Erie, Pennsylvania

Who is ready for the next Bench? If you answered “YES!” You’re in for a treat. This one comes from my partner in crime, David. I hope you enjoy this bench and maybe even visit. - Really you should because I can’t wait to go back

Erie, PA

We traveled to Erie for this bench. We spent four days up north and loved every minute of it. David is from Erie so he had a ball showing me his hometown. For those of you that don't know where Erie is let me give you an idea. It is located in the very far left corner of the state of Pennsylvania. It is the only part of Pennsylvania that juts out into Lake Erie.

Erie, itself has a very rich history. It was first settled by the Eriez Indians ( hence the name of the Lake and city). The French built Fort Presque Isle in 1753 that would later be occupied by the British and burned by Seneca Indians a few years later. Erie played a vital role in the War of 1812. Commodore Oliver H. Perry’s fleet was by and large built in Erie. Misery Bay, which is within the harbor, is where his flagship “The Niagara” was sunk. 

You can visit the maritime museum and see The Niagara and learn more about the maritime history of Erie. 

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2119.html - a brief history on Erie 

Erie has two lighthouses you can visit. One of which is the oldest land lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It was built in 1818 and is called the Erie Land Lighthouse. The second lighthouse is located on Presque Isle and was built in 1872. We visited both the Presque Isle Lighthouse, and the North Pier Lighthouse. Presque Isle Lighthouse is absolutely beautiful. It was recently reopened to the public last year for tours, it costs $6 to go climb the tower. The grounds are absolutely breathtaking. The beach doesn’t look like what you’d expect for a northern beach on a lake. Rather it looks like a beach from the Carolinas with the tall grasses and smooth sand. I was in complete awe. 

http://presqueislelighthouse.org - Link for the light house tours and hours (seasonal)

Presque Isle Lighthouse - courtesy of David 

We stayed on Presque Isle most of the day. Why they call it an Isle I’ll never know. ( I was recently informed, by David, that Presque is French for almost, so “almost island” is a peninsula. Learn something new every day) Really its just a peninsula that juts out into the lake. However you will not run out of things to do here! You can rent kayaks, bird watch, bike, hike, go to gorgeous beaches, swim, fishing, you name it you can probably do it there. We drove all over and ended up on sunset beach, which is where our bench is (our bench, isn’t that a cool thing!?). David has told me over and over how beautiful the sunsets are in Erie and I couldn’t wait to see them.  Boy was he right!! The sunsets are absolutely breathtaking! To this day I don’t know if I’ve seen one that remotely compares. Go there. Please go and see for yourself. The pictures I’ll share are just a glimpse of the true beauty. According to David’s dad you can sometimes see the northern lights there as well.

http://www.goerie.com/presque-isle - Link for all the activities and things to do in Erie

My favorite subject for this trip David haha

A view from the bench courtesy of David

I don't have a pic of the Bench -Sorry!- but the bench was used to get this fabulous shot!

You know me and food, if there’s good food nearby a bench I’ll tell you about it. Well on Presque Isle there’s a diner called Sara’s and there you can get one of the best milkshakes I’ve ever had. They also have your standard diner fare, burgers, fries, etc. The ice cream is what we went for and it was fantastic! (any Doctor Who fans out there? If so, you get it) I highly recommend that you go here for dessert and take it to the beach and watch the sun set. Yum!

http://sarasandsallys.com

All in all Erie is a fantastic city. The people there are incredibly nice and there is a ton to do and see. It’s a tourists dream, great food, beaches, and more activities than I can name. I have fallen in love with it and I think you will too when you visit. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves but man oh man is it pretty out that way. Just imagine how it would look when the leaves are changing colors in the fall, or when the first snow falls in the winter. Did I mention the skiing in the area? Like I said you’ll never run out of things to do and see. 

Salzburg, Austria

Since I’ve been gone so long I thought it’d be a nice treat to share with you my favorite spots during my time in Salzburg. I lived there for about a year while studying at the Universität Salzburg, and loved every moment. I hope to go back soon since this post is allowing me to relive my time there. Alrighty on with the post.

My bench in Salzburg is located just outside the Dom (the Cathedral) in the Kapitel-Platz. It sits between two pillars that hold up an archway connected the Dom and just behind the life sized chess board. I used to love to sit there with my book and watch the old men challenge the tourists or local school kids to a game of chess. Some games would last for hours, often leading to a stall and coffee break for the opponents while someone guarded the board from others who'd like to play. 

Across the courtyard, past the giant Goldene Kügle (giant gold ball with man standing on top), and though the stone archway you'll see a water wheel. Just before the water wheel is a set of stairs that lead down to a hidden gem. A bakery run by the brothers of the St Peters called Stiftsbäckerei St. Peter.. The sweet bread (Sußebrot) is amazing. This is a favorite spot for locals so go early to be sure you get first choice of all they have to offer. 

