POSH

There's a story, don't know if it's true, that the word "posh" came from the most desirable stateroom location on transAtlantic cruises -- port out, starboard home. It's come to mean "smart, fashionable, exclusive." I have just lived posh for the last three days and I could easily get used to it. I was a guest on the Grace Anne II, a beautiful, historic yacht which cruises the Canadian waters of Lake of the Woods.

Not only was the yacht the epitome of posh, the service and food were superb. Stewards Scott and Cameron anticipated my every desire and every request was met with swift action. It was hard to get used to not helping myself -- I felt like a naughty kid when I walked away from a table on the fly deck, leaving a half-finished drink for someone else to pick up -- not only wasteful, but thoughtless! I'll bet if I'd asked one of the stewards to blow my nose, they would have done it gracefully!

Chef Nicky presided over the kitchen and created elaborate presentations in that compact space. No tempermental diva he, he accepted our invasions with cameras and questions with unfailing good humor and a captivating Gallic grin.

Activities? I've discovered I'm hooked on fishing -- pun intended. More about that in the next post. Also available -- skeet shooting, canoeing, kayaking, massage and even a floating driving range! And wildlife watching in the remote areas of the lake where we cruised was excellent -- deer, beaver, bald eagles, pelicans, loons. We didn't spot a bear, but Chris, one of our fishing guides, said he'd seen two this season.

Huge Lake of the Woods is dotted with thousands of pine and poplar-covered islands so we were never out of sight of land, but we were so far away from roads that we saw no houses and few boats. Each night we moored to a buoy in a secluded bay, the only sounds the calls of the loons.

This trip was surely the height of luxury -- one I'll never be able to afford. But if you have more money than you know what to do with, take my advice and book a cruise on the Grace Anne II.

Finding Adventure in Kansas

When Bev and I drove from Wichita to Pittsburg, we stopped in Chanute to visit the Osa and Martin Johnson Museum. If you're younger than I am, you may ask, "Who are Osa and Martin Johnson?" If you live in a larger city, you may connect the names with a new chain of stores being opened by American Eagle Outfitters -- Martin + Osa. Martin and Osa were adventurers and wildlife photographers. They pretty much invented the wildlife documentary and even pioneered product placement. They traveled to Africa and the South Seas to photograph primitive peoples and wildlife -- all the while looking spiffy in their safari outfits. They were movie stars with people flocking to theaters to see their films. Both Martin and Osa grew up in Kansas, traveled the world, and brought the world to small-town America. This is a cool, little museum and definitely worth a stop.

Happy Birthday to Me

Yep, today is my birthday and Jack got me the greatest present ever -- a round-trip ticket for Zoe to fly home from England. I think she'll be coming in October. It will be a year since we've seen her. Thanks to long distance and email, we're in close contact, but it's not the same as seeing her in person. I can't tell you how many times, when I tell people my daughter lives in England, they say, "How wonderful! You can go visit!" Makes me want to slap them silly. No, we can't just hop back and forth and now, with airline fares sky high and the value of the dollar in the toilet, it's even harder. So Jack gets major kudos for this great birthday present. It was definitely a happy, happy birthday!

Bev and I Get Religion

My friend Bev Schmoyer and I hit the road to see her grand-daughter Haley in performances with Drum Corps International in Wichita and Pittsburg, Kansas. We went to the high school field where Haley's corps, the Crossmen, was practicing -- in 104-degree heat. Those kids are amazing. They worked all day then donned hot uniforms to perform in the evening. Here are Haley and her fellow pit members -- they play the percussion instruments that don't march. Haley is third from the left in the middle row. Crossmen placed third that night -- but I thought they were the best!

The next day we headed for Pittsburg to see the performance there. I planned to make a couple of stops for research. This one wasn't planned but when we saw the name of the town on the map, we knew we had to make a detour! It's a teeny town -- just a few houses and a couple of brick buildings and the Methodist Church. Of course we were looking for the perfect sign to pose by, but the pickings were slim and we had to settle for the church -- mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa -- we couldn't help ourselves!

The Crossmen performance that night was excellent -- 'though they still placed third (behind the two corps which had beaten them the night before). If you look carefully, Haley is playing the farthest marimba on the right.

