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!

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!

Chihuly, Chihuly, Quite Unruly- How Does Your Garden Grow?

With bright glowing colors, and imagery full of wonder, and beauty that makes you gasp "Oh!"

Forgive my punny take on the classic "Mary May Quite Contrary" nursery rhyme. The Chihuly Garden and Glass....museum? exhibition? wonder?... was one of my stops while in Seattle and has easily become one of my favorite places yet. A display of the growth through the years of world renown glass artist Dale Chihuly (say: Cha-who-lee, but smoothly), this place is simply beautiful and magical. I went at night, when the glass pieces are lit up (you can buy a pass that lets you come in once in the day and once in the evening), this was $19 well spent, and easily took up the bulk of my pictures from Washington. Other than being in constant fear I would accidentally bump into a piece and owe someone millions of dollars, I was completely amazed at the shapes, hues, and sizes Mr. Chihuly has been able to draw from his medium. There really isn't much else to say, so I will leave you with some of my many pictures taken of the art (though, they truly don't do it justice).

I have WAY more pictures than this, but you'll have to head to my Facebook page to see them! Thank you so much for following me on here, and as always, we'll see you on the next adventure!

Saxman...No Charlie Parker

I was originally going to write this entry about a place I visited in Skagway, Alaska, but I see for some reason the photos from that city were not uploaded onto my Facebook photo album. I'll look into that later, but in the meantime I wanted to get an Alaskan entry onto the blog.

Charlie "Bird" Parker, Picture from Wikipedia
Just in case some poor soul doesn't "get" the title of my entry

Saxman Native Village was my only tourist stop in Ketchikan, Alaska. It was important to me to spend at least part of my trip learning about the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. I was especially interested in learning more about totem poles, and this port offered the most options to do so. Carnival offered several excursions to visit the handful of parks that had totem poles (some authentically made by Native Alaskans, others reproductions made in the 1930s during Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration). The problem I had was that I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that much money, with prices starting at $40 and up. Good ol' Trip Advisor came through and several of my fellow travellers gave advice that there is a bus that costs $1 each way to many of the parks, and that admission at each park ranged from free to $10 depending on which one you decided to go to. $2-12 bucks sounds a lot better than $40+, so as the Queen of Public Transportation, I convinced my godmother to hop on the bus with me! The buses run on time and only every hour or so, and we'd missed the bus going to Saxman by about ten minutes, so we caught a cab for the three miles or so trip there. We paid a man in a booth $5 to enter the site, and I paid an additional dollar for a "guide" to the meanings of the totem poles.

If you choose to catch the bus to Saxman, look for this eagle statue.
The bus stop is right next to it.

First, I wanted to point out that the totems at Saxman are all Native made- no reproductions- and were carved at different points between the early 1800s and the 1940s. You can read a description of them here but hope you will still buy a guide on site as the money goes towards helping preserve the poles and the village. My favorites were the bird poles, because to me they looked more serious than some of the other shapes (such as frogs, beavers, and random people- oh yeah- and Abraham Lincoln).

One of the bird-shaped guard poles

The view walking towards the Village

For $5, we got the privilege of walking around, taking photos, and shopping at the gift shop. We were not permitted to enter the Clan House to watch dancing or into the carving station to learn about the traditional tools and methods used to create the poles. We were told that even though the Natives own the land, they lease out tourism rights to various companies and have agreed to not let non-excursion paying guests participate in activities other than taking photos. While I understood the rationale, I was a little bit disappointed.

The Clan House

Looking down to the gift shop and lake from in front of the Clan House

Unrestored beaver totem inside the gift shop

While not bad for less than $10 (if you don't count the cab ride which only totaled $15 with a generous tip), I would have been extremely upset had I paid $40+ to come here. There simply wasn't THAT much to do. I really wanted a mini bird totem to take with me, but the gift shop on site was even more overpriced than the shops near the cruise ships. One highlight, that only a few people who know me personally would understand, was a magnet of a bear totem image decorated in orange and brown. See, my high school (which is now sadly closed) had the brown bear as a mascot, and our school colors were orange and brown. Even though I graduated in 2001, I still have love for my alma mater!

David B. Oliver High School February1925- June 2011
Bears For Life!

