Showing posts with label sightseeing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sightseeing. Show all posts

Friday, June 10, 2016

La Crosse, WI Day 2: A Pretty Garden and a Trip up the Old Man


Today, my 2nd day on vacation in La Crosse, Wisconsin, was both magical and profound.  I woke to the news that Muhammad Ali, a proponent of peace, was laid to rest in Louisville, Kentucky.  But the best part of the day was spent on the La Crosse Queen, a riverboat tour of the Mississippi River.  Before I boarded this incredible riverboat, I explore La Crosse's International Garden which was one of the most magnificent gardens I've ever seen.







The most incredible part of the day was when I took the La Crosse Queen riverboat tour up the Mississippi river to Winona, Minnesota.  The lakefront houses, the bluffs, and the Amtrack bridge were quite a sight to see.








I have to say that today was the greatest day I could have spent in La Crosse.  Although it was hot, it was gorgeous.  The weather was good, the scenery magnificent, and the hospitality amazing!

Thursday, June 9, 2016

La Crosse, WI Day 1: In the Air and Down By the River



I'm on vacation!!!  For the first time in 3 years I have a job that lets me have paid vacation time.  And the first place I wanted to visit after obtaining my new job was La Crosse, Wisconsin in the western edge of the state.  I've wanted to visit this city along the Mississippi River for years, just to see the city's famous bluffs.  La Crosse was named after the Native American sport that combines hockey, baseball, football and basketball but was created long before any of those sports gained prominence in the United States. 

After a 3 1/2 hour drive from Milwaukee, I arrived in La Crosse and headed straight for Grandfather's Bluff, the premier place to see the entire city along with the river.  They have a wonderful observation deck at the top of the bluffs where I was able to take many great photos of the city.  It was also incredibly relaxing.







After my visit to the Bluffs, it was time to check out the water.  I grabbed some lunch at a famous sub sandwich shop (not naming names) before heading over to the Black River where I saw some amazing houseboats making me very jealous that I don't own one. 



I then made my way down to Riverside Park, which is located off of  2nd Street and has an incredible riverwalk.  This is where the Black, La Crosse and Mississippi Rivers merge.


Along the riverwalk, there are many interesting statues which reminded me of when I visited Savannah, Georgia 3 years ago including an eagle and Hiawatha, the famous Iriquois leader.



I don't know the significance of the 3rd sculpture along the river of 2 children and their dog, but I might learn about them tomorrow when I go on the River Queen boat tour.


The most surprising thing I saw on the river today was a huge barge helmed by Marquette Transportation.


This is what they were transporting:


I'm in La Crosse for the next couple of days before exploring another southern Wisconsin attraction on my way back east.  More fun to follow!

Friday, December 4, 2015

New & Improved: Milwaukee Art Museum's Expansion


 
Yesterday, I finally got to see the Milwaukee Art Museum's expansion & remodel which opened to the public on November 24.  This expansion has added a lot of space as well as an entrance on the east side of the museum, which can be seen from Lake Michigan:
 


Work was started on the expansion earlier this year, and then the rest of the museum was closed for a couple of months to connect the old with the new and put back all of the art, most in new and unique ways, into new and existing galleries.

To promote the re-opening, the museum placed crates at locations all over Milwaukee county.  The "uncrated" art included many pieces that visitors haven't seen in years as well as new acquisitions.


There was even one in front of my favorite restaurant in Wauwatosa:


The museum dates back to 1888, when local businessman Frederick Layton opened his own gallery.  The museum itself was designed by Eero Saarinen and built in the 1950's.  The Layton exhibit at the museum re-creates how his collection looked in the original gallery.


My favorite part of the museum has always been its contemporary art section which included sculptures:


 

Pop art, including a few of Andy Warhol's:


And mid-century furniture and accessories:

 


I love seeing some of my old favorite pieces of art, including their wonderful gallery of folk art, Haitian art (which I don't think is common in a lot of other art museums), impressionist paintings and historical furniture and pottery.  One new permanent collection I'm excited about features a history of photography, which features a lot of the greats like Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, Diane Arbus and Walker Evans.



In addition to the new galleries and exhibits, there is a new "wine bar" where you can rest and refresh yourself with small plate items, and three interactive art spaces where children and families can create art of their own, sponsored by Kohl's.

The Milwaukee Art Museum has always been known as a must-visit spot in the Midwest.  I think with this new expansion, it may soon be known as one of the premiere art museums in the country.  On a side note, I read online this week that Milwaukee may crack Hotwire.com's list of the Top 50 cities to visit in the U.S. due to increased tourism.  It's about time!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

My Trip to Savannah, GA


I know I haven't posted in a long while, but since I was finishing school, I haven't had a lot of time to take photos.  But for my graduation, my mom and I took a trip last week to Savannah, Georgia.  We both had wanted to go for years, and the city did not disappoint.  There was gorgeous architecture, friendly people, and lots of walkable streets which surround a series of squares. 


One of the places I wanted to visit most was the Mercer-Williams house which was built for songwriter Johnny Mercer's great-grandfather, but made famous by Jim Williams, who renovated the house with gorgeous art and antiques, and was tried and acquitted for murder right in this house.  That was the basis for the book and film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  We toured the house, which was gorgeous.

Below is a statue of Johnny Mercer which sits in City Market on the north side of the Historic District.

The filming of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was not the only one which took place in Savannah.  Cape Fear, Something to Talk About and the Oscar-winner Forrest Gump were just some of the films shot there.  The bench Tom Hanks sits on in Forrest Gump is on display at the Savannah Historical Museum.


The main reason for going was to see all of the architecture, and there was a lot to see.  Did you know Savannah was spared from General Sherman's destruction during the Civil War which destroyed cities like Charleston and Atlanta.  So a lot of amazing architecture from the plantation days still exist.






In many of the squares that make up Savannah, as well as down by the river, there are monuments to many people and groups such as the African-American monument, the WWII monument, a Vietnam Memorial and a statue to Oglethorpe who founded Savannah in 1733.






If you have a chance to visit Savannah, Georgia, go.  It's a safe, fascinating, beautiful city, and I hope to go back there someday.