Month: September 2017
Location: Manchester
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| Aah New England! |
Every September I do a “Jimmy
Fund Boston Marathon Walk” and a couple of years ago I had combined that
with a visit to the neighboring Rhode Island.
Last year I went to Massachusetts in September, but that was a separate
trip. This time I decided to combine my
walk with a visit to New Hampshire and so for a 3rd September, and
the 2nd month in a row, I would be back in New England. My previous visits to New Hampshire had been
during my Graduate School days and those were day trips during Fall to see the
colors. One of the places that I
considered was ‘Mount Washington’,
but in the end stuck to my usual approach of going to a city, which in this
case was Manchester. I booked a rental
car for pickup at the airport and then dropping it off in Massachusetts the
next day, near my buddy’s place. Then I
thought that I really didn’t need a car when I was in Manchester, and could
easily just go to the airport prior to leaving for MA and pick it up, thus
saving on one day’s rental charge. So
with that sorted out, I was ready for travel.
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| Heading towards downtown Manchester |
I arrived in Manchester a little before 1 pm and took a cab
to my hotel. It took me all of 2 minutes
to drop off my stuff in the room and I called an ‘Uber’ to pick me up. As we
drove into downtown, it reminded me of Pittsburgh, perhaps owing to this
place’s history as a “Blue Collar Mill
Town”. I was headed towards an area
which used to be a “Millyard”, though
now those buildings housed apartments and office spaces. One such apartment building had a café called
‘Waterworks Café’, and which came
recommended for lunch. It looked like a
typical coffee shop where college students and aspiring writers hang out, and
they did make a good sandwich. With
late lunch done, I was ready to face Manchester.
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| The impressive 'Millyard Museum' |
I was in an area called ‘Amoskeag
Millyard’, and somewhere nearby were 2 museums that I wanted to visit, though
it took me going around the building to find the entrance. Interestingly, both museums were in the same
building and I was starting with the one on the 1st floor called ‘Millyard Museum’. I had no idea what this museum was about and
considering that it was inside a multi-tenant building, had my reservations on
its size. But I was mistaken about that
and not only was it considerably bigger than it appeared; it also turned out to
be quite interesting. I soon learned
that the primary focus of the museum was the story of the ‘Amoskeag Manufacturing Company’, which in the 19th
Century grew into the largest cotton textile plant in the world, till its
demise in early 20th Century.
The word “Amoskeag” was a
derived from the name of the local waterfall and had Native origins, based on
the earliest people of this region. The
place looked quite laid back and the gentleman who sold me the ticket looked
comfortable in his chair as I started exploring.
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| Loved the "quilt" idea |
The story started with the settlement of the natives and
continued with the establishment of the plant.
What impressed me the most was that it weren’t just some pictures on the
wall along with text, but they had designed the interior around each era to
represent that timeline and also had original artifacts on display. I had always wondered how a fluffy ball of
cotton ends up as the fabric in our clothes, but even with all the information
available online, I had never bothered to look it up. Well, over here they explained that process
in detail and also had weaving machines for people to see, as well as samples
of cotton in various stages of production, for people to touch. As good as all of this was, the museum is
really a story of Manchester and its people and there were other exhibits such
as a full size “Fire Engine” from the
19th Century, as well as a recreation of the main street in town – ‘Elm Street’ - and the shops around
it. Looking at some of the pictures of ‘Elm Street’ from the 70's reminded me of
a scene from “American Graffiti” and
if that was how it looked back then, Manchester sure would have been a fun
town. Considering that I would be
walking on that street in a few hours, I guess I would find out soon! There was also an exhibit on “quilts”, which made sense in a museum
like this. One of the best things that I
saw was an encouragement for visitors to leave feedback by sticking different colored
“post-it notes” on the wall, arranged
in the pattern of a multi-colored “quilt”.
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| Entering the 'SEE Science Center' |
I was ready to move to my next museum, which was just couple
of floors above this one. I am always
interested in visiting “Science Museums”,
and this one was called ‘SEE Science
Center’. As I entered the room, I
saw a few kids and what looked like play areas with scientific themes. So I asked the lady if there was anything of interest to adults and she said that they welcomed “visitors of all ages”. Okay then, I will take one ticket! They were actually spread over 2 floors with
a staircase in the center of the room leading downstairs and I was told that
there was a big “Lego” exhibit down
there. I started walking through some
sort of a maze that had been created to teach kids about Water, ranging from
where it comes, what happens during its cycle, how it is regenerated, different
types of water bodies, all sorts of living creatures therein, household uses
etc. In short, everything one needed to
know about water was in here. I found it
to be quite an ingenious educational piece, while making it into a game where
kids had to make their way through the maze, explore multiple pathways that led
to different items and also had a scavenger game to boot. I enjoyed wandering through it, being the
only adult in there at that time.
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| Downtown Manchester using "Legos" |
Outside the maze there were some science based games,
including something that had slides with different slopes and the game was to
drop a ball on each slide and guess which one reached bottom the fastest. But the most interesting demonstration for me
was an “Air Cannon” which was nothing
but a horizontal drum that you aimed at a screen that was a few meters away. When you hit the membrane at end of the drum, you could see ripples on the
screen after a delay of 2-3 seconds, proving the principles of “fluid dynamics”, because air is still considered a "fluid". I went downstairs and as promised, there was
a huge exhibit where “Legos” had been
used to create downtown Manchester.
There were also other puzzles and games to elaborate on theories of “Magnetism”, “Electricity”, “Light and
Optics” or just for the brain and the senses. I really enjoyed the museum and only left
since they announced that they were closing.
But it was also time to leave the kids activities behind and proceed to
more adult adventures.
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| Early patron at 'Cotton' |
Nearby was a place called ‘Cotton’ that was known for its cocktails. Well, that goes without saying if it’s on my
list. I went inside to see that the place
was empty, well it was early, though the interior looked good and it had a nice
bar area. The drinks did look
interesting and I ordered something called “Banana’s
for Bourbon” and while I enjoyed that, conducted some business via my phone
– a small matter of checking if our Company made $750,000. If only life were that easy where one could
make money while sipping on a fancy cocktail!
The staff was still planning for the evening when I left and walked over
to the “famous” ‘Elm Street’.
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| 'Elm Street' |
My next stop was in a small alley at a place called ‘Firefly American Bistro & Bar’,
which had a few more folks than the earlier place. They also had a drink called
“Blueberry Lemon Old Fashioned”,
which felt odd and so I just had to try it.
It wasn’t half bad, neither was this place, which reminded me more of a “Mexican” restaurant rather than an “American Bistro”. Next on my list was a place called ‘The Birch on Elm’ and this did appear
to be a popular spot with the locals. I
looked at the menu and ordered one of my favorite cocktails, “Painkiller”. This set into motion some frenzied activity
where they said that they just had enough ingredients to make one more of these
and I was ordering the very last of its kind.
Whether they meant the very last of the season, the year or ever, wasn’t
very clear. In any case, I had the
cocktail – which was good without being spectacular – and then made my way to
what would be the most interesting bar in Manchester.
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| Secret stairway to heaven? |
Finding “speakeasy bars”
in different cities is something that I always look forward to and over
here that was a place called ‘815’. I saw a sign with some stairs leading up and
arrived to see a passageway without any doors. So I did what anybody would do
in this situation, which is “google”
how to get it and the answer was knock on the wall and say the password. Well, I did not have a password, so I just
knocked on the wall, which slid open and a lady stepped out. When she learned that I did not have a
password, she encouraged me to tell her a “Knock-Knock
joke”. I mentioned that I had
already had a few cocktails this evening and so wasn’t the best equipped for
this task. She said that she would help me
out and so she started off and our conversation went a bit like this:
“Knock Knock”
“Whose there”
“Lettus”
“Lettus who”
“Lettus in we’re
freezing”
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| The fantastic '815' |
Now that we had that out of our system, she let me in and
this looked more like the cocktail bars that I like, with dark interiors and a
relaxed ambiance. Plus, the drinks
looked interesting with creative titles like “Chance of Revival” and “Genie
of the Lamp”. I had a great time
over here, even discussing with the bartender the staff’s preferred “after shift drinks”, which were
displayed on a board and which looked as good as those on the menu. I enjoyed my time here and before leaving,
asked the lady who has let me in what she would say if it was hot outside and “Lettus in we’re freezing” didn’t
work. She said, “Lettus in we’re hot”. I
thought that worked in more ways than one.
