Road Trip Memories - Meeting a President at Carmen's Pizza in Evanston, IL

Tuesday, I mentioned that I have been lucky enough to shake the hands of a former President and two Supreme Court Justices. Because I think it is rather interesting, I thought I should share the story of how I shook the hand of former President Jimmy Carter.

I had just left Oklahoma and moved to Evanston, Illinois. My mother came to town to visit me and offered to take me and my roommate, who was Bess of The Unplanned Misadventures of MirMir and Bess, out to dinner. Choosing where to eat was easy - we were college students and our diet consisted almost entirely of pizza and PopTarts (literally, that is not an exaggeration. If it couldn't be delivered or gotten from a vending machine then we probably didn't eat it that year). So when offered a free meal at a restaurant, we opted to go to Carmen's Pizza. But before you judge our monochromatic tastes, you must understand just how good Carmen's Pizza is. Pizza isn't just a food, it is an art form in Chicago and its suburbs like Evanston. Decades of craftsmanship go into these delicacies so restaurants inspire fanatical devotion in their patrons for the best in Chicago-style pizza.

When I first moved to Chicago, my loyalty went to Carmen's although as I continued to live in Chicago I would eventually spend at least one year of my life living on a steady diet of pizza and wings delivered from Chicago's Pizza. But that particular evening, Bess and I insisted on going to Carmen's Pizza. When we arrived, the restaurant was full of people sampling the thin pizza, stuffed pizza, and traditional pan pizza. Their stuffed pizza is what made them famous. It is stuffed with toppings and topped with their special, secret tomato sauce then baked for a full 35 minutes. It is definitely worth the wait and in the meantime, there is salad to munch on and dessert to anticipate. You can't go to Carmen's and not have the cannoli for dessert. Carmen's cannoli is everything a cannoli should be - crispy shell overflowing with sweet ricotta and chocolate chips and dusted with pistachios. (In my opinion, it's not a real cannoli without the pistachios).

As we were waiting on our order, my mother, Bess, and I began to notice official-looking men with ear pieces and dark suits standing by the door. We made a few jokes about the Secret Service, but didn't realize we were actually right until the entire restaurant stood up and started clapping. Over the patron's heads, we saw President Carter descending the stairs. He exited slowly, taking his time to greet customers and shake hands. Including Bess's and my hands. As my mother and I were in shock, trying to process that our dinner had lead to a chance encounter with a President, Bess asked "Who was that?" (Bess is Canadian, she can't help it).

In addition to being an amazing experience - meeting a Former President and shaking his hand - it also gave Carmen's some clout in the Chicago pizza debate. After all, they can now claim a President prefers Carmen's pizza when he's in town.

This joins other food blog articles posted in Wanderfood Wednesdays on Wanderlust and Lipstick. Check them out!

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics - Lawrence, KS

Recently, I have been thinking I must have done something well in my life. I have been lucky enough at my young age to have shaken the hands of a former President and two Supreme Court Justices. The first Justice I met was Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. I attended a luncheon with a dozen other young female law students and had the incredible opportunity of speaking one-on-one with the first woman ever appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. The second was Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who recently hosted a Question and Answer Session with law students and members of the community at The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence, Kansas.

After Bob Dole lost the 1996 presidential election, he received a proposal to entrust his 35-years of congressional papers to the University of Kansas, where Dole had studied before leaving to serve in WWII. Together Dole and KU established the Dole Institute, which houses Dole's papers and also offers programs for students and members of the community to learn about American politics and public service. The building was officially opened to the public in 2003 and since then has hosted numerous national and world leaders, including President Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and former President of Poland Lech Walesa. Justice Sotomayor is not the only Supreme Court Justice to visit the Dole Institute; she was preceded by Justice O'Connor, Justice Alito, and Chief Justice Roberts.

While the Dole Institute offers an opportunity for the people of Kansas to hear famous politicians, justices, journalists, authors, historians, and public servants speak, it also offers interactive opportunities with the Dole Fellows. Dole Fellows are individuals with extensive experience in public service, who offer public study groups on a political topic. This Spring, Walt Riker (former Vice President of McDonald's) and Hon. Dennis Moore (former US Congressman for Kansas) will be the Dole's Fellows. Riker will be leading a study group on Corporate Responsibility and Moore will be leading a study group on Life in Congress.

