52 Places to Go in 2015

I enjoyed reading this week’s special travel section in the New York Times: 52 Places to go in 2015. "Untrammeled oases beckon, once-avoided destinations become must-sees and familiar cities offer new reasons to visit.” Despite the author’s predilection for hyphenated words, I scanned the list and read the descriptions of places that interested me because they were among my favorites or had just come up in conversation or would have made my never-to-go there list.

As in previous years, the list was compiled by soliciting travel writers’ opinions and then debated and narrowed down by the Times staff. One of the main criteria is a change or event particular to the upcoming year which makes the destination more interesting. So Milan topped the list as host for the 2015 World Expo, followed by Cuba, for obvious reasons. The same logic applied for Tulsa (Yes, Tulsa, OK) because of the opening of several new art museums in the downtown Art Deco district including an Experience Route 66 interpretive center. I'm pretty sure we won't be traveling to Oklahoma to see a new art museum, but it does raise the question of museums in your own backyard. When was the last time we visited MOMA?  I’m assuming Schenectady, my old hometown, didn’t make the list because its year will be 2016 with the opening of the Rivers Casino and the continued improvement to the downtown area.

Gary, who had begun formulating his own Rust Belt driving tour including Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit, was pleased to see Cleveland on the list (# 21) because of the LeBron James effect and some new restaurants. See it before the 2016 Republican Convention descends. I’ve already been to Cleveland, with the highlight the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a pizza place that a homeless man swore was the best pizza in the US. Antarctica, another of Gary’s favorite new places, did not make the list, presumably because shrinking glaciers are not that much of a change since last year.

On the National Park front, Yellowstone made the list because of $70 million redesign of the Canyons Lodge and Cabins and new sustainably built lodges along the river as well as new paths linking the village to the North Rim Drive. The bigger the pricetag, it seems, the more likely to make the list.

Two US ski resorts were included: Taos, NM, renovated with new owner’s hedgefund money, yet still retaining its alpine charm and Steamboat Springs, CO at 100 years old—the oldest continually operating ski resort.

Close to home, we have the gentrifying Catskills (Williamsburg in the mountains); Philadelphia (riverfront and bike share), and Lower Manhattan (9-11 Museum), which I could see making the K list.

European spots are always interesting. Old standbys of Rome and Paris cozied up next to surprising choices such as industrial Manchester, England, and out of the way spots in Portugal and Spain. Greenland is in; Iceland not so much.

Then my favorite category-international destinations to impress your well traveled friends:

Medellin, Columbia -- Not just a drug capital anymore.

Elqui Valley, Chile --Stargazing now before the inevitable light pollution intrudes.

Faroe Islands -- Admit it. You don’t know where they are, do you? A quick plane ride from Copenhagen for foodies only—fresh fish and local cheese.

Baku, Azerbaijan -- oil rich historic Caspian Sea city with modern architecture and luxury hotels including a Trump International Hotel. I believe my brother visited there on business 25 years ago in dicier times.

Kas, Turkey -- #52 on the list as an alternative to the still expensive Greek islands.

We had brunch today with my trendsetting son and his girlfriend who just returned from Durban, South Africa (#7) and Zimbabwe (#14), already getting a jump on the 2015 list.

So many places, so little time. I don’t think anyone other than travel writers will have 52 destinations this year, but looking forward to some interesting trips!

Did Mr. Wright Get It Wrong?

Don't misunderstand me -- I love Frank Lloyd Wright, the father of American architecture, the creative genius who championed an "organic" style, blending his Prairie School houses into their surroundings, melding the inside and the outside, using clean horizontal lines and beautiful art glass windows, with even the furniture matching the home's design elements.

I've visited Taliesin and Taliesin West, his home and studio in his native Spring Green, Wisconsin and his adopted winter encampment in Arizona.

I first saw the Guggenheim Museum when I was in high school and stood a long time looking up to the ceiling with the circular levels, reminiscent of nature's take on the inner structure of a snail shell.

I've read the best selling Loving Frank by Nancy Horan and marvelled over Wright's larger than life personal saga--- three wives, one 'love of his life' mistress, a horrific fire and murder scene at Taliesin, bankruptcy, rebirth, a life spanning almost 92 years.

His own parties were legendary. He died in debt but left a legacy of a new way of looking at architecture and his often quoted "Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves" neatly summarizes his vision of life. 

