Atlanta, GA

We’re headed to Honduras for a two-week medical mission and decided to stay for a night in Atlanta, GA, to optimize flight connections, visit our niece and her husband, and spend a little time in a city that I’ve only seen from the airport. 

Atlanta is Georgia’s capital and largest city, with a population of around 500,000. The metropolitan area holds more than 6.5 million, making it the eighth-largest in the country. The Creek and Cherokee lived here for thousands of years, before a railroad hub was established in 1837. Originally called Terminus, then Marthasville, the town was renamed Atlanta in 1845, a shortening of the Western and Atlantic line, the largest railroad that served the community. In 1864 it was a major Confederate supply center, and was captured and nearly burned to the ground by Union troops led by General William Tecumseh Sherman, although it recovered quickly during Reconstruction. Atlanta was a major hub for the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, led by Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, Atlanta is home to the world headquarters of Coca-Cola, Home Depot, United Parcel Service, Delta Air Lines, Aflac, Georgia-Pacific, Equifax, NCR and others, ranking third in the U.S. for Fortune 500 companies. 

We landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger count, a title its held since 1998. The airport is enormous, with trams and shuttles connecting the two terminals and seven concourses. We had to wait 45 minutes to get our rental car from Budget, then grabbed lunch nearby. 

Our first tourist stop was the Georgia State Capitol. Completed in 1889, the gold-domed structure is one of many in the country styled after the U.S. Capitol. Atlanta became Georgia’s fifth capital city in 1868, after previously being located in Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville. Map link: Georgia State Capitol

Next we drove a few miles through heavy downtown traffic to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, located in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood, the historic center of black Atlantans’ commercial, spiritual and social life during Jim Crow era segregation. King was born in the family home on Auburn Avenue in 1929, one block away from the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he worshipped and preached alongside his father, Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr.  Some of the buildings in the park were closed for renovations, but the grounds are large and beautiful, including a reflecting pool, eternal flame and the final resting place of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King. As we read inscriptions and heard recordings of Dr. King’s beliefs about non-violent protestation of injustice, we couldn’t help but reflect on the recent federal ICE invasion in our beloved Twin Cities. Map link: Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park

Bonus Question: What is a kakistocracy? (answer at end of post)

We braved Atlanta’s rush-hour traffic and headed north to the suburb of Brookhaven, arriving at the home of our niece Maria and her husband Mike. After catching up, we went out for some excellent Vietnamese food, then stayed up past everyone’s bedtime talking and watching the Winter Olympics. 

Bonus Question Answer: Kakistocracy is a government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a society. Coined in the 17th century, the term comes from the Greek “kakistos,” meaning “worst.”

The Blue Man Group

Happy Valentine’s Day! Kathleen and I went to see the Blue Man Group at the State Theater in Downtown Minneapolis this afternoon. We’ve been curious about this performance art group for years, with our interest heightened while watching the television series Arrested Development, a favorite sitcom about a wealthy family’s riches-to-rags descent, produced and narrated by Ron Howard. The Blue Man Group was a recurring theme in the show after character Tobias Funke (played by David Cross), confused the stage troupe with a support group for depressed men.

The real Blue Man Group was founded in New York City in 1987 by three artists, who began performing on the streets of Manhattan before moving up to clubs and theaters. Debuting on stage in 1991, the show ran for 30+ years in New York, traveled to 25 countries and now plays continuously in Las Vegas and Shanghai in addition to the U.S. touring company that we saw today. 

The 90-minute show starred three deadpan actors in cobalt blue makeup, all skilled drummers, who performed without speaking, although there was occasionally some recorded dialogue played in support. The skits and numbers were physical, curious, often silly, sometimes messy and even a little gross. In one early bit, a performer tossed small balls of paint in the air to his two partners, who caught them in their mouths. One of them spit the paint out, splattering it onto canvas, while the other caught one ball after the other, accumulating them and then regurgitating the lot. A repeating shtick was to pour water onto large drums illuminated by colored lights and send it flying when played (see photos)—it was fun to watch although some online reviews that I read noted that ponchos are handed out to the front rows of patrons. 

Audience participation was a big feature, with performers tossing marshmallows into the crowd, holding a fake wedding between two audience members and hanging another upside down and using his body to paint a giant canvas. In the show’s finale, we were directed to stand and dance while the performers shot confetti and toilet paper from giant guns into the audience.

While we were glad to have finally experienced this unique show, we honestly didn’t love it, and wouldn’t see it again. Your mileage may vary—if you enjoy high-energy entertainment with bright lights, loud music, audience engagement and sight gags that are parts vaudeville, circus act and theater, this may be  right for you. The Blue Man Group’s continued success certainly demonstrates its appeal and popularity. With an estimated 50 million tickets sold since its inception, they’re obviously doing something right.  

