We made it back to Fort Worth Tuesday, after another pleasant stay in Chicago. The weather turned sunny the last two days and we had a fine time walking about the city. Our hotel, theWit at Lake and State, was great, and only a short walk to the Clark station on the Blue Line to O'Hare. The Art Institute was wonderful, as always. One night we splurged on a big seafood meal at Shaw's Crab House, where I had soft-shell crab for the first time in years.
I've never seen another city that works as hard as Chicago does at keeping their home clean and inviting: flowers are planted anywhere there's a square foot of dirt, streets and sidewalks are clean, and everyone seems proud of their city and glad that you're visiting.
Here's my snaps from the trip. There's a few postcard shots, an exploration of modern bathroom design, a portrait of six women, and a few other things that caught my eye and interest.
Flickr photos of this trip to Chicago
The slideshow version, playable in under a minute
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Hephaestus
When we were planning this trip to Chicago, Terri ran across some good reviews for a show called Hephaestus. It's a retelling of the Greek myth using music and acrobats, which sounded curious enough. So we stopped at the Goodman Theatre on our walk from the Clark/Lake train station to our hotel and picked up same-day half-price tickets, front row mezzanine.
We checked in to our hotel, piddled around, then explored the neighborhood before going to the theatre at 7:15.
About Hephaestus, oh my, it was incredible. The acrobats were as good as Cirque du Soleil, and the music was reminiscent of Blue Man Group, all presented with a twist of Devo. I'm not sure that makes much sense, but it all came together into one of the best shows we've ever seen. The acrobatic routines actually worked to tell the story, and the final act is a three-level seven-person pyramid tight rope act that is unbelievable -- the theatre was absolutely quiet as everyone in the audience held their breath until the performers all made it safely across.
Here's the Hephaestus Circus. Be sure to check out the blog and the embedded photos and videos.
Afterwards we went next door to Petterino's for an after-show dinner. This was another pleasant surprise: 1940s style red velvet booths, white table cloths, and a fine meal.
We checked in to our hotel, piddled around, then explored the neighborhood before going to the theatre at 7:15.
About Hephaestus, oh my, it was incredible. The acrobats were as good as Cirque du Soleil, and the music was reminiscent of Blue Man Group, all presented with a twist of Devo. I'm not sure that makes much sense, but it all came together into one of the best shows we've ever seen. The acrobatic routines actually worked to tell the story, and the final act is a three-level seven-person pyramid tight rope act that is unbelievable -- the theatre was absolutely quiet as everyone in the audience held their breath until the performers all made it safely across.
Here's the Hephaestus Circus. Be sure to check out the blog and the embedded photos and videos.
Afterwards we went next door to Petterino's for an after-show dinner. This was another pleasant surprise: 1940s style red velvet booths, white table cloths, and a fine meal.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Chicago, once again
If you've been following along you know that we like Chicago. It's a quick flight from DFW to ORD, hotel deals are easy to find on Priceline and Hotwire, and there's a train that goes directly from O'Hare to downtown. A walk down Michigan Avenue is one of the great strolls of the world, then there's Grant Park, the Loop, the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, Second City and Blue Man Group, the Art Institute, and much more. If it weren't for the bitter winters, I think we would have moved to Chicago years ago.
We visit often enough that we became members of the Art Institute. There's a wonderful new exhibit there, "Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917", and we're going to see it this weekend. We fly out of DFW Saturday afternoon and return Tuesday. Here's two reviews of the show:
Los Angeles Times
Time Magazine
As a bonus, the Art Institute also has a show of photographs by William Eggleston, and each afternoon there are classical music concerts under the world's largest Tiffany dome, in the Chicago Cultural Center.
Until I come up with something interesting for you to read or to look at, here's a couple of my favorite snaps of Chicago, the first taken in September 2006 and the second in November of last year.
We visit often enough that we became members of the Art Institute. There's a wonderful new exhibit there, "Matisse: Radical Invention, 1913-1917", and we're going to see it this weekend. We fly out of DFW Saturday afternoon and return Tuesday. Here's two reviews of the show:
Los Angeles Times
Time Magazine
As a bonus, the Art Institute also has a show of photographs by William Eggleston, and each afternoon there are classical music concerts under the world's largest Tiffany dome, in the Chicago Cultural Center.
Until I come up with something interesting for you to read or to look at, here's a couple of my favorite snaps of Chicago, the first taken in September 2006 and the second in November of last year.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Union Pacific 844
For years, I've told Terri about how much I like steam trains, but we've never seen one together. She's graciously humored me and accepted my enthusiasm; it was one of those quirks of mine that she has learned to live with.
This last weekend, Union Pacific 844 came through Fort Worth on its way to the Rio Grande Valley. UP 844 has been in continuous service since it was delivered in 1944, and for forty years it's been an 'ambassador of goodwill' doing excursion runs throughout the United States. Wiki has a page about 844 and Union Pacific has more information and a schedule.
