USA

Bangor maine
Maine, NORTH AMERICA, USA

Bangor, Maine

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Coming back to Bangor, Maine in August? Not a bad experience. We stop in the airport here frequently, and if we get to stay in the city, it is mostly for short layovers. Summer is the time I love longer layovers in Bangor. A few years back, I was here for the 4th of July parade. It was an emotionally charged event. I remember mostly the nice people, the veterans and the kids. On another stay I discovered a wide stream with big rocks in the center. It was calmly flowing by a green forest. There is a path following along the river, but not many people were around. I sat on a rock and bathed in the water under a friendly summer sun. A sweet memory that made me look for the place again. I finally found it by asking for the stream. The river, Penobscot River that is, has a deeper faster flowing water. That was not the one I wanted. If you ever want to find it ask for Valley Avenue as it runs near. Yet, today the sun was not out of the clouds too often and the water was muddy. Not the same memory I recalled from the past. Yet I enjoyed a little acrobatics over the rocks, balancing and jumping from place to place, challenged by the idea of getting in the center of it still dry. My phone, my backpack, my tush and even my sneakers made it back dry and safe. Huray! Walking downtown from the hotel I enjoyed seeing and taking pictures of the residential homes. I love buildings and I get inspiration from yards and architecture. See for yourself the pictures of Bangor houses here.

young psychedelics orlando
Florida, NORTH AMERICA, USA

Orlando Music Scene

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I may take some heat for saying this, but as a former musician and avid fan of live music I have always been a little disappointed in the Orlando music scene. This is not to say that there are not good bands and musicians in Central Florida. There are several really great artists around the area, and a surprising number of professional musicians from 50’s, 60’s and 70’s headliners who live in the area. You might not recognize them at first glance today, but may be surprised to find out who you are talking with or standing next to. Some have built some good quality recording studios and have small labels. I have just never found Orlando to have the same zest as cities like, of course Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, or even smaller mid-western towns when it comes to the live music scene. While there are musicians of all types playing around Orlando, they just never seem as easy to find as in other locales. More like you had to call around, go on-line, and go looking for them, compared to other towns where it is easy to accidentally stumble upon live music without even trying, like a good blues or acoustic set going on (not to mention jazz, fusion, or Latin is some cities). One local bar in the Orlando area, The Copper Rocket Pub,  has been holding Sunday night tryouts to build a repertoire of local house bands and provide a regular live venue. The Copper Rocket is located in Maitland, outside of the theme parked tourists areas in a true “locals” part of town. The benefit: Local talent mixing originals in with some covers, rather than a polished cover band geared towards the tourists. Recently we caught The Young Psychedelics trying out in their first ever live performance. These “kids” grew up together and have spent a lot of time in the studio over the past couple of years, however the Copper Rocket tryout was their first live playing gig.  Their first release was under the name Mandee Marie, a 6-song, much softer driven all acoustic CD, available on iTunes and via the web-site. As The Young Psychedelics, it was an all electric performance, and you’d never know how nervous they may have been once they hit it. Before the night was over, they got the job. A new band to pack ’em in at The Copper Rocket Pub, located at 106 Lake Ave, Maitland, FL.  Kudos to the “kids.” Check out the videos below (photo camera, no tripod – sorry).  

NORTH AMERICA, Oregon, USA

Construind Case din COB in Oregon

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La inceputul anului 2012 am primit de la un bun prieten un film video despre arhitectura ecologica. Dintre toate metodele existente m-am indragostit de casele din “COB” (argila+nisip+paie). Adevarata atractie pentru mine are de a face cu exprimarea artistica prin aceste case. Mi-a placut totdeauna sa construiesc, sa creez cu ajutorul miinilor si a imaginatiei. Ca rezultat al acestui vechi interes, dar nu tocmai cu binecuvintarea parinteasca, am urmat cu mult timp in urma facultatea de constructii. Punind calatoritul pe primul loc, nu am profesat meseria studiata, dar am facut un hobby din ea. Metodele constructiei conventionale ne limiteaza insa forma de expresie si cred ca odata cu casele din cob mi-am descoperit o noua pasiune. Aceste case nu au forme stricte si nu ne reduc la liniile si unghiurile drepte ale materialelor conventionale. In plus, ele au un impact mai prietenos asupra naturii inconjutatoare, folosind materialele de pe terenul propriu, deci reducind poluarea asociata cu transportul, si folosind mai putin lemn, deci taind mai putini pomi vii. Sa mentionez si faptul ca e mult mai ieftin a construi propria casa in loc de a plati ani de zile unei banci o suma de 2-3 ori mai mare decit imprumutul initial? Vei sfirsi prin a avea casa pe care o creezi, nu cutia care seamana cu toate celelalte. In vara lui 2012 am decis deci ca ne entuziasmeaza aceasta idee destul ca sa platim un curs destul de  scump, in Oregon. Am ales cursul unui arhitect si profesor cu vechime in domeniu si cu un intreg manual publicat pe acest subiect. Am invatat deci practic sa sculptam case din cob cu Ianto Evans, in timp ce ne-am reprogramat mintile si am regindit propriile adevaruri sub ghidarea acestui om deosebit. Ianto Evans si sotia sa Linda Smiley, impreuna cu toti cei din clasa din august 2012 au avut un impact profund asupra experientei noastre de viata si gindire. Recomand clasa aceasta ca un nou mod de a gindi viata, finantele, oamenii, alimentele si natura, cit si ca si un exercitiu fizic si retreat mental si psihologic. Aici este linkul la site-ul profesorilor mei favoriti:  http://www.cobcottage.com/workshops

Cob HomeOregon
NORTH AMERICA, Oregon, USA

Building Cob Homes in Oregon

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In the beginning of 2012 somehow I ran into a movie about earth friendly architecture and, out of all the existing methods, fell in love with cob homes. The real appeal to me was the artistic expression in these cob homes.  I always loved building and making things and a long time ago I earned a construction engineering degree. Yet, the conventional construction method is limiting in its form of expression. Cob homes have no strict shapes and are not reduced to the straight lines and angles of conventional materials. Besides, they are ecologically friendly, as the impact of building with materials on the site is less abusive on nature: less pollution from moving materials around and less use of wood/trees. Should I also mention the reduced cost of building your own home, expressing your own creativity, instead of paying a bank 2-3 times the cost of the loan over the life of the that loan? So you end up with the house you create, not the one anyone else has: the look alike box. In the summer of 2012 we decided we would love to learn how to build ecologically friendly artistically sculpted homes.  We chose a work shop in Oregon, as the architect and teacher has many years of experience with cob construction and a famous book/manual (The Hand Sculpted House) co-authored with partners Linda Smiley and Michael Smith. We practiced building cob with Ianto Evans, while retraining our minds and rethinking our truths under the guidance of this special and loving old soul. Ianto Evans and Linda Smiley, along with all of the August, 2012 class impacted us in a deep and meaningful way. I highly recommend the class as a new way of thinking about life, finances, people, food and nature, as well as for a good physical exercise and as a mental/psychological retreat. Here is the link to my favorite teacher’s workshop classes: http://www.cobcottage.com/workshops

orlando florida
FAQ, Florida, General Travel Related, NORTH AMERICA

What other things are there to do in Orlando besides Disney World?

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There are of course many theme parks and tourist attractions, however if you wish to get away from that and enjoy something a little less crowded, maybe one of these suggestions will be interest: – Visit the town of Celebration, kept ultra clean and almost like a movie set, not far from Disney – Visit the town of Winter Park just north of downtown Orlando, a favorite among locals and visitors – Take an air boat ride on Lake Jessup, Boggy Creek or  others and see alligators in their natural habitat – Canoe on the river from Wekiva Springs State Park and see wildlife in natural habitat – Go to Cirque du Soleil in Downtown Disney if you have not done so – Visit Kennedy Space Center (on the Atlantic Coast, but not far from Orlando) Feel free to send me an email and let me know what interests you and I will try to make some suggestions in the that light.

