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Cruze-arati: Murder Mystery in Langley, Washington

Apr 14th, 2011
by mike barish.
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I’d heard of murder mystery events before I headed to Langley, WA. Typically, bed & breakfasts or quaint inns host them as a way for guests to enjoy an interactive vacation. Langley, however, takes murder mystery events to a whole other level. Rather than one business hosting the festivities, the entire town comes together to organize the world’s largest murder mystery weekend. They’ve been at it for 27 years and local businesses partner with the Langley Chamber of Commerce to bring visitors to Whidbey Island during the off-season. Thousands of people come from all over the world to try to solve this tiny town’s annual gruesome crime.

Langley Washington Murder Mystery Weekend crime sceneI made my way to Langley to try my hand at playing detective. With my bow tie straight and my bubble pipe filled, I searched for clues, interviewed suspects and did my best to solve the murder. After a weekend of investigating, all of the visitors gather to witness the reveal of the murderer and see justice served. People who successfully guess the killer are also eligible for prizes – mostly gift certificates to local businesses. The weekend gives thousands of people a good laugh and helps Langley’s economy. It’s the perfect crime event.

Take a look at the video above and click through to the others to follow my investigation all the way to the reveal. Or watch the videos below to skip ahead to any of the episodes that you’d like. And be sure to check out all of my photos from Langley. (more…)

Cruze-arati: Painting with Fish Part 1

Apr 6th, 2011
by mike barish.
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I don’t know much about art. I wish I did but, quite frankly, I usually don’t know what the hell I’m looking at. Sadly, the same goes for fishing. I’ve spent many hours attempting to fish, but usually I just get my line tangled, catch a lot of seaweed and poke myself with the hooks. So, when I heard that there was an artist on Oahu who combined fishing and art, I was skeptical about how well I could fit in with him. However, once I learned that it involved spearfishing for octopus, painting with a fresh catch and then eating the animal, I was too intrigued to resist. So, I headed to Kaneohe Bay to learn all about the art of gyotaku with Naoki Hayashi.

cruze-arati "Naoki Hayashi" gyotaku Mike BarishGyotaku literally means “fish rubbing” in Japanese. Naoki free dives for octopus (tako in Japanese), spears them, brings them back to his studio and makes lifelike prints of the animals. When he’s done with his art, he prepares a fresh batch of poke to serve to his friends. The art form honors the animals, wastes nothing and allows the artist to truly connect and celebrate his subject.

I headed into the water with Naoki to see if we could track down some tako to print. Thankfully, I know way more about snorkling than I do about art or fishing. Check out the video to see how we did and be sure to enjoy some of my photos, as well. Stay tuned for episode two to see how the rest of our adventure played out.

Update: You can now watch Part 2 of Painting with Fish.


Cruze-arati: Home on the Range

Apr 4th, 2011
by mike barish.
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While I love writing and certainly enjoy living in New York City, I’d be lying if I said that I don’t occasionally long to get out into the country and step away from my computer for good. It just doesn’t seem natural to spend hour after hour hunched over a computer hacking away at a keyboard (I’m a bad typist). That’s why I headed down to Texas recently. I wanted to see if I could hold my own working outside as a cowboy.

So, off to Palo Pinto I went to meet Bary Clower, a real, honest-to-goodness, working cowboy. A cowboy in 2011? That’s right. Bary takes care of the cattle on multiple ranches and also breaks in horses so that they can be used for herding, as well. Cowboys are a dying breed, but the ones that are still out there – like Bary and his son Coy – work hard in the fresh air everyday. (more…)

SkyMall Monday: Parks and Recreation

Mar 28th, 2011
by mike barish.
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Read more about this SkyMall Monday video on Gadling.

Cruze-arati Travel Unexpected: Cooking with Sam Choy

Mar 23rd, 2011
by mike barish.
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One of the best ways to experience a place is through not just its food but its food culture. The Spanish love a large lunch. In Japan, diners slurp ramen by themselves before returning to their days. In Hawaii, you might think that a luau is the perfect example of the food culture. However, many Hawaiians are more accustomed to a Sunday barbecue with their families. On a recent trip to Oahu, I met up with Sam Choy, a world-renowned chef known for sharing his love for Hawaiian cuisine. A native of the North Shore, he grew up barbecuing on the beach with his family. Now, he cooks for thousands of people at his restaurant, Breakfast, Lunch & Crab. We spent an afternoon picking up local ingredients at his favorite markets so that he could show us his traditional Sunday Hawaiian barbecue. (more…)

Cruze-arati Postcards From My Southern Road Trip

Feb 28th, 2011
by mike barish.
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Cruzeararti Cruze-arati

I recently drove from New York City to Floyd, VA to Charleston, SC for OysterFest. Along the way, I stopped at some delightfully bizarre roadside attractions that made leaving the highway not only gratifying but hysterical. From the Miniature Village in Shartlesville, PA (Unfortunate Town Name Alert) to Foamhenge in Glasgow, VA (a life-sized replica of Stonehenge made of Styrofoam), I found the wildest things in the smallest of towns.

It just goes to show that you can have an amazing trip before you even get to your “real” destination. To prove it, we made an episode all about these wacky places that entertained me on my way south. I asked y’all what you wanted to see and wanted to make sure that I gave you all a little something.

So, to see me feed alligators, run around the World’s Smallest Police Station and more, check out these postcards from the road in my latest Cruze-arati episode.

(more…)

Cruze-arati Mike in the Middle: OysterFest Part 2

Feb 23rd, 2011
by mike barish.
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cruze-arati cruzearati OysterFest "Oyster Fest" "oyster festival"

In Part 1 of this episode of Mike in the Middle, I arrived at OysterFest in Charleston, SC. After entering myself in the oyster eating and shucking contests, I was desperately in need of guidance, I found Duke, a local expert and former shucking contestant. He showed me the proper technique and did his best to convince me that I could win (spoiler alert: he’s not that confident).

I wanted to be a champion. I visualized victory. Reality, however, is far different than anything I could dream up in my optimistic mind. Check out the dramatic conclusion of Mike in the Middle: OysterFest. (more…)

Cruze-arati Mike in the Middle: OysterFest Part 1

Feb 23rd, 2011
by mike barish.
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Charleston "Mt. Pleasant" "oyster festival" OysterFest "Oyster Fest" oysters

After visiting Floyd, VA, my Southern road trip took me deep into the heart of the Lowcountry. Charleston, SC (well, Mt. Pleasant if you want to get technical) hosts the annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival, also known as the World’s Largest Oyster Festival. While thousands of people were there simply to enjoy the gorgeous weather and sample some delicious food, I was there to win. I entered myself in the oyster eating and shucking contests in the hopes of being crowned champion.

Was I able to open those oysters faster than anyone else? Could I get the most mollusks into my mouth (and stomach)? Check out Part 1 of my OysterFest adventure in this edition of Mike in the Middle. (more…)

Cruze-arati Travel Unexpected: Jamboree in Floyd, VA

Feb 15th, 2011
by mike barish.
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Cruze-arati Cruzearati floyd virginia jamboree

Visiting big cities is always a thrill. Small towns, however, can provide just as much entertainment and often surprise you with an unexpected experience. I recently visited Floyd, VA, a quiet town in the Blue Ridge Mountains that springs to life once a week at their Friday Night Jamboree. The event draws country and bluegrass musicians to Floyd to perform at the Jamboree while hundreds of people from the surrounding area tap their feet, clap their hands and yes, dance the night away.

Was I able to keep up during a marathon session of clogging and [gulp] square dancing? Check out the video below to see all of my best moves in the latest episode of Travel Unexpected. For pictures from my trip down south, mosey on over to Flickr here and here. (more…)

Cruze-arati Travel Unexpected: Alien Country

Feb 4th, 2011
by mike barish.
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cruze-arati cruzearati rachel nevada extraterrestrial highway aliens

I recently went to Rachel, NV to film an episode of Travel Unexpected for the Cruze-arati project that that I’m shooting. Why would anyone go to Rachel, NV? Well, it’s just outside the infamous Area 51 U.S. government test facility and home to the Little A’Le’Inn. Anybody who’s anybody in Rachel (and that means everybody) hangs out at the one restaurant in town to swap stories about strange sightings, unusual occurrences and odd phenomena.

So, did I have a close encounter of my own? Check out the latest episode of Travel Unexpected to find out. Be sure to browse all of my pictures from Rachel and Area 51 and some additional images on Chevy’s site. (more…)

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