Archives for January 2011

Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum – Arlington

January 31, 2011 by admin

The Cyrus E. Dallin museum is in Arlington Center, just off of Mass Ave at the corner of Mystic Street (Route 60). The museum houses a wonderful collection of Dallin’s work that spans his wide talents. Housed in the Jefferson Cutter House, which was built in 1832, it is a great 1-2 hour visit and fascinating for seniors, children and adults alike.

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The Cutter house itself is worth seeing and is the last salt and pepper colonial in Arlington. Originally owned by the Cutter family, owners of the Cutter Mills, it was moved from near the mill site two miles north of its current location in 1992. It was made available to the museum by the town in 1998 and in addition to the museum, has some meeting space in the basement where art exhibits are occasionally offered.

Cyrus Dallin was an important sculptor that moved to Arlington when he was 32 and lived there until his death in 1944. Well known and connected, many of his works feature Native Americans, but also include statesmen, generals, mythological figures and his family. Especially worthwhile is a sculpture of his cat – created in a day in response to a taunt from his son. His iconic “Appeal to the Great Spirit” has been in front of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston since 1912. The “Paul Revere Monument” resides in Boston’s North End Paul Revere Mall was famous enough to be parodied by the Marx brothers in Duck Soup. There is a wonderful sketch by John Singer Sargent of Dallin’s portico.

"Appeal to the Great Spirit" at Boston Muesum of Fine Arts

"Appeal to the Great Spirit" at Boston Museum of Fine Arts

The total collection of about 60 pieces is housed in four intimate rooms. The docent / curators are superb and very patient and offer wonderful, insightful stories about the art and the man. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday 12 to 4PM.

There is on street parking or a large town lot directly behind the museum. Or, there is bus service from Harvard Square. There are tons of great restaurants in Arlington well as other tourist sites within an easy walk. Well worthwhile. A hidden gem. Their excellent web site can be accessed at http://dallin.org/

Great Arlington Haunts include:

Punjab Restaurant – Arlington
Thai Moon – Arlington

Filed Under: Arlington, Boston, Children, Featured, Seniors Tagged With: Arlington, Free, Hidden Gems, Kids, Museum, Seniors

Cuzco and Machu Picchu Guide

January 30, 2011 by admin

I first visited Cuzco and Machu Picchu as part of a six month trip throughout South America in 1976. That experience was great. I saw fantastic places, worked through challenging situations, and learned a lot about myself through experiencing other cultures, the people and their history. And, I got to spend time and learn from some very interesting and broadening fellow travelers from all over the world.

Wanting my family to experience some of what I did, we traveled to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is one of the “Seven Wonders of World” and is a truly amazing place. Cuzco is a great colonial city with wonderful Incan and Spanish history. This was to be our first family trip to a developing country.

I wrote this book when, after our trip, a friend commented “I’ve always wanted to go there, but was intimidated and felt it was too expensive.” Given that kick, I wrote this ebook. It answers everything I wanted to know when planning our trip but could not practically find in guide books or on the web. And, I added tips and experiences learned from the trip that will simplify your trip, making it safer, less expensive and more enjoyable.

Pick it up. It is an amazing adventure and you can do it.

For the Nook, please visit: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Steves-Guide-to-Cuzco-and-Machu-Picchu/Steve-Gladstone/e/2940012230997/?itm=1&USRI=machu+picchu%2c+gladstone

Filed Under: eBooks, eBooks and Resources, Featured, Peru, World

Isles of Shoals

January 30, 2011 by admin

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Visiting the Isles of Shoals makes a wonderful day trip out of Portsmouth harbor. Catch a ferry with the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company at 315 Market Street in downtown Portsmouth for the 9 mile ride out the Islands. The Steamship Company offers various excursions that include guided Portsmouth Harbor tours or stops for exploring the islands.

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The cruise out to the islands is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. The narrated ride passes through Portsmouth Harbor, which is beautiful and features history and sites galore. To port (on the Maine side of the Harbor – left on the way out to the islands), you will pass the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the abandoned Naval prison. Watch for submarine conning towers that may be visible as you pass by.

To starboard you will pass Fort Constitution at the mouth of the harbor. Fort Constitution is built on the site of Fort William and Mary, which was the site of the true first organized action by the Colonials against the British in 1774 – before Lexington and Concord! On December 13, 1774, Paul Revere (remember him from the Midnight Ride) rode 60 miles from Boston to Portsmouth and informed the The Portsmouth Committees of Safety and Correspondence that a British expedition that was in transit by sea to seize control of the powder and armaments stored at the fort. On the following day, a band of 400 New Hampshire militiamen assaulted the fort, which was manned by just 6 British soldiers. The British managed to fire three cannons at the Colonials, but were quickly overwhelmed. A large amount of gunpowder was captured along with some muskets and cannon. There were no serious injuries, but this was truly the first battle of the American Revolutionary War, a full four months before Concord and Lexington.

Site of Fort William and Mary - First Colonial Action Against British

The ferry will stop at Star IslandStar Island to drop off and pick up passengers. At the island, there is a retreat hotel run by the Unitarian Church. They offer day services including meals and it is possible to spend the night between mid-June and mid-September. The organization runs various retreats, workshops and conferences that run from photography to international affairs to family conferences. The facility is beautiful and a real throwback to the 19th century – Nathanial Hawthorne stayed here. Accommodations are pretty basic, but the location is fantastic. A beautiful and quite place to spend a day or a few nights.