Singin' One's Journeys

April 28, 2017 by traveler 0

Pella-April 2017

See the Tulips at Last?

I've lived in Iowa for nearly 12 years and only visited Pella twice, neither time when the town's famous tulips were in bloom. A library colleague has reminded me that this is tulip season there, and she found on her visit there yesterday, they are, indeed, in glorious bloom.

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/besideBurling042817.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" />So, I've decided to further delay the completion of the book review that's due next week for a few more hours in order to visit Pella tomorrow (Saturday) instead of waiting for the festival they're hosting next weekend. This will allow me to see the tulips and avoid the crowds.

The question is: will the weather allow for this? As I head to lunch today, it's cold (RB's thermostat reads 39 degrees) and raining. The picture here shows the rain falling on the patch of tulips and daffodils on the other side of the library's parking lot. The forecast for tomorrow is for more of the same, so I'm hoping I can see plenty without getting out of RB.

Looking at the route to Pella, I also noticed a decent sized lake with a state park nearby that I've also never visited. So, it seems logical to add this to the quickie trip. If this happens, I'll certain take--and will post--lots of pictures from Pella and at the Elk Rock State Park.

April 18, 2017 by traveler 0

Random Thoughts

Historical Destruction

One of the last posts I posted on my Iowa?!? travel blog was a recounting of my trips last May to the six Bridges of Madison County--yes, the ones upon which the book and 1995 movie were based. In : //iowasites.wordpress.com/2016/05/15/the-bridges-of-madison-county-pt-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Part one, I wrote about my first stop, which was to the iconic Cedar Bridge. It was the only one still open to vehicular traffic, so I drove RB through the wooden structure before getting out of the car and taking several pictures.

Cedar Bridge sat adjacent to a : //www.madisoncountyconservation.org/cedar-covered-bridge-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pretty little park where one could take a picnic lunch and enjoy the afternoon. It was actually a reconstruction of the original 1883 bridge that was destroyed by fire in 2002.

Anyway, on my way to work this morning, I heard a radio DJ announce that the bridge had been : //www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2017/04/15/famous-madison-county-cedar-covered-bridge-destroyed-by-fire-winterset-iowa/100497976/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">completely destroyed over the previous weekend. As with the 2002 fire, investigators suspected arson, and the Madison County sheriff planned to provide an update at a news conference this afternoon. I worked throughout the day, but for some reason, the news stayed on my mind. I kept checking the Web to see what information was available.

They finally announced a few moments ago that a : //whotv.com/2017/04/18/arrest-made-in-cedar-bridge-arson-investigation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">17-year-old kid had been arrested and charged on Monday night, with the investigation still underway.

It saddens me that there are those who seek some sort of gratification from destruction--be that the burning of a historic bridge or : //www.cnn.com/2017/04/17/us/facebook-homicide-victim-trnd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">taking the life an innocent older gentleman who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Fortunately, the bridge can be replaced. : //whotv.com/2017/04/17/in-wake-of-cedar-bridge-burning-plans-in-the-works-to-rebuild-once-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Plans to do so are already under discussion.

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April 5, 2017 by traveler 0

New York-Burleigh Spring 2017

They Say the Neon Lights Are Bright

Between the late night before and the day's cold weather, my mother, sister and I got a slow start on Saturday morning. My sister and I had already decided to forego the tour of the Statue of Liberty that had been scheduled in favor of a few extra hours of sleep and of keeping our mother company. When we finally arose, we decided to prepare to vacate our current room and, since breakfast there yesterday had been less than desired, we'd would check out and eat at a nearby restaurant. The check out, breakfast and relocation to our new abode for the day were uneventful. So, as the afternoon progressed, I spent my time texting and finally calling one of my former host daughters from the college where I work. She was now living in the city, and I was hoping we could spend a few hours together before my scheduled departure. Fortunately, she was able to come to the hotel, and we had a lovely time catching up. Then, when she said she had nothing else planned for the evening, we decided to have dinner together at a restaurant on Times Square.

While the temps were still on the cool side, the rain had gone by the time we jammed ourselves into an Uber car and rode to Times Square. The restaurant was called Bubba Gump and was a seafood joint with a "Forrest Gump" theme. My sister had selected it because she knows that I try to inhale as much seafood as I can whenever I'm on a coast. It must be pretty popular because the place was SRO with folks waiting to eat. The wait wasn't bad, and the food and service was quite good. One could even order one of their specialty drinks in a lighted glass. We had a nice time, but unfortunately, we didn't allow ourselves much time to eat before the 8: 00 p.m. start of the show we were to attend.

[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="639,640,641,642,643"]

Yes, we had wanted to see "Hamilton," but with ticket prices starting at $734, that wasn't going to happen (besides, I'm perfectly willing to wait until the tour comes to Des Moines where the tickets won't be so budget busting). Instead, we went to ": //beautifulonbroadway.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Beautiful," a musical based on the life of singer-songwriter Carole King. I had no idea that she had collaborated on so many popular songs from the 1960's. It was so tempting to sing along, and in fact, the cast invited the audience to join in for a recap at the end of the show.

[gallery columns="2" size="medium" ids="645,646"] We had scheduled nothing for Sunday morning, and we wouldn't need to leave for the airport (me) or train station (my mother and sister) until mid-afternoon. Thank goodness for the free time because it allowed us a last opportunity to spend a few hours together before parting company. And I certainly didn't mind the much less adventurous flight back to Cedar Rapids.

All of the pictures from the weekend are uploaded on my : //www.flickr.com/x/t/0094009/photos/singinone/sets/72157682926464726/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Flickr account.

Overall, it was a great weekend!!

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April 3, 2017 by traveler 0

New York-Burleigh Spring 2017

Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on Ma Head

I didn't mention previously that, in preparation for this trip--during which I expected to present publicly, I'd gone to the trouble having my hair done just before I left Iowa. I also didn't mention that the TSA had pulled my bottle of styling mousse out of my carry-on bag because the bottle was too big to make it through inspection. If only I'd packed an umbrella instead of the bottle of mousse! Anyway, Friday morning was spent in the hotel resting and chatting with my mother and sister. We decided to order breakfast room service (I can still hear the reverb of the cha-ching's from *that* one)--an experiment none of us wanted to repeat (when I write the Tripadvisor review, you'll see why). This did allow me the day to convert my notes into a coherent presentation for the evening's Burleigh Society program. I also had plenty of time to roll my hair using an improvised solution to my departed mousse and to dress appropriately for the event. I should have asked my sister to take a picture before I left, because... ...the storm washed my hairdo completely away. The very same storm--with its heavy winds and rain--that had visited Iowa on Wednesday and made travel through Chicago interesting on Thursday was now in New York. I had a leather coat, which did a fine job protecting my outfit, but my head was completely exposed. Usually, I do my hair and makeup on site as my way of relaxing before the program, so I have no idea why I chose to go a different route this time. The results were pretty much inevitable, and no amount of combing was going to bring the curls--or any other style suitable for a professional performance for that matter--back. Oh well, as they say, "the show must go on."

The : //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/HTBSTributeProgramOrder.pdf">Harry T. Burleigh Tribute Program was wide-ranging, and all who either performed or lectured --including the congregational singing of Burleigh's version of "Walk Together Children," contributed strongly to its success (I'll have to leave it to others to access my part in the proceeding). However, for me, three things parts of the program were most memorable.

Following the welcome came a performance on a foot-pump organ. After I saw all the work the organist put into her performance, I went onto YouTube to see if there was: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBCYN0nxGF4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> a video about a similar instrument. I don't know if the instrument used on the video was the same as that used in the program, but the organist, Artis Wodehouse, was the performer during both. I do wish I'd seen the video before the program because I'd have appreciated her outstanding performance even more than I did.

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/One-Year-Cover-231x300.jpg" alt="" width="231" height="300" />Second, a young member of St. Georges read a biography about Burleigh written by another youngster. The astonishing thing was that the A+ graded paper was written fifteen years after Burleigh's death by a young person who had clearly learned to admire the late composer. And the third thing that was most striking to me was my first hearing of the performance of "One Year," a song written by Burleigh during War World I. What I found even more impressive to me as a singer myself was that the baritone, Steven Kirby, had sat for more than an hour before delivering that affecting performance.

And, of course, it was wonderful hearing Jean Snyder, my roomie at the AAASA conference just last February, share a little of her wealth of knowledge about Burleigh with her presentation about the singer-composer's relationship with St. Georges Church. Overall, though, I must extend kudos to all who performed or presented that evening!

Fortunately, the program was surprisingly well attended considering the cold, torrential rainfall that dampened the evening. I believe that much of that was due to the organizational skills of the : //www.burleighsociety.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Burleigh Society (Marti Newland and Lynne Foote), the appreciation that members of St. Georges Episcopal Church still have for composer Harry T. Burleigh (1866-1949), as well as the talented presenters the society had invited to be involved in the program.

[gallery size="large" type="slideshow" ids="633,632,631"]

The program was live-streamed and is now available online at : //www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KncSSsGrUM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KncSSsGrUM. I understandably avoided standing for the pictures that were taken afterwards.

The generous feeding of the soul that evening was then following by a major meal to feed the body. The presenters and other guests, including my mother and sister, were treated to a sumptuous, not-soon-to-be-forgotten feast!

