Category: Museums

my homes away from home

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

Strolling San Antonio TX

Jane Sadek
Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio TX
This Briscoe Western Art Museum is housed in a wonderful old library building.

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO STROLLING

Little did I know when I tagged this trip as the San Antonio Stroll how apt the title would be. I was thinking of wandering along the river from Margarita to Margarita, not hoofing it from downtown to The Pearl.  Well, that was before the VIA streetcars let me down.

Go Mobile Without Your Car

One of my favorite things about San Antonio is that you can forget about driving for a day or two, because they’ve got a great transit system.  I don’t know what the locals think of it, but the VIA Streetcars are great for tourists.  However there’s a pitfall.  I’ve been using the VIA Streetcars for decades and that was the pitfall.  I assumed I knew how things operated.

They have a route going around and around downtown – called the Red Circulator.  It comes by every ten minutes or so.  I have ridden that one to get an overall view of the area, but it used to cover more ground and there were several other trolley lines that hooked up with it.  There’s still something called the Primo – but that’s a bus.  I’m a tourist, so I want a trolley.  There’s Blue Circulator which looked like it could get me to the other places I wanted to go, but I was a little fuzzy on the time thing.

I pored over the new trolley schedule online, but couldn’t find a schedule that said, “Here are the times the Blue Circulator comes by its stops.”  Note to self:  Next time stop by the VIA Info Center and ask them!  It’s right on the Red Circulator route and it was steps away from my hotel.  Instead I decided to play it by ear.  Good thing I bought some comfortable walking shoes for the trip!

So, on day three of the San Antonio Stroll, we’d already strolled quite a bit.  Day one, shopping at the Round Rock Outlet Mall and walking from the RiverCenter to the Tower of the Americas and back.  Day Two, walking the McNay, the King William Walking Tour and the self-directed Riverwalk Margarita Tour.  With day three being primarily museums and gardens, I thought a little foot relief would be just the thing.

Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio TX
The Briscoe

Breakfast and The Briscoe

We grabbed breakfast at Whataburger and discovered there was an egg shortage.  Not something I’d heard about anywhere else, but some poor fast-food clerk was having to apologize to everyone about it, so I didn’t think she needed my two cents worth also.  Therefore we ate some chicken biscuit thing with honey-butter.  Not just was the doctor ordered, but sustenance enough until the next meal.  As long as I had my Diet Dr. Pepper, I was good.

On to the Briscoe Western Art Museum.  I’ve already done a good job of describing the museum here, so no need to do that again – but it was one of those days.

First the eggs, then the museum entrance fee.  Last time, I breezed in with my Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) Reciprocal Privileges. The DMA website said I still had them, but the Briscoe had changed its affiliation.  To give the Briscoe its due, it did eventually comp my entry, but we had to pay for Deb’s ticket.  Not that it was exorbitant, it was the principle of the thing.  I’m not sure who to blame, but I’m not happy.

I enjoyed the museum the second time around, but what I liked best was that Deb discovered she likes Western Art.  As I’ve said, Deb will pretty much go wherever I want to, but sometimes she’s just going along to be along and that was the case with the Briscoe.  Inside she enjoyed the historical perspective of the third floor, but she was blown away by the art on the second floor.  Western art has a new fan.

Via the VIA?

After a quick stroll through the gift shop, where we’d have bought several things if money were no object, we headed to the trolley stop.  Well nothing was posted, because everything is on your phone – right?  Unless you don’t have the latest phone and you can’t get to the right page and even if you could you couldn’t see it in the bright sunlight. (mumbling complaints under my breath).  We stood there a few moments pretending a trolley was coming any minute, because I was convinced they came by every ten minutes.  Then a passerby dissuaded us from this illusion.

So we tried our handy-dandy doorman, because the bus stop was in front of the hotel.  He knew the trolley came by and where, but not when.  We went to the concierge and she was having the trouble I had, sans the sunlight.  There’s no webpage that says when the trolley comes by the Briscoe Museum stop.  (Are you listening VIA?)

Or You Can Walk

We decided to hoof it.  Both of us love to walk.  The heat was not oppressive, so we set off.  The walk was a little over a mile and a half, which took time, but not much effort.

We did connect with the trolley later in the day which allowed us to get much further than we would have gotten on our own four feet, but it wasn’t easy.  With no available schedules, we had to find someone who knew the drill to get on the trolley at a stop near The Pearl.  Then we’d quiz the bus driver when we got off about when the next trolley would be by.  The cost was cheap – but the hassle was high.  And speaking of hassle – a day ticket is $4, but you won’t get any change, so have some singles.

Yes, I could have avoided all this hassle (one hopes) by checking with the VIA Information Center, but we all know about hindsight – and I was reminded of the pitfalls of assuming you know what to expect in the future based on past performance.  In other words, “Don’t never assume nothing!!”

That’s right, don’t assume anything, but come back next week and we’ll have street tacos at The Pearl.

 

ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Museums, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

More Margaritas Before Fiesta Noche del Rio

Jane Sadek
Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, San Antonio TX
Souvenir of another trip to San Antonio

TRAVEL THERE: JUST A COUPLE MORE SAN ANTONIO MARGARITAS BEFORE THE SHOW

After the Margaritas at the Menger Bar,  we took ourselves on a tour of the Menger Hotel lobby. They have extensive displays related to the history of the hotel and you can tell from the architecture she’s a grande olde dame of the accommodations world. If you like staying in historic hotels, which I usually do, I’m sure it’s quite a treat, but I’ll be staying at the Contessa for the foreseeable future.

Touring the Menger Hotel

The front of the Menger is graced with a collection of retail establishments. The antique store, which looked amazing, was closed, but we did go into a toy soldier store and an exotic trinket store. When I say toy soldiers, I’m not talking plastic bags of green army men. I’m talking historically-correct, hand-painted metal soldiers. A chapter of Deb’s life is tied to these interesting collectibles, so we usually stroll through establishments that sell them. The exotic trinket store offered interesting junk that has nothing to do with San Antonio, but it was filled with marvelous aromas and Deb found a bracelet she liked.

Dinner at Casa Rio

Our next stop was dinner and for that we went to one of my favorite places, Casa Rio. I’m not going to tell anyone that it’s the best Mexican Food in San Antonio, but it’s still on on my list of favorites. There is something about sitting there on the Riverwalk, drinking Margaritas, eating Tex-Mex and listening to live Mariachis. I’m sure there are several places to do that along the Riverwalk, but this was the first place to offer it a very, very long time ago and it’s one of my San Antonio traditions, just like pictures of The Alamo.

I have to scold them a little bit though, the Margarita was awful, even though we paid a dollar extra to get the premium tequila. Shame on Casa Rio! The food was great though and we are grateful to each person that paid the Mariachis for a song, because we sure as heck weren’t going to fork over $20!

Every time I go to San Antonio I’m reminded of all the things I want to do there that I haven’t quite gotten around to. The Casa Rosa dinner boats are on that list. You need the minimum of ten people to reserve a dinner boat to ply through the waters of the Riverwalk as you eat your tostadas and tamales. I guess that’s a pretty silly thing to want to do, but there you have it, I’m a sucker for a party. I think I’m going to serve Caronas on my boat though. I’m still upset about our awful Margaritas!

Buckhorn Saloon, Museum, Arcade etc. etc. etc.

With dinner out of the way, there was just time to squeeze in one more thing.  Deb had gone to the Menger Bar for me, so I wanted to get to the Buckhorn Saloon for her. It was one place she mentioned having an interest in.  Now if you’d wanted to visit the original Buckhorn back in 1881, according to my official Centennial edition of their souvenir book, you would have gone to Dolorosa Street.  The bar would have been right across the street from the old Southern Hotel.

The Buckhorn Saloon
The Buckhorn Saloon

When I first the Buckhorn, sometime around its Centennial, it was out at the Lone Star Brewery, which is now the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA).  When the SAMA took over, the Buckhorn had to find a new home.  So nowadays, you’ll find it right around the corner from the Majestic Theater, just a hop, skip and a jump from the Riverwalk.

The Buckhorn establishment now has a very long name, because it houses two different museums, a saloon and an arcade, but when Deb and I arrived, the museums had closed for the day and the bar wasn’t yet patronized by the evening crowd.  Nonetheless, Deb and I ordered up Margaritas (for the sake of research you understand) and made ourselves at home in the virtually empty bar.

Memories, Margaritas and Rattlesnake Tails

Buckhorn Saloon, Rattle Tail Art, San Antonio TX
Rattler Tail Art from the Footnotes of the Buckhorn Souvenir Book

As we sat there comparing notes about our previous visits to the Buckhorn over the years, we agreed the museum part of the Buckhorn is a treat for kids – particularly the rattler tail art.  I started my visits to the Buckhorn when I was knee-high to a Longhorn steer and Deb brought her sons when they were young.  The whole Texas Ranger thing we can’t attest to.  We think the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco is the place to go for history of that sort, but you’ll have to follow up on that, because it was now time for the show.

Come back next week and find out about the best $15 dollars we each spent in San Antonio – and it wasn’t on Margaritas.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, Decorative Arts, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

San Antonio’s King William District

Jane Sadek
The Guenther House, King William Historical District, San Antonio TX
The Guenther House

TRAVEL THERE: KING WILLIAM HISTORICAL DISTRICT IN SAN ANTONIO TX

If it’s art, I love it. If it’s Decorative Arts, Architecture and History, well I’m there.  That’s the reason we spent our first morning in San Antonio at the McNay.  It’s also the reason our next stop was the King William District.

The Guenther House

To be exact, our  next stop was The Guenther House, because I also like food.  The Guenther House is one of the jewels in the crown of The King William District.   The Guenther Family founded the Pioneer Flour Mills.  Ever hear of Pioneer Biscuit Mix.  Yep, that’s them.

The mill is still producing and you can sample their wares at the restaurant, right there at the home of their founder.  The home also serves as a museum and has a great gift shop.  Deb and I took a look at it all while we waited for a friend to arrive.

I met Clark in my SFA days and stay in touch on Facebook, but it’s always great to get a chance to chat in person.  We were able to get a seat right there on that covered patio.  Deb had a salad, I opted for the Champagne Chicken Enchiladas and Clark just kept us company.

Of the two dishes, I think Deb chose the better one.  Not that mine was bad – it just wasn’t everything I’d dreamed of when I read, “Tender slices of chicken breast and Monterey Jack cheese wrapped in Pioneer’s White Wings flour tortillas.  Baked in our special sauce made from San Antonio River Mill Champagne Chicken Gravy mix, garnished with jalapenos and cilantro.”  The tortilla was a little tough and by the time the melted cheese made it out to the patio, so was it.  The flavor was great, but I’m a real stickler for texture.

Steves Homestead, King William Historical Distict, San Antonio TX
The Steve’s Homestead

The King Willam Walking Tour

Soon Clark had places to be and I had the map a walking tour of King Williams in my hand.  Now I’ve been to the King William District numerous times, but I’ve never been to San Antonio with anyone else who is as patient with my passions as Deb is.  Every time I’ve been to San Antonio I’ve told my traveling companions how great it would be to walk through the district and spend some time looking at each house.  So far no one had taken me up on it.  I’d been through it on a trolley tour, I’d gone on the Steves Homestead Tour and I’d driven through on the way to Guenther’s, but walking tour and San Antonio had not clicked with any of my potential walking tour companions.

Villa Finale, King William Historical District, San Antonio Texas
Villa Finale

Of course, Deb thought it was a great idea and it turned out to be just that.  We left Guenther’s and figured out where we were on the walking tour map.  Then we did just what I’d wanted to do, strolled along and discussed all the beautiful homes with the Walking Tour Map & Guide as our reference.  Along the way we did take in the Steve’s Homestead Tour – delightful, by the way.  We were a few minutes late for Villa Finale, so we just enjoyed the grounds.  As beautiful as these homes are they only scratch the surface.  Each home in the five block area is a treasure.

So, yes, if you go to San Antonio you should do the walking tour.  San Antonio is notoriously hot and humid, and we walked the whole thing in ninety something  weather, but it was fine.  In fact, the tree-shaded sidewalk made it very pleasant.  On the way back to Guenther’s we dropped down to the River and enjoyed the serenity.  This is one of my favorite memories of this trip.

But the Riverwalk was calling.  We had reservations at Hotel Contessa and we wanted to see the Fiesta Noche del Rio at the Arneson River Theater.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it!  In the meantime, enjoy these pictures from the King William Walking Tour.

In the Villa Finale Garden
The Joske House – important because my Mom worked for Joskie’s Department Store for years.

 

 

 

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

Morning at the McNay Art Museum

Jane Sadek
Marion Koogler McNay Sculpture, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio TX
Incoming Message from the Big Giant Head!

TRAVEL THERE:  SAN ANTONIO’S MCNAY ART MUSEUM

Diverting Diversity

There’s more than one reason I have a blast traveling with my bestie.  One of the benefits I truly enjoy is her encyclopedic knowledge of movies and TV – especially movies and TV she enjoyed with her boys.  Since I didn’t have kids at all and tend to know more about concierges than coneheads, I can be seriously entertained by things most everyone else already knew.  Enter the sculpture garden at the McNay.

You can usually tell what is most important to me on a trip, because I will schedule it first on the agenda if at all possible.  That’s why the McNay Art Museum was our Friday morning destination.  As we pull into the beautiful grounds of the wonderful museum, Deb says, “Incoming message from the big giant head.”  This made no sense whatsoever to me.  Yes, there was a large sculpture of Marion Koogler McNay‘s head there on the lawn, but what was that “incoming message” stuff about?

That’s when I got a lesson on sci-fi sitcoms.  Most of you don’t need an explanation, so I’ll leave it at that.  We arrived a few minutes before the museum opened which gave us some time to explore the garden.  Deb posed before the big giant head in the appropriate stance and we captured a few of the other lovely sites on the grounds.

McNay Art Museum, San Antonio TX, Marion Koogler McNay, Sunset Hills
Welcome to Sunset Hills

Getting to Know Marion Koogler McNay

Though I’ve mentioned the McNay before, I’ve never really told you how wonderful it is.  Marion Koogler McNay was a patron of the arts and one of her husbands (she had several) built her a palace in what was once a rural area outside San Antonio.  Now the estate is just minutes from downtown, surrounded by accouterments of the bustling metropolis.  Learning more about the heiress’ life is just one of a plethora of reasons to visit the McNay.

Ms. McNay is one of those people who had everything other people want, but was denied the one thing she really wanted.  Over the years as I’ve visited the museum, I’ve learned tidbits about her life and it is a haunting story.

Born in Ohio, to a family with money, she was exposed to great art at a very young age and it captured her heart.  She was one of the first to collect works of Impressionism, which led to an appreciation of the schools which followed it, like Cubism and Fauvism.  But the modern art of her day was not her only interest.  She collected religious images from the Middle Ages and classic sculpture also.  She was an artist in her own right and played a role in the artistic community of Taos New Mexico.

