Month: May 2017

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Happenings: Summer 2017 #tcjhappenings

pond with water lilies

The Happenings List

Our curated list of upcoming festivals, workshops, shows, and other goings-on for makers and explorers – June through August 2017 (and beyond)! If you go to something from one of our Happenings Lists, please tell us all about it!

Read on for events in Italy, Germany, the UK, and the U.S.: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Asterisked (**) items link to related posts on Travelcraft Journal.

sedona-2

+Arizona

Phoenix Art Museum

 

Full Moon Hike at Red Rock State Park

Jun 9, 6:15pm + Jul 8, 6:30pm + Aug 7, 6pm
Red Rock State Park, Sedona
2-mile interpretive hike led by a knowledgeable naturalist. Watch the sunset from an overlook and hike back by moonlight. Arrive at least 30 minutes early with water and a flashlight. $5 fee + park admission ($7/adult). Reserve your spot at least one day in advance by calling Red Rock State Park at (928) 282-6907.

**A rainy day trip to Sedona.

Urban Forestry: Workshop + Discussion

Jun 10, 1pm
Tempe Public Library, Tempe
Tempe Urban Forestry Master Plan co-author Bonnie Richardson talks about the benefits, care, and planning of trees. 18 yrs+

The Tucson 23: A Mexican Food Festival

Jun 17, 6pm
JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort + Spa, Tucson
Celebrate the “Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food in America” with Food demos, live music, and menu samplings from local wineries, breweries, and Mexican restaurants. Tickets $49.

**Feburary photo + Tucson Mexican food.

2017 Grand Canyon Star Party

Jun 17-24, 8pm
South Rim: Grand Canyon Visitor Center
North Rim: Grand Canyon Lodge
Nightly astronomy programs, slide shows, constellation tours, and telescope viewing. Free.

Melodramas and Megastars: The Theatre in Territorial Arizona, 1879-1912

Jun 24, 7pm
Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, Flagstaff
Readers theatre presentation on the development of Atlantic Coast theatrical culture in the Arizona Territory with humorous anecdotes and excerpts from the plays.

Butterfly Walk

Jun 24 + Jul 22 + Aug 26
8:30am
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior
Leisurely guided tour through the Hummingbird-Butterfly Garden, Demonstration Garden and Children’s Garden collections to see, photograph and learn about butterfly species. Included with admission.

Summer Entertaining Cooking Class

Jun 24, 6pm + Jun 25, 11am
Chef Chamberlin’s Office, Phoenix
Step-by-step tips for creating a seasonal three-course dinner (and wine pairings!) with St. Francis Mixologist Titus Fauntleroy, Phoenix Public Market Café Pastry Chef Sarah Chisholm, and Chef Aaron Chamberlin. Tickets $100.

The Magic Flute Opera + Gelato Film Fest

Jun 25, 1pm
Arizona Opera Atrium, Phoenix
Screening of The Magic Flute with gelato and wine available for purchase. Free.
**Lunch with Arizona Opera.

Agave Nectar, Nopalitos and a Taste of Desert Edibles

July 23, 8am
Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Superior
Guided tour along Curandero Trail with desert plant enthusiast Jim Shepherd with a tasting of desert edible samples including prickly pear jelly, nopalitos, mesquite flour, and agave nectar. Trail is not wheelchair accessible. Included with admission.
**Video of desert edibles cooking demo at Mission Garden, Tucson.

Star Party at Homolovi State Park

August 19, 30 minutes after sunset
Homolovi State Park Visitor Center Museum and Observatory, Winslow
Stargazing at Homolovi’s Visitor Center Museum and Observatory. Included with park admission.

HOCO Fest 2017

Aug 30 – Sep 3
Hotel Congress plaza
5-day music festival with over 40 national and regional acts. Ages 16+. Tickets $15-20.
Downtown LA

+California

Sculpture Is: 2017 “In the Garden”

Jun 1 – Oct 31
Sierra Azul Nursery and Gardens, Watsonville
Eleventh annual Pajaro Valley Arts (PVA) sculpture exhibition in the two-acre Sierra Azul Nursery demonstration gardens.

**Trailer or Tipi camping about 20 minutes from Watsonville (#2).

Show + Tell

Jun 3, 10am
Santa Cruz Museum of Art + History
Local artisans give talks and demonstrations about their creative process and how their products are made.

dineLA Restaurant Week

Jul 14-28
Los Angeles
Fixed-price menu at restaurants throughout Los Angeles.

