Happy Birthday To You Day #2, “What a Drag”

by reissmd, posted in Las Vegas

Last night we arrived after 11 pm. You would think with a late arrival we could cruise in and the staff would be tripping all over each other to help us.  Think again, Robert.  We were greeted with bumper to bumper traffic.  I had to fight my way between taxis and limos in a traffic circle only to find out that the entrance for checking in was on the other side.  So again I needed to extend my arm asking to get over (easy to ignore a turn signal hard to ignore an arm).  We got to the valet and asked if they could charge our car overnight since we arrived with very little energy remaining.  He said he would make a request but no guarantees.  This morning I checked my car app and saw that what was at 16% last night was down to 12% this morning. Not sure if it was the cold weather or if the valets used our car to keep themselves warm but that further drop was a little unnerving.  That level of charge was a new low for me and I needed to find a charger or I would not feel comfortable.  Patrice made a call downstairs to check on the charging.  Based on what I had experienced so far I knew it was a wasted call.  You would think for what we are paying here we would be treated like royalty.  So I continued to get ready to find a charging spot and suddenly a message came across my phone that charging had begun.  Isn’t she amazing?  Aren’t I, the lucky one?

So instead of heading out looking for energy I decided to expend some of my own energy in the gym.  Oops, I forgot we are at an expensive hotel, I meant fitness center, not the gym. As I slowly meandered towards the fitness center a gentleman passed me and said hi.  He knew the way, so I followed him. Turns out he and his wife are visiting from New York and celebrating her birthday.  What a coincidence.  I told him that we will be celebrating by going to the Sphere tonight.  He replied “I’m taking my wife to the Eagles – Raiders game tomorrow.  Maybe Patrice is the lucky one?

Actually I realized later that the Raiders aren’t playing this weekend and he meant he was going to see the Eagles at the Sphere just like us.  I guess I’m not that special after all. 

We are not gamblers and I can’t stand the smoky air in the hotel so hanging out at the casino was not very appealing.  Instead, Patrice booked us a brunch and a show at the nearby Treasure Island hotel.  I don’t like to gamble but I sure like to eat.  Turns out she made reservations for “Señor Frog’s Drag Brunch”.   Sounded like an event where you eat as much Mexican food as you can, as fast as you can.  Turns out that was not quite correct.  It was Mexican food but we were entertained by a bunch of guys dressed up as women.  I wasn’t expecting much but OMG does not adequately describe what we saw.  Clearly society has passed me by.  I have NEVER seen anything like this in my life.  A series of men dressed up as women came on stage then sang and danced.  The audience would scream.  Then the performer would come off the stage into the audience and people would beg them to take cash from them.  Most were just single dollar bills but I saw at least 1 one-hundred dollar bill.

Performer with cash in both hands and patrons begging for her to take more.

Then they came out for their finale.  The entire troupe was on the stage sending their love to the audience and then came off the stage to join us.  Again audience members gave them lots of cash.  The screaming in the audience was mostly women and reminded me of the when the Beatles came to the USA for the first time.  Heck, if I knew wearing a dress would be such a turn on for females I would have taken a much different approach  in college. 

From the amount of cash being given, I think this was the most popular performer. She did some amazing acrobatics during her set.

By the way I think I must look like the owner of the Treasure Island hotel because we stopped twice on our way to the show to ask for directions.  Each time the Treasure Island employee addressed me the same way, “Hey boss, can I help you?”  And once again the directions to Señor Frog’s started with the same sentence “Walk through the casino……”

‘We are back at our hotel chilling for a while.  We will be seeing The Eagles (musical group not the football team) tonight and since the show doesn’t start until 8:30 we need to rest up. 

That’s enough for tonight, or as Patrice just told me “That’s too much”. 

Happy Birthday To You Day #1 “Road to Las Vegas”

by reissmd, posted in Las Vegas

On Thursday Patrice celebrated her ??? birthday.  We decided to celebrate by going to see the Sphere in Las Vegas.  We have been told it’s a very special venue so why not use it to celebrate this very special occasion. 

I got off work fairly early and we headed east. Traffic was awful, as expected but, we made it to about 130 miles from home in the first 2 1/2 hours when we stopped to get some dinner. Close to the freeway we found HK’s Bar and Grill.  The food was fine and the prices reasonable but it was quite clear that we might have been only 130 miles from home but we were light years from our element.  At the table next to ours there were some women who were very loud and boasting about their tattoos and body piercings.  At the table next them there were a group of men two of which had T-shirts that read “Sons of Trump”.  

