Alice Springs, Australia

In the early ’80s I was captivated by a Masterpiece Theater Miniseries, “A Town Like Alice”, so much so that I read the book upon which the series was based. Who knew that about 35 years later we’d be spending two nights in this “bonza” town in the Northern Territory, right after our stay in Melbourne.

There is still so much more to say about Melbourne, and I will eventually get to that, but first, I bring you Alice Springs with a summary of why this is a town we will never forget.

Our hotel, the Doubletree, is located right across from the Todd River. Both the river and the mall (among other things) are named after Sir Charles Todd, who brought communications to the area by constructing telegraph wires or stations or something along those lines. (Clearly I wasn’t all that interested). His wife’s name was Alice, and I’m guessing that at one time the area had a lot of natural springs?

Check out the Todd River.

What, you’re having trouble finding it? That may be because the “river” is bone dry. You see, this area can go for YEARS without rain. It actually looks a whole lot better on Google maps, portrayed as a blue ribbon surrounded by green borders. But no. It is all brown and dry. But the walkway is nice.

So, why did Mike and I decide to skip Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef to spend an additional five nights ( count ’em, FIVE nights !!!) in Alice Springs?

It was a nose bleed. Yes, you read that right. But WHAT a nosebleed! Enough to warrant a 3AM ambulance ride, a hospital stay of three nights, with a trip to the operating room thrown in for good measure. Thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses in Alice Springs, our hero is out of the hospital and on the mend. But he needs to rest up, so we are hanging out in Alice Springs for those extra days, then flying to Sydney, where, if all goes well, we will be able to rendezvous one last time with our wonderful group before we all fly home.

Exactly HOW did Mike get that geyser of a nosebleed?

No, his boomerang did NOT circle back and whomp him in the nose!

It all started in Melbourne. He awoke very, very early with what he thought was strep throat. (It wasn’t). Being the considerate, resourceful guy that he is, he didn’t want to wake me or our tour guide, so he surfed the net to find St Vincent’s Hospital was close by. (Bad idea). I woke as he was headed out the door, unfortunately not alert enough to shout “NOOO. Don’t do it.” But then I figured he knew what he was doing, he’d get his antibiotics, then return to the hotel to spend the rest of the day sleeping off his illness.

While I was enjoying the magnificence of the Great Ocean Road, Mike was having his nasal passage assaulted. A nurse decided to ram a swab up his nose to do a flu test. That caused his FIRST nosebleed. (The afore mentioned nosebleed in Alice Springs was the SECOND one). The doctor cauterized the wound, (but not well enough) kept him in the hospital overnight and discharged him early Saturday morning, clearing him to fly to Alice Springs.

Although if we’d had our druthers, Mike would have skipped learning about another country’s health care system, however there WERE a few positives.

  • We felt lucky we weren’t in a remote area devoid of medical facilities AND grateful we both understood the local language (sort of).
  • We HAD purchased trip insurance plus we have high spending limits on our credit card, so we were okay paying (charging) up front.
  • We learned more than we ever wanted to know about travel insurance, electronic devices (phones, SIM cards, hot spots) which provides me with lots of material for future blog posts.
  • The hospital was only a mile away, so I got plenty of exercise walking along the “river”, from hotel to hospital and back, a couple of times a day.
  • I was able to download “A Town Like Alice” to my phone and reread it while waiting for Mike to get out of surgery. I had forgotten that I had liked the miniseries so much more than the book. Still it was a good distraction and it reintroduced me to the word “bonza”. What do YOU think it means?
  • We discovered how tuned in Australians are to what is happening in America, and how well informed they are about Trump, Pence, even Mike Pompeo! Some of them probably know more than many Americans. The nurses were curious about what Americans think of Trump, so we gave them our views and others’ views. Being liberals, that’s what we try to do. Present the facts. We had no idea how much other countries are counting on us to vote him out, something we heard frequently on our trip.
  • The hotel has a pool, so I could imagine I was taking a “sit in the sun and do nothing” kind of vacation. It didn’t take long for me to remember why I never go on that kind of vacation any more!
  • So, that’s why I haven’t been posting much these past few days. I know. A blog is an unusual way to inform friends and family of a somewhat traumatic event. (Mike’s nose was traumatized, as was my psyche).
  • Thankfully, all is well now. Happier posts will follow with better photos!

