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.
Showing posts with label Historic Homes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historic Homes. Show all posts
Sunday, November 9, 2014
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.
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.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Falling In Love
Before you get all weirded out about my blog title, let me make the disclaimer that this is NOT about my personal life.
Great, now that that is out of the way, let's talk about Fallingwater, arguably the most famous home in the United States after the White House. This residence is probably the best known Frank Lloyd Wright building, and was built in the late 1930s for the Kaufmann family. For any non-locals, the Kaufmanns were the owners of probably the best department store EVER- Kaufmann's- that opened in 1871 but was bought out by Macy's in 2006. It was a big part of Pittsburgh culture. "Meet me under the Kaufmann's clock" is probably one of the most said phrases in the city (even though technically it's the Macy's clock now...), and has been a gathering place for residents since 1913. Obviously, to have had this much influence over the city, these folks had to have been wealthy. And one of the things they did with their money was to commission Mr. Wright to design a weekend home for them far from the city where they could be rejuvenated from all the smoke and pollution urban Pittsburgh suffered with due to steel making. They used this home for roughly 25-30 years, and then Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. donated the home to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to be turned into a museum for the public.
Which bring us to my Sunday afternoon visit to Fallingwater with two of my coworkers. It was about an hour drive from the city to the site. As the Queen of Public Transportation, let me tell you now there is NO way to get here unless you drive. NONE. We passed plenty of cows and fields on the way there. Not a bus stop sign in sight! And if you don't drive, good luck trying to find a bus tour out there- before my coworkers decided to go, I tried to Google tours from the city to the premises. I found ONE company that only does tours sporadically. Not very convenient, although it does include the nearby Kentuck Knob- another Wright home seven miles from Fallingwater that often gets overlooked by tourists (like us).
Anyway, once you get to the Visitor Center, you are told to listen for your tour number but to feel free to use the restrooms and browse the shop and cafe in the meantime. Once you are called, you are directed to a path after being told "the rules" of visiting the home, and you walk down a nature trail of sorts, making a right at a waterfall where your tour guide will be standing waiting for you with a giant walking stick in hand. Our tour guide was amazing- Eric Kobal. He was excited (but not crazy), knowledgeable (but not snooty), and friendly (but not fake). Seriously he knew details about EVERYTHING in the house- the plants in the gardens, the art on the walls, the books on the shelves, the design highlights, everything! I'm sure they probably go through some intense training in order to know so much, but I enjoyed that he didn't sound rehearsed and encouraged us to ask questions. Thankfully our group was engaging and excited to be on the tour.
He had lots of quirky stories and factoids to share with us, but probably my favorite was the one about the color scheme of the home. The home is painted in a beige-y peach color called ocher and accented with Wright's favorite color, Cherokee red. This is actually the second choice of Wright- who thought the home should be covered in gold leaf! Imagine how that would have looked in depression era America-- one family being so rich they could afford to build a house covered in gold while just a few miles away their employees practically starved. Thankfully the Kaufmann's saw this was a terrible idea and the current color scheme was used instead.
After the main house tour (you go through both the main house and the guest house), you are taken to what used to be the car port but is now a sort of movie room where a different person (our was a woman named Bonnie) explains the ways the organization keeps the building maintained, discusses a little about how much it costs, and then does a strong push for membership and donations without coming across as a used car salesman. Seriously, if I had an extra hundred bucks in my pocket that day they could have had it- that's how positive the entire experience (even being solicited!) was. From there you are allowed to go back to the outside area and take pictures, but NOT the inside (more on that later) and then you head back to the Visitor Center. On the way back there is a side trail that takes you to a great spot to take the "iconic" Fallingwater pic that everyone always sees in magazines and books. I honestly had an awesome time here (history and arts nerd that I am!) and would love to come back.
Now, some tips and random tidbits. Don't even think about wearing non-flat, feet exposing shoes. Most of the surfaces we walked were either uneven stone, gravel, or dirt and wood chips so wear something sturdy and protective on your feet. If you've never been and aren't sure you'll like it, take the regular tour. It's $22 for adults. But if you already know you are a Wright fan or want a VIP experience, go ahead and shell out the $65 for the in-depth tour (I know I will next time!). What's the difference? Well, you get a tour that's twice as long in a smaller group (a maximum of ten) AND you'll get to take pictures inside of the house (which we were not allowed to do) and go to areas the general public isn't allowed. AND you won't have to worry about other tours bunching up in spaces with you as the VIP tours are pretty much isolated from everyone else.
Whichever tour you take, I beg you to please ask questions about the art and sculpture you see around you. Why? Well, where else can you be super close and personal with original, authentic Picassos? There are Japanese woodcuts, Riveras, and Khalos mixed in with ancient art from around the world. And there are beautiful antique books that belonged to Junior of some of the most celebrated titles in the history of literature. Another highlight was learning that the Kaufmann's cook, Elsie Henderson, is alive and well at 100 years of age and was recently at the home signing copies of her cookbook (they didn't have any signed copies for me to purchase, otherwise I would have!)
Thank you so much for reading my blog and for following me on my adventure! Feel free to check out my Facebook page (and hit that like button!), and follow me on Twitter to find out where I'm headed next!
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| Fallingwater |
Great, now that that is out of the way, let's talk about Fallingwater, arguably the most famous home in the United States after the White House. This residence is probably the best known Frank Lloyd Wright building, and was built in the late 1930s for the Kaufmann family. For any non-locals, the Kaufmanns were the owners of probably the best department store EVER- Kaufmann's- that opened in 1871 but was bought out by Macy's in 2006. It was a big part of Pittsburgh culture. "Meet me under the Kaufmann's clock" is probably one of the most said phrases in the city (even though technically it's the Macy's clock now...), and has been a gathering place for residents since 1913. Obviously, to have had this much influence over the city, these folks had to have been wealthy. And one of the things they did with their money was to commission Mr. Wright to design a weekend home for them far from the city where they could be rejuvenated from all the smoke and pollution urban Pittsburgh suffered with due to steel making. They used this home for roughly 25-30 years, and then Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. donated the home to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to be turned into a museum for the public.
Which bring us to my Sunday afternoon visit to Fallingwater with two of my coworkers. It was about an hour drive from the city to the site. As the Queen of Public Transportation, let me tell you now there is NO way to get here unless you drive. NONE. We passed plenty of cows and fields on the way there. Not a bus stop sign in sight! And if you don't drive, good luck trying to find a bus tour out there- before my coworkers decided to go, I tried to Google tours from the city to the premises. I found ONE company that only does tours sporadically. Not very convenient, although it does include the nearby Kentuck Knob- another Wright home seven miles from Fallingwater that often gets overlooked by tourists (like us).
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| Inside the Visitor's Center |
Anyway, once you get to the Visitor Center, you are told to listen for your tour number but to feel free to use the restrooms and browse the shop and cafe in the meantime. Once you are called, you are directed to a path after being told "the rules" of visiting the home, and you walk down a nature trail of sorts, making a right at a waterfall where your tour guide will be standing waiting for you with a giant walking stick in hand. Our tour guide was amazing- Eric Kobal. He was excited (but not crazy), knowledgeable (but not snooty), and friendly (but not fake). Seriously he knew details about EVERYTHING in the house- the plants in the gardens, the art on the walls, the books on the shelves, the design highlights, everything! I'm sure they probably go through some intense training in order to know so much, but I enjoyed that he didn't sound rehearsed and encouraged us to ask questions. Thankfully our group was engaging and excited to be on the tour.
