I’ve gathered up some great weekend reads, so grab a cup of coffee, and settle in.  These posts are sure to make for great Sunday (or any day) reading:

Filipina Soul introduces us to the Ayala Museum which houses world-class collections based on the history of the Philippines.  Beautiful!

Notre Dame in Paris as viewed from the top of the Pantheon (c)Mary Jo Manzanares

Travel Writers News lists the best online travel resources.  I was aware of most of these, but picked up a few that I’ve now added to my list.  You’ll find this very helpful.

The Los Angeles Guide introduces to the mobile food vendors are the latest, hippest, dining experience to hit LA, grazing haven for foodies.

The Sydney Traveler tell us about the new iPhone app, FoodWatch NSW.  This Aussie app used the phone’s GPS to show which nearby restaurants have breached food safety standards, helping you avoid those dodgy spots.

iTravelNet has a great photo of Three Countries Corner in Basel, Switzerland.  This spot on the Rhine River is where Switzerland, Germany and France meet.

The London Traveler intrigued me with her post on the often overlooked Benjamin Franklin House.  I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the man who spent time at this house in London hoping to avoid a war between England and the Colonies.

Almost Fearless starts a great discussion on whether or not you should start a travel blog.  There’s plenty to ponder before you say yes, no, or maybe.

The Paris Traveler makes the list again this week with her post about vespa-ing around the city.  While I’m still a fan of the Metro, this could be quite a fun way to tool around for a day.

Gadling has me scratching my head with its post about a fold-up hotel room.  The Flexotel is a container type room that claims it can be unpacked and furnished in about 10 minutes.

The Venice Guide has a fun post about a high school where wine and students are encouraged to mix. The Venice, Italy, high school teaches students how to make wine, olive oil, and other specialty products produced from the farm.  Visitors can even buy the wine that students make.

IAG Blog takes apart the fine print of Jet Blue’s $599/one month of unlimited travel offer.  Read up on it to see if it’s a good deal for you.  Or for the ailing airline industry.

Happy reading!

Photo credit:  personal collection

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During the World’s Fair, this was home to the US Science Pavilion.  Today it is an independent, not for profit science museum, with eight buildings housing hundreds of science exhibits, two IMAX theaters, a large Laser Dome theater, tropical butterfly house, and a planetarium.  In addition to the permanent exhibits, the Pacific Science Center hosts a number of traveling exhibits, most recently “Lucy’s Legacy:  The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia.”

My favorite of the exhibits, and a welcome respite after a busy day of touring the Seattle Center, is the Tropical Butterfly House.  This building is climate controlled to 80 degrees, with 70% humidity, to nurture the delicate butterflies that call this home.  You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled, and this beautiful creatures may light anywhere – the ground, trees, flowers, or on you.

This is a great place for families, and their are exhibits that will appeal to age groups.  Kids seem to especially enjoy the Dinosaur exhibit, the Insect Village, and the butterflies.

The Pacific Science Center is located on the Seattle Center campus, and the Tropical Butterfly House is in Building #2.  Regular hours are 10 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday, and until 6 pm on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays.  Summer hours are till 6 pm daily.

Admission is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors (ages 65+), $13 for youth (ages 6-15), and $11 for kids (ages 3-5).  Tickets can be purchased online or onsite.

Photo credit:  Byrmo @flickr

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I’ve been interested in this exhibit for some time, and not that’ we’ll be starting non-stop service to Houston, it’s moving up to the top of my must-see list.

The exhibit features thousands of terra cotta warriors that were found buried in the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Shi Huangdi.  The warriors were entombed with him in order that that he would be protected by them throughout eternity.  The exhibit features 100 sets of objects, including 20 complete life-size figures, and is representative of the emperor’s army.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is located at One Hermann Circle Drive in Houston Texas, across from the Miller Outdoor Theater.  The museum is open daily, 9 am – 5 pm, and the last timed entrance to the Terra Cotta Warriors is at 4 pm.

Tickets are available online, and are for timed admission.  $30 adults, $24 children 3-11 and seniors.  Advanced tickets are recommended.

As a special promotion, you can receive a 10% discount at any Houston P.F. Chang’s China Bistro with the presentation of a ticket stub from the exhibit.  This promotion is good through November 30th, 2009, and some restrictions apply.

This exhibit runs through October 18th, 2009, after which it travels to the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC.  It will be on display there November 19th, 2009 through March 31, 2010.

This fascinates me.  And although I’m not a huge Chinese history fan, there’s something about it that intrigues me.  After I visit the exhibit, I’ll be sure to post a review along with my impressions of it.

Has anyone been that can chime in with some opinions?

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

The Museum of the American Cocktail features 200 years of cocktail history.  From vintage cocktail accoutrements, to Prohibition-era literature, to vast varieties of other cocktail memorabilia, it’s a little American history told in cocktail form.  The museum claims to be “part museum, part bar, and part Victorian bordello.”

While the museum serves as a tourist attraction depicting a fun bit of Americana, it’s also an educational institution that serves professionals in the beverage industry.  It is a nonprofit organization that provides exhibits and education that advance the profession of mixology, while still stressing the importance of responsible drinking.  Proof positive that history really can be fun!

The Museum of the American Cocktail is located in the Southern Food & Beverage Museum at the Riverwalk Marketplace, 1 Poydras Street, Suite 169 (Julia Street entrance) in New Orleans.

