Category: Art Museum

City Tour: San Antonio: Remember the Alamo!

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Architecture, Art Museum, Cities, Coffee, Dining, Live Music, Street Art and Murals, Texas, Travel

For our city tour of San Antonio we selected the historic Gunter Hotel located in the heart of downtown. When the Gunter was constructed in 1909 it was the largest building in the city standing eight stories high.The hotel was quite luxurious by the standards of the day with central heating, four elevators and en suite bathrooms. Four stories were added during the 1920s. As with many other luxury hotels in this part of the United States the hotel was a hub for cattlemen when visiting San Antonio.

Day One: After checking into the hotel we walked along the Riverwalk north to The Pearl District for dinner and a live music performance.

Jazz,TX is a jazz venue located in the basement of one of the buildings at the Pearl (more on the Pearl later in this post). Patricia Vonne is a San Antonio native. She is a musician, songwriter, actor and award winning filmaker who has performed all over the globe. Her music is a unique blend of Tejano and Flamenco sometimes called “ranchera rock ‘n’ roll”. The New York Times described her as the “Renaissance woman of Austin, Texas”.

Patricia put on a great show which included several new songs from an upcoming album. Her 93 year old dad joined her onstage and accompanied her on one of her songs. Very cool.

Day Two: We started our day with a short walk to Vela Coffee. Vela is a relatively new entrant into the San Antonio specialty coffee community. We had an opportunity to chat with the manager who had relocated from Seattle to help open up the shop. A bit of a shock for her from a cultural and weather perspective. Vela is worth a visit if you are in downtown San Antonio.

From Vela we made our way to Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisma Concepcion de Acuna. The mission is one of five missions built along the San Antonio River under the guidance of Spanish Franciscan friars. The mission was founded in 1716 with construction completed in 1731. This mission is noted for a number of surviving frescos painted over 250 years ago.

Mission Concepcion is still an operating Catholic church with Sunday masses held in the chapel pictured below.

After touring the mission we walked north on the Riverwalk to the King William District, where we departed the trail for afternoon fika at Eightball Coffee.

The KIng William Historic District was named for King Wilhelm I of Prussia (later the emperor of Germany). Not surprising since prior to the Civil War more than 30,000 Germans had immigrated to San Antonio and congregated in this area. The wealthiest of the German immigrants built grand homes in the neighborhood – many of which are still standing today.

We returned to the hotel for our customary late afternoon reset (and perhaps a cocktail at the lobby bar). After our reset we made our way around the downtown loop of the Riverwalk. The setting is quite charming although the loop is quite crowded with tourists dining and drinking at the many restaurants and bars located on this part of the Riverwalk.

We departed the loop walking several blocks south on Alamo Street to dine at NONNA Osteria which is located inside the Fairmont Hotel (Photo below courtesy of the Fairmont Hotel).

We had a fantastic dining experience at NONNA Osteria. Our appetizers and entrees were delicious and the service was impeccable. Our server was very knowledgable about the menu and their mostly Italian wine list. We would highly recommend dining here when you visit San Antonio.

Day Three: We took a relaxed walk around the Alamo area. The Alamo is a BIG DEAL in San Antonio and Texas history and lore. The Alamo is actually one of the five missions constructed by the Franciscan order in East Texas.

Mission San Antonio de Valero (later the Alamo) was established in 1718 and after being abandoned in the late 1700s became a military garrison of the Mexican Army. Of course, what followed was the seige of the Alamo (which was by then occupied by Texans) by the Mexican Army. Every one of the Texans defending the fort was killed!

The defeat at The Alamo became the rallying cry for Texans as they fought for and ultimately achieved independence as the Republic of Texas. Texas eventually joined the Union in 1845 because the Republic was financially in tatters and feared an invasion by Mexican forces to take back the land. The process of joining the union took several years as Texas was a slave state and many politicians were against adding another slave state to the Union.

That evening we dined in at the hotel restaurant – Jots and then walked across the lobby to the Bar 414 Speakeasy to take in a couple of jazz sets by the Aaron Prado Trio. We have noted during our recent travels that the Speakeasy theme (dim lighting, cozy, basement locations, back alley entrances) is quite popular at jazz venues – perhaps because jazz was often featured at the original prohibition era speakeasy bars.

Day Four: After an entirely unhealthy but delicious breakfast at Paris Baguette (located in the hotel) we strolled along the Riverwalk to visit the San Fernando Cathedral.

The cathedral is the oldest standing church in Texas. The history around the cathedral is quite fascinating. The non-native population that settled here were Canary Islanders who had been selected by the Spanish government to populate the area that surrounds the cathedral. Construction of the cathedral was completed in 1755.

In 1835 during the Texas Revolution the cathedral was occupied by the Mexican Army. The army placed cannons on the rooftop and flew a red flag (no mercy) for the benefit of Texas Army soldiers at the Alamo.

The church was in poor repair as one might imagine with all of the going ons during this very turbulent time but fortunately has been beautifully restored.

After visiting the cathedral we made our way north of downtown to the Beacon Hill neighborhood for fika at Bright Coffee. Bright was recommended to us by the barista at Vela Coffee. An excellent recommendation indeed. Bright is a first rate coffee shop with friendly staff and is also an art space with paintings by local artists exhibited on a rotating basis. A very pleasant spot for fika.

The Beacon Hill neighborhood dates back to the 1850s. The neighborhood began growing in earnest as a result of the completion of the San Antonio Street Railway Trolley which ran from the city center through the Beacon Hill area out to San Pedro Springs Park. The park is the second oldest park in the United States (Boston Common is the oldest).

Today the neighborhood is home to about 5500 residents and definitely possesses an artsy “urban forward” vibe. There are many boutiques, galleries, small eateries and street murals. We stopped for lunch at the Beacon Hill Market & Deli and then set off for an afternoon of fine art.

We traveled through several exclusive residential neighborhoods in Alamo Heights on our way to the museum. Alamo Heights is actually an independent, incorporated city physically surrounded by the city of San Antonio. This enclave has its own school district and police. It is also home to multiple museums and the San Antonio Zoo. The city of San Antonio attempted to annex the Heights during the 1920s but was thwarted when residents voted to incorporate. Today this tiny city (2.1 square miles) has a population of approximately 7500 people.

The McNay Art Museum is a fantastic example of the wealth that exists in this enclave. The Spanish Colonial style building that houses the museum was once the home to local heiress Marion McNay. The original house was built in 1927 and contained 24 rooms on 23 acres of land.

As you can see from the photos above the mansion is a beautiful setting for the prestigious collection of art under the stewardship of the museum. This museum is a must see for architecture and fine art fans.

Pablo Picasso | Spanish | 1881-1973 | Portraits of Sylvette | 1954 | Oil on canvas

Edward Hopper | American | 1882-1967 | Corn Hill | 1930 | Oil on canvas

Carl Rice Embrey | American | 1938-2022 | And the Rivers Flow | 1979 | Acrylic on panel

Carl Rice Embrey

After a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon at the McNay we returned to the Gunter via Uber. We treated ourselves to a cocktail at the lobby bar and some Bossa Nova on vinyl before freshening up and heading to Southtown for dinner at La Frite Belgian Bistro.

After a delicious meal we wandered around Southtown a bit before walking back to the hotel. Southtown has plenty of art, shops, restaurants and nightlife and is worth a visit.

Day Five: We decided on a slower pace at the halfway point of our tour in order to recharge for the second half of the tour. We walked around the downtown area checking out some of the historic sites and architecture. Our bonus for the day was the parade of low riders that were in town for a low rider show. The photos below are cars owned by members of the Dallas Low Riders Club.

After a short rest stop at the hotel and a cocktail in the lobby we made the three minute walk to Kaedama Battleship for dinner and sake. Quite delicious and convenient.

After dinner we took an evening stroll and eventually made our way to The Alamo to see it at night and without the crowds.

Day Six: We strolled along the Riverwalk for breakfast at Commonwealth Coffee House & Bakery Good coffee products (and French Toast) along with a very soothing and relaxing atmosphere.

One of the reasons we chose Commonwealth was that it positioned us for a short walk to the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) just across the river.

The SAMA is housed in spectacular quarters as is the McNay Museum, although of a completely different nature. The McNay is housed in a former mansion while the SAMA made stunning use of the former Lone Star Brewing Company complex.

Lone Star Brewing Company was founded in 1884 and brewed Alamo Beer (of course!). Weirdly, Lone Star Brewing never produced a beer named Lone Star. Today Lone Star Beer is produced and sold by a completely unrelated company.

The brewery started winding down during the WWI as supplies needed for the war effort made brewing too costly and the approaching implementation of prohibition saw sales declining dramatically. The complex sat vacant until the 1970s when local philanthropists funded the purchase and renovation of the complex to house SAMA.

San Antonio Museum of Art

Below are few photos of paintings that we quite enjoyed.

Jesse Treviño | American, born Mexico | 1946-2023 | Señora Dolores Treviño | 1983 | Acrylic on canvas

Clad in an apron and clutching a laundry basket at her hip, a woman stares boldly at the viewer. She is the artist’s mother, Dolores Treviño, whom he honors through a heroic portrait that monumentalizes everyday experience and dignifies her labor as a mother and wife. Jesse Treviño first gained attention in the 1970s for his photorealistic paintings that depict people in San Antonio’s West Side neighborhood and celebrate Mexican American history, culture, and community. After tragically losing his right arm after an explosion during the Vietnam War, Treviño masterfully re-learned to paint left-handed.

John William Hilton | American | 1904-1983 |Time of Growing Shadows | 1961 | Oil on canvas

Florence McClung | American | 1894-1992 | Lancaster Valley | 1936 | Oil on canvas

Julian Onderdonk | American | 1882-1922 | Blue Bonnets at Late Afternoon | 1915 | Oil on canvas

After completing our tour of the galleries we lunched at Tre Trattoria. The restaurant is located within the museum complex and faces the river. A delightful way to finish our visit at SAMA. We highly recommend visiting this museum and dining at Tre Trattoria when you are in San Antonio. Also, another nice feature is the river shuttle stop at the museum which allowed us to travel back down the river to a downtown stop just five minutes from the hotel.

After our obligatory cocktail in the Gunter lobby and our pre-dinner lie down we were both in the mood for a Texas burger. The Esquire Tavern is a short walk from the Gunter and many local folks advised that if we were in the mood for a burger in downtown it was the place.

Originally named The Esquire Bar, the establishment stretches from Commerce Street to the Riverwalk. The bar was in existence before the Riverwalk – opening in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition. The bar itself is reputed to be the longest bar in Texas (see photo above). Yes – the burgers are delicious!

Day Seven: Our mission on day seven was to visit two of the missions on the Mission Trail by bicycle. Of course, all activities require coffee beforehand so we started the day at Halcyon Coffee. Halcyon is located in the Blue Star Arts Complex in Southtown. The arts complex is great place for poking around with a number of galleries, retail shops and restaurants.

