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Topeka, Kansas
Who says that nothing happens in the flyover country of the Midwest? With all the offbeat activity recently going on in Kansas, we’re starting to love the lost-in-the-middle state. First, it was the public voting for and selection of the 8 Wonders of Kansas. Now, the Kansas Museum of History has opened an exhibition about... bad weather.
The Forces of Nature exhibit (running through January 4, 2009) actually sounds rather intriguing. The tornado that swept through The Wizard of Oz was, obviously, in Kansas. The Weather Channel regularly runs features on hurricanes, tornados, floods, and other natural disasters. So if you happen to be visiting any of those 8 Wonders of Kansas, take the time to stop by the museum (6425 SW 6th Ave., Topeka) and marvel at... the weather.
Orange County; Houston; Washington D.C.; & Atlanta
A few of the thousands of the famous Chinese Terra-Cotta Warriors are coming to America. In May, simultaneous exhibitions will begin at the Bowers Museum in Orange County, California and at the Houston, Texas, Museum of Natural History. Then, in November, the figures will travel to The National Geographic Society Museum in Washington, D.C. and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia.
Everyone who has seen the original soldiers in China, and the traveling exhibit now at the British Museum in London, think this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity on a scale of the King Tut exhibits from several years ago.
Nova Scotia, Canada & Other North America Locations
How would a small town in Nova Scotia, known as the birthplace of giant pumpkin growing, make the most of its unique history? What else, put on an annual “pumpkin boat” race across a lake. The town of Windsor (population 3,700) attracted 10,000 fascinated spectators to the event this year, having grown from 5 entries from the event’s inception to 54 at present.
Competitive pumpkin paddling has become surprisingly common across the U.S. and Canada. As the events grow in status, the more serious racers are looking to bred better-crafted boats. The Atlantic Giant pumpkin is not well shaped for sailing, but when cross-bred with a pink banana squash, a sleeker version can be carved.
“It’s a cranky one this year” believed 72-year old Leo Swinimer, multiple-time race winner, who he prevailed once again this year. Keeping his 600-pound pumpkin on course was a little too tricky, thus talk of his retirement is at hand. “Every year he says it’s the last one,” said his son-in-law, “but as soon as March or April comes up, he’ll be out growing them again.”
Boston, Washington D.C., Chicago
Through August 19, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is offering a show of the works of Edward Hopper. Hopper's iconic Nighthawks at the Diner is one of America's most widely recognized (and capitalized upon) paintings. Hopper can be controversial to art critics, but his works usually strike a chord with the public. This show travels to Washington D.C. from Sept. 16 2007 - Jan. 21, 2008, and then to Chicago from Feb. 16 - May 11, 2008
Vancouver, Canada (and the World)
Since the winds of politics, marketing, the media, and geography have created such a brand for the Olympics, events are now awarded far in advance. Olympic fans currently have four different games to look forward to. Each event’s website offers a variety of newsletters that you can subscribe to. If you want to stay on top of everything Olympics, here are the contacts for all four games, as well as for the IOC. (It’s interesting to see the four Olympic logos side-by-side on the IOC home page. We still like Canada’s the best.)
Beijing, China, Summer 2008 - http://en.beijing2008.cn/
Vancouver, Canada, Winter 2010 - http://www.vancouver2010.com/en
London, England, Summer 2012 - http://main.london2012.com/en
Sochi, Russia, Winter 2012 - http://sochi2014.com/
International Olympic Committee - http://www.olympic.org/uk/index_uk.asp
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
In the middle of the upper Midwest, with a population of about 65,000, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, isn’t the first place you’d think of when it comes to Hollywood fashions. Yet the Paine Art Center and Gardens is hosting “Fashion in Film: Period Costumes for the Screen” – an exhibition of 36 costumes worn by Elizabeth Taylor, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Ralph Fiennes, and other actors. The exhibition runs through September, and in it’s previous display at the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Delaware, it attracted that museum’s highest-ever attendance.
Providence, Rhode Island
New England’s largest indoor public garden has opened in our smallest state. The glass-walled Roger Williams Park Botanical Center features a tropical garden, an orchid garden, and a Mediterranean room containing a large collection of citrus trees.
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the last destination on the four-city North American tour of the exhibition Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. The show is currently in residence at the Franklin Institute until September 30, 2007. Displaying 130 objects from royal Egyptian tombs, also included will be King Tut’s gold crown, along with a calcite bust of the king. Philadelphia is also hosting other citywide Tut-themed attractions – one, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, is an exhibition about Amarna, the royal city of Tutankhamun’s childhood.
Tucson, Arizona
Sun-seekers are not the only ones who enjoy the outdoors around Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum covers the Sonora environment in one outdoor campus comprising a zoo, botanical garden, and natural history museum. Old Tucson Studios is an artificial frontier town packed with Old West movie sets, and has stage shows featuring dancing saloon gals and cowboy stunts. Housing more than 275 historic aircraft, which visitors can board, Pima Air and Space Museum is conveniently located near Tucson International Airport. And don’t leave town without visiting the cactus forests at Saguaro National Park.
Washington D.C.
After Jackson Pollock and before Andy Warhol – and in many ways bridging the gap between them – was Jasper Johns. Running through the end of April, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is featuring an exhibition of Johns' work from 1955-65. Johns made Pop Art before it was popular. If you’re on the east coast this spring, don’t miss this show.
Lone Pine, California
In east-central California, along one of the most spectacular highways in the U.S. (Highway 395) are a string of small towns unknown except to hikers, fishermen, and skiers heading to Mammoth Mountain. But, just outside the town of Lone Pine, near the base of Mt. Whitney (the highest peak in the 48 contiguous states) are the Alabama Hills, where hundreds of Hollywood features, independent films, and commercials have been filmed. Now, a new museum – the Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History – has opened to showcase the area’s connections to the movie industry. Highway 395 is one of the most beautiful roads in America, and the new Lone Pine film history museum is another reason to linger on your drive.
Hot U.S.A. Destinations
TripAdvisor is a user-generated website offering travel tips and reviews. TripAdvisor recently asked their site visitors for opinions of the Top Ten Hot U.S. Destinations for 2007. The selected U.S. destinations were:
- Anna Maria, Florida
- Kailua, Hawaii
- Siesta Key, Florida
- Macon, Georgia
- Breckenridge, Colorado
- Millinocket, Maine
- Vail, Colorado
- Bishop, California
- Franklin, Tennessee
- Eureka, California
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New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis
The exhibition Picasso and American Art opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in September, running through January 28, 2007. It will then travel to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (Feb. 25-May 27, 2007), followed by the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (June 17-September 9, 2007). There are approximately 180 works in the show, ranging chronologically from 1909 to 2003. Forty-two works by Picasso will be exhibited alongside works produced by 23 American artists influenced by Picasso, including Arthur Dove, Max Weber, members of the celebrated Stieglitz circle, modernist Jackson Pollock, and contemporary artist Jasper Johns.
Coastal Maine
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World’s Best Restaurants
The opinions come from a British travel magazine, so an article on the “World’s 10 Best Restaurants” might be expected to be heavier on UK restaurants and light on the French choices. What did surprise us was that the Times Online article chose three in the U.S. Two are Thomas Keller restaurants – The French Laundry in Yountville (Napa), California, and Per Se in New York City. The third U.S. restaurant on the list is Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Jean Georges, also in New York. For the curious, the other restaurants on the list include Gordon Ramsey, Tom Aikens, and St John (all in London), The Fat Duck (Bray, UK), El Bulli (Roses, Spain), Tetsuya’s (Sydney, Australia), and Pierre Gagnaire (Paris).
Yosemite National Park, California
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As American As Apple Pie
In our ongoing search for timely and interesting destinations and activities, we began searching for apple festivals around the U.S. We discovered an odd-looking but interesting website at www.pickyourown.org/applefestivals.php, which lists apple fests in 24 different states. A few which looked really interesting to us include:
- Springville, California, Apple Festival, Oct. 21-22
- Washington State Apple Harvest Festival, Wenatchee, Sept. 24
- Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, Martinsburg, West Virginia, Oct. 19-22
- Georgia Apple Festival, Ellijay, Oct. 14-15, 21-22
- Afton, Minnesota, Apple Festival, Oct. 7-8, 14-15
- Apple Butter Stirrin' Festival, Roscoe, Ohio, Oct. 20-22
- Hickory, Pennsylvania, Apple Festival, Oct. 7-8
Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announces a list of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
This year’s list consists of:
- Annapolis, Maryland: Home to the Naval Academy, Annapolis has many well-preserved 18th-century buildings and a charming harbor.
- Bath, Maine: An old seafaring town along the sparkling Kennebec River, Bath is a walkable community featuring maritime history, historic buildings, and rugged, scenic beaches.
- Bisbee, Arizona: Once the “Queen of the Copper Camps,” Bisbee is now a thriving, eclectic community and arts center that pays homage to its mining heritage and Wild West roots.
- Columbus, Indiana: Columbus has earned its reputation as a world-class center of contemporary architecture, enticing visitors with its modern architecture, public art, wineries, shops, festivals, and an array of outdoor activities.
- Dubuque, Iowa: Dubuque is a charming and vibrant city known for its cache of Victorian mansions, breath-taking vistas, and three centuries of river history.
- Helena, Montana: Known for its pristine rivers, majestic mountains and wide-open spaces, Helena is a city of extraordinary beauty and history.
- Jonesborough, Tennessee: Jonesborough celebrates its rich history and culture with a beautifully preserved downtown and a number of celebrations including the annual National Storytelling Festival.
- Key West, Florida: Key West is known for breathtaking sunsets, crystal clear waters, and sultry nightlife. Architecture lovers enjoy the well-preserved Spanish-Colonial mansions and tin-roofed conch houses.
- Natchitoches, Louisiana: Established in 1714, this community is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase boasting a 33-block historic district and a variety of shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, and festivals.
- New Braunfels, Texas: Founded in 1845 by German immigrants, New Braunfels boasts a variety of activities that include Wurstfest, a “10-day salute to sausage.”
- Oak Park, Illinois: Just nine miles outside Chicago, Oak has quaint Victorian cottages and the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings and houses.
- Salem, Massachusetts: Famously known for the witchcraft trials of 1692, Salem boasts a rich maritime heritage and an impressive display of historic architecture.
Bathroom Art in Ohio
Folks needing to use the public restrooms in the Yellow Springs, Ohio, replica train station can now be entertained by a display of original paintings on the walls. Called by its founders – two local artists – the ChamberPot Gallery, the exhibition opened in mid June. The artists hope to draw attention to the artist-oriented community, and to lure into the village out-of-town hikers, bikers, and joggers who use the adjacent bike path.
Less Crowded National Parks
According to MSNBC, the best national parks for avoiding summer crowds include Arches, Utah; Badlands, South Dakota; Big Bend, Texas; Biscayne, Florida; Congaree, South Carolina; Hawaii Volcanoes; Sequoia and Kings Canyon, California; and the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
Accessible only by ferry via Hilton Head or Savannah, Daufuskie Island's pristine tranquility is a haven for the traveler seeking solitude. The tiny island boasts two championship golf courses, a world-class spa, tennis, horseback riding, and fishing as the main activities. The beaches are vast and unspoiled – you likely will not see another soul as you walk their length. You can explore the island's trails and wildlife by renting a golf cart or biking – no cars are allowed on the island.
Other Destinations Around America
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