Out-of-town
GREENWELL: Taum Sauk: The Big Little Mountain
Jul 15th
Mountain view
The Midwest isn’t known for any sort of drastic gradient in elevation. In fact, we’re known for quite the opposite: flat grasslands and acre after endless acre of corn, wheat and soybeans. Personally, I think we get a bad rap sometimes because of the grand landscapes of the Rockies to the west and Appalachia to the east. Maybe our landscapes aren’t as “grand,” but you have to give us credit for producing enough food to feed millions each year. In other words, we keep you alive America. You’re welcome.
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With all that said, we still have oases for hikers and climbers, notably in Southern Missouri and Southern Illinois. We only had to travel 3.5 hours into south into Missouri, just outside a small town called Ironton, where we were able to hike Taum Sauk Mountain. Taum Sauk is located in Taum Sauk Mountain State Park, and it’s the highest point of elevation in the entire state at 1,772 feet above sea level. It isn’t a glacier capped, 12,000-foot sawtooth that you might find in Colorado or Montana, but it’s a definite rise above sea level. Try hiking it. You’ll see what I mean.
The thing I really liked about Taum Sauk is its accessibility, whether on tires, hooves or feet. We drove to a basic walk-in, first-come first-served campsite near the top of the mountain. When I called the rangers station prior to our arrival, the ranger informed me that a “campsite is usually always available, but it’s not guaranteed.” We got a nice wooded site without a problem, although we were in relatively close quarters with another group of backpackers, which I didn’t mind.
Tandem Trail Marker
From the site, you have access to a variety of trails. We chose to take the Mina Sauk Falls trail, which is a 3-mile loop leading to a 132-foot waterfall that cascades over a series of ledges into Taum Sauk Creek. It’s defiantly a medium to strenuous hike. The trail curves and winds over rocky terrain and swift dips and inclines in elevation. I recommend good hiking shoes or boots, and I encourage you to be cautious. The risk to fall on nasty rock formations and/or sprain or even break an ankle is high if you aren’t paying careful attention to your footing.
The trail was well marked. It’s always a hikers worst nightmare to veer off trail and get lost (I also encourage you to carry and be knowledgeable with a compass and a topographical map). The trails of Taum Sauk Mountain are also part of a much larger trail — 350-400 miles — called the Ozark Trail, which is divided into 13 smaller sections, including several state parks and the popular Current River section. Taum Sauk is a 35-mile section. The trail builders use different markers to let you know whether you are on an exclusive trail in Taum Sauk State Park (a maroon blaze), the larger Ozark Trail (a green and white blaze) or a trail shared by both (both blazes in tandem).
Devil's Tollgate
After lunch we veered off the loop to see a final landmark, Devil’s Tollgate, which was an additional 2-mile in-and-out hike to the southwest. The trail runs between large rock formations that look naturally cleaved in half. This trail was relatively simple after it leveled out. The beginning was a steep decline; so, if you ever decide to come at the Tollgate from the east, take it slow. Declines can be bad on your knees, especially if you’re carrying a pack and moving fast. We decided to eat a snack and rehydrate here.
The temperature started to drop while we were eating. We thought we were getting a break because it had been in the high 80s, but it was actually a storm front moving into the area. We decided to hike swiftly back up the mountain (500 feet in about two miles) to our camp rather than risk being at a lower point of elevation during high amounts of rainfall. This put us between a rock and a hard place because climbing up in a thunderstorm also makes you a more conductive lightning rod. And we did see lighting. I’d guess the bolt struck the ground 100-200 feet east of us. Too close for comfort.
We decided not to camp that night due to the severity of the weather. There’s roughing it, and then there’s being ignorant.
Highest Point Marker
Trying to fend off thunderstorms in tornado alley in a tent during tornado season is ignorant. You have to have common sense when you’re out in the wilderness. Fortunately, we were camping close to our vehicle so we had the option to go. We would have been in really tight spot if we were in backcountry. Taum Sauk was an awesome experience: challenging, conditioning, technical and dangerous, and it’s less than a day’s drive from here. You could easily go on a Friday afternoon after work and camp and backpack for the weekend.
Eric Greenwell
Eastern Collared Lizard
GREENWELL: Poet Laureati — A National Convergence of Poets Laureate (Sunday)
Mar 25th
Eric Greenwell, left, and Walter Butts.
This is the second part of a three series blog. You can read the first part by clicking here.
