Sorry. . . We've been slacking on the blog. So, to catch up:
Austin, Texas was fun because we met up with Kyle there. He was down with the RPI lacrosse team. We met up at night to go out with him and some of his buddies on 6th Street, downtown Austin. Everyone at the bars were in a festive mood, since the South by Southwest Festival was starting up. But, that made it difficult to find a place to park up. We went between two different RV parks and Walmart parking lots. The traffic was crazy bad, and there were lots of lines all over the city, but it was worth it to see Kyle! We did hear some amazing live music. Our favorite was Jonny Gray. Little guy, but with a raw, unique voice, playing his acoustic guitar under the staircase at the a pub we have forgotten the name of. He played lots of awesome covers we all sang along to while we drank our Shiner Bock, and then also some original songs. http://www.reverbnation.com/jonnygraymusic.
We didn't do much else in Austin, since we usually had to sleep in and sleep it off after hanging out with Kyle. We did ride our bikes around Zilker Park to see the natural spring pool, which was pretty awesome. After Kyle left, we ran away from the crowds and headed towards New Mexico.
Driving across so much of the country, we had started to get a sense of the scale of our Rand McNally maps, and could usually judge how long a trip would take us. Carlsbad Caverns didn't look too far, we figured we could reach by afternoon. But after hour after hour of flat, scrub brush dotted desert, we wondered if it would ever end. Every mile we went, the horizon looked farther and farther away. We saw an occasional oil drill, or a lone cow wandering through, but very little else. We drove and drove, hoping we had enough gas to make it to the next not-deserted town. Nicole started to get annoyed at the dry dusty landscape, and decided she could never live out here. She needs to be near water, lots and lots of water.
As we crossed into New Mexico, we ran over our very first tumbleweed! We both burst out laughing at the absurdity of it, breaking the monotony of staring at the road. Our first stop in New Mexico was the the Living Desert State Park. Part horticulture preserve, part zoo, part animal rescue, the park was absolutely amazing. The rescued animals, a one winged bald eagle (lost it to a run in with a power line), an arthritic mountain lion, a mangey prairie dog community, a roadrunner (Nicole didn't know they were real!), all had fantastic homes in enclosures that seamlessly blended in with the desert environment. The caretakers were friendly and shared each animals story, if you wanted to know, and we were so impressed that we walked the park twice, to see if we could catch the animals that were sleeping the first time around.
As evening fell, we parked up at an RV park, just outside the gates of Carlsbad Caverns. There was an old stone house up at the top of a hill, not far from our park, and we decided to hike up there to watch the sunset. The structure was fenced in, and surrounded by the perfect rattlesnake abode, but Nicole slid under the fence to go check it out. The wooden front door was open and she was a little apprehensive, but it was too cool not to check out. The ceilings were low, dirt floors, and the only thing sign of life was Indian burlap fabric hanging ragged from the ceilings and framing the tiny windows. She snapped some photos as she crawled through the different room, each on flowing the incline of the hill. She made it out the back door as was greeted with a spectacular view of the sunset. It was only when we came back to the RV and looked at the photos, did we see the cave paintings on the exposed, natural rock inside the house. It was a real adventure, but we never found out anything more about the history of the house.
The next day we went to Carlsbad Caverns, home to one of the largest cave chambers in the world. It was incredibly insane, descending 740 feet into the earth and winding through the different chambers. The photos don't really capture the majesty and awe-inspiringness of it, and neither can words. There was a one and half hour wait for the elevators to get out, so Nicole decided to hike it out. It wasn't as "strenuous" as the park rangers cautioned. She made it out before Mary Lou.
Click here for Austin photos!
Click here for Carlsbad photos!
