Galveston, Texas – Day 2 If I were going to sum up the day three words would suffice—history, art, and food. The first two conference speakers talked about Galveston’s history, from it’s earliest native Americans to the present day. Sam Collins, a local historian and dynamic speaker, told the story of Juneteenth. Issued in Galveston on June 19, 1865, General … Read More
Galveston – Day 3
In the morning, I met with representatives from the DMOs (Destination Marketing Organizations). They gave me lots of great ideas for trips I hadn’t even considered and I’m now thinking of how to fit them into my 2025 travel schedule (2024 is fully booked). BTW, I already have two trips planned for 2025—a west coast trip and London with my … Read More
Houston, Texas – Day 1
The conference ended last night, but I decided to spend an extra day in Houston. My friend Ann lives here, and I hadn’t seen her in a while. Getting to Houston from Galveston was interesting. Last night there were massive thunderstorms with high winds. Many areas of Houston lost power and this morning many streetlights were out. I saw downed … Read More
Houston Day 2
My penultimate day in Texas focused on the art of Kehinde Wiley at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. On my final day, I hunted down lesser-known artists showing their work in alternative spaces. Sawyer Yards was my first stop. I’d read that the area is filled with murals. That is definitely true, but that’s just the beginning. Close to … Read More
Tiffany Lamps and Clara Driscoll
Yesterday evening I met up with fellow Score mentors (the organization I volunteer with) for an evening at the New York Historical Society. It’s an often overlooked museum that has fascinating exhibitions. I immediately headed for the Tiffany lamps. Apart from the dazzling lamps, this is a show about feminism and how women’s achievements have been buried. Clara Driscoll led … Read More
Brooklyn Museum — Hiroshige’s 100 Famous Views of Edo
Mid the July 4th weekend, I assumed the Brooklyn Museum would be sparsely attended. Nope. Two blockbusters shows brought in crowds—Paul McCartney’s photos and Hiroshige’s woodblock prints of Edo (Tokyo). The museum’s collection of Hiroshige’s woodblock prints is purported to be among the world’s finest. The colors are vibrant, preserved after decades in storage. The subject matter is his hometown … Read More
Paul McCartney’s Photos at the Brooklyn Museum
This exhibition of McCartney’s photos is titled: 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm. It was the period when the Beatles hit it big, starting when they left Liverpool. They began to perform internationally, first in Europe and then in the United States. The photos are the equivalent of home movies—Paul’s take on what was swirling around them. They look so young, … Read More
Balloon Art
You think you’ve seen it all. That, of course, is never true. Yesterday, at the Park Avenue Armory in NYC, I experienced something totally new to me: balloon art. The Armory is a vast, flexible open space. It is now filled to the rafters (literally) with a show titled “Balloon Story.” Over 200 balloon artists (who knew there was such … Read More
Lincoln Center Festival
Throughout the year Lincoln Center presents festivals and special events. None is more anticipated than Summer-for-the-City. Every night, and many days, there are concerts in many genres, dance and theatrical performances, a silent disco, special children’s shows, and food vendors. Best of all, every activity is free or pay-what-you-want, so the festival is affordable for everyone. The campus is decorated … Read More
Danger, Danger: White Sands, New Mexico
An excerpt from my new book “Wanderlust: Extraordinary People, Quirky Places, and Curious Cuisine,” out October 4th. The White Sands National Monument is about seventy miles from Las Cruces and is notable for two reasons. First, it is the site of one of the world’s largest above ground gypsum deposits. Gypsum is a widely used mineral found in cement and drywall … Read More