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Weekend road trip to Door County, WI

In a 1969 issue of National Geographic, Door County, Wisconsin, hit the pages with the feature headline “A Kingdom So Delicious.” The sleepy Moravian villages and old-school supper clubs of this Wisconsin peninsula would never again be the same — Door County would soon become the “Cape Cod of the Midwest.”

Fifty-plus years later, the wine and cider flow, five-star haute cuisine rivals the beloved fish boil, cherry orchards and lavender fields light up the hillsides, goats alight on rooftops, and, most importantly, the Lake Michigan views — and the limestone sea cliffs — are just as scenic as ever. The summer of road trips is upon us, and for the Midwest, that means Door County. Here’s how to do it.

Friday night

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

Just because you’re a few hours from Milwaukee doesn’t mean Door County is hurting for crowds — in fact, it’s quite the opposite. For a social-distance-friendly stay, look to the Liberty Lodge at Sister Bay. It’s set apart from the hustle and bustle of the nearby village, and you can nab a room off the wide-open front porch for Lake Michigan views and exterior access.

If you haven’t yet eaten, pack your mask, head to Wild Tomato in Sister Bay, and nab a spot on the patio. They specialize in wood-fired pizzas — the “Green & Gold” is topped with broccoli, spinach, bacon, and Wisconsin cheese curds. (They may be a stereotype, but they’re damn good.)

Work your way back to the hotel and settle in — or walk across the street to Door County Ice Cream Factory and take your dessert al fresco. You’ve got two busy days ahead.

Saturday

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

After coffee and a light breakfast on the lodge’s deck, get to Seaquist Orchards at 9:00 AM when the doors open. You’ll promptly work your way through a maze of jams, fudge, cookies, pastries, fresh cherries (try a sample), juices, and nearly everything “cherry” under the sun. Grab snacks. You’ll want them later.

Then it’s time to wind your way up Highway 42 until the road ends in Northport. The car ferry to Washington Island — you can’t miss it — departs every half hour or so. Nab a spot on the open-air deck up top for a 30-minute passage across Death’s Door, a choppy six-mile strait where over 250 ships have met a watery demise. (You’ll be safe on the ferry.)

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

The island, a retreat from any and all reminders of city life, has more attractions than roads. Main Road is your north star, and it’ll take you most of the way to Fragrant Isle, one of the largest lavender farms in the country. Strolling along its 20,000 purple plants — all various shades — makes even the most counterculture of us want to take a shot for the ‘gram. Simply stroll the fields, pick your own bouquet, and if you’re hungry, nab a lavender lemonade and a pulled-pork banh mi from the outdoors bistro.

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

From here, make the quick drive north to Schoolhouse Beach. It’s one of the few beaches in the world made of smooth limestone rocks — one of five, to be precise. Though you won’t have to worry about sand tickling your toes, bring shoes to navigate the small stones. And the deep blue water, while likely a bit chilly, is definitely good for a swim.

If time allows, make a quick visit to the island’s stavkirke — modeled after a 12th-century Norwegian stave church — or climb up Lookout Tower for incredible views of the island’s hardwood forests and hills.

When you’re ready, head back toward the ferry and return to the mainland. As you’re winding south down Highway 42, stop at Island Orchard Cider. Their Apple Cherry and Apple Lavender ciders are their most popular (and most “Door County”), but special kudos go to their Dolomite, a simple-yet-robust French-style cider that’s sweet and tangy, pressed from late-season macintosh apples. A walk-up window makes grabbing a bottle to go as easy as cherry pie.

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

Now it’s time for one of the best meals you’ve had in awhile. Trixie’s may be decked out in ethereal whites and pinks, and the menu may seem unassuming, but you’re about to have a serious foodie experience. Whether you go veg (the green salad, nasturtiums and all, is as delicious as it is beautiful; the roasted-pear ravioli with brown butter and sage is alarmingly satisfying) or more Wisconsin-esque (tempura whitefish with tzatziki, chimichurri skirt steak), celebrate your happy tastebuds with a glass of the Lini 910, one of the designated “female-made” wines on Trixie’s hand-selected list.

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

If you can manage to pull yourself from your seat, just down the road is one of the more iconic spots in Door County: Anderson Barn. The gallery inside is likely closed by now, but you’re just in time for golden hour, and that’s just as good a time to be here. Snap a shot, write your name on the wall, or both.

From here, while you could go scout out some nightlife — you might want to find out why there are goats on the roof of Al Johnson’s — a COVID-friendlier idea is taking that bottle of Dolomite (and likely some Trixie’s leftovers) and making a late-night picnic of it.

Sunday

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

If visitors don’t come from across oceans for the cherry-stuffed French toast at the White Gull Inn, they should. Get there early, make no bones about what you’re ordering, and enjoy. No carb regrets allowed: You’re about to work it off at Peninsula State Park.

The parks along Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula are eons away from any Midwestern “flyover” stereotype. Here, the Niagara Escarpment — basically a cliff that runs from here to the famous New York waterfall — juts out hundreds of feet above Lake Michigan, a limestone-and-dolomite giant complete with sea caves from ancient shorelines you can now climb into. Take the Eagle Trail, a moderate (though technical) two-mile loop for a trek down into the cedar forests, along the escarpment and the water, and back up the bluff.

Just south of the park is The Cookery (which also doubles as a lodge) — if you’re still full, save this for dinner. They’re family-run and famous for their whitefish chowder, though you might want something lighter, like the cherry apple salad. Afterward, stroll by Fish Creek Beach while you’re in town, and then it’s off to Cave Point County Park, technically inside Whitefish Dunes State Park.

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

If you’re thinking, “I already hiked once today, thanks,” know that Cave Point’s best spots are just off the parking lot. Park the car, wander down the grass, and bam — sea cliffs stretching to your right and left, literally washing over you if you wander down onto the dolomite steps. Walk the length, and then find a humanless spot to hang your feet over the edge and watch the waves absolutely tumble and roar. If kayakers paddle by, vow to get their vantage point next time.

From here, it’s back on the road — and back to your own kingdom. How delicious it was, indeed.

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Canada authorizes magic mushroom use

Canada just approved the use of magic mushrooms, though not recreationally. The government just announced that terminally ill patients would be allowed to use psychedelic mushrooms to ease their end-of-life anxiety, as part of a “psilocybin therapy” program.

Studies have shown that the mushrooms can help ease anxiety and depression. In April, four terminally ill Canadians asked for government approval to obtain and use “magic mushrooms,” and that permission has now been granted.

Of the government’s approval, TheraPsil founder Dr. Bruce Tobin said, “Although it has taken a long time we are impressed with their willingness to listen to patients who have not been heard and to shift focus and policy to accommodate their interests and protect their needs. We also thank the brave Canadian patients who have been public in their fight for psilocybin access, along with the honorable Canadian MPs who have demonstrated courage, standing up for patient rights.”

Laurie Brooks, one of the terminally ill patients, expressed her gratitude in a statement. “I want to thank the Health Minister and Health Canada for approving my request for psilocybin use,” she said. “The acknowledgement of the pain and anxiety that I have been suffering with means a lot to me, and I am feeling quite emotional today as a result. I hope this is just the beginning and that soon all Canadians will be able to access psilocybin, for therapeutic use, to help with the pain they are experiencing, without having to petition the government for months to gain permission.”

The production, possession, or sale of magic mushrooms remains illegal unless specifically authorized for clinical trials, research purposes, and now for prescribed therapeutic use.

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Zero added emissions trip to Aspen

Not to take anything away from the traditional road trip, but there’s more than one way to move down the road. In July, I took my first road trip of the summer — actually, my first since the pandemic hit the US — from my home in Colorado’s Grand Valley to Aspen. In a car, the drive would have taken about two hours each way. But I was intent on completing a “zero added emissions” trip that would combine the Bustang, an inter-city bus service, with my mountain bike. I’d be using my bike to explore the trails of Aspen and nearby Snowmass, the reason for my journey in the first place.

The plan for a zero added emissions trip is straightforward: Get from point A to point B without adding any carbon emissions that weren’t already going to be emitted by transport or by creating food waste or other toxic trash in excess of what I would on a normal day at home. Travel by bus fits this description; it would be making its way from Grand Junction to Denver regardless of whether or not I was on it.

I would hitch my Kona mountain bike onto the front of the bus, a service of the Colorado Department of Transportation, and ride to Glenwood Springs, 86 miles from Grand Junction. Then, I would bike the Rio Grande Trail — a 42-mile line from Glenwood Springs to Aspen — to El Jebel, where I would hop the bus to Snowmass Village. After three days of biking the upper Roaring Fork Valley, I would head out on the Rio Grande Trail from its southern terminus in Aspen and ride back to El Jebel before hopping the bus to Glenwood. In between, I’d overnight at the Limelight Snowmass and spend two days exploring both cross-country and downhill mountain bike trails.

Part bikepacking expedition, part stodgy resort vacation. True adventure travel. A trip where I’d rely on my own power and logistical abilities to complete an experience I’d never done before — and wasn’t 100 percent sure I could pull off. What I was sure of was that after the past five months, I needed a dose of adventure.

How coach bus services are adapting in the era of COVID

Photo: RideBustang/Facebook

Of course, I had my reservations about hopping onto a crowded public bus during the outbreak. The Bustang had actually suspended service on March 29 as a statewide shutdown order enveloped Colorado and public fear of enclosed spaces reached its peak. Service resumed three months later on June 28 with COVID-era safety protocols in place. The CDOT website assured it was safe to ride, with face coverings required at all times and a 22-person maximum capacity enforced through reserved seating (unavailable before the cease in service) to ensure no two passengers were seated next to one another.

“We have carefully monitored when to safely resume serving our Bustang and Outrider customers and are doing so now, with significant precautions in place that follow guidance and best practices from public health officials,” said Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Shoshana Lew in a press release.

Somewhat skeptical but needing to get to Snowmass sans car, I bought a ticket online for the following Monday. Packing for the trip was uncomplicated. I had a Fernweh backpack from Wandrd, a bag that is specifically designed for outdoor adventures by those with a penchant for media production. Inside was three days’ worth of mostly outdoor-ready clothing, with one nice shirt and pair of pants mixed in for dinners out — “mountain casual” at its finest. I also had my work setup of a laptop, charger, notebook, and a Canon DSLR camera, which along with an extra lens fit nicely into the bag’s camera pack. And finally, a safety bag including bandages, a tire repair kit and pump, and a bivy sack I carry with me in case I somehow find myself stranded overnight.

On the morning of my ride I lugged my mountain bike and pack down to the Grand Junction bus station. Before being allowed to board, the driver checked my temperature and that of the other boarding passengers. I passed, as did the other six or seven others, an encouraging start on both accounts.

If you’ve ever loaded a bicycle onto the rack of a city bus, you know the anxiety this causes. What happens if the bike comes loose? Or in the case of an accident where the bus rear-ends a vehicle in front of it?

My fears were amplified knowing that we’d be hurtling down Interstate 70 at 65 miles per hour. At least it’s not windy today, I thought as I tightened my bike into the holster on the front of the bus.

Photo: Tim Wenger

Colorado is lucky to have the Bustang service, which debuted in 2015 to ease highway congestion along the state’s crowded Front Range that includes Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins. It has since expanded across the state, including the W Line I was about to embark on, which services the mountain corridor and ski areas along Interstate 70.

Not all states have something like this. I’d looked into other coach bus providers using the site Comparabus, which breaks down service across the US and links to ticketing options, and had also looked into taking Greyhound in the case that the Bustang sold out. As it turned out, I’d take the Greyhound across Colorado a couple of weeks later. Though that bus was nearly full, the company is adamant about face coverings and cleaning procedures, at one point disembarking all passengers for a scheduled cleaning.

“As we continue to provide vital transportation nationwide, it is important that we continue to make temporary, yet necessary, changes to our policies in order to create a safe environment for all our customers and team members,” Greyhound CEO Dave Leach says in a recent press release.

