And the coolest bookstore award goes to...

The coolest bookstore in the world is located in downtown Rochester, Minn. You’ll agree with me as soon as you step inside.

My friends and I stumbled into the bookstore while walking through Rochester’s skyways last winter. We rounded a corner and suddenly we were inside a French castle, filled with books. Our mouths dropped open as we took in the elaborately painted side walls. Then our gaze went upwards and we viewed a midnight sky on the ceiling.

Like any Barnes and Noble, this one is full of books and a Starbucks coffee shop. Grab a cup of coffee and sit a spell. There’s a lot to look at. Truly, you won’t want to leave. We started on the second floor and then headed downstairs and out the elaborate main doors, stepping out under the grand entrance. We were up and were as amazed by the outside structure as the inside design. What a place.

It is well deserving of its designation to the National Register of Historic Places.





HERE IS A BIT MORE FROM THE WIKIPEDIA PAGE
• Although the theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, it closed on October 2, 1983, with the 1934 movie classic "It Happened One Night," starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Following nearly 11 years of debate, negotiation, and ultimately $4 million of renovation, Barnes & Noble reopened the doors of the Chateau Theatre on July 1, 1994.

• With construction costs of a then-unheard-of $400,000, the theatre opened on October 26, 1927.


• The theatre originally had 1,487 red velvet seats, compared to today's "theaters," which generally seat 200 at most.

• The Chateau Theatre was one of Rochester's first air-conditioned buildings, presenting plays, concerts, operas, silent and later talking movies, and vaudeville: In 1940, 25 cents' admission provided audiences 3 acts of music/magic/juggling, "Pathé news," comedy, and a main show.

• The original film projection booth sits above the second floor balcony, hidden behind the giant Barnes & Noble mural. Because of the theatre's historic nature and a desire not to disturb its decorative side walls — which replicate an early French (Normandy) village — the floor is attached only at the building's front and back walls while also supported by main floor pillars. The castle, with 40 balconies and 20' high turrets, resembles a 10 century French castle (chateau). Originally, passageways extended for actors to appear at the numerous windows and balconies.

• The theatre ceiling is still the same dark blue as the original. The constellations, which once twinkled as dramatic scenes gradually changed from day to night, are still visible although difficult to see because of the larger spotlights later installed by Barnes & Noble. In addition to a "moon machine," also still present but no longer functioning is a cloud machine, once used to project shadows of clouds across the ceiling. The pipe organ playing for melodrama and silent movies was located on the west side of the current children's book section; organ pipes were housed in the castle gate. The proscenium arch at the top of the escalator rises above the Chateau Theatre's former stage, which measured 33 feet across and along with the organ rose to audience eye level at the start of each performance. Along with multiple dressing rooms, backstage included metal stairs climbing five flights, with showers and toilets at every other level.



IF YOU GO
Rochester Downtown
Chateau Theatre
15 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55902
507-288-3848
Store Hours
Sun 11:00AM-8:00PM | Mon-Fri 8:00AM-9:00PM | Sat 9:00AM-9:00PM

Up close and personal with a famous author -- does being in the audience count as up close?

What I have always loved about the city is the opportunities to see amazing theatrical performances, hear live music and listen to talented authors. We certainly got talent in Cambridge, but there’s a lot more of it in the Twin Cities.

Recently I had the opportunity to hear Leslie Marmon Silko speak, the author who wrote “Ceremony,” which has sold 1 million copies. (I want to write a book that popular some day!) She read the audience at the Central Library in downtown Minneapolis excerpts from her newly released memoir, “The Turquoise Ledge.” 

Silko told the packed room that she agreed to write a memoir before realizing what the genre had become. After doing some research she decided to do things differently. “It looked like the genre needed help,” she remarked. So she made her memoir into an article of history. It has lots of rattlesnakes and few humans. “I was a bit tired of humans at the time,” she admitted.

She realized that one of the most disturbing things in writing about your own life is learning “the bald facts” about one’s own family. That’s why she typically writes fiction.

