Jewels

Okay, I admit it. I'm too busy either preparing to travel, travelling, or recovering from travel, to actually write about travel. That is irony...right? In fact, the date on the post prior to this one has been taunting me so aggressively regarding my failings, that I feel compelled to get something up here just to make it stop. (I would just hate to end up being one of those writers that "think" about writing a great deal, but never actually writes). Now that my confession is out of the way, I will regale you all with another post regarding our time "Down South" which indeed had sufficient effect on our lives to warrant another visit...

Enjoy!


I’m walking along one of the roads that run parallel to the waterfront, but it’s not one of the roads a tourist would be likely to see. There are no jewelry stores and no T-shirt shops. No one is asking me to come inside because they “have the best junk,” or “speak broken English perfectly.” No enormous white ships can be seen sitting offshore like office buildings lying on their sides. None of the things twenty thousand cruise passengers a day might remember about this island are on this street, but it does have a few attractions of its own. I pass a bougainvillea, pouring over a mission style wall like a waterfall, exploding with red flowers. The color is so intense in the setting sunlight that it doesn’t even seem real. On my left now is a bright orange house I never tire of seeing. The locals are fearless about their use of color in decorating, with vibrant yellows, blues, and reds everywhere. My neighborhood back home was brown and gray. The sidewalk under my feet is mostly cracked concrete, but in the center of every rectangular section is a small, bright-blue square of tile, set like a jewel. Jewels of a different kind for those of us that pass this way. 

Orchid Growing Wild In Our Back Garden - Cozumel, Mexico

Yin and yang, good and bad: each needs the other. I enjoy the frequent blasts of beauty I see while walking here all the more, because ugliness is not that rare either. Cozumel is never neutral, and never dull. One minute I might pass a house or restaurant and exclaim, “Oh my god! What is that smell?” as the intoxicating aroma of a delicious meal being prepared escapes into the air. The next, while passing a vacant lot, might produce the same exclamation -- but for a different reason entirely -- as I smell something dead and decaying amongst the garbage and empty beer bottles. It’s a feast for the senses here, but good or bad, everything is set to maximum. When I returned home for a visit last summer, I was struck by how ordinary everything seemed. There were identical houses with identical lawns, no highs and lows, no wild oscillation in the range of sights and smells. Beauty isn’t as valuable without anything to compare it to.

Mayan Ruins - San Gervasio Site - Cozumel, Mexico

I walk past a "municipal jungle," my name for the empty lots dotting the town. Green rectangles of unrestrained nature, they are usually bordered on four sides by man's handiwork. In these places nature makes a stand, and fights back with a ferocity that can only be seen in the tropics. I smile at the notion that the whole island looked like this once, and would look like it again if it were not held at bay every single day. Sky-blue flowers, the size and shape of a petunia are everywhere, giving the jungle the look of an out of control garden. A young egret stands near one border of this wild spot like a garden ornament: slim, graceful, and white. But it’s real, and a reminder that nature is patiently waiting to take over if it gets the chance. I often hear we need to save the planet, but I think the planet will do just fine by itself if one day we aren’t around to interfere; it’s we that need to be saved from ourselves. 

Iguana - So common that they're the "gophers" of Cozumel, Mexico

I heard a parable once about an old man standing near the gates of an ancient walled city. A family approached carrying all their belongings in a wagon. The father spoke to the old man, telling him they were looking for a new place to live, and asking him what he thought of this city. The old man asked, “What was the place you came from like?” The father answered, “It was a terrible place, dirty, ugly, and full of liars and thieves. No one was kind and everyone looked out only for himself.” The old man replied, “You won’t like it here then, because this city is just like that.” With this, the family moved on. Soon another family approached and asked the same question of the old man, as they too were looking for a new place to live. Again, the old man asked, “What was the place you came from like?” They answered, “It was a wonderful place, clean and beautiful, full of loving and kind people that were always ready to lend a helping hand.” The old man said, “Then you will like it here, because this city is just like that.” Well Cozumel is just like that too, and like any other place, it is exactly what you make of it.