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| Eric our tour guide! The guides carry the sticks as a sort of homage to Kaufmann, Sr. who has a portrait in the living room holding one of these. |
He had lots of quirky stories and factoids to share with us, but probably my favorite was the one about the color scheme of the home. The home is painted in a beige-y peach color called ocher and accented with Wright's favorite color, Cherokee red. This is actually the second choice of Wright- who thought the home should be covered in gold leaf! Imagine how that would have looked in depression era America-- one family being so rich they could afford to build a house covered in gold while just a few miles away their employees practically starved. Thankfully the Kaufmann's saw this was a terrible idea and the current color scheme was used instead.
After the main house tour (you go through both the main house and the guest house), you are taken to what used to be the car port but is now a sort of movie room where a different person (our was a woman named Bonnie) explains the ways the organization keeps the building maintained, discusses a little about how much it costs, and then does a strong push for membership and donations without coming across as a used car salesman. Seriously, if I had an extra hundred bucks in my pocket that day they could have had it- that's how positive the entire experience (even being solicited!) was. From there you are allowed to go back to the outside area and take pictures, but NOT the inside (more on that later) and then you head back to the Visitor Center. On the way back there is a side trail that takes you to a great spot to take the "iconic" Fallingwater pic that everyone always sees in magazines and books. I honestly had an awesome time here (history and arts nerd that I am!) and would love to come back.
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| The oldest piece of art in the home. A Hindu goddess statue dating to around 700 AD Taken from outside so as not to break the rules! |
Now, some tips and random tidbits. Don't even think about wearing non-flat, feet exposing shoes. Most of the surfaces we walked were either uneven stone, gravel, or dirt and wood chips so wear something sturdy and protective on your feet. If you've never been and aren't sure you'll like it, take the regular tour. It's $22 for adults. But if you already know you are a Wright fan or want a VIP experience, go ahead and shell out the $65 for the in-depth tour (I know I will next time!). What's the difference? Well, you get a tour that's twice as long in a smaller group (a maximum of ten) AND you'll get to take pictures inside of the house (which we were not allowed to do) and go to areas the general public isn't allowed. AND you won't have to worry about other tours bunching up in spaces with you as the VIP tours are pretty much isolated from everyone else.
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| A gathering of walking sticks and a donation box. |
Whichever tour you take, I beg you to please ask questions about the art and sculpture you see around you. Why? Well, where else can you be super close and personal with original, authentic Picassos? There are Japanese woodcuts, Riveras, and Khalos mixed in with ancient art from around the world. And there are beautiful antique books that belonged to Junior of some of the most celebrated titles in the history of literature. Another highlight was learning that the Kaufmann's cook, Elsie Henderson, is alive and well at 100 years of age and was recently at the home signing copies of her cookbook (they didn't have any signed copies for me to purchase, otherwise I would have!)
Thank you so much for reading my blog and for following me on my adventure! Feel free to check out my Facebook page (and hit that like button!), and follow me on Twitter to find out where I'm headed next!
Saturday, August 24, 2013
The Paul Revere House
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| Sign outside of the Paul Revere House |
Whereas the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House were both relatively close together, the PRH was a bit further of a journey than I originally expected. Mind you, in reality it was only 15 minutes tops away from the first two stops, but I was working on one hour of sleep and lugging a suitcase along brick and cobblestone streets full of tourists.
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| PRH from across the street |
The house doesn't look nearly as old as it is (it was built in 1680) and while it looks sort of drab and tiny from the outside, is a lot bigger and warmer inside. No photos were allowed inside the house (as always) but they do a good job of filling the home with pieces that would have been used by the Reveres. There is even a case full of silver pieces that he made. The overall visit took maybe 30-40 minutes. It was thankfully air conditioned inside the home, and for the most part, people kept moving and didn't stand too long in certain areas making it hard for others to visit.
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| One of the last bells made by Paul Revere |
A few more entries for this latest adventure, and then I will be gone to visit Washington and Alaska. Thank you so much for reading my blog! Make sure you check out my Facebook page for more pictures and hit the "Like" button if you want to support! You can follow me on Twitter and see all the cool places I check out while I'm actually on my adventures too- in real time!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
My First Truly Negative Adventure
I'm just going to summarize my experience at the Newport Mansions in one word: Miserable.
It wasn't the sites themselves. I only got to tour two homes, The Breakers and Marble House, but they were both beautiful historic mansions with breathtaking architecture and views of the harbor. It was the terrible treatment I received while visiting.
Both homes were owned by the Vanderbilts at some point, though I didn't learn that from the actual homes. The only way to learn any information in the houses is to take the audio tours, which I did not for several reasons. Mostly because I was treated so rudely when I first entered I didn't want to take a single thing they were offering me, then largely because people on audio tours tend to aimlessly roam and move very slowly- which when you are on a time schedule is not helpful and is actually a little frustrating. For people like me who aren't able to listen to hyper details about every single item in every single room, panels with room highlights to quickly read would have been helpful. Especially since photography is strictly prohibited inside.
So what am I so upset about? Well, to make a long story short, I was treated like a second class citizen upon my arrival at Marble House, with the woman at the welcome desk literally sneering at me and instead of welcoming me said "Can we help you?" as if my mere presence were an insult to the home. It was raining quite heavily that day and she yelled at me in front of staff and visitors about not being allowed to have a suitcase with me (meanwhile, I had already checked ahead of time and was told that leaving it at the front desk wouldn't be a problem). I was so angry and embarrassed I just walked off. Then later in the same house an employee followed me around to make sure I wasn't taking pictures or touching things. I know she was following me because while at first I thought she just wanted to get past me in the narrow hallway, she turned beet red and said that she wasn't actually trying to get by when I had stepped aside for her to do so. I left the main building, took some shots of the bay and the Chinese Tea Room, and quickly left Marble House, before I could lose my cool and cuss a few of those snooty people out.
The Breakers was only slightly better in treatment, with me being questioned the moment I walked in, but luckily another employee saw the look on my face as I prepared to be yelled at again by a staff member and helped me with my luggage. By this time I was irritated and didn't want the audio tour simply because I was only walking through at that point because I had paid to do so. There were at least three times as many people in The Breakers, which made quiet observations impossible and general maneuvering extremely slow and difficult. There were screaming kids, bored teenagers, large summer camp groups, ugh! Just too much going on all at once.
What bothers me most about this experience is that, as someone who works in this field and had a genuine love for old homes and the like (which my loyal readers know by now- I always seem to find at least one old historic building to tour every place I go), I KNOW this isn't standard service. I sent a very professional letter stating what happened (with more details than I've shared here) and in 2 business days still have not received a reply. Imagine that! When I receive member or visitor emails at my job (or the one immediately prior) they get responses no LATER than the next business day. I suppose terrible treatment of people who pay to see their properties is normal business for this preservation society.
Quite a shame. Two and a half years, and none of my experiences have been THIS tragic. I would not recommend this trip for anyone- not as long as they continue to operate in this manner.
**UPDATE**
I just recieved an email from the Visitor Experience Manager. She essentially said that rules are rules (ie, suitcases are not allowed in the homes), but she's sorry I was treated rudely and is refunding my admission. Even though it seems like a half assed apology on the treament portion of things, I am glad I finally got a response. I still stand firm on my position that I will not return to the mansions, and do not recommend them for others. I would have gladly left my suitcases outside on the lawn or street or wherever if that's what it would have taken to take a tour, but there is absolutely no reason to be yelled or sneered at by employees. Period.
It wasn't the sites themselves. I only got to tour two homes, The Breakers and Marble House, but they were both beautiful historic mansions with breathtaking architecture and views of the harbor. It was the terrible treatment I received while visiting.
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| Marble House |
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| The Breakers |
So what am I so upset about? Well, to make a long story short, I was treated like a second class citizen upon my arrival at Marble House, with the woman at the welcome desk literally sneering at me and instead of welcoming me said "Can we help you?" as if my mere presence were an insult to the home. It was raining quite heavily that day and she yelled at me in front of staff and visitors about not being allowed to have a suitcase with me (meanwhile, I had already checked ahead of time and was told that leaving it at the front desk wouldn't be a problem). I was so angry and embarrassed I just walked off. Then later in the same house an employee followed me around to make sure I wasn't taking pictures or touching things. I know she was following me because while at first I thought she just wanted to get past me in the narrow hallway, she turned beet red and said that she wasn't actually trying to get by when I had stepped aside for her to do so. I left the main building, took some shots of the bay and the Chinese Tea Room, and quickly left Marble House, before I could lose my cool and cuss a few of those snooty people out.
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| Chinese Tea Room behind Marble House overlooking the bay |
What bothers me most about this experience is that, as someone who works in this field and had a genuine love for old homes and the like (which my loyal readers know by now- I always seem to find at least one old historic building to tour every place I go), I KNOW this isn't standard service. I sent a very professional letter stating what happened (with more details than I've shared here) and in 2 business days still have not received a reply. Imagine that! When I receive member or visitor emails at my job (or the one immediately prior) they get responses no LATER than the next business day. I suppose terrible treatment of people who pay to see their properties is normal business for this preservation society.
Quite a shame. Two and a half years, and none of my experiences have been THIS tragic. I would not recommend this trip for anyone- not as long as they continue to operate in this manner.
**UPDATE**
I just recieved an email from the Visitor Experience Manager. She essentially said that rules are rules (ie, suitcases are not allowed in the homes), but she's sorry I was treated rudely and is refunding my admission. Even though it seems like a half assed apology on the treament portion of things, I am glad I finally got a response. I still stand firm on my position that I will not return to the mansions, and do not recommend them for others. I would have gladly left my suitcases outside on the lawn or street or wherever if that's what it would have taken to take a tour, but there is absolutely no reason to be yelled or sneered at by employees. Period.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Chicago Buildings
There are a TON of buildings in Chicago that are architectural and historical gems. As a history nerd (and a nut for cool or old architecture) I noticed awesome buildings everywhere we went. Too bad we were often just whizzing by on our way to an event or venue. One place I wish I has gotten a chance to see was the Chicago Water Tower- the second oldest water tower in the USA and one of the few buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. I only got to zip past on the way to the airport, so the picture I have kind of sucks.
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| Not a bad picture...but not even close to how awesome this place looks in person |
So let's just get this out of the way, I have never heard of anyone refer to this building as anything other than the Sears Tower. No disrespect to the Willis Holding Group, but, yeah, it's going to be the Sears Tower to Americans over the age of 10 forever. Completed in 1973, this building was the tallest in the world until 1998, and is today the 7th tallest in the world. There's a bunch of history and nuances about the battle for tallest building you can read about on that link- but I wasn't so much interested in that as I was the fact that this building is by far the tallest I've ever been inside of and was another one of those American icons that I wanted to see for myself.
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| Decorative wall showing how many stories up you are about to rise |
For $18 bucks (each), my friends and I entered Sky Deck (the touristy part of the building- people actually have to go to work here still, so gawking tourists would probably be a distraction) and walked through a meticulously managed maze of information and informative video clips about the building and Chicago history and influence. We didn't spend too much time in each area, but some highlights were bios of famous people tied to Chicago, and a glass display showing comparative building heights of some of the world's most famous structures.
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| Does this mean 3.3 Million adults have been up here?? |
We were herded into steel elevators and took and incredibly speedy ride to the top of the Tower while being entertained by a video further discussing the height of the building. There were observation binocular things at windows, and signs showing what part of the city you are looking at (on our overcast day we could only see out about 5 miles, but on a clear day you can see as far away as 50+ according to one employee), more Chicago history in a mini exhibit on the walls, and of course a gift shop. It was pretty interesting, and with the last few drops of battery power on my iPhone I recorded a video with my friends while up there. Then we went over to the west end of the building, where the actual Sky Deck is located- a slew of glass landings that stick out 4 feet from the building so that all that separates you from certain death is a few inches of (well engineered) glass. For whatever reason I wasn't afraid to step out on the ledge, but there were plenty of people who were. In any case, it made for great silly pictures and awesome memories!
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| My friend Melanie taking a picture from the top of the Tower |
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| Those are my leopard-clad feet...quite a journey back to the ground indeed! |
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| The FLW Row Houses...people actually live there, so no inside tours :( |
This was a VERY brief stop in my time in Chicago- literally maybe 5 minutes there total. I especially wanted to see these houses in particular because they are the only row houses Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed. FLW set his studios up in Chicago, and there are 400+ of his 536 buildings still standing around the world. Chicago has a few of FLW focused tours available and while I didn't actually take one of the tours (my friends and I stopped here en route to President Obama's house) I'm glad I stopped through. Other than their unique look and color from the rest of the block (most of the other houses and the school across the street are red brick), the only other thing that let's you know this place is special is a small pillar with hard to read information on it to the far right of the buildings.
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| Seriously, can YOU read this? |
Speaking of President Obama's house, we had a hilarious time trying to look at his Chicago home. Naturally being the President the place is heavily guarded, and hidden behind all sorts of barricades and trees. My silly sorority sister, after we had already caught the attention of the Secret Service Officer on duty, sticks her hand out of the car trying to get a picture-- at which time warning sirens blared out. We zoomed off, fearful of being arrested, but later we had a great time laughing about our "dangerous bout with the government".
That's it for Chicago- see you guys on the next adventure!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tennessee - Part I (Memphis)
I'm back! I had an amazing time in Memphis. I was in town for an event filled weekend with friends, sorority sisters, and fraternity brothers, and managed to get my inner nerd fed in between outings at several museums and sites. In fact, I actually had to pare down my list of things to do because of social and financial reasons- but what I found I am more than excited to share with you!
Having never been to Memphis (well, I passed through the airport once on my way to Alabama several years ago...but that doesn't count), there were four things that I heard that defined the city: Great music- especially the blues, Beale Street, amazing barbecue, and Elvis/ Graceland (technically the fifth thing I always heard was an abnormally high crime rate-- but I'll keep the blog positive and not dwell on that). For a detailed history (which I found interesting!) of the largest city in Tennessee, you can click HERE, but for the fun touristy things I did in my three days there, read on!
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| The now-defunct Memphis Pyramid. Soon to be a Bass Pro Shop (lame!) it was the building I was pretty geeked to see. I mean seriously, how cool is it to have a PYRAMID in your city?! |
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| W.C. Handy Memphis Home and Museum |
Hidden at the end of the touristy end of Beale Street, the W.C. Handy Memphis Home and Museum, tells the story of W.C. Handy- the Father of the Blues. I was the first visitor of the day, getting there right as the lone attendant/ tour guide opened the door. He actually seemed a little surprised I was there, saying that other than tourists from Europe and Asia, and the occasional school group, few people (and especially not locals) came to visit. Quite sad because it sets a beautiful tone for enjoying and seeing everything else on Beale Street and the general music history of Memphis, and it only costs $4 to see. No pictures are allowed inside, but there isn't really much to take pictures of anyway it's only two rooms big. The first is set up with some period pieces and a few artifacts that actually belonged to him, and the second has pictures and sheet music covers framed in (cheap) frames, and a table with merchandise for sale. There's a bathroom and I'm assuming an office or closet that I was told was added on later. While not thoroughly impressed with the presentation (I understand that money is tight for places like this, but I think a fixtures upgrade and thorough dusting is very much so doable) I loved the story of this place and the important life and history it preserves.
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| Gibson Factory in Memphis |
Another no-photos-inside location, this isn't Gibson's headquarters, but actually their third (and newest) manufacturing plant. The lobby had a piano, a few juke boxes and guitars, and what looked like a rentable ballroom that was being aired out- but nothing super notable. Tours cost $10, sell out quickly, and last about 40 minutes give or take. If you're lucky (as I was on July 14th!) you'll get to see the actual employees working on making guitars- a much more labor intensive process than I originally thought! You walk into a large warehouse like facility stacked floor to ceiling with cases and a rainbow of various guitars. As you are guided through carefully marked off walkways that snake between different work stations, you learn about Gibson's special methods for preparing and cutting wood, assembling different guitar shapes, and getting them painted, polished, and ready for purchase. If you are there when the workers are using their tools and equipment, it gets pretty noisy, so it's best to stick as close to the tour guide as possible so you can actually hear what's going on.
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| Sun Studio |
You know how Graceland is supposed to be the Mecca of all things Elvis? Yeah, well, I refuse to pay $30+ to tour that place- even if I wasn't on a budget I just think that's a little astronomical. Luckily, there's another way to get your Elvis fix in the city that has such a deep connection to "The King"- Sun Studio, the place where Presley was discovered. But that's not all Sun was known for. In fact, one of the first artists to record there was B.B. King. Howlin' Wolf, The Prisonaires, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and more, all recorded in this building- and there are photos, records, documents, and other memorabilia all over the place, telling not only the history of the physical place, but the evolution of blues and rock by Sun Studios. This was another two room tour (and cost about $13 after taxes), but the second room is certainly the highlight: the actual studio where all that musical magic happened! According to my amazingly awesome tour guide, the floor, wall and ceiling tiles, and reception area are all original. People still record there today, and at the end of the tour you have the option to take a picture with the microphone that Elvis actually used to record with- in the same spot he stood in while recording. It should be noted that while I didn't utilize it, there is a free shuttle to and from Sun Studio that also goes to Graceland. Good option for those of you not afraid of that Graceland admission fee!
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| Stax Museum of American Soul Music |
This was actually the last place I went to before going home, and was the only place my friends decided to tag along to. I can honestly say this place was probably my favorite. With a student ID I got into Stax and the National Civil Rights Museum (more on that later) for $18. The tour starts with a 20 minute video of the history of the Stax label and soul music in general. While in the theater, you also learn about the charter school and other charitable work done through the Soulsville organization. Then you enter the galleries, which have an actual old Baptist church (to talk about the gospel music at the roots of soul music), and the history of the genre and label through instruments, costumes, awards, and even Isaac Hayes' blue and gold plated Cadillac that rotates so you can see the white fur interior. There was a section that had clips of Stax artists that appeared on Soul Train on a mega screen, complete with a dance floor so you could dance along.
Isaac Hayes' Cadillac
Towards the end of the tour there's a room with a huge green screen where visitors can play dress up with costume pieces from the 50s and 60s, and be superimposed onto different backgrounds- including a disco dance floor and the front of Stax with the blue Caddy parked in front (of course the option we chose!)
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| Entrance to the National Civil Rights Museum |
I'll be honest about this museum- it is EXCELLENTLY executed. It's immaculate, easy to navigate, informative about well known and lesser known issues in the struggle for African-American equality, and has probably THE friendliest staff of any place I went to the entire time in Memphis. However, if you've ever been to any other civil rights themed museum (as I have), the only selling point that makes this place a must-see is the fact that it is located at the hotel where MLK was assassinated. That sounds incredibly harsher than I mean it to be- but it's the truth. With that in mind, the highlights of this place for me where being able to look into the room King stayed in, and seeing the balcony where he lost his life. A newer expansion has also purchased the property across the street from the hotel, and allows you to see the gun that James Earl Ray used to snipe King, as well as look into the bathroom he stood in to complete this crime. Very surreal indeed standing in both places, seeing things from both the perspective of victim and murderer, and to be honest I didn't take a photo of either direct view because I just felt it would be a little disrespectful.
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| Outside view of the balcony where MLK was shot |
Another selling point for my fellow museum-hoppers is the fact that you can save a few bucks by purchasing tickets for both this place and Stax. But honestly, you can take a photo of the balcony outside without having to pay admission if you just want to see this historic spot but not pay to go inside.
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| Doormat to the hotel |
Apparently, in order to be a really cool old school hotel, you have to have an animal mascot and tradition that goes back in history a really long time. My first experience with this was The Jefferson in Richmond, Virginia who used to keep gators in their fountains ans still uses them as a logo to this day. In Memphis, this is accomplished by The Peabody Hotel and it's world famous duck march! Pretty much four ducks get treated like royalty for a few months, and twice a day (at 11 and 5) they "march" from their penthouse, to an elevator, down a red carpet, and into a lobby fountain where they play and pretty much ignore the hundreds of people that photograph and film them (like myself! I even got a picture with their Duckmaster!) The event is actually pretty quick, but upon the advice of a hotel employee, I watched the ducks from the upstairs balcony, and filmed this footage:
My footage of the Peabody Ducks
Mind you, I didn't actually STAY at The Peabody- it's a little pricey. I actually stayed at the Econolodge two blocks up the street, but perhaps next time!
EATING IN MEMPHIS
Okay, so I ate a LOT my two and a half days in Memphis. In an effort to wrap this up I decided to lump them all together. I had dry rub barbecue ribs at Rendezvous- and loved the flavor so much a brought a jar of the seasoning home with me. I ate chicken and waffles for breakfast at Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe on Beale Street before my Gibson tour. And for lunch one day, I had sauce-drenched take out ribs from A&R BBQ that was actually right next door to my hotel. A&R was the favorite (of the two rib places) of my friends actually from Memphis- who all especially demanded I avoid Corky's because of it's "touristy flavor".
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| Rendezvous dry rubbed ribs with slaw and beans |
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| Miss Polly's Chicken and Waffles |
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| A&R take out BBQ ribs with baked beans and green beans |
Well, that concludes my time in Memphis. I had an amazing weekend, even outside of the places you see here- I WAS in town to fellowship with my fraternity brothers and sorority sisters. That was fun too, but I'm glad I got to get blog things accomplished as well. As always, check out my Facebook page where you can look at all of my photos and "like" my page. Take a gander at my Pinterest page where you can see state themed pics I gather on the internet. Finally, see all my videos on my YouTube channel, and subscribe. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next adventure!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Florida - Part I (Miami)
After three months of waiting for my next adventure into my homeland, I am finally able to present a new installment into my personal journey: a brief visit into Miami, Florida!