Silko reminisced about how some called her book, “Almanac of the Dead,” prophetic after the Zapistas revolted just as she’d written years earlier. She was interviewed by her local television station. “As if I knew anything. I’m just a novelist,” she stated.

Join fight for Chloe

Chloe is an amazing little girl who died last year of MLD. I wrote a story about her and her family for the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger. On Saturday, Oct. 8 there will be a benefit for her. This is an amazing family who could use your support. Attend the 5K/Coffee Stroll around Lake Nokomis; registration starts at 8 a.m. and the race/walk starts at 9 a.m. More details can be found at ChloesFight.org.  


100% of the proceeds will go to the MLD foundation and will be dedicated to research conducted by Dr Paul Orchard from the Inherited Metabolic and Storage Disease Bone Marrow Transplantation Program at the University of Minnesota and research conducted by Brains4Brain at the European Task Force on Brain and Neurodegenerative Lysomal Storage Diseases. Taking part in “Chloe’s Fight” race is your opportunity to do something meaningful while having a lot of fun.


Read my story here: http://stories-i-tell.blogspot.com/2011/10/join-fight-for-chloe.html

My first year as city girl

I have been a Minneapolis resident for one full year.

This is one of bridges I love best in Minneapolis. It provides a way for those on the Greenway to travel safely across Hiawatha Avenue.

I still haven’t eaten at all of the restaurants within a 10-block radius. Back home, I had not only eaten at all the restaurants in town, but I’d worked at half of them. I don’t have a favorite grocery store, although I’m narrowing my choices down. Sadly, there isn’t a natural foods co-op closer than 15 minutes away, but many of the groceries stores have a good selection of organic foods. (And I don’t think I should drive more than five minutes for anything.)

I’m learning new routes to avoid the traffic jams. I picked this house because of it’s proximity to a major street, Hiawatha Ave., but now I avoid that road at all costs. Driving on Hiawatha Avenue is a sure way to get me boiling mad and frustrated. It’s all about waiting for traffic. That’s the reason why I didn’t move to the suburbs; the wait at lights can be 7 to 10 minutes. And so I take Cedar. It’s narrower, but the lights change quick.

I’m not a city girl by any means, but I’m figuring out how to survive down here.

HERE ARE THE IMPORTANT LESSONS I’VE LEARNED SO THIS COUNTRY GIRL CAN SURVIVE:
•Just stay home between 3 and 7 p.m. The roads are clogged and getting around is a lesson in frustration. So, I save myself the hassle and stay home.
• Even though the distance isn’t far on a map doesn’t mean you’ll get there in five minutes. Nope. Better plan on 10 or 15 or 20 — 30 during rush hour or if there’s construction. There are lots of stoplights, cars and people. I used to be envious of city folks because everything was just 20 minutes away. That was when I had one store to buy clothes at in my hometown. But now I realize that EVERYTHING is 20 minutes away — whether I’m heading for a surburb and just going down the street.
• Use GPS. Always. Now, I’ve always been the kind of girl who couldn’t get lost. I never lost North. But down here... I’m lost. A lot. Exits curve off in a different direction. Buildings are tall. I’m coming from the south rather than the north, so exits are different. I can’t count on the route being the same that I was used to. And so I plug my destination in my phone’s GPS unit every time. Then, if I don’t need it I can congratulate myself. And when I do (which is usually, though it’s getting to be less and less), I can make it where I’m heading - instead of drving round and round.
• Driving takes a lot of concentration. A lot. I’ve always prided myself on being a good driver. No accidents on my record. Just the occassional speeding ticket. But down here there is SO MUCH to look out for. Other cars with driver’s who don’t know what they’re doing. Pedestrians. Bicyclists. Mopeds. Trains. Stop lights that hard to see because they aren’t above the lanes but just on the side of the road. Construction workers. Buses that stop frequently.
• Watch out for the bicylists. They think they own the road and that you shouldn’t be driving a gas-hogging vehicle. Because of that, they won’t watch out for you. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to hit a bicylist.  I sure don’t.

Get wet - indoor water parks 2 of 2

If you’re like me, you’re mourning the hot weather and want to get back in the water. Tis the season for indoor water parks. There are plenty around.

