The Denis Sullivan (left) and another vessel sail north on Lake Michigan
People watching the parade of sail from North Avenue Beach
Tall Ships on Parade (part 2)
The Denis Sullivan (left) and another vessel sail north on Lake Michigan
People watching the parade of sail from North Avenue Beach
Tall Ships on Parade (part 1)
The Tallships Chicago event kicked off at 10:00 am on Thursday on Chicago's lakefront. Seventeen tall ships took part in the Parade of Sail on Lake Michigan from Northerly Island to North Avenue Beach.
People gather on the breakwater on North Avenue Beach to watch the Parade of Sail
Fiberglass pleasure boats and steel cargo ships dot the horizon on a normal day in Chicago, so it was great to see so many tallships sailing on the lake once again. Hundreds of these ships would come in and out of Chicago each day back in the 1800's. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see a couple of people on the bowsprit (the long pole extending from the prow of the hull).
The U.S. Brig Niagara was built in 1988 as a reconstruction of the warship aboard which Commander Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 during the War of 1812 . (tallshpschicago.net)
People gather on the breakwater on North Avenue Beach to watch the Parade of Sail
Fiberglass pleasure boats and steel cargo ships dot the horizon on a normal day in Chicago, so it was great to see so many tallships sailing on the lake once again. Hundreds of these ships would come in and out of Chicago each day back in the 1800's. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see a couple of people on the bowsprit (the long pole extending from the prow of the hull).
The U.S. Brig Niagara was built in 1988 as a reconstruction of the warship aboard which Commander Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 during the War of 1812 . (tallshpschicago.net)
Railroad Building
While drivng through Walkerton, Indiana, I came upon a CSX railroad yard and noticed an odd shaped building right next to a seldom used crossing marked with only a stop sign on a crossbuck.
Click to enlarge
Here's a view that shows the width of the building.
Click to enlarge
Maybe Eddie can give me an idea of what this building may have been.
It looks as though it's not in use anymore, but it's in relatively good shape.
Click to enlargeHere's a view that shows the width of the building.
Click to enlargeMaybe Eddie can give me an idea of what this building may have been.
It looks as though it's not in use anymore, but it's in relatively good shape.
Sunset on the Gulf of Mexico
Mike and Danny splash around on Clearwater Beach, Florida; June 22,2006
The first full day of summer concluded with a red sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. Almost oblivious to the show, Mike, Danny and Chris enjoyed the sand and surf until it was too dark to differentiate the sky from the water. A short walk to Pier 60 followed, where we browsed the merchandise for sale and watched the street performers during Sunsets at Pier 60. The large playground next to the pier kept the kids busy for over an hour.
Veli
Unfortunately, the owner of our favorite old breakfast diner has passed away. Veli Arif (pictured on the left) died this week. I guess he just wasn't the same after he closed Veli's Kofy Kup in Oak Lawn. We used to drive over 50 blocks each Sunday morning to have breakfast at Veli's. Veli would always greet us warmly and walk us to our seats. The diner was always packed for breakfast, and it seemed like you knew everyone around you even though you never met them before.
Veli's obituary.
See my January Post
Kapok Tree Inn ...Today
A couple of months ago, I posted some photos taken in the 1970's of the Kapok Tree Inn of Clearwater, Florida. You can see the post here.
Since the Kapok Tree building was taken over by Sam Ash Music, the gardens are still in existence and used for parties and weddings. Last month, I was able to visit the Kapok Tree gardens and was pleasantly surprised - they looked better than they did about five years ago, but nothing compares to the way they looked in the 60's and 70's.
I have to say the statues and fountains show signs of aging such as staining and wear; they've taken on the look of the old world and actually look pretty good. The marble columns and floors also have the antique look and have worn well. The gardens don't look too bad, but could stand a little TLC by someone who really knows gardening, but overall, the place is still nice. It kind of reminds me of a person's garden that was once fantastic but they grew old and couldn't do much work in the garden anymore. After 20 years you stop by for a visit and it isn't what it once was, yet it still has great "bones." A few days of work and it could be great again.
At the front of the building, the Kapok Tree still stands. It seems to have lost a large bough and from the smashed marble benches and railing below, I'll bet it fell with a bang. I noticed some construction equipment in the area, so I'm hoping the smashed items are going to be fixed soon. If Sam Ash Music (or whoever owns the building) would restore the broken items and just pay a bit more attention to manicuring the gardens and cleaning the empty paper cups from the fountains, this place would look fantastic again.
There's always hope.
