CheapFlights.com compiles its top 20 list of US airports for beer drinkers
Being a wine drinker, I was cheered sometime ago when Vino Volo, a chain of upscale wine bars, was rumored to be considering an outlet at Denver International Airport. It hasn't happened yet, and the little chain has only established outposts at nine US airports (Sacramento, Seattle/Tacoma, San Antonio, Detroit and five in the Middle Atlantic). One is in the American Airlines Terminal at New York's JFK, but I sure wish there were one in the airport's main international terminal. I flew to Cairo recently on Egyptair, an alcohol-free carrier, and I certainly wish I had been able to sip a glass of wine better than what the sports bar nearest to my gate poured.
Not being a beer drinker, the new Beer Lover's Airport Guide on cheapflights.com is only a matter of passing curiosity to me personally, but it's an invaluable resource for thirsty flyers who appreciate quality beer and ale. The airports where writer Jerome Greer Chandler found good craft beers are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York/JFK, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Raleigh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Washington National and Washington Dulles. You'll have to click on the link to learn which brews are available at what part of those airports.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Palestine: Day 2, Part 2: Bethlehem and Hebron
Great lunch in Bethlehem followed by a visit to Hebron, an experience in sorrow
Bethlehem
We visited the International Cultural Center, a youth and cultural center offereing education, enrichment, opportunities to build skills the arts, community support and health services to young people, plus a small guesthouse. The complex is one of the hopeful signs of better, more tranquil times to come.
Then we made our way through the old city for lunch at Afeem, down a little street near Manger Square in Bethlehem. Under vaulted stone ceilings, the staff brought out wonderful renditions of Middle Eastern specialties that we'd had before and would have again. Everything came out family-style, so the narrow table was packed with plates and bowls. The hummus was the best I've ever eaten. But the real discovery was lemonade mixed with finely chopped mint. A champion in the thirst-quencher competition.
Hebron
From Bethlehem, we drove to Hebron, a city that was an early hotbed of Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation to their territory and unprecedented retaliation on the part of the Israeli government, whose army has the big guns in this conflict. The city center is busy and lively, but pairs of armed soldiers stand around, and scores of checkpoints require Palestinians to show identification on demand when traveling around their own city.
Most controversial and provocative are the Jewish settlements plunked in the middle of old city, not on the outskirts as elswhere. Palestinians have been displaced to make way for these settlements, each protected by a high fence or wall and armed soldiers. The population of the three settlements is reportedly somewhere between 300 and 500, with something like 1,000 soldiers to protect them. Streets and alleyways that used to go through are now blocked off, and hundreds of shops in the old souk have closed, either their metal doors welded shut by the Israelis or abandoned by shopkeepers who no longer had business in this tense place.
One of the settlements looms above the centuries-old market. The settlers, fanatics by anyone's standards, took to throwing shows and trash down on the narrow market paths below. Nets and fencing suspended over the streets (below) now prevent this detritus from hitting passersby. Hebron authorities are so eager to repopulate the old city that they are offering free housing, free schooling and free medical care as incentives to Palestinian families to return to the heart of the city. It would take that for people to be willing to endure the inconvenience and even humiliation literally and figured heaped up them by the small minority of settlers in their midst.
Visitors get an eyeful if they walk through the market, passing many forever-closed shops, en route to Harem el-Kahlil Mosque, which should be sacred to all three major mono-theistic religions. It holds the red and white striped Tombs osf the Patriarchs -- where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and other members of the family are buried. They are revered by Arabs, Christians and Jews and should be sacred to all. But it was the site of one of the West Bank's worst incidents -- and there have been a lot of incidents. In 1994, Dr. Baruch Goldstein, an American-born Israeli physician with undisputed credentials as a fanatic, donned his Army reserve uniform, entered to mosque and threw a grenade, killing 29 people and wounding 125.
