Happy Friday! I’m so excited the weekend is finally here and even better, it’s a holiday weekend. Long weekends are my one of my favorite things (after vacations). There’s always a festive vibe in the air and people seem to be in especially good moods. I have a pretty busy weekend ahead of me. Obviously I have to go see Fast & Furious 6 (one of my favorite movie series!), I also have a birthday party and I’m going to the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Any of you have fun plans?
Here are a few of my favorite internet discoveries from the week. Check them out for a little weekend inspiration or just some good ole internet exploring:
Also, in case you missed any Call Me Cal posts this week, here’s your chance to catch up: A little reminiscing, transforming your trash, an adventure in an old fishing community, my favorite lake and an LA spring event calendar.
Happy weekend!
I love when I hear a song and I’m instantly transported back in time. The Postal Service, one of my all time favorite bands, is one of those groups that immediately triggers memories. Give Up, the band’s sole album came out ten years ago when I was in college and The Husband and I pretty much had it on repeat for years afterward. A few days ago we picked up the ten-year anniversary reissue double disc set
and last night we giddily listened to it over a leisurely dinner and a glass of wine. It was the perfect soundtrack for us to reminisce about our college days in Madison and all the time we spent listening to great music and just hanging out. I always wished The Postal Service would go on tour again and finally my wish is coming true.
This summer I’ll get to see them live at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Not only will Postal Service be there, but so many of my other favorite bands will be too, many of which I’ve talked about on this very blog, like Tegan and Sara, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Mumford & Sons. I joked that it’s almost like a personal musical history of The Husband’s and my relationship.
Here’s a pic from deep in the archives taken of us right around the time that Give Up came out. We went to Chicago for the weekend of our birthdays and snapped this pic outside before a Cubs game.
One of the main events at Green Elk Rapids is the Trashformation competition, where beautiful, funny, odd and inspiring art objects are publicly displayed all over town. The goal in creating your Trashformation is to take something you’d normally throw in the garbage and turn it into an art piece or some sort of functional creation. Not only is it incredibly inspiring to see what people can do with their trash, but it also reminds me that I can be better about reusing items I already have (which I’m going to go out on a limb and guess is exactly the point). This year there were more than 80 entries all made by school groups, business and residents in Elk Rapids. Here are just a few of my favorite Trashformations:
Check out our short documentary to see all of the Green Elk Rapids 2012 Trashformations.
Whenever I make it up to Northern Michigan I always prepare a list of places I want to make sure to visit. Usually the list consists of my go-to favorite spots (Brewery Ferment, Red Ginger, etc) and few new adventuress so I can get to know the area even better. This year I my list had an entry circled in yellow highlighter: the historic Fishtown, in Leland, Michigan, about an hour away from my parents’ town. So one afternoon we made the drive from the Traverse Bay up the Leelanau coast for a few hours of exploring. The peaceful early spring drive along Lake Michigan alone was worth the trip.
Fishtown was once a successful commercial fishing community that has been preserved thanks to the Fishtown Preservation Society. Little businesses have moved into the eye-catching old shanties along the docks. There’s a wide variety of shops including art galleries, a candy shop, clothing stores and then my favorite, The Village Cheese Shanty. If you’re in the area take a drive up north and end up in Fishtown for lunch at The Village Cheese Shanty and an hour of exploring. The place has a rich history and it’s pretty cool to walk around the preserved fishing community and imagine what it must have been like in its hay-day. While you’re in the area, walk through Leland (there’s a great bookshop), meander along the beach and stop by one of the local wineries and sample some of Michigan’s famously delicious wines.
I’m heading back to LA tomorrow after a great week up north working for Green Elk Rapids. My time here always flies by lightening fast so I’m a bit sad to leave but it will be nice to get home.
If you’re in LA this weekend, make sure to check out The Big Parade. This two day walk from downtown to Mt. Hollywood is one of the coolest sounding events of the summer! You can join the walk at any point and drop off when you’d like to. I’m hoping to join in for a bit on Sunday.
I’m so excited to be talking about my love of travel and adventure over at Anne the Adventurer. Make sure to check it out. Also if you missed the interview I did with Anne a few weeks ago (and it’s a good one!), you can read it here.
Have a great day!
Last week after grabbing happy hour drinks at The Churchill, we made our way down the block to the newest 3rd Street restaurant, Goldie’s. I had spotted the amazing vertical garden on the Goldie’s patio from across the street after we parked and one quick Yelp search later we decided Goldie’s would be our last stop after an afternoon of day-drinking and popping in and out of a few of my favorite 3rd Street stores.
As the new kid on the block, Goldie’s definitely stands out. The first thing you notice is the amazing vertical garden on the front patio and the majestic use of indoor/outdoor space. My party was immediately greeted by the host and had our pick of tables out front (but by the time we left there was a long wait, so go early!). Our waitress, who was super informative, told us all about the history of the restuarant, how the tables were created out of recycled building materials from the tea house that used to be there and even gave us some background information on the owner. It’s always nice learning a bit more about the space and people behind the restuarants so you can appreciate your meal and experience even more.
The Goldie’s menu features several sections of small plates and one section for larger entrees. We decided to do mostly small plates because I love trying a little bit of everything. It’s hard to narrow down my favorite dish, but if I have to I had pick, I’d choose the burrata with grilled watermelon, the charred cauliflower and the chocolate bar desert with curry (we also tried the scallops, pork collar with potoato puree and kale salad, all delicious). The drinks are also top-notch. I had the aperol spritz and could have happily kept drinking them all night.
It’s a wonderful new addition to the nieghborhood and I’m sure I’ll be back soon to sample even more drinks and small plates on the patio. Make sure to check it out for a fun night out on the town!
