Apartment 202

    The view from my second story apartment window is not all that bad.  It faces north and overlooks a neighborhood to the north and to the east across Hilltop Rd.  Directly below is the black surface of the parking lot.  My girlfriend and I were hoping for an apartment that faced south, as there is a wooded drainage area to the south, but as they say you can’t always get what you want.  Toward the west and northwest lies relatively undeveloped land with a thick forest and gently rolling hills.  I have always thought that Nebraska with it wide open skies has some of the most beautiful sunsets anywhere that I have ever been and this undeveloped area is very pretty when the sun is going down in the evening.    I have been watching the sunset from this apartment for a year and a half now since we moved to Lincoln, and although it has taken some getting used to it much more like home these days.

     The apartment itself is rather simple it has two bedrooms of almost identical size, both rather large for apartment bedrooms.  In each room there is also an attached full bathroom and a large closet which has been stuffed full of clothes, shoes and miscellaneous crap of course.  We have turned this apartment into our family home.  My girlfriend Abby’s four year old daughter is the resident of the east bedroom and we slumber in the west bedroom.  Our living room is large as well, it pretty much takes up the rest of the apartment save for the kitchen and laundry area that is positioned near the entryway. 

    The apartment is full of nick knacks; a globe sit atop a candle holder, plants shoved into every well-lit corner of the apartment, a bear carved out of an aspen tree, and three bicycles are crammed into a corner.  Our second hand furniture does not necessarily match, and is too large for the 950 square foot abode, but many nights have been spend resting comfortable on the plush couches.  Abby’s daughters Kari’s room is so pink it almost causes vertigo when you first walk in and our room looks like a mish-mash of two singe peoples bedrooms combined into one  Pictures of our family fill the walls and our cat can usually be found lounging near one of the  windows.  When we first walked into this white-walled hotelish apartment I never imagined that it would feel as comfortable as it does now.  It just goes to show that home really is wherever your heart is.

A Free Trip Back in Time

      A free zoo may sound like an impossibility in today’s world where everything seems to cost so much money, but there is such a place indeed.  The Lincoln Park zoo which lies very near Lake Michigan in the sprawling metropolis of Chicago Illinois is to the best of my knowledge the last such free zoo in the United States.  Located in the densely populated Chicago neighborhood which bears the same name (Lincoln Park) the zoo has lions, tigers, bears and much more.  With the towering Chicago skyline in the background and the ocean like appearance of Lake Michigan across Lake Shore Drive the scenery here is on par with the animal exhibits. I had the pleasure of visiting this zoo over the past summer and have to say I would recommend it to anyone.

      My girlfriend Abby and I had decided on Chicago for our annual summer trip and we were excited to hear about the zoo.  We thought it would make a great starting point and that her four year old daughter Kari would love to see the animals.  We arrived at the zoo about noon after taking a train and two buses over the course of an hour in order to reach the zoo.  A curious Zebra greeted us as walked through the welcoming gates.  He fidgeted excitedly from the fly bites, his pitch black tail whipping frantically as he struggled to swat the flies of his rear end.  Kari looked up a giggled as she explained to me that Zebra’s do in fact have stripes; some days I don’t know what I would do without her.

      We walked around the zoo and saw the majestic lions and the goofy sea lions.  We took a stroll through the world of creepy crawly insects.  We slithered through a maze of reptiles and amphibians, on our way to viewing the vertically gifted giraffes.  The monkeys took their afternoon naps as some camels chilled in the shade.  The day flew by and the laughter filled the air.  There are not many thing that can bring a couple of parents in their mid-twenties back to childhood better than the trill of exotic animals, and the joyous cries of children, as they see these magnificent creatures for the first time outside of books.

The Sea of Red

         Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln greets folks as they head south into downtown.  The large cement walls on the west side of the Stadium stand triumphantly over the bridges and streets which wind confoundingly around the northern reaches of downtown Lincoln.  The tall cement walls are segmented by large square pillars.  In between the two central pillars the internal organs of the stadium are revealed through three tall, narrow, cathedral like windows.  Across the rest of the stone grey exterior walls of the prominent west side of the stadium other smaller windows brighten the grey demeanor of the stadium.  

As one approaches this monolithic structure on a Saturday in fall the grey, cold of the stadium bursts to life with tens of thousands of loyal fans.  The grey exterior of the building gets lost behind the bright red jerseys and T-shirts that can be seen in all directions.  The smoke from the many grills at surrounding tailgates floats in the air and causes immediate hunger.  When game-time approaches the thud of drums and call of brass instruments can be heard roaring down stadium drive.  This is the band’s way of reminding fans that it is time to head into the stadium to cheer for the Huskers as they make their way onto the field.

Once you have fought your way through the crowd and enter the gates of the stadium it’s as if you can feel the whole behemoth moving under the weight of some eighty-five thousand fans.  The lobby on the west stadium is bright and open because of the huge windows.  The setup is rather simple with bathrooms and concessions stands strewn across the lobby.  As you grab a five dollar stadium chair and head to your section the anticipation peaks as one pokes their head out of the tunnel and sees the sea of red in all its glory.  The stadium is huge and it is always packed, it has been sold out every game for fifty years.  The field is immaculate and the “Jumbotrons” are visible in all directions.  The railings are lined with names of players who have achieved greatness at Nebraska and with the numbers from years when the Huskers won titles of some kind.  As the game commences you lose track of the glory that is Memorial stadium and become engulfed in the game, cheering, and analyzing every play.  The game may be bigger than any stadium but this place is special and is part of why the Nebraska Cornhuskers regardless of their record or players have a mythical status for the small population of Nebraska. 

Dinner table away from Dinner Table.