Performers In The Annual Carnival Parade - Cozumel, Mexico

The sun has plunged toward the sea now, seeming to set faster here somehow. The sky to the west is on fire with yellow and orange and red. The clouds look like something from an oil painting, illuminated from within as if they are the source of this light and color. I’m on my way to a local nightspot. It’s not some noisy bar full of twenty-somethings, swilling beer and flashing their tattoos and body piercing. It’s a quiet oasis of cosmopolitan flair called Ambar, another example of the surprising range of this place. I walk through the lounge; past eclectic art and machine turned tabletops, thinking this place would be at home in the most hip of districts in any metropolis. I head through the back door into a garden seating area, where jazz plays softly from speakers hidden in the plants. I love the way the architecture in Mexico blurs the distinction between indoors and out. Vicky is waiting for me at one of the tables, with two ice-cold bottles of dark beer at the ready. The moon is full, or nearly so, and those areas not lit by the garden lights are bathed in bright blue moonlight. I shake my head, thinking that back home the snow is two feet deep and it’s thirty degrees below zero. We clink our bottles together, making a toast, and drink deeply; it’s hot out tonight. 

The Harbor At Christmas - Cozumel, Mexico

Travelers to places like this probably go home thinking they have a notion of what it’s really like here. They tell their friends and family they have been to Cozumel. Sadly though, they have likely seen only a sanitized and carefully prepared set, designed to empty as much cash from their wallets as possible. Avenida Rafael Melgar, the main shopping street along the waterfront, is all of Cozumel most people will ever see. They are warned not to wander onto the dangerous back streets, and to be wary of the local eating establishments. Patent nonsense, as this is the safest place I have ever been, and I’d rather trust local restaurants (that feed their friends and families day after day) than tourist joints that serve you once and never see you again. Make the effort to break free of convention and see the real Cozumel, because you won’t find it on Melgar. Sure, you might see some garbage on the streets, or smell something bad, but you might see some unexpected beauty too.

Sunset From The Ventanas Al Mar (Windows To The Sea) Eco-Hotel - East Coast - Cozumel, Mexico

Vicky and I are walking home now. The streets are quiet but for the occasional taxi driving by. They still flash their headlights in case we want a ride. I guess we’ll always look like tourists no matter how long we live here. Overhead, the moon is bright and clear, and seems impossibly large. Closer to home, we are passing by another municipal jungle when something catches my eye. We stop to look more closely, and within the densely packed leaves and vines is a natural marvel. Hundreds of tiny flickering yellow lights are moving this way and that throughout the plants. They are fireflies, and they look like Christmas tree lights that have been freed, as if by magic, to float away from their wires and do as they please. I stand and stare in wonder. It’s dark, and though I’m sure this jungle is just as full of trash as all the rest, it’s the fireflies I will remember. Each one of us lives in a world of our own making, given form by the power of our thoughts and perceptions. We can see the beer bottles and garbage, or we can see the flowers, birds, and fireflies: the jewels of a different kind. Each one of us is in charge of how we feel. 

I feel lucky.


Fox & Vicky

Resurrection

If you should find yourself in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and you're looking for a truly worthwhile dining experience, then make your way to The Block Kitchen & Lounge in the city's Northwest. The Block occupies the space that was home to Rembrandt's Pub & Grill for 27 years or so. The less said about that place the better, but know that it was very tired and needed to be put to rest. The new venue is fresh, inviting, and decorated with a deft touch that feels both casual and elegant at the same time.

Inviting Environment

With luck, you'll run into Kai Salimäki, your energetic and outgoing restaurateur, and what appears to be the driving force behind this outstanding operation. This is not Kai's first rodeo, and it shows. I really didn't want to write this post as a review at all, and instead wanted to use this new restaurant in a rapidly redeveloping neighborhood as a springboard for a treatise on urban rebirth. Travellers rarely see this process in action, but often benefit from it. Unfortunately for me as a writer, Kai kept setting food of such distinction in front of us that I've been robbed of my first plan, and have now been forced to expound on the food. Damn him!

Coolest Light Bulbs EVER - But I Digress...

The older you get, the harder it is to be surprised. There is no greater honor that can be bestowed upon a chef than to say that he or she surprised you. To taste a forkful of something and not have a ready-made dusty pigeonhole of past taste memories to file it in, is as good as it gets. The Lobster Ravioli for instance needed a shiny new spot on the shelf of food experiences in my mind. It featured a subtle and delicate combination of flavors that let the easily overpowered taste of lobster hold the spotlight.