These unique educational opportunities at the Dole Institute are quite inspirational. After a visit, Tom Brokaw had this to say:

“I was just at the Bob Dole Institute at the University of Kansas, and I recommend to everybody watching this broadcast that if you get anywhere near Lawrence, Kansas, go to the Bob Dole Institute.....and you'll see some bright young people who are entering public life or are interested in the issues of the day. And you'll see a remarkable small museum about Bob's astonishing life. It is a great tribute to a great American."

In addition to the great service it provides, the Dole Institute is visually stunning. It is reminiscent of the federal buildings in Washington, D.C. It even includes a 32,000 square foot reflecting pool, similar to Washington's Tidal Basin. But even with its national influence, the Institute is still uniquely Kansan. A fourteen-foot replica of the Kansas state seal crowns the building's facade. Inside, the Dole Institute honors its namesake in the Hansen Hall with exhibits about Dole's military service, personal life, and political career. At the south end of Hansen Hall, visitors can see a soaring, 29-foot tall stained glass American flag window, and two eleven and a half foot steel columns which were salvaged from the World Trade Center and presented to Senator Dole by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The Dole Institute is a shining temple to the ideals of American history, politics or public service. Whether you stop to simply admire the architecture and exhibits or to learn from one of the Institute's many speakers and fellows, it will certainly enrich your mind and inspire your soul to those American values of freedom, democracy, and public service.

Total Time Traveled: 10 minutes

Total Distance Traveled: 2 miles

Soundtrack: "Let It Bleed" Rolling Stones

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Sam Houston Statue - Huntsville, TX

Anna and I left the prison museum and decided to go see the giant statue of Sam Houston, commonly known as "Big Sam." Of course, we should have taken into account our inability to navigate. She and I have an amazing ability to get lost no matter where we are and no matter where we're going. This led to our discovery of Homeland Security in Houston and our brief visit to a Texas prison in Hunstville. Yes, Anna and I technically went to prison. We were trying to find the guest center for the statue when we pulled into a parking lot. We then noticed the large fences with barbed wire. And the sign indicating we had just made a big mistake. We promptly freaked out (who wouldn't after learning about what really goes on in a Texas prison for the last hour?) But we escaped quickly and got our bearings. Eventually, we found the welcome center and it looks nothing like a prison.

Big Sam is actually named A Tribute to Courage by David Adickes. Sam is 67 feet tall, made from 30 tons of concrete and steel and stands on a 10 foot sunset granite base. That makes him the world's tallest statue of an American hero. Although comparatively, he really isn't that tall. Not counting its pedestal and foundation, the Statue of Liberty is 151 feet tall - taller than two Big Sam's standing on top of each other. Still, its an impressive site. Big Sam can be seen for 6.5 miles from the south.

For those unfamiliar with American or Texas history, Sam Houston was an important figure during the Civil War. He was opposed to Texas seceding from the Union and was removed as governor when Texas did secede and he refused to swear and oath of allegiance to the Confederacy. He was a leader of the Texas Revolution and eventually supported the annexation of Texas into the United States. Some interesting things to know about him include that he was the only man in American History to be elected governor of two states (Tennessee and Texas) and he was a citizen of four nations (United States, Cherokee, Mexico, Texas.)

A Tribute to Courage was originally intended to be finished by March 2, 1993 for Sam Houston's 200th birthday. But the colossal nature of the project took longer to complete then expected so the final statue was not dedicated until 1994. Given the sheer size of the honor, I doubt Sam Houston minded the extra time needed.

Kansas Capitol Building - Topeka, KS

Wondering where I have been for the last few weeks? Everywhere! I have been working like a mad woman back and forth between Kansas and Missouri for both my jobs. This resulted in a lot of traveling, but absolutely no free time to talk about it. So I'm going to work on getting caught up, starting with my trip last Tuesday to the Kansas Capitol building in Topeka!

I went to Topeka for a rally and to join many supporters of women's access to health care in delivering petitions to Governor Parkinson. But, this is not my political or ideological forum so enough about that and on to the Capitol building itself.

A significant portion of the capitol building is currently under renovation so there is little to see on the south side except for scaffolding. The original capitol building took thirty-seven years to complete from 1885 to 1922 and cost $3,200,588.92.

Like most state capitols, the Kansas Capitol building features a prominent dome. The tradition of the dome is meant to model a state's capitol after the nation's capitol building in Washington D.C., though there are a few notable exceptions. The Kansas dome keeps with the Corinthian and French architecture style and was part of the original 1885 design of the capitol, but the figure on top of the dome is new.

