New York City!

We're on a new adventure and it begins in the the Big Apple! During this short visit, we sought out some hidden gems. One of our new friends, Marilyn, recommended the Tenement Museum. 

This museum tells the real life stories of immigrants who built their lives on the Lower East Side. From the several tour options we selected a tour to visit an apartment depicting the lives of two different families in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Epstein family were Jewish Holocaust survivors from Poland. Our guide provided excellent insight to the history at that time so that we would better understand why and how the Epsteins ended-up in the Lower East Side of NYC.

Here are a few pictures of what their home was like during the 1950s.

During the 1960s the Saez Velez family migrated from Puerto Rico. The kitchen and living room have been furnished as they would have been at that time. The kitchen was the heart of this Puerto Rican home.

The living room couch was covered in plastic and the hand-crocheted doilies were prevalent, just like my own grandmother's home!

Thank you Marilyn for this wonderful suggestion! One visit is not enough. There are several tours offering insight into this diverse neighborhood. 

Another day we visited the Banksy Museum. 

Banksy is perhaps one of the most mysterious artists of our time. We were fortunate to see an original Banksy work when we visited Venice. Although the works in this museum are replicas, they are true representations of the actual street works!

I think the museum describes its space best: "Step into a space where humor cuts deep, rules get flipped, and art says the quiet parts out loud."

Banksy's works provokes and questions authority, consumerism, art, and life. 

"NOLA - Umbrella Girl"
Marigny neighbourhood in the city of New Orleans, 2008

The mural "The Girl with Balloon (There is Always Hope)" was created on a wall in the Southbank area of London in 2002. 

 "GIRL WITH BALLOON", 2003

This very popular and charming work was released in limited print editions in 2003. However, at 2nd glance, has Banksy flipped our view? Has the girl just released the balloon or is she really reaching out to catch it? 

A visit to this hidden gem will make you think a little and see the world in a different way!

A couple of blocks from the Banksy Museum is another hidden (truly) gem. The Mmuseumm is open only on Saturdays and Sundays.

This tiny, 36-square-foot museum is located inside a former freight elevator shaft in a Tribeca alleyway. The current exhibition is "Rubble: Around the World". Similar to a cabinet of curiosities, this rotating collection is certain to spark your inquisitiveness!

A Beary fun roadtrip!

We always wear our seat belts!😉

Our peoples took us on their roadtrip to Virginia along with a friend. We love Ms. Donna because she remembers to give us sweet treats!

While our peoples visited the Old Mill in Little Rock, Arkansas, we went to the Purple Cow Restaurant and got a purple milkshake!

Yummy 😋!

Our Airbnb in Nashville, Tennessee had a hammock chair. This was our favorite spot to chillax after a busy day of sightseeing. 

We toured the Ryman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry used to be performed!

Next we went to Virginia. We love music so we went to the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax to listen to some fiddle and banjo playing. We tried our paws on this guitar, but decided it was too big for us to play. Maybe we should try a ukulele?

Blue Ridge Music Center

Our peoples took us on a scenic drive. This view of Pulaski County from Draper Mountain Overlook is beautiful, don't you think?

Draper Mountain Overlook

Our next stop was Asheville, North Carolina. While our peoples spent a day at the Biltmore, we explored our Airbnb. Our host had several decorative items reflecting her Ukrainian heritage. We love these carved deer heads that were handmade by a friend of hers.

Deer head carvings

Click here for previous post about the Biltmore.

Our last major stop was Florence, Alabama. Our peoples have visited this Muscle Shoals area before. There is a ton of music history here!

To honor the area's musical heritage, four 18-foot tall aluminum sculptures are being installed, one in each of the 4 cities. 

Florence: The Blues Man

Sheffield: Rock 'N Roll Singer

Muscle Shoals: The Bass Player

The 4th sculpture, to be installed in Tusumbia, is still in the planning stage.

We ended our musical journey at the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. 

We took a selfie in front of an original, vintage tour bus that belonged to the legendary country music band Alabama!

Selfie in front of Alabama tour bus

Click here for previous post about the The Shoals.

We had one more treat before hitting the road back to Texas! 

Sno-ball at Miami Ice

Looking forward to more adventures this fall!

Penelope, Wendy & Mindy (The bears)

"Virginia is for Lovers" of music & scenic views!

Virginia

We continue our music-themed adventure with a couple of trips to the Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax, Virginia. During the summer the Center offers free Midday Mountain Music performances.

We spent Tuesday afternoon listening to Dot & Dan Shikenjanski. 🎻🪕

Dot & Dan Shikenjanski

Dot and Dan played a terrific rendition of The Yellow Rose of Texas in our honor. They wanted to recognize people from the other states but didn't know songs for all 50 states. So they played YOUR STATE'S NAME HERE. This song is by Lou and Peter Berryman - click the YouTube link here to listen to the Berrymans singing it. It's fun! 

After all that great music, we needed a treat. 

The Conery

The Conery in Draper was a perfect stop for ice cream! Located in the old Draper High School, The Conery is in the building known as the Home Economics Cottage (built in 1938). 

This room was used to teach the boys Shop. In order to keep up with all of the school's tools, the Shop teacher painted silhouettes of the tools on the walls. The images on the front of this counter are the actual silhouettes found in this room.

In addition to listening to music, we explored the area where our friend grew up.

