Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery- Lexington Kentucky

I stumbled upon a great new coffee shop in Lexington!  Check out Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery.  This is a very nice place a short walk from Rupp Arena.  In fact, it is only a couple of blocks from a chain coffee shop that is very visible downtown.

You know you need to be supporting the local guy!

I stuck my head in the other morning and I really liked what I saw.  They have a loyalty card program, AND they give ya a free cup of drip coffee if you buy a bag of beans.  For $9 I walked out with some coffee for home, and a nice cup of coffee.

I really didn't have the time to take this place in as much as I would like to, but I will be back!  Check 'em out!

Downtown Lexington Kentucky

I like downtown Lexington a lot.  I know this sounds weird, but I especially like it when not much is going on.

Traffic can get pretty rough when a basketball game or concert is going on.  If you visit on a weekend morning though, you can feel like you have the whole area to yourself.

A couple times a year, I like to just go downtown and explore.  See whats new.  just for the heck of it, here are a few photos I took recently.....

Lexington Legends 2016- Lexington Kentucky

There was a time when I would go to AT LEAST 30 baseball games a year.  I still love going to see minor league teams when I can, but my trips to the park have really decreased the last few years.

When we first got to Lexington, we would see the Legends at least once a week in the summer.  I still like what they are doing, but I am doing different things with my time.

I did make it out for what will likely be my only visit this year.  Here are some photos!

The Queen Mary in New York Harbor

Sent in 1952, this greet postcard says on the back, "The Queen Mary in New York Harbor is one of the spectacular sights along the water-front.  The Empire State Building is seen in the background."

East River showing Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Wailliamsburg Bridges, New York City

"Manhattan is an island and is connected with Long Island by many great bridges, three of which may be seen.  In the foreground is the most famous suspension bridge in the world, Brooklyn Bridge, opened in 1883.  Behind it are the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges.  Foot passengers, automobiles, horse drawn vehicles, buses, street cars and rapid transit trains all cross these bridges."

Sherman in NYC

I was pretty excited to see the gold William Tecumseh Sherman Statue while in New York.  The piece was done by the legendary artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

It was raining and cloudy, so it was impossible for me to get that perfect shot.  Still, I was there.

Sherman is one of the most significant players in the Civil War, and one of the most divisive.  I have talked to some Georgians that still consider him to be one of the greatest villains of all time.

I do enjoy the stories involving Sherman after the War.  Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, who surrendered to Sherman, maintained a friendship with him.  They would have dinner together, and Johnston served as a pallbearer for Sherman.

One of my favorite post Civil War stories involves Sherman receiving a letter from Confederate legend Nathan Bedford Forest.  In 1873, it was looking like the US might go to war with Spain.  Forest's letter was an offer to help Sherman out if the war happened (it didn't).  Still, the thought of the two roughest and dirtiest players on each side of the Civil War teaming up is intriguing.

Oh, we also saw this great bust of Sherman at Grant's Tomb.  Sherman is all over the place!

City Hall and Park, New York

"City Hall and Park.  The City Hall is a white marble structure erected in 1803 at the cost of $500,000.  It is the seat of government, chambers of the Board of Estimate and Board of Alderman and office of the Mayor.  The Park is 8 1/4 acres.  Emigrant Savings Bank Buildings in the distance."

Adventures in New York City Part 16- Leaving New York

I had mixed feelings as I left New York.  Its kind of funny, 3-4 days in any city is enough.  I was ready to get home...  I missed my wife and my Chihuahua!  AND, to be honest, I missed Kentucky.

We wanted to get to LaGuardia very early just to be safe.  We had dinner at a food court type area there that was a total nightmare.  There is a smart pad where you ordered.  A ticket is printed, then you walk to a kiosk to pay.  You then walk back to the smart pad to wait for your food.  EVERYONE was confused about where to pay....  the experience was confusing.  There was one lady calling out order numbers who acted absolutely insulted when asked about the process.  The whole thing was impersonal and confusing.

