take place on Saturday, September 14th. I can't wait.

Lunching With Stuart At Spanky's Roadhouse

I had a late lunch this past Wednesday afternoon with my friend Stuart at Spanky's Roadhouse, located just to the west of the University of Denver. DU, where I was the Finance Manager for almost 30 years and where both Stuart and I earned graduate degrees, is on summer break, and so it has been relatively quiet around the neighborhood lately. Stuart is originally from the North Side of Chicago, and a Cubs fan. The last time we got together, the Cubs were just a few games out of first place. However, that was before the "June swoon," which has become something of an annual tradition at Wrigley Field, and although they are only 4 games under .500, they are currently in last place in the National League Central Division. And as regular blog readers know, I am originally from the South Side of Chicago and a White Sox fan. The White Sox started out horrible and still are, solidly in last place in the American League Central. At least they are consistent. As for our adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, they are also in last place in the National League West. Both the White Sox and the Rockies are 3-7 over their last ten games. And you wonder why I avoid sports betting, even though the ads on television say you can't lose. After we got done at Spanky's, we had coffee at the nearby Starbucks, where I took the photograph above of Stuart. As usual, I asked for a decaf coffee, and as usual, they told me they were out of decaf coffee, but would a decaf Americano be okay? Which tastes exactly like coffee. Do they really consider these different types of beverages? Also, I might add, I ordered a small coffee, which they call a "tall" at Starbucks. What's the deal with that? Let's face it, we live in a strange strange world.

Cricket Anyone?

I visited my friend Mark, who works at the University of Denver's Anderson Academic Commons (the library), Wednesday morning to watch a World Cup cricket match between the U.S. and South Africa. The game was played at Kensington Oval in Barbados, and South Africa won the match by 18 runs. However, last week the U.S. beat highly favored Pakistan, which generated a lot of publicity on the local television news, with much speculation about whether or not cricket was about to become more popular here in the U.S. Of course, once the Americans started losing again, the publicity stopped. And watching the match between the U.S. and South Africa, I couldn't help but notice that all the commercials were geared toward Indian Americans, some of them actually in Hindu. And so, I suspect cricket is not about to become a major sport here in the U.S. anytime soon, although still popular with a significantly large niche of fans, especially those with ties to the British Commonwealth. And by the way, the photograph above is of Mark, transported to Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, through the magic of Photoshop.

The Summer Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice, the first day of summer, the day modern-day Druids gather at Stonehenge to celebrate, according to Wikipedia, "nature, landscapes, and diverse peoples." The grounds at Stonehenge are open to the public on both the Summer and Winter Solstices, allowing these celebrations to take place. However, reading about the ancient Druids makes me a bit uneasy about people today who want to emulate them. The original Druids were members of the priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures but left no written records. Everything known about them comes from Greek and Roman sources, including writings by Julius Caesar, as well as archaeological evidence. And both Caesar's accounts and archaeological findings show that these Druids were really into human sacrifices, often burning victims alive in a large wooden effigy, now known as a wicker man. And so, these modern-day Druids might be all about peace, love, and rock and roll, but I would strongly suggest getting the hell out of Stonehenge before dark, just in case.

The Tattered Cover Bookstore: Sold! To Barnes And Noble!

Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore announced the other day that it has accepted a 1.83 million sales bid for its four stores from national bookstore chain Barnes and Noble. The agreement states they will retain the Tattered Cover name and maintain the bookstore's culture and focus, but I have my doubts. To me, it sounds like what an American Major once said during the Vietnam War: "We had to destroy the village in order to save it." Granted, the Tattered Cover is in pretty bad financial shape, but certainly they might have tried a little harder to find a buyer with deep pockets and experience running bookstores (I'm thinking Powell's Bookstore in Portland here) to take over the operation. Let's face it - it will never be the same. All decisions will be made from corporate headquarters. I suspect the book buyers, accounting people, and HR folks, among others, will either be laid off or offered sales floor positions at lower pay. I am guessing even the marketing and promotions will be handled by the home office. I hope I am wrong, but we will just have to wait and see. I could go into detail about what occurred when the University of Denver Bookstore, where I worked as the Finance Manager, was outsourced to Follett Higher Education Group, but I'm afraid it would just depress the TC employees even further.