Sunday was the first day of the poetry conference. Even though it didn’t kick off until 2:30, we set our alarms for 7 a.m. I attribute the fact the snooze about nine times to the barbecue and beer turning over in my gut all night. There was no real rush to get up early anyway, aside from continental breakfast. I can’t say no to free Belgian waffles. It’s a weakness.
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We wanted to get cleaned up, check out KU’s campus and hit downtown Lawrence as early as possible. I’ve heard a lot of good things about used book stores and coffee shops. But, I also had to get psyched up for this poetry conference. While Belinda did her hair and makeup, I read some of the poems written by the attending poets that have been published in accessible, online e-journals and websites. After she got all dolled up, we hit the town.
The free coffee we had at the hotel was absolutely awful, so good Joe was our top priority. We stopped at an excellent little joint called Aimee’s Coffeehouse on Massachusetts Ave. We cruised a few shops. The architecture was really old and well maintained. I remember an outdoor store call Sunflower Outdoor & Bike. It had two levels, all hardwood and you could find anything you would at an REI: camping gear, hiking gear, climbing gear, kayaks, outdoor clothing and cycling equipment. I always hesitate to buy anything in an outdoor store because you can usually find the similar or better gear online at sites like http://www.altrec.com/ and http://www.sierratradingpost.com/ for boat loads cheaper. Regardless, the people were friendly and knowledgeable whether you wanted to buy anything or not.
I wish I could like to tell you we tackled the whole KU campus, but I would be lying. The campus was huge, and it was already early in the afternoon. We limited ourselves to a small section by the Spencer Museum Art, which is where the poetry conference started.
The name — a convergence of poets laureate — generally describes the idea behind the conference. For those of you who don’t what a poet laureate is, he or she is basically appointed by the state or national government to raise awareness about the reading and writing of poetry. This conference included 20 of those individuals, including the former United States Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser. For info about the attending poets, check out the Poet Laureati site. This event was design to raise awareness about poetry, and, specifically, to raise awareness for Executive Reorganization Order #39, which successfully and sadly abolished the Kansas Arts Commission effective July 1, 2011.
Belinda and I were taken on a tour of the art museum with New Hampshire poet laureate and Professor of Creative Writing at Goddard College, Walter Butts. He and I turned out to have a lot in common and discussed poetry and art extensively. We also exchanged emails. I’m currently exchanging poems with Walter, and I think he is going to be a valuable critic and friend in the future. After the tour, we got to hear some of the poets read from their published works, which was remarkable. I feel poetry is meant to be heard as well read, and what better voice to convey the poem than the poet?
After the reading, we mingled. I had to be up early again the next day for a full day of information sessions starting at 8 a.m., so Belinda and I went back to the hotel to read and get some rest. More on the Monday info sessions in the next blog.
Eric Greenwell
Poet Laureati: A National Convergence of Poets Laureate (Saturday Night)
Mar 24th
Eric Greenwell eating chocolate covered bacon in Lawrence, Kas.
Little known fact about me: I’m not a huge fan of the state of Kansas.
It’s flat, long and horribly boring to drive across. I’m not a Chief’s fan. I’m not a Royals fan. I think the only thing redeeming about the state is the KU Jayhawks basketball team. Well, I attended a two day national poetry conference held in Lawrence from March 13 to 14, and I got to spend a couple nights in the Jayhawk’s hometown.
Turns out, Lawrence is a hip place — an oasis, if you will. Since most of you probably don’t know what a poetry conference entails, I will break my experience down into three blogs — Saturday night, Sunday and Monday — to provide the best picture of Lawrence and the event that I can.
Greenwell with the Jayhawk.
We left Saturday, March 12, sometime in the afternoon. It’s not a bad drive. I went to school in Carbondale, Ill., which is about the same distance from Quincy as Lawrence — about 250 miles (four to five hours) away. We stayed at a Days Inn on South Iowa street. I booked it through priceline.com at $40/night. Aside from a dirty ice bucket, it wasn’t a bad hotel, especially compared to the price of other hotels in the area. I don’t normally invest a lot of money in hotel rooms, because I don’t spend a lot of time in my room — awake at least. The only amenity I look for is free wifi to look stuff up. This trip was no exception. The moment we set our bags down, I was already digging out my laptop to scour the internet. We heard that Lawrence has some killer BBQ, so we searched for some local joints.