The arts complex is right on the Riverwalk and most conveniently has a bike rental kiosk. From Halcyon we biked south to Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Mission San Juan was established in 1731 by the Franciscan Order as part of the six missions authorized by Spain. The Spanish government wanted to establish a firm presence in East Texas to keep the French at bay while the church was desirous, as always, to convert the indigenous population to Catholicism and learn to live as civilized Spanish citizens.

From Mission San Juan we biked further south along the river to Mission San Jose.

Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo is known as the “Queen of the Missions”. It is by far the largest of the missions and it is in excellent condition as the result of a restoration completed in the 1930s. The restoration work was done by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Mission San Jose was founded in 1720. The church is the most impressive of the missions churches in our opinion from both a size and an architectural perspective. Construction of the church building began in 1768.

Mission San Jose is also well know for the weekly Mariachi Mass held every Sunday at noon. We did not attend the service but understand it is quite interesting with a mariachi band and church choir performing as part of the mass.

From Mission San Jose we biked back to Halcyon Coffee and made the always delightful transition from caffeine to cocktails (in keeping with Halcyon’s motto).

Day Eight: A beautiful day for coffee, street art hunting and live music. We started with fika at the Merit Coffee outpost on Broadway in Alamo Heights. Merit operates about a dozen cafes in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Each cafe is unique in regard to the interior design and consistent in maintaining quality. So, while they are continuing to add locations this is not a cookie cutter chain in the making.They operate their own roastery in San Antonio.

After fika we secured an electric sit down scooter and set out on our mural hunting expedition. Our first stop was the Hoefgen Street Walls in the near east side of the Lavaca Historic District and from there to the failed Essex Modern City project. These two areas have a large number of murals although many are suffering from neglect. Additionally, the murals at the Essex Modern City project location require some creativity to obtain photos as the project is fenced and locked. Love a challenge!

The area where the murals are concentrated is a mix of warehouses, empty buildings and some single family homes as the planned redevelopment of this area has not gone forward. As street art aficionados this area is the equivalent of finding gold!

The photos on left above and below are the murals in their current state while the photos on the right are our best effort at repairing and restoring the artists’ work and adding backgrounds for our Street Art Tourist volumes.

After wrapping up our mural pic shoot we toured the area by scooter and eventually made our way to Stranded Coffee. The cafe occupies a former Texaco Gas station in the more gentrified area of Lavaca close to the King William neighborhood. Make this your coffee stop when in Lavaca (Southtown area).

After coffee we scootered back to the Gunter for a well deserved Lie Down (even if we say so ourselves). Our evening segment took us to the St Mary’s (The Strip) District for some curry and live music (and street art).

We were not familiar with the curry and barbecue genre and it’s growing popularity prior to dining at Curry Boys BBQ. Curry Boys mix smoked meats with a variety of Vietnamese and Thai curry sauces. Tasty!

After dinner we explored the Strip before heading to The Lonesome Rose to take in some Western Swing with Sam Platts & The Plainsmen.

We had a fantastic night of listening to authentic Western Swing; we made many new acquaintances with a very friendly crowd of ranchers who are big fans of Sam and his band.

Day Nine: We decided to check out the Pearl District as part of a leisurely last day. We were beginning our walk north along the river but stopped to chat with a river shuttle driver. He was heading to the northern end of the Riverwalk without passengers in order to bring passengers south. So we continued walking north only to have him pull up to us and take us on board.

The driver had spoken with his boss and he had given him permission to give us a lift. So good – we had our own private shuttle ride from downtown to the northern end of the Riverwalk. Our driver was a very nice guy who had just relocated to San Antonio from Atlanta. He was just completing his first month driving on the river.

First stop – you know – coffee. Local Coffee is the original location of what is now Merit Coffee. The owners sold the business but retained the right to keep the Local Coffee name and the Pearl location.

The Pearl complex is another stylishly renovated brewery. The Pearl Brewing Company dates back to 1883 but closed its doors in 2001. Pearl Beer and Lone Star are still sold in Texas with the manufacturing subcontracted to Pabst.

Hotel Emma

The Hotel Emma opened in the former Pearl Brewhouse in 2015 after several years of renovation. The architects preserved a substantial amount of the brewing equipment while creating a luxurious space.

We finished our visit to the hotel with a late luncheon on the patio. Delicious, of course.

San Antonio is the seventh largest city by population in the United States. It feels like a much smaller city to us, perhaps because of its many distinctive neighborhoods. This is a city worth exploring and offers an array of excellent museums, historic sights, live music, specialty coffee, fine dining and street art. Also, our weather in mid March was delightful with 75F to 80F daytime highs and lots of sunshine. Remember the Alamo!

Be seeing you!

ATX: City Tour Series: 2025-2026

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Architecture, Art, Art Museum, Cities, Coffee, Dining, Museum, Street Art and Murals, Texas, Travel

Despite having criss crossed Texas several times OTR had never managed to visit Austin (ATX). The initial reason was due to Covid 19 as we were forced to cancel a scheduled visit with friends in March 2020. So as we planned our City Tour Series for the autumn and spring of 2025/2026 we incorporated ATX as our second tour stop.The City Tour is not a road trip as we are accessing the cities via rail (see previous post) and air.

ATX is a fast growing technology center; the downtown skyline is now dominated by shimmering steel and glass high rise towers. It also appears that the architects and owners of every new building are utilizing spires, curves, cantilevers and lighting in an attempt to create the most unique and brilliant design.

Pictured directly below second from left is The Independent. At the time the building was completed in 2019 it was the tallest residential tower west of the Mississippi River. The building pictured directly below on the left is the Frost Bank Tower which was visible from the rooftop pool at the citizenM – spectacular in the evening when the spires were lit.

We arrived in the late afternoon after a direct flight from Boston. We made our way from the airport via Uber to the citizenM hotel (see previous post for our review of the brand). The hotel is located in the heart of downtown enabling us to walk to many of our destinations.

After freshening up we were quite ready for dinner and decided to start with barbecue – “fancy barbecue” – at Lamberts Downtown Barbecue. Lamberts is located in the 2nd Street District (a short walk from the hotel) in a handsome brick building constructed in 1873. The building was originally a dry goods store (The Schneider Store) which operated in the building until 1935.

Wild Boar Ribs | Lamberts Downtown Barbecue | Austin

We had a delightful meal – the wild boar ribs pictured above were outrageously delicious – flavored with honey and sambal! We spoke to several life long Austinites and all concurred that Lamberts is the best barbecue in town. Check ! We do not know if it is the best, but we highly recommend Lamberts.

We started our first full day in ATX with breakfast and coffee/tea at the CanteenM in the hotel. After breakfast we departed for an ambitious first day of exploration.

Our first stop was at the Mexic- Arte Museum. This museum features a small permanent collection supplemented by changing exhibitions. The Dia de los Muertos is a prominent theme. The two murals below are part of the museum’s rotating mural program. The murals are located on the outside 5th Street wall of the museum.

From the Mexic-Arte we walked north on Congress Avenue to the grounds of the state capitol. During our walk to the capitol building we found this lovely mural. The mural is painted on the south wall of the Old Bakery & Emporium. Information about the mural and the history of the building are contained in the link above.

Mural | Generational Ties | Artist | Ruben Esquivel

The photo of the mural below is the design we created for our upcoming Street Art Tourist book featuring mural photographs from ATX.

Old Bakery & Emporium (photo courtesy of austintexas.gov)

The Texas State Capitol is open to the public, and volunteers lead guided tours several times each day. After clearing security we took the forty minute tour. Our guide was originally from Rhode Island but all in on his adopted state! He was humorous and knowledgable about the history of the capitol, the operation of the state government and the history of Texas. An article containing a brief history of the building (opened May 1888) is included in this link to Authentic Texas Magazine.

Texas State Capitol | Austin, Texas

As we all know everything is bigger in Texas, our guide let us know right up front that the Texas State Capitol is 15 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol. It is also the largest state capitol based on square footage and the tallest. The dome pictured below rises 300 feet from the floor making it about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is actually an impressive structure.

We think the state capitol is a worthwhile visit for the architecture alone. The history included in the tour is also interesting albeit the state’s subjugation of Native Americans and its slave economy were glossed over quickly. Remember, real Texans love Texas!

We decided to spend the afternoon exploring the South Congress (SoCo) area. However, before we headed across the Colorado River to SoCo we were in need of more coffee and tea and possibly a pastry or two. Houndstooth Coffee was perfectly placed on Congress just a short distance north of the bridge crossing the river. Thank you, Houndstooth.

Colorado River | Lady Bird Lake |Austin, Texas

SoCo has been hipster central for the locals in ATX for several years. There are many eclectic shops, restaurants, bars, street vendors and street murals. However, having said that you can see that it is definitely becoming more touristy (guilty as charged) but not giving up on its Keep Austin Weird reputation.

After poking around the neighborhood, browsing in several of the shops and capturing some mural pics, we adjourned for lunch. We did our best to stay with the hipster flow and dined at Joann’s Fine Foods which is part of the Austin Motel. Joann’s serves what the owner describes as Tex Mex Diner fare. We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the retro decor.

We walked off our lunch literally by trekking from SoCo over to E. Cesar Chavez St. to find the mural of Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Selena was known as the Queen of Tejano Music. Tragically, she died at the age of 23.

We also consumed more coffee at Flat Track Coffee. The Selena mural just happens to be painted on the side wall of the building where Flat Track Coffee and Dogspeed Cycles are co-located. Yes – that is awesome!

From Flat Track we walked to our last stop of the day. No-we are not having a brain scan in ATX. Yes, we are being fitted for a hat at Trovador.

On Friday we took an Uber north to the Hyde Park neighborhood for fika at Terrible Love Coffee. The shop has outdoor seating only which was a tad disappointing, but we secured a shady picnic table. More importantly, our beverages were first rate! Also, if you decide to visit the shop it can be hard to find as it is located in the old boiler room of a former school complex. The retrofitted building is, however a step up as the owner originally operated out of an old horse trailer! A nice article about the owner’s journey by The Austin Chronicle is embedded in the link.

The renowned Blanton Art Museum (University of Texas) was the next target of our curious minds and needed for its air conditioning!

The Blanton has almost 100,000 square feet of gallery space so we picked our spots in regard to which collections and galleries to view. It is a recommended visit for any fine art fan. The photos below are some of the paintings we found most interesting.

Jerry Bywaters |Oil Field Girls | 1940 | Oil on Board
Yasuo Kuniyoshi | Waitresses from the Sparhawk | 1924-25 | Oil on Canvas

After concluding our visit at the museum we found ourselves hankering for another taste of barbecue. As the day was particularly hot we opted to get a ride from the museum to the Original Blacks Barbecue (Since 1932). Adding to the excitement of more barbecue was the arrival of our vehicle – an autonomous Waymo Jaguar!

After our late and tasty lunch we retreated to the hotel for a lie down and a quiet evening at the pool with cocktails from the roof top bar.

After enjoying a relaxing evening by the pool we decided that a day by the pool would be quite nice (after returning from coffee, of course). We summoned an Uber to convey us to the Houndstooth Coffee cafe located in the East Austin neighborhood of Chestnut.

After a restful afternoon by the pool we strolled down to Republic Square for dinner. We were ready for a break from barbecue and Tex-Mex and figured the highly rated Wu Chow would make for a distinctly different experience. We highly recommend Wu Chow.

Day five – first stop Houndstooth Coffee at the downtown location followed by a visit to The ContemporAry. The ContemporAry is very much what you might infer from an art museum with this name. It is a smallish museum that has a schedule of changing exhibitions. We recommend checking their website to see what exhibitions are currently on display before visiting. There were two artists on display as part of an exhibition titled The Canvas Can Do Miracles that we particularly enjoyed.

Hayal Pozanti | This Sudden Smiling | 2024 | Oil Stick on Linen
Hayal Pozanti | Veil Between Worlds | 2023 | Oil Stick on Linen
Ragna Bley | Antarctica | 2024 | Acrylic and Oil on Linen
Ragna Bley | Inter-Waver | 2016 | Acrylic on Canvas
Congress Avenue Viewed from the ContemporAry Roof
San Antonio Street

We had not taken in any live music in a city full of live music, so we decided that it was more than past time to catch some live sets. The Elephant Room was just around the corner from the hotel and had a full evening of jazz on tap. The Elephant Room is a classic basement jazz club and since it was Sunday evening the cover was only five dollars and there was no minimum drink requirement. Oh baby, who is better than us!

We took in several sets by the Chris Jones Quartet. Chris Jones is a well known bassist in the ATX area. The quartet played a number of songs composed and arranged by Chris. An excellent start to the musical portion of the ATX City Tour.

We had been crossing back and forth across Lady Bird Lake during our wanderings but not gotten down to the lake. Retro Boats ATX provided us with an easy and enjoyable way to get on the water and get a great view of the waterfront skyline. Kayak rentals are available but it was just too dang hot – if we are honest. Retro Boats rents vintage speedboats for cruising on the lake. We felt compelled to rent the 1973 Glastron GT-150, which is the same model that was used in the Bond flick “Live and Let Die”. We were not able to get airborne with the boat as Bond did in the film but we are after all not Bond – James Bond!

Live and Let Die | 1974
Ward | Steve Ward | Video

After our voyage on the lake we stopped for lunch at Jo’s and then meandered back to the citizenM for pool time and cocktail sipping. Finito!

When we planned our tour of ATX, we were not locked in on visiting the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. However, some friends that had visited the library last year thought it was worthwhile.

The five years in which LBJ was president were tumultuous times. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement were in full swing. The museum provided an historic timeline that brought back many memories from our young adult years.

It was also eye opening to realize how much legislation LBJ was able get passed related to ensuring civil rights, reducing poverty and protecting the environment. It also became apparent how LBJ agonized about our involvement in Vietnam. If you are a history fan, the LJB Presidential Library is recommended by OTR.

After learning a lot about LBJ we were, of course, in need of coffee and tea. We visited Merit Coffee on North Lamar and then went downtown to 6th St (Dirty 6th) for some mural hunting before retiring to the hotel to freshen up for an early dinner at Jeffrey’s.

Jeffrey’s is considered by most everyone (in ATX) as the best place to dine on steak in ATX. The restaurant was opened in 1975 and is still in top form 50 years later. The only reservation we were able to obtain during our entire stay was a 1730 slot on 7 October!

The steaks are dry aged for 32 days and grilled over live oak before going into the 1200 degree broiler. Our sommelier, lead server and support team were all quite professional, knowledgable and friendly (without being overly solicitous). We highly recommend dining at Jeffrey’s when in ATX (book in advance).

The next morning we were definitely in need of burning some calories so we walked to the Seaholm District in southwest ATX. First stop – Merit Coffee’s Seaholm Cafe. The Seaholm District was previously an industrial area that has been repurposed into a mixed use urban neighborhood.

After fika we walked a bit further west to take in the Be Well murals on South Lamar Boulevard and then circled back around to visit the Central Library and view the interesting architecture in the area.

The photos below were edited from the murals above for inclusion in Street Art Tourist, Volume Nine.

The Austin Central Public Library was built in 2018. The building is situated above Lady Bird Lake and provides views of the lake and city skyline.

Austin Central Library (Photo Courtesy of Guide to Austin Architecture)

The open design of the Central Library creates a dramatic space and bathes much of the library in natural light. The library also boasts a rooftop garden and reading stations. Impressive!

Pictured in the photos below is the United States Courthouse. When was the last time you saw a limestone art deco U.S. Courthouse? This structure works beautifully in ATX.

Pictured below is The Independent, a luxury residential tower. The tower is know locally as the jenga tower.

Viewing architecture is inevitably a prelude to lunch. Walton’s Fancy and Staple was close by on Sixth Street so we popped in for a hearty lunch. Walton’s has been operating in ATX since 1969.

After our luncheon break we strolled back to the hotel to relax and recharge for another evening of jazz . We had made reservations at the Parker Jazz Club. The Parker, like the Elephant Room, is also a basement club but a bit more upscale in regard to the club decor and service. Saxophonist Woody Witt was the featured artist on the evening of our visit.

Woody was touring in support of his new CD (Awakening) recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The quartet backing him on the tour were the same Brazilian musicians that recorded the CD with him. The quintet performed two 45 minute sets featuring a number of compositions from the new CD. An excellent night of jazz at the Parker!

Thursday – Day Nine: our last full day in ATX. We opted to spend the morning back in SoCo to hunt for more street art and try the coffee and tea at La La Land Kind Cafe. The cafe is part of a growing chain that is associated with the La La Land Foundation. The Foundation sponsors young people between the ages of 17 and 25 who are in or transitioning from foster care with training and paid internships in their cafes. Quite lovely on all counts.

After our fika break at La La Land we walked to the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, which is home to Sightseer Coffee and Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop. The building is also a mural destination with several murals by Eleanor Niz @Elenizzle. Solid!

We made our way back to the CitizenM after a fun and productive day exploring the SoCo and Bouldin Creek neighborhoods. After a brief siesta we set out for dinner and another evening of live jazz.

Taqueria de Diez also known by Austinites as D/10 opened in 2024. This tacqueria has a distinctively Mexican menu as opposed to Tex-Mex. We had a hard time finding the restaurant as the door is in an alley with just a small sign – but don’t give up – it is absolutely worth the effort. Muy delicioso! Thank you to Jeffrey at the citizenM for the tip.

Nica on 4th is a new jazz club and cocktail bar (opened 18 September) with jazz nightly from 1800 until 0100. This was the most elegant of the three jazz clubs we visited and is next door to the Parker Jazz Club. We sampled some of their craft cocktails while enjoying three sets of jazz. The first quartet of the evening consisted of one University of North Texas (UTN) alumna and three current students. UNT has a reputation as one the best collegiate jazz programs in the United States. UNT sponsored a jazz band back in the 1940s which grew into the first college degree program for jazz.

We had a great time in ATX. The city is a lively mix of big city activities and small town friendliness and accessibility. How much time you might want spend here is as always a function of your interests and energy level. The city offers a multitude of opportunities for great dining, live music, fine art, street art, interesting architecture, excellent specialty coffee as well as plenty of recreational options.

That is a wrap on our ATX City Tour. Next up is Miami in January 2026 as part of our City Tour Series.

Be seeing you!

ÍSLAND

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art Museum, Cities, Dining, Foreign Travel, Foreign Travel Adventures, Live Music, Street Art and Murals, Travel

DAY ONE….DAGG EINN

Since this was our first visit to Iceland we decided to stay in Reykjavik and use it as our base for the trip. We selected the Ion City Hotel which would put us in the heart of the city on Laugavegur, which is a bit touristy but has multiple specialty coffee shops and restaurants within a five minute walk. The hotel is small with just 18 rooms and its location provided us a view down to the harbor and the night sky. The lobby is tiny as the majority of the ground floor is occupied by Sumac, a restaurant specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine. We were very happy with our choice based on our stylish room, our view, our private sauna and the very friendly, helpful front desk staff. Lastly, how can you not like a hotel with a painting of David Bowie in the lobby! Takk fyrir.

We crashed at the hotel for a couple of hours after our overnight flight and then went out to do some exploring in the neighborhood.

We made our first stop at Reykjavik Roasters, which is just around the corner from the hotel. We know you would expect nothing less of us. RR was founded in 2008 and has been a staple of the Reykjavik coffee scene ever since.

After finishing our drinks (and pastries) we walked up the hill to visit Hallgrímskirkja (the church of Hallgrimur). The church took 41 years to build. Construction started in 1945. Hallgrimskirkja is the tallest church in Iceland and provides fabulous views of the city, harbor, mountains and volcanoes from the top of the 243 foot tower.

Unlike the United States, Iceland has a state sponsored and protected national church – the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland (hin evangelíska lúterska kirkja). There is religious freedom in Iceland and a number of other religious faiths are practiced in the country.

After visiting the church we did a bit more strolling, grabbed a quick fish and chips dinner and went back to our hotel satisfied with a good first day. As we lay in bed, as if on cue, the Aurora Borealis appeared and we jumped up and out onto our balcony to take in the show and snap some pictures. We upgraded our good first day to an excellent first day! Húrra!

Day two….DAGG tveir

In accordance with Rule One of Travel (all days must begin with tea and coffee) we checked out TE & KAFFI (directly across the way from the hotel). TE & KAFFI was up to snuff and we added the establishment to our inventory of specialty coffee shops for our stay in Reykjavik.

After fika we spent the morning exploring the city on foot and made our first visit to the waterfront. We also happened upon several more excellent street murals. While down at the old harbor we popped into the one of the three Reykjavik Art Museum locations. The exhibitions at this location when we visited were not a good fit for our sensibilities so we did not tarry.

Towards early afternoon we walked back up the hill from the old harbor area to check out one of the other art museums. This museum, Kjarvalsstaðirat, was exhibiting predominately landscape paintings by both professional and amateur Icelandic artists. The museum is named after Jóhannes Sveinsson Kjarval (1885-1972). Kjarval is Iceland’s most revered painter and many of his paintings are on display.

The art here was much more to our liking (or comprehension) and was a lovely mix of colorful renderings of the Icelandic countryside and cityscapes.

DAY THREE….DAGG PRIR

For our third day we hit the road (after coffee and tea) in pursuit of the Golden Circle (GC). We rented a 4WD SUV in case we found ourselves off the pavement in pursuit of getting up close to some of the natural features along or near the GC route. This worked out nicely as you can see from the photos directly below.

We made our way Þingvellir National Park (PNP) along an alternate route utilizing the excellent skills of our senior navigator. As we approached the park Þingvallavatn Lake came into view. It is the largest natural lake in Iceland. You may notice in the photo above left the large pipeline. In the States you might expect it to be an oil or gas pipeline – not in Iceland – this pipeline carries geothermally heated water. It carries millions of gallons per minute of boiling water and provides heat for most of the residents of Iceland.

The park is historically important to Iceland as it was the location of Iceland’s first parliament, which met there on the open plains from 930 until 1798. The park location is considered to be the birthplace of Iceland.

Prime Minister’s Summer Residence

The other aspect that makes this beautiful park important is that within the park are the rift valleys that separates the continental plates. The rifts run north – south. The plate to the east is Eurasia while the plate to the west is North America. Some of the rifts are dry allowing visitors to walk through while others have filled with water.

Tectonic Rift
Tectonic Rift

After completing our hiking loop at PNP we continued north on the GC. We bypassed the popular Geysir Hot Springs as we have seen many a geyser (including Old Faithful) during our travels in the Western United States.

Gullfoss

Gullfoss (Golden Falls) is impressive for its sheer force and size – and – it is a traverse waterfall. The water falls 105 feet into a crevice and then flows sideways and then down through a canyon that reaches 230 feet in depth. The waterfall is located on the Hvítá (White) River and is fed by the Langjökull Glacier.

It is hard for us to fathom but Gullfoss was privately owned by a local sheep farmer – Tómas Tómasson. A British firm (it’s always the British) attempted to purchase the property to use it to generate electricity. Fortunately, that never came to fruition and the river and falls remain in their spectacular natural state (owned and protected by the government of Iceland).

Gullfoss

From Gullfoss we started our return to Reykjavik. We detoured across Route 31 to see the Skálholt Church. The first Episcopal church in Iceland was built at this location in the year 1000. By 1550 the Reformation was in full swing under the auspices of the King of Denmark. In order that everyone understood his intent he had Jón Arason, the Catholic Bishop Of Iceland (the last Catholic Bishop of Iceland) and his two sons executed at Skálholt. Lofið drottin! In other news, the current church was built between 1956 and 1963.

Hvítá River Viewed From Skálholt Church

DAY FOUR….DAGG fjórir

We booked a food tour with Wake Up Reykjavik on the recommendation of our good friend Brian. The tour was lots of fun and the food was quite good. The tour included five stops to sample different dishes. We have included below the five stops and a description of the food we sampled. Thank you Brian!

Hotel Borg (The oldest hotel in Iceland) Icelandic pancakes with sugar, jam and whipped cream. Ljúffengur!!

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur (The Town’s Best Hot Dogs) Traditional Icelandic hot dog with Icelandic ketchup, Icelandic mustard, remoulade sauce (remúlaði), deep fried onions and raw onions. Made famous after Bill Clinton visited for a dog. He had mustard only – now known as a Clinton!

Sólon Islandus (The Salvador Dali place) Lamb chop with mustard umami sauce, mashed potatoes and grilled brocollini

The young woman in the photo (above right) is Alfhedur Kristin Hallgrimsdottir aka Alfie. Alfie was our quite entertaining and informative guide. She is holding the traditional and obligatory sample of fermented shark, which is washed down with a shot of a strong liqueur. The lamb was delicious – the shark is what we would describe as an acquired taste.

Sjávarréttagrillið (The seafood grill) Lobster taco on a soft taco shell with garlic sauce, spinach, pickled red onions, deep fried langoustine, date puree, cilantro and parmesan cheese.

As we left Sjávarréttagrillið we happened upon a former Miss Iceland who was about to do a photo shoot. She graciously posed with our food tour group. She did not appear to mind being outdoors in the 40F temperature without much clothing. Icelanders are tough – and very nice!

Hannesarhollt (The poets/prime ministers cafe) Rhubarb crumble pie – Happy marriage cake! (Hjónabandssæla) Perfect timing as this trip was in celebration of our 45th wedding anniversary!

Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake (Photo courtesy of Autumn Carolyn)

After our afternoon food tour we were in no need of dinner so we retraced our tour route to photograph some interesting murals we had observed while on the tour and took a break at the hotel before venturing out for an evening of jazz.

The jazz concert was taking place at the modern and architecturally award winning Harpa Concert Hall and Convention Center. The Harpa was opened in 2011. This stunning facility sits directly on the waterfront and hosts the Icelandic Symphony, Icelandic Opera, Big Band and many other shows within the various venues housed here.

Harpa Concert Hall

We were quite fortunate that the Trio Óskar Guðjónssonar, Jorge Rossy og Thomas Morgan was performing that night. The three members of the trio are all veteran performers who have toured extensively internationally and played with many renowned jazz bands.

The show was great. The trio played a number of their own compositions as well a several jazz standards. We also enjoyed the polite audience – no talking or videoing during the show! What a treat after experiencing so many disrespectful and boorish audiences at music events in the U.S.

After the show we came outside to find the Aurora Borealis again dancing in the sky over the harbor! If seeing the Aurora Borealis four nights in a row doesn’t warrant a night cap we don’t know what does! We made the short walk over to Apotek. The place was hopping but we were able grab two seats at the bar and have our cocktails and a couple of appetizers. We had a great time discussing the upcoming U.S. election with our bartender – who is probably more knowledgable about our upcoming election than most Americans! Sorglegt!

DAY FIVE….DAGG FIMM

On day five we opted for a slower paced day as we were planning on a long day touring the South Coast the next day. We started our day at Mokka Kaffi. Our intel was that they have the best waffles. We do not know if they are the best in Reykjavik but they were dang good! A bit of shopping in the afternoon completed the day time portion of that day’s program.

We finished our day with an excellent meal at the highly recommended (thank you Alfie) Tapas Barinn. We ordered several small plates starting with chorizo, followed by prawns, lamb and Icelandic foal. Ljúffengur!

Icelandic Foal

DAY SIX….DAGG SEX

On day six we were back on the road for a tour along the south coast of Iceland following the Ring Road (Route 1). Our first stop was Seljalandsfoss, a popular tourist stop as it is visible from Route 1 and the walk from the parking area to the falls is relatively short and level. At 197 feet impressive, but not the best of the day in our view.

We continued along Route 1 making frequent stops to admire the views on a gorgeous blue sky day.

Several miles drive further along the Ring Road conveyed us to Skogafoss (foss translates to waterfall). This waterfall is impressive not just for its height of 200 feet but also its width of 82 feet. You can walk along the Skoga River and stand at the base of this thundering wall of water.

This was probably the waterfall that we enjoyed the most due to the ability to both stand at the base (and get wet) and also at the top of the waterfall via a steep 600 stair climb. From the top there is a fantastic view of the valley below that extends to the ocean. From here, the Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail (summertime only) continues up the mountain along the river providing access to additional waterfalls.

Approximately 15% of Iceland is covered by glaciers. We began to get glimpses of the Sólheimajökull Glacier heading east on Route 1. While we were not prepared to hike on the glacier on this trip (guide required) we wanted to get up close and the hike up to the tongue of Sólheimajökull was doable.

What was immediately apparent as we approached the tongue was that this glacier is currently in retreat. The glacier is currently about seven miles in length. It has had periods of retreat (1930-1969) and periods of advancement (1969-1995). The glacier has been retreating since 1995 and the rate of retreat has accelerated since 2000. Between 2000 and 2015 it shrank by slightly over half a mile. When it retreats the glacier also gets thinner. We hiked by posts indicating where the tongue of the glacier had ended over a period of years. The photo below at the bottom provides a feel for the magnitude of the retreat. While the demise of glaciers in Iceland is not imminent, about eleven million tons of glacial ice is melting annually. Slæmt!

Iceland has a rich history relating to Elves. We visited Drangurinn rock in Drangshlíð. This large rock sits alone in the middle of a field with a backdrop of the Eyjafjöll Mountains. There are a number of cow and hay sheds built into the rock.

The legend is that elves live inside the rock and would tend to the animals at night if a cow was close to giving birth so that the farmers would not need stay in the pitch dark sheds.

Our favorite tale is about a local farmer who went missing for several days. Upon returning he told the local folks that he had been with the elves in the rock. He also said that the elves were lovely, decent and as handsome as humans. Furthermore, he was going to marry an elf woman. Soon after the farmer disappeared but no one looked for him because they knew he was living in the rock with his elf wife. Ég elska þig!

While it was a chilly day we were keen to drive south to the shore and visit a black sand beach. Route 254 took us south along the Markarfljot until we reached the shoreline at the ferry terminal for Vestmannaeyar (Westman Islands). The view from the beach of the sun heading down and the islands in silhouette was mesmerizing. While we did walk the beach there were no shoes off with feet in the water. This is the North Atlantic in September!

The Vestmannaeyjar consist of 15 islands and 30 rock stacks. The islands were created by underwater volcanic eruptions. The population is approximately 4300 people, all of whom live on the island of Heimaey. Heimaey has two volcanoes. None of the other tiny islands are inhabited on a full time basis.

The name of the islands – West Men – is named after the Irish slaves who fled the mainland to the islands to escape their servitude. Ireland was thought to be the farthest land west of the continent – hence West Men. The West Men were, of course, subsequently captured and killed. Frelsi!

Our friends Jim and Sally recommended that we stop at the Hotel Ranga for a cocktail if we were going to be touring the South Coast. The Ranga fit perfectly with our return leg to Reykjavik and of course all the fresh air and sunshine definitely engenders a thirst which can only be quenched by expertly made cocktails.

Takk fyrir, Jim and Sally! Excellent cocktails in a beautiful setting. The Hotel Ranga is definitely on our itinerary for our next visit to Iceland.

Polar Bear, Hotel Ranga, Hella, Iceland

DAY SEVEN….DAGG TI’U

On our final day in Iceland the rains finally came (no complaints from us) so we decided to do what many other tourists do when it rains in Reykjavik. We visited the Perlan (The Pearl).

Perlan (Photo courtesy of Perlan)

Perlan sits on the highest hill in Reykjavik providing 360 degree views of the city and surrounding area from the roof top cafe and observation deck. The glass dome sits atop six geothermal functioning geothermal water tanks. Quite cool!

The food at the cafe is excellent and they have a full bar. The exhibits are also quite good and entertaining. The focus is on the forces of nature which dominate Iceland’s geography, weather and culture: volcanoes, glaciers, aurora borealis, wildlife and more.

One thing we did not get to see were puffins. But fortunately, the Perlan has a very realistic bird cliff and we have included a couple of photos below with our only puffin sighting, albeit inside the Perlan.

We wrapped up our final day with an Icelandic tradition. A wonderful soak at the geothermal lagoon at Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik. Before entering the lagoon we went through a multi-step ritual starting with a sauna, followed by a cold rinse, a salt paste application and then into a steam bath (we skipped the cold water plunge) and finally the lagoon. Delightful! Oh, did we mention there is a bar in the lagoon – Prosecco please! (Photos courtesy of Sky Lagoon)

That’s it from Iceland…..we had a terrific time. It is a beautiful country with stunning landscapes which reflect the fire and ice theme which dominates. The Northern Lights…. what can we say…. first trip – four sightings….we almost feel guilty. The country is modern yet maintains deep connections to its ancient Viking heritage (including the Icelandic language which reflects the Old Norse spoken by the Vikings).

Every Icelander we met was friendly, polite and knowledgable. This is a country that is civilized and humane (with a living wage for all). Iceland is a literate society. Reykjavik is chock full of museums, book stores, galleries, music venues, street art and excellent food (and coffee).

Be seeing you!

The “Freddy”

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Bike Trails, Coffee, Street Art and Murals, Travel

As we swung back westward through New Brunswick (NB) inorder to ultimately re-enter the U.S. through Northern Maine, we decided to pay a visit to Fredericton aka the “Freddy”. Freddy appeared to meet our usual city selection criteria — small to medium in size, coffee options, art, live music, bike trails and a city waterfront.

St. John River, Fredericton, New Brunswick

We thought we would need two days but the weather was excellent and so much was happening that we ended up staying four nights; before departing on our wood lands ramble into remote northern New Brunswick (Wood Lands Ramble post coming soon).

Bicycling

A coalition of volunteers (Fredericton Trail Coalition) began to mobilize after the Canadian Northern Railway abandoned a number of lines in New Brunswick in 1989. The first trail was opened in 1993. In 1996, 377 additional kilometers of abandoned railway was donated to the province by the Irving Family allowing Freddy to connect a number of trails and create today’s connected network of over 120 kilometers of trail. A key aspect of the donation was the inclusion of the 906 foot railway bridge that spans the St. John River — connecting the trail systems on both side of the river.

Fredericton Trail Coalition Map

As a result, folks in Fredericton have a plethora of riding and walking trail options. It is not surprising that Fredericton was named Canada’s 6th most-walkable city in 2019, one of 5 “Great Canadian Bike Cities” in 2021 by People for Bikes, and was #9 on Canada’s Best Small Cities as ranked by World’s Best Cities.com in 2022. We took advantage of the trail system and delightful weather to explore a number of the trails during our stay in Freddy.

fika

Combining biking with coffee is a double delight. Mill Town Coffee Roasters is conveniently located on one of the trails and we were able to take a coffee break on our way out and back during each ride. Pretty good, eh!

Street Art

In our humble opinion, public art adds a great deal to a city’s environment. We were glad to find that Freddy has several notable street murals in the downtown area, although we would have loved to find more during our walks through town.

Fine art

Freddy is very fortunate to have, in our opinion, a very impressive art museum, especially in light of the fact that the city population is barely 60,000. Much of the good fortune is owed to the generosity of one Lord Beaverbrook — who in 1959 gifted the museum building and 300 valuable works of art to a museum foundation he created for the benefit of the public. Did we mention that the museum is named the Beaverbrook Art Gallery?

Lord Beaverbrook

The son of a Presbyterian minister in Miramichi, New Brunswick, the future Lord Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, enjoyed early success in Canadian business. In 1910, he left Canada for England, where he was knighted and elected a Member of Parliament, eventually serving as Minister of Aircraft Production in Churchill’s wartime government. No slouch Sir Max!

The museum is noted for it’s collection of renowned Canadian artists but also has works by Dali (not fans but still impressive to see a gallery of Dali paintings in Freddy) and Gainsborough and as well as other internationally acclaimed painters. The Beaverbrook became the official provincial gallery of New Brunswick in 1996.

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989)
La Turbie: Sir James Dunn, 1949 oil on canvas
On Loan from the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation
Medrie MacPhee (Canadian / Canadienne, b./n. 1953)
Locke (1987)
oil on canvas / huile sur toile
Carol Hoorn Fraser (Canadian / Canadienne, 1930 – 1991)
The Guardians, 1976
oil on canvas / huile sur toile
Lucy Jarvis (Canadian / Canadienne, 1896 – 1985)
Iris Swamp (1961)
oil on board / huile sur panneau

Montreal-based painter Michael Smith (directly above and below) is known for his fluid and impasto surfaces as well as his ability to strike a poetic balance between representation and abstraction. Inspired by art history as well as historic and current events, Smith pulls from various sources to create his energetic landscapes and seascapes. His Sea of Change series includes massive canvases exploding with colour and energy, as well as smaller studies on paper. These were inspired by a serendipitous encounter with a 19th-century painting of the Arctic expedition ship H.M.S. Terror during his time as artist-in-residence at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in 2018. Layering texture and colour, the familiar with the unfamiliar, Smith’s paintings convey (as the artist writes) “a mix of excitement and anxiety of a land [that] although at times bucolic, is riddled with shadows.” Curated by John Leroux

A little bit of history

We often find that the early history of a city is intertwined with the creation of the dominate religion of the ruling class. Fredericton is no exception to that pattern. The city was named for Prince Frederick,son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Subsequently, Queen Charlotte declared Fredericton a Cathedral City (even though its population was too small) so Christ Church Cathedral could be built. The Anglican Church at that time was utilized as a way to impose British custom and law (and to counter Acadian Catholicism) on the inhabitants be they British, Acadian or First Nations.

Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick

The Cathedral sits on its own park like island of green at the edge of downtown. The surrounding neighborhoods consist of stately and beautifully maintained homes. By many accounts the movers and shakers in Fredericton were members of this parish and much business was conducted and deals made between the businessmen and politicians who belonged here.

We always seem compelled to add a little bit of history (and an opinion or two) when we report on our travels — oh well!

Music

We closed out our stay in Freddy with an afternoon and evening of food and music. The River Jam Music Festival was taking place all around us at our hotel with four or five music acts performing in different areas of the facility simultaneously. We took in a couple of acts, had dinner and camped at the bar (surprised?) to take in the performances in the lobby which ran to midnight. We were treated to primarily traditional music from the Maritimes and the local crowd was up singing along and dancing. So good!

That’s it from Freddy! We had a great visit and look forward to sharing more of our travels soon.

Be seeing you!

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Much Better Than Dunk, Nova Scotia

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art Museum, Cities, Dining, Travel

Yes indeed, Halifax was named in honor of George Dunk (1716–1777), Second Earl of Halifax and Chief Lord of Trade and Plantations. We will include more history later in this post to keep our readers on the edge of their seats! We think the photo below provides a good indication of the dramatic nature of this post and will allow you to stop watching The Crown on Netflix once and for all.

We arrived in Halifax in the afternoon fresh from our stop in the photogenic, post card perfection of Peggy’s Cove (no—we don’t know who Peggy was and no one else does either). Halifax is the largest city in the Canadian Maritime Provinces (population apx. 440,000). It’s modern, bustling and growing by leaps and bounds. Construction cranes are visible everywhere you look—there have been between 25 and 35 cranes across the area for the last several years! More on the growth topic later.

Halifax, from the Citadel

Halifax harbor is the second largest natural harbor in the world. Additionally, it is deep and ice free which has helped the port become the fourth largest by volume in Canada. Because one of us is like a child when it comes to big ships, trains, machinery and planes, we ventured to the south end of the compact waterfront to see the intermodal container operation.

Okay lets get to the truely important stuff….street art, fine art, coffee and food…..

Halifax has been home to an annual week-long street mural since June of 2022. We were able to check out some of the murals from the 2022 and 2023 festivals. The 2024 festival will not take place until mid July.

Artist—@BLAZENTATTOO

The festival brings together a mix of local and international artists. Many of the murals are on Quinpool Road, a diverse and lively area of shops and ethnic restaurants.Some of the murals we photographed on our walkabout are pictured below. Some of the murals were difficult or impossible to photograph as they were painted in very narrow alleyways. Still great to see all the work!

In addition to street art, Halifax is home to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia which is a provincial fine art museum. On our second day in Halifax the rains came so we donned our waterproofs and walked down the hill to the museum.

When we visited there were two major exhibitions taking place. We both were enamored of the exhibit of the Trinidadian-Canadian artist Denyse Thomasos (1964-2012). Thomasos began her career as a figurative painter and evolved over time to produce inceasingly abstract work. Thomasos was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada and studied in Toronto before earning a MFA in Painting and Sculpture at Yale University. Sadly, Thomasos died unexpectedly during a routine medical procedure at the age of 47, ending her brilliant career prematurely.

Self Portrait—Denyse Thomasos

Haligonians are blessed with a plethora of excellent specialty coffee shops spread across the town. We visited five different shops during our four-day stay. We can report that each shop was quite good but each also demonstrated a unique personality.

Coffeeology —— https://coffeeologyespresso.co/ Narrow Espresso —— @narrowespresso Glitter Bean Cafe —— @glitterbeancafe Uncommon Grounds —— @uncommongroundshfx Apartment3 EspressoBar —— https://apt3coffee.com

We had been dining extensively on seafood during our trip—why not when you are touring the Maritime provinces of Eastern Canada where the seafood is ridiculously fresh and delicious? We tend to avoid Italian cuisine (including pizza) when we travel outside the northeastern U.S. However, after several weeks without pasta, a fix was definitely in order. Fortunately, a solution was within our reach at The Bicycle Thief on the waterfront in Halifax.

The Bicycle Thief describes their offerings as North American food with an Italian Soul. Assolutamente! We were able to acquire a late afternoon reservation on a rainy Saturday (after our visit to the art museum). The restaurant was absolutely packed but the service was impeccable and our cocktails, appetizers and entrees were delizioso! Please dine there if you go to Halifax.

There are of course many other things to do in Halifax beside art, coffee and food. The harbor is spectacular and a walk along the boardwalk will provide you with views of several of the small islands situated in the harbor as well as cargo ships, navy vessels and cruiseliners entering and departing Halifax.

The Citadel, which overlooks the city, is a good attraction for history buffs. This fortress is the fourth version to be built on the hill overlooking the harbor. The last and current fortress was constructed by the British in anticipation of a possible attack (1820s) at Halifax by the United States. That of course never happened and none of the four fortresses was ever part of a military conflict. Today the fort is a national historic monument operated by Parks Canada. For more information: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/halifax/culture/histoire-history/citadelles-4-citadels

Another worthwhile stop on a sunny day is the Halifax Public Gardens. The timing of our visit was a tad early for everything to be in full bloom. Regardless, the garden is an oasis of quiet and serenity in the middle of a bustling city. P.S. added bonus—Apartment3 Espresso Bar is directly across the street from the gardens on the Park Street side.

We mentioned the growth ocurring in the city earlier in the post. The economy in Halifax continues to be robust with significant population growth fueled by emigration to the province. This growth has fueled the need for housing which is clearly under construction. How much of the housing is affordable we cannot say. The one facet of all the growth we did observe is that the city has been increasingly building skyward. Previous height restrictions have been relaxed and zoning seems to be relaxed as well with high rises going up in the midst of blocks once dominated by two story “jelly bean” houses (brightly painted wood frame residences). The view of the harbor from above is now largely obstructed (unless you live in a highrise). Oh well, just an observation by visitors—perhaps without the necessary context. Regardless, an interesting, lively and fun city to visit.

We are off to Cape Breton to explore the beauty and rich culture of the highlands where the “mountains meet the sea”.

Be seeing you!

St. John and the Loyalists

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Coffee, History, Travel

We made our way to St. John following the coast and sticking as much as possible to roads less traveled (which we have found are most often more scenic and historically interesting).