Settled by Americans in 1825, and formally incorporated in July 1896, the city has roots that go back thousands of years when the area was inhabited by the Tequesta Native Americans, the 1560s when it was claimed by the Spanish, and 1763 when the Spaniards surrendered the area to the British. Miami is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States, and the fifth largest metro region in the entire country. It is also the number one passenger cruise-line port, and just like in my visit to Puerto Rico, it was a cruise to another country (this time the Bahamas with my two sisters and oldest niece) that brought me to the city. I spent one day before and one day after the cruise in the city, and here's what I saw:
LINCOLN ROAD MALL
I only spent about two hours or so in this area of Miami with my sisters and my niece, but I will say it seemed to be a very happening place! There were lots of chain stores (like Victoria's Secret, MAC, etc) and a few specialty boutiques, so if you just want to be able to say you bought something in Miami but not be pressed about if it is reflective of the culture or region or if it is overly catered to tourists, this is where you would go. Lots of folks walking dogs, sitting at the ample outdoor seating in many of the restaurants, and a few people with creative hustles that were very entertaining (for example, I gave a dollar to a man who was painted and dressed in all white holding an all white guitar and not moving, who would dance and move to Elvis songs when you dropped a dollar in his guitar case). I had sangria and chicken fajitas with my family at The Cafe at Books & Books. Laughed, sang, danced around, and enjoyed my evening there.
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
What else can one say about the Everglades but "Wow!" One of America's most famous natural wonders, it is the third largest National Park. I took an airboat ride and tour at the Everglades Safari Park as a post-cruise excursion, and I learned a lot about the Everglades, including that the Everglades are not a swamp like many people think, but actually a massive slow moving river system. Water from Lake Okeechobee flows into the Everglades at a rate of about a mile each day, and the water is optimally around two feet deep most of the time.
As we lined up to board our airboats (which we were told do minimal damage to the park because they literally float on top of everything- the water, sawgrass, and even harmlessly over animals!), Hector, one of the two dominant male alligators, and about ten different birds of varying species greeted us at the walkway towards the vessels. We were given earplugs to drown out the sound of the loud engines (and you need them!) and were on our way! At first, we went pretty slow as the airboat operator told us random facts about the park (sawgrass is edible and looks like a small onion at it's roots! String lilies are one of many flowers and plants native to the Everglades!) but we sped up to about 50 mph as the tour went on. It was surprisingly fresh smelling and cool out on the water, and there was no shortage of birds, gators, turtles, and other animals to see and take photos of.
VERSAILLES RESTUARANT
After the Everglades excursion, I was dropped off at the Miami International Airport, where after charging my phone a few minutes (thank God I keep my charger in my purse!), I caught the 37 South Miami Station bus and after about a 10 or 15 minute ride, found myself a block away from what Lonely Planet, Yelp, and my friends who are from the Miami area all say is the best Cuban cuisine in South Florida- the Versailles Restaurant. Although I felt a little hesitation to give me a table and menu, I'll chalk it up to not being everyday a black girl with a giant afro, beaming smile, and a suitcase come sashaying into the place asking how everyone was in Yankee-accented English, but after I sat down, I was totally fine. I ordered vaca frita de pollo - grilled shredded chicken with onions, served with white rice and sweet plantain. The food came out in less than ten minutes (seriously, closer to five) and was THE best food I'd had all weekend! Flavorful, and more than your money's worth, it was all excellent!
It should also be noted that they had an extensive dessert menu, and a bakery connected to the restuarant next door, however, because the person I was traveling with had a bit of an attitude, I felt rushed out of the restaurant and didn't get to try any of those buttery, flaky looking pastries. *insert sad face here*
VIZCAYA MUSEUM & GARDENS
My last stop in Miami was the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. In case you haven't gotten the gist of things by now, I have a nerdy fetish for antiques and old architecture. Something about the history of a place or object makes me fall in love with it, it's like walking into another world or time- and that's how beautiful Vizcaya is. Sure, it cost $15 to come in (and sadly, no photos are allowed inside the mansion, but are allowed outside), but I didn't know places like this really existed in America. It was like an old Spanish or Italian villa had found itself lost on the tip of Florida. Since I'm a little tired to paraphrase the history of this gorgeous location, I'll let you read it straight from their website:
The house rooms are each designed to pay homage to various European nobility or events, and there is an Asian inspired tea room that overlooks the Biscayne Bay. It had a round dining room table with large statues of a man and woman inside, guarded by four blue stone dragons at the outside door. A giant organ, hidden in the walls somehow, played music that could be heard throughout the house. And whereas before in my visit to Mount Vernon I thought Washington had the best back yard ever- Vizcaya took that idea and shattered it into a million pieces! I literally gasped out loud when I saw all that water, architechture, and grandeur in one place. They were setting up for some lucky girl's wedding, and the staff informed me that early spring and late fall are heavy wedding times for the Museum- and frankly I can see why! Anyone who's ever dreamed of having a princess fairy tale wedding- or even thought they looked pretty- would die a million deaths at the sight of this place!
Settled by Americans in 1825, and formally incorporated in July 1896, the city has roots that go back thousands of years when the area was inhabited by the Tequesta Native Americans, the 1560s when it was claimed by the Spanish, and 1763 when the Spaniards surrendered the area to the British. Miami is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States, and the fifth largest metro region in the entire country. It is also the number one passenger cruise-line port, and just like in my visit to Puerto Rico, it was a cruise to another country (this time the Bahamas with my two sisters and oldest niece) that brought me to the city. I spent one day before and one day after the cruise in the city, and here's what I saw:
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| A fountain at the Lincoln Road Mall |
LINCOLN ROAD MALL
I only spent about two hours or so in this area of Miami with my sisters and my niece, but I will say it seemed to be a very happening place! There were lots of chain stores (like Victoria's Secret, MAC, etc) and a few specialty boutiques, so if you just want to be able to say you bought something in Miami but not be pressed about if it is reflective of the culture or region or if it is overly catered to tourists, this is where you would go. Lots of folks walking dogs, sitting at the ample outdoor seating in many of the restaurants, and a few people with creative hustles that were very entertaining (for example, I gave a dollar to a man who was painted and dressed in all white holding an all white guitar and not moving, who would dance and move to Elvis songs when you dropped a dollar in his guitar case). I had sangria and chicken fajitas with my family at The Cafe at Books & Books. Laughed, sang, danced around, and enjoyed my evening there.
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| Alligators in part of the Everglades |
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
What else can one say about the Everglades but "Wow!" One of America's most famous natural wonders, it is the third largest National Park. I took an airboat ride and tour at the Everglades Safari Park as a post-cruise excursion, and I learned a lot about the Everglades, including that the Everglades are not a swamp like many people think, but actually a massive slow moving river system. Water from Lake Okeechobee flows into the Everglades at a rate of about a mile each day, and the water is optimally around two feet deep most of the time.
As we lined up to board our airboats (which we were told do minimal damage to the park because they literally float on top of everything- the water, sawgrass, and even harmlessly over animals!), Hector, one of the two dominant male alligators, and about ten different birds of varying species greeted us at the walkway towards the vessels. We were given earplugs to drown out the sound of the loud engines (and you need them!) and were on our way! At first, we went pretty slow as the airboat operator told us random facts about the park (sawgrass is edible and looks like a small onion at it's roots! String lilies are one of many flowers and plants native to the Everglades!) but we sped up to about 50 mph as the tour went on. It was surprisingly fresh smelling and cool out on the water, and there was no shortage of birds, gators, turtles, and other animals to see and take photos of.
