Farewell to Dupont

Location Coordinates:
44°55'49"N, 93°17'35"W
Dupont Ave S,
(aka Kings Highway)
Minneapolis, MN

Summer at Dupont

A bit of a personal reflection here. My blog is dedicated to finding something unique and special in your everyday, ordinary things. As my daughters, Rachel and Sarah, so aptly stated in the introduction for my first published coffee table book, my goal is to make visual impressions of "ordinary locations that may be extraordinary for those who consider it their own right latitude". Today I wanted to insert a short post in recognition of a place that has been a most important right latitude for me over the past nineteen months - our home here at the corner of 40th St. and Dupont Ave S.

When we moved to Minneapolis in the summer of 2009 we decided to rent a home for a period of two years while we became familiar with the area before deciding where we might want to settle permanently. An internet search brought us to this terrific house we affectionately refer to as "Dupont". I immediately fell in love with the home's colonial styling and traditional features. And the location could not be better for exploring the metro area as we are literally on the "Grand Rounds" bike trail that networks all over Minneapolis/St. Paul. I've made mention in previous posts that we live just steps from two parks and one of the most popular lakes (Lake Harriet) in the city. It was the perfect location to base ourselves as we came to know our new hometown.



Christmas at Dupont



As we began narrowing in on our choice for a home to purchase, we ultimately chose a place located in the western portion of the city of Bloomington, a first-tier suburb of Minneapolis. It was a very tough choice deciding between the city or the suburbs, and ultimately our thoughts were that Bloomington will be perfect for us. Nonetheless, it will be extremely difficult to leave this rental home I've become so fond of, with its attic office and fireplace where I've spent countless hours learning a new skill and launching a new business.

On Thursday I'll say goodbye to Dupont, a place filled with happy memories for us, as we move on to our next right latitude in Bloomington.

Catalina Island Discovery

Location coordinates:
33°20'37"N, 118°19'32"W
Avalon, Catalina Island,
California

It is mid-winter, a time when we Northerners usually seek refuge from the grips of the winter doldrums in any place south of the snow line (which this crazy winter seems a bit more difficult to find!). Last week Chrys and I combined a family visit with a pure "thaw-out" vacation by heading back to southern California. At departure, the temperature in Minneapolis was zero degrees, which believe it or not was a huge improvement from the double-digit negative temps the day before. When we stepped off the plane in Orange County it was a blissful 72 degrees with no clouds in sight. Now that makes even a die-hard winter lover smile. We had arranged to stay along Orange County's Newport Coast in a great resort where on more than one occasion we enjoyed spectacular sunsets from our balcony with a nice glass of red wine. Toward the end of the week we decided to take a cruise over to Catalina Island, leaving out of nearby Balboa.



Avalon harbor and beach

 I had been to Catalina Island once before when I was about nine years old, and I don't recall that I was overly impressed. Understanding that my nine-year-old self should not really be held as an authority regarding travel destinations, I still did not hold out much hope that Catalina would be anything more than a cheesy tourist spot full of vendors looking to separate me from my money. However, what is unappealing to a nine-year-old is apparently quite pleasing to a . . . well, to a somewhat older person.

Catalina charm

The first thing we noticed upon leaving the boat was the lack of noise and an overall feeling of serenity. Now, I must place this caveat on that statement: our visit took place in late January, definitely the slow season. Obviously, summer high season would be another story. We had the beach practically to ourselves as we strolled down Crescent Avenue in the heart of Avalon. The next thing we found quite interesting was the fact the primary mode of transportation for residents are golf carts. Regular cars are on the island to be sure, but golf carts are certainly in the majority.

"Via Casino" walk and Catalina Casino

We walked toward the Catalina Casino, which we were surprised to find is not a casino at all but a theatre and ballroom. Feeling hungry, we then doubled back toward the town center and found a tiny walk-up restaurant called Katie's Kitchen, where we had, by far, the best chicken tacos I've ever eaten. After lunch we set off on a hike up Avalon Canyon Road in search of the Wrigley Botanical Gardens. We kept walking, and walking, but we never did come across the gardens and eventually gave up. Oh well, at least we worked off those fabulous chicken tacos.



Sunset over Catalina

 Back in the town center we wandered through a few of the shops, sat in the sun along the pristine beach, and then capped off our visit with a glass of wine at an outside table. We toasted our very pleasant island day and my new and different perspective on Catalina. No longer do I perceive the island as a dry, brown, past-its-prime destination. Now I understand that it is a clean, lush island getaway full of palms, eucalyptus trees, flowering plants, and gracious and welcoming residents. The laid-back small town feel is great for those wanting to drop out and recharge. But if you decide to go seeking your day of calm, make sure you go on a weekday in January. You'll be glad you did.