But, I had never visited homes he built for other people until this past weekend. Pleasing the customer was not part of the deal and his projects routinely ran over budget - it was only money, after all, and more importantly his client's money. Clients were only too eager to comply, since owning a Frank Llloyd Wright house was the newest status symbol and Wright's magnetic, persuasive personality was a force of nature.

South view of Martin house

During a wonderful weekend with college friends, we visited the Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, a complex of five buildings begun in 1903 for a self made man, Darwin Martin.  Buffalo then was the 8th largest city in the US, situated at the end of the Erie Canal, booming with business and boasting more millionaires than any other city. Martin was a businessman with Larkin Soap Company and also solicited Wright to build the Larkin Administrative Building, Wright's first commercial building.

Darwin Martin became enamored with FLW and they considered themselves friends, even after the preliminary smaller house he built for Martin's sister came in well over budget. The next phase included a much larger house for Isabelle and Darwin Martin on the same one acre property with some truly beautiful features. Wright considered it years later to be his "opus" and the complex "a well-nigh perfect composition."

The charismatic Mr. Wright had convinced the Martin's to sell their Victorian home and move to this open space in the Parkside section of Buffalo. The family moved into the new house in 1905 and the last workmen left in 1907. That must have been a trying two years. With a controlling personality that would put even Steve Jobs to shame, FLW was notorious for requiring that clients sign a detailed (and unenforcible) agreement that they would not change even the placement of his originally designed furniture in the house.

View from the smaller Barton House

Our two hour tour encompassed three houses: the middle class smaller home of Wright's sister (Barton House), the big Martin house and the small gardener's cottage. Our docent was wonderful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. While I marveled at the beauty of the house-- the detailed, patterned windows; the arresting view from the vestibule down a long hall to the Greek statue of Nike in the conservatory; the open floor plan, uniting the library, living room and dining area by means of a framed wood ceiling; the fireplace decorated with delicate glass pattern; the unusual half brick that dominated both inside and out, I kept asking myself one question.

What would it be like to live here?
We don't know if Darwin and Isabelle ever complained about the reality of living in the house. Can you imagine Darwin back from the soap company after a long day and Isabelle yelling down from the bedroom:

D.R. chairs; corners of the table had elaborate light fixtures (not shown)

Is that you , Dar? Crap, my back went out again, so I'm stuck in bed, staring at these freakin' wisteria windows everywhere I look. I blame those straight backed chairs -- they're killing me. I had the ladies for lunch. Gertrude couldn't find the front door and Mamie accidentally knocked the corner table chandelier off not once but twice during lunch. She's a klutz, but, really, you can't even pass the food with those 2 big lights in the way. Believe me we needed them today, though. So cloudy and the house so dark- depression city.

Highly unlikely conversation, but I could see from our tour group's questions that I wasn't the only one imagining living here.

Reception room with those infamous barrel chairs!

 

Why is the furniture so small?  asked one young man.
(and uncomfortable looking, he didn't add)
It's not really, said our tour guide. Maybe people were smaller then. We had yet to supersize everything in America from our food to our furniture. Nothing like a cozy barrel chair.

Why are there no closets?
Mr Wright thought they only encouraged clutter. The master bedroom does have a 'dressing room' and he conceded to add a closet in the guest room suite.
(Who knew the minimalist Mr.Wright could have had the first Declutter 101 reality TV show?)

Why is this vestibule have such a low ceiling? I'm claustrophobic.
You're supposed to be! Mr Wright was 6'3" himself and used the height of a room to encourage people to move out of the entrance hall and into the more inviting living area.

The hidden bookcases

If Mr. Martin loved to read, where are the bookshelves?
Our guide pulled open a door to what looked like a solid wooden support. Voila! A book shelf! Push it open and there was another behind it--along with the radiators for the house.

As the chilly Buffalo wind whipped around us, I heard: Does anyone else wonder why an open covered pergola walkway would be an ideal choice for this weather?
I guess we've never experienced a hot Buffalo summer.

Where was the front door?
Mr. Wright believed your house was your private space, so not just anyone should casually come knocking at your door. They'd have to look a bit or know where they were going.



All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and a deep appreciation for Frank Lloyd Wright's vision and artistry, but I have to admit I reexamined my own house critically when I got back to NJ.