Beach Across from Hotel Biloxi
Mississippi, NORTH AMERICA, USA

Flip-Floppin’ in Biloxi, Mississippi

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I feel lucky to be back flying again for my beloved 65 year old charter airline. She feeds my travel addiction needs very well. LOL. Not that taking me to Biloxi, Mississippi was on my bucket list but it is a sunny beautiful day and we have 48 hours here. Picked up at the airport in a Hummer stretch limousine provided by King Limo Biloxi we could feel like celebrities. And our hotel is just across from the beach. We could literally walk out barefooted and dig our toes into the fine white sand of the narrow beach, if only highway 90 was not so close to the water. Today I took a walk downtown and found out the distance was further than I appreciated. It took me about 50 minutes to get there and I walk at a good speed. Once there, walking trough the streets, I found not much of interest. This is a  gambling and sea food lover’s paradise, neither of the two groups I belong to. Looking for vegetarian food I found none, so I walked back to my hotel, happy that I asked Mike to cook before I left and that I had carried my own food with me. Yesterday we had food across the street. The place had vegetarian quesadillas on request. They were OK but Mike makes them even better. I call them flip-flops since he flips them in the frying pan in an expert way. He should open a restaurant. He loves cooking. The restaurant is called Shaggy’s and the place was good. I can recommend it for sea food and drinks on the beach. Shaggy’s seems to be very popular. Lots of people and a great beach view.  Not fancy – just relaxed and beachy. If you prefere fancy, I discovered an old French restaurant downtown. Called Mary Mahoney’s Old French House, it was built in 1737 and it has a great atmosphere, a beautiful yard and it is near the downtown casinos. Walking by U.S. Route 90/Highway 90 I was weighing my options for a day in the sun. The sidewalk  separates the road from the nice mansions and, even if their yard is green, the white sand is often covering the sidewalk. One option calls for the white powdery beach, as the narrow strip of land before the water is inviting. Yet, the water …. not so inviting. The color is not enticing and the big pipes running into the water make you wonder. Remembering the oil spill not so long ago makes me think of the other option: the hotel’s pool. Oh but wait! That is surely full of bleach and I still remember the demonstration on how skin (which is the biggest organ we posses) is absorbing all that fast. So now my options do not appear that great: pool full of bleach or the Gulf Of Mexico where the oil spill happened. Hmm…. does our species pollute and destroy too much of this  planet? Am I strange for being vegetarian in a land where the norm is “eat the fish” and any sea creatures, not to mention the mammals and birds? Funny to think that people eat any living creatures we get our hands on? Consider that over the world you can find all kinds of foods. From bugs, snails, spiders, rats and snakes to dear, horses, pigs, zebras and further. Which one you consider normal to eat depends of  where you were raised and where you live. Oh, well…. I’ll go to the beach!

NORTH AMERICA, USA, Washington State

Hot Doggin’ in Seattle and Tacoma

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My brother and I have found over the years that we have a lot in common, more than we originally knew. A few of those commonalities include an interest in business, entrepreneurship, and food. Food of all sorts, be it cooking up new recipes ourselves; food someone else has prepared; and foods new to us that are common within the local culture. Domestic, international, here, there . . . it doesn’t matter. We like to eat and we like to try new foods, wherever we are.  So no matter where we are together, we embark on the food hunt. We have to try whatever is famous or typical in the area, or take a stab at cooking up something new. In Chicago, the trip would not be complete without visiting Portillos for a helping of the famous Chicago Dog. For added authenticity, more Chicago Dogs bought from street vendors. From the affinity he has acquired for the authentic Chicago Dog, my brother has become a regular critic, testing everyone else’s version of this namesake, arriving at the conclusion pretty much nobody gets it entirely correct outside of Chicago. Either the poppy seed bun (if they even have them) is not steamed properly, the dog does not snap correctly, or the relish is standard (it is different in Chicago). Be it a dog vendor in Eugene, OR, Seattle, WA, Orlando, FL, Germany, Romania, or Ecuador, it has become somewhat of recent tradition between us to check ’em out and text a photo and critique to one another. However on a recent quest to try out a few in the Seattle / Tacoma area, a few interesting discoveries were made. Po Dog, with two locations in Seattle whips up some eclectic combinations for their “gourmet dogs.”  Ever heard of  Po Roll Sushi Dog? (Fresh cucumber — Philly cream cheese — Panko crusted and deep fried w/ wasabi aioli). The Po Dog menu considerately accommodates vegetarians as well, simply substituting their Field Roast Apple Sage Vegetarian Dog between the buns. Pick Your Weiner, Accessorize Your Weiner, or choose from Specialty Weiners.  Po Dogs are located in Capitol Hill at 1009 E Union and Ballard at 2014 NW Market. A new Tacoma hangout was also discovered, combining a few more would-be odd dog recipes (cream cheese and chives . . . or peanut butter and bacon on your dog anyone?). They may not be Chicago Dogs, however The Red Hot in Tacoma, WA boasts one of a different name, The Tacoma (“Our version of the Chicago-style street hot dog, but named for a vastly superior city. . .”) and provides an interesting mix of strange but popular dog concoctions for the adventurous – including an equal number of vegetarian and vegan options. All  to be paired with a rotating menu of craft beers.  We were told however that the owner began in Chicago, and started the Red Hot Tacoma dog because no other place had real Chicago dogs. Check out their current menu via the link to their site. The Red Hot is located at 2914 6th Ave.  Tacoma, WA 98406 The picture above was provided by photographer Darla R. Daniels, captured on her phone.  She had to have a quick eye to see this shot and capture it. Luckily she at least had her phone with her. See if you can make out the composition.  