Winter at the Japanese Garden

Location Coordinates:
44°49'48"N,
93°19'54"W
Normandale Community College
Bloomington, MN

After the hectic activities and fun of the holiday season has passed, those of us in the northern latitudes face the dreariness of the dead of winter. More often than not the sky is gray, the sun is hidden, and the landscape is defined by a black and white dullness. On the occasional day the sun breaks through the murk, the frozen world seems to come alive again. These are my favorite of winter days, and I make sure I get outdoors for a natural dose of Vitamin D from the gleaming sunshine. Earlier this week was just such a day, and I was anxious to go out and find something in the metro area I had not yet discovered. A random Google search provided a destination that seemed to hold potential. On the campus of Normandale Community College sits a petite authentic Japanese Garden.The web site boasts this small oasis of serenity offers a place "ideal for contemplation and renewal of the spirit". After suffering through record-setting cold and snow in December and the natural let down of the end of the holidays, I felt my spirit could definitely use some renewing.

Understanding, of course, the winter weather would most likely render the place a bit less serene than visiting during the other seasons, I set off to check it out anyway. When I arrived the conditions were a bit challenging for sure. Even with bright sunlight the temperature was a mere five degrees above zero, and the garden was buried under lots and lots of snow. To add to the less-than-calming atmosphere, heavy construction was occurring to the college buildings directly adjacent to the garden. I literally had to trudge through a snow drift and squeeze past a giant crane and truck to gain entry. But I forged on, and once inside the walled entrance I could see the effort was worthwhile.

A dominating feature was the hexagonal-shaped building, called a Bentendo, which stands beside the frozen, snow-covered lagoon. The red paint of this building as well as the adjoining arched bridge and longer bridge in the distance stood out vividly against the pure white of the snow and the bold blue of the winter sky. I made a circular walk around the frozen lagoon and imagined what it might be like in different seasons: the soothing sound of water falling and flowing into the lagoon, the burst of cherry and apple blossoms in the spring, wind-chimes gently playing in a warm breeze. Yes, I definitely think a person could create a little Zen moment here. I'm glad I happened upon this place, and although this particular day was not conducive to providing much spiritual renewal, I'm contented to have observed the winter view that I'll now compare to other seasons throughout the year.

When the weather warms up and the construction is complete, I'll make another visit to the Japanese Garden when I'm certain to enjoy it for its intended purpose.

Sledding in Lyndale Farmstead Park

Location Coordinates:
44°55'49"N,
93°17'35"W
Lyndale Farmstead Park
Minneapolis, MN

A white Christmas was something I never experienced growing up in southern California. We were sometimes treated to wet Christmases, or maybe a windy Christmas, but never a white Christmas. Snow was an exotic substance that you saw glistening on the mountains as you stood in the valley below. Occasionally our family would pack up the car and drive up to places like Wrightwood, Lake Arrowhead, or Big Bear to play in the snow. We pulled on three or four pairs of socks and doubled up on sweaters under an overcoat, grabbed our little round sleds, packed a lunch with a thermos of hot chocolate, and headed up for adventure. My dad battled bumper to bumper traffic as all the "flatlanders" from the LA basin trekked up the mountain roads to throw snowballs at each other and skim down the icy hills on various forms of sliding contraptions. Looking back, it really was a lot of work to pull off a little winter entertainment.

Now I'm a Minnesotan, and snow is no longer exotic. It arrives in November and doesn't depart until March or April. But I still have an appreciation for its beauty and all the fun winter activities it enables. And having a fun snow adventure is a whole lot easier now than needing to drive to a distant mountain locale with lots of other people. Now I simply throw on my coat and snow pants and head out for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or ice fishing. Or, I can simply walk across the street to an ideal sledding hill. Area residents flock to Lyndale Farmstead Park as soon as the first flakes fly to glide down a perfect bowl-shaped slope. No traffic, no long lines for a ski lift, just the simple good times of a toboggan and a hill. It is a little bit of Currier & Ives viewed right out of my kitchen window.

The year 2010 will be ending in just a few hours, and I'm very excited about my plans for photographic activities in 2011. It is going to be a great year. Stay tuned!

Lake Harriet Ice Over

Location Coordinates:
44°55'17"N, 93°18'19"W
Lake Harriet
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Earlier this year I wrote about the annual event known as Ice Out, which is the date our lakes become ice free in the spring. Each of Minnesota's thousands of lakes has its own Ice Out date depending upon the characteristics of the lake in question. It stands to reason, then, that each lake also has an Ice Over date in the winter - the date the surface of the lake obtains a solid frozen covering from shore to shore. This year I wasn't able to pinpoint the exact Ice Over date for my local lake, but it was achieved sometime between December 2nd and December 7th.

 

After a much warmer than average early November, our first major snowfall occurred on November 13th. I missed this event; I was basking in the warm 75+ degree temperatures of late fall in southern California on that day. When I returned to Minnesota a week later on the 20th, I was thrust abruptly into winter with a fifty-degree temperature drop coupled with freezing rain which glazed the roads and turned the remnants of the first snow into something akin to concrete. My favorite season had definitely vanished while I was out of town, and winter was robustly announcing its arrival in the upper Midwest.

The first ice I noticed on Lake Harriet was the day after Thanksgiving as my daughter and I walked around the lakeshore working off those extra holiday calories. A rugged ice shelf of about twenty yards had extended from shore towards the center of the lake. Where solid ice met water, jagged ice chunks bobbed about, which gave off a sound similar to a giant punchbowl filled with ice being rocked back and forth. But a late-November warm up quickly dissipated much of this initial icing. 




December roared in with another sharp blast of cold, and by the time I walked around the lake on December 2nd a much smoother, clear sheet of ice was setting up across the lake's surface. As in the spring when the ice broke, I became captivated by the sounds coming from this new ice. As newly formed ice sections moved and grinded into each other the lake sounded as if it was groaning. It was eerie hearing these strange noises emanating from such a familiar place, but at the same time it was completely fascinating.



What a difference five days can make in the life of a lake. By the time I next ventured to the lakeshore on December 7th it had completely frozen over. Granted, the ice crust was dangerously thin, but all the same it is amazing that such a large body of water can freeze over in a relatively short period. So now the pretty lake, so active with sailboats in the warmer months, has transitioned to a solid field of white upon which cross-country skiers will glide and winter festival-goers will tread. And so it goes - one season to the next . .

I'm still here . . .

OK - so it has been a whole month since I've published a new blog entry. November turned out to be a hectic month with a family emergency, unplanned travel, and then the Thanksgiving holiday. December looks to be a bit less crazy so I hope to get a few Holiday season postings out here soon.

After a very warm start in early November, the weather has turned the other way and is now well below seasonal averages here in Minneapolis. There is snow on the ground with the prospect of more to come, which sets the stage for interesting winter weather photography. I'll get out there soon and see what I can find.

Head of the Charles



Rowers in front of the Newell Boat House

 Location coordinates:
42°22'11"N,
71°07'23"W
Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts

A little more than ten years ago I began what could be described as an obsession with the city of Boston. My first trip to The Hub (one of Boston's nicknames) was a three-hour stopover during a southern New England excursion Chrys and I made in 1987. My second visit was a fairly stressful business junket there in 1996. But these brief early trips planted the seed, and from late 1999 on we have traveled to Boston several times each year, and even lived there in 2008/2009 prior to our move to Minnesota. I've now spent so much time in Boston that I will always consider the city my second home. While living there during the fall of 2008 we were looking for things to do during a visit by our daughter Rachel. Chrys noted the Head of the Charles Rowing Regatta was scheduled that weekend and was to be held on the Charles River near the Harvard campus. As that was close to home, and thinking that activity would represent a perfect New England experience, we decided to check it out. We ended up having such a great time that we now have made the regatta an annual tradition, even though we have never participated in organized rowing ourselves. This past weekend marked our third Head of the Charles Regatta.

Rowing teams from all over the world participate in the event on the Charles River, which delineates Cambridge on the north bank and Boston on the south bank. Individual and team participants come from high school and collegiate crew teams as well as private rowing clubs. Competitors range in age from youth to athletes in their 80s. The bulk of the action takes place in and around the John W. Weeks bridge, a footbridge which links Harvard's main campus in Cambridge with the Harvard Business School and athletic facilities which lie on the Boston side of the river. It is a festive atmosphere with booths selling crew-themed apparel and food along the river banks where spectators cheer on their favorites. The setting can't be beat: rowers skimming over the river against a backdrop of Cambridge's colonial-era architecture, fall-colored trees, tasty "fair food", and crisp autumn air.

The sights off the water are often as interesting as those on the water. Groups of dapper English rowers decked out in their very British navy rowing blazers mix with American college groups in their team sweatshirts. Well-dressed Ivy League alumni cheer their school teams alongside average Joe spectators like me with no particular team affiliation. This year one of the more interesting non-rowing sights was the imaginative way one particular bicyclist found to secure his or her bike high above the crowds. I wonder how he or she was able to hold that bike aloft while securing it to the tree??



Competing rowers against the Boston skyline

 The Head of the Charles Regatta is just one of the events that keep me traveling back to Boston on a regular basis. I'm always happy when I'm there, and I'll likely write about many more of my favorite Boston "latitudes" in posts to come.