The figure is named Ad Astra, meaning "to the stars." The bronze statue, added in 2002, is 22 feet and 2 inches tall and weighs 4,420 pounds. (Fun Fact: The oldest known graffiti on the dome dates back to 1903.) I didn't have time, what with my political activities and all, but you can tour the inside of the dome. If you can make it up 296 steps to the top of the dome that is.

Total Trip Time: 6 hours
Total Travel Distance: 140 miles

Missouri State Capitol - Jefferson City, MO

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to practice what I preach. I tell people the importance of being involved in the political process so I hopped a bus to Jefferson City, Missouri to join a group of citizen lobbyists. We went to speak with members of the Missouri legislature about current bills affecting women's reproductive rights.

This blog, however, is not about my political beliefs. It is not about my efforts as a feminist or a pro-choice activist. So don't worry, there will be no political ranting. Only a post about my admiration for the Missouri State Capitol.

When I went to Topeka, the capital city of Kansas, I was struck by the horrible contrast between the depressing economic conditions surrounding the capital building. But in Missouri, everything was as I would imagine the seat of government being. There were historical statues and fountains outside the building, beautiful green lawns and trees.

Of course, the stately building was complete with Roman style columns and a dome. (Fun Fact: Only a few state capital buildings lack a dome roof, including Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, New York, and New Mexico.)

Inside, I walked through several historical displays relating to the history of Missouri. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop and explore them. I had to hurry into the rotunda with its beautiful domed ceiling covered in artwork to hear the rally speeches. As impressed as I was by the words of our speakers, I was also impressed by the stately surroundings. (Fun Fact: The 4,500 pound chandelier that hangs in the rotunda took a fall back in November 2006. It had been lowered for maintenance but fell the remaining five feet to the ground and had to be sent to St. Louis for repairs.)

The Missouri State Capitol was truly beautiful, I only wish I had more time to enjoy it. But I'm sure I will find time for another trip back so I can take time to explore the grounds and

Total Trip Time: 10 hours
Total Travel Distance:
Soundtrack: "Oh, Perilous World" Rasputina

Dwight Eisenhower Fountain - Kansas City, KS

On Friday, I was forced to take a day off work. I suppose that's the result of loving your job and spending way too many hours in the office doing it. So I spent the day with my mother and my sister who was visiting from Oklahoma with her friend. And of course what visit with two college girls is complete without a shopping trip?

In Kansas City, Kansas there is a very large shopping center called The Legends in East Village. It earned the name The Legends from it's various homages to 80 different notable Kansans. From athletes to civic leaders, The Legends honors them in various artistic fashions.

Following a yellow brick road from the parking lot into the shopping center, you can see a large statue of Dwight Eisenhower is wading knee high in a pool of water. The water dances from the drops jumping from the surface like fish to the children splashing on the side.

Eisenhower served as the 34th President of the United States and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II. He was born in Texas, but his family moved to Abilene, Kansas when he was two-years-old. So he may not be native by birth, but certainly is by his upbringing.

As to why the former president is depicted fishing, I suppose it is because he was an avid sportsman during his life and during his presidency. He was well-known for his love of golf and of fishing. In that sense, it is a fitting memorial. In honor of his love of golf, a tree on the 17th hole of the Augusta National - where the Masters Tour is played annually - has been named after him.

Total Trip Time: 3 hours
Total Travel Distance: 45 miles
Soundtrack: Whatever my sister felt like playing on her iPod

Abraham Lincoln Traveling Exhibit - St. Joseph, MO

When we finished our tour of the Glore Psychiatric Museum, Anna and I decided to check out the Abraham Lincoln exhibit of the St. Joseph Museum.

Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America is a traveling exhibit featuring seven different stages. They are mostly hands-on (I particularly had fun playing with the Lincoln logs!)

The best part of the exhibit was playing dress up! You can try on a top hat and other apparel President Lincoln would have worn, then stand on a box to be closer to his height of 6 feet, four inches. Given that I am 5' 3", I'm pretty sure standing on that box with a top hat is as close as I will ever get to an impressive stature.

For those of a more feminine nature, you can try on Mary Todd Lincoln's clothing. Or you could watch others do it. The traveling exhibit includes a "Mrs. Lincoln's Closet" fashion show.

If you can't make it to St. Joseph to see the exhibit, it may be coming to you soon! Check out the exhibit's website to see if it will be making a stop in your town!

Click here to see more photos!