FAQ, North America, USA

I wanna go on a road trip but I don’t know were to go?

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6 of my friends and I are planning a road trip here in California, but we don’t know were to go or what to do. We live in San Diego , we don’t want to go somewhere far but not too close. 6 hours away max an at least 3 hours away. Response: Have you traveled north along the coast, like up through Laguna Beach, into the LA area and then continuing north to places like the J. Paul Getty Museum, Santa Barbara, Hearst Castle, San Luis Obispo, and Bugs Bunny’s sought after destination – Pismo Beach? Or if you prefer mountains then maybe a trip to the Big Bear Lake area east of Los Angeles or Yosemite? The greater Los Angeles area itself is loaded with interesting things to do if you are in the know. Hard to say without knowing your interests. Hope this sparks a few ideas.

Florida, NORTH AMERICA, USA

Orlando

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My first time here I fell in-love with Orlando for the green, the old oak trees and vegetation. As opposed to the palm trees Miami, Orlando reminds me more of my home town, where I grew up. Disney, Sea World and all the other parks nearby are great entertainment for children as well as adults and the water parks can be splashing fun when the weather is hot. But Orlando’s weather is not always hot and the city is not all about Disney. From November to April or even May you can have spring/fall like temperatures and you might need a sweater. That is perfect when you plan to walk around, visiting the downtown and Lake Eola. You will see white and black swans sharing the water and the grass territory with geese, egrets and other gracious and envied birds. The walk around the lake is a delight and sitting in the grass or on a bench there is always a relaxation that calms the spirit and excites the senses. A walk on the old streets close by will delight the eyes with the view of beautiful homes and well maintained porches and lawns, an inspiration for any garden lover. Another area to enjoy is the Winter Park area. The small but trendy downtown often hosts events with live music and/or arts and crafts plus food vendors. The nearby park often holds open air concerts and the rich neighborhood is full of colorful vegetation and beautiful homes. I love walking around both of these downtown areas. I hope more people will discover Orlando and Winter Park and experience what it has to offer besides the obvious theme parks.

NORTH AMERICA, Oregon, USA

Oregon

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Oregon is a diverse state, mixed with warm, dry, and flat inland summers, combined with very green, mountainous and often very cool (even in summer) coastal regions and rainforests. The people of Oregon display a general zest for healthy lifestyles. Clean and green with recycling bins, natural foods, vegan and vegetarian options seemingly more readily available than many places, Oregon appears to host a population of not only environmentally and health conscious, but environmentally intelligent. With clean roads weaving through lush green mountains and rivers; home to geological wonders like Crater Lake and with views the likes of Mt. Hood and occasional wildlife, it is easy to see why. Sandstone cliffs and rocky coastlines dotted with light houses regularly offer whale and Sea Lion sightings, the latter of which whose deep groans and barks are often heard before seen as one approaches the shoreline. Sunsets are beautiful, however in addition to the camera, be sure to bring some warm and wind/rain proof clothing when visiting the Oregon coastal region, even in summer. For a real treat, take a 9 day natural building course with the Cob Cottage Company, learn the centuries old revised and economical/ ecological methods (you will be surprised and enchanted) and enjoy an educational group hike –barefoot- through the woods.  Some of Oregon’s major cities such as Eugene and Portland are easy to get in and out of and provide good starting and ending points for exploration, in addition to exploring the cities themselves. Progressive west coast culture with major outerwear employers, food cart/trailer parking bazaars, historical sites and great views adorn them. Read more about, post comments, and share your Oregon experience and recommendations below.

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