Dear Loyal Contrarian Traveller —
The CT profoundly apologizes for its moribundness in recent months. Lots has happened.
Lael Powell Rushing has been busy working on his first book, “The Unofficial History of Car-Camping.” Rob Jordan, Metrosexual and South East Asian Editor, has moved from Miami to DC. The Alpha Contrarian is recovering from several trips, and a bout with swine flu.
But we will be back. In December, we will publish an exclusive excerpt from LPR’s book. This is essential reading for any one legitimately interested in unorthodox, low-cost ways of traveling in North America.
More to come.
Five Contrarian Things to Do in Hyde Park (Illinois), by Max Grinnell, AB ‘98
Since Senator Barack Obama became President-elect Barack Obama a few weeks back, dozens of media outlets (i.e. daily rags, 60 Minutes, the Rockford Daily Shopper, etc.) have scoured Hyde Park for the inside scoop on what makes this place tick. Hyde Park has seen it all before, and for the most part, mainstream media has focused on the “classics”: the UofC, the Valois Cafeteria, the bookishness of every single one of its residents.
Fortunately, one of the CT’s editors, the Urbanologist (aka Max Grinnell), is one of the world’s greatest living authorities on Hyde Park, Illinois. Not only is The Urbanologist the author of an architectural history of Hyde Park – “Images of America: Hyde Park, Illinois,??? he’s also The Go-To Tour Guide on Hyde Park. (More on this later)
In brief, the CT is happy to assume the role of World’s Most Authoritative Resource on President Obama’s neighborhood.
To kick off our 8 (hopefully) years of exhaustive coverage on The New Crawford, Texas , we give you – from the Urbanologist himself– five contrarian things of note in Hyde Park, and here they are, in no particular order.
1. Take a walk behind the Museum of Science and Industry.
The Museum of Science and Industry is a uber-non-contrarian destination. Lots of schoolchildren from the southern suburbs, tourists with a penchant for German subs, and so on. Never fear: If you take a walk directly behind the Museum, you’ll encounter a rather large lagoon. It’s rather pleasant back here, and there’s usually random men fishing for something (probably fish, but who knows). Say hi, and take a look around. A nighttime excursion here is probably not a wise idea, but you’d definitely get bonus contrarian hit points.
2. Grab a drink at the Falcon Inn
Everyone who goes to Hyde Park hears about Jimmy’s (aka The Woodlawn Tap) over on 55th Street. A fine place, but you’d do better to check out the Falcon Inn right east of the Metra tracks on 53rd Street. The place is attached to a pizza joint (Cholie’s) and the drinks are cheap as hell. It’s a good place to run into someone who has a story about R. Kelly, R&B legend and South Side native-son. They have an odd Columbian Exposition-style mural on the wall, and friendly folks behind the bar.
3. Wander down Rosalie Court (aka Harper Avenue)
Back in the 19th century, Hyde Park was its own bucolic village, and people liked it that way (and some would prefer that it be that way today…) A two block stretch of the hood was developed as a private community, and it was named Rosalie Court. Of course back, then the train operated at grade level through their collective backyards, so it probably wasn’t that pleasant. Today, the street is called Harper Avenue, and if you wander up from 59th Street next to the Metra tracks, you’ll see a collection of old motley homes that feel like sitting on Grandma’s davenport, that is, if Grandma would let you sit on that thing, what with all the plastic and such. Cats on porches, off-beat color combinations (purple and green stand out), and random pieces of art make these two blocks worth a visit.
4. Go to a wine tasting at Kimbark Liquor’s
There’s absolutely nothing special about the building that Kimbark Liquor’s calls home, unless you’re a fan of urban renewal projects dedicated by Hizzoner Richard J. Daley. Fortunately, Kimbark Liquor’s sponsors a wonderful wine tasting every Friday and Saturday evening. You might want to call ahead to check the exact hours (they tend to change quite a bit), but it’s worth a stop. Pick up a bottle of passionfruit-infused booze on your way out and you might find yourself on the way to the lagoon behind the Museum of Science and Industry.
5. Count grotesques.
Let’s clear the air regarding the whole grotesque/gargoyle schism. A grotesque is a carved decoration on a building that is NOT used as a drain spout. Gargoyle….well, those happen to have a drain spout. So wander on over to the Hyde Park campus of the UofC and count a few grotesques. Extra points if you can find the building that is festooned with various creatures, including an alligator. You could be there all day, so bring some trail mix, an astrolabe, and sturdy boots.
Want more?
For more detailed information on Hyde Park, please contact the CT directly – we can arrange a special, ultra-exclusive contrarian tour of the neighborhood, which will conclude with a stop at President-elect Obama’s dry cleaner, a visit to an Obama-friendly shoe store, and twilight drinks at The Falcon with The Urbanologist – and if we’re extremely lucky – Chicago Tribune legend, and Urbanologist pal, Rick Kogan.
As most readers of the CT know, we have been off-the-charts, drop-your-pants excited about the global financial meltdown for months now. The plunging Dow, the faltering Nikkei, collapsing I-banks, devalued currencies… Why? You ask - does that mean Iceland, Sensei? ‘
Here’s what a bad economy means to us:
* Previously unaffordable places become semi-affordable.
* Middle class white American people become too poor, economically anxious to travel- ie: fewer tourists.
So, while Wall Street aches, while the Euro struggles, while the financial spine of Iceland breaks, CTers are getting ready for some hard-core backbacking in previously unaffordable countries — like Iceland.
Did we ever tell you how much we like Iceland? One of the CT’s seminal pieces, way back in 1998 was on… Icelandophillia.
That said, the CT has long had a weakness for Iceland, but has been thwarted by the horrible dollar to krona exchange rate.
Some super encouraging news started appearing a few weeks ago. The Wall Street Journal ran a short piece about how the demise of Iceland’s banks has been driving Icelanders back to their roots in fishin. We started sensing some opportunity.
So did the CT’s arch-enemy, The New YorkTimes…
Michelle Higgins of the Times wrote the paper’s first openly contrarian piece of the 2007-2008 Subprime Crisis turned Mini-Recession. Higgins makes the bold (for the Times) suggestion that “a bad economy is good for travellers.???
She cites Iceland in a round-up of global meltdown = travel bargains. Here is the “Christmas Bargains” piece.
Then, we also spotted, just day later, a desperate plea — in “Ailing Iceland Invites Visitors???
And then, it gets even better, a google search yielded a Travelocity story about some precocious genius who is going to Iceland for the holidays. The Travelocity travel blogger writes:
“When a good friend of mine told me last month that she was considering spending this New Year’s Eve in Iceland, I nearly laughed her right out of the room. Iceland in the wintertime? You know that’s north, not south, right? Besides, Iceland has such a high standard of living. Who has the kind of cash to travel there now given the state of our economy?
Earlier this year, the blogger points out, one U.S. dollar was worth around 70 Icelandic Krona; now it trades for 100 Krona or more.
In conclusion: “Which means this island nation might actually be a splendid winter destination for budget-minded U.S. travelers.”
Please read “Budget Travel in Iceland this Winter” closely. Read it as if its the Talmud.
Reason: This is, in many ways, the ultimate manifestation of the contrarian spirit. This is our Holy Grail. That’s right — Rekyjavik -in the winter of 2008 — is our Valhalla..
You see, by going in December, the Contrarian takes advantage of not only Iceland’s economic woes — and desperation — but also seasonality. Only a diehard contrarian would go to Iceland during the dead of winter, around the winter solstice, at a time when there are mere hours of sunlight. But the pay-off for the contrarian who does have the moxie, the pride, the quartzite balls, the fearlessness of the dark, the immunity to SADS (Seasonal Affecticve Disorder) is huge.
Lael Powell-Rushing, a recovering Icelandophile, will discuss this later this month in our next issue — we’re going to devote the whole CT to Iceland. Specifically, LPR will talk about what you’ll find in Reykjavik, Akureyri, and Husavik during December and early January, what you can during the two hours of daylight, where to go Nordic skiing and bar-hopping. He’ll also talk about the pros and cons of car-camping in Iceland.
Meantime, here are a few resources to whet your appetite and prepare you.
The Times on “When to Go to Iceland?”
And below, a picture of the intrepid Cameron Smith — a fellow we don’t personally know — in Iceland. Look closely at this picture. This could be you.
Finally, finally, we spoke with Lael Powell Rushing the other night about his Idaho Panhandle Trip. Lael, as many of you know, has recently been struggling with a rare combination of carpal tunnel and strep throat and has been difficult to reach. We just wanted to tell him that all of us at the CT wish him a speedy recovery, and we hope that he can hit the road again soon.
This is an excerpt from our initial De-Brief with Lael, in which we talked about a couple of key issues, such as where to stay, why to go, and the economics of Idaho’s extreme north. Judging from Lael’s testimony, we’ve determined that there are Five Key reasons to head to the furthest reaches of the Idaho Panhandle. The most compelling reason is clearly Number 5: “$165 in Lift Tickets — Panhandle style.”
1. See the Lake Tahoe of the Panhandle, Investigate Rumors of “The Paddler.”
Sandpoint sits on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, which is a large, deep, clear lake. Very beautiful. Apparently, it’s one of the few places with an inland, freshwater Naval submarine facility. There’s also local lore of the deep-water beast, “the Paddler”, as well as some really far-fetched ideas about deep, under-ground canals linking Lake Pend Oreille to Flathead Lake in Montana, and even the Pacific. (This was told to Lael by a drunk local, originally from St. Paul, MN, late at night in Eichard’s (More on Eichardt’s later in the Good Bar section.
