Journey Through Hallowed Ground

The title of this week’s post refers to an actual place—a collection of places, actually—along old U.S. Highway 15 that meanders through Pennsylvania, Maryland, and northern Virginia. It seems apt to write about this recently recognized National Heritage Area around the time of Independence Day, as the Journey Through Hallowed Ground contains a number of important sites associated with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

The Journey’s northern terminus is Gettysburg. It’s worth a visit but tends to get overrun with tourists and Civil War re-enactors, so it’s difficult to glean much from a pilgrimage. I tend to appreciate the obscure and trivial over the well-known, so I’ll focus on a couple of sites that might intrigue rather than overwhelm.

Catoctin Furnace is an 18th-century iron works that, according to legend, supplied cannon balls and shot to the Continental Army. The furnace remained in operation, more or less, until the early 20th century, when it was left to ruin. The ghosts of the hot, sweaty men who worked the old forges swirl around the place. The furnace is within the Cunningham Falls State Park in the Catoctin Mountains, so you can enjoy a number of short, yet highly scenic, hikes along the way.

(Obscure reference alert: Traveling south on Highway 15 from Gettysburg, one of the first towns you will pass through in Maryland is Emmitsburg. There, you can visit the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first U.S.-born person to become a canonized saint.)

As you travel on the Journey, if you get a bit puckish, I recommend a side trip to Frederick, Maryland. I’m not certain how real the history is there, but the town’s historic district looks the part, with lots of brick facades and “olde time shoppes.” The Tasting Room offers good food, though, to give you the strength to go on, along with a surprisingly extensive by-the-glass wine list.

Continuing southward, as you cross into Virginia, the road narrows and winds through thick, sun-dappled forests. The Point of Rocks Bridge is a quiet place to recharge your batteries. In particular, the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, which overlooks the bridge, offers phenomenal local, fresh, organic multi-course tasting dinners. This place will make your detour off the beaten track well worthwhile, but be warned: You must make a reservation.

Still further south is Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, one of the largest and grandest homes I have ever seen in America. Now a National Trust Historic Site and National Historic Landmark, the place has been preserved in such as way as to show how people have lived on the property since 1798. With regular events, and daily “teas,” it’s a pleasant place to tarry a while.

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground concludes at Thomas Jefferson’s famous house, Monticello. It represents a stunning feat of architecture (and an equally impressive disregard for fiscal restraint) and is imbued with history. But again, it can be abuzz with tourists, and I prefer history to be more contemplative.

I barely scratched the surface of the Journey, and you certainly can do bits and pieces of it over time, but I encourage you to experience it.

Chicago: Foodtown USA

In a bit of a departure from the norm, I’m going to write about a single aspect of a town—food. I’ll do this periodically, and it seemed fitting to start with one of the great food cities in this country, Chicago.

For many years, the city was known mostly for—to use the line made famous by Chris Farley et al on Saturday Night Live—“polish sausage . . . Ditka . . . polish sausage . . . Ditka.” More recently, on the food front, Chicago has carved a niche as home to “molecular gastronomy.” Sorry, but I simply don’t understand dipping foods in liquid hydrogen for effect, so I won’t write about this undoubtedly important movement.

Instead, I want to tip my cap to the good people of Chicago who have been toiling for years to serve good food at a fair value to anyone who goes to the trouble of showing up at their restaurants.

As noted above, Poland plays a not-insignificant role in Chicago history; if memory serves, the city is home to the largest Polish population outside of Krakow. So let’s start with a rough-and-tumble, yet wholly satisfying, visit to Podhalanka. Opened in the 1980s, the place somehow has captured the feel of a Depression-era, ethnic greasy spoon . . . and with bargains to match the feel. In particular, the rolled pork stuffed with carrots and celery—I won’t even try to spell its Polish name—makes a hearty, peppery lunch or dinner.

Staying in “ethnic” mode, I stumbled on an Assyrian restaurant in Albany Park called George’s Grill Kabab (or Kabab Grill, depending on who gives you directions). Service is quick, if sometimes less than friendly to a first-timer, and the value is terrific. I’m going to make a confession here: I like to order things at restaurants that are fun to say. And I can’t think of a more fun thing to say than “baba ghanouj.” The good news is that, when I ordered it at George’s, it was a fantastic surprise: an eggplant dip with various seasonings and flavors. George’s uses black olives and paprika heavily; you simply scoop up a pile of the tasty dip on a piece of pita and enjoy.

Switching ethnicities at top speed, I stumbled upon La Condesa one time when in Chicago. It has several locations, I think, although I have only visited the one on South Ashland Avenue. The place definitely lacks ambience, but the food is very good and authentic and big. (Nearly everything on the menu makes me stretch one of my words to live by when it comes to food, which is to never eat anything bigger than your head.) I have it on good authority that this is where Mexican people come to get Mexican food, and that’s good enough for me.

Also on the South Side is Izola’s, a soul food joint (and I use the term “joint” advisedly and affectionately) run for more than half a century by Izola White. She plays music on her jukebox that she selects personally, plus lots of comfort food in a homey atmosphere. Disclaimer alert: I have only had dessert here, but I’m something of a bread pudding snob, and Izola’s lands very near the top of my list of all-time best.

Moving to Chicago’s Gold Coast, Le Colonial offers a little higher-end, yet still ethnic, food experience. The first time I visited, I had a hard time getting my head around a French-Vietnamese menu, yet with France’s former imperial aspirations in Asia, there is some logic to combining the strange bedfellows. The food is fantastic, yet like the OCD eater who must keep various types of foods from touching, you can enjoy two distinct experiences on the restaurant’s two floors. The main floor is quiet and beautiful and decidedly upscale. Upstairs features more of a party atmosphere, particularly later in the evening. But no matter where you find yourself, it will entice you back to try new things.

The final stop on our tour of culinary Chicago is the Maxwell Street Market, which now is southwest of the Loop. The market itself has moved a couple of times since it was founded more than 80 years ago, and it’s really a flea market. But the food in and around the place is a smorgasbord of ethnic foods. One notable place doesn’t even have a name that I have ever seen, but it’s a simple stand that features big tamales wrapped in banana leaves that are unlike any tamale you have had before. Once you have tried this tamale, you might not eat one from anyplace else.

A Visit to the Little Big D

I’m not a huge fan of Dallas. My recollection of the place every time I return home from there is that it’s not so much a city as it is a large suburb. It’s not very walker-friendly, for one, and it doesn’t seem to have neighborhoods.

One major development that hopes to address the latter is the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts. While not the first building in Dallas devoted to the arts, the DCPA will serve as an anchor for the Dallas Arts District, a 19-block neighborhood in the middle of the city. Conceived in the 1970s and scheduled to open later this year, the four-venue complex will be home to music, opera, theater, and dance—all in a very walkable, park-like setting. Today, you can enjoy the nearby Nasher Sculpture Center, a museum surrounded by a lush garden that features works from Rodin, Henry Moore, and George Segal.

Another attempt to create a neighborhood feel in Dallas is Inwood Village. It seems that people drive fast in the city, and they all seem to be driving somewhere to shop. Inwood Village is different. Its rhythm is a little slower, and the shopping choices are not so generic.

• Rich Hippie may make you laugh, with items from collections with names like “Old Stud,” “B Chyll,” and “Cancer Sucks.” The owners seem to stock whatever moves them.

• Forty Five Ten, in contrast, will make you gasp . . . at the prices (a poncho for $1,350?). It is fun, though, to see how the richer half lives. The T Room, Forty Five Ten’s café, has imaginative food, is pretty reasonably priced, and offers an opportunity to people-watch Big D’s rich and famous.

Speaking of food . . . Until fairly recently, haute cuisine in Dallas tended to the Olive Gardens and Applebee’s . . . not that there’s anything wrong with that! A couple of local places, however, have added significantly to the food tapestry of Dallas:

• Fearing’s Restaurant—It’s in the Ritz-Carlton, so that tells you it’s not inexpensive, but the buffalo tenderloin with jalapeno grits is fantastic (plus you can feel a little like a cowboy, eating buffalo and all).

• Trece Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Lounge—You’re in a state that used to belong to Mexico, and for which an entire type of cuisine is named, so let me recommend Trece. The chef offers inventive Mexican cuisine and a real tequila bar.

For accommodations, choices abound—mostly chains. For my money, the Joule Hotel wins out (it’s part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection, but not hideously overpriced). The Joule has a little character so stands out among the crowd, and the hotel is in a relatively recently refurbished historic building, which adds to the interest of staying there.

I have outlined a pretty decadent potential itinerary above, so if you need to work off a few calories, check out the Katy Trail. While relatively modest in size, it’s centrally located and connects with a number of other Dallas parks to create a 125-acre parkland in the heart of Big D.

Photo courtesy of Daquella Manera.

Yes, Mr. President

This week’s post is inspired by a recent photo that appeared in the Star Tribune. It was of well-known artist David Adickes putting the finishing touches on the Barack Obama sculpture that is to be installed in South Dakota’s President’s Park.

Based on what South Dakota offers visitors to see, one would think that “Dakota” means “place with large sculptures stuck in the middle of nowhere.” The state features Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial (which really is very cool) and President’s Park.

The latter features 20-foot-tall busts of all 43 U.S. presidents, set along meandering, wooded trails in the Black Hills. The setting is beautiful, and the people running the place have done a nice job of teaching us something about our history in an easy-to-digest way. (Note: You will feel like you’re being watched.)

A nice way to extend your visit is to buy a Park and Peddle Pass, which gives you access to President’s Park, as well as the George S. Mickelson Trail, which takes you from Lead or Deadwood straight into the park. Whether you rent a bike, or hike, the pass includes a return trip from either of those towns.

