#Centennial Beach photographer

[eranjayne]

Rachel's Sunset Session | Tsawwassen Photographer

One of my favourite sunset sessions of the year, on one of the most gorgeous evenings!

I always know it’s going to be a fabulous session when I meet up with Rachel and her family! AND we got an absolutely gorgeous night down at Centennial (one of the best of the season) so it wasn’t a surprise that this ended up being one of my favourite photo shoots of the summer. I’ve been photographing this crew since Rachel’s youngest was a newborn baby, and it’s such an honour to watch her…

[hardly-an-escape]

please note: my fics on AO3 are locked, so you will need an account to read them. if you need an invite please feel free to DM me! I also have a handful of non-Dreamling fics posted there :)

~the polished stuff~ [actual edited fics, posted to AO3]

what's in a name? (E, 9300 words) photographer Hob is on a road trip in California when he meets a mysterious stranger (Dream) in a diner | human AU, strangers to lovers

A Love Story (T, 23000 words) Hob is a voiceover actor, struggling to make ends meet; Morpheus is a literary novelist with a secret | Centennial Husbands Big Bang, human AU, getting together, rom com

Stormy Weather, or: Outside, the Wind (Inside, the Light) (T, 1600 words) Hob and Dream are having a movie night when the power goes out | first kiss, gratuitous use of archaic English

A Close Shave (G, 2150 words) retired and newly human, Dream needs a shave. Hob helps him and has a lot of feelings about it | gen, tooth-rotting fluff

would you go along with someone like me? (T, 1500 words) the 'omg they were roommates' college AU; Hob is a history major, Morpheus is studying poetry, and it's a very tiny dorm room | WIP, getting together, rating will go up

'cause every Dreamlord's crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man (E, 4400 words) chapter two now up! | Dream enjoys Hob in formalwear at a fundraising gala, and Hob out of formalwear after the gala | established relationship, lovingly described tuxedo

it's warm, the skin I'm living in (E, 2400 words) the one with shapeshifting sex and emotional conversations about Dream's insecurities | established relationship, brief tentacle sex, Dream can have a vulva if he wants

Among the Stars We are Reborn (T, 5400 words) the one where Hob goes to space to look for a phoenix | sci fi, canon divergent, established relationship

First Time (E, 6000 words) after another bad breakup, Johanna encourages Morpheus to hook up with some dudes. Hob is only too happy to help with that | human AU, strangers to lovers

I'm stuck on you (I'm mighty glad you stayed) (M, 8700 words) Hob and Morpheus are stuck on an elevator | human AU, strangers to lovers

Headache (T, 3700 words) the one where Hob has a migraine and Dream ogles him in the bath | first kiss, getting together

Bleach (G, 1000 words) the one where Hob gets bleach on Dream's favorite sweater | established relationship, retired!Dream

it's the perfect time of year (E, 2500 words) spicy beach episode | established relationship

In the February Sun (T, 2600 words) Dream accidentally visits on Valentine's Day and has some feelings about being mistaken for a couple | first kiss, getting together

uneasy is the head that wears the crown (G, 1600 words) the one where Hob was secretly a prince on rumspringa when they met in 1389 | established relationship

let your heart be light (E, 2600 words) Hob and Dream spend Christmas morning together | established relationship, declarations of love

Kind of Blue, a kind of fire (E, 2900 words) the one where they drink whiskey and dance to Miles Davis in Hob's living room | first kiss, getting together

Fridays (T, 3000 words) Hob throughout history | gen, partly epistolary

~the rough stuff~ [little ficlets, extensive headcanons]

road trip prompts 2024 I was a passenger princess on a very long road trip and asked for prompts to amuse myself

all my Fluffbruary 2024 fills

AU idea: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Hob and Dream meet ugly over a laundry argument (human AU)

Dreamling Bingo snippet: preview of would you go along with someone like me? chapter five

Dreamling Bingo snippet: excerpt from The Trenches Have Vanished Under the Plough (shellshocked WWI veterans AU)

at a Shakespeare in the Park performance, Hob misses Original Pronunciation

AU idea: Dream is a famous author with a secret career as a romance novelist and Hob is the voiceover actor who reads his audiobooks

assorted Smurch fills the coffeeshop AU hot and heavy in da club retired!Dream's birthday retired!Dream likes jewelry and piercings small follow-up to In the February Sun

what if Dream retired and he and Hob didn't immediately jump into bed and a relationship?

AU idea: Dream runs a famous haunted house and Hob is a famous wuss

AU idea: Roman Holiday (Dream is a prince and Hob is a handsome reporter)

the unabashedly, purposefully bad sex scene (click at your own risk. but make sure you read through all the additions in the notes.)

Rose takes a picture at a family picnic and Hob has a realization

Hob WILL fight Night and Time

acts of service as Hob's love language (which has art!)

please give me more sci fi in this fandom

~the I-guess-this-counts stuff~ [idk bro it's just random]

compilation of "and they lived happily ever after" (ie fairy tale endings) in different languages

how I would write a Jane Eyre AU if I ever wrote one, which I'm not going to do

what if Hob was actually in a relationship when Dream came back?

actually Hob should be a preschool/primary school teacher: part one, part two

actually Hob doesn't hate Shakespeare and I'm a little tired of that trope

and if you're looking for a real firehose, my writing tag contains pretty much all of the above, plus tag game replies, snippets from WIPs, and other little bits and bobs!

thanks for reading! I love you!

last updated 7/02/24

[annapolisrose]

A small formation of crows.

[nyhistory]

March may be Women’s History Month, but every day is a chance to celebrate the women and girls who populate our photograph collections.

[15 Unidentified Females in front of Unidentified Building], ca. 1843-1850, ambrotype by Lucius H. Cathan. Cased Image File, PR 012-1-126, image number 96879d.

Chinatown, N.Y., 1955, by Arthur Grumbine, nyhs_PR097_b-01_f-03_04_83717d.

Aunt Betsy's Cabin in Aiken, South Carolina, 1876, J.A. Palmer. Stereograph File, PR 065-0662-0015, image number 48099 [detail].

Six unidentified little girls seated on a Wall Street stoop, New York City, August 18, 1904. Robert L. Bracklow Photograph Collection, nyhs_pr-008_66000_2 [detail].

Unidentified girls jumping off a canoe, Orchard Beach, Bronx, N.Y., 1909. George E. Stonebridge Photograph Collection, nyhs_PR066_4547.

Unidentified young female performers, Woodland Co., circa Jan. 1900. Burr McIntosh Photograph Collection, nyhs_PR041_s-01_b-06_f-038_1225.

Group of girls enjoy game of shuffleboard at one of the day camps, conducted by the Recreational Day Camp Program in New York City. Photographic record of Work Projects Administration for the City of New York : Education and Recreation District Office work project activities, Album File, PR_002_209_003.

Candid shot of little girls gathered to take a photo, Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, Kingsbridge, Bronx, undated (ca. 1912). William Davis Hassler Photograph Collection, nyhs_PR83_0734.

[Two women sitting on a balustrade, Central Park], 1972, by John Elari. PR 285, John Elari Photographic Slide Collection, 1965-1999. Image number 94050d. Gift of John Elari, 2016.

Bicycle parade, Bronx, N.Y., 1898. George E. Stonebridge Photograph Collection, nyhs_PR066_2233.

Bible study (?) led by Miss Tibbs at 901 Grant Avenue, Bronx, May 14, 1917. William D. Hassler photograph collection, nyhs_PR83_4598.

Group of women in dresses seated on Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, undated (ca. 1920). William D. Hassler photograph collection, approximately 1910-1921, nyhs_PR83_9859.

[Girls jumping rope], ca. 1930s. Photographer File: John D. Earle, PR 050, image number 95644d.

Unidentified women in uniform (Salvation Army?), group photo, undated [circa 1900-1910]. Burr McIntosh photograph collection, nyhs_PR041_s-02_b-14_f-WN_3427.

Unidentified group posing on a beach in bathing costumes, undated [ca. 1914]. William D. Hassler photograph collection, nyhs_PR83_1504.

Times Square Portrait, ca. 1976-1979, by Kenneth Siegel. PR 298, Kenneth Siegel Photograph Collection, image number 87440d. Gift of Ilyce Siegel, 2008.

Chinatown Senior Center, 1986, photograph by Eugene Gordon, PR 248, image number 87664d.

Group gathering around instructor - flying training command, Sweatwater, TX, Army Air Force Pilots. WWII Photograph Collection, 1941-45, PR 076, image number 90879d.

To delve deeper into women’s history - specifically the centennial of the 19th Amendment and the organizing by women that came before and after - be sure to visit Women March at the Historical Society, through August 30, 2020.

[corruptedspacecore]

I'm gonna need a bigger shelf!

Over time, I’ve been slowly building up a collection of Titanic books. A few of them I’ve had for a long time. Once in a while, something about other ships or other subjects altogether would creep in, mainly science. Recently, I acquired a bunch of new books, expanding my “library” to 40 books and adding some new subjects as well as ships to the mix. Here’s my library so far:

From left to right, top to bottom shelf:

Inside the Titanic - Hugh Brewster & Ken Marschall A big, great book featuring cutaway paintings of Titanic, showing what was inside.

Titanic: The Ship Magnificent: Volume 1 - Bruce Beveridge A thick volume covering the construction and engineering of Titanic, such as engines, funnels, ventilation and heating, generators, boilers, the shipyard, hull and steelwork, and so on.

Titanic: The Ship Magnificent: Volume 2 - Bruce Beveridge A volume covering the fitting out stage of construction and Titanic’s interior design, going over many of the rooms and design elements. Both volumes are filled with hundreds of photos and plans.

Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy - Jack Eaton & Charles Haas (signed by Jack and Charles) A sizeable book detailing the life of the Titanic from construction to sinking and many of the details surrounding it.

Titanic: An Illustrated History - Don Lynch & Ken Marschall A nice coffee table book with lots of paintings illustrating Titanic’s voyage and sinking.

Exploring the Deep: The Titanic Expeditions - James Cameron A book detailing Cameron’s many dives to the wreck of Titanic, featuring tons of photos, renderings, accounts, and some extra goodies.

Ken Marschall's Art of the Titanic - Rick Archbold & Ken Marschall Another book featuring many of Ken’s Titanic paintings and his history and process for painting them. It also includes some of his other liner paintings.

Titanic in Photographs - Dan Klistorner & Steve Hall A good coffee table book of large reprints of many famous Titanic photos, detailing her journey from shipyard to sailing.

Report Into the Loss of the SS Titanic: A Centennial Reappraisal - Samuel Halpern A more technical volume going over the conclusions of the inquiries into Titanic’s sinking and many of the details and accounts.

On a Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic - Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton, & Bill Wormstedt (signed by Tad) A detailed and compelling read about Titanic’s life from her sea trials to her final plunge, with a number of interesting appendices, information, accounts, and photos.

RMS Titanic: A Modelmaker's Manual - Peter Davies-Garner A wonderful book to have for the Titanic modeler, if you can find it. IT’s chock full of detailed drawings and plans of many elements of the Titanic, including hull line plans and a profile view, as well as its text and photos documenting the construction of a huge scale model of the Titanic.

RMS Titanic: Owner's Workshop Manual - David Hutchings & Richard de Kerbrech A fun little book in the style of those car manuals you often see, with plans and diagrams and photos covering many aspects of Titanic.

Eyewitness: Titanic - Simon Adams A very simple and short book for the child or young person just getting into the Titanic. A favorite from when I was little, but not much to it.

882 1/2 Amazing Answers to your Questions about the Titanic - Hugh Brewster & Laurie Coulter A fun read for interesting little tidbits and facts about Titanic and pop culture surrounding it.

Draw the Titanic - Andrew Staiano & Jason Pederson A guide for drawing Titanic and related subjects.

Titanic: Triumph to Tragedy A magazine-type publication full of general information and a number of errors, but probably a decent read if you’re short on time and want to know a bit more about Titanic.

National Geographic: April 2012 An issue of National Geographic with an article for the Titanic centennial, featuring some wreck photos and a sinking simulation poster and some words from Cameron about his explorations.

Ocean Liners of the Past: Olympic & Titanic A book from the 70s featuring reprints of material from earlier period pieces about the Olympic Class Liners. It includes a bunch of great, high-quality drawings and plans of things like the engine and boiler rooms and other engineering elements, and lots of great information about the engineering of those ships.

On Board the Titanic - Shelley Tanaka & Ken Marschall A short little paperback for any child who wants to learn the basics of Titanic’s story, with some paintings by Ken.

Story of the Wreck of the Titanic This is my oldest book, an original printed in 1912, acquired for only $15. It’s full of first-hand, unfiltered accounts from the survivors and news of the time about the Titanic disaster and aftermath.

