Let me introduce you to North Baltimore’s Hampden, a 19th-century blue-collar mill town that has evolved into a hipster Baltimore neighborhood – both cool and kitschy – fun destination for a ladies day out!
Made famous for its starring role in John Waters’ films (like Hairspray) and long known as the place where everybody calls you “hon,” Hampden centers on 36th Street – known to locals simply as The Avenue. They even host a HONfest, an annual spring street festival dedicated to the beehive, cat’s-eye glasses and all things “hon.”
Row houses on the “Avenue” in Hampden.
After years of living in the pacific northwest finding a good coffee shop is a habit. Soon we are in line at Spro Coffee ready to sip an espresso drink and indulge in one of their homemade pastries (several of which are gluten-free). Spro Hampden is unique in the industry. They offer a variety of coffees from multiple coffee roasters and offer those coffees in multiple brew methods: vacuum pot, pour over, chemex, eva solo, aeropress, french press, clever and cold brew drip tower. Their approach comes from the Hawaiian teaching: A’ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka halau ho’okahi – Not all knowledge is taught in one school.
Hot drinks in hand we head to Bryan’s Finds & Designs which caught our eye as we parked the car. Handmade silver spoon bracelets downstairs and vintage clothing and hats upstairs, plus lots of other stuff, kept us entertained for awhile.
The guys at Bryan’s Finds & Designs.The Alchemy Burrata.
Soon it is time for lunch. My sister suggests Alchemy – a true gem – delicious food and comfy atmosphere. The Crab Bisque was excellent; salads were fresh, creative, and the perfect size for lunch. My sister ordered one of the Chef’s Recommendations – Burrata – fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream – served with smoked tomato honey, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, crushed spiced pecans, crostini and microgreens. Wow.
Two floors of artful object to discover in Trohv.
Time for a little more shopping… Trohv (full of stylish home goods), Wild Yam Pottery (where they have throw your own sessions), and Paradiso (exceptional furniture, lighting, contemporary jewelry, and fine crafts).
Wild Yam PotteryParadiso is the place to go for antiques to mid-century modern furnishings.
Mine "head frames" dot the landscape in Butte, MontanaOld garage door
In its heyday, from the late 19th century to about 1920, Butte was one of the largest and most notorious copper boomtowns in the West, with a maze of over 10,000 miles of mines beneath it’s surface. As was common in the early wild west, Butte was home to hundreds of saloons and a famous red-light district. The documentary Butte, America depicts its history as a copper producer and the issues of labor unionism, economic rise and decline, and environmental degradation that resulted from the activity.
During the mining boom, Butte’s population rose to over 100,000, as it became the largest city west of the Mississippi. Now, while most American cities have gown, Butte’s population has contracted to less than 35,000.
Copper King Mansion is under renovation.Historic home across from the Copper King Mansion
Strolling around the town, the streets are wide, roomy, and curiously quiet. In Butte’s lovely historic neighborhoods, you could put a couch out in the middle of the street and sit there for a couple days and get a good nap in. Which is exactly what was depicted in Wim Winder’s excellent film – Don’t Come Knocking – starring Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange. In a humorous touching moment, Shepard pulls a discarded couch out into the street, sits down, and for many hours, simply sits and contemplates his life. All the while, Wender’s keen-eyed Director of Photography, Franz Lustig, captures the beauty of Butte as the scene unwinds through morning, to evening, to night. It is a seminal moment in the film, and beautifully captures the quiet of Butte, as the city takes a rest from all that went before.
The old Curtis Music Hall buildingPiccadilly Museum of TransportationArts Chateau
Our stay in Butte is brief. Arriving late, we find a room at the Hampton Inn – very comfortable, clean, and spacious. The next morning, before hitting the highway to Yellowstone, we do a driving tour of downtown Butte.
When you visit Butte and it’s older sections, much of its history can be seen in the buildings – the ornate stone architecture and fading old fashioned billboards on the stone-walled businesses.
We center ourselves in the historic heart of the city and begin to stroll. This is a great walking town. Traffic is light, and the layout is easy to navigate. Every block holds something of interest – old banks, butcher, bookstores, restaurants, pubs, music venues – all of it built from stone mined beneath Butte.
