#also this book is over 100 years old! I got it at a vintage shop a while ago. there's a note on the inside saying it was gifted from

[flowersandfashion]

In Memoriam A.H.H. [V] by Alfred Tennyson

[thebestintoronto]

15 Best Day Trips from Toronto

Looking for the very best day trips from Toronto to go on?

Whether you enjoy impromptu trip or planned experiences, there are plenty of awesome outing you can take place from Toronto

Whatever the season is, there's constantly something fun to do despite where you do an excursion in Ontario!

If you do not have an auto, rent out one for your adventure!

You can get a day long rental (grabbing as well as leaving in midtown Toronto) from Expedia for as reduced as $91, that includes limitless mileage and complimentary cancellation as much as 6 hours prior to pick-up.

If you're not originating from midtown, you can get cars and truck services as low as $58 from areas in the GTA, such as Richmond Hillside, Markham, or Pickering!

Whether you enjoy roaming around charming communities, sipping glasses at wineries, or hiking through nature, there are all kinds of amazing local areas to road trip to in Ontario.

Right here are some enjoyable day trips from Toronto to journey to, regardless of what the period!

The most effective excursion from Toronto.

1. Twist via Royal Prince Edward Area

Prince Edward Region has ended up being a prominent spot for excursion from Toronto, full of Instagrammable areas and also cool places.

Drop in one of their dozens of wineries and also breweries for an afternoon of tasting, or hit up the Royal prince Edward Area Lavender Farm for some adorable images.

There are also beautiful coastlines and nature spots to go treking in, if that's what you're into!

Here are some suggestions for things to do throughout your Royal prince Edward County excursion:

Visit the white dune at Sandbanks Provincial Park Take a look at the sedimentary rock bluffs at Little Bluff Conservation Area

Best time to go to: summer through loss

2. Discover the historic community of Port Hope

Port Hope is an enchanting little heritage town in Ontario, and also there are lots of fun things to do midtown throughout the year.

If you go to during the autumn, you can even do some salmon angling right in the heart of downtown Port Hope.

It's additionally the town they filmed the It motion pictures in, so you can walk around and also discover all the shooting places!

We checked out while they were shooting, which is why you see American flags in the photo above.

It: Chapter 2 is available on Crave Canada if you intend to see before searching places in Port Hope!

Best time to go to: spring via fall

3. Get a preference of neighborhood in Kawartha Lakes

South Pond Farms is widely known for their program on Netflix, Preference of the Country.

Their home is absolutely stunning (you can remain there on Airbnb), as well as they provide delicious dishes using ingredients from their very own yard.

Discover lunch and dinner events on their web site.

Finest time to visit: springtime with loss

4. Lay out in the sun at Sauble Beach

Sauble Beach is more than simply an Instagram-worthy sign.

Read a book with your toes in the sand, play some coastline volley ball, or endeavor out into the clear blue water!

It's the perfect area to take a day trip from Toronto.

If you want to clear out a little bit further, you can head a hr up north to Tobermory as well.

Ideal time to go to: summer with fall

5. Study the Grotto in Tobermory

Tobermory is most significantly recognized for their Grotto, an extraordinary swimming hole you would not believe remained in Ontario.

Paid vehicle parking is restricted as well as you need to get online in advance, even if there are vacant places when you show up.

Additionally, make sure to examine the weather ahead of time-- we scheduled our car parking and also really did not end up going since there was an awful thunderstorm en route!

This is the farthest eliminate of all nowadays trips from Toronto, however it's definitely achievable if you agree to head there very early and leave late!

Finest time to see: summer season

6. Walking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

If you wish to see cliffs, holes, as well as caverns, Mono Cliffs is the area to go.

The park itself will certainly take a couple of hrs to hike, yet you'll wish to explore outside the park too!

I have a different article all about just how to invest a day hiking at Mono Cliffs Provincial Park.

Finest time to see: year-round

7. Prance via lavender areas in Milton

Lavender areas for life ...

Take the eliminate to the spectacular Terre Bleu Lavender Farm in Milton and also get some charming Instagram photos.

Check out right when it opens up in the early morning, due to the fact that it gets active extremely promptly!

Terre Bleu is the largest lavender ranch in Ontario, with over 40,000 lavender plants that bloom at different times during the year!

Oh, and you're mosting likely to want to try the lavender ice cream-- it's amazing.

Best time to visit: summertime

8. Store vintage in Guelph

The Aberfoyle Vintage Market is paradise for vintage purchasing.

You'll find all type of trendy gems like license plates from the 70's and also vintage coke indications from old diners.

There's a heap to see around the marketplace, and also you'll certainly be able to spend an entire day below.

One day might not even suffice to check out the whole thing!

The Aberfoyle Antique Market is open every Sunday throughout the summer season and loss, so you can definitely make several journeys.

Don't fail to remember to bring reusable carryall for your rewards!

If you're looking for much more adorable vintage shops in Guelph, take a look at Outpost Vintage and also Wild Rose Consignment.

Finest time to go to: year-round

9. Go hiking in Cambridge

Cambridge is just one of the prettiest cities in Ontario, with its mix of historical buildings as well as vibrant street art.

There's a charming coffee shop called Monigram Coffee Roasters that makes great sandwiches, as well as lots of treking trails within the city!

Ideal time to see: year-round

10. Go tubing in Elora

Laze around down the Elora Canyon and let the river bring you!

It lies in the Elora Canyon Conservation Area, so you can do a little hiking on the path later on if you're in the state of mind for it.

Don't forget to bring water footwear, as well as don't do this if you dislike bugs.

If you can't swim (like me lol), see to it you're with somebody that understands exactly how-- the ending requires you to swim to coast.

If you remain in the state of mind to do some actual swimming, drop in the gorgeous Elora Quarry afterwards!

Ideal time to visit: summer

11. See a theater show in Stratford

Fancy seeing a live theatre program?

Stratford is everything about arts as well as culture, as well as you most likely currently recognize them for the Stratford Event.

I attended Eliminate a Mockingbird in 2014, and it was remarkable!

This Shakespeare-loving town is filled with unusual boutiques, awesome neighborhood consumes (the Stratford Cook Institution is found here), and also lots of fun points to do.

Finest time to check out: year-round

12. Go through falls in Hamilton

Hamilton is referred to as the waterfall funding of the world, with over 100 waterfalls to explore.

Spend a road trip in Ontario discovering Hamilton's stunning falls and eating at some of the best Hamilton restaurants on King William Street!

If you enjoy hiking, you need to definitely do the Dundas Height trek for the unbelievable views.

There are likewise a lot of charming and Instagrammable areas in Hamilton, consisting of Motel Dining establishment and also Hi Baked Sugar Shop.

I've got a post everything about just how to invest a day in Hamilton!

Finest time to see: summertime through fall

13. Go white wine sampling in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake is the ideal place for white wine lovers, with practically 100 wineries found here.

Visit 1 or 2 and also check out Niagara Falls, or simply invest an entire day seeing as lots of wineries as you can!

Definitely stop by Stratus Vineyards-- they make possibly my preferred icewine.

Likewise an enjoyable reality: icewine is spelt as one word here in Canada!

Finest time to go to: summer season through loss

14. Obtain touristy at Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is simply among those outing from Toronto that never ever gets old despite the number of times you visit.

Take in the sights of Horseshoe Falls, do some touristy tasks along Clifton Hill, and ride the Niagara SkyWheel while viewing the sundown!

It's the ideal place for an outing, yet you can also invest a weekend break in Niagara Falls.

Best time to go to: year-round

15. Walk the Toronto Islands

If you prefer to remain as close to the city as possible, the Toronto Islands is the perfect field trip within the city.

All you require to do is take a ferryboat over to the islands, and also you can invest a day strolling or cycling around!

I have a different article all about points to do at the Toronto Islands.

Best time to see: springtime through autumn

Ideal day trips from Toronto:

Prince Edward Area

Port Hope

South Fish Pond Farms near Kawartha Lakes

Sauble Beach

Tobermory

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park

Terre Bleu Lavender Ranch in Milton

Aberfoyle Vintage Market in Guelph

Cambridge

Elora Canyon

Stratford

Hamilton

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara Falls

Toronto Islands

Toronto is near a great deal of great communities and also areas for field trip, whatever activities you're interested in doing!

I've also got a post all about road trip tips that you might find useful.

Will you be doing any kind of one day trip in Ontario this summertime? What are several of your favourite outing from Toronto? I 'd like to know in the remarks!

P.S. if you liked this article, you could like this blog post on exactly how to do an outing to Niagara Falls, or any other articles on taking a trip in Ontario.

The post “ 15 Best Day Trips from Toronto “ was originally seen on Diary of a Toronto Girl

Looking for IV therapy services in Toronto? Contact The IV Lounge.

[freebooter4ever]

old photos from my last yr in the burgh cause im feeling nostalgic

jon on the back porch of our friends lawrenceville split rowhouse, you can see how much nicer our neighbors half of the house lawn was lol, ours was so overgrown we couldnt use it, the parties and banana grilling happened on the basement door steps and the alley, the alley was this tiny space between rowhouses that was probably only a little wider than jons shoulders

my dance buddy crawling out of my third story window to the roof, you can see the christmas lights i covered my entire ceiling with inside, theres another photo of her glaring at me bc im taking an ungraceful photo of her but its not as funny as this one

Rooftops and my dance buddy who came to watch the sunset with me one last time and who i think really misses having me in the same city bc i think her hatred of the whole human race is adorable rather than offputting (shes very literary, but shes also small and cute and she can dance). ALSO the only girl (different girl) who i ever almost went on a date with held my hand and helped me onto this roof when i was trying to decide if i should move in or not, and then at the party which was kinda my trial run to see if i was a good fit for the house she and i were inseperable, and i never told my friend the landlord but that influenced wayyyyy too much of my decision to move in, like yes dude i will live in your house also how often does that friend come over bc i might marry her. of course two days later that same girl moved out of the country. 

jon being adorable and napping with his kitten blanket, like he puts on this cool hipster artist act but this is him 90% of the time, the other 10% of the time is alien noises. i promise he would agree with this.

i honestly have no idea what this building is but i walked past it so many times in the southside that before i left it was high on my take a photo of priority list, i could get SO MUCH texture reference from this, like fuck thats a lot of rust and different types of wood damage and concrete crumbling, the burgh was definitely a 3D texture environment artists dream, ethan and i used to go around with his fancy camera and use it to recreate pieces in 3D with photos.

in this old 30's era gym i beat a bunch of hipsters in a mario kart tournament (easy as pie) and also won a costume contest while playing dodgeball, and got a free voucher to the fanciest hipster dining venue around, and anyway before i left the city i took jon and my bff to eat way expensive food for free and the three of us hung out in the empty gym after bc Aesthetic. there is also a photobooth roll that goes with this but we look terribly drunk in that

at the bottom of our hill in lawrenceville was two of the most important necessities: belvederes ultra dive (roller disco nights) and this theater that would pick a theme and only play those type of movies for a month so naturally, my favorite was Singing in the Rain. (at the top of our hill was my personal necessity brillobox and alex's favorite cheap vietnamese restaurant). 

the main branch of the burgh library was within walking distance of the university i worked at so spent a lot of time there, but anyway wtf was up with these floors? it was like walking on glass planks of a space ship but like...steampunk spaceship bc this shit is from the early 1900's and made out of STEEL. old asshole carnegie built hundreds of libraries, do all of them have creepy steep and glass floors between bookshelves??? (ps dont do what jon is doing you can get your foot stuck ask me how i know) i had three book sections memorized: the art animation books, the oversized art animation books, and the retro mod architecture books

jon actually asked me to take a close up photo of his new belt buckle this is 100% his fault, i introduced him to all my favorite vintage stores in the burgh and his ridiculous belt buckle collection increased tenfold. this feels mccree worthy, honestly.

the number of various guys i brought to the waterfalls over the years is...higher than one would expect given my face... and each time theyd be like wow this is so romantic and its our spot now and im like YUP DEFINITELY our spot just us no one else. truth is i just loved the three hour scenic drive and the Gene And Boots candy shop on the way that carried my favorite melty mints with NO corn syrup (impossible to find outside of mom and pop type candy factories). the REAL truth is that i came here most often on my own to write than i ever took anyone romantic or friends or otherwise.

when i say ae pi always had the coolest booths during spring carnival this is what i mean (he's got wings and a construction hat and a halo bc CREATION get it??)

when our research group got moved down to the river and i spent a lot of quiet nights in the snow walking across the bridge to the southside at like three am, also that big ass thing is something to do with the steel industry but i lived here ten yrs and fuck if i know what it is

[thetonecontrol]

Interview with Electronic Audio Experiments

Righteous Ryan: When did you decide to become a builder and what motivated you to do so?

Electronic Audio Experiments: Even before I taught myself how to play the guitar I was always interested in what makes instruments work, so naturally I was a pedal nerd as soon as I learned what they were. After studying electronics for fun on the side (took a couple extra courses during undergrad and then read books on my own) it became a natural progression of my interests to start tinkering with my own. I did a few tagboard clone builds before I realized I wanted to have more control over the design process. And that's still my primary motivation: I love the design process with all of its challenges and room for artistic decisions.

EAE as a company formally started in approximately winter/spring of 2015. In February of that year, Boston was slammed over 5 feet of snow. I spent a lot of time in my crummy basement apartment eating frozen pizzas and breadboarding what would eventually become the Longsword V1. I used it on a couple records I was a part of (Perfect Moments by Tiny Fractures and the Native Wildlife s/t - both on bandcamp, for the curious) and that generated enough interest to do a release that summer. The rest has been a whirlwind!

RR: What motivates you to create original circuits?

EAE: Short answer - it's really satisfying to me, basically my favorite pastime.

Longer answer - I love the challenge of making something from scratch that hopefully lets my personality come through. I should qualify; I am not reinventing any wheels here. Designing "from scratch" is like building something out of legos. You can't really design new pieces (which leads some of the more cynical folks out there to say there's nothing new under the sun) but there are lots of building blocks and lots of ways to arrange them. The artistic merit is in the details, and the fun is in the thrill of the chase. It's an obsessive process but endlessly gratifying.

RR: Are you currently working on anything new?

EAE: Oh god, too many things. Here's a sampling:

Halberd - this is a drive which started as the preamp block of Sending, but heavily mutated into its own thing. It features pronounced treble attack/clarity, stupidly high output, and a strong second harmonic response. Been "finalizing" it for a while but I'm trying my damnedest to release it this summer. (If you want to hear a rough demo of an earlier iteration, check this video out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpGgzl3lOgs)

Sending V2 - I'm trying to add some features while I do an SMD conversion - mostly modulation and CV control over delay time. Currently on the back burner while I get the Halberd sorted out.

Hypersleep - this is my weird multi-tap chorus/vibrato/reverb-ish thing (nb: this is also in Ian's video linked above). It's also on the back burner while I get the Halberd sorted out. I really want to put it to production but it depends fully on whether I can source enough MN3011 BBDs to make it happen. If I can get enough to build 50 I'll do a limited run, but I'd really prefer to do 100 if at all possible... so we shall see what happens.

Super secret collab with Electrofoods Pedals - stay tuned, I am very excited

Surveyor - IVP side of the Dude Incredible, will be released later this year. It's ready to rock.

Various contract designs - Caroline Somersault (just wrapped up), Caroline Megabyte (working on the second round of prototypes), Dunable Eidolon (close to done, just needs some code fixes), another 2 or 3 projects all TBA.

RR: What is your design process like?

EAE: Whenever I design something new I have to answer two questions. 1) does it exist already? and 2) does it address a need or want in my own sonic pursuits? For instance, drive pedals will reflect my tone in whatever band I'm currently in. If it's already been done I can go buy it. If it hasn't been done then the work can begin.

