Category: ART

Museums, Gardens and other cultural sites

Accommodations, Architecture, ART, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

On Our Way to Greece & Turkey Part Duex

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: THE FRUSTRATIONS OF GETTING THERE!

Welcome to our cruise vacation. Unfortunately, we had three planes to catch before we could get to our port of Embarkation. A member of the United Airlines Ground Crew made our time at DFW a little difficult, but soon we were winging our way to Newark’s Liberty Airport. Come along with us!

Modern Inconveniences

So, we land at Newark, I turn on my phone and start getting notifications. The friendly skies were sending us love notes about our upcoming flights. I was happy to use my data to read all my notifications, instead of trusting the airport wi-fi, but I wanted to juice up my phone, so there’d still be power when I got to Frankfurt. We found a charging station and I filtered through my love notes. Primarily, Lufthansa wanted me to know that I’d be flying with them out of Frankfurt, even though the flight had been booked through United and United was letting me know I should check the departure boards in Newark, because sometimes there were gate changes. Those messages resolved, I checked up on the rest of my digital life and then sat there, very near our gate and let the phone charge.

When they called us to board, we got to participate in the new airport game – Gate Bus Plane. We filed through the turnstile to have our boarding passes read and then marched down the stairs to the tarmac. There we boarded a bus which played chicken with all the jumbo jets to take us to our pond jumper. I’m thinking this new game is a way for airlines to save money. It must be cheaper to drive your customers across the airport and have them climb stairs rather than just walk down a jetway or we wouldn’t have been doing so much of it on this trip. Whoever dreamed up this game should be punished severely.

Friendly Seatmate

For this leg of the journey, we’d opted for the last row of the plane. It gave Bill a window seat, we could sit together and it was close to the bathroom. Worked for us.

Then a guy sat next to me. Very friendly and helpful. Confessed to being military and knew a lot about the plane. We chatted a bit and I felt as if he were a little evasive about some innocent questions concerning his assignment and location. I was a little surprised by how often he seemed to travel, but it wasn’t my business.

Then I as the flight proceeded, it seems he was rarely in his seat and often could be found chatting up the flight crew. Later I decided he was some kind of air marshall, but I didn’t put it all together until long after the flight was over.

Honestly, I wasn’t very impressed with the Friendly Skies of United. The entertainment center was almost useless and the food was awful, but I slept through most of the flight, so it wasn’t a big loss – just disappointing.

And Then There Was Frankfurt!

I had fond memories of the Frankfurt Airport! I’d been through German airports a few times before Mr. Bill, but it seems as if those trips had been through Munich. The first time I remember going through Frankfurt had been in 1994 and I had been impressed with it. The shopping area was out of this world and I recalled a great little English pub.

We were back in 2016 for a layover, but it had been a rough Transatlantic flight and I spent most of the layover asleep in Bill’s lap. None of my fond memories played out in 2025.

The first frustration I will lay at the feet of Viking. They had a guy there to point us towards our next flight, but he pointed us in the wrong direction. We must have spent at least an hour wandering helplessly through the airport.

We finally found the right gate and chatted with an older couple who was supposed to be on our cruise. Some one showed up to take them in wheelchairs to another gate and I asked if we should move, too, but we were told they were being moved to better accommodate their wheelchair status and assured we could stay where we were.

Bill made a bed for himself across several chairs and I read the one of the books I’d brought along. The time of the flight was getting closer, but I wasn’t seeing much activity that looked as if that were true. I had been expecting to see more Viking passengers and that wasn’t happening either.

I’d turned off the wireless network to save money, but something told me I should get on wi-fi and see what was up. Good thing!! Everything had changed. Our flight number had been changed and our flight was delayed AND now the flight was leaving from a completely different terminal

I woke up a sleepy Mr. Bill to catch him up on things, none of which he was very happy about. We gathered up our belongings and began the trek to the next terminal. That was interesting and it was a trek. By now I was hungry and there hadn’t been any cute English Pub. The beautiful displays of German pastries, which were all over the airport didn’t do much for my gluten-free state. When we finally found the gate, I did a little exploration and there was nowhere decent to eat. I found a sandwich store for Bill, but I had to make do with a meat and cheese snack from a convenience store, which I topped off with potato chips. Gluten free is not necessarily healthy.

This gate was a lot more promising. There was more activity that resembled a flight and yes, there were other people with Viking paraphernalia. This looked good. I kept my phone on and watched for more activity, but none occurred.

Finally, they started boarding the plane, but like Newark, we went down the stairs to a bus first and that bus wandered around forever. I thought they were driving to Athens! Then they parked and herded us off the bus. It was cold and rainy outside as we waited to climb the stairs to the plane. I lamented the days when Lufthansa was the gold standard for international travel. Now it was the armpit!

On to Athens

Once we were on the flight it was unremarkable. In a few hours we landed in Athens and Viking personnel were all over the place. At baggage claim we were happy to discover our bags had made it, but before I realized it, they’d already been whisked away by Viking. We kept getting pointed in another direction and finding Viking personnel who wanted to know our name, which they would then check off a list. I don’t even recall how many times we went through this ritual, before and after baggage claim. Eventually, we were pointed in the direction of a bus, which after a while, had a chirpy Viking employee welcoming us to Athens and letting us know why we would be on the bus for at least another 45 minutes.