Lead (pronounced “leed”), South Dakota, is a good base for visiting the various local attractions. It’s not quite as overrun as Deadwood, yet it still has that Wild West feel to it. Places to stay are a bit rough-and-tumble, but the Spearfish Canyon Lodge stands above the rest, especially for a fly fisherman like me.

Founded in 1876 by the Homestake Mining Company after the discovery of nearby gold, Lead led a raucous existence for many years. You can learn more by visiting the Black Hills Mining Museum, where you also can pan for gold (proprietors guarantee you’ll go home with gold).

In a classic “lemonade from lemons” story, when the Homestake Mine—the deepest gold mine in the Western Hemisphere—closed in 2002, the locals were desperate to find a replacement tenant. They pursued the National Science Foundation, which selected the Homestake Mine for its Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory. No work has begun, as the mine is flooded; but if built, the lab will allow experts to study exotic things like neutrinos and dark matter. Go figure.

Speaking of the bizarro . . . For a distraction from learning about our presidential past and weird particles, visit the nearby Roo Ranch, which is home year-round to six different species of kangaroo, wallaroo and wallaby. Get your picture taken with a ’roo or joey, and maybe you can fool your friends into thinking that your trip to the Black Hills got scuttled and you ended up in Alice Springs. It’s not clear to me why the owners started Roo Ranch, other than they visited Australia and thought the animals were strange and interesting and would make a good attraction.

So, if you’re planning a road trip to the 69th Annual Sturgis Rally this summer, take a short side trip to visit President’s Park. You’ll be a little creeped out, but better informed about our history.

(By the way, I hope in my lifetime that we can make the headline for this week’s post obsolete—i.e. I hope we can eliminate the assumption that the president must be a man!)

Southern Belle

Proving the old adage that “Time’s fun when you’re having flies,” it’s hard for me to believe that it has been a year since I penned the first Incidental Tourist. Looking back, it struck me that I haven’t written yet about a state I probably have visited as many as any other (Georgia) and a city that is one of my very favorites (Savannah). Here goes . . .

Founded in 1733 by British General James Oglethorpe, Savannah sits on the banks of its eponymous river. The place oozes history and charm and hospitality. (On the subject of hospitality and charm, Savannah recently was named “Most Mannerly City,” so I guess that proves the point.)

Considered “Georgia’s First City,” Savannah is probably best-known for its squares, if it’s known at all by the average Joe or Josephine. The city features 21 at last count, all of them lovely and beautifully maintained. My favorites include:

• Lafayette Square, which is much nicer than the one in New Orleans.

• Chippewa Square, because I really like the movie, Forrest Gump, and part of it was shot there.

• Monterey Square, because Mercer House, which features prominently in the highly enjoyable John Berendt book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, overlooks the square.

If you go through the trouble of visiting Savannah (it is a little off the beaten track for us northerners, but only a 45-minute drive from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina), consider staying in one of the nicely restored inns in the city that takes its history very seriously. With more than 40 choices, it’s hard to recommend one place to stay, so I’ll cheat and give you two:

• The Gastonian Inn has won many awards and is located nearby to many of the city’s famous squares, as well as Forsyth Park.

• Kehoe House also is centrally located and nicely appointed, plus it offers the potential of a ghostly encounter. (The owners tell me they’re offering special deals if you call them directly.)

With such a large historic district, pretty much any place where you might meander will offer much to see. Arguably the two most famous streets not to miss are River Street and Jones Street. Both feature houses with the numerous architectural styles that set Savannah apart from other planned cities. (If you can do it without attracting the attention of the local gendarmes, try to peek into the gardens, which range from the merely inspiring to the embarrassingly eye-popping.)

Savannah’s City Market has survived for more than 250 years as a market, although its current incarnation is relatively recent. There’s usually something interesting going on, and you have some interesting shopping, eating, and drinking choices. is not necessarily imaginative and a little pricey, but the location is great, and the restaurant itself is gorgeous.

Factor’s Walk is a former cotton warehouse that now features unique boutiques and restaurants. It’s not for everyone, though, as a lot of kitsch is on offer there, but architectural gems abound, and visiting here gives you an excuse to see the waterfront.

Telfair Museum of Arts and Sciences, which is located in the Historic District, is one of the South’s first public art museums. Today, the Telfair encompasses the original Telfair family mansion, plus two other buildings. It features period rooms, decorative arts, paintings, and sculptures. Appropriately, given Savannahians’ obsession with neat and tidy outdoor spaces, the Telfair also features two outdoor sculpture terraces.

The First African Baptist Church, with roots that predate the Revolutionary War, is the oldest Black congregation in America (although there remains some debate about the church’s “oldest” claim). The building itself is worth a visit as a wonderful example of late 18th-century architecture, and the slave-made pews and ornaments tell a story by themselves.

In the end, stories are what make Savannah the destination it is today.