America

I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

After spending a couple of months in the US and Europe, I checked back in on Australia for a few weeks only to head back to the states for a more formal holiday. We arrived in an America struggling through high fuel prices, absorbed by the Olympics (Go Phelps!), dodging tropical cyclones, and with presidential campaigns well underway.


First stop - Madison, Wisconsin (via Chicago)

I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Via Chicago

We dropped in on the family in Madison, which in winter is one of the last places on the planet you want to be. In summer, however, this progressive college town is quite pleasant. As our first port of call, jet lag was an issue, but Uta at least overcame her sleepiness with Olympics fever, staying up to the wee hours of the morning watching Michael Phelps and underage Chinese gymnasts do their thing. We spent a day at the outlet mall in the Dells buying everything they had (and laughing hysterically over how cheap everything was). We also made the mandatory stroll down State Street and sat out in the sun at The Terrace.


Second Stop - Atlanta, Georgia

Welcome to Atlanta where the playas play
And we ride on them things like every day
Big beats, hit streets, see gangsta's roamin'
And parties dont stop til' eight in the mornin'

Home sweet home. We spent ten days in Atlanta, hooking up with many friends and loved ones and continued our binge shopping which necessitated the acquisition of an additional suitcase. We arrived just in time for me to catch the 11th annual South Atlantic Karate Association summer training camp and for us to participate in the 2nd annual cornhole tournament (we were eliminated in the first round). We also hit Midtown's Cypress Street Pint and Plate, the Midcity Cafe, Rosa Mexicana at Atlantic Station, and the old favourites of Fellini's and Moe's and Joe's (which has gone a bit up-market since being bought out, but still has pitchers of PBR for $3.25 on Tuesdays). A highlight for Uta was a visit to Friedman's, where shoes can be found in absurd sizes - I bought a pair of sneakers while Uta got to see how her feet measure up to Shaq's (who reportedly is a size 24). I also dropped in on a few folks at Ga Tech and spent a morning tyring to inspire a few young minds over at Fernbank Science Center. We topped off our stay in the ATL by peeking in on a real estate development where we discovered that for the price of our little two bedroom apartment in Melbourne, we could have one of these brand new monsters in Atlanta. Food for thought. . .


Third Stop - New York, New York

New york, lookin down on central park
Where they say you should not wander after dark

Despite Uta's many trips to NYC over the years, my experience with the city consists of only one prior trip which occurred during the early 80's. If things have changed since then, I don't remember. We checked in at the SoHotel (which is actually more in Little Italy than in SoHo, but that's marketing for you). Our first night, we hooked up with the SoHo Swede for dinner, and then rested up for what would prove to be a 15k forced march on Monday, from SoHo to Central Park (stopping in at the Empire State Building) and then back. Tuesday, we headed to Flushing Meadows to witness Day 2 of the U.S. Open, where we saw Haas triumph over Gasquet, Robredo nail down the lid of Zverev's coffin and where some clown mistook me for James Blake's brother, Thomas. Wednesday it was more tourist stuff - Chinatown, St. Pauls and the WTC site, Wall Street, Battery Park and the Staten Island Ferry. We met up with B-Rob and Trey for dinner, followed by drinks at the requisite hip cocktail lounge. Thursday we walked through the West Village, did some shopping in SoHo (including the cleverly named stores "Shoe" and "Bag") and then wrapped up the day and the trip by catching Rent on Broadway (in it's last week).

I'll be heading back to the US in November (Florida) and January (Phoenix). In the meantime, if you're dying from visions of the silly land, go here.