60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival

September 15 – 17
Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey
The longest-running jazz festival in the world, celebrating the legacy of jazz with performances and educational programs. Tickets: Full weekend $145-410, Single day $45-164. Daily parking $15-40

pond with water lilies

+Colorado

Color: Works by Teresa Booth Brown

Now – Aug 6
Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street – Gates Garden Court Gallery
Exhibition of collage works by artist Teresa Booth Brown. Free.

 

Calder Monumental

Now – Sep 24
Denver Botanic Gardens
Large metal sculptures by artist Alexander Calder placed throughout the gardens. Included with admission.
**Denver Botanic Gardens.

 

Loveland Museum Summer Exhibit Programming

  • June 9, 6pm: Artist Demonstration and Discussion. Sally Elliott shares her painting process and inspiration.
  • Jul 14, 6pm: Strings in the Gallery. Concert in the Main Gallery by the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra.
  • Jul 20, 1pm: Painting Workshop with Sally Elliott. Learn experimental techniques in watercolor and gouache. Pre-registration required. Fee $50 non-members.

Denver Botanic Gardens 2017 Summer Concert Series

June – August
Denver Botanic Gardens, York Street – UMB Bank Amphitheater
Concerts in the round with garden admission included. Bring your own food or pre-order a picnic supper from Offshoots Café ($38 for two people). As of writing this, tickets are still available for the following shows:

  • Jun 13, 6:30pm. Punch Brothers. Tickets $69
  • Jul 28, 6:30pm. The Mavericks. Tickets $65
  • Aug 3, 6:30pm. Dwight Yoakam. Tickets $82-182
  • Aug 7, 6:30pm. Randy Newman. Tickets $74
  • Aug 27, 6:30pm. Lucero with special guest Paper Bird. Tickets $62

 

Foote Lagoon Summer Concerts

Jun 22 – Jul 27, Thursday evenings
Foote Lagoon Amphitheater, Loveland
Weekly outdoor concert series.

Cherry Pie Celebration 2017

July 8, 5pm
Peters Park and 5th Street, Loveland
Cherry pie contest, vendor booths, activities for kids, and live music by Dixie Leadfoot (Rockabilly/Country/Swing) and Joe O’Bryan Band (Blues/Rock). Pie by the slice, ice cream, and drinks available for purchase. Free admission.

Pastels on 5th

Sep 9, 10am
Downtown Loveland
Sidewalk chalk art festival and fundraiser for Alternatives to Violence. Free.

BlogHer '16

+Florida

#BlogHer17

June 22-24
Hilton Bonnet Creek, Orlando
Annual conference for online content creators. Blogger/influencer passes $399.

Indianapolis

+Indiana

Concerts on the Canal

Now – July 27, Thursday evenings
Indianapolis Downtown Canal
Outdoor concert series on the Historical Society’s Kruse Family Stardust Terrace. Food and beverages available for purchase or bring your own. On Thursdays during concert season, the History Center is and open until 8pm.

**Fountain Square in Downtown Indiana.

Make Way for Ducklings by illustrator Robert McCloskey

+Massachusetts

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Exhibitions

  • Now – Jun 4. Club Americano: New York-based and Mexico City-born artist Pablo Helguera explores the historic formation and contemporary definitions of American identity in an intimate one-room exhibition and shared space.
  • Now – Jun 18. Make Way for Ducklings: The art of author and illustrator Robert McCloskey, in honor of the 75th anniversary of his book Make Way for Ducklings.
  • Now – Jul 9. Botticelli and the Search for the Divine.
  • Now – Jul 9. Matisse in the Studio.
  • Now – Feb 25, 2018. The Andes Inverted: Immersive installation by Daniela Rivera with materials, images, and sounds gathered from Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine.

 

Boston Pops

Symphony Hall, Boston

  • May 31 + Jun 1. John Williams’ Film Night: Boston Pops Laureate Conductor John Williiams and Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart conduct a concert of movie music. Tickets $36 – $122.
  • June 2 + 3. Cirque de la Symphonie: live orchestral music plays while aerial flyers, acrobats, dancers, and jugglers perform. Tickets $29 – $93.