The COVID-era transit experience

Photo: Tim Wenger

After disembarking from the Bustang at the station in Glenwood Springs, I headed out on the 22-mile ride to the El Jebel Park and Ride station, where I’d board a bus for the final 20-minute commute to my hotel. It is possible to ride the entire way, but I’d decided to break the long haul into two parts due to my heavy pack and the fact that this portion of the ride was slightly uphill — not steep, but noticeably not flat, either.

“Keep your eyes open for the bear,” a rider heading the opposite direction told me a few miles outside of Glenwood. A few minutes later I thought I’d heard it, but that’s the genius of paranoia — it can manifest itself into your keenest of senses.

Photo: Tim Wenger

The paved trail began along the Roaring Fork River, a peaceful stretch of riding where I was shaded from the beating sun above by Engelmann spruce and aspen trees. As my fear of an unplanned bear encounter faded I pedaled through the town of Carbondale, where the trail passes through a stretch known as the ARTway. Here, public art structures large and small line the path, many designed by local schoolchildren. I sweated and struggled through a long straightaway before finally pulling off the trail in El Jebel and winding through town to the bus stop.

In the morning, I loaded my bike onto the Roaring Fork Transit Authority bus outside my hotel and departed to the Tiehack trailhead at the base of Buttermilk Mountain. The RFTA (pronounced “rafta”) dropped me off a five-minute ride from the trailhead and had waved all fares due to the COVID crisis, an unfortunate occurrence but one which made getting around the Aspen Snowmass area a breeze. The return trip to the hotel and subsequent travel in and around the area were just as easy. All passengers wore a mask and sat at least two seats apart.

Return trip on Rio Grande Trail

Photo: Tim Wenger

Forty-eight hours later I was sipping water at the Aspen entrance to the Rio Grande Trail. A quick but impactful afternoon rainstorm had just ceased, promising a cool but damp 23-mile ride back to El Jebel. Because of the moisture, I opted for the paved section of trail where available, though some stretches are pebbled.

The ride was easy on this end. I passed through Woody Creek, most famous as the longtime residence of Hunter S. Thompson, and only once got sidetracked by making the wrong choice at an intersection of trails. (The only intersection along the route, I admit, but after four full days on the bike I’d apparently succumbed to being overconfident.) I pedaled into the El Jebel station, triumphant.

Hopping the bus to Glenwood Springs, where my wife would meet me for dinner and a night at the historic Hotel Denver, I calculated that I’d pedaled more than 100 miles in four days. This evening of relaxation was orchestrated in advance — we married at the Amtrak train station across the street in 2016 and have returned annually ever since — and seemed well-deserved. My legs needed a good rest.

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Tourist breaks toes off sculpture

A couple of weeks ago, children shattered a glass castle exhibit at a Shanghai Museum worth $64,000. But unruly children are not the only museumgoers who break valuable pieces of art. Italian police identified a 50-year-old Austrian man who broke several toes of a 19th-century plaster sculpture displayed at the Museo Antonio Canova in Italy during his visit on July 31.

Video footage of the incident shows the map sitting on the statue’s base and leaning on the artwork while posing for a photo. While he noticed the damage he accidentally caused, he stood up and continued on without telling the staff.

A COVID-19 procedure that requires international visitors to sign in helped identify the man. He was visiting the museum with a tour group as part of a birthday celebration trip. When police eventually contacted the man’s wife she admitted his mistake, and the court in Treviso is currently deciding whether or not to press charges. Potentially, the man could face a fine of $117,000 and a prison sentence of up to eight years.

According to a statement by the museum, “Our heritage must be protected. [A]dopting responsible behavior within the Museum while respecting the works and goods preserved in it is not only a civic duty, but a sign of respect for what our history and culture testifies and that must be proudly handed down to future generations.”

Before and after the damage to the statue. Photo: Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova/Facebook + Museo Gypsotheca Antonio Canova/Facebook

It might not help him avoid a prison sentence, but the man did issue a statement of apology to the Italian authorities.

“During the visit to the Museum of Possagno,” he said, “I sat on the statue, without however realizing the damage that I evidently caused, I apologize in every way.”