3.25.2011
3.17.2011
Germans, Mexicans and Spanish in Hill Country, Texas
On our way out of San Antonio, we stopped to see the missions along Mission Trail. At Mision San Jose, Est. 1720, there were extensive repairs going on and a forklift blocking the view of the Baroque entrance. We wandered around, hoping that the workers would take a lunch break, and we could get a good photo. We sat on a a bench across, when it looked like the man on the forklift was spray misting his recent limestone work and soon to call it quits. He tipped his hat to us as we walked past and we told him that it looked like a fun job. Miroslav was Czechoslavakian, and called in especially for this work. His assistant was the great great great great grandson of one of one of the stonecutters that had built the Rose window on the mission, in 1720. Standing out in the warm sunshine, he told us about the highly detailed Baroque carvings, more detailed than most because, although Europe was moving to a more Rococo style, out there in Southern Texas, they didn't get the message. He explained how the sculptors came from far away in Mexico and really pushed the limits of their craft, by hollowing out sculptures of Mary and Joseph and the Virgin of Guadeloupe, so that appear as if they are floating out from the wall. He showed us the replacements and cleaning he had completed, and explained how the limestone was fantastically soft for carving, but in that arid climate, never really hardened. The history he shared heightened our appreciation of Mision San Jose.
We wandered into the Mision Concepcion, because Miroslav said that it was the most beautiful interior of all the missions. We said a prayer for our rig to keep taking us safely West. Lunch was at a local Mexican restaurant with spicy gorditas, chalupas, red beans and rice.
Driving through Hill Country was our first real test of our rig. It was hilly, and driving our home around sharp turns, uphill, and blind curves downhill, was fun until the refrigerator opened up and spilled its contents everywhere! Since it hasn't worked since we started the trip, we use it as a cupboard to store canned goods and the Britta water filter (which was full)!
First stop was Bradenton, "Cowboy Country." Save a horse, ride a cowboy! We went shopping in the antique stores and ended up at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar for the Wednesday night dance. There were cowhide, ostrich, alligator and snake boots, big ass belt buckles and well worn cowboy hats. We got ourselves some Shiner Bock, took a stool next to the dance floor to watch the couples two step, Texas Waltz, and line dance. We followed the mouthwatering scent of grilling beef to figure out that everyone brings their own cuts of meat, throws it on one of three community charcoal grills, and bullshits with the man standing next to him while they tend to their dinners. We had fun making friends and refusing offers to dance.
Next stop was Gruene, est in 1872, by a German American farmer and home to "the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas." We wandered around the dry goods store, the pottery studio, and had lunch in an old grist mill overlooking the Guadalupe River. It was a lovely country day.
We passed through Luckenbach, a well preserved 1849 trading post. Willy Nelson and Waylon Jennings made it famous in a song. The town has a dance hall and a post office. The slogan is "Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach." You can rent out the entire town for a party or wedding reception!
Fredericksburg was settled in 1850 by Germans escaping overcrowding and poverty. It was very apparent the genetics were in the area - we no longer felt tall! We perused more antique shops for cowboy boots and leather goods, and ate lots of German food. At dinner, Mary Lou ordered the Schwalbennestlr (Sparrows Nest): two hard boiled eggs wrapped in bacon, wrapped in ham, wrapped in roast beef and drenched in sauerbraten gravy. It was as big as her head…. so Nicole ate half! The town is known for General Nimitz, German Bakeries, and very wide streets.
Time to meet Kyle in Austin!
Click here for photos!
We wandered into the Mision Concepcion, because Miroslav said that it was the most beautiful interior of all the missions. We said a prayer for our rig to keep taking us safely West. Lunch was at a local Mexican restaurant with spicy gorditas, chalupas, red beans and rice.
Driving through Hill Country was our first real test of our rig. It was hilly, and driving our home around sharp turns, uphill, and blind curves downhill, was fun until the refrigerator opened up and spilled its contents everywhere! Since it hasn't worked since we started the trip, we use it as a cupboard to store canned goods and the Britta water filter (which was full)!
First stop was Bradenton, "Cowboy Country." Save a horse, ride a cowboy! We went shopping in the antique stores and ended up at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar for the Wednesday night dance. There were cowhide, ostrich, alligator and snake boots, big ass belt buckles and well worn cowboy hats. We got ourselves some Shiner Bock, took a stool next to the dance floor to watch the couples two step, Texas Waltz, and line dance. We followed the mouthwatering scent of grilling beef to figure out that everyone brings their own cuts of meat, throws it on one of three community charcoal grills, and bullshits with the man standing next to him while they tend to their dinners. We had fun making friends and refusing offers to dance.