After browsing a few websites, we came across a place called Bigg’s Barbecue. They had a link to their dinner menu right on the homepage, and everything sounded good for a reasonable price (we found some places that were ridiculously expensive). They also boasted a homemade, award winning barbecue sauce. We decided to drive over. Luckily, we had a GPS. Bigg’s was tucked behind some large shopping center off the main drag, and it took us about 4 u-turns to find it. There were no signs, markers or neon lights. You might think this is an advertising fail, but I feel differently. If a place doesn’t need to advertise their location to put butts in the seats, then they must rely on their food.
Bigg’s looked small from the outside, but it was huge. Architecturally, the building was like a giant loft with a bar — a main level dining floor, a balcony dining floor, The kitchen underneath the second level, three 50 inch
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projectors and more flat screens than Electronics Warehouse. The place was packed, and for good reason. KU was playing the University of Texas at Austin (the Longhorns) for the big 12 title. Everyone was wearing royal blue, even our waiter, who sat down with us to watch the game after bringing out our meals. Our dinner was awesome. I had baby back ribs and smoked brisket with baked cinnamon apples and spicy coleslaw. Belinda ordered all you can eat rib tips with potato salad and fried okra. We washed it all down with a bottle of Dos Equis (on special Saturday nights) and a pint of Crimson Phog, which is a local Irish red brewed by 23rd Street Brewery. Irish red is probably my favorite type of beer, and I can honestly say that the Phog was one of the best I’ve tasted. Belinda agrees.
Even though we were pretty stuffed, we decided to leave a smidge of room for dessert because I really wanted to try the chocolate covered bacon. What? Meat for dessert? Yes, that’s right. Fried pig slivers dipped in milk chocolate, dressed up with sliced almonds and served with a side of whip cream. Belinda has already had chocolate covered bacon, and she really wanted me to try it. There’s nothing like following up a two-meat entrée with a dessert of sweet and salty meat.
KU ended up beating the Longhorns, and the place went nuts. People were screaming, whistling, standing up in the aisles and dancing around. The excitement was infectious, but I was too full to join in. I figured it was time to head back to the hotel. I knew I needed to get up early to see as much of Lawrence as I could and to attend day 1 of the poetry conference on Sunday. Plus, I was in no shape to walk around after such a huge meal. So, we went back to the hotel and fell into a quasi-meat coma.
Eric Greenwell
KELLEY: Movies, Booze and Moolah — Part 2 Rasoi
Jan 15th
Still high from seeing “Black Swan” at Chase Park Plaza and “The King’s Speech” at the Moolah on Lindell on the edge of St. Louis’ Central West End, you might expect that we were in need of some really good food. We chose Rasoi on N. Euclid in Central West End.
I have been on a curry craze the last few months, buying lots of Seeds of Change curry simmer sauces at Hy-Vee. Lately it hasn’t been enough. I wanted a real Indian Restaurant experience and I remembered walking by Rasoi the last time we explored Central West End. I kicked and whined and begged and cried until I got my way and everyone agreed to go there.
We arrived just as they opened and ordered specialty drinks at the bar. I don’t remember what I had, some kind of variation on the mojito, perhaps. Anyway, it was tasty. We were seated and our waiter, Mohammad, did a great job of explaining the menu. It was broken up into different sections: vegetarian, meat, chicken, entrées, small plates, etc. But I had no ideas what kind of flavors were in each dish in relation to the curry, so I asked Mohammad to recommend something hot. “I love hot food. I want to sweat and arrive on the verge of tears Mohammad, but I don’t want to die. Can you make it that hot?” I’m sure he looked at me and thought, “well, this white guy talks tough, but he probably can’t handle heat.”
Mohammad ended up recommending a great dish — something called Lamb Vindaloo prepared with potatoes in hot spices, but he confessed he didn’t spice it hot enough to make me cry. Victoria ordered the Feast For One that I shared with her, consisting of lamb chop, tandoori chicken, malai kabab, prawn angarey, lamb rogan josh, navratan korma, choice of bread and the dessert of the day. I don’t know what much of those words mean, but by the power of Grayskull, was it delicious. The flatbread alone
Kelley
was worth the price of admission, not to mention the many curries in each dish. Our table was covered with various plates of food. We were passing each other samples of everything. We also got a bottle of Russian River Valley Zinfandel, which complemented the spicy dishes perfectly.
For the first time in a while, I couldn’t help reaching for a few more bites of food despite my stomach telling my brain “no more!” Give Indian a try. If you’re in the Central West End anytime soon, start at the Moolah Theatre and end with dinner at Rasoi.