The June/July Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I perused the June/July issue of Chicago Magazine yesterday afternoon, which has several interesting articles that caught my eye. The cover story is titled "The Suburbs! Best Places to Live," which was divided by best places for families, singles, space seekers, and those seeking brand new homes. And I was surprised to learn that the median price of attached housing in Evanston, which is a really nice place to live, is $275,000, and in Forest Park, just to the west of Chicago and a quick "L" train ride from the Loop, the median is $158,000. Now THAT is a bargain. It just shows how out of whack real estate prices are here in Denver. There was also an article about Al Capone getting arrested at the start of his career when he was running a "disorderly house" back in 1921 called the Speedway Inn. This establishment was located in the Chicago suburb of Burnham. I myself have never heard of Burnham, but it was apparently an extremely lawless place just south of Chicago along the Indiana State line. I'll have to visit it the next time I am in Chicago - I just love photographing formerly lawless places. There was also an article about the making of Millennium Park, which turned a huge area of railroad yards adjoining Grant Park in downtown Chicago into a world class site. The most amazing thing to me was that nothing was ever done with that property in the past because the railroads refused to sell it. Then someone, no doubt a Harvard man, decided to look up the deeds and found that the railroads didn't actually own the land at all - the city did, and the railroads only had easements, and not air rights. And so, the park could be built. Just amazing. 

A Garden Of The Gods Reunion

My sister Susan and I got together this past Saturday morning with our cousin Linda, her husband Rodger, their daughters Kerry and Amy, and Kerry and Amy's spouses and children at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, as seen, along with my sister Susan, in the photograph on the left. Linda and Rodger live in South Carolina, Kerry and her family in Texas, and Amy and her family in Alabama, and all were very impressed with this iconic Colorado Springs park, not to mention Colorado's low humidity, something they don't experience in those Southern States where they live.

The Garden of the Gods is indeed very impressive. We took the shuttle from the visitor's center to the Central Gardens and hiked past some of the most spectacular rock formations in the park, several of which can be seen in the photograph on the right. Colorado Springs, by the way, was founded as a resort town, and the Garden of the Gods was one of the top attractions. The area was originally home to the Ute people, who sadly were forced to move to reservations in southwestern Colorado and eastern Utah by 1882. 

After the hike, we all had lunch at the nearby Black Bear Diner, a really fun, old-fashioned restaurant with great food. Linda's parents, Bill (my mother's brother) and Elsie, moved to Stuart, Florida back in 1972. When my father Nelson retired, he, my mother Mary, and I drove to Stuart to see if they wanted to retire there, too, which they did, and moved there in 1976. The last time I saw Linda was in Stuart, when I was down there visiting my mother. And I was shocked when Linda told me that was 30 years ago. Time really does fly, doesn't it? Back when their children were young, Linda and her sister Judy and their families would spend several weeks every summer at Ocean Village, located on the ocean in Fort Pierce, just to the north of Stuart, and I was very happy to learn that Linda and Rodger, seen in the photograph on the left, still spend several months there each year. Since Susan and I are taking back our mother's condo in Stuart after renting it out for the past 15 years, we definitely plan to get together down there next season. Why wait another 30 years, right? 

Happy Father's Day!

Today is Father's Day, and in honor of this holiday, I am featuring a photograph of my father that I took at Hobe Sound Beach on Florida's Jupiter Island back in 1979. My father Nelson and mother Mary moved to Stuart, Florida from Chicago in 1976, and just loved the place. My father was a dentist and hated it. And so, when he was finally able to retire to Stuart and play golf every day, he thought he was in paradise. He passed away in 1983 at the age of 74, but at least he had those 7 years to enjoy. My mother also loved Stuart, and made more friends there than at any other time in her life. She continued to live there for almost 30 years. My father was close to the same age as I am now when that photograph was taken, which definitely has made me start thinking more seriously about the years I have left. As that old song goes, "Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think." Happy Father's Day Everyone!

Graduation Day At DU

This weekend, graduation ceremonies take place at the University of Denver. Yesterday was the ceremony for master's and doctoral students, seen in the photograph above, and today the undergraduate ceremonies take place. Back when I was the Finance Manager of the DU Bookstore, before the university outsourced the store to Follett Higher Education Group, this was a big day for the bookstore. The Merchandise Manager and her assistants would set up tables loaded with merchandise just outside the entrance to Magness Arena, where the ceremonies take place, and sold a ton of DU gifts and clothing over the two-day period. The bookstore itself would also attract a large crowd after the ceremonies. And in the afternoon, when all the graduates, along with their friends and family, left, it was quiet as a tomb on the sales floor, and would stay that way until mid-August. And as for the now Follett-run DU Bookstore, I saw neither hide nor hair of them at Magnus Arena yesterday morning. Surprise!

