Category Archives: Travel

Top Art Exhibitions: “Homer At The Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey” At The Cape Ann Museum

From a Wall Street Journal article:

Winslow Homer’s Sunset Fires (1880) PHOTO THE WESTMORELAND MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ARTThat’s how I felt while visiting “Homer at the Beach: A Marine Painter’s Journey, 1869-1880,” an intimate exhibition at the Cape Ann Museum. The show is handsome, historically rich and perfectly positioned here at this harbor venue, which devotes galleries to regional maritime and fishing artifacts, local decorative arts, Gloucester sea captain Elias Davis ’s house and the works of the renowned illustrator and marine painter Fitz Henry Lane (1804-1865), a Gloucester native with whom Boston-born Winslow Homer (1836-1910) had much in common.

An illustrator and painter, Homer is chiefly celebrated for his mature paintings of life on or near the sea. “Homer on the Beach” was never intended to be a gathering of Homer’s greatest maritime works. Therefore, it does not contain those revered later masterpieces such as “The Life Line” (1884), “The Herring Net” (1885) and “The Gale” (1883-93), but it lays their foundations and illumines the first leg of his voyage. Curated by William R. Cross, a museum consultant and chairman of the Advisory Board of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, the show focuses on Homer’s artistic formation as a marine painter.

To read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/homer-at-the-beach-a-marine-painters-journey-1869-1880-review-flotsam-jetsam-handsome-11567249200

Adventure Travel: Dettifoss Waterfall In Iceland Is “Most Powerful Waterfall In Europe”

From an AtlasObscura.com online article:

Dettifoss Waterfall Iceland MapHaving earned the superlative of “most powerful waterfall in Europe” because of its massive flow rate (3,059,112 U.S. gallons per minute), standing near this unfettered display of power will give you a healthy respect for the fury of nature. 

Iceland is famous for its spectacular waterfalls, many of which are beautiful and serene places for contemplation. Dettifoss is not one of them.

The 330-foot-wide falls are fed by the river Jökulsá, which means “glacier river” in Icelandic, a reference to the Vatnajökull glacier (recipient of another superlative: one of Europe’s largest). Be careful as you approach and stick to designated pathways since even they can be rendered slippery in the mist.

To read more: https://www.atlasobscura.com/itineraries/northern-iceland-untamed-coasts?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=093ef32c96-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_08_21_USA_24&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=99514583bf&mc_eid=9baf474570

Top European Events: 30th Anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution In Berlin On Nov. 4-10, 2019

From a SmithsonianMag.com online article:

“History is best told at the original locations,” Moritz van Dülmen, CEO of event organizer Kulturprojekte Berlin, says in a press release. “To better understand the Peaceful Revolution and to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of the Wall, we will recount the events of 1989/90 precisely where they took place.”

his November, Germany’s capital is set to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall with a festival featuring large-scale video projections, concerts, open-air exhibitions, an augmented reality app that temporarily resurrects the fractious barrier between east and west, and a floating art installation made up of 30,000 handwritten messages.

https://mauerfall30.berlin/en/#

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/berlin-will-mark-30th-anniversary-walls-fall-week-long-arts-festival-180973018/#dFgCcckczBeP5Zxo.99

Top Mobile Houses: Land Ark RV’s “Draper” Is Optimally Functional, Sophisticated Travel

From LandArkRV.com website:

Land Ark RV Draper InteriorOptimized for an individual or a couple, this mid-century modern design delivers a functional layout in a sophisticated package. The mud room entry features a 7 ft.+ width wardrobe, a separate W/D utility closet and a nook with a bench and cubbies. Connecting this space to the rest of the interior is a gallery with recessed lighting and clerestory windows. From the gallery, ascend up the custom designed oak ladder into the sleeping loft enclosed with large windows. A compact, yet surprisingly luxurious bathroom features a vanity, wall-hung toilet and a full size, walk-in shower with recessed lighting and a window. Flooded with natural light, the main living area opens up to a large galley kitchen and a convertible U-sofa that transforms into a queen bed for the occasional guest. Living extends outside through the sliding patio door onto a large hardwood deck that can be raised and closed for transport.