If the design is simple or contains simple building blocks I often go straight to the circuit board layout and if necessary, debug from there. I can often turn a project around pretty quick if that's the case. If I'm not sure whether or not a building block will work, I can try simulating or breadboarding. Circuit simulation is extremely powerful but requires interpretation of the results, which also sometimes differ from reality. Breadboarding is great for audible characterization of a new idea, but the added parasitic capacitances can dramatically alter the frequency response of a circuit - especially a high gain drive or something with lots of complex filters. So there's usually a loop of steps where I move between a breadboard, circuit simulations, and a working prototype until everything works out. Sometimes I just have to resort to plain old math to get what I want.

The first pass of design is a go/no-go check. Does it work? Once it does, I refine it until it can produce sounds I truly like. This is also the step where I do the most work to address noise, oscillation, unwanted artifacts, etc. The final step is to identify which controls I want to keep, and then I determine the tapers/ranges of those controls.

Once there's a working prototype I do extensive beta testing with friends, local musicians and engineers, etc. When testing at home I can lose sight of how good (or not good) a prototype sounds. So a sanity check helps! Once this feedback is incorporated into the process we can go to production. At that point we get the artwork done and start working with our local SMD shop to get boards going.

RR: What's your setup (guitar, amps, pedalboard)?

EAE: I've been awful about maintaining a static setup. I realized that when you're not in a band you can just buy whatever sounds good instead of worrying about serving a song or particular mix. I have a wide assortment of guitars and amps that I use to test pedals during the R&D phase but listing those won't really tell you a coherent story. BUT I started a new band and we're tracking a record (we just did guitars + drums at GodCity) so I can tell you all about the gear I used for that. It's a post-metal sort of outfit so there are lots of heavy sounds but lots of unique mid-gain tones as well. This is also a great chance to plug some work by my friends...

Guitars - Travis Bean TB1000S, which is essentially vintage correct after some restoration work at Electrical Guitar Company (new bridge + pickups). Sounds like a piano. A very angry piano.

My very heavily modified Classic Player Jazzmaster with EGC JM500 pickups and a Robot Graves neck. It can do pristine, chimey cleans or a savage clang depending how much gain you use.

Amps - Traynor YBA1 MKII - Basically a marshall-ish amp with really big transformers. I modded the preamp to roughly superlead specs, but it's got way more bandwidth than a typical marshall.

Traynor YBA3 - not mine, lives at GodCity. Was extensively modified by my friend Scot from SnK pedals, who is also a gifted amp tech. It's loud and clean with a sound that's almost like an ampeg.

For cabs we mostly used an emperor 6x12 with an assortment of speakers. The mic was placed on a Texas Heat.

For my own use I have a pair of Joe's TL806 cabs (Thiele 1x12 design) with EVM12Ls.

Pedals - Halberd proto - great for slamming tube amps!

Electrofoods Oprichniki - the highest gain big muff variant around. I don't even know if it should be called a muff variant because of how twisted and souped up the circuit is. It is an absolute beast.

Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler - another extraordinarily high gain fuzz which sounds like absolutely nothing I've ever heard. It's a nice contrast to the more scooped flavor of the Oprich.

SnK VHD - a high gain distortion, used extensively for lead parts especially. Super tight and clear.

Sending V1-ish prototype - also has a tone control. It works ok I guess. Still very much a work in progress!

Lastgasp Misty Cave - weird drone-y reverb/flange thing? Hard to describe. Sounds heavenly.

Hypersleep proto - for room-ish reverb

Red Panda Tensor - Used for a particularly glitchy "solo"

Dirge Slowly Melting - I saw the end of the world, and it was terrifying

Lots of other stuff - I forgot!

Other - Yamaha FX500. The ultimate digital pad machine.

Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo - my drummer owns this, holy hell it is magic

My modular synth - a whole goddamn mess of its own

[askreddithorror]

Posted by HighDingyDoo on Dec 17 2019:

I arrived at a concert to meet some friends, and found them hanging out with a guy who looked like Chris Farley. I hadn’t seen him before.

He was really nice, if not a bit strange. There were many quirks that seemed harmless on their own, but became stranger when added up:

For example, he said he was a guidance counselor at a middle school, but he had a sexually explicit face tattoo.

My friends thought the guy was awesome. Quirky and misunderstood, just like us. They invited him to hang out the next day.

Things got very weird, very quickly.

He arrived in an expensive new car. There were four of us, himself included.

It was almost Christmas, so we drove around and searched for discounts at some shops like a record store, comic book outlet, and vintage toy dealer.

On the way to our first destination, I mentioned that I was hungry. The guy asked if I wanted to stop somewhere for a snack. There was a really good Lebanese market just a few blocks away, so I said I’d run in and grab a spinach pie.

When we pulled into the parking lot, he jumped out of the vehicle and rushed inside, barging in front of me. He purchased all sorts of traditional dishes… and gave them all to me.

I thought it was a joke, but he insisted: “I already know you love Lebanese food, so I figured I’d buy you a whole feast. You can eat some now and take the rest home to enjoy for the rest of the week!”

He probably spent about 50 dollars on my “snack”, and I only met him the night before.

I highly doubted that he wanted anything sexual, but he definitely wanted something. I was quite confused.

Maybe he just wanted to show off his wealth, but I was feeling uncomfortable. Still, I graciously accepted the bag of food.

When we eventually reached the comic book shop, I was amazed to see a rare model kit from the 1970s displayed in a glass case. I mentioned to one of my friends how I had coveted that kit for a long time.

Can you guess what happened next?

Yep. The new guy bought it for me. I wasn’t aware until we had left the shop. Otherwise I would have stopped him. But he had already spent almost 100 dollars on me. At this point I had a pretty strong suspicion that he would expect something in return.

That night ended without incident. We all got dropped off at our homes. But I felt extremely uncomfortable and really didn’t want to see that guy again.

The problem was that in the following weeks, every time I called my friends to meet up with them, he would be there too. Always.

I reluctantly joined them, but secretly wanted this guy to disappear. I was starting to get a bad feeling. I couldn’t even explain this to my other friends, because he was always within earshot. He never went home until we did.

He took a very strong interest in us. His questions seemed to extend beyond common courtesy.

He wanted to know what our parents did for a living, who our siblings were, where we went to school, where we worked, some of the classes we took. He asked the questions little by little, over a period of days. In that time, he had managed to gather quite a lot of information.

And of course, the better my friends got to know him (or thought they did), they opened up about more personal things: family issues, substance abuse problems, embarrassing sexual situations etc.. He always encouraged them to “open up” and offered a supportive, listening ear.

Eventually, there came a night when we all got together and ended up at his apartment.

The first thing I noticed when we walked inside was that he was really, really into super-villains. Nothing I’d judge someone for. Just an observation.

In particular, he was really into Joker. I’ve never seen so much Joker memorabilia in one room. Posters, comics, action figures, VHS tapes, DVDs, t shirts… everything Joker. Magneto was his next favorite. Every square inch of that apartment was covered by some image of a smiling villain.

We all sat down to watch (you guessed it) a superhero film. He provided us with lots of commentary on the villains.

That night also ended without incident, but I was still uncomfortable.

A few weeks went by without seeing him, but then I found myself back in the apartment. This time it was for a big party with lots of guests.

At the party, I met an attractive girl. She took an interest in me, and one thing led to another. Being the naive 20-year-old that I was, I followed her into an empty room and we fooled around for awhile. She was most definitely older than 18, and neither of us had consumed any alcohol. But there was a big problem.

At the end of the night, the guests slowly trickled out the door. By now, it was just me, my two closest friends, and our host.

When we thanked him and went to get our coats, he rushed over and blocked the door. He just stood there staring at us.

Then, to our collective horror, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out… a digital recorder.

On the recorder are all of the conversations that we had since first meeting. Hours and hours and hours of dialogue, some of it of a very sensitive nature. Apparently, after spending time with us and going home for the night, he would re-play all of it, transcribe our conversations into notebooks, and think up creative ways that he could ruin our lives.

He also revealed that my encounter in the spare bedroom that evening had been recorded on video. He said that he had put drugs in the beverage of the young woman. He threatened to use the video to accuse me of predatory behavior. He also threatened to send it to my parents, my brother, and several of my professors.

I know there are many holes in this logic, but you have to consider how terrified I was for someone in my age group and living situation. This was a plan that seemed like it could very well ruin my life.

We asked what he wanted from us in order to destroy the “evidence”, but he explained that this was not an act of bribery. He just wanted to “fuck our lives up”, because ruining lives was his passion. There was nothing we could do to stop him. He had been working to destroy our academic and professional careers, personal relationships and social status, just because it was fun. This was his reward.

He went on to show us entire stacks of notebooks filled with the names of people whom he had “destroyed.” He even bragged about having coerced a 14-year-old into killing herself. I don’t know how much of this was true (I had no idea what to believe at this point), but it made me sick to my stomach.

Before we left, the guy burst into the most obnoxious, maniacal cartoon laughter. He laughed and laughed and laughed, continuing as we exited the apartment.

For the next few weeks, we lived in fear, unsure of what to do. I was especially worried for a friend of mine who had talked about his sexual orientation (he was gay). If his parents found out, he would be thrown out of the house.

Eventually, I approached my dad and explained things. He was very understanding and assured me that psychopaths like this guy often end up pissing off the wrong person and ending up dead.

A few weeks passed without hearing anything. Then, one of my friends decided to sneak out to the guy’s apartment and vandalize his car in an act of revenge. I wasn’t happy with that decision. It made our entire group seem guilty of our own crimes.

We all got a text message the next morning saying that our “friend” was leaving the area and returning to Miami for a job offer, but would begin to carry out his diabolical plans once there. He sent us copies of the lists that he had compiled on our friends, relatives and co-workers.

Of course, we continued living in fear.

Eventually, a simple Google search led to his whereabouts.

The name he had given was correct, and he had indeed relocated to Miami. Several days after arriving, he killed himself.

I still have so many questions, but I don’t want to look for anything related to that guy, even now that he’s dead. Horrifying experience that taught me a lot about how warped some people can be.

[airadam]

Episode 146 : Rise.

"Put on the wings of the morning and fly."

- Capleton

It somehow feels like an awful long time since the last episode - the new job has been keeping me extra-busy and the speed of world events just seems to keep accelerating. Sadly, one of those events was the passing of Biz Markie - another legend lost too soon. I've selected one of his most famous tracks to close the episode, but I hope you enjoy the fifty or so minutes before that as well.

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Above The Law : 100 Spokes

Air Adam trivia : I own four copies of this on 12"! I had a beat-juggle routine with one of the remixes, and in the old days, you couldn't just hit "instant doubles" on Serato - plus the records do wear out! The original is the better track for a straight listen though, with Cold 187um handling the production and the first verse, with the late great KMG bringing his trademark low-key style to the second. This is more easily available on the excellent "Time Will Reveal" album - which I actually have twice on vinyl, and once on CD...

The Rattler Proxy : Death Machine (Jokers of the Scene Remix)

I don't know if this will be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a track I've been playing heavily since I first heard it on one of Victoria Rawlins' Twitch sets. If you've got great headphones, or big speakers, you'll be amazed at how the low end comes in and envelops you after the long ambient intro. The Rattler Proxy were a Greek duo who broke up last year, but this remix of one of their 2014 releases feels like a lasting classic to me.

Semi Six ft. Tha Essence & 5'4 : Heaterz

Fellow Polo enthusiast and Detroit native Semi Six is back with a new EP "Assorted Fries", and brings a couple of spitters along for the ride on this single. Atlanta's Tuamie provides the crispy-clean instrumental, and the whole track is no hook, pure bars.

Elzhi : Light One, Write One

Last year saw the release of Elzhi's third solo LP "Seven Times Down Eight Times Up", which follows the old-school tradition of having the same production personnel from beginning to end - in this case, JR Swiftz out of Brooklyn. Always a skilled writer, El gets busy over the nice soulful jazz/vocal sample and classic boom-bap drums.

* as an aside - you only have to get up as many times as you fall down...

Capleton ft. Method Man : Wings Of The Morning

I remember having to look up the meaning of the title; it's shared with a 30s film, but originally from the Book of Psalms. This is a winner from the era when US artists began to collaborate with reggae and dancehall stars - with results of varying quality, it has to be said! It shows how well it really can be done, with Capleton's Rastafari lyrics and deejay style meshing with the characteristic grittiness of the sound of Wu-Tang's Method Man. The piano sample will be familiar to many, hooked up by Stuart Brown, and the drums are rugged enough to do justice to the vocalists. The 1995 "Prophecy" album was a strong release, and this was one of the best cuts from it.

Lone Apostrophe : Take Me

Manchester's own Lone Apostrophe is a true student of beatmaking, and his new "Webs" collection is a great pickup for anyone with an attachment to the golden age of the boom-bap. Those echoed/delayed horns take you back to mixtapes in 1993...a mood.

1982 ft. Skyzoo and Jared Evan : Summer In New York

If ever there was a track that announced the title before you hear it, it might well be this one! The combination of Statik Selektah and Termanology is also known as 1982, and their compact new release "The Summer EP" is headed up by this sunny track, which is definitely lifted by Jared Evan's hook .

Nas ft. Cordae and Freddie Gibbs : Life Is Like A Dice Game

"When I finish this shit, sure to be a hit..." I was extremely surprised to see this one pop up recently! Many years ago, there was an unreleased Nas track with the same title, ropey sound quality but as dope as you'd expect. It was recorded around the time of "Illmatic", and leaked on the underground but never made an official release. Apparently, Spotify recently asked Nas if he'd resurrect it and so the production was re-done (by Hit-Boy) and he brought in Freddie Gibbs and Cordae to join him for a memorable recording. This deserves to be the hit Nas predicted it would be over twenty-five years ago.

Sadat X ft. Jigmastas : Don't Get It Twisted (PUTS Remix)

One of those great independent 12" releases that illustrate why the streaming services aren't (at least yet) in a position to replace a collection built over years. This remix by People Under the Stairs was on the B-side of the "Plan X" single, and pairs up Sadat X with Kriminul of Jigmastas - as you'd expect, the original was produced by DJ Spinna.

Tanya Morgan ft. Kooley High : So Good

Sonically, seasonally appropriate once again - this 80s soul club-sounding cut has summer written all over it. Tanya Morgan (Donwill and Von Pea, if you didn't know) will be releasing their fifth LP "Don and Von" in August, from which this is the second single. The North Carolina crew Kooley High come along to deepen the MC roster for this one, which whets the appetite for the album perfectly.

Buckwild : Mad Ammo (Instrumental)

A vintage SP-1200 beat from the disk boxes of DITC's Buckwild, as originally heard when it was dug out and rhymed over by Celph Titled on the "Nineteen Ninety Now" LP. 

REMI ft. Konny Kon : Good Mates

I'm glad Michelle Grace Hunder put me up on the latest (and final) album by this crew out of Melbourne, not least since I happened upon a Konny Kon guest appearance I might otherwise have missed! "PTSD in the hood runs undiagnosed" - isn't that just the truth? Remi and Konny spit raw reality on their verses, with Sensible J on production. Definitely peep the "Fried" LP.

Pete Rock ft. Pharoahe Monch : Just Do It

We go back to the "Soul Survivor 2" collection for this track - not quite up to the mark of the first, but still an excellent LP. Only great producers can make a beat as sparse as this and make it sound complete, not unfinished. The spaced-out keys on the hook are an added bonus, a nice bit of additional polish. Pharaohe Monch can sound good on pretty much anything, so when he gets quality material like this then it's an easy win. 

Roots Manuva ft. Ricky Rankin : Bashment Boogie

I've been meaning to play this one for years - originally thought it would be one to open a show with, but I think it works well enough here! One of the early tracks on Roots' critically-acclaimed second LP "Run Come Save Me", this one bumps along with a digital flavour (Lotek on the beat) as he tells the story of getting ready to go out of town for a jam. One of the great artists ever to come out of the UK scene, Roots drops plenty of references that the home crowd will get, and it still stands up twenty years after release.

