Category: travel Page 12 of 19

Flugtag (“Flight Day”) competition in Chicago, Illinois on September 21, sponsored by Red Bull.

Flugtag, Chicago, went down (literally) on Saturday, September 21 at Burnham Park on South Lakeshore Drive. Flugtag means “flight day.” The winner of the Chicago competition, Chicago Duck Hunt, flew only 39 feet, while, in Long Beach, California (one of 5 cities hosting simultaneous competitions) during their Flugtag competition today, the winning entry, the Chicken Whisperers, flew 258 feet, setting a new record.

Chris Yamamoto of Purdue’s Engineering College, at Flugtag on September 21, 2013.

I spoke with the captain of the Purdue team, Chris Yamamoto, who is not only a graduate student in aeronautical engineering at Purdue, but has taken part in the competition since 2010. Chris said it took the Purdue group about four months to build their plane, billed as the World’s Largest Flying Drum. He said this year he had invested $750 in the plane, but last year invested $1800.

Purdue “Flugtag” members Chris Yamamoto (left) and Ben Kuttesch at Flugtag on September 21, 2013.

Chris said that the Red Bull Flugtag teams are to be of five members. [His Purdue team has 8 members, but Red Bull, the sponsor of the competition, only recognizes 5.] Another Big Ten team was in the competition from Nebraska and teams from Omaha and Iowa were also on the list. On Yamamoto’s team were 2 female engineers (one with a job at Starbucks after she completes her senior year) and Purdue engineering graduate Ben Kuttesch. Yamamoto, in addition to being an aeronautical engineer, also holds a pilot’s license. He was to be the only team member actually going into the water with the craft. Among other groups, besides engineers, competing, there were planes built by firefighters and dentists.

“Flugtag,” Burnham Park, Chicago, IL, September 21, 2013.
The competition in Burnham Park on South Lakeshore Drive drew over 65,000 spectators, all attending for free and enjoying the sight of colorful planes dropping into the drink (i.e., Lake Michigan.) In Miami, over 85,000 were said to have attended the competition, but the record for attendance is 220,000 in Cape Town, South Africa in 2012. Yamamoto said the World Record for Flugtag, which traditionally has been held in various European cities, was a World Record flight distance of 290 feet and 209 feet in the U.S., flying off a thirty foot high launching platform.
The competition was held simultaneously in 5 U.S. cities this year: Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Miami, Florida; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; and Long Beach, California.

Purdue’s entry in “Flugtag.”

Winners of the Chicago competition, besides the Chicago Duck Hunt were (second place) The Bamzonies. The People’s Choice award, voted on online, went to a Chicago team, HellonWheels.

Chicago skyline at “Flugtag” in Chicago on September 21, 2013.

Selsey a seaside town in the south of England, created the competition, under the name “Birdman Ralley” in 1971. The first Red Bull Flugtag competition was held in 1992 in Vienna, Austria. It was such a success that it has been held in over 35 cities worldwide every year since.

Entrance to Burnham Park and Flugtag in Chicago.

To participate, each team must submit an application and their flying craft must meet the criteria set forth by the sponsor Red Bull, which varies by location. In the USA each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of 30 feet (9.14 m) and a maximum weight (including pilot) of 450 lbs. (204 kg). Australian Flugtags are limited to a wingspan of 26.25 feet (8.0 m) and a weight (NOT including pilot) of 396.8 lb (180.0 kg).[3] The craft must be powered by muscle, gravity, and imagination.
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Another entry in Chicago’s “Flugtag” competition.
It may not have any loose parts and advertising space is limited to 1-square-foot (0.093 m2).

“Light” Display at Cheekwood Estates (Nashville, TN) by UK Artist Bruce Munro

By Connie Wilson

On September 9, 2013

In Pop Culture, travel

http://youtu.be/-j2CCYf3eaI

Cheekwood Mansion, Labor Day, 2013.

British visual artist Bruce Munro, best-known for using light as an artistic medium, has produced the second-ever North American exhibition of Light on the 55-acre grounds of Cheekwood Estate in Nashville, Tennessee. The U.S. debut at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, featured an enchanting, dream-like effect, composed of 20,000 lighted glass spheres, each rising from the ground on a slender stalk. It ran from June until October, 2003, commissioned by the DuPont and Pierce families.
Cheekwood Mansion, Nashville, Tennessee.

