Dream A Little Dream - The Art of Finding That One In A Million Place

So which is it? Art imitates life or life is just one big marketing trick. The art of travel is one of life's activities that can educate us, enlighten us, and change our perspective. It can even cause a paradigm shift in our view of the world around us and become as meaningful as a Picasso, Beethoven's Fifth or Notre Dame Cathedral. A paradigm shift is a very scientific event that proves beyond any shadow of any doubt that your previous notions were simply wrong!! It's kind of like - after viewing even a few minutes of Jersey Shore - you have a "paradigm shift" about the future of western civilization. Well, travel can have the same effect - only in the opposite direction. This blog is dedicated to the proposition that travel should not, indeed, cannot be just getting from Point A to Point B. No. Where you stay and what you experience at Point A and Point B and all points in between must be exceptional in every way. In simple terms - Design Matters!

It's Not Just About Looking at Great Buildings!!

Don't get me wrong. As an architect, I am and will always be interested in great buildings, old and new. I studied every square inch of I.M Pei's Glass Pyramid at The Louvre, as I slowly worked my way to viewing the Mona Lisa. I later discovered that the ficticious "Holy Grail" of The Davinci Code was buried beneath the inverted pyramid in an underground shopping mall. That rather bizarre twist of artistic license is worth at least a couple of theological seminars. And in the most beautiful city in the world, who has not been enthralled with the iconic Eiffel Tower - an architectural monument that was supposed to be temporary and was utterly despised by the citizens of Paris at the time. When you think about it, most travel is centered around great works of ancient and modern architecture.

But  great architecture is only part of our experience when we travel. No. The small places we sleep, eat, rest and relax in are the ones we burn into our consciousness. Those permanent visions of intimate spaces and places with people we care about become mental and emotional links to love, joy and simple pleasures that travel brings. I once had a discussion with a close friend who told me about a special place she and her husband found hidden in the rocks of Big Sur when they were very young. She described, in great detail, the wine, the picnic basket, the surf pounding on the rocks and the closeness she felt with her husband as they experienced this particular place and how she still remembers every detail about it, even thirty years later. It's those kinds of experiences that we hope to help you find as you plan your travels, be it around the world or down the street.

Vow Today - I Will Not Settle!!

If you want to find the best - not necessarily the most expensive - places to eat and sleep, you have to develop a curious mind set and the tools to accomplish the task of good travel planning, while allowing for the unexpected pleasures that come to people who just don't like tours, crowds or group think. If I have to choose between a 2,000 room "resort" and the rental car - roll down the windows.

In my constant search for unique places of architectural character with design as a central component, I have developed a partial list of Places that I Want to Sleep Before I Die. Disclaimer - I have NOT stayed at any of these places - but I will - unless time runs out! They are completely unique and, in some cases, require you to change your attitude about travel. They have been researched to the extreme - i.e. - I have read every possible review and studied every piece of information I could glean from the web, books and any other source I could find on each place listed.

The Nomad Architect's Incomplete List of The Top Ten Places To Sleep Before You Die

Post Ranch Inn - Big Sur California

I started with the most expensive place on the list. Prices range from $600 to $1,400, depending on season and view (Mountain or Ocean). Big Sur is one of nature's true wonders for romantics and nature lovers.  After studying numerous reviews, drawings and photographs of Post Ranch Inn, it is clear that Architect Michael Mueinning did all the right things when he inserted forty unique rooms, suites and houses into the rugged Big Sur Coast, some 1,200 feet above the Pacific, to create what has been referred to, by many travel publications, as the most romantic small hotel in the world. So, if money is indeed no object - and you really want to impress the one you love - this is the place!!

Spin and Margie's Desert Hideaway - Joshua Tree California

A sweet little, funky re-birthed 50's motel in an inspiring desert landscape can be had for a paltry $145 to $175 per night. I felt like I owed it to any Broke Nomads after the Post Ranch Inn to provide a very cool, very funky alternative place on the cheap!! It has that Route 66 Vibe and all the quirkiness and soul you would expect from an artist turned hotelier!!

Verana - Yelapa, Mexico

These are the actual instructions, from the hotel website,  on how to get to this luxury hotel and spa on the Pacific Coast of Mexico - A 3 hour flight takes you from L.A. to Puerto Vallarta. A quick drive gets you to Boca de Tomatlan - the last beach you can reach by car. From there it's a 30 minute boat ride along the beautiful coast to Yelapa. We will be waiting for you at the beach with our mules to take you and your luggage to our hillside location. If you need a mule ride, please advise us prior to your arrival. A place that requires that kind of logistics just to get there has to be good. Designed by Heinz Legler and Veronique Lievre, a former movie set builder and set decorator respectively, this heavenly little eco-hotel, carved out of the Mexican jungle with uninterrupted views of the Pacific should make you forget about the traffic and the tasks of your workaday life back home. They say the food is to die for as well.

Hotel San Jose' - Austin, Texas

Like great Texas singers/songwriters Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Norah Jones and Delbert McClinton, Texas has produced some talented, regional architects who have created a varied body of design work that combines the uniqueness of the Texas landscape and culture with an often austere, stripped down form of regionalism that is visually stunning and spatially diverse. One such place that must be considered is The Hotel San Jose' in the heart of The Live Music Capital Of The World. According to former guests, The San Jose' is everything you don't want in a chain and less. With minimalist interiors and enticing exterior courtyard spaces and easy access to South Congress Avenue and all the live music you will ever need, The Lake Flato Architects' designed San Jose' is a must for people who want to feel comfortable and cool at the same time.