I was beyond tired, so I leaned back and tried to relax. It had been a very long travel day – two travel days, in fact. The calendar had turned a page since I left DFW, but after awhile I noticed a familiar glow in the distance. There, rising above the dark city of Athens was the Acropolis, with floodlights causing the Parthenon to glow in the night.

I felt like I did at Butchart Gardens and on the porch at The Grand Hotel. Mom was with me. She never made it to Athens herself, but she was thrilled I had. I couldn’t hold back the tears. And to think, the very next day I would be walking up there, where Aristotle, Pluto and other Athenian luminaries strolled.

Embarking on the Viking Vela

The bus pulled into the port and we were ushered off. The check-in process was ridiculously easy. We barely had time to set everything down before they were pointing us towards the gangway! As soon as we stepped on the boat, we were offered champagne and sent to life boat drill, which was actually just a quick lesson on wearing the life vest. We found our cabin and made our way to the buffet for some real food. Something we hadn’t seen in a while.

When we returned to the room, our bags had been delivered. I unpacked and put everything away in the generous storage of our cabin. Afterwards we went to what they called The Living Room and listened to some great music – a pair of string musicians playing popular music in a classical style. We had an early shore excursion the next morning, so we went to bed fairly early.

We’d made it. The journey had been frustrating and exhausting, but I was in Athens, Greece! Exciting, but hard to believe. Join me next week to visit the Acropolis. It was a great shore excursion!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, TRAVEL, United States

Tulsa Art Deco Tour

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A WET WALKING TOUR OF WONDER

Come along for the final treat on our visit to Tulsa. We love Art Deco and this walking tour was certainly the way to see it. Be sure to put it on your to do list. Come with me now for some fun.

BEFORE WE LEFT DALLAS

As I was planning our trip to Tulsa, I found a DIY walking tour online, but I’d tried that sort of thing before. You’re in a strange place, trying to follow a map that’s not true to where you are and figure out if the building you are looking at is the one the page says you need to see. I’ve also taken architectural tours with guides and appreciated their presence and knowledge. So, knowing Mr. Bill, I dreaded trying to convince him to put down good money for a guide when I already had what he would consider a perfectly good map of what we needed to see.

Then I asked myself why I had a business in the first place, if I wouldn’t spend the money to do what I want. Well, the short answer is my scrapbooking hobby eats up most of my profit, but not all of it. I could afford this tour for us. So the Tulsa Art Deco Walking Tour was sponsored by Jane Sadek Memory Keeper and I was very interested to getting my money’s worth out of the tour.

The week of the trip I started watching the weather and I could tell we were in for a wet weekend, but I started praying. It’s not like I expect God to change the world so I can go to a walking tour, but I always let him know what I want, even though I know He already knows.

THE MORNING OF THE TOUR

When I woke up the morning of the tour, the rain was pouring down, not heavily, but steadily. Bill said he wasn’t going on any walking tour in that kind of rain. I told him I would, so if worst came to worst he could take me down there and drop me off while he did something else. He did some severe muttering in response to that, but the frugal part of him did hate to see both tickets go to waste.

We both went to the gym and had some breakfast. Bill took a nap and I did crossword puzzles. The rain did not abate. Bill wanted to just stay in the hotel and relax, but I had prayed so hard I had to believe something would give. The weather report on my phone suggested the time of the tour would be the least rainy part of the day – even suggested a breakthrough in the clouds. I somehow convinced Bill to drive downtown, even though it was still raining. I usually just go with the flow, but this I wanted to do. And the rain kept coming down.

The rain kept coming down, albeit a little lighter than it had been earlier, but still a little messy for a walking tour. Then two blocks from the tour’s meeting spot, the rain let up and the sky brightened. God did arrange a little miracle just for me.

ENJOYING MY PERSONALIZED MIRACLE

Needless to say, we went on the tour and it was great. The guide was the entrepreneur who dreamed up the tour and he had other Tulsa tours he and his employees led. He’d cut his teeth as a tour guide in New York City and decided to bring his skill set to the South. It’s been a winner and now he’s expanding to other cities in Oklahoma. Tulsa Tours is who you want to book your tour with. Accept no substitutes!

He was so knowledgeable and entertaining that the tour was wonderful. Because it sprinkled on and off during the tour, the guide walked us through buildings whenever he could. We only got a little damp, instead of soaked by the steady rain of the morning.

Put this on your list for Tulsa. You’ll have a great time and you’ll know a whole lot more about Tulsa AND Art Deco architecture when you’re through.

UTICA SQUARE

Much of what we saw in Tulsa was very close together, near Downtown, which is why I’d first looked at hotels in that area. The short drive from Broken Arrow was no burden and we ended up with more money to spend on our next trip – a cruise to Greece and Turkey – but if you’re willing to spend the extra money, I recommend the Downtown area for your accommodations.

Each day on our way to whatever was on our list, we passed Utica Square. I’d read it was a great hub for shopping and dining. Driving by each day confirmed it was a busy area. So, after our walking tour, we decided it would be the right spot for dinner.

It was busy on a Saturday in the early evening. After lucking into a parking spot, we strolled around seeing what would take our fancy. Had it been a girls’ trip we would have definitely visited some of the lovely boutiques. We ended up trying our luck at Stonehorse and they squeezed us in, but if you go, which you should, I’d recommend reservations.

We got there right before the rush and it was obvious they had to do some shuffling to squeeze us in. I’d also have dressed a little nicer than the layers over jeans I’d worn on for the tour. The other patrons were obviously dressed up for a nice evening out. I felt underdressed.

I ordered a pork chop with butternut squash soup and baked apples. I’m not a big fan of butternut soup and I will not eat baked apples, but I adore pork chops and it was the most gluten free thing I could find on the menu. Surprisingly, it was all delicious and I ate so much I was stuffed.

HEADING HOME

I’ve already told you how we spent our last morning in Tulsa, taking in the Gardens at Philbrook Art Museum. We didn’t rush, but we were time conscious. In the end, we arrived at the airport a bit early and then to our dismay they started delaying our flight. The last entry in my journal lamented that it was already 4:09 and we were still waiting for them to announce boarding instructions. What a waste of time! There were other wishes on my Tulsa list and I could have squeezed a few more in.

Please come back next week and join me on another of my trips of a lifetime. This one a cruise on the Aegean Sea on Viking Vela.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Memory Keeping, Museums, TRAVEL, United States

Philbrook Art Museum & Gardens

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: A SPOOKY NIGHTTIME TOUR AT THE PHILBROOK

Welcome along on our long weekend visit to Tulsa. During the early hours of Friday we visited the sights of Woodward Park and had lunch at the Wildflower Cafe. After Bill’s nap (what would a vacation be without naps) we took off for the Philbrook. It was a little rainy and dark to enjoy the gardens, but we enjoyed the time in the museum. Come along!

PHILBOO!

We did not wake up one morning and say, “Let’s go to Tulsa for Halloween!” Halloween is not a big deal at our house and that just happened to be the weekend we didn’t have other commitments. In fact, Philboo, the museum’s Halloween event, was a bit of an inconvenience, because a museum or garden filled with screeching, running kids in costumes sounds like a bit of a nightmare to us.

My plan had been to go from the Sneedon Mansion to the Philbrook, see the garden that afternoon and enjoy the museum that evening, because the museum was supposed to belong to the kids Saturday. I didn’t realize we’d spend such a significant and wonderful time at Woodward Park attractions and then have naptime, but that’s how it played out.

I have no complaints about our visit to the Museum, but the bad weather made seeing the gardens a bit of a challenge. Friday night was Philboo for adults. Lots of costumed patrons, but no screeching and running, so it was no problem. Not your normal night at the museum, but nothing disruptive. We had a leisurely time enjoying the galleries of the museum and checking out the gift store.

THE MANSION & MUSEUM

The Phillips Mansion is gorgeous – yes, Phillips like the gasoline, but not the Phillips 66 brothers. Waite was an oilman, but he went a different direction than Frank and L.E., his older brothers. Doesn’t sound to me as if there were any losers. All the brothers did well, but Waite was a quieter, more behinds the scenes entrepreneur and perhaps the more successful. Certainly the more philanthropic. He built his mansion, lived there filling it with treasures for a while and then gave it and the art to the city of Tulsa.

Though there’s lots of nice pieces in the Philbrook, for me there were no showstoppers – pieces or artists I went specifically to see, or pieces that moved me spectacularly once I was there. For me, it was the mansion itself which was the real draw. Above is a sampling of the walls’ offerings, thanks to photos made by Bill.

THE GARDENS

During our Friday night visit, it was cold, wet and dark in the gardens. You could step out on the terrace, but there was not sufficient lighting to be able to see what the gardens held. I despaired of ever getting to see them, but I didn’t know exactly what to do about it.

Saturday was given over to the Art Deco Tour of Downtown, which I’ll tell you about next week. It was also the height of Philboo, so as much as I wanted to see it, I didn’t even suggest it.

Our flight back to Dallas was not until 2 on Sunday, but that meant we needed to get to the airport by noon. Bill’s not much for getting up early on vacation without a specific reason and didn’t know whether or not he’d think the Gardens were specific enough of a reason, but he got in gear on Sunday morning and off we went.

As a patron of the Dallas Arboretum I’m used to a garden that takes hours to see. I knew the Philbrook Gardens were less extensive. I think we arrived with about 45 minutes to spare and that turned out to be more than enough, because the gardens are much more compact. Unfortunately, the price was steep, at least compared to the $5 per person admittance we’d had on Friday night. We paid twenty each for our Sunday visit, because that’s the price. There’s no, I-just-want-the-gardens price or even a senior discount.

But it was worth it. You start just outside the mansion on a balcony and stroll down immaculate terraced gardens to a fountain. After the fountain is a pond surrounded by more haphazard gardening.

Then there’s the park like setting with the folly. Very Thomas Kincaid-ish.

The terraces, the pond and the folly are the main attractions and going back up to the balcony is as delightful as walking down the terraces to the folly.

There’s a kind of side garden with a pool and bathroom facilities, where I think they have concerts and events. As you can see, the weather was not great, but at least it was not pouring rain. We saw the gardens and I was happy.

So, that covers the Philmont Art Museum and the Gardens. I was not blown away by the art, but I think you should plan on seeing this place. It’s wonderful. Come back next week and we’ll go on a great tour of Downtown architecture.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Music, TRAVEL, United States

Tulsa’s Terrific History Museum

Jane Sadek

THE MUSEUM OF TULSA HISTORY ROCKS WITH LEON

So, on this long weekend in Tulsa, I reluctantly went to the Tulsa History Museum expecting a ten minute stroll through a building full of junk and a segue to the next items on my list. Was I ever wrong! Come find out how wrong!