    • Magnificent Melbourne

    What can I say about this glorious city? The OAT Australia itinerary was recently changed to include an extra day in Melbourne and I’m so glad it did. We could have easily spent a week here and not run out of things to see and do. No matter what interests you, you’ll find it in Melbourne!

    Incredible Architecture

    Melbourne has it all: the old, the new, and everything in between.

    This photo of the very futuristic buildings in the Docklands area was taken with the wide angle lens of my iPhone 11, without any editing. The sun just happened to be in the perfect spot.

    The beautiful reading room at the Melbourne Library is best viewed from the 6th floor.

    Where else can you find a shopping mall built around a preserved tower, where ammunition was once made?

    For those yearning to learn more about 19th century ammunition, you can duck through one of the clothing stores in the mall to visit this Museum.

    Is this a cool city or what?

    Glorious Gardens

    It seems like everywhere I looked, there was a park, a square or a garden with jaw dropping plants and flowers. MY digitalis never gets this tall!

    The Royal Botanic Garden truly is a special place, which is why it was not surprising to stumble onto this photo shoot. The model was as gorgeous as the setting. once again, my iPhone rose to the occasion and handled very trucky lighting quite well.

    Street Art

    Walking through a random alley, we came across this wall of remembrance. The plaque tells the story better than I could.

    Churches

    After traveling for a few years, and making the mandatory church visits, the interiors all start to look alike– but Melbourne’s St Patrick Cathedral had something I’d never seen before–a spectacular entrance–with a water feature.

    What I’m calling a “water playground” is right nearby the church. Can’t you picture the kids running through the fountains in their Sunday best, right after Mass?

    You all know what food looks like, so I won’t share photos of our meals. Let’s just say Melbourne is like a giant Alice’s Restaurant. “You can get anything you want” as Arlo Guthrie so aptly sang.

    There’s more to say about our stay in the Melbourne area, but that will have to wait till the next post.

    Getting High Down Under

    At OUR age, getting high usually means getting to the top of a mountain, using whatever means available to us. But admit it, the title got your attention.

    And, to be honest, some of the scenery we encountered around Cradle Mountain reminded me a bit of a different kind of trip that I took in my youth. No passport required.

    We were warned that Cradle Mountain temperatures could be in the 30’s (that’s F, not C) with the possibility of snow.

    We were not misled!

    A trip with so much variation in temperature demanded that we make hard packing choices. Do I bring my waterproof hiking boots or my Keen Sandals? I didn’t want to lug one while wearing the other. My decision? The snow and cold weather should only last a day or two, so I decided that my keens, fortified with two pairs of wool socks and hotel provided shower caps would do the trick, and they did!

    I’m pleased to report that my feet remained warm and dry during all of our treks. I WAS going to bring my silk long underwear, but forgot it but two pairs of pants worked quite well. As Laura, our Patagonia guide, stated, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing choices”.

    We hiked to the top of that white rock in the distance, then down to the water’s edge. The views were spectacular!

    We also earned bragging rights for “experiencing” one of the great walks on this planet: The Overland Trail. Well, at least we posed by the sign…

    Our final Tasmanian destination was Launceston, where we visited The Platypus House, Seahorse World and Cataract Gorge.

    The platypus were smaller than I expected and challenging to photograph, so I resorted to video. The echidna, however, were quite fearless and were content to waddle among us.

    Error
    This video doesn’t exist
    Error
    This video doesn’t exist

    I had mistakenly thought that after visiting the wonderful Aquarium in Monterey, I wouldn’t be impressed with Seahorse world, but I was wrong. Seahorse World breeds and supplies these wonderful creatures to aquariums throughout the world.

    But my favorite was this Sea Dragon.

    We will be boarding our flight to Melbourne shortly, so I only have time to upload a shot or two of Cataract Gorge taken during our hike, before we say goodbye to beautiful Tasmania.

    No time to proofread for typos!

    Enroute to Cradle Mountain

    Sometimes it’s both the destination AND the journey. This is one of those times.

    Our drive to Cradle Mountain was punctuated by multiple stops, all of which were notable for reasons that were thoroughly explained by Mike, our tour guide.

    Check out the windows on our chariot! Our bus would have been comfortable even if it had been filled to capacity. With only five of us on the tour however, it was quite luxurious. A bonus? Gordon, our driver (and bus owner) also provided commentary. Were we lucky or what?

    Our first stop in Oatlands was really just a “comfort” stop, but I thought the windmill and espaliered apple trees were photo worthy.

    Ross, our next stop, is famous for its main (only?) intersection. On its four corners are buildings representing Temptation (the hotel), Recreation (city hall), Damnation (the jail) and Salvation (the church). Am I the only one who thinks it’s pathetic that CITY HALL is the source of the town’s recreation?

    Ross’ City Hall and our bus.

    Ross is also the site of one of MANY bridges built by convict labor. The finished product was thought to be so beautiful that the grateful townspeople pardoned the stonemasons.

    Our next stop, Campbell Town, memorialized the convicts’ infrastructure contributions via one of its many tree carvings. In between the convict and the soldier you’ll see a good replica of the bridge. I was quite impressed because in New Jersey, we just carve squirrels and other animals out of OUR dead trees.

    Moving right along, to our lunch stop in Deloraine, our guide pointed out the numerous little sculptures sitting atop posts. I particularly liked this one, entitled “balance”. It made me think of yoga class.

    We also visited Railton, Tasmania’s topiary “capital”, where the citizens have whimsical creatures in their front yards,

    and Sheffield, where you can spend hours walking around, ogling the murals on the buildings. How cool is the one on this record shop? I suspect this is a self portrait of the shop’s owner.

    Every year, Sheffield holds a mural contest, and the entries are hung in a little public park so that viewers can vote for their favorite.

    Sadly, I didn’t pick the winner.

    Here’s the accompanying description:

    Pretty timely, wouldn’t you say? I chose it even before I noticed the artist is a woman from the good ol USA.

    Here’s the winning mural:

    Which one do YOU prefer?

    As is frequently the case with my posts, my blogging is bumping into happy hour, so a description of Cradle Mountain will have to wait till tomorrow.

    Two Days in Hobart, Tasmania

    What a fantastic trip, and we’re only at the beginning! Our two days in the Hobart area have been action packed, with far too many wonderful experiences to recount in one post, so I’ll just focus on three highlights.

    Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

    During our private tour of the sanctuary, we met a wombat,

    gently touched a sleepy koala,

    and fed kangaroos and wallabys.

    Yes, that IS a “baby on board”!

    We were warned to steer clear of Tasmanian devils. These little guys LOOK cute and lovable, but their jaws are powerful, and when irritated, can (and do) bite.

    Most of the animals were rescued when they were injured or their mothers were killed. After they are healed, those that are able to survive in the wild are released.

    MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)

    I’ve been to a lot of museums all over the world, but nothing even comes close to THIS place!

    Admit it, how many museums have YOU visited that have write ups like this?

    Although it is possible to drive there, our experience began with a short ferry ride from Hobart’s waterfront. You enter the building on the top floor, a walk up that my fit bit told me was the equivalent of 6 flights of stairs. No wonder the place has a wine bar! You’ve earned a glass before you even get started.

    I guess the best way to describe the art is that it was an immersive experience. It was sometimes hard to tell whether you were viewing artwork or another museum visitor. Take a look:

    Did YOU figure out the boys in the first photo were art and the second was a visitor experiencing the art?

    The entire building was a work of art. Tunnels led off into different directions,some leading into little side rooms.

    I was sufficiently impressed with this one to include two photos of it.
    The outdoor “art” was equally engaging.

