Attractions – Page 22

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Cannery Row on Monterey Bay CA

November 26, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Shopping Cannery Row,Monterey Bay, Monterey CA — This almost came home with us from Monterey Bay

TRAVEL THERE: CANNERY ROW ON MONTEREY BAY

Monterey Bay is one of my favorite destinations and Cannery Row is one of the reasons. Whatever you like to do, you’ll find ways to entertain yourself.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

If you’ve never been to Cannery Row, then the Aquarium should be at the top of your list. We’ve been many times, but on this visit to the area, we were short on time. Still, you should go, because but kids of all ages (including Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation) will be fascinated by the amazing exhibits, including the one of a kind otter tank.

The John Steinbeck Factor

Had John Steinbeck never lived in Monterey, it would still be a beautiful place to visit. However, his novel Cannery Row, added to the area’s mystique and helped make it the destination it is today. To completely appreciate the Steinbeck factor, it’s well worth the drive over to Salinas for a visit to the National Steinbeck Center – especially since it’s not far away. In fact, here’s an itinerary you might enjoy for a three-day Steinbeck Immersion Weekend.

Shopping Cannery Row

Two words: Outlet Mall. I love them and Cannery Row has one. It’s called American Tin Cannery and it’s across the street from the Aquarium. But that’s only the beginning. The whole area if rife with shopping opportunities. Truth be told, a lot of these opportunities are just tourist traps filled with junk.

Two shops, Turkish Fine Jewelry and Fine Art Turkish Grand Bazaar, were new to us and they were also exceptions to the tourist trap trend. I know, the names of the shops are less than creative, but OMG what gorgeous things they have inside. I’d give you a link, but they don’t have websites! And I’ll tell you this too: Don’t judge the places by their exteriors. Without Bill I wouldn’t have walked into either one and that would have been my loss.

We stepped into the jewelry store first. The pieces in the window were out-of-this-world gorgeous. GORGEOUS! Not your usual stuff. Exotic, but not so weird you wouldn’t wear it. Frankly, I wanted one of everything I saw in the window, but I knew I couldn’t afford any of them. I was glad Bill wanted to see more, even though we weren’t going to buy anything. The decor of the store is pretty boring compared to what’s in the showcases. What I’m saying is that this is not one of your premiere shopping experiences, but if you’re looking for beautiful jewelry, it’s the right place.

Along one wall they display hand-crafted mosaic chandeliers – jewelry for your home. I’m sure the proprietor could tell we weren’t serious jewelry prospects, but he quickly picked up on the fact that we might buy a chandelier. He and Bill chatted for a bit. That’s how we found out about the Grand Bazaar across the street. It’s owned by the same people.

As I said, the jewelry store was not exactly a premiere shopping destination, but the bazaar looked like a place I would avoid altogether. The front of the store was crowded with cheap imported knick-knacks, but they did have dozens of the beautiful mosaic chandeliers, so in we went. Ignore the chotckies! This place is a treasure trove. Stunning pottery, unique clothing, hand-embroidered boots!! I loved it. Bill got me in there and without his restraining influence I would have broken the bank.

In the end we left empty-handed. Bill couldn’t negotiate the owner down far enough on the chandeliers to justify carrying them all the way back to Dallas and I really didn’t need another pair of boots. But my-oh-my, did I ever want a pair, and about four of the outfits, and several of the plates, and some jewelry, and…well, you get the drift.

(Psssst! Dallasites! Since this trip Bill and I discovered Another Place & Time at The Shops at Legacy in Plano. They don’t much of a website either, but they do have a facebook page and they do have the same kind of gorgeous stuff the Monterey store has, though they’re in no way related. The store has been in the mall for a while now, but it didn’t used to have all this cool stuff. They also just moved off Bishop, but I promise, it will be worth the effort to find them.)

Did Someone Say Lunch?

It’s amazing how long we lingered in the store admiring the chandeliers, but eventually hunger pangs overwhelmed our urge to buy. I’ll tell you about that next week.

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

The Japanese Tea Garden and More

September 10, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

Japanese Tea Garden, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco CA — The Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park.

TRAVEL THERE: MORE ATTRACTIONS AT THE GOLDEN GATE PARK

Foiled by the unreliability of the Golden Gate Park Shuttle, Bill and I entered the Japanese Tea Garden. We were unfortunately underwhelmed.

The Trouble with Travel

You know me. There’s no one who loves travel more. But travel comes with a price. The more you do it, the more room for comparison.

I like Japanese Gardens. We’ve got a great one over in Fort Worth and there’s another nice one in San Antonio. We saw one in Lotusland a few days before our visit to San Francisco and a few days after our visit to Golden Gate State Park, we saw an amazing Japanese Garden at the Huntington Gardens.

Japanese Tea Garden, Portland OR — Judge for yourself. This photo was taken in Portland.

Still no Japanese Garden that I’ve ever seen beats Portland’s Japanese Garden. Two years later, my senses are still reeling from the beauty we saw in Oregon and the Portland Japanese Garden was among my favorite attractions there. So that should give you an idea of how stunning it was. (As gorgeous as their Japanese Garden was, it was still my second favorite garden in Oregon. Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens was the best.)

Small and Sad

You can’t judge a book by it’s cover and I suppose you shouldn’t judge a garden by the price of admission, but we were surprised by the $7 entry fee. That’s more than Ft. Worth’s garden, though less less than Portland’s.

The first thing we realized was that the garden was very compact. Fort Worth’s garden is huge and so is Portland’s, though not as large as its sister in Texas. Size isn’t everything , but the size does add to the charm, because in the bigger gardens you seem far removed from the every day world.

In every part of San Francisco’s Garden I felt cramped. I had the sense that just a few feet away was the world, because I could hear it and see it all around me. There were also crowds of other folks. The Tea House was humming with business and the line for it wandered through the garden. Serenity was in short supply.

The sad part was the evident disrepair. The gardeners are doing a great job, but the park needs to hire a company of carpenters and painters. Right now – before the wooden structures rot away! Peeling paint and rotting wood are just unacceptable. The Tea House has a rollicking business. Devote some of the revenue to maintenance.

The Rest of the Story

After the Japanese Gardens we waited around for a few moments hoping the shuttle would make an appearance, but it didn’t. So we wandered over to the Botanical Garden. Two things kept us out. It was closing in less than an hour and they wanted another $7. The last $7 each we spent had not been a good investment.

So we thought we might walk a little. We headed toward the Cherry Tree Azaleas, got a peek of Stowe Lake and strolled past the Rose Gardens. We were tired. It was chilly. We decided to call it a day. We weren’t going to get to see all of Golden Gate Park on this visit either.

I’ll Be Back

In spite of the disappointing Japanese Garden, I plan to go back to Golden Gate Park. I want to see the Conservatory of Flowers, the Dutch Windmill, The Chinese Pavillion, Strawberry Hill, the Carousel and the list goes on. Next time I’m thinking about bikes or one of those surreys I saw people riding. I guess next time I’ll need to do a little more research and be a little more prepared. Third time’s charm, right?

Next week I’ll wrap up my stay in San Francisco, but for now I’ll leave you with a few more shots from the Japanese Garden. It was pretty. It just suffered from comparison.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, Shopping, TRAVEL, United States

Pinot Days in San Francisco CA

August 20, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

Pinot Days Brochure, San Francisco CA — Pinot Days Brochure

TRAVEL THERE: TASTING PINOT IN SAN FRAN

If you recall, this vacation went through a number of alterations before becoming a reality. In one of the original stages, a trip to Wine Country was penciled in, but by the time we went, Napa and Sonoma had been erased. Instead we enjoyed Pinot Days at City View At Metreon.

How We Got There

When you’re visiting your hip nephew in San Fran you do all kinds of cool things. Take it from me, Uber is cool. It’s like a taxi, but a lot more chic.

Since all I did was go along for the ride, I don’t claim to know all the details, but to quote Uber “request, ride, and pay via your mobile phone.” That means you don’t call or hail a cab. You request a ride at a certain time with the app and the car shows up. If you wonder if you have time to go to the bathroom, the app tells you where the car is and how long before it will be to your pick-up point. You don’t have to ride in a cab either. A sleek black SUV picked us up and the driver was dressed very professionally.When we left the wine event my nephew punched a few buttons on the phone and by the time we got downstairs our car was waiting.

Uber’s website says they do have taxis, but that wasn’t our ride. Nephew says it’s about the price of parking and since we were going to a wine tasting without a DD it was a lot cheaper than a DWI. Dallas is an Uber city, but I haven’t Ubered here yet. Let me know if you have.

Where It Was

Meteron is like nothing I know of in Dallas. It’s like NorthPark‘s Food Court on steroids, but the anchor store is a Super Target and for kicks there’s an AMC Cinemark. You got it?

Well, upstairs there’s something called City View which is a huge event space. They do weddings, corporate events, whatever. The “restaurant-centric mall with multiplex” is amid the Marscone Center and City View overlooks the Yerba Buena Gardens. Yeah, it’s cool.

How It Was

I’m just going to be straight with you. This wasn’t the most fun I ever had tasting wine. I used to live on the Central Coast and spent Sunday afternoons at Castoro Cellars Tasting Room, Edna Valley Vineyard and other local wineries. My first date with Bill was to a function called Art and Wine at the Dallas Museum of Art. We’ve been to Dallas Opera Wine Tastings. We have also been to other wine festivals, like the Paso Robles Wine Festival. We know from wine tastings.

The Metreon was cool and I loved looking out over Yerba Buena Park and San Francisco’s Financial District. However, I got a little tired of Pinot and there was a crowd.

I love wine, but I’m no wine connoisseur. Were I a wine connisseur, I’m sure the opportunity to compare so many Pinots in one afternoon of tasting was euphoric. However, there were so many people crowding around the tables that there was really no way to have a decent conversation with the winemakers and that’s one of the things I like best about a tasting.

There was also nowhere to sit. There were community baskets of crackers and cheese to give your palate a break, but no where to give your sore dogs a break. Am I glad I did it? Yes! Would I do it again? Probably not.

But come back next week, because we’re going to Golden Gate Park.

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

The Winchester Mystery House

August 6, 2014August 11, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: IT’S A MYSTERY ALRIGHT

Next stop on our California adventure: The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose.

The Real Mystery

Several years ago, I asked my mother which San Jose attraction was better, the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum or the Winchester Mystery House, because she’d been to both. She didn’t stutter or stall – she was all about the Egyptian Museum. So, on that trip I went to the museum and promised myself I’d see the Winchester House another day.

Well, on this trip to California I carved out some time for the Winchester Mystery House and learned the real mystery is why it’s become so popular. Remember last week when I told you Lotusland was worth every penny of the $45 tour price – and more. Well, the Winchester House, in my opinion, is not worth anywhere near the $33 per person they’ll hit you up for – and that’s just the basic tour. Some people pay more for extended and special tours. Ten dollars? Maybe. Anymore than that? Rip off!

Don’t Judge This Book By It’s Cover

An exterior shot of this rambling edifice leads one to believe visitors will tour a beautiful Victorian mansion. Well, the exterior is very pretty and I do recommend that you at least drive by it on South Winchester Boulevard, but what you can see from the street is really all you need to see. The interior of the house is pretty scary – and I’m not talking about the spirits some people claim they encounter.

We found the house, parked the car and went to the entry booth. We actually discussed getting the more expensive ticket which included a behind the scenes tour, but we were supposed to be in San Francisco by six thirty. We were afraid we wouldn’t have time for more than the basic tour – thank goodness. That’s when things started to get weird.

Right This Way for your Cruise Photo

I’m used to lining up to go on a house tour. At the Winchester House, the tickets are timed. A sign tells you where to wait for the next tour and there’s a velvet rope hanging between stanchions.

However, I am not used to lining up for cruise-type photos at historic homes. (They do the same sort of thing at Hearst Castle, but that’s Hearst Castle.) At the Winchester they put you in front of a green screen and hand you a fake rifle. We were not enchanted. Bill resents having his picture taken on cruises, so this really set him off. “I made an ugly face,” he told me.

Welcome to….the Stables?

After all the people on our tour had their obligatory rifle picture taken, we were allowed in the house. We were herded into a sort of holding pen and given a very canned speech by an eager young guide. In his defense, he was fairly new to his job as a guide, but it came off like, “I am thoroughly bored with this speech, and hahaha you’re stuck listening to it.” It did not improve as the tour continued.