A Night to Remember - Walter Lord Written in the 50s, this exciting and compelling novel utilized what at the time was the best information available about Titanic’s sinking. Lord manages to use pure facts and accounts - nothing fictionalized and no fake characters - with a gripping writing style to tell Titanic’s story from the collision to the Carpathia. It’s still considered one of the best books about Titanic, and the move made from it one of the best films about Titanic.

RMS Olympic - Brian Hawley A small book telling the story of Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic, with tons of rare photos.

M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work A giant book of prints of Escher’s best work. I won it at an art show in high school.

Beau Voyage: Life Aboard the Last Great Ships - John Malcolm Brinnin A big book full of many photos of ships from the early to mid 20th century, the age of the last classic ocean liners.

Queen Mary - James Steele A wonderful and large book all about the Queen Mary in her heyday and beyond, full of period photos of how she looked pre and post Long Beach, and a set of deck plans.

Lost Liners - Robert Ballard & Ken Marschall A coffee table book about the sinkings and wrecks of several famous ocean liners, including the Titanic. Ken’s amazing artwork is again displayed, including detailed paintings of Titanic’s wreck.

The Story of the Unsinkable Titanic - Michael Wilkinson & Robert Hamilton A very general book about Titanic’s story with the usual photos and material, but still good for the person just getting into the subject.

Robert Ballard's Lusitania - Robert Ballard An amazing, must-have book for anybody interested in the Lusitania, the other great ocean liner disaster. The book tells the story of Lusitasnia’s final voyages and sinking, and details Ballard’s explorations of the wreck. It includes inromation and tons of photos of the ship’s interiors as well as the wreck, and Ken Marschall’s incredible paintings depicting the sailing, sinking, and wreck of Lusitania.

Hindenburg: An Illustrated History - Rick Archbold & Ken Marschall Another must-have, this book tells the story of the German (Nazi) airship Hindenburg, starting with the airships that came before her, the final voyage, and her fiery end. It includes more amazing paintings by Ken, with some of them being cutaway views showing the inner workings and layout of the Hindenburg.

Comet - Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan A detailed tome about the science and nature of comets.

Cosmos - Carl Sagan Like the related TV series, Cosmos delves into the history and nature of the universe, from galaxies and planets to relativity and Mars, and the human journey to discover more about the universe we find ourselves in, and our deep questions about it.

Anatomy of the Ship Hood - John Roberts A technical book about the British battlecruiser Hood, it features many, many super-detailed drawings, plans, and disagrams of the structure and workings of the Hood, including deck plans, hull plans, line plans, detailed structural views, and views and plans of many elements of the ship’s structure. If you plan on modeling the HMS Hood, this book is a must-have.

The Battleship Yamato - Janusz Skulski This one is of the exact same nature as the Hood book, only with the Imperial Japanese battleship Yamato. Al lthe ultra-detailed plans you’ll ever need to know the structure of Japan’s most imposing battleship and technological WWII marvel.

Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World - Bill Nye (signed by Bill) Bill Nye’s ideas and plans for how we can use science and engineering to help and solve many of the world’s problems, including climate change. I picked up my signed copy at an event in Philadelphia where I got to see him speak.

The Origin of Species - Charles Darwin The classic book laying out Darwin’s theory of evolution. Evolutionary theory has come a long, long way since this book was written, but it’s still a must-own for anybody interested in science or evolution.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark - Carl Sagan A wonderful and eye-opening book about science and skepticism, and how we can use those tools to cut through the nonsense and horrors and burning questions and fears of the world to improve the world and our own lives. Sagan discusses many things from a skeptical, scientific perspective, including UFOs, magic, religion, astrology and other new-age ideas and more.

The Klingon Dictionary - Marc Okrand Pretty self-explanatory. Want to know what a word is in Klingon: This book should help. Or Google, but a book is good, too.

The Martian - Andy Weir If you thought the movie was good, the book is better. Weird brings his intense attention to detail and science to tell a compelling and plausible story about an astronaut trapped on Mars. It’s full of science and humor, so what could be better?

Raise the Titanic - Clive Cussler A fun, action-packed thriller from the master of adventure novels, Cussler tells the story of a mission to raise the wreck of Titanic in a Cold War arms race that culminates in a showdown on the rotted decks of Titanic. Written before the wreck was found, it takes some liberties, but it’s a thoroughly fun read.

Contact - Carl Sagan A novel about an alien signal received by humanity with instructions to build a machine to send a group of humans to another part of space, and all the hardships and drama that come with such an event. It was, of course, made into a movie starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey.

That’s my library so far. I hope to expand on it in the future. You can never have enough Titanic books, or any books for that matter.

[todaysdocument]

“Naval Aviation Training Station, Warrington Beach, Pensacola, Fla. Aeroplane Graflex camera, used by observers, in action.” 1/26/1918

Series: Photographs of American Military Activities, ca. 1918 - ca. 1981. Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985

Uncover more World War I Centennial Resources at the National Archives

[livinginlandmarketing]

Independence Day is transitioning back to normal this year. We won’t all have to sit home and miss fireworks, because lots of venues are reopening and offering events. Note that some changes are afoot due to remaining COVID-19 safeguards. Events are July 4 unless otherwise noted.

Los Angeles County

Alhambra: The city will host a celebration at Almansor Park. Gates open at 5 p.m.; fireworks begin at 9. 800 S. Almansor St. Free. cityofalhambra.org

Burbank: This year, a fireworks display will be held at 9 p.m. near the Starlight Bowl, but there will be no concert or access to the bowl area. Officials are telling residents to watch from their yards. Free. starlightbowl.com/

Calabasas: Head to the Calabasas High School football field for a concert featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which is set to start at 7 p.m, with the firework show starting at 9 p.m. Bring your low back chairs and blankets. Small amount of grandstand seating available. 22855 Mulholland Highway. Cost $10 in advance. cityofcalabasas.com

Catalina Island: All events in Avalon. Live music noon to 10 p.m. Golf cart parade 1 p.m. Fireworks 9 p.m. Look for happenings around the Green Pier. Free.  cityofavalon.com/fireworks

Glendale: Fireworks at 9 p.m. centered on Harvard Street and Brand Boulevard. View from anywhere around the area. Free. glendaleca.gov

La Crescenta: Fireworks at 9 p.m. from Crescenta Valley High School, but no one will be allowed on the field. Spectators should view from adjacent areas. Free. cvfireworks.com/EVENT/

Lakewood: July 2. Fireworks will be launched at 8:45 p.m. from 3 different locations, so people can watch from their yards or nearby. No big block party this year. Locations: Holmes Elementary School, 5020 Barlin Ave., Lakewood High School, 4400 Briercrest Ave., and Artesia High School, 12108 Del Amo Blvd. Free. Learn more: lakewoodcity.org

Lancaster (and Palmdale): A fireworks party at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds starts at 5 p.m. with a live show by the band Trinity followed by Rural Olympics Games, and then fireworks at 9:15 pm. Grandstand seating is free but advance tickets are required, or bring your own chairs and blankets. General parking free; premier $10. 2551 W. Avenue H, Lancaster. cityoflancasterca.org

Long Beach: July 3-4. Free from the shore; $50 cruise. Fireworks over the bay sponsored by Harbor Breeze Cruises. You can view from around the Rainbow Harbor, or take one of three sightseeing boats for a fee. On July 3, there will be a 9 p.m. “Big Bang On The Bay” fireworks cruise show in Alamitos Bay. At press time, the July 4 show over Queensway Bay was sold out for boat cruises, but people can view it from the shore. Learn more: 2seewhales.rezdy.com/

Fireworks at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on July 2, 2019. (Photo by Ed Crisostomo, Contributing Photographer)

Los Angeles: July 3-4. Who doesn’t love a show at the Hollywood Bowl? This year it’s July 3 and 4 with special guests Kool & the Gang and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra — capped off, of course, with fabulous fireworks. Gates open at 6 p.m. show starts at 7:30. Save hassle and ride one of the special buses. Prices vary. hollywoodbowl.com

The annual Fourth of July extravaganza above the Rose Bowl. (Courtesy of Pyro Spectaculars)

Pasadena: Americafest at the Rose Bowl. Parking opens at 3 p.m. Fun for kids and a program in the stadium before fireworks at dusk. Tickets $20-40 per person plus $45-70 parking fee. rosebowlstadium.com

Santa Clarita: Spirit of America Fireworks Spectacular launches near the corner of Magic Mountain Parkway and Citrus Street about 9:15 p.m. Radio KHTS at 98.1 FM and 1220 AM will air the special introduction and synchronized music. View at the Westfield Valencia Town Center, 24201 W. Valencia Blvd.  Free. visitsantaclarita.com

Whittier: City of Whittier 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular starts at 9 p.m. from York Field, 9110 Santa Fe Springs Road. Reserved space at York Field had sold out at press time, but the show can be viewed from nearby areas. whittierprcs.org

Woodland Hills: Fireworks extravaganza at Warner Ranch Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd. 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Food for sale and booths. Concert by Beatles tribute band Ticket to Ride and Illunis and, of course, fireworks. Free, but there is a fee to park in the structure at 21800 Califa St. Parking opens at 4:30 p.m. valleycultural.org

Related links

Sparks are flying from all directions this Fourth of July fireworks season

Riverside’s July 4th fireworks show to move from Mount Rubidoux

Disneyland fireworks return in time for Fourth of July

Orange County

Anaheim: Events all day long in Anaheim Hills, starting with a 7 a.m. 5K/10K run, a cutest dog contest, parade and ending with fireworks at 9 p.m. Most events at Peralta Park or Canyon High School. Free. anaheimhillscommunitycouncil.org/

Dana Point annual Fourth of July fireworks show in 2017. (Photo by Bill Alkofer,Orange County Register/SCNG)

Dana Point: The annual fireworks show is shot from a barge off of Doheny State Beach at 9 p.m. View from shore with synchronized music on KSBR/88.5 FM. You can also cruise with Dana Wharf for $59 and up. Free shuttle buses from Dana Hills High School start at 10 a.m. Go super early if you’re driving. danapoint.org

Huntington Beach: The Pier Plaza Festival runs July 2-4 with a carnival, booths, a beer and wine garden and live entertainment. On July 4, the Surf City 5K run takes place through Huntington Central Park with staggered times. The Neighborhood Car Parade starts at 8 a.m. And a Condor Squadron flyover starts around 5:25 p.m. followed by fireworks at dark. hb4thofjuly.org.

Lake Forest: Park at the Sports Park starting at 6 p.m. Live music by Yachty by Nature, food trucks and more. Fireworks at 9 p.m. 28000 Rancho Parkway. Overflow parking at Saddleback Church. Free. lakeforestca.gov

Los Alamitos (and Seal Beach): This year, you’ll need to sign up in advance to enter the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base for the annual fireworks display and be prepared to answer some health questions when you arrive. The show is drive-in only; no walking or bikes allowed. Masks required. Location will depend on which gate is assigned to your ticket. Gates open at 4 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. Food and drink available for purchase. Learn more: cityoflosalamitos.org

The aerial fireworks display is always the culmination of the Newport Dunes Fourth of July celebration.

Newport Beach: Fireworks and festivities at Newport Dunes in the Back Bay. Gates open at 8 a.m. Food, live music, lawn games and fireworks at 9 p.m. sponsored by the city. 1131 Back Bay Drive. Parking $50 or VIP $100. newportdunes.com

Orange: July 3. The city stages its 26th annual 3rd of July Celebration at Grijalva Park. Children’s activities including inflatable slides and games begins at 4 p.m. Fireworks at dark. Local nonprofits will host food trucks with items for purchase. 368 N. Prospect St. Free. cityoforange.org

San Clemente: Fireworks from the pier at 9 p.m. Note that the pier will be closed all day to get ready. No camping allowed. Location: 611 Avenida Victoria. A flyover by the Condor Squadron, consisting of four AT-6 aircraft World War II trainers around 5:55 p.m. Note that the San Clemente Trolley will run until 10 p.m. to help with traffic. Free. san-clemente.org

Tustin: Enjoy the Tustin Meadows parade from 10 a.m. to noon, 2041 Sycamore Ave., Tustin. Sponsored by the Southern California Garrison of the 501st Legion. A small carnival will be held by the clubhouse and the parade starts at 11 a.m. Free.  facebook.com/events/406079537025831/

Yorba Linda: Food, kids activities, live music and more at Veterans Park, 4756 Valley View Ave., starting at 5 p.m. Fireworks at 9. yorbalindaca.gov

Riverside County

Fourth of July fireworks explode over Santana Regional Park in Corona on Saturday, July 1, 2017.