    That IS a trampoline and the young woman, although not a performance artist, DID perform a couple of back flips. Had I visited the wine bar before, I might have been tempted to give it a go.

    Port Arthur

    Although the prison complex was interesting, my favorite part of the trip was the stops along the way. Check out this gorgeous scenery.

    We leave Hobart this morning for Cradle Mountain, where it is snowing!

    Dueling Cameras

    My original intent was for Australia to be my first trip traveling without a camera, just using my new iPhone 11 PRO to capture those “Kodak” moments. After all, that’s the only reason I upgraded — to take advantage of its improved camera with three, yes count ’em, THREE lenses.

    I had been doing some soul searching, pondering exactly why I take pictures. I realized there are only two reasons: to remember, and to share. I know I will never be as skilled a photographer as my friend Nancy, or some of the other bloggers whose photos blow me away. So maybe I an lighten my load a bit more. At the last minute, however, I chickened out. My Canon SX740HS can fit in my pocket, weighs next to nothing, and has a 40X zoom, which might come in handy. After all, it’s not like I plan on coming back next week to take more photos, so why not?

    Then I thought, I could take the same shot using my IPhone and my Canon, post them both, then let my blog followers decide which version they prefer. Or perhaps the difference might be too small to matter? Of course, I could have done that before I left home, but I didn’t think of it until we landed in Melbourne.

    All shots are straight out of the source, with no adjustments.

    One of Melbourne bridges over the Yarra, Version 1:

    OR version 2

    Sculpture Bridge Version 1

    Version 2

    After dinner last night, we walked over what I am calling the Sculpture Bridge. That’s when I discovered the “walls” along the bridge each bore the name of a country, in alphabetical order. I was already up to Canada before I noticed that, but I imagine the first panel bore the name of Afghanistan. The last panel was not Zimbabwe, but was instead “All Other Countries in the World”. Man, those Aussies are smart! They took into account how unpredictable global political entities are!

    For this next comparison, I’m going to mix it up a little

    Canada, Version 1

    And USA, Version 2

    Do you feel like you’re at the eye doctor? “Which is sharper, one or two”? I always HATE that experience, yet I’m doing it to you.

    Some final shots before I wrap this up:

    Version 1

    Version 2

    Or Version 3

    I’d love to hear what you think!

    The Land of Oz

    As a kid, I was always fascinated by the Wizard of Oz. In addition to watching the movie multiple times, I read every single Oz book our library carried. So, I was quite excited when I stumbled upon the PBS series entitled The Magical Land of Oz . To my surprise, it wasn’t about Dorothy or the wizard at all, but was instead three wonderful shows about Australia, where we will be heading shortly. (No tornado required, and, I hope, none expected).

    Why is Australia called the Land of Oz? I didn’t know, so I asked Mr. Google, the source of much of my wisdom. Turns out, it has to do with the way it sounds when you say the first three letters of the continent’s name. Give it a try. Anyway, the shows are visually spectacular, much better than anything I can hope to capture with my photos.

    Speaking of photos, this is the first trip I will make without bringing a camera. Yes, I will still take photos, but I will be using my new iPhone 11 pro. After our son sent us photos he had taken with the wide angle, telephoto and regular lenses, and showed us what the camera can do with night shots, I was intrigued. It was definitely worth a trip to the nearby Apple store to just take a look. Silly me. I really thought I would be able to leave the store without making a purchase!

    Another purchase for the trip was a “lipstick” charger from Amazon. My friend Sally had been using one on our recent bike trip and I was quite taken with the little gadget. Even though the iPhone 11 is supposed to have a robust battery, I didn’t want to take a chance of running out of juice should I encounter a once in a lifetime photo op.

    Of course, that wasn’t the only gadget that captured my attention. I also HAD to have the Lencent adaptor I stumbled upon when purchasing the lipstick charger. They both come with cute little storage sacks and don’t take up much room in my gadget bag.

    Because my replaced iPhone is few generations old, I decided not to turn it in, but instead plan to purchase a prepaid sim card for use in Australia. (Yes, my buying frenzy continues). After learning that, like New Zealand, free, unlimited WiFi isn’t widely available in Australia, I figured it was worthwhile to give a foreign sim card a try, using THAT older phone for accessing the internet. (An idea I picked up from one of the travel forums I follow).