Khadejia ft. Product : Here We Go

A slightly obscure track, despite all the personnel involved! This was on Funkmaster Flex's "60 Minutes of Funk - The Mix Tape Volume III" release, and he produced it along with Wyclef and Jerry Wonder. I believe this is Khadejia's only headline release, but she's got a fair few features in her discography, including "Can't Help It" by Royal Flush which I love. Accompanying her are the duo The Product, whose releases I must say passed me by at the time! They borrow a classic Boogie Down Productions lyric and build around it for a nice little jam.

Flamingosis : Jet Skis & Hennessy

Flamingosis just has that knack of cooking up instrumentals that make you feel great. This selection from "Flight Fantastic" is no exception, and perfect for a summer's evening.

Biz Markie : Nobody Beats The Biz

What can I say that hasn't been said about this certified classic from a recently-departed giant? Well, maybe I can give you some trivia gems you may not have been aware of - it's got to be one of the most-sampled Hip-Hop tracks of all time, the title/hook is based on commercials from an 80s electronics chain in NYC, and Biz bought every copy of the Lafayette Afro Rock Band record containing "Hihache" (used for the drums here) from one shop to replace Marley Marl's scratched-up copy! A legendary track from the "Goin' Off" LP, which will be played as long as this culture lives.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[welldresseddadblog]

Welcome to the 13th instalment of the “Garmsman Dozen” question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous. Did you miss earlier ones? There are links at the end of the page.

This week we welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Christopher Laverty from Great Britain!

Who are you, where do you live and what interests you?

Christopher Laverty. York, UK. 40 years old.

Author of book Fashion in Film, broadcaster, creator of website Clothes on Film and costume consultant.

Twitter: @clothesonfilm, Instagram: @lordlaverty, @christopherlaverty, Facebook: @clothesonfilm.

I enjoy movies, decent TV, clothes, clothes in movies, clothes in decent TV, bourbon, pipe smoking, cigars (preferably Cuban), cocktail making, cycling, running and twirling my moustache.

Thinking back to your childhood, what were your most memorable or favourite clothes?

Honestly, I don’t remember much of my childhood. Controversially I don’t many of us really do, we just piece together memories from what we’re told and photographs. With that in mind, I’ll go to my late teenage years when I first remember becoming interested in clothes. It was the mid-late 1990s so a lot of pale, shapeless denim jeans worn way too long with thick, oversized shirts and suede Kickers. This is probably why I gravitated toward the vintage scene which at this time was big on 1970s retro revival. My favourite buy was a tan leather trench coat, probably from the late 1970s, made in Egypt with a Selfridges label. It was immaculate. I purchased for £25 from Covent Garden market and still have it today. I don’t wear the coat much as it’s a little on the nose these days and verging on dress up, but at least it still fits! I do come from a family interested in clothes, particularly my dad. I was born to older parents (they are in their late eighties now) and with an older brother (now 60) and sister (53). I was spoilt rotten. Apparently, I even had a tailored coat, which to a working-class family is quite a fancy thing. My appreciation of clothes comes from understanding how they are made, their design, influences and appropriateness to the era. This is all born in me I think.

How would you describe your style today, and what are your influences?

It’s one of two things depending on my mood, time of year, facial hair and hairstyle: 1) denim and workwear, Edwardian influenced to 1930s OR 2) 1970s lounge with flared three-piece suits. I like to change things up because I get bored easily. It does have to be a specific look though – I have to feel that it ticks certain boxes, although saying that I do loathe the idea of sticking rigidly to eras or historical accuracy. My main influence for the 70’s is television programmes such as The Persuaders! and The Professionals and films such as Fear is the Key and Carlito’s Way. For workwear, it’s more print-based influences, like old photographs of miners and ranchers, but also films like The First Great Train Robbery and There Will Be Blood. I pull from wherever I like, really. Again, it’s not rigid; I’m not a re-enactor, I’m just someone who enjoys a period-specific feel to their dress.

How do you think others would describe your style and garments, do you get any reaction from friends and random strangers?

Totally, though a lot of that comes from random moustache admirers/hecklers. I don’t mind, so long as it’s polite. People will always point out what is different and, if I’m honest, I get a kick out of it. I think my friends just list random people they consider could be associated with my look – I’ve had everything from Shaft to a Spitfire pilot. It’s all good fun unless you choose to be offended (which I don’t because life is far too short to be cross and moaning all the time).

When looking for clothes, what factors play into your selections?

Need, mainly. I don’t really seek out any clothing unless I’m specifically short on something, like a henley t-shirt or new pair of boots. Most clothes come to me, in that I might stumble across a charity shop find or somebody acquires a shirt or whatever they think I’d like. I don’t really pay full price for anything. For example, I bought some suede chukka boots by Alfred Sargent last year, but only because they were offered to me by a friend who’d found them (in immaculate condition I might add) in a charity shop. I certainly didn’t need the boots but I’ll not turn my nose up at a bargain. I love clothes, though my wardrobe is actually quite capsule. I think there’s nothing worse than just buying willy-nilly and ending up with so much gear you can hardly store it all. This actually diminishes sartorial creativity in my view.

When putting together an outfit combination, do you spend a lot of time considering it?

Not really. I think I know what works and just go with that. I’ll plan more if it’s an occasion outfit but for every day I just grab what I like depending on the weather. Putting together an ensemble can be fun, but I do think if you take too long it becomes fussy and convoluted. If in doubt, take it out.

Most garmsmen will have a few “grail items” in their collection. Not to out you, but if your house is burning, which garments do you grab?

Probably my RM Williams boots. They are Craftsman Yearling, the finest boot RM Williams make in my opinion and they work with almost any outfit. I purchased on eBay nearly a decade ago for about £100. The leather is cracking a tad now but I couldn’t be without them. That said, I wouldn’t burn alive for them either so this better be a fairly mild fire we’re talking about here.

Photo by Ben Bentley

Are you budget-conscious or spendthrift? Are you a single-shot shopper, or go large and buy bulk? Where are you on slow-fashion and buying less?

I’m not spendthrift, even less so if I’m buying for others. If something fits and looks great and I can afford it and need it, I’ll buy it. I do like things that are in a sale or reduced though – it just feels more fun to make that purchase. In this respect, I wish I could support more artisan brands but they are just too rich for my blood. The sad thing is I know that the guys running these places and making these clothes and footwear are just getting by as is. If I was rich I’d probably shop with an eye toward supporting homegrown brands, but as things stand whoever can give me what I want for the best possible price is going to get my money.

Having a large collection of clothes can lead to changing outfit on a daily basis, but if you were going to wear a single outfit the next two weeks, what would it be?

My go to is probably a green ribbed cotton henley (from H&M), Marlboro leather and canvas braces (charity shop), Levi LVC 1878 jeans (eBay) and my RM Williams boots. This outfit suits just about every occasion, unless you want me attending your wedding or something. It’s comfortable to travel, work, socialise and chill in. Simple but effective in my opinion.

What would you never wear?

That’s a tough one. Basically, anything that looks awful on me, so very baggy trousers or jeans (I’m a short-ass), super-tight muscle tees (they are hilarious even if you have the body) and chunky hi-top trainers (love them on other people but I look like a failed hip-hop artist). Oh and baseball caps. Every time I put one on I look like I’m dying of some disease.

Photo by David Wade

What are your best tips for buying?

If you’re talking specifically about buying for my look, either workwear or 70’s inspired, then I’d say eBay, charity shops and vintage fairs. Got to be patient though and realise that, in the main, if you’ve found a bargain, someone else has too. People know their stuff a lot more these days so everyone has their eye out. For basics, I find H&M hard to beat. It’s not the highest quality and sometimes their stores are saturated with desperately on-trend crap, but in general, for easy tees and shirts, they are a goldmine (plus have lots of year-round sales).

Do you have a dream garment you’d love to own?

A few years ago I would have said a Savile Row suit but I think I desired one for the wrong reasons. It was a case of wanting to say I’ve had a suit cut on Savile Row rather than wanting the garment itself. I must admit I have always hankered after a beautifully tailored flared leg suit from the 1970s. I have a couple of off-the-peg examples but I’d love one bespoke. Suits of this era with that distinctive cut, the high waist, flared leg, high double vents and pagoda shoulder are not impossibly hard to find, though ones made from high-quality wool suiting are. Also, I’m a sucker for LVC Levi. I’d buy most of it just to hang on my wall and salivate over.

Anyone that buys clothes will have made mistakes, what is your most memorable bad buy?

Loads! When I used to buy more and think later I grabbed many a mistake. Possibly my worst was a pair of loose Abercrombie & Fitch jeans, from eBay if I remember correctly. Not sure what look I was going for. LA surfer, possibly? Or maybe just asshole. Either way, unsurprisingly, they didn’t work.

Do you have any style icons, historic or current?

Most of the looks I covet are from films so were put together by costume designers rather than the stars in question. Then again, stars and icons had stylists back in the day and they have stylists now. Cary Grant always nailed it. James Coburn could rock the Ivy. Nowadays Sebastian Stan constantly looks interesting without going too bananas (he has a brilliant stylist and an easy to dress bod too, mind). My elderly dad has a wonderfully open love of bright colour, which I admire and is daring for a former market trader from the East End of London. ‘Be more like him’ I often think.

Who are your favourite Instagram profiles?

What you mean apart from @Welldresseddad??? 😉 I like all the sartorial based accounts I follow. Two, in particular, indulge my passion for high-end workwear denim that I can’t afford: @kingchung501 and @vorstenbos. Anyone who doesn’t take it all too seriously, basically.

How do you think trends such as denim and heritage style will evolve and survive? What will be the next big thing?

I think more and more people will get into making their own clothes. We are not there yet, and I certainly don’t presently have the skills, but big picture I feel this will get easier and easier to do in our own home. Sustainability is a big trend and not going anywhere – and really it can’t afford to. Denim especially will go down this route. Like I said we are a way off, but with current textile innovations and online communities, it is coming.

Thank you!

Thank you for your Garmsman Chris!

Photo by David Wade

Did you miss the first Garmsman Dozens?

Jon from Great Britain

Shaun from Scotland

Klaus from Germany

Roland from Italy

Daniel from Sweden

Enoch from the USA

Even from Norway

Kris from Belgium

Michael from Great Britain

Liam from Great Britain

Lee from Great Britain

Iain from Great Britain

Michael from Italy

PS: If you have suggestions for participants, let me know. Or have your mother suggest you, if you’re a bit keen to suggest yourself. My email is WellDressedDad (@) gmail.com

  The Garmsman Dozen #14: Chris from Great Britain Welcome to the 13th instalment of the "Garmsman Dozen" question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous.

[anitcradcliffe]

Get to know ANITA RADCLIFFE who’s TWENTY-EIGHT years old and works as a SEAMSTRESS in town. She is from CORONA and are often times mistaken for LAURA DREYFUSS while others say she reminds them of ANITA from 101 DALMATIANS.

has absolutely loved fashion ever since she was just a little girl, when she would pore over her grandmother’s old fashion magazines for hours. she spent a lot of time at her grandmother’s house growing up and it was the only thing she had in the house that actually interested her. 

this was what led to her asking her grandmother to teach her to sew. it was something the two bonded over. her grandmother helped her recreate a few of her favorite pieces from the magazines. and she continued to help her once anita began coming up with her own designs.

she was gifted perdita, her beloved dalmatian, for her high school graduation. she thinks it was likely a ploy by her parents to get her to go to school closer to home. not that she ever had any plans of actually leaving corona for school. she rented an apartment near the local college rather than stay in a dorm., so she wouldn’t force her parents to take care of perdita.

met candice da vil in college, someone who seemed to be just as passionate about fashion as she was (maybe even more so?). ended up working for her after graduation which was just an absolute dream come true to her tbh/ she never thought she’d be able to land herself a nice job so quickly.

for several years, her career was everything to her. she wasn’t going to let anything get in the way or distract her from her goals. the only thing that was ever more important to her than her job was perdita. well, until she met roger radcliffe, that is. it’s a cliché, she knows, but she fell in love with the man the moment she ran into him in the park. and some people might say that their relationship moved too quickly but she disagrees. when you know, you know.

her engagement to roger unfortunately cost her her job. she was fired on the spot after breaking the news to candice. it devastated her but she understood. her priorities had changed. surely, candice noticed something that anita didn’t. plus, it just gave anita more time to focus on the wedding planning.

she was gifted her grandmother’s wedding dress at her engagement party. It took some convincing for anita to actually take it, terrified that she’d damage it in the altering process. her grandmother had faith in her and even came over a few times to help her with it. the dress was only slightly altered to make it wearable for anita and so she could make it her own. tt really didn’t take much for her to be happy with it though, she always loved vintage clothing after all. her wedding veil was also passed down to her from her mother and had been for quite a few generations. the only new things she wore that day were her shoes and jewelry.

the wedding took place in the very park that her and roger met in. both of their dogs were involved in the ceremony, of course. anita made their costumes herself and although they were very simple, she was pretty proud of herself. perdita was the flower dog (alongside her cousin’s little daughter) and pongo was the ring bearer. she would never admit this to anyone but her closest friends and roger but she did briefly consider having perdita as her maid/’dog’ of honor.

life after the wedding was nice. she had more time to devote to her own personal sewing projects, was able to stay home with her dogs all day, and got to spend much more time with her friends and family. she never really looked back at her old career.

until, seemingly out of nowhere, candice offered her her old job back. she almost turned it down, not sure if she was going to be able to properly prioritize her work, but was encouraged to accept by roger. and as happy as she was with her life, it is a little nice to be working again.

she’s worn glasses since she was a child. her vision has never really been bad enough to necessitate wearing them all the time, she usually just wears them when she’s reading, driving, and working.

absolutely loves murder mysteries. she’s sure it stems from hours of watching murder, she wrote with her grandmother as a child, a show she’s still quite fond of today. most of the books she has on her bookshelf are murder mysteries, most of them written by agatha christie.

while most of her designs are a little eccentric, her personal clothing choice is different. she’s been told by several people that she dresses like a grandma and while she doesn’t entirely agree with their assessments, she can see why they think that. most of her clothes are pieces she bought from thrift shops. A lot of sweaters, button-ups, and long skirts. 

a bit of a doormat tbh. she’s way too understanding and a bit too forgiving. not the type to stand up for herself but will stand up for other people (and animals). 100% a people pleaser, she just wants people to like her.

wanted connections

best friend!!! around her age, was maid (or man/person) of honor at her wedding, i like the idea of them being friends since they were kids but i’m up for anything. just pls... give her her best friend.

other close friends in general, could have been part of her bridal party at her wedding, not necessary tho. i just want her to have lots of friends. :)

exes!!! have to be men bc she is Straight, likely from college or high school. she never really dated after college until she met roger. honestly probably still friends or at least acquaintances. i feel like she’s definitely the type to try to stay friends with her exes.

coworkers? idk if there’s anyone else who works for candice but if there is... anita definitely knows them as well. 

other friends who are into fashion like she is!!!!

dog owner friends!! they met at the dog park and their dogs just get along really well

anything!!! pls give her anything and everything

[thebatgurrl]

I was asked this weekend why I was researching coal mines in the Pacific Northwest. You know coal has an ugly image and most people wish to forget it exists or existed.  Let alone that it was historically a huge business in their own backyard.

My answer was how this search for old coal mines reminds us how time changes all things. In this time of great change we are immersed in, we forget that we are not the first to upending the status quo or forever norms. In 100 years what was huge and profitable is now a forgotten memory. This quest to find old mines just punctuates the nature of change. It can be over night but usually it is just a drip drip and we hardly realize we had moved to a new plane.