Mazatlan II             

   Heading south on 27^th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska near the intersection with Superior Street sits one of my all-time favorite Mexican restaurants.  The restaurant located on the east side of the road is called Mazatlan II, and it has a sister restaurant named Mazatlan in south Lincoln.  The restaurant is located in a newly built strip mall whose architectural theme is reminiscent of Tetris.  There are large different colored square patterns dispersed along the street facing side of the strip-mall.  Mazatlan II is located in between a tanning salon and a bank, which should bring in a lot of customers but the four other food/beverage establishments here no doubt affect business.

       It seems like the business here is steady but never very busy, I cannot remember ever having to wait, whether for lunch or dinner.  The bar greets patrons on the right as they walk into a tidy and colorful little restaurant which smells of tortillas and a multitude of spicy sauces.  There is a small waiting area to the left with the bathrooms sitting behind the bar and host station.  Usually you will be greeted by one or two extremely friendly waiters, Ramon is the younger stout one and Enrique is the older man with a raspy voice.  To the left of the bathrooms and behind the host area sits the dining room.  There are four long tables for larger groups located in the middle and booths surrounding the perimeter of the dining area.  Kitchen doors break up the booths near the host station and a playfully constructed wooden roof sits over each booth.  No matter where you sit the smells, sounds, and tastes are incredible.  Delicious chips and salsa are handed to you as fast as you can eat them before your entrée selection requires full attention. 

        Yet for me the reason this place is so special is because it has become somewhat of a family gathering place.  My family lives spread out across the state of Nebraska, some close others hours away.  It started probably five years ago when we happened upon Mazatlan II after a Husker game and we were promptly seated and well fed.  Now every time my stepdad comes to Lincoln there is no question where everyone is meeting for dinner.  My brother-in-law is even quite good friends with a few of the waiters.  I love this place not because of their food, though it is good, I love it because it synonymous with good times and people I love.  Mazatlan with is quick service and friendly staff has become an extension of our home kitchen table, a place where we can all still unite over a good meal. 

Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona

  If you head south out of the scenic mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona, on Interstate 17 and connect with state highway eighty-nine you will be on your way to one of the most spectacular sights in a state full of beauty.  When you first start your journey there is little indication of the massive drop in elevation that will occur before you reach the city of Sedona, which lies thirty-one breathtaking miles from Flagstaff.  About twelve minutes outside of Flagstaff the Ponderosa Pines start allowing for a first glimpse of Oak Creek Canyon.  The road then begins to sidewinder radically through switch-backs as you drop down to the canyon floor.

    As your slowly making you way through the hairpin turns the vegetation begins to become more and more diverse.  Douglas Firs, Blue Spruces, Walnut, Cottonwoods, and Oaks all blend together on the steep cliff walls.  For anyone not comfortable with heights the journey down the gorge can be harrowing.  I for one found this place to be another of the amazing islands of forest, water, and rock which are dispersed throughout this desert state.  The rock face itself shines brilliantly with buff colored veins running through the rusty sandstone make up the north end of the canyon.  If you’re lucky enough to be making this drive around sunset the cliff face lights up brilliantly showing the diversity present in the rock formations.

     Nearing the bottom of this snakelike road you gain control of your equilibrium again, as the vegetation changes once more. Now instead of tall pines there is many different examples of shrubby deciduous trees, flower filled meadows, and might Oak stands.  The rock is also different, less intensely craggy and more lumped with large boulders.  The Sandstone takes over at this lower elevation as well providing a stark contrast to the colorful foliage.  As you begin to slowly ungulate toward Sedona the name sake of the makes its appearance—Oak Creek.  This stream flows year round through the canyon floor boring out multiple swimming holes in the soft stone.  Slide Rock State Park takes advantage of these pools and offers access to many hiking trails and scenic overlooks.  I recommend that anyone travelling her stops for a dip in the chilly water before finally heading out of the canyon into the dazzling escarpments of Sedona.

A place I love; Platteview Nebraska

 Platteview Nebraska

You will not find Platteview Nebraska on a map, and if you ask people where it is very few will have even the slightest clue.  I know where Platteview is only because of an invitation that was extended to me and my family from my uncle Scott.  He invited my girlfriend our daughter and I out to camp with him the weekend before the fourth of July this past summer.  I accepted whole heartedly because my uncle is a hell of a lot of fun and he has an airboat—you know one of those flat bottom jon boats with a fan the size of a small car on the back.  I had also heard many good stories about the parties that took place here and it had become somewhat of a legend that I longed to see.

          Platteview lies between Ashland and Omaha on the mighty Platte river, it is an exclusive place.  Not exclusive like a five star country club but exclusive for those lucky souls who have attained a bit of property in this gated community on the Platte.  No mansions or Mercedes like most gated communities but rather an eclectic collection of half built trailer homes, small bungalows, travel trailers, tents, lifted trucks, golf carts and the awe inspiring fan boats.  The people that come here come here for one reason to escape the city life and have the type of fun you can’t have at most Nebraska campgrounds.  Drinking beer is a prerequisite and fun is enforced on all those who

pass through the gates.

              

       “NO SPEEDING, five miles an hour.”   That’s is the first thing one sees when entering the gates, but no need to worry because hardly a car can be seen populating the road, rather there are golf carts everywhere full of imbibing adults and bikes with young children blissfully enjoying the hot summer days near the river.  There is an endless amount of fun to be had here, swimming, eating, drinking, and on this glorious weekend fireworks.  No good July fourth party in Nebraska is declared until the cracks and booms of fireworks drown out the worries that live only minutes away in the state’s population centers.  We all listen to the whizzing firecrackers as the occasional fan boat speeds by roaring like thunder in the spring.  This is what my family does best—be together and be happy.  As the night flies by and one by one folks head to their respective plots to sleep I think,  I’m lucky to be here with all those who I love.