    Here’s what my research uncovered: you need to pay attention to “credit validity”, which was a new term for me. I have since learned that it refers to the number of days the prepayment option has purchased, starting from the day you first use it. So, if you purchase a card with a credit validity of 7 days, and you use it on the 1st of the month, regardless of the gigabytes purchased, you are done on the 8th, and need to “recharge” (pay more).

    Why not go with Verizon’s travel pass? Well, if you use the internet ONCE during a 24 hour period, you get charged $10 for that day. It seemed like a better deal to get a prepaid sim card for 28 days for $30 Australian dollars (about $20 US, or two days worth of Verizon Travel Pass.

    Why wouldn’t I just use the Australian sim card, in my new iPhone, you ask? Good question. Here’s why: I know myself well enough to recognize that it is entirely possible for me to lose my original sim card, a significant concern.

    There are three mobile phone networks in Australia. Telestra, Optus and Vodaphone all offer coverage in the most traveled parts of Australia. Of the three, Optus is the only network that has a store in Melbourne Airport. So, given that this is a new experience for me, I decided that I wanted to interact with a human rather than purchase a card in advance from the internet (Amazon)and hope for the best. That way, I can have someone exchange the cards for me, and make sure that the phone is functioning correctly before we leave the airport.

    Thanks to the internet, I was able to check the coverage map for Optus, where I learned that coverage varies by type of device, something I never would have considered. It appears that the iPhone 7 may not have great coverage throughout Tasmania and parts of the interior where we will be visiting. Big decision: will I decide to be without WiFi when in those uncovered areas? Or will I trust myself not to lose my original sim card and just use my new iPhone? Bet you can’t wait for this cliff hanger to be resolved in a future post.

    Another cliff hanger: Will we get off the wait list for an upgrade to United’s business class? Here’s the deal. A free round trip ticket would have cost 240,000 miles each, whereas an upgrade is only 60,000 miles each, plus the price of an economy ticket and an additional cash payment. Given that we had nowhere near the miles needed for a free ticket, we opted for the upgrade, resulting in our waiting to see whether United can sell those seats for more than what we paid in cash and miles. It’s a gamble–one that does not make me a happy, loyal United customer. BUT, the other option would have been paying almost $8,000 each for business class. Of course, we could always stuff ourselves into economy for 6 hours to LA and 16 more hours to Melbourne. Yeah, we sure HOPE that’s not happening.

    Finally, we learned from our trip leader that during our tour, we can expect temperatures to vary from a potential low of 30 F to highs in the 90’s, with varying degrees of humidity. Hey, its a big continent, and we are covering a lot of ground. That makes packing even more of a challenge. This time, I’m using different packing cubes for cold, temperate and hot areas.

    Theoretically, the blue cubes can be compressed. Realistically, the plastic compression bags do a much better job so that’s what I used for my jacket. It is great for travel because the lining zips out, transforming the shell into a light weight rain jacket. Plus, the lining can be worn alone for cool days and shell plus lining will keep me toasty during those 30 F days and nights. Yes, it all fit into my duffel, was under 50 pounds, PLUS my backpack (carry on) had plenty of room to spare.

    Here’s the route we, and 10 other travelers, will be taking on our Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) tour. Six of us have opted for the pre trip to Tasmania.

    See you in Oz!

    Western Pennsylvania’s Surprises – Part 2

    I know, I know–there has been a bit of a gap between Western Pennsylvania’s Part 1 and Part 2. That’s what happens when you follow a lazy blogger.

    So, to review: my last post pointed out our mistaken belief that Fallingwater would be the only attraction the Ohiopyle area had to offer. Were WE ever wrong. Instead, we discovered multiple highlights, many of them located at the Nemacolin Resort.

    If you have never heard of the Nemacolin resort, join the club. Neither had we. The Fallingwater website listed several area hotels, beds & breakfasts and inns. Because this trip was an anniversary celebration, a Ramada, Holiday Inn Express or Days Inn was not what we had in mind. Okay, the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort was a splurge, but was it ever worth it!

    First some background information: The resort is privately owned by 96 year old Joseph Hardy III, who still has a home somewhere on its 2,000 acres. He leaves its day to day operation to his daughter Maggie, who also is the CEO of 84 Lumber, the source of Joe’s wealth. You can read all about Joe’s history in the lobby of the Lodge.

    We stayed in The Lodge, one of several hotels on the property.

    Well, not exactly ALL. You need to go to Wikipedia to learn that he had FIVE wives instead of the three the display fessed up to. His first marriage to Dorothy lasted more than 50 years, which means that from his 70’s until now, he made up for lost time by wedding 4 more lovely ladies. Three of his brides were in their 20’s, which made the 50 something woman he wed (wife #4) appear age appropriate. Unfortunately, THAT marriage went the way of the three before, and Joe’s last (possibly current?) Mrs. Hardy was under 30 when he married her. The display tells about his founding of 84 Lumber and its financial success, but somehow I find his marital history far more intriguing. Admit it, you probably do too.

    Joe’s interest was not confined to women. He also was fond of classic cars, which are displayed in a “museum” on the property. Here are just a few of Joe’s toys. Notice the motorcycle? That is a replica of Peter Fonda’s wheels, built from parts of the motorcycles used in the movie “Easy Rider”. The Captain America helmet is perched on the back.

    Right by the private airstrip is a hangar containing classic planes, including Steve McQueen’s, from a movie I didn’t see and don’t recall. Sorry. THAT museum was locked up, but if you have a burning desire to get up close and personal with those babies, you can call security from the phone helpfully placed by the entrance and they will let you in. We weren’t that curious, so the photo was shot through the window. I’m confident you get the idea.

    Although there are many diversions to thrill children and teens, we didn’t partake in any of those.

    Instead, we rode the “free” shuttle to the Frank Lloyd Wright “tribute” restaurant located in another hotel (each room at THIS hotel comes with your personal butler. If you are anything like me, you probably are wondering “what does the butler DO??? Hand you your slippers, floss your teeth? ). Lunch outside was lovely, but probably not worth the price.

    The view from the outdoor restaurant

    The walk back to our hotel, however was pretty delightful. In addition to stopping to visit the two museums, we enjoyed looking at the extensive sculpture collection scattered along the walkways.

    My favorite thing, however, was our anniversary dinner. Pricy, yes, but very delicious and quite an elegant experience. Can you tell from the photos below which was the main course?

    I chose the Wagu Beef, which is shown in the upper right hand corner. Makes one recall that commercial “where’s the beef”? Yes, I am old enough to remember both the original commercial and the political ad that used the phrase.

    Enough about Nemacolin. I’m sure you’ve gotten the idea by now. ANOTHER big area attraction is Fort Necessity. I’m married to a man who never saw a fort that he didn’t love. Although this Fort Necessity isn’t very big, and is a replica of the original, the visitor’s center is fantastic.

    I probably was taught this in either elementary or high school, but I had forgotten this fort was where George Washington started the French and Indian War. Here’s what happened: either the French or the British fired the first shot at Fort Necessity. The well done video makes it clear that each side claimed the other was the aggressor. What is important was the way the battle ended. The British had to surrender, and the terms were written in French, a language Washington didn’t understand. his translator wasn’t all that fluent either, and to make matters worse, it had been raining and the ink had run.

    What Washington didn’t realize was that he had admitted to assassinating the French commander, and the rest is history.

    One final note: if you are visiting the area, The Bittersweet Cafe is a great choice for breakfast. Don’t miss it!

    Western Pennsylvania’s Surprises

    Do you know where you find a section of the Berlin Wall, Peter Fonda’s motorcycle with Captain America helmet, Steve McQueen’s airplane, the Fort where the French and Indian War started, several Frank Lloyd Wright masterpieces, and a five diamond restaurant? Hint: check out the map above, specifically the Ohiopyle area. It doesn’t look like there is much in the area, does it? At least that’s what I thought till I got there.

    Did you ever plan a trip, thinking that it would be all about a particular site, then discover that the area had a whole lot more to offer? Enough for two posts, even?

    We were drawn to the area by a newspaper article I had clipped about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater decades ago. It sat in my “Fun Things To Do” folder until earlier this year, when I figured we either needed to visit the damn place or throw out the clipping. If I had done the latter, you wouldn’t be reading this post.

    A quick internet search uncovered a special Fallingwater experience–a sunset tour, lasting three hours, ending with appetizers on one of the decks. The tours are only offered on Friday and Saturday nights, are limited to 10 participants, allow interior photography, and include parts of the house not shown on the other tours. For $150 per person, you can pretend that you are a guest of the owners. Just our kind of gig.

    The newspaper article included a photo similar to this one

    So how was it, you ask? Well, the house was quite fascinating, especially given that it was completed in 1937. As you can see from the photo above, the house was built over a waterfall. When the windows are open, you can definitely HEAR that water falling! Closing the windows successfully shuts out most of the noise…and also the cooling breezes. Fallingwater, you see, is not air conditioned. Did they even HAVE AC back in the late ’30s?

    You’re probably thinking “What’s the point of living over a waterfall if you can’t stick your 10 little piggies into it”? Right? Well, Frank was also thinking just that, so here’s what he did.

    The stairway leading down to the water is pretty cool, but what is even more impressive is the way the glass panels slide away.

    Do you think he accomplished his goal, which was to bring the outside in?

    Here’s another example. You are out in the middle of nowhere, so window coverings are not needed, but in the bathroom, why not have planters built into the window to form a natural curtain?†

    When we first entered the living room, it looked like the corner was completely open. It took a while to see what is obvious from the reflection on the window–that two panes of glass are joined in the corner.

    Wright not only designed the building, he also created all the furniture throughout the house. I was surprised to see a king sized bed in the master bedroom. Our guide explained that it was actually two twins pushed together and united by a single headboard and bedspread, something TV in the 1950’s would never have shown. (It isn’t that visually interesting, so I didn’t bother posting a photo of it–everyone knows what a king sized bed looks like.) How surprising that it took about three decades for that great concept to catch on!

    The kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms are all very small. The focus is on the large living/dining room and the outside balconies. Check out the banquettes in the living room. Not what I consider the most comfortable seating, but maybe if you imbibe enough from those nearby bottles, you won’t notice.

    At the other end of the living room is the dining area. Are you expecting the tour to turn left or right into the kitchen? Well, it doesn’t. The kitchen is a tiny space down a flight of stairs and through a very narrow hallway. The owners clearly didn’t spend much time there. That was the domain of the servants. There are no photos, because the kitchen was so tiny, I couldn’t figure out how to frame it.

    I was quite happy that our appetizers were not served in the dining room; instead, we enjoyed our hummus, crackers, cheese and veggies on one of the decks.

    A staff member was getting everything ready for us. You can see from that blue pole in the foreground of this photo that necessary repairs are being made on the building.

    While enjoying our appetizers, one of the other guests strongly recommended that we visit another of Wright’s nearby buildings. Kentuck Knob was built about 20 years later, for friends who were frequent guests of the Kaufmann family, the owners of Fallingwater.

    Okay, so I know this is heresy, but I actually liked Kentuck Knob BETTER than Fallingwater. It has all of the usual Wright features, but it just seems more LIVEABLE. Interestingly enough, it is considered “usonian” (Frank’s term for his “middle income” houses.) This “middle income’ house was built for the Hagans, the owners of the ice cream company in Uniontown PA, and was sold to its current owner, Lord Peter Palumbo, who, since 1996, when not using it as his vacation home, opens it to the public.

    A photo of the Lord and Diana (wearing her “screw you, Charles” dress) appears in the house. I grabbed this from the internet

    Take a look at the cutouts under the eaves. They are a source of light into the living room and supposedly repeat design elements found in the building. (I’m taking that on the guide’s word. I couldn’t spot any of those elements.)

    Notice how the carports–Wright’s invention — are nestled into the landscape. The hill behind forms a partial roof.

    Although we weren’t allowed to take photos INSIDE the house, there was no rule against shooting through the windows into the interior, which is what I did.

    Now take a look at the role the cutouts play in the interior space.

    The wall opposite the banquettes is all windows and glass doors, offering access to a walkway and a spectacular view of the valley below.

    The price of your admission allows you to wander through Lord Palumbo’s spectacular sculpture meadow. I was particularly taken with the part of the Berlin Wall. His collection also includes three red British phone booths at the visitors center.

    A Section of the Berlin Wall
    I don’t think these phone booths work!

    I’m tired of writing and you are probably tired of reading so the rest of the area attractions I promised in the first paragraph will have to wait until the next time I post.

    Patagonia – Our Final Days

    I’ll admit it. I am a lazy blogger. It seems it always happen this way. I start out with great intentions, keeping friends and family updated as to our whereabouts, but toward the end of every trip, I run out of steam. Then, re-entry into our world takes a few weeks. So here we are, back home, reliving our wonderful time in Patagonia via photos.

    Our last several days have not been recorded, so let’s start there. If you recall the map from the Punta Arenas post, you’ll remember that we had some very long travel days.

    With a bus like this, however, you travel in comfort, and you really get to experience the countryside. There were only 12 travelers (plus guides) on a bus that could carry over 40 passengers! With multiple interesting stops along the way, time passed quickly.

    On our way to cross the border back into Argentina, we stopped to pay tribute to Gauchito Gil.

    Here’s his story: Gil joined the Argentinian army to fight against Paraguay. He returned to his village as a hero, but soon after, the Argentine Civil War broke out. He refused to fight against his countrymen, so he deserted. He was found in the forest, by the police, who tortured him and hung him upside down from a tree. As a policeman was about to kill him, Gil said, “your son is very ill. If you give me a proper burial and pray to me, your son will live. If not, he will die.” Despite the prediction, the policeman cut Gil’s throat. When he arrived home, the policeman discovered his son was indeed very ill, so he heeded Gil’s prophecy–gave him the proper burial, said a prayer or two, and (wait for it–dramatic pause) the son was CURED!

    SO, today’s travelers offer a beer or some other tribute to Gil, as an extra insurance policy for a safe trip. As you can see, we were no exception. Hey, why not.


    In addition to educational stops along the way, our guides kept boredom at bay by entertaining and feeding us. Laura, our guia excelente, donned that costume before she served us a wonderful treat. Yeah, I forgot what it is called, but I certainly remember the wonderful taste.

    We were not without our national Geographic moments. As we drive the highways and by ways, we noticed several eagles and other large birds of prey sitting on fence posts. Were they watching the cars go by, as an avian form of TV? No, they had figured out that it was just a matter of time before some tasty road kill would make their grocery shopping much easier. Take a look.

    Before we knew it we were in El Calafate, Argentina. The main purpose of our 2 night stay here was to view the Perito Moreno Glacier in the National Park.

    We certainly did that, both from a ship and from land. It was quite a majestic sight. The experience wasn’t just visual, however. It was also auditory. We could actually hear the glacier groan and thunder, as parts of it crashed off into the sea below.

    While in El Calafate, we stayed at the Kauyatun, a gorgeous hotel reincarnated from a former sheep ranch. Best of all, it is within walking distance of El Calafate’s charming center.

    • Beautiful grounds
    • The restaurant/ lounge
    • Herding demo

    Our trip ended in Buenos Aires, where we had our farewell dinner, then flights home the next afternoon.

    A toast to Laura

    Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you have such an interesting, caring, informed, fantastic guide like Laura. We all truly appreciated how hard she worked to make this trip extra special for all of us. Her energy was amazing!

    We also felt so fortunate to be a part of an extraordinarily compatible group. Our hope is that this will not be the last time we see these wonderful, smiling faces!

    The terrific twelve