Hours are Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm, and Sunday, noon – 6 pm.  Admission is $10.

Photo credit:  flickr

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Japanese artist Itchiku Kubota’s colorful exhibit of painted kimonos is on the last leg of its US tour, opening today in Canton, Ohio. 

Each of these beautiful over-sized kimonos took nearly a year to create, and the 40 in the exhibit make up a life’s work.  Kubota died in 2003, and his family now carries on the kimono artistry.

Kimono: The 20th Century Masterworks of Itchiku Kubota is on display at the Canton Museum of Art (located in the Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Avenue North), and will run February 8th – April 26th.  This is the last stop on its US tour.

Viewing hours are Monday, Friday & Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm; Tuesday – Thursday 10 am – 9 pm, and Sunday noon – 5 pm.

Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors (60+) and Students (ages 13 through college, with ID), and children 12 and under are FREE.  Parking is available onsite.

I had no idea how intricate kimonos could be, and what a work of art Kubota has made of them.

Along with the exhibit, Canton is staging a kimono fest, with special events to celebrate the art of kimono.  Other evens include Japanese tea ceremonies, Sumi-e (painting) and Shodo (calligraphy) demonstrations, Jujitsu and Samurai demonstrations, and a kite festival.

Image credit:  Courtesy of Itchiku Kubota Art Museum

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One of my favorite museums in Paris was the Musee Rodin in the First Arrondissement.

Surrounded by beautiful gardens, this collection of sculptures and other artwork was wonderful.

I took the photo of these hands, and don’t even recall what the sculpture was called.  For some reason, I found them compelling.

Join a group of other travel bloggers who are sharing photos today as part of Photo Friday.  I loved the travel photos, and think you will, too!

Photo credit:  personal collection

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They’re Backyard Monsters:  The World of Insects, on exhibit now through May 3rd. 

You’ll find giant robotic bugs, up to 96 times they’re normal size, including carpenter ants, emperor scorpion, and a praying mantis.  The creatures are around six to eight feet in length, and are displayed in what attempts to portray their natural setting.  The robotics allow these bugs to simulate the actions of their real-life counterparts, so you can see moving legs, curling tails, and other normal functions. 

Although these bugs are bigger than life, every effort has been made to make sure their depiction and animation is as real life as possible.  In fact, the Entomological Society of America has endorsed the exhibit.

There are lots of interactive displays that allow you to learn while still having fun.  A couple of kid favorites are the “Bug’s Eye View” which allows you to view your friends through the eyes of a bug, and “The Better to Eat You With” which shows how insects chew plants and suck blood. 

Eeeeewwwww!

Photo credit:  With permission from TravMedia

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Pam is a great photographer (click on her link above and go check out her stuff), and we also discussed how much photos added to the travel blog experience.

So today, I’m sharing a photo taken on my trip to Paris last fall. 

The photo was taken on a visit to the Louvre.  The statuary was in a garden atrium area of the museum, and is just one of hundreds of pieces on display.

I recently had the opportunity to watch some sculptors at work, and that has given me a new appreciation for the effort that went into these marble pieces of art.

Photo credit:  personal collection

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

The Wexner Center for the Arts is a contemporary art gallery on the OSU campus (North High Street at the corner of 15th Avenue), and features several permanent exhibitions in addition to this Warhol exhibit.

Many people know Warhol through his iconic work – Campbell Soup can, Marilyn Monroe portraits, and other artwork of the 60’s.  This exhibit will show much more than that.  There are lots of special event connected with the exhibit, including free admission days and special programming.

Special charges apply for this exhibit (the center normally has free admission), but it is still very reasonably priced.  $8 adults, $5 for youth ages 13-17, seniors (65+).  Free every Thursday evening and the first Sunday of every month.  FREE for college students (with ID) and kids aged 12 and under.

I’ve always been a Warhol fan, and enjoyed his Hammer & Sickle (in photo above) that I saw at the MoMA in New York.  Now, I just wish I had some reason to go to Columbus so I could check out this exhibit.  It looks like it will be full of great stuff!

Photo credit:  Jon Rochetti

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The Modern, as it is generally called, specializes in post-World War II art, housed in five long pavilions set into a reflecting pond.  Located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, about two miles west of downtown.  The impressive building is as much a work of art and what’s contained within.

The permanent collection includes pieces by some of the great modernists, including Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol.  Although it can be partially blocked off when setting up new exhibits, it’s an impressive and diverse collection, and worthy of repeat trips to see everything.  The collection also includes sculpture, photography and video.

Currently on exhibit is Kara Walker:  My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love, running through October 19th, 2008.  It consists of her signature black cut-paper silhouettes, along with other film animation and other paper art.  She is probably best known for her room-size silhouettes depicting historical perspectives, often related to the subjugation of life in the American South.

Although I’ve not seen this traveling exhibit, I have seen some of these silhouettes.  They are both fascinating as an art form and disturbing as a commentary on our history.  It would be worth a trip specifically for this exhibit.

The Modern is located at 3200 Darnell Street in Forth Worth.  Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm.  It is closed on Mondays and holidays.  Admission is $10 for adults, $4 students and seniors, and FREE for children 12 and under.  Additionally, admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and every Wednesday. 

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Dallas-Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe