Asbury Park, New Jersey

The thing about icons is that we somehow expect them to be arrested in time and evoke our feelings in the same way forever.  They do not disappoint and they certainly do not succumb to the lure of changing times.  This can prove daunting for artists, structures and, most of all, cities. Asbury Park, New Jersey has managed to strike the perfect balance between memory and modernization, retro and revitalization and is a wonderful destination for families, group or solo getaways, beach lovers and music aficionados. Visitors can select from a host of activities as well as spend nights “hanging out” in a plethora of music venues. Asbury Park provides the opportunity to experience a unique beach destination and to “rock on” even if you never rocked before. #asburyparknow

James Bradley, a broom tycoon, purchased 500 oceanside acres in 1871 for $90,000 and named the tract after America’s first Methodist Episcopal Church, Francis Asbury. Asbury was designed around a boardwalk and incorporated green spaces, churches and a commercial area. The city thrived, with additions such as  amusements, theaters and a carousel from the late Victorian Era until the 60s as a recreation destination. Music emerged as an important lure and the historical roots run deep and wide including John P. Sousa, Billie Holiday, Bon Jovi, Count Basie and Bruce Springsteen. Area options increased and people chose other places than Asbury for vacation and the city, like many at the time, became less attractive to visitors.

Asbury Park is currently undergoing an epic renewal. Many beautiful Victorian structures have been repurposed and contribute, along with the modern edifices, to make the city an architectural gem. After strolling the boardwalk and watching the waves lap the shore, step into the world of Asbury Park and benefit from historic sites,  great dining and outstanding live music performances.
On September 8, 1934 the cruise ship SS Morro, sailing between Havana, Cuba and New York City, caught fire and eventually beached near Asbury’s Convention Hall. More than 130 passengers and crew died prompting maritime reforms, use of flame-retardant materials, meticulous evacuation drills and automatic fire doors, still enforced. A monument to the catastrophe is located near the Convention Center.

Stephen Crane, author of the Red Badge of Courage resided here, from 1883 until 1892, and attended Asbury Park Public School. The house can be viewed from the exterior only.

Two of the quirkier sites are Tillie, painted originally by Leslie Thomas, the smiling male logo of Asbury Park and Madam Marie’s Psychic Booth. Tillie dates from the early 1900s and is located at Ocean and Second Avenues. Marie told fortunes from her blue boardwalk booth from 1932 to 2005. Her “Temple of Knowledge” was a traditional stop for performers, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, while in Asbury. As a busker Springsteen often performed in front of Marie’s. The stall is operated today by her granddaughter.  

Silverball Museum Arcade  is designated one of the country’s best. The museum preserves and presents past pinball and video games with more than 600 games on display. The on-site café offers all the standard boardwalk foods from hot dogs to Dippin Dots. www.silverballmuseum.com/asbury-park

You have seen Danny Clinch’s photographs in places including album covers, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone and now you can have a more personal experience at the Danny Clinch Transparent Gallery at the Asbury Hotel. This creative space features, exhibitions, music and art sales and live performances in an inviting atmosphere.

The Stone Pony opened in 1974 and the rest is legendary. As one of the most famous music venues in the world it is most closely associated with Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt. The club’s unofficial theme song is “Havin’ A Party” and truer words were never spoken. You can purchase tickets online. www.stoneponyonline.com

You can  party on at the nearby Asbury Lanes. This bowling alley/diner/music venue is an entertainment mecca. The state-of-the-art sound system jettisons all the offered activities, with DJ and live performances, to the stratosphere and you can dine as you soar. www.asburylanes.com
Porta Asbury Park replaced the renowned Student Prince, site of the first meeting of Springsteen and Clarence Clemons, the Big Man. Porta is recognized as having the area’s best pizza. Seating is at picnic tables, to foster the party atmosphere, and the live music is awesome. pizzaporta.com/asbury-park

The Asbury Distilling Company offers tours, tastings and superior quality handcrafted spirits you can imbibe from a bar with views of the distilling process. This award-winning distillery is the first and only craft distillery in Asbury since prohibition. #asburydistillery

Cubacån Restaurant and Bar on the boardwalk is a fine dining establishment with great service and the décor and ambiance of Old Havana. The menu consists of traditional dishes with a modern twist and their signature mojitos. Try the street corn! www.cubacanrestaurant.com

