Delta Air Lines Museum - Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Travel Diary,

 

Last night, I told my husband I was deeply and immensely proud of him.

I told him it was time for us to sit back and live the life.

Because though the timing of our fresh milestones couldn't have been more inconvenient, we did it. He did it. New house, new career - it was time to celebrate. And Delta delivered with a dinner set up beside The Spirit of Delta airplane in its museum hanger.

The setup was gorgeous and the meal was delicious.

This was the picture I sent our children after Nick received his Wings.

The next day, we returned home and resumed life as "normal."

Brief Walking Tour - Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Travel Diary,

 

Though I've flown into ATL twice now, this is the first for the city serving as my destination.

 

Related Post: Savannah, Georgia

Time to sit a spell ...

I had some time before I had to get ready. Nick and I had to board a 5:20 p.m. shuttle bound for Delta's museum for a celebratory dinner. Camera in hand, I stuck to the streets surrounding my hotel.

The courtyard had a small putting green and fountain.

Waffle Houses have been beloved Southern icons for over 60 years, but for this Yankee, I've had very limited exposure. Pouring over their Web site, I was intrigued that staff make the effort to get to know their customers and greet them by name. Though they pride themselves on Southern values, the Waffle House has grown to become an American institution.

Delta's HQ is in Atlanta, and the signs were everywhere. This one felt especially relevant, given my purpose for being in town. There is no stop in us, only go.

I passed this statue in front of a repair shop and took a few photographs because you don't see this everyday. Turns out, these roadside statues have garnered a bit of a cult following that inspired themed road trips to see them all. Though this particular Roadside Man is now holding a tire, there was once a U.S. flag within his grasp. This shop was opened in 1967 to serve the surrounding area.

The skies were consistently overcast as Tropical Storm Cindy made landfall on the Gulf. Even without the sun, the unmistakable Georgia humidity hung around.

See the little bee pollinating the flowers?

Walking across a pedestrian bridge over the nearby Interstate.

Finally, I stopped for a quick lunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant. The skies prevented me from grabbing a table on the patio, which considering it's officially summer, felt so unorthodox. I returned to my room afterwards to start getting ready for the evening ...

To be continued.

How I See The City of Chicago

Dear Diary,

 

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take a walking tour around downtown Chicago. 

Spring has blossomed in the city.

The iconic Chicago Theater ...

Opened in 1921, The Chicago Theater was the first large, lavish movie parlor in America and soon became the prototype for those that followed. I did not venture inside, but if the interior is anything like the grandeur of its exterior, then I'm convinced it's left its visitors breathless.

Can you imagine how many movies were set in this city? While You Were Sleeping, The Blues Brothers ... I mean, there are so many recognizable places around Chicago that were the backdrops for many a movie scene.

I had to Google who Father John Misty was - he's a folk singer.

I watched one of the bridges across the River rise to accommodate a passing Schooner. It was cool!

Here's my takeaway - Chicago is the third largest city in America, yet seems to maintain more of a "hometown" feel than New York City. I suppose that's because Midwestern values of hospitality are the norm. I appreciated the fact that the city's history stood proud alongside the mirrored, contemporary skyscrapers that propel its skyline into the current era.

I hate it when cities tear down their longstanding buildings to make room for parking lots, etc.

You can kind of see this delightful mix in the photo above. The ornate architecture shines just as bright as the contemporary glass-paneled buildings.

Street view at night ...

I love a sparkling skyline. However, I'm pretty biased in that I feel Minneapolis is the most photogenic ...

We were in town for my SIL's wedding at Trump Tower. I didn't take many pictures at the event (they requested their guests be unplugged, which I thought was a great idea).

You just don't see craftsmanship like this anymore. I sure hope there are others that appreciate it as much as I do.

Even so, Chicago - thank you for serving as host to a lovely weekend.

An Evening At (Eric) Church - Milwaukee, WI

Dear Diary,

This past weekend, Nick and I were in Milwaukee (with the kids, of course; but we were able to secure a date night).

About 6 months ago we scored tickets to see Eric Church at the Bradley Center, and beforehand, I took Nick out to dinner at the Pfister Hotel.

I cashed in my reward points and received gift cards to pay for this indulgence. Mason Street Grill never disappoints.

We had some time to kill after our meal, so we walked around the hotel.

It’s historic, a Milwaukee icon, and quite luxurious. 

Blu, the hotel’s bar, was recently named one of the best in the city. We were treated to views of the Milwaukee skyline while we sipped on a cocktail and made friends with the bartender.

The concert was scheduled to start at 8. We had seats on the floor.

Growing up, we took in quite a few Milwaukee Bucks games here. It often meant sitting way the hell up in the back, eating popcorn and shouting something ridiculous because I don’t follow basketball much. In high school, I had the opportunity to perform on the court, and I remember feeling like the seats were about to fold in on top of me.

That same feeling rushed over me as we took our seats. The way the sections and rows of seats encircled us had a dizzying effect, and I wondered how professional basketball players managed it.

Our remedy, naturally, was to order a cocktail. The lights would soon shut off anyway.

Here’s a fun fact: when Nick and I first started dating (14 years ago!) I hated country music.

And now, though my tastes align with newer music in the genre, I’ve built quite the list of country artists I’ve seen live. Funny how sometimes the things we protest turn into our obsession. 

Tonight, Eric Church was added to the experience. And I enjoyed every second of it. Energetic, talented, charismatic and my favorite quality of his – he just doesn’t give a sh!t. He does things his way, stands up for what he believes in, and in his early days, this created quite a stir amongst the major players. He was snubbed for awards quite a few times, and his distaste over it was well-documented. In the end though, he persisted. Now he’s selling out stadiums and recording albums that could easily be the soundtrack of my life.

We danced off the calories we previously consumed, sang and cheered until we lost our voices, and all-around had a great time.

Next up: Chris Stapleton in October, to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary!

Using Ghost Tours to Explore a Historic City - Savannah, GA

(Staircases in Savannah take on a new level of creepiness,

especially when they descend into the basement.)

 

Dear Travel Diary,

When Nick and I traveled to Savannah a few years ago, I booked a couple of ghost tours.

 

Now I know what you're thinking ...

 

But the main reason why: access. The tours gave us access to areas of historical buildings typically off-limits to the public. I was curious. I wanted to see as much as possible. I hated being cordoned off by 'No Trespassing' signs or barricades. These tours allowed us to bypass all of it without threat of being ticketed.

 

(Moon River Brewery is reportedly the site of a makeshift hospital for children suffering during a yellow fever outbreak. This creepy old staircase lead to the third floor, but it was physically unsafe for us to ascend.)

(Just look at the craftsmanship of the era. This room was on the second floor of Moon River,

where employees are often too fearful to go due to a vengeful ghost.)

Whatever beliefs you may hold regarding the paranormal, I do not think ghost tours ought to be completely discredited. They can provide a wonderful insight into the city's history, the prominent figures, and stories that have turned into city legends that may explain why or how the place came to be. They are a great exposure to the past, an era folded into the passages of time, and one very different than the one you live in.

(The tree-lined path on the historic Wormsloe Plantation site was hauntingly beautiful.)

Of course, one of the tours was filled with such far-fetched claims of ghost activity, to which I responded negatively, and our tour guide was not happy to find a skeptic on HIS tour. (Side note: I'm what I call an Optimistic Skeptic - I keep an open mind, but try to find an explanation.)

The second tour was much more respectful to the fact that a claim is a claim. There is often little to no documented proof to back it up, however - there are dozens of witnesses who felt or saw the same thing. After the tour guide tells the story, she asked the crowd, what's your takeaway? The tour was an intriguing blend of history with these stories, and we were allowed to linger or explore a certain area to make our own determination.

Even Nick, who is very logical, was interested in what was discussed as we stood on the property; especially when the focus was the Revolutionary or Civil War.

 

(The basement of Moon River Brewery.)

... Which I think is where such tours can find their success. Get people talking about the history, what you know to be fact, show them the location, but leave it for them to decide. It all points to the notion that life is not always black and white. What lies within the gray area, is still a mystery to explain.

Especially in a city like Savannah.