2. Experience British Columbia… at Lower Prices.
Lake Pend Oreille sits between the Selkirk Mountains and the Cabinet Mountains. Never heard of the Selkirks or the Cabinets? That’s because they’re Canadian. Both are long, gorgeous mountain ranges that reside overwhelmingly in Canada and only duck into the northern Panhandle. It’s definitely a maritime influenced climate and ecoregion, with a deep snowpack and dank, dark forests. In other words, a lot like southern B.C.
3. Obnoxious Texans, Affluent Californians, New Yorkers with Bling — Not Here
The main resort in the area is Schweitzer. It’s a cool ski resort, sort of well known because of it’s proximity to the capital of the Inland Empire (Spokane - 2 hrs. from downtown to ski resort), and Coeur D’Alene. (Lael estimates that the whole Spokane/Post Falls, Coeur D’Alene, megalopolis have at least 500k - this has not been verified)…. It’s privately owned, which is kind of a bummer, because it means that the trajectory of condos and development around the ski area is likely to continue, and probably in a big way. Right now, it’s not that out of control, and Sandpoint (population 6,000) is definitely low-key, but this could all change in the future. The mountain itself is pretty impressive and boasts some world-class terrain. I’ve been there on 4 different trips, and had some good days there. Big parts of the mountain are “backcountry-like”, so it appeals to backcountry skiers, and there’s lots of easily accessible backcountry outside of the resort. But it’s got lots of “family” terrain too.
4. Eichardt’s — A Good Hippy, Gay, Metrosexual Friendly Bar.
Editors’s Note: Let’s face it. If northern Idaho has a reputation of anything, it’s for right wing, wack job extremists. This is the home of Ruby Ridge. It was a retreat for Ted Kacynski and Mark Furman. There are plenty of hostile local folk, said Lael. (Lael, as you know, with his dredlocks and hemp clothing is not the most discreet hippy traveler.) That said, Lael was enthused a bar in Sandpoint.
“Eichardt’s bar and restaurant in Sandpoint is a gem. Amazing food, great atmosphere, and a killer game room upstairs (pool, ping pong, darts, and a great shuffle puck board). Very hip place. We went there 4 nights in a row for dinner, because frankly it would have been impossible to find a better place in Sandpoint that met all of our needs (food, games, attractive, hip people). Meanwhile, across the street was an old-timers bar, I sent a photo, with a sign out front saying “Tervan” on one side and “Tavern” on the other. We went in for a beer and definitely did not feel welcome. The 3 of us stand out quite a bit I’d say - I’m the shortest at 6 feet, and I’d wager that our “ethnic” looks and fancy sportswear did not go over well. It was that experience that reminded me how contrarian the Panhandle is for dudes like us. (NOTE: By us, Lael means western hippy Jews, who car camp, and have dredlocks)
One older, drunk woman did come up to us as we were all watching this show on the TV about tattoos, and she asked us if we knew anything about getting our “dickies” tatooed. At that point, I was glad that I was only Jewish, and not gay. It was time to go. Back across the street — at Eichardt’s — we were where we belonged. Where Jews and Gays belonged. And Eichardt’s couldn’t be warmer.
5. $165 Worth of Free Lift Tickets — Panhandle Style.
Note: The final Lael remark that sold us on the Panhandle, involved his friend Noah, a Toyota, and the Schweitzer ski resort. Noah is — believe it or not — even taller and more rabbinic looking than Lael. Here is Lael:
Schweitzer’s had a special promotion during our visit, if you drove a Toyota to the mountain, they’d give the owner a free lift ticket. Noah has a Toyota with 215,000 miles. So he figured they owe him 1 ticket per 100,000 miles. Now, at a resort like Vail or something, if there was a give-away like this going on, you’d figure you’d have to go inside, fill out some kind of form, give away your SSN and your telephone number, talk to a Toyota rep, and the whole nine yards. Well, we’re heading up to the mountain, and we get to this lower parking lot, a full 9 miles away from the resort at the bottom of the mountain, and we pull in, and there’s this parking lot dude, you know, a real dude, some 35 year old dude, standing there with a pocket full of lift tickets and he’s handing us one as well pull up, since he recognizes the Toyota!
Sweet deal. So Noah pulls out his shtick about 1 ticket per 100,000, and the dude barely pauses and pulls out another ticket. Sweet. But there’s 3 of us, so I’m like, “hey, do you think our buddy could get a ticket”, pointing to Gus in the back seat, and the guy pauses, and he’s like, “you guys must be panhandlers! no prob!” Sweet! Fucking unreal. $165 dollars worth of free lift tickets. That doesn’t happen at Vail, or really anywhere for that matter. And I videotaped the whole interaction in stealth mode, and we had to reanalyze his comment about pandhandlers, and we now think it was a compliment.
You guys must be Panhandlers!
For more on the Idaho Panhandle, Lael or Noah’s Toyota, check back next month, when we talk with Lael about his visit to the urban core of the Idaho Panhandle.