Lobster Ravioli - Wow, that's...NEW!

Vicky had the Steak Sandwich, which held down the fort at the opposite end of the taste spectrum with a powerhouse explosion of "umami". (For those of you not glued to the Food Network all day, umami is a word borrowed from Japanese -- roughly translated as "deliciousness" -- and is the fifth taste. It's often described as savory, meaty, and satisfying). Once again, neither Vicky nor I had ever tasted anything quite like it. Two for two.

A Surprising Steak Sandwich

Then came the Calamari (expertly cooked, and the pickled red onion was a well chosen counterpoint). We rank it in the top three we've ever had, and that number includes the Calamari at the incomparable Sorrisi in Cozumel, Mexico. Trust us, this is high praise.

Calamari - Crunchy Outside, Tender Inside

We also sampled the Deep Fried Pickle Chips (piping hot, perfectly acidic, and slightly spicy) and on an earlier visit, a Cubano Flatbread Sandwich lunch special (a fiesta of contrasts in texture, temperature, and taste), as well as the Prawn Po' Boy. All hits - no misses.

Fried Dill Pickle Chips

There are plenty of great options for the craft beer fan and we thoroughly enjoyed the St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, and the heavily hopped Wild Rose IPA, both on tap, as well as the Village Blacksmith in a bottle. You'll find an extensive and varied wine list here as well. While our visits were during quiet times of the day, we found the staff to be happy, pleasant, and clearly invested in making the place a success.

The Wine Selection

While what's taken Rembrandt's place is completely different in every way that matters, a single gene was passed onto The Block from it's deceased ancestor. Like Rembrandt's, The Block has VLT's (Video Lottery Terminals, which is Government-Speak in Canada for slot machines). Do NOT let this throw you. We've been there twice, and we still haven't seen them. We have no idea where they are, and we don't care. (Gambling is just a tax levied against people that can't do math anyway).

The real "payoff" here for you and me is that the presence of the VLT's (wherever they are) means that minors are utterly forbidden to be on the premises. Period. So those adults among us that -- for whatever reason -- would prefer to enjoy their dining experience only in the company of other adults, are safe at The Block. (Insert dreamy, contented, sigh of happiness here).

The Menu Of The Moment - Expect Regular Updates

There's real value to be had at The Block, but remember that value doesn't necessarily imply inexpensive. That said, any day that I can put something brand new into my mental collection of taste experiences is a day, and a restaurant tab, well spent.

Fox & Vicky

The Happiest Place On Earth! - IF You Know What You're Doing

My Mom first visited Disneyland when she was 7 months pregnant with me. You know how they say that babies can hear you talking to them, or benefit from hearing music while still in the womb? Well I think that somehow her excitement and wonder at visiting Walt Disney's park back when he was still alive somehow got into my system. Maybe I even heard it all for myself in her belly...and I'm only half joking here. I just LOVE being there, and it's one of our favorite travel destinations for many reasons.

Main Street Station - At The Entrance To Disneyland, Anaheim, California

I'm sorry to admit that I went about it all in the worst possible way when Vicky and I first started to visit "The Park" as a couple. (When you're there, you'll never hear anybody that really knows the ropes say, "We're going to Disneyland today", and instead they'll say, "We're going to The Park", and they say it in capitals). I felt that I already knew all there was to know about Disneyland, since I'd been going there since I was very young. We had family that lived in Anaheim at the time, so going to Disneyland was just a natural for us in the 60's.

The Setting California Sun Bathes The Spires Of Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Our early trips as an adult couple were brief, and I insisted on doing EVERYTHING, and I had to do the really good stuff twice. I was a Disneyland Commando. This drove Vicky crazy, and I often got her up at 5 AM to be at The Park well before opening time so that we could be nearly first in line. Then I marched the poor girl around the place for 14 hours a day like a drill sergeant, often with a detailed "touring plan" in hand that specified the most efficient order in which to do things. This got a lot done in the time available, but it was physically grueling, and we needed a vacation when we got home from our vacation....and Vicky hated my guts.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party - A Disneyland Staple Since 1955

But if fifty years of repeat visits to The Park have taught me anything, it's that Disneyland is meant to be sipped, not guzzled. If at all possible, the best experiences are to be had with longer visits. Two weeks is what we prefer these days, and given the overwhelming number of entertainment and dining options now available, I could stay even longer.

The Riverboat "Mark Twain"

If you must visit Disneyland on a tight schedule (3 to 5 days) then do yourself a huge favor and buy a copy of Bob Sehlinger's indispensable book, "The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland" before you go. While you might find yourself being a bit of a Disneyland Commando, the author's brilliantly conceived and efficient "touring plans" will give you a real shot at experiencing all the best offerings of the resort, even on a short visit.

The "King Arthur Carrousel" - Perhaps The Finest Still In Existence Today

Don't forget to take your camera. Disneyland is one of the most photographed places in the world, and for good reason. It presents an amazing bounty of great opportunities for both casual and serious photographers to explore their creativity. Having enough time to stop and smell the roses, and then take pictures of them, is perhaps one of the greatest rewards that come with the luxury of longer stays. The experienced visitor will often find themselves absorbed more by the rich detail and subtle beauty of their surroundings, than they are by the admittedly astounding attractions that Disneyland is known for.

R2D2 Rides Shotgun On Your Star Tours Adventure

Even the food at Disneyland is a draw these days, and for those that know the history of The Park, that is a kind of miracle. Up until the last few years, there was very little to recommend eating in Disneyland at all. You were better off at the Denny's on Harbor Blvd. across the street from the main entrance. This was always a great mystery to me; how could Disneyland possibly be so good at everything else, and be so bad at preparing food?

The Beautiful "Court Of Angels" In New Orleans Square - Sadly Now Closed To The Public

Apparently serving mediocre food for half a century or so was their limit, and suddenly, amazingly, gloriously, that all changed. Now there are so many great places to eat that it's nearly impossible to hit them all, even in a two week visit and eating exclusively at Disney restaurants. In fact, the great food offerings are so numerous that they'll need to be explored in detail in future posts.

Castle Reflections

It's been said that, "Walt built Disneyland because he wanted one", and while he may have been beaten to the punch by Knott's Berry Farm, and Santa's Village, Disneyland really defined the final form of the new entertainment venue that came to be known as the theme park. I'm confident that it remains the premiere destination for theme park fans today because it was the only one that Walt ever actually set foot in, and it bears the unmistakable touch of his creative hand.

The World Famous "Jungle Cruise" - Featuring The "Backside Of Water"

Many make the error of thinking that it's somehow a place meant only for children, and that adults just endure it for their kid's sake. But the opposite is really true, and it's much more a playground for adults than children.

Check Your Adulthood At The Door Please

When queried, the 5 to 7 year old set respond that the best part of their trip to Disneyland was the swimming pool at the hotel. Nothing could more clearly illustrate the need to wait until your kids possess both the maturity and the stamina to enjoy The Park for what it really is - a place to cast off the mantle of reality, and revel in the suspension of disbelief. It may well be the greatest example of virtual reality ever conceived, and it's adults that need this place to rediscover the lost art of "play", not children; they haven't lost it yet.

Fox & Vicky

We Meant It When We Said NO Videotaping!

I've always had a problem with following rules, and during a trip to Las Vegas back in 1998 I managed to remind Vicky of that particular failing.  While there, we were bombarded by ads for a new attraction at the Hilton Hotel & Casino called "The Star Trek Experience”, which promised to whisk visitors away aboard the Star Ship Enterprise on an "intergalactic adventure". The TV ads featured gleeful visitors lurching back and forth aboard a flight simulator. Having ridden flight simulators at Disneyland, I thought their advertising claims seemed a little overblown, but I was inclined to try out the Star Trek Experience just the same, as I'm kind of a fan.

I should make it clear that I'm not one of those people who dress up in “Spock ears” and goes to conventions. I do however have the titles of all 79 original episodes from the '60’s committed to memory, which probably puts me a little farther up the Star Trek geek ladder than I care to admit.

We arrived at the attraction to find ourselves on the "Promenade of Deep Space 9," which in reality was the shopping and restaurant area. Since Vicky has something of a weak constitution when it comes to roller coaster type rides, she intended to sit this one out. I settled her in Quark's Bar to sample the intergalactic food and drink while I went off to buy my ticket and ride the simulator. It turned out that "intergalactic" food and drink consisted of Quark Burgers and fries with Romulan Ale (which was probably light beer with blue food coloring).

I discovered to my shock that the price of admission was $15. This struck me (at the time) as an outrageous amount of money to pay for a five-minute simulator ride; but we'd come this far now. I bought my ticket, and entered through a well decorated pre-show area that featured all sorts of large models and props from the Star Trek television shows and movies. The next part of the attraction was a long, walk-through museum, full of artifacts and costumes.

I was carrying my video camera in case there was anything of interest that I wanted to tape. Warning signs were posted all around saying that videotaping was OK in the museum area, but would not be allowed after entering the simulator portion of the attraction. The museum was huge and arranged as if it were an actual historical repository of items from the Star Trek universe. This was already taking much longer than I had expected, and I was mindful of the fact that Vicky was still waiting in the bar. Consequently, I hurried through most of the museum that displayed items from the more recent years of Star Trek..

Eventually visitors came to a turnstile that admitted them to the simulator waiting area. Here, a security guard gave stern warnings regarding the prohibition on videotaping and photographing anything beyond that point. I turned off my camera, hung it over my shoulder, and followed directions regarding where to line up in preparation for the simulator ride.

The waiting area for the simulator was exactly like those I'd seen before in Disneyland: a small waiting room with yellow lines painted on the floor to indicate where people should form rows in front of each of the several doors that would admit riders to the simulator. Also, just like Disneyland, television screens were arranged above each door which we were told to watch for important safety information. Soon the usual safety video started to play, which stressed the importance of properly fastening your seat belts and warned those with heart, stroke, or back problems to reconsider.

Part way through the safety video, the image became faulty and the video stopped. The two staff members present said there was probably a technical difficulty, and they hoped the delay would not be too long. The employees were clearly uncomfortable, and did their best to kill time by asking where people were from, and by telling a few jokes. Shortly, a man wearing a headset and looking like a member of the technical staff poked his head out of a door adjacent to the waiting area to tell us they needed to reset the simulator. He said that they would unload the people currently on the ride and try to get our group aboard. There were groans from some of the less patient among us, and someone even ventured to say this was a rip-off.

By this time, Vicky had already been waiting quite a while. I resolved to take a deep breath and tough it out, but I was hoping that the simulator ride would be over soon. After a few minutes, the safety video began to play again, and we all dutifully watched the monitors once more. However, once again the video faltered, and one of the staff members said, "Not again" in a dejected tone, as if this was an all too common occurrence.

This time though -- something entirely different happened...

The lights went out, a powerful blast of wind blew through the waiting area, and then bright lights flashed all around us. There was a moment of complete darkness, and then to my amazement, the lights came on to reveal that we were no longer in the simulator waiting area. We were instead standing on the transporter platform of the Star Ship Enterprise. The doors of the simulator, the TV monitors, the very walls around us, and even the ceiling, had vanished. The transporter operator, an actor in a Star Trek uniform, suggested that we all remain calm and informed us that we had been brought to the 24th century through some type of time travel. Another crewman appeared and asked that we follow him to the bridge, so that we could be told of the strange circumstances surrounding our presence in the future.

Our group stepped off the transporter platform and followed the crewman out into the corridor. This was no cheap operation; but a highly sophisticated "set" of the sort used on movie sound stages. Even more sophisticated really, because all the walls and ceilings were complete, creating the illusion that we were actually on board the Enterprise. Lighting effects were everywhere, klaxons blared, and actors and actresses in Star Trek uniforms bustled through the hallways, clearly in the throes of a crisis. There were no more groans, or suggestions that this was not what it had been cracked-up to be.

Realizing now that this attraction was far greater in scope than I had originally believed, I was wishing wholeheartedly that Vicky had come along to see all of this. So, despite all the warnings, I cradled my video camera under my left arm in what I hoped was an inconspicuous fashion, and turned it on...

This turned out to be a grave mistake.

After a short walk down the corridor, we were herded into a "turbo-lift," or elevator, and taken to the bridge. As I stepped onto the bridge, one of the actors dressed as an Enterprise crewman spoke to me as I walked past him.  He told me that if I didn't turn off my camera immediately, it would be confiscated. His demeanor was so stern that I decided to take him seriously and did as I was told.

Actor Jonathan Frakes, appearing on a screen in the role of Commander Riker, informed our group that one of us was an ancestor of Capt. Jean Luc Picard. He explained that we had been brought here to protect this person from an evil Klingon commander, who was bent on destroying Capt. Picard by killing his ancestor. We were further informed that our group must get to the shuttle-bay immediately, so that we could board a shuttlecraft and escape the Klingon attack, thereby saving the day.

We walked through more spectacular sets on the way to the shuttle-bay where we took our position preparing to board the real simulator. Once again, a staff member appeared and spoke to me, reminding me not to videotape anything else. By this time I was realizing that my infraction was being taken very seriously. Eventually we were allowed to board the simulator after what seemed like an extraordinarily long delay. I suspected that I might have been at the root of this delay, and as we sat waiting for the simulator ride to begin, I thought that I probably wouldn't be getting out of this easily.

Finally, the simulator started and took us on the sort of spectacular roller-coaster type ride that I had experienced elsewhere. The simulator dove and turned to escape the attacking Klingon vessel, and finally flew through a "worm-hole," to emerge above present day Las Vegas for a wild chase through a night sky filled with hotel towers and bright lights. Ultimately, the Enterprise arrived at the last minute to destroy the Klingon vessel and save the shuttlecraft and its passengers, including the unknown ancestor of Capt. Picard.

When the simulator came to a halt, and the doors opened, we saw not the interior of the Enterprise where we had boarded, but the basement storage area of the present-day Hilton hotel.  Actors, posing as confused cleaning staff, asked us what we were doing there, and suggested that we move along quickly as we weren't allowed in this area.  As I stepped from the simulator with the rest of the people, hoping that I might sneak out unnoticed, I saw two armed security guards waiting for me.  Now I was certain this wasn't going to end well.

They approached and asked me to step aside so they could have a word with me about my photographic activities. Realizing they were not treating this lightly, I tried to be as jovial as possible while confessing that I had in fact attempted to videotape some of the attraction. I told the security guards I had only videotaped for a few seconds before being caught by the man on the bridge. They demanded to see the videotape, and that I erase it immediately. Under the circumstances, I was happy to oblige; but there was a small problem with that...

My video camera had an automatic lens-cover, sort of a flat sliding door with a complicated mechanism. It had been acting up through the whole trip, refusing to open when I needed to videotape something. Naturally it chose this particular moment to die completely. This left me fumbling ineffectively with the switch on the camera, getting more panic-stricken by the minute. The more I fiddled with the camera, the more it must have appeared to the guards that I was trying to avoid erasing the tape. In my nervousness, I made some smart remark about ending up in a shallow grave in the desert, which they didn't think was very funny at all. Finally, I was able to get the camera working so that I could tape over the offending segment.

By now the two guards had relaxed a bit, having no doubt decided that I was a harmless tourist, so I suggested that since I had to tape something, I might as well tape them. As I aimed the camera at the younger of the two guards and started recording, I joked that they probably did this a lot, to which the guard replied; "Yeah, but at least you speak English." I then suggested that Paramount (the producers of the attraction) really played hardball, and that this sort of thing didn't happen at Disneyland. The older guard replied, "We don't like to give our stuff away." As I swung the camera towards him, he clearly thought better of this whole, videotaping the guards idea, and turned his face away so as to be less recognizable.

After running the camera long enough to assure that I had taped over the section in question, I rewound the tape and played it for the guards so that they could see that no contraband images remained. Satisfied that I had escaped with no sensitive state secrets, they let me go.

Let's pause for a moment to remember Vicky sitting upstairs waiting for me. I'd been gone for about an hour and a half now, and for the last 30 minutes or so there had been a disturbing amount of activity involving security guards hustling to and fro. Her situation reminds me of an episode of  “The Simpsons,” in which Bart is leading an uprising at Kamp Krusty. His father Homer is watching a television news report about the revolt and starts chanting to himself, "Please don't let it be the boy, please don't let it be the boy." Immediately, the television displays an image of Bart leading the revolutionaries, prompting a "Doh!" from Homer. I imagined my wife, her Quark Burger and Romulan Ale long forgotten, watching security guards rush about and thinking to herself, "Please don't let it be him, please don't let it be him."

We'll return now to the basement where the security guards have just let me go. I started towards the elevator, and to my horror, I saw that they had kept the entire group waiting in the elevator while I joked with the security guards and struggled to comply with their demands. This had been no short span of time. I would have given anything to say, "You folks just go on ahead, I'll catch the next elevator.”  But this was not to be, and I had to get into that tightly packed space, full of very angry people, for what was the longest elevator ride of my life.

As I stepped off the elevator onto the Promenade, I saw Vicky approaching me with a questioning look on her face. I answered this by saying, "We have to leave...Now." Standing nearby was a security guard, who spoke into the microphone at his shoulder as we passed by, as if reporting our whereabouts. As we headed towards the exit, I answered Vicky's questions about what was going on with, "I'll tell you later." We passed yet another security guard in the hallway, and a third at the exit doors to the parking lot. Each spoke into their microphone as we passed, no doubt confirming that we were leaving the premises immediately. I was left with no doubt about their feelings toward me.

I was excited after what had happened, and spilled my story out to Vicky as we drove to a nearby restaurant. We found a table, ordered drinks and food, and she told me of her efforts to determine my whereabouts when it seemed the ride was taking too long. The guards Vicky had spoken to denied there were any irregularities. This response really had her concerned, and she wondered if I was indeed headed for a “shallow grave in the desert.” Soon our meals arrived, and we ate two delicious grilled steaks washed down with cold beer. I finally relaxed, as Vicky shook her head at my latest run-in with authority; my own version of the Star Trek Experience.

Fox & Vicky

Post Script: For those of you that are interested, here's a link to a grainy old-style video of the Star Trek Experience from YouTube that was shot by someone better at escaping detection than I was. The attraction is now shuttered, but this will give you some idea of what it looked like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SziLQXNWCbQ

Thursday Night Rodeo & A Little BBQ

Come with us for a visit to the weekly rodeo at the Blue Moon Nightclub near Columbia Falls, Montana. It's almost 7 PM, and the crowd is gathering as they do every Thursday night during the summer. As we park, we see there's already a line to to pay the $10 price of admission. There's an even longer line at the hamburger shack and the beer vendor. Lets grab a couple of tall cans of beer and head over to the bleachers. We'll climb to the top for a good view, and take a seat in the warm, summer evening sun.

An idyllic scene sets the stage for the coming evening.

It's comforting to know that this Western way of life, with a tradition of horsemanship that stretches back well over a hundred years is still alive and well. Out here, nobody has forgotten that real life is all 3D, big screen, and high definition.

8 seconds must seem like a LONG time.

There's just no substitute for a small town rodeo. While it might lack the polish of the big leagues (like you might see at the finals of the Calgary Stampede) at least there's a real chance of getting some dirt kicked on you here, and you won't need any binoculars to see the action.

Horse and rider aren't always adversaries.

This isn't some huge sports stadium where the players are limited to a privileged few on multi-million dollar contracts. The competitors here are paying to compete. (See the difference there?) These men, women, boys, and girls are all here for the same thing; to test their mettle in challenges based on the real world skills that have put food on your table for generations.

Rider: "I'm stayin' on" - Horse: "No you're not"

Now let's crack that ice cold beer and settle in to watch a pageant unfold that hasn't changed to speak of for the better part of a century.

More than 2000 pounds of bull with all four hooves in the air!

We're reminded that both the riders and the animals here are considered to be athletes, and whether we see them perform in an event that places the two in concert, or in combat, it's a beautiful sight.

A pretty Barrel Racer pours it on in a tight turn.

I never cease to marvel at the almost unbelievable bravery demonstrated by the rodeo "clown" (at top right below, and anything but a clown) and we'll see him save more than one life tonight.

Uh-oh...that bull looks pretty pissed off....

The sun is getting low now, and its golden rays are turning the clouds of dust around the riders into halos of smoke and fire. The bulls look as if they've been ridden straight up out of the ground from Hell.

Devil Bull

It's over almost before we know it, and the riders and stock will soon be off to the next town, and the next rodeo, risking their lives again to chase that perfect 8 second ride in the warm, summer sun.

While you're in the neighborhood, don't miss your chance to visit the Back Room of the Nite Owl in Columbia Falls for some of the best BBQ you've ever had. It's probably wise to go for dinner before the rodeo though, since they close at 9 PM. And if you're not keen on waiting in a line that stretches out the door, down the stairs, and into the parking lot, then you'd best show up before 5 PM. Word is out about this place, and it's always jam packed with rib lovers.

Nothin' fancy...the focus is on the food.

The restaurant has a folksy, country-kitchen atmosphere and looks like it's been that way for a long time. The ceiling is studded with playing cards (The Back Room - get it?) bearing the signatures of past patrons.

How'd they get 'em up there?

We suggest that you save time and skip browsing the menu. Just order the "Country Ribs" (Trust us on this one). The ribs are nearly boneless pieces of tender, juicy, slow roasted, pork that almost melt in your mouth. (They cook 800 lbs a day!)

It's best to arrive hungry and Thirsty.

They're served with a sauce that's tasty without being overpowering, and come with all the trimmings: baby red potatoes, cole slaw, baked beans and a big piece of fry bread. You'll find a squeeze bottle of honey on the table to anoint the fry bread to sweet perfection. If you leave the Back Room hungry, it's your fault. You'll likely want a cold beverage to wash it all down, and our suggestion is a jug of Bitter Root Brewery's "Nut Brown Ale". This cola colored, local craft brew has the bold taste that you'll need to stand up to the smoky BBQ. Look for notes of coffee, roasted malts, and chocolate in this flavorful beer that's reminiscent of a Porter.

Fox & Vicky

Here We Go!

Vicky and I just can’t decide how to get our blog rolling. At first we thought that it’s hard to go wrong with humor, so we’d tell the funny story about the time I was detained by security at a Las Vegas casino.

If they say no videotaping, they mean NO videotaping!

But that might make our readers think that the blog would only be about funny anecdotes. Next we thought we could start off with a travel tip, like how you can rescue a day at the beach by fixing a blown-out flip-flop with one of those little plastic tabs that keep a bread bag closed.

We'll tell you how to do this later...

But we didn’t want people to think that our blog was just about travel tips. Then we figured that since everybody loves to eat, we’d tell you about an amazing hole-in-the-wall we found in Montana where people line up out the door for a chance to eat the best barbecue pork I’ve ever had.

BBQ and Beer

But we want this to be more than just a bunch of restaurant reviews. Photography…that’s it! We’ll start with a tip on how to get the most from your camera when you want to capture those amazing fireworks on the Fourth of July.

4th of July from a mountaintop

No…people might think it’s just a blog for camera buffs. Maybe we should start with something about technology. Plenty of readers would love to hear about solving that annoying problem with weak Wi-Fi signals in hotel rooms.

Travel Booster - Wi-Fi's best friend

Wait, I’ve got it…we’ll start with a packing tip. We’ve rescued many a travel day by having some little item like a single use tube of super-glue that can solve a big problem in no time.

It's a super problem solver

No, that’s too specific. How about a photo trip report? Our Alaska pictures would set the tone nicely…

Johns Hopkins Glacier - Glacier Bay, Alaska

…or maybe the Fiji shots would be better.

Matangi Island Sunset, Fiji

We just can’t decide. Maybe we’ll go out for a cold glass of local craft beer and think about it. Now there’s a good first post…we’ll review the micro-brews we tried on our last trip.

Sweet, life-giving, beer

Now we’re getting somewhere. Hey, wait just a minute here. It looks like we’ve already written our first post!

We hope you’ll come along with us for what we promise will be an interesting, funny, and informative look at traveling, eating, and everything that goes with it. We’ll fill you in on the details of the things we’ve only touched on here, and who knows what else? It’s a big world, so we’d better get started…we’ve got plenty to share.

Fox & Vicky