Canadian geese at Claytor Lake

Fishermen on the New River

Jackson Ferry Shot Tower

The Jackson Ferry Shot Tower overlooks the New River. It was built more than 200 years ago to make ammunition for the firearms of the early settlers. Lead from nearby mines was melted in a kettle atop the 75-foot tower and poured through a sieve. It fell through the tower plus an additional 75-foot shaft beneath the tower into a kettle of water.

Only four of these architectural landmarks survive today!

Views from Draper Mountain Overlook 

We took a break to visit West Wind Winery. 

West Wind Winery

On Thursday afternoon we visited the Blue Ridge Music Center again. This time we enjoyed music performed by Scott Freeman & Willard Gayheart. Scott played the mandolin and the fiddle! Many of the songs they played were written by Willard who is 94 years old!

Scott Freeman & Willard Gayheart

Click here to see my previous post about Virginia.

Our journey continues to North Carolina where we share some favorite sites with our travel buddy!

Nashville, TN: The Music City

We're on a roadtrip with a friend, heading to Virginia! We spent a few days in Nashville to soak in some of that good ol' country music! In fact, this roadtrip will feature lots of music!

We have visited Nashville before - see previous blog post. So, I'm highlighting some different experiences in this post.

 

Ryman Auditorium

Previously we attended the "Grand Ole Opry" at the Ryman Auditorium. On this visit we took a tour of the Ryman to learn more of its history.

The self-guided tour provides an excellent video summary of the Ryman's history. We learned that the puppeteer Jim Henson performed at the Ryman with his puppet "Rowlf the Dog".

Rowlf the Dog

Harry Houdini, the illusionist and stunt performer, also appeared at the Ryman!

Harry Houdini

The Ryman isn't just about country music! The tour includes access to the Auditorium and you can even get a picture taken onstage!

Ryman Auditorium 

We visited the lovely Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. It's quite large, especially the grounds that feature fountains and sculptures. I enjoyed the period rooms inside the mansion:

Morning Room

Dining Room

Drawing Room

Library

And a gorgeous staircase!

On Sunday afternoon, we attended a matinee performance at the Station Inn. We heard some great gospel music performed by Val Storey and Larry Cordle. 

Station Inn 

On other days and times, Bluegrass music is featured. 

We will continue our musical journey in Virginia!

SPRING into Dallas!

 

My favorite way to experience spring in the Dallas, Texas area is visiting the Dallas Arboretum.  You can check out previous blog posts I’ve written about this gorgeous botanical garden.

Yesterday was cloudy and a bit rainy, so we opted for an indoor spring experience! Each year the NorthPark Center hosts a floral exhibition that showcases fresh floral mannequins. Each decorated mannequin “Muse” is inspired by the arts in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. This year the FLEURS DE VILLES MUSE 2026 event was held March 24-29, 2026. Here are a couple of my favorite Muses!

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra:

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents more than 150 concerts each year and strives to connect thousands of adults and children with the transformative power of music through community outreach programs.

This floral mannequin draws inspiration from Stravinsky's The Firebird- to be performed April 30-May 3, 2026. The Firebird is a fantastical story about a prince, thirteen princesses, a magical feather, and a fearsome ogre.

CREATED BY: CONCEPTO

 

The Cliburn:

The Cliburn promotes classical piano music and the organization’s Van Cliburn International Piano Competitions are world renowned.

This floral mannequin is inspired by pianist Olga Kern, gold medalist of the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Kern rose to international prominence with her historic victory as the first woman to win the competition in more than 30 years. Known for her electrifying performances and signature red concert gowns, Kern celebrates the 25th anniversary of her landmark achievement in 2026.

CREATED BY: BUNCHES FLOWER COMPANY

 

If you cannot visit Dallas to see a FLEURS DE VILLES MUSE spring exhibition, a trip to NorthPark Center can still provide an opportunity for you to see museum-quality art for FREE!

The indoor shopping center is laid out in a square, making it easy to walk around to view art and shop! Here are a few of my favorite works that I recently spotted. The works are on loan from local museums so they may change.

Henry Moore was a 20^th century British Sculptor whose monumental bronze sculptures can be seen in public spaces worldwide.

Working Model for Oval with Points, 1968-1969
by Henry Moore

lván Navarro is an immigrant from Chile who creates sculptures and installations like this one that comment on the socio-political experience of immigration. In each of the three water towers there is a different neon word or image. Growing up in Chile, Navarro was used to the government cutting power in the evenings to keep people at home. Using electric light as a means of social commentary, the light within these towers continuously reflects the words “ME/WE” and “BED,” along with an image of a ladder.

This Land is Your Land, 2014
by Iván Navarro

This photo provides a twofer – a sculpture AND paintings!

Black Angel, 1967 by Beverly Pepper
Flowers, 1979 by Andy Warhol

Beverly Pepper, an American sculptor, was one of the first women to create monumental, welded steel sculptures. In this piece, she positioned stainless-steel squares at varied angles to evoke a tumbling effect.

The paintings behind Pepper’s sculpture are by the American artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol. He based this series of silkscreen paintings on a photograph of hibiscus blossoms published in the magazine Modern Photography. This example of Warhol’s use of repetition, appropriation and mechanical reproduction is key in his works of Pop art.

There are lots of opportunities to enjoy the arts in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex!