D.L. Stafford (@nomad_ARCHITECT) tweeted at 1:41 PM on Sat, Jul 20, 2013: Kreeger House Museum - Picasso/Degas/Monet/et al -Phillip Jounson 24ksf bungalow - lots of $$$-what a way to live!! http://t.co/LPr9tXq6Yu (https://twitter.com/nomad_ARCHITECT/status/358642853959835649) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

D.L. Stafford (@nomad_ARCHITECT) tweeted at 9:58 AM on Sat, Jul 20, 2013: Between the temperature & the hot air from all the pols DC is a very, very, very - did I say very HOT PLACE. Today museums - very cool. (https://twitter.com/nomad_ARCHITECT/status/358586791139348480) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

USA - The Official Place of Refuge for Nomads With Dreams

The Grand Experiment is Still Grand!!

As we awoke to another celebration of our founding  this morning, I began to ponder the onslaught of attempts by powers, great and small, to destroy our great country, as well as  our own self inflicted  wounds on the very freedoms that we have held up to the world for generations. When you view Lady Liberty or you read of the sacrifice of men and women to foster freedom, you have to remind yourself that this country, this USA, came to be because men, rebels all, said ENOUGH!!  In a single act of incomparable bravery and genius, this nation was birthed to give refuge to the "Nomads" and "Vagabonds" who wanted a better life in the new world, who wanted to worship their God in peace and determine their own destiny without government intervention.

 

Now this is not a political blog, but, one cannot discuss this amazing country without some discussion of the one subject that is not supposed to be discussed in polite company. And when you watch the news or read a blog or do  something really quaint like read a newspaper, you realize that we simply do not have any current day Washingtons, Jeffersons, Adams or Hamiltons. No, we Americans shake our heads in flummoxed disbelief at the current crop of empty suits that  are  running the place. I have a friend who believes the demise of this great country is eminent. It's not if but when. To that I say - Balderdash!! If you have any knowledge of the history of this great country, you can rest assured that its greatness comes from its people and their willingness to "throw the bums out" when righting the ship becomes necessary. With that greatest of documents to guide us, the US Constitution, we WILL defeat attacks of any kind on the virtues and ideas that came from the most unique concept of freedom ever envisioned by man. I am convinced we will, indeed, right this ship for generations to come.

And what About Generation Y?

As we Boomers lament the latest crop of children who will soon be running the place, we discuss all the faults of the thirty somethings we have raised. And I must admit it is somewhat disconcerting when one of those young thirty somethings was recently asked by Jay Leno - Where is the Gaza Strip? and answered West Hollywood! Really? But we Boomers conveniently forget that we invented that most base of human traits - narcissism. You do remember Stephen Stills' mantra to self indulgence - If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with - don't you? That one line and its impact on our culture is worth at least three credit hours of directed study on human behavior gone awry. As the most privileged, upwardly mobile generation, we grew up with TV, hot cars and a vision of America that fit us like a glove. So spare me the judgement of the kids that are working through their lives day by day in a world very different than the post war world of optimism we sixty somethings enjoyed. Numerous studies point out that this new generation is optimistic, hard working and more open to change than any generation before it. I recently had a long discussion about this with my thirty something kids. I am utterly convinced that this country, with all its challenges, is in good hands. These guys get it and will keep the dream alive. They may use their I-phones and I-pads more than we wish, but they will pursue true happiness in their own way. It will just be - different. And on that note, I just got a text message from my son which reads as follows:

 

"Just landed in Denver - staying at The Curtis Hotel...be back Monday - Happy 4th - God Bless America!"

 

Its a new day! Whether its on parchment or a smart phone, the love of this country means the same thing and its ever new. By the way, The Nomad Architect assisted in finding The Curtis - a very cool boutique in downtown Denver.

 

So - as you head out to Grandma's house or some other favorite place to celebrate our day,  as I did last Fourth of July, I implore you to read our Declaration of Independence, written by one of history's greatest minds, Thomas Jefferson, at the ripe old age of thirty three. A Gen Y'er we can all believe in. 

 

Oh Say Can You See!

 

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

 

Quote of The Week - "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."  Thomas Jefferson 

 

Video Artist of  The Week - Madison Rising. Named in honor of  James Madison - led by former Navy Vet and front man Dave Bray, these rockers celebrate our freedoms with an edge and no apologies.

 

Road Trip - Beach Trip - The Art of Packing for The Art of Doing Nothing

And We're Off!! Again

It's summer man. Gotta go. But don't wanna   go  where the view is ruined  by  all  those

people from Ohio, Minnesota, Oregon or Washington trying to find their place in the sun. If one of my favorite crime shows, "The Killing", is to be believed, the sun NEVER shines in Seattle. Of course I know it does. At least it did when we were there one August a couple of years back. I recently talked with a Florida native who was transplanted to Seattle about twenty five years ago and she still hates it. Says she's coming back to God's Country as soon as possible. I listened to her laments and understood completely her heart's desire to return to the giant oaks, slower pace and unique people of North Florida.

 

Well, not only is this part of Florida the place of my childhood, but I am constantly drawn to another place of my youth over and over. That's right - The World;s Most Famous Beach - Daytona. The cars, the girls, the life guards trying to pick up girls, the first Steak & Shake in Florida, the Boardwalk and the beach food all made Daytona THE place to be in summer. With hotels and motels like The Castaways, The Americano, The Lido and The Sea Dip, it was THE place in the fifties for the very best summer had to offer. Unfortunately, that was indeed the good old days, and it doesn't appear that they will be returning anytime soon. Condos rule the day in the New Millennium in Dayton Beach proper and most of those iconic hotels are no more. Kids have moved on to more hip destinations in Florida and elsewhere and families drive for hours with the kids in tow to pay insane prices and see the make believe Florida of Disney, Universal and other mega tourist destinations. 

However, there is hope my fellow vagabonds. Just head south on I-95 and hang a left at State Road 40 (Granada Boulevard) for a few more miles then right onto South Atlantic Avenue to one of the coolest little boutique numbers on the east coast of Florida - The Lotus Boutique Inn & Suites in Ormond Beach. Some view Ormond as Daytona's uppity cousin. I just like it because of this great little hotel (this is our third visit) and enough great restaurants to satisfy even the most discriminating foodie. If you want to read about our first stay when we discovered The Lotus check out my post - The World's Most Famous Beach and The Lotus - Sweet!! .  Ah yes. The World's Most Famous Beach indeed. There is none like it for people who have read the book and love to practice the art of doing absolutely nothing.

 

Packing for A Road Trip To The Beach - It's Hip To Be Square
 

Packing. Every architect worth his or her salt is, by the nature of their training and their very DNA, an expert in the world of packing. We have been trained to  get more in less space than other people. The holy grail of all architects is the design of a space so perfect, so minimal in nature that nothing is wasted. As an architect and vagabond, I apply that same concept to packing. To some, packing is just getting it all in the car. Pathetic!!! No - Packing is something that demands and deserves intense  creative thought and planning, as if you were sketching the next masterpiece worthy of the Pritsker Prize. On occasion, I have witnessed  the slovenly stowing of gear by travelers who take no pride in the process of planning and organizing their "stuff" for a trip, road or otherwise. It is simply unnatural!

 

Great packers, like great architects, combine innate design skills  with intensive  training  and  the study of  great packers before them, usually a father figure of some sort. I remember watching my father get an insane amount of everything in the trunk of his 1958 Cadillac for our annual trip to the beach or the mountains. The osmosis of that experience gave me the basic understanding of the art of packing that has allowed me to hone my skills as a world class packer through the years. Sorry ladies, when it comes to the task of packing, it is entirely too important to leave  to women and children. No sir, packing is a man thing! And packing goes far beyond the admonition "A place for everything and everything in its place". Much like design, packing requires the proper tools, skills and motivation to achieve the goal of the perfect packing job. Today's post is specifically about packing for a road trip. Airline packing is an entirely different process that must only be entrusted to the most seasoned veterans of the airline baggage wars. So, some thoughts on packing for your next road trip:

• Luggage. Buy good luggage. My Hartman bag looks like the day I bought it fifteen years ago. And its been a bazillion miles. For road trips, of course, you also need those other support containers for the long list of items needed for the perfect trip.
• Planning. Good packers make lists of items. They plan the packing the night before. And they simply do not allow last minute distractions to keep them from their goal of the orderly organization of all items necessary for quality travel.
• Take Charge. Packing is not a group activity. It is a singular and focused activity of one individual who knows where he/she is going and why.
• Be Organized. It goes without saying, you must have everything in the proper containers and have knowledge of how those containers will interact once packed. Otherwise, it will look like you don't know what you are doing.
• Know Your Destination. This is critical. If you are just going to grandma;'s house, you can throw a few things together. But, if you are going to the beach, well, let's just say, you have to know how to take it to the next level. Beach chairs, coolers, extra large towels, groceries, beach clothes, night life clothes, eating utensils, etc. etc. etc. The list of stuff you take to the beach is very, very long. Packing of this much paraphernalia in the trunk of the smaller cars of today is simply not for amateurs. 
• Clean Car. No self respecting Nomad can leave the driveway in a dirty car. It is bad form and utterly lacking in style. So make sure the car is clean.
• Getting It All In. This is the final step of the planning, the packing and the organization. So don't screw it up! Take your time. Make sure that it all fits properly and make your old dad proud.