But all she really loved was Don McNay.  She was still quite young when the pair met and married.  Though she was well-to-do, her husband was not.  He was just a soldier who was about to be posted to an assignment on the Texas-Mexico border. She came along and they lived very happily in a very modest house near his posting.  In spite of her affluent upbringing, this was the best time of her life.

Unfortunately it was not happily ever after.  Don was reassigned and shortly after leaving the border area, he died from the Spanish Influenza epidemic.  Ms. McNay had not followed him on his second assignment, but settled in San Antonio, where the two had honeymooned on their way to the border town.  There were other homes and other husbands, but her heart would always belong to Don.

McNay Museum of Art, San Antonio TX
From the courtyard

One of her husbands built this beautiful mansion, called Sunset Hills, for her, and even though she made it a beacon of art and beauty for others, she had sad experiences there.  It took years to build the complex residence and when it was done, our country had fallen into the Depression.  She held a gala housewarming, but the pictures of it seem to echo with disappointment, rather than glee.  In just a few years her marriage ended and she took back Don’s surname as her own.  I can imagine her walking the halls of her beautiful home wishing she could trade it all for just a little more time with the love of her life, Don McNay.

The McNay Today

Though her own life was sad, she brought opportunity and great art to San Antonio for others to enjoy.  A visit to the McNay to learn more about Marion and enjoy Sunset Hills is more than enough reason to make the pilgrimmage, but on top of it all is the art – some of it hanging on the walls, other items actually a part of the walls, like the beautiful mosaic in the courtyard.

Membership having its privileges, Deb and I got in for free, thanks to my membership at the DMA.  Then we began to roam the museum enjoying first the permanent collection, then wandering back to the theater area for some special exhibitions out there.  One was called “All the Rage in Paris” and it had posters, costumes and other artifacts from the days of the Ballet Russe in Paris.  What and interesting and beautiful collection!

While visiting the museum we watched a video on Ms. McNay’s life, which reminded me of some of the things I’d learned about her.  We also relaxed in the courtyard.  I love that courtyard so much that there is even a chance that I actually go there for the fountain and mosaics rather than the art. (Don’t tell anyone!  I’m still trying to impress people with my art appreciation skills.)  The museum also has a whimsical and wonderful gift shop, but I managed to leave without buying anything this time.

After a couple of hours, it was unfortunately time to move on.  We had many plans for our day and lunch at the Guenther House was one of them.  Come back next week and find out about Champagne Chicken Enchildas!  In the meantime, enjoy a few more pictures of the McNay.

Arches in the Courtyard
A More Modern Part of the Museum
The Koi Pond in the Courtyard


 

 

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Libraries, Museums, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Huntington Library and Gardens

Jane Sadek
Huntington Library & Gardens, San Marino CA
The Sadeks at the Huntington

TRAVEL THERE: THE HUNTINGTON LIBRARY AND GARDENS IN SAN MARINO, CALIFORNA

Until I started planning this trip I hadn’t heard of the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino. I was just looking for a museum to visit, since the Getty Villa would be closed the day I wanted to go. As it turned out, I got to see both the Getty Villa and the Huntington. Let me tell you – you’ve got to go to the Huntington.

THE HUNTING WHAT?

Even now that I’ve been there, I don’t quite know how to describe the Huntington – which might be part of the problem.  The official name of the place is The Huntington Library.  Quite frankly, though I’m very grateful our nation is blessed with wonderful libraries, I don’t consider them as tourist destinations.   Also, it’s in San Marino, not LA, so maybe that’s why I’d never heard of it.  Call it what you will, it’s one of the most amazing places I’ve ever been and very little of it is actually a library.

THE HUNTINGTON GALLERY

As I researched LA, some clue hinted at an art museum inside the grounds of the Huntington Library.  Following my nose I found The Huntington’s website and investigated their collection.  I about had a heart attack.  Staring right at me from the webpage was Blue Boy – yes, Gainsborough’s Blue Boy.  And do you want to know who is looking at Blue Boy from across the room?  You’re not going to believe it!! Pinkie!  Thomas Lawrence’s painting of a young girl in pink and white.  (Go ahead and click over there, I’ll wait.)You’ll be amazed  You’ve seen prints of the two displayed together a million times.  Well, at the Huntington, the real things are in the same room…looking at one another.  It was almost too much for me to bear.

Huntington Library & Gardens, San Marino CA
Enjoying a break before heading out to the gardens

The Huntington has a whole slew of gorgeous European paintings that you will devour, but even if they didn’t have a single painting, I’d still tell you to go.  I’ve been to a lot of luxurious, ornate, beautiful historic homes in my life, but I have never ever seen anything like the Huntington Art Gallery.  Well, maybe “never ever” is stretching it a bit.  King Ludwig’s Linderhof in Bavaria was on par. (Probably Versailles is too, but I’m still mad a Jimmy Carter for being there when I went to Paris.)  Bottom line – go get your socks knocked off.

THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

If you go during the week, it will cost you $20 per person ($23 on weekends).  It doesn’t open until noon (10:30 on weekends) and they shoo you out at 4:30.  It ought to be illegal.  Not the price, it’s worth every penny, even if all you see is the Art Gallery, but how are you supposed to see any of it in just four and a half hours.  I could have spent four and a half hours in the Art Gallery alone.  I call a foul.  They should open up at the crack of dawn and stay until very late.  Charge me by the hour.  I don’t care.  Just give me more access.

THE HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS

Huntington Library & Gardens, San Marino CA
On the paved road not quite seeing the gardens

With only a few hours to see everything and an entourage to manage, I made a tactical error.  I thought the prudent thing to do would be to stroll along the paved road that leads through the gardens.  Sure enough, you get a peek at the edge of the gardens, but not much more.  The gardens are designed for you to enjoy them on the foot paths within the various settings, not zipping by on the paved road.

Huntington Gardens, San Marino CA
Follow me. I’m not sure where I’m going, but eventually you’ll love it – really!

Needless to say, my entourage soon tired of almost seeing things.  Just about the time I figured out the drill, the entourage was through.  I tried to encourage them deeper into the garden, but their visit was over.  A lot of the conversation happened in Arabic, but I knew they thought I was nuts.  Besides, I don’t think they had prints of Blue Boy and Pinkie for sale at the five and dime in Egypt.  They just didn’t get any of my rapture.

Too bad.  They departed and Bill reluctantly followed me into the Japanese Garden.  Moments later he was calling the kids and begging them to come back, but it was too late.

The Japanese Garden, which was unbelievably beautiful, gave way to a Chinese Garden which was even better.  I realize that I’ve run out of superlatives, but if you’ve been there you understand.  Get this!  There are fifteen gardens, each one more amazing than the last one.  How are you supposed to see fifteen gardens in four and a half hours?

AND THAT’S NOT ALL!

As if being able to enjoy the Huntington Art Gallery in the gorgeous palace housing the remarkable collection wasn’t enough, there are two other galleries.  One is home to American art and the other hosts special exhibitions.  I’d pay twenty dollars to see either of them!

Oh, and why is it called a library?  Because they have a huge building with 420,ooo rare books and 7,000,000 manuscripts.  Yes – SEVEN MILLION manuscripts.  Now the general public is not allowed to get their grubby hands on all of that, but they can see highlights of the library in an exhibit hall.

I didn’t even get near to any of this.  I’m ready to go back, right now.

A GIFT SHOP TO BEAT ALL GIFT SHOPS

The Huntington Gift Shop is not the largest gift shop I’ve ever been to.  Oh you can get a T-shirt, but why would you bother when there are gorgeous scarves, amazing jewelry and stunning decor items.  Go ahead – do a little browsing.  See if you won’t want one of everything.

So, now you know.  The Huntington is more than an art museum, more than a library and more than a garden.  It’s shangri-la, the garden of eden and utopia all rolled into one.  Go!  It’s wonderful!

But my day wasn’t over!  I was meeting one of my besties at one of my favorite places for dinner.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Getty Villa, Malibu CA

Jane Sadek
Getty Villa, Malibu CA
Malibu’s Getty Villa

IN LOS ANGELES GETTY IS THE THING

Museum Girl has one word for you in LA: Getty. One word and two locations. Getty Center is a big art museum on a hill in Los Angeles . Getty Villa in Malibu is something else entirely.

THE GETTY CENTER

If you’ve never been to The Getty Center, you have to go there first.  The location alone is reason enough.  Even if you don’t like art, you really need to see this place to believe it.  The view is outstanding and the architecture is amazing.  What’s more, there are gardens and fountains that also think they’re the main attraction.  Seriously, you have to go.

If you do like art, then this is a feast you will enjoy.  All day is not enough.  I’ve been several times and it still hasn’t been enough.  There are multiple huge buildings.  The museum’s holdings are encyclopedic and they get first dibs on the best exhibitions in the US or visiting the US.

What’s more – it’s free!  You heard me – free.  Not on certain days or after a certain hour, but all the time.  Now you have to reserve and pay for parking, but this is LA where you even pay to park in front of your house.

THE GETTY VILLA

When I moved to California, Malibu Getty was being renovated.  It was ready the final year I lived there, but it was impossible to get in.  On my visits since I moved away from California, I never could work the museum into my schedule for a variety of reasons, which included things which were both my fault and theirs.

Just like I was determined to have an overnight stay on Moonstone Beach, I wasn’t missing the Malibu Getty on this trip.  My nieces and nephews are not into museums in a big way, but I warned everyone that with or without them, I was going to the Getty.

INVASION BY SADEK

Two carloads of Sadeks arrived at the Getty Malibu promptly at 10:30 with free timed passes in hand.  What an entourage!  Toddlers, teenagers, Baby Boomers and more!  Just getting everyone to the entrance was quite interesting.