A Tattered Cover Bookstore Update

Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore, currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, canceled the auction to sell the local chain to one of eight possible buyers this past Wednesday in order to continue talks with the various bidders. CEO Brad Dempsey says that "discussions are ongoing right now" and that "there are a lot of moving parts to it." I'll bet there are, considering the fact that the Tattered Cover owes almost 4 million dollars to creditors. There have been unconfirmed reports that the high bidder is Barnes and Noble, the national bookstore chain. If the stores are sold to them, it would basically mean the end of the TC. Hopefully, negotiations with the other seven bidders will result in someone with deep pockets and experience running bookstores buying the chain and keeping it independent. And by the way, I took the photograph above back when I was working as the bookkeeper for the Tattered Cover. It shows Noah, my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore colleague, reading one of his poems at Open Mic Poetry Night at the Colfax Avenue store. I am willing to bet Barnes and Noble would not have events like that if they took over the store. Not a chance. Not ever.

Clete

I just finished reading Clete, James Lee Burke's latest Dave Robicheaux novel. This is a long-running series that features Robicheaux, an Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office detective and former New Orleans homicide detective, along with his friend Clete Purcel, a private detective who was Robicheaux's partner at the New Orleans Police Department. The last two books by Burke that I have read feature supernatural elements, and Clete is no exception. The story is told from his perspective and centers on Dave and Clete's pursuit of ruthless drug smugglers, who are importers of a very dangerous new drug. As the bodies begin to pile up as they try to find both the stash of drugs and the head of the operation, Clete begins to have hallucinations about, or perhaps is actually being visited by, the spirit of Joan of Arc. I must say, this is an unusual crime novel, to say the least, but I did like it. To me, Burke's underlying theme is about the struggle between good and evil, and the origins of evil itself. And in Clete, he does it while telling a very absorbing story.

The Fate Of A One Time Dream Home Has Been Confirmed

A few months back I featured the photograph on the left of what I am pretty sure was once my then wife Lisa and my Denver dream home (it was over 40 years ago, so give me a break). Back when we were first married, we were thinking about buying a home we could afford and liked. That house in the photo was located right across the street from Washington Park, with a view of the mountains beyond, and was for sale at the time (the early 1980s) for $279,000 (I think), which we could not begin to afford. Since we got divorced a few years later, it was probably for the best, but I was kind of shocked when I saw the fencing go up around that cute 1910 cottage-like home. In my blog post, I said that I hoped they were only going to do a major remodeling, but suspected that it would probably be leveled.

And in fact, yesterday afternoon as I was walking in Washington Park, I took the photograph on the right showing Denver's latest victim of gentrification, that very same cute little house, no doubt to be replaced by a more suitable edifice, most likely a modern three-story McMansion with a patio on the top floor. On the other hand, I noticed that the house right next door has weeds growing in the front yard and looks empty. Perhaps that place will be torn down too, and a mini-Versailles will take up both lots. Still another example of rich people in the neighborhood being replaced by very rich people. Hopefully we Denverites will not have to face the mansion and bow whenever we walk past. Or at least only on weekends.

Boulder's Pearl Street Mall Is Already In Summer Mode

I drove up to Boulder this past Friday afternoon and walked the length of the Pearl Street Mall, which seems to be well into summer mode. There were people of all ages walking around, having a late lunch on an outdoor patio, or just hanging out, enjoying the afternoon sun. Although school is out for the year, there still seemed to be a lot of University of Colorado students walking around, no doubt choosing to stay in Boulder for the summer. Good choice if you can afford it.

The photograph on the right shows the patio of the Bohemian Biergarten, which describes itself as a Czech-style place serving a wide variety of beers and traditional eats. A number of years ago, my friend Stuart worked in Boulder, and at the time suggested we should drive up and check out the place. We still haven't done that yet, but have dined at Post Chicken and Beer, right next door, which also has an outdoor patio, and pretty good chicken and beer, too. So many places and so little time.

