Journeys Near and Far

Painted Metaphors: Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya

A New Exhibit Opens at Penn Museum

A new traveling exhibition opens today at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology:  Painted Metaphors:  Pottery and Politics of the Ancient Maya. 

I had the opportunity to preview this exhibit last Monday and I really loved it -- I have a long-standing interest in the ancient Maya, their glyphs and drawings, so this collection, scheduled to be on display until January 31, 2010, intrigued me. 

Focusing on ordinary people and their daily lives, the exhibit showcases the famous Chama painted pottery excavated nearly a century ago by the University of  Pennsylvania. 

Newly reinterpreted in light of recent research in the field, the pottery, which forms the centerpiece of the Painted Metaphors exhibit, yields new clues to understanding the everyday life -- and changing politics -- of the ancient Maya of Guatemala 1,300 years ago.

The almost two dozen recently conserved Maya painted vessels come from Chama, a Maya village in the highlands far from the more sophisticated lowland centers of Maya culture.  Discovered by Penn Museum archaeologist Robert Burkitt, this vibrant painted pottery is unlike anything else the region ever produced.

Why is that, I wondered?  Exhibition Curator Dr. Elin Danien, Research Associate at the Penn Museum, suggests these are "painted metaphors", or pictorial narratives, reflecting the sudden introduction of people and ideas from the Maya lowlands.  Interesting.

Visiting Phoenix? See Chihuly: The Nature of Glass

A stunning exhibit of renowned artist Dale Chihuly's unique glass works 

Chihuly reacquaints us with the experience of life --  Richard K. Nilsen, The Arizona Republic

Have you ever wondered how fast a saguaro cactus grows?   Or which plant is thought to be the oldest living plant in the world?  Well, one of the best places to get answers to these questions and to get a feel of the Sonoran Desert is at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Desert Botanical Garden is one of my favorite places, so when I flew to Phoenix last week to visit my sister, I was excited to learn that the Garden was hosting an exhibit by one of my favorite artists -- Dale Chihuly. 

Since my sister had to work the first day I was there, I drove to the garden with my friend Kathy, who had flown in from Las Vegas that morning.  We were thrilled to see not only one of the world's most diverse collections of succulent plants, but Dale Chihuly's innovative, vibrant glass sculptures as well.

Chihuly:  The Nature of Glass is a must-see exhibit if you are in the Phoenix area.  Featuring new and unique works of glass placed artfully among the Garden's 50,000 plants, this is Chihuly's first installation entirely within a desert garden environment. 

Chihuly's spectacular work is recognizable for it's grand scale and brilliant colors, and can be found in more than 200 museums worldwide.  You can see his creations in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, London's Victoria and Albert Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

The Desert Botanical Garden itself sits on some 145 acres, nestled amid the Papago Park buttes.  I'm always surprised at how spread out Phoenix is; it took us about 40minutes to get there from my sister's home in Ahwatukee.

Twilight Tourism

Twilight Fans, This Post is for You

I must have been living in a cloud, because, until the movie Twilight came out, I knew nothing about Stephenie Meyer's romantic vampire saga.   When I saw the movie, I immediately fell in love with the characters, and after leaving the theater I snapped up a copy of the book to learn more. 

Now, before I devour the second book in the series, New Moon, I thought I'd share a link to a blog post I came across that might be of interest to you.

Tours to movie sites are not a new thing, and neither is Vampire Tourism.  After all, thanks to Bram Stoker visitors have been traveling to Transylvania, Romania in search of Count Dracula for years.  And what about the English seaside town of Whitby?  This ancient fishing port between the North York Moors and the North Sea is the site where Stoker's Dracula arrived in England aboard the Russian schooner Demeter.  And then there's the sultry city of New Orleans, where you can visit the home of Anne Rice, who wrote the Vampire Chronicles.

Forks, Washington has now joined in on the fun and is getting some much-needed revenue from Twilight fans.  In her post Top Twilight Travel Sites on the Traveling Mamas blog, CajunMama writes about the top Twilight sites that fans can visit:

• Forks, located on the Washington Olympic Peninsula, Bella's new home.
• La Push, a community that's part of the Quileute Indian Reservation and the home of Jacob Black in Twilight.
• Hoh Rainforest, where you can experience the setting where Meyer's vampires made their home.
• Port Angeles, where Edward took Bella to dine on Mushroom Ravioli.

Although much of the movie was filmed in the Oregon cities of St. Helens and Portland due to budget constraints, CajunMama points out that a company called FanTrips.Travel will take you to many of the actual filming locations, such as La Push beach, Columbia River Gorge, and View Point Inn, where Edward and Bella share some romantic moments after the prom.

You can also visit many of the sites on your own.  To learn more about visiting the Twilight sites in Forks, check out Home of the Twilight the Book and On the Twilight Trail in Forks on the Forks website.

Ahoy, Mateys! Get Ready for a Rollicking Good Pirate Adventure in Philadelphia

This weekend...

Arrgh, me hearties, prepare to set sail aboard the Whydah for a grand adventure at the Franklin Institute!  If you're in or near Philadelphia this weekend, it will be your last chance to see Real Pirates, the world's first exhibition of authentic pirate treasure!

This exhibit is new from National Geographic and the team that designed Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs.  On display you'll see more than 200 artifacts salvaged from the ocean floor from the wreck of the Whydah, the only authenticated pirate ship ever recovered in American waters. 

Named after the port of Whydah in West Africa, the ship was captured by pirates in the Windward Passage on it's maiden voyage and then driven to Cape Cod.  Caught in a terrible storm there, the Whydah sunk in 1717.

Many of the coins you'll see on exhibit are antiques from the early 1500's that the pirates wore as jewelry, going all the way back to Ferdinand and Isabella and right up to 1717.

I haven't had a chance to see this exhibit yet myself, but I'm hoping to go this weekend and wanted to tell you about it while you still have a chance to see it, as I hear 'tis a fitting exhibit for the whole family.

Since it's the final weekend of the exhibit, prepare to be entertained by some special events.  On their website, the Franklin Institute says there will be "pirate appearances" all weekend long, with sword fighting shows, pirate-themed book readings, and pirate games, among other things.  Cool.

So ahoy, mateys!  And repeat after me:  "'Tis a pirate's life for me...".   Then unfurl yer treasure maps and gather yer doubloons!  For it's time to experience Real Pirates, if ye dare.

Note:  Fascinated by pirates? 

• Watch Barry Clifford talk about the ship in this video.  He's the underwater explorer who discovered the Whydah in 1984.

• Teachers:  The Franklin Institute has a fabulous pirate's educator's guide which can be downloaded here.

Some pirate books in my personal library (not about the Wydah) that I recommend are:

• Under the Black Flag, the Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, by David Cordingly.   An account of the golden age of piracy by the world's foremost expert on pirates.
• The History of Pirates, by Angus Konstam.  A colorful account of thievery, torture, and murder on the high seas.  It's a fun book written in association with the Mariners' Museum in Virginia, a fabulous museum I will write more about later.
• Fact or Fiction:  Pirates, by Stewart Ross.  Great book for kids, separating the reality of pirate life from the fantasy.   Check the used paperbacks for this one if it's not available or see if your library carries it.

Photos courtesy of the Franklin Institute.

Websites to Visit -- VisitPA.com

Share Your Stories on the Newly Redesigned VisitPA.com Website

The folks at VisitPA.com have just  redesigned their state tourism website.  Launched last Monday, travelers can now share their itinerary suggestions, comments, user reviews and photos with each other -- a fun concept that's completely different than any other state travel site.