A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE BUILDING

From the exterior, this museum looks like Sneeden Mansion Part Deaux, because that’s exactly how it started it’s life – as a home for a Sneeden family member and the goal was to make the two home complimentary. In the actual Sneeden Mansion, efforts had been made to keep the charm of its original appearance. The Museum Building had been gutted and redesigned as a museum.

At the entry a charming volunteer was thrilled to have us visit on the damp & cold fall morning. I smiled sweetly and hoped she wouldn’t hear my stomach growl. We paid the admission price and picked up a map. As we walked away, she said the best place to start was in a room to her right and she warned us not to miss the Leon Russell exhibit in the lobby.

LEON RUSSEL!!!!

I think Leon Russell just might be one of the best pianist and song writers of my generation. Don’t think I know what I’m talking about. Ask Elton John. He’s in absolute awe of the guy. I swear tears came to my eyes and I wandered over to the exhibit like Eloi being summoned for dinner – as in to be dinner, not to have it. It was a religious experience for me.

Though Bill totally understands my admiration for the guy, he isn’t of the same mindset and after a few photos he was ready to check out that room to the right of the volunteer. The exhibits in that room immediately let us know we were not going to be looking at granny’s cast offs this morning. This was real history.

The Greenwood District, Black Wall Street and Remorseful Citizens

This gallery covered the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre – something none of my history books had covered – just as they failed to discuss what had happened in Oklahoma City in 1989. However, what happened in the Greenwood District of Tulsa in 1921 was of greater magnitude than anything I remember hearing about growing up in Georgia in the 60’s. It started over something petty and turned into a killing free-for-all. Tulsa was humiliated by her behavior and set out to do better. It’s a horrible event that engendered a gentler citizenry.

From this sad event, Tulsa History Museum goes on to be proud of what came out of this awful time. Though I’d been hungry when I walked in, I soon found myself fascinated by what the museum had to offer and my stomach quit growling. There were some cases showing off the gifts of various Oklahoman artists, such as Native American ballet dancers that were known to the world as The Five Moons. Perhaps the most fun was the wonderful collection of clothing and shoes, wonderful pieces, beautifully preserved and displayed!

PUT IT ON YOUR LIST

Now that I know, I can’t believe I almost missed one of my favorite things from the weekend. I would put it neat the top of MUST SEE’s in Tulsa. While in Woodward Park we did drop by the Teaching Barn, which is part of the Garden Center’s properties. It was the working barn of the Sneeden Family, but the best part was the garden behind it and somehow I left those pictures out of my albums. Not to worry, here are a couple!

Before we left the History Museum, I consulted with the marvelous volunteer who’d been so happy to see us at the beginning. We were looking for lunch, someplace special. Her answer was The Wildflower Cafe. We had to wait, but it was worth it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist anymore. They are moving downtown to a new location, but it makes me sad. I’m sure they’ll just improve everything, including the decor, which consisted of old needlepoint pictures, made from kits in the 70’s and 80’s. I know the dates, because some of the pieces were items I completed or at least started myself! Probably worth checking out if you go, but I can’t promise it will be as charming and delicious as I remember!

After lunch, Bill was ready for a nap. So, we planned to take in the Philmont that evening. Take a rest yourself and join me next week for the Philbrook!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, TRAVEL, United States

Tulsa’s Wonderful Woodward Park

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: SURPRISES AT SNEEDEN MANSION

Welcome to our long weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We got settled in Thursday evening after a difficult flight and lucked into all kinds of pleasantries on Friday. Come along and discover Tulsa’s Sneeden Mansion, their Garden Club Center and a great event space.

Taking Some Tulsa Time on Friday Morning

Being the early riser, I hit the very adequate gym at the Broken Arrow Towneplace Suites. No stretching chair and no rowing machine, but I made the most of the treadmill. I stopped at the free breakfast buffet to see if they realized there were gluten free people in the world and was pleasantly surprised to find a pretty decent breakfast. It wasn’t the freshly made waffles others were enjoying, but there was plenty and it was good.

Upstairs, Bill decided to make some coffee in the room, before he went down for breakfast. We’d already had maintenance up to the room for something the night before and with coffee flowing all over the counter and floor, we had to invite them in again. We saw them quite often over this weekend. They were always very nice, very quick and very accommodating, but who wants to spend their vacation with the maintenance personnel! Eventually, we got Bill some breakfast and got on the road.

Historic Mansion Turned Garden Club with a side of Rain

Going to Tulsa was not a spur of the moment kind of thing. I’d been lobbying for it for years. I heard about Philmont Art Museum & Gardens and knew immediately it would be the cornerstone for a great weekend. Then came the pandemic and other distractions. Finally, I was there.

During my research, I discovered while I could get into the Philbrook almost anytime, the access to what is now Tulsa’s Garden Center was limited. What had been the Sneeden Estate was now Woodward Park and the Sneeden Mansion was now the Garden Club inside said park. The Mansion was open to the public during certain hours each week, but they didn’t have tours and I don’t think very many people took them up on visiting, because they weren’t quite sure what to do with us.

An employee took us on a tour that was more like a sales appointment for an event, because apparently hosting catered events, like weddings and fundraisers, are the primary activity these days at the Garden Club. In fact, the Tulsa Garden Club was having a rummage sale there the very weekend we were there and members were feverishly setting up for the fundraiser.

All that aside, the mansion is a beautiful place. I’m sure the festivities hosted there are spectacular. I imagined splendid evenings with elegant ladies being swirled around the black and while tiled floor under the glorious chandeliers.

One of my favorite things was the his & hers powder rooms at either end of the elegant entry way. This reminded me of a similar arrangement in the entry way to the DeGolyer Mansion at the Dallas Arboretum. The library would have done Hogwarts proud. Downstairs there was an area custom designed for events with more testosterone.

While our designated tour guide was a little awkward at first, our fascination with the place won her over completely and we were fast friends by the time we left. She urged us to see the Conservatory just across the parking lot and warned us to be sure and see the Tulsa History Museum, which was just steps away and had been built by the Sweedens for a family member. Oh yes – and we shouldn’t miss the Teaching Barn either.

THE CONSERVATORY

There was no way we could miss the Conservatory with our new friend standing in the doorway of the mansion, to make sure we found it OK. Not that it would have been easy to miss the glass building with white frames. The central area had a pool and fountain. Various arms of the building created spokes around it. While impossible to miss, it was not particularly large in comparison to the spacious mansion it had been built to adorn.

We snapped a few pictures, while discussing whether or not to take in the History Museum. Now I’m usually all about history museums and I knew it was in Woodward Park, but nothing I’d read about it made me believe it was really worth a visit. Often history museums in smaller towns are just a place for people to drop off unwanted old stuff,

Bill said we were there, so we might as well see it. Most of the things I had on my list otherwise were gardens and this damp day was not exactly designed for garden visits. Bill was right. I had no idea what we would be missing if we’d blown it off. Come back next week and see what I meen.

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Performing Arts, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Off Into the Blue with the Angels

Jane Sadek

Making Memories: Let’s Go Fast!

The Blue Angels are the ace performance team of the Navy’s pilots. They call Pensacola home and Pensacola is proud to claim them. We got the insiders version of their Wednesday morning practice run. Come along for the fun!

Soaring with the Blue Angels

My friend lives about 10 minutes from the air base where the Blue Angels fly, but she never gets tired of watching them. When I told her we were coming, she immediately suggested we go. I was concerned she was tired of seeing them, because everyone who visits must want to go. I had the same situation living close to Hearst Castle, but whereas I got very tired of seeing the same thing over and over again, my friend relishes the opportunity to spend a morning with the Blue Angels and she knows all the tricks.

She got us there in time to get a front row seat. We perched on the edge of the runway and enjoyed the antics of the volunteers as they provided pre-show entertainment. They probably wouldn’t call it that, but they’re so excited about their angels and have so much good information that waiting for the show is no burden. We did take turns going to the souvenir shop and viewing the many planes on display around the air field, but nothing was as entertaining as the volunteer in our section as she shared with us what to expect and how to watch her angels.

Then the jets took off, but there is no describing the show. You are so close to the jets. They make such a roar. The pilots do such amazing things you’d think the jets were merely toys in the hands of a playful god, but these are human beings driving humongous vehicles through the sky and they seem to come within a hair’s breadth of one another time and time again. We were awestruck from beginning to end.

Naval Air Museum

As if we hadn’t been wowed enough, after the show my friend ushered us into Naval Air Museum. A year before we’d spent a whole day at The Museum of Flight and in some ways it was more spectacular, but in comparison, the Naval Air Museum is no less interesting. We wandered through the space awestruck, looking at the wide variety of airplanes and jets. I was particularly interested in some displays they had concerning the training Navy pilots undergo. It’s not a job for the light of heart.

As interesting as it was, we finally had to give in to our growling stomachs. We’d had a nice breakfast spread at my friend’s home, but sitting out in the sun, enduring the power and excitement of the show and then wandering around the museum had used up all our calories. We made our way to the nearest Mickey D’s where I got a milkshake I’d been craving for days. The others celebrated their lack of aversion to gluten and ate Big Macs. Ah, I remember Big Macs.

There was more sightseeing to come, but join us next week for our tour of Pensacola and the Flora-Bama!

Cruising, Gardens, International, Shopping, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

RC, That’s More Like It

Jane Sadek

MEMORY MAKING: THE BETTER SHORE EXCURSIONS

Having Fun in Spite of the Challenges

After the Shore Excursion FAIL in Tulum, we didn’t have much in the way of expectations when it came to Roatan, but it turned into a pretty wonderful day. The same with Costa Maya. We’d had the awful Jaguar Paw Debacle, but our bike ride and kayaking in Costa Maya, though not wonderful, was fine. Come along and enjoy these days with us.

Happy in Honduras

From the moment our ship pulled into port at Roatan, it looked as if we might be having a better day than we did in Tulum. The area around the port was very inviting and fresh, as if they’d had their gala grand opening the day before. Not at all the gloomy ferry docks of Cozumel.

We hurried through the inviting port area and found our shore excursion bus. A very short, scenic, tropical drive took us to Carambola Gardens and we were greeted by festively dressed employees who heartily welcomed us. They led us to a covered pavilion where in the shade of towering trees we participated in a very informative demonstration. Cacao beans were turned into chocolate the old fashioned way and we even got to try it out ourselves and make some dessert.

As the chocolate hardened, we were taken on a tour of the gardens. It was surprising to me, because there were no flowers. That’s what I think of when someone tells me we’re going to take a garden tour. Instead we were introduced to a wide variety of tropical trees and plants. A very sweet guide told us the fruit produced by each plant or tree and how the fruit and other various parts were used. I wished for some flowers, but was pleased by what was presented.

We returned to the collection of buildings and pavilions for a delicious lunch, topped off by the chocolate we had made ourselves. On the way out there was a shopping opportunity and I found this really cute bag I couldn’t live without!

Back in the port area, we had even more shopping opportunities and if we’d wanted to, we could have spent the afternoon hanging out at their pool. It was really a very nice place. Were I to go back today, I’d plan to spend my day there perhaps and not even take a shore excursion – it was that good.

Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico

When it comes to shore excursions, I try to mix it up. We’d done a historical/archeological tour to Tulum, chocolate making in Roatan and cave floating in Belize. A nice coastal bike ride and kayaking sounded like a great way to round out our activities – especially since for some reason Royal Caribbean thought anyone over 65 was too old for four wheeling. I hold that against them, too. I’m sure I’m more fit and able to drive an ATV that some of the 20 and 30 something passengers who were cruising with us. Not to worry though, I will not ever cruise Royal Caribbean again – even if it were free!

Though it was not as awful as the Jaguar Paw Experience, our Bike & Clear Kayak Adventure didn’t turn out exactly as I had imagined. We found our shore excursion group in the meeting area and followed our guide to our bikes. They’d seen better days, but they worked, so we jumped on and rode away in a line behind the guide.

I’d imagined biking through gorgeous tropical and/or beach scenes. For the first half of the ride we rode through what looked like one abandoned construction site after another. It was disheartening and disappointing. Eventually, we did come to a sort of beach boardwalk, but there were no boards, only bricks. It was early enough in the morning that vendors were setting up their wares and few people were enjoying the beach. Our guide led us to a fenced-in cafe where we were told to park our bikes and go to the patio.

We were given bottles of water and told to get ready for kayaking. We put on our water shoes eagerly, claimed our craft and headed out into the water. These were clear bottomed kayaks, but there was nothing to see except water, sand and some grasses growing in the water. It was great to be out on the water, but I’d hoped to see something exciting as I paddled along. Entirely too soon, they were rounding us up for the ride back to the port.

While I’d hoped for more, they’d delivered everything they promised. So, while it will not go down as my favorite shore excursion ever, it was a grand event compared to some of the other excursions I’d suffered through on this cruise.

The next day was a day at sea and talk about suffering, we were SO tired of the disappointing routine on Vision of the Seas. The food is perhaps the thing that discouraged us the most. On most cruises, the food is an important part of the entertainment, but there was nothing entertaining about this cruises’ food.

We loved our dinner mates and our server really did try to show us a good time, but the food was subpar. In fact, no matter which dining venue we went to for a meal, Bill ended up at the snack bar getting another piece of pizza or a sandwich. I would have joined him were it not for my gluten free issues. At least there WAS a snack bar, but that’s a sad way to nourish yourself for a week!

On Day 8 we disembarked, flew back to Dallas and were never so happy to be home. I’d been toying with the idea of using a vacation club deal to go to Florida, but this experience was so bad I decided if I want to go on vacation, by golly, I was just going to pay for it! Of course, that didn’t keep us from accepting a $1200 voucher for getting bumped from a flight. And we did decide to go to Florida, but not to the vacation club. Come back next week and travel with us to Pensacola and Navarre Beach.

Architecture, ART, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Shore Excursions, TRAVEL

Shore Excursion Hell

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: MAKING THE BEST OF BAD SITUATIONS

On this cruise we took four shore excursions and two of them featured the worst tour guides we ever had, one was pleasant and the fourth was merely disappointing. But look at those happy faces we have. We truly made the best of it wherever we were.

I Don’t CARE About Modern Day Mayans, What is this Building?

Our first shore excursion was to Tulum, a place I’d longed to see for a long, long time. The day started on a ferry ride so rough, I got seasick for one of the few times in my life. I didn’t need the barf bag, but almost.

We meet up with a chubby, jovial fellow who took us on a quick trot through Playa del Carmen. I usually enjoy walking, but the day was miserably hot and I was still a little woozy from the churning sea.

We climbed onto a bus for the hour long drive to Tulum. The tour guide almost immediately jumped into a lecture about Modern Day Mayans, of which he was one, and that remained his subject for the rest of the day. I was having deja vu all over again. I thought I was on St. Martin with Josay.

At Tulum, he guided us through a marketplace, warning us only to shop at his recommended shops and then drug us at top speed through the Archeological Park. If you hesitated to take a photo, good luck catching up to him. His commentary still focused on Modern Day Mayas and if you dared to ask him a question about the ruins, then he’d just be quiet while you asked and then go on talking about Modern Day Mayans. Then he abandoned us to find our way back to the bus at the given hour.

Tulum is beautiful. Bill and I strolled around taking photos, but without a guide, we were a little lost, especially since there were no signs bearing any explanation in any language. We had no idea what we were looking at and we gave up guessing. We strolled back to the bar our guide had recommended for cheap margaritas.

Eventually the guide showed up and allowed us back on the bus. He was blissfully silent for the return trip. In Playa del Carmen he dumped us in shopping district and disappeared again. We fought off aggressive vendors and found the beach, but mostly we just hung around until we could catch the ferry back to the boat. That’s how sad the tour was. We preferred being on the boat. This guide got to hold the title of worst guide ever for two whole days and then we had a worse one.