Still, LaGuardia was a comfortable place to wait for a plane.  There were plenty of seating areas, and lots of chairs.

As we took off and flew over the city, we looked out and realized we had a great, nighttime view of central park.  We knew exactly where we were and I got a great photo out of the window of the town.  Check it out!

Adventures in New York City Part 15- The Ed Sullivan Theater

The Ed Sullivan Theater has been around since 1936.  When we stopped by briefly we felt like it would be bigger.  It was nice, but it had a very humble feel.

Still, the place is so historic.  The Beatles US debut was there, and Letterman did his show there for over 20 years.

Speaking of Letterman...I always loved the guy.  At his best, he was unbeatable.  He was quick witted and original.  Some of the newer guys who have popped up, in my opinion, have nothing on Dave.

We walked by the theater and took a couple of pictures.  There was a guy nearby trying to sell us comedy club tickets.  This was a tough sell, as I don't think I have ever paid more than a few bucks to go to a comedy club.  AND, if you go to comedy clubs often, you will eventually get tickets for next to nothing, if not for free.  We politely tried to end our conversation with the comedy club employee by telling him that we did not come to New York City to spend time at the local comedy club.

We walked around the corner and saw the Hello Deli!  We looked in the window, and we were very excited to see Rupert Jee!  We had to go in and say hello!

In case you were never able to catch Rupert on Letterman....  Dave would do this funny bit where the two of them would go out in public.  Dave would be hidden in a car watching and listening to Rupert.  Rupert had an ear piece in where he could hear Dave, and Dave would tell Rupert what to do and say.  I swear, TV has never been funnier.  Rupert was the perfect innocent, straight faced guy for Dave to pull these pranks with and I still crack up thinking about it.

So, we walk in to the Hello Deli and Rupert was so pleasant.  We each got our picture taken with him, and he signed a business card for me.  I bought a shirt and we headed back down the road.

We agreed that this was the highlight of our trip.

Aventures in New York City Part 14- Radio City Music Hall

Before we ran off to the airport, we realized we had time to take a quick tour of Radio City Music Hall!

We had a great tour, and a funny enthusiastic tour guide.  The tour was fun, and they give you a cool lanyard ticket for the tour that you get to keep.

We saw pretty much all of the areas that are publicly accessible.  We also got to see under the stage (there is a crazy elaborate hydraulic system that can move things around).  We also went through some rooms that I assume are normally off limits to see costumes worn by the Rockettes.  There is a VIP room for performers.

There is an odd moment in the tour when an actual current Rockette is brought out, in costume to answer questions.  They do not allow photos to be taken at this time, but if you would like to get your photo taken with the Rockette, they will take it and sell you a copy.  This part of the tour had some obvious awkwardness to it.  Most people in our group passed on the photo op.

The tour over all was great!  This is an amazing venue, and it was cool getting to explore the place, even without seeing a show there.

Adventures in New York City Part 13- Yankee Stadium

Yeah, I love baseball, and I have visited around 80 professional parks in my travels, including about half of all of the Major League ones.  You know Yankee Stadium was big on my list of parks to see!

It was funny, most of the people on our tour said they weren't Yankees fans, but they wanted to visit the Stadium while in town.  You could put us in that category.

I may have said this before, but I really appreciate being at a minor league game over one in the Majors.  The crowds are smaller, parking is usually easier, and the whole experience, to me, is simply more enjoyable.

Still, getting to visit any park is always a treat.

So, we didn't actually see a baseball game while we were there, but we did do a stadium tour.

The ticket to do the tour was $25, on the high end for a simple stadium tour.  It is the New York Yankees though, so this is to be expected.

As far as stadium tours go, this one was frankly weak.  I mean, I was happy to be at Yankee Stadium, and I am glad I did the tour, but the "tour" covered 3 basic areas.

First, we went in to the New York Yankees Museum.  The museum was pretty cool.  There are World Series Rings and Trophies.  Jerseys worn by legends, along with bats and balls.  Items associated with Ruth, DiMaggio, Berra, etc are on display.  It is all very cool, but the museum felt small.  Considering that this is the home of the Yankees, I just expected more POP. 

Here are a handful of baseball museums that I thought had a LOT of POP- Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame and Museum, The Atlanta Braves Museum and Hall of Fame, Sports Legends at Camden Yards, the HUGE Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, the very well done Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore, Van Meter Iowa's Bob Feller Museum, and Georgia's Ty Cobb Museum.

After that we went to Monument Park, which is a section of monuments and retired numbers associated with past members of the Yankees.  This is a nice area behind the outfield wall.


From there, we did walk through the concourse, and visited the Press Area.  This was cool, and it did give a nice view of the field.

That was it though.  Again, it was nice getting to see Yankee Stadium, but as far as baseball stadium tours go, this one was not the best.  I have taken tours in other places that included a quick peak into a locker room, a brief walk through a dugout, etc.  There really wasn't any "behind the scenes" kind of stuff on this tour.

We did have a great tour guide (who looked a bit like a young Babe Ruth).  Also, they gave out Yankee Stadium key chains at the end of the tour, which was a nice bonus.

Adventures in New York City Part 12- Grant's Tomb

As you probably know, I am huge on Civil War history, AND on sites relating to Presidents.  Well, Grant's Tomb was, in my opinion, an absolute must visit while in New York.

Grant is such a great character in history.  In some ways, he is the ultimate washed up underdog who works his way back up from "has been" to celebrated military genius.... to President.

At the time of his death, he was very admired.  From http://www.grantstomb.org/

"The funeral was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Grover Cleveland, his cabinet, the justices of the Supreme Court, the two living ex-presidents (Hayes and Arthur), virtually the entire Congress, and almost every living figure who had played a prominent role during the Civil War.

Civil War veterans from both North and South took part, reflecting the high esteem in which he was held throughout a reunified country. General Winfield S. Hancock led the procession, and Grant's pallbearers included former comrades -- General William T. Sherman, General Philip H. Sheridan, and Admiral David D. Porter - as well as former Confederates - Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Simon B. Buckner."

 

It chokes me up a bit to think about Civil War vets from the South participating in the funeral, especially Johnson and Buckner.

 

The tomb is spectacular, and it is a very fitting tribute to the man.

There is an odd concrete bench art tribute outside of the tomb.  It is very folk arty.  I thought it was a very nice project, but it seems a bit out of place with the very structured main tribute to President Grant.

As we explored Grant's Tomb, a high school choir group from South Dakota came in.  They sang a few songs, which sounded amazing, as the tomb has great acoustics.  We felt very lucky to have been there at that moment.

Adventures in New York City Part 11- Wall Street, Federal Hall and Alexander Hamilton

After visiting the sites associated with 9/11, we walked over to the Wall Street area.

We visited Federal Hall, which was the first US Capitol Building, and was also the site of George Washington's inauguration.

Federal Hall is managed by the National Park Service now.  It is grand, but it has a certain simplicity to it.  As far as a National Park unit goes, this is one that can be visited easily in less than an hour, and you can cover it thoroughly.  To be honest, I was much more excited about getting to Grant's Tomb on this trip.

BUT, it is a very important place, and there is SO MUCH history associated with it, AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

ADDING to the unpredictable, chaotic New York vibe here, there were people from the LaRouche PAC speaking, and handing out literature, right in front of Federal Hall!

Right in the area is Trinity Church, one of the richest churches around, financially, and historically.  Their burial grounds are full of historic figures, and we wanted to stop by to see Alexander Hamilton.  There he is, under that skinny pyramid.

After walking all around New York, we stopped by Champs Deli for sandwiches, which were great!  We were able to enjoy our delicious meals by a window, over looking the Trinity Church cemetery.  We felt like we were having lunch with Mr. Hamilton, who was in our view the entire time.