You may not be able to go home again but you can certainly visit. That’s what I recently did, when I returned to Nashville for the first time since moving out of state. It was a very art-centric 3 days, which had me seeing art, buying art, celebrating art, and spending time with some of my favorite people whom I’ve made art with.
Is visiting Nashvegas on your travel bucket list? Maybe you’ve thought of rocking out at Bonnaroo or the CMA’s? Or maybe you’ve dreamed of a giant weekend bar hop, centered around Lower Broad where cowboy boot wearing about-to-be brides and grooms drunkenly celebrate their last days of being single. Take it from a long-time resident, there’s a lot more to do in Nashville than that. Here’s an alternative itinerary for exploring the city at large, in case you’d like to experience Music City like a local…
When I first began blogging the goal was to challenge my creative skills while sharing my fascination with the world around me with anyone who visited this site. Fast forward a few years and a few hundred posts later to now, where inspiration and content creation are challenges I’ve struggled to overcome since covid changed our lives. After reading Austin Kleon’s ‘15 years of blogging (and 3 reasons I keep going)‘ I am, once again, enthusiastic about posting on a more regular basis, beginning with a topic which always gets me excited – travel.
The road dog in me was thrilled by having to drive cross-country TWICE this summer. Even more exciting was the prospect of traveling with two of the people I care most about: my sister and my son. Big Sis joined me for Road Trip #1 to retrieve a cherished family dog from Denver. Our trip started in Tennessee, then led us north and west through Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado, after which we headed back east to New Jersey before I made the rest of the drive solo through Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, finally ending up back in the Volunteer State. It took 8 days to make the drive but we only made it 140 miles before we stopped for our first adventure… Continue reading “I’m a Traveler…”→
Last week my husband and I put the dog in the kennel and headed east for a quick 3-day get-a-way to Gatlinburg, TN. I’ve never spent much time in the area, except to drive through Knoxville on my way to somewhere else. I always laughed at the signs for Pigeon Forge but after watching an episode of ‘Family Guy’ where Peter takes the family to Dollywood we decided if it was good enough for the Griffin’s it was good enough for us…
Summer officially begins on Friday, which means it’s travel time for me! I’ve got three weekend trips planned and I hope to get away with bringing nothing more than an overnight bag for each. Mix-and-match outfits, some lip gloss, and a good book are about all I need – besides a loved one or two – to enjoy my time away…
My second adventure is taking me to Denver to spend time with two of my favorite peeps, where we’ll tune in and turn on at the Dead & Co show, followed by a day enjoying Mother Nature at Garden of the Gods. Since my flight doesn’t leave til late Monday night I am going to play solo tourist and check out some art and some books at the Denver Art Museum and the Tattered Cover Bookstore…
Finally, at some point before Labor Day I’m going to make it to Charleston for a long weekend. I’d like to spend the time exploring the architecture and cemeteries through walking tours, drop in at SCAD, get some tan time in at Folly Beach, and visit the basket ladies at Charleston City Market…
How about you? Any travel plans for the summer? Do you like to visit new places when you go on holiday or do you stick with the tried-and-true spots that make you feel nostalgically happy? Drop me a line…..I’d love to know.
It’s been quite some time since I posted but fear not, as two months focused on handling family and work matters is finally behind me and I am once again (hopefully) back to blogging twice-a-week. Not sure I’ll actually accomplish that goal but a girl can dream.
If I don’t make my goal this week at least I’ve got a good excuse, as my husband and I are headed to Miami Beach to seeNick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets Tour when it stops at The Fillmore Miami Beach. I got our tickets months ago when I first read about the show, and if the reviews are even halfway accurate we are in for an (inter)stellar night of classic old school Floyd.
We’ll be staying at CASA Boutique Hotel, which is close to the theater and the beach without being near the craziness of Ocean Drive. Besides the concert we plan on spending our days soaking up some rays, exploring Lincoln Road Mall (including Taschen Books), wandering the galleries at the Bass and the World Erotic Art Museums, grabbing authentic Cuban food at Puerto Saguaand ending our nights at Mac’s Club Deuce, a bar we used to frequent years ago. All in all, we’ve got a great mini-holiday to look forward to, and maybe 2nd post later this week too!
I am not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions but last year I did decide to track how many books I read during 2018. I am part of a Book Club at work (with our current pick – Tara Westover’sEducated– up for discussion in January) and took part in a summer reading challenge, achieving ‘Reading Rockstar’ status. Turns out I’ve read over 130 books this past year…
I may not believe in resolutions but I am a big planner. I’ve got some personal art projects I am working on, a few art installations to oversee (including the January ArtLab and April ‘Autism Arts’ shows), and continued travel (Miami, Denver, Mobile, and Philly for sure with more day trips and weekend getaways to follow).
How about you? Do you make resolutions? What kinds of dreams do you have for the new year? Here’s hoping you achieve success in whatever you set out to do next year. All the best for 2019!
I’ve been working without a day off for a few weeks now, preparing for “Who Am I,” a community writing and art show featuring the works of 42 participants ranging in age from 6 to 90. Between packing up the old show, matting and framing the new, and preparing the show materials I haven’t had time for much of anything except a few stolen moments wasted on the web, looking for my next adventure. Here are a few items that held my attention long enough for me to want to experience each in person…
My past few posts have mentioned me helping my momma recover from some surgery. Spending time in hospitals and rehab facilities isn’t fun under the best of circumstances, so every day I tried to take a mental health break to get outside and explore… Continue reading “Take me home country roads…”→
Plans change. Instead of taking it easy my husband and I headed over to Asheville because, why not? Have you been? This was my first visit but not my last. What a great, laid back, artsy hipster town (or at least the parts I spent time in). Check it out…. Continue reading “Take you riding in my car…”→
It’s been 30 years since we lived in South Florida and while a lot has changed (more people, more traffic, more buildings) an awful lot has stayed the same (the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and incredible cosmopolitan vibe). We used the Miami Punk Rock High School Reunion as an excuse to get away for a week and relive our youth… Continue reading “Havana moon…”→
The Grey Goddess 