Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (ISGM) is the most amazing and odd little museum I’ve ever visited…and I’ve been to a few. First, its setting. It’s near the famous Boston Fens and within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Art. It has an inner courtyard that is always in bloom and lovely.
The museum’s history is interesting, as well. Ms. Gardner opened the museum to public viewing in 1903. It’s been virtually unchanged since. She determined how the art would be displayed and, for better or worse, that too has been unchanged. That is certainly not a reflection on the collection. Covering multiple millenia, it is wonderful and diverse, including paintings, sculptures, tapestries, books, and other items of note.
The ISGM is also the location of one of the most infamous art thefts in history, which just adds to the interest of the museum. March 18, 2010, marks the 20-year anniversary of this theft of 13 works of art, whose combined value is over $300 million. Their frames have been hanging empty since. Artists include Rembrandt, Vermeer, Degas, and Manet. $5 million could be yours, if you have can help the FBI solve this one.
Photo credit: MarioAnima
Photo from the Road: African Mask Number One
Sometimes, you find unusual travel photo opportunities at the most unexpected times. For example, this African mask I came across on a family visit to the zoo. Read more
Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum
Located in University Circle in Cleveland, the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum houses a collection of the Western Reserve Historical Society. It contains historically significant automobiles (over 200 vehicles from Model T to contemporary Jaguar), bicycles, aircraft, spacecraft, motorcycles and even a boat, Tinkerbelle. It’s fascinating.
If history is your thing, and even if it isn’t, a ticket to the Crawford includes admission to the History Museum and Library, too. Active members of the military enjoy a 50% discount on admission. This is an interesting historical museum and is worthy of inclusion on your visit to Northeast Ohio. I visited this museum several times during my tenure at college in University Circle, and I was never bored.
Photo Credit: Craig Hatfield
Photo from the Road: Andean Market Women
This image called to me for the taking on a day trip we took with a friend in Ecuador. The back view of virtually identical hair braids streaming down vibrantly colored shawls is a cultural snapshot of the Andes themselves. Read more
Photo from the Road: Amazon River Rescue Bird Number One
This bird was one of many animals we saw at a local Amazon jungle animal rescue and rehabilitation program in Ecuador. Read more
Photo from the Road: Antique Truck in Ecuador
This truck was a study in nostalgia itself. Seen on a trip the equator, I couldn’t resist stopping to take the picture. Read more
Boston Museum of Science
Of all the science museums I’ve visited, I’m most familiar with the Boston Museum of Science. Relatively speaking, it’s right next door to me. When I visit, I plan to be there for the day, and I’m never bored. This is not an inexpensive day, but it is riveting.
My favorite things include the Butterfly Garden (additional fee), the Rube Goldberg machine, the static electricity demo, any of the interactive exhibits, the 3D cinemas (SO different from the red/blue glasses 3D of my childhood), and anything that teaches me something I didn’t previously know. That covers pretty much the whole museum.
The best way to take in the MOS is with a membership. The biggest benefit to an MOS membership is that benefits are not limited to the MOS. Membership includes the Association of Science and Technology Center (ASTC) Passport Program, which includes 250 science and tech venues worldwide. Six in Massachusetts; eleven in New England. There are some limitations, but generally speaking, what a slamming deal this is for families and/or science buffs!
Photo credit: John E. Lester
Scribner’s Mill Back to the Past Celebration
This annual event is the major fundraiser for the Scribner’s Mill Preservation group. They pull out all the stops and it is a great historical event. The Back to the Past celebration is always the first weekend in August. The efforts of dozens of volunteers and exhibitors help make this a great experience for the whole family.
There are people demonstrating and selling hand crafted items — e.g., spinners and knitters, a tatter, weavers, and a beader. There is a pig roast. There is music. There are diversions for children. There are antique vehicles like a fire truck that periodically shows how water was taken from the nearby stream to put out a fire. There is the mill itself, an amazing feat of restoration. There is a working blacksmith’s shop. There is the house, which is itself being put back to how it looked in it’s hey day.
It is a marvelous way to spend a day. It helps with the mill restoration and is a great step into Maine history.
Photo credit: Sharife
Photo from the Road: Browsing Llamas
Taken in the Andes at the end of a day excursion in Peru’s Sacred Valley, these llamas gave us quite a chuckle. Read more
11 Things to Do in Beautiful Bolzano, Italy
Of all the places my husband and I visited when we lived in Europe, one that has always remained foremost in my memory is Bolzano, Italy. Having always intended to write an article about the area, I recently dug out my file folder of brochures and notes and sat down to complete the task. Read more