From the holding pen we went to the stables, but it was a little confusing, because it was also a sort of warehouse. I thought to myself, “This isn’t a very engaging place to start.” I didn’t realize then that it wasn’t going to get much better. From the stable we used a very bizarre staircase to get to another floor. I hoped better things were coming.

Most of the House is More of the Same

With very few exceptions, things didn’t get any better. The floors were linoleum. The walls were, for the most part wood, though there were some that were wallpapered. Any room looked pretty much like all the rest of the rooms. They had millions of visitors to the house and it looks like it. It also doesn’t look like they’ve done anything to preserve what people may have come to see.

Part of the problem is that most of the rooms are unfurnished. When the builder/owner died, everything was taken out of the house and sold for cash, per the little old lady’s will. There are a few rooms that have items in them, but the furnishings matched everything else about the house – sad and worn out.

I think one of the reasons the house is so empty and so unfurnished is that they want to impress upon visitors just how nuts Mrs. Winchester was. The story of the house is that she bought it and kept building on to it. Another part of the story is that she was trapped in part of the house after an earthquake and after escaping closed down that part of the house, damaged as it was, and kept on building.

Okay, so I get the part about the lady being nuts and I realize her original belongings were sold, but if you’re going to charge me $33 dollars, I want to see more than an empty house in disrepair.

On to San Fran

On any other tour, we might have tried to sneak away and go on with our business, but in this dreadful rabbit warren of a place, who knows where you might have ended up. We endured the rest of the tour and were relieved when we escaped.

The story of the Winchester Mystery House is well worth your investigation. The owner was the widow of the man who invented the Winchester rifle. Her idiosyncrasies are fascinating. The Winchester Mystery House as it stands today, is not.

Our trip to California gets better though! come back next week.

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

Santa Barbara’s LotusLand

July 30, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: LOTUSLAND, BEYOND BEAUTIFUL!

First atraction, first day: Santa Barbara’s Lotusland! Talk about a great way to start a vacation – this was it!

Hanging in SB

So, if our adventure started in Santa Barbara, why did we fly to LAX and stay in Carpenteria? Well, this was a road trip which would end in LA, so it was cheaper to fly into and out of LAX, not to mention avoiding a one-way rental car charge. And Carpenteria is only ten miles away from Santa Barbara and about a hundred dollars cheaper than any accommodations I could book in the more famous city.

The Beach

We left Carpenteria early enough to spend some time in Santa Barbara, because it’s one of our favorite cities. The list of things we would have loved to do would be quite long, but all we had time for was a leisurely visit to the beach. Next was lunch and we had fast food.

Finally, Lotusland!

Lotusland is one of those hidden travel gems people talk about, but it shouldn’t be such a secret. Their website says they’ve been having tours since 1993, so I don’t know why more people aren’t raving about it. I lived on the Central Coast of California for six years and in all that time I heard one person mention it in passing and they made it seem like a cactus farm.

Listen to me – you need to go to Lotusland. Beautiful, serene, amazing – these are the words that come to mind. Yes there are cactus gardens, but that’s only the beginning. There are twenty other gardens there, also. From a Japanese Garden to a Water Garden full of water lilies to a Topiary Garden – and the list goes on!

Here’s a map from our tour. At least, Trip Advisor lists it as the number two attraction in Santa Barbara,behind the famous Courthouse, but I’ve been to the Courthouse and it doesn’t light a candle to Lotusland. Santa Barbara Mission is pretty wonderful, but Trip Advisor rates that as number seven. What’s wrong with these people!

First you need to know Ganna Walska, the lady who planned and planted Lotusland, should have her own mini-series. A famous opera singer with five different husbands, ties to both the Polish and Russian royal families and over thirty acres of gardens in Santa Barbara – what’s not to love? Then there’s the gardens themselves. Breath-taking!

Next, you need to know that you can’t just show up at the address on the internet for a stroll through the garden. All tours are docent-led and there are two each day. To tour the garden you have to go online, make reservations and pay for the tour. Then you will get directions about where to show up for the tour. I have to confess that you might get a little sticker shock. The tours are $45/adult and $20/ child, but I am telling you it is completely worth the price of admission. Trust me on this.

We had quite a tour. About half-way through a sweet little old lady fell INTO a cactus plant, which sort of threw everything off – and certainly slowed us down on the next leg of our trip – but that’s for next week. Lotusland is one of those places that I could wear myself out talking about and still not capture the essence of it, so now I’m going to shut-up and show you some of our pictures. Just be sure and come back next week. There’s more fun to come.

The cactus mishap is just about to occur!

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

Stranded in a Frozen Dickens

March 26, 2014September 28, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: STRANDED IN A FROZEN DICKENSFEST

Galveston‘s 2013 Dickens-on-The-Strand Suffered from Chilblains!

“You can’t always get what you want!” The Rolling Stones were spot on with that one – especially when it came to this vacation. The Polar Express gypped me out of my luminaries on the Riverwalk and then followed me to the beach.

My mom used to say things like, “If you had the sense God gave a goozle,” (and I’m not exactly sure what a goozle is) but I’m sure my husband was thinking the same sort of thing as we froze our assets off, strolling down the Strand.

Important, but Chilly Anniversary

I was expecting big things from this British-flavored festival with its side order of Victorian literature. This was the fortieth Dickens-on-the-Strand and for the first time, it was a three day festival, not just an overnight flash in the pan. What I didn’t expect was London! Actually London has been warmer the few times I’ve been there. This was more like the cold, wet, windy day I’d visited Coventry Cathedral and had nothing but a thin windbreaker between me and the chill. I think that’s the coldest I’d ever been up until that day in Galveston.

Bill really does deserve the Champion Husband of the World Award – at least in the travel department. Anyone with any sense would have headed back to Dallas after our frozen stay in San Antonio, but not me. I was going to Dickens on the Strand and I had friends to see. The friends were worth it. Dickens? Not so much. The festival may have been in full swing the day before, but on it’s inaugural first Sunday, it was a ghost story, and not in a cozy Christmas Carol way.

Still, we found a cheap place to park, walked several blocks to the entrance, paid our fee and landed virtually nowhere. A few braves souls strolled the streets in their Victorian finery, but we had to decide who was dumber for showing up – us or them. A few performers mounted stages and tried to entertain the lost souls wandering the Strand, but it was cold enough out there without stopping and standing in one place. The greatest hub of activity was an area for steam-punk enthusiasts, an important factor in the popularity of the festival, but try as I may, I have very little, beyond a passing interest, in steampunk – and Bill had less than that.

When All Else Fails, Eat

We might have had an interest in chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but most of the heat seemed to be at Yaga’s Cafe. The crowded interior didn’t seem to suffer from it’s lack of an identifiable theme in the decoration or menu. The service was friendly, if not adequate, and the food adequate, if not tasty.

Lunch behind us, we explored the island by car for awhile and decided we’d certainly return, but next time, we’d rent a beachside cottage and the weather would be warmer. For dinner we drove back towards Houston to meet some Pearland friends, Jimmy and Melanie, at Pappas Seafood House. Now that was good seafood and good company. We are fortunate in our friends, even if we don’t always make the best decisions about when to visit the beach.

So, should you go to Dickens on the Strand? I might go back someday, but I’d check the weather, go on Saturday and stay somewhere besides the Beachfront Palms. Come back next week and we’ll start thinking about a new trip!

Architecture, ART, Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Performing Arts, Restaurants & Bars, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

The Nutcracker – San Antonio’s Majestic Theater

March 12, 2014September 3, 2015 Jane Sadek

TRAVEL THERE: SAN ANTONIO’S MAJESTIC THEATER EARNS ITS NAME WITH A GLORIOUS NUTCRACKER

Here’s how I know Bill was bending over backwards to accommodate my wishes on our trip to San Antonio; he agreed to go to a ballet at the Majestic Theater. He played it really cool until afterwards, but then he made a post to Facebook that revealed the truth. He hadn’t been looking forward to it at all, but enjoyed it anyway.

Off to a Rough Start

We needed a bite to eat before the show, so we went to The County Line, a BBQ joint on the River, because it was close to our hotel and we were in a hurry. In our opinion, a BBQ joint is supposed to let you get a BBQ sandwich, but that only happens at lunch at The County Line. For dinner it’s a meat and two veggies kind of a place. Bill ordered a sliced brisket plate and I nibbled around the edges, but my mind was not on the brisket. WHERE WERE THE LUMINARIES?

Remember, I came to San Antonio because I wanted to see the River all dressed up for Christmas. Well, the weatherman threatened icy rain and sleet, so no luminaries were installed. The primary thing I came for didn’t happen at all.

And it was cold! And a stupid sign outside our hotel sent us an entire block out of our way. And did I mention it was cold. Bill was smart. He ignored the occasion and dressed warmly. By golly, I’d brought a special outfit for the theater and I was going to wear it, even if it killed me. Well, it didn’t kill me, but there was a danger of frostbite.

Majestic Lobby Warms up the Night

As soon as we hit the lobby, I knew we were someplace special. I had no idea of how gorgeous the theater itself was going to be, but the lobby was a knock-out.

We were on time. Our seats were good. And this had to be the most amazing theater I’d ever walked into. The pictures don’t begin to do it justice, but they’re all I have. Bill was wishing for more than his smartphone to capture the theater’s interior.

San Antonio’s Nutcracker

The Nutcracker was marvelous. I hope San Antonio will forgive me for being a bit of a Dallas snob. I assumed that a ballet by the San Antonio ballet and symphony might not stack up. It was charming with great dancers and great music. The sets and costumes were out of this world – but not quite as far out of this world as the theater. I’ll leave you with a few more shots. Hope you enjoy.

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

San Antonio’s Briscoe Western Art Museum

February 12, 2014August 12, 2015 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

January 15, 2014September 28, 2015 Jane Sadek

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.

Attractions, DESTINATIONS, Road Trips, TRAVEL, United States

Texas’ Natural Bridge Caverns

January 8, 2014August 12, 2015 Jane Sadek

Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio TX — The Cavern’s Natural Bridge

TRAVEL THERE: JUMPING OFF INTO NOTHING AT NATURAL BRIDGE CAVERNS

Natural Bridge Caverns is an attraction in Central Texas with much more than a hole in the ground to explore.

Rambling around the southern half of the Lone Star State we found ourselves just around the corner from Natural Bridges Cavern. Having seen Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, we sort of thought we’d done the cavern thing, but I had a coupon, so we decided to check it out.

Cavern Tour vs. Zip-line

Truth be told, I checked it out online ahead of time and when I discovered they had zip-lining, then Mr. Bill developed an uncanny interest in the attraction. However, it appeared he wasn’t as interested in going down into the cavern as he was gliding above it. As we pulled into the parking lot, I handed him our coupon to the cavern. He stuck it in his pocket and asked where the zip-line was.

Gearing-up for Zip-lining

Now I’d seen zip-lining before and I thought it looked pretty fun. When Bill asked me if I would do it, I told him, “Sure.”We got directions to the zip-line area, forked over our credit card and geared up. At this point, I was actually excited. I still thought this was going to be fun. Then it was time to hook my gear up to their gear. “Who’s going first?” they asked. Bill and I looked at one another and shrugged. Then they asked who was the most afraid. Suddenly, that was me, so they hooked me in.

We started up the huge stairwell. I’d become somewhat apprehensive, but I was still all in. Then we got to the first landing, which required that I walk around an unobstructed edge with nothing to hold onto except the zipling gear which was hooked up to a cable. I’m a little acrophobic and that little phobia grew with every inch I sidled around that edge. Still, I wanted to go, so I started climbing the next flight of stairs. The problem was, my lungs didn’t go with me. By the time I got to the top I had no interest in zip-lining, but I could have done with some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

The Walk-of-Shame

Apparently, I’m not the first victim of this malady. The lady at the top gently encouraged me to get into position, but I knew that wasn’t happening. When she also figured out that it wasn’t happening, she maneuvered my gear out of the way and started getting Bill lined up to take off.

I watched Bill step onto the platform and with a gentle push, he was gone. In seconds it was over and I had to take the walk-of-shame back down the stairwell. The problem was, I still had to make it around the edge of the first platform. Don’t tell anyone, but I thought I’d die before it was over. I didn’t, but tell that to my pounding heart.

At the bottom they removed my gear and sent me back to the ticket booth. I had been a chicken. Stepping off into nothing was just not something I could do. Bill loved it and he loves me, so he didn’t give me too much of a tough time.

We wandered back to the cavern desk and the next tour was forty minutes away. We decided to save the cavern for another day – you know, the one where we come back and eat at The Gristmill in Gruene? On to San Antonio! Come back next week and see what we visited first!

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