Modine’s creates southern Low Country cuisine  with modern influences using locally sourced ingredients. It is a wonderful southern refresher in a northern city. www.modineasbury.com

                                                                 chicken and waffles
Cardinal Provisions is famous for its brunch. The chefs put a delicious spin on breakfast staples and the portions are mind-boggling. They are also open for lunch and dinner. www.crdnal.com

Asbury Ocean Club will be a luxury accommodation option this fall with units currently on sale. They offer condominiums and 54 boutique hotel rooms on 17-stories overlooking the ocean. The residences are designed with 10-ft. ceilings, Hansgrohe kitchen and bath fixtures, wrap around terraces, ocean panoramas and offer personalized concierge service, fitness facilities and an outdoor shower. www.asburyoceanclub.com

The remodeled Asbury Hotel once housed the Salvation Army and is a perfect example of blending Asbury’s history and constantly evolving music and arts culture. The 110-guest rooms accommodate all travelers with everything from suites to  bunk beds. Amenities include custom made mattresses, upscale linens and designer bath products. Artwork in the public spaces reflects the music heritage and the welcoming lobby offers comfortable seating, games, newspapers and the Soundbooth Bar. Live music, sunrise yoga and the Asbury Pool are great additions to the experience. www.theasburyhotel.com

Asbury Park has numerous scheduled festivals and the list is available online. www.visitnj.org/nj/events

                                                 Find your bliss in  Asbury Park.

Washington, DC, the pulse of America

                                                     “Justitia omnibus” – “Justice for All”

George Washington surveyed and selected a place on the Potomac River to become the permanent site of the  Federal Capitol and the 1790 Residence Act made this a reality. He commissioned Pierre L'Enfant to design the city but after one-year he abandoned the project taking his plans with him. Benjamin Banneker, a free African American, recreated the plans from memory  thereby allowing the work to continue. The White House, known as the President’s House until 1901 , was first occupied by the Adams Family on November 1, 1800. Slaves were hired from owners to help construct the mansion in 1701. Blankets and clothing were supplied by owners. Documented free blacks also worked as carpenters and surveyors. https://washington.org

The Capitol (1793) was always meant to be the centerpiece of the District of Columbia. It’s location, Jenkins Hill, was specifically chosen because  it allows the structure to appear to glow at sunset. In 1855 a dome and a statue for its top were commissioned.  The sculptor of the statue sent the cast to the US. He died and it appeared impossible to disassemble the statue for casting. James Reid, an enslaved foundry worker, solved the problem and the statue, “Freedom”, continues to crown the dome. www.visitthecapitol.gov

For more than 200-years “The District” has been the beating heart and soul of the country and the keeper of the nation’s history and cultural memory. Festivals, marches, protests and other events that altered history’s narrative have played out here. The more than 300-acre National Mall was designed to serve as a main thoroughfare. Today it provides access to the most viewed and visited monuments, museums and Smithsonian sites.  As the Mall is referred to as the nation’s front yard the Smithsonian Institute is considered the nation’s attic. James Smithson, a Scotsman who never visited America, willed more than $500,000 in 1829 to establish the Smithsonian, now the largest museum in the world with an additional zoo and research sites. https://www.si.edu

Taking an Old Town Trolley tour is the best way to see as much as possible and cover great distances while in the city. Offered tours are guided, begin at 9 am and allow passengers to hop-off and re-board at 25 stops. There are red and blue routes that cover both The Mall and take you to Arlington National Cemetery. The evening tour, Monuments by Moonlight, is a spectacular way to view the Illuminated city. One of the greatest benefits is that visitors can explore sites that tend to be underappreciated. www.trolleytours.com/washington-dc

The National Museum of African Art is dedicated to the traditional arts of sub-Saharan Africa. It was established in 1964 and became part of the Smithsonian in 1979. The museum’s collection is representative of 900 distinct African cultures. “Good as Gold: Fashioning Senegalese Women” is an outstanding exhibition focusing on the cultural significance of gold including mining, trade and gold as a symbol of power, beauty and self-expression. #goodasgold

“Gordon Parks: The New Tide, Early Work 1940-1950” is on exhibit in the National Gallery of Art until February 18th. His works are a window into an era as is Dawoud Bey’s “The Birmingham Project” in an adjacent gallery. The gallery is housed in two buildings and has a collection of European and American Art from the Middle Ages to the present. https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2018/gordon-parks-the-new-tide-1940-1950.html

