Primate Posting: Cincinnati's Bonobos

It's been a while since I've posted about my beloved primates. No I didn't jet off for a quick trip to Africa, but I did stop off at Cincinnati Zoo on the way back from Indianapolis. The gorillas weren't feeling particularly sociable but I did spend some time watching the bonobos, and snapped a few pics.

One of my favorites.

Nic snapped this pic to the left. I was further down, watching from my own quiet spot, away from the main crowd and the usual irritating comments and monkey noises! They're not chimps. They're not monkeys.

This young one was feeling particularly lively while we were there.

I just loved watching this older bonobo. 

Sitting

Eating Our Way Around Indy

I've been to Indianapolis a few times, but usually just as a stopover on my way to Chicago. While I've raced around the Indy Speedway, enjoyed the works of Georgia O'Keeffe at the Museum of Art, and toured the Medical History Museum (highly underrated and well worth a visit), I've not spent much time exploring the local restaurants. So I was pleased to head up there this past weekend for a food and walking tour. We ate and ate, and then ate some more. It turns out that Indianapolis has some great food!

The Rathskeller

Our tour started at 3pm at The Rathskeller, where we were greeted by our guide Dani.

The German House was built by the city's German community in the 19th century. Its goal was to provide one location for their many social, political, and sporting clubs. Renamed the Athenaeum during World War I, the building now houses a YMCA, several theatre companies, and many other organizations. It is still home to the Rathskeller restaurant and beer garden.

Heading inside, we took our seats in the large event hall, ready for the first portion of our feast. I have never had a light German meal, and this was no exception. In addition to the beer of our choice, we were treated to plates of fresh pretzels, complete with two types of mustard, one of which gave the sinuses a good cleaning!

Then came the serious food - a plate featuring our types of sausage, sauerkraut, rotkraut, and spaetzle.

It was all delicious. I had fully intended to pace myself, having read the reviews of the tour and knowing that we had more food stops ahead of us. Let's just say once I tried the food, all hopes of pacing vanished.

The Rathskeller Sample Plate

One of the beautiful historic properties of Lockerbie Square.

Following our hearty German sampler was an opportunity to walk off some of our recently ingested calories with a stroll through the historic Lockerbie Square. Here Dani shared the history of the many charming houses in the neighborhood.

One stop along our route was the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home. Famous poet James Whitcomb Riley, creator of Little Orphan Annie, lived in the home as a lodger for several decades. We were shown around the first floor, and I fell in love with the highly polished and very impressive stove. I believe if I were to rip out all of the appliances in my tiny kitchen, I may just have room for such a beast.

The Peachy Pig and Sweet Potato Fries at Ralston's

The tour's second food stop was Ralston's DraftHouse on Massachusetts Avenue. At 4pm on a Saturday afternoon, the place was a-hopping.

In an effort to pace myself, I decided to skip the beer. (I had heard that the margaritas at our next stop were not to be missed). However, Nic ordered a cherry mead ale that was as full of flavor as it was color.

The dishes provided for us on this stop consisted of two types of flatbread and sweet potato fries.

No soggy tomatoes in this ratatouille!

The Peachy Pig was topped with pulled pork, cheddar, ginger, cilantro, and a peach-chipotle reduction. The combination of pork and peach is one that I plan to do myself on a homemade pizza.

I was a little more reserved about the Ratatouille Flatbread... until I tried it. Usually ratatouille is one of those-take-it-or-leave-it dishes for me, overly swimming in stewed tomatoes. This was far beyond my expectations, with the perfect blend of eggplant, peppers, onions, squash, and tomatoes, topped with cheese.

The sweet potato fries were a tasty side, and came with ketchup and cinnamon cream cheese.

I could have happily spent more time at Ralston's soaking up the atmosphere, but we had more exploring to do, and so on to the next.

After admiring the architecture of the Murat Centre and stopping to say hi to Kurt Vonnegut, we continued our way along Massachusetts Avenue to Bakersfield.

Indianapolis' most famous son.

Before I mention Bakersfield, I should note some of the benefits of doing a tour like this. Obviously, the food is a highlight; you get to try samplers at places you may not have tried before. You also meet a fascinating variety of people, and have the added bonus of a knowledgeable guide to tell you the history of the area. But another benefit is that you have a table waiting for you. Take for example Bakersfield. They do not take reservations and on a Saturday evening, they are filled to the gills. They do keep a space for a tour though, meaning that we were able to walk right in and find the food ready and waiting.

Chicken tacos

 Aiming for a vibe similar to its namesake city in California, Bakersfield prides itself on three things: tacos, tequila, and whiskey. Dani had told us about the excellent margaritas and she was not wrong. It may well be the best margarita I have ever tasted, surpassing the ones I had in Mexico and even the ones at my favorite local Mexican restaurant. If you find yourself in Indy, go and order a margarita at Bakersfield, stat!

