Columbus, Indiana is actually a city of 47,000. Not a town, but considering its small size, a mecca for world-renowned architecture. The American Institute of Architects ranked it sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design – right behind Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. There are more than ninety buildings and pieces of public art … Read More
Quirky American Towns
I love the southwest for the scenery; the desert, cacti, vast expanses and endless sky are magnificent. But between the open spaces are slews of interesting towns. Here are just a few of my favorite towns in the southwest. Jerome, Arizona is just a few miles away from the far better-known Sedona. At one point it was a thriving copper … Read More
Quirky American Towns — West Coast
Cannon Beach in Oregon has a population of about 1,500. You don’t go there for the town, but for the beach, which is among the most beautiful on the west coast. When I first went there it was so foggy I couldn’t even see the famous Haystack Rock. Then it cleared and was spectacular. Nearby there are other equally gorgeous … Read More
Hudson Valley
I decided I needed to get out of the city, even if only for a few days. So, I’m spending the weekend in Cold Spring. It’s a charming Hudson River town. And, in many ways fits in with my recent posts about quirky American towns. For many years I lived close enough to come for an afternoon. I’ve watched the … Read More
Beacon and Newburgh NY
This morning, I traveled a short way upriver to Beacon. When I was younger, I often hiked in the area. Just driving past reminded me of the difficulty of those trails, including the aptly named Breakneck Ridge trail. As I watched rain dripping down rocks, I imagined how slippery the trail must be. Even on good days, the combination of … Read More
Heading South along the Hudson River
Yesterday I headed home after my brief stay in Cold Spring. Driving back there were hints of spring—daffodils, weeping willows swathed in pale green, buds ready to burst. But, for the most part, branches remained bare and there was a grayness that contrasted sharply with the intense blue of the sky. My first start was at Magazzino, a museum of … Read More
Fort Tryon Park, New York City
Even though it’s not nearby and has hills, Fort Tryon Park holds the title of my favorite Manhattan park. Why? First, it is a ten-minute drive and has loads of free parking. Second, I’ve never seen it crowded, a rarity in the city. Third, and perhaps most germane to my visit there yesterday, it has an easily accessible flower garden. … Read More
Street Art Bushwick, Brooklyn
The last time I visited Bushwick to explore street art was during one of the worst parts of the pandemic. Streets were devoid of people but filled with fabulous art. This time, people swarmed the neighborhood. And, because marijuana is now legal, pot shops were everywhere, including a slew of pop-up shops and mobile weed trucks. Several tour groups passed … Read More
Solar Eclipse (not quite total)
Thin wispy clouds scurried across the sky as if trying to get out of the way of the nearing astronomical event. I’d tried to get eclipse viewing glasses, but when I looked for them, they’d all been given away or sold. The doormen in my building assured me there would be spares. They were correct. When I returned at 3pm, … Read More
Whirligigs
Even if you think you’ve seen whirligigs, you’ve never seen anything like the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in Wilson, North Carolina. I’m visiting my cousin in Raleigh, and we took a drive because she knew I’d love the park. Anything hinting of the unusual is attractive to me. This place blew me away, literally—the wind was fierce—and figuratively. I’d seen … Read More