As soon as the site launched I went over to check it out.  The site has four main tabs:  Things To Do, PA Maps, Trip Ideas and Travel Tools.  Within each tab are numerous additional choices, under which you'll find a wealth of  travelers' posts about different Pennsylvania locations and events.  Check out the photo gallery as well (where visitors can upload their photos) as there is nothing quite like seeing other people's pictures to inspire you to pick up and go.

There are nine categories for your story such as History & Heritage, Festivals & Fairs, and Sporting Events.  Just click on "Share Your Story" at the top of the page, then type your story in the box and pick which category it best fits in.  The story can have up to 500 characters, and you can upload a .jpg image to go with it. 

The redesigned site has only been up for a week and there are already dozens of traveler stories posted.  I think it's going to be pretty popular.

So if you're thinking about visiting Pennsylvania, or already have and would like to share your story, be sure to click over to VisitPA.com.  The site relies almost completely on user-generated content, so tell your friends about it!  The more people who visit and participate, the better the site will be.

Mary Poppins on Broadway

"Wind's in the East, There's a Mist Coming In -- Like Something is Brewing and 'Bout to Begin..."

That's what Bert the Chimney Sweep says, and he has the uncanny ability to sense change in the air -- and the arrival of Mary Poppins. 

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins, the story of the magical Nanny we all loved as children is now playing on Broadway, reminding all of us to believe in the power of hope and optimism.  Beliefs, I might add, that are as relevant today as when P. L. Travers published the first Poppins book in 1934.

I saw the show Sunday night, after spending a whirlwind weekend showing my Scottish friend Finlay around New York City.  It was one of the highlights of our trip.  The music, acting, set and story were fabulous (as were our seats, which we booked just a week in advance on Broadway.com). 

The show brought back fond childhood memories of the movie with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, one of my favorites.  The art nouveau style New Amsterdam Theater right on 42nd Street in Times Square is beautiful.  Read more about it here.

In doing research for this blog post, I found an interesting article written by Cameron Mackintosh called P. L. Travers From the Page to the Stage  on Disney's website (click on "The Making Of" under "Backstage" on the left).  As a writer I'm very interested in the process of adapting books to the stage and screen so I enjoyed reading this.

Another fun thing I found on Disney's site was a Mary Poppins show study guide prepared by the Disney Theatrical Group Education Department.  There were a lot of children in the audience and I'm sure they'd all have fun with this.  Check it out even if you don't have kids -- it gives some great background on the story.

If you're in or near New York City or thinking of visiting, I highly recommend this show.  It's an uplifting experience, reminding us that "Anything can happen if we recognize the magic of everyday life."

Photos courtesy of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins.

Meet Fellow Hotel Guests -- Before You Arrive

"Dinner and Drinks on the 14th?"

I found this post, from a young lady in Germany, on the Pod Hotel's new site created for Pod Hotel Travelers.  The hotel has launched the site to help Pod Hotel guests meet each other before they arrive.  Clever.

I wrote about New York City's Pod Hotel in a previous post.  Recently, I learned about their new site when I made a reservation there for an upcoming trip to New York City.  After I got my confirmation, I received an invitation with a password to "Experience Pod Culture." 

The posts are organized by month, under four headings.  "Drink with Me", "Eat with Me", "Shop with Me" and "Go Out with Me".  Ideal for solo travelers or those traveling with friends, this site is useful whether you are looking for someone to share a cab ride, have dinner or drinks with, shop with or attend a show.  And it's a great way to meet fellow travelers from all over the world. 

I always recommend this hotel to my friends.  But don't go by my opinion alone -- read someone else's as well.  Check out this short article from The Washington Post. 

Photos courtesy of The Pod Hotel.

Exploring St. Augustine...

Spanish Architecture, Chocolate and a Museum of Victoriana

In an earlier post I wrote about St. Augustine, Florida -- the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States.  My friends and I had been touring the city by Red Train, from which you can hop on and off at twenty different stops.

Flagler College

We hopped off at Flagler College, once Henry Flagler's Hotel Ponce De Leon.  There, we took a peek at the school's opulent dining room -- where students chow down under a domed ceiling ringed by 79 Louis Comfort Tiffany windows.  The building is also renowned for its ornate murals and Spanish Renaissance architecture.