Uh, oh, a generic center hall colonial with those double hung windows that Wright described as looking like 'guillotines.' Big kitchen and bathrooms which Wright dismissed as unnecessary. (Oh to have a serving staff to deal with the banalities!)  My kitchen does have a Chicago window (picture window, flanked by matching casement windows) and looks out on a wooded backyard, which FLW would have approved. But the house seems proud of its comfortable clutter and I can't imagine it any other way. I slumped into my favorite la-z-boy, popped up the foot rest and sank deep into my own definition of luxury. Ah, the plebeian lifestyle has some merits!

HOME SWEET HOME!

PS: Thanks to my good friend Anne, whose own hilarious insights on living the FLW style, gave me the idea for this post.

More pictures of the Darwin Martin House Complex:

The conservatory looking back toward the main house

Nike, the Winged Victory of Samothrace in the Conservatory

Dining room in Barton House-FLW loved those chairs!

Note wisteria windows in Reception room of main house

Charming Gardeners Cottage

Overview of the complex

Low Plains Drifter

More on our odyssey to the great prairie states. We spent five days in five states last week: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa; drove 1000 miles, averaging 200 miles per day which is about ten times as far as a covered wagon traveled in the late 1800's. Gary is now a member of the exclusive 50 state club.

50th state he visited!

With this trip I could check off Oklahoma (47), Nebraska (48) and Iowa (49). And the last state will be......Kentucky! Anyone interested in going to the Derby next year? I have a friend born in Louisville who also insisted that my Kentucky celebration include eating a fried baloney sandwich at Louisville Slugger Field. Ah, things to look forward to...

Things we learned on this trip:

1. there are over a 1000 different types of barbed wire...and the Cowboy Museum has a whole room full of them
2. Only 40% of the pioneers were able to last 5 years to claim the land offered under the Homestead Act
3. Jesse James had a wife and 2 kids
4. Ginny normally sleeps 12 hours a day, so she missed seeing a lot of grain elevators
5. Gary went through five boxes of tissues and coughed 849 times, but Ginny was so patient she didn't yell at him once. (well, maybe once...or twice...)

Here's a little quiz from our Heartland adventure across the low plains. See if you can guess our choices:

Best lunch:

1. Chuck wagon buffet at the Cowboy Museum, Oklahoma City  Yee-ha!
2. Sonic Burger sitting at a picnic table near Abilene, KS on a very windy day
3. German restaurant in Independence, MO - hot German potato salad with sauerkraut
4. Back Alley luncheonette in Beatrice, NE "Want a refill of your <32 oz> soda, Hon?"
5. Sandwiches in the park in Council Bluff, IA

Best dinner:

1. Tapas bar in Wichita KS waiting for a rope tornado to descend and our waitress to appear (the first never happened; the second eventually did)
2. Topeka KS brew pub. "Want a refill of your <32 oz> soda, Hon?"
3. Majestic Chophouse, Kansas City MO majestic big beef with a side of KC jazz
4. Omaha NB 801 Steakhouse-- Beef-it's what's for dinner!
5. Des Moines Airport--burgers all around.

Best attraction:

1. OK City Memorial
2. OK City Cowboy Museum - Gary shakes hands with bronze statues of John Wayne and Ronald Reagan
3. KS Tallgrass National Preserve - a bus ride to the middle of a field of prairie grass (and weeds)
4. Abilene KS- Eisenhower home and museum - interesting, but museum had same displays as when it opened in the 60s. What was with the 50's and Mamie's hats and arguably the worst hairstyle of any first lady? Gary takes picture of 11 foot high bronze statue of Ike.
5. Independence MO - home and presidential library of Harry S. Truman (he added the S). Gary shakes hand with bronze statue of Harry. (They are the same height)
6. St. Joseph, MO - home where Jesse James was shot--also in the running for hokiest exhibit, as it included an extensive showcase on the exhuming of his body in 1995, including the skull and his teeth
7. Homestead National Monument - 150 year celebration of the Homestead Act included display from the National Archive; better prairie than Tallgrass! Very cool visitor center that looked like a prairie schooner.
8. Squirrel Jail, Council Bluffs, IA-- a cylindrical county jail that rotated (like a squirrel cage), allowing only one cell door to line up with the exit at a time.  (Not a great design if there was a fire)

Favorite gas stations:

1. Quick Trip
2. Finish Line
3. Cenex
4. Shamrock
5. Kum n go
6. Valero - boring- we have that in the East

Best quote:

1. Windy, today--mighty windy
2. Can I have the tissue box? 
3. Want a refill, Hon?
4. Is it always this windy?

Favorite state:

1. OK- best attractions
2. NE- because we were in the "big O!" (it's how they market Omaha)
3. IA- most grain elevators
4. KS- closest to a real tornado
5. MO- 'cause Gary kept saying "Missoura" like he was a native. Gracious!
6. Gee, I keep getting them mixed up

And the answers!!
Best lunch:

Ginny #5- picnic in this city park: 90 degrees and lots of kids running through the sprinklers near this fountain

Gary #3: German restaurant across from this National Park visitor center--pass the Pepto bismol, please.

Best dinner:

Philips Hotel, KC, art deco lobby

We agreed: #3 Can't beat the combo of good food and jazz at the Majestic, which was near our beautiful art deco hotel and the KC rejuvenated downtown area called the Power and Light district








Best attraction:  the ballots are still being counted!
Favorite gas: loved them all, except Valero--no brand name Exxons or Mobils here
Best Quote: #1- Yup, it was windy.
and...drum roll please... Favorite State ....  it's got to be #6!

Advice from a Prairie

Explore new horizons

Keep a sunny outlook

Be patient through the dry spells

Stay open

Listen to the wind

Give yourself space

Be natural

      2009  www,YourTrueNature.com

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas

Bison separated from the herd. Ranger thought she might be in labor.

White flowers known as New Jersey tea

Homestead National Monument, Nebraska

Sun salutation from the New Agey me

The 50 States challenge

2012 is going to be the year when the K's complete the 50 state challenge. That's our goal: to visit every state by December 31, 2012. It's not as daunting as it sounds, since Gary has only three states left and I have five:  West Virginia, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kentucky and Iowa.  Can you identify them by their shapes?

I've driven cross country twice, so not sure how I missed these states, but it's a big country.

We're planning on checking West Virginia off the list this weekend by visiting Harper's Ferry- yes, a US Park Service National Historic Site.   I've been listening to some West Virginia inspiration a la John Denver and viewing these gorgeous landscapes:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNPki1WVZdw

Not sure yet what should be the last state to visit. I'm leaning toward  Iowa--it's the heartland, the geographic center of the continental US. We could visit The Field of Dreams and just walk off into the cornfields. Wouldn't that be a poetic, movie-worthy ending?

We're still looking for the "not to be missed" sites in each state, so your suggestions are welcome. My friend Bonnie mentioned Enid, Oklahoma because it's always in crossword puzzles, but we must be able to do better than that? Let's hear it from all you wannabe OKies out there.

More Italy: Oh, no! it's Saint Antonino!

There's a reason that people do tours. No stress, no worry, no hours spent on the internet researching the best hotel or transportation. On the downside, you may feel a little too isolated from the country you're visiting, herded en masse from one site to the next and locked in that tourist bubble.

Of course, a good travel planner is essential and I can't help but wonder what my son Eric really thought when confronted with some of his travel planner's(me) missteps. I was so immersed in internet maps,Trip Advisor reviews and travel book recommendations, that I somehow missed a few basics:  like printing out driving directions 

We had a car for the end of our trip, planning to drive our tiny Fiat 500 from Rome to Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. 

There's a reason that travel books say don't drive in Rome. We picked up the car at the Stazione Termini (train station) and our nonchalant rental agent drew a simple arc on the map, explaining we would just go around the station and then onto the Autostrade and then to the A1 Roma-Napoli. Trouble was that once we got around the station there were no green Autostrade signs in evidence and when we came to the three way fork in the road, we chose the wrong fork. Plunging ahead down the narrow streets of Rome, dead-ending in some cul de sacs where cars were parked at every odd angle and finally emerging back to a main drag, we meandered around for a half hour before a highway entrance appeared.

Funny thing was the road led to the ring road around Rome and although I tried to divine meaning from the casual ball point marking on the map, it was hard to tell where exactly we were on the ring. Were we above or below the cutoff for the A1? We exited the highway and stopped at a gas station where a nice guy tried to explain our options. We had to get back on the road in the opposite direction, then circle around at the gate. I was assuming "gate" meant exit, but as we started down the highway, we wondered if there really was a gate or tollgate?  So many decisions, so little time with drivers whizzing by. Not a lot of horn honking in Italy, they just pass you right or left, whether it involved going into lanes of oncoming traffic or not.

Once on the A1 we had an unexpectedly nice ride. Mountains and snow appeared right away--the road paralleled the Apennine Mountains.  

There's a reason that travel books say don't drive in Naples. Again, sans directions, we took what looked like the main exit for Naples (how many exits could there possibly be for a city of just under a million people?). We passed shanty towns with houses cobbled together from metal containers and wood and cardboard that reminded Eric of African cities. I knew our hotel was right on the water, but just let's say it took some doing to get there--crowded, dirty streets, graffiti everywhere, and masses of people out. Lanes in the road were free form, guys washing your windshield or hawking tissues or trinkets were common and my only response to Eric's patient question,"Which way now?" was to say follow the signs for the port.

There's a reason most people arrive in Pompeii by train. The next day we didn't have too much trouble driving to Pompeii although we entered by the wrong gate and came in the back end. Our Rick Steves audio guide was based on entering through Porta Marina--closest to the train station---where everyone comes in. We managed to straighten that out with some extra walking with a bonus of an official audioguide rental at the main visitor gate.

There's a reason most people take the bus to Sorrento and the Amalfi Drive. Immediately leaving Pompeii we found the SS145 , or as my helpful gas station attendant called it, gesticulating with wild arms: "Super Street, Super Street, yes?" The road almost immediately starts to climb the mountain and runs through tunnels emerging above the Gulf of Naples with Vesuvius in the background and the various towns we passed through clinging to the mountainsides. Amazing! There was a long line of traffic, so the 12 mile ride stretched out to an hour or more. There seemed to be basically one road in, so I didn't think we were lost, but why weren't we there yet?  I stopped at a gelato shop and luckily a customer spoke good English and drew a map for us to follow once we got into Sorrento, a mere 2 miles away.  Seems like the main street on which our hotel was located was one way in the opposite direction, so we'd have to loop around. I shook hands with the man as he solemnly pronounced, somewhat dramatically, "Good luck, my friend, we will never see you again."  hmm...of course not, because what was the chance of us running into him again, but still, why the ominous intonation?

Once we found the Piazza Tasso in Sorrento we understood the meaning better. A polizia explained that the square and surrounding streets were closed for the festival of Sorrento's patron saint--Saint Antonino.  Ah, now we were stuck. But, no, he helpfully radioed ahead to the next cop and sent us creeping down the street past cotton candy machines, games of chance, displays of fake Prado bags and surging crowds of families, baby carriages and young people. I dared not look at Eric, but felt like I was "the Queen of England". Should I discreetly wave to the crowds? It was like driving down Mulberry Street during the Feast of San Gennaro in NYC. Impossible! Our last police officer directed us to the Ulysse Garage, which was, according to the sign, for guests of the Ulysse Restaurant and Hotel only, but they said we could park there. As Eric followed the attendant's arm waving directions, I said, "Should I get out and ask how much it will be?" He looked at me like I was crazy and said "We'll pay any amount!"  


So, yes, it would have been easier to be travelling in that big bus, but look at all the adventure we would have missed and all the Italenglish we spoke. Right, Eric? All I know is that from now on, February 14 will always be observed as St. Antonino Day and not that other guy's holiday.

a Roma....ah, Roma!

Back from a wonderful vacation in Italy with son Eric, despite the cold weather, occasional snow and multiple closings. We learned some new words like

closed

snow emergency

la neve

and official Italian bureaucratspeak:

No guarantees at the Colisseo

 But the sun came out,

you, too, can fight a gladiator!

people defied the police tape

tourists at the Spanish Steps

 and happiness prevailed!

 We saw amazing sights:

the oculus of the Parthenon

Mt. Vesuvius across Gulf of Naples

St Peter's - look, Gary-no scaffolding.

view from the cupola of St Peter's looking down to the square

Temple of Saturn - Roman Forum


Eric was a great travel companion!

Striking a David pose in Florence

Stepping stones in Pompeii (Note the chariot ruts)

enjoying the food

Loving his EK plates on our Fiat

Neither the Pope nor the patron saint of Sorrento could re-open the Colisseum.....

il Papa or an automaton at the window?

St Antonino Festival on Feb 14 in Sorrento

Trevi Fountain -- we both tossed a coin!

......but are we destined to return?