 And Let's Not Forget Florida - The Postcard Inn - Saint Petersburg, Florida

Because Florida is such a huge tourist destination, it actually has fewer small, boutique hotels than you would expect. However, The Postcard Inn, a very cool, funky little renovated 1950's motel is a step in the right direction. As Travel+Leisure Magazine says - True to its surfer-cool, 1950’s-motel roots, the new Postcard Inn, in St. Pete Beach, Florida, is hip, affordable, and resolutely casual. Saint Pete Beach, like other West Coast and East Coast Beach destinations such as Daytona and Fort Lauderdale,  is slowly making its way back to the Pre-Disney/MTV Days when they were centers of the Party Hardy Universe. A great time on a great beach can be had for about $175 per night. And the choices for food are infinite, including a great little on site restaurant.

And Then Their Is Francis Ford Coppola's Place - Blancaneaux Lodge -  Cayo District, Belize

Francis Ford Coppola, the iconic movie director, is working the same magic in the hotel business as he did with the revival of the Inglenook Wine Brand  into a world class Winery. Blancaneuax Lodge, located in the Mayan mountains, is a destination with incomparable natural beauty and cabanas and villas that leave no detail to chance for the Demanding Nomad. It's eco-travel for people who want the very best. The on site food is reported to be local and excellent and you will have a world of interesting eco-oriented things to do when you're not enjoying the exquisitely designed sleeping quarters. Some even have their own private plunge pools! Great destination for the Romantic Nomad.

Europe Beckons Too  - Hotel Marques De Riscal Rioja Region, Spain

Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Frank Gehry, the Hotel Marques De Riscal is an utterly unique hotel on one of Spain's most esteemed winery estates. Located in the Rioja region of Spain, this colored, titanium clad boutique hotel, designed to mimic the colors of wine, is literally built on top of a winery that has changed little since the 1800's. Also featured in the must see PBS Travel Series On The Road Again With Gwineth Paltro and Mario Batali, this small forty three room hotel should be on every Nomad's list of Places to
                                                         Sleep Before You Die.

Il Cortile - Tuscany, Italy

After you pay a virtual visit to Toscana Rustica, a boutique hotel web site dedicated to a group of small, intimate hotels, converted barns and other unique places to sleep, you will want to take the first plane to Florence, grab a Smart Car and head to one of  several properties located in the enchanted land of romance, great food and great wine - Tuscany. One such property is Il  Cortile, a romantic little place nestled into the hillside of the picturesque village of Taponecco. With a very cool design featuring sensitive restoration of an ancient group of buildings and spaces you will not want to leave. And its in the heart of a part of Europe that practically invented great food and wine! 

Bastion Ste. Anne - Burgundy, France

Nobody inserts modern into ancient like the Europeans. And nobody does it better than the French. Bastion Ste. Anne is just such a place. The architect has overlaid this 13th century fortress, in the heart of Burgundy, with minimalist interiors and crisp detailing that will ensure that you will long remember this unique "house". When is the last time you slept in a place that sported a loft for viewing, a glass greenhouse with a monster fireplace for relaxation and a Bulthaup Kitchen to create your own culinary delights? And you have your very own orchard for al fresco dining. If you listen closely, you might hear a couple of Dukes discussing exactly where they planned to place the wine cellars.

Padaste Manor -  Pädaste Bay on Muhu Island in the Baltic Sea, Estonia

With one of the most robust economies in the European Union, tiny little Estonia brings us an amazing boutique hotel and spa. Padaste Manor is the essence of living large on a small scale. Combining a world class hotel with an equally impressive spa, this sounds like a place you could get lost in. With a history dating back to 1566, this rural manor has been developed into a destination for Nomads that covet world class pampering. So grab your mate and take off to this little place in a little country in the hinterlands of the EU for some serious R&R.

And Last But Not Least - Glamping - Clayoquot Wilderness Resort - Near Vancouver, Canada

Arrival by sea plane, fly fishing, kayaking, hiking, horseback riding. It sounds like a veritable Ernest Hemingway cure for writer's block. Except you sleep in a tent. And not just any tent. No. If Versace had been a tent designer, these are the tents he would have designed. Classic white canvas enclosures resting regally on raised wooden platforms in the heart of the Canadian Wilderness. I was a Boy Scout until I discovered girls, and I don't ever remember any tents like these. With thermostatically controlled wood stoves, some even have en suite bathrooms. With only twenty tents, it's a Nomad's answer to the great outdoors with a little Waldorf thrown in so you can get your needed rest for a plethora of unending eco-activities. So, if you think you might like to be a jetsetting Eco-Nomad, then, by all means, grab your gear, hitch a ride and head for the woods.

So, there you have some ideas that, hopefully, will help you in your quest for that one in a million place you and yours are searching for. That's really what travel is. Thoreau said most men lead lives of quiet desperation. Not so of stalwart seekers of real experiences and mind shifting travel to enlightening environs that you never knew existed until you actually experienced it.

To paraphrase the hit song by Oleta Adams: You can get there by railway, by trailway, by airplane, by caravan - it doesn't matter how you get there - just get there if you can - and - I would add - Set a spell once you do!

This Week's Video Artist - Lyle Lovett is a true American Original and, in this week's video set, he is joined by the likes of John Hiatt, Joe Ely, and Guy Clarke on one tune and Randy Newman on another. Just great stuff for surfing the net while you find cool places to go.

Travel Quote of The Week - "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." - Andre Gide

Just Go Baby Go!!

DLS

thenomadARCHITECT

.