When we left the mosque and again passed through a floor-to-ceiling metal turnstile watched by an armed soldier and walked down the net-covered byways and shuttered market stalls, I bought a beaded bracelet in the colors of the Palestinian flag from one of the young vendors. It was a sad and sobering afternoon. There are many Israelis and non-Israeli Jews who favor peace talks and peace. But the government, with its many travel restrictions, makes such talks difficult. I hope something clicks in, that the conservatives and fnatics on both sides lose power and influence, and that future generations will live in harmony and peace.
En route out of town, we stopped at a glass and ceramics shop (three photosjust below) with one traditional glass-blower showing off his craft for visitors' camera. Then we briefly visited the pools of Solomon, an ingenious water storage and delivery system from antiquity. The pools are located in a shaded area that is currently roped off (bottom) while workmen do some restoration or repairs. Across the street is is a newer resort amnd conference center.
In the evening, we had dinner with Palestinian tourism VIPs at the Tent Restaurant back in Bethlehem. I had to make myself chat and socials, enjoy the group of young dancers and tasty food. Everything was good, but in truth, I continud to be haunted by Hebron and had trouble focusing on the feast.
Bethlehem
We visited the International Cultural Center, a youth and cultural center offereing education, enrichment, opportunities to build skills the arts, community support and health services to young people, plus a small guesthouse. The complex is one of the hopeful signs of better, more tranquil times to come.
Then we made our way through the old city for lunch at Afeem, down a little street near Manger Square in Bethlehem. Under vaulted stone ceilings, the staff brought out wonderful renditions of Middle Eastern specialties that we'd had before and would have again. Everything came out family-style, so the narrow table was packed with plates and bowls. The hummus was the best I've ever eaten. But the real discovery was lemonade mixed with finely chopped mint. A champion in the thirst-quencher competition.
Hebron
From Bethlehem, we drove to Hebron, a city that was an early hotbed of Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation to their territory and unprecedented retaliation on the part of the Israeli government, whose army has the big guns in this conflict. The city center is busy and lively, but pairs of armed soldiers stand around, and scores of checkpoints require Palestinians to show identification on demand when traveling around their own city.
Most controversial and provocative are the Jewish settlements plunked in the middle of old city, not on the outskirts as elswhere. Palestinians have been displaced to make way for these settlements, each protected by a high fence or wall and armed soldiers. The population of the three settlements is reportedly somewhere between 300 and 500, with something like 1,000 soldiers to protect them. Streets and alleyways that used to go through are now blocked off, and hundreds of shops in the old souk have closed, either their metal doors welded shut by the Israelis or abandoned by shopkeepers who no longer had business in this tense place.
One of the settlements looms above the centuries-old market. The settlers, fanatics by anyone's standards, took to throwing shows and trash down on the narrow market paths below. Nets and fencing suspended over the streets (below) now prevent this detritus from hitting passersby. Hebron authorities are so eager to repopulate the old city that they are offering free housing, free schooling and free medical care as incentives to Palestinian families to return to the heart of the city. It would take that for people to be willing to endure the inconvenience and even humiliation literally and figured heaped up them by the small minority of settlers in their midst.
Visitors get an eyeful if they walk through the market, passing many forever-closed shops, en route to Harem el-Kahlil Mosque, which should be sacred to all three major mono-theistic religions. It holds the red and white striped Tombs osf the Patriarchs -- where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and other members of the family are buried. They are revered by Arabs, Christians and Jews and should be sacred to all. But it was the site of one of the West Bank's worst incidents -- and there have been a lot of incidents. In 1994, Dr. Baruch Goldstein, an American-born Israeli physician with undisputed credentials as a fanatic, donned his Army reserve uniform, entered to mosque and threw a grenade, killing 29 people and wounding 125.
When we left the mosque and again passed through a floor-to-ceiling metal turnstile watched by an armed soldier and walked down the net-covered byways and shuttered market stalls, I bought a beaded bracelet in the colors of the Palestinian flag from one of the young vendors. It was a sad and sobering afternoon. There are many Israelis and non-Israeli Jews who favor peace talks and peace. But the government, with its many travel restrictions, makes such talks difficult. I hope something clicks in, that the conservatives and fnatics on both sides lose power and influence, and that future generations will live in harmony and peace.
En route out of town, we stopped at a glass and ceramics shop (three photosjust below) with one traditional glass-blower showing off his craft for visitors' camera. Then we briefly visited the pools of Solomon, an ingenious water storage and delivery system from antiquity. The pools are located in a shaded area that is currently roped off (bottom) while workmen do some restoration or repairs. Across the street is is a newer resort amnd conference center.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
West Bank Travels: Day 2, Part 1
Holy sites for beckon the faithful -- and their digital cameras
We started the morning at Shepherd's Fields (top image, below), where -- according to the New Testament -- the Angel of the Lord visited the shepherds to tell them of Jesus' birth. I learned that two millennia ago, the shepherds and also their animals spent their nights underground in caves and grottos in the soft limestone. The manger as usually depicted is therefore a much later European interpretation of where animals were kept. A hole in the ceiling let air and light in, and smoke out. A metal walkway down the side of the valley enables visitors to see some of these grottos, many with small rooms that are now used as chapels for small groups of the faithful to pray or sing. Benches and small altars (middle image) have been set up for these groups. On the valley rim is a domed church that we did not have time to visit.
We had breakfast at the nearby Golden Peak Hotel -- buffet and chance to meet with some Palestinians involved in various social justice and peace movementsa nd various good works, and also tourist promotion efforts to bring more visitors to Palestine and the West Bank. Nidal Abu Zuluf, who advocates for non-violence as inspired by anti-Apartheid actions in South Africa (and of course, Mahatma Ghani in India and Dr. Martin Luther King in the US) is most impressive. Karios Palestine is a Christian Palestinian document expressing that approach effecting change and bringing about social justice and equality.
The people, who harbor hopes for better times to come, are very different from images of Palestinians we see on our news programs, which tend to report on the violent and the negative. After a decade of military occupation by the Israeli army, the construction high walls all over the landscape to contain Palestinians and the imposition of Jewish settlements in their midst, it is remarkable that anyone can remain positive and try to help their people. But some -- many, in fact -- do.
The exterior of the Church of the Nativity is not beauitful, so don't expect something like the grand cathedrals of Europe. The hulking, undorned Byzantine structure has suffered from centuries that included assasult, netglecs and renovations that were often undertaken for defensive reasons. A large doorway was made narrowerand lower, so that a horse and rider could not enter and also so that men had to bend down to get through and there heads lobbed off if they were unwelcome.
Inside, the atmosphere is less reverential than I remember from a visit during the Society of American Travel Writers convention in Israel some 25 years ago. But that was before digital cameras, which cause people to travel around looking at the world through the image display. I am as guilty as anyone and do it too. People dress more casually now, talk more and more loudly, and are in a greater hurry than they were then. I'm not religious, but then, I lit a candle to honor my Aunt Margaret, the only church-goer in my fanily.This time, the group zipped through the side room when the candles are now sold. I saw a few robed monks and priests and a couple of nuns -- far fewer propotionally now than then. A quarter of a century ago, the church seemed like a place of pilgrimage for the faithful. This time, I'm afraid that it felt more like something most tourists cross off their bucket list. The main church is cavernous, largely devoid of ancient ornamention but with the abundant lights and lanterns that characterize Eastern rite churches.
Under the Byzantine-style Orthodox portion of the double church is a grotto where Mary is believed to have given birth to the Baby Jesus. The spot, a silk/satin-draped niche (below), is marked with a plaque on the floor. Many people get down on hands and knees to touch or kiss the plaque, resulting in many photos of many backsides. Again, small rooms accommodate groups of pilgrims who sit on plastic chairs, praying or singing. A quarter of a century ago, I seem to remember a lot of lit candles and quieter contemplation. Not now.