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| This is a parking garage despite the sign! |
I still had some time before dinner and so went to a nearby
place called ‘Central Ale House’,
which as the name suggests was known for its beer. I wasn’t really in the mood for that, so I
ordered something and just stayed for a bit before leaving. For dinner I was going to a place called ‘The Foundry’ and finding it wasn’t
easy. Manchester has certain streets
that are at a lower level – particularly near the river – and this place was on
one such street. I had to enter a
parking garage and then go down. When I couldn't find it, I placed a call to the restaurant who guided me to
their location. The place looked nice, the food was excellent and has a friendly staff. When it was time to head back, I called for
an ‘Uber’ and with streets being a
different levels, it took some time for us to find each other. But it wasn’t a big deal and I arrived back
at my hotel, ready to call it a night.
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| Central hall of 'Currier Museum of Art' |
It was a nice day and I had some time before my first stop
at ‘Currier Museum of Art’ ,and so
decided to walk there. Once again, while
the distance wasn’t that bad, I had underestimated the way to get there. Not every city had sidewalks like Chicago or
New York and after a few harrowing crossings and treks across non-paved paths;
I arrived at the Museum, which was located in what looked like a residential
neighborhood. I was going on a tour of
the ‘Zimmerman House’, which was
designed by the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright and was now under the management
of the museum. It was a 90 minute tour,
which would start at the museum, followed by a shuttle ride to the house and
back. I still had some time before the
tour commenced and so decided to explore. Now, Manchester is a small town as compared
to some of the others that I have visited.
But you wouldn’t know that based on their art museum. It was nowhere as elaborate as those in the bigger
cities. However, they had done a great
job in using the space that they had and in the way the galleries had been
arranged; including the paint scheme and the general ambiance.
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| The model of the 'Zimmerman House' |
It was time for the tour and so I went to the meeting point
where a group of people had assembled.
We had a full tour and the 2 docents had to turn away a couple who
wanted to join. We started by discussing
the model of the house and the story of how the house came to be. It was built in the 50's for a couple, both of
whom were Doctors and so reasonably affluent.
They wanted something unique and so went to Frank Lloyd Wright and
essentially offered him a blank check and a blank canvas to design and build
the house. The first challenge was that
the ground where the house was supposed to be constructed was uneven, with a natural
slope. Wright, of course, accepted the
challenge and designed the house in accordance with the landscape and without
ever setting foot on the premises. His
staff oversaw the construction while he instructed from his offices in New
York. It seems that when Mrs. Zimmerman
once said to him that he should stop by to see his finished product, he
famously responded, “I know your house
better than you do”.
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| And the real thing |
We got on the shuttle and took the short ride to the house
and our docents continued to tell us stories about the house and its construction. It looked like any other neighborhood and we
were surprised to learn that there was another Flank Lloyd Wright house just
down the street, though the owner still lived there and so wasn’t open for any
tours. We arrived at the house and our
docents pointed out some of the unique features on the outside, especially the
roof and the glass windows, which looked more integrated into the exterior
walls than your normal windows. One of
the more charming features was that Wright took inspiration from some of the
other houses in the neighborhood so that this one could blend in. But let’s face it; this was by far the most
unique house over there.
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| Looking onto the gardens |
With strict instructions that photography wasn't allowed, we put on protectors on shoes and went inside. Wright was a great believer in symmetry and consistency in
geometric shapes and everything in the house – both inside and outside - was
precisely designed. It was a single
floor establishment and as we stepped inside, it felt very cozy and
welcoming. Wright had insisted that the
Zimmerman’s only bring their clothes with them and as such, every piece of
furniture, the upholstery as well as all appliances and even the utensils were
selected by Wright and his team. The
only other thing that the Zimmerman’s brought with them was the Grand Piano,
but other musical accompaniments were selected for them. Also selected for them were an expansive “Oriental” art piece and other designer
pottery pieces that were displayed all over the house. Talk about your “bundled offering”.
