Tag: travel photography

George Washington's Statue at the entrance to Boston's Public Garden
New England, United States

Boston’s Public Garden |An Urban Oasis

Just back from a quick trip to my favorite East Coast city (yes, I love New York but Boston is my home).  The weather was spectacular – perfect for enjoying Boston’s glorious Public Garden, established in 1837 as the first public botanical garden in the United States.

Swan Boats in Public Garden
World Famous Swan Boats

The Swan Boats were launched forty years later with foot propelled pontoon boats – the founding family still operates the enormously popular attraction.  Continue reading “Boston’s Public Garden |An Urban Oasis”

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Shepard Fairey mural on building side in downtown LA
Art, Travel

LA’s Arts District | Chock a Block

Just east of downtown Los Angeles, the sprawling warehouse area is gradually transitioning from industrial to trendy with increasing numbers of boutiques, galleries, lofts and the inevitable restaurants and coffee shops that follow. Perhaps no one block (okay – it’s really several but feels like one) epitomizes the changing nature of this area as much as East 3rd Street between Santa Fe and Traction where Hauser Wirth Schimmel just opened their arts complex in a former flour mill.   Continue reading “LA’s Arts District | Chock a Block”

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Travel

Los Angeles | City of Contrasts

Mention Los Angeles to people and their reactions are as varied as the city’s neighborhoods.  To some, it is the incarnation of the American Dream –  the place where stars are born. Or, a sprawling car centric culture albeit one with panoramic vistas of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains. Lately, many think of the burgeoning arts scene and the remarkable culinary diversity  (no longer is the difference between LA and yogurt that [only] one has an active culture).  Continue reading “Los Angeles | City of Contrasts”

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travelmagnolia.me, Grand Teton National Park, gtnp
National Parks, Travel, United States

Grand Teton National Park

I know where I will be on August 25, 2016: celebrating the US National Park Service’s Centennial (and my older daughter’s birthday)  in my favorite park – Grand Teton National Park.   Locals refer to it as The Park – as in I’m going biking/hiking/skiing/fishing/kayaking etc. in the Park. Come summer in Jackson Hole, the tourists go to Yellowstone but everyone else stays away from the teeming hoards and enjoys the spectacular beauty and relative peace of its neighbor closer to home.

Continue reading “Grand Teton National Park”

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Art, Museums, Travel

New York City State of Mind

Growing up in the suburbs, New York was simply “the city.” To this day, I think of it as such, although other metropolises may have vied for my affections (see: Paris, Istanbul and Copenhagen). For the next several years, I will be a part-time resident of the city that never sleeps.  I am excited to more fully experience all that this amazing place has to offer and to share new discoveries and long time favorites.  This post focuses on two arts institutions that may not be on the top of visitors’ lists.  Continue reading “New York City State of Mind”

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Chinese Fishing Nets, Kochi, Kerala, India, travelmagnolia.me
India, Travel

India |Dreaming of Kerala part II

After four days in Munnar,  we made our way to Alleppey and the Kerala backwaters. A vast network of 38 rivers, numerous canals and five large lakes, the backwaters extend inland from the Malabar Coast  where the fresh waters emanating from the Western Ghats meet the saltwater of the Arabian Sea.

Alleppey_HouseboatThe best way to enjoy the area is on a kettuvallum, a converted grain barge originally used for transporting rice. Continue reading “India |Dreaming of Kerala part II”

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India, Travel

India |Dreaming of Kerala I – Munnar

Far from the madding crowds of the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur “Golden Triangle,” Kerala should be on everyone’s bucket list (although then it might be just as overrun). It would be easy to spend several weeks in this southern India state and still not experience all its wonders. There are mountains to climb, rivers to explore and beaches to enjoy, as well as the city of Kochi (or Cochin) with its bazaars, restaurants and Kathakali performances.WindyRoad_MunnarMunnar is a hill station in the Western Ghats,  5200 feet above sea level and  a little over 100 kilometers from Kochi. Do not let that relatively short distance mislead you, though. The drive takes 3 1/2 – 4 hours on winding, steep roads and is not for the faint-hearted (those who suffer from car-sickness would be advised to take precautions). Continue reading “India |Dreaming of Kerala I – Munnar”

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Architecture, Iran, Travel

Inimitable Isfahan | Iran

It is only fitting my final post on Iran feature Isfahan. After all, Isfahan is widely considered to be the most beautiful Iranian City, with an abundance of outstanding architecture, art and gardens. As an old Iranian proverb states:”Esfahān nesf-e- jahān ast” (Isfahan is half of the world).

Isfahan, Esfahan, Royal SquareAt the heart of Isfahan lies Naqsh-e Jahan Square,  a place that has beguiled residents and visitors alike since its construction in the early 17th century CE and another of Iran’s 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Measuring 160 metres (520 ft) wide by 560 metres (1,840 ft) long, it is Isfahan’s religious, commercial and social center.   Continue reading “Inimitable Isfahan | Iran”

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Iran, Travel

When in Persepolis | Visit Naqsh-e Rustam

Only twelve kilometers from Persepolis, the ancient necropolis of Naqsh-e Rustam would be worth the trip even without that proximity.  There are carvings here that date to 1000 BCE in addition to the four tombs of Achaemenid Kings, including Darius the Great and Xerxes.  The tomb of Xerxes is not visible above, but is perpendicular to these three and just to the right. The tomb of Darius … Continue reading When in Persepolis | Visit Naqsh-e Rustam

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Iran, Travel

A Day at Persepolis | Iran

Few places exceed my expectations as did Iran overall and Persepolis specifically. I never took Ancient History and don’t know mythology well. Even so, I fell under the spell of this remarkable place. Persepolis, known to Iranians as Takht-e Jamshid (throne of Jamshid – a mythic being who – in the middle ages – was thought to have built it)  was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire for a little over two centuries (ca. 550–330 BCE). Conceived by and with construction commenced under Darius the Great and destroyed by Alexander the Great (the historian Plutarch contended that it took 20,000 mules and 5,000 camels to remove the treasure), the city’s ruins are marvelous to behold. UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site in 1979. Persepolis is easy to reach from Shiraz and warrants an entire day to absorb its wonders.  Continue reading “A Day at Persepolis | Iran”

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