Beautiful Small Towns

I’m a sucker for natural, scenic beauty and classic architecture. I love cities, towns and locales that have a rustic old feel to them. Maybe one of the reasons I initially liked Warsaw. A sleepy little town with a bunch of taverns and micro breweries with barely any concept of a happy hour, the picturesque surroundings of the Winona lake, some dirt roads and the surrounding Amish counties. But the sheer number of days I stayed there coupled with the absence of any mode of transportation proved to be an obstacle in discovering and appreciating the place.

I’m sure there might be many such small, serene places all over the world. But first let’s start with the United States.
Take Budget Travel’s newest article about America’s Coolest Small Towns for instance.

For them, if a place offers great coffee, food with character, and shop owners with purpose and if you can experience this in small doses, then it qualifies as a cool town. I somewhat disagree. I’m not a big fan of coffee. But food with character, shop owners with purpose aren’t as important to me as the warmth of the people, the history of that place and its overall character that defines the food and everything else.

I haven’t been to any of the towns mentioned but I would love to explore them all. Specifically Cayucos, California (I love California!); Tubac, Arizona; Wallace, Idaho and Mount Vernon, Iowa.

I suggest you read this article and tell me if your experience correlates to what is written (that is if you have been there) or if there’re any other towns you might want to add to this list.

Warsaw to Fort Wayne; small talk in a small town

Its noon and I’m sitting in Fort Wayne airport. There’s not a soul in sight. Oh wait! There is. Nah. Those are just the security guys. Hmmm, 1, 2, 3….10, cool! I’m not alone. There are 10 people waiting for their flights; not 9, not 11, 10! That’s how small this place is. Now, imagine Warsaw. Get my point?! Oh whatever.

The good thing is I’m finally going home. I had to take a cab to here from Warsaw. It cost me $120 and took an hour and 10. What could’ve easily been a boring ride turned out to be an interesting one.
The reason, the cabbie; 6’1, about 60 years of age, with a hat, steel tow industrial boots and a moustache that seemed very eager to touch the ground.

He started off with the usual questions; where you from, what you doing in Warsaw, where you going to now. Then there was silence. Until 10 minutes later came a question about the healthcare reform bill and its effect on my company’s business. Frankly, I don’t understand the entire buzz around the bill let alone its effect! I gave him some examples from India and surprisingly he bought it!

One name I saw a lot in Warsaw was “Harley Davidson Motorcycles”! Even though Warsaw was a small town it had a lot of Harleys. I saw 15 of ‘em in my company’s parking spot! So I asked this guy how do the “village people” afford it? He then explained to me how profitable it is to be in farming or in the dairy business. The average size of the land owned (around 2000 acres) to the kind of produce (Corn and Soya bean) to their rates in the future market ($6.5 a bushel for Corn and $12 a bushel for Soya bean) to the price of a steak to organic farming; even the extra income these guys get from cell phone towers, selling their land to the government for highways and airport, etc. The whole nine yards! He said the guy whose farm he worked a few year back made a cool $10,000 per month. Maybe all this is just village mumbo-jumbo. But if it is true, I think I should quit IT and go back to my ancestral ways, Haiyya ho (try saying that with a Midwest accent, lol)!

So, back to Harleys. These guys buy them brand new, ride ‘em for a few years and sell them off. At times they own more than 1. There are 5-yr old Harleys on the market with no more than 2000 miles on ‘em. That’s a steal! Too bad I can’t ride and stay in Mumbai.

Then the discussion veered toward the other brands like Indian, the history of these motorcycles and finally a recommendation! “Go for a BMW”, he said. One of the best he has ever ridden. (BTW, we are talking about the cruiser/tour ones not the sports models).

I was feelin’ so bad for the lack of choice back home. But he said you still have the BSA ones. I didn’t catch it first but then I realized he was talking about the Royal Enfield. He had driven the 500 cc one and was very impressed.

Whether it was just small talk or real, I don’t care. It was a really interesting conversation. Hoped to have more of it but I reached the airport. I paid the guy, he gave me his number for any future visits and I bid him adieu.

BTW his name’s Thomas; he’s an ex-military man and is currently into riding dirt bikes!

Chicago Metal Scene

I always thought Chicago together with Florida, LA (basically all of SoCal), Seattle and the northeast have a very good Metal scene. That’s when a local metalhead told me it’s not as huge as neighbouring Philly. Which really suprised me. So I went about doing some research of my own.

There aren’t many places that play all metal, all the time but there are two places that you should really check out: Kuma’s Corner and Metal Haven. The first one is a metal bar and the other one is a record store.

The record store is on Montrose Ave. very close to the Montrose Brown line station. This guy has a very big collection of extreme metal CDs (mostly death metal) & vinyls and not so good collection of T Shirts. And as with all metalheads, the guy who owns this place is rude and has a lot of attitude so make sure you don’t piss him off.