Christopher Kelley
KELLEY: Movies, booze and Moolah in St. Louis — Part 1
Jan 14th
Few things say “Good morning” like a hot cup of pumpkin spice coffee, black and The White Stripes quaking my tiny array of consumer speakers. So far, the new year is off to a good start — the good far outweighing the bad with no ugly in sight. A kiss, a limo ride, a completed screenplay, new filmmaking toys and a day trip to St. Louis to see a double bill of incredible movies.
I have a love-hate relationship with the theaters in the Quincy area. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to have movie theaters close by, but once-in-a-while trips to St. Louis cinemas are absolutely necessary — like taking a day off at work for mental health reasons. This time, we went to see two films not yet playing in Quincy.
Kelley
“Black Swan,” which is finally opening in Quincy Friday, Jan. 14, had a screen at the Chase Park Plaza’s theater — part of the STL Cinema chain: “A civilized alternative to the megaplex.” I’ve never been to the Chase Park Plaza, but I’m a huge fan of the Central West End and I’ve heard all kinds of pomp and circumstance about the hotel itself. I expected a lot from this theater. Walking in, I was under whelmed.
While the selection of movies were great, the theaters, themselves, look like they were built for Tiny Elvis. The screen looked no bigger than Pat Taylor’s home theater in the dungeons of Ice Scream. My feet stuck to the floor with each step and the seats seemed a bit dusty. It was like seeing a movie in the Quincy Mall theater circa 2005 when you had to go in practically wearing a Hazmat suit. The Chase also has a so-so selection of snacks and booze, but, hey, they got booze!
A lady sitting about halfway down the Tiny Elvis looked at myself and my brother-in-law walking past her and said, “Oh, tall people, please don’t sit in front of me.” My immediate reaction was not very nice, so I just smiled and kept walking. The theater got about half-full before the picture started. Then everything was wonderful. Not only was “Black Swan” an amazing film — I know, I know, everyone’s hyping it, but it‘s true, unless you‘re Pat Taylor, who said, “meh” — but everyone watching with us in the theater seemed to think so, too.
Would I go back to Chase for another film? Yeah, sure, as long as that film’s not playing at the Moolah Theatre down the road.
The MOOLAH THEATRE! Now THIS is what cinema should be! We went there next to catch “The King’s Speech” and left with an experience that’s making me tear up just thinking about it.
The Moolah is down the road from Chase on Lindell in a beautiful, historic building that was renovated into this cinema temple for 17.2 million bucks. It has a lounge with a big screen projector — bigger than the film screen at The Chase Park Plaza — a pub, pool tables, video games, a grill and a gargantuan screen with leather couches, chairs and traditional theater seating in the back and up on the balcony. There is no bad seat in this house.
We arrived 20 minutes early and found a long line of eager Moolites already gathering. We bought our tickets and found a place in line to claim a leather couch, while bro-in-law and I took this opportunity to get lunch and drinks for everyone.
At the bar, they had a list of customized cocktails based on the film. I was already buzzing with excitement over the theater; time to add to it with libation. We threw back a shot of tequila and ordered wine and a “Lionel Logue” — a coffee liqueur concoction based on Geoffrey Rush’s character in the film. We then picked up a pizza and followed the ladies into the theater. The couch we nabbed was at a bit of an awkward angle in relation to the screen, but it really didn’t detract from the movie.
“The King’s Speech” was so good, I wouldn’t be surprised if it upset front-runner “The Social Network” at the Oscars. But it’s hard not to fall in love with a great movie when you’re in a giant theater, enjoying good wine and cocktails, and sharing the experience with an awesome crowd. At a time when more and more people are disrespecting the movie-going experience by talking, constantly checking cell phones, texting or even answering calls, the people in the Moolah that screening were totally immersed in the picture.
If you’re planning a trip to St. Louis any time soon, I highly recommend catching a movie at the Moolah, but not this week. This week, they’re showing “The Green Hornet.” I suggest waiting for something better.
Christopher Kelley
GREENWELL: 2010 in review
Jan 6th
Eric Greenwell meditating.
Belinda eating fresh seafood.