As a mother of a toddler, I know the things I look for in a water park are specific to my daughter’s age. I want her to be able to splash around without getting too close to really deep water. She likes slides that aren’t too big. Right now one that is about four feet off the ground means we are both happy. I don’t like slides that are covered because I can’t go down it with her.

The first indoor waterpark I took my daughter to in Brooklyn Center (Grand Rios at the Ramada) has been shut down after someone drowned on one of the big slides. This would be a good place to remind folks that if you don’t know how to swim, a waterpark might not be the best place for you. Consider swim lessons first, and use lifejackets and close supervision for the small ones. (The best lifejacket out there is a puddlejumper for kids. Gives them so much confidence.)

Last winter, we swam several times at Lifetime Fitness pools. Most of them are pretty basic (the St. Louis Park one has a saltwater pool!), but they serve the purpose of getting wet and exercising a bit. Plus, when you get out, you can head straight to the hot tub. Ah. So relaxing. Maybe I should be writing a list of best hot tubs...

Here are two indoor waterparks I recommend:

For more information, browse http://www.ci.maple-grove.mn.us/content/149/305/default.aspx

• Maple Grove Community Center, The Grove Cove
This pool with fun features is shared with the adjacent Lifetime Fitness. There are several areas: a lap pool that’s seperate from the others, and another that starts with zero entry and eventually becomes a deep pool. A waterslide empties into that area. I’ve hard that the outside pool is fun in the summer, but alas, we didn’t make it there this year. (Summers are just too short!)

This is pretty much all the little girls had to play on.

The place definitely LOOKS cool!

I loved the decor. The hotel rooms were great. Nothing ugly here.

• Chaos Water Park, Eau Claire, Wis.
Looking for an overnight trip? Eau Claire only an hour or so from the Twin Cities; it’s just far enough that you’ll feel like you’re leaving town but you won’t have to hear too many “Are we there yets?!” I have to confess I was more enamoured of the hotel rooms than the water park. They are just so cool! It’s a brand new hotel and it’s very stylish without being overdone. (But they don’t have mini-fridges in the rooms. Bummer.) There are numerous room/waterpark packages, but mostly just for families of four. It didn’t do my family of three much good. I thought the waterpark area could have been better designed. There was very little for the ones under three to do. I’m not a fan of covered slides because I can’t go down them with my kid, and that’s all they had. They have three big slides — which were tons of fun for the older kids and adults. We were on the lazy river a lot. And that was about it. You won’t want to stay longer than one night, but you’re sure to enjoy yourself.

This is what the way home looks like.

RELATED POST: Get wet - indoor water parks

Get wet - outside water parks 1 of 2

Water. Ah. That's what summer is all about. Getting wet. Swimming. Splashing. Cooling off. I love summer and I love water parks. When it isn't summer, I get my water fix by heading to an indoor pool. Over the past two-and-a-half years, my daughter and I have explored a lot of the water parks in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. Here's some outside waterparks that we like:


• Princeton Splash Pad, Princeton
This is just a fantastic place. It's big enough that there is space for everyone, but you can still keep an eye on all the kids at once. It is completely fenced in so you can't lose anyone. There are tons of fun water features. It is truly a splash pad; there isn't any standing water so it is great for those little tykes who don't swim yet. Pools are so much work. Splash pads -- real splash pads, not the pools that have a splash feature added -- take away the worry of a possible drowning. Click here to read full post on this park.

• Bunker Beach, Blaine
I remember this place as being just a wave pool, but it's a whole lot more now. It's a huge complex with huge watersides, a lazy river, climbing wall, kid area, sand playground and more. This isn't a place for the faint-hearted, though. There's a lot of water in the young kid area; two feet or so. Kids under 2.5 can easily trip and find themselves floundering underwater. Or, just by going down the little watersides, they can get under far enough to get scared. You'll want a good adult-to-kid ratio here. The best part about this place is it's got lots for all ages. So if your group covers a range of ages, you'll all be happy at Bunker Beach. Click here to read full post on this park.

