TheRoadScholar » Budget

Hitchin’ Up the Huskies at Morton Arboretum Sunday!

TheRoadScholar — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 23:02:21 +0000

Dog sledding at Morton Arboretum. Photo by Laurie Borman

Lisle, IL–Little kids, big kids, and adults who wished they were kids turned out to see the dog sledding demonstrations at the Morton Arboretum today. (The dogs will also be there tomorrow, Jan. 31, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) Adopt A Husky brought out several Siberian huskies that are available for adoption, and the Adopt A Husky folks let kids of all ages pet the dogs. They also deomonstrated skijoring (being pulled by a dog while on cross-country skis) and dog sledding. Since the snow barely covered the ground, the teams moved from sleds early in the day to tri-cycle-like contraptions called rigs for the later demos.

The Husky Days event at the Morton Aboretum has been going on for five years, with a Winterfest event before that. It’s a great way to get people out among the trees and enjoy the winter, according to Gina Tedesco of the Morton Arboretum.

The dogs were remarkably calm, and seemed to enjoy all the attention of the children. Huskies are very pack oriented and the more people, the more dogs, the happier they are, says Noel Dagley, the treasurer of Adopt A Husky, and an organizer for the event. She and her husband Mike got their first husky, Maverick, 13 years ago. He still races with them. Noting the quiet behavior, she said, “This all goes out the window once they see the first dog get hooked up. Then they will erupt.” And sure enough, when the handlers start hitching up the sleds, the dogs howl on cue.

Visitors also enjoyed a movie, “Iditerod, the Last Great Race”, and a talk by Carol Preble, who came with her Siberian husky, Arrow, that ran in the Iditerod. The race commemorates a 674-mile relay race from Anchorage to Nome that brought diptheria serum in -50F weather in 1925. Preble talked about Arrow’s role in the race, and showed a series of photos detailing the race, even the “dog parking lots” where the teams rest at checkpoints. (The 2010 Iditerod begins March 13.)

If you come out, steel yourself, because you’ll want to adopt your own husky once you see the startling blue-eyed creatures in action.

Husky. Photo by Laurie Borman

Harnessed up. Photo by Laurie Borman

Chicago’s Big City Ice Skating Unrivaled

TheRoadScholar — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:46:02 +0000

Chicago, IL–Ice skating at Millenium Park has to be the coolest, most amazing free thing to do in a big city. No offense, Rockefeller Center, but you’ve got nothing on us. Let me innumerate:

1. FREE. (Versus nearly $20 at Rockefeller Center, and that’s if the ice isn’t already booked by a private party.)

2. Skate rental is $10, but you can bring your own, and you’re not wearing something that was on another person’s sweaty feet a few minutes before. (OK, Rockefeller Center’s rental is $9, so it’s a mite cheaper.)

3. Unobstructed view of Michigan Avenue, a national historic district. Seriously, you could hail a cab from the rink. (Versus potential glimpses of 5th Ave. and Avenue of the Americas. And if it’s bad weather, you know you can’t hail a cab anywhere in NYC.)

4. Skating under the shining Bean (a.k.a. Cloudgate). (Versus gliding under the watchful gaze of the gold Prometheus statue of Rockefeller Center. Well, that’s almost a tossup.)

5. Ice skating lessons are free on Saturday mornings and dance parties are free on Friday and Saturday evenings in February. (Versus $30 at Rockefeller Center for lessons.)

6. Our Chicago Blackhawks hockey team is awesome. (So what if it doesn’t have anything to do with the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink? Just sayin’.)

Enough said. Get your skates and get to Millenium Park.

A Place for Pooches at Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve

theroadscholar — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:35:43 +0000

Highwood/Highland Park/Lake Forest, IL–If your best friend has four paws, bring him or her to Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve. Bring the leash and doggie bags, too. You can walk your dog along paved and mulched trails, and even down to the beach where there’s plenty of sand to dig. It’s great exercise for owners, too. The forest preserve patrol is pretty diligent, so don’t tempt fate by letting your pet loose on the wide expanse of the fort’s former parade grounds. This is all about civilized fun.

Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve Fun for Kids

theroadscholar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:55:13 +0000

Highwood/Highland Park/Lake Forest, IL–The compact size of Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve makes it easy for families to maneuver. Climb into the giant Red Tailed Hawk’s nest at the north end of the preserve and peer through the binocular eyes for a hawk’s eye view of the ravines. As if on cue, a hawk screeches as we leave the nest. A hawk family lives in an oak tree nearby, dad trolling the field for critters and mom watching over the big twiggy nest. Kids love to run down from the parking lot to the beach, too, and can spend hours making sand castles without the hassle of a beach volleyball game or an ice cream truck disturbing the reverie. And let’s not even get started on the military relics like a gun used for artillery practice when the area was a fort, though curious kids want to see these, too.

German Village Shops and Eats

theroadscholar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:17:17 +0000

Columbus, OH–A weekend in German Village means lots of walking to see gardens and houses, lots of browsing in unique shops, and plenty of eating. Here’s a sampling of places not to miss:

Schiller Park, renamed Washington Park when anti-German sentiment arose during WWI, has been renamed Schiller Park. It’s a great place for people watching, dog walking, and in the summer, free theater on the weekends.

Spend some time perusing the shelves in the 32 rooms of the Book Loft, and enjoy a cup of coffee at Cup O’ Joe’s next door at 627 S. Third.

Pistacia Vera, 541 S. Third, presents exquisite cakes, tortes, cookies, and tarts. Who knew culinary artistic creations could taste as amazing as they look?

There are cupcakes for $2.50, cakes, brownies, scones, and pastries galore at Bakery Gingham, 189 Thurman Ave. All fresh and scrumptious. In summer, ask for the junior ice cream cone. For just $1.25, you get a creamy, delicious treat. Open till 9. (Owner Amanda Ellis owns two bulldogs, and since I’m a bulldog caretaker, that’s a good enough recommendation for me.)

Man Vs. Food met its match at The Thurman Cafe, 183 Thurman Ave., home to the monster Thurman Burger. It’s a 6-inch high creation of ham, mozzarella, american cheese, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, sauteed onions, pickle, peppers, and mayo with chips and a pickle spear. No way can any normal person eat this in one sitting.

Lovely glass objects, pottery, and unusual jewelry and handmade handbags line the shelves at Helen Winnemore Craft, 150 E. Kossuth, a German Village institution since 1938. Clerks offer visitors a glass of water and invite them to browse.

It wouldn’t be a visit to German Village without checking out Schmidt’s Sausage Haus, but Schmidt’s Fudge Haus satisfies the sweet tooth. Rich fudge made fresh, and lots of old-time candies, too.

We took a morning walk just beyond the border of German Village to the Scioto River and Berliner Park. Fishermen are out early, and the dogs loved taking a swim. Even the bulldog–who normally is so afraid of water that he sidesteps puddles–jumped right in. It’s right on the Greenway bike trail to downtown.

Summer Suburban Concerts

theroadscholar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:27:22 +0000

Lake Bluff, IL–A ride on the Green Bay bicycle trail, which runs for miles from Evanston up to North Chicago, guarantees beautiful scenery and nature. Sounds keep up with sights as main attractions. The path parallels the Union Pacific Metra rail line, so there’s the occasional train swooshing past, but there’s also the chirp of red-wing blackbirds, a rustle of rabbits in the brush, the leaves of trees that overhang much of the path.

Ravinia, an outdoor summer concert venue, lies right on the path. You can even return on the train with your bike, if you bring a bungee cord to secure it.

There are also free music options for riders, though. On Wednesday nights, the path through Highwood goes right past the Highwood Gourmet Farmer’s Market, and there’s always a band. It’s dinner and concert with some Wisconsin cheese, an Italian gelato, and desserts from the local bakery the Bent Fork.

Sometimes there are surprises, like last night’s ride up to Lake Bluff, where a free concert on the village green made a wonderful halfway stop. Kids romped, parents sipped wine, and the band played oldies. Pumping pedals in time to Herman’s Hermits ”Henry the VIII” made an invigorating trip home.

Women in the Woods

theroadscholar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:34:41 +0000

Ever wanted to learn how to cook in a Dutch oven over a campfire, or find your way through the woods with a compass, or navigate a river? Maybe you’re an Urbanite and never learned how to shoot a rifle or hunt, or participated in any outdoors activities at all. Many states offer weekend workshops for the outsdoorsperson in you, and the cost is low, less than $200 for workshops, two nights in a cabin and meals. For more information, check out your state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, for example, www.fw.ky.gov for Kentucky’s sessions.