Well fed we carried on. The traffic varied from heavy to light. Our car said that we could make all the way to the hotel without stopping and still have 3% left in our battery.  That didn’t seem like a wise strategy so we stopped at the Super Charger adjacent to “Eddie World” in Yermo, California to charge for a bit.  Patrice took the opportunity to use the facilities where she saw this sign in the convenience store. 

A couple of hours later we pulled into the lot at the Venetian Hotel and hurried to our room.  No surprise that it was gorgeous and that we had to walk through the casino to get there.  It’s a well known fact that in every Las Vegas hotel when you are given instructions on how to get somewhere the first sentence is “Walk through the casino……”

Enough for tonight.  I would like to tell you about the hotel arrival but my blog editor wants to go to sleep.  So that means I must stop writing and leave our arrival story until tommorow.

Ciao

Baseball Road Trip Day#5 “Home Sweet Home”

by reissmd, posted in Philadelphia, Uncategorized

Last night we made it to the game on time in spite of having to deal with a lot of fan traffic. The Phillies have been playing well and thus the crowds have been large. Philadelphia fans have a reputation of being very loyal but when their teams don’t perform to expectations they can be ruthless.  They had a happy night because the home team scored 4 runs in the third inning and that was all she wrote with the Phillies winning 5-0

It was a well played game and my assessment is that the Phillies have an excellent team. I am sure the Astros would love to play them again this October. I think that is a real possibility. The only recommendation I have for the Phillies is that outfielder, Brandon Marsh, shaves and gets a haircut. See below.

 

As you can tell from this picture he previously played for the Angels. Both the beard and hair are much longer now.

To sum up this trip I have to say it has been a fun birthday getaway. I got a call last night from my daughter in Madrid because it was 1:00 AM and already my birthday in Spain. How wonderful it was to hear her voice. Actually I couldn’t hear her because we were at the baseball game but she followed up the call with a text message.

By the time you read this I should have landed at LAX and be on my way to the office. Yes, after getting home from the game we packed to prepare for an early flight.  Kudos to Patrice for agreeing to get up early so we could get home early enough for me to get to work to see a 1:00 pm patient. I don’t know for sure but I suspect I’m UCLA’s oldest primary care physician and at least today the one with the longest commute. 

We don’t have any other plans for trips until November.  So you don’t have to worry about hearing any more of my ramblings until then. 

Ciao

Baseball Road Trip Day#4 “Play Ball!”

by reissmd, posted in Philadelphia

Today was supposed to be all about baseball.  Since the game isn’t until 6:40 pm we had to find something else to keep us busy. A number of museums were recommended but Tuesday seems to be the day they all want to be closed. 

So instead we headed to the much talked about Reading Terminal Market.  Apparently when the market opened in 1893 there was a railroad at this site. The railroad terminal closed but the market has flourished although at times there have been some down years. Currently it is quite busy with an incredible array of offerings. We tried to go to the Market yesterday but we were overwhelmed by the difficulty finding parking. Today we did our homework and found very reasonable priced parking at a lot adjacent to the market. The only quandry at the market is which delectables to choose. There are so many and all look so good.

Donuts?
Ribs?
Potato salad, lobster mac and cheese, standard mac and cheese?
Meats galore?
Cheeses?
Fish?
Honey?
More fish?
Sausage?
Sweets?
More sweets?

We decided to share a roasted pork sandwich following the recommendation of our friend, Kevin, thinking we could also share another Philadelphia Cheesesteak.  Clearly we didn’t realize what we had just purchased. See below 

Good thing we just bought one to share.

After having our lunch at the Reading Terminal Market we drove by the Rodin museum and saw his masterpiece “The Thinker”. The museum was closed but The Thinker is located outside at the entrance.

We love this piece. We saw it in Paris. We also see it ever day at our home. We have a 12 inch replica in our family room. I suspect ours is a bit less expensive.

We then headed to the Franklin Institute to see the Lego exhibition titled The Art of the Brick. It is more geared toward the younger age group but we thought it was fantastic. See below.