St. Catherine's Church, the immediaely adjacent Catholic church built in the 19th century, is somewhat Gothic in inspiration. It has a vaulted ceiling, high clerestory windows and wooden pews, more closely resembling many a Catholic church around the world. Someone is refinishing wood right now, so people were walking through, photographing and even praying to the sound of an electric sander and the smell of varnish. Most people passed though it on their way underground to older grottos, caves and chapels. The upper church and Manger Square are the places from which Christmas Eve Mass is telecast around the world
Underneath is the grotto where St. Hieronymus (St. Jerome) lived and was entombed until the Crusaders stole his bones and moved them elsewhere. He is credited with translating the Bible into Latin. He was said to have been hermit, but he had a housekeeper and her son in the gotto, so he was a hermit wtih at least minimal companionship.
To be continued when I have time.
We started the morning at Shepherd's Fields (top image, below), where -- according to the New Testament -- the Angel of the Lord visited the shepherds to tell them of Jesus' birth. I learned that two millennia ago, the shepherds and also their animals spent their nights underground in caves and grottos in the soft limestone. The manger as usually depicted is therefore a much later European interpretation of where animals were kept. A hole in the ceiling let air and light in, and smoke out. A metal walkway down the side of the valley enables visitors to see some of these grottos, many with small rooms that are now used as chapels for small groups of the faithful to pray or sing. Benches and small altars (middle image) have been set up for these groups. On the valley rim is a domed church that we did not have time to visit.
We had breakfast at the nearby Golden Peak Hotel -- buffet and chance to meet with some Palestinians involved in various social justice and peace movementsa nd various good works, and also tourist promotion efforts to bring more visitors to Palestine and the West Bank. Nidal Abu Zuluf, who advocates for non-violence as inspired by anti-Apartheid actions in South Africa (and of course, Mahatma Ghani in India and Dr. Martin Luther King in the US) is most impressive. Karios Palestine is a Christian Palestinian document expressing that approach effecting change and bringing about social justice and equality.
The people, who harbor hopes for better times to come, are very different from images of Palestinians we see on our news programs, which tend to report on the violent and the negative. After a decade of military occupation by the Israeli army, the construction high walls all over the landscape to contain Palestinians and the imposition of Jewish settlements in their midst, it is remarkable that anyone can remain positive and try to help their people. But some -- many, in fact -- do.
The exterior of the Church of the Nativity is not beauitful, so don't expect something like the grand cathedrals of Europe. The hulking, undorned Byzantine structure has suffered from centuries that included assasult, netglecs and renovations that were often undertaken for defensive reasons. A large doorway was made narrowerand lower, so that a horse and rider could not enter and also so that men had to bend down to get through and there heads lobbed off if they were unwelcome.
Inside, the atmosphere is less reverential than I remember from a visit during the Society of American Travel Writers convention in Israel some 25 years ago. But that was before digital cameras, which cause people to travel around looking at the world through the image display. I am as guilty as anyone and do it too. People dress more casually now, talk more and more loudly, and are in a greater hurry than they were then. I'm not religious, but then, I lit a candle to honor my Aunt Margaret, the only church-goer in my fanily.This time, the group zipped through the side room when the candles are now sold. I saw a few robed monks and priests and a couple of nuns -- far fewer propotionally now than then. A quarter of a century ago, the church seemed like a place of pilgrimage for the faithful. This time, I'm afraid that it felt more like something most tourists cross off their bucket list. The main church is cavernous, largely devoid of ancient ornamention but with the abundant lights and lanterns that characterize Eastern rite churches.
The main church is cavernous, largely devoid of ancient ornamention but with icons, lots of silver and abundant lights and lanterns that characterize Eastern rite churches.
Under the Byzantine-style Orthodox portion of the double church is a grotto where Mary is believed to have given birth to the Baby Jesus. The spot, a silk/satin-draped niche (below), is marked with a plaque on the floor. Many people get down on hands and knees to touch or kiss the plaque, resulting in many photos of many backsides. Again, small rooms accommodate groups of pilgrims who sit on plastic chairs, praying or singing. A quarter of a century ago, I seem to remember a lot of lit candles and quieter contemplation. Not now.
St. Catherine's Church, the immediaely adjacent Catholic church built in the 19th century, is somewhat Gothic in inspiration. It has a vaulted ceiling, high clerestory windows and wooden pews, more closely resembling many a Catholic church around the world. Someone is refinishing wood right now, so people were walking through, photographing and even praying to the sound of an electric sander and the smell of varnish. Most people passed though it on their way underground to older grottos, caves and chapels. The upper church and Manger Square are the places from which Christmas Eve Mass is telecast around the world
Underneath is the grotto where St. Hieronymus (St. Jerome) lived and was entombed until the Crusaders stole his bones and moved them elsewhere. He is credited with translating the Bible into Latin. He was said to have been hermit, but he had a housekeeper and her son in the gotto, so he was a hermit wtih at least minimal companionship.
To be continued when I have time.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Travel Answer Man Publishes Viscape List of Top Tavel Blogs
I was surprised and pleased to find out that Travel Answer Man has included this blog on a list of Top Travel Blogs of 2008 that he found on Viscape. Thanks, TAM, for for the vote of confidence in Viscape and iin Travel Babel.
West Bank/Palestine Travels, Day 1
Holy Land media visit starts with a long travel day
At Denver International Airport, I saw the controversial statue of Horus (below), a complicated ancient Egyptian god whose statue has been placed right outside the main terminal in honor of the upcoming King Tut exhibition at the Denver Art Muesum. I'm missing the media preview this week.
Easy flight to Newark, long layover and then comfy transatlantic flight. I used miles and money to upgrade to Continental's Business/First for the long overnight flight to Tel Aviv.
Arrived in Tel Aviv, met group at airport and boarded bus driven by "Captain" Samr and listened to intro to the Palestinian Territories by Samir Bahbah (below) of the Arab Tour Guides Association. His story exemplifies the complexities of this area. He is a Catholic by religion, Palestinian by nationality and Arab by ethnicity. He grew up and lives in East Jerusalem, so he has a Jordanian passport yet is an Israeli citizen who cannot vote and does not have to serve in the Army.
Our bus traveled through the outskirts of Jeruslem and the first of many security checkpoints we would encounrter and directly into Bethlehem and checked into the Jacir Palace Intercontinental Hotel (below, top image), a luxury hotel affixed to an opulent villa on the oturskirts of the city. My room (below, bottom) is comfortable but not lavish, yet the public spaces in the old mansion are exceptionally atmospheric. When I went to open my bag, the TSA-compliant lock was gone and the loop on the zipper pull where the lock fit through was broken. Too much time in Newark -- or or likely something at the airport here, where enthsiastic Israeli security agents don't bother with the device that opens TSA-complient locks? I'll never know, but now, I guess that I'll have to carry my netbook with me everywhere.
Light buffet dinner during this very low season.. A few of us went for a short walk, and then back to the hotel. Room is fine. Bedside table holds a New Testament in three languages (German, English, French) and a Koran in Arabic (below). It's been a long time since I've been in a hotel room with an ashtray! A liter of water was a nice consideration, because the tap water is not potable. Oh, how I wish they'd put a second bottle of water in my room.
And now, a good night.
At Denver International Airport, I saw the controversial statue of Horus (below), a complicated ancient Egyptian god whose statue has been placed right outside the main terminal in honor of the upcoming King Tut exhibition at the Denver Art Muesum. I'm missing the media preview this week.
Easy flight to Newark, long layover and then comfy transatlantic flight. I used miles and money to upgrade to Continental's Business/First for the long overnight flight to Tel Aviv.
Arrived in Tel Aviv, met group at airport and boarded bus driven by "Captain" Samr and listened to intro to the Palestinian Territories by Samir Bahbah (below) of the Arab Tour Guides Association. His story exemplifies the complexities of this area. He is a Catholic by religion, Palestinian by nationality and Arab by ethnicity. He grew up and lives in East Jerusalem, so he has a Jordanian passport yet is an Israeli citizen who cannot vote and does not have to serve in the Army.
