Brontosaurus-sized Pork Chops

This will be a super fast entry- mostly because when I was at this location I was more focused on the person I was with than the actual location. It's a favorite restaurant of his, and I must say Cap City Fine Diner and Bar proved itself to be an awesome place.

At my friend's suggestion, I had the pork chops, and he had the meatloaf. What I got was a plate with two huge chops, with veggies and mashed potatoes tucked underneath. It was delicious, even though I would never be able to be a member of the "clean plate club" eating there! Too much food!

My pork chops

His meatloaf

Again, everything was tasty- and the staff (at least at the bar where we ate) was super nice. I was excited to see another citizen of STEELER NATION at the bar, and inadvertently entertained the entire bar area while trying to figure out the name of an old Tom Cruise movie (it ended up being Legend).

Again, thank you all for reading my blog. By the time you read this, I will be en route to Las Vegas! Enjoy your Memorial Day weekends, and come back soon!

As always, see you on the next adventure!

Photobomb!

If you haven't been keeping up with my blog consistently, you may not know that I have a thing for museums and old buildings- especially ornate ones. You give me a tourist attraction that somehow combines all three, and I'm in heaven! Hence, why on my adventures I always seem to end up in government and government-related buildings. Some quick examples off the top of my head: Rhode Island, DC, and some Presidential sites. Ohio is no different. I visited the Ohio Statehouse during my time in Columbus, which happens to be Ohio's capital.

It's a LOT bigger on the inside than it looks.

Now, as is my general habit, I emailed ahead of time to ask about pictures (they aren't OK every where, so I like to ask ahead of time to be safe. I also would like to avoid another DISASTER like the mansions in Rhode Island). I received correspondence back from a super friendly and helpful guy named Luke, who originally offered to give me and my sorority sister a tour, but had some personal things come up. Totally understandable and OK! So my soror and I went in hoping to do a self guided tour. There were three things I specifically wanted to see: The room dedicated to African-Americans, the room dedicated to women, and the main rotunda (in my experience, main rotundas are pretty dope).

Even if the pictures you take don't do them justice

So, rotunda and an atrium (!), check! No problem! There was a wedding party taking photos in and around the building (and understandably so- it really was a pretty place) but in trying to find the other locations, we hit a bit of a bump in the road. In walking back and forth trying to orient ourselves, I'm more than sure the couple will find two black chicks looking confused and tired in the backgrounds of a picture or two.

Eventually, through dumb luck, we found the room dedicated to the role of women in Ohio's political history. I didn't get a chance to browse in detail, but I thought the banners and displays were neat.

I wasn't able to find the room dedicated to African Americans though. On the map we were given, it seemed to be directly across the hallway from the Ladies' Gallery. However, what we found were a bunch of locked offices. Both the Ohio House and Senate chambers were locked even though no one was in them (in Rhode Island I was able to take pictures of their chambers since they were not in session). Also, the museum portion of the building was locked up and gated off. So I couldn't even enjoy that. There weren't ANY employees around the building (only near the doors and in the gift shop, it would've been helpful to have a guard or something in the main rooms like the atrium. Instead, we kinda blindly wandered around until we realized we needed to head back to our convention for the second half of our day. 

The locked up museum....

I did, however, find this amusingly upset elf that used to represent the Cleveland Browns.
Oh Brownies, how STEELER NATION laughs at you.
How is this supposed to be intimidating? HA!

On the way out, we (attempted) to ask the officer the fastest way back to the Convention Center- would it be faster to walk or wait much longer for the shuttle that was supposed to pick us up but was running late. I guess it was "tease a tourist" day and we missed the memo, because he kept giving us vague non-answers with a goofy grin on his face. By this point, we were tired, disappointed we got lost in the building, and running the risk of being late for a very important part of our conference. We ended up just walking away from this guy and his stupid grin and finding our shuttle- making it back just on time!

While I won't totally call this visit a bust. The people we DID interact with, save that last doofus, were super friendly. There were a lot of beautiful things to take in, we just wish we'd had time to actually see them all (or, have someone nearby that knows what they are talking about). If I'm ever back in Columbus, I'd try again.

Thank you again for reading my blog. Stay tuned for my next conquered state: Nevada!

As always, see you on the next adventure!

Sausage Fest - No, Not Like That

Again, many apologies readers for the delay in posts! I have this, and one more entry to fill you in for my third outing in Ohio for the blog. One week from today, I'll be in Las Vegas, and you can bet I already have my itinerary full of things I want to see and share with all of you. It's gonna be a party!

Unless for some reason you hate museums- in which case the party will look like this.
Image from http://santarosacru.blogspot.com/2011/02/departing-twelve.html

Speaking of guys at boring parties, let's talk about another kind of sausage fest- my time at Schmidt's Restaurant und Sausage Haus, or just Schmidt's for short. Every website and travel blog I perused while planning my trip to Columbus mentioned- and praised- this German restaurant.

Now, growing up in Pittsburgh (and you know, being Black), I grew up with what I consider the best of both worlds when it comes to comfort foods. The very best of soul food, paired with highlights of European immigrant fare (we've already established I love pierogies). It's nothing for me to dream of a meal with fried chicken with baklava for dessert. Or to eat pierogies and want a slice of sweet potato pie on the side. As much as I love the European fare I grew up exposed to, there are a few countries with cuisine I've just never been a fan of- Germany would be one of those countries. I just am not keen on the idea of eating sausage filled with blood. But. I was determined to try it both for this blog, and on the faith of dozens of random Internet posters that insisted I try it out.

Sausages on display when you first enter

I ordered the Autobahn meal, which for $15 gets you all-you-can eat access to a buffet of German sausages, sides, and surprisingly, fried chicken. I didn't eat much, but I think part of that was I had a raging headache while I was there, and when you are in pain, eating just isn't on your mind. I would have done better getting a regular meal, but I wanted the "experience" you know?

The Autobahn Buffet. It was near Easter, so that explains the ears and basket.

I went to Schmidt's with a (vegetarian) sorority sister. I'm sure there's comedic gold there with how to find acceptable food as a vegetarian in a place based around meat. But we were both able to indulge in what is said to be Schmidt's best item: the Jumbo Cream Puff.

I got the traditional vanilla, she got the mocha almond special

Man, listen. I wish I had gotten an extra one of these for the road. HUGE (neither of us finished ours), and a perfect balance of flavor and sweetness. Light and creamy filling, delicate pastry. These were amazing. One is certainly enough for two people, but we didn't know that at the time. They had other desserts on display at the front, but, no. Don't even waste your time. Get a puff. Any puff. And thank me later.

Across the street (well, if that tiny cobble stone path can be classified as a street...) there is also a Schmidt's Fudge Haus. Inside there are tons of handmade German confections. While waiting for our hotel shuttle to pick us up, we went inside. There was a man making fudge right in the shop. You could watch him work his magic in person- we didn't just because he informed us it is a time intensive process, and we only had maybe 10 minutes until our expected pick up time.

He's the fudge-maker

I bought my grandmother four "turtles" candies, two with caramel and two without. I only bought four because they (like everything else in that area) were super huge and heavy- and they sell the handmade candies by weight. (And I'm starting to wonder why I didn't take a picture of them....) She loved them, saying they reminded her of the way they used to make candy when she was a kid (keep in mind my grandmother was born in 1922). 

Some tips and advice if you are going to come to Schmidt's. First and foremost- come early. My soror and I arrived RIGHT at 11 when they opened and there were maybe 4 or 5 tables already seated. By the time we left about an hour later, a line was just starting to form to get in. I've read travel account where folks say the wait can be more than an hour (or that it's impossible to get in). Second, don't get the Autobahn unless you REALLY like German food. While none of it was terrible, as someone who isn't a big fan anyway, it made my selection very difficult. Finally, add some time to your visit to take a picture in the head-in-the-hole outside where you and one other person can look like 19th Century German children, and stop in the Fudge Haus and pick up some candy. Trust me, factory made/tasting confections these are not!

Well, I'll try and get the last entry (my trip to the Ohio Statehouse) on the Internet before I leave for Vegas! While I'm gone, check out my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter.

Thank you all so much for reading my blog, it really means a lot! As always, see you on the next adventure!

Goat Cheese Ice Cream- Not As Bad As It Sounds!

So after a ridiculously long winter featuring everyone's favorite polar vortex, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things with travel.

My first trip out of Pittsburgh happened because I attended a regional conference in Columbus, Ohio with one of my sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Pretty in Pink and Gorgeous in Green!

Naturally I was not going to be in a city I'd never visited before and NOT add some entries to my blog- even if Ohio has been covered already. Enter my outing to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.

Sorry it's a rough shot, but that's the outside of the Jeni's I ate at

My friend that was so gracious to take me to Jeni's (after I told him ahead of time I REALLY wanted to go. It's a Columbus-based ice cream company, JUST the sort of thing I like to cover on here) told me that the "short line" of 5 or 6 people was a good thing- that this place is usually packed and lines easily continue out the door. While he talked on the phone, I was left to try and figure out what I was going to try. I'd heard that local flavor favorite "The Buckeye State" was a must, but there were flavors with wonky names like "Oregon Fir" and "Savannah Buttermint". What caught my eye though was the "Goat Cheese with Red Cherry". 

I know, that's how I looked too buddy
Image from www.drawception.com

After some coaxing by the super friendly staff, I tried it. To my surprise, I liked it! Very light taste, almost like cheesecake. And the cherry part actually tasted like cherry-- not overly sweet red syrup swirled in for good measure. It gave me the confidence to go ahead and place my three scoop order: The Buckeye State (that's the spotty looking scoop), Brown Butter Almond Brittle (the other non-chocolate scoop), and Dark Chocolate (pretty obvious which one that was).

Be jealous. It was THAT good.

Buckeye State was by far my fave of the three, but BBAB wasn't bad at all. I LOVED the Dark Chocolate, but by the time I got to it my taste buds were on overload. Jeni's ice cream is REALLY rich and flavorful, and after eating my first two scoops, my body just couldn't handle anything else sweet (though, I must say it was the best chocolate ice cream I've ever tasted-- you could SMELL the chocolate!).

Too bad I wasn't able to buy a pint to take home with me, being in a hotel and all kinda hinders
ice cream preservation for more than a few hours.

Fear not, friends who don't live in or near Columbus (In theory, I live about 3 hours away). The Jeni's website has a complete listing of flavors, location finders to see if your local grocer carries Jeni's products, and instructions on how to order your favorite flavors in case your local store doesn't ($13 flat rate shipping, which considering you would be getting artisan ice cream delivered to your door, is pretty reasonable). 

More blog posts about Columbus are coming, and I will be visiting a NEW state (Nevada!) in a few weeks as my elder sister and I both take our first trips to Las Vegas (I promise, everything I do there won't stay there- I can't wait to share it with you all!)

Until then, thank you for reading and sharing this adventure with me!

Cleveland's RTA...An Ironic Name For Service

I debated on doing this blog entry for a number of reasons. Mostly, I don't want to come across as a complainer, but I eventually decided to just go ahead and give my impression with the RTA service in Cleveland

http://subwaynut.com/cleveland/

THE GOOD

The first observation I had about the system was before I even got to the city- Google maps showed me exactly how extensive Cleveland public transportation is. I was actually a little jealous because I think it's a system quite a bit more advanced that the one in place here in Pittsburgh. It was very easy to get around the city as far as routes go, and I never had to walk further than a block or two to get back to a subway station. Every employee I encountered was also very helpful and friendly- even when I called in to the customer service line a little annoyed and frustrated with my transportation situation. The subway stations themselves were very clean and artistically designed well. And, my all day pass was $5.00- quite a bargain! Very scenic rides, and there weren't any problems with crazy or rude passengers

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_mel/4899698815/
North Coast Station, near the Rock and Roll HOF and Browns Stadium

THE BAD

First and foremost, every rail car I stepped on smelled faintly of pee. As in urine. As in "OMG did I pee on myself and I don't even know it?" I'm not sure what the fix of that is, but I was pretty grossed out by that. Also, The stairwell at W.25-Ohio City Station was extremely narrow for the elevator to not work properly. Keep in mind, it was towards the end of my day by the time I interacted with this station, but anyone with eyeballs can see that teeny staircase isn't really big enough to be two ways. Also, for this to be "rapid" transit, the trains I was on often took breaks and stops on the tracks and didn't seem to be moving very fast at all. I found that really ironic. It was also a little difficult to figure out where to go once you are in the system. At Tower City, signage explaining how to get to major Cleveland attractions would have been helpful. Yes, the people at the information desks were polite and informed, but sometimes a sign with an arrow works even better.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_25th_Cleveland_RTA_station.jpg
RTA Station closest to Sokolowski's

THE UGLY

So, let's discuss the fact that many of the stations in RTA (but not all) look like really cool geometric green houses. Cool right? Actually, the complete and total opposite. While I'm sure it helps for harsh lake side winters, in 90 degree weather, standing inside a giant metal and glass box is the exact opposite of something you ever want to actually do. Can there be a better ventilation system? A fan? Something? Speaking of greenhouse stations, the North Coast station was COMPLETELY abandoned the day I went there. I mean NO ONE was there-- not employees, no passengers, no anyone except me feeling foolish and a little worried that maybe I had stumbled across a condemned station or something. That's when I called the customer service line to make sure I was where I was supposed to be (I was). But I mean, that's a pretty scary thing to have an entire station with no one there to help or answer questions. Not even a fare machine! And the worst part was how tardy all the trains ran the day I came to visit. I plan my trips based on precise schedules, with only a few back up plans, because I expect transportation to run reasonably on time. At one point, the train I was waiting for was nearly 20 minutes late. Twenty minutes isn't a lot in the grand scheme of life, but just 5 minutes can make the difference between being on time or making a connection, and being stuck someplace you are trying to leave.