**Star Wars music at Phoenix Symphony Hall.

 

+Michigan

Detroit Home Movies

Now – Jul 29
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
Year-long project to exhibit home movies made around 1967 that depict everyday life in Detroit’s diverse communities.

 

+New York

Flower Essence Workshop

Jun 11, 12:30pm + Jun 18, 12:30pm
Sang Lee Farms, Peconic, NY
Gather flowering plants from the farm and learn how to create your own flower essence. $85
**How to press flowers on the go.

+North Carolina

ASAP’s 2017 Farm Tour

June 24 – 25
Western North Carolina
Tours, demonstrations, and hands-on activities at working farms in the mountains to allow you to connect with the community’s food producers and learn about the region’s agricultural heritage.

Liberty bell Philadelphia

+Pennsylvania

ARTLab

First and third Saturdays, 1-4pm
Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh
Interactive projects inspired by current exhibitions for visitors of all ages. Included with museum admission.

Indigo Dip-in

Jun 15, 5pm
Cultureworks Greater Philadelphia
Bring fabric or yarn you’d like to dye. Create patterns using Shibori resist techniques with clamps, rubber bands, and string. Donations accepted.

Festival O17

Sep 14-25
Philadelphia
25 performances of new and classic operas at multiple venues across Philadelphia.

  • Sep 16-24. We Shall Not Be Moved: World Premiere chamber opera with classical, R&B and jazz singing, spoken word, contemporary movement, and video projection. Tickets $50-100.
  • Sep 23, 7pm. Opera on the Mall: Screening of an opera broadcast at Independence National Historical Park. Free.

**Arizona Opera’s world premiere Riders of the Purple Sage.

 

Monticello

+Virginia

Water/Ways + H2O Today

May 27 – Jul 9
Virginia Living Museum, Newport News
Part of the thinkWater project, these Smithsonian traveling exhibitions explore scientific and cultural perspectives on water with educational activities and digital story-collection initiatives.

Monticello

  • Now – Oct 27, Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm. Harvest Tasting Tour: One-hour tour of Thomas Jefferson’s vegetable garden with a tasting of seasonal produce from the garden. Monticello Day Pass required + $15 ticket.
  • Jul 4, 9am. Annual Independence Day Celebration: Naturalization Ceremony followed by a Jeffersonian Open House with patriotic music and free walk-through tours of Monticello (first-come, first-served reservations). Free admission.
  • Jul 1 + Sep 30, 9:15am. Get to Know Your Trails: Monticello Trail Ranger-lead walk along a woodland path to learn about the trail’s history. Tickets $18.
  • Jul 8, 9:30am. Winemaking Workshop: Two-hour participatory workshop on how to make your own wine from harvest to bottling. Tickets $24.
  • Jul 22, 9am. Plein Air Painting: Paint outdoors on the Mountaintop then share your work with other participants. (Beginning instruction by Pat Brodowski at 8:30am.) Bring your own paints and supplies. Tickets $24.
  • Sep 9. 2017 Heritage Harvest Festival: Celebration of Thomas Jefferson’s agricultural and epicurean legacy.

**Monticello.

Virginia Craft Brewers Fest

Aug 19
IX Art Park, Charlottesville
Celebration of Virginia’s craft beer industry. Over 100 participating breweries serving tastings.

SAM - Seattle Art Museum

+Washington

Seattle Art Museum

**A short visit to Seattle.

 

Craft Party 2017

Jul 16, 12pm
Ugly Baby and La Ru shop, Western Avenue (at Pike Place Market), Seattle

Craft projects and sidewalk chalk take over the block! Join in and do a community embroidery project, wood string art, watercolor cards, and a wall of coloring. There will also be a giveaways, a photobooth, and gift bags with Ugly Baby and La Ru.
Get tickets on Eventbrite by June 14. Tickets $12.

**Chalk robots.

 

A photo posted by Christoph Jakob (@el_kalam) on

INTERNATIONAL

+Germany

Brückenfestival

Aug 12-13
Nuremberg
Outdoor festival with a curated lineup of indie bands. Free.
**Make a mini-lamp garland.

 

+Italy

Venice Biennale

Now – Nov 26
Giardini and Arsenale, Venice
“Viva Arte Viva” – International exhibition of visual art, theater, architecture, music, dance, and film. Full regular tickets €25.