I was happy to see that the buskers were out and about, performing their acts for the crowd. One of the best ways to spend an evening in the Denver area is to head to the Pearl Street Mall on a Friday or Saturday night, walk around, people watch, and enjoy all the free shows. And if it is during the fall, you can start the day by attending a University of Colorado football game, having a beer and gazing at the Flatirons between plays, and afterwards walk downtown to the mall, enjoying the sunny autumn weather. Of course, these days, with Coach Prime (Deion Sanders) in charge of the team, good luck getting a reasonably priced ticket.

Boulder is famous, of course, for being weird, and is often described as "twenty-five square miles surrounded by reality." It is ringed by 43,000 acres of open space, and contains 300 miles of greenways, trout-filled creeks, and bike lanes, not to mention being located directly under the Flatirons. Residents can simply walk out of their homes and hit the hiking trails. The city has many beautiful Victorian homes, but also what are locally referred to as "trophy shacks," small, humble cottages that provide a simple lifestyle, but cost a bloody fortune. And that, of course, is the big problem with Boulder. It is very very expensive, and most people cannot afford to live there. But what the heck - it is just a 40-minute drive from my condo in Denver, and for at least a few hours, you can experience what it would be like to actually live there, which is good enough for me.

The June Mutt Of The Month

For the second time in a row, I took the photograph above of the Mutt of the Month at the Denver Beer Company on South Downing Street here in Denver, not too far from my condo. This place attracts a wide range of people from around the neighborhood, including families and University of Denver students who bring their dogs along with them, as well they should. And as you can see, the dog in the photo was more than happy to pose for a portrait, no doubt bored with sitting around waiting for its owners to finish watching the DU Pioneers win their record-breaking 10th NCAA Men's Ice Hockey National Championship on the television along the wall. By the way, the University of Denver, my alma mater and employer for almost 30 years, takes political correctness very seriously. In fact, there is a movement among faculty, staff, and students to eliminate the word "pioneer" from the university's sports teams, as well as any other use on campus. Does this mean a learned DU professor will no longer be described as a pioneer in the field of yada yada yada? Almost certainly, that will also mean The Pioneers by David McCullough and O Pioneers! by Willa Cather, among other similar titles, will need to be removed from the shelves of DU's Anderson Academic Commons (which is the library, a word DU also seems to have issues with). Life can get very complicated at DU, as you can well imagine. It makes me glad I am retired. Very glad indeed.

Still Another Stuart, Florida Flashback

I ran across the photograph above the other day of my sister Susan and mother Mary posing in front of the Colorado Avenue Mini Park, located along the St. Lucie River near downtown Stuart, Florida, back in October of 1999. Susan and I used to visit our mother down in Stuart two or three times a year, and we always had a good time together. She passed away back in 2009, and we have been renting that condo out ever since. And after 15 years, we have decided to take the place back and live there half the year, which will be a major lifestyle change. I have only visited Stuart a few times over the past 15 years, most recently last year, when I discovered that the covered beach shelters along the boardwalk at Stuart Beach, which we used to sit on, have been replaced by a restaurant, no less, which still irritates me. I suspect we will discover a whole bunch of other changes, too. And you know how much old curmudgeons like me enjoy change. I can't wait!

Viewing Architecture The Wright Way

When my sister Susan, Cousin John, and I visited Clear Lake, Iowa, the city where our Grandfather Claire Hoyt grew up, a few weeks ago, we took an after-dinner drive to nearby Mason City to see the Historic Park Inn Hotel, the last remaining Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel. Wright designed this hotel along with the attached City National Bank (now also part of the inn) back in 1910. After falling on hard times, a group called "Wright on the Park" was formed to restore the building, which reopened in 2011. 

The interior of the hotel is very nice, although there were not many people around. I guess late May is not peak tourist season in Mason City. Of course, this begs the question of whether there is any peak tourist season in Mason City. But after reading a handout I picked up at the hotel, I was surprised to learn that Conde Nast Traveler Magazine has named Mason City, Iowa the 8th most important architectural destination in the world. The World No Less! The city has two Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings, and there were plans to build more. Unfortunately, Wright had to leave for Europe (why I don't know, but it sounds like it was kind of sudden), which brought these plans to a halt. However, in his place, other Prairie School architects came to Mason City, many of them former Wright associates, and they created a neighborhood called Rock Crest/Rock Glen, located on both sides of Willow Creek, which represents the largest collection of Prairie-styled homes in America. So there!

The hotel contains two restaurants, including Leadlight, an upscale "American Eatery." I tried the door to this restaurant so I could take a photo, but it was locked, even though it was supposed to be open Monday thru Friday from 5:00 until 9:00. I have no idea why it was closed but did not want to quiz the person at the reception desk about it, since I had no intention of eating there (even if I hadn't already had dinner, I don't do upscale). Therefore, I went back outside and took the photograph on the left through the front window. It looked very cozy, but empty. Perhaps the place is hopping in August. I'll have to check that out this coming summer.

The other Frank Lloyd Wright home in Mason City is the George Stockman House, seen in the photograph on the right. It is a Prairie-school styled home that was commissioned by George Stockman. He met Wright and convinced him to design it while Wright was in town working on the Park Inn/City National Bank project. This house was slated for demolition back in 1989 (no doubt to make room for a parking lot) but was moved to its current location and is now a museum, open for tours. Years ago, I saw a Ken Burns documentary about Frank Lloyd Wright, and I remember a story about the time he addressed some sort of women's group back in the 1950s (I think). The woman who introduced Wright referred to him as "America's greatest living architect." He was so insulted, he put aside his prepared speech and spent the entire time explaining why he was not just America's greatest architect and also not just the greatest living architect. It sounds to me like he didn't have any issues with self-esteem. That, of course, can be both good and bad. Is anybody else thinking Donald Trump here?

A Return To Kaos

 

My sister Susan and I had dinner at Kaos Pizzeria on Old South Pearl Street here in Denver this past weekend, and I am pleased to say the pizza tasted pretty good. The last time we were there, the pizza did not seem up to their usual standard, but it appears they have now gotten back on the right track. Kaos, located in a turn-of-the-20th-century cottage, has been voted as having the best patio in Denver, which I believe it is. Since it was a weekend night, the place was packed, with people relaxing and enjoying a very pleasant evening in the neighborhood, as seen in the photograph above. We will definitely have to start going there more often. And you should, too!

Catching A Rockies Game At Coors Field With Mark And Susan

I went to Coors Field yesterday afternoon with my friend Mark - seen in the photograph above - and sister Susan to watch the Colorado Rockies play the Cincinnati Reds. It was a close game until the top of the 9th inning, when the Rockies were one out away from a win. Then two relief pitchers gave up 6 - count 'em - 6 runs and the Rockies lost by a score of 12 to 7. They are now 4 and 6 over the last 10 days, and have lost five games in a row, but there are still two team currently worse than them - the Miami Marlins and my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, who have lost 13 games in a row, including last night to their North Side rivals, the Chicago Cubs. And so, this season my baseball hopes have been reduced to attending one game the Rockies actually win, and to see the White Sox win at least one more game this season, preferably against the Cubs. 

A Taste Of Colorado? Not Even A Crumb...

The Taste of Colorado, a large festival featuring food, music, and lots of merchandise booths, took place in Denver's Civic Center Park every Labor Day Weekend until it was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. It began in 1983 and was Denver's last big event of summer. It was held again in 2021, but on the 16th Street Mall, and just wasn't the same. The past two years it was not held on Labor Day but divided into 4 smaller weekend events held during the summer in partnership with an organization called Taste of Colorado at Viva Streets Denver. To me this sounded pretty lame, and I did not bother to attend these mini festivals. This year I googled "Taste of Colorado" to see if the event might once again take place this year over Labor Day Weekend and found it would be celebrated on 4 different Tuesdays this summer, including yesterday, June 4th. And so, I decided "what the hell," and headed down to Civic Center to check it out. I parked the car and walked all through the park, looking high and low for signs of a festival taking place. The closest I could find was a broken-down stage, seen in the photograph on the left, with not a soul in sight.

Of course, it was not all that surprising, since the festivals were taking place on a Tuesday between 8:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. This is not exactly prime party time, and the whole idea of turning a major festival into 4 minor events was ludicrous from the very start. For some mysterious reason, I think the Downtown Denver Partnership just wanted to kill the festival and did it this way to avoid backlash. When I got home, I searched the web, and finally found an article in the Denver Gazette saying the Denver Partnership has canceled Viva Streets for 2024 due to permitting and funding issues. And so, The People's Fair, which took place every year the first weekend in June to mark the start of summer, was sold by Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) to a private company in order to get the money to buy a mansion on Cheeseman Park for their headquarters. That private company ended the festival permanently within two years, and now the Downtown Denver Partnership has effectively killed The Taste of Colorado, the final big event of the summer. It just boggles the mind. I took the photograph on the right, by the way, back in 2019, at the last "real" Taste of Colorado.

