A King's Birthplace

No trip to Atlanta would be complete without acknowledging the Civil Rights era's most prominent voice, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Having previously visited his monument in DC and the place of his assassination in Memphis, it seemed fitting that I visit the places he grew up and developed his earliest ideologies in. Enter my abbreviated visit to the MLK National Historic Site.

Tunicia and I visited here in between trying to hopefully find a dress for me to wear to a formal event I had coming up a few weeks later. While the sites themselves are free, for certain aspects, advance reservations are strongly encouraged as there are capacity limits. This was the case with Dr. King's childhood home, which we could only walk past and take photos of.

We walked very quickly through the visitor center. There you were given a very general glimpse of the way America operated in segregation and how this influenced a young King. Outside of the center was a statue of Gandhi, a major influence in the way King would approach leading others for change.

We got to go inside of the historic (and still used!) Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King attended and preached. They had one of his sermons playing in the sanctuary and visitors could go into the pews and listen.

I also got to see the tomb where Dr. King and his wife Coretta now rest. It was strange because I remember visiting when I was in high school (while Coretta was still alive) and it was a little sad to see it doubled in size. It was still a very beautiful way to honor these two American icons.

Well friends, only one or two more entries about my time (nearly two months ago) in Atlanta. I'm actually going to be back there in January so I'll be sure to visit a few more sites. In the meantime, I want to thank you for following me along on my journey, and as always, I'll see you on the next adventure.

Best Of The West

The last attraction I visited while in Oklahoma City was the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. It seemed to be completely removed from most of everything else in Oklahoma City...or at least the Bricktown area I spent a large portion of my OKC time in. When I entered the museum, I was warmly greeted by a gentleman dressed in a cowboy outfit who apparently took a liking to me right away because we chit-chatted for nearly 20 minutes. He gave me his "business card", and it names him as Mr. Jerry Lee Tyner, BRS. Old West Aficionado, Serendipity Songster. How cool is that?!

This really got you in the mood for the rest of the museum! Kudos!

Turns out he was a docent, and he told me all sorts of facts about the museum and artifacts in it. Most of the conversation focused on a giant white statue directly behind us that depicts a Native American atop a bronco. It's an item featured often in materials about the museum, and when you see it in person, you are going to be simply breathless at how huge it actually is. Turns out it's nearly 100 years old, and the man who posed for the sculptor also posed for the Native profile on the buffalo nickel. How the sculpture ended up in the museum was an interesting (and lengthy) tale about World's Fairs, far away little towns, bureaucratic battles, bronze replacements, and the struggle to preserve plaster that was taken apart for decades.

From here, it gets a little complicated. See, this museum is HUGE. A LOT bigger than it appears to be. The above pictured statue sits in the middle of the east and west wings. I'll talk about the east wing first since I spent the least amount of time there. That's where the cafeteria is, as well as a gallery of Western art the museum has purchased over the years. There's a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln, a smaller bronze one of John Wayne, and some newer artifacts that have recently been acquired by the museum. However, most of the gallery space lies behind Lincoln, and no photography is allowed there, so I didn't go in.

The west wing, however, was PACKED with information and things to see. Even at a slightly hurried pace I didn't get to see it all. It seemed every time I tried to backtrack I found myself in a new room with more artifacts, paintings, or exhibits that taught me about another aspect of Western American culture.

There were areas that showed various Native American clothing:

A section that talked about television westerns (I'm a Rawhide and Big Valley fan myself) where I learned about the first and only African American western star Herb Jeffries aka "The Bronze Buckaroo" (he recently passed this past May at the age of 100):

An area that talked about the history, sport, and evolution of the American rodeo:

A small section that seemed to depict hunting in the early days of the frontier:

A very well done section that discussed the military, including the contributions of African Americans, Native Americans, and women:

A very expansive section that talked about the "basics" of cowboy culture (like different types of hats, rope ties, horses, saddles, etc.) as well as the different kind of cowboys there were. This was an area I wish I would have spent more time in:

There was even an interactive "town" where you could walk in and out of different shops and listen to a shopkeeper tell you about what their average day is like. It was very similar to the McKinley Memorial and Museum I visited in Canton, Ohio except it was larger, newer, and didn't have creepy mannequins incorporated into the shop areas:

There was also a very large gallery full of smaller statues and gorgeous paintings depicting western scenes. One painting in particular had pinks and blues so vibrant and, almost neon looking that I was sure it was a modern piece....but was painted in 1916! No photos allowed in there, and as we know, I (usually) follow the rules. There are also outdoor gardens, but as I was running out of time, my camera battery was dying, and it was over 100 degrees outside, I didn't go and wander about.

This museum was beautiful, and very well put together. But what I loved most was how much I learned there. Did you know that there were cowboys in Hawaii and Canada? I sure didn't. I also learned a lot about the more obscure parts of American history, and about the cultural and economic impact this had on our developing nation. You can go over more than 200 years of history in about two hours, and I think that's pretty cool. I also appreciated that multiple cultures were featured, and that both men and women were portrayed throughout the museum. I also enjoyed that rather than having the material portrayed as a "cowboy versus Indian" theme, both topics were blended throughout without lessening their individual importance. If you have two or three hours to spare in OKC, do yourself a favor and visit this truly amazing and unique museum.