Claude's Chocolate

The Spanish influence in St. Augustine goes beyond architecture, however.  The aroma of chocolate -- that decadent treat brought to America in 1755 via Spain -- lures you into Claude's Chocolate shop on Hypolita Street.  Chef Claude Franques makes the chocolate by hand, free of preservatives and additives.  His wife, Nicole, handles the display and packaging.

At Claude's, peer into the glass case filled with luscious confections, and you'll face a tough decision:  Which of the twenty-four bonbons should you choose?  It's not difficult:  Try Claude's Sampler for $3.50.

Of course, with the chocolates sporting fanciful, foreign-sounding names such as "Cognac Truffle", "Mayan Spicy" and "Dark Heart of Passion", you might forget you're in Florida.  That can be remedied, however, by going outside for a stroll down the pedestrian-only St. George Street, just a block away.  Here, you'll find a delightful variety of shops and plenty of bistros where you can grab a bit to eat.

The Lightner Museum

For lunch, I grabbed a Spinach Pie, with feta in a puffed pastry -- very fulfilling -- at the Athena Restaurant on Cathedral Place before visiting the Lightner Museum.  Replete with relics of America's Golden Age, the museum was built in 1887 as the Hotel Alcazar (another of Flagler's hotels).  It featured a retractable roof over the grand ballroom, a Turkish bath, tennis courts, and a huge indoor swimming pool.  My kind of place!

In an upcoming post I'll write about the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, some  chic restaurants that you must visit, and St. Augustine's Inns of Elegance.

Top photo:  The Lightner Museum, courtesy of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, & the Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau.

St. Augustine: A New Look at America's Oldest City

Romance, Raiders and Restless Spirits

In St. Augustine, Florida, it's not hard to believe in ghosts.  Take the Spanish Dragoon seen sitting in a wing chair at the historic Casa de Solana Inn.  I searched for him for three nights.  Had I seen him, I wouldn't have been surprised.  After all, this city, founded in 1565 by Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, is the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States, a place ripe for haunting.  Bashed by the French and British armies, plundered by pirates, and hammered by Indian uprisings -- not to mention disease and hurricanes -- many people have lived, loved and died here.

Castillo de San Marcos

Ghosts aside, how did St. Augustine survive all of these attacks?  One reason was the Castillo de San Marcos, a fort located just outside the historic Spanish Quarter's still-standing gates, which provided refuge to townspeople during turbulent times.

Constructed of coquina (quarried rock composed of crushed shells), the Castillo de San Marcos was Spain's northernmost outpost in their New World empire, providing good defense against pirates and the French and English forces that attacked.  The fort is well worth a visit -- even if just to wander along the sun-drenched bastions as the breeze blows softly across the waters of Matanzas Bay.

The Red Train

While it's a great city for walking, an entertaining way to explore St. Augustine is by Red Train.  You'll be able to hop on and hop off the seven-mile circuit at twenty different stops.  Dan Carignan, our train "conductor", gave us a narrated tour, pointing out the Tradewinds Tropical Lounge where Jimmy Buffett got his start, quirky boutiques and art galleries, and the huge live oak with a sago palm sprouting from its trunk called the "love tree". 

Also on the Red Train route:  The original Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum, once known as "The Castle" -- a Moorish Revival Style hotel that catered to a multitude of famous guests; the Fountain of Youth, a legendary spring that reputedly restores youth to anyone who drinks of its waters; and Flagler College, built as the Hotel Ponce De Leon by Henry M. Flagler in 1887. 

Henry M. Flagler

Flagler, who with John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil Co., honeymooned in St. Augustine in 1883.  Realizing the tourism potential of the town, he built the Ponce de Leon Hotel to entice wealthy northerners down to escape the snow.  When electric lights were first installed, Carignan told us, Flagler hired staff to control them, as the guests were too nervous to flip the switches.

Next post:  Explore St. Augustine's maritime history, dine in the city's chic restaurants, buy luscious chocolates, and learn about the Inns of Elegance!

Bottom photos courtesy of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Fairfax, Virginia...

• ...The Crossroads of History for Two Hundred Years

Stroll the tranquil tree-lined streets of the historic city of Fairfax, and you'll forget you're in congested northern Virginia.  This charming town offers visitors an array of unique attractions -- both inside and outside the city limits.  And with a location just fifteen miles southwest of the nation's capital, it's a great base for exploring not only northern Virginia but Washington, D.C., as well.

I began my sightseeing with a walk through Old Town Fairfax.  Though only six blocks long, the Old Town covers considerable ground in American history, and the best way to explore it is on foot.

Stop first at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor's Center, located in a restored two-story 19th centry schoolhouse.  Here, visitors learn about the area's history and attractions through detailed exhibits.

One exhibit, called "The Fairfax Story", showed me that this area was nothing more than a remote crossroads in the late 1700s, home only to a General Store called Caleb Earp's.  However, in 1790, George Mason, a statesman and politcal thinker, petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to relocate the County Court from Alexandria to Fairfax.  This made it more accessible to Fairfax County's rural inhabitants.  The court was moved to Earp's Corner, the center of Fairfax County and today's city of Fairfax.

Another exhibit I enjoyed, "Raids, Romance and Writing", tells the enchanting Romeo and Juliet-like story of beautiful Fairfax resident Antonia Julia Ford.  Ford allegedly rode out behind enemy lines to warn Confederate forces of troop movements toward Manassas.  The tale of Ford's imprisonment as a spy and her romance with Union Army Major Joseph C. Willard is one of the great love stories of the 19th century.

After leaving the Visitors Center, there are several stops you can make:

Fairfax Courthouse -- Walk to Fairfax Courthouse, where George and Martha Washington's wills were probated and still remain.  The Courthouse lawn (photo above, right) was the scene of one of the earliest skirmishes of the Civil War --  Confederate Captain John Quincy Marr, the first Confederate officer to be killed in action, was shot on the lawn on June 1, 1861.

Ratcliffe-Allison House and Pozer Gardens -- (Photo top, left).  Built in 1812, it's the oldest historic residence remaining in the city.  It served many functions, including that of a cobbler shop, and was occupied until the 1950s; the house was home to famed gardener and writer Kitty Pozer.

Fairfax's Old-Town Hall -- Once the city's social center, the Old-Town Hall is another site to see.  Joseph E. Willard, the only son of Confederate spy Antonia Ford and her Union captor, Joseph C. Willard, built this Classical-Revival building in 1900 as a gift to the city.

Historic Blenheim -- (Photo below) is a 12-acre estate that was once part of a 360-acre farm owned by several generations of the locally prominent Willcoxon family.  What made my visit to Blenheim so interesting was the Civil War soldier graffiti in the attic.  Blenheim contains the most voluminous and best-preserved Civil War graffiti in the nation.  The art, signatures and poetry written by Union soldiers during their occupation in 1862-1863 gave me insight into typical soldier life during the Civil War.

Outside the City -- Venturing further out from the city of Fairfax, there is much to do.  I'll write about my visits to Sully Plantation, Mount Vernon, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Gunston Hall, the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in future posts.

Whether your aim is to visit historical sites, explore museums or see the nation's capital, all of these (and many more) sites can be reached within a 30-minute drive from Fairfax -- where travelers have been rediscovering the past and savoring the present for two hundred years.

Note:   I haven't read it yet, but I found a book on Amazon.com called The Spy in Crinoline:  Antonia Ford's Civil War, by Karla Vernon, for any romantics or history-lovers out there who want to learn more about Antonia Julia Ford.

Courthouse Photo courtesy of Destination Fairfax.  Other photos by Melody Moser.