And I am not kidding - The Taste of Colorado was a major event. I took the photo on the left in 2019 at the festival when Grand Funk Railroad, Kool and the Gang, and KC and the Sunshine Band were performing. I have also attended free concerts over the years by Johnny Rivers and Creedence Clearwater Revival (minus John Fogerty). The Gazette article also mentioned that LeAnn Rimes performed at the festival. I still don't understand why this event has taken place every year for 36 years and now can't go on. I remember reading in one of Bill Bryson's books about his life in England that when he first moved to the UK, it was considered a poor country, but there were so many things the government did for its citizens to make life pleasant. But these days, when the country is much wealthier, it can't afford it. As he often says in his books, "life just keeps getting shittier."

Talking Baseball With Stuart At Old Chicago

I had lunch with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph above, this past Thursday at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in beautiful (to residents) Lakewood, Colorado. Stuart and I discussed all manner of things, including the fact that after starting out well, his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, have fallen under .500, beginning their June swoon right on time. Meanwhile, my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, have lost 11 games in a row and are by far the worst team in baseball. I know they are rebuilding, but how can they be this horrible? Even our adopted hometown team, the Colorado Rockies, have had a few winning streaks, and are actually 5-5 over their last 10 games. Predicted to be the worst team in baseball this year, they are currently only 4th worst, which in Denver is considered quite a success. You can attend a Rockies game and actually have a chance to see them win. Of course, since most fans here are usually rooting for the opposing team, that is not nearly as much of a positive as it is back in the real baseball world. I'm just sayin'.

The 2024 Denver Chalk Art Festival

This past weekend the 2024 Denver Chalk Art Festival took place in Denver's Golden Triangle neighborhood, just south of the Denver Art Museum (The DAM). This annual event started back in 2003 as La Piazza, Larimer Square's Italian Street-Painting Festival, which became an immediate hit. However, it was canceled during the pandemic, and was moved to its current location when it restarted in 2022. I remember attending it that year, and was kind of disappointed with it. However, CherryArts, the organization that runs the nationally known Cherry Creek Arts Festival, has gotten involved over the past few years and has made it into a very fun and popular event.

My sister Susan and I arrived fairly early yesterday morning, before it got too hot, and found that the crowds were already there, enjoying chalk art that was spread across 4 blocks. The festival now has a music stage and lots of food booths, as well as food trucks. Like other art shows, the artists presenting their drawings were chosen by judges. There were 5 "featured artists," who were actually professionals, while the rest were amateurs - very talented amateurs. Susan and I both enjoyed attending this festival very much.

Back in the day, the Denver Chalk Art Festival was one of two festivals held in Denver on the first weekend in June. The People's Fair took place at the same time, and was the larger of the two events. It was held in Civic Center Park near downtown, and consisted of 500 booths selling art, crafts, and food, and charitable organizations offering their services. I would always attend this event first, and then head over to Larimer Square to see the chalk art. The People's Fair was run by a non-profit called Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) and held annually since 1972. However, CHUN decided to buy a mansion located on Cheeseman Park to serve as their headquarters, and to obtain the money for this, sold the rights to the event to a private company. And just a few years later, in 2019, when the People's Fair did not provide the revenue they expected, the event was permanently canceled. I hope all those CHUN executives are enjoying that mansion. It did indeed come at a very high cost.

Final Thoughts On A Road Trip To Middle America

My road trip to Clear Lake, Iowa, Duluth, Minnesota, and Bayfield County, Wisconsin with my sister Susan and cousins John and Annette was a lot of fun, despite the "tick encounter" on the hike into my 40 acre "estate" south of Herbster, Wisconsin. Clear Lake is a beautiful community, and as John and I explored the neighborhood where our family spent so much of their lives, we met and talked with many friendly locals. Duluth, of course, is a much larger city, but everyone we met was still very friendly, and it is always a fun place to visit. We did miss seeing a Great Lakes ore boat or freighter go through the famous Lift Bridge, but there is always next time, right? And just yesterday, I received still another offer for the north 20 acres of my property. I have finally realized that all these people are competing with each other to start a giant tick farm. There has no doubt been a secret technological discovery that makes those ticks worth a fortune, and that area south of Herbster has to be the tick capitol of the world. I am definitely not selling. In fact, I might very well start a tick farm myself. I am sure Susan and cousins John and Annette will be all in on the idea. And the photograph above, by the way, is of the downtown Bayfield, Wisconsin waterfront. It is indeed a beautiful little town, but sadly does not have nearly enough of those valuable ticks.