Enough philosophical thought but do remember that these essays and adventures of mine hunting are rooted in my grasping the threads of change.

Indian Coal Mine or formally named “The New Black Diamond Coal Mine” was a bit of a late comer to mining in the area. The story around it is one of how the changing times came quickly, oil replaced coal, persistent mine dangers, errors made while prospecting this new mine, poor quality coal, ineptness and greed in the company, and how the land was not respected.

For decades I would drive down Maple Valley Highway (SR 169) along the Cedar River. I remember a long cement building that the King County Maintenance Department owned and occupied. Kind of an old Art Deco building for a hard working group of people who maintained our roads and infrastructure.  Never really thought much about this place.

Google Image from 2009 – Sunset Materials owned the property at this time

Where did this building and ground come from? I was surprised to find it was the headquarters for the Indian Mine. This plot of land in the mid-1920’s was host to this building, a huge processing plant and the mine shafts that pushed into the hillside.

A lot of what follows I have to thank the Black Diamond History Blog for helping me with my research and many of the vintage photos.

In Black Diamond we all know that Coal was King for nearly 150 years. The area surrounding it has many mines and even a ghost town. Black Diamond sits upon one of the best coal seams in the USA – the McKay Seam. The coal is low ash & sulfur making it great for household use.  The first mine was founded in the early 1880s and from there many more were dug.

Years passed and what was called Mine 11 was developed in 1896 and called the new mine. It was located off of SR 169 behind what is now a small shopping center.  You can see piles of construction debris and dirt back there.  That is the spot.

I have to note that a mine never really goes into past tense. It is just closed up and hidden from view but the tunnels are still there. Often I have trouble with the tense to use on them.  Such as …. “It was located” could just as easy been “It is located”.  I pick past tense because it does not look like this picture any more.  The hole in the ground is disguised and invisible.  Guess that is past tense.

Mine #11 in Black Diamond from apx 1904

It was a very deep mine going down 6,000 feet when it was closed. It was reputed to be the deepest slope coal mine in the world. It had a 20 degree pitch. It was 2,200 feet to the surface at the 12th level and 1,500 feet below sea level. 

It was a dangerous mine to work in. There was a condition called “bumps,” which was when the floor raised and the roof came down. It was like a small earthquake. It was caused by atmospheric pressure and became worse as they went deeper. Whenever a bump occurred it was felt in town.  (from Black Diamond History).

Time (there it is again changing things) came in 1927 when they had to close it due to it’s danger. Men who worked there later said that they just left everything down in the mine. By this time the Indian Mine was open and many miners just took the train each day down the cedar river to the New Black Diamond Mine.

Let us get started with a general view of what the Indian Mine land looks like today off of Renton-Maple Valley Highway (aka SR 169).  This video is from my investigative trip this week.  So, you could say it is super fresh.

To give you a feel for the lay of the land. This video looks south across SR 169. It starts on the east (Maple Valley & Black Diamond direction) side of the property and sweeps towards the west (Renton).

Another thing you need to get orientated is this map below from the early 1930s.  I have snipped this from a large 1931 map that included the tunnels, slopes, buildings, & processing plant.  I have flipped it so the top of this map is south vs the usual north.  That will help you stay orientated to the video view.

Indian Coal Mine Industrial Complex Map from apx 1931 – took a printed version of this with me to the site

The east side of the gate is where the office-maintenance building (the long skinny one on the left) stood. Behind that was the Wash & Boiler Rooms.  Behind that is a road that leads up to a small field that extends across about half of the property.

There were two mine tunnels behind the industrial complex. The first one they dug is located on this east side above where the Wash Room was located.  It was a bust and then they dug the one that tons of coal flowed from on the west side.

On the west side of the gate was the tipple, bunker & picking tables. What is a tipple you ask.  Here is a quick article on Wiki for you – Tipple.   This was a massive structure as you can see in the feature photo at the top of this blog post.  On the map you can also see a huge water tank and how the tipple was built out over the railroad tracks. Today there is no railroad at all and I can’t remember it being there in my lifetime.

Now that I have the big picture set for you let’s go into more detail on the individual pieces; The Office Building, the Tipple/Bunker, the Mine Entrances and a Tramway.

The Office-Maintenance Building:

This was built after the Tipple/Bunker and lived a much longer life.  It was erected in about 1927 and was demolished in 2016. Some wanted to preserve it due to historic designation. However, it had deteriorated too far to be saved. All that is left is the concrete slab and the entrance road that ran between it and the Tipple.

Indian Mine (New Black Diamond Coal Mine) Maintenance Building under construction with bunker in background

This first picture above shows the building’s beginnings with the already existing Tipple/Bunker.  The stacks in the photo are on the Wash/Boiler Rooms building. The next photo is from the hillside and faces north toward the highway & railroad. The mine tunnels are behind and to the right of the photographer.

Maintenance Building in upper left corner and wash/boiler Building in foreground – Indian Coal Mine

How about a view of it from the road? This is in the late 1920s and shows off why some wanted to save this building. It was pretty spectacular for a place out in the sticks.

Indian Coal Mine (New Black Diamond) Office-Power House Building – late 1920s

Now comes the end of it’s life span with a couple photos from google. There are two street views along Renton-Maple Valley Highway (MVH). One is from the street and the other from the trail that runs parallel to it.  They have updated the one from MVH but not the trail nor the satellite view of the area.

Indian Mine Building 2009 Google street view

In this 2009 satellite view the Office Building is still visible on the right. The left side of the entrance road was where the Indian Coal Mine Bunker/Tipple stood. (north is at top)

This google satellite view of the site shows not only the office building but where the other pieces of the complex stood. That white dirt blob in the trees is the upper area I mentioned earlier.  I believe this is the support area of the mine entrances.

Tipple/Bunker:

This huge coal mining processing plant had a much shorter life span.  It was built in the early 1920s about the same time the mine tunnel/slope was being dug. They rushed to get it all finished in time for opening of the mine on 1926.

The first view above at the top of this article shows it from the railroad/highway side or looking southwest. This one below is viewed from the hillside and is looking northwest.

This view of the Indian Coal Mine (New Black Diamond) Tipple/Bunker is from the mine side view

It must have been huge!!  Look at the rail trestle that connects it to the mine. It must be 3 to 4 stories high.

Next we have the photo of it being dismantled. When the mine finally failed they scraped the building and sold the metal to Japan. This was right before World War II.

In the book published by Black Diamond Historical Society called “Black Diamond – Mining the Memories” Evan Morris stated it pretty simply:

“They never really made any money on it, so they shut it down and sold the big steel bunker and machinery as scrap to the Japanese before WWII. We got it back at Pearl Harbor and the South Pacific.”

Demo of the Indian Coal Mine Bunker in 1941. View is from the west side looking northeast.

Nothing left of this huge complex except the ground and cement entrance road.

  View in 2020 looking Northeast over the ground that used to hold the Indian Coal Mine Bunker.

One thing is left of the complex!  The concrete road that ran between the Office & Bunker.

Concrete Road at Indian Coal Mine (New Black Diamond) – all that remains.

The Mine Entrances:

Let us start with a photo of a bunch of proud miners and owners in front of the Indian Coal Mine Slope Entrance on it’s opening day in October 1925.  Not really open to mine but rather when the vice-president pulled the switch which set off the final blast breaking down the 9-foot barrier of solid rock separating two tunnels.

In a future article I will talk about the Jones Brothers and how they found the coal seam up on the hill behind this area on the Cedar River. They were bought out by the company, who then dug a tunnel into the hill to met up with the Jones Brothers shafts. This photo was from the day these two tunnels met up.

1925 photo of opening of the New Black Diamond Coal Mine aka Indian Coal Mine.

This mine was so modern and it created a lot of excitement in the workers. They hoped to go from the dangerous Mine #11 to this safer and up to date new mine.

Modern Electric New Black Diamond Coal Mine in late 1920s.

I think this excerpt from Russell Mowry in the Black Diamond – Mining the Memories sums up what really happened to the New Black Diamond Mine (aka Indian Mine).

“The Company sold the steamers of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company and took that five million to invest in that property at the Indian Mine. They had a partner Tozer who matched that.

They thought they had the McKay seam there but they did not. They spent a lot of money on that Indian Mine out there on the Cedar River and all they did was hit water. They built two holes in there. That one tunnel they put in there, they ran into water. I was in there about the day they hit the water. Underground rivers running in there about like the Mississippi. There was nothing but sand, you know how water will eat into the sand. It was coming in there so fast they couldn’t stop it.

So they gave up and moved over to the other tunnel. It caught fire too you know. We spent a lot of money there on the bunkers and warehouses and all that. The Company never made a penny on the Indian Mine.”

As you can tell they worked hard to overcome all the obstacles that they missed when they prospected the area.  It all lasted about 15 years but just was not the McKay seam and the coal was poor quality. Add to that how King Coal had been unseated by Petroleum. Like I said time caught up with them and they did not see it coming.

Back to this week and the search for the mine entrances. Have to admit a dangerous exercise and due to caution I had mixed success.  Here is what I found on the west side or second successful tunnel that was connected to the Tippler/Bunker complex.

See the trail/road that climbs into the woods?

This is where I climbed up thinking I might follow a trail right up to a closed mine. Oh if it was only so simple.  First I found a well pump house right behind the first string of saplings, tall grass and blackberries.

Pump house still on site exists. Not sure who built this? Looks newer than 1930s & more like current cinder blocks.

I scrambled up this rock pile next. This shot looks back from the levy they built to control a creek that seems to flow down swiftly during heavy rain.

Looking back and down from the berm controlling the creek bed

This was an interesting spot I stood on. In front of me was a washed out gravel creek bed that was bent by man to the west instead of flowing down upon the pump house.

Creek bed that hopefully leads to the mine entrance

That creek bed looked rough but my engineering mind said. “That mine could have funneled water down this after it was buried shut.” I did not know what I would find but climbing a little bit up was required.  Before I climbed up look what I could see to my left (or east).

Old poles covered in moss rose from the forest edge.

What was this? They were all in a row & still had huge spikes sticking out of them. Not power poles for sure.  Here is a closer view.

Close up of the poles in a row.

I will come back to these but at the time I thought it was a hopeful sign from a time about a century ago vs the new pump house below.

Next I scrambled up the rocky creek bed. It was tough going and I climbed around the log you see in the picture below. There I found myself blocked by a very large tree. Beyond that the creek bed got more overgrown by brier and debris.

About half way up the cut, the hill got deeper and downed trees were there.

Looking back from the downed trees

I got around that obstacle since it did not 100% block the rock creek bed. However, soon I found a tree I could not easily get over. I suppose I could have but it seemed prudent to turn back.

Large log blocked my progress and things looked really tough ahead

Well that was a bust but it did give me good info. Perhaps the mine was up there or perhaps it is in the hill to either side of this steam bed.

I then walked over to the other side of the site to where another road moved up into the trees. This one actually is a small road (vs a rock creek bed) and leads to that plateau I mentioned earlier.

Looking down little road behind where the Indian Coal Mine complex used to be.

When I arrived I found a field of grass and a small building. The grass was all dewy and the sun reflected brightly making for this imperfect video.

Someone else had been there in the recent weeks. They had left trails in the grass for me to follow. Which made it a bit easier and I got less wet because of this. A small building was off to my left (east) and piles of brush were off to the right (west).

I decided to start with the main mine which was to the right. When I got over there I realized that I was above where I had been earlier. I saw the poles in a row again on the bank of this upper area. Here is a photo that if you look hard you can see them.

Believe me those poles in a row are right here and align with the height of the plateau.

Behind me I found the trail someone else blazed thru the grass. It went up towards a trail into the hill. That sure smelled like a good way to get to the mine entrance.  Off I went.

Looking back towards the highway and where the row of poles are

A timber across the entrance to the trail

Concrete close to the timber

This time I was thwarted by my evil nemesis… Stinging Nettles and a trail that became very bushy. Not dressed nor desired that much adventure I only went a small distance up.  I did find some old timbers and concrete.  Plus if you look at the view looking back it lines up with the poles in a row.

Once I got home I reviewed all my photos and maps. I have concluded that the poles in a row were the support timbers for the trestle that came over to the mine from the Tipple/Bunker building.

That means I was correct on where the mine entrance was. Since they had to seal it with a bulldozer I could even have stood on it.  The other option is it was just beyond where I had hiked to.  Much closer than I thought.

Next I was off to the other mine entrance. The one that leads to nowhere and the water ran like the Mississippi River. First I stopped at the odd building that who knows why it was there and a pile of junk including old timbers.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Yikes, the path was also blazed here for me but the nettles were even more proflific. I again only went so far and stopped because I was not prepared to battle nature.

There is a trail there but lots of nettles.

Here is a view looking back towards where the complex stood. I found this carved out area interesting. At first a potential mine entrance but perhaps it was where a water tank and small building stood.  Or it was direct access to the first tunnel that failed and the plateau was built later.  I still wonder if this upper area was support for the mine at the time it was in operation or built to close things up.

Looking north off the east side of the plateau at the carved out area.

The Tramway:

To solve the problem of where to dump all the non-coal rock and rumble they built a tram to transfer this material. It went over the hill and deposited the debris into a gully on the other side.  Here is a link to the Black Diamond History Blog with more info on the Tram. Plus here is a photo from that article.

Indian Coal Mine Tram from Tipple/Bunker

I am pretty sure the photo below of a bank covered in blackberries is the location of this tram. At one point I was thinking it was the debris below the mine entrance.  However, under much examining of things it did not line up.  Then I remember the tram & bingo….  we have a winning match.

Location of Tram to move rock debris over the hill about 100 years ago at the New Black Diamond Coal Mine.

Of course I had to figure out where this gulch was so I pulled up a USGS map of the area.  Lo & behold you can see right where it all went.  See the blob with little speckles next to the road to the left of the mine entrance which is a little y shaped line?

Indian Coal Mine on USGS map 1973 updated version.

Before I go, I found the flat scraped land where the industrial complex had been was full of Killdeer. They are the little birds that pretend they are hurt to distract from their nests.  I would say there was at least 30 of them.

Killdeer at old site of Indian Coal Mine.

That is enough today on this big messy coal mine. Hope you are feeling my message about how time changes all things. How nearly 100 years later a huge mining complex is only a ghost of it’s once past glory.

I have been reading Gore Vidal’s novel “Burr”.  Here is a quote I leave you with:

“Oh there are ghosts among us. But then what are memories but shadows of objects gone to dust?”

Want more on Lost Coal Mines?  Here is a link to a directory I created of all my coal mine seeking adventures.  Locating Lost Old Coal Mines of King County

Indian Coal Mine – Big and Messy I was asked this weekend why I was researching coal mines in the Pacific Northwest. You know coal has an ugly image and most people wish to forget it exists or existed. 

[happiness-in-oblivion]

Senior Szn No. 2: Thoughts on Moving

~~ Full Disclosure: This post is quickly becoming an excuse to post all the beautiful parts of this state, so get ready for more pictures than actual words. But hey, a picture is worth a thousand words ;) ~~

I am 100% sure that when it comes down to pulling out of my driveway for the last time, I will bawl my freaking eyes out. That’s because despite being an Aquarius, I have emotions.

Let’s make this perfectly clear: these are my current thoughts on leaving New Mexico (AKA the land of enchantment). I am not saying that I currently hate my state or that I never had fun; on the contrary, I’ve enjoyed all eighteen years here. But it’s time to talk a bit about the current state of Albuquerque, NM. 

Yes, the same Albuquerque that brought the nation Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The same Albuquerque that has (don’t fight me on this) the best green chile around. 

Because I don’t want to make this a post that seems to be hating on my hometown, I will begin with all the positives.

