Que Te Vaya Bonito COLOMBIA 2

We took a short flight north from Bogota to Cartagena. Originally called Cartagena de India (to distinguish it as Cartagena in the West Indies rather than Cartagena in Spain), the city has a lot of personality and when we were there in December it was brutally hot. Cartagena is distinguished by the old city, surrounded by 11km of walls with squares dotted throughout the interior, and growing high rises outside the walls.

Where We Stayed

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara– Formerly a convent, the hotel is centrally located and full of historical details. The rooms are big, the pool area was great to relax by and they had gluten free bread at breakfast.  

Where to Eat

Don Juan– Delicious and a great vibe. La Vitrola- Cuban inspired cuisine and live music made this a must go to spot. Carmen– Asian inspired dishes. Alma– traditional Colombian cuisine. Monte Sacro– lunch spot that had fresh fish.

What We Did

Rosario Islands– The 60-minute motorboat ride to the islands was a breeze and it brought us to the Rosario Island archipelago. The 27 islands are protected by the Natural National Parks of Colombia and you have a plethora of activities to choose from. We opted to snorkel and enjoy the spectacular coral reefs. There’s a restaurant where we ate locally caught fish and then lounged by the beach. The boat ride back was not as smooth sailing as the trip over but I would suggest staying towards the back of the boat to handle the swells.

Castillo de San Felipe– It’s a bit of a hike up to the top of the fort but it’s worth it for the views. Due to Cartagena’s strategic location on the Caribbean Sea, the city built a fort in order to protect it from attacks. Did you know that Cartagena was attacked 11 times by pirates including Sir Francis Drake? You’ll see the Colombian flag in my photographs from the fort. We learned that the blue represents the water of the oceans that surround the country, yellow represents gold and the red represents the blood spilled for Colombian independence.

Convento de la Popa– You cannot walk up to the convent and instead must drive but you wouldn’t want to walk anyways since you really would be climbing up a mountain. You’ll get another spectacular view and learn about this beautiful convent. I particularly loved the interior courtyard with hanging gardens.

Church San Pedro Claver– After walking around the old city in the blazing heat, we walked into the Church and felt both a respite from the sun and tranquility from the city. The church is named after Saint Peter Claver who died in Cartagena and spent his life working with the slaves that were traded from Africa to the New World.

Palace of the Inquisition– The terrors of the Inquisition were not limited to Spain and Portugal in the 15th Century. In fact, the Court of the Holy Office carried out the work of the Inquisition until 1821 in Cartagena. Many innocent men and women were tortured and killed in the halls of what is a now a museum dedicated to their injustice.

We spent a morning walking through a local marketplace and this was the real deal. It was an eye-opening experience for me because there was every imaginable fruit, vegetable, and protein just out there in the open. Truthfully it was a little much for me but everyone else in my family really enjoyed walking through the stalls and picking out ingredients. We then had an unforgettable meal that we cooked with a local chef!

I highly recommend getting on a plane and heading to Colombia as soon as possible! It’s a wonderful country and I can’t wait to go back!

Que Te Vaya Bonito COLOMBIA

My absolute favorite travel article was published this week- The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go. I thought it would be fun to share some past blog posts and create new ones based on the list’s recommendations. Check out my Instagram account @theprimarysource1 where I’ll repost previous destinations from the list that I’ve already blogged about. For now, here’s a rundown of my trip to Colombia in December 2015 which was ranked #2 on the list!

 

On the top of Monserrate with Bogota below

 

History

Start by watching Netflix’s hit show Narcos. It will give you a comprehensive understanding of how Pablo Escobar rose to power as a drug lord and how his influence dominated all aspects of life in Colombia- from the violence that arose on the streets to the turmoil he caused in government. Prior to Escobar’s rise, the country’s history begins with a culturally diverse indigenous population that was razed by Spain’s colonization of the land. In 1819 Simon Bolivar defeated the Spanish leading to the independence of the Republic of Gran Colombia which included Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela in addition to Colombia. By 1903 the country’s borders became defined as we know it today. Pretty much all of the 20th century was riddled with violence throughout the nation as it dealt with a civil war and nationalist groups formed. However, in the past few years Colombia has experienced relative peace specifically in the cities we chose to visit and we felt safe as American tourists.

A Few Tips

• English is not readily spoken throughout the country. Learn some Spanish or be prepared with important phrases before you go.
• Keep toilet paper with you in your purse. Bathrooms are not always updated and sometimes you have to pay for toilet paper so just bring plenty along with you.
• Your trip can be affordable as airfare and restaurants tend to be much more reasonably priced than other tropical getaways (ie Miami and the islands in the Caribbean).
• We really did feel very safe, especially in Cartagena where I felt comfortable walking the streets on my own during the day. We took cabs in the evening.