Surviving A Bayfield County Hike

For years I have told my cousins John and Annette about my 40 acres in Bayfield County, five miles south of Herbster, Wisconsin, and how our Grandfather Claire Hoyt, Grandmother Fleta, cousin Grace, and my father Nelson spent half a year there, living in a cabin my grandfather and his brother-in-law John Talbot built. They stayed there until Thanksgiving, and my father told me how he had to jog along beside the horse-drawn school wagon to keep warm. My grandfather and Great Uncle John each bought adjacent 40 acres parcels back in 1918, but Uncle John let his go for taxes during the depression. My father wound up with my grandfather's half of the property and gave it to me, provided I would pay the taxes. I thought it was a great deal at the time. I mentioned to John and Annette that the cabin might still be there, and could be turned into a B&B. My father and I, once with my mother Mary and sister Suisan, and once with Norm Taylor, a family friend, went up there to find the property, but never could. Now, however, it has a snowmobile trail going right through it (and no, I did not give permission for anyone to do that, but it has made the property easy to find). And so, John, Annette, my sister Susan and I drove to Herbster from Duluth along Lake Superior and headed down that snowmobile trail with an app called Avenza Maps, which tells you right where you are at all times. It proved invaluable, because there was a fork in the trail along the way, and after a few blocks, that app showed that we were on the wrong trail. After John took the photograph of me on the left, we turned around and found the correct path, and the property. 

The trail was only 1 1/2 miles from where we parked the car, but after recent rains, three were huge pools of water in the center of that path, forcing us to walk around them through the brush. The previous trail we were on went along the top of the property, while the correct path went right through the middle of it. According to my father, the original access road did in fact go along the top of the parcel, and so it suddenly dawned on me that these snowmobile trails were actually made from the original 1920s era roads.

On the hike into the property, Annette wanted to know why the hell our grandfather and great uncle bought this property in the first place. As I recall (and this was a long long time ago), my father told me that Herbster was much bigger back in the early 1920s, had a hotel (I assume along Lake Superior), and was promoted by Chicago real estate developer Robert Bartlett as an up-and-coming spot to buy property. But due to forest fires, the collapse of the mining industry, and other factors, the area declined over the years to what it is now - wilderness. Bartlett was well-known for developing Beverly Shores, near the Indiana Dunes along Lake Michigan, and moving some of the art deco houses from the 1933 Century of Progress World's Fair in Chicago to Beverly Shores to sell. He also developed Palos Heights, a South Chicago suburb. These were successes, but Herbster? Not so much. When we finally reached the property, I took the photograph of John and Annette standing by the tree with the red tag that marks the start of the property. There was another one marking the end of the parcel a block away. And not a trace of the cabin anywhere. Annette was surprised the property was so remote, and did not think it would be good B&B material. And it was impossible to explore beyond the snowmobile trail due to thick vegetation and trees. Bummer.

When we got back to the car, we found out that we were all covered in ticks, and although we tried to take them off, more kept appearing. We drove to Bayfield, a beautiful little hillside town overlooking Lake Superior and filled with Victorian era homes. I wish to hell my grandfather and great uncle had bought 80 acres there instead. Bayfield is now known as an art colony and tourist destination, as seen in the photograph on the right, and we had dinner at the Bayfield Inn. As we sat and waited for our meal, we took turns leaving the table to dispose of ticks as they crawled towards our heads. And so it was a very interesting experience, to say the least. The strange thing is, I have had about 5 offers in the past few weeks to buy the north half of the property, and on the way back to Herbster from the trail John saw several homes along the way with signs in the front yard saying "not for sale." Annette told me to take the money and run, but what I want to know is why they want these properties? A long-range gamble that this will be the final refuge from global warming? It beats me. In any case, if you are planning a trip to Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin and intend to hike, definitely take a lot of bug spray. And I mean a LOT. All in all, it might be best just to hang out at Grandma's Saloon and Grill in Duluth and wait to see if one of those huge ships go under that famous Lift Bridge. That will be my plan if I ever go back.