Roller Queen

I'm fast becoming queen of the Segway -- at least in my own opinion! If you're not familiar with these amazing vehicles, they're two-wheeled, battery-powered scooters with a gyroscopic balancing mechanism. My most recent tour was of Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. This 3,776 acre park features forest, lakeshore and a golf course. What better way to see a lot of it in a short time -- but at a speed designed for enjoyment -- than on a Segway? After a brief introductory video and individual instruction from the owner of Segway of Door County (http://www.segwaythedoor.com/), Nick Dokolas, three of us journalists (and four "regular" folks) took off with Nick for a great glide. We enjoyed the shade of tall maples and beech trees and elegant white cedars (much more sophisticated than our scruffy red cedars!) and stopped for scenic views of the lake. Nick has several other tours available in the Door -- I'd love to do them all. Segway tours are available from Anchorage, Alaska, to Amelia Island, Florida and a number of locations around the world. They're not inexpensive -- usually between $65 and $100 per person -- but they ARE addictive!

What's in a Name? Edited version

I'm in Door County, Wisconsin! At last, I've been in all 50 states. Door County is that little peninsula that juts out the east side of the state into Lake Michigan. It's a beautiful place with lovely little bay and lakeside villages and masses of the most beautiful flowers on earth. But its name has an ominous origin. There's an area of water where the currents can become so violent that many people have died there. French trappers called the place the Door of Death. It later got shortened for the name of the county. And then there's Egg Harbor. Local legend is that there was a boat captain who always insisted that his ship be the first to land. Another boat landed before his and he was so angry that he grabbed an egg and lobbed it at the offender. According to the story, this was the beginning of a melee, the targets, egged on by the assault launched a counterattack -- a real eggstravaganza! Don't know if that's true but it surely makes a good story, don't you think? Finally, there's Carlsville. Seven men named Carl lived in this tiny settlement -- so the name was a popular choice!

Alley Cat

I had an adventure in Cleveland last night. I was the last person on the chartered bus -- it was a huge bus -- and the only one going to the Radisson. Everybody else had been dropped off. I've been turned around all week because everytime we went somewhere, we would drive for blocks, then someone would say "And your hotel's just over there." I never knew whether I was coming or going, which way was north or south -- I was geographically clueless all week. Anyway, the bus driver decided to take a short cut taking me back to my hotel (which was close enough that I could see the park from my bedroom window) and he got caught in the game traffic. He couldn't turn left where he wanted to so he said, "I can't take you to your hotel but if you get out here, it's just down that street." NOT!!!!! I went the way I thought he pointed and wound up back at the ballpark -- which was getting pretty deserted (it was close to midnight). Now, I knew the hotel was close, but I had no idea which side of the ballpark I was on. There were some police taking up traffic cones and getting ready to pack it in for the night so I stood on the street corner and yelled at them, "I need some help! I'm lost!" I'm also deaf, I guess, because I couldn't hear the instructions the police woman yelled back at me. She finally had to get out of her car and come over to say, "If you go down that street and cut through that parking garage, you'll get there." So I headed in that direction. Now, I wasn't really excited about cutting through a parking garage by myself at night! Halfway down the block, there was a ball park guy sweeping up so I asked him if I was headed in the right direction. Good thing I asked because the trick to going through the parking garage was not to go through it but go into it and turn right. Ackkk! "You can go straight down that alley," he pointed, "and you'll come out on the street you want. Just turn left and you'll see your hotel." Actually, the alley seemed like a better option than the parking garage! The alley was a block long -- but, fortunately, no perverts behind trash cans. And, obviously, I made it back safely. I DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!!!!!

Cleveland Rocks

Really!!!! I've been in Cleveland for the last four days -- discovering what a cool city it is. With a heavy schedule of touring and snapping photos, I decided not to take my camera to the Indians baseball game last night. Why do I always do that? At the end of a trip, I'm tired of schlepping the camera everywhere. And I'm always sorry. It was a great ballgame and the Indians beat the Tampa Bay Rays. Big surprise -- there was a fireworks show scheduled after the game. Oh, yeah, it was the biggest, best I've ever seen -- and me without my camera!

Happy Birthday, America

Happy Fourth of July everyone. We're celebrating in traditional fashion -- a picnic. We usually go to Jay and Carolyn's (son and daughter-in-law) but this year the invitation was slow in coming. So I bought hot dogs, buns, drinks, chips and fixin's for strawberry shortcake and invited us over. They could have said "no" but I didn't make it easy. Tonight we will watch the great fireworks show -- hauling lawn chairs and bug spray. The Fourth has been a bit odd for me the last few years. I've always been a big flag-waver but, frankly, I haven't been that proud lately. America's still the greatest country in the world because it has such wonderful people but that hasn't been so noticeable to others around the world.

I love the hymn "This Is My Song."
The words are by Lloyd Stone (vs. 1 and 2) and Georgia Harkness (3) and it's sung to the tune "Finlandia." This is my prayer for today:

This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is; here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover, and skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my prayer, O Ruler of all nations: let thy reign come; on earth thy will be done.
In peace may all earth's people draw together, and hearts united learn to live as one.
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations; myself I give thee; let thy will be done.

High Times in the (REALLY) Olden Days

I played hooky yesterday and skipped out of town with one of my best guys -- grandson Alex. The Sam Noble Museum of Natural History in Norman has just recently opened the Paleozoic Gallery in the already stunning Hall of Ancient Life. Also on view now, until August 24, is an exhibit called "The Science of SuperCroc." Alex and I are big dino fans so this destination was a no-brainer.
They've bitten off a big chunk -- about 4 billion years from the formation of Earth to the end of the Permian Period (251 mya). Alex and I gave short shrift to the first billion years or so -- drawn into the Cambrian period by giant sea creatures floating above the floor. Excellent reproductions and reconstructions of ancient marine life -- like a huge, armored fish (Dunkleosteous) forever chasing a Cladoselache (an early cartilaginous fish that looks very shark-like) put likely skins on bony fossil remains. Other exhibits feature carboniferous swamps and forest complete with beautiful, supersized dragon-flies (Meganeura). This new gallery is a worthy prelude to the already-established galleries.
Across the main hall, in the temporary exhibits gallery, SuperCroc holds sway. Sarcosuchus was probably the largest crocodile to walk the earth. His skull was six feet long, making him about 40 feet in all. Also in the exhibit is a skeleton of Nigersaurus, a sauropod found in the same region as Sarcosuchus. This strange-looking dino had a head that looks like a shoe box. Suchomimus, also on display, looks like dino put together by a committee -- a sauropod body with a crocodilian head. This one has been rigged so that its mouth and head can be operated with levers.
The Sam Noble has been a winner since it opened -- it's even better now. If you have kids, get them down there before SuperCroc leaves. No kids? Borrow some -- or go by yourself. This is one cool place to spend a hot afternoon.

Magnificent Mozart

It's been tough blogging lately because I've been on the road so much. I'm home for a bit, so I'll try to catch up. If there's no picture on this blog, please check back later. I'm going to spend some time this morning downloading photos from my latest trip -- Bartlesville, Oklahoma, for the Oklahoma Mozart Festival.


First off, I usually avoid festivals -- I hate crowds and especially dealing with parking -- so when I had an opportunity to go on a press trip where I could let someone else deal with the details, I jumped on it. Second, Mozart may have his name on this festival but the music ranges from bluegrass to contemporary and everything in between plus lots of other activities -- storytelling, jewelry making, art shows, tea parties, architecture tours.


What did I discover? For most activities, crowds are easily accommodated and, let's face it, crowds of people who come to these events are not exactly the unwashed masses (okay, that sounds snobby but I'm not a big fan of hanging around with big, hairy, sweaty guys in undershirts and sloppy women with strings of sticky, whiny kids). The only parking problems came at the outdoor concert and that event, held at Woolaroc, was such fun that even I would be willing to deal with it!

Since this was a press trip covering more than just the festival, I only went to a few of the many events available to the public. The first of the concerts I attended was a masterworks concert conducted by pianist Barry Douglas and featured a Bach violin concerto, and Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony and a Mozart piano concerto which he both conducted and played -- magnificent. The outdoor concert was a real kick -- lots of light classic faves, medleys from musicals and movie hits -- William Tell Overture, West Side Story, Pirates of the Caribbean and much, much more. The encore -- Theme from Superman -- topped off with a fireworks display. The last concert, the grand finale, featured Frederica von Stade. Brava!!!!!
Next year is the 25th anniversary year for the festival -- I guarantee I'll be there.

Jersey Girl

This is me trying to look cool -- and like I really am not too old to get the now historic '70s music scene. This is the Stone Pony -- a venue that looms large in the life of Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey's favorite son. Springsteen is New Jersey's biggest fan and the state, particularly Asbury Park, hearts him right back and then some. Stone Pony staffer Joanna White told me, "He sat down and chatted with me and I couldn't believe it. I was sweating. He's really real people." The Asbury Park boardwalk -- right across the street from the Stone Pony -- is undergoing a major renovation and is going to be one of the hippest spots on the Jersey shore. One of its charms was always the egalitarian nature of the place. It will be interesting to see if it can retain its connection with the common man when it's all decked out in high style.

A Sad Tail

The Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks is one of my favorite Oklahoma attractions so that's where I went yesterday while Jack sat in a meeting on investing. It was a good choice because I hadn't been there since they added a new exhibit on Oklahoma mammals -- featuring beavers, otters and raccoons.