Corona: Parade starts 9 a.m. on Main Street. 5 p.m. concert by The Ravelers at Santana Regional Park, 598 Santana Way. Food available. Fireworks at dusk. Free, but pre-sale preferred parking is $5 until June 30 and $10 at the park on July 4, if available. coronaca.gov

Jurupa Valley: July 3. The fireworks show starts at dusk at Centennial Park, but don’t go there — people must watch from their homes or another park. Free. jarpd.org

Lake Elsinore:  “Party in the Park” with games, a bike-and-wagon parade for kids and  BBQ, at 10:30 a.m. at Summerly Park, 18505 Malaga Road. Boat Parade begins at 8 p.m. open to boat owners. Fireworks at 9 p.m. Listen in to synchronized music on KOLA/99.9 FM. Free (with some paid viewing locations). lake-elsinore.org

Hundreds of families in their cars, trucks and SUVs filled the parking lot of Mt. San Jacinto College, Menifee campus to enjoy the annual Menifee fireworks show while social distancing to mark Independence Day in 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Menifee: June 26.  Drive-in fireworks viewing June 26, in the parking lot of Mount San Jacinto College, 28237 La Piedra Road. Lot opens at 5 p.m., fireworks 9 p.m. launched from Bell Mountain Middle School. Free (but you need tickets for the college lot, available online). The event will also be broadcast on 103.3 FM radio. Additionally, people can picnic and watch at Wheatfield Park, 30627 Menifee Road with kids activities, food and more, starting at 5 p.m. Learn more: cityofmenifee.us

Moreno Valley: Parade at 9:30 a.m.at Frederick Street and Alessandro Boulevard. Family FunFest starts at 2 p.m. at the new Civic Center Amphitheater with food and live music. Fireworks 9 p.m. Free from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.; $3 per person afterward. 14074 Frederick St. moval.org/parks-comm-svc/event-4july.html

Murrieta: July 1. Fireworks around 9 p.m. at Los Alamos Hills Sports Park, 37000 Ruth Ellen Way. Park in the lot or watch from home. The show will be synchronized to music by KATY/101.3 FM. Free. murrietaca.gov

Riverside: The city’s Independence Day fireworks show moves this year from its traditional location on Mount Rubidoux to La Sierra Park, 5215 La Sierra Ave., and Ryan Bonaminio Park, 5000 Tequesquite Ave. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m. Note: Access will not be permitted to La Sierra Park or Carlson Dog Park after 7 a.m. July 4. Free. riversideca.gov.

Temecula: Fireworks at 9 p.m. above Ronald Reagan Sports Park, 30875 Rancho Vista Road, with synchronized music by KATY/101.3 FM radio. No parade or other festivities this year. Free. temeculaca.gova

Temecula: Pechanga Resort Casino plans to hold a 20-minute-long fireworks show starting at dusk. Spectators may park in designated areas. No RVs, day camping, grills, glass or liquor. blogs.pechanga.com/

San Bernardino County

Fireworks go off above Big Bear Lake. (File photo)

Big Bear Lake: Fireworks Spectacular at 7,000 feet over the lake. Start time between 8:45 and 9:15 p.m. for 30-40 minutes. View from the water, along the shore or the valley. Free. bigbear.com.  Also, at Snow Summit, there’s a fireworks viewing party; must buy tickets for the chairlift. Learn more: BigBearMountainResort.com

Chino: June 26. Starts at 3 p.m. at Ruben S. Ayala Park, 14225 Central Ave. Food, live music by TimeBomb, military recognition and photo presentation. Bring chairs, picnics, blankets and games. Fireworks at 9 p.m. Free. cityofchino.org

Highland: July 4 celebration at Immanuel Baptist Church starts at 7:30 p.m. The event will include food vendors, music and activities. Fireworks at dusk. 28355 Baseline St. Free, but registration is required. ibchighland.org/4th/

Redlands:  Children’s parade starting at 12:45 p.m., live music, aircraft flyovers and kids zone at Sylvan Park, 601 N. University St. Food available. Fireworks over the city start at 9 p.m.. Launch zone at Moore Middle School not open to the public, but show can be seen from many neighborhoods in the city. Fireworks show and patriotic music will be broadcast live on YouTube.com, with a preshow set to begin at 8 p.m. RedlandsFourthOfJuly.com

Yucaipa: A Fourth of July celebration and fireworks show will take place 5 to 9 p.m. at Yucaipa High School, 33000 Yucaipa Blvd. The celebration will include food vendors and a concert by rock band Arena Red. The pyrotechnic show will begin at 9 p.m. with music broadcast at KOLA/99.9 FM. facebook.com/CityofYucaipaCA

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-on June 25, 2021 at 01:25AM by Marla Jo Fisher

[eranjayne]

Andrea's Sunset Session | Tsawwassen Photographer

I keep telling the kids at my photo sessions to stop growing, but they just don't listen :)

I keep telling all these kids to stop growing, but year after year, they get taller and wiser and more mature….I still love working with each and every one of them though! I always know that Andrea and her family are going to bring an incredibly positive energy to their photo sessions. Her kids are generally full of beans (just the way I like them!), but I love that both of the grandmothers are…

[annapolisrose]

Bald eagle at Centennial Beach.

[irvinginfo]

Living in Irving, IL

Irving, Texas is located in what is called the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area. It is bordered by Downtown Dallas on one side and North Dallas on the other. This unique area has something for everyone: nature, history, shopping, arts, culture, and so much more. Plan a weekend trip to Dallas and plan your next summer trip to Irving.

North of downtown is Dallas' Irving community. The Irving Park neighborhood is also known as Centennial Park. The area was originally built upon an old fort, which today is called Fort Arlington. Visit the community through the Historic Arrival Plaza, a historical tour of Irving's history. Enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the lake from one of the many covered picnic tables at the park's pavilion. Look for North American elm and maple trees, abundant with fruit and nuts.

There are several attractions in the Irving Park neighborhood that kids love. Children will love the new Central Park West Side Playground, which includes a great new playground, a swimming pool, a baseball field, as well as several restaurants, movie theaters, and other attractions. The Central Park West Side Playground is open during the months of May, June, and July. The playground is open daily from noon until dusk. The playground is also home to a walleye fish pond.

To the south lie the Irving park and arbor area. This community is known as the Dallas Historic Irving Park Village. The village was designed for residents who want a historic setting with abundant greenery, cultural activities, walking trails, and state of the art architecture. One section of this community, known as the Irving arbor, contains hundreds of trees that give nature a glorious green canopy. The arbor has become an important part of the Dallas landscape as well as a place for residents and visitors to photograph.

To the north lie the Irving arbor area and the backwoods along Main Street. The arbor was designed by architect Louis Sullivan. This arbor was used as a playground for the city's children, as well as being a place for musicians to practice. The Irving park and community area consist of a central park consisting of a small-scale running track, playgrounds, picnic areas, water fountains, and the Dallas Community Arts Council (DCCA) performing arts center.

South of Irving on the city's west side is the Irving Park at Main Street. The community of Irving Park is centered around the Irving Cultural Center, which houses the museum of arts and culture and a fine dining restaurant. The area also includes two blocks of exclusive residential neighborhoods.

To the south are the communities of Westpark and South Main Street. Westpark is located between Irving and downtown and runs southwest along the riverfront of downtown to Belmont Park. South Main Street is the main residential area of this community area. The area has many historic homes and mid-rise buildings. Many lofts also exist in this south-west neighborhood of Chicago.

The Irving Park and Westpark area have seen a recent rash of robberies and other crimes. However, the crime rate in this neighborhood of Chicago is still considered lower than most of the rest of downtown. South Main Street also has a new public park, though it lacks certain amenities such as playgrounds and a shopping center. North of downtown on the avenue is the only commercial complex that provides some type of basic grocery store. This storefront promises improved convenience and choices for shoppers in this part of the suburbs of Chicago.

South Side of the Irving Park neighborhood is referred to as Little Cassubia. Though it is just a small part of the overall neighborhood, it contains a wide assortment of housing choices. It is considered to be middle class and well-off. Like Westpark, this section of the Loop has seen crime rates increase in recent years but Little Cassubia is one of the least affected by this. It is also the oldest part of the neighborhood and was designed around an enlarged parkway.

On the north side of the neighborhood is the Irving Park marina. The marina offers a wide variety of services such as bike storage, swimming, boat docks, and more. Boat owners can take advantage of the opportunity to dock their boats at the marina's slip. Walking down the sandy beach of the Irving Park community provides a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline. If one wants to go shopping or eat out, walking along the beach will bring you to many famous stores including Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale's.

The south side of the neighborhood has always been considered the 'real' Irving because it offers a more suburban feel with single-family homes on the wooded areas and condominiums on the scenic avenues. The south side of the community, called Burnside, boasts high-rise buildings with high-rise skyscrapers. The neighborhoods of Irving and Burnside are separated by the Lawrence Avenue pedestrian bridge that connects the two communities. The eastern border of this area is characterized by the historic Irving Park and the western border by the Chicago River. Though Burnside is the youngest of all the neighborhoods, it is home to some of the finest public parks in the city.

[historichollywoodphotographs]

The Hollywood Bowl: Where Angelinos Celebrate Summer

It is summer in Hollywood. Except it is not. Most entertainment venues are closed. Movie theaters sit empty. There are few tourists ogling the Walk of Fame and the newly created Black Lives Matter street mural on Hollywood Boulevard. Musso and Frank’s has launched take out service. Masks are no longer just for superhero characters busking in the courtyard of the Chinese Theatre. Social distancing is the current norm.

The strange sense of “life suspended” is felt most deeply by the cancellation of the Hollywood Bowl season. The venue has not been dark during its summer season in more than 98 years; the official centennial will be marked in 2022 (something to look forward to). The Bowl IS summer in Hollywood: every style of music on the planet, picnics, fireworks, graduations, and dates under the stars. My mood lifts the minute I enter its gates, and I know I’m not alone. Music-filled air in an outdoor amphitheater in the wooded Cahuenga Pass with a (sometime) view of the Hollywood Sign. It just does not get much better.

What better time to pause and reflect on just what a community achievement the Bowl has been. Over 100 years ago, the Hollywood community was just beginning to create a vision of what it wanted to be: a place known for the visual and performing arts worldwide. Outdoor venues played a role from the start. At the turn of the century, Paul de Longpres’ gallery and gardens set the tone for art in Hollywood. Creators of a relatively new art form called “motion pictures” chose Hollywood as their base. Legitimate theater productions and opulent religiously themed pageants were developed; the casts were often actors from the New York stage transplanted to the West Coast to work in the movies. Hollywood formed a chorale and a local orchestra. By the end of World War I, Hollywood had been a part of the City of Los Angeles for less than a decade. Its population of affluent, educated transplants from the Midwest and East Coast needed to be entertained. Music was key.

In 1918, a patron of the arts from Philadelphia, Christine Wetherill Stevenson, came to Southern California to produce performances of Light of Asia, written by Sir Edwin Arnold and adapted by Hollywood resident, Georgina Wharton Jones. Stevenson, an ardent member of the Theosophical Society, whose local chapter was headquartered on Krotona Hill in Hollywood, demonstrated with the production that theatrical performances outdoors were feasible and valued. In collaboration with local leaders, including poet and songwriter Carrie Jacobs Bond, director DW Griffith, developer CE Toberman, Marie Rankin Clarke and a host of others, she formed the Theater Arts Alliance and began searching for a location with superior acoustics. In the canyon just north of the Hollywood Hotel, Toberman found parcels owned by Myra Hershey, the hotel’s proprietor, and several others which fit the bill. More than 50 acres were assembled; the funds came from Mrs. Stevenson and Mrs. Clarke on behalf of the Alliance. Differences of opinion soon arose about the use of the venue, originally known as Daisy Dell.  

Mrs. Stevenson wanted the site for Theosophical events while most others wanted it used for musical purposes. By 1920, Mrs. Stevenson became disenchanted with the concept, the perceived slowness of fundraising, and left the project. The Arts Alliance was dissolved and replaced by the Community Park and Art Association, consisting of many of the same players. They were joined by community and music leaders FW Blanchard, William Merritt Garland, Harry Chandler, George Eastman, architect Frank Meline, and pianist Artie Mason Carter. Carter, a “good mixer and organizer” according to EO Palmer, took the lead, organizing an Easter Sunrise service in 1921 and began “Symphonies Under the Stars” with world renowned musicians which quickly drew audiences of 15,000 by 1925. The first stage elements built in 1922-23 were rudimentary, but the offerings were diverse. Local Native Americans continued to use the site for various events. Prices started at 25 cents.