Munro, who was born at Salcombe in Devon (UK) in 1959 attended Bristol Polytechnic and emigrated from Australia, where he had done light work for Qantas and Honda, to Great Britain in 2002. Since then, he has created installations at Wiltshire near his studio, the Eden Project in Cornwall, the CDSeaRegatta (made of discarded CD disks), Light Shower at Salisbury Cathedral and 2004’s Field of Light at the Victoria & Albert Museum. From February through April of 2010, his work was part of the exhibit in New York City entitled Contemplating the Void.
Stacey near Water Tower display at “Light” exhibit at Cheekwood Estate on Labor Day, 2013.
Cheekwood’s 55 acres of gently rolling lands and the Cheekwood Mansion grounds are the largest Field of Light expanse Munro has ever created. The existing pathways and installations on the grounds are utilized to allow visitors to wander amidst the 20,000 lighted glass spheres on the mansion’s lawns, the Japanese Bamboo Garden Fireflies exhibit (reminiscent of scenes from the film “Life of Pi”), the 5-foot “Blue Moon” orb in the Japanese Garden Dry Lake, and the 40 structures known as Water Towers, which are built from one-liter recyclable plastic bottles filled with water and which features music created by fiber optics linked to an LED projector and sound system.
Cheekwood Estate, Nashville, Tennessee, Labor Day, 2013.
Near Cheekwood’s lawn, by the ponds, is the Mustard Meadows Light Reservation, an assemblage of 60 watt spent fluorescent tubes. Also featured at the installation at 1200 Forrest Park Drive in Nashville are a reflection pool entitled “Fagin’s Urchins,”made of polycarbonate, acrylic polymer fiber optics and stainless steel, and several stunning creations within the Cheekwood Mansion itself, including “Light Shower,” an installation of 1,650 teardrop-shaped diffusers suspended from the ceiling by fiber-optic strands, and a stunning transformation of the Cheekwood Mansion Rotunda Staircase by the Bell Drop Chandelier.

“Blue Moon” installation at Cheekwood (Bruce Munro, artist), “Light” display.

“Blue Moon,” unlit.

The exhibit began May 24 and runs until November 8, 2013. It is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday beginning at 4:30 and continuing until 11 p.m., with three October Tuesdays (Oct.1, 15 and 20). Cost for adults is $15, with seniors (over 65) admitted for $12 and college students with ID $8. Admission for children 3 through 17 is also $8; children two and under attend free. (See www.Cheekwood.org/Art/Light for music and dining options, which vary.)

International Thriller Writers: Visiting New York City (July 10-14)

By Connie Wilson

On July 17, 2013

In Books, Interviews, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, travel

Tourist ferry (think “Funny Girl”) on the Hudson River.

Attended ThrillerFest in New York City, July 10-14. Left for O’Hare at 8 AM on Wednesday for an 11 AM flight. First plane had mechanical difficulties; was canceled at 12:30. Second and third flights: weather-related cancellations. Spent TWELVE HOURS at O’Hare Airport. My luggage went on ahead. The women behind me had play tickets for that night, which they did not get to use.
The Hudson River from the Sky Line, Thursday, July 11, 2013.
Went back to my condo and to bed. Got 5 hours of sleep, got up at 3 a.m. and called for a cab at 4 a.m. Made the 6:00 a.m. flight to LaGuardia, where luggage was piled up everywhere from canceled flights. Found my 2 checked bags and made it to the hotel by 10:30 a.m.
Chelsea Market, NYC, July 11, 2013.
No hot water in Room 1959. Took a bath and washed my hair in cold water in order to attend the 11:50 a.m. luncheon, followed by pitching sessions. (Lunch: chicken, asparagus, apricot tort dessert and salad). Light would not turn off overhead lights, so slept with the lights on for 2 nights. (Desk finally figured out their weird faceplates—not normal ones—were really not working.)
New York City, July 11, 2013.
Spoke with Tony Eldridge and several agent folks. There were 550 other people present, and I was mainly interested in re-meeting Tony, who asked me to write a synopsis of THE COLOR OF EVIL series and send it on.
Eileen and George Laszlo and me.
That night, George and Eileen Laszlo met me at the hotel and we walked along the “High Line” area where I took most of these pictures. We ended up on a boat-turned-bar-and-restaurant and chatted. Fascinating people! George was actually a Hungarian refugee and Eileen has Iowa roots in Fairfax, Iowa (near Cedar Rapids) where my nephew John Castelein lives.
Anne Rice (“Interview with the Vampire”) is interviewed by son Christopher Rice at International Thriller Fest.
On Friday, attended the interview of Anne Rice (“Interview with the Vampire”) by her son Christopher Rice.
Author Jon Land (“Pandora’s Temple”) prepares to moderate a panel on “the hybrid author.”
Also attended Jon Land’s moderating of a panel on hybrid authors (i.e., those who both self-publish and publish through traditional channels).
Lunt-Fontanne Theater, “Motown: The Musical.”
Friday night: play tickets to “Motown: the Musical,” which was great! I highly recommend it! Walked back to the hotel, since it was raining and I couldn’t get a cab. Took a rickshaw-like pedicab to the 8 p.m. opening. The pedicab guy charged $3 a minute. It took 15 minutes, but he overcharged me for 20 minutes. Was in no position to argue, with only 6 minutes until showtime.
Frank Geary-designed building along the New York City Skyline.
To airport on Saturday and flew out, only to find the plane circling the airport for a long time when a fire alarm went off in the Control Tower. Son Scott was waiting for a while, but, ultimately, picked me up and we went back to his house for a late-evening barbecue.
A productive three days, but not without the frustrations travel can bring.