Since the Kapok Tree building was taken over by Sam Ash Music, the gardens are still in existence and used for parties and weddings. Last month, I was able to visit the Kapok Tree gardens and was pleasantly surprised - they looked better than they did about five years ago, but nothing compares to the way they looked in the 60's and 70's.
I have to say the statues and fountains show signs of aging such as staining and wear; they've taken on the look of the old world and actually look pretty good. The marble columns and floors also have the antique look and have worn well. The gardens don't look too bad, but could stand a little TLC by someone who really knows gardening, but overall, the place is still nice. It kind of reminds me of a person's garden that was once fantastic but they grew old and couldn't do much work in the garden anymore. After 20 years you stop by for a visit and it isn't what it once was, yet it still has great "bones." A few days of work and it could be great again.
At the front of the building, the Kapok Tree still stands. It seems to have lost a large bough and from the smashed marble benches and railing below, I'll bet it fell with a bang. I noticed some construction equipment in the area, so I'm hoping the smashed items are going to be fixed soon. If Sam Ash Music (or whoever owns the building) would restore the broken items and just pay a bit more attention to manicuring the gardens and cleaning the empty paper cups from the fountains, this place would look fantastic again.
There's always hope.
Fort DeSoto
Fort DeSoto Park, just outside of St. Petersburg Beach, Florida is another great place to visit for a trip back in time - to the Spanish-American War. This fort was constructed to guard the entrance to Tampa Bay, yet not a single shot was fired in defense in all the years the fort was manned.
During WWII, the island on which the fort sits, as well as a few others, were used by the US for bomb practice. Each time I visit, I get knocked back into the times when soldiers wore wool uniforms in the Florida sun, and fought a relentless enemy - the mosquito.
You can walk through the fort and on top of it. From the water, the fort appears to be a hill of sand with a few palm trees on it, but behind it are four mortars capable of sending a shell the weight of a Volkswagen over three miles!
There are lots of things to do at this park, hiking, biking, camping, fishing and swimming on what was named Florida's best beach of 2005.
There are tales of hauntings at this fort, and in the fort, one does get a strange feeling while walking through the dark, concrete rooms. Almost every time I visit, a distant thunderstorm adds random "booms" to the quiet sounds of birds and waves - like distant explosions from a battle that never happened.
I don't believe in ghosts, but I have to admit one rather chilling thing did happen at the Fort in 1995. I was walking with my wife along the outside of the fort, right next to the entrances to the various rooms when we heard the muffled conversations of a crowd of people coming from inside one of the rooms. We decided to peek in to see what was going on inside. A chill ran down our spines when we discovered we were the only two people within hundreds of yards of the fort. It wasn't until a few years later that we read about the supernatural activity at the fort. Somehow I'm a believer in supernatural activity at Fort DeSoto, somehow a sound of a crowd reverberated in the fort...but ghosts - no such thing!
Caladesi Island State Park
Right next to Clearwater Beach is Caladesi Island State Park. In the mid to late 1980's, a hurricane connected the state park to Clearwater Beach, so if you're crazy enough to walk along the shore from the south end of the beach you'll run into it. It's got to be a 4 mile walk in the sand one way (if not more) so I always have to give myself enough time to get there and back. About 3/4 of the way there, you notice the lack of builings and people and finally you arrive in "The real Florida."
The beach narrows due to the dense vegetation
As much as I don't like to lay on the beach, this is one of my favorite places to visit - no motels, no crowds just natural beauty to explore. There are three miles of trails winding through the island beneath the Sabal Plams and Pine trees, but you'll have to watch out for the occasional Diamondback Rattlesnake. (I've never seen one).
View of a path leading to the beach
According to the guidebooks, the only way you can get to Caladesi Island is by boat. You can pick up a ferry from the Dunedin Causeway. It's a fun ride, but I really like the walk from Clearwater Beach.
The beach narrows due to the dense vegetation
As much as I don't like to lay on the beach, this is one of my favorite places to visit - no motels, no crowds just natural beauty to explore. There are three miles of trails winding through the island beneath the Sabal Plams and Pine trees, but you'll have to watch out for the occasional Diamondback Rattlesnake. (I've never seen one).
View of a path leading to the beach
According to the guidebooks, the only way you can get to Caladesi Island is by boat. You can pick up a ferry from the Dunedin Causeway. It's a fun ride, but I really like the walk from Clearwater Beach.
Day Two on the Road
The second and final day of driving took us from Ashburn, Georgia to Clearwater Beach, Florida.
