Can you travel to the land of deep-dish pizza and beef hot dogs buried under pounds of condiments, not eat meat yet still eat flavorful, inventive food? The answer is yes. Yes, you can. During my trip to Chicago earlier this month, I ventured out from the South Michigan Avenue/Grant Park neighborhood, took a cab…
Category: Travel
Bean and Beyond in Chicago
Long before the charismatic Rahm Emanuel ran the Windy City, Mayor Michael Bilandic, sometimes referred to “Mayor Bland,” supported passage of an ordinance that would change the face of Chicago. Called the Percent for Art Ordinance, it stipulates any city buildings and spaces undergoing renovation or new construction devote 1.33 percent of the cost to…
Biting the Big Apple
If you’re thinking about visiting the Big Apple, your timing couldn’t be better when it comes to relatively inexpensive outdoor dining options. I use the term “dining” loosely here, for I am talking about the growing New York City food truck scene. Spring and summer are fantastic times to walk New York City’s neighborhoods and…
Japan Part 3 – Tokyo, the Cleanest, Safest Place on the Planet
I like contrasts so it should come as no surprise that I booked a five-star, $600 per night hotel for our weekend in Tokyo and then spent the weekend searching for free things to do. This wasn’t hard given Tokyo’s plethora of immaculately kept public city parks and gardens. Tokyo IS the First World, folks….
We’re Just Tenants Here
The Earth’s tallest mountain, Mount Everest, is located along the Nepal/Tibet/China border, stands an astounding 29,035 feet, and grows a quarter inch every year. Garbage grows with the mountain; Mount Everest has become such a popular place that several decades worth of trash have accumulated. An estimated 50 tons of garbage, including a rusting helicopter,…