CraftCrawl in River North Area of Chicago on Saturday, May 18th, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On May 19, 2013

In Reviews, travel

Ticket to CraftCrawl, Saturday, May 18, 2013.

I ended up with 6 “Passes” to CraftCrawl in the River North area of Chicago, which took place from noon to 9 p.m. today.
The roof Grand Opening was today, May 18, 2013 at John Barleycorn’s location on Kinzie Street in River North, Chicago.
We began the journey at John Barleycorn’s, which was planning on opening its new sky roof for the first time.
It was 83 degrees out and did not rain—a beautiful day, so this stop, which lasted for close to 2 hours and involved 5 of us, was definitely the best. I love the ambiance of the place, and the beers were $4 while the Gentleman Jack (7&7, basically), which are usually $11, were only $5. We ended up eating onion rings, small beef tenderloin and hamburger sliders and enjoying ourselves until approximately 4:30 p.m. when we moved next door to Moe’s Cantina.
Manager Emmett Kelly (left) and owner Sam Sanchez (right) at John Barleycorn’s (also a force in Moe’s Cantina and 4 other bars, with other investors).
Both restaurants feature beautiful Chicago brick and woody paneling with big booths. Emmett Kelly is the General Manager of John Barleycorn’s and is pictured with one of the owners, Sam Sanchez. We also enjoyed Moe’s, which was far less crowded, as the brand new roof was all the rage and the Eurovision competition was on the big screen, with one table waving flags from the UK, Sweden and Germany.
Looking down on the crowd at John Barleycorn’s from the steps leading to the roof.
After these 2 stops, we moved on to English, which is nearby. The sign needs work. Some of the neon was not lighting, and it was small and crowded. We watched the Preakness on the TV set there, and I was rooting for “It’sMyLuckyDay”, which finished second, and the horse ridden by Rosie, the female jocket (Lute5?) which finished third.
Moe’s Cantina, right next door to John Barleycorn’s at 149 W. Kinzie St. in River North, Chicago.
We left English and journeyed to Mercer 113 (which one group of young people told us had closed; it hadn’t), the Bull and Bear and the Hubbard Inn. The Hubbard Inn was interesting. It was very dark and the rest rooms were extremely cold. Still, it had an interesting aura of its own and we met a friendly couple from England with ties to Australia who now live in the suburbs. Sandra from London was lovely and, after we learned we would all be going to see the Rolling Stones on the same night (May 28th), we took our leave and headed out to find Rock It Bar and Grill, American Junkie and Public House.
I have to be honest and say that the first two at 149 W. Kinzie St. right next door to one another were the very best of the bunch, although I would consider the outdoor seating of some others during summer.
Entry for the Celebrity Cruise give-away, e-mailed in.
We then came home, had to take pictures of ourselves with our “stamped passports” and mail them to [email protected] and post on our Facebook pages and that of CraftCrawl. I was successful with mine. Not sure if I got my spouse’s up or not, but tried.
Craig hopes his stamped passport is a winner in the Celebrity Cruise drawing.
We then grabbed a cab for my digs near the Field Museum and attempted renting the movie “Gangster Squad” from the paid DirectTV service. It cost $5.99 and only showed at certain times. Basically, you taped it and played it when you wanted. It was a first for me in 8 years.
A very beautiful day.
My feet hurt.