Right down the street from the motel we stayed overnight was the world's largest peanut, a monument to the peanut growers of Georgia. I remember seeing this next to interstate 75 when I was a child; it was one of those landmarks we would search for along the way (and continue to do so today). It's interesting to see how many things have remained and how they've changed.
Right down the street from the motel we stayed overnight was the world's largest peanut, a monument to the peanut growers of Georgia. I remember seeing this next to interstate 75 when I was a child; it was one of those landmarks we would search for along the way (and continue to do so today). It's interesting to see how many things have remained and how they've changed.
Since it was right next to the road, we stopped for a picture or two, then on to our next stop in Lake Park, Georgia - a $3 book sale where we always find some cool books.
They must advertise this bookstore for 100 miles north and south, it's the "King Frog" or "Rock City" of southern Georgia. At least they have some good books.
After a few more hours of driving, we'd arrive on Clearwater Beach!
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
The first day of our annual trip to Florida began at 6:00 am on June 15th as we pulled out of the local Dunkin' Donuts with two coffees, three chocolate milks, and a dozen donuts. This year we were planning on driving from Chicago to Ashburn, Georgia as we have done in the past. That's about 870 miles, a good distance for a single day of driving.
Just after dinner- a few miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, we decided to take a little detour to Lookout Mountain. A couple of years ago the mountain was covered in fog as passed, so this year since it was clear, we drove up. I remember a place called Point Park that had great views of the valley and memorials to the battles of Lookout Mountain.
We arrived and parked a couple of blocks away on a residential street. Beautiful homes lined the road, most with views of the valley. We arrived at the park and began to explore the cannons, panoramic views and monuments. We were the only five people in the park-my kind of place!
A view of the Tennessee River from the top of Lookout Mountain (elevation 2392 feet)
The views are great and it is said you can see seven states from some points on the mountain.
With all of the Civil War era cannons around, it's easy to slip back in time to the Civil War era and imagine what it was like for the soldiers to keep watch and fight on this plateau.
Mike aiming the cannon!
The kids enjoyed being able to see an entire city from above. They began picking out landmarks along the interstate below so they could turn around when we passed the landmark and look up at the mountain to find Point Park.
The kids look out over Chattanooga at sunset
We left the park just as the sun went down, and prepared for our three to four hour drive to Ashburn, GA. We drove down the narrow, twisting two land road to the foot of the mountain and picked up I-24 east. As we drove east on 24 we hit the landmark the kids and I picked out from the top of the mountain (a yellow billboard next to the river). They turned and searched for the mountain and then for the stone building where they stood previously scanning the valley below. Christopher was able to find it and couldn't believe how long it took us to drive to the little yellow dot we picked out in the valley.
Just after dinner- a few miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, we decided to take a little detour to Lookout Mountain. A couple of years ago the mountain was covered in fog as passed, so this year since it was clear, we drove up. I remember a place called Point Park that had great views of the valley and memorials to the battles of Lookout Mountain.
We arrived and parked a couple of blocks away on a residential street. Beautiful homes lined the road, most with views of the valley. We arrived at the park and began to explore the cannons, panoramic views and monuments. We were the only five people in the park-my kind of place!
A view of the Tennessee River from the top of Lookout Mountain (elevation 2392 feet)
The views are great and it is said you can see seven states from some points on the mountain.
With all of the Civil War era cannons around, it's easy to slip back in time to the Civil War era and imagine what it was like for the soldiers to keep watch and fight on this plateau.
Mike aiming the cannon!
The kids enjoyed being able to see an entire city from above. They began picking out landmarks along the interstate below so they could turn around when we passed the landmark and look up at the mountain to find Point Park.
The kids look out over Chattanooga at sunset
We left the park just as the sun went down, and prepared for our three to four hour drive to Ashburn, GA. We drove down the narrow, twisting two land road to the foot of the mountain and picked up I-24 east. As we drove east on 24 we hit the landmark the kids and I picked out from the top of the mountain (a yellow billboard next to the river). They turned and searched for the mountain and then for the stone building where they stood previously scanning the valley below. Christopher was able to find it and couldn't believe how long it took us to drive to the little yellow dot we picked out in the valley.
Ed in the News
It seems the biggest (newly married) railfan of the Chicago area was a witness to a train accident on the Northwest side. Eddie was going in to work when he saw the accident. He was interviewed by four networks and aired by three.
BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS CAMERA WITH HIM!!!
Here's the whole story: http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_179171926.html
Look on the right side of my page to see the link to his blog "Eddie K's Railfan Blog"
Dinosaur World
Walking through a garden filled with life-sized dinosaurs in Plant City, Florida.
