Odd (Geeky) Minnesota: Caponi Art Park

I am always looking for the less known spots in my adopted state. Not that I don't love plenty of popular spots but the dusty corners and lesser known nooks tend to be where the unusual and unexpected stories live. Caponi Art Park is no exception. I had learned about this park from a friend who has family that lives nearby. I've lived here 15 years + and had never heard of it till this year. I looked into the history a bit to learn that the founder had passed away not all that long ago at the age of 94.  He immigrated to the United States at the age of 15 from Italy. Anthony Caponi served as a translator in World War II and graduated from the University of Minnesota. He was employed by MacCalester College in St.Paul for nearly 42 years, having a big impact on the art department there. 

He bought the land that eventually became the park not too long after starting to work there and did all the labor on the park himself. 

He accomplished a great many more things which you can read about here.

This is a perfect example of finding great accomplishment in the everyday person. 

The park hosts many events throughout the warm months and I recommend heading out for a picnic. Be sure to bring a camera, there's lots you'll want to remember. 

 

Some of my pictures from my visit:

Happy Exploring!

Minnesota in the Summer

Minnesota is green, lush and gorgeous in the summer time. Just a walk around the nearest lake and you can see some beauty in the smallest places. Here are some pictures form this weekend taken by the nerds in the household. Back soon with a long post!

Time Travel Thursday: Talamanca Reserve, Costa Rica

Going back through my travel posts as I've gotten completely off track with them: I realized that I never even posted my favorite place that I stayed in Costa Rica at the end of January this year. I had some genuine adventures in the jungles and on the wild beaches but when we headed into the mountains to Cerro Chirripó, I was so in love. This is Costa Rica's highest mountain range and it is covered in what is called cloud forest. Meaning the elevation is so high that the land is often veiled in clouds. It is so beautiful and so ethereal it is like being in another dimension. The place is teeming with birds and butterflies all in the brightest, most magical of colors. Flowers grow in abundance and the hiking gives you glimpses of breathtaking sights. And when you are all worn out at the end of the day you can stay at Talamanca Reserve. A gorgeous, comfortable haven nestled into the mountains with luxurious accommodations that included hot water showers(solar powered), gourmet food and a great bar. They accommodated my vegan diet with a variety of delicious and healthy dishes. The cabin was near a river that as you walked you passed dozens of plants and species of butterflies. In one short walk I must've caught a look at over 30 kinds of moths and butterflies. I cannot recommend this place enough. The staff was phenomenal to us and took care of everything as well as answering our millions of questions. I had a hard time picking through my pictures to share. So here is some and the next thing will be Cloudbridge Reserve which you can hike to from Talamanca.

Happy Adventures!

"Houston, we have a problem."

The news has been filled with amazing space things lately. From Scott Kelly returning from a year on the ISS to Space X landing a rocket successfully, it’s a renewed and exciting time to keep your eyes turned upwards. 

I love visiting NASA facilities, any space related exhibits, museums, etc..I love to learn about the great adventurers of our time. I have to say I do often feel a sense of sad wistfulness that I will never go to space. My most recent visit at the end of January was to Johnson Space Center in Houston. It was glorious. This was somewhere I had wanted to go as a kid and many of my friends went. We never had money for vacations and as such rarely went out of town. Traveling is a pretty big deal to me no matter where it may be. When it happens to be somewhere that is the site of monumental human achievement: all the better! 

To add to this I recently watched American Spacemen and followed it up with the movie The Right Stuff. I don’t often use fictional retellings as a point of reference but according to those involved in this movie the story is pretty close to reality. It shows the parallels of the American Space program and Chuck Yaegar breaking the sound barrier. 

American Spacemen also tells the story of a Minneapolis company that helped break altitude records and was pioneered strongly by a woman(I feel a vested interest in this, being a female and all). There is a great article about it here: High Altitude Balloon Innovation 

 

My visit to the Space Center was epic. It included a tour of not only mission control, you know: “Houston, we have a problem” but also the Vehicle Mock-up Building where all the astronauts come to learn how to use space equipment and the warehouse that stores the last Saturn V rocket that never got to launch because Nixon cut the budget. There is also a stray photo of the deer that live on the grounds. There were more animals as NASA does all that it can to preserve it’s surrounding environment. In fact, in Florida, all the grounds that belong to NASA are an animal sanctuary and protected space. 

As Neil Degrasse Tyson would say: Never stop looking up. (I also listened to his Great Course Lecture Series…wonderful. You can find it here: My Favorite Universe.)