The 60 acres of land was transferred to the County of Los Angeles in 1924, forming a partnership which allowed Allied Architects to put in more permanent seating and stage infrastructure. Bench seating, box seats, and various configurations of the stage evolved through the years. Capacity was increased, but degraded the acoustics, a problem that recurred well into this century. Architect Lloyd Wright designed a pyramidal shell from lumber originally used in the sets of Robin Hood in 1927. That lasted only a year, so Wright followed up with an arched shape of concentric rings the next year, variations of which became the norm for future designs as the shells were replaced in 1929 and again in 2003. A reflecting pool graced the front of the stage from 1953-1972. At the entrance on Highland Avenue stands the monumental Muse Fountain by George Stanley. Picnic and parking areas, a museum and restaurants are also tucked into the wooded site.

Featured in A Star is Born (1937), Double Indemnity (1944), Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny cartoons, not to mention countless other TV and films, right up to today’s NBC family drama This is Us, the location is a star in its own right. It quickly became a goal of every major performer in classical, jazz, rock, punk, rap and international music to play the Bowl. Beginning with performances by violinist Jascha Heifitz, jazz great Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, and Marian Anderson, the Bowl gained worldwide renown by the 1950s. A financial crisis closed the venue for two weeks in 1951 while the Board regrouped with new leaders including Dorothy Buffum Chandler. 

The parade of luminaries soon continued with Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Van Cliburn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong. The ‘60s saw rock ‘n roll added to the classical musical lineup of the Hollywood Bowl Symphony, featuring tunes by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. Subsequent decades also hosted Santana, the Grateful Dead, The Eagles, Elton John, as well as YoYo Ma, Pavarotti, John Williams, Baryshnikov, Willie Nelson, the Dixie Chicks, and Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett. Broadway musicals were adapted; movies projected on huge screens brought the medium full circle. “The talent onstage has changed, but the audience relationship with the Bowl has remained constant—one year stretching into the next, until the parade of time can be marked by shared moments in this place,” wrote one LA Times writer earlier this year.

We look forward to the time when the canyon will once again echo with music, when fireworks and performances awe, and friends gather over picnics and wine in this unrivaled cultural facility. In the meantime, a trip through our photo collection of the Bowl will have to tide you over, along with the virtual presentations planned by Gustavo Dudamel on KCET/PBS starting August 19th. Six episodes composed of past performances will constitute “the 2020 season.” And you better believe, it ends with fireworks.

~ Christy McAvoy, Historic Hollywood Photographs

Sources: Bruce Torrence archives; EO Palmer; The LA Times; In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl website

[foryourart]

Image courtesy of Five Car Garage. 

PLAN ForYourArt: January 25–31

Thursday, January 25

MORE ART HERE, Santa Monica Airport (Santa Monica), 12–6pm. Through January 28.

Teen Hip Hop Workshop with DJ Survive and the Inner City Dwellers, Cypress Park Branch Library (Cypress Park), 4–5pm.

Botany Bay Series: Plant Science for Gardeners & Citizen Scientists - January, The Huntington (San Marino), 4:30–5:30pm.

designLAb Public Reception: Italian Style: 1930s - 1980s, Pacific Design Center (West Hollywood), 5–9:30pm.

Kim Schoen: The Hysteric's Discourse, Young Projects (West Hollywood), 5–9:30pm.

Suzanne Wright, Pomona College (Claremont), 5–9pm.

Rap on Border: A Public Conversation, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (San Diego), 5–8pm.

Reilly Rhodes on Winslow Homer, Laguna Art Museum (Laguna Beach), 6pm.

Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb: On Cuba and Collaboration, Annenberg Space for Photography (Century City), 6:30–8pm.

Guided tour: Edgar and Norma Coronado, Self Help Graphics & Art (Downtown), 6:30pm.

Art Los Angeles Contemporary, Santa Monica Airport (Santa Monica), 7–9pm. $65. Through January 28.

Talk: Curator Walkthrough of "A Universal History of Infamy" with Pilar Tompkins Rivas, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7pm.

At land’s edge presents Set Hernandez Rongkilyo, Revolutionary Autonomous Communities Los Angeles (Koreatown), 7–9pm.

Gifts of the Spirit: Prophecy, Automatism and Discernment, Vibiana (Downtown), 7 and 9pm.

Charlemagne Palestine: CcornuuoorphanossCcopiaee  

aanorphansshhornoffplentyyy, 356 Mission (Downtown), 7–10pm.

LECTURE: Thomas Hutton, MOCA Grand Avenue (Downtown), 7pm.

Film: Free Screening | The Chi, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7:30pm.

FeM Synth Lab How-To: Humanize Your Synths, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 7:30–9:30pm.

Suzanne Hudson presents Vija Celmins, ArtCenter College of Design (Pasadena), 7:30pm.

​Twin Engines Performance Series: Brian Getnick and Christy Roberts, PØST (Downtown), 8pm. $5–10 suggested donation.

Friday, January 26

RUSSELL TYLER: Altered State, Richard Heller Gallery (Santa Monica), 5–7pm.

Combat Shock, 4864 W Adams Blvd (West Adams), 6–9pm.

Le château des destins croisés, Château Shatto (Hollywood), 6–9pm.

In Conversation: Alternative Art Spaces with Brooke Kellaway and Libby Werbel (PMOMA), SBCAST (Santa Barbara), 6–7pm.

stARTup Art Fair LA, The Kinney (Venice), 7–10pm. Through January 28.

The Pain of Others, Ghebaly Gallery (Downtown), 7–10pm.

Hayden Dunham: Canary for the Family, Club Pro Los Angeles (Downtown), 7–11pm.

Together We Plan!: Community Activism In 2018, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 7–9:30pm.

Joseph Holtzman: Seven Recent Paintings, Bel Ami (Chinatown), 7–10pm.

2018 PEN Emerging Voices Welcome Party, LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) (Hollywood), 8–10pm.

GUIDED TOURS with Davie Blue, Human Resources (Chinatown), 8pm. Through January 28. $10 suggested donation.

The Music of WADADA LEO SMITH, Automata (Chinatown), 8pm. $18.

Judith Butler: The Materiality of Mourning in the work of Doris Salcedo, REDCAT (Downtown), 8:30pm. $10–20.

Saturday, January 27

Talk: Gallery Course: Italian and Northern Renaissance Art, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 8:30am.

Ranch Clinic - Container Gardening, The Huntington (San Marino), 9–10am.

Talk: Responding to Sarah Charlesworth: Creative Writing Workshop with Karen Holden, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 10am.

Basic Auto Care Clinic, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 10am–1pm. $20–25.

Finding Autonomy and Connection through Contact Improv: Jen Hong, Pieter (Lincoln Heights), 12–3pm. $30.

BEND, BLOW & GLOW I, Museum of Neon Art (Glendale), 12–7pm.

Johanna Breiding: The Rebel Body and Making Social, Angels Gate Cultural Center (San Pedro), 1–4pm.

Native Seeds: Food Preparation / Sun Cookies, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 1:30–4:30pm. $60–75.

Pascual Sisto: INSIDE OUT, Five Car Garage (Santa Monica), 2–5pm.

SYMPOSIUM: PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, UCLA (Westwood), 2–5pm.

Cassils | Nik Kosmas | Lesley Moon | Elliot Musgrave: The Language of the Body: Art, Physical Practice & Intersectional Action, ltd los angeles (Mid-City), 2pm.

Live Free or Die: Artist Talk with Soyoung Shin and Juliana Wisdom, The Huntington (San Marino), 2pm.

Demystifying Dim Sum with Chefs Susan Feniger and Kajsa Alger, The Huntington (San Marino), 2pm.

Women’s Center for Creative Work: Live Free or Die, The Huntington (San Marino), 2–4pm.  

Ruben Ochoa Artist Talk, Art + Practice (Leimert Park), 2:30–5:30pm.

Vija Celmins, Matthew Marks Gallery (West Hollywood), 3–5pm.

Beyond the Ordinary: A Conversation with Three Conceptual Artists from Argentina, Getty Center (Brentwood), 4pm.

Tokens of Affection: Valentines by Corinna Cotsen, Craft in America Center (Beverly Grove), 4–6pm.

Lyle Ashton Harris Book Signing + Discussion with Walead Beshty, Charles Gaines, and Amelia Jones, Arcana Books on the Arts (Culver City), 4–6pm.

Origins, Downtown Labs (Downtown), 4–7pm.  

Joan Horsfall Young: Cottages, Anne M Bray: Road Trip, and Fielden Harper: Continuum, TAG Gallery (Santa Monica), 5–8pm.

Simone Forti: Time Smear, The Box (Downtown), 5–8pm.

The Gallery @ Michael’s, Michael’s (Santa Monica), 6–8pm.

PETER WU: Or, the Modern Prometheus, Held & Bordy Gallery, Windward School (Mar Vista), 6–9pm.

MELTING POINT: MOVEMENTS IN CONTEMPORARY CLAY, Craft and Folk Art Museum (Miracle Mile), 6–9pm. $12.

Martin Soto Climent: Temazcal, Michael Benevento (Koreatown), 6–8pm.

Chad Attie: The Last Island, The Lodge (East Hollywood), 6–9pm.

Closing Reception for Aztlan: A Sense of Place, dA Center for the Arts (Pomona), 6–8pm.

Right at the Equator and Relax Shadeans, Depart Foundation (Malibu), 6–9pm.

Art Event 2018: Enter the World of Warhol, Palm Springs Art Museum (Palm Springs), 6pm.

ANNEX, M+B (West Hollywood), 7–9pm.

Closing reception: Cell, Share, Swivel Chair, Monte Vista Projects (Downtown), 7–10pm.

Closing Reception for Taking Up Space, Tiger Strikes Asteroid Los Angeles (Downtown), 7–10pm.  

Music: The Music of East L.A., LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7:30pm.

ALARM WILL SOUND: 1969, CAP UCLA (Westwood), 8pm.

Winter Exhibitions Opening Celebration, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 8–11pm.

Life's not fair and people don't act right, BBQLA (Downtown), 8pm–12am.

Centennial Bash, Laguna Art Museum (Laguna Beach), 8pm. $25–45.

Sunday, January 28

Stories of Almost Everyone, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 11am–5pm. 

Skip Arnold: Truffle Hunt, ICA LA (Downtown), 11am–6pm; The Act of Doing: A Conversation with Skip Arnold, 3–4pm.

Brought to Light: Revelatory Photographs in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Collection and Crosscurrents: The Painted Portrait in America, Britain, and France, 1750–1850, Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara), 11am–5pm.

Pelotas Oaxaqueñas/Oaxacan Ball Games: Photographs by Leopoldo Peña, Fowler Museum (Westwood);12–5pm;  talk, 2pm.

Cecily Brown: Rehearsal and Midori Hirose: Of The Unicorn (and the Sundowner Kids), Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara), 12–5pm.

Grin & Bear It!: Decorate your very own handmade bear workshop, 356 Mission (Downtown), 1–4pm.

Dan Levenson: SKZ Monochrome Diptychs, American Jewish University (Bel Air), 2–5:19pm.

I can call this progress to halt book launch and screenings, LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) (Hollywood), 2–6pm.

Around The Table:Recipes and Stories from The Lark in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara), 2pm.

LECTURE: Rebecca Matalon: Welcome to the Dollhouse Walkthrough, MOCA Pacific Design Center (West Hollywood), 3pm.

Miguel Gutierrez // I am sitting on my aura, we live in space (Mid-City), 3–6pm.

Nina Könnemann: Que Onda, Gaga (MacArthur Park), 3:30–6pm.

TALK WITH CULTURAL ACTIVIST TASOULA HADJITOFI, Fowler Museum (Westwood), 4pm.

Closing reception: Pouya Afshar: En Masse, ADVOCARTY's THE SPACE (Downtown), 4–7pm.

Robert Irwin: Site Determined, The University Art Museum, CSULB (Long Beach), 4–6pm.

Latin Jazz - LIVE !, dA Center for the Arts (Pomona), 4–5pm.

Music: Crossroads School EMMI Chamber Ensembles, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 6pm.

Monday, January 29

Window Dressing, Cerritos College Art Gallery (Norwalk), 4–6pm.

This, Not That Lecture: Sarah Whiting, UCLA (Westwood), 6:30pm.

Talk: Wu Bin's Ten Views of a Lingbi Stone, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7:30pm.

Stranger Landscapes: Films by Pia Borg, REDCAT (Downtown), 8:30pm.

Tuesday, January 30

Outcasts: Prejudice and Persecution in the Medieval World, Getty Center (Brentwood), 10:30am–5pm. 

Family Day - Word Play, The Huntington (San Marino), 11am–3pm.

JIM MORPHESIS artist lecture, Kellogg University Art Gallery (Pomona), 12–1pm.

Dance Girl Dance, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 1pm.

After Concretism: Audiovisual Experiments in Brazil, Getty Center (Brentwood), 7–9pm.

How To Have Hard Conversations: Step 2, Constructive Conflict Communication at Work, Home and Everywhere In Between, Women’s Center for Creative Work (Frogtown), 7–10pm.

READINGS: Some Favorite Writers: Viet Thanh Nguyen, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 7:30pm.

Talk: Conversation with Award-winning Costume Designer Mark Bridges, LACMA (Miracle Mile), 7:30pm.

Camille Henrot, ArtCenter College of Design (Pasadena), 7:30pm.

Wednesday, January 31

Christodoulos Panayiotou: The Paradox of Acting, Hammer Museum (Westwood), 7:30pm.

Skip Arnold | Stanya Kahn | Kalup Linzy Jumana Manna | Mickalene Thomas Film screening organized by Mariah Garnett and Aimee Goguen, ltd los angeles (Mid-City), 8pm.

[cristinad61]

Neptune Pool, Hearst Castle (1978)

Summer 1978 — This week I have a few final slides from the last leg of our Canadian road trip, plus images from a visit to Hearst Castle that same year. I originally posted these pictures in early March 2017 for Memory Monday Week 16 and Week 17.

First, though, I do want to (again) tell the story that I originally shared back in 2017 of something that happened while we were camping at the KOA outside Victoria.

Our campsite was #1, right on the end of the row and not far from a very nice (and otherwise empty) little beach, which we decided to explore. It was Saturday evening, and we’d had a long day of walking and exploring in the beautiful city of Victoria.

I approached the rocky end of the beach and noticed a small boy’s brown jacket lying on the ground. Picking it up, I could see that the inside label had the name Alvin Thomas written on it along with his address on Mt Newton X Road. We decided we didn’t want the little boy to get in trouble for losing his jacket; so we climbed into our camper and set out to return it to the named address.

Mom said she knew where the road was, so off we went, rolling down Highway 17 toward Victoria. After a few  miles, she suddenly recalled where she’d seen that street name — we had to turn the car around and go back the way we came. It turned out that Mt Newton X Road was the street our KOA was on. The address we were looking for was on an Indian reserve… and the house was almost directly behind our camping spot! Nobody was home, so we left the little jacket hanging on the doorknob and quietly slunk back to camp.

Aboard the Queen of Alberni

After spending a couple of days in and around Victoria, we awoke at 7 AM on Sunday and drove a short way up Vancouver Island to Swartz Bay, where we caught a B.C. Ferry heading to Tsawassen, near Vancouver. The crossing took 90 minutes; and although we did spend some time checking out the boat, the wind was very strong, and the ferry rolled and pitched quite a lot — so much of our time was spent sitting inside, enjoying the view.

A windy day

View from the Maritime Museum, Vancouver, B.C.

Sadly, I have no photographs from our visit to the Maritime Museum or the Centennial Museum near Vancouver, but I did write down a few of the highlights, such as exploring the arctic supply and patrol ship St. Roch in her drydock.  One of the details I recorded was climbing down into the crew’s mess and seeing the “ship’s fiddle” — it was “frames of wood which fitted down over the table in a storm, to keep the food from sliding off in rough weather and seas.”

By Monday we were driving south once more, crossing the border and passing through Seattle, where I caught a glimpse of the Space Needle for the first time. I was disappointed, after arriving back in Washington State, that we had forgotten to stock up on crumpets while in Canada. We arrived in Olympia on Tuesday and took a tour of the State Capitol building.

I have absolutely no idea where (or why) my Dad took the photo above; maybe it had to do with the Volkswagen bus visible on the left? Whatever the reason, he liked the image enough to include it in the carousel wheel with the rest of our vacation pictures!

I can’t recall when we took this tour of Hearst Castle, although the slides seem to have been developed around the same time as those from our Canadian trip. I think this may have been my second visit to San Simeon; but since I haven’t been back since the late 1970s, I think I’m well overdue for another trip!

Next week, a few images from San Francisco in 1978.

Memory Monday slides redux, Week 44 Summer 1978 -- This week I have a few final slides from the last leg of our Canadian road trip, plus images from a visit to Hearst Castle that same year.

[livinginlandmarketing]

After more than a year of large-scale fairs, festivals and events being a no-go because of the coronavirus pandemic, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s actually the sun, in case you’ve forgotten what it looks like.

There are things to go and do this summer all over Southern California, from family favorites like the OC Fair and Pageant of the Masters to music festivals such as Hard Summer and BeachLife. While many of the events happening will be modified, and in many cases with smaller audiences than before the pandemic, there are still ways to get out and celebrate.

There’s one big caveat here: If we learned anything in the last year, it’s that plans can change fast. Be sure to check refund and cancellation policies before plunking down your cryptocurrency. And you will need to stay on top of COVID-19 precautions, which are also a moving target. Your best bet? Checking with the events’ websites and social media pages for the latest updates and pricing. Be advised that tickets for many events are required to be purchased in advance.

And even though events are being scheduled well into the fall, we’re capping our list as events through the end of September for now.

Sign up for our Festival Pass newsletter. Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to watch from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Subscribe here.

May

San Bernardino County Fair

The SBC Fair is back for three weekends, but you will need to purchase tickets online in advance. This year, the admission price gets you access to the entertainment and includes the carnival rides. You can also nosh on fair food and see livestock exhibits.

When: May 29-31; June 4-6; June 11-13

Where: San Bernardino County Fairgrounds, 14800 7th St., Victorville

Information: sbcfair.com

June

Home Grown Fun

The San Diego County Fair is scaling back for 2021 with a smaller event that has the spirit of the fair. Expect a Ferris wheel, carousel, food, agricultural-themed exhibits and more.

When: June 11-July 4 (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays)

Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar

Information: sdfair.com

Palm Springs ShortFest

The annual festival of short films had more than 5,500 submissions. The schedule will be released in early June. 

When: June 22-28

Where: Camelot Theatres, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs

Information: psfilmfest.org

The Redlands Bowl Music Festival will start its season online before moving to in-person events this summer. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival 

The Redlands Bowl will start its season online before moving to in-person programming. The lineup has not yet been announced. 

When: Select nights June 25-Aug. 13

Where: Redlands Bowl, 25 Grant St., Redlands

Information: redlandsbowl.org

Summer Roots Craft Beer and Music Festival

Brew Ha Ha Productions will debut a new festival featuring reggae and rock bands and craft beer. Performers include Fortunate Youth, The Expendables, Pacific Dub, Arise Roots, Eli-Mac, Bikini Trill and Roots of Mine.

When: June 26

Where: Oak Canyon Park, 5305 E. Santiago Canyon Road, Silverado

Information: summerrootsfest.com/ 

July

Festival season in Laguna Beach

This seaside enclave will again draw hordes of visitors as Laguna Beach’s three summer art festivals are back. The Festival of Arts will boast work by more than 100 artists, hands-on art demonstrations and live music. The Sawdust Art Festival spotlights the creations of Laguna Beach artists, with more than 200 locals represented. Laguna Art-A-Fair is a juried competition of more than 100 artists from around the world.

When: Festival of Arts, July 5-Sept. 3; Sawdust and Art-A-Fair, July 2-Sept. 5

Where: Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach; Sawdust, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach; Art-A-Fair, 777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

Information: foapom.com; sawdustartfestival.org; art-a-fair.com

  Pageant of the Masters

One of Southern California’s signature events returns with nightly displays of tableaux vivants, or living pictures, featuring volunteers in elaborate costumes and makeup posing to recreate classic works of art. This year’s theme is “Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories” and works depicted will include John Trumbull’s portrait of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks,” as well other iconic paintings by Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt and Norman Rockwell. Pageant tickets include admission to the neighboring Laguna Beach Festival of Arts.

When: July 7-Sept. 3

Where: Irvine Bowl, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

Information: 800-487-3378; foapom.com

Midland, shown here at the 2018 Stagecoach Country Music Festival, will headline Mission Fest in San Juan Capistrano in July. (File photo by Matt Masin, Contributing Photographer)

Mission Fest

Headlined by country band Midland, this fest will also include performances from Devin Dawson, the White Buffalo, Daring Greatly and The James Kelly Band.  Expect wine, local food, vendors and activities.

When: July 10

Where: The OutPost at Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, 27174 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano

Information: missionfest.com

OC Fair

Cute baby animals, carnival rides and vats full of deep-fried wonderment — there’s nothing like a county fair. While the dates, hours and prices will be familiar to veteran fair-goers, organizers plan to have capacity limits, fewer rides and booths and a new layout of the fairgrounds to avoid crowding. Admission tickets must be purchased in advance online. The 2021 Toyota Concert Series will present shows at Pacific Amphitheatre most nights of the fair. Concert tickets are sold separately but include fair admission.

When: July 16-Aug. 15 (Wednesdays-Sundays)

Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

Information: ocfair.com; pacamp.com

In this Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019 file photo, a festival goer is silhouetted before a Ferris wheel against the sky at dusk next during Hard Summer Music Festival at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. The festival plans to return in July, but with a new home at the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino. (File photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Hard Summer Music Festival

Insomniac’s big EDM/hip-hop crossover festival moves from Fontana to San Bernardino this year with artists including Future, 2 Chainz and Dillon Francis. Note that it’s open to guests 18 and older only. 

When: July 31-Aug. 1

Where: NOS Event Center, 689 S. E St., San Bernardino

Information: hardsummer.com

August

Uptown Jazz Festival

The 10th annual event went virtual in 2020, but in 2019 attracted nearly 10,000 jazz fans. The city announced in May that the event would return in August, but lineup information has not yet been revealed.

When: Aug. 21

Where: Houghton Park, 6301 Myrtle Ave., Long Beach

Beyond Wonderland

Insomniac’s massive EDM fest announced in April that it was moving from June to August. The lineup includes Tiesto, Kayzo, Dillon Francis and more. Attendees must be at least 18.

When: Aug. 27-28 

Where: NOS Event Center, 689 S. E St., San Bernardino

Information: socal.beyondwonderland.com

The Orange International Street Fair draws hundreds of thousands to downtown Orange for the three-day event.

September

Orange International Street Fair

It’s simply not Labor Day weekend in SoCal without this massive food and beverage festival, which began as a celebration of Orange’s centennial in 1973 and grew into a sprawling event attracting half a million visitors. Booths run by nonprofits will offer a vast array of food items, from egg rolls and gyros to cheesesteaks and brats, plus craft beer and wine. The 3-day event will also have arts and crafts booths, kids’ activities and continuous live entertainment. 

When: Sept. 3-5

Where: Area surrounding Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street, Orange

Information: orangestreetfair.org

Same Same But Different

This year’s festival will feature Big Gigantic, STS9 and J. Worra and is going bigger with its production, with larger stages and LED screens and lasers. There will be limited attendance and guests will have to either be vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test before entering.

When: Sept. 9-12

Where: Lake Perris State Recreation Area, 17801 Lake Perris Drive, Perris.

Information: ssbdfest.com

BeachLife Festival

The event’s second edition has moved from May to September and will include sets from Jane’s Addiction, Counting Crows, Ziggy Marley & Stephen Marley performing the music of their father Bob Marley, Fitz and the Tantrums, Cage the Elephant and more. This year will mark the debut of the Speakeasy stage, curated by Pennywise’s Jim Lindberg and celebrated South Bay chef David LeFevre will curate the chef lineup for the stage-side pop-up restauramt. 

When: Sept. 10-12

Where: Seaside Lagoon, 137 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach

Information: beachlifefestival.com

God’s House of Hip Hop 20/20 Summer Fest

This Christian hip-hop, Latin Christian hip-hop and gospel hip-hop festival will finally make its debut after having to cancel its inaugural plans in 2020. Performers include Alex Zurdo, Derek Minor, Flame, WHATUPRG, Angie Rose, Canton Jones, Manny Montes and more. 

When: Sept. 17-18

Where: Banc of California Stadium, 3939 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles

Information: 2020summerfest.com

A classic street rod drives up Euclid Avenue in downtown Ontario on Friday evening, Sept. 20, 2019 during the opening night of the 7th annual Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion. The event is expected to return in September. (File photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion

Celebrate Route 66 with classic cars, tribute acts and family fun in Ontario. The event usually draws more than 1,000 vintage rides and lots of car lovers.

When: Sept 17-18

Where: More than 22 square blocks along Euclid Avenue in Ontario

Information: Route66CruisinReunion.com

So Cal Hoedown

In April, the festival announced a move from June to September. The fourth edition of this punk-leaning fest will include the Horrorpops, Face to Face, Fishbone and more. 

When: Sept. 18

Where: Port of Los Angeles, 3011 Miner St., San Pedro

Information: socalhoedown.com

Idyllwild Renaissance Faire

Travel back in time to “The Shire of Idyllwild” for this mountain community Renaissance festival with vendors, entertainment food and more. 

When: Sept. 24-26

Where: Camp Emerson, 53115 Idyllbrook Drive, Idyllwild

Information: idyllwildrenfaire.com

Ohana Festival

The fifth edition of the festival will be headlined by Kings of Leon on Friday, fest curator Eddie Vedder on Saturday and Pearl Jam on Sunday. Other performers include Brandi Carlile, Spoon, Cold War Kids, My Morning Jacket and more. 

When: Sept. 24-26

Where: Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point.

Information: ohanafest.com

Other events to be determined 

LA County Fair

The Los Angeles County Fair, which usually opens Labor Day weekend and runs for weeks at Fairplex in Pomona, plans to hold a smaller celebration in 2021 but hasn’t announced dates. Information: lacountyfair.com

Long Beach Greek Fest

The Long Beach Greek Fest has announced that it will bring back the food, dancing and more on Labor Day weekend at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church but hasn’t released specifics. Information: lbgreekfest.org

Vans U.S. Open of Surfing

Organizers say this popular annual event will return this year, but have yet to announce dates. Besides featuring the world’s best surfers, the U.S. Open also offers skateboarding and BMX competitions in a temporary arena south of the Huntington Beach Pier. Information: vansusopenofsurfing.com

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  -on May 25, 2021 at 12:21AM by Staff report

[sciencespies]

Twelve Anniversaries and Events Worth Traveling for in 2020

https://sciencespies.com/history/twelve-anniversaries-and-events-worth-traveling-for-in-2020/

Twelve Anniversaries and Events Worth Traveling for in 2020

SMITHSONIANMAG.COM | Jan. 24, 2020, 1:50 p.m.

What better way to kick off a new decade than by planning a trip? If you’re hoping to fill the next ten years by seeing new sights, learning about other cultures, taking in history or relaxing on an endless white-sand beach, Smithsonian magazine has curated a list of destinations worth considering for 2020. Some will host once-in-a-lifetime athletic competitions (Tokyo and the Summer Olympics), others boast world-class art exhibitions (Rome and New York City) and still others allow visitors to experience wonders of the natural world (El Morro, New Mexico, or Ilha Grande and Paraty, Brazil). Read on, and happy traveling.

Japan’s new 68,000-seat National Stadium, designed by the architect Kengo Kuma.

(Arne Müseler via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

In 1964, Tokyo became the first city in Asia to host the Olympics, and this summer, the Japanese capital will serve as the summer Games’ venue once again. With the 2020 Olympics (July 24-August 9, followed by the Paralympics August 25-September 6) comes a brand-new, $1.43-billion main stadium built with timber from each of Japan’s 47 prefectures as well as five new sporting events: skateboarding, baseball and softball, surfing, sports climbing (think lightning-quick, spider-like wall-scaling—here’s a video) and karate.

Even without a coveted Olympics ticket—the Wall Street Journal recently forecasted that a Tokyo seat “looks like the toughest Olympic ticket ever”—Japan’s biggest metropolis has plenty to offer tourists: the bustle of Harajuku shopping district, the crowded-but-orderly Shibuya Crossing, conveyer-belt sushi restaurants, the traditional izakayas that line “Piss Alley,” a fashion exhibit at the National Art Center, views from 2,000 feet up in the Tokyo Skytree and the animated film company Studio Ghibli’s headquarters. 2020 also marks the centennial of Meiji Jingu, a mid-city oasis (volunteers planted 100,000 donated trees that have grown towering in the intervening century) and active Shinto shrine dedicated to a former imperial couple. Meiji-Tenno-Sai, the memorial day of Emperor Meiji, falls on July 30, during the Olympics; the 19th- and 20th-century monarch will be commemorated in a Shinto ceremony, and the affiliated Treasure Museum will waive its usual entry fee. In November, the three-day autumn festival at Meiji Jingu takes place. Expect to see traditional Noh theater, sumo, horseback archery and more.

Tokyo’s first time hosting the Olympics was intended to be 1940, but World War II disrupted those plans, and it’s that global conflict that led to another anniversary this year: 75 years have passed since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first (and only) use of nuclear weapons in war, the attacks killed an estimated 275,000 people. This devastating event for Japan is commemorated at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where a permanent exhibit lays out the belongings of many who died in the strike. The memorial itself—known as the Genbaku Dome—has been preserved exactly as the one-time exhibition hall looked in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. In the port city of Nagasaki, feel the weight of this history at the Atomic Bomb Museum and nearby memorial, the Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park, where a lone column pinpoints the spot above which the bomb burst. Both cities are accessible by a combination of shinkansen—bullet trains that debuted for the 1964 Olympics—and express trains.

(Corey Templeton via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

On March 15, 1820, Maine separated from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and became the nation’s 23rd state. As a part of the Missouri Compromise, Maine joined the union as a free state, while Missouri entered it as a slave state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states in the nation. Now, Maine’s hosting a year-long birthday bash, commemorating 200 years of statehood.

Leading the state’s official commemoration is the Maine Bicentennial Commission, a group of politicians, curators, historians, educators and others organizing a series of events and offering grants to communities throughout the state looking to stage parades, lectures and exhibitions. Among the grant winners is Rockland’s Center for Maine Contemporary Art, which is presenting an exhibition this summer of photographer S.B. Walker’s visual record of contemporary life in Maine. On Statehood Day, March 15, the public is invited to musical performances and speeches—and to enjoy a slice of cake—in the Augusta Armory. The commission will also hold a Bicentennial Parade in Auburn-Lewiston on May 16, that promises to be chock full of state pride. Kicking off in Boothbay Harbor on June 26, the traveling Tall Ships Festival brings a month of dockside activities, such as concerts, fireworks and community races, as it makes stops in Rockland, Bangor, Brewer, Bucksport, Castine, Searsport and Belfast.

To soak up more of the state’s history, head to some of its many landmarks. Sitting atop the Munjoy Hill in Portland is the oldest maritime signal tower in the United States. Built in 1807, the Portland Observatory was tasked with sending signals to ships entering the harbor, but today, it offers visitors spectacular views of the city during spring months, when it is open for visitors. The Italianate Villa-style Victoria Mansion, in Portland’s Arts District, was built in 1860 as a summer house for wealthy hotel magnate and Maine native Ruggles Sylvester Morse. Opening its doors for the season in May, visitors can experience this national historical landmark with all its luxurious staircases and chandeliers.

One of the Raphael Rooms in the Vatican Museums in Vatican City.

(Juergen Ritterbach / Alamy)

Home to a rich history of classical art, Rome should be a destination on every art lover’s map. Among the artists that fell in love with the city, decorating its walls and chapels with masterpieces, is Raphael—a member of the great trio of High Renaissance art including Leonardo and Michelangelo. To honor the legacy Raphael built in Rome, the city is commemorating the 500th anniversary of his death throughout the year. The Ministry of Culture has organized a mega-exhibition, simply titled “Raphael,” at the Scuderie del Quirinale (March 5-June 2, 2020) that will feature more than 200 of Raphael’s pieces, including the famous Madonna del Granduca (1506-1507) and La Donna Valata (1512-1515). Jointly organized with the Uffizi, which provided over 40 works, the exhibition will include masterpieces never before seen together, on loan from Paris’ Louvre, London’s National Gallery and Madrid’s Prado among others. The celebrations of the artist are not limited to Italy, however; the National Gallery in London is running an exhibition from October 3, 2020 until January 24, 2021 that explores Raphael’s career through his masterpieces.

To fully experience Raphael’s artistic mastery, visit the four rooms in the Vatican Museums, filled with graceful portraits and ornate frescoes, that he and others in his workshop painted between 1508 and 1524. With religious themes and brilliant details, these rooms are the epitome of Italian high renaissance. Another destination that should not be missed is the ancient Pantheon in Rome—inspired by its beautiful architecture, Raphael requested it to be the place of his eternal rest. This spectacular temple has stood for over 2,000 years, and it is one of the best-preserved monuments of Ancient Rome.

Paraty and Ilha Grande, Brazil

Colorful doors in the colonial town of Paraty on Brazil’s coast.

(Christoph Diewald via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

One of UNESCO’s newest World Heritage sites lies on the Brazilian coast between Rio and São Paulo. Paraty, population 43,000, was a port town once critical to the gold and slave trades, and it retains much of its 18th-century colonial architecture and cobblestone streets, making it “one of the best preserved colonial coastal towns in Brazil,” according to UNESCO. Trek up the Morro da Vila Velha hill to see archaeological sites, the first European settlement from the mid-16th century, as well as a fort built two centuries later.

The UNESCO-designated site also includes four nearby protected areas, famed for their biodiversity, that are home to jaguars, a myriad of rainforest frogs and mustachioed, pig-like mammals known as white-lipped peccaries. Travelers can relax on the undeveloped Lopes Mendes beach (for the outdoorsy, you can even hike from a nearby village to this sandy destination) on the island of Ilha Grande or kayak through mangroves near Paraty. Serra da Bocaina National Park, meanwhile, attests to the region’s history with a portion of the paved gold route, or Caminho do Ouro, and the ruins of a building devoted to weighing and taxing that gold.

About 12 miles from Paraty is the Quilombo Campinho da Independência. Quilombos are settlements, often in remote areas, founded by people who escaped slavery. This particular quilombo has a restaurant serving African-influenced Brazilian food as well as a handicraft shop. In the restaurant’s lounge, groups can listen as old and young quilombonas share their experiences (the conversations are translated into English or Spanish) in a “storytelling wheel.”

The capitol building in Nashville, where the 19th Amendment secured Tennessee’s crucial vote to adopt it into the Constitution.

(Jelle Drok via Flickr under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Nashville earned the moniker “Music City” for a reason, but the Tennessee capital made our list not for its fantastic music scene but because Nashville is where the decisive and dramatic vote to add the 19th Amendment—women’s suffrage—to the Constitution took place. Three quarters of the states needed to sign onto the 19th Amendment for it to be ratified, and in August 1920, Tennessee became the crucial 36th state. A young state legislator, Harry T. Burn, switched political sides following a persuasive letter from his mother and cast a tie-breaking vote in favor of suffrage.

A spate of performances and special exhibitions will mark the centennial. On March 27, the Tennessee State Museum will open an 8,000-square-foot exhibition tracing the state’s suffrage movement from its early, post-Civil-War days to the final vote, while the main Nashville Library is hosting its own “Votes for Women” exhibit, showcasing political cartoons and plenty of kid-friendly interactives. One block away, the opulent Hermitage Hotel, once the epicenter of pro- and anti-suffrage lobbying, displays objects from the political fracas, including a telegram congratulating famous suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, who stayed at the hotel, on the victory.

Music lovers can also add suffrage-themed performances to the itinerary (along with Nashville classics like the Grand Ole Opry or Bluebird Café). In September, the Nashville Symphony will stage the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Julia Wolfe’s new suffrage-inspired work, played and sung by an all women’s chorus and full orchestra. On August 2, the Nashville Opera will put on a one-night-only event where talented local vocalists sing songs, like “Since My Margarette Became a Suffragette” and “She’s Good Enough To Be Your Baby’s Mother and She’s Good Enough To Vote With You,” used to fight for (and against) women’s right to vote. Nashville Ballet, later this year, will premiere 72 Steps, a newly choreographed work named for the number of steps to the Nashville capitol building that recounts the struggle for suffrage in Tennessee. For visual arts aficionados, the Frist Art Museum will display locally-made artwork inspired by Nashville residents’ personal stories about their first times voting.

Star trails above Inscription Rock in El Morro National Monument.

(NPS: Derek Wallentinsen)

Interested in seeing the Milky Way? Away from city lights, El Morro National Monument, about a two hour drive west of Albuquerque, offers a spectacular view of stars, galaxies and planets. In fact, the International Dark Sky Association recently named El Morro an International Dark Sky Park—a recognition that allows the park to host more astronomy-based educational programming and improve its energy efficiency through outdoor lighting upgrades.

Made even more awe-inspiring by a starry backdrop, the monument is an impressive record of more than 2,000 inscriptions dating back 1,000 years—petroglyphs carved by Ancestral Puebloans and signatures of Spanish settlers and later pioneers—on a 200-foot tall sandstone cliff. If the next couple events on the park’s calendar are any indication of what’s in store, there will be presentations on the hidden colors of the night sky, tours of the constellations and opportunities for visitors to observe these phenomenon for themselves through a telescope. The summer months, with warmer weather and greater visibility, will allow for even more activities, including a celebration of the Dark Sky Park certification.

Nelson Mandela’s capture site.

(Darren Glanville via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Africa’s southernmost country will commemorate two anniversaries tied to the apartheid era and the political struggle that ultimately ended apartheid and made South Africa a democracy. Thirty years ago, in 1990, anti-apartheid activist and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela—at the time, arguably the world’s most famous political prisoner—became a free man after serving 27 years of a lifetime prison sentence for “sabotage” against the government. Mandela’s release in combination with a number of other events ultimately steered South Africa to its first democratic elections—open to South Africans of all ethnicities—in 1994, through which Mandela became president.

Spots that honor Mandela’s life and legacy crisscross South Africa. Robben Island, where Mandela spent the bulk of his time in prison holed up in a 7-by-9-foot cell, offers four tours daily, and visitors have the opportunity to learn from guides with unique credentials—they were former Robben Island political prisoners themselves. In April, long-distance swimmers compete in the 4.6-mile “Freedom Swim” from Robben Island to the shores of Cape Town. A two-hour plane flight away in Johannesburg, the Apartheid Museum traces how the state came to sponsor the system of segregation starting in 1948 and then, nearly 50 years later, dismantle it. (It also boasts an exhibition about the life of the man many South Africans call Tata—“father” in Xhosa—Mandela.) The roadside site near coastal Durban where police captured Mandela in 1962 is now marked with a remarkable steel-bar sculpture depicting the leader’s face in profile; upgrades to make the destination more tourist-friendly will be completed by August 2020.

2020 also marks 60 years since the Sharpeville massacre, when police opened fire on thousands of people peacefully protesting pass laws, which required black South Africans to carry identifying documents and limited where they could work or live. Police killed 69 and injured more than 180 people at the protest, sparking national and international outcry; Nelson Mandela and other African National Congress. leaders burned their own passes. March 21, the day of the tragedy, is now Human Rights Day in South Africa. Constitution Hill, a prison-complex-turned-museum in Johannesburg, will mark the occasion with a four-day Human Rights Festival with panel discussions, social-justice-related visual art and photography exhibits, performances, a human rights book fair and a groundbreaking for the Museum and Archive of the Constitution at the Hill, which the Huffington Post reports will document “the making of the South African Constitution—from its African origins in the fight against colonialism, segregation and apartheid until the present.” Visitors to the Constitution Hill museums can, as always, visit the cell Mandela stayed at while imprisoned at Old Fort and learn about the people who were held in inhumane conditions at the Women’s Jail and Number Four (where Mahatma Gandhi was once held behind bars).

During Prohibition, Green Mill was favorite speakeasy of mobsters like Al Capone, who the band would greet with a rendition of “Rhapsody in Blue.”

(Bruce Yuanyue Bi / Alamy)

On January 17, 1920, the Prohibition Act officially took effect, stipulating that “no person shall manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish or possess any intoxicating liquor except as authorized by this act.” With it came the nation’s “worst-kept secret”—the speakeasy. Now, 100 years later, the public is still fascinated by these illicit establishments where men and women gathered to drink bootlegged alcohol and listen to jazz.

By 1924, Chicago had a network of some 20,000 speakeasies. Given this high concentration, the city has become a popular destination for delving into Prohibition history. The Original Chicago Prohibition Tour takes people to the era’s most popular watering holes, while another option, the Chicago Prohibition Gangster Tour, caters to those more interested in the rise in gang activity and mob crimes during Prohibition—making stops at the site of the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and the location where notorious gangster and bank robber John Dillinger was killed.

Illinois is also celebrating the 100th birthday of one of its most famous authors this year, Ray Bradbury. The sci-fi author recently made news when the New York Public Library released a list of the most checked out books of all time—his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 ranked number seven. Born in Waukegan, Illinois, on August 22, 1920, Bradbury wrote upwards of 30 books and nearly 600 short stories in his lifetime. When he died in 2012, the New York Times declared him “the writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary mainstream.” Set to open in August 2020 in Waukegan, the Ray Bradbury Experience Museum will educate the public on the sci-fi author’s life and honor his work with immersive and interactive experiences that interpret his creative works.

Palau’s 183,000-square-mile National Marine Sanctuary is home to an abundance of coral and fish.

(Yuichiro Anazawa via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 3.0)

Travelers arriving in Palau, a freckling of islands in the western reaches of the Pacific Ocean, sign a pledge: “I vow to tread lightly, act kindly and explore mindfully,” reads the passport stamp. “The only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.” The statement, adopted in 2017, reflects the dive destination’s environment-first attitude.

In 2020, after five years of work, Palau’s new National Marine Sanctuary went into effect, protecting 183,000 square miles or nearly 80 percent of the tiny country’s waters from commercial fishing. The marine sanctuary is intended to protect Palau’s 1,300-plus species of fish and 700 types of coral but will not dictate where tourists can visit, a representative from the Stanford Ocean Center, which helped create a report for the Palau government on the planned sanctuary, assured Smithsonian. The country also became the first in the world to ban types of sunscreen (about half of the commercially available options, according to the BBC) that contain ingredients known to bleach coral.

Palau’s reputation as an “underwater Serengeti” is warranted; adventurers can snorkel alongside gentle, non-stinging golden jellyfish in the aptly-named Jellyfish Lake, marvel at the giant clam inhabitants of Clam City, or (for experienced divers) spot reef sharks at the Blue Corner. The Rock Islands—uninhabited, vegetation-shrouded outcroppings that are a haven for nearly 400 coral species—are also well worth a visit. The 445 mushroom-shaped islands were proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

While the majority of tourists partake in the nation’s aquatic attractions, the islands have offerings for landlubbers too. On Babeldaob, the largest island, travelers can hike through the jungle to the thundering Ngardmau Waterfall—the highest in Micronesia. World War II buffs might want to tour Peleliu, an island where rusty plane wrecks and weapons attest to a fierce 1944 battle between the U.S. and Japan over its airstrip.

(Dumphasizer via Flickr under CC BY-SA 2.0)

In 1620, the Mayflower embarked on a voyage from Plymouth, England to the New World. Upon arrival on the shores of what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, the pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact—a governing document believed by many to have been an early influence for the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. After spending five weeks exploring the area, the colonists sailed across Cape Cod Bay to Plymouth, where they established the Plymouth Colony.

To mark the 400th anniversary of these events, celebrations will be held on both sides of the Atlantic. Plymouth, England, is organizing a multitude of events, from a Mayflower Ceremony on September 16 (the date of the ship’s departure four centuries ago) to a “Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy” exhibition at The Box, a new museum opening this spring. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum (PMPM) has organized a series of commemoration activities, kicking off with an opening ceremony on April 24 in Plymouth and featuring a historical reenactment of the signing of the Mayflower Compact on September 13 on Provincetown’s MacMillan Pier. Provincetown 400, as the series is called, aims to retell the history of Plymouth Colony from both perspectives, the Mayflower Pilgrims and the Wampanoag nation.

As a part of the 400th anniversary celebration, Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the sailing vessel that carried the English colonists in 1620, will sail from Plymouth, where it sits as an exhibit in the Plimoth Plantation, to Provincetown, Massachusetts, on September 10, 2020. “We expect thousands to come to Provincetown to visit Mayflower II and to learn about the beginning of the Pilgrims’ story,” said Dr. K. David Weidner, executive director of the PMPM.

The Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany.

(Thomas Depenbusch via Flickr under CC BY 2.0)

Widely known as the City of Beethoven, Bonn is pulling out all the stops for the 250th anniversary of the classical composer’s birth. Born in 1770 (his real birthday, still a matter of speculation, is believed to be a day before his recorded baptism on December 17), Ludwig van Beethoven lived in this German city until he moved to Vienna at age 22. The house where Beethoven was born and raised for the first few years of his life—known today as Beethoven Haus—is still standing and a popular attraction in the city. Built in the 18th century, the home recently underwent a 10-month long renovation and reopened in December, with its permanent exhibit including instruments, scores and notebooks used by the composer.

The Beethoven Anniversary Society have planned BTHVN2020, a year-long calendar of concerts and tributes across Germany dedicated to the life and achievements of the composer. An estimated 1,000 performances and events are taking place between now and December 17, 2020 in Germany, with the majority of them happening in Bonn. The two-day “Beethoven Bürgfest,” beginning August 14, 2020, will trace Beethoven’s life in Bonn, feature musical performances and remember the 1845 unveiling of the bronze Beethoven monument in Bonn’s city center. The year of celebration will close with a concert held in Bonn’s parliament building, as a tribute to the political significance of the composer’s work—the European Union anthem is based on “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

The Met’s famous 5th Avenue entrance.

(Courtesy of the Met)

New York City’s most visited museum—the Metropolitan Museum of Art—is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its incorporation and very first acquisition, a Roman sarcophagus. Both events occurred four short years after lawyer John Jay first floated the idea to a circle of American friends while in Paris and wooed philanthropists and art collectors to support his fledgling museum. While the sesquicentennial doesn’t mean the Met Gala is opening to the public, the museum is hosting a “community festival” with tours and to-be-announced performances and art-making activities the weekend of June 4-6. The “Making The Met, 1870-2020” exhibition (March 30-August 2) will highlight gems of the Met’s vast (it spans 5,000-plus years of art) collection, including rarely-displayed, fragile works like Michelangelo’s studies for the Sistine Chapel’s Libyan Sibyl, a female figure painted on the ceiling fresco. In March, the museum will open 11,000 square feet of gallery space showcasing British decorative arts (think carefully crafted teapots) from the 16th to 20th centuries. And as usual, the Met’s rotation of exhibits will showcase art from around the globe, including early Buddhist art made in India, Cubist paintings and Tudor-era masterworks.

The Met sits in Central Park, which is where the first New York City Marathon was held 50 years ago, with 127 participants who’d paid the $1 entry fee. Less than half of them finished. Last year, 53,627 runners took part in the 26.2-mile run, now spanning all five of the Big Apple’s boroughs. Even non-runners can enjoy the race’s 50th anniversary this year (November 1) by joining the crowds that cheer, sometimes rowdily, the endurance athletes on. (Here’s a list of the best cheering spots, courtesy the New York Times; apparently, there’s even a Baptist church whose choir sings for marathoners at full volume.)

#History

[charllieeldridge]

25 Best Things To Do in Mexico City

Vibrant, enormous, and exciting. Mexico City boasts numerous historical sites, delicious traditional food, and endless things to do. The capital city of Mexico is easy to access and incredibly affordable.

There are many things to do in Mexico City, but above all, it’s a city of surprises.

While it’s known worldwide for its enormous urban sprawl and troubles with pollution, what often gets left out of the story are the city’s lovely parks, friendly people, easy-to-use metro system, and quirky highlights — like being home to the only castle in North America that ever housed actual sovereigns.

There are many places to visit in Mexico, with Mexico City being a top choice.

Here are 25 exciting and unique things to do in Mexico City that you won’t want to miss!

1. Visit the Zocalo

There’s no better place to start a trip to Mexico City than in the Zocalo, the city’s main square and the heart of the Centro Historico neighborhood.

What you find in the Zocalo will depend on when you visit Mexico. When I travelled to Mexico City in December, I was greeted with a giant Christmas tree and an ice skating rink, but regardless of when you go, you’re guaranteed to find the Zocalo teeming with people.

2. Check Out the Metropolitan Cathedral

One of the first things you’ll notice in the Zocalo is the Metropolitan Cathedral, which dominates the square and immediately draws the eye.

Opulent on the outside and gilded in gold on the inside, the Metropolitan Cathedral is (unsurprisingly) reminiscent of the cathedrals in Spain.

Going inside is definitely a must, and if your Spanish is strong enough to listen to a tour in the language, definitely consider taking a rooftop tour of the cathedral. The tour will allow you not only to admire the beautiful rooftops but to see the Zocalo from above.

The cathedral is open from 8am – 8pm, and is free to enter. There is a small additional charge to visit the rooftop. A visit here is one of the top things to do in Mexico City.

3. Step Back in Time at Templo Mayor

Everyone knows about Teotihuacan (and you should definitely add it to your list of things to do in Mexico City!), but you don’t need to head outside the city center to admire Aztec ruins.

What we now call Mexico City was once called Tenochtitlan by the Aztecs, and as the modern Mexico City, Tenochtitlan was the capital city and the center of their society.

Templo Mayor was destroyed by the Spanish in order to make room for the Metropolitan Cathedral that now sits next door to the ruins. It was a central religious point for Aztec society and made up of two temples that sat side-by-side.