Whistler’s Mother in Legos
Lego Mona Lisa
The pictures really don’t capture the beauty of these pieces of art. My favorite was this one of Ben Franklin.
But the flamingos were pretty cool as well.

We then went back to the hotel to chill for a bit. The high temperature today was 89 with 37% humidity. Looks like we are getting out of town just in time because tomorrow it is going to hit 98.

Aftrer a nice bit of relaxation it is time to head for the game.

I will check in with you tomorrow.

Ciao

Baseball Road Trip Day #3 “On to the City of Brotherly Love”

by reissmd, posted in Baltimore, Francis Scott Key Bridge, Philadelphia

This morning, as usual, I got up earlier than Patrice.  Being the good husband that I think I am I left the room as quietly as possible and went to the lounge for breakfast. There I had a plain bagel (and I do mean plain) and a chocolate milk (did I mention that I was told that the coffee machine is broken). 

After eating I started reading my book while trying to ignore the conversations of the other travelers around me.  I did overhear one woman say to her partner, in frustration “I’m not a doctor!” Since I didn’t hear what preceded that comment I resisted saying “But I am!”

Patrice informed me, via text, that she had awoken.  I inquired “What is your plan?” to which she replied “Get up and have a little breakfast. Pack and get on the road. What’s your plan?”  My answer was “Wait for you to get here and tell me what to do”. 

While waiting I checked my emails and saw that a patient sent me his recommendations for Philadelphia.  By all normal standards I share much too much personal information with my patients. Sorry but I can’t help myself.  I love seeing and talking with my patients.  How else can you explain a man of my age still enjoying going to work? I shared with a new patient, Kevin, that I might be slow to get back to him since my wife and I were traveling to Baltimore and Philadelphia. He told me that he had spent some time in Philadelphia and had a “to do” list for the city. Here is the list:

Things to eat:

Reading Terminal Market (DiNic’s-RoastPork)

Sweet potato pie

Pastrami Sandwhich

Dinics

Turkey Leg

Laser Wolf Restaurant

South Philly Barbacoa**

John’s Roast Pork

Hoagies Omakase

Florella Pasta

Casa Mexico, 1134 S 9th St.

Barbuzzo, 110 S 13th St, (Salted Caramel Budino)

Pizzeria Beddia, 1313 N Lee St

Food suggestion link

Philly Cheesesteaks

Geno’s

Pat’s King of Steak

Dalessandro’s

            Angelos Pizza/Cheesesteak

Water Ice

Siddiq’s Water Ice

D’Emilio’s

John’s Water Ice

Rose’s Real Italian Water Ice

Morrone’s 

Pop’s

Yardly

Fine Dining

Royal Sushi and Izakaya

Andra Hem

Doro Bet

Vernick Food and Drink (Roast Chicken)

Zahav, Pom glazed lamb shoulder**

Kalaya

Toasted Beef Curry

Tom Yum Soup

Bird Soup Dumpling

Shaw Muang

Things to do:

Magic Garden

Liberty Bell, 526 Market Street

Rocky Steps/Phil Museum of Arts, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Independence Hall, 520 Chestnut St

Love Park, N 15th & Arch St

Longwood Gardens

Baldwin’s Book Barn

Free Library of Philly Rare Book Collection

Masonic Temple, 1 N Broad St https://pamasonictemple.org/

Clay Studio

Fabric Workshop and Museum

Museum for Art in Wood

Franklin Institute,

Philly Phlash, 19 spots, $12/family

Elfreth’s Alley

Hmmm, we will be in Philadelphia for 2 days.  I think we might miss one or two of the things on his list. 

Prior to heading to Philadelphia we went to see the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore. Actually I should say the remnants of the bridge. That is where a container ship struck the bridge on March 26, 2024 and 8 workers making repairs at the time were killed. A horrific sight on the news and more so in person even though we couldn’t get very close. See below.

Francis Scott Key bridge on August 26, 2024

After the bridge sighting we were on our way to the City of Brotherly Love. The drive was a breeze and again the trees lining the highway were gorgeous. We arrived much too early to check into the hotel so we checked Kevin’s list and decided to have Philadelphia Cheese Steaks for lunch. We selected Pat’s King of Steaks [1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19147]. We weren’t in a rush to get there before closing because they are OPEN 24 HOURS!

Open 24 hours but the real challenge is finding a parking space.

The only decision we needed to make when we arrived was what type of cheese. The choices: 1. American, 2. Provolone, 3. Cooper Sharp America, or 4. Cheese Whiz. Really, Cheese Whiz? I was told that is the original so I ordered it. But provolone sounded really good. This is what I was served. What do you think?

Would you eat it? I did and it was great. Much better than it looked. I think I will try provolone next time.

Not sure why we choose Pat’s, we were also given Geno’s Steaks as an option. When ordering our food at Pat’s I turned around and saw this.

Yes, across the street is another iconic cheese steak restaurant open 24/7. Makes for a lot of happy steak eaters and a lot of unhappy cows.

After our cheese steak fest we tried to go to the Reading Terminal Market but the parking was awful. I needed some chill time so we decided to defer the market to another time and head to the hotel.

Checking in was a bit traumatic because they couldn’t find our reservation, in spite of me showing it on the Marriott App. While they struggled with looking for the reservation I tried to log in online. That was “successful” but unfortunately didn’t get us a key to a room. The app had a chat function that I used but unfortunately that just went to the clerk who was helping us at the hotel. Lucky for me I didn’t say on the app that the hotel clerk is a jerk. They were finally successful in getting us checked in. I say they because it took 5 people.

After chilling in the room for a bit it was time for dinner. We chose Vernick Fish [One N 19th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103]. The meal was wonderful and reasonably priced.

We shared the Crab Roll appetizer. Baltimore should be jealous.
I had the halibut. It was delicious.
Patrice had the sea bass. Good but a bit spicy.
We shared cheesecake for dessert. The restaurant provided the happy birthday message. Two days early but much appreciated.

We had a lovely evening and looking forward to more baseball tomorrow.

Baseball Road Trip Day #2 “Oh Say Can You See”

by reissmd, posted in Baltimore

This morning we had a disappointing breakfast at the hotel and then decided to explore the city. Patrice usually does an amazing job finding us places to visit on our trips but for some reason she hadn’t found much for us to do in Baltimore. As I am sure you are aware Patrice is very, very smart. Unfortunately, one area that is not her strong point is American History. Our conversation about what to do today went something like this.

Patrice: Is there anything you would like to do?

Robert: How about go to see Fort McHenry?

Patrice: What’s that?

Robert: Where Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”?

Patrice: On, where is it?

Robert: Baltimore?

As I said, Patrice is incredbly smart but history is not her strong suit.

With that decided, we were on our way to see Fort McHenry and luckily it is located very close to our hotel. On arrival we were told that the gift shop is on the left, an orientation movie is on the right, and the entrance to the Fort is straight ahead.

We checked out the gift shop briefly and then headed to the film. It was your usual puff piece but then it had a spectacular finish. The movie ended and the screen lifted to reveal a panoramic view of Fort McHenry with Old Glory flying high and the “Star Spangled Banner” started playing. All the visitors stood up and one guy got very teary eyed. (Patrice here, Robert is such a cry baby. It was him of course).

After that, the tour of the Fort paled by comparison. I would give this a soft recommendation but only if you are a history buff. It is free if you have a National Park pass. If you don’t I would recommend you just go see the film and then go home.

Selfie of Patrice and Me with “Old Glory” at Fort McHenry in the background. This flag has 15 stars. Can you name the the two states that joined the original 13 colonies to bring the count to 15? Patrice can. Isn’t she wonderful?

After the Fort, Patrice asked if I would like to go to the Babe Ruth museum. I thought it odd that a museum dedicated to the “Bambino” would be located in Baltimore since he was a star in Boston and New York. As it turns out the Babe was born in Baltimore and the museum is located in the home where he was born. Yes, on February 6, 1895, George Herman “Babe” Ruth was delivered by a midwife at his family’s home in Baltimore.

I really liked the museum. There is lots of newsreel footage (I especially liked the induction into the Hall of Fame) and many artifacts. They also had a senior discount and like my father, I always love that.

When we got back to the hotel I realized I still had my Fort McHenry entrance bracelet on. See below.

A simple paper bracelet indicating that you paid the entry fee.

I said to Patrice, “I just realized I still have my Fort McHenry entrance bracelet on, do you?” She said, “I never put mine on”. I really married a rebel, didn’t I?

We had an early dinner by the stadium at a sports bar called “Pickles Pub” [520 Washington Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21230]. It is located steps from the stadium. The food was good and prices reasonable. Nothing fancy worthy of a picture. We did meet two moms with their 12 year old sons visiting from Florida. They said that they are trying to take the boys to all 30 MLB parks. As they put it, “It’s a 12 year old boy kind of thing”. To which I replied, “We are here for a medical meeting, I am working on the cure to cancer”.

Then it was time for baseball. Before the game we saw several large number statues representing players who have had their numbers retired. We saw #5 for Brooks Robinson and #20 for Frank Robinson. Patrice asked if they were brothers.

Brooks Robinson, the Oriole superstar 3rd baseman.
Frank Robinson. The only player to be voted MVP in both the American and National Leagues as of today (that might change this year).

Both great baseball players but in spite of the striking resemblance in their looks I don’t think they were brothers.

The stadium was beautiful and we had great seats. I assessed the location and told Patrice it was safe for her to read. But then I saw this sign and had to reconsider the situation. See below.

Keep you eyes open.

It was a great game and I really enjoyed stadium #25. There were 3 home runs and some wonderful plays in the field. After the 8th inning with the Orioles losing by 3 runs there was a mass exodus of fans. I felt like I was at Dodger Stadium. Actually not, at Dodger Stadium the fans leave after the 7th inning and the score is irrelevant. Another thing about Oriole Park, we didn’t see one beach ball. At Dodger Stadium you see about 6 beach balls bopping around the stands by the 4th inning. Doesn’t anyone come to watch the game any longer?

Tomorrow we leave for Philadelphia where we will see Stadium #26 and leave just 4 more until we reach the magic #30. I guess I am just 12 years old at heart.

Baseball Road Trip Day #1 “Robert Has Crabs”

by reissmd, posted in Baltimore

As followers of this blog know I am on a quest to see baseball games in all 30 MLB parks. Patrice is on a similar quest. She wants to read her Kindle in all 30 MLB parks. As of today we have been to 24 parks and tomorrow we add #25 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

We flew into DC today because the flights were more convenient than flying directly to Baltimore. After all, we figured Baltimore is only about 40 miles from Washington so how long could it take to drive there. An hour and a half in our case. Traffic was awful but the greenery was beautiful for the majority of the trip.

One perq of flying into DC was seeing the sights approaching the DCA airport. We saw the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, and the Capital Building just prior to landing.

After checking into the hotel we had some time to check out the neighborhood. The Saturday Oriole game had just ended and there were lots of fans walking the streets. Our hotel is steps from the stadium and down the street from a restaurant that was recommended to us. Patrice’s biking friend, Carolyn, said Phillips Seafood [601 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore Phone: (410) 685-6600] is the place to go.

So we headed down there for a late lunch, early dinner and we were not disappointed. They specialize in crab and serve it in a variety of styles. Patrice ordered the Crab Cake and I ordered Crab Imperial. We shared them and both were superb.

Crab Imperial
Crab Cake

Exploring the neighborhood we saw some interesting sights. We saw this statue in front of the US Court House. Do you recognize this famous American? See below.

I will give you a hint, his was a famous Lawyer.

Does this close-up help?

We also saw a memorial to the Maryland residents who died in the 9/11 attacks.

Remnant of the wreckage from 9/11 with names of the people who lost their lives inscribed on the base.

By the way, the statue above was Thurgood Marshall.

Nearby we saw the Hard Rock Cafe.

The Hard Rock Cafe wants to save the planet.
They might want to start with the harbor directly in front of their restaurant.

I have to say goodbye now because it is time to prepare for tomorrow. As you know there is always a chance a foul ball might come our way. I need to get ready for that possibility. I have to do some stretching. I wouldn’t want to miss my chance for a foul ball because my muscles were too tight.

Patrice here now. I can’t believe what I just read. See below to see Robert getting ready for the possiblity of a foul ball.

Here’s my brave boy.

Travels With Charlie Part 2. Day #6 “Home Sweet Home”

by reissmd, posted in Minneapolis, Toronto

Blog followers know that my last post of our trips I devote to interesting pictures I have taken along the way. You might also recall that in Travels With Charlie Part 1 I devoted a post to interesting questions that Charlie asked during the trip. This post will show both.

