Spring Break in the Midwest!

During Spring Break, I went to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Madison, Wisconsin. I was worried that the weather would be freezing because they recently have had some terrible snow and temperatures in the negative 40s. However, we had good timing, and the weather was beautiful and sunny! Everyone was very excited about how much nicer the weather was than it had been all winter.

We spent three days with my wife's 96-year-old grandmother in Madison, Wisconsin. She is more positive than almost anyone I know even though she suffered an injury a few weeks ago and is very limited in her movements. We mainly stayed in her apartment and played cards and talked. Overall, it was a very pleasant visit!

Here is Tamara's grandma, Harriet, with her mom, Karla.

Our time in Minneapolis was also very pleasant, but it was very different in that we spent a lot of time out on the town. We went with some good friends to listen to an amazing Cuban soul band, Daymé Arocena, at the historic Dakota Jazz Club. The music was fantastic, and the atmosphere was really warm and friendly. People really seemed to enjoy the music, even though it was more of a sit-down place, not the sort of place where people get up and dance.

The Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis

We also took some really nice walks around some lakes in Minneapolis. Below is a photo with Tamara's aunt Deanna next to Lake Harriet, which is still frozen! Even though it looks really frigid, the air felt warmer in the sunshine than it looks in this photo!

Welcome to Denton, TX

My hometown is Denton, Texas, a small city about forty-five minutes north of Dallas. We call it the northern point of the "Golden Triangle" that includes Dallas and Fort Worth, but no one in Dallas or Fort Worth has heard of this golden triangle.

Here is a photo of my wife Tamara and me in front of the downtown courthouse, a local landmark on the city square.

Denton is a city with a lot of creativity and culture! We have two universities, the University of North Texas and Texas Women's University, and both of them have amazing music, art, and theatre programs. Jazz and classical music are specialties at UNT, but there is every genre you can imagine. Denton is said to have a lot in common now with the way Austin was twenty years ago, and it's not just locals who claim that! Here is a link to a New York Times article that asserts that comparison.

Brave Combo is one of the most unique and fun bands I know, and they call Denton home.  Here they are playing at the Denton Arts and Jazz festival, a free event that attracts thousands of visitors:

In addition, Denton has one of the coolest bookstores I have ever explored. It's called Recycled Books and Records. This photo doesn't do it justice; you need to go and see it for yourself!

All in all, if you like music, art, and quirkiness, I highly recommend visiting Denton. Let me know if you are going up there! I'll give you more tips on where to stay and what to see!