I thought, rather than list all the New Years resolutions I will undoubtedly fail to commit to — like going to the gym 184 times a week or writing a screenplay, which are three-year-running resolutions — I thought I would list my 10 most memorable moments of 2010, starting with my first five:
1. West Coast Road Trip – In the summer of 2010, I bought a new car and Belinda and I hopped across the Mississippi on a huge loop that encompassed 13 states, including Montana, Washington, Oregon and California. From hiking the Bitterroot Mountains to driving Highway 1 to the Strip in Las Vegas, we saw it all. We slept on couches with old friends, ate octopus and cod the day it was caught and camped among the giant redwoods just off the Pacific coast. I felt like I was in an episode of Jurassic Park. Even the clovers were the size of my hand. By the way, you ’80s nerds are about to get jealous: I got to do the truffle shuffle in front of The Goonies house in Astoria, Oregon.
2. Sasquatch Festival 2010 — No, it’s not a mad hunt for a hairy Neanderthal. It’s a three day music festival held in Quincy, WA, every year at one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen: The Gorge Amphitheatre. We lived in a tent city for three days with hundreds of kids who wanted nothing more than to drink and listen to good music. The folks that put this festival together really have their ear to the ground, booking some of the best up and coming and veteran acts. I saw great artists like Mumford and Sons, The National, The Tallest Man on Earth, Kid Cudi, Local Natives, MGMT, LCD Soundsystem, Passion Pit, Band of Horses, Minus the Bear, The Mountain Goats, Caribou, Portugal, The Man, Freelance Whales, Public Enemy, and on and on and on and on.
3. Owen with a full band – For those of you who love a good melody and don’t know who Mike Kinsella is, I urge you to check him out. He is a great songwriter, also known for his work with the band American Football. He released his fourth solo album at the end of 2009 under the moniker Owen. On his albums, you will hear a variety of instruments: drums, violin, piano, acoustic guitars, maracas, etc. Mike plays and records most of these instruments himself, but he only plays acoustic live. Belinda and I had the fortunate experience of watching Mike play his songs with a full band at The Beat Kitchen in his hometown of Chicago. It was an amazing concert and the musicianship was unreal. At one point, I was actually sitting on the stage.
4. Fourth of July Family Barbecue – My family likes fireworks, and I have a big family, so the competition to see who can find the biggest, baddest firework is intense. We are also unlucky because that firework always tends to malfunction in the most dangerous way possible. This past summer, that’s exactly what happened with a multiple-mortar firework called “One Bad Mother.” It was like ten mortars duct taped together, firing ten consecutive aerial busts. Well, that beast fell over, launching shells straight at the house and spectators in lawn chairs. It was like being in the middle of a firefight. Explosions and sparks everywhere. People screaming. At one point, I was running away from ground zero and a mortar shell went over my shoulder, exploding twenty feet in front of me. What a beautiful chaos.
5. The Sledding Accident — When someone tells you that “sledding head first on your back is like drifting through heaven,” they are lying. It’s really an accident waiting to happen. And it happened to me at the infamous South Park Hill. I was traveling at a high rate of speed,
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unable to see where I was going, when I hopped the road and smashed into a tree. One ER visit and $2,000 later (thank God for insurance), I was good as new, except for the bruise-jelly swimming around in my lower back for three months.
I will continue this list in the next blog. But first, let me tell you what I’ve learned so far:
• I learned that there is a whole world of entertainment out there waiting for you. You just have to go out and explore.
• I also learned that I like to take risks — some a little less intelligent than others.
• A good friend of mine always says, “It’s all fun and games until somebody pokes your eye out, then it’s just fun you can’t see.” You live, learn, and press on.
Eric Greenwell
The Gorge Amphitheatre.
GREENWELL: A weekend in St. Louis, Part 2: The Lumière
Oct 27th
Eric Greenwell, right, stands with the chef of Lumiere.
We had just left the parking lot after Six Flags Fright Fest (for more details, check out my previous blog, A weekend in St. Louis, Part 1: Fright Fest). Our calves were on fire. Our hamstrings were sore. Screams from zombies and trolls were ricocheting around inside our skulls. Well, after miles upon miles of walking, there was only one way to put our feet up: a five star hotel and casino, with valet service. Sweet, convenient valet service. In our case, we stayed at the The Lumière, located right by the riverfront landing in downtown St. Louis.
The Lumière is the real deal in terms of ritzy (especially for a small town guy like me). The lobby opens up into a giant foyer with a bar, about twenty broadleaf trees in illuminated stands shaped like giant clay plant pots, leather couches and chairs in a variety of colors, several big screen LCD TVs, and a four story waterfall running down plate glass to a marble platform. Necessary? Not really. Awesome? Definitely.
