After my late night at the Kennedy Center, and without needing to walk Pookah, I slept in this morning. For me, that means until 7:30. By 11am I was at the National Mall, heading into the Hirshhorn Museum. It was the exhibit of the work by Simone Leigh that attracted me. I’d read that she had represented the US at … Read More
Washington DC – Day 4
Yesterday I explored a neighborhood I’d never been to before—NOMA. NOMA, north of Massachusetts Avenue, is actually about a mile north of Mass Ave. There’s a good reason I’d never visited there before, until about eight years ago it was an old industrial area filled with warehouses and parking lots. Then gentrification and development began, and the neighborhood is rapidly … Read More
Washington DC – Day 5
Yesterday was my final day in DC before returning home. One of the great things about the Smithsonian museums is that they are open seven days a week, year-round, except for Christmas and New Year’s Day. My first stop was at the National Museum of the American Indian. This too is new since the last time I visited the museums … Read More
An Outing
Pookah is a homebody. He loves nothing more than a day when he goes for very quick walks and spends the rest of the time in the apartment. Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I decided we needed to spend time outside. It’s an easy drive to Ft. Tryon Park. It took some doing to convince Pookah to walk the … Read More
The Holidays are Here
This weekend will be filled with holiday events, even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving. On Friday, my destination was the NY Botanical Garden’s Train Show. I love the show and go every year. Apart from the trains, the highlights are NYC landmarks constructed entirely from natural materials. They are incredible works of art. Yesterday was opening day and member’s day. … Read More
Lantern Show
It was a warm, clear night. At 6:30 the sky was coal black with a perfect half-moon, ideal conditions for viewing the Lantern Show at the Queens Farm. The light show is enchanting if a bit helter-skelter. Large sculptures, beautifully crafted and vividly colored, are lit from within. There doesn’t seem to be a theme. There are sections of farm … Read More
Louisiana – Day 1
My body doesn’t quite know what to make of my travels. Freezing cold, arid Colorado to moderately cold New York to balmy, humid Louisiana. I’ve managed to get a cold, fortunately not covid, and am soldiering through. I flew to New Orleans yesterday. It’s a city I love and have been to many times, but this trip is different. It … Read More
Louisiana – Day 2
A uniform steel gray sky wasn’t a good omen. But in New Orleans “laissez les bons temps rouler,” let the good times roll, is the rule. My day started the Vue Orleans. Perched on the top levels of the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans it’s a combination interactive playground and 360-degree observatory. I loved the interactive displays where famous locals, … Read More
Louisiana – Day 3
Geaux Saints Geaux! A large part of yesterday was experiencing how New Orleanians participate in New Orleans Saints football games. The game was between the Saints and Detroit Lions at the Superdome. The first stop was a VIP tailgate party on a patio overlooking the entrance to the Superdome. I will confess that I am not a football fan, but … Read More
Louisiana – Day 4
After a kerfuffle with Budget car rental, I finally got a Rav4 and headed out of NOLA. I had a very specific destination in mind, the Abita Mystery House. I had visited it in 2001, when it was called the UCM museum, I loved the ingenuity, sense of humor and especially its’ creator, John Preble. He and I had a … Read More