After the thirty minute airboat tour, we got to see an alligator show hosted by a man named Jeff who told us how to differentiate between alligators, crocodiles, and the rare caimans. He also showed us how quickly and powerfully their jaws can snap shut, and after a few more demonstrations and factoids, allowed us to take pictures holding a "baby" alligator named Snappy (of all things!) Probably the coolest thing I've done so far this year!
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| Me holding Snappy...and Jeff nearby in case he lives up to his name! |
Also on site at this particular part of the Everglades was a short walking tour with pens holding different types of gators, crocs, and caimans, and a small circular one room "museum" with Native American crafts and histories, and tanks with snakes, turtles, and baby alligators. It was dark, cobweb riddled, and looked like it hadn't been visited in months if not years. But if you could look past it's shabby presentation, the information included was quite interesting!
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| The Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana, Miami |
VERSAILLES RESTUARANT
After the Everglades excursion, I was dropped off at the Miami International Airport, where after charging my phone a few minutes (thank God I keep my charger in my purse!), I caught the 37 South Miami Station bus and after about a 10 or 15 minute ride, found myself a block away from what Lonely Planet, Yelp, and my friends who are from the Miami area all say is the best Cuban cuisine in South Florida- the Versailles Restaurant. Although I felt a little hesitation to give me a table and menu, I'll chalk it up to not being everyday a black girl with a giant afro, beaming smile, and a suitcase come sashaying into the place asking how everyone was in Yankee-accented English, but after I sat down, I was totally fine. I ordered vaca frita de pollo - grilled shredded chicken with onions, served with white rice and sweet plantain. The food came out in less than ten minutes (seriously, closer to five) and was THE best food I'd had all weekend! Flavorful, and more than your money's worth, it was all excellent!
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| Vaca frita de pollo from Versailles |
VIZCAYA MUSEUM & GARDENS
My last stop in Miami was the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. In case you haven't gotten the gist of things by now, I have a nerdy fetish for antiques and old architecture. Something about the history of a place or object makes me fall in love with it, it's like walking into another world or time- and that's how beautiful Vizcaya is. Sure, it cost $15 to come in (and sadly, no photos are allowed inside the mansion, but are allowed outside), but I didn't know places like this really existed in America. It was like an old Spanish or Italian villa had found itself lost on the tip of Florida. Since I'm a little tired to paraphrase the history of this gorgeous location, I'll let you read it straight from their website:
Vizcaya was the winter residence of American industrialist James Deering from Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925. Deering was a Vice President of the International Harvester Company, which produced agricultural equipment for a worldwide market...The house was intended to appear as an Italian estate that had stood for 400 years and had been occupied and renovated by several generations of a family. It has 34 decorated rooms with 15th through 19th century antique furnishings and art objects. The house appears to be only two stories high but between the main public rooms and the bedrooms, there is an intervening level with 12 rooms for servants and service...Over the years the effects of South Florida’s humid climate and salt air have taken their toll on Vizcaya, necessitating continuous restoration. Although the house’s design allowed the free flow of breezes through the open courtyard, the need to preserve the building and contents required the installation of a climate and humidity control system, including enclosing the open courtyard in glass. Today we can only imagine how Vizcaya felt as an open-air house, with the sounds of birds and the bay, the sudden rain showers, and the fragrance of flowers.
The house rooms are each designed to pay homage to various European nobility or events, and there is an Asian inspired tea room that overlooks the Biscayne Bay. It had a round dining room table with large statues of a man and woman inside, guarded by four blue stone dragons at the outside door. A giant organ, hidden in the walls somehow, played music that could be heard throughout the house. And whereas before in my visit to Mount Vernon I thought Washington had the best back yard ever- Vizcaya took that idea and shattered it into a million pieces! I literally gasped out loud when I saw all that water, architechture, and grandeur in one place. They were setting up for some lucky girl's wedding, and the staff informed me that early spring and late fall are heavy wedding times for the Museum- and frankly I can see why! Anyone who's ever dreamed of having a princess fairy tale wedding- or even thought they looked pretty- would die a million deaths at the sight of this place!
Well, the photos are up on Facebook, so don't feel shy about hitting that "Like" button, and if you haven't started following me on Pinterest, please feel free to do so. I'll be doing a vlog about Miami public transportation within the week, and as always, will be on Twitter tweets US history facts, and other travel information. Feel free to comment, email, etc., and I'll see you on the next go round!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Virginia - Part III
I started my Virginian adventures with the attitude that I was not a fan of the state, but I've actually had a lot of fun exploring and learning within the commonwealth. I've fallen in love with the city of Richmond, and learned that the best way to learn about people who I may not think I have anything in common with (IE, NRA members and those who fondly remember the Confederacy) is to be bold and learn as much as I can about them. I actually had to force myself to stop finding neat things I've never tried before so that I could focus on other activities and states. I'll end with my last two stops- the Alexandria Black History Museum and Mount Vernon. (Sorry this didn't get posted until after the New Year- I hope everyone is off to a great start in 2012!)
THE ALEXANDRIA BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM
So, when I think of Virginia, particularly Northern Virginia (or NoVA as those of us in the DC metropolitan region sometimes refer to it as) I honestly rarely think about African Americans- even though I know they have been around in the area for centuries. I think of government retirees, and young buppies clutching their Starbucks, both fearing going beyond their borders to venture into DC and unable to even fathom what it feels like to step into Maryland. I learned about this museum while trying to find an internship for grad school sometime in 2010. While the timing for internships didn't work out, my curiosity about this place stayed put.
A ten minute or so walk from the Braddock Road Metro Station found me at the front door of the museum. The structure itself actually used to be a library that was built for blacks who were not permitted to use the "regular" library. When you enter you see Welcome Desk in a small room crowded with merchandise, with jazz, blues, and gospel-inspired music playing. It costs two bucks to enter the museum, and if you go to their website, you can print a coupon that gives you 10% off in the gift shop. To your left is a gallery that discusses the journey to NoVA blacks faced from slavery from before America became an independent country up until fairly recently. I learned that at one point Alexandria had a thriving sugar industry, and the gallery showed artifacts from archaeological digs in the area. It also discussed how blacks fared after slavery, and highlighted prominent African Americans from across the 400 or so years covered, including Benjamin Banneker. I was very impressed with the quality of the exhibit design, and was glad that there was plenty of learning to be had for all- bright colors and simple sentences for younger visitors and more complex, lengthier passages for adults to pull information from.The second room is a temporary exhibit space and room that I suppose can be rented out for meetings or special events. Currently, there was a photography exhibit (In Black and White: Photography by Nina Tisara and Peggy Fleming) that has pretty neat shots of African American church life, and of an unofficial league of black chess players.
Altogether I spent about an hour in the museum. When I asked a question about the Alexandria sugar mills to the woman at the Welcome Desk, she called upstairs to a curator. I think I accidentally got her reprimanded or fussed at because you could hear the person on the other end sounding loud and irritated that she called with a visitor question. I hope that wasn't the case, because it would be a shame that the people "in charge" would be "too busy" in such a small museum to answer one question from someone interested in their subject. Otherwise this was a really quaint place- a good start for anyone interested in learning niche areas of African American or American industrial history.