• Oak Hill Splash Pad, St. Louis Park
This neighborhood park is free and has many fun features. It kept kids ages 16 months to 8 years happy. Again, this one is a true splash pad without any standing water but lots of water features. It is essentially like running through a huge sprinkler. Kids love it. Click here to read full post on this park.

• Lake Hiawatha Splash Pad, South Minneapolis
Our neighborhood park had to make the list. For us, it's close and convenient. One of the best parts of living in Minneapolis is that everyone has a park within 6 blocks. Most of those parks have pools and/or splash pads. But do know that these "splash pads" are really just pools with a water feature or two to make it more fun. When you put my 2-year-old in a pool, she doesn't want anything to do with the water features. She just wants to paddle around in her floatie. So, bring the puddlejumper life jacket and the donut floatie and have a great afternoon.

• Wabun Park Splash Pad, South Minneapolis (part of Minnehaha Park)
The splash pad at Wabun park is more like a pool with a center water feature. It gets a bit deep for the tiny ones, but is a great place to sink into on a muggy summer day. We were there on a weekend and it was packed -- until it started to rain slightly. Then we had a bit more room. It's location at Minnehaha Park next to the Vet's home on the Mississippi River make it a pretty popular spot. Plus, it has recently become handicapped accessible (parking, picnic shelters, bathrooms) and plans are to install a universally accessible playground next to the pool next summer.

• Anoka Water Park
This water park falls somewhere between Bunker Beach and the small neighborhood pools in Minneapolis. Get there when it opens or you won't have a lounge chair. But then, maybe you don't really need one. There's a spacious grassy area off on one side. This place has a couple big slides, a couple medium-sized slides and one small one that my 2.5-year-old loved. I could hardly get her to leave. (And she left tucked under my arm as she threw a tantrum.) The other kids behaved well, and it was a pleasant place to spend the afternoon.

• Wild Mountain, Taylor's Falls
We love Wild Mountain and my family tries to make it out there once a year. The big slides are a blast for kids seven and up through adults. And they've got a great, fenced in area with fun water features for smaller kids. There's a huge bucket that dumps water out; keep the toddlers away from that! There are several water spouts that shoot up from the ground; those keep kids entertained for hours. And some slides. A lazy river encircles Adventure Park. It's not as huge as Bunker Beach but definitely as much fun.

• Cascade Bay, Eagan
The jury is out on Cascade Bay in Eagen. We went one day this summer, spent a fortune on tickets (ok, $18 is a lot for one adult and one kid), and left within 2 hours. There were 3 huge groups of kids there and they weren't well behaved or closely supervised. It was absolute chaos. However, when I complained to the managers, they apologized nicely, calmed me down, refunded my money and gave me tickets to return. We'll see what happens next summer.

COMING SOON:
Get wet - indoor water parks

SAHM seeking housekeeper

I’m just going to put it out there.

I am a housewife/stay-at-home-mom sort of person. But I hate to clean.
 
Deciding to stay at home with my daughter and only work part-time didn’t mean that I suddenly started to love vacuuming. Instead, I think my level of hatred went up a few notches. Back when I worked full-time at a time-eating, all-consuming job, I didn’t fully realize how a clean house only stayed that way for 2 minutes. I would clean, and then I’d head off somewhere fun or go away to work. Now that I stay home all the time I am constantly reminded that the cleaning NEVER. ENDS.

Just this morning, because my mom and sister were possibly coming over, I had the house spick and span. And I mean, it looked great. It practically gleamed. I don’t remember the last time I washed my counters, the faucet AND the table all at the same time. My daughter actually picked up almost all of the toys littering the entire main level floor space. I even carefullly arranged the pillows on my couch. But then, instead of leaving right away, we ended up at home another couple hours. And in less time than it took me to clean the fricking place, it was a disaster again. The only comment my mom could truthfully make when she got to my place was that the bathroom floor was really clean.

Ugh.

It’s kinda like the time I swept the floor mid-day, and by the time the hubby came home it was almost unpassable due to crumbs and toys. Oh, wait, that’s every day.

I really don’t think I’m the only SAHM out there who doesn’t find a whole lot of satisfaction in the whole Martha Stewart-inspired housekeeping. Why is it that other women and our husbands think that our houses should match those magazines just because we no longer work outside of the house? Let me tell you: In the course of my day at home, I have a million things to do. And well, housework, it falls at the bottom of my To Do list.

And I don’t want to hear how I should have plenty of time to do it and what else do I do all day. It’s not I’m sitting around watching soaps, I can tell you that.

But who wants to clean constantly?

Not this SAHM.

They put real cream in your coffee at Silverwood Park...

Are you a city dweller pining for nature? You don’t have to drive far to find peace and quiet. Silverwood Park in St. Anthony is a 15-minute drive from downtown Minneapolis. Nestled on the shores of Silver Lake, the park is a tranquil spot full of mature oaks, restored prairie, picnic tables and fishing piers. We were there on a Friday morning, and the fishing was hot.

Everything about this park is beautiful, from the stone-covered sign to the main building. I was impressed.

Yes, the fire pit on the island is in the shape of a canoe.

The girls ran up and down and all around the outdoor amphitheater. I'd love to return for a concert. The place reminds me of Stonehenge.

Nature-inspired art classes taught by Silverwood staff and outside expert instructors are offered year-round, according to the web site: http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/silverwood-park.aspx. Sign up for a ceramics class, join in on a photo workshop, or expand your musical skills. I was amazed at just how many fantastic classes are offered. Here’s just a sampling of what’s coming up:

• Pumpkin Carving on Wednesday, Oct. 26, 5-7 p.m., $7

• Family Clay for Grandparent and Child, Sept. 7 (land), Oct. 5 (water) and Nov. 2 (sky), $15

• MacPhail Family Music, 12-week session Thursdays Sept. 22 to Dec. 15, $220/first child, $130 addition children

• Puppets Can Fly for ages 5-6, Thursday, Oct. 20, $45

• Animal Masquerade for ages 5-14, Saturday, Nov. 5, $15

• Walk When the Moon is Full: Migration, Thursday, Nov. 10, $6

• Camera Club for ages 14+, Saturdays, Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 12, $5 each session

• Using Expressive Color in the Watercolor Landscape for ages 16+, Tuesdays, Sept. 20 to Nov. 8, $160

• Wedding Fair, Sunday, Sept. 25, noon to 4 p.m. (This looks like a perfect place for a wedding...)

You can also hold a birthday party at the park, and treat the group to an activity they can do together. Options include: clay, seed art, bird puppets and feeders, printmaking: fish printing, bookmaking, apple cidering (April to October), and kicksledding (December to February). The cost is $100 for 15 participants ($150 for the clay activity as it includes project glazing and two kiln firings). How fun, right?!

The park used to be a camp run by the Salvation Army.

Now operated by the Three Rivers Park District, Silverwood used to be a Salvation Army camp. It has been under county control since 2009. They are still expanding the gardens, and we watched folks plant while we were there.

I really want to return for one of their outdoor concerts. I guess musicians are welcome for an accoustic jam session every Saturday morning. They hold other larger concerts throughout the year. Charlie Maguire performed there on Aug. 7.

If you go, be sure walk across the bridge to the island. Bring a picnic lunch and soak in the peacefulness of this hideaway that is so close to downtown you can practically see the skyscrapers over the trees. But the best part is, you can’t see them. You’re surrounded by nature instead.

It's not a huge park, but it packs a lot of bang.

This is the front desk. How cool is that?!

A park with a coffee shop. Sounds perfect to me.

Opt for Izzy's Ice Cream. It may be the best in the city.

Real cream. Indulge yourself with real cream from the glass jar from the coffee shop.

Menu at the park's coffee shop.

Any coffee shop that offers toys and activities for kids ranks pretty high for me. If the kiddos are busy, I might actually get a chance to chat!

The activity calendar at Silverwood Park is jam-packed with fun stuff.

I want to hold an event here. Isn't it simply gorgeous? And there's an outdoor fireplace just outside that bank of windows.

Bring a picnic lunch and hang out on the veranda. Or, bring it down to the island.

You can see the fishing pier belonging to Silverwood Park, and the city-operated swimming beach nearby.