Strong women have always carved a place for themselves in DC and one of their iconic sites, the 1929 National Woman’s Party headquarters, is now the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument. The site interprets the early women’s suffrage history. A tour highlight is Susan B. Anthony’s desk. www.nps.gov/bepa/index.htm

You will gain a new respect for the postal service after a visit to the National Postal Museum. Exhibits feature the history of postage stamps and a timeline of the postal service in America through interactives, videos, artifacts and text. Visitors can enter a train mail car, walk the original mail route and examine artifacts from famous crimes involving the postal service including the Unabomber’s handcuffs. Currently on display is “John Lennon: The Green Album”. As a boy Lennon collected stamps and his album contains 565 stamps on 150 pages. This is a hidden treasure! www.si.edu/Museums/postal-museum

The Korean War Veteran’s Memorial commemorates the soldiers who fought there. The war was the first without racial segregation and the 19 sculptures when reflected on the wall add up to 38 representing the 38th parallel. There are twelve white, three African American, two Hispanics, one Asian and one Native American sculpted soldiers.

Nearly 10,000 women served in Vietnam and their service is commemorated with the 1993 Vietnam’s Women’s Memorial. Located near the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall the 6’8” bronze sculpture depicts a seriously wounded soldier assisted by three servicewoman.

The National Portrait Gallery displays portraits of noteworthy women and men including the U.S. Presidential portraits. One highlight of the collection on exhibit is Nelson Shanks life-sized painting, The Four Justices, of female Supreme Court Justices O’Connor, Kagan, Sotomayar and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Two of the most famous portraits are those of Michelle Obama by Amy Sherald and Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley. I suggest you be there when the gallery opens and head straight to the third floor for comfortable viewing. Do not miss the symbolism in Michelle’s portrait, especially in her patterned dress. www.nps.gov/bepa/index.htm,  #myNPG

Eaton DC, opened in September 2018, easily rises to a level of innovation and creativity that is designed to foster environmental, artistic, global and community awareness and inspire guests to seek their loftiest goals through personal interaction. It is comprised of  five individual parts, Hotel, House, Media, Wellness, and Impact and public spaces are designed to facilitate mingling and free exchange of ideas. Live performances, an Eaton Radio community program and DJ mixes are offered as well as art create in a spectrum of mediums. Eaton Wellness center showcases The District’s holistic healing community. Four main dining options are guided by chef Tim Ma, American Son, Kintsugi, Wild Days and Allegory. www.eatonworkshop.com

Eaton DC is LEED Gold certified and their environmental commitment extends to the guest rooms. Rooms offer eco-friendly mattresses and linens and Grown Alchemist, plant-based, bath products. www.eatonworkshop.com/hotel/dc/house

Craft a Classic Experience in Southwest Louisiana

“the god(s) of the spit and the saucepan” Harpers Magazine1880

              Louisiana is internationally famous for its Cajun and Creole cuisine and generally Chef Paul Prudhommeis credited for its introduction and popularization into the American mainstream. You can literally find great foodeverywhere in the state but ground zero for fresh, locally sourced, regional dishes is the Lake Charles area in Southwest Louisiana (SWLA). Here visitors can craft a special experience and soak up the history that led

to this unique culture as well as dive into the adventure, music, art, festival, beverage and dining scenes. www.visitlakecharles.org

Prior to first contact with Europeans in 1537 more than 10,000 natives, including the Attakapa,Choctaw, Houma, Tunica, Natchez, and Muskhogean occupied the land. From these tribes the colonists learned about food sources found on the land and in nearby waterways. Wild game, alligator, fish and crawfish were introduced into their diet along with the Spanish staples ham and tomatoes. 