MOUNT VERNON ESTATE, MUSEUM, AND GARDENS
On an unseasonably warm December day (Mid 60s the week of Christmas? In the Mid Atlantic? Yeah, that's crazy warm) I ventured to Mount Vernon- my last stop in the commonwealth of Virginia. I know there are tours available- Gray Line bus tours costs $40 or $50 dollars- but I refuse to pay that much money to go on a tour of a place I technically live near. Not when public transportation is available and I am still its Queen! I rode the Metro to Huntington Station (that's the very end of the Yellow line) and caught the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon. Now, there are several ways to do this- as I learned the hard way. The 151 and 152 Connectors drop you off directly at the Estate, and you have to go to the upper level of the station to catch them. The 101 takes you close to the Estate, but stops about a block and half away from the entrance. The signage at the station isn't very clear that there are two levels the Connectors stop on, and I waited for an hour on the WRONG level for the 151 or 152 until I finally called the customer service line printed on each of the buses and asked what the issue was. I was quite irritated, but I ran down to catch the 101 that was turning the corner. I paid with my SmarTrip card (a re-loadable fare card) so I don't know exactly how much I paid- but I'd guess it was a total from my house to Mount Vernon of less than $5. Much less than the tour buses!
Admission for adults is $15, and you are handed a small stack of papers including maps and daily events. I happened to have visited during the Christmas season, which means there were lots of special events going on around the Estate. I missed a demonstration and tasting of 18th century chocolate making that only lasted for 30 minutes (thanks a lot confusing Connector signs!!), but did get to see most everything else. Basically split into 3 attractions (Museum, Mansion, and the Grounds), this place is huge! When they say wear comfortable shoes, they are NOT kidding. The museum is split into two sections- an actual exhibit space and an interactive education center. Photographs are not allowed in the museum, but inside were tons of personal items owned by the Washingtons. My favorite artifact was the seed pearl brooch in the shape of a flower that was owned by Martha Washington (I love brooches!). In the education center, you learn about Washington from birth to death (including a reproduction of his coffin), and how his legacy has impacted America all these centuries later. A highlight was a wall sized map of the US, showing the cities, counties, landmarks, schools, and other things named for Washington in every state of the Union. Pictures were allowed in there, but not of the General's famous teeth.
In the mansion (which is actually pretty huge considering how small houses used to be back then), you are grouped up and sent room by room with tour guides in each major section explaining the space and what would have happened there. Because of the holiday season, the 3rd floor of the mansion (which is normally closed to the public) was opened and we were permitted to tour it as well. It was kind of surreal looking into THE room where George Washington died. One cool thing I remember was that Washington had been gifted a key to the Bastille, and it is still on display in the front room of his home. I also see why he picked this particular location for his home- in the back of the house, there is an absolutely stunning view of the Potomac River. The entire tour took about 20 minutes or so.
The grounds are amazing. Because of the holidays, the turkey that President Obama pardoned at Thanksgiving and the annual "Christmas Camel" (this one was named Aladdin- Washington paid 18 shillings one year to bring a camel to the grounds to show his guests an exotic animal) were in makeshift pens. I've never been that close to a camel before, and Aladdin is massive! I got to pet him, but avoided his big camel kisses that he seemed determined to give me. Many of the work houses (such as the smoke house, the carriage house, the spinning room, etc.) are still standing, with mock ups for what they would have looked like in Washington's day. Also still standing were some of the slave quarters, with stories about specific slaves on display. You can still walk through Washington's "fruit gardens" (basically a mini-orchard), go down to his wharf (where people still fish), and visit both his old and current tombs. There is also a memorial for the slaves of Mount Vernon, and a vague mention of their burial grounds, which is unmarked. The gift shops are amazing- and very large. they have a wide variety of items you can purchase, including regional foods and whiskey made at Washington's distillery about 3 miles away. There is also a restaurant on the premises, that I assume serves colonial food but I didn't have time to explore.
Overall I enjoyed my time here, and I hope I can come and visit when I am not stuck at a Metro station for an hour trying to figure out how to get there. I loved how knowledgeable everyone I met was about the property and history. I also liked how much obvious care is given to maintaining the property, and how many different things there are to do. I disliked the poor crowd control in the mansion. Already dealing with small spaces, I felt not enough direction was given by staff to not only keep people going in the right direction, but also to have them be mindful of traffic flow and the others on the tour. One family had a son who was loud and kept running around, and they kept going against the flow of traffic after entering spaces. Another couple lingered in front of rooms having intimate conversations with each other for so long that anyone in back of them had to do quick glances of the same spaces before being hustled along. I think had the attendants asked them to keep it moving everyone would have had equal amounts of time to take everything in. I also was a little miffed at a comment one of the guides said on the second floor of the home- that slaves sacrificed their freedom to keep the home running, but the Washingtons sacrificed their privacy because of the influx of visitors they had. Um- excuse me?? I don't think anyone would equate the woes slavery with having too much company...I get what she was trying to say, but comparing the two was slightly offensive and probably should have been worded differently.
Did I mention this place was huge? I actually broke out into a sweat hoofing it from the wharf back up to the main grounds and was slightly out of breath. This place is not for those who would wear cute sandals or high heels, but is a definite must see for visitors to the area.
Finally, I want to comment on the fact that I did not include Southern or Western Virginia (as in the west of the state, not West Virginia the actual state) on this blog. One, I said early on that I have lots of friends from Virginia, and based on their suggestions, I saved myself a lot of time and money from going down into Smithfield to try and find Virginia ham. What I did get, though, was a fat can of Virginia peanuts- specifically Feridies peanuts from Courtland, Virginia. I had no idea that Virginia was also famous for growing peanuts (but have always known about it's tobacco and ham). Virginia peanuts tend to be larger and crunchier than peanuts grown elsewhere, and the honey roasted variety I purchased certainly fit that description. (By the way, peanuts are actually legumes- and not nuts...just another interesting factoid I picked up.)
So, Virginia is done. I hope you enjoyed my adventures into the state! Make sure you check out the Facebook page for more photos, and follow me on Twitter. We'll see you next adventure!
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| Across the street from the Alexandria Black History Museum |
THE ALEXANDRIA BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM
So, when I think of Virginia, particularly Northern Virginia (or NoVA as those of us in the DC metropolitan region sometimes refer to it as) I honestly rarely think about African Americans- even though I know they have been around in the area for centuries. I think of government retirees, and young buppies clutching their Starbucks, both fearing going beyond their borders to venture into DC and unable to even fathom what it feels like to step into Maryland. I learned about this museum while trying to find an internship for grad school sometime in 2010. While the timing for internships didn't work out, my curiosity about this place stayed put.
A ten minute or so walk from the Braddock Road Metro Station found me at the front door of the museum. The structure itself actually used to be a library that was built for blacks who were not permitted to use the "regular" library. When you enter you see Welcome Desk in a small room crowded with merchandise, with jazz, blues, and gospel-inspired music playing. It costs two bucks to enter the museum, and if you go to their website, you can print a coupon that gives you 10% off in the gift shop. To your left is a gallery that discusses the journey to NoVA blacks faced from slavery from before America became an independent country up until fairly recently. I learned that at one point Alexandria had a thriving sugar industry, and the gallery showed artifacts from archaeological digs in the area. It also discussed how blacks fared after slavery, and highlighted prominent African Americans from across the 400 or so years covered, including Benjamin Banneker. I was very impressed with the quality of the exhibit design, and was glad that there was plenty of learning to be had for all- bright colors and simple sentences for younger visitors and more complex, lengthier passages for adults to pull information from.The second room is a temporary exhibit space and room that I suppose can be rented out for meetings or special events. Currently, there was a photography exhibit (In Black and White: Photography by Nina Tisara and Peggy Fleming) that has pretty neat shots of African American church life, and of an unofficial league of black chess players.
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| Worker takes a water break from molding sugar cones and wrapping them in paper |
Altogether I spent about an hour in the museum. When I asked a question about the Alexandria sugar mills to the woman at the Welcome Desk, she called upstairs to a curator. I think I accidentally got her reprimanded or fussed at because you could hear the person on the other end sounding loud and irritated that she called with a visitor question. I hope that wasn't the case, because it would be a shame that the people "in charge" would be "too busy" in such a small museum to answer one question from someone interested in their subject. Otherwise this was a really quaint place- a good start for anyone interested in learning niche areas of African American or American industrial history.
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| Washington's Mansion |
MOUNT VERNON ESTATE, MUSEUM, AND GARDENS
On an unseasonably warm December day (Mid 60s the week of Christmas? In the Mid Atlantic? Yeah, that's crazy warm) I ventured to Mount Vernon- my last stop in the commonwealth of Virginia. I know there are tours available- Gray Line bus tours costs $40 or $50 dollars- but I refuse to pay that much money to go on a tour of a place I technically live near. Not when public transportation is available and I am still its Queen! I rode the Metro to Huntington Station (that's the very end of the Yellow line) and caught the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon. Now, there are several ways to do this- as I learned the hard way. The 151 and 152 Connectors drop you off directly at the Estate, and you have to go to the upper level of the station to catch them. The 101 takes you close to the Estate, but stops about a block and half away from the entrance. The signage at the station isn't very clear that there are two levels the Connectors stop on, and I waited for an hour on the WRONG level for the 151 or 152 until I finally called the customer service line printed on each of the buses and asked what the issue was. I was quite irritated, but I ran down to catch the 101 that was turning the corner. I paid with my SmarTrip card (a re-loadable fare card) so I don't know exactly how much I paid- but I'd guess it was a total from my house to Mount Vernon of less than $5. Much less than the tour buses!
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| Washington's snazzy and crazy big back porch/yard/view |
Admission for adults is $15, and you are handed a small stack of papers including maps and daily events. I happened to have visited during the Christmas season, which means there were lots of special events going on around the Estate. I missed a demonstration and tasting of 18th century chocolate making that only lasted for 30 minutes (thanks a lot confusing Connector signs!!), but did get to see most everything else. Basically split into 3 attractions (Museum, Mansion, and the Grounds), this place is huge! When they say wear comfortable shoes, they are NOT kidding. The museum is split into two sections- an actual exhibit space and an interactive education center. Photographs are not allowed in the museum, but inside were tons of personal items owned by the Washingtons. My favorite artifact was the seed pearl brooch in the shape of a flower that was owned by Martha Washington (I love brooches!). In the education center, you learn about Washington from birth to death (including a reproduction of his coffin), and how his legacy has impacted America all these centuries later. A highlight was a wall sized map of the US, showing the cities, counties, landmarks, schools, and other things named for Washington in every state of the Union. Pictures were allowed in there, but not of the General's famous teeth.
In the mansion (which is actually pretty huge considering how small houses used to be back then), you are grouped up and sent room by room with tour guides in each major section explaining the space and what would have happened there. Because of the holiday season, the 3rd floor of the mansion (which is normally closed to the public) was opened and we were permitted to tour it as well. It was kind of surreal looking into THE room where George Washington died. One cool thing I remember was that Washington had been gifted a key to the Bastille, and it is still on display in the front room of his home. I also see why he picked this particular location for his home- in the back of the house, there is an absolutely stunning view of the Potomac River. The entire tour took about 20 minutes or so.
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| No one came over to pet the camel until I got over there :-/ |
The grounds are amazing. Because of the holidays, the turkey that President Obama pardoned at Thanksgiving and the annual "Christmas Camel" (this one was named Aladdin- Washington paid 18 shillings one year to bring a camel to the grounds to show his guests an exotic animal) were in makeshift pens. I've never been that close to a camel before, and Aladdin is massive! I got to pet him, but avoided his big camel kisses that he seemed determined to give me. Many of the work houses (such as the smoke house, the carriage house, the spinning room, etc.) are still standing, with mock ups for what they would have looked like in Washington's day. Also still standing were some of the slave quarters, with stories about specific slaves on display. You can still walk through Washington's "fruit gardens" (basically a mini-orchard), go down to his wharf (where people still fish), and visit both his old and current tombs. There is also a memorial for the slaves of Mount Vernon, and a vague mention of their burial grounds, which is unmarked. The gift shops are amazing- and very large. they have a wide variety of items you can purchase, including regional foods and whiskey made at Washington's distillery about 3 miles away. There is also a restaurant on the premises, that I assume serves colonial food but I didn't have time to explore.
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| Mount Vernon Slave Memorial |
Overall I enjoyed my time here, and I hope I can come and visit when I am not stuck at a Metro station for an hour trying to figure out how to get there. I loved how knowledgeable everyone I met was about the property and history. I also liked how much obvious care is given to maintaining the property, and how many different things there are to do. I disliked the poor crowd control in the mansion. Already dealing with small spaces, I felt not enough direction was given by staff to not only keep people going in the right direction, but also to have them be mindful of traffic flow and the others on the tour. One family had a son who was loud and kept running around, and they kept going against the flow of traffic after entering spaces. Another couple lingered in front of rooms having intimate conversations with each other for so long that anyone in back of them had to do quick glances of the same spaces before being hustled along. I think had the attendants asked them to keep it moving everyone would have had equal amounts of time to take everything in. I also was a little miffed at a comment one of the guides said on the second floor of the home- that slaves sacrificed their freedom to keep the home running, but the Washingtons sacrificed their privacy because of the influx of visitors they had. Um- excuse me?? I don't think anyone would equate the woes slavery with having too much company...I get what she was trying to say, but comparing the two was slightly offensive and probably should have been worded differently.
Did I mention this place was huge? I actually broke out into a sweat hoofing it from the wharf back up to the main grounds and was slightly out of breath. This place is not for those who would wear cute sandals or high heels, but is a definite must see for visitors to the area.
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| Washington's wharf...a lot further away than it looks I'll tell you that! |
Finally, I want to comment on the fact that I did not include Southern or Western Virginia (as in the west of the state, not West Virginia the actual state) on this blog. One, I said early on that I have lots of friends from Virginia, and based on their suggestions, I saved myself a lot of time and money from going down into Smithfield to try and find Virginia ham. What I did get, though, was a fat can of Virginia peanuts- specifically Feridies peanuts from Courtland, Virginia. I had no idea that Virginia was also famous for growing peanuts (but have always known about it's tobacco and ham). Virginia peanuts tend to be larger and crunchier than peanuts grown elsewhere, and the honey roasted variety I purchased certainly fit that description. (By the way, peanuts are actually legumes- and not nuts...just another interesting factoid I picked up.)
So, Virginia is done. I hope you enjoyed my adventures into the state! Make sure you check out the Facebook page for more photos, and follow me on Twitter. We'll see you next adventure!
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