Pros

1. diversity and mexican/latin@ empowerment

The OG homies and I at the local paleteria. Let me tell you, this is the place where I come to break my healthy eating. Also, that happens often.

In 2016, New Mexico was announced as having the largest Hispanic population at 47%, with California coming in second at 36%. So I guess you could say that we slay. 

From what I’ve mostly encountered in ABQ, being cultured is something to be extremely proud of. Albuquerque is filled with multiple perspectives, and we function. Now, I did say mostly, because I have encountered some dumbasses that thought calling me “lamb chops” and telling me my Greek father had to lower his standards to marry my Mexican mom was actually funny. But that kind of ideology is quickly shut down.

I thought this kind of inclusion was extremely common. In that sense, I guess I was in this naive bubble. When I spent the summer in California with my dad in 2016, I was a bit shocked by the state with the second highest population of Hispanics.

BTW, we were staying in Palo Alto, which is definitely important to mention. We had to drive to a separate city limit to eat flautas and Caldo de Rez, which we found weird. And then, as we drove down El Camino Real and took a random turn, we found a run down street that was filled with Spanish signs advertising hair salons, supermarkets, etc. The blatant street segregation was the biggest culture shock I’d ever received.

The only true purpose of that little rant was to emphasize how wonderful New Mexico is. Although there are definitely neighborhoods that are predominantly Hispanic, New Mexico’s roots proudly seep into culture and diversity. Good segway… :)

2. proud (albu)quirky culture

New Mexicans pride themselves when it comes to: breakfast burritos, green chile, luminarias, flamenco, and so on.

Now that I’ve stated the obvious, I’ll talk about my personal favorite part of Albu-quirky. Because of the diverse community that Albuquerque fosters, we have really cool and local spots to just chill and hangout. As I write this, I am thinking about the countless coffee shops and bookstores that display a bit it of our very common quirkiness.

Pretty rad mural outside of Zendo. I often come here when I am trying to wear my cool new glasses and baby blue turtleneck, if you know what I mean. This mural is one of countless examples of beautiful downtown art.

When it comes to coffee shops, I think Albuquerque has a very desired vibe. After taking a few classes, I usually end up at Winning Coffee. Located right across the street from campus, Winning is where hippies come with their wild dogs while they gain insightful stories from homeless people. I’m not lying. it’s also located next to a movie poster store that features classics (even from Audrey Hepburn!). When you walk inside, you’re greeted by refreshing and new art on the wall with every passing week, a calendar filled with poetry slams, and a makeshift bookstore by a retired man who sells amazing vintage cover books for cheap. I mean, c’mon, what is not to love?

You see, other than Starbucks, most coffee shops around here aren’t chains, so they each have their own unique style and vibe. Depending on the mood, I may end up at Winning, or I may go down one block and sit in the bucolic setting that is Limonata (yes, like the drink). Here, you can enjoy homemade crepes and empanadas. And I don’t usually drink caffeine, but their chai’s are to die for.

Limonata: “Good Food, Good Coffee, Good People”

Also, I can’t forget the fact that this obviously looks like a house, because it definitely was. The bathroom literally has a bath tub that they have expertly filled with plants to make you experience a jungle in a few minutes.

Heck, there’s a coffee shop in Taos called World Cup that has different currencies as its wallpaper. it’s literally a hole in the wall, and people simply pin new and refreshing culture on the wall for the heck of it.

That adobe architecture though, am I right?

4. cheap concerts

Although I have not been to a concert in a hot second, that does not correlate to a decline in awesome ass shows in this city. In fact, this past summer Khalid came on over, and most of my friends hopped into the venue with at most an $80 ticket. (Let me point out that I am upset that I didn’t go and had I not been in another state I would have quickly hopped in as well)

I will admit it’s not always fun when an artist you really enjoy didn’t include New Mexico in their tour because they don’t think we’re in the country. BUT, the ones that do include us experience a great crowd. And, not being New York does have its perks. Cheap tickets for an unforgettable night? Perfect bargain.

I was in seventh grade when I attended my first concert. The tickets were $35 to see Sara Bareilles and OneRepublic. I went with my little sister and my friend and her mom. The venue was in our local casino, which includes an open view of the beautiful sky and a scenic landscape as the background. Right after the opening band, Harper Blynn (check out their collab with Sara Bareilles too), my sister and I went to their bus in an attempt to meet them, and meet them we did.

When they found out it was our first concert ever, they gave us a free signed copy of their CD, took pictures with us, and signed their names all over my seven-year-old sister’s arm in Sharpie. It was AWESOME.

5. badass nationwide events 

If there is one thing that New Mexico is known for, it is for our rad balloons. You know, as in hot air balloons?

Every year, Albuquerque is home to the International Balloon Fiesta, where hot balloon aficionados can come and either display their artwork of a balloon, or sip some Piñon coffee and eat a breakfast burrito while watching each beautiful hot air ballon go up into the most spectacular sunrise.

Seriously, to come to this thing requires a lot of might from Burqueños. I mean, I enjoy watching the balloons over the interstate on my way to school, but I am never in the mood to wake up at four in the a.m. only to wait in an hour of traffic to battle for a parking spot a mile away from the park grounds. On top of that, you’re pretending not to freeze your ass off as you slyly inch closer to the balloons with fire.

This is not the only time Albuquerque is seen internationally. We also have the Lantern Festival in October, where people can enjoy a mini version of a hot air balloon (basically). But hey, that’s not all.

I had to talk about Festival Flamenco Internacional. OMG. What a week. Every June, the National Institute of Flamenco brings incredible flamenco artists to teach classes and perform. For a week in the year, people between New York and Japan fly to Albu-quirky to learn from the hottest (artistically and literally) artists.

This picture has an incredible story, so hear me out. So all summer, my friends and I fundraised to see these amazing people and their art. Well, the opening night of the week, our director managed to sneak us into the very prestigious gala as waitresses and servers. After the amazing show where I spent the entire time internally crying, we returned to the party only to find our dance idols on the dance floor. They were regular people jamming to salsa music. It was so surreal! And then, our amazing director asked them for a picture with all of us. I am hugging Claudia Cruz to my left, who was one of my teachers for the week. Throughout the week, we had genuine conversations, and she even told me I was a good dancer with a followed wink. She messages me on facebook to remind me that I’m awesome and she can’t wait for the day to come when I visit her in Spain. Like, are you kidding me?!

(Also picture from left to right: Claudia Cruz, me, Sage, Marco Flores, Agueda Saavedra, Madison, and Jose Manuel Alvarez)

6. nature

This is another given that comes hand in hand with living in New Mexico. Although I will admit sometimes I may not be a complete outdoorsy person, I do genuinely enjoy the beauty of NM. I mean, the mountains that surround Albuquerque prevent pollution from reaching the sky that blesses the citizens with orange and red hues with every sunrise and sunset. Also, there are countless hikes to go on, and the view is spectacular. It’s a tradition with family and friends of ours to go on a weekly hike during the summer. Then, we go to Marble Brewery and enjoy tacos and beer (I don’t get any beer; oh well).

This was the view after a hike on the mountains during Thanksgiving Break.

Just a casual picture taken by my friend while hiking around Tent Rocks. Nothing too unusual, right?

Current Cons

Now that I’ve extensively covered all the amazing things that NM has to offer and have probably already lost several readers, I will go into the initial motivation behind this post. Although I admit now that after writing all the things from above, it seems like the list below doesn’t deserve to be mentioned. But trust me, it needs to be.

1. violence

Albuquerque got recognition from the NYTimes, and not the good kind. BTW, this was published in 2014, and it claims that the “rate of violent crime in Albuquerque is nearly double the national average.”

Don’t get me wrong - violence in ABQ has always been present. Before, however, it was usually localized violence. By this, I guess I mean that if you knew the places to avoid, you didn’t ever have to actually witness the gang violence or the constant murders. In other words, you could live in Albuquerque reading of the violence but never having to ever witness it. 

Well, that has definitely changed.

During this past week, a homeless man has exposed himself to my dance class, my mom witnessed a man piss on the side of my neighbor’s house while walking our dog, and a lot more serious stuff (trigger warning ahead).

Specifically, a man was hanging onto the side of the bridge overlooking the major freeway for 13 hours. This happened literally right outside of my house. As we drove back form church, we saw a herd of policemen trying to calm this poor man down. He did not yield until 1 a.m., and he was transported to the hospital safely. It was absolutely horrible. Even worse?

Two days later, my friend told our group chat that her stepfather (who is a cop) had to respond to a call that a sixteen-year-old boy was on the side of a different bridge. As the cops approached the bridge, he jumped. He didn’t die; instead, he is faced with irrecoverable brain injury. 

Like you’ve got to be fucking kidding me right now. How the hell did Albuquerque become so violent? From the influx of desperate homeless people walking down Central, to the shooting that happened right outside of my dance institute, Albuquerque has definitely become a place where violence is beginning to occur on a regular basis. And the worst part? I think I am starting to become numb to it. It’s not normal to think these things are normal.

2. 49th in education

So, this report is from 2017. Believe it or not, this is actually a step up from 2016. We were a solid last in the country for education. And I genuinely didn’t think that education in my state was that bad. That’s because, despite me absolutely despising my school, we are number one in the state for education. That means that while I was receiving a buttload of homework and a ridiculously difficult education, other public high schools would rank as an F on academic abilities. But do you know what I think of all of this? It’s fucked. 

I don’t know if this is nationwide, but I didn’t know it was not normal to spend most of the day studying for statewide tests. In other words, New Mexico had the SBA (Standardized Based Assessment). Most of my school day involved multiple choice questions and answering reading comprehension questions that would be featured on the annual standardized test. And trust me, it’s not the teacher’s faults. Most teachers were forced to stick to this because if students did not receive good scores, teachers and schools would be in major jeopardy. 

This kind of thinking didn’t end in elementary school. While I was supposed to be reading a new chapter for a striking English book in sixth grade, we’d instead sit in front of our computers, reading pointless passages about horses and spaceships that we gave no fucks over and were expected to write an analytical essay comparing the breed of horses with the flight of spaceships. You’re thinking, wtf? Exactly. It’s pointless.

**I am now begging you to actually click the link I am posting here, because it’s definitely the most important one here. Enjoy this slam poem, “Love Letter to Albuquerque Public Schools.” In it is Olivia Gatwood, a personal inspiration of mine that I got to meet and speak with in September and will see again in April.**

3. “land of entrapment” / “university near mom”

This one is really silly and I guess I put this as a comedic conclusion. I guess in a gruesome way, because of the education many teenagers receive, we seem trapped (bringing the infamous nickname above). I know that personally, before I actually took college courses outside of the state, I did not picture myself at any top-ranked college. In fact, some people around me don’t even consider a college. Not because they’re too lazy or not into higher education, but because it is not practical. It is not practical to attend college courses if you have family  members that need an income from you now, not in four years.

I hate when people judge other’s circumstances. Genuinely, Albuquerque students will often end up at the University of New Mexico, which is not a bad university at all. And yet, in this land of entrapment, it is also humorously deemed the “university near mom.”

I guess what I mean is that after all this effort and living in this weird ass situation of shootings and standardized testing, my generation still feels trapped, constantly looking to move. And that’s what happened to me. I was given a glimpse of what independence looked like, and I immediately jumped at the opportunity to leave New Mexico.

I’m glad I wrote this post. At the end of this, I wonder if anyone is actually left after this long rant that was both good and evil. And yet, I already see the day I miss this place coming sooner rather than later.

Thanks for sticking around. :)

[togachipblog]

Bike Chips:

As a little boy growing up in New Jersey, I often accompanied my parents on various vacations to Atlantic City prior to the time of legalized gambling.   While my Dad attended meetings, my Mom and I would often go to the famous boardwalk in the morning to rent and ride bicycle built for two, i.e., a tandem.   When I woke up on April 9, 2007 and started to read my hometown newspaper, the Albany Times Union, online, I came across the following front page article entitled "Invention that empowered women’s rights, better roads celebrates its 200th birthday" and learned that 2017 is the bicentennial of the bicycle ( whole new meaning to bi bi). It got me thinking about the relationship between bicycles and potato chips.   Read the article by clicking here.  

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/In-200-years-bikes-have-come-a-long-way-11060638.php

There are at least three interesting connections between the bicycle and the potato chip:

First, a company named Vintage Maine Kitchen uses an antique bicycle on as its marketing logo.   See the photos.  

The attached article dated November 1, 2015 that was sent to me by Emily A.Schroeder of the Maine State Library describes the company.   The Freeport (also home of L.L. Bean) based company was founded by Kelly Brodeur, a culinary arts graduate of Johnson & Wales after she came up with the idea to produce a chip made from Maine potatoes that contained neither MSG or other processed materials.   They are cooked in sunflower oil and flavored with Maine sea salt.  They also come in Maine Maple flavor.  Her concept is to transform the chip from a throwaway side item to a main (no pun intended) food item.   Check out their website at

http://www.vintagemainekitchen.com/

and their Facebook page at

https://www.facebook.com/vintagemainekitchen/

.  Watch this television spot about the company:  

http://www.wmtw.com/article/freeport-couple-sells-simple-made-in-maine-chips/3616669

Read more about the company at:

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/12/22/living/food/maine-grown-potato-chips-as-simple-as-it-gets/ http://www.mainebiz.biz/article/20160905/CURRENTEDITION/308319994/vintage-maine-kitchen-in-freeport-cooks-up-old-fashion-potato-chips http://www.chewboom.com/2015/11/02/these-new-maine-potato-chips-are-all-about-big-flavor/ http://www.theforecaster.net/freeport-couples-potato-chips-get-back-to-basics/

Second, when a bicycle wheel is not perfectly round and beings to get out of alignment, it is called a potato chip configuration.  See the video. 

Finally, the longest potato chip manufacturer still owned by the original family got its start just down the street from the most famous bicycle shop.  From the Dayton History Books Online Facebook Page:Daniel W. Mikesell was an innovator and entrepreneur who began with a food business down the street from the Wright Brothers’ bicycle shop, where he made and delivered “Saratoga chips,” as the potato chip was originally called. In the early days, the whole family helped out in the making of the potato chips, which were delivered by bicycle. As the business grew, delivery was done by horse and buggy, and then Mr. Mikesell acquired the first Ford delivery panel truck in Dayton. He persevered through setbacks caused by the 1913 Dayton flood and a fire two years later to grow the company, visiting county and state fairs to introduce people to his product, first thought of as picnic food. Once potato chips began to be seen as a year round treat, he concentrated on finding innovative ways to produce them. Eventually the company began to use the name Mike-sells, and has continued to grow, serving the Miami Valley region for over 100 years.found at: https://www.facebook.com/129402137124623/photos/pb.129402137124623.-2207520000.1418604152./830734723658024/?type=1&theater.

See the photo of Daniel W. Mikesell driving his truck in front of his place of business.  

If you know of any other connections, please leave a comment on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TogaChipGuy/

Enjoy: "On the Boardwalk in Atlantic City" by Dick Haymes:

"Bicycle Race" by Queen": 

"On a Bicycle Built for Two" by Nat King Cole: 

The Toga Chip Guy

[realsamcalloway]

2/22/17 - Interview With Musician Brody Dalle “Style Evolution From AUS to The USA” (www.regardingstyle.com)

Originally posted February 22, 2017 and appearing on www.regardingstyle.com.

© 2017 TRSB (Sam Bone)

A Conversation with Brody Dalle, Regarding Style (And More)

By Sam Bone

The indie/punk rock/alternative music scene has been a desolate, lonely lull since 2014. It’s been nearly three whole years since fans of Brody Dalle’s haunting-yet-dangerous growl and lyrical prowess have heard anything new. If you’re a genuine fan of Brody’s (which I have no shame in admitting that I adore her immensely and forever!), then you’re probably one of the 300,000+ people who follow or “Like” her social media posts. It is from within this social media sphere, where fans grasp onto every tweet, photo and post in general, in hopes of a tour announcement or a Beyoncé-inspired surprise album drop.