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All national parks are free August 5

To celebrate the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, which allocates $9.5 billion in funding for public lands, all national parks and public lands will be free to the public on August 5.

Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced that August 4 would officially be known as “Great American Outdoors Day,” and August 5, 2020, would be a free entrance day to commemorate the landmark legislation signed by President Trump yesterday on August 4, 2020.

The Act will enable national parks and other federal lands to maintain infrastructure and facilities that enhance the visitor experience and increase access.

According to Secretary Bernhardt, “President Trump has just enacted the most consequential dedicated funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, public recreation facilities and American Indian school infrastructure in U.S. history. I’ve designated August 4th as Great American Outdoors Day and waived entrance fees to celebrate the passage of this historic conservation law.”

David Vela, National Park Service Deputy Director, said, “This is a truly historic commitment to revitalize and restore national parks and other public lands in order to expand recreational opportunities and address long overdue infrastructure and modernization challenges. This enormous investment will enhance national parks for present and future generations.”

Typically, out of the 419 national parks in the nation, 109 charge entrance fees ranging from $5 to $35. On August 5 these entrance fees will be waived, though fees associated with park amenities or activities — like camping, boat launches, and transportation — will remain in effect. Entrance will be free every August 4 for years to come. Before Bernhardt’s announcement, there were only five free entrance days to US national parks every year: January 20 (Martin Luther King Day); April 18 (First day of National Park Week); August 25 (National Park Service’s birthday); September 26 (National Public Lands Day); November 11 (Veterans Day).

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Cold War missile site for sale

If you’re not too picky about the aesthetics of your home’s exterior, you might want to consider this cozy zero-bedroom, zero-bathroom missile site in Fairdale, ND. Perfect for extremely close families, or couples in dire need of bonding, this beige, concrete, Cold War-era fixer-upper is located in the middle of a flat pastoral landscape, and it’s for sale.

The missile site was built in the ‘70s, in the middle of the Cold War, when both the USSR and the United States were preparing for a potential attack from each other. The Fairdale site was a short-range missile site meant to destroy possible Russian missiles coming from the Arctic. Dave Keller, realtor for Pifer’s Auctions, which is selling the site, told Atlas Obscura, “The idea was that if missiles were coming in from the Soviet Union over the Arctic, these were defensive missiles intended to shoot down anyone coming in.”

Photo: Pifer’s

If you do decide to purchase the property, you’ll be the proud owner of a 50-acre former missile site and command bunker. According to the auction site, “There is a cement entry building, a command bunker, and 14 Sprint launch tubes [missile launch tubes]. Current owner utilizes portable power and water tanks. Power is available nearby and a well could be drilled for water requirements. Property will be offered as one total unit.”

Photo: Pifer’s

Keller claims that there is already significant interest in the site from history buffs, entrepreneurs, and doomsday preppers. “You’ve got Covid-19, you’ve got civil unrest — I got a call from one guy who thought this’d be a great place to have a server farm,” he said. “It’s safe, secure, and tornado-proof.”

The auction will take place on August 11.

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WTTC's COVID-19 reopening protocols

At the moment, it’s safe to say that the available information regarding whether or not it’s safe to travel is confusing. Most airlines require that travelers wear masks, but once you get to your destination the same rules might not be strictly enforced. In the United States, states offer conflicting guidelines about mask-wearing, restaurant dining, and social distancing.

To provide some guidance, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has issued standardized safety protocols to help countries across the globe welcome travelers safely back to their shores — and to help travelers understand the safest places to travel.

On June 19, the WTTC released its Safe Travel: Core Protocol Requirements. It has since issued a further series of specialized requirements for every travel-related industry, including hospitality, outdoor shopping, tours, airports, convention centers, and car rentals. Countries that agree to follow these requirements will receive the WTTC’s Safe Travels stamp, which is intended to signal to travelers that the country in question is doing its best to reopen safely. So far, 29 countries have received the stamp, including Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Indonesia, Brazil, and Jamaica.

“The WTTC created the Safe Travels stamp and global safety protocols in order to rebuild confidence among consumers so they can travel safely once again,” Virginia Messina, the managing director of the WTTC, wrote to Matador Network in an email. “The protocols aim to provide consistency to destinations and countries.”

The core protocols offer generalized procedures that businesses, like restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and shopping centers, can follow to slow the spread of COVID-19. For instance, the WTTC suggests requiring PPE for all employees, adopting “contactless payments or digital menus,” and erecting plexiglass dividers between employees — as long as costs are not prohibitive for the business in question. The guidelines also urge travelers to wear masks whenever they interact with other people, including on outdoor excursions, indoor events, and any time they’re in public or private transportation.

“For car rentals we recommend pre-arrival health declaration via email, and encourage use of curb side pick-up and drop off,” Messina says. “For short term rentals we recommend providing guests with physical distancing etiquette, including in elevators if relevant, and having available hand sanitizer to guests at entrance. Additionally, for airports we suggest enhancing food safety at restaurants and reducing passenger touchpoints.”

It’s understandable that, regardless of these recommendations, potential travelers might still be cautious before hopping on a plane to enjoy their vacation as though it’s business as usual. Yet travelers can rest assured that the WTTC is dedicated to being honest about what travelers can expect on their next business trip or vacation. It won’t look anything like you’re last vacation — in fact it might well be more difficult to navigate: The guidelines are realistic about the fact that anyone thinking about traveling right now will be facing strict hygiene, mask-wearing, sanitation, and social distancing standards.

“One of the most important parts of recovery is rebuilding trust with the traveler, and a good way to do this is with clear and effective communication — this can be achieved through a set of global common guidelines that work in coordination together,” Messina says. “[Our] protocols aim to provide consistency to destinations and countries as well as guidance to travel providers, operators, and travellers, about the new approach to health and hygiene in the post COVID-19 world.”

While conscientious travelers should be on the lookout for the stamp, it’s important to note that if your intended destination hasn’t adopted the WTTC protocols that doesn’t necessarily mean it should be stricken from your bucket list. Messina concedes that countries that aren’t certified with the stamp aren’t automatically unsafe. Those countries might have their own individual set of guidelines — including quarantine requirements — that visitors are required to follow, so it’s up to travelers to do their research before setting off.

But that’s the very thing that makes the WTTC guidelines so necessary: Every country that adopts its standards cuts down on the mess of conflicting information to give travelers one set of easy-to-understand guidelines that are applicable across countries and continents. If international travel is on your radar in the near-future, the WTTC standards are likely as close as anyone is going to get to a standard set of travel guidelines.

“Our concern is that it creates confusion for travelers if there is not a global coordinated approach to health and safety leading to recovery,” Messina says. “While there may be many different approaches that are effective, it does not help to instill confidence in the traveler if it is not immediately legible to them which protocols are and are not effective.”

For now, international travel, especially on airplanes, might still feel unsafe for most people. But when (and if) countries adopt a clear cut set of protocols that help tourists feel secure, we get one step closer to returning to a world where travel is the norm. The Safe Travels stamp will make it easier for people to decide where to travel and what precautions to take when the time feels right.

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Which states lowered emissions

Not a day goes by without news of environmental degradation across the United States and the world. But, as Matador Network frequently reports, it’s not all bad news out there. The World Resources Institute recently released data from a study on the economic benefits of climate policy in the US, analyzing the change in each state’s emission levels. Between 2005 and 2017, 41 of the 50 states cut their emission levels, some quite drastically. Environmental publication Grist compiled an infographic based on the report, putting each state’s emissions reductions action into detail.

Photo: Clayton Aldern/Grist

Of the five most populated states in the nation, only New York and Pennsylvania achieved emissions reductions greater than 20 percent. Maryland leads the entire country, dropping emissions by 38 percent during the survey period. Other notable achievers include Maine, at 33 percent, and New Hampshire, at 37 percent. On the whole, the entire Northeast, save for Rhode Island and Vermont, is leading the national charge.

But it’s not all rosy out there. Several states have actually seen carbon dioxide emissions increase since 2005. The largest of these is Texas, which saw a 3 percent increase. Washington, which has proposed one of the most far-reaching climate plans under Governor Jay Inslee, is guilty of a 4 percent increase in emissions. But it’s their neighbor Idaho that has driven at full speed in the wrong direction — emissions increased 17 percent between 2005 and 2017.

While the US still has much work to do to cut carbon dioxide emissions and promote renewable energy, the fact that so many states have managed to cut emissions without much federal oversight serves as a light of encouragement in an era of dark news. Here’s to hoping we can push the needle forward.

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The post Which states have lowered carbon emissions since 2005, mapped appeared first on Matador Network.

New Olympics museum accessibile

The best museums in the United States often leave you feeling contemplative, awed, and inspired. Upon exiting Colorado Springs’ US Olympic & Paralympic Museum, you’ll leave feeling all those things — but most of all, you’ll leave feeling hopeful.

The high-tech, touch-free museum first opened on July 30, giving new life to the Colorado city’s title as “Olympic City USA.” The experience, however, starts in the parking lot: The 60,000-square-foot structure shimmers with over 9,000 anodized diamond-shaped aluminum panels, designed to give a sense of movement — like a discus thrower. And in between the cascading layers of silvery steel rises Pikes Peak, a juxtaposition begging for a photo op.

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

Inside, you walk into a 40-foot-tall atrium, where you can start programming your experience to take a unique tour. With your RFID-enabled visitor tag, you can generate content for your accessibility needs, and you can choose your favorite events and athletes; whenever you walk up to an interactive exhibit, your preferences will pop right up. Boxing, swimming, rhythm gymnastics, Trischa Zorn, Simone Biles — you name it.

You’ll then take an elevator up to the museum’s first gallery. From there, your experience will literally swirl downward slowly. The museum is among the most accessible museums in the world — ramps connect every gallery, exhibits are at wheelchair-height, and visual displays can be adjusted for sensory needs. As for content, the Paralympics are on par with the Olympics, ensuring that everyone walks away with an understanding that both events are worthy of awe and admiration.

Photo: Jacqueline Kehoe

The 12 galleries mirror an athlete’s journey, from training to medaling. You’ll be able to race Jesse Owens, walk into a virtual Parade of Nations, virtually downhill ski, wave your hands to manipulate screens like Tom Cruise in Minority Report, be able to “Ask an Athlete” their favorite pizza toppings via AI. Even better, you’ll be able to ask a real athlete: Many of the staff are former Olympians, Paralympians, or hopefuls. From staff to exhibit design to voiceovers, the museum tapped into the knowledge of world-class athletes at every turn. Make conversation with whoever you can — they might have experienced the Parade of Nations firsthand.

The final 10-minute film, To Take Part, commemorates the best moments of Team USA, a veritable highlight reel of human emotion and physical success. It also wraps up what makes this museum so impactful: It puts everyone on the same team. It’s the story of humans breaking down barriers, breaking records, and striving to achieve their best. As you wander through the exhibits, you root for the athletes. You marvel at what they’re capable of. You find out where they’re from, their shoe size, their struggles — you get a chance to view them as your peer. You walk away drenched in a long-standing global event where countries cooperate together and take part in the same dream. Maybe it’ll inspire you to run a marathon, maybe it’ll inspire you to watch more curling, maybe it’ll just inspire you to visit more museums. But it will inspire you and, in this strange time, leave you feeling hopeful.

Where: 200 S. Sierra Madre Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Entry fee: Tickets are $25.95 for adults; $14.95 for ages 3 to 12. The museum only accepts Visa; cash not accepted. Open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

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Beirut explosion

An explosion rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Tuesday, killing at least 70 and injuring over 2,700 others. The cause of the explosion is not yet clear though videos show smoke and fire emanating from the area just prior to the blast. According to Lebanon’s internal security chief, the explosion occurred in an area that houses highly explosive materials, suggesting that the blast was an accident rather than the result of terrorist activity.

The Director of the General Security Directorate has claimed that the blast was caused by confiscated “high explosive materials,” but no further details were given.

#Beirut #Lebanon