As we walk, we keep a lookout for the art gallery where Jessica Lange slugged Sam Shepard with her purse in the movie in Don’t Come Knocking.
Looking for an iced tea, we ask a local, who suggests The Venus Rising Espresso House. Turns out this is the local coffee house owned and operated by the Butte Silver Bow Arts Foundation. Good tea, good cause.
Preparing for our camping trip to Yellow Stone National Park in Wyoming, and Bear Butte in South Dakota, we pick up some supplies at the well-stocked Bob Ward’s sporting goods store. I could spend an hour in this place, squeezing between tightly packed rows of clothing, fly fishing gear, boating, camping furniture, shoes, … Finding what we need, at a good price, we set out for Yellow Stone National Park.
Ice pops made from anything brewed: tea, root beer, espresso; markets galore – artisan, farmers, flea, antique; and exploring Brooklyn… here are some fun tips on the big Apple.
“I HAD never been so grateful to see a banana. Peeled and skewered, just plucked from the freezer, it was nearly smoking from the cold. It was then plunged into molten chocolate, sprinkled with sea salt and slowly twirled under a shower of crushed almonds.”
This lovely little book is a guide to the traditional, charming and edgy markets of New York City: antique and flea markets, artisan markets, farmers’ markets, seasonal markets, and more. Markets of New York City also includes recommendations for great food in and around the markets and suggested routes for full or half-day excursions.
April 2007 found us in Tokyo and Kyoto for 10 days… I tagged along on a business trip of Jay’s. Here are some notes and impressions I jotted down at the time… this blog covers Tokyo… Kyoto will follow.
Arriving in a foreign land is surreal. We board a plane that climbs to 35,000 feet, cruises for hours and then the door opens and we are half way across the globe. Amazing. Tokyo is amazing. Spreading for miles – seemingly never-ending, populated in numbers beyond conception, yet mostly experienced as orderly and clean.
The train station is where the vast sums of people are apparent. We experience Shinagawa Station during morning rush hour when thousands of Japanese head to the office clad in dark suits and white shirts. A low buzz of sound like an active beehive filled the air as orderly masses approached the precision run trains. Shinagawa, one of the oldest stations in Tokyo, opened on June 12, 1872. It is very near the hotel we are in. Mastery of the train system is useful as taxis are very expensive.
This is my first visit to Japan and the toilet in our hotel room is a main source of interest: heated toilet seat, button on toilet for bidet, we think, one button with male symbol and another for female – pushed female lots of action in bowl but nothing interacted with me. We are impressed with their energy efficiency, as you enter the room you insert your key/card into a slot that activates electricity – everything turns off when you leave and remove your key.
The hotel includes breakfast – extensive buffet options – very international with familiar western options of eggs, bacon and an extensive Japanese buffet with miso soup, fish, rice…
Easter Sunday we take the JR train to the Imperial Palace and Gardens, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo Station. It is the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. Cherry blossoms, blooming azaleas and rhododendrons fill the gardens.
Tokyo Imperial Palace Gardens with cityscape in the backgroundIdyllic pond in the Tokyo Imperial Palace GardenView of the moated Tokyo Imperial Palace
Lunch is fun. We find a noodle soup place in the lower level of an office building with customers coming and going. We select and pay for our soup at a machine, then give the token/receipt we receive to someone at the counter. We can see the cooks in action behind her. A few minutes later a big bowl of steaming broth with rice noodles and chicken arrives. Tasty and cheap.
Full and satisfied we walk to the Ginza area. We are drawn to the elegant and historic Mitsukoshi department store. I read up on the history and learn it was founded in 1673 as a kimono shop, ten years later in 1683, the owners took a new approach to marketing, and instead of selling by going door-to-door, they set up a store where buyers could purchase goods on the spot with cash. My favorite floor is the food department on the lower level – a wow! A bazaar of food with Harrod’s and many other Japanese food specialists.
Tokyo street scene a la Beatles Abbey Road Album
Monday – Jay is working and I take a cab to Shinjuku – this is the area Lost in Translation was filmed. High energy, Times Square like. I walk through Tokyo Hands – our friend David’s favorite store – with everything from stationery to nails. I buy some lovely rice paper and a bag of tiny shells. Shinjuku is divided – the east side is constant chaos – shopping, eating, lots of young people. While the west side is high rises, luxury hotels and government buildings. With an estimated population of over 300,000 Shinjuku is a city in it’s own right.
Tuesday on my own, I take a cab back to the Ginza area. Mostly walk around, people watch and window shop. I check out Matsuya department store where I find an area devoted to Japanese artisans – many are present to talk about their work – paintings, prints, textiles, pottery.
Later I head to the Okura Museum of Art on the grounds of the lovely, historic Okura Hotel. The museum has an austere atmosphere, only a few people are present – offering a calm respite from the downtown energy.
Ancient stone sculpture at the Okura Museum in Tokyo
From the hotel website I read the museum’s history: Back in 1917, an avid collector of Buddhist artwork by the name of Kihachiro Okura established, on his own land, a museum in which to hold and display his treasures. Over the years, this collection was added to by his son, the founder of Hotel Okura, Baron Kishichiro Okura, whose interests included modern Japanese painting, or Nihonga. Today, the Okura Shukokan Museum of Fine Arts houses some 2,000 items and 35,000 volumes — a collection that contains a number of officially registered National Treasures, Important Cultural Objects, and Important Art Objects.
Evening energy levels rise in Tokyo. Apartments are small and utilitarian, so many seek camaraderie with friends and co-workers in the bars after a long day at the office. Nightly we witness the packed tables, shrouded in cigarette smoke, everyone animatedly talking and drinking. It’s worth enduring the smoke to experience the high energy.
As often happens after a trip my antennae are tuned to that country. So when I come across a positive review for The Haiku Apprentice – a memoir by an American diplomat who joins a haiku group in Japan – I am on it. The book is not written to teach haiku yet I find myself dabbling in the medium as I read along during my commute and learning more about the country and people I have just visited.
Last night an email came in from our sister-in-law, Janet. She and the kids (our nieces – ages 13 & 11) are traveling in Asia with Andy on a business trip. Happy Father’s Day Andy!
Hello Jay and Sue,
We are having a great time in Yokohama. We were fortunate enough to get upgraded from SFO to Narita into business class and had a great flight. Gabrielle was so busy watching Avatar that she didn’t even know that we had landed. She saw everyone standing up and wondered what was going on. Now that’s a great 10 hour flight.
After landing in Narita we had to catch a bus to our hotel – Yokohama is an hour away from the Airport. We were all pretty jet lagged by now and the bus ride felt longer than the flight. From the bus terminal we caught a taxi to our hotel (planes, trains and automobiles). The taxis in Japan are so clean and I love the white seat covers and the gloved drivers. The cabs play 30-40s hits from America while using GPS. A bit of the old and the new and it works. We are taking taxis all over Yokohama (the kids love the automatic doors).
We are staying at the Intercontinental Yokohama Hotel. It is an easy landmark in Yokohama. The hotel is shaped like the sail of a ship. It is so distinct – you just can’t miss it. Andy and I stayed here 8 years ago when we were last here. I love being back. I really like this hotel. The staff is really helpful and all speak English. They are so polite and friendly. The restaurants in the hotel are great, Chinese, Italian, French and Japanese. Our maitre ‘d was from Lausanne, Switzerland in the French restaurant and he and Andy spoke French together. The French food was rich and delicious – I had a pumpkin soup that was out of this world. It’s a great experience. The girls said that after Italy this is their favorite country.
SOGO Department Store, Yokohama, Japan
Day 1 – we go to one of my favorite stores – SOGO. It is next to the Yokohama Train Station. It is an amazing store on par with Harrods in London. It is 12 stories and one of the floors has a museum on it. The sixth floor is home to the first in-store museum, the SOGO Museum of Art in Japan. We go through the exhibit and unfortunately none of the items had English subtitles. Danielle recognized an ink block and the tea brush used in the tea ceremony which she studied this year at school. She is excited to share some info with us. There is an exhibit of three handbags – we know they are hundreds of years old ( if not thousand since we can’t read any of the literature) but one of the handbags could have been in fashion today. You forget you’re inside a department store and it’s just a small portion of the sixth floor. But my favorite floor is the basement – it has foods from around the world. Every display case is more beautiful than the next. The food and pastry look like works of art. The staff is friendly and eager to serve you and they speak English. One young woman looks distressed when Gabrielle tried to order three truffles and finally she said “alcohol” so we knew not to pick those. We oohed and ahhed over the confections and went back two days in a row to sample the cream puffs. They cost about $2.50 each and the packaging is so elaborate. They pack them in a travel box, wet naps, napkins, utensils for us to take with a mini ice pack to keep them cool. We love it and came back a second day to do some shopping at SOGO.
Cosmoworld with the Intercontinental Hotel in the background - Yokohama, Japan
Next is Cosmoworld which is near our hotel. It is an amusement park with one of the world’s largest ferris wheels, 1125 meters high and can carry 480 people. We go on it and it takes about 15 minutes to complete the revolution. We have a great view of our hotel and Yokohama in general. After the ferris wheel Andy and Danielle ride the roller coaster. It goes underground during the ride and they are the only two people on it. We can hear them screaming as they fly underground.
Red Panda at the Nogeyama Zoo, Yokohama, Japan
Day 2 – Andy is working and we are off to the Nogeyama Zoo. It is a small zoo built in 1950 and the admission is free. I don’t know how they pay for the animals? We want to see a red panda and we do. It is the second exhibit at the zoo and we squeal with delight at this charming fellow. It is the first time we have seen a red panda close up. The first creature we see is a scarlet ibis – something else we had never seen before. They are truly scarlet and very beautiful birds. Another animal that is new to us is the colobus – this primate is amazing. Long black and white hair and a tail that must be three feet long. It was a wonderful sight to see. They have a petting zoo so different from the States. It has boxes of mice, then another box of baby chicks, then guinea pigs called “marmots” and then rats. You can pet the animals and they had slatted ropes all along the enclosure for the mice and rats to travel on. These are hung on poles across the exhibit so if you look up mice and rats are traveling on the mini slatted bridges over your head. The kids love it. The rest of the animals are the standard zoo variety but as we turn the corner on the cat house after being inside and seeing a tiger and lioness – a male lion is lying on top of a shed. We go “whoa’ because he is enormous. I had never been that close to a male lion. He is huge and I just hadn’t realize how huge. He is amazing and he has this intense stare so we all turn to see what he was looking at. We don’t see what he sees. It is hot and humid. I would say in the 80s and I hope we will be able to find a taxi to take us back our hotel. We step out of the zoo and here comes a taxi. What luck!
Nogeyama Zoo Peacock, Yokohama, Japan
For dinner Andy and his client, Toshi, take us to an authentic Soba noodle dinner in Old Tokyo. The restaurant is over 100 years old. The outside is lovely – screens and well manicured entrance. We sit on tatami mats and are the only caucasians in the place. It is quite an experience. Toshi orders for us and Gabrielle’s udon noodles arrive in a beautiful black box with a lid on it. She loves the noodles. This is a dinner we will never forget.
We take the train and subway into Tokyo and back. It’s the girls first time on a subway and they don’t really like the crowded conditions. As a New Yorker it was pretty typical of a subway ride.
Day 3 – we go to the Yokohama Museum of Art. It is closed but as we take photos on the grounds, this business man approaches and without asking politely takes the camera from Gabrielle and takes our picture. Then he turns the camera, takes another shot, picks up his briefcase and continues on his way. We love the culture and politeness of the people. We cross over to the Landmark Tower. This is the highest observation tower in Japan. It is on the 69th story and the panoramic views are fantastic. The elevator is the fastest in Japan and in the Guinness Book of Records. It travels the 69 stores in 40 seconds. We love it. It is so fun.
Last night which was our 16th anniversary and our last night in Japan so we met Andy in Shin-Yokohama to go to the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum. We had seen Ramen Girl – starring Brittany Murphy several months ago and knew we were heading to Yokohama where this film takes place. So we said we would go and visit this Raumen Museum. We made good on our word and went. The basement of the museum is supposed to be a replica of what downtown noodle shops looked liked in 1958. It is very bizarre. Totally unexpected and hard to describe. We took some pictures which we’ll have to send but even that may not do it justice. It was a strange experience.
The girls with their umbrellas in Yokohama, Japan
The girls purchased umbrellas at SOGO earlier in the week. They are hoping to get to use their new umbrellas. They are clear with colored polka dots. The clear umbrellas make it so easy to see where you’re going. Last night as we walked to the Raumen it was raining hard. It was an anniversary we won’t forget. Andy and I are under one of the polka-dotted umbrellas and the girls each walked with a new umbrella in the pouring rain. We are all happy.
Today we head to Singapore. The girls and I are excited about seeing a new country.
Driving into town of Twisp, I immediately see the bold blue, green and black sign for the Twist River Pub on the right. This seems to be the local favorite – all suggestions for a place to eat lead here. Located on the Twisp River, the Pub’s patio is the perfect spot on this warm May evening. The sun is warming, the river below has a steady moving flow – a sound of life – at once calming and invigorating. Breathing the fresh air I feel healthy and alive like the river. Time to indulge in the fresh brews, local wines, and yummy pub food, and on the weekends – live music!
Twisp River Pub patio overlooks the Twisp River
Curious about the word “Twisp”, I googled… one author claims it is a modification of the local tribal word, “T-wapsp”, which meant yellow jacket. Another says the name was derived from Chinook jargon, but countered that the original spelling was “Twistsp” to imitate the sound of a buzzing wasp. Either way the name captures the energy of this little Methow Valley colony.
Glover Street is the main drag ofgroovy downtown Twisp and home to the very cool studio + gallery Peligro. Dedicated to the modern metal format, this contemporary space is the working studio of Nancy Daniels Hubert. Her collection of metal and/or stone jewelry and art set the tone for Grover Street where one is visually treated to imaginative metal objects – steel & stone garbage receptacles, metal banners, and cool large steel sphere sculptures.
Peligro Jewelry Studio + Gallery, Twisp, WACool steel & river stone trash receptacle
Twisp is located at the confluence of the Twisp and Methow Rivers. Confluence Gallery is the meeting place for local and regional artists from North Central Washington, and is a thoughtful combination of gallery space, gift shop and studio area. Today a quilting workshop is starting, the gallery features local painters, and the gift shop is full of artful jewelry, locally made pottery, books, and cards.
The Confluence Gallery on Glover St.Steel and Stone landscaping in front of the Confluence Gallery
Getting hungry? The Cinnamon Twisp Bakery will lure you in with the smells of fresh baked bread, pastries,cookies, and if it is lunchtime – sandwiches, pizza, homemade soup… While I am ordering my Americano coffee, a group of women arrive, pulling off their bicycle helmets as they check out the goodies – clearly ready for a treat. And a local woman ordering an almond raspberry cookie confides that she has an account here.
Just up from the bakery is the Glover Street Market, a natural foods store. I go in looking for a snack and find organic apples, gluten-free crackers, a delicious array of cheeses… I also pick up a beautiful locally handmade bar of soap, Goan Fish Curry spice mix, and a bright green kitchen towel.
Strolling around the Glover Street area the contemporary art theme continues… sometimes grand, sometimes whimsical…
Street art - steel sphere and metal bike sculpturesClose up of another steel art sphere
The Merc Playhouse opened for its’ first season of professional theater in the summer of 1999. Since then it has become a community treasure, providing space not only for theater productions, but also music, lectures, and other performances. The evening I was there Tappi, another Twisp restaurant that was recommended to me, was hosting a wine tasting event/fundraiser for the playhouse.
Merc Playhouse with old barn next door that serves as community bulletin board
The sunflower capital of the state and the eastern gateway to the North Cascades National Park, Twisp was largely dependent upon logging until the mid-1980s. Today, the principle industries include lumber, cattle ranching, and agriculture. For visitors to the Methow Valley there is hiking, swimming, bicycling, cross-country skiing in the winter, rock climbing… summer brings the farmer’s markets and an eclectic array of art, music and wine festivals.
Twisp is a small town with personality… growing and emerging with a local style rather than being shaped for the tourist. I find it refreshing.
After years of living in the pacific northwest finding a good coffee shop is a habit. Soon we are in line at Spro Coffee ready to sip an espresso drink and indulge in one of their homemade pastries (several of which are gluten-free). Spro Hampden is unique in the industry. They offer a variety of coffees from multiple coffee roasters and offer those coffees in multiple brew methods: vacuum pot, pour over, chemex, eva solo, aeropress, french press, clever and cold brew drip tower. Their approach comes from the Hawaiian teaching: A’ohe pau ka ‘ike i ka halau ho’okahi – Not all knowledge is taught in one school.
