Vacations Blog

The 45-foot rotunda tree in the Christmas Around the World exhibit

Experience the holiday traditions of over 50 different countries at the annual “Christmas Around The World and Holidays of Light” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. A Chicago tradition for 68 years, the glittering exhibit showcases trees decorated to reflect the holiday traditions from around the world through January 3.  Anchored by a towering 45-foot tree in the Rotunda, the display also features intermittent snow showers. This year’s theme focuses on the holiday history of the White House, with White House-themed ornaments adorning the Rotunda tree and holiday cards signed by presidents and first ladies. Read More »

Entrance of the Du Sable Museum

Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood has gained lots of visibility as the home of President Barack Obama but he’s not the only exciting aspect of the area.  This  stately south side neighborhood is also home to the DuSable Museum of African American History.  Named for the founder of Chicago, Jean Baptiste Pointe  DuSable, the museum is the first and oldest institution of its kind in the country. Located on the sprawling grounds of Washiington Park, DuSable offers a great family excursion.  Enter the museum and you’re greeted with a life-sized mosaic mural of DuSable, who was a wealthy explorer and fur trader. Read More »

A painting featured during ArtCrawl Harlem

Soho and Chelsea may grab all the attention when it comes to New York’s art scene but Harlem boasts a vibrant array of galleries and museums, minus the crowds.   Artcrawl Harlem rounds up some of these art discoveries with a three and half- hour trolley tour that supplies historical background and a reception with food and live music at the end of the tour. For its second year, the Artcrawl focuses on East Harlem galleries and Spanish Harlem history.  If you’ve ever tried to explore Manhattan landmarks in an afternoon, you know that New York’s long stretches of streets and sprawling layout don’t make it easy.  Artcrawl Harlem’s trolley tour gives you easy with 30-minute trolley stops at 5-7 galleries and art spaces, giving you time to actually peruse the art without worrying about parking or schedules. Read More »

I’m a pretty big fan of Dan Brown, so of course I purchased a copy of The Lost Symbol the week that the book came out. I read it in a day and really enjoyed it (though “Angels and Demons” remains my favorite of the “Robert Langdon” books). More than any other reaction I garnered from the book, I was left with an increased desire to visit some of the historical landmarks of Washington D.C., which is where the book took place.

I’ve always wanted to go, but now I really want to go. Without giving away any of the plot lines of the books, here are four of the landmarks featured in “The Lost Symbol”:

The Library of Congress, along with being the largest library in the world, is “the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress.” The Thomas Jefferson building, which hosts the Library of Congress Experience, is located on 1st Street S.E., between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street, on Capitol Hill. It is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. There is no charge to visit, though entrance wait times sometimes exist, and vary from 15 to 45 minutes. Tours occur daily, and various concerts, exhibitions, and other events occur throughout the year.

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Not every vacation is a family vacation. Sometimes—either before, after or just without kids—a person wants an adult place to go. Sure “adult” could mean a coffee shop or the symphony, but sometimes “adult” means, you know, adult. (In case you can’t tell, I’m winking my eye and smirking like a teenager right now.)

In the 1990s, Rudy Guiliani and New York tourism and redevelopment offices cleaned up New York and swept away the adult bookstores. Even Times Square became Disneyfied. So how could an adult attraction stay open in New York’s age of clean storefronts and political correctness? Simple. Get a board of distinguished advisors, collect educational research materials, charge admission, and call it a museum.

A vistor to new York City's Museum of Sex disregards the sign.

New York City’s Museum of Sex opened in 2002. To some critics, it may seem like no more than a museum of porn and raunch. But it’s actually much more.

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Ohio.  I’ve never cared for it much.  I’ve had some bad JuJu up there.  But, perhaps, possibly it’s not the fault of the state itself as the fault of a Young Man with reckless abandon and “being a Bear of very little Brain.”  But still…….

So when the trip to Six Flags – Kentucky Kingdom was washed away in a deluge of angry cumulonimbus tears, and the children stood with sad eyes and tapping feet and bad intentions, well, we had to Go somewhere.

Enter Ohio. Read More »

It’s May. High school seniors are graduating and looking forward (or maybe not) to college. Parents are looking forward (or maybe not) to their children leaving the nest, and tuition costs. It’s the time of year when parents and prospective students tour the colleges of their choice before making a final decision.

ASU Campus - Normal School building, built in 1884.

Arizona State University’s main campus is in Tempe Arizona, and has one of the largest annual enrollments for a single campus in the nation. ASU also has several satellite campuses in the Phoenix Metro area. It is a member of the PAC-10 conference, and offers a dizzying array of technical and business programs, at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate levels.

There’s lots more information and pictures! Click here to Read More »

The Ohio River in Gallipolis, Ohio

It’s funny how the even the most simple of errands can lead you on a grand and interesting adventure.  My daughter celebrated a birthday last week and in lieu of a pony, we got her a puppy.  My job was to retrieve the puppy from a little farm outside of Gallipolis, OH.  And while my sojourn there was little more than passing through, I saw and learned enough that I’m planning a trip back to the area with intents on a longer stay.

Gallipolis, OH is a small city nestled along the Ohio River first settled by the French in 1790, an immediate appeal considering my French heritage and a pleasant contrast to the German and Welsh areas where I currently live.

The downtown area is quaint with old buildings and antique shops.  Think New Orleans but on a much smaller scale and without the hookers and urine filled alleyways.

Downtown Gallipolis, OH

The area, well within the boundaries of the Appalachian foothills, is rich with natural beauty, gentle hills and gorgeous overlooks of the Ohio River.

Bridge to Point Pleasant, WV

Just across the river is Point Pleasant, West Virginia.  You may remember The Mothman Prophecies….

That was Point Pleasant, WV.

For a thirteen month period beginning in November 1966 locals reported sightings of the Mothman in and around the area along with many other strange phenomena.    On December 15, 1967 the 700 foot Silver Bridge connecting Ohio to West Virginia collapsed during evening rush hour killing 46 people.  After the catastrophe the Mothman sightings ended.  Some people considered the Mothman sightings as a warning of the impending disaster.  Spooky!

There are several lodging options available, though I think I’m going to be checking out the historic Lowe Hotel downtown on the corner of Fourth and Main Streets.  It’s budget friendly, centrally located and convenient to several area attractions:

The Mothman Statue Point Pleasant, WV

- – Tu-Endie-Wei State Park (four blocks away)- -

The park is the commemorative site of the famous Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774 between Virginia militia and American Indians.  The battle  is considered by many a precursor to the American Revolutionary War.  The park is open year round including holidays.

- – The Historic Point Pleasant Walking District (outside of the hotel doors) – -

- – Point Pleasant River Museum (four blocks away) – -

The River Museum focuses on past and present history of life and industry on the Ohio River.  The museum is closed on Mondays.

- – Point Pleasant Riverfront Park (next door) – -

- – The Mothman Museum and Research Center (in the hotel building) – -

They offer tons of information about the Mothman sightings as well as informative narrated tours to several area sighting locations.  The museum is open daily noon to 5 pm.

- – The Ohio and Kanawha Rivers (the trail is behind the hotel building) – -

Silver Bridge Collapse Marker--Point Pleasant, WV

Gallipolis, Ohio and it’s neighbor Point Pleasant, West Virginia is the idyllic area for a relaxing family get away.  Whether you’re in the mood for a soothing stroll along the banks of the Ohio River watching the riverboats pass or the thrill of investigating the unexplained, there’s just enough intrigue to keep it interesting for everyone in the family.

Photo Credits:  Ed Lamaze, Creative Commons via Flickr incendiarymind and jimmywayne22