After arriving in St. John we secured the Beast at the hotel and set out for our first coffee session in St. John. Catapault Coffee was only a five minute walk from the hotel. Since it was still morning a capuccino was in order followed by a cortado. Catapault is a mission based coffee shop — “Part of the way we express this faith is by looking for opportunities to reduce the unemployment, hunger, homelessness, and medical costs in our city”. We are always happy to support coffee shops with a tangible mission to support the less fortunate in their community (and of course serve excellent coffee and tea).

Strength Through Toast — Toast Marketing Board

Fortuitously, this building-sized mural was staring at us from across the street as we approached the cafe. This mural was commissioned as part of Festival Inspire. The artist Mique Michele is from Ontario and is a highly regarded grafittist and advocate for issues impacting First Nations people (Michele is of Metis-Franco heritage).

Untitled Artist Mique Michele, 2021
See Stories — Artist Allan Ryan

We spotted the top of the mural above while walking back to the hotel. We walked down the hill and located this 80 foot high extravaganza on the back of an apartment building facing an empty lot. The street mural scene in St. John is relatively small but appears to have some folks committed to increasing the space dedicated to public art. The two murals above were our favorites.

St. John also has a small fine arts exhibition space at the St. Johns Art Centre. The space hosts art exhibits and musical recitals and also offers art classes.

The space that the art centre currently occupies is the former city library. This was a Carnegie library built with funds donated by the Scottish-American business tycoon and philanthropist. Carnegie funded the building of over 2500 free public libraries in North America. The library in St. John is one of three in the eastern provinces. The current city library is housed at Market Square on the water at the harbor.

Art invariably necessitated the need for more coffee while we reflected on the the art we had just viewed……so we set off for our second coffee shop —The Art Warehouse.

We had an opportunity to chat with our barrista, Jamie, during a lull in the action. Jamie is also a musician and songwriter when not plying his craft as a barrista. His band Jamie and the Crooked Teeth is well known in the eastern provinces and they have released several albums. He has also released several songs as part of an accoustic trio that performs as Pretty Western.

@_prettywestern
Jamie Comeau & the Crooked Teeth

We will close with a bit of history (as always). The title of this post is St. John and the Loyalists. Samuel-de-Champlain named the St. John River in honour of St. Jean the Baptiste while exploring the area in 1604. The anglicized version of the name stuck although the British eventually took control of Nova Scotia. Today there are still many French speakers here as well as in the other eastern provinces.

Okay — finally — the Loyalists! While you may not recall this fact from your U.S. history courses (probably because it was not mentioned) there were a considerable number of British colonialists that wished to remain British! The text below is from the Loyalist House in St. John.

The Loyalists

Our first refugees were American Exiles arriving in 1783-1784, the Loyalist Refugees, a multicultural group with Afro, Aboriginal, Dutch, German, English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish ethnicity from America. One hundred thousand came north – 15,000 of these Refugees arrived in Saint John Harbour by way of the Bay of Fundy. Their entrepreneurial/pioneering spirit helped them to survive. They slept in tents during those first winters, some died. New York and Boston were the last two ports of evacuation for this exodus, they were farmers, labourers, and trades people. These American exiles lost what they owned and came here like many other refugees and immigrants in search of safety and a new life. The aboriginal people the Wolastoqiyik [people of the Beautiful River] were the first people of our community.

Be seeing you!

El Paso del Norte

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Baseball, Cities, Coffee, Dining, History, Museum, Street Art and Murals, Texas, The American West, Travel, Western history

We had been in Texas and New Mexico several times prior to our most recent trip, but for some reason had steered around El Paso (EP). Perhaps the timing was just not right or we were concerned about conditions there based on the reporting regarding the immigration issues at the border. Regardless, we were ready to explore EP as part of our OTR 9.0 adventure and draw our own conclusions about the city.

El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico viewed from Scenic Drive

We made the decision to stay in the city and booked a hotel in the University district for three nights. We are glad we chose this area as it enabled us to walk to a number of casual but excellent restaurants and coffee shops dotting the university neighborhood. This was especially nice as EP is a sprawling metropolis that requires some driving in order to explore the city.

Of course, the first entry point for any worthwhile city visit is COFFEE! We were traveling from the east after our recent visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, therefore we were able to vector directly to an excellent specialty coffee shop and roaster on the east side of the city. We were most fortunate that the founder and owner of Global Coffee, Erika, sat with us for quite awhile. She shared with us her family history and the ties with Mexico that exist in a border town that has been a major immigration point for centuries(El Paso del Norte). Erika is a delightful and talented young woman and we wish her all the success she deserves with her business and family. https://globalcoffeeco.com/

After refueling we went directly to the tank museum, officially known as the 1st Armored Division & Fort Bliss Museum. The United States Army has had a post in EP since 1849, which has served as an infantry post, a cavalry post, an air defense artillery post and currently operates as a maneuver training post. The size of the Fort Bliss training area (965,00 acres) and its mountainous desert terrain have made it a vital training location for the many forces that have been deployed to the Middle East over the last three decades.

The museum chronicles the history of the post and the units stationed there from the the initial mission of patrolling along the Rio Grande before the Civil War through the current mission of the units stationed within the base. From a Western United States history perspective this includes the Indian Wars and the Mexican Punitive Expedition.

The Indian Wars is an umbrella term for the United States Army prosecution and ultimate decimation of the Native American peoples across the Western United States. The Indian Wars were waged throughout the Civil War until 1890 when the last of the Native American bands were imprisoned or sent to reservations. Many of the actions by the federals were in direct violation of treaties negotiated between the federal government and the Native Americans (standard operating procedure).

Another interesting piece of history is the Mexican Punitive Expedition. Between December 1916 and February 1917 American forces under the command of General “Black Jack” Pershing crossed into Mexico in pursuit of Mexican Revolutionary leader Pancho Villa. Villa had attacked a town in New Mexico killing a number of U.S. citizens. The incursion into Mexico was ostensibly in retaliation for the raid. However, the main motivation was to support the Mexican leader, Venustiano Carranza, whom the U.S. was backing. The Mexican Revolution was destabilizing Mexico and jeopardizing U.S. corporate interests. Pancho Villa had to go! The U.S. Army, however, did not capture Pancho Villa and returned to the U.S. after several skirmishes with Mexican Federal soldiers who greatly resented the incursion into Mexico. An early example of the numerous unsuccessful and unwarranted interventions by the U.S. government in the internal affairs of another sovereign nation! P.S. Pancho Villa survived the Mexican Revolution and was granted amnesty only to be assassinated three years later.

After checking in at our hotel we walked a couple of blocks to have supper at a popular local eatery – The Shack. The restaurant is owned by two brothers – Adrian and Michael Soto – they grew up in the restaurant business working and learning at their mother’s restaurant, Mima’s Cafe. The Shack has a wide array of dishes but we went for the Mexican inspired dishes and had a great dinner at this casual and friendly spot. https://theshackwings.com/

Since our hotel was a considerable distance across town from Global Coffee we opted to try our luck at Casa Cafetzin which was just a five minute drive from our hotel. Erika from Global Coffee had recommended Casa Cafetzin, so we were fairly certain that we would be starting our day on a great coffee and tea note. If we are being honest, we might admit that we would have passed by this cafe due to its location attached to a modest motel. Fortunately, due to the recommendation from Erika, we did not pass up a great coffee and tea experience. Cafetzin was excellent and the baristas were all terrific! Thank you Erika!

https://casa-cafetzin.mailchimpsites.com

After departing Casa Cafetzin we headed downtown for a day of viewing fine art and street art. Our first stop was at the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA). The EPMA came into existence in 1959 as the result of a large donation of European art by a private foundation. The donated collection became the impetus to build a first class art museum serving the El Paso – Juarez Borderplex. Today the museum houses over 7000 works. The museum has also operated an art school for the last twenty years. Fittingly, the EPMA operates as a bilingual institution, reflecting the heritage and diversity of the Borderplex (75,000 people cross back and forth between El Paso and Juarez on a daily basis). https://epma.art/visit

Artist: Fremont Ellis, El Paso Smelter at Night, 1919

We really enjoyed the portraiture works on display. The painting top left, below, The Telephone Operator (The Weaver of Public Thought), was our favorite. The artist Gerrit Beneker, is probably most well known for the posters he created during World War One in support of the war effort.

The museum’s collection also demonstrates an impressive commitment to diversity and regionalism based on the works on display when we visited. Fritz Scholder (top left, below) is one of our favorites and well known for his insightful depictions of Native American stereotypes. Scholder was a member of the Luiseno tribe.

We were also surprised and pleased to see a portrait, Mrs. Viola Andrews – My Mother (bottom left) by the figurative painter, Benny Andrews. We had the fortune of seeing a number of his works several years ago at the Ogden Museum of Fine Arts in New Orleans (see our post, Fine Art Tourist: Ogden Museum of Southern Art ).

We also enjoyed the works of American art featuring West Texas and the Southwest. The museum has works by El Paso native Tom Lea and many other noted western artists including the self-taught Fremont Ellis.

After departing the EPMA we stopped for some tacos and then went in search of street art downtown. We have included a few of the murals we found there. The art works below are all located on walls on Leon Street, all by different artists.

Dinner was another great find for us, a short walk from the hotel, in the University District. Kaedama serves outstanding ramen dishes! We did not think that we would be greedily shoveling awesome Japanese noodle soup dishes into our faces when we arrived in EP. The business started as a food truck owned by two friends – Garbiel Valencia and Andres Romero – and became popular very quickly. The friends decided to open a brick and mortar location and were able to open relatively quickly in part to an enthusiastic response to a crowdfunding campaign. The restaurant even gathered a visit from Food Network Chef and TV host Guy Fieri while he was visiting EP. A great way to finish day two! https://www.facebook.com/Kaedama915/

Artist: @DEKO_UNO, Kerby Avenue, El Paso, Texas

On our final day in EP, we journeyed across town to visit La Mision de San Antonio de la Ysleta de Sur. The Ysleta mission is the first permanent mission established in Texas. The mission was founded in 1680 by Indian and Spanish settlers who fled New Mexico as a result of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The revolt was the culmination of more than 100 years of incursions by Spanish soldiers and, of course, missionaries. The indigenous Pueblos killed 400 Spanish soldiers and drove about 2000 Spanish settlers out of the Albuquerque area.

The original mission was built by the Tigua Indians in 1862. The mission has been rebuilt several times due to flooding and fire. The last time was in 1908 after a fire destroyed the roof and bell tower. The Tigua Indians are still active in the mission, celebrating traditional holidays and the Tigua Feast of San Antonio, their patron saint.

As with many other missions along what is now the border, the mission was located in Mexico until the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transferred this territory to the United States. While the mission was technically in the United States, it continued to be administered by the Mexican church until 1872.

After visiting the mission we found our way to the El Segundo Barrio near downtown to view the many notable murals. As the name suggests the Segundo was the second neighborhood in EP. Since the 1830s this area has been a major entry point for Mexican immigrants coming into the United States. The majority of the immigrants in the barrio were and still are migrant farm workers.

Artists: Jesus Alvarado and Victor Casas, El Segundo Barrio, El Paso, Texas

The Segundo still reflects its Tejano culture and traditions very proudly (we hope the murals we have featured reflect that same sense of tradition, culture and aspiration). At one point, the city planned to demolish much of the barrio as a way to eliminate the significant substandard housing stock instead of addressing the root causes in a humane fashion. Fortunately, civic groups formed and defeated the city’s plan to demolish the historic area.

Unfortunately, the preservation of the barrio has not improved the economic conditions significantly. Many of the Mexican-American residents and immigrants still toil as farm workers. The barrio is poor by any measure, albeit rich in culture, tradition and pride in its heritage.

On our final night in EP we took in a ballgame. The El Paso Chihuahuas are the Triple-affiliate of the San Diego Padres and compete in the Pacific Coast League. This team has been located in a number cities (Spokane, Albuquerque, Portland, Tucson) prior to arriving in El Paso in 2014 to play in their brand new stadium. The stadium is very attractive and sits right in downtown.

The Chihuahuas are not having their best season, but to the delight of their very enthusiastic fans, the club rallied late in the game to defeat the division leading OKC Dodgers. Go Chihuahuas!

We departed EP and Texas the following morning to head across the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico. We enjoyed our time in Texas and EP and have no reservations about recommending visiting EP. This was our third time traveling across the state and we still have not explored several areas within the state. Everything is bigger in Texas!

We hope you enjoyed this post. Be seeing you! 2023 May OTR 9.0

P.S. You have probably read much about the immigration issues along the Texas/Mexico border. While were in the city we witnesses significant Border Patrol activity along the border fence on the United States side of the Rio Grande. We also observed the large military presence patrolling along the Rio Grande on the river side of the border fence utilizing Humvees and foot patrols.

And yet, we could clearly see immigrants massed on the Mexican side as well as detainees on the U.S. side. Currently around 900 immigrants per day are crossing from Mexico into the EP port of entry and allowed to legally enter the U.S. The city works with a number of non-governmental agencies to provide the immigrants with shelter, food and water. It is quite apparent that the city is doing everything it can do to ensure the immigrants are treated humanely. The majority of immigrants currently entering at EP are from Central and South American countries and Cuba. Venezuela accounts for approximately 70% of the immigrants.

We can only imagine how bad conditions must be in Venezuela and the other countries for individuals and families to risk everything to escape the poverty, crime and repressive governments in their respective countries.

Colorado: Abridged Edition

by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Art Museum, Camping, Hiking, National Park, National Parks, Scenic Drive, Street Art and Murals, The American West, Travel, van life

We originally planned to visit the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (BCG), Rocky Mountain Nation Park (RMNP) and Great Sand Dunes National Park(GSDNP) while in Colorado. But as we monitored the conditions in Colorado during the trip (and spoke with some fellow travelers who had recently been in Colorado) it became apparent that we would not be able to access significant portions of our original itinerary due to this winter’s abundant snowfall in the Rockies.

So, after several excellent weeks touring western New Mexico, we departed Farmington, New Mexico to traverse Colorado in a northeasterly direction to visit GSDNP in southwestern Colorado, while forgoing the BCG and RMNP.

Durango – Four Corners – Route 550, Colorado

Of course, custom requires that our first meal after crossing a state line consist of burgers, fries and, if possible, a milkshake. Happily (and perhaps unhealthily) our tradition remains intact!

South Fork – Eastern Rockies – Route 160, Colorado

After refueling with burgers and diesel we continued our drive to the town of Del Norte. Prior to Euro-American settlement, this area was occupied by the Utes who migrated to the area from the south during the warmer months of the year. When this territory came under Mexican rule during the early 19th century, Hispanic settlers migrated north to take advantage of land grants offered by the Mexican government. Subsequently, this area was ceded to the United States by Mexico.

In 1859-1860 gold was discovered in the San Juan Mountains in what had been Ute territory for 500 years. Never mind, the Kit Carson Treaty (Ute Treaty of 1868) was negotiated in order to remove the Utes from the gold rich Central Rockies in exchange for land on the Western Slope of the Rockies. This treaty, as with most other treaties between the federal government and Native Americans, was eventually violated by the federal government and after the Utes rebelled they were driven out of Colorado entirely (Meeker Massacre).

Del Norte, Photos, Courtesy Denver Public Library

Today the small town of Del Norte (pop. 1600) is mainly an outdoor recreational hub with rafting on the adjacent Rio Grande and a plethora of rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking and camping options.

After a quick tour of the small downtown we headed west a short distance to find a camping spot in the Rio Grande National Forest. We found a great spot in a meadow which afforded us a panoramic view of Del Norte Peak.

Rio Grande National Forest
Del Norte Peak, Elevation 12,400′

The following morning we set our course due west for the one hour drive to visit GSDNP. The park was declared a national monument in 1932 in order to keep the dunes from being damaged by gold mining or concrete manufacturing. The monument was elevated to full national park status in 2004.

Great Sand Dunes National Park – Sangre De Cristo Mountains

GSDNP presents a fascinating landscape with grasslands separated from a thirty square mile sand desert by Medano Creek. The dunes are tucked in against the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains–quite spectacular! The sand dunes at GSDNP are the tallest in North America. Some are as high as 700 feet (Star Dunes is the tallest at 750 feet).

The dunes here are constantly changing as winds from the mountains drives sand down onto the dunes. Weather and erosion form the sand into distinctly identified and ever changing shaped dunes – parabolic, transverse and barchan – as examples.

Unfortunately, our opportunity to explore the dunes was limited due to an approaching lightning storm. One of the park rangers was kind enough to point out the obvious – not smart to be standing on top of a 600 foot dune in the middle of a lightening storm!

Medano Creek

In addition to the fantastic scenery, we were looking forward to driving the Medano Pass Primitive Road. The road is a sandy and rugged 22 mile 4WD road which runs from the base of the dunes up and over the Medano Pass (10,040 feet). The road was not fully open due to the conditions at higher elevation. The road crosses the the creek nine times and the water flow was still too deep due to this years snowfall. We have included a short video clip (below) from our drive on the road to provide a feel for the road and scenery.

Medano Pass Primitive Road

The NPS video below by is about the Navajo (Dine’) People, their four sacred mountains and their relationship to the land that now constitutes GSDNP.

We enjoyed our brief visit at GSDNP and we look forward to returning on a future trip to explore the dunes in depth, boondock up on the mountain and traverse the entire Medano Pass Primitive Pass Road.

Walsenberg, Colorado

On departing GSDNP, we decided to push straight on through to Colorado Springs. Our previous trips to Colorado Springs were business related and we stayed at the world famous Broadmoor. We would not be staying at the Broadmoor on this self funded visit!

The Broadmoor

Colorado Springs sits at just over 6000′ above sea level at the eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. Snow covered Pikes Peak (14,100′) looms over the city to the west creating a stunning backdrop. We did not travel up to the peak on this trip as we had taken the nine mile cog railroad trip on a previous visit (we definitely recommend riding the railroad to the top if the weather is clear -which it usually is in this part of Colorado). The train ride is fun and the views are phenomenal.

Pikes Peak

From our pre-trip research we knew that Colorado Springs held promise for specialty coffee and a vibrant street street art scene. Our first stop was Building III Coffee Bar and Roastery – B3 is located, along with a number of other occupants, in a former public school building now known as Lincoln Center – great to see the building repurposed. Excellent coffee, great breakfast sandwiches and uber friendly staff! Extremely popular – it can be hard to get a seat even with the large amount of seating capacity – but it is worth the wait. https://www.building3coffee.com/

Building Three Coffee

Well fortified with caffeine, we ventured out into the uncharacteristically gray, chilly day in search of street art. We decided to start our pic hunting session in the Knob Hill neighborhood, located a short distance northeast of downtown. We were pretty certain the neighborhood would be street art rich based on reading about the Knob Hill Urban Arts District. The District is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to putting art up on every damn wall we can get our hands on.” Love it!

The photos below are a small sample of the street murals we found in the Knob Hill neighborhood. This group is not kidding about putting art on every wall. We found art in every alley and available nook and cranny. So good! To see more of the street art we photographed during OTR 9.0 in Colorado Springs and other cities see our WordPress blog @streetartfromtheroad: part two.

There are also a number of large scale murals in downtown. The photos below are a few of our favorites we captured while strolling through downtown.

With the cloudy, drizzly weather persisting into our second day in Colorado Springs (coincidently nicknamed “Little London” although not for the weather – there was a large British population in the 1870s) we decided to visit the Fine Arts Center (FAC) at Colorado College. The FAC is located in the Old North End neighborhood – an area of stately late 19th and early 20th century homes and tree lined boulevards.

The Fine Arts Center is home to the art museum as well as a theater school and performing arts venue. The museum was opened in 1936 as an outgrowth of the Broadmoor Art Academy. The Colorado Springs area had become a hub for art on a scale commensurate with the more well known artist colonies in Taos and Santa Fe.

Charles R. Bunnell (1897-1968) March Snow, 1940, Oil on canvas
Victor Higgins (1884-1949) Santa Fe Hills, Date Unknown, Oil on canvas

As with many museums of this size, the collection is regionally (although not exclusively) focused. We have included photos of several paintings which reflect the southwestern focus (and which we really liked). The museum is definitely worth a couple of hour visit when you visit “Little London”.

On our final day in Colorado Springs we ventured out to Red Rock Canyon. We had held off visiting earlier in our stay due to some cloudy weather. Unfortunately, it appeared that everyone else in Colorado Springs had done the same (it was also the weekend) and this popular open space was quite crowded.

Still, we managed to find some quiet spaces and uncluttered views as we walked between and around the rock formations. Additionally, there are a number of moderate and longer trails for the more adventurous which usually provide solitude regardless of when you visit. Do visit when the sky is clear in order to see Pikes Peak rising above the red rock formations.

Interestingly, Red Rock Canyon is a city park consisting of 1474 acres of land. The park was pieced together with the multiple purchases of parcels over a period of years during the 1920s and 1930s by private citizens. It was acquired by the city in 2003. What makes the park’s history all the more remarkable is that many of the parcels were formerly quarries, gravel pits and industrial sites which have been reclaimed. There is little evidence of the past use of the space – without reading about the history you would most likely not think that to be the case.

After our walkabout at Red Rock, we popped over to the nearby Old Colorado City neighborhood. The neighborhood was at one time a separate town that prospered as a coal mining town and in the late 19th century as a gold refining location after the discovery of gold nearby. Typical of so many western mining hubs, the boom ultimately became the bust. The final straw was the prohibition of liquor sales in 1914. In 1917, the town was annexed by Colorado Springs.

The brothels and saloons that once lined Colorado Avenue have long since been replaced by art galleries, restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops and clothing stores. After a bit of browsing in several of the art galleries and book shops we took lunch at La Baguette Cafe and Bakery. Yum – the best bread! http://labaguette-co.com/

We were uncertain what lay ahead in regard to specialty coffee as we were about to venture into more rural territory; so we stopped in downtown for coffee, tea and breakfast at Loyal Coffee. First rate in all regards! https://loyalcoffee.co/

The photo below is of our unanimous choice for best vehicle OTR 9.0!

From Colorado Springs we traveled north – camping near Sterling, Colorado for our last night in the state. In future posts we will chronicle our trek across the midwestern plains en route to Connecticut.

Be seeing you!

Fine Art Tourist.Van Gogh in America.Detroit Institute of Art

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Travel

In early December, Fine Art Tourist traveled to Detroit for the unique opportunity to see 74 pieces in an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Vincent Van Gogh. This show features Van Gogh works from museums and private collections around the world.

While Detroit in December is not ideal, Van Gogh is our favorite artist (we are not alone there obviously) and this exhibition is at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) for just two months. This exhibition will not appear anywhere else in the United States.

The DIA was the first museum in the United States to purchase a painting by Van Gogh (Self-Portrait (no. 7)) at an auction in New York City in 1922. This exhibition entitled Van Gogh in America, commemorates the hundred-year anniversary of that acquisition. Today, the DIA has six Van Gogh paintings in its permanent collection.

It is difficult to imagine today, but Van Gogh’s work was not popular in the United States until many years after his death in 1890. The first public display of his work in the United States did not take place until 1913 (New York City, Boston and Chicago).

By the late 1920’s Van Gogh’s work had grown popular in the United States. A number of his works were included in an exhibition at the opening of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1929. Subsequently, a number of museums in the United States acquired Van Gogh paintings. Curiously, in addition to the DIA, a number of mid-western museums were early purchasers of his paintings. These included the Art Institute of Chicago, the Toledo Museum of Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City).

In this post we are not going to delve into the life of Vincent Van Gogh. There are numerous excellent books available about his tumultuous life and spectacular art. We have included several of our favorites at the end of the post if you are interested in learning more about his personal life and his development as an artist.

We have included below 30 of our photographs taken at the Van Gogh in America exhibit. The paintings included are presented in chronological order. It is fascinating for us to see how dramatically his paintings change in regard to brushwork and color over his short ten year painting career. The majority of the paintings are from late in his career when, despite his illness, he was incredibly productive.

Detroit Institute of Arts: https://dia.org/

Sorrow, 1882, Pencil and ink on paper,
The New Art Gallery Walsall, United Kingdom
Bird’s Nest, 1885, Oil on canvas,
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Beer Tankards, 1885, Oil on canvas,
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Vase with Poppies, 1886, Oil on canvas,
Wadsworth Atheneum of Art, Hartford, Connecticut
Terrace in the Luxembourg Gardens, 1886, Oil on canvas,
The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Pont du Carrousel and the Louvre, 1886, Oil on canvas,
Ny Carlsberg Glyptek, Copenhagen
Le Moulin de la Galette, 1886, Oil on canvas,
Staatliche zu Berlin, Nationalgalerie, Berlin
A Pair of Boots, 1887, Oil on canvas,
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
Grapes, Lemons, Pears, and Apples, 1887, Oil on canvas,
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
Restaurant de la Sirene of Asnieres, 1887, Oil on canvas,
Musee d’Orsay, Paris
The Stevedores in Arles, 1888, Oil on canvas,
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemiszo, Madrid
Entrance to the Public Gardens in Arles, 1888, Oil on canvas,
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC
Van Gogh’s Chair, 1888, Oil on canvas,
The National Gallery, London
The Sower, 1888, Oil on canvas,
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Mountains at Saint-Remy, 1889, Oil on canvas,
Guggenheim Museum, New York City
The Olive Trees, 1889, Oil on canvas,
The Museum of Modern Art, New York City
The Bedroom, 1889, Oil on canvas,
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
View of Auvers-sur-Oise, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
Poppy Field, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Kunstmuseum Den Hoog, The Hague
Farms near Auvers, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Tate, London
Wheat Stacks, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel
Stairway at Auvers, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Saint Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis, Missouri
Undergrowth with Two Figures, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio
Sheaves of Wheat, 1890, Oil on canvas,
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas
Women Crossing the Fields, 1890, Oil on paper,
McCoy Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas

Portrait Gallery

  • Self-Portrait, 1889, Oil on canvas
  • La Berceuse, 1889, Oil on canvas
  • Portrait of Camille Roulin, 1888, Oil on canvas
  • L’Arlesienne, Madame Ginoux, 1890, Oil on canvas
  • Adeline Ravoux, 1890, Oil on fabric

We hope you enjoyed seeing these works by Van Gogh as much as we enjoyed sharing them with you. Be seeing you!

Van Gogh, an Appreciation of his Art – Gerhard Gruitrooy: Vincent Van Gogh, The Letters – Edited by Leo Jansen, Hans, Luijten and Nienke Bakker: Van Gogh, His Life and His Art – David Sweetman

Fine Art Tourist: Poetry and Art

by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, History, Museum

Fine Art Tourist:OTR 8.0: Mississippi Museum of Art: New Symphony of Time

Jason Bouldin (1965) Portrait of Medgar Wiley Evers, 2013, Oil on canvas
Hystercine Rankin (1929-2010) Baptism in Crow Creek, 1996, quilted fabric, with appliqué and embroidery

After several days in Vicksburg, immersing ourselves in Civil War and Mississippi River history (see post – ctsprinterlife: OTR 8.0: Mississippi Part Three), we decided to head east to visit Jackson, before continuing our journey south along the Mississippi River.

Our timing turned out to be impeccable as MMOA was just opening a new exhibit entitled New Symphony of Time. The exhibit is ongoing and part of the permanent collection of the MMOA. The exhibit consists of 170 works by noted artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Albert Bierstadt and Benny Andrews. Additionally, the exhibit includes many works by talented Mississippi artists.

msmuseumart.org

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) A Scene in the Rockies, Lake Silva Plans, not dated, Oil on canvas

New Symphony of Time expands and illuminates the boundaries of Mississippi’s narrative. Exploring the themes of ancestry and memory; migration, movement, and home; shared humanity; the natural environment; and liberty for all, the exhibition is inspired by Margaret Walker’s epic poem, “This is My Century: Black Synthesis of Time.” (Above paragraph is taken from the curator notes.) The poem is interspersed in the post below.

Throughout the exhibit certain ideas resonate: personal and collective memory, history and the connection to place, as well as the roles artists play in pursuit of civil rights and racial equality.

Helene Canizaro (1911-1997) Stafford Springs, 1974, Oil on canvas
Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) The old Maple Tree, Lake George, 1926, Oil on canvas
Mildred Nungester Wolfe (1912-2009) The Old Studio, 1957, Oil on canvas
         This is My Century: Black Synthesis of Time by  ---  Margaret Walker
O Man, behold your destiny,
Look on this life
and know our future living
our former lives from these our present days
now melded into one.
Hale Woodruff (1900-1980) Mississippi Wilderness, c. 1944, Oil on canvas
Queens of the Nile,
Gods of our Genesis,
Parade of Centuries
behold the rising sun.
The dying Western sky
with yawning gates of death,
from decadence and dissonance
destroying false and fair,
worlds of our galaxies,
our waning moons and suns
look on this living hell
and see the rising sun.
Theora Hamblett (1895-1977) Walking, Meditating in the Woods,1963, Oil on canvas
This my century
I saw it grow
from darkness into dawn.
I watched the molten lava pour
from red volcanic skies;
Islands and Mountains heave
into the sea
Move Man into the spiraled axis turn
and saw six suns and sunsets rise and burn.
Karl Wolfe (1903-1984) Xanadu (View from Studio Window), c. 1960s, Oil on board
Osiris, Isis, black and beautiful gods,
When came your spectacle
of rythmed life and death?
You gods of love
on pyres of sacrifice
our human hearts become
old hearthstones of our tribal birth and flame:
the hammer and the forge,
the anvil and the fire,
the righteous sparks go wild
like rockets in the sky.
The fireworks overhead
flame red and blue and gold
against on darkened sky.
O living man behold
your destined hands control
the flowered earth ablaze,
alive, each golden flower unfold.
John McCrady (1911-1968) Rural Symposium, 1964, Acrylic on board
Now see our marching dead
The tyrants too, have fled.
The broken bones and blood
Have melted in the flood.
Clementine Hunter (1886-1988) Untitled, 1980, oil on canvas board
Cinque.
O man magnificent.
The gods endowed you well.
Prince of our innocence
The stars move round your head.
You stride the earth to tell
your sons and daughters young
from island, sea, and land-
a continental span-
how men are made of gods
and born to rule the world.
In majesty with monumental hands
you bridge the Universe
and centuries of desert sands.
Bequeath to us your handsome dignity
and lordly noble trust.
George Morland (1763-1804) Execrable Human Traffick, 1789, Oil on canvas
Gods of compassion, rise
In mortal human form.
The splendor of your eyes
Streaks lightening through the storm.
Noah Saterstrom (1974) Road to Shubuta, 2016, Oil on canvas
This is my century-
Black synthesis of Time:
The Freudian slip
The Marxian mind
Kierkaardian Leap of Faith
and Du Bois' prophecy: the color line.
These are the comrades of Einstein,
the dawning of another Age,
new symphony of Time.
New liberties arise;
from Freedom's flag unfold;
the right to live and be
both stronger and more wise.
Each child, a prophet's eyes;
each place, a priestess stone.
This Beast no man denies
the godly-human throne.
Each generation cries
to touch divinity
and open up the sunlit splitting skies.
Ruth Miller (1949) The Evocation and Capture of Aphrodite, 2014, hand-embroidered wool 
I have had a good time singing
the songs of my fathers
the melodies of my mothers
the plaintive minor notes of my grandmothers.
I heard the drums of Africa
and I made the music of Spain.
I gave rythym to the world
and called it syncopation.
All the Calypso brothers
have dance music in my head
and all my beautiful jazzy greats
like old Satchmo,
the Duke, the Count, the Duchess, the King
the Queen, Prince, and Princesses
they were the sons and daughters of royalty
in my dynasty.
I am a black shoeshine boy
made immortal by Barthe
and I am a black mother
running from slavery.
Ernest Crichlow (1914-2005) Underground III,1990, Oil on canvas
Look on my bronzed and black-red-mahogany face
and know me well.
For I am the seed of the earth,
the broken body of the Son of God,
and the Spirit of the Universe.
Drink wine in my memory
and pour water on stones
singing Libation songs.
I came out of the sun
and I swam rivers of blood
to touch the moon.
I will not flinch before the holocaust
for I am a deathless soul,
immortal, black, and free.

The MMOA started as a state art association in 1911 and has grown in size and stature. Today the museum collection includes 5800 works and contains works by notable artists including Andy Warhol, Robert Henri, Georgia O’Keeffe and George Bellows.

The museum and the community are clearly demonstrating a commitment to confronting the legacy of racism in Mississippi and to moving forward to help foster a better present and future. Our hats off to the organization and community.

We hope you enjoyed this edition of OTR with Maria and Stephen.

Be seeing you!