 

Of course there are other factors that impact the perfect road trip. The perfect little place helps of course and the one your with is obviously critical. My one and only and I have been to so many places that we are very much like peas and carrots, travel wise. And its even better when the kids are along. If you are, indeed, one of the rare breed of de'excellentes emballeuer, having the kids around will afford you an opportunity to teach them the finer points of getting a lot of stuff into a small space.

 

And one last thing. I mentioned earlier my desire for the perfect place that isn't overrun with tourists at the height of tourist season in the most tourist infested state in the good old USA. That is accomplished by finding places that tourists don't usually go, like a small fifty room boutique hotel in the less populated part of a very popular area and not going on the weekend, if possible, when places, particularly the beach tend to be much busier. All I know is, that by this time tomorrow, I will be continuing my quest for the perfection of the art of doing absolutely nothing.

 

In My Room

 

d.l. stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

Tavel Quote of The Week - When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money - Susan Heller

 

Video Artist of The Week -  Delbert McClinton, one of the truly original Texas songwriters, singers and  harmonica player on the original Beatles tune "Love, Love Me Do", is this week's video artist. How's that for trivia? The video below, "Too Much Stuff", with support from legends Lyle Lovett and John Prine, brings it all home for this week's post.

 

 

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - A HIGH DESIGN BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN LOW COUNTRY HAS A DEAL YOU CAN'T REFUSE

My first Random Vagabond Alert  Post (January 10, 2013) was about a very sweet deal at a very cool little boutique inn on the Ashley River a mere twenty minutes outside of Charleston. We spent three days at this one of kind place on our thirty ninth anniversary in 2012. Well, Living Social is at it again. If you are looking for a little romance in a cutting edge, modern, award winning hotel, located on the grounds of an immaculately groomed plantation, Living Social indeed has a deal you can't refuse. As I stated in the original post, I don't find particularly interesting places on Living Social or Groupon, but, I highly recommend checking this one out. The deal, similar to last year, gives you a great price ($334) for two nights in a river front room, a decent "healthy start" breakfast, a little wine and cheese in the afternoon, free bike rentals and admission to the oldest established landscaped gardens in the US at The Middleton Plantation. Plus, you are a quick twenty minute drive to Charleston, a mecca for all serious foodies. If you want to read about our visit to The Middleton and Charleston back in  2012, just check out my post  - Modern Meets Southern Vernacular at The Inn at Middleton Place.

So - surprise the one you love with a very cool road trip to one of the coolest Nomad Sleep Overs in the Southland. There are only twelve days left before the deal is gone and it only has fifty five rooms so don't delay. Trust me, with the prices of hotels going through the roof everywhere, this is a deal you  can't let pass. 

Gettin' Road Ready from The Nomad Bunker,

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - ANOTHER LOSS FOR ARCHITECTURE AND NOMADS ALIKE

A True Architectural Genius

In 1978, while a grubby architecture student, I had the pleasure of hearing a lecture by the great master architect Bruce Goff in my final year of architecture school. At the age of seventy four, with his multi-colored coat and bola tie, he was the embodiment of the eccentric genius we had all studied since our freshman year. He spoke with great passion as he explained the ideas and methodologies behind some of the most cutting edge, organic and eccentric buildings ever designed and built. His understanding of the nature of materials, architectural form and the synergy between structure and space was truly exceptional.

 

With over five hundred building designs to his credit - half of which were built - Goff had a long and remarkable career as a  true practitioner of organic architecture. From his early correspondence with Frank Lloyd Wright, the father of organic architecture, Goff became a true iconoclast in the world of architecture, designing some of the most idiosyncratic buildings that critics often found shocking. One of the most iconic and famous houses, designed and built between 1950 and 1955, was the Bavinger House. This exotic house, built by the artist/owner, Eugene Bavinger, over a five year period, embodied the limits to which true natural, organic architecture could go. Just click the link to hear Bavinger talk about the process of design and construction. 

https://youtu.be/nx_WqzqK3AM?si=HC_sJC6_ATDVgoJh
 

 

 Goff's Masterpiece Is Gone

 

Imagine my surprise when I discovered - while developing an itinerary for a southern Mississippi- Arkansas-Oklahoma-Texas-Louisiana road trip - that this iconic masterpiece is gone. It was one of the places I always planned to visit, but, for a variety of reasons that I don't even remember now, I never seemed to make it happen. As we were planning our June South Loop To Austin Tour, I discovered that the location of the Bavinger House was just a couple of hours from the completely renovated and updated Inn at Price Tower by Wright, a hotel we plan to stay in on our road trip. Then, much to my chagrin and utter disappointment, I discovered that this rare work of true architectural genius is no more. Many conflicting stories postulate a variety of reasons for the demise of this great house - from extensive storm damage to the son of the original owner actually tearing it down! It is very disconcerting to architects and lovers of great design when any work of architecture, particularly one so well known, is allowed to be destroyed by age, lack of care or modern development. In my home town of Tallahassee, The George Lewis House, the only house designed by Wright in Florida, has been vacant and allowed to slowly degrade for years. One can only hope that we don't lose  another modern architectural masterpiece due to neglect or modern times.