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Fort DeSoto Park
We're checking out an historic fort near St. Petersburg, Florida.
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On the road
A great day at Disney World!
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World's Largest Peanut
On the road in Ashburn, Georgia
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Auto Detailing
Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I love a clean car. So much that before I married and had a family, I would wash my car at least 5 times a week and wax it once a week from March to November. Needless to say, now that I don't have the time to do that anymore, when I clean my car I'm especially happy.
Since high school, John, Steve and I would detail our cars every Saturday. Detailing means washing, drying, polishing, waxing, shampoo every little spot on the car. The door jams, hinges, in between the hood and the fender - every possible spot on our cars was clean including the engine. This would take up a good part of our Saturdays since a detail on a moderately dirty car could take 6 to 8 hours. Sounds like a long time, but when you're using cotton swabs and toothbrushes to get the dry wax out of every seam in the car, the time flies.
Most people would wash, dry and wax their cars and feel good about it. Not us. Just like painting, it's the preparation that takes the time and makes or breaks the job. If you look closely at a car in the sun, you can see millions of tiny micro scratches caused by washing, and just everyday use. I have to get rid of as many of these as possible or the paint won't look deep and wet.
This is the process that takes the longest, Meguiar's makes a great line of products called Mirror Glaze and they vary in intensity. Each one is applied to the paint and worked in by hand or with a rotary buffer until almost dry, then wiped off before it dries. This is a lot harder than waxing because you get out of it only what you put in. The products I use are numbered 2, 4, 7, 9 (the lower the number, the more abrasive) and if I have some difficult spots on the car, I'll use #2 or #4 which actually makes the paint dull by putting in millions of microscratches, but it's removing the bad layer of oxidation. Then it's followed up with #7, a reseal glaze that removes the microscratches and makes the car look wet. I'll use #9 if there are any swirls left in the paint from the rotary buffer and finally the car is ready for wax.
Here's a photo of my car after the Mirror Glaze but before the wax. My car is a 2001 Intrepid with 113,000 miles on it ( I drive a lot), so it gets used, but it still shines!
And a close-up of the trunk showing how deep the shine is.
You can't see the pearl finish, but in the light the dark blue has a pearl luminosity that almost glows- if you polish it properly.
Since high school, John, Steve and I would detail our cars every Saturday. Detailing means washing, drying, polishing, waxing, shampoo every little spot on the car. The door jams, hinges, in between the hood and the fender - every possible spot on our cars was clean including the engine. This would take up a good part of our Saturdays since a detail on a moderately dirty car could take 6 to 8 hours. Sounds like a long time, but when you're using cotton swabs and toothbrushes to get the dry wax out of every seam in the car, the time flies.
Most people would wash, dry and wax their cars and feel good about it. Not us. Just like painting, it's the preparation that takes the time and makes or breaks the job. If you look closely at a car in the sun, you can see millions of tiny micro scratches caused by washing, and just everyday use. I have to get rid of as many of these as possible or the paint won't look deep and wet.
This is the process that takes the longest, Meguiar's makes a great line of products called Mirror Glaze and they vary in intensity. Each one is applied to the paint and worked in by hand or with a rotary buffer until almost dry, then wiped off before it dries. This is a lot harder than waxing because you get out of it only what you put in. The products I use are numbered 2, 4, 7, 9 (the lower the number, the more abrasive) and if I have some difficult spots on the car, I'll use #2 or #4 which actually makes the paint dull by putting in millions of microscratches, but it's removing the bad layer of oxidation. Then it's followed up with #7, a reseal glaze that removes the microscratches and makes the car look wet. I'll use #9 if there are any swirls left in the paint from the rotary buffer and finally the car is ready for wax.
Here's a photo of my car after the Mirror Glaze but before the wax. My car is a 2001 Intrepid with 113,000 miles on it ( I drive a lot), so it gets used, but it still shines!
And a close-up of the trunk showing how deep the shine is.
You can't see the pearl finish, but in the light the dark blue has a pearl luminosity that almost glows- if you polish it properly.
New Front Door and Trim
I finally got tired of the old metal front door we had, so I replaced it with a woodgrain door. It has the warm look the foyer needed. After the new door, it was clear to me that I needed to enhance the boring, store-bought trim around the door. I did a little shopping and came up with a bunch of trim that looked good together and created a formal entrance, without overpowering the house.
I also had to install new trim on the rest of the windows on the front of the house, so everything would tie in. It's a pleasure to approach the house now!
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