To accompany our drinks, we were presented with platters of chicken and fish tacos, both delicious.

Fish tacos at Bakersfield

 The fish was particularly surprising. All too often, I come across fried fish that has gone soggy. These pieces of fish were firm with a crisp batter. Very nice indeed.

And finally, we reached our last stop: The Flying Cupcake bakery. Given my choice of cupcakes, I picked out a bananas foster but took it with me for later enjoyment. For now, I was stuffed.

So how would I rate the tour? Excellent. Dani was a wonderful guide. Each of the food stops was a delight. If I had to pick a favorite dish, I would probably say it was the Peachy Pig, but that is a tough call, because I did enjoy everything. I actually can't wait to go back to Indianapolis to revisit some of my new food discoveries.

Feeling Alive in Death Valley

Of all the places we visited during our week in Vegas, Death Valley was my favorite, even better than the Grand Canyon. I fell in love with the place.

We had saved Death Valley for the last day of our trip, knowing it would be a lot of driving (it turned out to be less than going to the Grand Canyon). I've already described the first part of the day in my earlier post about Rhyolite, so we'll pick up from there.

The Death Valley National Park website has a great downloadable pdf of driving routes from Las Vegas, so you can choose if you want to take the shortest route, the most scenic, etc. We chose to make our outward journey along the Ghost Town Route (taking in Rhyolite) and then return via the route listed as the most scenic.

From Rhyolite, we continued driving on NV Hwy 374, across the state line into California and into Death Valley. As the mercury rose, miles of flat lay before us.

Harmony Borax Works.

At Hell's Gate, we took a left onto the Beatty Cut-off Road. I couldn't help but notice that the few other cars on the road all continued on 374. Did they know something we didn't?

A few miles further and we noticed some ruins a little way off the road. We ignored the climbing temperatures; we were here to explore, and so explore we did. Harmony Borax Works was in operation from 1883-1888. Borax was "the gold of Death Valley". I shuddered to imagine how they managed the heat (which by now was about 113 Fahrenheit) as they worked.

Once pulled by a 20-mule team to transport borax.

Speaking of the heat, I was ridiculously excited about it by this point, insisting that we take a picture of the temperature reading every time it climbed a degree. After all, I didn't know how hot it would get and I didn't want to miss that all-important reading. Don't worry - I won't bore you with EVERY degree.

Soon we reached Furnace Valley Visitor Center, where we refilled every water bottle in the car, using the handy-dandy refill fountains, browsed the visitor center, and bemoaned the lack of spoons. My mother collects them and they are becoming increasingly difficult to find - National Parks, take note!

Not the highest.

By this point we were getting rather hungry. The Visitor Center directed us to a campsite a mile or so down the road, complete with golf course, play area, souvenir shop (spoon!) and diner. Although puzzled to find that, even in the height of summer, the diner had a soup of the day, we enjoyed our sandwiches and fries before continuing on our way, now following the directions back to Vegas via the "most scenic route".

Once we got back in the car, I resumed my habit of taking pictures of every view. Every few feet or so, I would insist we pull over so I could photograph the miles of nothing.

And then, there it was. The magical 120 Fahrenheit.
But no, still hotter it became.
No longer able to get any reception on our phones, we were relying on the car's dash for outside temperature readings.

And since you're no doubt dying to know how hot it got that day, here you are...

122 degree Fahrenheit. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 122 degrees!

It's kinda warm!

But back to Death Valley and the scenery.

Now here's the part that puzzled me. We were on Badwater Road when we saw the sign noting the turn-off to the Artist's Palette. I knew from reading up that this was the scenery we really wanted to see - a colorful blend of mineral-soaked rocks. But the few other cars on the road bypassed it completely. How often do you get to see this?

Artist's Drive took us on a looping tour through the beautifully-colored rock formations. Words can't do them justice, and the changing position of the sun must surely mean that they always look different. I'll simply share some photos.

Artist's Palette

The layers of minerals include iron, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, red hematite, green chloride, and more. Magnificent.

Once we rejoined the main road, we continued on to Badwater Basin, which holds the distinction of being the lowest spot in North America - 282 feet (855 meters) below sea level. For trivia fans, Mount Whitney, the highest spot in the contiguous 48, is just 84 miles away.

Spot the Sea Level Marker - yes,
I've circled it to make it easier for you!

We emerged from the air-conditioned car to walk along the platforms by the delicate salt flats, and this is where the heat really started to feel intense.

Have you ever been somewhere so hot that you feel as if you are standing in front of an open oven door?

Somewhere so hot, that your hands are actually cooler when you put them IN your pockets because that removes them from the blasting dry heat?

I have now.

Even with plenty of water, after a few minutes I could feel my throat tightening from the heat. The air was so dry that all moisture evaporated immediately.

I had finally met my match.

Badwater Basin

Wooden platforms protect the delicate salt flats.

This is not the sort of place where you want your car to break down or where you want to be caught without water, hence our multiple bottles, all carefully refilled at Furnace Valley. While we're on the subject of your car breaking down, a few miles later we were worried that we may be developing a flat tire. The alarm light went off and I had visions of us needing to do a change in the infernal heat (I've always wanted to use that phrase!) Several checks showed no apparent problems with the tires, and we can only conclude that the extreme temperatures were confusing the gauges and the pressure sensors.

On we drove, and eventually we reached the edge of Death Valley, and signs of civilization. By civilization, I mean Shoshone, California, population: 31.

If you were low on gas, this was your opportunity to fill up, for the princely sum of $5.50 a gallon. To be fair, this was miles from anywhere so the simple law of supply and demand was in evidence, although I suspect there may have been a cheaper, unadvertised rate for locals.

St. Therese Mission, Tecopa, CA.

From Shoshone to Tecopa, a comparative boomtown with a population of 150 but lacking a gas station or grocery store. For those items, Shoshone had captured the market. Tecopa is home to some natural hot springs which apparently attract quite a few visitors. At Tecopa, we joined the Old Spanish Trail, which would lead us back into Nevada to Hwy 160. This part of the drive was largely uneventful (despite signs promising what appeared to be happy dancing cows and deer). We did, however, pass the St. Therese Mission just outside Tecopa, and note what appeared to be a dust storm moving through the valley.

Dust sweeps through the valley.

That evening in Vegas - a balmy 102 degrees - I found myself feeling a little chilly. I guess the heat had got to me, in more ways than one.

Death Valley was, without a doubt, my favorite part of the trip. It is a beautiful wilderness and experiencing it in such heat, it is almost unfathomable how people made their livelihoods out here. But they did, as the ruins of Rhyolite show. And they still do, as is evidenced in Shoshone and Tecopa. And back in the humidity of Kentucky the next day, I found myself uncomfortably sweaty and missing the dry heat of the desert.

Drops of water in the salt flats at Badwater

A long-dried river bed near the Artist's Palette

Death Valley: Land of Extremes

More spectacular colors at Artist's Palette

The obsessive photographer

The Vegas Strip

Caesar's Palace

This post is going to be more pictorial than anything, because quite honestly, I don't have a lot to say about the Vegas Strip.

For all of the expected gaudiness, it is actually a very nice area and we spent a couple of afternoons wandering, sightseeing, etc.

In fact, the gardens at Caesar's Palace were a perfect little oasis of peace, a far cry from the constant noise and lights of Fremont.

The Bellagio

We did consider stopping for a cocktail at the Bellagio, but after viewing the prices, stopped off at Sin City Brewing instead for an excellent beer. I'm not at a point in my life where I can justify $30+ for a simple frozen cocktail.

This is really the place to see the incredibly wealthy and the high-end boutiques, as well as the lower end. But I think what surprised me was how family friendly the strip was. It was just a pleasant way to spend an hour or two.

We did take in one show during our trip. Penn and Teller were on a summer break, so instead we took in the Zombie Burlesque at Planet Hollywood. Lots of fun. But even if you're not into shows and casinos (and I definitely am not), do take the time to browse the strip.

The famous fountains at the Bellagio

The gardens at Caesar's Palace

Inside the Bellagio

Eating on Fremont

There is no shortage of places to eat in Vegas' Fremont Street area, from quick to cheap to pricier to the ever-present all-you-can-eat buffet. I ate wonderful shawarma here, some of the best fries and sausage sandwiches (the beer garden at The Plaza), award-winning pizza... and then there was one of the worst meals I've ever had.

Yes, you read that right - anyone over 350lbs eats free!

Their slogan may be "Food You'll Die For", but that is not because the meals served at the Heart Attack Grill are so good. Quite the opposite. I should preface this by saying that I am a health and a food writer, and so eating here left me feeling so incredibly conflicted/ disgusted/ oddly fascinated. But my husband really wanted to go and so we did.

This is a grotesque celebration of obesity, gluttony, and bad food, with a fair dose of sexism thrown in.

No words.

Upon arrival, the wait staff (dressed as sexy nurses) give you a hospital gown to wear during your meal. The walls of the restaurant are covered in TVs playing stories about rising obesity levels in the US and one of their regular customers who died of a heart attack. But let's face it, if you're eating here, you know what you're getting into.

The menu is limited in variety but not in size. My husband, being a lover of a good milkshake, ordered a chocolate one. No he didn't want a heavy dose of vodka in it. It arrived topped with a pat of butter. He described it "not a milkshake but a giant dose of soft-serve." If you happen to be vegan and somehow ended up here (why?!) your menu is limited to a choice of cigarettes.