  • Jun 23 – Jul 1. International Festival of Contemporary Dance.
  • Jul 25 – Aug 12. International Theatre Festival.
  • Aug 30 – Sep 9. Venice International Film Festival.
  • Sep 29 – Oct 8. International Festival of Contemporary Music.

 

Real alcazar de sevilla

+Spain

Noches en los Jardines del Real Alcázar

Jul 15 – Sep 9, 10:30pm
Real Alcázar, Sevilla
Nightly (Monday – Saturday) concerts in the gardens of a historic palace, including flamenco, classical, and world music. Doors open at 9pm, so you can explore the gardens before the concert. Beverages available for purchase. Ages 8+. Tickets €6.

Ashdown Park http://www.ashdownpark.com/national-garden-scheme-open-day-0

+UK

Tracey Emin and William Blake In Focus

Now – Sep 3
Tate Liverpool
Exhibition exploring surprising links between the work of Tracey Emin (b. 1963) and William Blake (1757–1827). It will be the first time Emin’s My Bed has been displayed in the north of England. Free.

The Big Barbican Adventure

Now – Dec 31
Barbican Centre, London
Clue solving, drawing and games for families along the Barbican do-it-yourself adventure trail. Pick up a free trail kit for The Big Barbican Adventure from the Barbican Centre Information Desk on Level G. Allow at least one hour to complete the trail. Ages 6+. Free.

Ashdown Park events

East Sussex

Outdoor cinema at Ashdown Park

East Sussex
Tickets £13.

 

While I’ve done my best to be accurate, sometimes things change or weren’t listed correctly in the first place. Also, I choose events that seem fun, unique, and like something you’d be interested in, but your mileage may vary. I may not endorse everything connected with a particular event, organization, venue, etc. So consider this your starting point, double check the details, and then venture forth!

Make Way for Ducklings illustration by Robert McCloskey via Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

UK garden photo via Ashdown Park.

Spain Real Alcázar photo via Noches en los jardines del Real Alcázar.

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Navigating Fabulous Las Vegas

Las Vegas sign

Apparently, it was a big controversy when some Las Vegas casinos started charging for parking.

As long as The Strip had been there, there had been acres and acres on which to park your ride free of charge.

Las Vegas Flamingo

Then MGM decided to charge at all of their properties. Some casinos followed suit, others didn’t, but free parking in Vegas is no longer a given – even for hotel guests.

Las Vegas Strip

Free Parking

  • You can currently still park for free at Tropicana.
  • Parking at Flamingo and Caesar’s Palace is free for the first hour.
  • There is a small lot where you can park at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign for a short amount of time to get a photo of the sign. Enter from southbound Las Vegas Blvd.
  • Many nearby hotels have shuttles that will take you to The Strip, and you can skip parking altogether.

Las Vegas - Mandalay Bay

Transportation on The Strip

Once you’re there, there are several transportation options. Everything is so oversized that it’s farther to walk from one place to another than it may appear.

Bus: $8 for 24 hours (unlimited rides).

  • The Deuce bus route goes the entire length of the Strip up to the Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas. It runs 24 hours a day and stops at most hotels.
  • The Strip and Downtown Express (SDX) makes fewer stops and goes farther into Downtown Las Vegas. It runs 9am to midnight.

Monorail: $12 for 24 hours. Runs from MGM Grand to SLS Las Vegas. 7am to at least midnight.

Aria Tram: Free. Runs from the Monte Carlo to Bellagio. 8am to 4am.
Las Vegas sign

– More Vegas Parking and Transit Info –

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30+ Ways to Travel Without Leaving Town

Sometimes you need to stay close to home. Maybe family or work responsibilities are keeping you grounded. Maybe it’s health or money issues.

There are still ways to see new things, experience other cultures, feel transported.

Norton Simon cafe

Recently, National Geographic featured a “travel photographer” who finds and composes interesting shots within Google Street View.

Navigating through the Street View of an area does give you a better sense of a place. So we’ll start there.

world-map-2

1. Use Google Street View to explore an area you’d like to visit or re-visit somewhere you’ve gone in the past.

Flamenco

2. Go to a local cultural center, performance, or festival.

3. Be a tourist in your own town.

  • See the cheesy stuff you’d normally skip and take photos.
  • Pick out postcards.
  • Visit the tourist information office or visitor bureau and find out what visitors are seeing or doing that you might’ve overlooked.

fremont-postcards-front

4. Watch some foreign films.

5. Try out any travel apps you’re interested in. See how well they work while you’re still at home.

papago-park-lake

6. Have you visited all the parks in your area?

travelexpo-dtphx

7. Take a different route home.

  • Skip the freeway.
  • Walk or ride your bike.
  • Try public transit or take a different line.
  • If you’re in Phoenix, have you ridden the light rail yet? End to end?

