DDC #8

 DDC #8

1. New York City
2. Philadelphia
3. Philcon

PA Renaissance Faire 2009

   Saturday, September 5, 2009: or 1569, where between looking at the quaint-looking buildings and some of the people in 16th-century garb, from nobility to peasants, I felt like I traveled in a time warp as well as a different place. Instead of being in Lancaster County, PA, the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire at the Mount Hope Winery, 2775 Lebanon Rd., Manheim, PA (717-665-7021), felt more like a town in England in the days of Queen Elizabeth the first. Upon entering, I headed toward the Globe Theatre, and I saw on stage Good Queen Bess herself and her court welcoming everybody to the faire. Afterward, I spent the rest of the day walking through the faire grounds and taking in the sights and sounds of many interesting things. Here, I glanced at shoppes and tents of vendors selling jewellry, costumes, and accessories as well as armour, books, and other goods. Other shoppes, tents, and booths sold food and drinks--both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. (Other than admission and lunch, I didn't buy anything; much later, as I left for the day, I noticed that some people had their hands stamped to return to the faire. At lunch or dinner, they had a picnic near their cars in the parking lot [car park].) Nevertheless, this faire offered much more then vendors. Other areas had rides for children, including an elephant ride, for extra costs, and there was plenty of free entertainment at the different stages and performance areas. Thus, I watched and listened to music, comedy, and dancing as well as demonstrations in archery, jousting, and different crafts in abundance. I also heard more fake-English accents on this day than I ever heard in my life! Overall, I found the PA Renaissance Faire colourful, fun, and educational.

Dover Delaware 2009

     Friday, August 21, 2009: Inside a restored 1792 building, I saw a four-minute DVD presentation about the brief history of this place: The (Old) Delaware State House Museum, 25 The Green, Dover (302-739-4266). From the late 1700s to 1933, the lawmakers used this building to govern the First State. (Delaware was the first state to sign the US Constitution in 1787.) Then in 1933, the state government moved to nearby Legislative Hall, and the Old State House became a museum. On a half-hour tour, the guides explained both the histories of Delaware and of events that took place in the Old State House as I noticed the restored 18th-century interior and furnishings. Next, I visited the Biggs Museum of American Art, upstairs from the Delaware Visitor Center. On two floors, I looked at both fine and decorative arts, made in the USA, dating from the 1700s into the 21st century. Each room covered a different period in time, and each room displayed paintings and sculptures as well as furniture and other objects from that particular time. Two special rooms exhibited Delaware-made art and objects made of silver. I was very impressed, however, with how this area of Dover looked, and even newer buildings showed plenty of red brick construction to blend in better with the nearby 18th-century buildings.

Connecticut Hall 2009

     Saturday, August 8, 2009: Last year, I could say that I've been to Harvard, and this year, I could say the same for Yale. Of course, to tell the truth, I only visited both places. On the date above, I arrived in New Haven, Connecticut, headed toward the oldest building on campus, the 1752 Connecticut Hall, and took pictures of it. Next, I spent the rest of the day in two nearby museums: the Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center of British Art, 1080 Chapel St. at High St. (203-436-3429). The first of these mid-sized art museums showed different mediums of art from around the world: paintings, drawings, and sculptures as well as furniture, coins, and other items dating from ancient times to the present, on five levels. Afterward, the second museum contained the largest collection of British art outside of the United Kingdom. Here, I noticed paintings, sculptures, and other mediums going back to the 16th century and up to the current times, on two levels. The themes for the artworks ranged from portraits, landscapes, and seascapes as well as sporting themes, still life, and other subjects. This made for an interesting day overall.

Marble House 2009

     Saturday, July 18, 2009: I've been to both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence. In reality, after I walked through the main campus of Brown University, I entered the ground floor of Manning Hall, the location of a branch of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology. (The main museum is in Bristol, RI.) Inside, students of the university set up different temporary exhibit themes covering certain aspects of Human societies. When I was there, I saw Believing Africa. By way of pictures, texts, and exhibit items, I learned about how the people of sub-Saharan Africa combine their beliefs in world religions, such as Christianity and Islam, with their indigenous beliefs and of how these beliefs affected their lives. Afterward, I walked over to the Museum of Art-RISD, 224 Benefit St. (401-454-6500). On four floors, I observed many works of art, from ancient Egypt to the present, from around the world, via paintings, drawings, and sculpture as well as decorative arts, period rooms, and photos. As art museums go, this was a mid-sized museum compared to the bigger art museums in New York City; Philadelphia; and Washington, DC, but I spent over three hours here. When I was there, one of the temporary exhibit areas presented the works of architect and designer Marcel Breuer. Thus, via pictures, furniture, and scale-models of buildings, I looked at the places and items that Breuer designed. The Breuer-designed building that I'm most familiar with was the Whitney Museum of Art in NYC.

The Breakers 2009

     Friday, July 17, 2009: By way of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) bus #60, I traveled from Providence to Newport. Once I arrived at Newport, I rode the #67 Yellow Line trolley/bus from the Visitors Center to the Breakers, 44 Ochre Point Ave. (401-847-1000). If you see nothing else in Newport, or the entire state of RI, you should see this mansion or "cottage," as the Gilded-Age Elite called these places. The Vanderbilt family once owned this 1895 European-Renaissance-styled mansion of 70 rooms. This was one of those places where I first didn't know whether to look up, down, or sideways! Here, I saw interiors of French and Italian stone, marble, and alabaster as well as elaborate wood trims, gilding on the walls and ceilings, and paintings on the ceilings. Much of the furniture and items displayed French and Italian designs, and they looked just as elaborate as the interiors of the walls and ceilings, especially the great hall and dining room. The rooms on the upper floors were just as elegant in a French-18th-century design, but in a more subdued way, including the morning room and bedrooms. Finally, I entered the workrooms and kitchen where the staff of around 40 servants worked to maintain this place. Next, I thought that the Marble House, once owned by other members of the Vanderbilt family, would be anti-climatic after seeing the Breakers, but I was wrong. Although, it wasn't as large as the Breakers, inside, this 1892 mansion was just as elaborate and elegant. These Vanderbilts wanted a mansion built to resemble the Petit Trianon on the grounds of Versailles, and they got it. This place showed 18th-century French designs mainly copied from Versailles, especially in the ballroom and dining room. One room, however, the Gothic Room, looked almost like a medieval church; all it needed was an altar. Nevertheless, this room exhibited Gothic arches, stained-glass windows, and medieval furniture. In both mansions, I felt elegant as I ascended the grand staircases to the next level--even if I wasn't dressed elegantly, and both places offered some great views of the Atlantic Ocean.

State Museum of PA 2009

     Thursday, June 25, 2009: This was the first time I've ever been to the Pennsylvania state capital and the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg (717-787-4980). Except for Gettysburg National Battlefield, this museum is the most visited in PA between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. I felt pleasantly surprised as I toured the different floors, starting at the top floor. This museum covered the history of PA from the time of the formation of the Earth to the present via texts, pictures, and exhibit items as well as dioramas, tableaus, and multi-media presentations. Thus, I learned about PA's natural resources in animals, plants, and minerals as well as its Human history from the time of the local Native Americans to the current diverse ethnic groups of people. The State Museum of PA has been a definite must-see place.

Fallsington, PA 2009

   Thursday, June 18, 2009: Although I had to reserve in advance for a tour of this historical town that dated back to the 17th century and founded by Quakers, it was worth it. The headquarters for Historical Fallsington, 4 Yardley Ave., Fallsington, Pennsylvania (215-295-6567), was the former Gillingham store in a 1910 building. After I browsed through this gift and souvenir store, my tour guide walked me through the town square and told me the history of this town. Then, she led me into three of the buildings included on this tour: a log house from the 1750s, a 1798 tavern, and a house from 1809. The organization that runs Historical Fallsington restored each of those buildings and their interiors to the proper period. Therefore, I learned about life in a 1750s log house, a 1798 tavern, and an 1809 house. Finally, I was free to walk along the nearby streets and look at the exteriors of several buildings that dated from the 1700s and 1800s. (Most of these buildings are private residents, businesses, or schools and are not open to the public.) The first Friends Meeting House from 1690, where William Penn worshipped, was gone, but three others remain. The Religious Society of Friends still used the latest Meeting House, from 1841, for worship.

Mercer Museum in PA - 2009

     Tuesday, May 19, 2009: This was the first time I ever took the R5 SEPTA train from Philadelphia to Doylestown, PA. However, this was not the first time I've ever visited the Mercer Museum, 84 South Pine St. (215-345-0210). I first visited here in the 1980s, and similar to the last time, I saw the permanent collection of 55 exhibit rooms and alcoves displaying the tools of many trades that people practiced in the 18th and 19th centuries. I also noticed the finished products from those trades. In addition, the central court showed boats, wagons, and stagecoaches as well as bicycles, baskets, and other items from everyday life. I looked at all of these things that the museum workman suspended on cables through five levels. Nevertheless, a newer exhibit area covered the history of the Native Americans, especially the Lenni-Lenapes, via texts, pictures, and objects. Meanwhile, when I was there, the temporary exhibit area focused on old-time musical instruments. Believe me, it took me about three hours to cover most of this museum. After my visit, I became more grateful for modern, mass-produced products, especially after seeing how people in the past bought and made their material goods.

Dorney Park 2009

     Sunday, May 10, 2009: On this date, I finally visited a park whose ads I've seen on TV all my life: Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom, 3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, PA (610-395-3724 or 800-551-5656). Although I'm not a fan of wild rides, I usually enjoy myself in most amusement parks by riding the tamer rides, watching entertainment, and in some parks, watching craftspeople at work. Because I chose to go in early May, the adjoining Water Park was closed until late June--that's understandable. However, there was also no entertainment going on, and the park officials didn't open some of the retail shops and eating places. Meanwhile, the few craftspeople around only practiced their crafts if you bought something from them to embellish--a picture or a name on the item that you bought. Nobody made anything from scratch. Despite these drawbacks, there were some advantages to coming to Dorney Park this time of year: The weather felt nicer, and the lines for the rides were shorter than in summer. Thus, if you love thrill rides or even tamer rides, like me, you had a chance to try out more rides in a day. This park did have its share of tamer rides: two carrousels--one of them an antique merry-go-round, a train ride, a car ride/drive, a Ferris wheel, and a few other tame rides. Therefore, between the rides, eating lunch, and just looking at the other rides, the buildings, and the landscaping, I spent about three hours here. This was a worthwhile park for people who don't like wild rides to see once; for those who like wild rides, more than one visit may be necessary.

DDC #7

DDC #7

1. Lunacon
2. Washington D.C.

Theaters and Plays 5-2-09 to 8-7-09

MMT 2009 

1. Society Hill Playhouse
2. AMC Empire 25
3. Landmark Sunshine Cinema
4. United Artists 64th and 2nd

The State I'm In #4

 Issue #4

1. Atlantic County  -- Atlantic City