A Little Hotel in The Big Apple - And This time We Took The Kids!!

Second in the "Quick Cures For The Blue Nomad" Series

New York. The Big Apple. The Empire City. Gotham. By any name, the melting pot that is New York has more "stuff" packed in its five boroughs than any place you will ever visit. From Broadway to Brooklyn, from The Upper West Side to Coney Island, New York has every nationality, taste and experience, good and bad you could ever want or not. From the gaudiness of Times Square to the uber hipness of  The East Village, The City That Never Sleeps has everything from high culture to low and everything in between. It also has some of the greatest hotels and buildings in the world, including the greatest, most poetic of skyscrapers - The Chrysler Building. From its bloody and violent beginnings, New York rose to become the financial and cultural epicenter of the free world. Like the song says - If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!

As our kids began to grow into adulthood and the possibility of far flung living arrangements became reality - Our son lives in Atlanta, our daughter lives in Austin, and we live in the hinterland of Madison, Florida - We decreed, sometime back, that we would take a trip at least once a year to celebrate as a family. Since our kids were small, travel has been an integral part of our experiences as a family. Today's post is about just such a trip we took to the Island of Manhattan to celebrate our daughter's twenty first birthday. 

Travel with adult kids - and they will ALWAYS be kids  - in some ways, is more trying and stressful than traveling with actual little kids, because, they now have lives, jobs, school and most of all, opinions!! Just planning such a vacation is the equivalent of a NASA mission to an unnamed planet. And it becomes even more of a logistical challenge when everyone lives in a different place. So after getting flights from Tampa, Orlando and Tallahassee to the epicenter of insane air travel, Atlanta, finding each other, enduring an embarrassing accidental spill of a BIG coffee at the AIRTRAN gate, thereby ensuring that the eighty plus people waiting to board would have at least a somewhat humorous story to tell friends and neighbors about this guy that spilled this ginormous cup of coffee all over the check in desk at Hartsfield today - Hilarious!!! And needless to say, my loved ones were nowhere to be found as they quickly moved away from me as if they didn't know who this strange man was picking up the now empty Starbucks cup. After some hazmat cleanup by the ticket takers and me, we finally boarded for takeoff.

After a quick flight, we landed at JFK, gathered our luggage, hailed a cab and arrived at the boutique hotel The Muse without incident. As you would expect in a high end urban hotel, we were met by a perfectly attired valet and ushered into a highly rendered lobby of plush, highly detailed materials and furnishings to a concierge desk, where we were asked to have a seat and discuss our visit to The Muse and New York and finalize our check in, as our luggage was delivered to our room. The concierge was quick to point out various restaurants within walking distance, as well as other things to do in the second most expensive city in the world - London being Number One. Located in the heart of the Theatre District, The Muse is just off  Times Square and a few steps from Broadway. It's also a fairly easy walk to Central Park, one of the great urban parks designed by the Founder of American Landscape Architecture Frederick Law Olmstead. The sophisticated design of The Muse continues in the well appointed rooms with all the trappings one would expect from a one of a kind urban hotel located in the center of all of the action in the cultural capital of the Americas.

Since this was to be a weekend trip, we did not waste any time availing ourselves of the many things to do in New York. The helpful concierge was able to get tickets for the innovative, talented, hyper kinetic performance troupe Blue Man Group. With a unique combination of cutting edge music, acrobatic dancing and unimaginable contraptions made up of various pipes, tubes and drums, the BMG did not disappoint. After the show, we caught a late night dinner at a nearby restaurant and retired to the hotel for a much needed restful sleep.

You cannot go to New York without visiting one of the many museums. It seems that a museum or art gallery is on every corner. We decided to visit one of the great museums dedicated almost exclusively to modern art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. I was particularly interested in the Guggenheim because it is one of the few buildings in New York designed by America's greatest architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Many books have been written on the amazing, complicated history of how the Guggenheim was designed and built, and the client-architect relationship between the great architect and one of the scions of modern art. The Guggenheim is a must see for  art lovers and architects alike. And its across the street from Central Park.

After the museum visit, we took a cab back to Times Square, snagged a window booth at the Marriott Marquis, with a panoramic view of  Times Square and celebrated our daughter's entry into adulthood. After an early dinner we headed out for another night on the town. Since New York has more comedy clubs than museums, we decided to check out the legendary Dangerfield's, where new comics test their chops and established stand ups try out new material. Live comedy should be experienced by all, especially at a place like Dangerfield's that books nothing but the best.

After a weekend of  great food, great entertainment and some amazing memories, we decided to pay a visit to the non-denominational Brooklyn Tabernacle Church, to hear the greatest gospel choir in America. What a way to spend a Sunday morning! I have many recordings by the BT Choir, but, to hear this amazing choir, live, under the direction of the innovative director, arranger and song writer Carol Cymbala was an experience I will cherish forever. What a fitting way to end a great weekend in on of the truly great cities of the world.

So Start Spreadin' The News, grab the kids and leave today, or at least by this weekend, for New York, New York.

This Week's Video Artist - Who better to represent the music of The Big Apple than  world class trumpeter Winton Marsalis, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center ?

Travel Quote of the Week - A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe, and fifty times: It is a beautiful catastrophe. - Le Corbusier Architect

Break A Leg !!

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

Savannah & The AVIA Hotel - A Perfect Weekend Cure For The Post Winter Blues



Today's post is the first in a series to be tagged "Quick Cures For The Blue Nomad". Spring has not sprung but it is oh so close! Today, while riding my bike on a recently completed trail in God's Country with a blue, cloudless sky and a balmy seventy five degrees to keep me company, it occurred to me that weekend travel is not only fun , it also brings balance and symmetry to the warp speed of the 24 hour news cycle world we live in. A quick trip to a new or old place, especially one that is unplanned, will shake up your karma and relocate your center. How's that for some New Age hokum!! Anyway, ditch the IPAD, turn off the I-Phone  and focus on the road, the place, the food and the one you love. And don't forget your favorite road music CD's or MP3 player.  Good Music is essential to any quality road trip. And - NO TV!!!  Shake off the cob webs of winter and take to the road for a weekend to remember. Sometime back, we took just such a trip to one of the most enchanting cities in America.

Like New Orleans and Venice, Savannah is a city that combines beauty, mystery and eccentricity into a scintillating cocktail of visual, cultural and gastronomic pleasure. Founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, this stylish southern city contains over twenty green city squares. Laden with majestic oaks and all manner of indigenous plants and flowers, the squares provide places of rest and relaxation and give the city a beautiful sense of architectural order. Savannah also has a unique and varied cultural heritage that is very much thriving today. Johnny Mercer, the great lyricist, composer and singer of such American classics as Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses and Accentuate The Positive was born and lived most of his life in Savannah. The Southern Gothic book and film Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil,  gives us a glimpse of the eccentricities of this must see place for the curious Nomad. But Savannah isn't just about Victorian houses and old singers. One of the many examples of the contemporary arts and culture scene is The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). With top tier programs in fine art, design, architecture and other creative fields, SCAD is in the perfect environment to produce future movers and shakers in the worlds of design, architecture and allied arts.

Proof positive that Savannah doesn't live in the past is the small, boutique hotel AVIA. Located in the heart of Savannah's funky downtown, across from Ellis Square, it is the perfect place to wine, dine and explore. The Lady and Sons Restaurant, Paula Deen's famous eatery, is across the street and you are only a block from the waterfront, River Street and more shops and dining choices than you could ever imagine. The Telflair Academy of Arts is a mere three blocks away, if you want to work in a little history and culture. And, Savannah is the perfect city for leisurely strolling, people watching and photography.

Getting to Savannah is a fairly easy drive from most southeastern cities. It also has the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport if you live too far away to drive. We decided to jump off  I-95 North and head into Savannah via The Coastal Highway which traverses the Georgia coastal plains region replete with bayous, marshes and long vistas to nowhere. We arrived at the front door of AVIA and were immediately met by a friendly, snappily dressed doorman and ushered into the concierge desk for check in. As first impressions go, so far so good. Once at the front desk, we were met by  a smiling, professional young lady who took our first impression and ran with it. She immediately offered an upgrade to a suite from a standard room at no additional charge. Second impression - so far really great. As we completed our check-in and followed the bellman to our room, I was struck by the interior design of the place. I would phrase it sleek urban eclectic. Wow, that sounds like some interior design wag on HGTV, doesn't it?  Suffice to say, the lobby, the dining room and the bar are what you would expect in an upscale, urban boutique hotel. Eclectic furnishings with a subdued palette of colors, fabrics and furnishings create serene public spaces that you can settle back with your favorite glass of red or white and enjoy the vibe after a day of walking and sight seeing.

The quality of this  unique little hotel does not end at the lobby however. Our suite was well appointed with a large comfortable red sofa, large overstuffed chairs and a bed of uncompromising comfort. The bath was also large and well appointed with double vanities and a soothing rain shower. The windows opened to a great view of the treetops of some of the most majestic oaks in the south and the busy Ellis Square below. And the best part of all of this well appointed and understated design quality? The Price. A mere $169.00 will get you a Classic King and $189.00 a Grand Studio Suite. An absolute steal for a hotel of this quality. When you take a great little boutique hotel for a ridiculous price and throw in fabulous service, you have a recipe for a great  weekend stay in The Hostess City of the South.

And the food!! Just like New Orleans and Venice, Savannah is one of those places where it is virtually impossible to get a bad meal. Upon the advice of our loquacious and informative bellman, we decided to check out a small little eatery - The Sapphire Grill. From the Buttermilk Marinated Calamari to the Benne Encrusted Sea Bass to the extraordinary wine suggested by our waiter, the meal at this small, intimate bistro was truly one to be remembered. And the service was excellent. In addition to dining after dark, there are many choices for breakfast or brunch. We decided to try the hotel's own AVIA Kitchen and it did not dissapoint. Custom designed killer omelets made with the freshest ingredients and all the sides you need from cheese grits to breads and cool little handmade sweet things to munch on will get your day started right, except you may need a nap before venturing out to enjoy the mysteries and eccentricities of a place that has managed to keep its history intact while embracing the future without flinching.

So there you have it - a great place, a great hotel and great food.  All you need is yourself and the great person in your life to shake off the dullness of winter and hit the road for a special weekend without breaking the bank.

This Week's Video Artist - Who better to accompany today's post about Savannah than the great singer, composer and lyricist Johny Mercer. His songs have become  a permanent fixture in The Great American Songbook

Travel Quote Of The Week - "I recall my fleeting instants in Savannah as the taste of a cup charged to the brim." - Henry James

Eat, Drink & Be Merry Y'all

thenomadARCHITECT

D.L. Stafford

One Hundred & Seventy Four Days of Dreaming and Scheming

I haven't written in a while. One hundred and seventy-four days to be exact. I have a string of excuses - writers block, a bad case of ADD, Thanksgiving, Christmas, football season, life - all of the above and then some. I think winter time is a very unproductive time for creative thinking, and  writing  passionately about travel does require creative thinking. Frank Lloyd Wright said the idea was often easy, but the working out of the thing was very hard.  That sentiment certainly applies to writing as well as architecture. Anyway - after numerous encouraging comments from friends and compliments from some unexpected places about The Nomad Architect Travel Blog, I am back in the saddle. I plan to bring you many new posts about off the beaten path travel to hotels,country inns and out of the way bistros unique in character. From the south of France to the Big Apple - From  the deserts of the Southwest to the verdant woods of the Northwest - I will be sharing experiences about places near and far. There will be contributions by guest writers and photographers as well. It is my fervent hope that you will gain some insight into the world of amazing travel experiences and cultures.

 

Some updating is in order here. You may notice the "look" of the blog has been completely changed. Several new items have been added and others expanded. Feel free to click through the various pages and links of the blog, as well as the page tabs at the top to learn more about where to Sleep and Eat. The Design tab has informative links to travel books and other planning information. The About tab details the reasons behind this venture into the virtual ether. The new blog header features the Hotel Marques de Riscal in Elciego, Spain . To learn more about this and other unique hotels and places along paths less traveled read This Week's Featured Place To Sleep Before You Die summary at the top of the right margin of the blog. The header will be changed frequently and will feature other unique sleeping quarters and interesting places for the Nomad to experience.

Finally, to ensure that you get all future posts, please sign up. Just go to the "FOLLOW THE NOMAD ARCHITECT VIA EMAIL" box in the right margin, enter your email address, click Submit and follow the instructions. You can also subscribe to the various feeds under the "SUBSCRIBE" button. And yes, you can even follow the blog on Twitter. This is a new thing for me, but I am all in!! I have been pleasantly surprised to discover the number of page views of the blog and interest from other travel blogs and web sites since it was launched in March of 2011. It is my desire to expand it and bring a unique perspective to more fellow travelers.  And, as always, feel free to comment on posts and other travel experiences you may have had.

So it is LEAP DAY!! Spring is just around the corner. We have recovered from the over indulgence of the holidays and wanderlust is beginning to set in. This blog is all about helping you find that one in a million place that you can only dream of - so welcome one and all to The Nomad Architect....the blog for travelers who refuse to settle.

Back by popular demand - This Week's Video Artist - Adele - My kids gave me her album "21" for Christmas and I am hooked. This girl has the big hair, the big attitude and the big voice. The future of pop and R&B is in good hands with this 24 year old from the UK.  Put on the head phones, click and enjoy.

Travel Quote of The Week - “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

See You On The Flip Side

thenomadARCHITECT

D.L. Stafford

P.S. If you would like to get a little insight on the pleasure and  pain of traveling with an architect, check out this article by a long suffering wife of an architect - Traveling With An Architect - Check Out The Doorknob . All of it has been verified by my better half.

Scratchin' That Nomad Itch - On The Road With My Favorite Music

OK - Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I would like to say it's because I have been really busy but that would not be the truth now would it? No, I have mastered the art of of Doing Nothing since my last post. I do have one excuse, however. My brother, Errol, named after the swashbuckling actor Errol Flynn (well he does have a mustache), asked my wife and me to spend a couple of days at a rental condo in Navarro Beach, a small quiet beachfront area on the Gulf of Mexico. I don't know what it is about my brother, but he just makes me laugh - sometimes with actual tears.  He is one of those guys that has never met a stranger and looks at the world through very clear, succinct glasses and has an opinion on everything. We argue a lot and there are so many things we don't have in common, but, since I was a kid, he has always been my go to guy and best friend, although we did have a rough patch in my brain dead twenties. Anyway, we have traveled to various things over the years - ball games and such and we just fit. It's always great conversation and laughs galore. And, he has an uncanny knack for finding good restaurants in unlikely places. As a matter a fact, we drove over to nearby Pensacola to a fabulous seafood restaurant that he had found on a previous visit. Always a good thing for a Nomad in search of sustenance.

Anyway, we had a great time with him and his understanding wife, Pat, who, along with my wife, Susie, just sit in utter amazement that we can talk without ceasing about the most unimportant things. It's bonding at it's best between a Nascar loving, football loving salesman extraordinaire and football loving architect who would rather go to a museum rather than watch any car race. I guess blood really is thicker than water.

This year, we have traveled mostly to be with family. In April, we went to London and the UK to see our daughter and the empire. Fourth of July, we went to visit great relatives in a great house on Lake Blackshear, Georgia, enjoy great southern cooking and catch up on the busy lives of people that will be with us through thick and thin. And now, we are preparing to leave tomorrow for beautiful Hilton Head Island, South Carolina to hook up with my favorite son, Lance, and his soon bride to be, the very stylish and happening Tara, for  a few days of bliss at the beach. The only unfortunate thing is that my favorite daughter, Lauren, is still in England, but we plan to Skype her so we can tell her we love her and miss her and see if we can make her cry! With the busy lives we all have, it is hard to get together with those you care about the most. But get together you must!! We try to go somewhere different every year. It broadens us as people and brings us closer as a family.

I know that writing about one's family can be tedious to the reader, so I will stop now. If you haven't stopped reading by now, I will get to my focus in this post - Road Music. If you follow this blog at all, you have probably figured out that I am a lover of great music of all kinds. As long as it is good and real. Back in the fifties and sixties, traveling by car and listening to the radio was a diverse adventure into late night DJ's and the unique music they played, depending on what region of the country you were in.  The radio was your ear to the world of entertainment and what was happening in the ether. I have fond memories of late night travel to Gatlinburg for our annual camping trip, riding in the back seat of my father's Cadillac, listening to the renown JOHN R, a brash, resin throated DJ on WLAC from Nashville. He played rhythm and blues that NOBODY would ever hear in my home town of Tallahassee. I was mesmerized by this exotic voice introducing the latest "hits" from the likes of Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf. My love of rhythm and blues and soul music combined with regular exposure to great southern gospel groups like The Statesman Quartet and The Blackwood Brothers, usually in a town far away from home, gave me a love for great music of all genres.

I grew up in the sixties, the greatest decade of revolution in popular music ever. The Beatles, The Stones, Hendrix, Joplin. The list of ground breaking innovators is deep and wide. Later, I would come to love jazz, classical and real country, especially from Texas. If I had all the money spent on albums, eight tracks, cassettes, CD's and downloads- Well you know the rest if that story.

Unfortunately, the magic of radio, which was such a part of our culture in the fifties and sixties, has all but dissappeared. Yes, we have the "the decades" music from Sirius/XM and the  occasional local radio station committed to playing real music, but, Video did, indeed, Kill the Radio Star. Today's world of digital downloads and You Tube has rendered the eccentricity of "late night radio" obsolete. However, like all changes brought about by marketing and technology, we must embrace progress. With the advent of technology, we have the ability to listen to virtually anything at any time. It has provided yet another way to spend money on the latest and greatest download from our favorite artists. And I Think To Myself - What A Wonderful World!

So, with all of this music at out fingertips, how, you may ask, do we decide on the absolute "must haves" from our vast collection of music to make a thing go right? I have always maintained that getting there is half the fun, except when flying coach. A live performance by Diana Krall herself on a Trans-Atlantic Delta flight can not change the fact that, in a Post 911 World, flying just sucks. If we believe, like true Nomads, that getting there is, indeed, half the fun, then great music is a critical component in our quest for the perfect road trip. As an Architect, I love - no - I adore lists. I am an  obsessive maker of lists for every activity you can ever think of. In that vain, I give you my:

 TOP TWENTY FIVE ROAD RECORDS FOR THE WANDERING NOMAD

1) James Taylor - Live - My choice for the best road record of all time. The voice, the band, the songs. It's all good. And everybody can sing along without feeling cheesy.
2) Roy Orbison - Black & White - Backed by the likes of Springsteen, KD Lang, Tom Waits and others, one of the greatest rockers of all time sings all of his hits.
3) Lyle Lovett - Pontiac - The thinking man's country artist. Irony and images of Texas love and life  combined with with one of the most unique voices in country music is a must for the true Nomad.
4) The Beatles - The White Album - This one is hard because The Beatles never recorded a bad song, but, this one is still my favorite.
5) The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over - All the hits with amazing vocals and the band has never been better. A very singable album. Crank this one up to get everybody juiced for the next hundred miles.
6) Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishman - This is simply the greatest live rock album ever made. You have to play it loud and louder!
7) Lyle Lovett - Joshua, Judges, Ruth - Lyle gets two on the list. This album has more irony than a Dennis Miller monologue. 
8) The Traveling Wilburys - The Traveling Wilburys - Dylan, Petty, Orbison, Lynne. 'Nuff Said.
9) The Doors - Strange Days - From The Lizard King - 60's psychedelic rock at its best. No smoking while driving!!
10) Quincy Jones - Q's Juke Joint - Big band, jazz, great singers. It's one of the best from a true genius.
11) Tom Jones - Reloaded:Greatest Hits - No Top 25 List would be complete without a record from one of the truly great voices of pop, rock, soul and funk. He delivers like no other.
12) Steely Dan - Two Against Nature - This record shows that post modern music still has all the cool and strange lyrics, as well as the usual tight musicianship we expect from Becker and Fagan.
13) Cleveland Orchestra - The Beethoven Symphonies - One of the great orchestras of the world. The greatest composer of all time. The Fifth is other worldly and The Ninth is heaven.
14) Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives - Soul's Chapel - Combining old school southern gospel with soulful musicality, this album just makes you feel better.
15) George Michael - Faith - One of the great pop records of all time. Crank it up to cure the road wearies.
16) Diana Krall - All For You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio - This debut release by the best looking piano player on the planet is mesmerizing. She can sing pretty good too.
17) Michael Buble - Call Me Irresponsible - The modern day Sinatra will keep you feeling good no matter how long the trip seems.
18) Delbert McClinton - Room To Breathe - The Texas country/blues singer delivers pain and love like no other. Perfect for late night when everyone else is asleep.
19) Stevie Ray Vaughn - In Step - The House Is A Rockin' says it all.
20) Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time - A classic painful, soulful voice with some serious blues guitar makes this album a must for the road.
21) Little Willies - Little Willies - Norah Jones, with her "little group on the side". A record with great lyrics and stories. The song "Lou Reed" about  "The Walk on The Wild Side" guy cow tipping is worth the price.
22) Prince - Musicology - From a long, eccentric career, this album combines Prince's creative genius with Old School Funk. You cannot go to sleep while listening to this great album by The Purple One.
23) Robert Plant & Allison Krauss - Raising Sand - Combine rock legend Robert Plant with  Bluegrass Chanteuse Allison Krauss and throw in legendary Producer T Bone Burnett and you have an album of amazing power and relevance.
24) Russ Taff - Under Their Influence - One of the true original voices of real gospel. Old school combined with new life.
25) The Flatlanders - Wheels of Fortune - Great songs about life from the West Texas trio of Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore.

So there you have it. Grab the music, load up the CD Player or plug in the MP3 and take to your road less traveled. Just remember - If you can't here the music - You can't see the light.

Happy Listening Nomads!!

DLS
the nomadARCHITECT

Sometimes Sin Is A Good Thing

I am not a food critic and, generally, this blog is about architecture and travel. However, I decided this week to write a very personal story about three things near and dear to my heart - great food, great wine and my bride, my muse and my BFF - Karen Sue (aka Susie)! First, you must  know that I am married to an amazing cook and, over the years, I have feasted on the bounties prepared by my soul mate since I convinced her to travel through the travails and joys of life thirty eight years ago yesterday. We usually go somewhere for our anniversary, but, this year, we decided there is just too much going on, with our son getting married in May 2012, our daughter finishing her Masters in London and various family trips to the beach, engagement parties, possible trips across the pond and football season right around the corner (A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do!). Bottom line is, well, the bottom line. So, in lieu of a quick trip to Seattle or New York to search for the next best bed for a discerning Nomad, we decided to stay close to home and celebrate our nuptials by eating out at one of my hometown's finer restaurants. You know - Puttin' on the Ritz  - Wine, my woman and song, even if only for an evening. After looking at the top eateries in Tallahassee, we decided on Cypress, a small, intimate, award winning restaurant in a rather nondescript, ivy covered building right on US 90/Tennessee Street near downtown. We both had eaten there years ago and remembered it being very, very good. Read on.

I am a bonafide foodie. I love to eat and, to put it bluntly, it shows! That's why, about ten months ago, I embarked on a new plan of eating and exercise that has reduced my carbon footprint by 82.4 pounds as of this morning!  When you are an expert at losing weight, which I am, you develop different mental attitudes about your behavior to deal with the temptations that lurk in every bowl of ice cream, piece of chocolate cake or pot roast. Since I have been on my new eating regimen, I have determined that all those delicious things that make one fat are really just a form of culinary sin and must be avoided at all cost or else I will forever by consigned to fat purgatory, unable to find my true handsome self ever again. I know a shrink (pardon the pun) would probably have a field day with that approach, but, so far it's working.

What, you may ask, does all this talk about diets and exercise have to do with fine dining? Isn't fine dining the antithesis of a lean and mean lifestyle? Well, of course if is. That's the point. Sometimes, you have to go off the reservation. Sometimes you have to listen to that little devil on your shoulder. Sometimes you just can't help it. Sometimes - Sin Is A Good Thing!!! Enough preaching - you get the point.

We arrived at a packed parking lot around six, dropped off the car with the valet and walked into a small, minimalist designed interior space with a snappily dressed greeter ready to usher us into the inner sanctum. After being seated, we studied the menu with the intensity of a couple of astronauts observing a moon rock. After several minutes of reading this artful road map to culinary ecstasy, I looked right at my sweet bride and said, without so much as a hint of guilt - God Forgive Me for What I Am About To Do. Today, it is back to five fruits and vegetables, lots of lettuce and low fat entrees, not to mention the five miles of biking. But last night I enjoyed every single morsel of sinful indulgence laid before me.

As I said, I am not a food critic. However, to paraphrase  - I may not know anything about art, but I know what I like. And few restaurants combine art and food quite like Cypress. From the simple, stained concrete floors to the minimalist interiors of unadorned brick and art adorned walls, Cypress presents a well designed, understated series of spaces perfect for intimate dining. Throw in some elegant lighting, simple white tablecloths on tables meant for sharing and you have the perfect setting for newlyweds to enjoy an elegant Pinot Noir and some of the best food this side of New Orleans.

Fine restaurants are like fine hotels. What separates a merely good restaurant from a truly exceptional one is service. Our server was not just professional and knowledgeable, but knew specific details about every item on the menu. And unlike many five star restaurants, there was not a hint of snobbery or condescension. In addition, other servers were quick to fill water glasses, bring more coffee and remove used dishes, without being asked, creating a seamless dining experience.

On to the food from which no twelve step program can save you. Architects love to say the devil is in the details. If you can read the next few lines without shedding a gastronomic tear, well, trust me, you will cry.

My Salad -  Seasonal Salad - Watermelon, Arugula, Asher Blue Cheese, Crispy Prosciutto, Candied Pecans, Champagne Vinaigrette

Susie's Salad - Local Tomato & Fried Okra Salad - Goat Cheese and Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette

My Entree - Florida Shrimp & Grits - Country Ham, Tomatoes, Carrots, Shiitakes,

Orange-Thyme-Bourbon Jus, Anson Mills Heirloom Grits

Susie's Entree - Pan Seared Gulf Flounder - Alligator Harbor Clam Chowder with Bacon, Corn, Leek & Potato

Wine - Willakenzie Pinot Noir 2008 - Light, organic Pinot from Willakenzie Estate Winery,

Yamhill, Oregon

And proof positive that we, indeed, had gone over to the other side:

Our dessert - Southern Pecan Pie Turnover - Crispy Phyllo

Topped off with organic coffee and hot tea.

Go ahead, dry your eyes, pick up the phone and call Cypress for your next clandestine meeting with your special one and the culinary gods. You will thank me later.

One last piece of evidence that Cypress deserves a top spot on the Nomad Architect's List of Well Designed Road Food. During the course of ordering, we mentioned to our server that it was our anniversary. As we were admiring the Southern Pecan Pie Turnover, we noticed that the presentation had an unexpected surprise. There, in elegant chocolate font, were the words "Happy Anniversary".  As we thanked her for this unexpected gesture, it made the enjoyment of one of the most tantalizing finishes to a great meal truly complete.