Once inside we showed our timed passes and a volunteer invited us to see the intro video.  He also suggested we have a look around the galleries in the immediate area, since there wasn’t anyone waiting to see it.  While we were looking around, along came a busload of folks who got in line ahead of us.  Helpful hint number one:  Ignore the volunteer.  Get in line and wait for your turn.

Do watch the video though.  It’s very good and helps you understand the villa and the art.

CAN YOU SAY AWESOME?

Remember your world history textbooks?  And remember the head shots of statues which stood in for Caesar, Caligula and Cato.  Ever wonder where those statues are?  They’re at the Getty Malibu!

Perhaps I’ve spent more time than other folks staring at art, history and art history books, but what impressed me most about the Getty Malibu was that all those pictures I’d been staring at were front and center.  One right after the other.  I couldn’t get over it.  I can’t say that the entire entourage felt that way, but I was overwhelmed.

My husband adored the architecture.  One grandnephew loved an activity room where you created rubbings off faux pottery shards.  One niece was spellbound by a peek of the ocean from a terrace.  My grandniece just wanted to run in the gardens.

In other words, there was something for everyone.  Truth be told, I wanted to stay a little bit longer and almost everyone else thought we stayed a little too long, but we all had a good time.  Some day, when I return for a visit, I’m going to go by myself and stay all day.  It’s going to be great.

From the Getty Villa we went to Santa Monica.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you all about it.

ART, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Road Trips, TRAVEL, Travel Planning, United States

Drat That Golden Gate Park! Foiled Again!

Jane Sadek
You can get one of these at the de Young Gift Shop.
You can get one of these at the de Young Gift Shop.

TRAVEL THERE: I ALWAYS MISS SOMETHING IN THE GOLDEN GATE PARK

One of the first things I saw pass by, on the road outside the de Young Cafe, was the Golden Gate Park Shuttle Bus. Unfortunately, that was also the last time I saw the Golden Gate Park Shuttle Bus.

Running Out of Day

If you know me or visit the blog frequently, you know Mr. Bill and I have completely different body clocks.  I fought it for years, but I’ve learned life is a whole lot easier if I cooperate with Mr. Bill’s clock.  So even though I woke up raring to get out and start sight-seeing, Mr. Bill wasn’t quite as eager.

He slept later, enjoyed playing with his grand-nephew and eventually started wondering what we were going to do for our morning meal.  We weren’t exactly the first people to enter the de Young.  I’m not really complaining, because we’d been having a lovely time, but there was a whole lot of Golden Gate Park to see and not much time.

Where’s the Bus? 

My trusty Golden Gate Park brochure informed me, “On Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays…take the free park-wide shuttle which services all major Golden Gate Park destinations…The free shuttle operates 9 am – 6pm every 15-20 minutes.”  I’d seen one shuttle go by, so I thought that by the time Bill and I finished our meal and were ready to see the park, another shuttle would be by.  I figured it would be the best way to see the most of the park in the least amount of time.

See the park is 1017 acres, so the idea of walking the whole thing is overly enthusiastic, especially late in the afternoon – and remember, I already thought it was a little chilly.  So we stood next to the shuttle sign and waited and waited and waited.  We waited well over twenty minutes and if you add that to the time we’d spent in the cafe after seeing the shuttle, then you know that something was going on.  This wasn’t just a free shuttle running a few minutes late.

At first I wasn’t too worried.  I just perused my map and guide, familiarizing myself with what we would see.  Eventually, I realized we weren’t going to see anything if we didn’t start hoofing it.  In a panic, I read every sign in sight and realized we were quite close to one of the attractions I was most interested in, The Japanese Tea Garden.

I think Bill would have been just as happy calling it a day, but he is a good husband, so he trailed behind me as I marched towards the Japanese Tea Garden.  I had some sightseeing to do.  Come back next week and I’ll tell you about it.

ART, DESTINATIONS, Gardens, Museums, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The de Young Museum at Golden Gate Park

Jane Sadek

deyoung tickets07242014

 

TRAVEL THERE: ON THE MUST-SEE LIST

This trip to San Francisco was my second, so I’d already knocked out these San Francisco points of interest:

Jane’s Must-See Attractions in San Francisco

Golden Gate Park

I’m convinced I saw the very best of San Francisco on my first trip, but that didn’t make me any happier about missing Golden Gate Park.  We actually got into the park, but it was the end of the day and both the driver and the navigator were exhausted.  So the park was a must-see for this trip.

At the top of my list in the park was the de Young Museum of Fine Art, so that’s what I plugged into the GPS.  Last time we’d been to the park we didn’t have our electronic buddy, which explains why we were so disgusted and disgruntled.  This time we did have it, but we ran into another problem.  The GPS was telling us to turn into the park at one location and there were all kinds of signs telling us we couldn’t.  Finally we found a sign directing us to enter for de Young parking.  Victory!

deyoung brochure07242014
Instead of folding it up and putting it in my pocket, I should have studied the map. Following my nose wasn’t a good idea.