Well, things are slowly coming together back at home. Again, I'm 99% sure I am done traveling for 2013, but plan to have a very active itinerary for 2014 and 2015 (it will be August 2016 before you know it!).

Thank you everyone for following along. More entries to come, and I will see you on the next adventure!

Dandy Eye Candy

The Rhode Island School of Design is one of the top art schools in the country, and its accompanying museum is the 20th largest in the United States. I hadn't been to an art museum (for the blog) since my journey to Richmond, VA nearly two years ago. I decided to visit this museum to get my art fix.

Rhode Island School of Design

I really enjoyed my time here. I was welcomed and asked what sorts of things I was interested in to help guide me through galleries I might be interested in. The paper map wasn't very helpful- the layout on the map didn't quite match up to what I was seeing physically in front of me, but part of that could have been because there were two major galleries being updated or renovated at the time. Because of these upgrades, one of their most famous artifacts (the giant Buddha) was not on display. That's okay because I enjoyed what was on display: everything from an Egyptian mummy to 19th century porcelain figures and paintings to modern art. Many galleries had mixes of vintage clothes, statues, and other art/design pieces from various eras all mixed in together, giving the museum a "homey" feel that I enjoyed. Often, pieces on display were from alumni or professors of the RISD, or people who had connections to Rhode Island somehow. Another bit of paying attention to detail that I liked.

Great Gallery at the RISD-- I loved that blue!

Black Venus. I loved this sculpture because even though she was cast in the 1800s
she looks like she could be walking around outside today!

My favorite exhibition, by far, was Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of Fashion. It ends mid-August so if you have a chance, run and go see it! It pretty much is the history of men's formal fashion, something I'm sure most people don't think about. At first, reading the title alone, I thought that it was going to be a little offensive towards gay men. I mean, calling someone a dandy isn't exactly a compliment. But to my surprise sexuality was only barely mentioned throughout the exhibit, and instead the focus was on the people who wore the clothes, the materials the clothes were made of, and some cultural history lessons on why things were designed and made the way they were. Again, it was nothing to see a suit from the 1850s displayed right next to a tuxedo from the 1930s next to an outfit from just last year. I noticed how little men's fashion has changed structure wise, but in materials things have improved quite a deal. There was even a hands on portion where you could feel the difference in wools of different quality for yourself.

Entrance into Men of Fashion exhibit

Now, let me say that the rules of the RISDM are that photos of artifacts/pieces younger than 75 years old is prohibited (according to their website) and when I got there I was told that photos anywhere other than the 5th floor (where most of the REALLY old and ancient stuff is) was prohibited. And I was following the rules throughout the exhibit until I noticed everyone else (and I do mean everyone) taking pictures of suits and hats with their smart phones. I asked the security guard (discreetly-- didn't want to get any of my fellow onlookers in trouble) and he said that no photos were allowed...but didn't seem very interested in being an enforcer. So, I joined in, and took a few pics of the exhibit as well. To be fair, I won't post the interior exhibit pics on here, so you'll have to go where the rest of my RI pics are to see them.

But I will include the sign from outside...note the rain!!

Thank you for reading along with me on my adventure to the RISDM. I hope you enjoyed it, and have liked reading my blog thus far. More RI and MA posts to come!

See you on the next adventure!

Virginia - Part II (Richmond)

Founded in 1737, Richmond didn't become the capital of Virginia until 1780. It later would become the capital of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Today, over a million people live in the city and surrounding areas, making it the third largest populated area in the commonwealth. I spent a full day in the city, having gone from DC to Richmond via the Megabus. It was a 2 hour trip, and I only paid $4.50 round trip- so I was pleased! I decided I wanted to visit Richmond because everything I heard about the city sounded romantic and uber-historic. I wanted to try something new for this excursion, so I made a video going into details about where I went an my experiences an opinions of what I saw. It's very rough so please don't make fun of me TOO badly :) Hopefully over time I will polish these up a bit, but I at least wanted to see how this would work.

Sites I visited (but you have to watch the video for details!) :

The Museum and White House of the Confederacy
The Maggie L. Walker House and Historic Site
The Jefferson Hotel
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Bygones Vintage Clothing
Galaxy Diner


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Thank you for following me on my journey!