The Renwick Gallery is often overlooked in the kaleidoscope of DC’s free museums. The historic building, the first in the United States designed expressly to be an art museum, usually hosts crafts and decorative art collections for the Smithsonian American Art Museum. I must admit that I made it here a grand total of once or twice in … Continue reading
Our Los Angeles visit could not end without a nod to the city’s cinematic heart. On this trip, this meant watching a movie at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (now the TCL Chinese Theatre). One of the most opulent “movie palaces” in the country, it has hosted many of the grandest film galas since its debut in 1927. The 1939 premiere … Continue reading
When as a child I imagined America, the mighty Niagara Falls, along with Times Square, the Grand Canyon, and the Golden Gate Bridge, were my frequent backdrops. So when work brought me to Toronto, it was an easy decision to make: A day trip to the Falls, as soon as I could manage it. We … Continue reading
When you think “Las Vegas,” what comes to mind? I bet neon signs — “spectaculars” as the largest of them are called — will be high on the list. They flourished in this desert town as it grew from a dusty railroad outpost in 1913 to the flashy, decadent oasis it is today. With LED and LCD lighting now leading … Continue reading
I first saw Griffith Observatory as we pushed our way through the wall of Los Angeles traffic: It looks down on the city from the slopes of Mount Hollywood. Climbing up there was a must. The observatory is a spectacular public space, built expressly to bring the heavens to the unwashed masses. Come here on a clear night and enjoy … Continue reading
Dumbarton Oaks is one of Georgetown’s crown jewels, a grand home, a museum of Pre-Colombian and Byzantine art, and a symphony of gardens perched atop the old neighborhood’s highest point. This spring, I came to see the wisterias. The gardens are spectacular in any season, but mid-spring, I think, is my favorite. The aromas are tantalizing, but not yet … Continue reading
Now that spring has finally sprung, I look forward to our walks at my favorite local place to watch the seasons turn: the Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve. Just south of Old Town Alexandria along the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Dyke Marsh does have its scrappy patches, the old wounds still visible and, in places, growing. Still, there … Continue reading
An an oasis of wildflowers, suspended over the buzz and industry of Chelsea and its meatpacking district, The High Line is my New York City favorite. A mile of abandoned freight rails transformed into a garden path of native blooms, urban art, and peaceful nooks, it is a public space extraordinaire, enchanting even in early spring, when … Continue reading
When I began preparing for a work trip to São Paulo, my expectations were quickly tempered: The city does not come up as a destination of choice. It is sprawling, congested, scruffy, expensive (many of the visitors are business travelers who stick to the ultra-luxurious hotels and restaurants), and not altogether coherent. There are more … Continue reading
A late afternoon at the Mokolodi Nature Reserve was another welcome escape during my busy work week in Gaborone. Only 15 km south of town, the Reserve was a short, beautiful ride away from my hotel. We drove under Botswana’s endless sky, red, rugged earth stretching to infinity, and I felt all my worries, and meetings, … Continue reading
Did you know that July is the lotus season in DC? Last week, I wrote about my late-June stroll through the serene and beautiful Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, “where water and wind dance,” and the lotus ponds were just beginning their bloom. This weekend, I went back for the park’s Lotus and Water Lily Festival. Ponds upon ponds of … Continue reading
São Paulo may not be an obvious tourist destination if one goes to Brazil. The reviews I saw before I arrived were not stellar. I was there for work, with very little time to explore and absolutely no exposure to the rest of the country–still, when I get a chance to return to Brazil, I … Continue reading
Would you like to be carried away from the hot cement and marble of a DC summer, all within city limits? Wake up early enough for an 8 AM stroll among water lilies and lotus colonies at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, one of DC’s most delectable hidden treasures. A patchwork of ponds give way to … Continue reading
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