Summer Jaunt: Girl Scout Founder’s Birthplace

by Jamie Rhein on

Lately, I’ve been asking folks where they are going for the summer. One of my friends and her daughter are heading to Savannah, Georgia with the daughter’s Girl Scout troop. I was about her daughter’s age when my Girl Scout troop did the same thing. I still have my Daisy pin to prove it. You can only get one of these if you go to Juliette Gordon Low’s birthplace. Visiting the place where Juliette Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, was born is a trip worth taking whether you are a Girl Scout, were a Girl Scout, know a Girl Scout or ever bought Girl Scout cookies.

The home where she grew up is a restored, 19th century house filled with family belongings. Besides having the distinction of being linked to the Girl Scouts, this was the first house in Savanah to open as a house museum. It’s also part of the Pioneers in Preservation tour. There are two others. Andrew Low House was the family home of Juliette Low’s husband and one of the places she lived as an adult. The other house, the Davenport House Museum was to be destroyed until rescued by a group of women keen on preserving Savanah’s history. These aren’t the only historic places, the city if filled with them. Here is a link to other Savannah attractions.

Mis-Guides: Guidebooks of the Future?

by Willy Volk on

What happens when a group of artists produce a guide book? You get something that looks a lot like a Mis-Guide. Rather than telling you where to go and what to see, a Mis-Guide gives you the tools to see a city or environment in a whole new way.

Each Mis-Guide suggests a series of walks and points of observation and contemplation. Unlike an ordinary guide book, it is guided by “the practice of mytho-geography, which places the fictional, fanciful, fragile and personal on equal terms with ‘factual’, municipal history.” Huh?

If you’re thinking a bit literally right now, some of the tips found in the books include:

  • Start at your door and take pictures of 26 objects, one for each letter of the alphabet.
  • Borrow a dog from a friend and let it take you for a walk.
  • Walk along a river with a friend but do it from opposite sides, while maintaining contact (through sight, sound, flares, etc.) the entire time.
  • Still confused? Check out some sample pages from either the Courtauld or the Exeter Mis-Guide.

Okay, so it’s all a bit esoteric, but the point is that there are numerous ways to shake a person out of the same-old hum-drum way of seeing a city. You don’t HAVE to hit all the sites or sample all the recommended dishes. You can have a very meaningful experience exploring quiet streets in a new and exciting way.

Are these the guidebooks of the future? I hope so.

John F. Kennedy’s Birthday and Locations with his Name

by Jamie Rhein on

I was looking through my calendar to see what events I may have missed in May. Here’s one I caught just in time. Today is John F. Kennedy’s birthday. Born May 29, 1917 he became the 35th US president in 1961. This would be his 90th birthday if he were still alive.

In honor of the occassion, here’s a list of just some of the places you can go that are named after him. From an airport to a highway to an island and an eternal flame–you could travel for awhile to hit them all.

  • John F. Kennedy International Airport., New York.This is easier to get to or get from with the AirTran train that goes between the airport and Howard Beach and Jamacia Stations. For only $5 one-way, that’s a deal.
  • The Kennedy Center of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. is considered a living memorial and showcases world renowned performances in dance, drama and music.
  • Kennedy Blvd. in Tampa, Florida (State Highway 60). Used to be called Layfette Street and Grand Central Avenue but had a name change after Kennedy’s visit to Tampa.
  • John F. Kennedy Space Center near Orlando, Florida. Here you can see rockets launch. The next one is June 8.
  • USS John F. Kennedy (US Navy aircraft carrier that served until March of this year was the last conventionally powered carrier. It’s port-cabin designed by Jacquelin Kennedy will be reassembled at the National Museum of National Aviation in Pensacola, Florida.
  • John F. Kennedy Peace Forest at the outskirts of Jerusalem, Israel.
  • Kennedy Island in the Solomon Islands is where Kennedy swam ashore in WWII after his torpedo boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer.
  • John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame, Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. The flame is at his grave and never goes out.

Sculpture Projects Munster: An Every 10 Year Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit

by Jamie Rhein on

Munster, Germany was almost totally destroyed during World War II. If there is any indication that “Art Saves Lives,” as I used to see on art pins sold in the Mariposa Gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Sculpture Project Munster, is it. Every ten years this outdoor sculpture exhibit pulls in artists‘ work from different countries to infuse vibrancy into the human experience. There are 37 artists on the list. This year’s theme is to show how art transforms public space. To go along with the exhibit there are lectures, film screenings and discussions.

The exhibit, June 17-September 30 is a chance to see how you interact with the environment when you interact with the sculptures. Once each exhibit is over, Munster keeps some of the sculptures making this a city to see if you like outdoor art. There are 34 sculptures still on display from previous years.

If you are interested in heading here, the Web site has a Grand Tour page with visitor information.

Memorial Day Type Place: Gettysburg

by Jamie Rhein on

If you live anywhere near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania perhaps you were one of those kids I saw on a field trip when I was on my own fifth grade outing. Here, on what now is pristine rolling hills and wooded countryside, 50,000 people died in three days during the American Civil War. A friend of mine, a Civil War buff, considers Gettysburg his most favorite place on the planet. He swears the place has some sort of vibe he can feel.

It’s been awhile since I was in the 5th grade but I still have the blurry photos I took and clearly remember the Electric Map (at the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center), the wax museum, and the site where Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address. The Electric Map, still part of the visitors’ center, shows the movements of the northern and southern armies with colored lights that represent each side.

The wax museum, now called American Civil War Museum doesn’t seem like it’s changed much from its Web site description. I remember one exhibit scene had a wax soldier whose chest moved in and out with his breathing. Another scene I remember, Jennie Wade baking bread in her sister’s kitchen where she was shot and died, is also there. I forgot about her until I read the Web site for the museum.

Hovering somewhere between history and kitch, Gettysburg knows what people like to see. In a world where many places don’t stay the same from one year to the next, it’s comforting to know that in some corners things are like we remember. Here’s a read from The Washington Post about traveling to Gettysburg with some well-put commentaries.