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Showing posts with the label art

24 Hour Girls’ Getaway in Chicago, Part 2

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It was a very comfortable night at the Hyatt Centric the Loop in Chicago . We were able to take our time in the morning and I was excited to find out my friend and fellow writer, Kristine Hansen, was in town. We met for breakfast at Cochon Valent Brasserie, just downstairs from the hotel. Their blueberry pancakes were loaded with fruit and as delicious as everything always is there. My Joan picked something up to eat and relaxed in the room. and we met up to head over to the Art Institute of Chicago . I have been to the Art Institute many times. I try to check out all of their special exhibits as well as some of the smaller ones. The exhibition that brought me here this time was Manet and Modern Beauty.  Edouard Manet was a late 19 th century painter known for what was a modern style at the time. He especially flourished when painting women. The collection, the first of its kind in 50 years, was well worth a trip, but we decided to spend some time looking around. I stopped at

Art and Food in Lafayette, Indiana

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My friend Jaimee and I had arrived in Lafayette, Indiana , the previous day for a quick getaway. It had been a few years since I was here and I had no idea how much there was to see – and eat. We woke up in our spacious two-bedroom accommodation at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Lafayette . Although the hotel offers a big complimentary breakfast, we already had plans for brunch at Town & Gown Bistro. Town & Gown is much bigger than it looks on the outside. It has two floors and they were both full of patrons. Matt O’Neill, former innkeeper and chef at Walden Inn, and author of “Seasons at the Walden Inn,” has made a name for himself in this city. It was easy to figure out why after we finished eating.  Chef O’Neill uses fresh and local ingredients and puts his touch on common brunch items.  Jaimee raved about her eggs benedict, and I thought the house-made corned beef hash was fantastic, as were my latte and eggs. After we f

King Tut and Dinner on the River in St. Louis

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It was a beautiful summer day and my friend Betty and I were heading to St. Louis . We were going to spend the afternoon at the St. Louis Science Center before taking off on a Gateway Arch River Cruise for dinner. We decided to leave the car in the lot by the boat and take an Uber to the museum and back.  The cruises left right below the Gateway Arch and we had quite a view from that spot. The St. Louis Science Center is located within Forest Park. Like the other museums there, it is free to the public. We didn’t realize that the museum closed at 5:00 pm so we couldn’t see it all, but we had enough time to go through the main thing we came for: The King Tut Exhibit . With our tickets we received our recorders for the guided audio tour.  I really didn’t know what to expect since it had been many years since I had seen anything on King Tut.  This exhibit was so much more than I ever expected. It is set up so that you are walking in the

Introduction to Grand Rapids and LaughFest

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I had been to Grand Rapids only once, for a short trip. I was happy to return with my friend Lisa to explore the city and attend my first LaughFest. The annual event is in honor of Gilda Radner, a former comedian best known for her role on Saturday Night Live. Radner, who was married to fellow actor Gene Wilder, died in 1989 of ovarian cancer. The Michigan native is the namesake of Gilda’s Club, which helps those affected by cancer. LaughFest raises money each year for this worthy cause. Lisa and I checked into the largest hotel in the city, the Amway Grand Plaza, Curio Collection by Hilton . The hotel is quite opulent and the service was great from the start. Our room had a great view of the river. We quickly got settled in and headed downtown to the Grand Rapids Art Museum. As we walked the few blocks to the museum we could see that the entire city was ready for LaughFest . Signs and logo products were everywhere, especially the art museum where the

Enjoying Galena

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My friend Cortney and I had arrived in Galena the afternoon before and were really enjoying the area. For day two, we had a full schedule and we were up early to take it all in. The Goldmoor Inn is an incredible property on the Mississippi River. Their spacious rooms and suites include a freshly cooked gourmet breakfast each morning. While the chef makes one breakfast each day, they are flexible for special needs and allergies. Our first breakfast consisted of warm scones, fresh fruit, juice, coffee, and a delicious omelet. We took a ride to nearby Stockton, a small town within Galena/Jo County. We were first stopping at  NorthWest Design Glass . Northwest Glass is owned by Pennie, Daryl and Drew Groezinger.  They sell unique glass jewelry, ornaments, and other décor. We browsed around the shop while Pennie finished up some work. She then gave us a glassblowing demonstration, which I don’t think I’d seen before. After the demonstration, Cortney