This sign says it all, I won’t be moving to Toronto.
Not moving to Minneapolis either.
Found a bunch of these at the airports. Not that my wife will be needed one in the near future but glad to see they are available for those who do need them.
Many of the Minneapolis sidewalks have designated areas for bikes. If you walk on them a cyclist might put you in your place.
We saw this lovely mural of Bob Dylan entitled “The Times They Are A Changing”. It shows Dylan at 3 stages of life. We found out that he was born in Duluth.
No trip to Minneapolis would be complete without a visit to the Mary Tyler Moore statue.

The Target Field (Minneapolis) scoreboard filled us in on some crucial information about the players on both teams. Here are a few tidbits.

Carlos, thank you so much for sharing that sleep advice.
I don’t think Willi would be someone with whom I would want to be in a room alone.
How did I live without knowing this about Byron?

Now for Charlie’s questions:

As you might know that a common statistic in baseball is how fast a pitch is thrown.  Charlie asked: “In Canada do they report the speed of the pitch in MPH or KmPH?”

“If I punched the dashboard really hard would it deploy the airbag?”

“Do you get hit more by rain if you’re running or walking?”

“You know what would be weird? Having Christmas in the summer. Seeing Santa in a bathing suit would be weird. Christmas comes during the summer in Australia”

“Why do people say bless you when they sneeze?” 

“How come most major countries have their own language (Italian in Italy, Russian in Russia, Japanese in Japan, etc.) but we speak English. I think we should have a language called American.” 

“What’s the first palindrome that comes to mind?”  I answered “A man a plan a canal, Panama.” I then asked what did he think of: “racecar”

“Grandpa who do think came first the Reds or the Twins because they have identical C’s”. To explain further see the Twins logo and the Reds logo below.

Minnesota Twins
Cincinnati Reds

“Why does TSA have stupid rules like having an old man like you take off his sandals before going through security?”  Okay, okay, that was my question not Charlie’s. 

Finally this picture of a fan in Toronto prompted a question.  As you can see he is wearing a Houston Astros jersey but with the name of their former player George Springer on the back. Springer now plays for the Blue Jays. 

Charlie wanted to know: “Do you think he is an Astros fan or a Blue Jays fan?

Another trip has been completed and we are going home to rest. Travel is so exhausting.  I don’t think I have enough energy to retire.  I better keep working so I can get some rest.

And finally, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is the case, the picture below tells you why all the work involved in putting this trip together was worth it. 

Charlie in the Niagara City Cruise.

See you soon, when we next travel to ………….

Travels With Charlie Part 2, Day #5 “The Bitter and the Sweet”

by reissmd, posted in Minneapolis

One thing I can always count on for our trips is that Patrice will find something interesting to do.  They don’t always work out but usually they do.  For example last night she found “Taste of Minnesota”.  Although we didn’t spend a lot of time there it was interesting.  She also found a show for us to see at the Guthrie theater.  

The theater is named after Sir William Tyrone Guthrie who was an Irish director who as evidenced by his knighthood was quite accomplished.  Apparently in 1959 he took out an ad in the drama section of the New York Times looking for a community interested in developing a residence theater.  He was contacted by the people of Minneapolis and in 1963 the theater was completed.  Guthrie worked as the art director for a number of years.  He died in 1969 but the theater and his legacy live on. 

Last night we saw “The Little Shop of Horrors” at the Guthrie.  We got great seats for the very modest price of $36.  The production was excellent and best of all Charlie had a good time.  The theater was walking distance from our hotel so we got a chance work off some of the calories from our dinner at Murray’s. 

Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Breakfast this morning was at the Hen House Eatery (114 S 8th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402).  The place came recommended by the same friend who recommended Murray’s. Breakfast was great. We had an apple cinnamon roll as a starter. I also had oatmeal to pretend I was being healthy.

Apple Cinnamon roll. It was even better than it looks.

Enough about food, today was about baseball. We were fortunate to see the Astros play the Twins at Target Field today.   Everything went smoothly, the seats were perfect, and it was a great game.  Unfortunately the Twins won with a walk off home run.  At least the majority of the fans left the stadium happy even if we didn’t.  Actually Patrice was happy.  She got a lot of reading done and the game didn’t go extra innings. 

Our trio getting ready to enjoy some baseball.

I mentioned yesterday that today was going to be a happy and sad day.  The sad part is that we had to say goodbye to Charlie.  We took him to the airport to fly home because tomorrow he starts baseball camp. 