Our bus traveled through the outskirts of Jeruslem and the first of many security checkpoints we would encounrter and directly into Bethlehem and checked into the Jacir Palace Intercontinental Hotel (below, top image), a luxury hotel affixed to an opulent villa on the oturskirts of the city. My room (below, bottom) is comfortable but not lavish, yet the public spaces in the old mansion are exceptionally atmospheric. When I went to open my bag, the TSA-compliant lock was gone and the loop on the zipper pull where the lock fit through was broken. Too much time in Newark -- or or likely something at the airport here, where enthsiastic Israeli security agents don't bother with the device that opens TSA-complient locks? I'll never know, but now, I guess that I'll have to carry my netbook with me everywhere.
Light buffet dinner during this very low season.. A few of us went for a short walk, and then back to the hotel. Room is fine. Bedside table holds a New Testament in three languages (German, English, French) and a Koran in Arabic (below). It's been a long time since I've been in a hotel room with an ashtray! A liter of water was a nice consideration, because the tap water is not potable. Oh, how I wish they'd put a second bottle of water in my room.
And now, a good night.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Airline Passenger Trantrum Caught on Video
S--t sometimes happens with air travel -- and sometimes on the slopes. YouTube sees all!
I've been skiing Aspen/Snowmass with friends from east (New Jersey) and west (Australia) this week, and I'm glad that I live within driving distance. Steve was flying back to New Jersey on Wednesday. United canceled his Aspen-Denver flight (too much wind for the aircraft scheduled for this route or too low a load factor?) and re-routed him to Newark Airport via Los Angeles. I suspect he took it in resignation but good grace. Jim, Dee and Greg are scheduled to fly Aspen-Denver-Newark tomorrow. A big storm is bearing down on the Colorado Rockies. They were considering renting a car, but I suggested they ride back to Boulder with me today so that at least they'll be on the appropriate side of the Continental Divide. If the Aussies can't make it out tomorrow, I suspect they will also take it in their stride.
Not so an unidentified passenger who missed her Hong Kong-San Francisco flight on Cathay Pacific and proceeded to throw a tantrum at the airport. Of course, it was caught on video, and of course, it made its way to YouTube. You can see it by clicking here.
She is recognizable, if not yet identified. At least the the face of the skier who earlier this season was caught, literally with his pants down, dangling from a chairlift at Vail. Au contraire. Only his nearest and dearest could have recognized him, and YouTube has tactfully fuzzed out his butt crack, which you can see here. I feel sympathy mainly for his 10-year-old son who remained on the chair -- fully clothed. He'll be discussing this with his shrink in years to come. I hope that Dad has a sense of humor. As for the SFO-bound passenger, she should be ashamed of her childish behavior.
Vail apologized. SharpShooter Photography, whose off-duty photographer captured the chairlift moment, apologized. Cathay Pacific, one of whose agents captured the tantrum on video, apologized. But the incidents are still online for all to see -- and marvel at.
I've been skiing Aspen/Snowmass with friends from east (New Jersey) and west (Australia) this week, and I'm glad that I live within driving distance. Steve was flying back to New Jersey on Wednesday. United canceled his Aspen-Denver flight (too much wind for the aircraft scheduled for this route or too low a load factor?) and re-routed him to Newark Airport via Los Angeles. I suspect he took it in resignation but good grace. Jim, Dee and Greg are scheduled to fly Aspen-Denver-Newark tomorrow. A big storm is bearing down on the Colorado Rockies. They were considering renting a car, but I suggested they ride back to Boulder with me today so that at least they'll be on the appropriate side of the Continental Divide. If the Aussies can't make it out tomorrow, I suspect they will also take it in their stride.
Not so an unidentified passenger who missed her Hong Kong-San Francisco flight on Cathay Pacific and proceeded to throw a tantrum at the airport. Of course, it was caught on video, and of course, it made its way to YouTube. You can see it by clicking here.
