This summer a friend of mine started a new monthly, women-only bike ride in Chicago. Luckily, we start close to my house and ride for an hour or so before stopping for dinner and drinks. The ride is on hold for the winter, but anyone who wants to join up in the spring should check…
Every Spring I tell myself that this will be the summer that I take advantage of all of the festivals Chicago has to offer. Say what you want about our winters, but Chicago has more than enough going on during the summer to make up for the snow. Once again, it’s August and I’ve only…
Last week I had my first couchsurfers at my new apartment. Despite the title, neither is from Helsinki although they both live there. Dima was born in Russia and Dagmara in Poland. They were brave to stay in my un-airconditioned apartment during the worst heat wave in a long time, and to bike through Chicago…
A few years ago I spotted a flyer on a street light near my apartment advertising the first Slow Bicycle ride. Unfortunately, it was the day before but I looked up the group and made sure to make the next ride. It was on this ride that I first met John and Garth, two of…
Today I tested the strength of my basket with a 24 pack of Old Stlye (and a bag of guacamole ingredients not pictured). I thought it was the perfect picture of summer for the LGRAB Games. The games require you preform only four of the following tasks: on vacation? rent a bike and go for…
This was my second year attending New Belgium Brewery’s traveling bicycle festival, Tour de Fat. The day starts early with a meandering bike parade followed by carnival acts, fun bicycles to try out and, of course, beer drinking. More photos of the Tour de Fat are available
Chicago is a big sports town and is blessed with two professional baseball teams… and two sets of baseball fans. I was raised by a mother who spent her 20’s living on the Northside so, naturally, I was raised a Cubs fan. Unfortunately my best friend is a Sox fan but when his wife asked…
Once again, my 4th of July was spent at my best friend’s place for grilled hot dogs, watching the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest and illegal firework-watching in a park nearby.
Sorry for the lack of updates lately, travel friends. I’m in the process of moving this week (only down the street, alas) and have been out of town on business. Sure, I’ve visited 50 countries but last week was the first time I’ve ever been to Ohio. Exciting!
This month’s Women Who Bike brunch was held just down the street. Good food, interesting conversation and I even found another couchsurfer. This picture inspires me to wear more fun stuff when I bike but I’ll have to wear shorts underneath if I’m going to get my leg over my bike’s cross bar. Shoutouts to…
We had a glimpse of spring here in Chicago a while back but it’s turned cold again. During the winter I continue to bicycle as my primary form of transportation but this cold is really getting old. My Gary Fisher bike is almost one-year old and I really love it and it’s huge, steel basket.…
This morning Chicagoland woke up to more than 20 inches of snow on the ground—the third largest in recorded history. When I ventured out my back porch I quickly realized that I was snowed in. The back gate into the alley was blocked on both sides by a four foot drift. Luckily the snow drifts…
I was pretty excited when my brother first played The Metro, a concert venue I spent much of my teens and 20s at. This weekend he topped the Metro, gracing the beautiful House of Blues stage. Now I just need to convince him to face the audience! Amrita at House of Blues – Keyboard Solo…
Saturday afternoon was spent in a cleared out storage room in the back of a record store watching Steve Wiebe attempt to regain the world championship title in Donkey Kong. Watching someone play Donkey Kong for two hours isn’t as boring as you’d think, but I still can’t get the soundtrack out of my head.…
I haven’t posted much about one of my hobbies which I’ve kicked up a notch since I returned to Chicago—biking. I’ve always loved exploring areas around my home by bike and found renting a bike in another country to be the best way to see areas you might not make it to by foot. Earlier…
Living and working alone without cable TV means that I see very little about Christmas until I head out to my mom’s house to celebrate. Missing out on the crazy commercialization America has become known for is great but I sometimes miss the decorations and fun. Tonight the CTA made sure I got in the…
It has been unseasonably warm in Chicago this week so I took advantage of the good weather with a 23 mile bike ride on Chicago’s beautiful lakefront path. Those of you in the Northern hemisphere, get outside and take advantage of the weather before winter sets in for good!
After more than 39 hours in the air and nearly 19,000 miles flown across 15 flights I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of Jet Blue’s All You Can Jet promotion. With that much flying I had the in-flight commercials memorized and had no problem deciding what snacks to choose (plantain chips are interesting but you…
Last night’s Chicago Meet, Plan, Go! was a success! REI’s community room was full and I was surprised at how well-traveled the audience already was. We even had someone who had been to Uzbekistan—I was impressed. Hopefully everyone had a good time and left with a reignited passion for RTW travel. As always, I always…