1/2 lb coronary dog

Not wanting fries or a burger (you can have up to 8 patties and 40 slices of bacon), we both opted for the 1/2 pound coronary dog. We figured we wouldn't eat dinner that night, and honestly, we couldn't face it.

This is somewhere you eat (hopefully) purely for the novelty value so good quality food was not high on my list of expectations. Even so, this managed to plummet lower. The sausage was ok and you can't mess up an onion. But add a stale bun, Velveeta cheese, and canned chili that bears a strong resemblance to dog food (which I wouldn't feed my dogs). There's your meal.

Now there is one additional caveat to the experience. If you do not finish your meal, you will be spanked. Since my pure stubbornness says I would rather punch out a waitress than let her touch me with a paddle, I finished my entire dog, something I spent the rest of the day revisiting. Let's just say that chili "taste" keeps coming back. Hubby was spanked.

Bottom line: by all means go. I know it may sound odd that I'm saying that but go for the experience. Go for the vacation novelty factor. Go to remind yourself that salad is a wonderful thing. We've been. And now we never have to go back.

A much better meal - dare I say it, the best meal we had in Vegas - was a simple pizza. I like pizza but it's something I rarely eat unless I make it myself. I am not a fan of the overly greasy delivery fare on a crust that is either so thick it is still raw and doughy, or something so thin it is little more than a potato chip. But Pizza Rock is your source for good, nay, excellent pizza. We stumbled upon it by accident while looking for somewhere to eat, and they were just turning away a group of 12 for lack of room. Luckily, though, they had a table for the two of us.

The chef, a California native, has an impressive array of accolades to his name, not least of which is the 2007 World Champion Pizza Maker at the Pizza World Cup (there is such a thing) in Naples, Italy. He was the first American and the first non-Neapolitan to win. If this guy can impress the Italians, I want to try his pizza!

The menu is differentiated by types of pizza - American, Neapolitan, Sicilian, etc - and by the type of oven and oven temperature. Although the Sausage and Stout was tempting (only 23 are made each day), we decided to try the Cal Italia, Gold Medal Winner in the Food Network Pizza Champions Challenge. The crust was perfect, neither too thick nor too thin. On top: Asiago, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, a fig preserve, prosciutto, Parmesan, and a balsamic reduction.

It was, in short, pizza heaven. If I lived nearby, I would probably eat much more pizza. Instead, I may have to settle for one or two of his books.

Exploring Vegas - Fremont St.

Fremont St at night

During our recent trip to Vegas, we stayed in the Fremont St area, against the advice of friends who rarely ventured off the strip during their vacations.

Fremont Street is the old downtown area, before the development of what is now the Strip. This is where the first casinos and hotels were all built. For a while, it became the seedy side of town, but it has recently undergone something of a facelift and is now a bustling hive of activity encased in a video screen ceiling which broadcasts concert footage.

In truth it was very much a mix of the good and bad that Las Vegas has to offer. There are still plenty of casinos and restaurants, as well as street entertainment, live bands, and so on. If you're visiting with children, my advice would be to browse during the weekdays or the week evenings. Friday through Sunday is awash with panhandlers, topless women, mankinis, church groups praying for your soul, and people drinking.

Better yet, take the kids to the Container Park. We only discovered this on the last day of our trip and it was all of a block from our hotel.

The Container Park is a block or two away from the main Fremont St craziness and is filled with boutiques, restaurants, and entertainment for the whole family. How we missed it, I'm not quite sure; there is a huge praying mantis sculpture at the entrance.

The atmosphere is laid-back and peaceful, a stark difference to the neighboring blocks. Even better for families: there is a large play area for kids. Looking at a posted schedule, it is clear that lots of entertainment is available throughout the summer, from open-air concerts to family movie nights.

Had we discovered this sooner, we would have tried one of the restaurants. Next time....

Another place to make sure you visit in the area is the Mob Museum. You can book tickets online (and save $2 per person by doing so). Housed in the former Las Vegas Post Office and Courthouse, the Mob Museum is three floors of everything you could ever want to know about organized crime and law enforcement attempts to combat it, not just in Sin City but nationwide.

Tours begin on the third floor with the chance to participate in your own police lineup. Learn about the birth of the mob, the origins of Las Vegas, and much more. You can also see the original wall from the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

Work your way through the exhibits, learning about possible mob connections to the assassination of JFK, trying a Tommy Gun, and seeing some of the more gruesome tools used in a number of murders. Near the end of the tour you get to sit in the courtroom where the Vegas hearings for the Kefauver Committee took place. Watch footage from the hearings before making your way back to the first floor where you'll see exhibits of, among other things, movies and the mob.

In all, be sure to allow 3 hours or so to tour the museum; there truly is that much to see.

All this reading built up an appetite, but where to eat in Fremont Street? Check back tomorrow to find out.