Now, Kuma’s Corner is not your regular metal pub. It’s basically a restaurant which serves beer and plays very loud metal music. One other thing this place is extremely famous for are its burgers. Not surprisingly, all the burgers are named after metal bands. Here you’ll get the Black Sabbath burger, the Slayer burger, the Metallica burger even a Mayhem and Dark Throne burger! And as is the tradition in the Midwest, they are huge. Apart from these burgers, you have salads, the chilli, chicken tenders and you can even make your own Mac & Cheese. But the burgers are the things to pounce on.

One thing I observed is that a lot of people come here for the burgers and not the music. But this place does make it a point to play everything from Pantera to Vader at the loudest possible volume. Wicked \m/
The waitress who served us didn’t like it and a saw a few other people getting uneasy. But hey, who cares? I was having a blast.

Some other places that have live Rock/Metal acts are Doug’s Rockhouse Grill in Aurora, Double Door on N. Milwaukee Ave., Reggie’s Rock Club on S. State St., Pearl Room in Mokena and of course the Logan Square Auditorium and the House of Blues. Then there is the Cobra Lounge that plays Metal on Mondays and Red Line Tap that hosts some Metal shows.

Also check out the Chicago Metal Factory and Battle Kommand Records for a listing of events in the area.

That’s all I have. C’ya later. And stay brutal \m/

Weekend in Chicago, the windy city: Part II

It’s a Sunday, the weekend’s almost over and I’ll be heading back to Warsaw shortly. There are a lot of things I didn’t see, things I didn’t do, things I didn’t experience. But Chicago ain’t a small city and I decided to come back for more.

The two places that I did visit though were the Baha’i temple in Wilmette, north of Chicago, and the Adler Planetarium.

The temple is one of the only seven Baha’i temples (www.bahai.us/bahai-temple) in the world at present. It is circular in shape, has nine sides and is surrounded by exquisite gardens and fountains. The oneness of God, the oneness of humanity and the oneness of religion is the basis of Baha’i faith and this is reflected in the architecture of the temple. The pillars display symbols from all the major religions of the world.

And while you’re there, take a detour to the Gillson Park which is besides the Yacht Club. There’s a beach on the east side too. Check it out.

The only reason I wanted to go to the planetarium because of the beautiful view of the city skyline and boy did I get it! The view is really beautiful especially as the sun is going down and the city lights up. From here you can see everything from the Essex Inn and Congress Hotel to the Architecture Foundation building, the Sears Tower and Chase building to the Hancock Tower and the Navy pier!

This city has a very vibrant & diverse culture, a melting pot of different communities. A lot of real Chicago lives in the neighborhood taverns. It is the mixed German and Irish and Polish gift to the city, a bit of the old country grafted into a strong new plant in the new.
Overall Chicago is definitely a must go.

Weekend in Chicago, the windy city: Part I

As Friday drew closer I started to get excited, nervous and curious. I was smiling all the time. Couldn’t keep my mind steady. Is it love?! Nah, just my very first trip to Chicago
So I packed my bags, hailed a Greyhound and reached Chicago.

At first the city did not seems that different from hometown Mumbai; lotsa traffic to get in and crowded but definitely cleaner and a little less polluted. That’s the FIRST impression. The second and the more impressive and lasting one will come tomorrow.

I woke up pretty early the next day. Not because I was excited about exploring the windy city (which is the most favorite city to a lot of people I know). But because the place I slept at night was in front of a cemetery. Right in the heart of Forest Park was a cemetery so big, the entire community was nick named, “more dead than alive”!

So we took off at 7.30 in the morning, waded our way through the fog, caught the Blue line train (which starts at Forest Park) and reached the Green City Farmers Market. Lotsa greens everywhere; flowers, herbs, fresh bread, fruits, a crepe stall. Seemed like the old days when I was in school and used to accompany dad to the local market in Sundays, ah!
The Chicago Green City Market outdoor season runs May 6 through October 31, 2009, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
By the way, it’s all organic.

After having a crepe and buying some organic hot salsa sauce we boarded a bus to the beach near Drake Hotel. It’s a nice beach line with palm trees, makes you wonder if you are in Miami. But you’re not; the wind won’t allow you to forget!

After a quick swim it was time for the Hancock Tower. But alas! It doesn’t open till 11 a.m.
We decided to walk around the block. Once in a while we used to stop and gawk at pre-great fire buildings like the water tower, the fire station, take some pictures and move on. Finally we find some place to spend time, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Fortunately for us there was a very interesting show on display. By a Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. The MCA website describes his work thus, “His constructions, at once eccentric and highly geometric, use multicolored washes, focused projections of light, mirrors, and natural elements such as water, stone, and moss to shift the viewer’s perception of place and self, foregrounding the sensory experience of each work. By transforming the gallery into a hybrid space of nature and culture, Eliasson prompts an intense engagement with the world and offers a fresh consideration of everyday life.”
A thought provoking experience. Do not miss his exhibitions if they’re in your town or the town you are visiting.

