Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 68

Travel Articles: Taos, New Mexico

Arty Taos

In Taos, it’s all about the art.

Populated with more artists and galleries per capita than Paris, the town is overflowing with beautiful and creative artworks.  Artists are drawn by the light, which is sometimes warm and golden and other times bold enough to turn the surrounding mountains blood red—a fact that prompted the Spanish conquistadors to dub them the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for their resemblance to the “blood of Christ.”  Rainbow halos are said to hang over the mountains in summer. .  Read more. . . 



More things to do in New Mexico. 






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article and image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: Frank Lloyd Wright tours, Chicago, Illinois

Frank Lloyd Wright spent the first 20 years of his career in Chicago.





●Home and Studio  951 Chicago Ave., in Oak Park.  Admission to home and studio is by guided tour only.  You can also take a neighborhood walking tour and visit nearby Unity Temple.   For the first 20 years of Wright's career, this house was the sanctuary where he designed and executed more than 130 buildings.  Wright built the simple shingled cottage in 1889 at age 22 for his bride.  He remodeled the house constantly until 1911, when he left his wife and six children.  It features a barrel-vaulted children's playroom and a studio with an octagonal balcony suspended by chains.  Allow 1 hour for the tour.



●Robie House  5757 S. Woodlawn Ave., on U. of C. campus.  Completed in 1910, this quintessential Prairie house is described as featuring “sweeping horizontal planes, dramatic cantilevers and long ribbons of art glass windows.”  One French man was moved to exclaim, “Ooh la la!”  Another Wright house is nearby on Woodlawn/51st, 2 blocks from President Barack Obama’s house.



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image depicts Robie House, copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: Architecture River Cruise, Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Architecture Foundation tours 
224 S. Michigan Ave. (across street from Art Institute; L stop is at Adams and Wabash, 1 block away).  Individual tickets are available by phone at 1-800-982-2787, or online at www.ticketmaster.com/rivercruise.  The CAF offers 85+ tours. 

●Architecture River Cruise  May-Nov.  Departs from lower level at SE corner of the Michigan Ave. Bridge/Wacker Dr.  Pick up tickets about 6 blocks away at 224 S. Michigan office.  Purchase tickets at least 1 week in advance.  The staircase to the ticket window and dock is marked by a blue awning. 
Famous among Chicagoans, this 1½-hour tour along the Chicago River attracts both visitors and locals.  You’ll board Chicago’s First Lady in the very heart of the city, between Millennium Park and The Magnificent Mile.  In good weather, you can sit on the top deck and enjoy this city’s spectacular architecture up close while a docent points out highlights--the new Trump Tower, the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), and Art Deco buildings galore.  The boat typically passes under 23 bridges, and you’ll likely see and hear kayakers, trains, and the rattling old El line. 





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Some travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular getaways.



image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

misc. acupressure for travel

Next time you're stuck on a plane, squished into a too-tiny seat, take a look at this helpful article about pressure points you can manipulate to feel better.  I'm going to test it out myself on my upcoming cross-country flight.  Hint:  bookmark it; it doesn't print out well. 






Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.


 image copyright Sara Calabro via article website

Travel Articles: Acoma, New Mexico

Spend the Night on an Indian Reservation 

Stop
midway between Albuquerque and Flagstaff on Highway I-40 (which
replaced the famous Highway 66) to explore the wide open spaces of the
vast Acoma Indian Reservation and perhaps do a little gambling.  It is
jeans-and-t-shirt casual.  Read more. . . 



More things to do in New Mexico. 




Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.



article and image c2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Sights to See: TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK, Patagonia, Chile

TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK (pronounced TOR-ehs del PIE-nay; “paine” is an Indian word for “blue”)  After several hours of traveling in a van over bumpy dirt roads and through green pastures filled with fat sheep and baby lambs, we got our exciting first glimpse of the iconic jagged peaks we traveled half way around the world to see--the three sheer granite peaks forming the Paine Massif, the very symbol of Patagonia.  Established in 1959 by the Chilean government, this massive 450,000-acre park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and also a hiker's paradise.  An extensive collection of groomed trails range from an easy walk around a lake to a challenging 7-hour trek to Glacier Grey (though you can see this massive glacier and lake up close with a much shorter hike, too).  You’ll also most likely see—as I did--herds of docile, camel-like guanacos (they are related to the llama, but with shorter hair) and flocks of Andean condors.  Armadillos, black-throated swans, pink flamingos, and the Andean puma are also sometimes spotted.  Interestingly, the park has no poisonous plants or reptiles.  The area is famous for strong winds that sometimes knock people over.  Hear the whipping winds in this video taken at milky turquoise-colored Lago Nordenskjold.   





Puerto Natales webcam.



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images copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Travel Articles: Fairy Tale Road, Germany

AN ITINERARY FOR GERMANY’S FAIRY TALE ROAD
(or MARCHENSTRASSE)

Once upon a time, not too long ago, in a land that is, in the jet age, not so far away, my non-traditional American family--me, my husband, our 13-year-old daughter, and my 72-year-old mother--visited the Fairy Tale Road in Germany.  Read more . . .



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Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.



article and image copyright Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Great Sleeps: Remota Hotel, Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile

Remota Hotel  (011-56-61) 414-040.  Indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, Finnish sauna.  No TVs in room.  Breakfast and excursions included.  Designed by famous Chilean architect German de Sol, this hotel is a surprise to find so far away from “civilization.”  Its simple, spare interior is decorated with museum-quality Chilean artifacts, and it sits well amid the rustic, spare outdoor surroundings and features stunning views.  A full-service resort, it offers a menu of unusual excursions ranging from hiking in Torres del Paine National Park, to visiting local farms, to sailing through the fjords.



Puerto Natales webcam.



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More travel articles to inspire you and help you plan some spectacular getaways. 



images copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

top image depicts pool house

bottom image depicts hallway

Sights to See: Milodon Cave Natural Monument, Puerto Natales, Patagonia, Chile

Milodon Cave Natural Monument  on Benítez hill, 15 miles NW of town.  Long ago, now-extinct giant sloths, which were herbivores, lived in this 100-foot-high by 260-foot-wide by 650-foot-deep cavern.  Today, visitors follow a 15-minute trail to the entrance, then a path that loops through the interior featuring stalactites and stalagmites.  Signs are in Spanish. 

More info.



More things to do in Chile.



More travel articles to inspire you and help you plan some spectacular getaways. 



image copyright 2013 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Things to Do: Volcan de Lodo el Totumo, Cartegena, Colombia

Volcan de Lodo el Totumo  This mud volcano is just outside of town.  Watch a blogger get down and dirty taking a mud bath with strangers.  A quote from her informative blog posting says that it looks “like an overgrown anthill with a rickety, home-made wooden staircase up one side.”  Though I myself have never been here, my daughter is the one who first told me about it after her visit a few years ago and now it is on my bucket list.  Perhaps you'll want to add it to yours as well. 



More volcanoes. 



Travel articles to inspire you and help you plan some spectacular getaways.