Website: https://landarkrv.com/models/draper/

Top New Travel Videos: “Skyglow – Ancestral Nights” Features Southwestern U.S.

Directors/Producers/Shooters: Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan
Editor: Harun Mehmedinovic
Music: Richard Lacy & Jeff Dale

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

Scattered across the United States, from the Southwest, all the way to Hawai’i, ancient astronomy petroglyphs and archaeoastronomy structures sit weathering in the landscape. Carved and built by diverse group of tribes, from Native Hawaiians, to the Paiutes of Bishop, California, and the Ancestral Puebloans of the Southwest, these petroglyphs and structures reflect the long standing interest in Ancient Astronomy which grew stronger as many of the tribes went from the Hunter Gatherer to the Agrarian societal orders. From references to the Sun carved in the rock, and interest in using the Sun to predict seasons (entire buildings built to essentially serve as sundials and calendars, a critical element in the farming communities) to those of 13 moons (lunar annual calendar), to carvings of stars and constellations, interest in celestial bodies is ever present across the indigenous communities of the United States.

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

This video journeys to National Park Service sites from California, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, many of whom give us a glimpse of how the night sky may have appeared to the ancient inhabitants of those lands. Many of these places were named International Dark-Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association, partly due to their remote locations, and partly due to the hard work by the National Park Service to preserve the quality of the night skies through lighting retrofits and educational programs about the night sky heritage and astronomy.

The video also features 2018’s epic Lunar Eclipse, a.k.a. “Blood Moon,” seen at 1:03.

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

This video was filmed as part of SKYGLOW (skyglowproject.com), an ongoing crowdfunded quest to explore the effects and dangers of urban light pollution in contrast with some of the most incredible dark sky areas in North America. This project is being produced in collaboration with International Dark-Sky Association (darksky.org), a non-profit fighting for the preservation of night skies around the globe.

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Locations:
Wupatki National Monument, Arizona
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico
Bishop, California

Skyglow - Ancestral Nights Travel Video by Harun Mehmedinovic & Gavin Heffernan 2019

Website: http://www.bloodhoney.com/

Top Events In Europe: “Open House London 2019”, Free Entry To City’s Top Buildings On Sept. 21-22

From a TheModernHouse.com article:

Open House London 2019 collectionsRunning the course of a weekend, from Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd September, Open House London gives the public free access to over 800 buildings in all of the capital’s 32 boroughs, ranging from the iconic (10 Downing StreetBarbican Centre) to the prosaic (a tour of Southwark Integrated Waste Management Facility, anyone?). To help you plan your weekend, here’s our edit of what to see at Open House London 2019.

https://openhouselondon.org.uk/

Goldfinger’s London
In the 53 years Hungarian-born Ernő Goldfinger spent in London, from his arrival in 1934 to his death in 1987, the man who unwittingly gave his name to one of Ian Fleming’s villains (so notorious was his temperament) made a profound and lasting contribution to the city’s built environment. Any exploration of his legacy should begin with a trip to the home he built for his family in Hampstead, 2 Willow Road, an efficient, well-proportioned modernist vision crammed with artworks by Duchamp, Moore and Ernst.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.themodernhouse.com/journal/what-to-see-at-open-house-london-2019/?utm_source=The+Modern+House+Newsletter&utm_campaign=510c9ffe5f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_18_07_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1141c98ca6-510c9ffe5f-95015105&mc_cid=510c9ffe5f&mc_eid=7dc3496ab5

Cultural Destinations: The Huntington Library Launchess Centennial Celebration September 5

From The Huntington Library news release:

The Huntington Library and Gardens 100th CentennialThe Huntington’s Centennial Celebration kicks off on Sept. 5, 2019, with a special event for press and Southern California civic, higher education, and cultural leaders—a number of whose institutions are also celebrating significant anniversaries. Huntington President Karen R. Lawrence will host the celebration, sharing key news announcements and highlighting plans for the centennial year and beyond. The formal program will include a panel discussion with thought leaders on some of the big ideas shaping the future, brief presentations by Huntington leadership from each collection area, and a special musical performance interpreting sheet music from the Harold Bruce Forsythe collection. Public visitors will enjoy music in the gardens by Todd Simon and members of his Angel City All-Star Brass Band from noon to 2 p.m.

The Sept. 5 event will set the stage for a yearlong series of exhibitions, public programs, new initiatives, and more—inviting people with a range of interests to engage with the venerable institution’s collections and the connections they offer while exploring the interdisciplinary ideas that will shape the next 100 years. The Centennial Launch’s program reflects the interdisciplinary lens of The Huntington’s incomparable collections.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.huntington.org/news/centennial-celebration-sept-5

Top New Travel Videos: “Scotland In Motion” By Casper Rolsted (2019)

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Casper Rolsted

Music: Peter Nanasi

Scotland In Motion Travel video by Casper Rolsted 2019

In this film about the Scottish Highlands you will experience places like Glencoe, The Storr, Quiraing, Fairy Pools and many other places on the Isle of Skye.

Scotland In Motion Travel video by Casper Rolsted   2019.JPG

The shots are made in May 2019 where I had the pleasure to travel around the Scottish Highlands for two weeks. I had the pleasure to experience the spectacular Isle of Skye with a sunrise at the Storr, a long hike and lot of mist at the Quiraing and the beautiful Fairy Pools. In Glencoe I experienced the lakes Glencoe Lochan and Lochan Urr, Glen Etive with amazing still water, had an interesting and demanding climb to the top of Ben Nevis which is the highest mountain in UK and finally made a timelapse at the Glenfinnan Viaduct with the steam train known from Harry Potter.

Scotland In Motion Travel video by Casper Rolsted    2019.JPG

Website: https://casperrolsted.com/

Top New Travel Videos: “Kyrgyzstan” In Central Asia By Mattia Bicchi (2019)

https://vimeo.com/356644908

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Mattia Bicchi

Kyrgyzstan Travel Film by Mattia Bicchi 2019

With this video, I want you to explore in ultra high definition and through the technique of Timelapse, the incredible and variety of landscapes in this almost unknown country in Central Asia.

Kyrgyzstan Travel Film by Mattia Bicchi 2019

During the first part of the trip I explored with Visit Karakol and landscape photographers, Albert Dros, the south region around Lenin Peak, Arslanbob and Sary-Chelek, in the second part I hiked few days around Karakol Valley, visiting Ala-Kul an alpine lake at 3.500m and Sary-Jaz Valley close to China’s borders. My goal with this film is to inspire you to visit and explore this beautiful country, so I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed working on it.

Kyrgyzstan Travel Film by Mattia Bicchi 2019

Website: https://www.mattiabicchiphotography.com/blog/

Top Museum Exhibits: “STRANGE LIGHT: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLIN” At High Museum Of Art, Atlanta

From the High.org website:

The Bat 1940 by CLARENCE JOHN LAUGHLINDubbed “The Father of American Surrealism,” Clarence John Laughlin (American, 1905-1985) was the most important Southern photographer of his time and a singular figure within the burgeoning American school of photography. Known primarily for his atmospheric depictions of decaying antebellum architecture that proliferated his hometown of New Orleans, Laughlin approached photography with a romantic, experimental eye that diverged heavily from his peers who championed realism and social documentary.

High Museum Of Art Atlanta

On view through November 10, 2019

Water Witch 1939 Clarence John LaughlinThe exhibition surveys Laughlin’s signature bodies of work made between 1935 and 1965, emphasizing his inventiveness, artistic influences, and deep connection to the written word. The High began collecting Laughlin’s work in 1974 and Strange Light: The Photography of Clarence John Laughlin is the first major presentation of Laughlin’s photographs by the High Museum following a landmark acquisition of his work in 2015.

The more than one hundred works in this exhibition attest to Laughlin’s innovative approach and prescience for the future of the photographic medium. From allegorical social commentary, to expertly constructed narratives, to bizarre material experimentation, Laughlin’s effort to access a higher artistic potential for photography is evident throughout his career. His desire to push the limits of photographic possibility paved the way for generations of artists and the growth of the medium into a tool of magical potential.

https://high.org/exhibition/strange-light-the-photography-of-clarence-john-laughlin/