The girls peer out the window at the delights offered at Silverwood Park in St. Anthony.

Bonus: There’s a coffee shop on site that serves a variety of drinks and sandwiches. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to sit on the expansive porch, take my drink down to the lake, or soak up some rays in the outdoor amphitheater. I know I’ll be back this winter. There’s a comfortable chair sitting next to a roaring fire waiting for me.

Here is where I want to be when the weather turns cold.

Drawback: The only drawback to Silverwood Park is that there isn’t a playground for the kiddos. However, the city operates a beach with a playground right next door. Take the sidewalk from the parking lot over to it.

Hours: 5:00 AM–10:00 PM

Phone: 763.694.7707

Address:

2500 County Rd. E

St. Anthony, MN 55421

Web site:

http://www.threeriversparks.org/parks/silverwood-park.aspx

It’s gonna get loud around here...

Grab the honey, your black leather jacket and your motorcycle and head over to Dulono’s Pizza at Garfield and Lake in Uptown (Minneapolis) on the first Thursday evening for a roaring good time. And by roaring, I do mean ROARING. When you’ve got hundreds of motorcycles cruising around, it’s a pretty loud time.

If you’re like me and you can’t ride AND bring your kid, follow the honey’s motorcycle while you drive on over in your child-friendly car. It gets a little hard to manuever a stroller through all the motorycles parked haphazardly on the sidewalks, but it is worth it. This is one great bike show.

The hubby, toddler and I headed over the first Thursday night of August. I believe this event continues through at least September, and maybe longer. I suppose it depends on the weather. The banner on the side of the pizza joint didn’t specify a time frame, and there isn’t exactly a web site out there specifically for this event (or the pizza place). That kinda tells you what you need to know about this event. It’s more of a word of mouth sort of thing. Or one where you follow the noise...

Dulono’s is to the motorcycle world what Porky’s used to be for the classic car enthusiasts.

Dulono’s is a bit of a dive, but the pizza is cheap, especially on the first Thursday. There’s also a brat stand in the parking lot across the street from the parking lot. Or, splurge and head over to the sushi restaurant, Fuji Ya, across Lake Street. They have rooftop seating, great happy hour specials (5-7 p.m., 10 p.m. to close), and half-price bottles of wine on Thursdays.

You’ll see every type of rider at Uptown Bike night. We gawked over two trick crotchrockets, complete with a hole in the passenger seat to better ride wheelies on. Then there was the space-age-looking side car; it seriously looked like it belonged in a Batman movie. There were lots of Ducatis, Hondas, Harleys, Yamahas, Boss Hogs and more. There were riders in head-to-toe gear and those in shorts and tank tops (it was HOT out!). I was surprised at how many chicks there were who came roaring in on their own bikes. Motorcycles sure are gaining popularity among all sorts, and I’m glad to see it.

We finished off our evening by strolling down to Crema Cafe at 34th and Lyndale for some mouthwatering homemade ice cream. Try the tiramisu. No, go for the dark chocolate. No, try... Well, you’ll want to try them all. Take the little one and the cones across the street to Painter’s Park.

See, wasn’t that a great night?

Hot man. Hot bike.

Try Sonny's ice cream at Crema Cafe. It's delectable.

Painter's Park has some great slides, including one that daddy just barely made it down.

Dubbed "The Aquarium," this cool building was between Crema and our car.

IF YOU GO

Dulono’s Pizza

(612) 827-1726

607 W Lake St

Minneapolis, MN 55408

FOOTAGE

Check out this blog post showing lots of images from the April 2010 bike night.

http://www.everydayriding.org/2010/04/first-thursday-april-2010.html

BIKE NIGHTS

Two Wheel Wednesday @ Yarusso’s (Every 1st Wed.) St. Paul

The Joint Bar (Every 2nd Wed.) Minneapolis

Doluno’s Pizza (Every 1st Thur.) Minneapolis

Cowboy-Up Bike Night (Every 2nd Thurs.) Plymouth

Mad Jacks Sports Bar (Every 3rd Thurs.) Brooklyn Park