Next stop was Gruene, est in 1872, by a German American farmer and home to "the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas." We wandered around the dry goods store, the pottery studio, and had lunch in an old grist mill overlooking the Guadalupe River. It was a lovely country day.
We passed through Luckenbach, a well preserved 1849 trading post. Willy Nelson and Waylon Jennings made it famous in a song. The town has a dance hall and a post office. The slogan is "Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach." You can rent out the entire town for a party or wedding reception!
Fredericksburg was settled in 1850 by Germans escaping overcrowding and poverty. It was very apparent the genetics were in the area - we no longer felt tall! We perused more antique shops for cowboy boots and leather goods, and ate lots of German food. At dinner, Mary Lou ordered the Schwalbennestlr (Sparrows Nest): two hard boiled eggs wrapped in bacon, wrapped in ham, wrapped in roast beef and drenched in sauerbraten gravy. It was as big as her head…. so Nicole ate half! The town is known for General Nimitz, German Bakeries, and very wide streets.
Time to meet Kyle in Austin!
Click here for photos!
3.13.2011
San Antonio
Luck hasn't been with us at the casinos, but she decided to join us in San Antonio! As soon as we pulled up and plugged in to our RV park, a quick glance at the newspaper told us that the Mardi Gras float parade was happening right then in the Riverwalk. We locked up and headed into the city. We had no idea what the Riverwalk would be like, and were amazed to step off the downtown streets and down into what used to be a rat infested drainage canal, now a beautiful canal flanked by restaurants and hotels. People were lined up on the side of the canal with their beads on, but told us that we had just missed the parade. So, instead, we bought two glasses of Texan Cabernet and hopped on the canal tour boat for a little ride around.
It was a beautiful ride in the sunshine, sipping our wine, and then, don't you know it, here comes the parade, back through the canal! Playing music, dancing, throwing beads from their barges to all the people standing on the side, and to us! Well, since we clearly had the best beads, from New Orleans, they didn't throw them specifically to us anymore. And, since the traffic was so heavy, our 30 minute boat ride took one and a half hours.
The next day, we went to remember the Alamo. And, wouldn't you know it, they happened to be celebrating the 175th anniversary with reenactments, complete with authentic costumes and cannon blasts and weapons demonstrations.
So then, we tried to find the best happy hour in town, but after wandering around for a few hours, just couldn't seem to find the perfect spot. So, we decided to try Chef John Besh's newly opened Luke. Well, wouldn't you know it, but it was happy hour at Luke! We had $5 specialty cocktails, $5 a pound spiced and steamed crawfish, $.50 raw oysters, and an Alsatian tart (thin crusted onion tarte with bacon, caraway and Emmenthaler cheese). We made friends with Greg, a young chef from Kansas City, who came for Besh's monster grilled ribeye with maître d’hôtel butter, sauce béarnaise, or sour mash steak sauce. It was perfectly cooked, and he shared the deliciousness with us. Then, he ordered Brendan’s bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream and hot buttered pecan sauce, for all of us to share. We were having so much fun sharing our stories and talking food with Greg, we carried on together the Riverwalk for some shots of tequila and then to a sport's bar for watch the end of the Dallas Memphis game. We bet on the game and I lost, of course, and had to buy the last rounds of tequila. Wheeeee!
Click here for photos!
It was a beautiful ride in the sunshine, sipping our wine, and then, don't you know it, here comes the parade, back through the canal! Playing music, dancing, throwing beads from their barges to all the people standing on the side, and to us! Well, since we clearly had the best beads, from New Orleans, they didn't throw them specifically to us anymore. And, since the traffic was so heavy, our 30 minute boat ride took one and a half hours.
The next day, we went to remember the Alamo. And, wouldn't you know it, they happened to be celebrating the 175th anniversary with reenactments, complete with authentic costumes and cannon blasts and weapons demonstrations.
