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After my late night at the Kennedy Center, and without needing to walk Pookah, I slept in this morning. For me, that means until 7:30. By 11am I was at the National Mall, heading into the Hirshhorn Mu…
After my late night …
After my late night at the Kennedy Center, and without needing to walk Pookah, I slept in this morning. For me, that means until 7:30. By 11am I was at the National Mall, heading into the Hirshhorn Museum. It was the exhibit of the work by Simone Leigh that attracted me. I’d read that she had represented the US at the 2022 Venice Biennale, one of the most important contemporary art… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 Yesterday I explored a neighborhood I’d never been to before—NOMA. NOMA, north of Massachusetts Avenue, is actually about a mile north of Mass Ave. There’s a good reason I’d never visited ther…
Yesterday I explored…
Yesterday I explored a neighborhood I’d never been to before—NOMA. NOMA, north of Massachusetts Avenue, is actually about a mile north of Mass Ave. There’s a good reason I’d never visited there before, until about eight years ago it was an old industrial area filled with warehouses and parking lots. Then gentrification and development began, and the neighborhood is rapidly transforming. Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 Yesterday was my final day in DC before returning home. One of the great things about the Smithsonian museums is that they are open seven days a week, year-round, except for Christmas and New Year’s…
Yesterday was my fin…
Yesterday was my final day in DC before returning home. One of the great things about the Smithsonian museums is that they are open seven days a week, year-round, except for Christmas and New Year’s Day. My first stop was at the National Museum of the American Indian. This too is new since the last time I visited the museums on the mall. Architecturally it is a beautiful building. Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 Pookah is a homebody. He loves nothing more than a day when he goes for very quick walks and spends the rest of the time in the apartment. Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I decided we needed to spend…
Pookah is a homebody…
Pookah is a homebody. He loves nothing more than a day when he goes for very quick walks and spends the rest of the time in the apartment. Yesterday was a gorgeous day and I decided we needed to spend time outside. It’s an easy drive to Ft. Tryon Park. It took some doing to convince Pookah to walk the short distance from the car to a bench looking out to the Hudson River. Once seated… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 This weekend will be filled with holiday events, even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving. On Friday, my destination was the NY Botanical Garden’s Train Show. I love the show and go every year. Apar…
This weekend will be…
This weekend will be filled with holiday events, even though it isn’t even Thanksgiving. On Friday, my destination was the NY Botanical Garden’s Train Show. I love the show and go every year. Apart from the trains, the highlights are NYC landmarks constructed entirely from natural materials. They are incredible works of art. Yesterday was opening day and member’s day. It was also sixty… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 It was a warm, clear night. At 6:30 the sky was coal black with a perfect half-moon, ideal conditions for viewing the Lantern Show at the Queens Farm. The light show is enchanting if a bit helter-skel…
It was a warm, clear…
It was a warm, clear night. At 6:30 the sky was coal black with a perfect half-moon, ideal conditions for viewing the Lantern Show at the Queens Farm. The light show is enchanting if a bit helter-skelter. Large sculptures, beautifully crafted and vividly colored, are lit from within. There doesn’t seem to be a theme. There are sections of farm animals, dinosaurs, birds, robots, sea life… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 I arrived in Colorado yesterday to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with my cousins. We have been sharing Thanksgiving since I was a small child, and I can count on one hand the number of times we w…
I arrived in Colorad…
I arrived in Colorado yesterday to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with my cousins. We have been sharing Thanksgiving since I was a small child, and I can count on one hand the number of times we weren’t together. The preparations for Thanksgiving were well under way. Apple pies were about to be put into the oven. I was immediately put to work. I’m the official chopper. Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 In the morning we made cranberry sauce, worked on the stuffing, and various other bits and pieces. We bought wine for a huge crowd. Then, miraculously, we were ahead of schedule. It was a beautiful da…
In the morning we ma…
In the morning we made cranberry sauce, worked on the stuffing, and various other bits and pieces. We bought wine for a huge crowd. Then, miraculously, we were ahead of schedule. It was a beautiful day, so we headed into Boulder for a stroll on the Pearl Street pedestrian Mall. It was hopping. We poked in some of our favorite shops and enjoyed watching the lively, holiday crowd. Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 My body doesn’t quite know what to make of my travels. Freezing cold, arid Colorado to moderately cold New York to balmy, humid Louisiana. I’ve managed to get a cold, fortunately not covid, and am…
My body doesn’t qu…
My body doesn’t quite know what to make of my travels. Freezing cold, arid Colorado to moderately cold New York to balmy, humid Louisiana. I’ve managed to get a cold, fortunately not covid, and am soldiering through. I flew to New Orleans yesterday. It’s a city I love and have been to many times, but this trip is different. It is being sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Tourism. Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 A uniform steel gray sky wasn’t a good omen. But in New Orleans “laissez les bons temps rouler,” let the good times roll, is the rule. My day started the Vue Orleans. Perched on the top levels o…
A uniform steel gray…
A uniform steel gray sky wasn’t a good omen. But in New Orleans “laissez les bons temps rouler,” let the good times roll, is the rule. My day started the Vue Orleans. Perched on the top levels of the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans it’s a combination interactive playground and 360-degree observatory. I loved the interactive displays where famous locals, past and present, come alive and teach… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 8, 2024 After five days of nearly continuous activity, today needed to be at a slower pace. I slept in, wrote and leisurely packed. Once I finally got moving, it was just over an hour drive to Louisiana’s c…
After five days of n…
After five days of nearly continuous activity, today needed to be at a slower pace. I slept in, wrote and leisurely packed. Once I finally got moving, it was just over an hour drive to Louisiana’s capital, Baton Rouge (or Red Stick in translation). As I’d passed through Baton Rouge before but never spent any time there, a brief stop seemed like a good idea. A few facts I learned from the… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 After my quiet day, I was back to serious exploring. After breakfast at @MaisonMouton B&B in Lafayette I headed west towards Rayne. My friends wondered why I was going there. As Leo said, it’s not m…
After my quiet day, …
After my quiet day, I was back to serious exploring. After breakfast at @MaisonMouton B&B in Lafayette I headed west towards Rayne. My friends wondered why I was going there. As Leo said, it’s not much more than a dot on the map. Rayne has proclaimed itself. “The Frog Capital of the World.” This started in the late 1800s when Jacques Weil and his brothers started a business exporting frogs to… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 I’m deep in Cajun country with my friends Liz and Leo. Liz and I set off to explore this morning. Our first stop was in Breaux Bridge for the zydeco breakfast at @https://www.buckandjohnnys.com. It…
I’m deep in Cajun …
I’m deep in Cajun country with my friends Liz and Leo. Liz and I set off to explore this morning. Our first stop was in Breaux Bridge for the zydeco breakfast at @https://www.buckandjohnnys.com. It’s held every Saturday morning. People come from miles around to hear the music, but mostly to dance. The atmosphere was festive and electric. Because of back issues I wasn’t dancing, but I loved the… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 Today, Liz, Leo and I set off to explore the area south of Breaux Bridge. Along the way we passed truck after truck filled with just-harvested sugar cane. They were heading towards the processing plan…
Today, Liz, Leo and …
Today, Liz, Leo and I set off to explore the area south of Breaux Bridge. Along the way we passed truck after truck filled with just-harvested sugar cane. They were heading towards the processing plant. On this cold morning, I could see thick smoke billowing from the plant from miles away. I pulled over to take photos because the images were so arresting. Interestingly, there was no scent at all. Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 My friend Liz will be flying back with me to NY (she lives there part-time). We drove east to stay near the airport for our early morning flight. Along the way we made several stops. First was in Hamm…
My friend Liz will b…
My friend Liz will be flying back with me to NY (she lives there part-time). We drove east to stay near the airport for our early morning flight. Along the way we made several stops. First was in Hammond to see the home of Charles Smith. I’d learned about Smith when I visited the @AbitaMysteryHouse last week. Charles Smith is an African American Vietnam Vet. When he returned, with PTSD… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 Let’s start with a confession. I once baked and decorated a tiny gingerbread house. It took forever and the end product was less than stellar. So, I have a great appreciation for bakers who can crea…
Let’s start with a…
Let’s start with a confession. I once baked and decorated a tiny gingerbread house. It took forever and the end product was less than stellar. So, I have a great appreciation for bakers who can create fabulous architectural models out of gingerbread. The Museum of the City of New York hosts an annual “All Borough Gingerbread Competition.” I spent this morning at the museum admiring the… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 While I was at the Museum of the City of New York yesterday, I wandered into an exhibit about movies shot in the city. Apart from the gingerbread houses, that was where most visitors gravitated. When …
While I was at the M…
While I was at the Museum of the City of New York yesterday, I wandered into an exhibit about movies shot in the city. Apart from the gingerbread houses, that was where most visitors gravitated. When I’m traveling and mention I’m a New Yorker, people tell me about visiting New York, wanting to come here, loving the city from movies and TV. What makes the exhibition compelling is a room… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 My friend Sue and I arrived in London on Wednesday morning after an uneventful, though totally packed, flight. After checking in at the hotel and miraculously being able to get into a room immediately…
My friend Sue and I …
My friend Sue and I arrived in London on Wednesday morning after an uneventful, though totally packed, flight. After checking in at the hotel and miraculously being able to get into a room immediately, Sue and I set out for a walk and lunch. Our hotel is in a wonderful location, right on Tottenham Court Road, close to an underground station, lots of buses, shops, restaurants and just about… Source
Karen Gershowitz
August 6, 2024 