The earliest mass introduction of slaves was in 1719 and with them came cooking techniques and foods from Africa. The African diet was based around stews served over a starchy food such as rice and they also infused such items as black-eyed peas, hominy grits, okra, yams and sorghum into the colonial diet. Germans arrived in 1722 from Alsace-Lorraine bringing with them traditional sausage recipes and contributed to Creole dishesandouille, boudin and bratwurst along with potato salad as a rice substitute.French-Acadians followed in the 1760s, the word “Cajun” is a derivative of Acadian, with their love of rich sauces, haute cuisine and crusty breads. #EatSWLA

In the 1700s the Lake Charles area was populated by more cattle than people and these cattle were handled by the first American southwestern cowboys, Native Americans, Creoles and Senegambians who brought skills from Africa. Frenchman André Masse owned 3 cattle ranches in 1730, operated by his slaves who functioned largely as free men. Masse manumitted his enslaved cowboys prior to his death and gave them cattle and horses. Many settled in the area and established the oldest Creole community in the region and their some descendants have maintained the hereditary property.

Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the US in 1803 for $15-million and the Lake Charles region was deemed No Man’s Land, neutral territory that separated Spanish Texas from French Louisiana. The governments avoided a war by treaty and the powers, including the US, agreed to send no law enforcement to the region. The land became a haven for all types of people including fleeing slaves.

                  

               Lining the rail of the 1.3-mile the Calcasieu River Bridge are 10,572crossed pirate derringers representing the presence of pirate Jean Lafitte who arrived in 1817. Lafitte plied the bayou waters engaging in illegal trading. He had an enclave where planters could buy African slaves and one of his best customers was Jim Bowie. According to legend Bayou Contraband was a route taken by both fleeing slaves and Lafitte’s slave vessels. 

Visitors experience “Louisiana’s Outback” by taking the Creole Nature Trail, an All-American Road. You can download the app and stop in Sulphur at Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point to orient yourself with hands-on displays. The trail offers sightings of 28 mammal,, 400 bird, 35 amphibians and reptiles and 132 fish species. www.creolenaturetral.org

Boudin Wars is an event held annually where local restaurants and chefs enter their sausage to win the title of "Best Boudin in SWLA. It’s a wonderful introduction to this Cajun staple. Boudin sausage in a pork casing stuffed traditionally with rice, pork, onions, liver and pepper and then steamed or smoked. Southwest Louisiana’s Boudin Trail visits 36 family-owned venues that offer a variety of options. Travelers can purchase sausage, dine-in and in some cases watch as the sausage is made. LeBleu’s Landing and Sausage Link in Sulphur is a great choice. This Cajun family establishment has a narrated tour, gift shop, market and an adjacent restaurant. Visitors can taste and purchase. www.lebleuslanding.com

                  The largest private rum distillery in the country, Louisiana Spirits Bayou Rum Distillery, is a destination in itself. They offer an awesome gift shop, free distillery tours and rum tasting. The rum is handcrafted in a copper pot using 100% Louisiana cane sugar and molasses. www.bayourum.com     

                  The quirky Pops and Rocket is a totally unique experience in downtown Lake Charles. Here you can purchase hand-made gourmet ice cream and popsicles to an 80’s soundtrack of your choice. The ice cream is gluten free and vegan. Classic arcade games are available in the “pop lab”. www.popsandrockets.com

                  The 2^ndlargest Mardi Gras in SW Louisiana is showcased in the six-room Mardi Gras Museum with the largest costume display in the world. Trace the history, dance in the parade and even climb aboard a float in this interactive museum. www.swlamardigras.com

                  Don’t miss a meal, especially the Zydeco Lunch, at the Blue Dog Café. The décor features art by George Rodrigue and the menu consists of modern Cajun cuisine and seafood dishes created by Chef Ryan Trahan, the 2018 “King of American Seafood”.www.lakecharles.bluedogcafe.com

                  Dining with a trackside view of Thoroughbred and American Quarter Horse racingis on offer at the Lookout Restaurant in Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel. The casino has 1600 slot and video machines and the 9-story hotel provides live entertainment and a fitness and aquatic center. www.deltadowns.com

L’Auberge Casino Resort is the perfect base from which to explore SWLA. The AAA Four Diamond property’s amenities include a 70,000-sq. ft casino, 18-hole golf course, lazy river,  Spa du Lac, marina and more than 10 dining venues. Chef Lyle Broussard presides over Jack Daniel's Bar & Grill with a menu comprised of traditional southwestern dishes blended with modern influences and infused with Jack Daniels’ sauces. Combine the meal with any of the 25 beers on tap. www.mylauberge.com, @LAubergeLC

                  January 5 to March 5, 2019 is officially Mardi Gras season. This is the optimum time to let the good times roll in Southwest Louisiana.#VisitLakeCharles