These Last Weeks of Summer

Travel was sporadic this summer.  Some of that was attributable to heavy travel this spring, some to conflicting schedules with friends, some to an awesome lineup of summer concert and some because of plain financing. I still have not found that money tree.  Honestly, I needed a break after the hectic spring and big trips to Mexico, Nevada and California. 
Things are about to change...




Path of Totality

A year ago, we started talking about the upcoming solar eclipse.  And a year ago I started looking at options.  This was no time to dilly-dally.  Rooms a year in advance in Wyoming were sold out in the path of totality.  After trying everything in Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon, we decided to head to Music City - Nashville.  I have not been in over 10 years and John has never visited.  We jumped on a great room rate at the Sheraton 4 Points and decided to make it a mini-trip.

Well, the eclipse is less than 2 weeks away.  We have a huge road trip planned.  My trip schedule is packed with things I missed my first time to the city, and can't miss things for John.  We booked a ghost pub tour, a dinner cruise on the river, and plan to visit the area national park site, Stone River,  for the big event.  We will hop on and off the trolley to hit big city sites, and drive around to see The Hermitage, Belle Meade and the zoo.  I am super excited to visit the Parthenon again - I swear one day I will see the original in Greece. A few tours of caught my eye at historic homes, museums and historic music halls; I am hoping to catch the screen printing tour at the Ryman.  After the eclipse at the park, if we can hit the road quickly, I think we can squeeze in a tour at Jim Beam after the eclipse in Lynchburg since Stone River National Battlefield is already a half hour south of the city.  It will be a busy three days... and then I have to rush back because I have tickets to another concert the evening after the event.... no, I never do things simply.

Before I get too ahead of myself, we have to make it through this upcoming weekend.  We have some fun planned in Hershey Pennsylvania.  We are going bang our heads to Guns & Roses (hopefully Axel shows up).  Of course the weather is predicted to be nasty - sever storms!   That always makes an outdoor concert fun!  We are playing the amusement park by ear.  I haven't been inside the park since I was in junior high; I have fond memories of riding rollercoasters and the Rotor (a great spinning machine that suck you to the walls).  I hope we can get some quality time in the park and reclaim some of our youth.

I have several more trips in the works ... this is just August after all.  I have plenty of time to talk about my trip plans for the fall and winter! I don't want to get ahead of myself and not enjoy the moment.

 

 

Working My Way, Backwards, Through Some Fall Trips

Well, here we are again.  I was doing so good.  I caught up with most of my summer travels... and now, here I am behind again.  One of the dangers of travel is time loss.  I am convinced!

Hot Springs, Arkansas Sunset

So, we are 1 day from Turkey Day, meaning November is almost over.  I am looking down the gauntlet at a HUGE winter trip with 2 friends, cruising through the Caribbean for the holidays.  We are going to St Marteen, Tortola. Dominica, St Kitts, and St Thomas.  I have only been to St Thomas (on one amazing weeklong 30th Birthday trip with a girlfriend), so this trip means I will visit 4 new places.  I have plans to see the famed Gordo Beach (huge boulders), to swim to sea turtles (as long as they show up) in St Thomas, to take an open air train ride in St Kitts, to take a hike in St Marteen... I have plans... And I had to shop because we are going in style on the Queen Mary 2.  We have balls on this boat... 4 balls. 2 weeks!  4 Balls.  Lots of outdoor activities.  Fancy clothes for the fancy boat. Before the cruise, I have plans with my New York girlfriend to see Sutton Foster in Sweet Charity's special 50th Anniversary showing.   Ugh!  Packing will be FUN!

Of course, to gear up for this, I have been resting and planning... hahaha, NOPE, who am I kidding?  I have been hopping all over.  I visited fantastic friends in Denver, New Orleans and Seattle.  I went with my best friend to Canada.  I went to a "new" national park with the boyfriend for an old fashioned bath in Hot Springs.  In between, I squeezed in a few shows and concerts because life is more exciting with live music!  And then I got sick... I think all the running around caught up with me.

Now, I have to play catch up with the blog again.  And the best way to tackle this will be to go backwards.  So, in the coming weeks leading up to my Caribbean cruise, I will be reviewing some of the amazing weekend trips I have taken. 

Lesley and I in front of Parliament

I will look back on my timely trip to Victoria, British Columbia and relive the beauty of the waterfront, tale tales of wonders about bugs and art, and the extreme niceness of every local we met.

Little Rock Skyline!

Pere David Deer at Global Wildlife Preserve

I will walk you through a traditional bath at the Buckstaff, and for a hike around the Hot Springs Mountains as well as revisit some serious history lessons in Little Rock. 

I need to write about the great conservation efforts to for grazers on the North Shore.  I love how every time I visit New Orleans, my friend and I do something new while still honoring my love of all things art, music and good food.

Autumn in Golden

And that Denver/Golden autumn needs to be showcased.  While I only visited to see a few friends, we did take in some stunning colors in the cities.  And while there, I helped a friend of a friend build a Day of the Dead alter, my first! 

I had a fun and busy fall.  Lots of fun things happened in between those great trips, that I would ideally like to highlight. We had a fantastic trip to Fredericksburg for pumpkin picking, we saw a few great shows at area theatres/venues to see Elle King and a new Disney Musical - Freaky Friday, and enjoyed the changing of the seasons locally!  Ideally, all that stuff deserves a write-up, I just don't see all that happening.   So I will focus on these 4 trips.  I just need some time (and a new computer). 

So expect posts to come flying... promise!!

A Classic Crooner, Boy Bands, Pop Stars, Broadway, and a Living Legend!

Summer is unofficially over (the equinox is not here YET)... I am not sure how it is September already.  I was so caught off guard that I missed my first post-Impressionism lecture at the Smithsonian - I knew it started in September, and I knew Labor Day just passed, but I just failed to connect the calendar dots.  Time flies too quickly.  It is scary. 


I would say where did the time go, but I have the answers - at work, weekend getaways, and in the many moments I had this season enjoying live music.  It has been an amazing summer for music.


 I found myself at quite a few Broadway shows (I love me some Broadway belting).  Looking back, this might be one of my best Broadway viewing seasons in a long while.  This summer, I saw shows solo, with friends, and with family.  There was my 4th of July bender where I saw Finding Neverland, She Loves Me, and Beautiful; and then near the end of August I saw American in Paris and Waitress.  Before the summer season even started, I grooved to Disaster the Musical and tapped along with Dames at Sea.  In DC, I finally saw the classic orchestrations of Bridges of Madison County.  (And there were more this past winter with Bright Star, Allegiance)  In those shows, I saw some Broadway legends and legends to be... I could not contain my excitement to see Gavin Creel along with Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti and Jane Krakowski (She Loves Me) and was giddy before Waitress with Jessie Mueller and Disaster packed with stars including Faith Prince and Adam Pascal. I saw Star Trek legend George Takei and legendary Lei Salonga in the gut wrenching WWII flashback (Allegiance).   I left shows in awe of Keale Sette (Waitress), Lesli Margherita  (Dames at Sea), Carmen Cusek (Bright Star) and Jennifer Simard (Disaster); these are names I will seek out in the future, easily.  All told, I saw 11 shows... and the year is not over.  Many new cast albums have been added to my collection - keeping me dancing in my seat while at work looking over paperwork!

The Lawn at Wolf Trap!

Broadway did not end there... Wolf Trap, National Park for the Performing Arts  had an incredible season.... and one of the shows I attended was with stage and screen siren Kristen Chenoweth (you know her - Wicked, Charlie Brown, West Wing, Glee, Pushing Daisies...)  So, braving the rain (not for the first time), a friend and I picnicked on the lawn to hear jokes and stories along with Popular, Fathers and Daughters and covers from many Broadways shows .... she even stumped us with a little known number from Flora and the Red Menace (leaving many of us to random google searches). 

Wolf Trap delivered more rain and more fantastic moments when I got to see Tony "freaking" Bennett!  My boyfriend and I sat through an epic thunderstorm, with lightening flashing too close for comfort, under a tablecloth, to see this crooner.  I refused to leave... he is Tony Bennett, and he turned 90 years old.  How many more opportunities would be have to see this living legend?  Don't know, but I do know that neither of us had seen him yet, so we weren't going to let wet asses keep us away from this show.  Acknowledging the storm, he cracked a few jokes as the classics he sang referred to weather, rain and sun. We were not exactly in a smoky room at small round tables with candles (how else you think of the old jazz singers with their bands preformed)... but man was it worth it to hear how he can still swing that voice. 