She is recognizable, if not yet identified. At least the the face of the skier who earlier this season was caught, literally with his pants down, dangling from a chairlift at Vail. Au contraire. Only his nearest and dearest could have recognized him, and YouTube has tactfully fuzzed out his butt crack, which you can see here. I feel sympathy mainly for his 10-year-old son who remained on the chair -- fully clothed. He'll be discussing this with his shrink in years to come. I hope that Dad has a sense of humor. As for the SFO-bound passenger, she should be ashamed of her childish behavior.
Vail apologized. SharpShooter Photography, whose off-duty photographer captured the chairlift moment, apologized. Cathay Pacific, one of whose agents captured the tantrum on video, apologized. But the incidents are still online for all to see -- and marvel at.
Wyoming Town Honors Rodeo Star
Tiny Kaycee dedicates Chris LeDoux Memorial Park this weekend to big local star
Chris LeDoux was a rodeo star on horseback and on stage. He won the Professional Rodeo world championship in bareback riding in 1976, and he played to capacity crowd concerts at Cheyenne Frontier Days beginning in the mid-1990s. He was inducted into both the Cheyenne Frontier Days and Pro Rodeo Halls of Fame. A highlight of his music career was a top ten hit sung with Garth Brooks, "What You Gonna Do With a Cowboy," and his records sold more than six million worldwide. He died in 2005 at age 56 of a rare form of liver cancer.
This weekend, Kaycee, Wyoming (70 miles north of Casper, population 300) is dedicating the new Chris LeDoux Memorial Park in downtown on land that LeDoux and his wife, Peggy, purchased many years ago. They raised five children on a ranch outside of Kaycee. It dedication includes the unveiling of a monumental life-and-a-half size bronze called “Good Ride Cowboy” by sculptor D. Michael Thomas of Buffalo, Wyoming (45 miles north of Kaycee). He began the project shortly after LeDoux’s death. “Chris’s passing hit me like a ton of bricks right in the gut. I always had an idea there needed to be a monument of this fellow. He was Mr. Wyoming,” said Thomas.
Thomas’s 2,300-pound bronze depicts LeDoux spurring for a coveted world champion’s buckle. The base depicts LeDoux’s guitar. Kaycee locals and legions of LeDoux fans raised the funds required for the sculpture. A Cody mold maker, the Caleco Bronze Foundry in Cody and finisher Clay Ward of Deaver, Wyoming, were involved in taking the project for concept to completion. The dedication takes place tomorrow, June 19, and while it's way late for most people to head for Kaycee, the festivities give an iea of how a small town can celebrate a significant local person. The celebration starts at 10:00 a.m. and includes free food and beer prior to the unveiling of the bronze at 3:00 p.m. Afterward, LeDoux’s band, the Western Underground, will play a free concert following the ceremony.
This weekend, Kaycee, Wyoming (70 miles north of Casper, population 300) is dedicating the new Chris LeDoux Memorial Park in downtown on land that LeDoux and his wife, Peggy, purchased many years ago. They raised five children on a ranch outside of Kaycee. It dedication includes the unveiling of a monumental life-and-a-half size bronze called “Good Ride Cowboy” by sculptor D. Michael Thomas of Buffalo, Wyoming (45 miles north of Kaycee). He began the project shortly after LeDoux’s death. “Chris’s passing hit me like a ton of bricks right in the gut. I always had an idea there needed to be a monument of this fellow. He was Mr. Wyoming,” said Thomas.
Thomas’s 2,300-pound bronze depicts LeDoux spurring for a coveted world champion’s buckle. The base depicts LeDoux’s guitar. Kaycee locals and legions of LeDoux fans raised the funds required for the sculpture. A Cody mold maker, the Caleco Bronze Foundry in Cody and finisher Clay Ward of Deaver, Wyoming, were involved in taking the project for concept to completion. The dedication takes place tomorrow, June 19, and while it's way late for most people to head for Kaycee, the festivities give an iea of how a small town can celebrate a significant local person. The celebration starts at 10:00 a.m. and includes free food and beer prior to the unveiling of the bronze at 3:00 p.m. Afterward, LeDoux’s band, the Western Underground, will play a free concert following the ceremony.
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