Check-in was no hassle, and we were up in our room in ten minutes. The room was just as nice. We reserved two queen size beds (since we were with friends), and we got a living room area with a 37” LCD TV and a couch with a pull out bed, a kitchen with a refrigerator, and a bedroom with two queen size beds and another 42” LCD TV. We did have a problem with our mini-fridge being locked shut, but we called the operator and a maintenance man came to our door in minutes. The only thing that seemed weird was that they charged for wi-fi. I’ve been to hotels and even dirt motels all around the U.S. where the internet was free.
Even though we were tired, we had to check out the entertainment. Curiosity can usually evoke a second wind from me anyway. The casino and restaurants are separate from the hotel, connected by a skywalk on the fourth floor. The casino is a very distinct building. You might know it. If you’ve ever driven through the middle of St. Louis on I-70, it’s the building across from the Edward Jones Dome with a giant wedge through it that lights up and changes color at night. If that description isn’t clear, check out this picture. Architecturally speaking, it’s really interesting to look at.
We ate at a restaurant called Asia, which serves (you guessed it) Asian cuisine. I had chicken Pad Thai. I have had Pad Thai before, but this was by far the best. We also had plates of sushi, rice, noodles, and octopus salad floating around the table. Belinda ordered one of their specials: Cornish hen with pan fried patties of sweet rice served with honey garlic sauce. It was a very tender and flavorful meat, and I highly recommend trying it, with or without the sauce.
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Halfway through dinner, my friend Fred leaned over and asked me if I thought the chef was in. I didn’t know what that meant, but he just smiled. Across from the restaurant where we were eating, there was a steakhouse called SLeek. Fred walked over to the hostess and asked her if the chef was in. She smiled kindly, and used a phone at her podium to call back to the kitchen. I was confused. This young lady was, as far as I knew, a complete stranger, but she seemed to know exactly what Fred was asking for. Why?
Then I saw Chef Hubert Keller. He walked out of a back door on the side of the steakhouse, right in front of us. I didn’t know a lot about him. Heck, I didn’t even know he was French. It turns out that he and Fred are both from the same region of France, called Alsace. They greeted each other. Chef Keller shook our hands. He and Fred spoke to each other for a few minutes in a French dialect I could not understand, but I was still enthralled. Chef Keller was a gentleman. He still addressed me, even though I’m sure he could tell I could not understand his language. After a few minutes, he began to speak English. I asked him about his restaurants. Chef Keller told us about his five world renowned restaurants in three major cities—The Burger Bar (Las Vegas, St. Louis, and soon to be San Francisco), Fleur de Lys (Las Vegas and San Francisco), and SLeek (which is regarded as the best steakhouse in St. Louis). He told us how he got his start with a small restaurant in San Francisco, but, sadly, it caught fire. He was forced to reopen, and business only skyrocketed from there, thanks to his culinary expertise.
A few tidbits on Keller: he was the first chef ever invited to The White House to cook for President Bill Clinton, his Fleur de Lys in Vegas boasts a burger a burger call the Fleur burger 5,000 (because it literally costs $5,000.00), he is an accomplished DJ, and he had his own show, Secrets of a Chef, airing nationally on PBS.
While we were walking back to our room at the hotel with warm bellies stuffed full of good food, ready to hibernate, Fred looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. He smiled and said, “You never know if you never ask.” What good advice, especially coming from a man who left his native country three years ago and came here to risk everything and open a bakery. I can say my trip to The Lumière was memorable. Some people might think it was the five star atmosphere, but I don’t. I think it was because we made our own memories, and those are the best kind.
View from the window.
Eric Greenwell
KELLEY: Fun scares and thrills at The Darkness in St. Louis
Oct 13th
This past Saturday, we were in St. Louis doing a thing, which presented the perfect opportunity to go to the Soulard neighborhood for a scare at The Darkness — a gargantuan building of terror, thrills, chills, and terror and thrills. Luckily, STL-TV’s Gilberto Pinela was with us to access the VIP treatment from The Darkness staff.
“We’re here,” Gilberto announced to a delightful chap dressed in black at the front gate, who promptly escorted us past the long, winding, outdoor line of people and into the antechamber where horror reared its ugly head in the form of another line. This one, we were not allowed to skip. But don’t worry; this line is almost part of the attraction with a taste of things to come. An animatronic demon screamed at people from above. Actors in costume worked the crowd. A puppetronic old-man-warlock-thing bobbled against a wall and I pretended he was doing sorcerer stand-up comedy. A soda machine tormented thirsty people by displaying an “out of order” sign.