This question has been an ongoing one for Brody Dalle since she and her (former) band of misfits, The Distillers, hit the punk scene in the late 90’s/beginning of 2000. The Distillers self-titled album was single-handedly the anthem record equivalent of ammunition of that time, and every record Brody has since released has only added as kindling to that raging fire. Back then during the “debut era,” fans of Dalle were in high school (or just out) and most of those fans have grown up right alongside with her. It didn’t matter what was happening, either.

Fans of Brody Dalle don’t “mess” around, and have stayed with her through it all, the good times and the bad. #Punx4Ever, right?

Since the debut in 2000, Brody released two more records under The Distillers moniker, Sing Sing Death House (2002), and Coral Fang (2003), followed by her Spinnerette project which saw the release of an album with the same name in 2009. Most recently, die-hard fans rejoiced when Brody flew solo with the powerful and equally as memorable Diploid Love (2014).

In January of this year the stage was set for me to interview Brody and in an attempt to tackle something she has never spoken about publically; her personal style and fashion sense. I know I’ve always been pretty curious about this subject, so I’m willing to bet that other fans share my feels.

Being a badass punk poster girl, plastered on the walls of both guys and gals the world over (her fans expand across both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans), Brody Dalle’s sense of style has a direct correlation to ethical fashion in that punk style requires a love of thrift store shopping. Tattered and torn hand-me-downs are always in high demand no matter what rock subgenre you identify.

Without further ado, here is our 2017 conversation with Brody Dalle, Regarding Style.

 Hey there, Brody! I’d like to start off slightly unconventional by asking what’s got you angry lately?

The insanity right now-- the attitude and the words that come out of the Orange-Faced thing. Pence. Speaker Ryan and Bannon. He's terrifying and completely delusional and represents the Christian alt-right. Fuck all of them; their gross incompetence and their being unqualified, arrogant fucks. The lying, the misogyny, the racism, the homophobia and the unfairness of it all. The (Russian) hacking. The lack of people being held accountable. It's disgusting, embarrassing and horrifying. The hypocrisy of banning Muslims from entering the United States when this country was founded on freedom of religious beliefs.

It's baffling really. By the way, it’s only been a week.

I don’t want to get too into that here, because it’d be unending, but I will just say three words: I feel you. How are you, otherwise? How is your family? Congratulations on the birth of your newest son, Wolf!

Thank you so much! My family is wonderful! My son Wolf is a sunbeam rainbow baby, sweetest little munchkin ever. As far as myself, I'm doing better-- Going from 2 to 3 kids was a massive adjustment. Wolf is about to be one, and it's taken me about a year to get back on my feet. It's been a bit wobbly trying to balance the kids with no sleep, having to breastfeed, and issues with my health (rheumatic fever with chronic pain). Also balancing my husband’s schedule, kids school schedule, and then our family… friends… just our lives, in general… all while trying to balance my own personal life and get back to creating. Just started in the studio a couple of days a week.

How do we do it all though?! I asked my mum if life has gotten crazier and she said yes… life used to be much simpler, slower, and we didn't always have to be “on” and available.

I feel as though technology has much to do with society’s rapid pace, also that “rat race” you once spoke of is real. The struggle is real. Since the Distillers all the way through now, your style has influenced a lot of people, both girls and guys. Where did your sense of style develop? What are your earliest memories?

I guess it all started with the punks in Melbourne. I made a book for my mum when I was about 6 years old; it was of punks walking down the street whistling and girls doing handstands. I asked her why she thought I drew punks in the book with the mohawks and she had no idea, but suggested maybe I'd seen them on the street. Perhaps it was a prophecy ha!

I was in a movie about teenage delinquents called "Hard Knocks" when I was a baby, but I doubt I would have remembered it as I was 8 months old at the time. Right after that I went to see Cyndi Lauper at the Tennis Center, and Madonna was all over the TV and in the magazines-- I remember spending every waking hour putting those records on and dancing for hours in the living room with a black beauty mark drawn above my lip with my mum’s eyeliner.

My mum collected Vogue magazine, and I remember perusing though the 80’s ones and noticing all of the different angles, the neon colors and all of the multicolored make up. I sewed a pair of pants at my grandmother’s house once, but when I put them on they fell apart and I was discouraged with fashion after that.

I remember wanting certain things, the first thing I ever wanted, as far as fashion, was a purple feather in my hair for school photos when I was 5 years old. After that, it was a pale pink pair of sneakers at the tennis shop my dad would go to on the weekends… I begged him for months to buy them for me, and finally he acquiesced.

My first pair of Chuck Taylors were red and I got them when I was 8. My parents didn't have much money, so we shopped at Target for clothing which was the equivalent of Cole’s today, which I'm sure is way cooler than Target was back then. But it was mortifying, and I was teased mercilessly. Doc Martins were all the rage but they cost about $100 which, of course, my parents laughed at. So I ended up getting fake Docs… a mean girl at school made me lift up the bottom of my Docs and then ridiculed and teased me in front of the other mean girls, and well, that was that.

My Uncle Frazer gave me my first guitar and also my first surfboard; a Strapper Thruster with a giant red sun on it. I went through a surfer girl phase and got an undercut and wore giant rusty t-shirts and surfer boots and brands. I longed to be a pro surfer but there are no waves in Melbourne, the best waves were at least an hour away. Plus, I was pale as a ghost and I looked nothing like the tanned bleached blonde beach girls. I gave up surfing after being tossed around like a rag doll in 20 foot waves in Coffs Harbour, I thought “This really isn’t for me anymore" as I did full cartwheels underwater for a minute at a time.

One of the first records I ever bought was Mothers Milk by RHCP. When I was 12 and on my way to Vaucluse Catholic Girls college in Richmond, the RHCP got on our tram. They walked right up to me and talked with me for 5 minutes before getting off a few stops later… so weird to think about that, cut to The Distillers opening for them in German stadiums 12 years later. They actually remembered our encounter. Fucking weird mate.

I hated everyone and everything after that-- I got into Nirvana, Hole, Mudhoney, and Sonic Youth, and then I started going to All-Ages shows in

Melbourne. The bands I loved the most were The Meanies, Tumbleweed and the Hard-Ons.

Then, flares and ripped band t-shirts were the fash. Eventually I started working at Friends of the Earth when I was a 12-year-old hippy/anarchist. That was a Co-op that my parents shopped at. I bought my first item of clothing with the money I had earned; vintage orange and brown flares, which I wore to death to every Tumbleweed and Meanies All-Ages shows I ever attended in Melbourne.

Then it evolved to Dead Kennedys and Kyuss t-shirts. That's right, Kyuss... they were my favorite band. I also wore Levi's jeans, one pair at a time until there was NOTHING left!

After that, thanks to Courtney Love, it was 1940's tea dresses, nighties, and ripped fishnets worn with shitty, op-shop high heels and Chuck Taylors.

After that, I got into Discharge, The Exploited, Cock Sparrer, Oi Polloi and Last Resort. I got beat up by two street girls in the city wearing Bon Jovi t-shirts, and they fractured my arm... I was so pissed I shaved my head the next day into a Chelsea haircut and I dyed it blue. Also by now I could afford to buy real vintage stuff with the money I made from my jobs, and I also bought my own Docs and any op-shop find, especially plaid mini-skirts.

So my look was Courtney Love meets Skinhead. A lot of tops had to have the “Courtney Love white collar.” Then when I was 17 years old I saw “Betty Blue” (the film), and that changed everything-- I wanted black hair in a choppy bob. Black hair became my favorite thing! I got into do wop music and started cleaning up my look; black hair, up in a high ponytail with long side burns and big hoop earrings, Revlon Color Stay in Berry Red, black liquid eyeliner and Creepers-- plaid Creepers. Mini-skirts. Bomber jackets.

By this point I was in L.A., so I was being influenced by so much in Los Angeles and also New York, mainly trash and vaudeville. I was hanging around a lot of older, cooler punk chicks. My friend Tomomi made mohair sweaters.

I started cutting up my t-shirts after I'd seen a girl on the street with her t-shirt cut into tassels-- I didn't know that was an option and it changed the game. I became obsessed with, wore and collected Polly of California heels. I also discovered trashy lingerie and agent provocateur. I admired Vivienne Westwood. My friend Evelyn had a shoe store called Diavolina and I became obsessed with shoes.

I met Agatha Blois, who made most of my pants that I wore on stage… another game changer. Rosalyn Mazzola (“Casper Rose,” for you diehards out there) had these naturally occurring dark circles under her eyes and I loved the way it looked so I recreated it by using MAC's color 'texture', which is still my favorite for smoky eyes.

Right before we made Sing Sing Death House I met Rosalyn, and I fell in love. She was so beautiful and androgynous-looking, like jaw-dropping beautiful… I felt so ugly next to her. God I loved her so much. We kind of morphed into each other for a while although her thing was more gutter than mine. We dressed like dirty squatter boys and put our eyebrows on with black sharpie, it lasted for a week sometimes longer. I look back at old photos of us and think we looked pretty scummy but we weren’t, I swear!  I’m a very hygienic person, my favorite smell back then was this raspberry body spray that smelt more like cotton candy. They stopped making it of course, they stop making everything that’s awesome. I had my managers hunt down the last box in America. I wear mostly vanilla these days. The way you smell, your scent, is as important and memorable as your clothes. 

I will add this- my style icons in the past have been Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Lydia Lunch, the Misfits, Beatrice Dalle in “Betty Blue,” Discharge, The Exploited, Sex Pistols, DEBBIE HARRY ❤️, Vivienne Westwood, Oi, Agatha Blois, other punk girls.

Thank you for sharing all of those memories. I remember first hearing The Distillers on a sampler… I think it was one of those oi, garage punk compilations. Anyway, it had the rough cut of LA Girl on it, from the Oldscratch EP. It was of course this audio that lead me to visual curiosity so I checked out the band, and I remember the days of Rose and recall that she was very street punk, which obviously appealed to me. Moving on, do you have a vault of super-secret punk rock DIY designers that custom-make your garments? Who/what are some brands and designers that you respect?

Ha! I used to when I was touring more! I'm not much of a “fashionista.” I'm lucky to know and have some very talented friends who happen to be incredible clothing makers and designers. I'm not really too into brand names per se, it's more that I know what I like when I see it, or I’ll get inspired by something old and remake it. I did have a love for Vivienne Westwood, in fact my look in The Distillers was really a mash-up of Vivienne Westwood, Agatha Blois, t-shirts scoured from Goodwill, "wife beaters" from Target, Polly of California, trashy lingerie, vintage coats, various jeans, Submission, Very Bad Horse, spray-painted hooker boots from Hollywood Blvd, Agent Provocateur, very sick and cool shit from Japan and my old friend Tomomi (Fukuda) has a store called Camden Lock. I love Agatha Blois as a friend, and her designs had a big impact on me, she and I worked really well together. Ligia Morris made a badass jumpsuit and some stage clothes for Reading and Leeds festivals in 2004. Corey Parks makes the meanest leather jackets and pants ever. I love Hedy Slimanes, and obviously his influence made that company (Yves Saint Laurent, YSL) what it is today. Punk is Hedy's staple diet I think, not sure where YSL is headed now.

When it comes down to it, it's not the label, it's what I like in the moment.

That’s great, and it’s also very cool that a lot of those more indie-back-then designers have really sort of exploded in the sense that they are doing their thing with their boutiques and brands. I know you’re busy, thanks so much for your time. Lastly, what can fans expect from you next?

I’m slowly coming out of the 1-year baby fog of losing myself completely. It’s a scary process to unravel but I usually get songs out of it. My plan is to write two records which I’ve just started.

I know fans will love this news! Again thank you so much, nothing but the purest wishes for both you and your family!

You can stay up to date with Brody oh her Twitter and Instagram profiles.

Certain elements, such as links and photos, may have been removed from the original version of the above article.

[anachef]

What’s New in Hollywood Studios: New Menus, New Merchandise and MORE Construction Updates

It’s been a busy week over in Hollywood Studios! We’ve rounded up all the updates for you — new eats, new merchandise and LOTS of construction.

Hello from Hollywood Studios!

We don’t expect to see these Christmas decorations up much longer! They have been busy in the last few days in the park with lots of new updates, starting with the Skyliner station!

Skyliner Construction Updates

Disney’s Skyliner Gondola System is really making progress and we can’t wait to see this new mode of transportation open in the fall of this year. Noticeable updates this week include some more red elements along the top of the station.

Skyliner Construction

What’s New on Hollywood Studios Sunset Boulevard

Sunshine Day Bar, the seasonal counter service location that replaced Toluca Turkey Legs, Co. and subsequently Sunshine Day Cafe, re-opened this Holiday season with a new name and a festive menu.

Sunshine Day Bar

With the holidays now over, we went to check out the menu updates.

Sunshine Day Bar Menu

Christmas drinks have been swapped out in favor of lighter, fruitier beverages like the Cherry Blossom, with Bacardi Superior Rum and Luxardo Cherry Liqueur with pineapple juice and grenadine.

Cherry Blossom Cocktail

The Southside Fizz is made with Hendrick’s Gin and pure cane sugar.

Southside Fizz Cocktails

The Blackberry Moonshine Lemonade features Old Smoky Blackberry Moonshine.

Blackberry Moonshine Lemonade

Verrines, light parfait style desserts, are officially taking over! Over at Catalina Eddie’s, the Seasonal Eggnog Panna Cotta and Chocolate Mousse have been removed and you’ll now find a new Lemon Cheesecake Verrine.

Catalina Eddie’s Menu

Since Santa’s Meet and Greet is now over, Once Upon a Time has reverted back to a merchandise shop featuring mostly kids’ items with a small emphasis on Beauty and the Beast items.

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time Merchandise

What’s New in Hollywood Studios Echo Lake

Minnie’s Silver Screen Dine is back again at Hollywood and Vine! We first told you about this dinner party when it debuted back in 2016.At this movie-themed character buffet you can meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy wearing their award season best.

Minnie’s Silver Screen Dine at Hollywood and Vine

Star Wars themed eats are gone from Backlot Express!

Backlot Express Restaurant

We LOVED this fun Star Wars themed menu before. Luckily, the new menu is just as good — and you can still grab a few of your old favorites, just with new names.

Backlot Express Menu

Debuting on the menu is the Chicken and Biscuits — biscuits and chicken tenders topped with country gravy, a spicy strawberry glaze, and bacon crumbles. Read our review to see what we thought of this!

Chicken and Biscuits

The Cuban Sandwich features roasted pulled pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles and mustard. Read our review to see what we thought of this addition!

Cuban Sandwich

The HUGE Peanut Butter Brownie is pretty much everything we would want in a brownie — chocolate, peanut butter, frosting, peanut butter candy — Read our review to see if it lived up to our expectations!

Peanut Butter Brownie

The Key Lime Verrine is made up of layers of light and airy key lime custard and graham crumbs topped off with a dollop of whipped cream and a white chocolate ring  — Read our review to see if we’ll add this Verrine to our must-try list!

Key Lime Verrine

One thing to note, kiddos can still have that BB-8 Souvenir Sipper with their soda!

Backlot Express Menu

While we’ll miss the Star Wars theme, we are looking forward to drinking Blue Milk soon once Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge opens this fall!

What’s New on Hollywood Studios Hollywood Boulevard

Cupcakes are noticeably missing over at the Trolley Car Cafe.

