Next on our recipe week tour of the USA is Santa Fe -
Red adobe and old world charm make Santa Fe the city you envision when you think of the old Southwest. Artists find the area inspiring and most visitors will, too. There are shops galore, history around every corner and artists displaying their wares, even on the street. (more…)
Once you’ve had a chance to see the art and architecture on the grounds of the Getty Center (see yesterday’s blog), head inside for some tours of the different pavilions.
Tours around the Getty Center will provide some enlightening and entertaining background on the art on display. The great thing about the Getty is that the tours are free and the tour guides are lively and interesting. (more…)
Before choosing to visit the Getty Center in Los Angeles, I asked a friend who had been there recently if it was worth traveling there. Sometimes things are just hype, after all.
Well, I’m happy to report that the Getty Center is absolutely worth visiting (as my friend said). Especially the buildings, which are works of art themselves.
Arriving from the 405, which can be backed up with typical LA traffic, the Getty Center is reached by a tram from the parking garage. Even the tram ride is an efficient, clean and scenic experience.
Los Angeles has fascinating attractions. Some of the finest and most reasonable are in LA’s giant park, Griffith Park. Spread out over 4,200 acres, Griffith Park has something for everyone. Nestled northeast of downtown LA, Griffith Park is “the largest municipal park with urban wilderness area in the United States.” (LA Parks Web site)
With grassy lawns, but also mountain vistas, you can see for miles – smog permitting. The roads leading into the park do not all connect, so it’s best to know where you want to go before you arrive or you may wander about trying to get to the correct location.
There are pony rides, horseback trails, hiking trails, picnic areas, an observatory and a merry-go-round, among other attractions. (more…)
We had been invited to spend time with the Queen, the ship the Queen Mary, that is.
Docked permanently in Long Beach, California, the cruise liner Queen Mary saw many years of active service until it reached its current permanent berth.
Queen Mary with Russian submarine
Now a hotel, tourist attraction and historical museum, the Queen is a venerable ship that first plied the waters in the time just before World War II. The passenger capacity was almost 2,000, with the crew representing a little more than half that number.
When people think of art museums, they think of stuffy places with art that is centuries old. At Phoenix Art Museum, they’ve have a collection of older works, but have expanded their exhibit space to include a light-filled new wing with an eye appealing collection of modern art.
(The centuries-old masters are there – even a Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, for example.)
But, head to the back because the new wing features riveting and thought-provoking modern art.
Experimentation with mediums is the name of the game. Felt, resin, plexiglass, burnt wood, mirrors, metal buckets, lights, blown glass, books, plaster, pottery, ceramic, and the more conventional – oil or acrylic on canvas- are all on display.
Modern artists are anything but stuffy!
Feet as art - Seascape #14 by Tom Wesselman
Who would think that a giant, plexiglass foot could be so appealing? Tom Wesselman’s “Seascape #14” is three-dimensional and just jumps out at you. Colorful, to say the least!
Looking for an Old West experience that’s fun for the family? Then, head to Rawhide, if you’re in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
"Come and Get It" greets visitors at Rawhide's entrance
What better way to celebrate USA’S birthday than a visit to Washington, DC!
Imagine standing in bone-chillingly freezing weather near a large, manmade lake (The famous Tidal Pool) with two impressive monuments across from you, just waiting for sunrise. That was the scenario for me several years ago in Washington, DC during the spring cherry blossom season.
Almost on a dare, I decided to try photography at sunrise since I’d always heard it was the best. Well, it was, but the cold was so numbing that I almost couldn’t get my fingers to push the camera shutter.
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Jefferson Memorial at Sunrise
Boston, Massachusetts conjures up images of the fight for United States independence, history and old buildings. It’s all of that and much more. With the 4th of July this week, Boston seems a great place to celebrate the USA’s birth.
Quincy Market - where street performances happen often
FORE!
DUCK!
GET OUT OF THE …. WAY!
OOPS! SORRRRY!
It’s time to hop a golf cart over to the birthplace of golf over 600 years ago, St. Andrews.
Actually, birthplace is not quite accurate. Golf in some form was probably played in another country before it came to Scotland, but hey, Scotland just had a better marketing department! (more…)