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| Its a beautiful house |
The layout wasn’t very typical, since it needed to conform
to the symmetry, but in that space it worked.
Everything in there was original, and one thing we all noticed was how
the furniture seemed to have been designed for shorter people, since Wright wanted to stick to his ratio and proportions. The Zimmerman’s were a tall couple, but they
felt it was a minor inconvenience in exchange for the beautiful house. Even the garden in the back was integrated
into the house through the use of planters in the living room, making it an
extension of the landscape. We went into
the 2 bedrooms which were tasteful, especially in the use of the lighting and
the design of the closets. The kitchen
was fully functional with all of the modern appliances of that time and every
aspect had been carefully planned, including the way natural light came into
this space. There were pictures in all
of the rooms, taken by the Zimmerman’s during their long stay and it
seemed that they enjoyed living here.
One particular picture that I liked had been taken from outside at
night, with the house all lit up and looking resplendent. I had initially thought 90 minutes would be a
long time for a house tour, but we had used all of it and it had been
fantastic.
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| I couldn't get inside |
We went outside to gaze upon the house from the garden side
and then got back on the shuttle to come back to the museum. There was going to be a walking tour of some
of the galleries and I had thought of going for that. However, when I saw the docent standing by
herself waiting for visitors, I thought it would be better for me to carry on
rather than be a solitary tourist. I
walked through the neighborhood and it was now quite hot. I was going to a nearby cathedral, but when I
arrived there, I couldn’t figure out where the entrance was since all the doors
were closed. According to the online
information they were supposed to be open, but after making a few futile attempts to get
in, I carried on.
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| A typical diner and it was great |
One of the popular attractions was ‘Red Arrow Diner’ and considering it was time for lunch, I headed
there. It looked like a typical diner
from the outside as well as from the inside.
I grabbed a seat at the counter, which gave me a direct view into the
kitchen and everything coming out looked great.
I placed my order just as an older gentleman took the seat next to me
and placed a simple order of eggs and bread.
He seemed in the mood to chat and told me that he had been coming here
for years and getting the same thing. I
felt to me that coming here to eat was just an excuse to talk to someone, for
he seemed lonely.
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| The "Butterfly Wall" |
He left soon and so did I, but not before going through the
kitchen in order to find a washroom.
Never seen that before, where it was located inside the kitchen. I had some time before I needed to head back
and so I went for a walk down the ‘Elm
Street’. It was much quieter than
last evening, though people were outside on the patio enjoying the sun. I went through a mall – which was deserted –
and past a few shops before turning back.
I was planning to call an ‘Uber’
but saw some sort of “street festival”
going on across one of the bridges on the river. So I decided to walk across the bridge, since
I needed to be on the other side to get to my hotel. The theme seemed to be “art”, since I saw many stations selling artwork, though there were
also some performers playing “rock music”. But the most interesting thing was a wall
made of “butterfly shaped cards”,
which had been decorated by kids and had been pasted there to form a giant
display.
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| A final walk through Manchester |
Once on the other side, I saw that the hotel was less than a
mile away and so I decided to walk there.
Well, once again, I had overestimated the ability for pedestrians to get
around a small town and this was a walk on streets without sidewalks and
cars going past me. Also included in the
trek was a walk across really tall and mushy grass, and all sorts of places that
were not designed for humans to go through.
Not to mention twice I had to go past exits coming off a speedway. But I reached my hotel and called an ‘Uber’ to the airport. On the way there the driver asked me where I
was flying to and I said that I was just going to collect a car and drive to
Massachusetts. When he realized that I had
just been visiting Manchester for fun, he was surprised, as many are when they
see me in their town. But it had been a
fun visit and I had enjoyed my time here, right from the museum's yesterday
afternoon to the cocktail places in the evening - especially the one with the bad
jokes. The art
museum and the house would have rivaled any big city. This concluded State number 36 or 3 years
since I started. Bring on Year 4!
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