Trolley Car Cafe Bakery Case

Currently the only cupcake available is the Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake — but, hey, we’re not complaining; there’s a reason we’ve loved this one for years and featured it in last year’s cupcake challenge!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake

What’s New in Hollywood Studios Toy Story Land

Last week, we noticed the Buzz Meet and Greet had changed locations. His Meet and Greet was moved closer to the entrance into Toy Story Land, but this was to avoid the Slinky Dog Dash line during peak crowd days in the parks. Buzz has moved back to his original spot past the entrance sign.

Toy Story Land Buzz Meet and Greet

We also took a peek over the fence in Toy Story Land to see how Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge is coming along. There’s still plenty of scaffolding up, but things are really starting to come together over there on Batuu.

Galaxy’s Edge Construction

What’s New on Hollywood Studios Grand Avenue

We also got a much better view of this building that’s being constructed adjacent to Tatooine Traders.

Grand Avenue Structure

We had scoped this spot out just last week, but it seems progress steady progress has been made the scrims are down, revealing a green tile roof and a rather simple design.

Grand Avenue Structure

We’re still not sure what this building will be, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated on it’s progress!

What’s New in Hollywood Studios Shops and Stores — New Merchandise

We found the CUTEST new bags in Hollywood Studios this week!

Loungefly Disney Snacks Backpack

The new Loungefly bags and wallets are covered with all of our favorite Disney snacks, including Mickey Pretzels, Mickey Shaped Cookies, the Mickey Ice Cream Bar (coming soon to grocery stores!), and more!

Loungefly Disney Snacks Wallet/Clutch

We’ve also spotted Buzz Lightyear Ears at several merchandise locations around Hollywood Studios. This tribute to everyone’s favorite space ranger features his famous catch phrase emblazoned on the headband —  “To Infinity and beyond!”

Buzz Lightyear Ears

Polka dot prints are in with the new merchandise line — Rock the Dots — celebrating Minnie’s classic dots!

Rock the Dots Merchandise

We spotted ears, spirit jerseys, new loungefly bags and even sparkly sneakers with a big poof on them in this adorable merchandise line.

Rock the Dots Minnie Mouse Ears

Rock the Dots Spirit Jersey

Check these out!!! We need somewhere awesome to wear these!

Rock the Dots Shoes

We found some more Mickey Through the Years items on Sunset Boulevard.

Mickey Through the Years Shirt

We’re loving the items in this line — perfectly retro and vintage-y!

Mickey Through the Years Merch

This bag matches the mug we found last week!

Mickey Through the Years Tote

Mickey Through the Years Tote

Speaking of mugs, how about this tumbler? Its got the same collage art on it as some of the clothes introduced in this line last week.

Mickey Through the Years Tumbler

This t-shirt is really adorable with all of the different Mickeys on it, take a look and see how many you can find!

Mickey Through the Years Shirt

Mickey Through the Years Shirt

And a few more Celebrate Mickey items as well — all to celebrate Mickey’s 90th Birthday!!

Celebrate Mickey Hat

We also spotted a cool new Edna Mode Mug, featuring all of our favorite “Edna-isms“.

Edna Mode Mug

Edna Mode Mug

NO CAPES! Which is your favorite Edna quote?

Edna Mode Mug

Check out these awesome Chewbacca Ears that we can’t wait to wear!

Chewbacca Ears

And be sure to use the Play Disney Park app so you can grab this limited edition Midway Mania Pin after you complete the “Midway Maniac” Challenge in the app.

Limited Edition Midway Maniac Pin

Limited Edition Midway Maniac Pin

We also took a peek at Disney’s new Valentine’s Day Merchandise!

Mickey and Minnie Valentine’s Plush

This line includes adorable Mickey and Minnie plushes and a limited edition Magic Band featuring characters and artwork from the Pixar Short, Lava.

I Lava You MagicBand

  That’s it for our Hollywood Studios news and updates this week! Be sure to follow us so you stay up-to-date on the changes and additions to the parks every week!

What Hollywood Studios news do you find most exciting? Let us know with a comment!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Are you still planning your 2019 trip to WDW? Check out our latest video Best Times to Visit WDW in 2019. When you’re done – check out all of our Videos on You Tube!

Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, is now available for Pre-Order!

With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!

With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today!

But there’s MORE! Just like all DFB pre-order deals — when you pre-order your DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, 2019 Edition today for 25% off the cover price, you’ll also get our fully updated 2018 Edition for FREE immediately, so you can start planning TODAY!

Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price, AND get the 2018 edition for free!

Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.

Related posts:

What’s New in Hollywood Studios: Star Wars Construction, a New Party, and New Market!!

What’s New in Hollywood Studios this Week: Eats, Decor, Merchandise, New Entrance, Skyliner Update, and MORE!

What’s New in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios: 11-4-18

from the disney food blog http://bit.ly/2Fj4BdL via http://bit.ly/LNvO3e

[stripper-boots]

98

Look she’s sending me all of them so I’m going to answer 3-100 here and not destroy everyone’s dash.Anyways here we goooooooooo3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?Whatever I can find usually. I remember I used a pocket knife at school once and my teacher pretended not to notice. Shout out to them. 

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?My coffee with creamers and a lot of sugar, and I don’t really drink tea.

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?I used to be but then I stopped caring.

6: do you keep plants? 

No, I actually hate flower smell for some reason?

7: do you name your plants?Nope.

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?I play a lot of instruments but I wouldn’t say I express myself. I used to write poems but the my Great Depression hit. I guess writing?

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?

I put on a concert in this bitch.

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?Stomach.

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends?@dragonbornoflegend covered a lot of them already, but I’d like to add Bbless 

12: what's your favorite planet?Mars or Jupiter.

13: what's something that made you smile today?All the compliments @dragonbornoflegend gave me and @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername calling me a “Fucking n00b”

14: if you were to live with your best friend(s) in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?Lot’s of weird decorations, like the one from Icarly but more dicks. It’s clean. I don’t have any animals because I get sad when they die but I’m attached to everyone’s pets. Exposed brick, wooden furniture, a sunroom with a skylight. We have a recording studio for  Let’s Plays where we have game consoles and PC’s. Weapons hanging on the wall, embroidery and canvas prints with swear words on them. A liquor cabinet that, at this rate, I am probably locked out of. @dragonbornoflegend and @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername have two separate keys that need to be used to be unlocked. The sunroom looks out to the lights of the bustling center of downtown, and for once the air is filled with life and happiness, not depression and the constant desire to die. We eat garlic sticks from our cutting board that says “Eat the spaghetti to forghetti your regrehtti” and toast over a white wine to the sounds of honking below and Parks and Rec in our living room for the 7th time.

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!In space the skin on your feet peels off!

16: what's your favorite pasta dish?Macaroni and Cheese.

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?I really want to die my hair rainbow and shave the sides off my head again and wear it in a french braid so that way it’s all braided together.

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.

I am a stupid machine. Throwing up (A lot, like a lot a lot), Weak ankles, weird shit I eat, the countless number of city infrastructure me and @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername have stolen.

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?I don’t now but boy, did I. It was emo central. I had a lot of songs about my struggles and heart aches and a lot of drawings of people killing themselves.

20: what's your favorite eye color? The eyes are my favorite physical trait of any person. I gravitate to Green, but honestly everyone has pretty eyes.But I have the prettiest. (It’s the one physical trait I like about myself pls just let me have this.)

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.I used to tear my bags apart but ever since I was a senior in high school I told my dad I wanted a vintage military messenger bag, and he got me a brand new one from Rapid Dominance that was army approved or something. it has like 7 pockets, fits my laptop perfectly, is made out of a canvas outside but a soft inside (Like a normal bag), and basically I can carry all my stuff I need to take notes in lecture, and was perfect for when I was in high school. I also have a vintage army style going, a lot of olive green, So it looks nice too. It says United States army 1775 with the army star on it. I want to get some patches to decorate it with, because it’s my only bag that has lasted this long. It has seen 4 of my dads girlfriends and a lot of changes in my life. It’s just a good bag.

22: are you a morning person?Well I work third shift so yes and no? 

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?I mean tbh it’s a lot of youtube and masturbating.(sorry family and friends)

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?I might tell them some day but I don’t tell anyone how bad living with my mom was.

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into?One time when I was growing up a family moved of a house on my block out and kept a lot of little things behind. Not that it was weird, but weird, but my brother, some friends, and I peaked into the window and my brother saw a giant purple crayon bank, and upon seeing it, he claimed it as his.So we break in (Keep in mind I am like, 7) and I stole a ceramic chicken. We get to the room with the crayon and he grabs the crayon and runs the front door of this house (where it’s snowing and people can see our foot prints) and yells on at the top of his lungs “I GOT THE CRAYON” While holding it above his 6′1″ head, making the rest of us run past him and back to my garage where we were “safe”That was pretty weird I guess.

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit?My work boots; I need to retire them soon.

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? That strawberry shortcake desert one.

28: sunrise or sunset? I can see the sunset from my window so I guess that.

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?Support me when I get triggered and not leave because I have what I am pretty sure are ptsd episodes. (I don’t want to self diagnose)

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?Truley scared?⁉️ 😂😂😂The fear😈 never💪stops🚫! We out here 💯 Fearin😣 erryday‼️ Thanks🙏 to my🤰 mom’s👊 physical👊 abuse👊‼️No but fr I had a pretty bad time living with my mom and I cope with it through humor. But there were times where I feared for my life, and seeing as the human body is hard wired to survival at all cost, I would say yes.

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.I just wear black socks, idk I’m too lazy to deal.

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.I again work third shift, so I am out past 3 AM a lot. @dragonbornoflegend told a good story. @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername and I took a trip to Alabama, and we stayed out till four in the morning in this small park in this small town with an old friend, and a friend we made that night. We layed in the middle of what is usually a busy street, quieted by the night and star gazed, started a fire in a grill then struggled to put it out, almost set the park on fire but swinging around a burning stick, and he tore down a light post with his bare hands and I stole a piece from the top of the post, all the while shooting the shit and being sober (New friend actually said that it was the first time he was sober in years and was one of the best times he had in a long time, which made me feel a type of way.)

33: what's your fave pastry?Anything that @dragonbornoflegend makes and blesses me with being allowed to eat it.

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?When I was in sixth grade my school had a girls only lock in. It was like a girl positivity boot camp. Some of it was helpful and good for young girls to hear, but they also did that thing where they said “Your sexuality is like a piece of tape” so you know. But they had a bunch of stuffed animals they gave away to all the girls there. And I was the first person to pick and there was a stuffed husky there, and when I picked it the entire place sighed. His name was Brownie (Like the Cleveland browns football mascot who is a dog) at first, then I changed it to phoenix. He has bright blue eyes, black fur on top, white fur on bottom. He had lost some of his stuffing when I got him so I re stuffed him and sewed him back up. I still have him.

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?Lol I am too sloppy for that mess but I’m proud of you if you do this.

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now?

Kidz bop

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?

Cleaner than messier, but I wouldn’t call it clean.

38: tell us about your pet peeves!Being called a dog, being called stupid, etc.

39: what color do you wear the most?Olive green, blue, red, and black.

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you?@dragonbornoflegend bought @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername and I a friendship necklace a few christmases ago. It means a lot to me.

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving?Catch 22

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!Really I get coffee anywhere. I like the aesthetic of them but I don’t really go because I’m broke.

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?That Alabama trip.

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?After we celebrated @fuckthepersonthattookmyusername‘s birthday with an extensive scavenger hunt, and being out till like 4 am the night before to get up at 9, we crashed at @dragonbornoflegend‘s house after eating some bomb ass cake. We talked for a bit, but eventually just fell asleep on The twin bed/chair together for like 4 hours. That was nice.

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?Yes and no. It depends on how much self doubt I have at the time.

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.I would think of one because I am the PUNisher of my friend group but  @dragonbornoflegend really nailed it earlier with “I have one that’s pretty saint-like lately. Bc they’re holey.”, because my back has open wounds in them. I have literal holes in my body.

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?Pineapples so they can never ruin a pizza again.

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?My mom and Y E P. Also I am afraid of AI and the deep sea which was not when I was a kid.

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?I used to but not much now. I bought one from a band called Ice Nine KIlls.

50: what's an odd thing you collect?That cermaic rooster actually started a ceramic nick-nack collection.

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?@dragonbornoflegend‘s mom- Fuck you.

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?Yes.

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?I’ve seen Heathers the musical and that was Lit.

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?My dad.

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point?I am Petty™ so pretty much everything I do lol.

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?Good humor, intelligence, and kindness.

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?I love Bohemian Rhapsody but that song is 6 minutes and a vine long and I Will Not.

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? I’d say @dragonbornoflegend because they love cats and share cooking videos on facebook and have secret family discourse, where I am the vodka Aunt because I am a walking meme.

59: what's your favorite myth?My Happiness (Also I love mythology)

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? Edgar Allen Poe because my emo heart bleeds for it.

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received?I like to think I am good at gift giving, but I once got a small kids shirt when I was 16 (I have always been overweight) that had a Heart on it and smelled like Ice Tea.

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?If I did it would be grape juice, I love grape juice. Not enough to but it though.

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?Nope. My room is a trashcan of media.

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?White, with some blue poking through.

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? 

My work friends. My back holes have me out of work.

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?Lot’s of dark flowers with red and purple. 

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?I like it.

68: what's winter like where you live?Usually mild but global warming dun goofed.

69: what are your favorite board games?Anything made by WOC

70: have you ever used a ouija board?Nope and you can’t keep them the fuck away from me. foh.

71: what's your favorite kind of tea?

Honestea. It’s easier to swallow than realitea. 

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it?Nope.

73: what are some of your worst habits?Being alive.

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.My two closest friends are both guys so. Sir Farts a Lot, and Sir Silicone Valley.

75: tell us about your pets!She died almost a month ago

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't?For once no.

77: pink or yellow lemonade?Neither please.

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?If I could develop one superpower, it would be the ability to snap my neck on command so that way when I next saw a minion I could kill myself instantly as to never see one again.

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?Cared about me after I treated them with abuse and harm.

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?Yellow and white. My landlord picked them because they pop???

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.The color of the blackest coffee when neutral, but like when coffee is poured, golden when light passes through it.

82: are/were you good in school?I got good grades and didn’t get into trouble, but that was just because I didn’t get caught.

83: what's some of your favorite album art?I like the Grateful Dead album, if nothing for all the shitty shirts walmart sells of it.

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?YES. I want to get a french bread in American Traditional that says “I don’t deny myself bread” A grey jedi symbol where the positive space is galaxy colors and stars, a simple map of I-71, and eventually a sleeve.

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?I read the punisher when I grew up.

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to concept albums but I like them. THere’s this one where all the songs flow into the other and it’s basically like this dudes journey through the desert, I don’t remember the name tho.

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?Life is too short man do what you want. But watch Avatar: The Last Airbender.

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? I don’t know what it’s called but graffiti is neat.

89: are you close to your parents?I haven’t talked to my mom in 3 years and tbh Idk if she’s alive at this point. I used to be close to my dad but it’s kinda wishy washy.

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.Cleveland gets a bad rap, but it is filled with culture. Polish bakers, german restaurants, rock n roll hall of fame. It’s not that bad.

91: where do you plan on traveling this year? I’m going to cape cod for a wedding.

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?CHEESE TO PLEASE.

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most?Sidecut.

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?My little cousin. 

95: what are your plans for this weekend?I don’t have any, I’m pretty spontaneous. 

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?Never.

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?ENTP (Usally), Leo, gryffindor when I take the full test, but my pottermore account says hufflepuff

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?I don’t remember but yeah.

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.Living louder.- The Cab.

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?

If I gotta hit one I’m going with the future one because my past is sad and my now is only kinda better so hopefully I’ll be out of college with a job that isn’t lifting 70 pounds repeatedly in the dead of night.