My advice? Go ahead and take the RTA. Just leave plenty of wiggle room on your trips, and bring a bottle of water to counteract all the sweating you're going to do.

And Now...I Want A Bear Fur Hat...

My last stop in Cleveland was the Cleveland Grays Armory Museum, home to the second oldest organization in the city of Cleveland, and the oldest known armory in the US that is still owned by its militia (I think I got that right.) It also was the site of the first ever Cleveland Symphony Orchestra performance, held in 1918. History nerd that I am, I HAD to see this place.

Grays Armory as I was walking up to it

I was the only visitor that day, and had a tour with Ms. Kristin Roediger, Executive Director of the Armory. During the tour she told me that she essentially grew up in the building and that her grandfather was actually a member of the Grays, which meant a lot to me knowing she has such a personal connection to the structure.

Lobby of the Armory

The tour was a little under an hour long, and involved lots of stairs and HEAT (a built in 1893, the building doesn't have elevators or air conditioning) but that was okay with me. I just feel badly for the poor event crews that have to lug tables and heavy plates and foods to the upper levels for weddings and other celebrations. (The smaller reception areas are on the highest levels of the building because, at the time, being high up meant you would avoid the smell of horse dung in the busy streets below).

Reception room on the third floor of the building

The largest room available for use actually reminds you of a huge gym, but is home to several display cases featuring soldier artifacts from WWI, WWII, and other conflicts. It also features a huge still-working organ that was saved from an old Erie, PA movie house, even though the pipes of the organ had to be bent to fit in the space.

Large Reception area with the pipe organ pipes visible
 (the organ is behind the black curtain)

One of the places recommended that I request to see was actually in the basement- the shooting range. I've been told it is now the only gun range in the city of Cleveland. Police officers still use it, and sometimes other security classes come through to practice shooting as well, but for the most part, the range is off limits to non Grays members.

Gun Range with bicycle wheel turning devices for moving targets

I could go on and on forever about the neat historical facts I learned while in the building, but I will end with my top three:

1. There were quite a few antique Russian Black Bear fur hats in the building, as they were once part of the uniform worn by the Grays (assumingly not for combat, but for dress uniforms). Probably extinct now, there was a huge problem when a few years ago the hats were put on a display in Canada, and customs demanded receipts for the hats as their material is now banned for import. Imagine trying to find 170 year old receipts for museum displays! Luckily after some leg work the hats were returned. Although I didn't actually touch one, they looked super soft and reminded me of the big black hats you see English beefeaters wear. (So, before PETA and their cronies start harassing me about killing bears, I don't REALLY want a bear fur hat...but I admit the ones they had were pretty cool. No need fussing about bears that have been dead more than 100 years already)

2. The pool room has the original pool tables still intact. As well as some unusual taxidermy (some favorites include a deer butt, and a chicken claw giving the room "the finger"). Five Presidents, and anyone who was anyone in Cleveland and in American industry rubbed elbows in this very room. Also, see that long white photo on the wall between the two paintings? It's a photograph of US ships from just before WWII...and includes images of the ships that were docked at Pearl Harbor (including the Arizona).

3. Finally, the absolute coolest thing was the (alleged) former speakeasy located on the third floor of the building. Outfitted with a special knocker, hidden liquor cabinets, and piecemeal furnishings collected slowly over the decades makes this room feel slightly out of place in the armory. Although their archivist insists that they shouldn't advertise the room as such since there is no "documentation" that was what the room was for, I'm with Ms. Roediger in that, who is going to ADVERTISE and formally announce they have an illegal drinking spot in their building?

Well, that's everything I did while I was in Cleveland. I'm mulling over writing a review of the public transportation system (which had some great highs and lows), but we'll see if I actually get around to it.

Until then, be sure to check out my Facebook page for more pictures of all of my travels so far, and follow me on Twitter for random travel articles and insights.

See you on the next adventure (which will actually take place in less than three weeks!)