So then, we tried to find the best happy hour in town, but after wandering around for a few hours, just couldn't seem to find the perfect spot. So, we decided to try Chef John Besh's newly opened Luke. Well, wouldn't you know it, but it was happy hour at Luke! We had $5 specialty cocktails, $5 a pound spiced and steamed crawfish, $.50 raw oysters, and an Alsatian tart (thin crusted onion tarte with bacon, caraway and Emmenthaler cheese). We made friends with Greg, a young chef from Kansas City, who came for Besh's monster grilled ribeye with maître d’hôtel butter, sauce béarnaise, or sour mash steak sauce. It was perfectly cooked, and he shared the deliciousness with us. Then, he ordered Brendan’s bread pudding with vanilla bean ice cream and hot buttered pecan sauce, for all of us to share. We were having so much fun sharing our stories and talking food with Greg, we carried on together the Riverwalk for some shots of tequila and then to a sport's bar for watch the end of the Dallas Memphis game. We bet on the game and I lost, of course, and had to buy the last rounds of tequila. Wheeeee!
Click here for photos!
3.10.2011
Coushatta Casino and Houston
On our last day in New Orleans, we had an amazing lunch at Chef John Besh's restaurant, August. Then we wandered up and down our favorite street, Royal, and went back for our favorite cocktails at the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel. Our charming bartender, John, took extra special care to make our Sazeracs, coating our glasses with absinthe and flaming our lemon rinds to release the delicious smells of the drink. While we were drinking our Ramos Gin Fizz, slow poured by John, we chatted with Naman, an A&W executive from Vancouver. While we were drinking our Old Fashions, with whiskey soaked cherries and orange bitters, we made some new friends with Pratt and Brian, also in town on business. They asked us a million questions about our trip, amazed at what we had embarked on, and wishing they had the time in life to do the same. After spending a few lovely hours with us, Pratt said that he could probably hook us up with an RV park to stay in, exactly on our route West, in a casino RV park. When he excused himself to go to the loo, Brian whispered that Pratt was just being modest, was actually on the Indian council and basically runs the casino. As we were pulling out of our French Quarter RV park the next day, Pratt did call to say that, even though he wasn't going to be there, his Host of VIP services, Bryan, would call us in a bit, to arrange our stay at the Coushatta Casino.
The RV park at the Coushatta Casino was green and beautiful, Bryan was a charming escort for a juicy steak dinner, and we had a great time losing some money in the casino at night! The next afternoon, we were invited to lunch by Pratt, who was back in town for a golf tournament. When we reached, Bryan asked for a table of 9, and told us that the whole Coushatta Tribal Council was coming for lunch. They were all charming people, very interested in our trip, and sharing some good advice of places to visit. At the end of the meal, Pratt, true to Indian customs, presented us with a gift: a pine needle, raffia basket, handmade by the Coushatta women. It is absolutely beautiful, a real treasure.
After those peaceful days of rest, we thanked our kind hosts, and headed West into Texas. We drove straight into Houston and parked at the Museum of Fine Art for free admission Thursday. The Museum was absolutely amazing! It is one of the largest art museums in America, with more than 300000 square feet of space devoted to the display of art, and every inch of it was fantastic. Mary Lou's favorite piece was a Bouguereau portrait of a young girl, Nicole's favorite was "Women in a Purple Jacket" by Matisse, and both of us could not stop laughing at a Picasso sculpture of a strange flat man with a tiny head. We weren't allowed to take photos of it, but Mom snuck one from the other room!
But, most amazing of all was the current exhibition: the complete works of Carlos Cruz-Diez. "For more than five decades, Carlos Cruz-Diez (born 1923) has experimented intensively with the origins and optics of color. His wide-ranging body of work includes unconventional color structures, light environments, street interventions, architectural integration projects, and experimental works that engage the response of the human eye while insisting on the participatory nature of color. The MFAH and the Cruz-Diez Foundation, Houston, present the first large-scale retrospective of this pioneering Franco-Venezuelan artist."
It was probably one of the coolest exhibitions that we have ever seen. Wow.