Un-Belize-Able

I’ll skip right to the worst guide EVER!! I’d heard from many people that Belize is heaven on earth. For us it was hell. The whole day was so bad, I didn’t take a single photo. You tell me! Doesn’t Jaguar Paw Cave Tubing & Jungle Trek with Lunch sound amazing? NOT!! It was like Eternal Ride on a Bad Bus with the Worst Guide EVER!

The tour began in a jewelry store and we were there forever. At least it was air conditioned. I think they kept us there until someone finally broke down and bought something. As we climbed on the bus, we realized it wasn’t exactly state of the art. If we’d realized how far away Jaguar Paw Cave was, I might have balked.

Trying to warm up his patrons, within the first mile the guide made a joke. He pointed out some site and said, “Can you Belize it? Un-Belize-Able! You better Belize it!” That was just the first time he made the quip, which was repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and…well I think you get the picture.

The road to the interior was a yawn. Nothing to see on the dusty backroads than what I see on the dusty backroads of Texas. I was so done with buses by the time we arrived at Jaguar Paw. Once we pulled into their entrance we were given our orders: pay for a locker, put your stuff there, wait to be called, go into the jungle.

I get they need to make money, but $12 for a tiny locker which you only need during the very brief cave tour. Now that was Un-Belize-Able, but we were a captive audience with no other options.

When our number was called we were excited to be going on a jungle trek. NOT! The “trek” was about as long as half a city block with a well worn trail. Entering the cave and climbing aboard the innertube was the most excitement we experienced that day. The water was chilly but not miserable.

As I climbed aboard I looked around and wondered where this float was going to go. I could see the end of the cave just ahead. We floated pleasantly for a few minutes and then were instructed to get out and walk about on the shore. Not sure why. Nothing to see.

Back in the tube and back to the entrance. There was a deeper section near the entrance and we were invited to swim, but it was such a short distance you could have almost hopped from your tube to the exit area, so everyone just enjoyed the last few moments of the float.

Then we were sent back on the “jungle trek” and our free meal. I’ll say this. It was better than what they were feeding us on the cruise, but not by much. We killed time until everyone had their float and feed, then climbed back on the awful bus. Thankfully the guide didn’t have much to say, which was good, one more UN-Belize-Able and I would have been contemplating murder.

As we neared the port, the guide did hit us with a few more repetitions of his signature line, but I was numb by then, so his life was never actually in danger. We filed off the bus and through the shopping opportunity, anxious for some reason to get back on the boat.

One thing that made this cruise tolerable was marvelous dinner companions. We were lucky enough to be a part of the cool kids table and they made our evenings very pleasant. From there we’d always head to the auditorium for whatever was being offered for entertainment that evening – always a disappointment. Used to be cruise ship entertainers were among the best of the best, but something has happened since used to be. They’re tired, the costumes are cheap and the scenery is minimal. Yawn.

This was the worst of it. Our other two shore excursions weren’t bad. In fact one of them was downright pleasant. Come back next week for a better time!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix

Jane Sadek

Making Memories: Double Your Pleasure with Wrigley’s Mansion & a Meal

A Marketing Headache

We enjoyed seeing Wrigley Mansion, but felt sorry for it. It doesn’t know what it is, so you’re not going to stumble across it without a little intention. I found it by googling “Phoenix Historic Homes,” but I’m not sure many other people do that sort of search. Then I tried to figure out if they had tours and how to get on one if they did.

That was harder, because they can’t decide if they want to be a restaurant, a wine bar, a special events venue or a museum. Things like that didn’t used to be so important. You could get away with being everything to everyone, but in this search heavy society, you better know who you’re reaching out to before you choose your url.

On this side of things, I now wish someone had told me I should go for the tour, stay for happy hour and perhaps dinner. But I didn’t know that, so I booked the tour and wondered exactly what was going to happen. Bill likes to claim that he’s fond of playing it by ear, but in truth, he wants to be fully briefed on his options and if he’s going to go to a tour that turns into happy hour and perhaps dinner, I better have my ducks in a row before I ever book that tour. With other travelers I might have had a different experience, but I didn’t. Still, I’m encouraging you to have it.

The Tour

At 3 PM the happy hour and dining patrons weren’t there yet and only a few other cars were there for the Saturday tour. We made our way up all the stairs (there are a few handicapped parking spots higher on the hill) and arrived in the food service portion of the mansion. We were invited to have a seat and offered wine, but there wouldn’t have been time to enjoy it, so we didn’t take any.

The very millennial tour guide arrived not long after and gathered up her few patrons. We were taken to a music room that continued the home’s current multi-personality issue. It contained a piano which belonged to the Wrigleys, but the delightful room with its fantastic views was also furnished as a dining room for the restaurants.

Our guide walked us to what was the original entry to the house and it was spectacular. A magnificent chandelier with an accenting ceiling fixture highlighting a circular stairway. I can imagine a lot of Phoenix brides hoping to have their bridal portraits taken there, but it also contained a cabinet to sell souvenirs and a tall desk for a receptionist. I’d been in the house for a while, but I didn’t get a sense of how the Wrigley’s lived.

We climbed the stairs and discovered bedrooms fitted out as modern dressing rooms for those brides and their grooms. We were told the names of some of the more famous people who had stayed in the rooms and of the plans they had to turn some of the rooms into short term rentals, but I wondered who would stay in this confused place. And we still didn’t know much about the Wrigley’s.

Back downstairs, the obliteration of the Wrigley’s continued as they showed us various special occasion venues you could rent, but they’d all been redecorated and filled with modern furniture. I had come to hear about chewing gum and baseball, but all I did was tour a special event venue with multiple restaurants.

Outward & Onward

The tour dumped us in the wine bar and we were invited to enjoy happy hour. Some took them up on it, but Bill and I left. I was disappointed. For $5 less per person, we could have gone back to the Musical Instrument Museum and continued to play there. I do not recommend this tour, unless you’re just bored in Phoenix and need some place to go.

We returned to the hotel for a while and later Bill was ready for some dinner, which we got at a neighborhood Middle Eastern cafe. I wasn’t hungry.

The next morning we met his family for a farewell brunch at a place which wasn’t really laid out for a family brunch. Apparently the kids liked to hang out there, but it was a two story coffee shop with tiny tables for two. The guys are great, but I wouldn’t put them in charge of planning social events. The coffee shop didn’t even have a high chair for our youngest one.

We returned to the hotel to take advantage of their water park included in the price of your stay. We grabbed innertubes and floated around the lazy river a few times. There really wasn’t much more to it and everything looked as if it were waiting for a renovation. We finished the day as lazy bums. Me playing with my FOREVER account and Bill taking a nap.

The next day was our final day in Phoenix and we were headed to the desert. Oh boy! Come back next week and join us!

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Memory Keeping, Museums, Music, Performing Arts, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix AZ

Jane Sadek

MAKING MEMORIES: MY NEW FAVORITE MUSEUM

My great nephew in dental school invited us to his white coat ceremony. I wasn’t sure what that was, but it was in Phoenix, so I was ready to go. Come along and discover my new favorite museum!

A Challenging Morning

We had crazy time getting on our flight: missed the exit for the Parking Spot, wrong turn once in the Parking Spot lot, told the shuttle driver the wrong gate, then boarding pass printed the night before said one thing, the airline app said something else and the board in the terminal said something else entirely. Then we asked a airline employee who sent us to another terminal via Sky Link. That’s all before we boarded the flight.

Then on the ground in Phoenix, the car we got shook like it was coming apart, before we got out of the airport, so we had to go back and exchange it. By then we were starving, so we went to an IHOP. Our waiter was on the autism spectrum. Now I’m thrilled IHOP had hired him and he really did a good job, but communicating with him was a little challenging. When you’re already frazzled, that takes an extra level of concentration and my concentrator was broken.

Bill’s problem was completely different. He ordered strawberry pancakes, expecting big fluffy pancakes with fresh strawberries. He forgot he was at IHOP, but he was crestfallen when the pancakes arrived with frozen strawberries on top.

A Wonderful Museum

After all our tales of woe, one might think we were on a losing streak, but I struck gold when I took us to the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). It fell on my radar the last time we’d visited Phoenix/Scottsdale, back in 2020, but try as I might, I couldn’t get Bill interested. This time I didn’t give him the chance to nay say it. I just said that was where we were headed.

What an amazing place! The MIM figured out how to make technology work in a museum. As you may remember several posts back, I’d panned the use of technology by the Seattle Art Museum which made enjoying their porcelain collection impossible. I was wary when the MIM receptionist gave us headsets and told us not to worry, because they’d come on automatically when we neared a display. He was right.

In the first gallery I saw all the icons I’d wished for when we were visiting MOPOP a few months before. It’s like someone had looked into my personal catalog of musical greats and chose the stars they’d highlight in the their museum. Well, some of them were not my favorites, but they were my dad’s and I stood there with tears in my eyes wishing he could be there with me.

Here’s how it worked. If you looked at a display case from afar, you could see the display with costumes, instruments and such. You knew who you were going to enjoy. Then, when you stepped up closer, an audio recording would play, filling you in on the details of the display and video recordings would show on various screens. Step away and they’d quit. It was phenomenal. I had a great time – and that was just the first gallery!

The next gallery was a hands on exhibit allowing visitors to play many different kinds of instruments – mostly percussion. Mr. Bill loved it and we spent a good amount of time there.

The balance of the museum might be the best part. They’ve divided the world up into various sections and whole galleries are devoted to the music of the different regions. Oh my goodness! There were gorgeous costumes from all over the world. Videos of folk dances or notable entertainers from an area. And the instruments. How wonderful! Various areas of the world have instruments I’d never dreamed of. It was one thing to look at them, another to hear how they sounded and something else completely to see a video of beautifully costumed dancers performing to music played on the instrument. I was in heaven.

For me, being cut off from the rest of the world with the headphones allowed me to be fully immersed in the experience. I was tapping my toes, snapping my fingers and clapping my hands. I might have even broken into dancing a few times. Did I mention this was a wonderful museum.

Having visited all the displays of the various countries we started visiting other galleries, devoted to specific instruments, like the piano or guitar. These galleries probably deserved just as much of my attention, but we’d pulled out of our garage about 4 AM that morning and the two hour time difference were telling on me. Besides, we had a family gathering to attend.

Here’s another spread from my photo book:

Please, please, please visit this museum if you are in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. I’ll e going back every time I’m in the area. Now plan of coming back next week and I’ll share some highlights from our family time.