It was hot that day, too. It was like Global Warming firehosed the Autumn’s cool groove with boiling water and started yelling, “Who still doesn’t think I exist?” As bodies started pressing together in line, I started apologizing to my companions for the unavoidable sweat that would soon pour down my face and body.
Kelley
Finally, the main entrance!
The Darkness in a multi-level haunted house, rated as one of the top in the country. We recently saw a Travel Channel program featuring 2008’s setup. Each year, the staff rebuilds the attraction to keep it fresh. Every section features a different horror theme, from prehistoric terrors to sci-fi scares. Some are new and inventive; others are classic spectacles I’ve come to expect.
Strobe light and darkness. For some reason, at of haunted houses, I break into a fake karate pose and slowly chop my way through the danger. But I always have fun and I am always loud. The first scare was proof as I yelled and did some kind of weird judo thing.
Victoria was following me, holding on tight to my belt loops and keeping her eyes closed. She was certain she was going to tug too tight and pull my pants down – a true horror, to be sure. I creeped around a dark corner, reaching ahead of me with my hands, and touched the belly of an actor who was getting ready to do a little startling.
We saw a madhouse overrun by psychotic patients. Mummies and the horrors of ancient Egypt. Zombies. Medieval torture. Lots of animatronics, which really don’t do anything to scare me, but are neat to look at. Lots of dummies mixed in with real people. A very, very little person was made up to appear fused to a full-grown man – a half formed brother. He was posed and perfectly still. At the second we passed him, he lunged forward and reached for us. I didn’t think he was real until that. It was one of my favorite scares. Who’s inanimate and who’s going to spring to life?
The heat was really getting to me at that point. Not only was I soaked in the kind of sweat that normally makes my wife back away from me with a “yucky” expression on her face, but I was also feeling a little faint. I could only imagine what the performers were going through in heavy makeup and costume and running around the building for hours. We were marching up and down stairs. Plus the group ahead of us slowed down so much we actually caught up to them and it became a slow-moving line. But I was still screaming.
The regular thrills ended and we were handed a cheap pair of 3-D glasses for the next part of The Darkness. Black lights and neon colors made everything pop. I started acting stranger than normal on purpose and that seemed to make the actors not mess with me as much. We passed through a 3-D moving tunnel that disoriented me so much I nearly fell over the railing and I started to wonder if they just recycled these 3-D glasses and if the person who previously wore them had snot or puss or disease all over his face.
Finally, it was over. I marched straight outside – away from the cooked BO smell caused by the stupid heat wave – and took in a deep breath of lukewarm air. Ahhh….better.
And a very cool attraction that would have been much more enjoyable had the leftover, dull summer heat not come back to make me all sweaty and gross. Visit scarefest.com for information and tickets. And go when it’s cooler outside!
Who wants candy corn?
Christopher Kelley
Greenwell: A Night at The Blue Note
Oct 11th
Local Natives
I keep a really open mind when it comes to the music I listen to, and I like a lot of different indie bands. These are the bands that may only have one or two good albums out. You won’t hear them on the radio. They don’t play large venues like the House of Blues in Chicago or Verizon Wireless amphitheatre in St. Louis. But these are national acts, touring and putting out albums with record labels like Fueled By Ramen, Frenchkiss, Sub Pop, Polyvinyl and many others.
Greenwell
Some of the venues I like to scout to these bands live are medium size clubs and small, hole-in-the-wall bars like The Pageant in St. Louis, Pop’s in Sauget, Ill., and Mojo’s and The Blue Note in Columbia, Mo. I listed these particularly because they are within two hours from Quincy. I went to The Blue Note for the first time last Sunday to see Local Natives (this link will take to you their myspace page rather than their website so you can hear some tunes). I found out that, of all the venues I listed above, it is probably the closest, the acts they book are excellent, and the tickets are really cheap (We only paid $10 for a national touring act).
A little info on the Local Natives: they are from L.A. I originally saw them at Sasquatch Festival 2010 in Quincy, Wash., back in May. They were outstanding. It’s hard for me describe their sound accurately. Their singer has a higher pitched voice, but multiple band members are usually singing at once. The music is really well layered: two guitars, a bass player, piano, some synth, and drums. The guitars are usually clean, but they can get distorted and rocky at times. The beats are really dancey, but it can also mellow. So, clear as mud, right? I would recommend giving them a listen, if for no other reason than their guitar player looks like a shrunken Freddy Mercury.