If You've Never Had Pierogies, You Aren't Living Life Right

And I mean that with all of my heart.

Mmm...sauteed in butter and lightly salted. How can you NOT like these?
image from http://onceuponasmallbostonkitchen.blogspot.com/

In college, I had a boyfriend from the South who honestly didn't think black people in the North ate or even KNEW about soul food. Not only did I laugh in his face at how ridiculous that was (I mean, 90% of us have family connected to at least one Southern state, so of COURSE we know about fried chicken, corn bread, candied yams, greens and the like) but I remember being shocked myself when he said he'd never eaten a pierogie before and insisted on pronouncing kielbasa as "keel-baw-suh" instead of "ka-boss-si"! No no friends, black people (in my region of the North anyway) enjoy our barbecue and sweet potato pie right next to our favorite German, Greek, Irish, and Polish foods. I actually think we get the best of both worlds that way, but I digress...

Soul Food-- not as secret as some from the South think it is lol.
This looks like a typical plate from my youth-
except the sauce would be slathered all over those ribs and we'd have cornbread instead of toast
image from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/soul%20food

I knew I wanted to go to a Cleveland eatery because the city has gained quite a culinary reputation over the last few years. But I also wanted to go someplace that people actually living in the city enjoyed- not just Food Network TV stars and visiting chefs. Google and a few of my fellow Trip Advisor commenters consistently mentioned Sokolowski's University Inn- and that was good enough for me!

Sokolowski's is the oldest family run restaurant in the city of Cleveland, and has been going strong for 90 years. The interior was a little dark, but it reminds you of going into your grandparents' den.
So why the whole pierogie intro? Well, Sokolowski's serves mostly Polish food, cafeteria style. That means you get a tray, pick up your dessert, and then go along picking your entree and sides. Naturally, being that I LOVE those potato filled pockets of goodness, I chose them as a side, as well as a cream-sauce covered chicken fillet, sweet potatoes, and a slice of apple pie. My plate wasn't "pretty", but it was tasty (thankfully not too salty!) and packed with way too much food.

My plate at Sokolowski's

Another bonus is this place is literally down the street from famous West Side Market (that was sadly closed on the Tuesday I made my way there). I got off the Red Line RTA train one stop from Tower City (the central hub station) and walked for about ten minutes before the restaurant was on my left. I crossed a bridge and went under another one- it started to look a bit shady for about two seconds there but never to the point I felt unsafe.

Almost done posting my Cleveland adventures. Currently (trying) to be fiscally conservative these upcoming weeks as I prepare for my 4 days in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and you know, actually buying my plane ticket to Seattle for my trip to Washington/Alaska. As always, my Facebook page is up and always accepting thumbs up!

See you next adventure!

Cemeteries Are Hot! (Ohio)

And I mean that in the most literal sense possible.

View of the larger of two lakes at Lake View Cemetery

The last time I visited a cemetery, I completely underestimated how much walking (and beaming sun exposure) I would be subjected to. Thinking I would be better prepared this time, I packed a bag with two bottles of water, fresh fruit, and some granola and had napkins to wipe sweat away. Silly me forgot that full water bottles and fruit weigh a LOT when you are lugging them around all day, so although I wasn't as thirsty or fatigued, my shoulders were not very pleased with my decision!

But don't let my poorly thought out plan sway you from the facts- Lake View Cemetery   is absolutely beautiful. I saw some unique and ornate tombstones. Many people will come here to see the graves of Cleveland's former elite class- I'm not from Cleveland so most of the names didn't mean much to me. There were some exceptions. The John D. Rockefeller Monument (yeah, THAT Rockefeller) is right next to the Garfield Tomb. Garrett A. Morgan, famed African American inventor, is also buried at Lake View (sadly too far out of the way for me to walk to it and back to the front gate in time to catch my train to my next stop).

The Rockefeller Monument at Lake View

There is a more detailed list of who's who and where on the Lake view website, but the most ornate and prominent of these burial sites is James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States.

Garfield Memorial in Lake View

Statue of President Garfield in the main hall of the Memorial

Although the building was a bit over run with flies, you can't deny the very detailed artistry put into this building (My non-sensical mind was just waiting for a zombie Garfield to pop out with maggots and flies buzzing around him. More realistically they were just trying to escape the heat like the humans were.) As ornate as the upper levels dedicated to his life and achievements are, the actual burial room/crypt is simple and plain (in comparison). I'm sure you can make some super deep reference to the fact that no matter what we do in this lifetime, we all are but simple dust in the end- or something like that.

Compared to the upper levels, the burial chamber was extremely plain

I know this entry is getting a little long and stuffed with pictures, but there was one more major thing I saw in Lake View- the Wade Memorial Chapel.

Wade Memorial Chapel in Lake View Cemetery

Built in 1901 in honor of the industrialist Jeptha Wade (who was a founder of the cemetery), this is a very simple and elegant building. It serves as the receiving chapel for new burials- and is rented out for small weddings according to the very informative guide that was stationed there.

Center stained/painted glass window done by Louis Tiffany- son of the founder of Tiffany & Co.

The walls are covered with delicately colored glass mosaics that depict a bunch of guys rowing while some other folks look on. This was explained to me as the left side representing the creation of God's Law in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of God's Law in the New Testament on the right.I was also told that these mosaics were assembled by Tiffany Glass Company (Louis' company founded before he joined back in with Tiffany & Co. in 1902 upon his father's death) and transported to Cleveland via the Erie Canal.

Right side of the Chapel walls, representing the New Testament

That pretty much sums up my time at Lake View. I have at least two more Cleveland entries left for you, as well as a review of a neat website I found of a guy who has visited every Presidential grave. Every. Single. One. Pretty interesting if you ask me! My pictures are still on my Facebook page (feel free to thumbs up me if you like my photos or just want to be nice!), and as always, I'll see you on the next adventure!

She's So Fly! (Ohio)

Logo of the IWASM of a glass window

My first official museum gig (if you haven't learned by now, museum (and other cultural non-profit) work is what I do for a living) was at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.  I didn't grow up with any inherent interest in planes or military history, but my nearly two years there certainly sparked one. It's amazing how beautiful not only the air and space craft can be, but also interesting to see the pop culture that sprang up around aviation and space travel. I (being a black woman) am particularly interested in how women and racial minorities have contributed to our ever developing knowledge of flight and space. I'd heard about the International Women's Museum of Air & Space Museum doing some research at work at the time, and said that if I ever got the chance, I wanted to take a gander at what they had to offer.

Illustration of a purple flight suit worn by Harriet Quimby-
not very practical now, but pretty dope she wore pearls to fly in!

If you are ever in Cleveland, you HAVE to check this place out! It's right down the street from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which I didn't visit because per my own rules set forth in the first few entries, I'd already visited there in 2006 or 2007 with some friends), the Cleveland Science Center, and the Browns' football stadium. That whole stretch of lake front touristy stuff could take your entire day up easily, but make sure you keep trodding down along the road to the Burke Lakefront Airport, that is the host building to this wonderful collection.

I was confused at first, because there is no clear marked "entrance" to the museum (it literally takes up the lobby/waiting area of most of the airport) so it was difficult to learn where to start. I eventually just picked an end and worked my way down, taking notes and pictures as I went. Of course you have your "celeb" aviatrixes like Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart who are among the more famous of their peers, but there was a lot of detailed information about the personal lives and accomplishments of not-as-well known women such as Amy Johnson and the Mercury Women. I loved that next to the Quimby flight suit (yes, they re-created it using the above picture as a guide) was the launch/re-entry suite worn by Wendy Lawrence. It sort of juxtaposed the past with the present to show how far women in flight have come.

Wendy Lawrence's launch/re-entry suit

Of course, every aviation based museum has at least one plane on display, and the IWASM doesn't disappoint. The absolute cutest plane, the "Pretty Purple Puddy Tat" is on display. It took me back to my time at NASM, when you are just amazed at the craftsmanship of these machines, and stand in awe next to them. There are also "retro" flight simulators on display as well.

The Pretty Purple Puddy Tat

Now, to be fair, the museum does need a little upgrading. Betty Skelton and Sally Ride both have passed within the last two years, and no mention of that is in the museum. It also was VERY hard to photograph some of the displays because of the smooth and rounded cases they were in. But a woman (I regretfully forget what her name was!) told me that not only are they aware they are in need of some exhibit improvements, but they had four interns helping them out to get the improvements done. Kudos!

The tiny gift shop was jammed packed with neat trinkets related to aviation and women, but also had some hefty sized plane models (which I think were a part of the offices also located there and not for sale) and a case full of old aviation trophies. While I didn't purchase anything (I was on a super tight budget for my day trip) I would think anyone would be able to find something they'd like to have.

All of my pictures are up on Facebook so you can see what else I saw at the museum and in the rest of the city. More blogs coming soon!

See you on the next adventure!