Saturday, March 24, 2012

Reason Rally


It rained pretty heavily on and off today. We walked down to the Reason Rally to check things out. There was a fairly large crowd despite the rain. After hanging around for a few speeches, we went to the National Gallery to escape the downpour. There we saw a Picasso exhibit of some 55 works. The exhibition presented the development of Picasso's drawings over a 30-year period. There were his earliest drawings on loan from the Barcelona Picasso Gallery which we remember seeing years ago when we were in Barcelona. Another reminder from our travels were two large-scale group portraits from the Dutch Golden Age, on long-term loan from the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum. We ate lunch in the Gallery and bought an umbrella for the duration of the day. Back at the Reason Rally we heard Dawkins speak, but the speech was uninspiring. Far better was Greta Christina. She laid it all out about how religious enthusiasts work to destroy the freedom of others.
Tonight we picked up Adam and Maura for dinner in their neighborhood at an Indian restaurant and a Dvorak concert, Stabat Mater, at the Kennedy Center. The concert was excellent. The choir blew us away.
For more DC pictures please visit my flickr page.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Cherry Blossoms


Today was beautiful, warm, and sunny; perfect for a walk along the Tidal Basin through the cherry trees. Prior to the Tidal Basin we walked to the Hirshhorn Gallery to see a light show. It was okay, a bit dated in technical terms. But still worked optically. We also got to see one of our favorite sculptors, Juan Munoz, pieces "Last Conversation Piece" which is a permanent installation outside the Museum.
The walk along the Tidal Basin was jammed with people. But everyone was in good spirits, taking photos and lounging. This year we walked toward the Lincoln Monument rather than toward the Potomac as in the past. At one point a helicopter past overhead and sent the cherry blossoms flying through the air. Our walk took us to the new Martin Luther King Monument. The area has MLK quotes engraved in granite along a wall. Very moving and sad.
To end our day we stopped at the Corcoran, our first visit ever. The holdings are fantastic. There are many Hudson River School pieces.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Nation's Capitol

The drive into DC from Juanita's and Carlton's is an easy 15-30 minutes when you do it at noon. Otherwise, it is a tangled nightmare of traffic. We chose the noon time trip. At the HIlton we were told our room would not be ready for a few hours. We walked around the corner to the Mozart Cafe for a light lunch. I thought the Renwick Gallery was close by and we headed for a quick visit. Unfortunately we headed the wrong direction. What should have been a 5 minute walk turned into a 30 minutes walk. The exhibit was not anything I was interested in, either. It was decorative arts from the White House archives. This was mostly furniture and china. In the past we have seen amazing exhibits of turned wood and jewelry.
Back at the hotel, Adam stopped by after work. He went to dinner with us at Alabardero, a Spanish restaurant. It was an elegant place and reminded us of Paris. Strange, I know, since it was trying to be Spanish. I haven't taken any pictures in 2 days, so you must be happy with the restaurant. Lo siento!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Manassas and Peking (Duck)



The first thing we did today was go into the Wegman's that is adjacent to the hotel. I've been curious about this chain. eh. The wine selection was great, but otherwise Whole Foods, et al, seems comparable. We went into Fredericksburg and had lunch at Soup Taco, a small Venezuelan restaurant near the visitor's center. My dish was sumptious homemade corn tortillas stuffed with refried beans, cheese and onions. George Washington, James Madison and James Monroe are among the luminaries who called Fredericksburg home. We drove out to Spotsylvania and then through the battlegrounds.
We arrived at Juanita's and Carlton's home in early afternoon. Sandra came over after work and we headed to Falls Church, VA to eat at the Peking Gourmet Inn. This Inn is famous for its....wait.....Peking Duck. They serve around 250 per day. Wow. The inside of the place was elegant and the waiters were dressed in red jackets. The duck is sliced at the table and the first pancake for each person is rolled by the waiter. After that, you're on your own. The foyer walls were covered with pictures of famous visitors, Presidents Clinton, Bush, Bush. It was a great day and a great time visiting with auntie and uncle. They are the best.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Manassas


We stayed in Staunton, VA last night. It is a lovely town that hosts Shakesperean plays on a regular bases. The town was spared during the Civil War and thus has beautifully preserved Victorian homes. The main street is long, unscathed and filled with shops, albeit shops with knick knacks. We ate last night in a beautifully converted rail station. Tonight we are staying in Fredericksburg. We aren't sure why we booked here since we toured the area 3 years ago. Instead of coming here directly we opted to visit Manassas' National Park. The main battle fields behind the visitor's center was picturesque with golden grasses and rolling hills. The film (there is always a film) at the center was very sad. Over 5000 casualties in the first battle and 25,000 in the second. For more pictures visit my flickr.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Folk Art and Highways

Before Southern Highland Craft Guild members. The Guild is an educational, non-profit organization founded in 1930. It is a network and market for mountain craftspeople. there are more that 900 artisan members who are selected by a jury. The quality is superb. Everyday a different member works at his/her craft on site. Today we saw a weaver. Her colors were so rich and beautiful. We purchased a small carved wooden bluejay to hang on our Christmas Tree. The remainder of the day was spent driving to Staunton, VA. It was another beautiful ride through the Smoky Mountains. See more photos at Flickr

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Asheville Arts


Another beautiful day in the Smoky Mountains. Our hotel is a few miles from historic Asheville. We are near the Biltmore Estate. We drove into Asheville and headed for the Appalachian Crafts Center. It was closed on this Sunday and foretold the future for most all galleries. We walked up and down streets block to block window shopping and finding the occasional open store. All the restaurants were open and there was a nice band playing with some performers dancing near the Woolworth's. The city is filled with unusual characters dressed in mountain clothing, 1940's style. Long hair and bearded dudes with a lot of tattoos. People were lounging around on benches, dining at outdoor cafes, playing music, a real arts setting. I found a nice iron forged maple leaf hook and some sgraffito bird cards. We returned to the hotel about 4pm and sat on our sunny balcony to read. Tonight we ate at Ruth's Chris' Steak House along with the grim reaper. LOL See more photos at Flickr

Saturday, March 17, 2012

On Top of Old Smoky


This is Waynesville, NC in the Great Smoky Mountains, very apropro as today is Wayne's birthday. Before we left Chattanooga we went to the Hunter Museum. We had been fascinated by the design and location of their new addition. It is somewhat reminiscent of a Geary design. It beautifully complements and overhangs the Tennessee River. The collection is good. I'm beginning to more and more enjoy museums in smaller cities that can't afford to hold the most noted works. In these smaller museums one can see works that were the beginnings of a career or the studies for larger works. It's refreshing to see these and sometimes surprising to see an unexpected style or approach of an artist I think I know well.
The drive to Asheville took us through a portion of the Smokies. I find it difficult to convey the beauty of these mountains. This time of year finds them displaying flowering dogwood and redwood among the occasional tender green of a maple. Now and then a rusty orange oak will declare itself. As we neared Asheville a storm of some magnitude formed over a distant mountain top announcing its presence with dark clouds and lightening. We entered Asheville through the rain. See more photos at Flickr

Friday, March 16, 2012

Pardon Me Roy, Is That the Cat That Ate Your New Shoes?


Chattanooga! We love you! What a great city full of promise and foresight, art and history. It's clean, friendly and interesting. We came here to see the Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain Civil War battle sites. We were surprised to find a vibrant arts and restaurant area on the river near our hotel. We spent the early part of the day at Chickamauga, which is actually in Georgia, touring the battle areas. The site is the oldest Civil War park. As such, it is filled with state monuments dedicated to the soldiers. The redbuds are abundant here. We next drove to Lookout Mountain. It was a harrowing hair pin after hair pin turning road to the top. Then we were hit with rain, lightening and hail. All very dramatic. There is a complete community of homes and schools on top. We were amazed that Hooker conquered the mountain without air conditioning and all wheel drive. Tonight we went to Sugar's for dinner. It is a BBQ joint. The ribs were fine, and we had a nice accompaniment of loud rock and roll music by a cover band. See more photos at Flickr

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Mississippi Royalty


In order to drive from Oxford, MS to Chattanooga, TN, one must drive south to Birmingham and then north again to Tennessee. This traverse took us through Tupelo, MS, the birthplace of one Elvis Presley. Having already stopped on a corner in Winslow, AZ, how could we pass up the opportunity to see the place that shaped The King. After Elvis achieved some popularity (and money) he returned to Tupelo and bought back the house he was born in, which his father built, and the surrounding land. On that land now is a fairly large and nice gift shop and museum that covers his life in Tupelo. The house is a tiny 2 room abode, front bedroom and back kitchen. The church Elvis attended and sang gospel has been moved to the grounds. There were a surprising number of people here, even 3 women from Australia.
The countryside we passed through today was so beautiful. There are hundreds of redbuds scattered through the woods which are just beginning to break with pale green buds. Occasional dogwood dot the woods. As we drove east and north we entered the Appalachian Mountains. Chattanooga sits on Chickamauga Lake and Nickajack Lake, which are both part of the Tennessee River. Chattanooga abuts the Georgia border and lies at the transition between the ridge-and-valley portion of the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. The city is therefore surrounded by various mountains and ridges.
We are staying near the river. The area is filled with restaurants, movie theater and an arts bluff area. As we've seen in many places the restaurants were filled with people, young, old and in between. It's hard to understand the recession. Maybe things really are improving. See more photos at Flickr.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Sound and the Fury


Oxford, Mississippi, the home of Ole Miss and William Faulkner. Today the temps his 81, woo hoo. We started our day at Rowan Oak, Faulkner's 1844 antebellum home where he wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning A Fable's outlines on his study walls. Our research found out that James Lee Burke and Salman Rushdie have also visited there. It's a literary oddity to see those two listed together. It's also a serendipity that we were just in New Iberia seeking out James Lee Burke spots mentioned in his Robicheaux series. The grounds of Rowan Oak appear much as they did when Faulkner lived there with the out kitchen, barn, stable and servant's quarter still standing. Wayne has been reading Faulkner in preparation for this trip. After, we went to the town square to buy more Faulkner. The square's format is exactly like the Magnolia square. The courthouse in Magnolia is more charming. But the stores in Oxford are more upscale and the fronts preserved better. The stores are of 3 varieties: clothing, restaurants and book stores. Oh, and the occasional law firm. Ole Miss was disappointing to me. I expected the university to be quaint and situated walking distance from the town square. However, it is modern and spread out. We went to the museum, which had a paltry collection. Now we have discovered there is nothing else here to see except the Confederate Cemetery. We will dine on the square tonight and make haste for Chattanooga tomorrow. For more pictures visit my flicker

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Ninth Ward

Jackson Square is also known as Place d'Armes. There is a statue of Andrew Jackson sitting on his horse that was cast from melted British cannons captured during the war of 1812. During the Civil War the women of NO living around Jackson Square would empty their chamber pots on the Union soldiers' heads as they passed by. Union officers threatened to melt Jackson down made cannon out of him if the practice didn't stop.
We opted on a tour today. Initially, we booked with a city tour that we mistakenly thought was just for the Metairie Cemetery. Turns out it was a 3 hour walking tour of the French Quarter and a nearby cemetery. So, back to the hotel and the concierge to find what we needed. We found ourselves in a van with 2 people from Oklahoma and a 72 year old guide. He was a talker! Full of facts and figures. Nevertheless, we got a great look at the 9th ward and an understanding of how the flooding from Katrina happened. We saw the houses Brad Pitt has built and the Habitat for Humanity houses for the musicians. Next, he took us to the Garden District and pointed out the homes of John Goodman and Sandra Bullock and the Mannings of football fame. Lastly, we did go to Metairie. It is a fascinating mix of sculpture and architecture.
Dinner tonight was at Galatoire's. Until 1999, the restaurant did not accept reservations, leaving patrons to stand in long lines on the Bourbon Street sidewalk. With the addition of the second floor dining rooms and bar, standing on Bourbon Street is only needed for first floor dining room seats, which are still always first-come-first-served. It was the first and only restaurant where we've been asked if we had a preferred waiter. Tennessee Williams at here often at a table near the window and mentioned Galatoire's in A Streetcar Named Desire. For more pictures visit my flicker

Monday, March 5, 2012

Biegnets, Gardens and Antoine's

The Big Easy. This is our first visit since Katrina. It's very nice to see the city vibrant and full of tourists. Our hotel, The Roosevelt, is a beauty with chandeliers, marble and murals. This morning we walked from the hotel down to Royal St. First, to look for Antoine's Restaurant and second, to have coffee and beignets at Cafe Dumonde. The Cafe had lines that stretched far beyond the door. So, hungry, we stopped across the street at The Riverside. Service was so slow there that we would have certainly made the Cafe's counter by the time we were served. Adding insult to injury, the food was terrible. I won't even begin to describe the bathroom. After breakfast we walked some more, did a little shopping in the French Riverside Market and then returned to the Roosevelt by way of Royal St. where we heard some fine jazz. In the afternoon we got the car and drove to the Garden District where Wayne bought As I Lay Dying in preparation for Oxford, MS. We also bought a walking guide and toured the district on foot. The homes here are architecturally strong and interesting. The District claims to be one of the best preserved collection of historic southern mansions in the United States. They were built mainly by wealthy Americans who did not want to live in the French Quarter with the Creoles. Commander's Palace is located there.
Tonight we dined at Antoine's, the oldest family run restaurant in the United States, established in 1840. The Creole cuisine features original dishes, ie, Oysters Rockefeller of which we had a few. I liked the overall look and feel of the place with the traditional male waiters in tails, but it was somewhat staid. For more pictures visit my flicker

Sunday, March 4, 2012

The Big Easy


The drive from Longboat Key to New Orleans can't be done in one day. We chose Tallahassee as a stop over point. It was pouring rain as we pulled in. If it has to rain, it might as well be on a day we have nothing planned. We ate in the hotel and ventured no farther than the parking garage. Although, what we could see of the city was very nice. We arrived in New Orleans after noon. Interstate 10 considerately dropped us right onto Canal Street. Our hotel is one block off Canal and 2 up from the French Quarter. The Roosevelt is by far the most elegant hotel we have stayed in this trip. Thanks to our loyalty to Hilton and our penchant for charging everything with our Hilton card, we were upgraded to a suite. We dumped out bags and headed to the French Quarter for lunch. We stopped at the first place, Desire, for gumbo and jambalaya. A stroll through the Quarter to Jackson Square and a look at the Big Muddy filled the remainder of the afternoon. That night we stopped in the Roosevelt's bar for Sazaracs, a blend of a rye whiskey, bitters, absinth, and herbsaint and the official cocktail of New Orleans. The bar has a fabulous atmosphere. I can do no better than send you to the site for a read and look at it. For more pictures visit my flicker

Friday, March 2, 2012

I Didn't Need Those Pants, Anyway

The camera never does a sunset justice. First, the eye can't move from point to point and the force of the sun darkens the subtle colors of the water and sand. Second, the sound of the surf and the calling of the birds are missing. People never seem to tire of watching the sun set much like they are drawn to watching a fire. Each evening is different, too. Tonight we each carried a cup of wine down, grabbed a couple of lounges and enjoyed watching the pelicans dive for fish and the funny seagulls cackling. Wayne and I crossed gestures and sent wine all over my white pants. It was quite a Picasso effect that rivaled the colors of the sky. Earlier in the day we explored more of Anna Maria. It is very developed with condos, cottages and shops. Tomorrow we begin our journey west and north. For more pictures visit my flicker

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Lazy, Hazy Days




The sand here is like silt. It is so pleasurable to walk on and drag your toes through. We read and snoozed all day on the beach. I made sand sculptures with my feet and Wayne took a quick swim, his first in the Gulf. For more pictures visit my flicker

Wasting Away in Margaritaville


Sitting on the balcony of our room simultaneously overlooking the palm decked pool and the sun setting over the Gulf, the band serenades me with sax and voice. We truly vacated all thoughts, intentions and considerations today. After a late breakfast we drove to the end of these keys, a place called Anna Maria. The book Wayne is reading is set on Longboat; much mention is made of Anna Maria. The area is densely packed with condos, cottages, shops of every variety and loads of sand. We returned for a light lunch at the bar and immediately headed for the beach where we spent 4 hours reading, drawing and finally, swimming.
For more pictures visit my flickr