8. Get lost in a library.

cartel-mocha-art

9. Try a new restaurant, coffee shop, or bar.

10. Watch movies about travel.

  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty comes to mind.
  • So does Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, which I reviewed last year and is now on Netflix.
  • Phillip reminded me of The Motorcycle Diaries. So good. Definitely feels like you’ve been on a long journey through South America by the end.

Backyard

11. Set up a tent in your backyard or inside the house.

12. Sign up to host an international student.

p-drive

13. Go to another part of town and explore a neighborhood that’s usually not on your radar.

14. Get out photos and relive memories. Put them in albums or scrapbooks if you haven’t already.

Norton Simon museum

15. Visit a museum. Find out when they have voluntary admission days or other special events.

Pressed wildflowers.

16. Read a book set in a place you’d like to visit or that takes you on a journey. A few ideas:

  • Cheryl Strayed’s Wild.
  • In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson.
  • Riders of the Purple Sage, the Zane Grey novel that we recently saw an opera based on, really puts you inside the canyons and valleys of its setting.
  • Phillip loved Mitchner’s Iberia and said it made him feel like he’s been to Spain.

Mesa community garden

17. Ask friends for their favorite spots around town (to do, see, eat etc.) and try out their recommendations.

18. Wander around an international market. Buy something you’ve never seen before.

Patio

19. Bring a little of the places you love to visit into your regular life. Splurge on extra soft towels or have coffee on your patio.

20. Buy music from a place you’d like to travel. (Or borrow it – Phillip has found some great stuff at our local library.)

21. Make a friend from another country.

  • Volunteer with an international students’ group.
  • Adopt a refugee family.

star-over-desert

22. Explore the stars at a local planetarium or with a regular telescope.

23. Have you seen all the public art on display where you live?

Bag at sunset

24. Test out your travel gear. Make sure everything works, is comfortable to wear, etc. My dad used to fill his pack with encyclopedias and walk around the block to get ready for future backpacking trips.

25. Take photos of places or things you see every day. Use it as an opportunity to really look at what’s around you and maybe see it in a new light.

26. Watch travel shows or documentaries.

Processed with VSCOcam with g3 preset

27. Book a staycation at nearby hotel or resort. They probably offer discounted rates in the off-season.

28. Switch things up in your house.

  • Have dinner outside or spread out a blanket and “picnic” on the living room floor.
  • Build a fort.
  • Rearrange the furniture.

Riverside, CA

29. Go for a drive and see where you end up.

Tacos from Tacos Atoyac in Phoenix

30. Eat food from another culture. Go to a restaurant or try making it yourself with the help of a friend, cookbook, or a food blog….

31. Find the nearest places to camp.

Setting up camp at Lakeside

32. Learn another language. There are apps, podcasts, and resources at many libraries to help you with this.

  • MindSnacks has several free language learning apps. Their Learn Chinese app was great when I was attempting to do that, and the games were really fun.
  • There are lots of language learning podcasts if you just search on iTunes. I’ve been working on italiano on and off with Learn Italian from Italianpod101.com.

33. Plan your next trip or in-town adventure.

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Vacancy

Historic hotel in Peoria AZPhillip read an article an old hotel that had been sitting abandoned for years with plans to tear it down when the city decided instead to preserve it.

Historic hotel in Peoria AZ

He wanted to go find the Edwards Hotel on his day off, so we drove to the Peoria address in the article. It wasn’t hard to find.

Edwards hotel

Even from outside the chain link fence, it was interesting to guess what had been there originally and what had been added later.

IMG_9564

Then we took a stroll around Old Town Peoria, where there’s currently not much going on, but they have a revitalization program in the works.

 

Peoria

image

Peoria

State bird quilt

In the meantime, they have ornate, agriculturally-themed bus stops, a handful of historic buildings (including a church that was turning 100 the week we were there),  and a nice little community center with paintings and quilts on display. It was all a cozy contrast to the hollowed-out hotel.

image

Peoria

Peoria

 

Peoria Quilt

 

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