We looked up the route and found some places to view it in action. Friday afternoon would be perfect: the 4-8-4 (called a 'Northern') would steam into Fort Worth by crossing the Trinity River about a mile from our apartment. There were a dozen or so railfans at the spot near E. Northside Drive as we waited and waited. We knew there had been rail traffic delays, but apparently it had gotten so bad that they rerouted the train at the last minute, and we saw it off in the distance crossing a different bridge.
Friday evening we went to the rail yard near Vickery and Rogers and got to see the train parked for the night. There was quite a crowd admiring the enormous locomotive, and it was a treat to be able to get so close to it. One of the cars in the train was a mobile gift shop, where Terri bought me a coffee mug and souvenir pin.
But this was not enough. Terri decided we needed to get up early the next morning and catch the train on its way south. We set the alarm for 7:15 a.m. (very early for us) and headed to southeast Fort Worth, to Bisbee Street paralleling the Mansfield Highway. Right on time, about a quarter to 9, we heard the whistle and saw the train coming down the mainline, doing about 50 m.p.h.
I got a couple of decent snapshots, but Terri got a great video of 844:
Terri is now hooked on steam trains and is already plotting how we can see another one.
This last weekend, Union Pacific 844 came through Fort Worth on its way to the Rio Grande Valley. UP 844 has been in continuous service since it was delivered in 1944, and for forty years it's been an 'ambassador of goodwill' doing excursion runs throughout the United States. Wiki has a page about 844 and Union Pacific has more information and a schedule.
We looked up the route and found some places to view it in action. Friday afternoon would be perfect: the 4-8-4 (called a 'Northern') would steam into Fort Worth by crossing the Trinity River about a mile from our apartment. There were a dozen or so railfans at the spot near E. Northside Drive as we waited and waited. We knew there had been rail traffic delays, but apparently it had gotten so bad that they rerouted the train at the last minute, and we saw it off in the distance crossing a different bridge.
Friday evening we went to the rail yard near Vickery and Rogers and got to see the train parked for the night. There was quite a crowd admiring the enormous locomotive, and it was a treat to be able to get so close to it. One of the cars in the train was a mobile gift shop, where Terri bought me a coffee mug and souvenir pin.
But this was not enough. Terri decided we needed to get up early the next morning and catch the train on its way south. We set the alarm for 7:15 a.m. (very early for us) and headed to southeast Fort Worth, to Bisbee Street paralleling the Mansfield Highway. Right on time, about a quarter to 9, we heard the whistle and saw the train coming down the mainline, doing about 50 m.p.h.
I got a couple of decent snapshots, but Terri got a great video of 844:
Terri is now hooked on steam trains and is already plotting how we can see another one.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Back from Boston
My impression of Boston in two words: 'pleasantly dull.' It's attractive and interesting in many ways but not beautiful or exciting. I can find no fault with Boston: the architecture is straightforward, the subways efficient, the food satisfying, and the people friendly. While Boston and I can be friends, we can never be lovers.
We walked around to the historical sites but found them not as interesting as those in Philadelphia. Anyway, I think history is best got from a book; cities are for art, food, concerts, people-watching, and sitting in the park on a sunny afternoon.
One day, we encountered the crowd from an anime confab at the convention center: hundreds of pasty-faced twenty-somethings flamboyantly dressed as Japanese cartoon characters.
We spent about an hour in the Faneuil Market area, forty-five minutes too much. It's all very touristy and kitschy.
We rented a car and drove out to Williamstown, in far northwest Massachusetts, to visit the Clark Art Institute. I've already written about the Clark so I will only say the art there was the highlight of the trip, and I'd eagerly go see it again.
The rest of the drive was pretty boring. Williamstown itself is quaint in the extreme, a living postcard of quaint New England. North Adams, a larger town just to the east, is poor and grungy. All the way back it was quaint shops, quaint motels, quaint villages, and quaint roads through quaint landscapes.
Amazing but true: Massachusetts drivers use their turn signals even less than Texas drivers do.
If you visit Boston, get the seven-day Charlie Ticket for the subways and buses. A single ride on the system is $1.70, a one-day pass is $9, but the seven-day pass is only $15. The pass will get you from the airport to downtown and out to the western suburbs, and even covers the ferry ride from Long Wharf (near the New England Aquarium) to the Charlestown Navy Yard, where the USS Constitution is berthed.
Dunkin' Donuts are everywhere. They have a Boston Creme variety.
The weather turned warm while we were here and the locals came out wearing tees, shorts, and flip-flops. I've never seen so many white white people. I don't mean pink, either, but white.
The water is very soft here. It takes about ten minutes to rinse off the soap.
Here's some snaps from our trip. Or you can look at the slideshow version.