Cancun & Book News: April 12th, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On April 12, 2013

In Books, Pop Culture, travel

While lazing away the days here in beautiful Cancun at the Royal Sands with 11 family members, I was notified that RED IS FOR RAGE has been named the winner of a Pinnacle award by NABE (National Association of Book Entrepreneurs). It led all YA entrants for months on the preliminary Stoker balloting, but that’s a story for another day, and the reviews that have come back from the (unpaid) blogger tour are, so far, very good. (Check Amazon or look back at those I’ve reprinted all or part of).

Yesterday I let some kind of Turkish fish eat dead skin from my feet. It took all of my courage to put my feet in the tank, as I HATE people (or fish) messing with my feet. However, the twins have new fish, and I thought they’d get a kick out of this, and it was thrown in for free with some spa services. (later today: facial plus massage).

We had a large “brunch” for all eleven of us at our Royal Sands digs, and tomorrow we move to the Royal Islander and are joined by Dr. John and Pamela Rhodes of Des Moines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4FHrwTcKQA (Video of fish feeding frenzy)

Virtual Tour Stops for RED IS FOR RAGE Book Launch in March

By Connie Wilson

On February 22, 2013

In Books, Pop Culture, travel

Red is for Rage Tour Stop List

Second book in the YA novel series THE COLOR OF EVIL, which has won 2 awards, is on the preliminary ballot for a Bram Stoker and is up for 2 additional awards (to be named later.)

March 16 – The FlipSide of Julianne – Interview with Connie Corcoran Wilson
March 18 – My Cozie Corner – Review of Red is for Rage
March 19 – Mallory Heart Reviews – Review of Red is for Rage
March 24 – Krystal’s Enchanting Reads – Review of Red is for Rage
March 29 – The Cerebral Writer – Interview with Connie Corcoran Wilson
March 30 – Sylv-Jenkins.com – Review of Red Is for Rage.
There will be more as the month comes closer.

Bondi Beach (Sydney, Australia) on Sunday, February 10th, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On February 10, 2013

In travel

Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, February 10, 2013.

Today, we made a trip to Bondi Beach. (Yesterday was Manly Beach).
I have always wanted to visit Bondi Beach, ever since I read an article about an NFL football player who used to play for Miami (Ricky Williams?) that was in “Sports Illustrated.” The football player pitched a tent near Bondi Beach and refused to play. Despite a multi-million dollar contract, he wanted to stay in Australia and smoke whatever he was smoking. Thus began the lure of Bondi Beach, for me.
Bondi Bay.
We took the bus from Circular Quay and the bus went through the gay area of Sydney (which is having a Mardi Gras like celebration right now) and observed shops like the Saigon Queen (Vietnamese food). Because it is Sunday, things seemed somewhat slower than normal, as they used to feel on Sundays in Iowa City in the days when the state-run liquor stores were the only game in town and so many businesses closed that it felt like the entire town had closed down.
Bondi as the clouds roll in.
The clouds began to roll in around 4:30 p.m. and we took the bus back. Now, we’re debating our evening’s activities. The movies are pretty much all “old” by my standards. I saw most of them during the Chicago Film Festival last October, which was nearly 6 months ago. I did get to see “Hitchcock” here, but the others are me going for the second or third time (“The Impossible” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” for example).
Tomorrow is our last day here. We need to do something memorable.

Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia, on February 9th, 2013

By Connie Wilson

On February 9, 2013

In travel

Stacey aboard the ferry on our way to Manly Beach.

Today, we set off for Manly Beach by ferry.
Manly Beach, Feb. 9, 2013.
A short walk down Young Street to the ferry station and we set sail for Manly Beach with Stacey. We learned at the Sydney Museum across the street that the beach got its job when the aborigine natives approached the British ships and were found, by the sailors, to be “manly.”
Craig at Manly Beach, Feb. 9, 2013.
Blue sails in the sunset….
The weather was beautiful: high 70s to low 80s and sunny, at first. By 4:30 p.m.. the clouds had come in and the beach was slightly chilly, so we packed up and did a little shopping. (Stacey bought a new black dress to wear to her concert tonight.) I bought a beach towel and Craig got a new shirt, to wear in Cancun.
On the way to Manly Beach by ferry.
We were on a tight schedule to get Stacey back to shore so she could shower and get ready for her Saturday evening out with friends, but before leaving Manly Beach we ate fish and chips and barundi grilled fish (Craig) at an outdoor venue. Much better than the many thousands who are without power tonight in the northeast of the U.S. (Chicago, we hear, is getting a slightly less-intense version of Storm Nemo).
Stacey, with the Sydney Opera House in the background.
Manly Beach, Feb.9. 2013.
Tomorrow, we may either go to Bondi Beach or out on a whale-watching boat.
By February 12th ,we’ll (also) be finding Nemo.