Here's the bad news -- I went at nap time! I did get to see the beavers in their den, on beavercam. One was sleeping, the other giving himself a good scratch. The raccoons were curled up on a couple of high rocks, sacked out -- just a couple of furry lumps. The otters were totally invisible.

I did manage to see the sharks being fed -- and the electric eel and the archer fish. The aquarium now offers a lot more opportunities to see the fish in action and several pools, the tidal pool, the touch pool, the turtle pool and the sting ray pool provide chances to touch or feed some of the animals.

Watching the electric eel was shocking! The aquarium installed a speaker in the tank and when the eel gets fed, he gets so excited that he discharges electricity. This causes static in the speaker and it sounds like a giant stomach rumbling!

To feed the archer fish, the keeper put krill on the glass of the aquarium and the archer fish spit water at the pieces of food to knock them down. I was so busy trying to catch the spitting with the camera that I didn't get to just stand and watch! And I missed the spit every time!

I did better with the jelly fish -- I love the jelly fish.

Before I left, I went back to check on the beavers. One of them had come out of the den but was trying really hard to get back in. All I got in my shot was beaver butt!

Here's a hint: The beavers and otters are fed at 11 and 3 daily. If you want to see mammal action, that's the time to be there.

Never on Monday

Rats! I'm making a trip to Tulsa tomorrow and I'm looking for someplace I haven't been recently to write about -- as long as I'm in the neighborhood. Do you know how many cool places are closed on Mondays? I really need to see the Air and Space Museum -- closed on Mondays. I could settle for the Elsing Museum -- closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Philbrook is handy to where I need to be -- oops, closed on Mondays. Two places that are both handy and open are the Aquarium in Jenks and the Sherwin Miller Museum. Both worthy -- but I've covered them in the last year or two.
While there are good places to go -- it seems a lot of my faves don't show up on Mondays. In Oklahoma City, don't go to the Oklahoma City Art Museum and in Norman and forget the Fred Noble Jr. Art Museum and the Sam Noble Museum of Natural History.
I'm just peeved because the world doesn't work on my schedule. If I were in charge....

A Mammoth Undertaking -- The Elephants' Graveyard

In 1974, a bulldozer driver, working on a new development near Hot Springs, South Dakota, hit something hard. The object seemed to be a tusk and work was halted. Fortunately, paleontologist Dr. Larry Agenbroad was contacted and he confirmed suspicion that the find was significant -- the tusk of a prehistoric mammoth. How lucky that the landowners, Phil and Elenora Anderson, were interested in more than just a quick profit on their property! They gave Dr. Agenbroad two years to research the extent and importance of the site.

And it is important -- possibly the largest mammoth site in the world. The site is a giant sinkhole which claimed dozens and dozens of animals. So far, 56 mammoths (53 Columbian and 3 wooly) have been identified and Dr. Agenbroad estimates that that many or more remain interred in the dried earth. Other animals found on the site include a giant short-faced bear, camels, llamas, wolves and fish.

All the identifiable mammoths were male -- most of them estimated at 12 to 29 years of age. In modern elephant societies, young males are typically kicked out of the group when they start to get rowdy. It difficult to think too much about the situations leading to their deaths. The sinkhole was filled with water -- warm, artesian spring water -- and the hole was probably surrounded with the lushest grass. It was, no doubt, an appealing spot but deadly to any who ventured too close to the edge. And many did.

Over thousands of years, the sinkhole drained. Minerals in the water had formed a kind of cement with the bones and sediment. The ground around the sinkhole eroded away, leaving a hill -- looking like all the other rolling hills in the area.

After researching the site, Dr. Agenbroad recommended that the bones be left in-situ and efforts began to raise money for more exploration and facilities. Today all but 20' of the sinkhole is covered by huge, climate-controlled visitor center.

Dr. Agenbroad is the principal investigator at the site and directs all scientific activities. He's gracious and accessible and a born teacher. When docents get children whose "whys" exceed their "becauses," they call in Dr. Agenbroad. "I love visiting with these kids," he says, "and I tell them, 'If you're really interested, come back when you're 16.' Fifteen have," he continues. "Fourteen are in college and one just graduated from the University of Texas."

The Mammoth Site is a do-not-miss for travelers to South Dakota and so is Dr. Agenbroad.