The De Young

I confess, I don’t do spontaneous well.  By the time I visit a museum, I’ve usually studied the map ad nauseum and know exactly where in the museum I want to go.  Having not had the opportunity to do that, we walked into the de Young and followed our nose.  Unfortunately, at the beginning, our nose didn’t lead us to much stuff we really wanted to see.  Maybe that’s the reason so many people claim they don’t like museums – they’ve been following their noses around!

Different strokes for different folks, but we all know what we like.  Bill and I are less fond of modern and tribal art than we are traditional figurative art.  Bill told me to just put up the map and enjoy myself, but that wasn’t very good advice.  We saw every piece of modern and tribal art in the museum, before we found our good stuff.

Now once we found our good stuff we were plenty happy and we took a long time perusing delightful pieces. Here’s a few samples:

Rainy Season in the Tropics by Frederic Edwn Church
Petunia by Georgia O’Keefe
California Spring by Albert Bierstadt

Not everything was paintings.  There were some sculptures and decorative arts, but these were the postcards I picked up in the gift shop.

View from the Hamon Tower
View from the Hamon Tower

After our tour of the art, we went up in the Hamon Tower.  The view was actually quite amazing.  The light was not cooperating, so we didn’t get a good shot of the city vista – which would blow your socks off – but this picture gives you an idea of what you see directly below, when you’re up there.

Food Time

To my list of favorite places to eat in San Francisco I’d like to add the de Young Cafe.  Its a nice crisp modern sort of place that sits next to the Sculpture Garden.  Outside is patio seating and there were people sitting out there, but it was a little chilly for my Texas blood.  While we ate, we were serenaded by a big orchestra playing in the Temple of Music across the street.  It doesn’t get much better.

Kudos delivered, I’d like to have a do over.  This is one of those cafes where you really should have some sort of idea of what you’re doing before you actually get to the selection part.  They have a card menu to order from, they have pre-made snacks and sandwiches available to browsse and then they’ve got a sort of coffee bar, but that has a blackboard menu that you might miss before you get around to ordering.  So, if you ever go, check out ALL the options before you make a selection.

One Last Thing

Everybody but me probably already knew this, but if you’re also out of the loop, San Francisco actually has TWO Museums of Fine Art.  The Palace of Legion of Honor and the de Young.  The Palace is out by Lincoln Park and may be one of the most impressive buildings I’ve ever seen.  I know the view from the portico is certainly one of the best.  The grounds were covered with brides having their pictures made with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

If I only had time to see one of the museums, I would choose The Palace, for two reasons.  One being the spectacular nature of the venue.  The other being that the art is more classical.  Also, now that I’ve seen them both, I think I’d be quicker to return to the Palace.  I wish I’d had time for the special exhibition of Impressionist portraits they had while I was there.  However, you should take time to see both at least once and then choose your favorite based on your own taste.

After our meal we headed out to explore the rest of the park.  Join me next week to check it out.

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

San Antonio’s Briscoe Western Art Museum

Jane Sadek
Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio TX
Tagged at The Briscoe

TRAVEL THERE: BRAVING THE COLD FOR THE BRISCOE

New Museum in San Antonio is Worth the Visit, in the Hot or the Cold

I’ve chosen to call this vacation The South Texas Christmas Ramble, but I could also call it The Great Weather Betrayal.  It was chilly as we wandered around The Pearl on our first night, but the next morning, as we stepped outside our hotel, La Mansion De Rio, to walk to The Briscoe, the wind was brutal and “chilly” doesn’t begin to describe the temperature. “Frigid” is closer, but still might be a few degrees warmer than we felt.

So, of course, this is the day I’d chosen for an on-foot tour of the Riverwalk.   While planning the day’s activities, I’d mapped out a pleasant route along the River, but the wind chill factor demanded we take the most direct route possible and according to my map, that was street-side.

An Interesting Side-Step

On the corner next to our hotel, was St. Mary’s Cathedral.  Bill suggested we pop in and see it, but I’m not sure whether he was really interested or he just wanted to get out of the cold. Whatever the case, I’m glad we did, because it was lovely.  If you’re ever anywhere in the neighborhood it is worth the stop.

As we headed back into the cold, Bill asked how far we were walking and I answered, “Three or four blocks.”  I wasn’t sure, because the map wasn’t clear about it.  We went three or four blocks, then turned left and had a couple more blocks.  We arrived almost frostbitten.

Inside The Briscoe Museum of Western Art

This museum was on my list of non-negotiables.  I’m pretty flexible  when it comes to some things, but there are always a few items on each vacation that cannot be missed.  This time, it was The Briscoe,  a brand-spanking new museum that just opened at the end of October 2013.  It’s gotten rave reviews, so I was excited.

After getting tagged with the buffalo sticker above, we were directed to the top floor and work our way back down. Stepping off the elevator we walked into the nearest gallery, which was full of religious icons from the Spanish Colonial Era. The next gallery displayed some of the most beautiful saddles and spurs I’ve ever seen.  Then we wandered into a gallery of military memorabilia.

By then, Mr. Bill was ready for a little break, so we sat down in the saddle and spur gallery where headphones were provided for listening to a little Western music.  I specifically remember some Woody Guthrie and Kris Kristofferson.  It was an excellent way to catch your breath.  Also on the third floor are scenes from the early days of Texas, recreated with artifacts and careful reconstructions of the period.

I really enjoyed the third floor, especially the saddles and spurs, but my favorite was the second floor, because that’s where the art-pedal hit the museum-medal.  There was a wide variety of genres, mediums and artists, but they were all related to the west.  I was particularly moved by the Native American art, beautiful representations of the West’s first inhabitants.

Downstairs is one of the famous Wells Fargo Wagons, the stagecoach that tamed the West, as well as representations of more modern Western Art.  From the first floor, you can look down on a teepee gracing the floor below, but you can’t go down there.

The gift shop was lovely, but I noticed it seemed to be directed at the younger generation.  Or maybe it was directed at an older generation, grandma and grandpa, but one things for sure, Santa could have loaded his sleigh right there.

It was time to get back in the cold.  If you go to San Antonio, don’t you dare miss The Briscoe.  Be sure to come back here next week and we’ll go to lunch on the Riverwalk.

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

The Witte Museum – San Antonio

Jane Sadek
South Texas Christmas Tree, The Witte Museum, San Antonio TX
Nothing says South Texas Christmas like an Antler Tree.

TRAVEL THERE: THE WITTE MUSEUM IN SAN ANTONIO

The South Texas Heritage Center sets the Witte apart from any run-of-the-mill science and natural history museum. 

Our first stop in San Antonio was The Witte Museum. I’d never visited it before, even though I’ve been to San Antonio many times.  Most of my other trips have been overnight, two days as the most, and I prefer art museums over all others, especially one like The Witte, which used to be billed as a science and natural history museum.  I’m not into stuffed animals and models of the solar system.

A New Description Captures My Attention

The Witte no longer calls itself a science and natural history museum.  Now they are “San Antonio’s premiere museum of South Texas history, culture, and natural science.”  That sounds a whole lot more like something I want to see.  They’ve also just finished a “South Texas Heritage Center”with a special exhibitions called “Porfirio Salinas: Capturing South Texas on Canvas.”  That certainly peaked my interest.

Bill, bless his heart, goes to these places because I want to, but I thought he might enjoy a special exhibition called CSI.  However, it was 3PM when we arrived, only two hours before closing, so the CSI exhibit was immediately deleted – especially since it required a separate entrance fee.  Just ahead of us a bus tour was arranging itself in the first gallery, so we detoured into another one. OOOPS, stuffed animals!  So I checked the map and exited out a side door.

The South Texas Cultural Center

Once we stepped outside the main building, the South Texas Cultural Center was right in front of us.  Inside, it being December and all, we found an unusual holiday tree just outside the Salinas exhibit.  Come to find out, Salinas was a painter of bluebonnets a la William A. Slaughter.  Every bit as good and with his own style, but his primary subject was bluebonnets, just like the more famous Slaughter.  The exhibition was housed in a small gallery, but Bill had a hard time getting me out of there.

The rest of the first floor was devoted to the Old Time Trail Drivers Association.  There were wonderful old photos, gorgeous saddles, interesting equipment and lots of logbooks and journals, but time was a-wasting and we still had a lot to see.

The Witte Museum, San Antonio TX
Patriotism and Pageantry: Fiesta Honors the Military

Upstairs was a mock-up of a South Texas town with a lot of artifacts strewn among the scenery.  We strolled along and picked up quite a bit of history, but didn’t linger overlong.  Next on my list was the Betty Coates Textile Gallery, because that’s where the Fiesta dresses are.

Back Inside the Main Building

As far as I’m concerned, the textile gallery alone is well worth a visit to The Witte.  One of my favorite things about the Tyler Rose Garden is the Rose Queen gowns museum.  Well, the Betty Coates Textile Gallery is the Tyler museum in miniature, but instead of Rose Queen gowns, gowns from San Antonio’s Fiesta are displayed.  Just like a Rose Queen, Fiesta Royalty chooses themes for their coronation finery and the gowns on display were devoted to patriotism.  We got an eyeful of red-white-and-blue glitz and glamour there.

Magic Lanterns, a Special Exhibition

Around the corner we found a special exhibition, focusing on a form of photography most folks don’t even know about, Magic Lanterns.  I happened to take both a photography course and a history of cinema course while I was completing my BA in performance arts, so Magic Lanterns were something I’d been versed in from several points of view.   Magic Lanterns were fancy slide shows at the time photography was still in its infancy.  It was the x-box of it’s day.  I’m just guessing, but I’m betting this was Bill’s favorite part of the museum.

We whirled through the rest of the museum so quickly that I can’t give you a coherent report.  Here’s the bottom line: The Witte is no longer a building full of dead animals.  A lot more is happening.  Put it on your itinerary next time you go to San Antonio. You’ll be glad you did.

So where are we headed next?  La Mansion del Rio!  Don’t miss it.