What can be more fun for adults and children on a warm summer evening than an open air carriage ride. Shaped much like Cinderella’s carriage, this carriage is a popular entertainment for tourists visiting the Plaza throughout the year. But it is a ride made for summer evenings.
The horses may be somewhat past their prime, but they are docile and patient and decked out with braided manes.
Just another beautiful experience for tourists to Kansas City.
Sunday morning Terry and I spent a wonderful hour on the grounds of the Kansas City Art Institute wandering among approximately 180 vintage automobiles and motorcycles. They included U.S., German, English, Swedish and Italian automobiles. Most were truly classics. Every one was worthy of a place in the show.
Even by arriving at 10 a.m., when the event opened to the public, we were surrounded by exhibitors, automobile enthusiasts and those who were merely curious to see this remarkable display of history. Many attend every year. Some were there for the first time.
The younger generations will not remember the “woody”, which is remarkable not only because of its exterior wood panels and funny shape, but also because of the songs that sing its praises. Even if you are under 50, maybe you have heard that great song: “I got a ’34 wagon and we call it a woody, surf city here we come” by Jan & Dean.
Well, this is a woody and it is pure nostalgia for me!
But there were so many wonderful and unique vehicles. The convertibles and “carriages” reminded me of “toad hollow” meets the “Great Gatsby”.
There is no vehicle built today that is as creative, colorful and has nearly the personality as this 1913 Hudson.
Or this one, that looks like it should be powered by a horse rather than an engine. I guess that is why they were called “horseless carriages”.
Last but definitely not least, here is another real beauty taken from Terry’s iPhone camera. The woman in the background taking a photograph of another wonderful antique is yours truly.
If nothing else I have written about Kansas City has persuaded you to travel to our fair city, maybe you will want to make a special visit to Kansas City for next year’s “Art of the Car Concours”.
I promise you will not be disappointed.
If you’ve ever visited Balletto Winery near Santa Rosa, you’ve seen this sign in the tasting room! It was the last stop on our Father’s Day tour of the wine country, but let’s start from the beginning…
My Dad wasn’t there per se, but we did have two Dads with us to celebrate for Father’s Day on Sunday. Tio (okay, I SUPPOSE he can have honorary “Dad” status:) and Jake (Dad to two beautiful puppies!) were our guests of honor for the day, so Auntie and I decided we would do what they wanted to do. And what did that entail? Wurst Sausages and wine tastings, of course!
First we drove up to Healdsburg to visit Wurst Sausage. Very yummy I must say. We sat outside while eating our polish sausages and hand-cut fries, and enjoyed the breeze and the warm summer day.
Next, we took a little adventure into Russian River to stop at Korbel. Someone told us they actually had a tasty Cabernet Sauvignon. I can’t say I was super excited about their reds, but they actually had some decent champagnes aside from the cheap ones you always think of at the grocery store. The muscatto was particularly delightful.
Lastly, we stopped at Balletto, one of the wineries Auntie and Tio now belong to as wine club members. We were served by a nice gentleman named Richard, who engaged in great conversation and made us feel right at home. I continue to be surprised by their Pinot Grigio, which is nice and crisp without having the sharp taste I never seem to like in whites. The grounds surrounding Balletto are also beautiful, so I took a few pictures of the vines while we were there.
It was a delightful day in the wine country. We never seem to tire of the adventures we can have on a given Saturday or Sunday afternoon here in California. There are so many things to explore, and we never know what we’ll stumble upon next. Tio and Jake, I hope you had a wonderful day!
From X’ian, China, to its sister city, Kansas City, Missouri, come the Dragon Boat races, a wonderful cultural tradition.
The races are held under the “Sister Cities International Bridge”, where life-sized Chinese warriors guard the foot bridge as it crosses Brush Creek. The imposing bronze warriors are symbolic of the rich culture of China’s ancient civilization as well as the friendship between our cities.
Festive red ornaments crossing the bridge announce the 12th annual Dragon Boat races held Saturday, June 9, 2012. The races are part of an annual celebration of the friendship between the people of these two cities.
The celebration includes races involving local university students and corporate teams as well as representatives of China. The event includes a wonderful display of pageantry, speeches and a colorful dose of Chinese culture.
While the celebrations include a ceremony called “waking the dragon”, the dragons of most importance are the decorative dragons that embellish the front of each boat. These dragons are whimsical and colorfully painted.
At this year’s event, Mayor Sly James not only greeted visitors, he spoke to the crowd, encouraged the celebrants, and also agreed to be the drummer for Kansas City’s home town team. Way to go, Sly!
Here, a drummer beats the rhythm for the crew in the first race. The crew paddles as quickly, or as slowly, as the cadence of the drummer.
On this happy day there were no worries about the politics of our two countries, of the balance of trade, or of jobs lost and found. It was a celebration and a time of friendship. A good time was had by all.
Contemporary artist and sculptor, Anna Chromy, created this powerful bronze representation of the mythic hero, Ulysses. Born in Bohemia (Czech Republic), in 1940, she is known for her portrayals of Ulysses, and other mythical Greek and Olympic heroes. The statue stands at the pier, in full view of the ships that sail in and out of the harbor. The wheel Ulysses struggles to control represents our attempts to steer our lives in the face of destiny. Representing power, human frailty and an element of satire, he captivates visitors who enter the port by land and sea.
Chromy’s works appear in museums throughout Europe and her sculptures have found homes in public and private parks, residences and estates of royalty.
The Duomo at Orvieto is considered one of central Italy’s most beautiful cathedrals. The construction of the massive structure extended for more than 3 centuries. The cornerstone of this magnificent cathedral was laid in 1290 A.D. by Pope Nicolas IV. He wanted a place to house a “miracle”, the Corporal of Bolsena.
It is strikingly beautiful. Colorful murals and statues cover the exterior of the building are by many of the finest artists of the day, including Lorenzo Maitani. The interior of the cathedral has frescoes by such artists as Fra Angelico and Luca Signorelli. The cathedral, completed in the early 1600s, is considered to be a masterpiece of Gothic architecture.
The design and intricate detail of the cathedral flow together as the works of art–sculptures, mosaics, frescoes,windows, the carved stone and even the gables–are filled with Biblical scenes. It is truly a work of art.
Some signs just have to be enjoyed and remembered:
Hilton Head Nature Center
Siesta Key, Florida
Il Centro, Kansas City, Missouri
Sonoma County, California
Siesta Key, Florida
“Signs, Signs” by Les Emmerson, was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in August 1971.
There is something magical about living near the ocean. Knowing that I can drive a short distance and stare out at the open sea, well, that is one of the reasons I love living here. With everything going on in life, sometimes I just need to clear my head. Somehow staring out at the ocean gives me a sense of peace. It’s like meditating.
These are a few of my favorites from the California coast. We have Bodega Bay, Point Reyes, Muir Beach Outlook, and Stinson Beach. Can you tell which is which? (If not, you can just hover over the picture and a description will pop up.)
There are so many great places to take beautiful photographs here. Who knows what I’ll stumble upon next!
Last Monday, May 21st, Jake and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary. Actually, we didn’t really get the chance for a proper celebration because we were both swamped with work. So what to do in such a situation? Follow up with a romantic getaway, of course! So after our crazy week of work, we dropped the kids off at puppy camp (Two Rock Dog Ranch, quite possibly the happiest place on earth for the kids while we’re out of town!), hopped in the jeep, and drove a few hours south to Monterey.
Our drive down Hwy 1 to Monterey was quite beautiful. It is such a beautiful part of the country! Monterey is a fun coastal town, with plenty of attractions for visitors to enjoy. Parts of Monterey, such as Cannery Row, are a bit touristy, but it is a lovely place to visit and great for a weekend getaway from the bay area. Just south of Cannery Row, along the water, you can easily get to Lover’s Point, which is a beautiful little spot. Further down the coast (literally just a few minutes walking distance) is Pacific Grove, which is a beautiful town full of coastal character and beautiful B&Bs. Next time, we may try to stay somewhere in PG right along the water.
When we got to Monterey on Saturday, we went straight to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. What an amazing place! There were so many exhibits to see in such a short time. Touch pools. Jellyfish. Sea otters. Birds. Sea turtles. We could have spent the entire weekend there and still had more to enjoy.
I think my favorite exhibit in the whole aquarium was the upstairs jellyfish exhibit. It is amazing to see so many different kinds of jellies. Being 95% made of water and lacking respiratory, central nervous and digestive systems, they certainly are such odd-looking creatures. They range in size from a millimeter to around two meters in bell height, and are thought to be one of the oldest multi-organ animals at over 500 million years old. There were moon jellies, upside-down jellies, spotted jellies, blubber jellies, lion’s mane jellies.
But the fun didn’t stop there. We saw penguins. And then we saw sea horses. And sharks! Of course, the sharks were in a huge tank, and the lighting was terrible for taking pictures. But there was something magical about sitting in a 2-story room in the dark and staring at a giant tank. It almost seemed like you were getting a peak at life in the ocean, which I suppose is exactly what they try to simulate for the visitors. I highly recommend going if you ever get the chance.
We finished the day with a walk around Cannery Row and then a visit to the 1st annual Clam Chowder and Calamari festival. The calamari wasn’t that great, but the festival was a blast. Music, dancing, wine. A great end to a great day!
Shifting the Balance 