If you happen to visit Salzburg in the winter the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) is a wonderful place to visit. There are stalls all throughout the Altstadt that have handmade gifts that your friends and family will love. You also have to try Glühwein, which is a mulled wine served warm. It’ll keep you warm from the inside out during the cold Austrian winters. There is also an ice skating rink that you can rent skates and try to not fall on your bum like I do every time I try to skate. There’s something special about Christmas time. Everyone is happy, loved ones visit from out of town, and you get to create memories and uphold traditions with family and friends. Oh, just be sure to watch out for the Krampus. These are the half-goat men/monsters that is pretty much the opposite of Saint Nicholas. While Saint Nicholas rewards good children, Krampus punish bad children. Legend says that on the eve of the start of the feast of Saint Nicholas (Which begins December 6th) Krampus comes down from the Alps and gets the bad children. If you're lucky enough to see someone dressed as a Krampus, don't be afraid they usually welcome pictures, after giving you a little fright haha.

I could go on and on about Salzburg, but theres another blog for that. I hope this inspires you to get out there and maybe one day visit Salzburg. There are benches all over the city and everywhere you turn you’ll see something new. 

Thanks for reading and for bearing with me for that extended lull.

View of the Mirabell Gardens

Piano player performing right behind my bench

Life sized Chess

Weihnachtsmarkt

Me singing "I have confidence" from the Sound of Music

Did You Miss Me?

Oh boy it has been far too long since I have talked to ya'll (has it really been 2 years!?!?!). I apologize for that. I have thought of you often and even wanted to post a few times, but my laptop was on the slow side and I didn't want to spend an entire day doing something that should take an hour or two. Don't get me wrong I love writing about the places I visit and benches I sit on, but it shouldn't take all day to upload a picture. My solution? Buy a new computer.

Yesterday I made the jump and bought a brand new MacBook Air! I am in awe of how fast this machine is! To give you a bit of a reference point to how slow my previous computer was here is what I had: MacBook Pro circa 2008. Yeah, it was almost 10 years old! It just couldn't keep up with all the updates and new iOS.

Now that I'm back from the stone ages I plan to write more often. I have missed it more than you know. I already have several ideas for posts! We are going to go back to a place I called home for a year of my life, Salzburg, Austria! This is where my love for a good reading bench took hold of me. I hope to have that written out here very soon. Thank you for staying with me through this slow time.

Stay with me! Ya'll are the best!

-A

Washington D.C.

Three cheers for the Red, White, and Blue! I went to DC at the beginning of the month because I wanted to visit some museums. There are one or two there that you can visit haha. I happen to love art museums, I find them very relaxing and I can figure out solutions to problems I’m facing. In DC you can visit the National Gallery, where you can find any style of artwork that you prefer. I am a big fan of impressionism (19^th century French art movement including artists- Seurat, Monet, Pissarro, Van Gogh, and many others). I found a bench, really it was a comfy couch, in one of the East Wing rooms in which a few Pissarro paintings are hung together. I sat there for a while and enjoyed the views of Paris that Pissarro painted. I find myself escaping to that time and wondering where the people are going and if those dresses are comfortable at all. I also spent some time in the beautiful rotunda where there is bench seating along the outside and you can view the gorgeous fountain in the center (there is also free wifi in this area). If you are a museum loving person, like me, I highly recommend visiting the National Mall and going through the Smithsonian museums. The National Gallery and Air and Space Museums are my all time favorites. There are benches everywhere in DC so if you visit and find a cool bench let me know so I can check it out too!

Entrance to the National Gallery

The Rotunda

Pissarro

Indianaplois

I apologize for the tardiness of this post. Life has gotten a bit crazy the last few months, and today I finally sat down and reviewed what I wrote so I can post it.

On to Indy!

Indianapolis, home of the Colts. Well, I am a Bengals fan, but we’re not here to discuss football. I was excited to explore the downtown area for the first time a while back. I fell in love fairly quickly with this bustling city. I went to the Circle Center Mall, which was massive! The streets in the surrounding area of the mall have every available food option you can think of. I walked around a bit then decided to head back towards the hotel I was staying at due to weather possibly moving in. I went to the Monument Circle and was blown away at how people centered the area is. This is where I found my “bench”. I say “bench” because there weren’t any real benches in the area, but there were these little table and chairs set up everywhere along with picnic tables. This is part of an experiment being put on by Big Car in conjunction with the Indianapolis local government. They have ‘parklets’ which are wooden deck-like platforms that have bistro style seating available. They also has various activities set up around Monument Circle for everyone to enjoy and escape work on your lunch break or to enjoy while visiting the city. They have games like giant Jenga, ping pong, chess, checkers, a bookmobile, and different activities each night of the week. They have a list of activities on their website, which I’ll include at the end of this entry. I found a spot at one of the parklets and enjoyed the live music, and people watching. I honestly sat there for about three hours just watching business people taking their lunch breaks and playing Ping Pong or the giant Jenga. Not only is having these activities available fun, it’s also great stress relief. I guarantee that anyone that left work and took their break decompressing outside with friends, or alone if desired, when back to work in a much better mood thus being more productive. I think that it’s a fantastic initiative and you all should check it out. Since it is an experiment it’s only running from August 1, 2015- October 16, 2015.  Check out the list of activities, all of which are free!

Pano from my seat

Giant Jenga

Link to information about Spark: Monument Circle: http://circlespark.org

The Heart of Texas

“The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!” Welcome to one of my favorite places stateside! Austin, Texas is one of my all time favorite cities to spend a day in. My bench is located on the Capitol grounds and it’s a beautiful sight. The capitol building is the largest capitol next to the United States Capitol building, and is the only exception to the rule that no capitol building shall be as big or bigger than the US Capitol building. That’s pretty cool in my book. You can take free tours of the Capitol and walk the grounds, which are beautiful.  There’s a rose garden out back that has the Yellow Rose of Texas on display, these flowers come from Tyler, Texas. You can also stop at one of the dozens of food trucks (which are famous here) for a great lunch and enjoy it while sitting on a bench watching tour groups of children and those from out of state enjoy the rich history that the area offers. I love to sit here in the shade and read a book. The University of Texas is right down the road, you can’t miss the football stadium. It’s HUGE! College Football is a religion down here, so if you have the chance to experience the craziness that can only be experienced with Texas football go to a game. Sixth Street is where all the college and alumni students hang out (it’s the bar scene). I usually head over to the restaurant called Moonshine, it’s at 3^rd Street and Red River Street, they have a fantastic atmosphere and menu. I always get the Green Chili Mac and if you want an appetizer I recommend the corndog battered shrimp with the blueberry infused mustard. Sounds weird but trust me it works. The portions are very generous so you’ll be able to share or have some awesome leftovers. I love Austin and there’s so much more to see than what I have mentioned, but these are my favorite things to do, I hope that you’ll find yourself there one day and experience the greatness of Austin, Texas. Keep Austin Weird!! (that is the city's motto)

View of the Texas Capitol from my bench

Deep in the heart of Texas Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGF4ibgcHQE

Capitol Building Info: http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/tspb.htm

Food Trucks and Austin Info: http://www.austintexas.org/visit/food-and-drink/food-trucks/

Moonshine Website: http://moonshinegrill.com

Norfolk-Town Point Park

I recently traveled to Norfolk, Virginia and fell in love... With the city that is! It’s a city built on the Port of Virginia, which happens to be the deepest port on the East Coast. I will admit that I haven’t explored the city in its entirety yet, but I plan to in the near future. I found this particular bench while on a stroll along the port. It is on the edge of Town Point Park where there’s a marina from which you can watch sailboats, naval ships, and tour boats cruise on by. I sat here for a while and watched the joggers run by while the crew of the tour boats cleaned and prepped for the day’s excursions. There were a bunch of tents up in the park along with a stage leftover from the previous night, so maybe they have some festivals in the park. As you explore the city you may see a bunch painted mermaid statues. These are Norfolk’s version of the painted cows in Chicago or the Flying Pigs of Cincinnati [There’s a link at the end with history of the Mermaids]. It was a toasty and humid 90 degrees for the day, which is a bit hot for me. So I decided to walk to the nearby museum, Nauticus, which has the USS Wisconsin available for touring. I had a few hours so I spent majority of that time onboard the USS Wisconsin. IT’S MASSIVE! I’ll admit to getting lost since I was one of about ten people onboard that morning. I recommend visiting the ship first if you’re there during the summer as the ship is only partially air-conditioned and gets pretty warm through out the day. The museum itself you could spend an entire day in. It has a lot of history available to view and read about. There are also interactive exhibits for children or the child in you if you’re like me. They even have a mini aquarium where you can interact with sharks and horseshoe crabs! I only had limited time available to explore, so I stuck close to the museum. I intended to go more into the city later this month and may have another bench for you from the great city of Norfolk.

Panoramic view from the bench

Town Point Park

Norfolk Mermaids: http://www.norfolk.gov/norfolkmermaids

Nauticus/USS Wisconsin: http://www.nauticus.org