[alicedoessurveys]

60 Questions

Are you currently learning from anyone how to play any instruments? Not learning from anyone, but I'm teaching myself to play ukelele

Are you one of those people who always tend to think critically in issues? i dont 100% understand the question, but i am someone who is constantly thinking critically of myself. I'm not so critical of other people

Do you know anyone who is overly flirty with people? Girl or a boy? Yeah, I've known a few boys over the years who seem incapable of having a girl as just a friend without being flirty

When was the last time you had any kind of pork? What kind was it? Had sausage the other day, but i cant remember what day it was my brain isn't working

Are you someone who normally eats a full breakfast every single morning? i usually eat cereal, unless I'm not hungry or when i have to wake up early for something cause i tend to feel really sick

Do you believe vampires are real? Not the stereotypical Twilight kind. surely not, but then there are some strange people in the world

Is there anyone out there who can give you butterflies in your stomach? Yup

Are you someone who has to hide the things you like around friends? not really, me and my friends tend to like the same things

Have you ever been to a porn website? Were you addicted to it afterword? i have, i used to be friends with someone who while we were on Skype would find it hilarious to send me random links and wait to see my reaction when i click it and end up on some horrid porn site.

What is the most disgusting thing you think the opposite sex can do? Idk, i find it gross when i see guys out in public with their hands down their pants :’) and spitting, i hate seeing anyone walking down the road spitting theres no need and its disgusting

Would you rather be able to teleport or freeze time? Which one seems best? Teleport. never have to drive again 👍🏻

Have you seen the movie Twister? Did the tornadoes look real to you? i have not seen it

Have you actually been through a devastating natural disaster before? Thankfully nope. we don't really have anything that bad in england. we did have a bad hurricane once like over 10 years ago that cause quite a bit of destruction. i was actually in the exact area it hit like 5 minutes before it hit which freaked me out a bit

Did your mom ever fix your eggs and bacon into a smiley face as a kid? i didn't have bacon and eggs as a kid

What fast food place, in your opinion, has the best french fries? i really like burger king’s fries or mcdonalds

Do you believe one day aliens might take over the planet Earth? Nope

Are you someone who always looks for sales when you go shopping somewhere? not really, i have to be in the right mood. i do look when I'm online though

Are you constantly re-arranging your bedroom? Or do you not like change? i used to be someone who rearranged my room a lot (i get it from my mother) but since i moved into my current bedroom 2 years ago its stayed the same way with slight changes to what furniture is in there or the way i arrange my books/ornaments etc

Who would you consider the best teen actor or actress out there now? ones that people will know i think are the actors from stranger things, especially the girl who plays eleven. Also the main two out of the netflix version of ‘a series of unfortunate events’ are brilliant

When did you last cuddle up next to someone and watch a movie? not for ages

Where would people most likely find you out on the weekends? at home :’) i don't really go out

Do you like the school you attend or is it just pretty bland to you? im not in school anymore, but when i was i hated it. its was an absolute dive

Do you remember when they used to actually throw candy out at parades? I've never been to a parade that throws candy.

What is your favorite childhood memory? Who did you share this with? going to my nan and grandads house 3 days a week every summer holiday

Are there any windows open in your house right now? Which ones, if so? nope its cold

Is it currently your favorite season? If not what is your favorite? its just past my favourite season, i like autumn and the part of winter where its christmas

Do you like soda pop? If so, which is your favorite and least favorite? what is soda pop?

Does it bother you when people burp around you or do you do it too? Nope, doesn't bother me at all. I've been bought up in a family that isn't

Do you have any siblings you’re embarrassed about being related to? nope Im proud of my sister

Which noises do you currently hear right now? Can you control those? The telly which i could turn off if i wanted to but i dont. also, cause I'm ill I've got tinatus in my ears

What is one thing you’ve never understood throughout your life? a lot of things

When you see an old person do you think ‘sweet’ or ‘creepy?’ Sweet

What is it that makes old women want so many cats in their life? cats are good company and fluffy and low maintenance

What is one kind of music you’d do anything to not listen to in the car? Scream

When was the last time you babysat, if ever? Did anything bad happen? last time i babysat was last year sometime. nothing bad happened. ill be babysitting a lot more when this foster child comes along

How many times a day do you wash your face? Do you wash it really good? I dont wash it as much as i should. i tend to use face scrub/wash when I'm in the shower

Would you consider yourself to have a boring life or a really exciting one? currently very boring

Do you ever talk to people you met online through webcam? Or is that weird? No, thats weird haha

Who was the last person you kissed and why did you kiss this person? Ugh, I've kinda explained this in previous surveys. he was someone i got very close to and nearly dated but then i freaked out and decided i didn't want a boyfriend. then we didn't talk for a while and he found himself a girlfriend but when we worked on the same theatre production together we got close again. one night he was driving me home from rehearsals and he pulled over into a carpark and was like i want to kiss you and i let him kiss me then he drove me home.. the worse part was he gave me his cold too :’)

How many fish have you owned in your lifetime, so far? Did they all die? we used to have nearly 100 fish in the pond in the garden but one day they all died except one so we called him lucky and took him to live in my grandad’s garden pond. I'm guessing he's dead now cause that was like 15 years ago

When do you think it’s the right age to pass away? when you're ready and when its your time to go

If you were to get drunk right now, how would you most likely act? i dont drink so i wouldn't get drunk

How many people have you kissed in your lifetime, so far? Who were they? just one, read answer to earlier question.

Are you going to post this on a social networking site after you take it? Tumblr

Is there something people in general do that bothers you a lot? Just existing

Has anything supernatural ever happened to you? What were these events? Nope

How many concerts have you seen so far in life? Were they good ones? a lot

Do you like doing anything your friends wouldn’t expect you to do? Yup

Can you sing very well or are you considerably tone deaf? im don't think I'm awful.. i can hold a tune i just don't have a voice that i like

When did you last make a survey? How many people took it so far? i dont make surveys

Would you ever consider becoming a scientist? Why would you or why not? Nope im not smart enough & science was my worst subject at school

Where is your favorite place to go when you’re feeling sad and alone? Tumblr

Have you ever had to call poison control while you were babysitting? Nope…

Do you ever look back on the past years and wish you could go back? a bit, just health wise

When is the next time you’ll talk to the cousin you’re closest to? not sure, were on snapchat quite a bit

Does it bother you when people constantly sign in on MSN? Or not so much? nope i dont use msn anymore

When was the last time you saw a bird? What kind of bird was this? i was watching a robin in the garden earlier

Have you ever seen someone getting beat up by lots of people at one time? yeah I've witnessed a few fights cause i live opposite a pub so we get a lot of drunk people walk past late on weekends and occasionally they have fights

Are you really into vintage things? Have you ever been into that stuff? i like the look of some vintage stuff but I'm not super into it

When was the last time you bought new sheets for your bed? bought myself some new festive bedding in november, so like 2 months ago

[evelynsmusings]

5 Days Bangkok Itinerary: Find Zen Amidst A Busy City In Ayutthaya

Project article for Singtel 

The Land of Smiles. The City of Sin. A foodie heaven. An intrinsic holy city. Thailand’s capital possesses many different identities - but there’s one thing for certain, it is adored around the world. My name is Zenmo and today I’ll show you the ropes of finding your zen amidst a busy city! It is hard to summarize the diversity of travel to Thailand; for similar to its cuisine, it is a multicultural blast of flavours. Planning to visit the cosmopolis for your much-needed getaway? Aside from visiting night markets, indulging in street snacks - consider adding a day trip to your itinerary for a change in scenery. Outside the cluttered cities lies Thailand’s rural heartland; a mix of ancient grand sites and cultural villages, where life is dominated by the rhythms of the agricultural clock - this is Zenmo’s 5 day Bangkok-Ayutthaya Itinerary! 

Highlights: 

Cafe Hopping

Incredible Street Food

Unseen Train Markets

Floating Markets

Historical ancient capitals 

BRIEF ITINERARY

Day 1 to 2 : Explore the beauty Bangkok 

Day 2 to 5 : Navigate through the ancient city of Ayutthaya 

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Bangkok – Arrival 

Source: Unsplash

Welcome to the Land of Smiles! 

This is where the magic starts! Upon your arrival at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, you can opt to take a direct train from the Bangkok Airport Rail Link, which will take you straight to the city’s centre within half an hour. After checking in and getting settled at your homely accommodation, you can start your Bangkok journey with a visit to Victory Monument’s Sutyot Kuetiau Lua Payak - a place to get traditional palm-sized rice noodles, formerly sold on boats, at just 10 baht per bowl! Did you know that the small portions were for safety so that the noodles did not spill over when handling from the boat to the customer in the past? 

When you are done with lunch, head over to Bangkok’s Grand Palace, a must visit for any traveler to Bangkok. Start your first day exploring the magnificent temples! The former home of the monarch, the Grand Palace is located on the ground of the architectural wonder Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The grounds contain more than 100 buildings, all beautifully decorated with gold and diamonds in different colors in old-Bangkok style.

Here’s a Zenmo tip – When it comes to visiting temples or basically any official/formal environment: make sure you’re covered up. No knees, no thighs, no shoulders and no chest/cleavage! 

End your night by making your way to Yaowarat Road, also known as Chinatown Bangkok! Easily reachable via metro, you can drop off at Wat Mangkon station and walk a short distance down.By day, it stands, as a humble street, but by night, it is filled with exuberant life with neon signs blazing and many eateries spilling out onto the streets. Those hankering for a bowl with layers of umami goodness should try the Pork Soup or Steamed Rice Noodles along the red lantern-specked street!

Day 2: Bangkok - Cafe Hopping 

Source: Roastbkk

Rise and shine for the early grind! It’s time to visit Bangkok’s ever-growing cafe scene. Start your morning by heading to Thonglor, one of Bangkok’s cafe streets, widely visited by both locals and tourists – anyone who enjoys a cuppa and quiet afternoons. This is a section of Bangkok filled with hipster cafes housing beautiful decoration and insta-worthy food. It is THE place you want to be at if you’re thinking of Cafe Hopping! These are the few cafes I visit at Thonglor: 

Begin the morning at Thonglor’s “archipelago”, a street that is littered with quaint cafes. Have some coffee and breakfast at Ekkamai Macchiato! From a sun-dappled, mid-century modern house, a bevy of baristas work their magic on blends and single-origins from roasting local coffee. Cold brew, espresso mixed with chocolate, fruit shakes and more on a wide-range menu, you can opt for a some eggs benedict to pair with!

Next up, a visit to the Commons, a space known as “Thonglor’s backyard” housing various artisan cafes and eateries! For lunch, visit Roast - the restaurant/cafe that sits atop this eco-friendly mall! Possibly the kick-starter of Bangkok's love affair with brunch, Roast nailed it with their all-day breakfast. Try their Tarte Flambee, a thin crust pizza with guanciale, onion, creme fraiche and parmesan or satisfy that sweet tooth with their Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes, served with cream cheese, blueberry sauce, earl grey crumble and lemon zest.

While the city has several quaint cafes, it also has its fair share of animal cafes! After exploring the streets of Thonglor, take a tuk-tuk ride to the Big Dog Cafe. As the name states, the cafe does have some really big dogs, however, these large-sized dogs are not at all intimidating! In fact, they are happy, amicable and will be more than pleased to welcome you to their home. You can enjoy playing with these big creatures belonging to a number of breeds such as Chow Chow and Alaskan Malamute among others. While you need to pay an entrance fee to get inside, the perks include a complimentary drink and a chance to spend some time with these adorable dogs.

Day 3: Bangkok - Yoga Session and Train Market

Start off the morning by visiting Lumphini Park for some fresh air! This big green park is a relaxing place located in the center of Bangkok city, Pathum Wan area. Due to its easy reach from both SkyTrain (BTS Saladaeng) and subway (MRT Lumphini), it is a popular choice among city dwellers who crave fresh air and exercise. Afterwards, you can head to the inexpensive Thai Street food buffet right next to the park! This might be a stretch, but this place has got the be the cheapest street food buffet in Bangkok – or even Thailand. The price is only ฿40 (~USD1.31) and you get unlimited refills with no time limit. Let us know if you can find a better deal than this! They use a self-service system here, so you can scoop up all the food you want on your plate. 

Are you missing your yoga mat and need a place to do your downward dogs just like me ? Bangkok’s best yoga studios offer a wide range of practices including Ashtanga Mysore, Yin, Iyengar, Bikram and even aerial yoga. Namaste! Luckily Bangkok boasts a wide array of yoga studios across many neighbourhoods. 

One of the pioneers of hot yoga in Thailand, Absolute You  boasts 14 outlets across the city. Absolute You offers a variety of classes including Vinyasa yoga, Hatha yoga, Yin Yang, Absolute Fit, Hot series, Hot Flow, and many other styles. For yoga enthusiasts out there, the fitness boutique is really where you can foster your passion for the art under experts who will guide you through each posture. 

End your day at  the original Talat Rot Fai (commonly known as Train Night Market). The Train Night Market, at its primary location at Sri Nakharin has been ranked the most popular night market in Bangkok. Even though it isn’t as easily accessible as the night markets in the city, you can simply book a grab and head down from wherever you are based! The market focuses on antiques and vintage-style offerings, especially clothing and home accessories. That said, the market has become far more mainstream in recent years. It’s now possible to find all kinds of things here. Everything from cheap street fashion to electronics, home decor, and plenty more. You’ll even find old-fashioned al-fresco barber shops delivering haircuts for as little as a couple of hundred baht. In addition to the main outdoor market area that sits at the very back of the site, there are a number of alleys of brick-and-mortar shops that visitors stream through on their way into the market.

Day 4: Ayutthaya 

Source: Unsplash

If you’re tired of waking up to another day of skyscrapers and traffic jams in Bangkok, it’s time for a new experience and take a day trip out of Bangkok. Wake up bright and early and make your way to the next city, the astounding Ayutthaya via train! With famous temple ruins and palace grounds scattered throughout the ancient capital, it is truly a testament to its immense cultural value. Get ready to wander through endless ancient ruin sites and be humbled by the ingenuity of the Ayodhya craftsmen. 

Easily accessible from Bangkok’s Hua Lumpung station, you can take a train that operates daily. Hard third-class seats go for 20 baht while a cushioned seat in second class costs 65 baht. Once you drop anchor at Ayutthaya, get ready for some boating down the city’s intricate network of canals and rivers. The most popular tour starts every late afternoon by noisy longtail boats with stops at Wat Phutthaisawan, Wat Chaiwatthanaram and Wat Phanan Choeng. 

 Afterwards, a little past noon, a scenic lunch from a relaxing river cruise down the Pasak River awaits. Hear the soothing sounds of the river as you enjoy mouthwatering Thai dishes while cruising down the ancient city. To the west of the city, temple hop to one of the most visited historical sites of Ayutthaya: Wat Chaiwatthanaram. The Angkor temple’s architectural style showcases influences from its Khmer past, built in 1630 under King Prasat Thong after returning victorious from an invasion of Khmer lands. 

 End your day at Krungsri Ayutthaya Night Market! Better known as Krungsri Walking Street by locals, it is where they gather to snack and shop! This vibrant marketplace is lined with bamboo tables for eating and oversized fairy lights, greeting you with decoration from yesteryears like bamboo façade inspired by the ancient army camps, canon replicas and old-fashioned kiosks. 

 Day 5: Bangkok 

Source: Bangkok beyond

Up for a morning cycle? The Ayutthaya Historical Park opens at the crack of dawn for your very own DIY tour around its famous temples and ruins. Take advantage of the small crowd and grab a bicycle while taking your time to immerse yourself in the historic beauty of this ancient city before heading home. Just beside the park, get your king river prawns fix at Talad Klang Pue Kaset Tagon, the seafood market surrounded by local eateries who serve cheaper seafood than in the city centre. 

 After noon, bid farewell to Ayutthaya and catch a short train ride that will deliver you to Don Muang Airport to catch your flight back home.