We walked around to the historical sites but found them not as interesting as those in Philadelphia. Anyway, I think history is best got from a book; cities are for art, food, concerts, people-watching, and sitting in the park on a sunny afternoon.
One day, we encountered the crowd from an anime confab at the convention center: hundreds of pasty-faced twenty-somethings flamboyantly dressed as Japanese cartoon characters.
We spent about an hour in the Faneuil Market area, forty-five minutes too much. It's all very touristy and kitschy.
We rented a car and drove out to Williamstown, in far northwest Massachusetts, to visit the Clark Art Institute. I've already written about the Clark so I will only say the art there was the highlight of the trip, and I'd eagerly go see it again.
The rest of the drive was pretty boring. Williamstown itself is quaint in the extreme, a living postcard of quaint New England. North Adams, a larger town just to the east, is poor and grungy. All the way back it was quaint shops, quaint motels, quaint villages, and quaint roads through quaint landscapes.
Amazing but true: Massachusetts drivers use their turn signals even less than Texas drivers do.
If you visit Boston, get the seven-day Charlie Ticket for the subways and buses. A single ride on the system is $1.70, a one-day pass is $9, but the seven-day pass is only $15. The pass will get you from the airport to downtown and out to the western suburbs, and even covers the ferry ride from Long Wharf (near the New England Aquarium) to the Charlestown Navy Yard, where the USS Constitution is berthed.
Dunkin' Donuts are everywhere. They have a Boston Creme variety.
The weather turned warm while we were here and the locals came out wearing tees, shorts, and flip-flops. I've never seen so many white white people. I don't mean pink, either, but white.
The water is very soft here. It takes about ten minutes to rinse off the soap.
Here's some snaps from our trip. Or you can look at the slideshow version.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Clark Art Institute
One of the main reasons for this trip was to visit the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, in the far northwest corner of Massachusetts. They have two paintings I've wanted to see for years: Gainsborough's "Elizabeth and Thomas Linley" and Piero della Franscesca's "Virgin and Child Enthroned with Four Angels."
Getting to the Clark is no easy feat. We took the subway out of Boston to Newton, where we rented a car. (The car they gave us was a Hyundai Tiburon, a black pile of junk with chrome and wheels.) We went west on the Massachusetts Turnpike to Lee, then headed north. We got turned around in Pittsfield but still made it to Williamstown by 2:30.
The Clark is free during the winter so we waltzed right in and hurried to the galleries: I wanted to see my paintings! As soon as we entered the permanent collection area, there was the Gainsborough staring right towards me, as if welcoming me at last after all these years.
The Gainsborough is gorgeous, and far more lovely in person than any reproduction could ever be. It's breathtaking.
Gainsborough's "Elizabeth and Thomas Linley" and detail of Thomas' face
Then I went to the early Italian room and there was the Piero. What a majestic, powerful painting!
Piero's "Virgin and Child"
Terri and I spent the rest of the afternoon oohing and aahing at the Clark until it closed at 5, and are going back there this morning. I know that not everyone shares our passion for paintings and museums, so I will simply say that the Clark Art Institute, while small, has one of the finest collections we've seen, anywhere. We like it second only to our own hometown Kimbell, and think it's much better than the renowned Barnes Collection in Philadelphia.
Visit the Clark Art Institute online.
After revisiting the Clark we'll head east on the Mohawk Trail and spend the night in Waltham. We return the rent car on Monday morning and then take the subway back into Boston.
Getting to the Clark is no easy feat. We took the subway out of Boston to Newton, where we rented a car. (The car they gave us was a Hyundai Tiburon, a black pile of junk with chrome and wheels.) We went west on the Massachusetts Turnpike to Lee, then headed north. We got turned around in Pittsfield but still made it to Williamstown by 2:30.
The Clark is free during the winter so we waltzed right in and hurried to the galleries: I wanted to see my paintings! As soon as we entered the permanent collection area, there was the Gainsborough staring right towards me, as if welcoming me at last after all these years.
The Gainsborough is gorgeous, and far more lovely in person than any reproduction could ever be. It's breathtaking.
Gainsborough's "Elizabeth and Thomas Linley" and detail of Thomas' face
Then I went to the early Italian room and there was the Piero. What a majestic, powerful painting!
Piero's "Virgin and Child"
Terri and I spent the rest of the afternoon oohing and aahing at the Clark until it closed at 5, and are going back there this morning. I know that not everyone shares our passion for paintings and museums, so I will simply say that the Clark Art Institute, while small, has one of the finest collections we've seen, anywhere. We like it second only to our own hometown Kimbell, and think it's much better than the renowned Barnes Collection in Philadelphia.
Visit the Clark Art Institute online.
After revisiting the Clark we'll head east on the Mohawk Trail and spend the night in Waltham. We return the rent car on Monday morning and then take the subway back into Boston.
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