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_0094.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="488" />

We got back to the hotel around 2 a.m., and my sister and I immediately decided that, between the terrible weather that was forecast to continue until the afternoon and the early hour we would have to arise to make the 8: 30 a.m. tour--plus we really didn't want to leave our mother alone, we would be better off cancelling our tour appointment for this trip.

So, we all settled in for a good morning's sleep.

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April 3, 2017 by traveler 0

New York-Burleigh Spring 2017

Headin’ to New York

I reached the Cedar Rapids airport on Thursday morning. Most memorable about the drive was seeing two different semis stuck in the highway median and a third badly damaged from where it had gone into a ditch on the side of the highway. They served as a reminder of the severity of the storm that had whipped it way through Iowa the day before. The reminder was reinforced when I found out that Chicago O'Hare was delaying flights going into that airport because they were now in the midst of that same storm--btw, this storm will be a recurring theme of this trip. After a two-hour delay, we were finally allowed to depart Cedar Rapids. The flight was uneventful, but the delay caused me to miss my connection to New York LaGuardia. The flight from Chicago to New York was packed with folks who, like me, had missed earlier flights, and it was so turbulent that the attendants were unable to serve refreshments. So, instead of reaching the hotel in time to have a nice dinner with the organizers of the Burleigh Society program scheduled for the next evening, followed by spending the rest of that evening with my mother and sister--who were coming to New York by train, I arrived around 9 p.m. and settled for leftover macaroni for dinner. Still, I'm thankful that my trip was safe and that I would be involved in a weekend doing many things that I enjoy doing. Stand by for more....

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March 16, 2017 by traveler 0

New York-Burleigh Spring 2017

New York, New York…

Now, this is the kind of trip I like, a combination of business and pleasure.

First, business. I'm scheduled to present during the : //www.eventbrite.com/e/harry-t-burleighs-annual-service-of-negro-spirituals-at-st-georges-church-a-tribute-tickets-31140514116?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=esfb&utm-source=fb&utm-term=listing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Harry T. Burleigh's Annual Service of Negro Spirituals at St. George's Church on Friday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. The address is 4 Rutherford Place, New York City. The program is free and open to the public. More information available by clicking the link above.

Then, I--joined by my mother, one of my sisters, and my "host daughter"--become a tourist. How much of NYC can we see in one day? Let's find out... Sunday's wide open. If there's a friend in the area who wants to get together for lunch or something, let me know.

BTW, my apologies for not blogging about my recent trips to Irvine, California, for the African American Art Song Alliance conference nor for the Music Library Association conference in Orlando, Florida. There's plenty I could have said, especially about the AAASA conference. Perhaps at some point I'd backtrack and share some of my thoughts about it.

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September 5, 2016 by traveler 0

Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016, Iowa Trips

Three Days in Dubuque–Day Three

Busy day started with a stop at the : //dubuquearboretum.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. It seems that I missed much of the gardens, but the trees, shrubs and various decorations were enjoyable to view along the way.

[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="588,576,577,578,579,580,581,582,583,584,585,586,587"] Back uptown, I found the Shot Tower a little bit off the beaten path. The building's original purpose was literally to make shot during the 1800's. [gallery size="large" columns="2" type="slideshow" ids="589,593,592,591,590"] Going back across town, I found the Mathias Ham House. It was closed, so I got a few pictures before heading back towards the river. [gallery size="medium" ids="594,601,600,599,598,597,596,595"] I eventually ended up at the Mississippi River Museum. I still didn't go inside, however, but I did take a few pictures of the riverboat paddles that graced the exterior. Then, I walked along the river bank a short distance just because. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="603,604,605,606,608,609,610"] Grabbed some lunch and finally headed back to home base. Traffic was definitely getting heavy and, unfortunately, there was a pretty bad car accident on the other side of the highway outside of Cedar Rapids. Still, the ride was otherwise uneventful, and I am thankful back in town, along with RB and Trek Bear. Now, I've got to get ready for work in the morning.

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-05-15.29.46-1-300x200.jpg" alt="2016-09-05 15.29.46-1" width="482" height="321" />

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September 5, 2016 by traveler 0

Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016, Iowa Trips

Three Days in Dubuque–Day Two

Even though I hadn't asked for a wake-up call, I was highly motivated to check out of the room early. Got some breakfast and did a little shopping before heading to my primary objective for this trip: the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. It was just after noon, but the museum was already full of families. Disappointed but really not in the mood for the crowds, I changed my plans and headed through town past various landmarks, to the dock where the American Lady was docked and prepped for its afternoon river cruise. The boat was not overly crowded, so it made for a nice, leisurely excursion. Beer and soft drinks were served in unlimited quantities as was a light buffet. Hope those who were driving carefully monitored their beer intake. (Don't worry about me, I HATE the taste of beer!) There were a number of other boats, including two other cruise boats, on the water. Along the way, we could see houses (see the "little one" in the picture below) perched on the top of the hills, and we passed a tree with an eagle's nest. I couldn't see it, but I'll take their word for it.

[gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="542,543,544,546,547,548,549,550,551,552,553,554"]

There was still plenty of daylight by the time the 1 1/2-hour cruise ended, so I next ventured over to the : //www.fenelonplaceelevator.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fenelon Place Elevator Co. Even as I drove there, I'm again surprised at how hilly Iowa is in general, with some serious hills near the Mississippi. As I climbed aboard the elevator going down, I could easily understand why it was built because walking up and down on a regular basis had to be quite daunting. Had a great seat coming back up. Definitely not an attraction for anyone who has issues with heights.

[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,564,565,566"] I stuck around until after dark so that I could get some shots of the city scape from that vantage point. [gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="568,569,570,572"] My original plan was to return to Grinnell sometime Sunday; however, I still had things to see and do. I also had some thought about returning to the Mississippi River Museum, this time near enough to its opening time that it would perhaps not be so busy. So, I closed out the evening by going to see Ben-Hur all by myself at the local theater. Very different than the 1950's version, so now I'm curious about which one was closer to the original book.

September 5, 2016 by traveler 0

Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016, Iowa Trips

Three Days in Dubuque–Day One

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Grin2Dubuq.gif" alt="Grin2Dubuq" width="414" height="265" />On Thursday morning, it suddenly hit me that the Labor Day weekend was approaching, and I REALLY didn't want to spend it in Grinnell. The answer: a one-tank trip. Relatively inexpensive and not too far away.

I decided on Dubuque because my previous visits there had all been for conferences with no time to play tourist and because it was only 2.5 hours away in RB.

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-03-11.40.29-300x225.jpg" alt="2016-09-03 11.40.29" width="329" height="247" />Got up early Saturday (well, early for me, anyway) and took care of some Star Trek party business--including picking up the party guest-of-honor and my new navigator, Trek Bear, before hitting the road around 11 a.m. Unfortunately, I didn't know that Iowa had a football game scheduled for that afternoon and, thus, I got caught up in it. I suspected it would only get worse as we got closer to Iowa City, so I got off in Williamsburg and got a manicure/pedicure. By the time my nails were dry, the traffic was back to Saturday normal, so the rest of my drive was uneventful.

My first stop in Dubuque was : //www.minesofspain.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Mines of Spain--a recreation park with several miles of easy to challenging trails for hiking and waterways for canoeing. A couple had just gotten married in a shelter near the interpretative center. Fortunately, the Julien Dubuque Memorial sets in view of the Mississippi at the end of one of the easy, short trails, so I walked down and got some pics.

I drove through the rest of the park and enjoyed the fields of wild flowers. The park was fairly quiet considering it was a holiday weekend Saturday, but I'd bet it gets far more active over the rest of the 3-day holiday. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="518,522,521,520,519,524,525,526,527,528,529,531"]

It was then too late to really spend time in the museums on my list of places to visit, so I next drove to the : //www.cityofdubuque.org/573/Eagle-Point-Park#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eagle Point Park. The website describes it as: "one of the most outstanding parks in the midwest. One hundred and sixty-four acres overlook the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #11, providing a spectacular tri-state view of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin." For once, I didn't think that type of comment was an overstatement. Loads of both outdoor--many with views of the river--and interior space for gatherings, plus an outdoor band shell. Only $1.00 charge to enter with RB. Watching all those folks eat suddenly made me hungry, so I quickly finished my tour and sought out a local eatery.

[gallery size="medium" columns="2" ids="533,536,535,534"]

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-03-19.57.03-e1473124821236-200x300.jpg" alt="2016-09-03 19.57.03" width="276" height="415" />I ended up at Catfish Charlie's, which specializes in,... well, I think it's obvious. And the enormous and wonderfully prepared plate of catfish that was set before me provided more than adequate proof of the restaurateur's skill.

Wish my evening had ended so well. Let me just say that the motel where I settled for the night left much to be desired and let it go with that. Looking forward to seeing more of the city on Sunday.

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July 16, 2016 by traveler 0

ST-Last 3 States, Summer 2016

The Home Stretch

I got the early start I’d hoped for that Sunday morning. There were only two stops in Little Rock: the historic Central High School, site of the first effort by nine African American students to attend the all-white school 59 years ago, and the President William Clinton Library. I still had a ten-hour drive home and had some hope of getting there with enough time to get some sleep before going to work the next day. Little Rock Central High School was situated in a quiet neighborhood that seemed at least predominately African American, quite different than it must have been in 1957. Its size surprised me as the primary building took up the entire block alone. I hadn’t arranged to get a tour of the school in advance, so I had to content myself with pictures of the exterior. I did, however, go across the street to the visitor…