Tony was not the only legend we saw this summer... I got to see a Beatle!  A Beatle!  We went to see Paul McCartney.  And the boyfriend still gets giddy about this show, calling it the best we have ever seen.  He played for over 2 hours, pounding the keys and working the strings - singing songs from Pre-Beatles to his most recent song with Rihanna and Kanye.  It was an honest and true rock concert with lights, lasers and speaker issues... he joked that we all wanted the Beatles stuff and he could prove it with all the cell phones that came out at those moments; he admitted that he likes singing more than that... and that he likes to push.  And the crowd ate it up.  He could have played all night.  Sometimes, he didn't even need to sing because the crowd did it for him... like the entire place singing Hey Jude "lalalalala." It was an amazing, transcendent experience.

Fallen Behind Again

WOW - time has flown.  I have started two trips to summarize some weekend trips and I never finished them.  I have to admit, with work picking up, my condo board taking up much of my time, coupled with my art history classes through the Smithsonian, I am BEHIND.


My goal is to get caught up in the next week.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

To do that, I am going to go backwards.  I returned from Memorial Day weekend with a fresh pool of beautiful pictures from the Dominican Republic.  There, my brother and I traveled to a few national parks, some historic sites, took a hike through the Ecological Park and enjoyed the gorgeous Caribbean blue waters.  Weeks before that international excursion, my boyfriend and I road-tripped from DC to Scranton, PA for a very atypical weekend getaway; there we visited more national park sites and historic sites, hiked to a cool waterfall and played a serious game of advanced miniature golf. 




And before that trip, I took a trip to Florida to see my mom and take in some elegant orchids at the botanical gardens and visit

Coral Castle in Homestead, FL

the infamous Coral Castle. 


Reaching all the way back in April, I have half written posts about trips into NYC to see a show, a trip to Richmond to escape DC's festival weekend, a trip to Winchester for the beginning of Apple Blossom Festival ....  Like I said, I have been negligent in my writing. 


I wish there was an easier way to do this.  Guess that is why blogging is a job for so many...


I do encourage you to visit my Instagram page - DCJerseyGirl since that is where I post many notable pictures from these trips.

Fried Foods, Huge Veggies, Rides and New Kids = Delaware State Fair

It has been a few years since I have been to a state fair. In fact, the last one that I remember attending was the Alaska State Fair about 4 or 5 years ago. And it left quite the impression – how could it not with cabbages larger than a pre-teen? (Not kidding – I saw one that weighed in at 136 lbs) I have to say that the Delaware State Fair wasn’t even on my radar until the New Kids on the Block announced a stop there… and while it did not make sense to me at the time, I had to take it. Fair equal summer fun and everyone knows I love a good New Kids show!

Off I headed to Harrington, Delaware and its State Fair Grounds… in fact, this place looked oddly similar to the Pumpkin Chuckin location when I went to go see giant gourds flung through the air via air cannons and catapults. * Cue the jokes on Delaware being so small* (Poor DE)

As with any state fair, there is much to see and do. There were quite a few barns to house the animals – it is a requirement for any state fair to have cows, horses, ponies and other assorted domesticated farm animal on hand. And if we did not see them in the barns resting, we saw they in the arena show (horses), or at the races (hello, pig races). Straight out of a FX television show, there were side-freak shows – see the smallest horse on Earth, see the 2 headed lamb, and see the reptile woman (does that qualify as a human or animal?) Had to skip the bearded ladies, the tiny ladies, the snake ladies (wait, why were all these ladies?)

When you think of state fairs, you think of food… right? I think state fairs are synonymous with some of the worst sounding artery-clogging concoctions every dreamt up. I could never wrap my head about the fried stick of butter! I still refuse to try fried Twinkies. I have relented on fried pickles, only because I lived in the South for a very short while and I think I wasn’t allowed out without saying I liked them! Here, I stared at a sign for fried lemonade and ran… why, oh why, in the extreme heat of the day are you going to fry lemonade AND how does that work? In reality the only fried fair food I want is a funnel cake (or some Zeppolis). That funnel cake was fantastic, perfect to share and just enough. The entire day, we tried to make the best fair food choices we could. Barbeque, roasted corn, a roasted turkey leg, sausage sandwich , a fruit smoothie, plain iced teas… lots of tea. Did I say it was HOT? It was a scorcher. And soda was not going to quench our thirsts. Its not easy to avoid the corn dogs, fried gator, the fried Reeces, fried everything really…

