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A Ricochet Through History

by Brian on April 8, 2013 in California, Travel, United States

It is a powerful endorsement when a politically liberal and proudly lesbian friend recommends a visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. We knew right away that we’d find more there than mere political legacy polishing. And while there is no shortage of that at the Reagan Library, its collection also contains enough impressive artifacts of universal appeal to make it a compelling stop for political agnostics and Reagan critics too. It goes without saying that ardent fans of the late president will find lots to like in the Library, but history buffs may find some gems hidden within its halls as well.

Set on a hilltop above California’s Simi Valley, the Library’s sweeping views alone warrant a trip up Presidential Drive. Inside, the 243,000 square foot complex is a modern historical museum that leads visitors through Reagan’s life with a blend of placards, personal items and interactive exhibits. Some are trivial (green screen technology allows you to act out a scene from Knute Rockne alongside Ronald Reagan). Several are experientially awesome (entering a life-sized Oval Office replica and walking through Reagan’s actual Airforce One). Some are weighty (a short film chronicles the several-decade rise of communism near a barbed-wire clad replica of the Berlin Wall). While others are deeply fascinating.

Overlooked Albany

by Brian on April 5, 2013 in New York, Travel, United States

The New York State Capitol Building in Albany

Who knew this stuff was here? Certainly not me, even though I’d seen it all before. Growing up just outside of Albany, New York, I’m confident I toured these buildings and museums on any number of school field trips. I’m equally certain that all of those trips were unmitigated disasters. I remember absolutely nothing about them.

So powerful is my amnesia that I seemed to have forgotten that Albany had anything at all worth seeing. Even as we traveled thousands of miles seeking out similar locations across the country, touring them in my home state never entered my mind.

Not even laying eyes on New York’s State Capitol building could shake the cobwebs. Upon seeing it we still weren’t quite sure we had arrived at the correct address. It looked nothing at all like the kind of building we had come to expect from such places. It had no dome, or Doric columns. It didn’t mimic the U.S. Capitol in D.C., like so many state capitols do. Instead, it resembled an Italian palace.

Move Over Zombies, the Night Watch has Arrived

by Brian on April 4, 2013 in Travel

This is possibly the best “Flash Mob” ever. To commemorate the reopening of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum on April 13, a large portion of which was closed for a decade’s long renovation, performers staged an elaborate re-creation of Rembrandt’s most famous work The Night Watch before an unsuspecting audience.

Coastal Views

by Brian on April 3, 2013 in Photo of the Day, Travel

Paint the Town

by Brian on April 1, 2013 in California, Travel, United States

Even the briefest tour around Los Angeles would reveal this striking fact: The City of Angels is abloom in a unique and unrivaled collection of public murals. From the rich diversity of its sprawling ethnic neighborhoods, the city’s walls, bridges and even freeway abutments have been transformed into street posters for Los Angeles’ cultural history and identity, showcasing an estimated 1,500 murals – more than any other urban center.”

– L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs