veggiehikertravel

Monday, July 25, 2011

4th of July

What else to do but go watch some fireworks?

On July 3rd, we enjoyed so many things, it was hard to select a single photo. We ventured to Mitsuwa, the huge Japanese market in the Chicago suburbs, where we picked up some hard to find Japanese groceries and had lunch, we had a fabulous afternoon garden party with friends and family, some of whom we hadn't seen in years, and we saw Mark Farina (with a few other great djs) late night in the city (below). A perfect day! :)

Monday, July 11, 2011

Taste of Chicago

I took this photo waiting for our friend Shana on the steps of the Art Institute, and before we all indulged in a sampling of food at the Taste of Chicago for lunch. We enjoyed everything from vegetarian "chicken" wings to frozen cheesecake dipped in chocolate and served on a stick to mango dusted fries with chutney dipping sauce.

Transportation fail

We spent the afternoon, evening, and into the night on July 1 driving from Kansas City to Chicago. What would be a 4 hour bullet train ride in Europe, Japan, or China, became a 10+ hour drive through America's crumbling infrastructure. We hit traffic, construction, and even a 12 minute wait at a tollbooth (at midnight!) on our drive. I will never understand why Americans are so car-obsessed; if we had a real train system we could have relaxed on our trip, moved around at our leisure, and had a much safer journey. Instead we were subject to the poor driving of others, stuck in a seat, and forced to pollute at a much higher rate.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Stir

Interesting graffiti spotted along Edgehill Drive, near the KU campus in Lawrence. Signed STIR.

Kansas City Shakespeare Festival

We spent a hot Wednesday evening at Southmoreland Park to attend the 19th annual Heart of America Shakespeare Festival and watch their production of Macbeth. It was great fun to sit on a blanket, snacking and drinking wine and watching a great production. The witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macduff were fabulously performed, and the costuming, particularly the use of tattoos, was fantastic.

Genghis Kahn

On Tuesday I finished the second book on my summer fun reading list, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. This was basically a history of the Mongolian Empire in the 12th-14th centuries, as it rose under Genghis Khan, and then how power was divided and governance executed under his grandson Kublai Khan. Written in an engaging style, this was a fantastic summer read, and a great book for helping one to understand the global changes of the early modern era, as well as for understanding the widely misinterpreted Mongol culture and Empire.

Strong Hall

One of my favorite buildings at KU is Strong Hall, which mostly houses administrative offices. The 1920s style and the old-school Jayhawk have such a great academic style.

Zinnias

Had so much fun on Sunday that I forgot to take photos.....

Dragon Boat Festival

Saturday morning brought storms, but luckily the weather cleared up for the annual Dragon Boat Festival on Brush Creek, near the Plaza. The ancient Chinese festival is celebrated by racing boats, complete with a drummer to keep the rowers in time, and eating traditional foods. The Kansas City version also includes cultural performances, food vendors, kids activities, and trinket vendors. We watched a few of the dance performances, but mostly hung out by the creek watching the boats race back and forth and enjoying the cool weather.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Cubs-Royals

Friday night brought the Cubs to Kansas City for inter-league play. We had a great time watching the Cubs win 6-4 at the K, and also enjoyed a great post-game fireworks show. There seemed to be as many Chicago fans as KC fans!

Rose of Sharon

First week of summer!

Spinning

Wednesday evening cycle class at the Y. Yes.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Happy Hour

Gin and Tonics on the patio with Lara!

Summer Cooking

I love cooking in summer, using fresh veggies from the market and herbs and veggies from the yard. On Monday we made a quick evening meal of Grilled Eggplant with Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, Feta, and Oregano, served over Angel Hair Pasta, and accompanied by a simple salad.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Happy Father's Day!

We celebrated the day with an amazing brunch at Beer Kitchen in Westport where we enjoyed Mimosas and Bloody Marys (respectively), Vegetarian Biscuits and Gravy, an excellent Bavarian Apple Dutch Baby (with Rosemary Honey!), and Drunken Doughnuts, which were powdered sugar doughnut holes dipped in grand marnier hot chocolate. Shout out to all the great dads, especially to Joe and Tom, you guys rock!

Camping

The lovely view from our campsite on Saturday morning. It rained overnight on Friday, and with everything being so damp we opted out of our plan to go hiking, deciding to have a leisurely morning at our site instead, enjoying a small campfire along with breakfast and coffee.