Today, it’s fascinating to walk among the ruins of the Aztec temples, especially as you can see the passage of time by looking up at the Metropolitan Cathedral and hear the hustle and bustle of modern Mexico City beyond the complex walls.

Templo Mayor is open from 9am – 6pm every day except Mondays, and costs 70 pesos ($3.75) to enter.

4. Visit the National Palace

The seat of Mexico City’s government has sat on the site of the National Palace dating back to the Aztecs. In fact, much of the modern palace is built from materials that were previously part of the former palace used by Moctezuma II.

Dramatic history aside, there’s another reason to visit the National Palace while you’re in Mexico City. The palace houses several murals by famous artist Diego Rivera that depict the history of Mexico in vivid detail.

The National Palace is free to enter and is open from 9am – 5pm, every day except Monday. Find it on the map, here.

5. Spend a day at Teotihuacan

When travelling to Mexico, you won’t want to miss the ancient city of Teotihuacan, which is best known in the English-speaking world by the nickname that the Aztecs gave it: The City of the Gods.

Carefully laid out, mysterious to behold, and dotted with several pyramids, Teotihuacan is not to be left out on any list of things to do in Mexico City.

Visit to admire the archaeological history, to marvel at the architecture, or simply to climb a pyramid. The Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon can both be climbed, though prepare yourself for the heat and challenge!

My favorite part of Teotihuacan is a piece of its history — or rather, a missing piece of its history. Though today we associate the city with the Aztecs, it was built a full thousand years before the Aztecs ever got their hands on it.

As for who built it in the first place… well, that remains a mystery.

Teotihuacan is easily reached via buses leaving from the Autobuses del Norte station in Mexico City. The bus ride takes about an hour each way. The complex is open every day from 9am – 5pm, and costs 70 pesos ($3.75) to enter.

However, the best way to visit is to join a tour which includes transport, entrance fee, and a guide. This way, you won’t have to sort out your transportation and you will learn about what you’re looking at!

A visit here is easily one of the top things to do in Mexico as a whole, and is one of the top Mexico City tours. Find out more about the Teotihuacan tours here, or click one below:

6. Wander Through Chapultepec Park

Covering nearly 1700 acres and housing everything from museums to a castle to the world’s friendliest squirrels, Chapultepec Park is a shady, green oasis that is the perfect spot to retreat from the densely populated urban areas that surround it in Mexico City.

Many popular sights and cool things to do in Mexico City are located inside the giant park, including Chapultepec Castle and the Anthropology Museum.

☞ See Also: Things To Do in Isla Mujeres: Mexico’s “Island Of Women”

7. Soak in Views of Mexico City 

Located inside Chapultepec Park, Chapultepec Castle boasts the curious designation of being the only castle in North America that was ever lived in by actual sovereigns.

Though the castle itself is pretty in its way (to me, it has quite a modern feel, though construction began in the last 18th century), it’s the views that are the real showstopper.

Set at the top of Chapultepec Hill, you can stand on the grounds of the castle and admire the wide swath of green that is Chapultepec Park, plus you’ll get amazing views of the skyline of Mexico City, skyscrapers and all, that rise up beyond the trees. Chapultepec Castle costs 59 pesos ($3.15) to enter.

⇒ See Also: 21 Top Things To Do in Mazatlan

8. Visit the Anthropology Museum

Often touted as the best museum in Mexico City, the Anthropology Museum holds the triple threat of being set in a lovely location (Chapultepec Park), impeccably designed with captivating architecture, and stuffed to the brim with fascinating exhibits.

Focused on pre-Columbian civilizations in what is today modern Mexico and the southwest United States, visit the Anthropology Museum to get a taste of what Mexico was like before the Europeans ever arrived.

The Anthropology Museum is open from 9am – 7pm every day except Monday. There is a 70 peso ($3.75) entrance fee. Even if you’re not into museums, don’t miss this one. It’s one of the top things to do in Mexico City for good reason. Find it on the map here.

☞ See Also: Things To Do in Guadalajara: A List Of The Top 21

9. See the Independence Angel

Built in 1910 as a celebration of the centennial of Mexico’s declaration of independence from Spain, the golden independence angel is one of the most recognized symbols in Mexico City.

You can visit the angel for an up-close look on Paseo de la Reforma (the statue is placed on a roundabout in the middle of the street), but you can also catch a glimpse from the veranda of Chapultepec Castle and admire it from above.

☞ Are you planning to visit other places on your Mexico travels? Check out our articles: Things To Do in Cancun (including ideas for things to do away from the beach), Things To Do in Playa del Carmen, Things To Do in Cozumel – Mexico’s Top Island and Things To Do in Tulum.

Also, have a look at the awesome things to do in Puerto Vallarta, La Paz, Cabo San Lucas and San Cristobal de las Casas.

10. Embrace Your Inner Tourist at Xochimilco

Unapologetically touristy and over-the-top amusing, Xochimilco is covered in canals that serve one main purpose today: carting drinking tourists around in colorful boats while they let loose and have an excellent time.

Hire a boat, pack a cooler of snacks and drinks, or just pick some up on the way.

Be warned that the vendors onsite will charge predictably high prices given the area’s tourist status. Grab some friends, and you’ll be able to kick back and have a delightful time in Xochimilco.

You can reach Xochimilco via public transportation by taking the Tren Ligero, which runs all the way to Xochimilco. The Tren Ligero can be picked up at the end of the Blue Line 2, at the Tasqueña station.

A ride up and down the river on a shared boat runs about 40 pesos ($2.14) per person, or you can rent an entire boat with a group for about 350 pesos ($18.70) /hour. You can also join a tour, which takes in other sights of the city, provides transportation, plus the Xochimilco boat ride.

11. Check out the Soumaya Museum

Focusing almost entirely on European and Central American art, the Soumaya Museum in Mexico City is distinct for a few reasons.

Its impressive 66,000 piece collection was donated entirely by one man (Carlos Slim), the building itself is bizarre and worthy of photographing, and admission is always free.

⇒ See Also: 21 Things To Do in Oaxaca City You Don’t Want To Miss

12. Visit The Palacio de Bellas Artes

Though it is home to Mexico’s premier fine arts collection and regularly hosts operas and theatre performances, the Palacio de Bellas Artes is primarily known for one thing: the building’s impressive and beautiful facade.

Though I highly recommend stepping inside and admiring the art, definitely plan on being distracted on the palace’s exterior for a bit.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is open from 10am – 6pm every day except for Monday, and it costs 60 pesos to enter.

13. Stroll Through Alameda Central

Located right next door to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Alameda Central is a beautiful, shaded park, perfect for walking around or resting on a bench in the shade.

Alameda Central is impeccably and purposely laid out, and as it was founded in 1592, also boasts the distinction of being the oldest public park in the Americas!

14. Admire Mexico City From Above 

The observation deck of Torre Latinoamericana is home to the best view of Mexico City. It’s on top of this tower that I was first able to fully appreciate the sheer size of the sprawl that makes up Mexico City.

Definitely make sure you add this to your list of things to do in Mexico City — even with only a few days in Mexico City, it’s a must-do while you’re there.

The Torre Latinoamericana is open every day from 9am – 10pm, and costs 70 pesos ($3.75) to enter.

15. Visit the House of Tiles

Built as a palace in the 18th-century, today the House of Tiles is a restaurant and is known for its facade that is covered entirely in tiles from Puebla on three sides.

Blue and white and beautiful to photograph, the House of Tiles is worth a stop whether or not you plan to eat there. The exterior alone (plus its close proximity to the Torre Latinoamericana) is enough of a reason to visit.

16. Devour Some Street Food

No trip to Mexico City would be complete without plenty of street food. And, if you’re backpacking Mexico on a budget, you’ll definitely eat your fair share of it – which is a good thing!

Mexico City is known for its vibrant street food scene, and you’ll find everything from freshly fried potato chips to tamales available from tiny stalls that will beckon you with each sizzle of the stovetop.

My personal favourite street food in Mexico City is tacos al pastor.

Made of meat similar to a Turkish kebab or Greek gyro (tacos al pastor were actually invented by Lebanese immigrants to Mexico that brought shawarma with them), these inexpensive and delicious tacos are typically served up on corn tortillas and topped with chopped red onions and lime juice.

Sampling local food is definitely one of the best things to do in Mexico City. If you’d rather head out on a food tour with a local who knows the best spots, click here. 

17. Walk Through Roma & Condesa

If you’re looking for trendy cafes and cups of coffee galore, you need to add visiting Roma & Condesa to your list of things to do in Mexico City (in fact, you might even want to pick a hotel that is in that area).

These neighborhoods are known for their hipster vibe, a plethora of cafes, tree-lined streets, and excellent coffee.

⇒ See Also: Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca – A Guide For Travellers

18. Check out Frida Kahlo’s House

If you’re a fan of the history of Frida Kahlo or her husband Diego Rivera, don’t miss a visit to the Frida Kahlo house while you’re in Mexico City!

Also known as “The Blue House”, the home tells the story of Frida Kahlo (she lived there most of her life, including her childhood), and though not much of her art is on display here, her history is. You can find it here on the map.

19. Visit the Home of Leon Trotsky

Just a short walk away from Frida Kahlo’s house sits the former home of Leon Trotsky, where he lived, was assassinated, and where his ashes (along with those of his wife) are now interred.

Though the house-turned-museum is small, it provides a look inside the personal life of Leon Trotsky. A visit here is one of the more offbeat things to do in Mexico City.

☞ See Also: Things To Do in San Miguel de Allende: 21 Things You Don’t Want To Miss

20. Visit The Witchcraft Market

Looking for a market experience that goes beyond fruits, vegetables, and souvenirs?

Head to the Mercado de Sonora – also known as the witchcraft market. A visit here is one of the weird things to do in Mexico City you won’t want to miss out on.

While typical wares are available here, so are all manner of goods associated with spells and rituals intended to alter your world through witchcraft. Several religions are represented in the market, including Voodoo.

⇒ See Also: 10 Things To Do in Guanajuato

21. Peruse The Books at Cafebreria el Pendulo

One part bookstore, one part cafe, Cafebreria el Pendulo is a must-see for book lovers visiting Mexico City.

Decorated with living plants, the shop manages to feel pristine, modern, and also a little bit wild all at the same time. Come to enjoy a cup of coffee, read a book, or both. If you’re wondering what to do in Mexico City for a relaxed, chilled out afternoon, this is it. 

22. Have a Fabulous Meal at Pujol

After all the street food you have (hopefully) been consuming in Mexico City, definitely consider mixing it up and going in the opposite direction for dinner one night.

Pujol is one of Mexico City’s top restaurants, and though it’s not inexpensive by Mexico City standards, it’s worth the money considering it’s listed as one fo the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Image Credit: Pujol

23. Step Inside the Post Office

Mexico City’s Palacio Postal (also known as its Main Post Office) is known for a few things: its incredible beauty, its unique architecture, and the fact that – even through a couple of sizable earthquakes – it has operated continuously for more than 100 years.

Step inside to fully appreciate the pedestrian, everyday business of a post office set against a gilded, golden interior that seems like it would be better suited for a palace than for something as mundane as sorting mail.

24. Watch a Lucha Libre Match

Whether you like wrestling or not, a night of Lucha Libre should be high atop your list of things to do in Mexico City. It’s an important part of the culture, and the luchadores sure put on an amazing show! 

The best place to see a match is in the capital at the Arena Mexico on Tuesday and Friday nights, as well as on Sunday afternoons. Fridays are the most exciting matches, because, well, it’s the weekend!

Click here to book a tour to a night of Lucha Libre, including tequila, ringside seating, a Lucha libre mask, transportation, and guide! This is one of the more unique things to do in Mexico City, don’t miss it.

25. Explore the Markets

Mexico City is home to many markets that are filled with locals going out their day, purchasing goods for the week. From the butchers and bakers to the produce vendors, these markets can be a one-stop-shop.

For tourists, visiting the markets can give you a glimpse into the everyday life of a Mexican, and can be a very interesting experience. You can also purchase some items for the day, or if you’re living in Mexico, for the week. 

La Merced is one of the city’s most bustling, local, and hectic markets. But, that’s what makes it so amazing! Join the walking tour with Eat Mexico and discover this market, which includes food tastings along the way. 

Now You Know What To Do in Mexico City!

As you can see, Mexico City is a place you could spend a while…there’s just something about the exciting vibe here that will have you coming back for more.

Although a bit intimidating at first due to its size, you’ll soon realize that the city is actually quite manageable. With fantastic dining options, wonderful architecture, ancient sites, and a vibrant atmosphere, give yourself at least 5 days to enjoy all that Mexico City has to offer.

Images in this article are courtesy of Shutterstock.com.

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