Museum visiting tip: If the price of an admission ticket is marked as “suggested” on the website or the brochure, then you can go in for free! Yes the word suggested means that the management suggests the patrons to pay that much amount but you have no obligation to pay. We paid $5 for both of us!

It’s 11.30 and it’s time for the Hancock tower, yay! But the skies were cloudy and we started debating the worth of going now vis-à-vis going later. So we roamed around a little bit more, had some coffee and doughnuts and waited for the skies to clear out. They did and we went up. Now remember there is an observatory which charges $15 but you don’t have to go there. There’s a coffee shop/lounge on the 96th floor. Go there, get a bottle of water or coke for $5 + taxes and enjoy the view, as loooong as you like

Travel Tip: If you would like a view of the city skyline, Hancock tower is probably a much better choice than the Sears tower (now Willis tower). The Sears Tower will bore you with a movie on Chicago/Sears Tower. And moreover it will be very crowded since it’s very touristy. Go there only for the transparent observation deck.

Off to Navy Pier and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. There is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800-ft.-long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. Really worth it. Must go.

So what do you need on a hot summer day after a walking tour of the city? Yes, you have a beer, or two at the Navy Pier Beer Garden. And then head on to Millennium Park for some recreation.

Some brilliant sculptures and photo ops near the Cloud Gate, watching the kids enjoy at the Crown Fountain, visiting the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Garden (The garden is a combination of perennials, bulbs, grasses, shrubs and trees that are local to that part of the country.).

It is said that the Millennium park and Grant Park area was reclaimed by depositing the debris from the great fire into the lake.

We has a great finish to the tiring day by listening to the some really good Celtic Music played with a Harp at the Celtic fest followed by dinner at Star of Siam Thai restaurant (www.starofsiamchicago.com).

All I can say, Chicago cannot be experienced in a day but you sure can a wind of!

Restaurants in Warsaw, Indiana

Food, one of the three things you should experience when you visit any place. The other two being local drinks and local pastimes. My motto has always been; Do what the locals do, Eat what the locals eat & Drink what the locals drink!

As I said in my previous post Warsaw is a small town. But that’s not gonna stop me from exploring it!
Here’s a list of restaurants I grabbed from my colleague here:

American Table – good breakfast
On US 30 next to DePuy

Hacienda Mexican Restaurant
3805 Lake City Hwy
Warsaw, IN 46580
(574) 269-4711

Boathouse – off of lake Winona
700 Park Ave
Winona Lake, IN 46590
(574) 268-2179

China Palace
3628 Commerce Dr
Warsaw, IN 46580
(574) 269-5821

Maria’s House of Pancakes – big breakfast servings
104 E Esterbrook Dr
North Webster, IN 46555
(574) 834-4400

Barbee Hotel – good ribs
8 Ems B6A
Leesburg, IN 46538
(574) 594-2511

NOA NOA – best seafood around
310 east lake drive
(574) 372-3224

This list is in addition to the usual fast food joints like Mc D’s, Arby, Wendy’s, Applebee’s, Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesday and Burger King.

Apart from the above he did just suggest a local brewery called “Mad Anthony Brewing Company”. And since ‘twas the “first work day of the week” I decided to check it out.
It’s located at 113 E. Center St down the road from the Ramada/Hampton Inn.

It actually turned out to be a very nice place. The walls were all covered with classic 50s memorabilia right from water skis, snow skis, baseball gloves to framed old newspapers. The size of the restaurant was huge which was nothing new in this part of USA.

The food was the usual pub fare with Potato Wedges, Garlic Bread, Cheese Curds, Hummus, Pitas, Sandwiches and Salads.
I had the Chicken Tender Dinner with half order of Scooby Snacks. The portions are huge and for a guy with a small stomach like me were just too much.

There was a good collection of beers too. There were three beers on tap; the Auburn Lager, the Pale Ale and the Irish Stout. I had one of each and believe me they were really good.

The waiters are very friendly, the beers are awesome and the food is good. Highly recommended!

Warsaw, Indiana

Think of Warsaw and a picture of Poland appears in your mind. But there is another Warsaw halfway across the world in Indiana, USA. Originally known as Red brush, the city was renamed to Warsaw in 1836 as a tribute to the Polish national hero Thaddeus Kosciusko.

Warsaw is also the Orthopedic Capital of the world. Revra Depuy set up the world’s first company to manufacturer orthopedic appliances way back in 1895. Other than this and a couple of big lakes Warsaw has nothing much to offer an international tourist. Which is why the city doesn’t get many.
The few people that do come, come for work (like I did). And a few others come for the Blueberry fest in nearby Plymouth, Circus City Festival in Peru and camping around the lakes.

With a size of 29.9 sqkm and a population of around 18,000 your options are very very limited. The Biblical Garden, Wagon Wheel Theatre, the “Village at Winona” and the Centre Lake Park are the major attractions and will keep you occupied for a day!

Travel Advice: Stop here for a day only if you are on a road trip. Otherwise, skip Warsaw and head to Chicago (just 2 hrs away by road) instead.

Now, what else can I do here?! Hmmm…