Hurrah for South Dakota

I'll never make fun of South Dakota again. Nebraska, maybe, South Dakota, never. I have just had the most incredible day. (Actually, I've had a couple of great days but no computer access -- so I'm going with today.) Picnic with a paleontologist and the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen. Tour of the Wild Mustang sanctuary. Zoe, you would have been in horse heaven. Time for dinner -- we eat every few hours! More when I get home.

Great Men

I have been to the mountain! We had a magnificent dinner at the foot of Mount Rushmore -- special guest, President Calvin Coolidge -- who was more verbal, and quite probably more humorous than when he was alive. My highlight was sitting next to Nick Clifford, one of only two living carvers who worked on Mt. Rushmore. What a great gentleman. He patiently answered the same questions over and over -- the same questions he's been answering for the last how many years. "When did you work on the mountain? How long did you work on the mountain? How old were you when you worked on the mountain? How old are you now? Was it scary?" And the biggie, "Did you have porta-potties?"
After the dinner, we viewed a 22-minute video with inspiring words and pictures about the carving of the mountain and about the great men carved there -- ending with beautiful scenes of America and the sound of "America, the Beautiful" being sung. By then it was dark and we all went outside to see the spotlighted images on the mountainside. I could have sat and just soaked it in -- but it was late and the bus was waiting.

Sensory Overload

Wow! What a day yesterday! Highlights included a photo op from Crazy Horse's hand. In case you don't know -- this is the more-than-monumental statue that is being carved close to Mount Rushmore. The sculptor began it 60 years ago with just a small compressor and jack hammer. He died but his family is continuing the effort -- all without government funding. Crazy Horse's head is almost done and lots of the mountain has been blasted away for the rest of the statue which features him on his horse (emerging from the rock of the mountain.) This statue is/will be so large that all four heads from Mount Rushmore would fit in Crazy Horse's head! We got up close and personal with a view that costs the average traveler $125. What a sight! And that was just the beginning. There's a great collection of Indian artifacts, the artist's studio and a nice restaurant on the property with lots more planned. We met Ruth, the sculptor's widow (I can't spell the names right now -- got to look them up!) who said, "We have a lot of dreams and they're big!" She's an amazing woman.
Next came a drive on the Norbeck Scenic Trail and Needles Highway -- lots of wildlife, beautiful vistas and now I have to see National Treasure II again because some of it was filmed here.
The day ended with a visit to Prairie Edge -- a store with the most extensive and impressive aggregation of Indian art I have ever seen and a dinner at a New York-class restaurant. The owner/chef will be cooking at the James Beard House in a couple of weeks. The Corn Exchange has been written up in the New York Times, Gourmet Magazine and other prestigious pubs. Just goes to show -- great talent can flourish anywhere!

Life in the Fast Lane

I had two days home, a deadline and laundry before heading back to the airport to fly to Rapid City, South Dakota, for the SATW Central States meeting. No time to blog about the great trip to Arkansas. So now that I'm here (S.D.) with no scheduled activities until this evening, I'll try to catch up a bit. Pictures will have to wait until I return home!
One of many highlights of the Arkansas trip was a girl friends' getaway at Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa at Lake Ouachita. (That's pronounced Wash-it-aw for you furriners.) My cabin was lovely and included a hot tub on the back deck overlooking the lake. (For any of you who are finicky about hot tubbing, the staff completely drains and cleans each hot tub after every guest! I like that!) The property includes the original lodge with smaller rooms, the cabins and condos.
Also on the property is Turtle Cove Spa -- a lovely facility with a great staff. I had one of their holistic treatments which included body harmonics, tuning forks and heated quartz crystals -- supposed to balance your chakras. I read the description to daughter Zoe who opined that it was either a fabulous and valuable treatment or complete B.S. I'm not sure I was any more balanced when I left than when I came in, but I did feel great -- so, if it didn't help, it didn't hurt, either. And, of course, it included a body massage, so I'll endorse it!

Simply Brill!!!

As a travel writer, I spend a lot of time in the air -- and even more time in airports. That, inevitably, means some time in airport bathrooms. Oklahoma City is top of the pot when it comes to clean commodes. Not just the porcelain fixture itself but its surroundings. And part of this, I propose, is thanks to the installation of Brill seat covers. No more trying to paper the seat with little squares or hoping you can land on the seat cover without the papers (or paper) flying off or, even worse, discovering the paper sticks to the seat because of latent moisture! And no more remnants of those paper plasterings left on the floor. A pass of the hand in front of a sensor and a plastic covering slides around the oval. I give Little Rock high marks for using this system also. My only worry -- is it the same piece of plastic just going around and around? Naw, I'm sure it isn't. The Brits have a word for this invention -- brilliant -- or bril for short.