The venue was awesome. The Blue Note looks like an old, classical theatre on the outside and inside. There isn’t much of a lobby/foyer, but when you get inside there are two levels—the main floor without seating and a bar area, and a second story balcony with seating. All the walls are ornately decorated and trimmed out in gold metallic paint like a Victorian theatre. It looks a lot bigger than it really is, which is a plus.
Enjoying a drink at the Blue Note
The place can get packed kind of fast. I tend to like when you are crammed body to body with strangers, bouncing around and dancing. I know this scenario isn’t comfortable when you are waiting for what seems like hours while the band sets up, but, once the music starts, it’s awesome. The acoustics inside were really good too, accept when I shoved to the front (I’m that guy) and ended up in next to one of the PA speakers (serves me right).
The bar was cheap too, compared to other venues I have been too. An ice cold PBR was only $2.50. They also had a decent variety. If you are feeling ritzy, you can spend a little more (I think $4.00) for a New Castle, but the cheap stuff does the trick just as well.
The Blue Note had great bands playing all this week, including Portugal. The Man and The Mountain Goats (Although my girlfriend, Belinda, would disagree about The Mountain Goats because she absolutely hates them). If you are an avid concert goer, I would definitely recommend checking out The Blue Note, but I would recommend buying a GPS or borrowing one from a friend before you leave for Columbia. It only takes an hour and a half to get there if you use county roads, otherwise you will have to take a longer way. But trust me. It’s worth it.
GREENWELL: What the Phở!?
Sep 27th
I traveled to Asia this past weekend. And by Asia, I don’t mean I hopped on an airplane bound for the real Eastern World. However, I can assure you that the live eels, parrot fish, lopped off size-of-your-thigh salmon heads, and dehydrated squid jerky were absolutely, undoubtedly, (and not to mention odorously) real.
Greenwell
What I’m really trying to say is that I took a long stroll down Olive Street in University City, near downtown St. Louis, which is considered Chinatown. From what I could tell, it seemed as close to 100% authentic as you can get in the Midwest.
My girlfriend, Belinda, grew up in the Philippines, developing a taste for some really odd foods. Please keep in mind that I’m writing from an American perspective, and I tend to hesitate when asked the chew the meat off chicken feet (which, I’ll have you know, conveniently comes bone-in or boneless). But I consider myself open minded, so…blood pudding, anyone?
The main reason we drove down was to get a bowl of authentic phở (pronounced fŭh), a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup that Belinda loves. From what I read, it originated in the Nam-Dinh Province, southwest of Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi. The dish is the product of throwing common French and Vietnamese cuisine together in a bowl and heating it up (for more info on French-Vietnamese relations, click here).
The restaurant she likes is called Pho Long. They serve some appetizers like spring rolls and salads, but the menu is predominately based around Phở. The dish is a soup served in a bowl with beef broth, rice noodles, and strips of meat (usually rare or well-done steak, flank, or brisket). That’s the way I ordered it. Belinda enjoys a much more Vietnamese based recipe, with oxtail, tendons, meatballs, and tripe (which is the offal of, in this case, a cow). You can order it with chicken organs if that’s your fancy. The portions are huge, and you also get a dish of basil, mint, bean sprouts, and lime wedges to add for flavor. They serve a variety of Asian import beer too.
Bowl of Pho.
After lunch, we went to an Asian market. That’s where I saw all the strange foods I mentioned in the first paragraph. You could literally buy animal blood by the pint, and they sold more animal parts than you could imagine. I guessed they were used for flavor, like a ham hock, but Belinda told me that she remembered boiling these to get the residual meat. She said all the good cuts of meat are bought up in Manila, so people in surrounding cities, like Olongapo City where she’s from, boil what is leftover until the meat on those parts is soft enough to come off.
I got a nose full of the fruit durian, which visually resembles a pineapple and is illegal inside hotels in some countries because of its stench. The selection of seafood was the most impressive. Hundreds of different kinds of fish, crabs, crawfish, squid, etc. The list goes on and on. I also tried several different types of candy, including dried mangos and sesame candy. It was hard to tell what some things were because the writing on the packaging was usually in mandarin.
I encourage anyone to take a trip down there. It’s only two hours away and most of the restaurants are cheap. We have some opportunities for ethnic variety here in Quincy, but I recommend getting as close to total immersion as possible once in a while. Chinatown is a perfect place to get out of your comfort zone and learn a little.
Eric Greenwell
Frozen Durian.