 Well, I thought I was done with Oklahoma but it turns out I have one last very brief entry to go- my first meal at Sonic! I'll try to get that out before this weekend- after all I'll be headed to a "new" state: Georgia! (I put those quotes there because I actually used to live in Atlanta for a very brief period of time...but never ever did any touristy stuff. Shame on me!)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. As always, you can check out my pictures on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and I'll see you on the next adventure!

Proof Museums Can Be Fun- Even For The Reluctant!

My first day in OKC ended with a visit to the American Banjo Museum. Let me add that I was not alone. I was with a fraternity brother and sorority sister who were less than enthused about visiting this museum, but they were humoring me I suppose. We had coupons and a Groupon that made it even more affordable to visit and made it even more difficult to argue against visiting.

The escape from the oppressive 105 degree heat into the museum's generous air conditioning alone was reason enough to pay a few bucks to enter, but (as I, the museum lover, tend to do) really enjoyed my visit here. Amazingly, my friends did too- even if they weren't convinced it was really worth their time.

When you first walk into the museum, you are introduced to the history of the banjo via an 8 minute presentation. It starts with the above grandfather and child having a conversation about the boy learning how to play the banjo. (Interesting fact, they were fashioned after the Henry O. Tanner painting "The Banjo Lesson".) From there you listen about the African roots the physical instrument has, and then move forward through it's place in American culture from slavery to minstrel shows to jazz to bluegrass.

From there you enter into a large, L shaped gallery that has some pictures and neat posters and information posted about the development and advancements in banjo manufacturing and musical influence, but what will stand out most are the dozens and dozens of beautifully ornate banjos. Seriously. When I thought of banjos previously, I thought about hillbillies and instruments made out of scrap metal. These were NOT that. See for yourself:

From there you walk past biographies of some of the more famous banjo players, and then head upstairs to find even more banjos including a very rare 1929 Gibson bass banjo.

There was a very catchy song playing on the second floor (it was actually The Gang That Sang "Heart of My Heart"). It came out of an exhibit that looked like an old school pizza parlor that talked about the band/restaurant named "Your Father's Mustache". It was an interesting surprise, but hilarious thanks to this sign here:

C'mon. THAT is FUNNY! And clever!

At the end, as we prepared our journeys off to Stillwater and Langston, we talked with the lovely woman at the front desk, who invited us to try our hand at playing one of the hands-on banjos at the front. It was a lot of musical fun that I was glad to share with my friends (especially as I gave them a semi-lecture of "See! You thought I was crazy but we enjoyed ourselves!).

More Oklahoma blog entries to come over the coming days. In the meantime, feel free to look at the rest of my Facebook photos from Oklahoma and all the states I've visited for the blog thus far. You can also check out a video I shot of a video in the museum (please don't hate me oh copyright lords and ladies!) and a photo of me awkwardly holding a banjo while my friend takes my picture.

Thank you so much for reading my blog, and as always, see you on the next adventure!

Frankly, My Dear, You Give A Dam

Before I begin my post, I wanted to send a special congratulations to Miss Nevada for winning the 2014 Miss America pageant! My prior entry about Miss America contestants was really popular so I figured you all would enjoy that link. If you would like to learn more about the other contestants, you can read about them here. How fitting that she won right in the middle of my posts about her home state!

Speaking of Nevada, the very first excursion I booked was for the Hoover Dam using a Groupon from the Hoover Dam Tour Company. 

My sister and I were picked up at our hotel at 9:20 am and we made a few stops at other hotels to pick up other tourists. We were transported to what looked like a huge bus depot, where we boarded a coach bus to take the drive out to the Dam. On the way out, our driver told us a few stories about the housing boom and bust that had recently happened, as well as some tidbits about the Vegas economy (and thanking tourists such as ourselves for being such a large chunk of it). There was a documentary playing about the construction of the Dam, but I think I was the only person that was actually paying attention to it. 

A view from our drive

After about 20 minutes or so we made our first stop at Lake Mead- a man-made lake created by the Dam that is a popular tourist attraction in its own right. Everyone got out and took pictures, and the driver got some sort desert critters that looked like squirrels without tails to come up to the area we parked in by feeding them peanuts. I didn't get any good pics or video of them-- they were really hard to see due to their sandy colored fur.

Lake Mead

Yours truly at Lake Mead...pardon the squinty look
It was SUPER hot and sunny that day

We stayed there maybe 10 minutes, and headed on to the Dam. We went through security screenings very similar to an airport before we were truly inside of the Visitor's Center (TIP: Outside food and drinks are not permitted. Only bottled water!) There, we watched another movie about the making of the Dam (this one was maybe 10 or 15 minutes long) and then were lined up to be split into groups to enter the Power Plant. We got to see all sorts of inner workings there, but as we just had the general tour, we weren't permitted to get up close and personal with the machinery. 

Power Generators inside the Dam

Tour guide explaining how the water in the Dam works and is diverted

One of the Large water diversion pipes

After you left the Power Plant, there was a mini museum dedicated the history and construction of the Dam. It gave insights into how the public felt about the construction, what engineering and financial hurdles the project managers faced, as well as what the lives of the workers were like. There was a replica of one of the generators you could walk through, and then a part that talked about all the accolades the Dam has won as well as how it has affected the region's economics and ecology. I especially liked that they highlighted the role African Americans played in the construction of the Dam.

Display about workers in the museum portion

Photo of some of the African Americans that worked on the Dam

But, most people come to the Hoover Dam to take pictures of the Dam itself. There are two observation areas once you get outside, as well as the original Visitor's Center and a few cool statues dedicated to a lot of things related to the Dam. We stayed out there a total of maybe 20 minutes. It was SUPER hot (over 100 degrees) and really bright out, so all that light reflecting off of the light colored Dam was a bit blinding. I got a few shots of the Dam, the Colorado River, and the statues though. (Didn't want to disappoint my readers!) The original Visitor Center has a 10 minute movie you can watch, but we had to get back to our bus by then and didn't have time to stay.

The Hoover Dam

The view down

Colorado River and the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

Statues near the Dam

After we boarded the bus again, we were shuttled off to Ethel M Chocolates where because we ran over at the Dam, we only got to tour for about 20 minutes. From there, we were all dropped off at our respective hotels. 

I enjoyed my trip to the Hoover Dam. It's one of those American Icons that you hear about, and I was glad to check it off of my list.

I've got a few more entries to go for Nevada, and then my next "new" state won't happen until July-- when I venture off into Oklahoma! In the meantime you can look at the rest of my Nevada photos on my Facebook page.

As always, thank you for reading, and we'll see you on the next adventure!

They Keep The Lights On

When you think of Las Vegas, what comes to mind? Gambling and casinos? Nearly naked women and sinful nights? Quickie marriages (and divorces)? Perhaps. Myself, I always think about the lights. There's only one place that can even dream of coming close to being as bright and lit up as Vegas (that would be Times Square in NYC), and even that has nothing on the decades of art, science, engineering, and marketing that have grown into the iconic Las Vegas neon signs.

It's even brighter in person
Image from http://www.condominiumcentral.net/

But, what happens when these signs get old? Or a casino is demolished or renamed or rebranded?

Enter the only museum in America (if not the world) dedicated to the preservation of neon signs, The Neon Museum. Filled with the relics of by-gone Vegas businesses and eras, a tour here is like walking back through time. Many of the signs are in the process of being restored and refurbished but there are lots that are waiting their turn, giving visitors a close peek at the artistry and thought put into each sign.

To get here, my sister and I took the Deuce Bus to Stewart and 4th Street, then walked maybe 3 or 4 blocks to the Neon Museum. We were in a bit of a hurry (we were trying to squeeze this in literally a few hours before we were to fly back to Pennsylvania), but caught a 9:30am tour. Let me go on the record and say that at first I was grumpy that there were such odd tour times (a few in the morning, and a few in the evening- and that's it!) but having gone on the tour, I fully understand why. See, The Neon Museum is all outdoors-- in a desert. So halfway through our 9:30 am tour it was already near 100 degrees outside surrounded by huge metal and glass signs with little shade to be had. A tour at high noon would probably kill someone from the sun exposure!

The gift shop/ lobby of the Neon Museum....that's the only "inside" part you'll get

Pieces of the Moulin Rouge, Stardust, Lady Luck and others- that's all metal and a real sun folks.
It was HOT!!!

At night, the tour is a bit more expensive ($25 versus $18 in the day), but they offer a bevy of discounts for Nevada residents, museum professionals, students, etc. I wish we could have seen the tour at night, when the signs are lit up and you can get a taste of them in their former glory!

Part of the original Stardust sign- the rest is scattered around the museum

It sure FELT like the Sahara out there!

This museum is pretty new (only an official museum for about a year and a half now although the collection of the signs goes back for decades) and I am excited to see where they will go from here. They have a fundraiser going to raise funds to restore some of the more damaged signs (donate friends!), and they have a cool gift shop with lots of pop art-ish items, books, and art pieces. While actual signs themselves are not for sale (or the components of them), walking through the Boneyard (the exhibition space) gave me a feeling of ownership of these beautiful artifacts. What I loved most? That many of the signs and hotels of early Vegas were designed by women and African Americans such as Betty Willis who designed the most famous signs of the Strip including the "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign (more on THAT in another post) and signs for the Stardust and Moulin Rouge, and Paul Revere Williams, the first documented African-American member and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Well friends, this is one of many entries I'll have for Nevada. I truly loved this museum, and hope that my lovely readers will support them on their fundraising effort! While I get the rest of these entries typed, feel free to peruse the rest of my Nevada (and other state) photos on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and I'll see you on the next adventure!