Galaxy Bookstore Hosts Book Signing “Down Under” in Sydney, Australia

By Connie Wilson

On February 7, 2013

In Books, travel

Me at the Galaxy Bookstore on York Street in Sydney, Australia.

The Galaxy Bookstore at 131 York Street in Sydney, Australia, hosted a book signing on Thursday night, February 7th, from 5 to 8 p.m. A paranormal romance book club meets at that time, and I had the opportunity to speak with some of the members as they began their group discussion at 6:30 p.m. I also cleared it with Dave, the store manager, that I could roam the lower level of the independent bookstore, which has been operating in Sydney for 40 years as a family-owned enterprise.
Allison, me and Chrissie the evening of the Galaxy Bookstore signing in Sydney at 131 York Street (Feb. 7, 5 to 8 p.m.)
Cath and Dom Zartarian (honeymooners) at dinner in Darling Harbour.
Our friends from the cruise ship the Celebrity Solstice, who had been driving about in Australia since the cruise and had visited friends in Brisbane, Cath and Dom Zartarian, returned to Sydney because they left today (February 8, Friday) to return to England. They came to my book signing, so three continents were represented.
RED IS FOR RAGE, second in THE COLOR OF EVIL series.
I offered purchasers of THE COLOR OF EVIL a free electronic copy of Book Two, which went “live” today on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Three of the book club’s members took me up on it, so I shall be sending them the book from my files and I hope they enjoy both the first and second installments in what is to be (at least) a three-book series.
Craig and I at a restaurant in Darling Harbour with our friends Don and Cath Zartarian.
After the signing, we stopped in Sweeney’s, an old style pub next door, and then went to Darling Harbour for dinner. The pictures below are of our evening meal with good friends Dom and Cath.
Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia, Feb. 7, 2013.

Australian News for Wednesday, February 6th, 2013: Posts from “Down Under”

By Connie Wilson

On February 6, 2013

In travel

There are many of the same food chains here in Australia that we have in the United States, but they sometimes go by different names.

Through the Circular Queue Free Bus window you can see the Hungry Jack’s sign.

For instance, Burger King, here, is Hungry Jack’s. Of course, there’s been a bit of a flap here lately over the admission that there is horsemeat contained in the burgers at Burger King in New Zealand. Aside from an insane desire to neigh, I see nothing wrong with that. Although I must admit that I have NOT eaten a Burger King burger since leaving the States.
McDonald’s/Macca’s.
MacDonald’s restaurants are referred to as Maccas.
then there is the chain PieFace, which specializes in things like Shepherds’ Pie.
Tonight, we had thin crust pizza from Pizza Hut. We ordered sausage and mushroom. The sausage looked (and tasted) exactly like pepperoni, but the pizza was good. Cost? $32 for two larges.
It’s also interesting watching the local politics played out in the papers. It seems, to me (an admitted objective outsider) that someone has it in for Julia Guillard, the current Labour Party Prime Minister. She has lost one of her undersecretaries (he just wants to quit) and another is charged with 150+ counts of using his Labour Party credit card to order hookers, clothes, meals, etc. The Thompson fellow denies all charges and showed up on “the telly” with his wife by his side to tell the world that he will fight all charges, which, coincidentally, have been increasing. (Originally, he was charged with 150 counts of fraud, but now he is charged with 154 counts of fraud.) I joked that he must have ordered 2 more meals and 2 more prostitutes since the original charges were filed.
New Zealand National Museum.
The problem is that the opposition party has a really slimey looking dude (name: Tony Abbott) running against Julia, who has recently begun sporting frame glasses. The announcement of national elections to be held in 7 months seems to have sent the country into a tizzy.
There’s also been a lot about Qantas Airways joining forces with Emirates Airlines for various purposes. Qantas had announced it was doing great in 2011 and then, suddenly, announced the exact opposite, causing them to want to combine forces.
Craig Thomson has been released after posting bond on his 154 counts of (alleged) fraud.
Also in the news is a million-dollar land scam designed to benefit one particularly crooked politician and family, which was uncovered and is now being litigated.