New Maps and Subway Sketches in New York

by Kelly Amabile on

Two new travel-related items out of New York this week, that I discovered over at the always resourceful NewYorkology:

First up, a new map that charts Jewish New York, the result of a collaboration between the New York Board of Rabbis, Jewish New York History & Heritage Project and grants from the City of New York. Locations plotted on the map include NYU, Temple Emanu-El and spots associated with folks like Woody Allen, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Marx Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel and Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The map is on sale for $6.95 at the Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center and will eventually be available online as well.

And an artistic travel-inspired exhibit to check out later this month:The Transit Museum will display the subway-inspired sketches of Marvin Franklin, a former track worker who was killed in an on-the-job accident in April. Franklin’s watercolors, oil paintings and etchings will be showcased through the end of March at the museum’s Brooklyn location, which is housed in a former subway station.

Ode to Evel Knievel

by Jamie Rhein on

My 5 year-old told me Evel Knievel died. He and his dad, (yes, my husband) were watching videos of Eve’s stunts at the time. Hearing of his death prompted them to turn to the Web to watch Eve’s antics.

This summer we went to our 2nd Evel Knievel Days in Butte, Montana. Evel is from there, and the town has taken that to heart. Good for Butte that someone with some pizazz is from there. Some celebrities sort of fade away, and whatever festival occurred when they were alive peter out. Not so for Evel Knievel Days. I expect next year’s crowd could even get bigger.

There are some events that take a person by surprise. This was one of them. Okay, so my kids got all wired up on Monster Energy, that new drink that debuted sometime in June or July. They were gulping it down, one can after another since one booth was handing it out free, and the weather was hotter than the blazes. My husband finally read the label’s warning against giving it to kids, particularly young ones. It’s LOADED with caffeine. I’ve nixed Mountain Dew awhile back for the same reason. My son was a jabbering nut case (not really, this is an exaggeration, but it did seem he was talking faster than usual, and he’s a talker.)

But, back to Evel Knieval Days. (see previous post) This is much more of a high brow event than I expected. I thought it would be a tough- talking crowd, and dicey with the family fare aspect. Nope. Not so. Bring the gang. Grandma and Grandpa included. Of course, I only went during the day, so I can’t vouch for the night crowd. I expect it’s fairly tame, although with a bit more drinking–not Monster Energy drink, but beer.

This summer we did see Evel. He pulled up in his chauffeured car to address the crowd waiting for one of the dare devil stunts to happen. One of the things I liked was the flash. He was not a big guy, but he sure had a presence that still has a huge following. The daredevils out there are not diminishing.

This summer my son asked if he could be a daredevil. He’s still asking. Just last Wednesday when I picked him up at his school bus stopped, the first thing he said when he got in the car was, “Can I be a daredevil when I grow up.”

My response? “Maybe.”

Thanks, Evel.

Independence days and elephants

by Jamie Rhein on

I’ve whipped out my International Calendar to see what might be left to tell about November before it slips away from Eastern Standard Time in a few hours. What I see is a whole lot of independence days and a slew of other politically geared occasions.

  • Nov. 1–Antigua-Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1980.
  • Nov. 3–Dominica gained independence from the UK in 1978. Panama gained Independence from Colombia in 1903 and Micronesia gained independence from the U.S. in 1980.
  • Nov. 9–Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953.
  • Nov. 11–Poland gained independence in 1918; Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
  • Nov. 18–Latvia gained independence from Russia in 1918; Morocco from France in 1956.
  • Nov. 25–Suriname gained independence
  • Nov. 28–Mauritania gained Independence from France in 1968 and Albania gained Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912, Panama gained independence from Spain in 1821 and East Timor gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
  • Nov. 30-Barbados gained independence from the U.K. in 1966

Other than these, Tonga has had Constitution Day (Nov. 4); Russia, Revolution Day (Nov. 7); Brazil, Republic Day (Nov. 15); and Vanuatu has had National Unity Day, (Nov. 29)

My favorite happening of the bunch of events that occurred this month, though, is the Surin Elephant Round-Up in Thailand.

If you’re heading to Cincinnati: Holiday options plus pirates

by Jamie Rhein on

Of all the Ohio cities, I think Cincinnati is the prettiest. Even Winston Churchill thought so. He once talked about its loveliness.

Each Christmas, I have plans to head to Cincinnati to take in some sights, but normally have just enough time to swing by Krohn Conservatory to see Paul Busee’s train music box before heading to my aunts’ craft show in northern Kentucky. Perhaps, you’ll have more time to see more of the city’s offerings. Here are some places I recommend based on what I’ve done myself in the past.

The Cincinnati Museum at Union Terminal have a special event happenings. The holiday offering, Holiday Junction is magical if you’re traveling with the younger crowd. We took my daughter here when she was five. There are model train displays that are over the top with their elaborateness. There’s also a train kids can ride that winds through a display set up to capture the feel of a winter wonderland.

Also at the center, not holiday related, is Real Pirates, a special exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is the real pirate ship Whyduh that sunk in 1717. I’ve been meaning to get here since it opened. The exhibit is closing on January 6, so I have to hustle my son down here. I’m thinking about Saturday–although we may head here after January 1 to avoid a holiday crowd. There are other regular exhibits that are worth seeing. One is a simulated cave.

For a look at a marvelous art decco hotel, stop in the Hilton Netherland Plaza Hotel. Once, I sat in the lobby writing the next great American novel, drinking wine and snacking on the complimentary bowl of party mix type fare. I had to leave before the novel was finished. It’s still not done.

Another place dear to my heart is Fountain Square. The aesthetics have been partly ruined by a build up of modern buildings in downtown Cincinnati, but the fountain is the loveliest in all the world–in my opinion. These days, you can go ice-skating for some holiday cheer. If you’re near here, don’t miss the Cinergy Train Display. Model train buffs put together quite the collection. The trains wind through creative displays where some of the features move. I remember dancers that “skated” and twirled on a mirror lake. My son loved the free cookies, as well.

I haven’t been here for years, but I’ve written about it a few times. The Cincinnati Zoo is one of the first zoos to do holiday lights kind of events in order to boost up winter attendance. They’ve perfected it for sure.

The Cincinnati Ballet’s “Nutcracker” performance is another holiday treat. Once when I was in high school, my grandparents bought tickets for my whole family (aunts, uncles, cousins included) to see the show one Christmas. We took up more than 20 seats in orchestra seating.

And, one of my all time favorites, since I remember it from when I was a child is the Live Nativity outside Krohn Conversatory in Eden Park. Here you’ll find live animals in a manger scene set up. The same family has been involved with this display since the 1930s. It’s the oldest nativity display in Ohio.

We are multicolored

by Kelly Amabile on

Via the New York City Tenement Museum website I came across this fun flag creation “kit” so to speak: We are multicolored is an online project that aims to promote awareness around the contemporary immigrant experience. In keeping with the mission of the Tenement Museum, the project takes no position on the definitions of flags, but rather encourages the expression of multiple perspectives.

Users are asked three simple questions about countries they associate themselves with — and then the fun begins! A simple interactive interface guides users to create their own artistically inspired flags. You can also search the colors to learn meanings, or to discover which countries contain certain shapes or symbols in their flags. There is a fantastic, ever-changing mosaic of new flags that appear on the website — an ongoing multicolored display of heritage, nationality and travel dreams.