Delta would not let both of us go to the gate with him.  Just wait until Delta’s public relations department realizes that Robert Reiss posted on his travel blog that he hates Delta.  I’m sure some heads will roll.  Sorry if you think I have become a power monger since my blog has become so popular. Yes, the power of being an “influencer” has gone to my head.

The only thing more annoying than Delta is TSA.  They insisted that I take off my sandals and go through the scanner barefooted.  To add to the absurdity in 55 days when I turn 75 I will no longer have to remove my shoes to go through security. America, do you feel safer now? Remember I am the guy who in addition to wanting to go through the scanner while wearing his sandals is the same person who tried to smuggle an unopened box of toothpaste through the airport security in Pellston, Michigan. Should they put me on the “No-Fly” list?

Although saying goodbye was a sad moment we did get to go back to our hotel room and use that gorgeous bed for something other than sleeping.  As you know 70 is the new 50 and we are both physically active so we looked forward to the alone time so we could…… you know.  See below. 

Use our devices of course.

Patrice and I return home tomorrow.  I’ll have my usual final post of the trip with interesting photos we have collected.

Travels With Charlie Part 2, Day #4 “Goodbye Toronto, Hello Minneapolis”

by reissmd, posted in Minneapolis, Toronto

Last night we had a wonderful dinner in Toronto with our friend Nick and his partner, Aldo.  Nick and I became friends when we met during a trip to Madrid, Spain when we both wanted to experience the country’s culture and study Spanish.  Apparently Nick did more studying than I did since he is now fluent.  At my current rate of improvement I should be fluent some time around the year 2060.  In Spain we were taught by a Reiss Travel blog follower, Angelica, who remains a friend and I affectionately refer to her as my “Spaniard mother”.  

Dinner was at Vos Restaurante Argentino-College (847 College St, Toronto, ON M6H 1A1, Canada).  They specialize in Argentinian food, great service, but not in great air conditioning.  We had a wonderful meal but were too busy talking about life and reminiscing about our times in Spain that I forgot to take any pictures of the food. Patrice did have the presence of mind to take a picture of us but declined a second photo with her in front of the camera.

From left to right: Nick, Aldo, Charlie, Me.

This morning we left the hotel early because of the awful traffic conditions we experienced yesterday. Of course things were much different today (a Saturday) and we got to the airport in about 20 minutes and much too early for our flight.  

We couldn’t get a direct flight to Minneapolis so we had a brief layover in Chicago.  One wonderful aspect of this part of the trip was that we cleared customs (via the Global Entry system) before we even left Toronto.  Many thanks to Charlie’s parents for enrolling him in the Global Entry program and kudos to Charlie for knowing he qualified. 

I had a window seat on the flight to Chicago and saw a great view of the Lake Michigan shoreline and of Wrigley Field (see below).

Lake Michigan and the Chicago shoreline.
Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs.

In Minneapolis we are staying at the Four Seasons Hotel which is walking distance from Target Field.  This place is gorgeous.  There was a slight hiccup on check-in.  They had us set up for a room with a king-size bed but without a rollaway.  Hmmm, we love Charlie a lot but the thought of all three of us in one bed did not sound inviting.  We asked for two queen size beds as we had in Toronto but that was not available.  Luckily they found a rollaway and we were in business.  From our room we have a great view of the city which includes part of the Mississippi River which separates our location from its twin city, St. Paul.

Part of our city view including a glimpse of the Mississippi River.
Charlie enjoying the view from our room.

We didn’t have much of a lunch so we had an early dinner at Murray’s (26 South 6th St, Minneapolis, MN 55402). The establishment is about 80 years old and was recommended by a friend of Patrice. The food, the service, and the air conditioning were all spectacular. We sat at a table from which you could see the below photo. Patrice knowing how old I am said “I bet you know who they are”. I recognized the guy but not the woman. Patrice of course didn’t recognize either because she is too young (ha!).

Eddie Cantor on the left, and actress Joan Davis on the right. If you recognize Cantor you are old, if you recognize both, you are VERY old.

After dinner we walked through “Taste of Minnesota” a monstrous food faire with all sorts of booths to stuff yourself. They only managed to make me sick because we had just had a big dinner. They also had bands and a variety of entertainment venues including a zip line.

Tomorrow will be a happy and sad day. I will leave that for later.