What to Eat Wednesday: Madison, Wisconsin

I've written about eating in Madison before, right here. The food is pretty great in this pretty great town. My most recent trip there a few weeks ago was no exception. 

I've been to the Green Owl Cafe in the past but I don't recall having had a dessert that they serve. Well, I had one this time, a vegan Chocolate Lava cake with ice cream and it was scrumptious. I have not had a dessert that good and perfect and fabulously rich in some time. Dinner was tasty as well. In particular, the Vegan Caesar Salad with grilled lemony tofu. It's a cute place, casual. Most of Madison is casual and laid back.

A favorite place to eat in Madison is Monty's Blue Plate Diner. I love breakfast here and actually, had the almond milk vegan french toast for dinner one night. Other yummies: Vegan Country Breakfast, Vegan Curry and sandwiches.

Even though I love eating at Monty's I have to have coffee from EVP Coffee in the morning. A friend introduced me to this place and now I even bring it home with me from my visits.

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A place new to my palate on this visit was a trip to The Roman Candle. They had these breadsticks that made my mouth super happy and the pizza was fantastic. They make a spicy sauce on a pizza called the Vegan Destroyer. Absolutely worth a stop.

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Happy Eating! In Madison!

Du Nord Distillery

A few weeks ago, my friend took us to learn how to make vodka at Du Nord Craft Spirits. 

I've had cocktails here before but this is the first time I've gone on the tour.

I really like their version of the Moscow Mule....onto what we learned that day! 

Lessons learnt include:
Not many people know who Ernest Hemingway is-(just us)
Even fewer know who F. Scott Fitzgerald is-(again, just us)
Even though it seems obvious that Du Nord seems like it means North, lots of people could not put that together. (Obvious to...us!)(We are proof drinking vodka makes you s-m-a-r-t)
Making vodka is not particularly safe.
Vodka is pretty much poison.
We are better at drinking vodka than making vodka.
Of the three things Du Nord produces, we all agreed the Apple Liqueur was the best. By a lot. 
We are all too lazy to make vodka.  

Check them out if you're in town. It's a cool, unique place complete with games and a shuffleboard table.

A Bit of Geeky Madison

I have been to Madison, Wisconsin many times at this point in my life. It's on the way to Chicago which tends to be a place Minnesotans go a lot for trips and shows and the like. Madison is a great little town. The Austin, Texas of the Midwest: oddball, artist friendly, liberal and full of kind people. 

Just walking around it is a nice experience it's self. There's plenty of shops to stop in and old buildings to admire. There's good coffee and great food. 

I've stayed at various places on different visits but I think the place I stayed this time was my favorite. The Mendota Lake House B & B was a quaint place owned by two men who live in town. They went through the trouble to make fresh, vegan blueberry scones in the morning and they were quite good. There was also hot tea service every night. It's on the water so the view is top notch from the house. Have a look:

More of Madison: 

Next Time I'll do vegan food suggestions! Happy Day!

Geek Craft Expo ..SUCCESS!

When I said I wanted to do my first craft show I really did not know what to expect. I tried not to hope for too much with the exception of myself getting a lot done. This got a bit sidelined with a serious elbow injury but somehow and with some great help I managed to pull it off. GeekCraft Expo turned out to be a great experience. It helps that it was in Madison, Wisconsin which is a great place all on it's own. I met nice people, I sold lots of jewelry and books(I even signed a few) and I saw old friends. I'll do a separate post on Madison later because the food is always amazing. Some snapshots from the weekend.

I hope to do more shows in the future and I am currently basking in the happy afterglow. 

Happy Geekery!

GeekCraft Expo

For the first time this weekend I am hauling a bunch of things I've made and written to sell at the GeekCraft Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. 

I have never done a show other than an Open House in my own home. This will be a whole new experience. I have a booth and business cards and the whole deal, like a grown up crafter. 

If you find yourself in Madison this weekend head over to the Masonic Center from 11am-7pm on Saturday and Sunday to check it out.

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Corcovado National Park, OSA Peninsula, Costa Rica

There was nothing that could prepare me for the wild beauty of Corcovado National Park. Only accessible by boat from Drake Bay by way of the Pacific Ocean. Certainly it falls under The Adventure of a Lifetime category. Spotting creatures here and there and everywhere. Mushrooms growing in the hazy humidity on the jungle floor. Dozens of Blue Morpho Butterflies flitting about my head as I watched lizards run across water. The entire place makes you feel as if you are in a Jules Verne novel.

Have a look for yourself:

Back to Costa Rica! Poorman's Paradise

Picking up where we left off takes us to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. We went to stay at Poorman's Paradise Resort. This is a place only accessible by boat. We took a bus out to a tiny town that led us to Sierpe River where we climbed aboard a boat to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean. This was quite the adventure basically crash landing on the beach to get to the resort. I seriously felt like I was in a movie climbing into the water off the boat and taking my first look at the terrain. You could have thought you arrived in Jurassic Park. I might add this was a great time (the boat ride on the ocean) that Matt, our guide demonstrated his skill in keeping people from stressing. In particular, me. I am not a swimmer by any means. I'm not afraid of water and have been in the ocean plenty of times. However, I had never quite experienced something like this ride. We were on wild, open ocean (I have been whale watching but that was much calmer) and it could've been nerve wrecking but Matt kept me talking, splashing in the water and beholden by the beautiful scenery. I really appreciated it. 

The people who work at Poorman's Paradise are clearly very invested in their place. The cabins were adorable with lovely homemade touches, they made an effort with the meals despite the fact that they didn't really know much about a vegan diet upon my arrival(they had great coffee) and the drinks at the bar were amazing. The cabin I stayed in near the water was equipped with a simple shower and nice bed. The screens were always open (common practice in this warm country) so waking to the surf everyday was to be expected. We were here near full moon so at night the sound of the ocean was quite unbelievable. Also, there were monkeys all around and beautiful dogs. Someone took care of them as none of them looked unhealthy in anyway. This is also how we had a base for getting into what is called "One of the last wild places left on Earth," more of that next time! 

(Oh, and we went zip lining and I have a fear of heights but managed 13 zip lines over the jungle canopy-GO ME!) The canopy tour company is on TripAdvisor with a perfect rating. Corcovado Canopy Tour is who you want to go see about some amaze balls scenery.

More adventures soon!

~Monkeys are Made of Chocolate. Hacienda Baru~

The first part of the tour started at a restored part of Costa Rica. 815 acres that used to be cattle grazing land as the government tried to figure out how to feed it's population. Eventually they realized that what they had was beyond important and let the jungle start to come back to life. (Turns out cows don't do so great in the jungle anyway) There was hiking and breathtaking views and critters everywhere. Most of the time you're not fast enough to capture photos of the animals but we got a few. There was a night spent sleeping in the jungle and I woke up to something sniffing my head. And bats. SO MANY HUGE BATS. The name of the reserve I stayed at is Hacienda Baru and the people that worked there were very passionate about the land. They took great care leading us through the jungle and were so knowledgeable about the area. I was blown away by the love put into the land. The first pictures are of a few stops on the way out to Hacienda Baru.

A note about the tour I took: We used Wilderness Inquiry. A not-for-profit organization that leads eco-tours. I will go into this more in later posts but they are absolutely worth looking up. They have big, medium and little adventures and provide accessibility for everyone. Amazing. 

Our guide, Matt was great: organized, knowledgeable and well-prepared with skills necessary for first aid emergencies(there were a few in the group) (not me, thankfully). He also is possessed of a few rare leadership skills in keeping people calm and giving information in a timely, matter-of-fact manner. I really adored him. I would tell anyone to go on a trip with him. 

See you soon!

Museo del Jade

Another great place to visit in San Jose is the Jade Museum. I did not get as much time here as I would've liked but I am glad that I got some time to look around. I had no idea that Pre-Columbian artifacts included South American Jade carving. There is a pretty extensive collection of beautiful artifacts that are displayed in bilingual arrangements. Some of the displays are quite creative lending a great deal to the atmosphere with lighting and backdrops including a map of Central America you can walk on to explore the routes of jade trade and mining. There is a HUGE collection of every shape and size of ocarina you can think of and a really cool Shamanism exhibit. I would suggest having at least 2-3 hours here if you like to read all the information. The building is so well-kept and adds a modern line to the older city. There is a charming little cafe inside as well. You can take photos too. (I always appreciate that!) Fair warning, some of the art has nudity. Actually, I found it both interesting and funny.

San Jose! Wandering and Vegan Food!

San Jose is a busy place. The weekends especially have the streets and parks filled with people. When I wasn't in museums (I'll post about the Jade museum tomorrow) I was wandering around looking at buildings and trying food. I managed to find churros to eat and plenty of fresh fruit smoothies. A lot of passionfruit things everywhere which is my favorite so I was pretty happy about that. I had lunch at a great little vegetarian place Vishnu Restaurante. There was a woman eating there who helped us pick out food and then treated us to pineapple chocolates. I seriously cannot say enough how kind people are in Costa Rica. A lot of meals consisted of a "typical" Costa Rican meal of cascados. Which is usually black beans, rice, grilled plantains and some grouping of other veggies. I had a grilled hearts of palm in the city with this meal and it was delicious. The food was healthy and usually cooked in palm oil as it is grown and harvested in the country. I especially liked french fries cooked in it. AND I can't even get started on the coffee. IT IS AMAZING. I brought home a decent amount of it. It smells divine.

Hotel Grano de Oro

There are two places out of the 6 places I stayed that stood out on the luxury end of my visit in Costa Rica. The first place was in San Jose by the name of Hotel Grano de Oro. This was a gorgeous place not unlike a hotel you would see in a movie where a well-dressed star sits elegantly waiting for some clandestine meeting. I found the staff to be helpful and kind. Not in a faux way. The bartender was quite good and answered all our questions about the drinks he was making and about what alcohol was produced in the country. I didn't take pictures of the rooftop jacuzzi(s)but I spent some time up there as well beneath the night sky drinking cocktails and relaxing after not sleeping for 38 hours. The room was well-kept with drinkable water (there are places in Costa Rica where you can't drink the water but those places are on the wilderness end of the traveling) and a hair dryer, mini-bar, laundry service-perfectly comfortable.

The room was situated off a courtyard in the beautiful restored building and I loved having the window open up to the glorious plants and birds. Having come from the freezing Midwest this was a nice break to say the least. I would most certainly recommend this hotel for a stay in the city. San Jose is a big, busy place and this hotel gave you a touch of an oasis away after a long day exploring. The only thing I cannot comment on is the food as I did not eat in the restaurant as I was not sure they could accommodate my vegan diet. They greeted us with a fresh juice drink upon arrival and gave us a map to navigate which can be a touch tricky in the city. I would most certainly stay here if I find myself in San Jose again.

The Search for El Dorado

People often have asked me the last few years especially, where I get my creative inspiration from. They frequently assume it's from television and movies. To be fair, I am sure I am influenced by both of those mediums but there really is nothing that sparks my imagination like a trip to a museum with a bit of history and a bit of science not to mention endless amounts of art. I recently spent 11 days in Costa Rica and will write about my experiences all through this week. It was an adventure to say the least. I should began with saying I did not spend the 11 days on the beaches like most people do. I was actually told multiple times that I visited places in Costa Rica most people, not even people who live there go to visit. Fair enough. Some of them were not particularly easy to get to and I may have even at times been in a little over my head. But I made it back with world-view widening experiences which is pretty much what I want most of all these days- and stories to tell with pictures, preferably. I did get to spend a little time on beaches as well as in the city of San Jose which is where this week's posts will start. 

The first place I visited was part of the inspiration for my second novel Armand El Dorado. If you can guess from the title the myth of the city of El Dorado plays a part in the story. Now this myth did not originate in Costa Rica but it's influence reaches across the lands of Central America. The Pre-Columbian tribes traded in this region to gain the gold that they had. One of the more ironic things I think I learned was that the legend of the Golden City was not even based on gold from the region. In fact, at the time many of the things were made, there was almost no mining happening in Costa Rica or Colombia. All the gold came from other parts of the world. And not in particularly large quantities. El Dorado was a constructed fantasy created to mislead those explorers looking to take advantage of the people. The golden king was a tribes leader who would lead a ceremony that included tossing small golden artifacts into a lake in Colombia. Lake Guatavita to be precise. 

The Pre-Columbian Gold Museum is a well-laid out time line of the history of the region. Using not only golden artifacts to walk you through Costa Rica's rich history but also quite a bit of musical instruments. I actually rather regret not buying a replica of an ocarina which plays such a role in the world of the indigenous people. It is the most comprehensive collection of gold artifacts outside of Colombia. 

Here are some pictures from my trip to the museum. I would suggest having at least 2-3 hours for a visit. Plus, the area outside the museum is lovely to walk around.

Thank you for visiting. I look forward to sharing more of my experiences.

Gunflint Lodge

I've been gone for a couple of weeks and I have so much to share. I'm gonna travel again this weekend as well and will hopefully have more! So this little post is about a great mini-adventure I took back in the middle of October last year up to the Gunflint Lodge. The furtherest north I've been in the states. I had been wanting to visit here for a while especially after reading Wonderstruck which is partially set on the Gunflint Trail. Even though I just missed the fall foliage there was still plenty of stark fall beauty to behold and enjoy. Staying at the lodge was a pleasant experience that included wine being left in the cabin with snacks. There was no cell service so there was a couple days break from that as well. There was plenty of hiking, climbing and picture taking followed by drinks in the main building and staring at ducks. Going into nature to do nothing is a big thing here in Minnesota and even though it's taking a while for me to get used to it, I am starting to find it very valuable to my creative process. Letting my mind wonder is making me have more ideas than anything ever. No wonder there are so many writers in Minnesota. And of course, there was a stop in Duluth, Minnesota(another great city) for a visit to Pizza Luce, the original one. I had the seasonal flat bread with mock duck, mushrooms and general yumminess. We brought along our own food makings for dinners and breakfasts in our cabin which had a full kitchen. It was cozy, warm and I drink wine in front of a fire till I fell asleep in my flannel pajamas.

See my review(s) on Trip Advisor. Happy Travels! 

The St. Paul Hotel

There is a beautiful, historical place in St. Paul, Minnesota by the name of the Saint Paul Hotel. It is a lovely place to stay and I've been lucky enough to be able to stay twice in the Park Suite. The most recent time was for New Year's Eve in which there was a small celebration and bubbly all through the night. The staff is very kind and the space is so gorgeous. It's in a great location for visiting famous spots in the city as well.

2015

2015 was a very mixed year for me. I cannot say that everything went super great by any means. I know that blogs are supposed to be fantasy filled things but the truth of a fairy tale is there are plenty of challenging tasks before you get to the balls, pretty dresses and parties. You can walk through the magic garden but get stung by a bee or pricked by a rose. The fae forest is  beautiful but treacherous and filled with your tasks you need to survive to get to your happy ending for that chapter. That is what a real fairy tale is: filled with gorgeous gowns and difficult days. 

I lost both my cats in 2015. That had a big impact on me as they were both sick and one especially was unexpected. 

I did complete writing two novels including one during the November NaNoWriMo Challenge. 

I got to see the Grand Canyon for the first time and hike the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota. I also visited the Wisconsin Dells which is a place I’ve always been curious about. We went close to the end of the season so it was not quite as lively as it gets but it sure was surrealistic while I was there. I spent a week living in non-reality in Las Vegas where I got to see three Cirque Du Soleil shows in one week and eat amazing food everyday. 

There were a lot of house projects. They were tiring and trying but now my kitchen is beautifully updated and it was not planned for it to be for some time yet. It’s such a pleasure to look at it now. All the exhaustive weeks of dealing with it have yielded a rich, warm place. 

I went out to a pizza farm in Northfield, MN. I liked doing that as well as visited a few more wineries around the state. 

A handsome black kitty broke into my house which was funny.

There were foxes overtaking the neighborhood much to my delight. 

I spent 30 days in a row giving something away every day. I ended up giving a way quite a lot of stuff this last year and starting in on my Wear What You Own project (more on that later). Car loads of things were given away. I don’t even know half the time where all this stuff comes from but it was nice to recycle and find good homes for things. 

I did start a couple of clothing consignment accounts as well. I gave away half my wardrobe before it occurred to me I would probably need things in the future so getting a little money back here and there wouldn’t be a bad thing. 

I had my first garden on my deck this year. It started off really well and then I left someone else to tend it. Well, it ended up ruined and I was pretty frustrated but I am going to try again this year with a bit of a better plan. I did see lots of bees, birds and butterflies out there so it succeeded for a while. 

I got in one round of snow tubing with friends. That is always fun plus, I adore my friend’s 9 year old daughter. She cracks me up and is quite the daredevil. 

I took lots of walks in the fall and attended NerdCon here in town with the Green brothers, Maureen Johnson, Stephanie Perkins and a lot of other great writers. It was so inspiring it got me to do the NaNoWriMo challenge. 

I had my second book release party in July at CONvergence and adopted three cats who are driving me nuts. So much so the kitten’s name has officially been changed to Trouble.

Those are a few of my notable moments. There was also lots of good food and books but those are separate posts!

Geeky Minnesota: The Bakken Museum

Minnesota is well known for its many inventors. One of those inventors has a charming little museum here by the name of The Bakken Museum. It is in an old mansion and dedicated to electricity. See there's this man named Earl Bakken who founded a company called Medtronic. A company that is quite famous for it's contributions to medical devices such as the pacemaker. I mean the easiest way to say this is: Minnesota is full of nerds.

The museum isn't huge but it's unique and certainly worth a visit. Bring a picnic there's a gorgeous lake across the street.