Travel Quote of The Week  - "Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as necessity" - Voltaire

Video Artist of The Week - Norah Jones - This chanteuse has been featured before with Bonnie Raitt in a previous post. This week, she gets her own spotlight. Next time you want to set the mood for great food, wine and conversation put Norah on the system. The daughter of Ravi Shankar brings a unique blend of jazz-pop vocals and some pretty cool keyboards to tickle your inner self.

From Somewhere Near Tally

DLS  thenomadARCHITECT

Lumani - An eclectic oasis created by an architect and artist in the City of Popes - Magnifique!!

After three glorious days in The City of Light, we boarded the high speed Eurail/LGV train for Avignon in Central Provence. What a way to travel! Gliding on silent air through the idyllic French countryside at a cool cruising speed of 180 miles per hour, makes flying coach seem like the torture that we all know it to be.  I have often said that the Europeans can teach us Americans a thing or two about long distance travel. Their trains are clean, sleek, fast, extremely comfortable and, best of all, cheap! Now if they could only figure out a way to build an LGV from Paris to Atlanta. But I digress.

Known as the City of Popes, with seven Pontiffs having resided there, Avignon was the center of the Papacy from 1305 to 1378. That is important because it defines the essence of this urban center in the southeastern region of France known as Provence. Located in southeastern France on the Mediterranean, Provence is the Tuscany of France. It is full of rolling hills, vineyards and stunning coastlines as it stretches to the Cote d'Azur, knocking on the door of the famed playground of the rich, Monte Carlo. After studying the history, the language and reading A Year In Provence, the witty account of a transplanted Brit, we boarded the train in Paris with great anticipation. As we road our magic carpet toward Avignon, through the countryside and small hamlets spread over this beautiful and rugged land of ancient and modern conflict, it made me appreciate the solidarity of French culture, which is quickly disappearing due to a variety of demographic and societal changes. Memo to le francais - Vous tenir mode de vie en France (Keep your way of life in France).    

After arriving in Avignon, we picked up a rental car, planning to drive to Nice in the south, after our stay in Avignon, we promptly got lost. The good news was that we were able to "get the lay of the land" as we traversed the same spot via many U-turns and detours. One in particular will always be remembered by my BFF/wife as I headed down what I thought was a small road, that was actually a small sidewalk with very high curbs. As luck would have it , the car was just the right size (very small) to fit within the narrow curbs as if it were specifically designed for just that purpose. You know - like Space Mountain  at Disney!! With my aforementioned BFF laughing hysterically, I did eventually extricate the car from the sidewalk. After much map study and stopping for directions numerous times, we finally found the street that Lumani Guesthouse was located on. Actually, it was an alley with parking at a premium. After finally seeing a very small sign next to a large painted wooden gate, we parked, got our luggage and apprehensively rang the bell. Elisabeth, one of the owners, answered and ushered us into an art filled courtyard complete with casual tables and chairs, sculpture, flowers everywhere and a serene fountain. All just within the original walls of the ancient city.

This blog is all about finding places that are different - that challenge our perception of what we find interesting. One of the attributes of hotel design in Europe is the willingness to combine different design motifs from different eras. American hotel designers rarely exhibit the willingness to create spaces that merge design "styles" like the Europeans. The Lumani Guest House , designed and owned by Jean, an architect and Elisabeth, an artist, manages to insert highly detailed, minimalist designed rooms with an eclectic array of furnishings, into an eighteenth century manor house. Upon arriving in our room, Suite Escale, we knew this was a place for discriminating Nomads. Complete with colorful, modern furnishings, a killer bed, expansive sink and counter, toilet and bigalicious shower - all topped off with views across the courtyard and a large terrace with hammock, it embodied everything on The Nomad Architect's list of requirements for the perfect place to lay our dreamy heads.

Since we arrived fairly early, we decided to strike out on foot and scrounge up some local food and drink. After a short walk, we came upon a local grocer with local cheese, bread and wine. We headed back to Lumani, ensconced ourselves in the dreamy courtyard, protected from the famous, purifying Mistral (wind) of the region, and enjoyed our Provencal wine, cheese, bread and other munchies in this green oasis of flowers, art, sculpture and water. And all in the midst of

the hustle and bustle of a busy city outside. One of the great benefits of staying at a highly unique and personalized hotel like Lumani, is the chance to talk to the owners about their world. Since Elisabeth is an artist and Jean is an architect, we were able to talk about, not only there beautiful enclave of domestic tranquility, but the larger world of history, art and culture as well. Fortunately, there English was better than our French. As we wandered around Avignon seeing the Palais des Papes, the Grand Chapel and other ancient architecture, it was great to come back to such a well designed home away from home while in this fascinating historic city. It also must be mentioned that the breakfasts that were served in the Guesthouse were delicious and afforded us more opportunity to enjoy the company of the owners and other guests.

Staying at the Lumani proves The Nomad Architect adage - It does make a difference where you stay when you travel. Complete with beautifully designed spaces, inside and out, and gracious and interesting hosts, staying at Lumani, in this little corner of France, makes travel worthy of memories that will never be forgotten.

Travel Quote of the Week - "Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe”… Anatole France

Video Artist of the Week - The French have loved jazz since the 1920's. This week's artist is the renown Ambassador and trumpeter of that uniquely American art form ... Wynton Marsalis.

Rester Au Frais

DLS thenomadARCHITECT

Next Week - Bastide de Marie - Sleeping in a Vineyard.