The next morning, we visited the Menil Collection, which was listed in Mary Lou's book of "1,000 Things to See Before You Die." The de Menil's collection was extensive, especially the antiquities and pre-Columbian artifacts, but it didn't compare to the MFAH. To be fair though, the de Menil's were on the board of the MFAH for many years, donated a large portion of their collection to the Museum, and supported it financially. The de Menil's were huge contemporary art lovers, and there is a whole building dedicated to Cy Twombly. It was terrible. Huge canvases of pencil squiggles and white out and scratches and total rubbish.
The de Menil's collection did however, include a contemporary Byzantine Chapel built to house and restore purpose to some rescued and restored Byzantine frescos, and the Rothko Chapel. Mary Lou remained unmoved in her hatred of Rothko, but Nicole was actually pleasantly surprised at the experience of viewing the commission inside that space. She kind of liked it.
Enough art! On to San Antonio for the weekend!
The RV park at the Coushatta Casino was green and beautiful, Bryan was a charming escort for a juicy steak dinner, and we had a great time losing some money in the casino at night! The next afternoon, we were invited to lunch by Pratt, who was back in town for a golf tournament. When we reached, Bryan asked for a table of 9, and told us that the whole Coushatta Tribal Council was coming for lunch. They were all charming people, very interested in our trip, and sharing some good advice of places to visit. At the end of the meal, Pratt, true to Indian customs, presented us with a gift: a pine needle, raffia basket, handmade by the Coushatta women. It is absolutely beautiful, a real treasure.
After those peaceful days of rest, we thanked our kind hosts, and headed West into Texas. We drove straight into Houston and parked at the Museum of Fine Art for free admission Thursday. The Museum was absolutely amazing! It is one of the largest art museums in America, with more than 300000 square feet of space devoted to the display of art, and every inch of it was fantastic. Mary Lou's favorite piece was a Bouguereau portrait of a young girl, Nicole's favorite was "Women in a Purple Jacket" by Matisse, and both of us could not stop laughing at a Picasso sculpture of a strange flat man with a tiny head. We weren't allowed to take photos of it, but Mom snuck one from the other room!
But, most amazing of all was the current exhibition: the complete works of Carlos Cruz-Diez. "For more than five decades, Carlos Cruz-Diez (born 1923) has experimented intensively with the origins and optics of color. His wide-ranging body of work includes unconventional color structures, light environments, street interventions, architectural integration projects, and experimental works that engage the response of the human eye while insisting on the participatory nature of color. The MFAH and the Cruz-Diez Foundation, Houston, present the first large-scale retrospective of this pioneering Franco-Venezuelan artist."
It was probably one of the coolest exhibitions that we have ever seen. Wow.
The next morning, we visited the Menil Collection, which was listed in Mary Lou's book of "1,000 Things to See Before You Die." The de Menil's collection was extensive, especially the antiquities and pre-Columbian artifacts, but it didn't compare to the MFAH. To be fair though, the de Menil's were on the board of the MFAH for many years, donated a large portion of their collection to the Museum, and supported it financially. The de Menil's were huge contemporary art lovers, and there is a whole building dedicated to Cy Twombly. It was terrible. Huge canvases of pencil squiggles and white out and scratches and total rubbish.
The de Menil's collection did however, include a contemporary Byzantine Chapel built to house and restore purpose to some rescued and restored Byzantine frescos, and the Rothko Chapel. Mary Lou remained unmoved in her hatred of Rothko, but Nicole was actually pleasantly surprised at the experience of viewing the commission inside that space. She kind of liked it.
Enough art! On to San Antonio for the weekend!
3.08.2011
More NOLA!
Here's the second album of photos - more cemeteries, sazeracs, and the Barkus dog parade!
Click here!
Click here!
3.07.2011
Weeeeeeee're Baaaaack!
Hi there! We have been having a total blast! Have you any doubt?
If you haven't been to New Orleans, then there is just way to explain to you how awesome it is. So, we won't even try.
Enjoy the photos!
Click here for the first album!
If you haven't been to New Orleans, then there is just way to explain to you how awesome it is. So, we won't even try.
Enjoy the photos!
Click here for the first album!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)