This is so cool for anyone who’s driven down Sunset Blvd. in LA from the 1960’s on. It’s already documented in a book by artist and photographer Ed Ruscha, and now in an exhibit at the Getty Museum, but I think it’s really best experienced online, in an interactive timeline that lets you move down the street in a leisurely way that you can’t do when driving, and flip to the other side of the street or to another year with a click, and even choose the car you cruise in. It’s brilliant!
Ha Ha Tonka State Park Roadtrippers Map
Lake of the Ozarks 
Closest Town: Camdenton, Missouri
About 158 miles from Kansas City and 178 miles from St. Louis
As with all Missouri State Parks, it is dog-friendly
I’ve wanted to visit this Missouri State Park for several years — it’s an Instagram favorite. It’s best known for its castle ruins, and its beautiful location at the top of a hill overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks. It’s easily explored via trails, boardwalks, and staircases. And many stairs. Lots of stairs. Still … that’s better than blazing your own trail.
This is how my father greets me (and everyone) every time I enter his home. And as he slips further into dementia, it feels even more sincere. When he first started saying it I, as is my bad habit, tried to come up with a smart-ass retort every time.
Now I just say, “I am too, Dad.” Continue reading
A pretty sunset tonight in Missouri. Of course, there are always trees and houses between me and the horizon here. It’s not like standing on a beach in California where it feels like you can reach out and touch the sunset. I’ve taken too many sunsets for granted — never again! Grab happiness where you can and enjoy the moments. It’s all about hope.
Look what my clever mom did last year. It was attached to a package, but it’s just as cool all alone. She even added an antique stick pin. But I just like turning a dollar bill into a decoration. Super simple!
Wyndham Airport, $130/night
This unexpectedly-beautiful hotel sits about 300 yards from a runway at the Quito Airport, yet we never heard a single plane both nights we stayed there. It’s a great place to stay if you’re between flights in South America. It’s new, the rooms are big, there’s a restaurant on-site, it has excellent air conditioning (don’t under-estimate that!), and the staff is fantastic. The only con is that it’s 45 minutes away from Quito, so you have to make arrangements if you want to go into town (the hotel can help).
As I look back at this past year, and forward to more interesting travels in 2020, I’m amazed at the things I saw in Ecuador…the Galapagos Islands, on my bucket list for years; the Amazon rainforest, a place I never expected to find myself; and lovely Quito, the capitol of Ecuador. And it was all one trip, organized by Adventures for Solo Travelers. Continue reading
Historic Kansas City Foundation
816-931-8448
Facebook page (the best place to keep up): https://www.facebook.com/HistoricKC/
I’ve always been interested in history, and everywhere I travel I make an effort to learn about the local history, and take tours with local experts. I realized about a year ago that I could do that in my own hometown, but I hadn’t. I’m lucky to live in a city that values history and historic buildings, and cares enough to share both with the people who live here.
Disturbing Sculptures Art Gallery (that’s really the name)
1100 Highway 101
Crescent City, California
Well, if you’re gonna name your art gallery “disturbing,” you’d better deliver. And this Northern California roadside attraction earns its name. One minute you’re cruising north on Highway 101, almost to the Oregon state line and promised nirvana, and the next minute you’ve U-turned so fast your dog yelps.
According to a Roadside America article, this gallery is the home of 3 artists, two of whom appear to be quite normal (driftwood sculptures and chainsaw sculptures). But the third, who luckily was not on-site the day I visited, has some issues.
This weekend provides a rare opportunity to peek into an artist’s lair and walk away with a piece of it at a relatively-reasonable price. This estate sale is at the home studio of Kansas City artist Allan Winkler, who will be in and out during the sale and is happy to sign his art for you.
Mike and Roger Estate Sales, July 26-28, 2019, (816) 309-2728
Each week I look diligently through the online posts for estate sales — a chance to walk into a stranger’s house and look at all their stupid stuff (it’s the stupid stuff that sticks around for the sales), and snoop around their homes. It’s fascinating to see what people spend their money on. And then, on my way home with a car full of someone else’s old junk, a brief moment of self-awareness sometimes kicks in when I realize how I’m spending MY money.
But this week something unique caught my eye — a chance to walk into a strange artist’s home and look at all his piled-up art. I think most artists don’t appreciate their talent, so their basements collect piles of cast-aside art, in the same way my basement collects old clothes and impetuous garage sale finds. That certainly seems the case with local Kansas City artist Allan Winkler, the talented sculptor, painter, cut-paper artist, cut metal artist, potter, poured glass, collage artist. He’s well-known in art circles for his outsider art.
obsessive hobbyist 