Bogota

We took a JetBlue flight from NYC and connected through Miami to land in Bogota, the nation’s capital. The city is located in the Andes Mountains towards the interior of the country and we felt cooler temperatures in December. The graffiti in the city is a treasure unto itself and you can take a tour of the wall murals (see below for some of my favorites that my mom snapped during her tour of the city the day before we arrived).

Where We Stayed

Four Seasons Casa Medina– The hotel had just opened when we were there. The rooms were large and the hotel had a lot of character with Spanish colonial accents.

Where We Ate

El Son de Los Grillos– Local spot on a side street not far from Plaza Bolivar. A must try is

Ajiaco Soup

the famous Bogota ajiaco soup. It’s hearty and full of flavor.

Andre Carne de Res– A once in a lifetime experience. It’s at least a 60 minute drive out of town, but it will absolutely blow your mind. It’s been described as Alice In Wonderland meets Moulin Rouge but multiply that image in your mind by 1,000 and consider that the menu is 68 pages long and the restaurant itself is 2.76 square miles. Come hungry and thirsty and ready to dance. The pictures below really don’t do the space justice. Check out the link to have your mind blown.

What We Did

Museo Del Oro– Better known as The Gold Museum. I absolutely loved the history and artifacts in this museum because it highlighted the importance of the element not for wealth but for its spiritual importance. Salt, in fact, was considered much more valuable to the indigenous peoples of Colombia. You’ll see gold in many forms but my favorite was the Pachamama which is the spiritual embodiment of mother earth revered as the most important female deity.  

Museo De Botero– A must visit. Botero’s full-figured portraits are easily recognizable and the museum pays tribute to the Colombian born artist. For those living in New York, you’re likely familiar with his sculptures at the main entrance of the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle. The museum also includes artwork from other notable artists and the space itself is quite beautiful.

Cerro Monserrate– We took the cable car up and the funicular down from the top of the mountain that overlooks the capital, at an elevation of 10,341 ft. We visited the Sanctuary that requires you to walk up a wide set of stairs with the many others making a pilgrimage to the holy sight. There is also a restaurant and bathrooms on the top. The best part was the views!

Mom a little scared of the funicular!

With my husband, dad and mom with the beautiful church on top of Monserrate in background

Next time I’ll continue this post with our second stop in Colombia- Cartagena!

Los Angeles Vibes

A few years ago, Brian and I took an epic road trip from San Francisco, down the Pacific Coast Highway and which terminated in Los Angeles. (Click links to see blog posts from each part of our journey). Both our siblings live in L.A. so we have the opportunity to get to the City of Angels about once a year. Here are two great, although very different, activities we participated in with my brother and a list of a few others we’d like to do on future trips.

Getty Center

I originally visited the Getty Museum with my mom in 2004 so it was exciting to return with my husband and brother in 2016. It was as beautiful as I remembered it. The history of the center can be just as interesting to the visitor as the site itself. The space is a tribute to a billionaire’s love of art and architecture. As a perk, your visit is free as the Getty Trust always wanted the public to have access to the grounds (note, parking is not free).

 

The experience of getting to the museum is thrilling as you take a tram up to the property and your wonderment only builds as you get closer to the top. Truthfully, you could easily walk around aimlessly and completely enjoy yourself. We decided to take an architecture tour that lasted nearly an hour. We learned about the shapes and color that architect Richard Meier expertly chose and executed throughout the property. The guide also discussed the landscape architecture and how the buildings were placed purposefully to optimize views of the mountains and ocean. After the tour, we rambled through the interior museums and the exterior gardens. Put the Getty Center on your list, even if you have to drive to Brentwood to get there, and plan to spend a good 2-3 hours. Don’t worry they had a fairly decent cafeteria on premise.

Channel Islands National Park

I was thrilled to visit the Channel Islands as my eighth national park this fall. You need to book far in advance, because although the island is free to visit there is only one way to get there- by boat and the boat is very much not free. You’ll need to book on Island Packers to pick an island to visit. If you want to visit multiple islands (there are 8 total and 4 that the public can visit) then I suggest you plan to camp overnight. We chose to visit Santa Cruz as it was the closest and we only had the day. The boat ride takes approximately 1 hour and all reviews I read said that it’s a fairly calm trip and there are lots of opportunities to see wildlife. Unfortunately, we decided to visit the Channel Islands on what the boat crew called “one of the worst crossings they’ve ever had” meaning it was a wild ride both to and from Santa Cruz with swells easily reaching 10 feet. That being said this was highly atypical and I don’t want to scare anyone off from visiting. Just plan to bring some sort of anti-nausea medication, just in case, and sit in the back of the boat to minimize the rocking.