Bonus Question: What are spoonerisms? (answer at end of post)

Source: NYTimes.com

Source: Hennepinarts.org

Tobias: I’m afraid I just blue myself.
Michael: There’s got to be a better way to say that.
(Source: YouTube)

Bonus Question Answer: Spoonerisms are phrases where consonants or sounds are switched between two words. Named after the Reverend Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), an Oxford scholar who frequently spoke this way, they are sometimes unintentional, but often used to add humor, wit and wordplay to language. Examples include: blushing crow / crushing blow; a well-boiled icicle / a well-oiled bicycle; bunny phone / funny bone; belly jeans / jelly beans; and Shel Silverstein’s children's book Runny Babbit, a Billy Sook.

Bonus Quote: Why isn’t the word “phonetically” spelled with an “f”? — Steven Wright

Updated sailing chart, 2026 cruising plan, Super Bowl trivia

It’s finally warmed up enough to venture outside in Minnesota, but we’re still in the grips of winter. For something to do, I modified our Great Loop progress chart by adding other sailing voyages apart from the Loop. These include many trips on Lake Superior, some with Kathleen, and various yacht deliveries I’ve done on the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea (see below and link: Gulf Crossings, Feb 2025 post).

Not pictured on the chart is a 3,000-mile, 22-day Pacific Ocean delivery from the Galapagos Islands to the Marquesas in French Polynesia in 2014. To date, I’ve logged more than 13,000 offshore sailing miles, another 4,300 miles on Dragonfly and an estimated 25,000 nautical miles on U.S. Navy warships. 

From my 2014 Pacific Ocean crossing

I never got a tattoo while in the navy, but I now have them on both upper arms. After my 2014 passage to French Polynesia I got a sea turtle on my right side in Papeete, Tahiti. In 2020, I added two swallows on my left arm to mark the completion of 10,000 ocean sailing miles  Swallows are traditional symbols of good luck in the sailing world. They are migratory, return to the same nest each year, and signify the desire for a safe voyage and return home. Another swallow superstition is that the tattooed birds will carry your soul to heaven if you die at sea. New seamen historically earned a swallow for every 5,000 nautical miles at sea—no small feat in a difficult and dangerous profession back in the day. In case you’re wondering, I have no plans to add to my pair, even though I have logged enough miles. 

For the 2026 sailing season, we will not be trailering Dragonfly anywhere as we have the past two years. We’ll be back on Lake Pepin, but at the Lake City Marina instead of Hansen’s Harbor. We thoroughly enjoyed our four summers at Hansen’s before our 2023 Loop departure, but the family-owned facility is now for sale, and we’re interested in trying something new. Hansen’s Harbor listing . The municipal Lake City Marina is right in town, with restaurants, groceries and shops within easy walking distance, and we’re looking forward to that very much. Also different this year is that, for the first time in four years, we plan to raise the mast and bend the sails, returning Dragonfly to the sailboat that it was built to be. Map link: Lake City Marina, MN. This summer, we also hope to charter with friends and family on Lake Huron—either in the North Channel or Georgian Bay—and may be able to add some new red lines to our sailing chart!

Bonus Quote 1: “Not all who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien

Bonus Quote 2: “Unpopular opinion: I don’t think your life has to have a purpose or grand ambition; I think it’s OK to just wander through life finding interesting things until you die.” — Anonymous

This Sunday is Super Bowl LX, with the Seattle Seahawks playing the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, CA. The Patriots are making their 12th Super Bowl appearance, an NFL record. See below for more Super Bowl trivia (answers at end of post). 

Question 1: What team has won the most Super Bowls?

Question 2: What teams have never won a Super Bowl?

Question 3: Which teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl?

Question 4: Which two teams have played a Super Bowl in their home stadiums?

Question 5: What starting quarterbacks won Super Bowls with two different teams?

Question 6: Who is the only athlete to play in the Super Bowl and the World Series?

Question 7: What singer has the record for the longest National Anthem at a Super Bowl?

Question 1 Answer: The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots have each won 6 Super Bowls. 

Question 2 Answer: Twelve teams have never won a Super Bowl: The Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans. The Bills hold the dishonor of losing four consecutive Super Bowls, while the Vikings have the distinction of never holding a lead in four Super Bowl losses.  

Question 3 Answer: The Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars have never appeared in a Super Bowl. 

Question 4 Answer: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won at home in 2021 and the Los Angeles Rams did the same the following year. Fun fact: The Rams were technically the “away” team in that game per conference designation, despite playing in their home stadium.

Question 5 Answer: Peyton Manning won Super Bowls with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, while Tom Brady did it with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Question 6 Answer: Deion Sanders won back-to back Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers (1995) and the Dallas Cowboys (1996) and played in the 1992 World Series as a member of the Atlanta Braves (who lost to the Toronto Blue Jays). He is the only athlete to score an NFL touchdown and hit a MLB home run in the same week and he famously suited up for a pro football and baseball game on the same day. 

Question 7 Answer: Alicia Keys stretched the Star Spangled Banner to 2 minutes, 35 seconds in 2013, overtaking Natalie Cole’s 1994 record by three seconds.