Need tips for my trip to Madison

By • November 14, 2011 • #CatTravels

I can’t believe I’m leaving for Madison, Wisc. this week.

I remember booking the trip months ago, thinking, “Man, I’m planning ahead!”

But now it’s just a few days away — and while I’m stressing about getting all my work done before I get on that plane (and yes, it’s a United flight), I’m excited about going to a city I’ve never been to before.

Believe it or not, I’ve been to Wisconsin. When I was a graduate student at Northwestern University, I spent Thanksgiving with my classmate’s family just outside of Milwaukee. I immediately fell in love with the area — rolling hills, strawberry farms, actual apple trees. (We don’t have those in Hawaii!)

But Madison will be a whole new experience.

This charming college town of 233,000 people — 17,000 of which are Asian, just FYI — is home to museums, art galleries, breweries, farms, coffee shops, vintage bookstores, restaurants, casinos, hiking trails, even a few drive-in theaters.

For sure, I want to walk about the University of Wisconsin, where Derek is getting his Ph.D. I want to see all the places he haunts, from the campus coffee shop he frequents to the Wisconsin Historical Society (above) where he studies every weekend.

But I wouldn’t mind checking out the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.; touring the Cave of the Mounds, a popular and quite beautiful cave about 20 miles west of Madison; the Third Coast Surf Shop, your one-stop-shop for lake surfing; and — get this — the National Mustard Museum, where you can sample the world’s mustards.

See? Lots to do.

Anyone got any other suggestions for me?

I’ll be traveling to Madison, Chicago and Las Vegas on this two-week, whirlwind tour. Follow me on Twitter (@thedailydish) and Facebook (/thecatdish).

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Stuck in traffic? There’s a shirt for that

By • November 13, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

Most of us had nothing to do with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, in town this weekend.

We didn’t attend any meetings or hobnob with the heads of state in Honolulu for summits, meetings, dinners and meet-and-greets.

But we were stuck in traffic.

For hours.

Yesterday I had to change dinner plans because there was no way I could make it to McCully — and then find parking — on time. I didn’t go to my parents’ house for dinner because it’s located between Waikiki and Ko Olina — the no-drive zone. And I mostly avoided Waikiki — good thing there wasn’t much surf — all weekend.

So, in a way, I was affected.

But there were stories about people sitting in traffic from Costco for three and a half hours. It took one of my friends two hours to drive a mile. And I’m sure there will be stories tomorrow about folks getting re-routed on H-1 as the APEC leaders drove to and from Ko Olina.

So it’s no surprise a Hawaii-based designer jumped on it.

Starting Wednesday, “I survived APEC 2011” shirts will be available at both Butigroove and Rainbow Drive-In. Shirts will be $20.

***

Just to be fair: the designer knows that some people may link this shirt with the tragedy that happened earlier last week, when a U.S. State Department law enforcement agent shot and killed a Kailua man at McDonald’s on Kuhio Avenue. But the sentiment is about the traffic and parking problems APEC caused — not this tragedy.

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Today’s happy shot

By • November 13, 2011 • #CatTravels, Happy Shots

I love Sunday mornings in Waikiki.

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Do you believe in 11/11/11?

By • November 11, 2011 • Musings, The Daily Dish

I dropped into Cake Works yesterday to pick up some cupcakes, and I ran into the owner Abigail Langlas.

She said business was good. And Friday — today — was particularly busy.

“Why?” I asked her, thinking she was busy catering for APEC, going on this weekend.

“Weddings,” she said. “Everyone wants to get married tomorrow.”

Today — Nov. 11, 2011 — is supposed to be the most magical day of the year.

According to some reports, 11/11/11 is like three doorways — an extra powerful significance that won’t happen for another 100 years. “If you envision a doorway and walk through in triplicate on that same day, you can imagine what you want and achieve it in a more potent and imaginative way,” said Tania Gabrielle, a practitioner of numerology in Los Angeles, to the Associated Press.

And one way to commemorate this kismet kind of day — not to mention it’s easy to remember — is to get married. And Langlas, who runs a fairly small operation, is making cakes for 16 weddings today. Sixteen.

In Las Vegas — the wedding capital of the United States — more than 3,200 marriage applications were filled out — more than three times the normal number.

I have friends who are planning to do something special today. One is taking the day off to surf. The other is proposing to his longtime girlfriend.

I plan to surf, go to Pilates, hang out with my favorite people, take the dogs to the beach, bake something, Skype with Derek, read a book and write. Those are some of my favorite things to do.

What are your 11/11/11 plans?

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Postcards: Turtle mocha

By • November 10, 2011 • Postcards

It snowed yesterday in Madison, Wisc. So naturally Derek is warming up with a mocha — this beauty from Fair Trade Coffee Shop right on campus.

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