Once on the island, I had booked a kayak trip through Santa Barbara Adventure Company. However, the guides warned us that the trip would be difficult to a beginner kayaker so we opted to cancel our time at sea and hike instead. (The company was amazing and refunded us on the spot.) We chose to hike the 7.5-mile round trip route from Scorpion Beach to Smuggler’s Cove. The hike itself was moderate in difficulty but mostly because the wind was unrelenting. It was amazing to get to Smuggler’s Cove as it put us on the opposite side of Santa Cruz and we could see the other islands from a unique perspective. After hiking we checked out the small museums which gave an interesting history of the islands.

A highlight of visiting Santa Cruz is seeing the Channel Island fox. They are smaller than our woodland foxes and much more comfortable getting close to humans, so much so that you have to be careful they don’t nick your food right from your hand! We would have loved to be on the water to observe the sea life up close but we were happy to see a pod of dolphins on our wild boat ride. The takeaway from the Channel Islands is that I highly recommend going and I would even suggest camping out if you have the time. Just come prepared with a change of clothes, good shoes, and food since there’s nothing to buy once on land.

L.A. To Do List…

• The Broad Museum
• Nixon Presidential Library
• Los Angeles Conservatory Neighborhood Walking Tours

What else should we add to our list??

Debbie and Brooke Do Dallas

 

In front of my 8th Presidential Library- George W. Bush!

 

In true mama daughter tradition, we hopped on a plane in January 2016 for a long weekend and headed south to the Big D…Dallas, Texas! Dallas is the whole (Heidecorn) girls trip package- good food, good history and good shopping! You do not need to rent a car while visiting Dallas. Just use Uber!

Accommodations

We decided to be super chic and stay at The Joule. The location is perfect as a jumping off point to get to most destinations in the city. We found the rooms to be spacious and stylish however fashion was sometimes put before function as light switches were hard to find and electronics in the room were not intuitive to use. The hotel boasts a fabulous art collection worthy of a viewing. Across the street from the hotel is Dallas’ strangest and most voyeuristic art sculpture, The Giant Eye, which stares at you longingly while you enjoy breakfast at their in-hotel restaurant, CBD Provision. After snapping a photo with the sculpture, head next door If you want some high end shopping at Forty Five Ten.

Food

Filament– The restaurant has since closed (which is a bummer because it was our favorite meal) but I wanted to include it on the blog because it’s located in a great neighborhood with other noteworthy restaurants. Check out this list to find out where to eat in Deep Ellum.

Veracruz Cafe– While walking around the Bishop Art District we stumbled upon Veracruz and we had a most delicious meal. Traditional Mexican and Meso-American cuisine hit the spot for lunch! After lunch, we wandered the district that we heard had great shopping and art but, truthfully, we were underwhelmed.

Smoke– It’s in a random location and for some reason, the place was empty when we ate there. It was pretty good but we weren’t blown away. I’d eat at Knife, Top Chef alum John Tesar’s steakhouse, instead.

The Theodore– Our flight to New York got canceled so we got an extra night in Dallas. We decided to head to the infamous NorthPark Center to have dinner. The Theodore turned out to be delicious and I would highly recommend!

Things to Do

 

If it’s a beautiful day and you have some time to spare check out Klyde Warren Park. Think of it as Dallas’ version of NYC’s Highline.

 

Arts District Architecture Tour– This is the tour we had booked in advance and I’m happy we didn’t miss it! Our docent was fabulous and she pointed out the architecture that we surely would have missed if we had been rambling around the neighborhood. She also told us how the neighborhood was designated for the arts has transformed as the city blossomed.

George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum– Honestly, it was very strange to visit

Father, Son. Mother, Daughter.

my EIGHTH presidential library on Trump’s Inauguration Day. The museum wasn’t afraid to showcase uncomfortable moments during his presidency, such as the attacks of September 11th, nor did it sugarcoat some of his missteps, like those during Hurricane Katrina, and in doing so, I found the museum to have a lot of integrity. In fact, I believe it paid tribute to Bush in a way that allowed for me to respect him more than I previously had. I also found the museum to give insight into Bush as a person and First Lady Laura Bush’s education initiatives which were often overshadowed during his presidency. We enjoyed a yummy, albeit it pricey lunch, at the restaurant Cafe 43 since the museum is located on the SMU campus without many food options.

 

 

Ready to be sworn in. A replica of the Oval Office when Bush was in office is in the museum and it makes for a great photo op!

 

Nasher Sculpture Center– A spectacular museum of Raymond and Patsy Nasher’s private collection. The building is very manageable but the highlight is the sculpture garden out back which is filled with Picassos, Calders, and Serras, to name a few. Do not miss this museum and plan to spend some quality time.

The Sixth Floor Museum– Book your tickets ahead of time for this sobering museum which is located inside the former Texas School Book Depository and chronicles the assassination of President Kennedy. I highly recommend getting the audio guide. The museum does an excellent job giving you the history leading up to the assassination and what occurred afterward as well. You can even get a first-person point of view where assassin Lee Harvey Oswald shot from. After leaving the museum, walk along Dealey Plaza to see the “X” where Kennedy was shot and stand on the Grassy Knoll. You can walk about 5 minutes from the museum to the JFK Memorial.

Dallas Holocaust Museum– Though small, this museum was impactful and impressive. It didn’t take us long to wind our way through the exhibits but we were glad to support an important museum devoted to the victims of the Holocaust and the survivors that made their way to the Dallas area.

Perot Museum of Science and Nature– With our extra day in Dallas we decided to head over to this spectacular museum. It’s large and new, and although it caters to children we still had a great time checking out the exhibits on the solar system and prehistoric animals.

NorthPark Center– Truthfully, it’s not just a mall. Developed by Raymond Nasher (see Sculpture Center above) the mall was ahead of its time when it was built in 1965. While the shopping is great, the art collection is even better!

All in all, I would highly recommend Dallas as a long weekend getaway. My mom and I had a great time exploring and eating in true Big D fashion!

Southern Charm Remix Part 2

Brian and I love a good road trip. We were excited to plan out an interesting and educational route from New Orleans to Birmingham and then on to Atlanta. Our first idea was to drive up to Baton Rouge (so that I could sing the Garth Brooks song) then to Jackson (to then sing the Johnny Cash song) via the Natchez Trace, a road I’ve always wanted to drive because of its national significance. Check out this link to see what I’m talking about! This idea was quickly dismissed, however, because it was too long so it’ll go back on the future road trips list.

In front of the 16th Street Baptist Church which was bombed on September 15, 1963. Four little girls lost their lives. The church stands as a symbol of the strength of the Birmingham African American community as they rebuilt and stood strong in their fight for equal rights.

 

Instead, we chose to drive from New Orleans to Biloxi and then onto Birmingham. Turns out this is a much longer drive than anticipated. If we did it again we’d stay the night in Montgomery and visit the Rosa Parks Museum and then head to Birmingham. Here’s what the second half of our Southeast trip consisted of…

Biloxi, MS

I never thought I’d visit Biloxi. But I checked out Atlas Obscura and came across a truly bizarre discovery that I couldn’t pass up: The Jefferson Davis Presidential Library*. Please note the asterisk as Jefferson Davis was not a US President, rather the President of the Confederacy, but I figured that if I ever get to all the presidential libraries my list simply wouldn’t be complete without this addition.

Beauvoir is the estate where Davis lived out the rest of his days and was turned into

Statue of Jefferson Davis. The home overlooks the Gulf of Mexico and it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Restorations have been made. 

a museum dedicated to his life. We opted to take the tour and walk around the property a bit. The museum focuses on the history of the home and Davis’s life as leader of the Confederacy, including his penchant for camels in combat, while references to slavery are noticeably absent. The grounds also include a sort of petting zoo, and as we walked around the plantation we began to feel incredibly awkward and out of place as this landmark is devoted to celebrating a man who was an ardent racist and traitor. Although I’m happy I can mark it down on my list, I need not return.

 

Before getting back on the road, we decided to grab some grub, and although there weren’t a ton of options we found a good BBQ spot called, I kid you not, Slap Ya Momma’s BBQ. It put enough yum in our stomach for the 4-hour drive to Birmingham.

Birmingham, AL

I wish we had planned to spend more time in Birmingham. It is definitely an up and coming city with plenty to do, see and eat. Birmingham’s history begins post-Civil war as natural minerals, such as iron, coal, and limestone, were found and excavated from the earth in order to create steel. The city began to boom in size and population and by the mid-20th century, it became the epicenter of the civil rights movement.

Accommodations: Our stay at the Redmont Hotel was great. The hotel is a part of the Curio Collection of the Hilton brand which is their boutique line. Centrally located with simple rooms, this was a great spot for us. Breakfast came with the room at their restaurant Harvest and we saved some dough by parking in the lot across the street rather than through the hotel.

Food: We had one spectacular meal in Birmingham at Ovenbird. Food was delicious and drinks were equally as delectable.

What to do:

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute: The highlight of our trip. Before entering the museum, spend time in Kelly Ingram Park, the famous battleground of many important moments during the Civil Rights Movement. The park includes monuments that force the passerby to confront the truths of what occurred within a small green plot of land in the 1950’s and 60’s. Then plan to spend at minimum 3 hours walking through the museum and feeling an overwhelming amount of emotions as you pour through the first-hand accounts of civil rights leaders and participants. The museum sheds light on the hatred that existed, and sadly still exists, in our country and those that had the courage to stand up for what was right.

Sculptures that tell the horrifying but true story of events that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement right in this very spot

Vulcan Park and Museum: We decided to check out Birmingham’s resident protectorate

The 50 ton Vulcan statue! That’s me at the bottom of the photo!

and we were surprised with how much we enjoyed our time at this unique Birmingham monument. We walked to the top of the sculpture and got a wide sweeping view of the city. Then we went inside to the museum which told the history of Birmingham – specifically its boom as an iron town. An unexpectedly enjoyable attraction.

Because we spent so much time at the Civil Rights Institute we really didn’t have time for much else. Wish we could have checked out Sloss Furnaces (it was closed), Birmingham

Museum of Art or the Barber Motorsports Museum. Here’s a great list in case you find yourself with an extra day or two in Birmingham (50 Things to do in Birmingham).
We finished our road trip with a 2-hour drive to Atlanta, where we had a great time welcoming the New Year with the Friedmans and Tischlers, including a delicious tasting menu at Empire State South, Hugh Acheson’s Atlanta spot. Up next I’ll tell you about my trip with my mom to Dallas, TX!

 

Downtown Birmingham view from the top of Vulcan!

 

Berkshires Blitz

After reading about the expansion of MASSMoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts, I knew a mini-art trek with one of my close friends was in order. After some quick planning to explore the Berkshires and all its cultural attractions, we headed out early one morning to conquer this corner of Massachusetts.

Clark Museum
Our first stop was the Clark Museum  in Williamstown, Mass. Easy, free parking right by the entrance, where rest rooms are easily accessible before you get into the museum were a welcome sight after our 2 ½ drive.  The Clark has a stunning new addition designed by Tadao Ando, an architect from Japan (more about him in my future Japan Blog). The new, serene welcome center houses special exhibitions, the ticket office, a great gift shop and cafeteria. Before going to any museum, I always check out their website for any tours scheduled; either for museum highlights or special exhibition tours.  We joined an hour long, free, docent led highlights tour of the renowned permanent private collection of Francine and Sterling Clark. A wide variety of art  – Impressionist, American painters, European works dating from 1300-1900, sculpture, silver and much more awaits you.  Don’t miss John Singer Sargent’s Fumee d’Ambre Gris which was voted fan favorite by patrons of the museum.  If you have time after your tour, visit the grounds of the Clark and the magnificent reflecting pools. In my opinion, museum cafeteria food tends to be above average and the Clark is no exception with an excellent selection, small bites as well as heartier entrees.  

MASSMoCA

A short 15 minute drive from Williamstown to North Adams, Mass gets you to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASSMoCA) . Once a thriving mill town, North Adams had gone through many years of abandonment until the museum converted old warehouses into a sprawling contemporary art museum. MASSMoCA recently added an additional 120,000 square foot expansion.  Plan on lots of walking from building to building through a series of connecting tunnels.  There is a parking lot right at the museum but the overflow lot is about a block away.  You will easily hit your target fitness tracker here! Although MASSMoCA is not a collecting museum, they technically do not have a permanent collection, much of the art is on loan for 25-99 years. This voluminous space is perfect for  large scale installations from artists like Sol Lewitt, Louise Bourgeois and Anselm Keiffer. The James Turrell light exhibits are timed, so make your reservation online before you head to the museum. (Some temporary exhibits also have timed entries which need to be booked online ahead of time.) We conquered a large portion of the space in about 3 hours including a tour of the newest space.

Food and Accommodations

With aching feet and visions of the day’s art on our minds, we drove about 35 miles south for our overnight in Pittsfield.  The brand new Hotel on North, is right smack dab in the middle of the main drag in Pittsfield. This mundane office building from the exterior has been transformed into a funky, industrial, super comfortable hotel. There is a free self-park gated lot behind the hotel for guests. Our room was exceptionally large with 2 queen beds and a tremendous bathroom with a very cool tub. We dined at the restaurant in the hotel, called Eat on North, which features delicious American cuisine and a creative cocktail menu. They even provide turn-down service in the rooms and will give guests passes to the gym next door. The hotel is situated perfectly to take advantage of all the local performances offered in the area. In the morning we ventured south down the street for breakfast at a place called On A Roll. This tiny little cafe tucked away off the street in an office building serves an incredibly creative and yummy breakfast. Worth the walk and very inexpensive! Don’t miss the sweet potato hash and breakfast quesadilla.

Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio
We hit the road at 9:30am, heading south towards Lenox for an unusual tour of the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio. GPS led us to this property tucked away off the main road. It’s about a 10 min walk on a lovely dirt road through the woods to the main house for our docent led tour. Suzy Frelinghuysen and George L.K. Morris were abstract painters and art collectors. They designed and built this unusual & fascinating home and working studio as a showcase to display their art among collected pieces from fellow artists. The tour ends with a mini art experiential lesson (you do not need to worry if you can’t draw, you can participate or not).

The Mount

Back in the car for a quick 10 min drive over to The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox. From the parking lot meander through a trail of contemporary sculptures to arrive at the house which is quite a curious juxtaposition from the modern to the majestic architecture. Included in your admission are tours given several times during the day. Born into New York society, Wharton wasn’t afraid to use her intellect in a time when it was truly frowned upon. She designed and built the Mount in 1902, where she wrote some of her best works. Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Fun fact: Edith loved doors and symmetry which are masterly reflected through the house. A delightful little outdoor cafe on the grand porch overlooking the property invites you to savor a meal and enjoy the perspectives of a century ago.

We snuck in one last quick stop in Stockbridge at the Schantz Contemporary Glass Gallery.  The entrance is literally right beyond a bank’s drive through window. Walk carefully and you will be rewarded as you enter with an amazing selection of world renowned glass artists. Quite a pleasant finish to our journey.

Next up as Ella Fitzgerald sang , “My Cousin in Milwaukee” !

Summer Adventure Part 2

After surviving a pretty intense hail storm on Tioga Pass, the only way in and out of Tuolumne Meadows of Yosemite National Park, we finally made it to Lake Tahoe!

The Keep Tahoe Blue campaign is strong. Its mission is to preserve and conserve the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe. Everyone has bumper stickers with the slogan and the area has taken to having a little fun with it. For example, the Brewery at Lake Tahoe has adopted “Drink Tahoe Brew”.

Did you know that Lake Tahoe is America’s second deepest lake? The border of California and Nevada goes through the middle of the lake and there are many towns that dot the circumference of the lake. We stayed in South Lake Tahoe just over the Nevada border and I consulted this article on Thrillist while planning (http://www.thrillist.com/travel/new-york/a-new-yorkers-guide-to-lake-tahoe).

Accommodations

We stayed at the 968 Park Hotel (http://www.968parkhotel.com/) and it was the perfect spot for us because it’s centrally located across from Heavenly Village and a short walk to the water.

Food

The first night we got in late and enjoyed pizza at Blue Dog Pizza (http://bluedogpizzatahoe.com/) in Heavenly Village. It was yummy and they had gluten free crust! Our second night we made a reservation at Scusa (http://www.scusalaketahoe.com/) in South Lake Tahoe. They had good reviews, gluten free options and it wasn’t far from the hotel. While the food was tasty and plentiful, it came out so quickly that it was hard to enjoy it.

We had two yummy and filling brunches in Tahoe. The first was at Ernie’s http://www.erniescoffeeshop.com/ and we were lucky because there was no wait (and they had gluten free bread!). Driftwood Cafe (http://www.driftwoodtahoe.com/) was also delicious however the first day we went there was a 45 minute wait so definitely try to get there earlier in the morning.

In Truckee, along the west coast of the lake, we grabbed a light lunch at Coffeebar http://www.coffeebartruckee.com/. We had tried to get into Squeeze Inn but it closed by 2pm. There are lots of options for food in Truckee and great shopping so leave some time to peruse.

What to Do

In the early morning we drove to Emerald Bay so that we could get on the lake with Kayak Tahoe (http://www.kayaktahoe.com/). Parking is tight so the earlier you can get there the better. You’ll also want to wear sneakers to walk down to the lake and bring flip flops for the boats. Keith decided to stand up paddleboard and we took out a double kayak. If a storm wasn’t moving in we would have spent 2 hours on the water and paddled farther out but we enjoyed the hour paddling around the island in the middle of the bay and just lounging on the lake. Also it’s right by Vikingsholm (http://www.vikingsholm.com/), a historic mansion that has daily tours.

After lunch in Truckee, we went to Donner Memorial State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=503) to check out the new Visitor’s Center. The center was small but had tons of information. We particularly enjoyed learning about the Donner Party and their treacherous journey across the Oregon Trail. They had decided to take what they hoped would be a short cut to the west coast but their trailblazing route allegedly lead to the infamous cannibalism. The center also included exhibits about the local Native Americans and the builders of the transcontinental railroad.

Outside the center is the original Pioneer Monument dedicated to the travelers of the Trail.

Portland

We chose to add on Portland, Oregon because, quite honestly, Brian wanted to eat at as many places as possible. I visited Portland about 6 years ago and it seems to have changed a lot. The city straddles the Willamette River, the very river that lead to the city’s origins as a lumber town. Two east coasters, one from Portland, Maine and the other from Boston, Massacusetts, flipped a penny to decide the name of the “Stumptown”. Guess who won? Also for all you Simpsons fans, creator Matt Groening is from the Rose City and it inspired many of Springfield’s residents: http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2012/05/the_simpsons_map_of_portland_w.html

Accommodations

We stayed at The Jupiter Hotel (http://jupiterhotel.com/) located in the Burnside neighborhood of Portland. It’s about a 20 minute walk over the bridge to downtown. Portland hotels can get pricey but the Jupiter was right within our budget, with small but perfectly comfortable rooms. There’s a music venue and bar at the hotel so be sure to book a “Chill” room if you want a good night’s sleep. The staff was very helpful and answered all our questions enthusiastically.

Food

Screen Door

The first day we ate lunch at the food pods. Portland has tons of food carts and they are fun to ramble through and find your favorite. We decided on a Korean taco pod that hit the spot! Brunch is an art in Portland and our favorite was  at Screen Door (http://www.screendoorrestaurant.com/). It was absolutely worth the wait with its southern cuisine that kept us full for hours on end. Brian loved the chicken and waffles (and the biscuits and gravy), my shrimp and grits were delectable and don’t miss out on the praline bacon. Our last day we had brunch at Brunch Box (http://brunchboxpdx.com/), a teeny place with great breakfast sandwiches centrally located to get around the city.

Dinner at Por Que No

Our first night we met my friend Amanda and her husband at Por Que No (http://www.porquenotacos.com/). Despite the wait, it was amazing. Brian ate 6 different tacos, the margaritas were perfect and the ambience was Portland hipster. What more could you want? We’re Top Chef fans so we put Doug Adam’s restaurant, Imperial (http://www.imperialpdx.com/#welcome), at the top of our list. It’s a loud restaurant but everything we ate was delicious. We also loved sitting near the open kitchen and watching him work.  Still on our Top Chef kick, we wanted to try Gregory Gourdet’s Asian inspired cuisine restaurant, Departure (http://departureportland.com/), in the Nines hotel. We went for drinks at the rooftop bar before and sat outside for dinner. It’s a very trendy spot but the food was not as good as Imperial and there were some issues with service.

The lines at Voodoo donuts were crazy long so Brian decided to go to Blue Star instead as it’s been touted as the grown up donuts of Portland (http://www.bluestardonuts.com/) . Petunia’s, (http://petuniaspiesandpastries.com/), is a gluten free bakery in the city so I had to try it out since I couldn’t eat any donuts. We both agreed our snacks were so yummy!

What To Do

Although I’ve been to Portland before, we thought it would be fun to learn about some of the neighborhoods and history of the city so we went on a 2 hour jaunt with Portland Walking Tours (http://www.portlandwalkingtours.com/). We learned a lot and saw some great sights along the way.

Portlandia was sculpted to be the symbol of the city however sculptor Raymond Kaskey sues anyone who uses it for commercial purposes so it remains in relativity anonymity. Here’s an article to learn more about this pretty hilarious symbol: http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-23062-so_sue_us.html.

While Portland is known for its microbreweries, there’s a burgeoning distillery movement happening as well. We bought a Distillery Row passport for $20 which gives you access to seven distilleries (http://distillerypassport.com/). We made it to three; Eastside, Rolling River and New Deal, with Rolling River as our favorite.

At Rolling River where we tried Aquavit for the first time

New Deal Distillery

We took the bus up to the International Rose Test Garden (http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/finder/index.cfm?action=viewpark&propertyid=1113). It’s fun to ramble through the garden and see all the wild varieties of roses. If the day had been less hazy we would have had a spectacular view of Mount Hood.

The Portland Art Museum (http://portlandartmuseum.org/) had an Ai Wei Wei exhibit I wanted to check out. The exhibit was small but we looked around the other temporary exhibits as well. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Portland is a unique city. Think of a cross between San Francisco, Seattle and Brooklyn. There is a vast and present homeless population throughout the city and the neighborhoods differ greatly on either side of the river. It’s extremely walkable but you may want to utilize Uber or Lyft to get between neighborhoods.

It’s a tradition to take photos of your feet with the PDX airport carpet! They are ripping it up despite the residents’ love of it.

We had a terrific trip to Nevada, California and Oregon! I highly recommend going out west to any or all of our destinations.

Mad Women

I’ve been devoted to AMC’s Mad Men since 2007 when Stephanie and I lived on the Upper East Side. I fell in love with the characters and the depiction of life in New York from the mid fifties through the 1960’s. Watching the outfits evolve as plot lines developed only fueled my interest in the Sunday night show. So when Steph invited me to Queens to visit Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men exhibit at the Musem of the Moving Image, I didn’t hesitate (http://www.movingimage.us/exhibitions/2015/03/14/detail/matthew-weiners-mad-men/).

Megan’s infamous Zou Bisou Bisou dress

The museum is located next door to the Kaufman Astoria Studios where shows like Orange is the New Black and Nurse Jackie are currently filmed. It has been in existence since 1988 but the most recent renovation took place in 2011. The current home to the museum  is impressive and easy to navigate. We also had brunch at a great neighborhood spot called Monikas Cafe Bar (http://cafebarastoria.com/)

The exhibit had a lot of great features. It included early show notes written by Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, while he was still working at The Sopranos. There are also production notes that he kept throughout the seasons depicting story lines for each of the characters. I personally loved the recreation of the sets such as the Drapers’ kitchen in Ossining and Don’s office at the advertising firm Sterling Cooper. I also really enjoyed looking at the costumes the characters wore throughout the show. Clips from the show adorn the exhibition hall and they include commentary from Matthew Weiner as well.

A recreation of the writer’s room during Season 7

The most disappointing thing about the exhibit is that it’s too small; we left wanting more. Also it certainly could have been laid out more efficiently or in a space that was more conducive to walk through to see the artifacts more easily. As the final season of the show comes to an end, it was exciting to spend time delving deeper into the mind of Matthew Weiner. I hope he has a lot more creative genius up his sleeve because Stephanie and I will be watching!

Artistic Freedom in DC

Brian and I had the pleasure of taking the train to Washington, DC to celebrate Irene and Jake’s wedding. We had just enough time to visit the Phillips Collection which was only a 10 minute walk from our hotel in Dupont Circle. To be honest, before arriving in DC I had never heard of the Phillips Collection, but we are so happy that Jessica suggested we go!

The Phillips Collection was founded by Duncan Phillips in his family home, a Georgian revival where the collection is still held. Along with his wife and mother, the Phillips family collected modern and contemporary artwork and opened their collection to the public in 1921. The building has expanded to include new acquisitions.

The temporary exhibition on view is Man Ray-Human Equations and I thought it was very interesting. Based on my 20th Century Art class in college, I only knew Ray as a photographer but this exhibition featured his photography as well as painting. Essentially after studying 19th century mathematical models, Ray photographed the models in his quintessential surrealist style that plays with light and shadow. Ray then created paintings based on the photographs. This series of paintings he titled Shakespearean Equations as each painting is named after a different Shakespeare play. Seeing the models, photographs and paintings all together has an extraordinary effect. It allowed me to appreciate Man Ray as an artist who was truly ahead of his time.

Shakespearean Equations, King Lear

Mathematical Object as photograph

Mathematical Object

 

We then ventured to the permanent collection. Around every corner there were more great pieces of modern art from heavy hitters like Paul Klee, Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keefe and Alberto Giacometti. A highlight is the Rothko room. You are surrounded by four large scale Rothko works on each wall. The Phillips Collection actually built the room for the paintings making it the first American museum to dedicate a space to Rothko. I really loved it!

Selfie inside the Rothko Room

Georgia O’Keeffe, Arisaema triphyllum, 1930

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have an hour in DC, find your way to the Phillips Collection and enjoy yourself! http://www.phillipscollection.org/ 

Cut It Out

When I invited my friend Julie with us to visit the Museum of Modern Art, I had no idea what she was about to tell me. “Did you know this is my first time to MoMA?” she asked. To which I gasped, “How is that possible? You’ve been living in New York for 11 years!” Ultimately I was delighted that Julie’s first visit to MoMA included the temporary exhibition Henri Matisse: The Cut Outs. I wish we had more time to roam through the permanent collection (and that Jessica was in town to give Julie a proper art history tour) because, in my humble opinion, it’s the best art museum in the world.

First of all, add this exhibit to your list of things to do before it closes on February 10. Then, before making the visit, watch this video clip from CBS Sunday Morning: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/carving-into-color-matisses-stunning-cut-outs/ (Side note: my mom was at the museum when they were filming!)

Now that your interest is piqued you have to choose an ideal time to go. If you are a member or if you know someone who is a member absolutely plan to go during member only hours. It was packed when we went at noon on a Sunday. Weekdays will be much better to get up close to the artwork and spend more time in each gallery space without feeling squished.

Although I was underwhelmed by the Swimming Pool (which was hyped on the video clip posted above), I really loved the exhibition overall. His Lagoon series and Blue Nudes were my favorites. The last gallery includes large scale works like The Parakeet and The Mermaid which really allow you to appreciate Matisse’s innovation. So make a plan and enjoy an afternoon at MoMA. And if you can take a friend that’s never been, even better! http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1469