You can’t eat all that and go on rides. And I wanted to ride some thrill rides. I was always the thrill seeker as a child; the crazier the ride the better it was. As I have grown up, I may not frequent Six Flags, the Boardwalk, fairs or other parks as often as I used to, but damn if I don’t go straight for them when there are in front of me! So after a sweet ride on the big ferris wheel, it was up the “Freefall” like attraction that dropped you ten stories. My evil laugh came out in full force as we fell; I think my date’s stomach is still up there somewhere! There was a boardwalk style rollercoaster that jerked you around in lady bug carts… a horrible horror house… some swings … and this contraption called the Scorpion that left even me dizzy (after this, my date was out)… spinning in three directions, I could not even “spot” to keep my head on straight. This ride is not for the weak! No more partner in crime after I climbed my way through a Grease style fun house singing “You’re the One That I Want” (you have to sing that as you work the moving stairs), nor when I rode yet another spinner! I can't get enough.

After all that twisting and turning, we headed towards the veggie houses to get out of the sun and into some AC. While there were no huge cabbages, we did see large watermelons, big eggplants and garlics that I would love to have in my kitchen. There were tables that looked like vitamin rainbows. Plates arranged in rows filled with green beans (yum), peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes stretched in rows at least 30 feet long. I was drawn to the beets that remind me of my nana, her garden and her wish for us to like them (I do now Nana, I swear). There was a cannery section where judges taste-tested so many jams, marmalades and gooey goops I am sure they didn’t need to eat for days. The flower sections were just as colorful full of beauty in sight and glorious scents. My eyes, nose, heart, mind (and skin) enjoyed the show and the much needed break from the sun.

The main event of the fair was the concert, held at the race track. I never tire of seeing these guys. And the show that night was no exception. It was the first time I ever had a date to a New Kids show. There is a first time for everything and this was honestly a blast. It was a concert, it was a party, it rained confetti. We danced, we laughed, we sang. How could this not be fun? And I got to watch a newbie marvel at the show, the sound, the energy … and to have someone that had rolled their eyes at your “favorite group” admit that they are amazing live and they had a great time– HA! I win! I never understand why this is a surprise to people. They are still putting out music and honestly, as adults, would I be subjecting myself to something bad and wasting my money? Please – New Kids rule! I made them a new fan – I deserve a hug, a #twug and maybe a dance… man, am I getting greedy!

All in all it was a fabulous day at the fair. Cows, Rides, Funnel Cakes and New Kids, oh my!

Off Montreal for my Birthday (sort of) & to See the New Kids

Every year since I finished law and grad school I try to keep my promise to myself… I want to see and do something new. Most of the time, that means travel. This year, that was going to be a rough promise to keep – I just came off my thorough trip though ND &MN and I have an upcoming trip to Iceland. I could not go nuts. I had toyed with the idea of playing Russian Roulette with the United weekend specials. I played with the idea of a road trip to a Southern locale. But in the end, New Kids and a good friend (and a decent airfare) saved me. Off I went to Montreal Canada!

I have not spent much time in the lands of our northern neighbors. I will be tackling many of her cities and sites once I finish my US state goal. It’s a crying shame I have never been to Toronto. My best friend is in Seattle, yet, we have yet to go to Vancouver. I have lived in and around DC for 15 years but I haven’t visited the Canadian capital of Ottawa. No Winnipeg, no Edmonton, and until this trip, I believed no Montreal. What I have seen of Canada consists of the Niagara Falls area, and St John (and that area above ND & MN – ha). So with a New Kids tour date, a girls trip with a few good friends, and a decent airfare, I hopped a plane to start my Canadian list a little early.

When planning this quick excursion, my mom informed me that I was in Montreal as a baby; I am not counting that! I don’t remember a thing about it. I don’t have pictures (lost to a fire). I am starting fresh. So with a quick internet search, I learned that sites in Montreal are spread out! There isn’t much you can do when you only have a day and a half in a major city… but anyone that knows me knows that I tried to see as much as possible.

My trip good fortune seeped into much of my trip. So while I was there for only a short while, there was much excitement to be had. My trip coincided with the US Womens Soccer Team’s semi-final match. I was there during a very special art exhibit at the Museum of Art, showcasing Rodin (of Thinker fame). My day in the city meant fitting all this in… after an evening out with the girls, we went for a fabulous French breakfast, of fruit and crepes and other yummy goodies. Following our 2 hour eating (and line waiting) extravaganza, we parted ways as I meandered the streets of downtown Montreal, with my trusty map and an IPhone to find some “culture.” With no time, I walked right past what looked to be the 5th Ave of Montreal – a shopper’s mecca. Nope – Keep walking Janine, you have art to stare at and some vibes to soak up. So I walked and come up to the 4 building complex of the Fine Art Museum – with some funky statues (haunted with “The Eye” with its hands for a face), a fantastic Chihuly red and yellow glass sculpture in front and a road maze on the street. Lovin it already! At check-in, I learn about “Metamorphoses: In Rodin’ s Studio” exhibit and how could I pass that up. Sign me up! So with my special pass, I took in hands, feet and limbs of all proportions. Saw Hell’s (Dante’s) Door, The Walking Man, saw the little ladies in the cups aka women in vessels(don’t start me on that), Eve and Meditation and the Thinker. Yeah, we have all seen reproductions of him, and maybe you saw him in Night at the Museum, but after looking at rooms of hands and feet, and limbs intertwined, seeing this enormous man striking that pose” is so grand. I circled the room at least 3 times to go back and see him again… he really looks alive. But the museum was more than Rodin, it was filled with a fantastic collection of Canadian art, a whole section on design, decorative arts & textiles (I loved the stuffed animal chair), and international contemporary art! I spent way too much time in the facility … but it was worth it. It’s a fantastic place with a great layout. The 4 interconnected building separate the collections providing a space between the art styles that allows you to feel each section individually.

Leaving the museum, I wandered the streets trying to figure out my next move. With a concert that evening, I couldn’t just take off free willy nilly… I needed to be sane with my choices. So while I wanted to head to the costume museum and the major city park, they were a 2 mile walk (each way) and it was already 4pm (told you I spent all day in the Art Museum). Instead, I wove around the streets, getting a feel for the city energy… and it was surprisingly American – HA, I stumbled across the bar hosting the USA rally for the World Cup. Flags, face paint, shirts, banners, and crazy head gear were everywhere. It was joyous. I swear team USA fans took over. After enjoying that scene I continued on only to weave some more and find Team USA’s hotel. I joined the crowds waiting for the ladies to board their bus and cheered “I Believe” as they left. So to anyone that thinks that women’s soccer doesn’t have fans, let me know, I have pictures of the blocked street, of hundreds of people lining up to bid them good luck, of little kids (boys and girls) screaming players names… this team were like rock stars to everyone there!

My journey through the streets took me around a mall, and into a city plaza and park. I got serenaded by an elaborate chime sequence, saw a domed cathedral and just missed the pouring rain (of course it rained, I was on a trip!)… I made it back to my hotel to change and head to the arena for the New Kids on the Block… my friends were there, but in the fancy seats… so I was solo concerting this round. Having seen this show a few times already, I knew what to expect, but was no less happy to be there. These guys put on one hell of a show. It’s full of energy, power, excitement, and sexiness. The only thing killing my mood was the strange area set-up and the strictest security I have ever seen. We could not move from our seat area. With a floor seat, I could not dance, nor could I move more than a few feet. There was absolutely no moving towards the stage when one of the guys reached out a hand. Boo-hiss! No worries, I still had an amazing view on the floor of a few key moments in the show, especially Joey’s Twisted dance and the Right Stuff head bob. And, of course, I had boogied my heart out at a few other shows ; they still sounded amazing here. After the show we all met up and went for much needed food (I had not eaten since brunch). On our high from seeing our favorite boy band croon to us for 2 hours, we were giddy… so we flirted unmercifully with the waiter turning him all sorts of shades of red. Poor guy had no idea what he was in for when we walked in. And while the morning was filled with sweets and fruits, dinner served us yummy yummy MEAT. Ribs, steaks and lobsters, oh my. We were not kidding with a fancy girls night out.

I stayed up all night with my friends because at 3:30 am, we left to take me to the airport. Ahh, the glories of a 6am flight… why do I do that? It is cruel and usual punishment. Good thing customs was a simple process because I know I was not working on all cylinders. Just hope that the picture from that machine for processing was destroyed after it was used… cuz, damn, did I look tired.