 

From the beginning, this blog has been about the importance of design and architecture as something to be enjoyed from afar as well as experienced intimately, as you rest your mind and your soul in places of environmental distinction. Frank Lloyd Wright called architecture the mother of all the arts. And no work of architecture has the impact on our lives like residential design. Visionaries such as Wright and Goff have given us timeless treasures that, if properly cared for and utilized, show inhabitants and patrons alike that great architecture is important to an enlightened culture and the enhancement of our daily lives.

 

From The No Ticky Tacky Bunker

 

d.l.stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

 

 

How To Get Away From The Day To Day - Make It All About You & Them

Travel Helps Disprove The Theory - Life Sucks & Then You Die

 

You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack / You may find yourself in another part of the world / You may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile / You may find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife / You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here? / Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down / Letting the days go by, water flowing underground...

In the  tune Once In A Lifetime,  David Byrne & The Talking Heads capture the humdrum of one's existence in one of New Wave Rock's most  iconic tributes to the banality of life and one's submission to that banality. Some may argue my interpretation, but for the purposes of today's post, that's my take.

The Apocalypse Draweth Nigh

I have a  friend who sends me doomsday articles, You Tubes of "brilliant" economists telling us where the next domino in the world is going to fall and other incontrovertible evidence that we are all blindly staring into a black hole of soon to come desolation. It's not a matter of if, but when, we all will be holding a bowl and a big spoon waiting on our next meal. And let's be honest. For those of us who grew up in the fifties, life was pretty good. Post war America was a time of unprecedented optimism and economic explosion. Then we became teenagers and young adults (oxymoron) in the sixties and that's when things began to get a tad squirrely. As Dr. Phil would say - How's that love the one your with and if it feels nice don't think twice workin' out for ya? Fifty two percent of all babies are born out of wedlock, 6.8 million kids are on prescription ADHD drugs and almost fifty million Americans are on food stamps. And, if you have been to the grocery store lately, well, that's another post on another blog on another planet. Now, for the first time in a generation, a majority of people with an opinion don't think their kids will have it better than they did. Imagine that!

 

So, you may ask - Who is this Nomad Architect, and why is he saying all these terrible things about us, about life, about our times, etc. etc. etc.? Well, after I read or watch some of the never ending barrage of doomsday scenarios postulated by supposedly really smart people, I begin to think of ways to combat the grey cloud of doubt and worry that seems to be prevalent within our culture, especially among those of us who had it so good. So, what to do - something, anything, everything you can possibly do to make yourself a non-believer in the New World Order. I mean, 1984 was twenty eight years ago, and we have made it this far. Now, I am no spendthrift  but, to quote Frank Lloyd Wright, America's greatest architect - Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities. Such wisdom from an architect AND Nomad should never be dismissed, especially as it relates to travel.

 

So Put the Paper Down , Turn Off  The TV & Hit The Road!

 

Travel for Curious Nomads and Vagabonds is about disproving Thoreau's admonition - Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them - or as the brilliant original Southern Comic Brother Dave Gardner put it - Man cannot live by bread alone, he must have peanut butter.  Sometimes life can be desperately quiet and banal in the modern world we sometimes endure. Nothing can cure those  - Do I eat cereal or a bagel for breakfast blues? like catching a plane, a train or an automobile to parts near and far. When you check into that little place in Umbria, or people watch from a comfy chair in a Paris sidewalk cafe or discover something new about some part of the Good Ole' USA you didn't know before, it can change the way you view the world. It can help you find your song and that much needed peanut butter as well.

And travel, real Nomadic travel is not just about 300 count sheets and rain showers, it's also about discovery. Discovery of new cultures, new people and, ultimately, yourself. As an architect and vagabond in search of that perfect piece of Eden, I can say, without hesitation, that travel has profoundly changed my world view. People everywhere are the same but oh so different in the way they take in their lives. As I pull onto one of the interstates we Americans take for granted, I often wonder  what visitors think of the massive scale of America when they arrive at the Magic Kingdom or ponder the Grand Canyon. I think they are just as taken with the vastness and uniqueness of America as contrasted with their own homeland, as we are when we take a train through the hills of Tuscany  or marvel at the ruins of Rome. It is not in my nature to "go with the flow", but, when in Venice or Paris or  Seattle, I really try to allow myself to be taken in by the unique cultures created by the people and their history. Talking with the artist/architect owners of the Lumani Guesthouse in Avignon about the love they felt for their repurposed place, their art and their lives in this small ancient city in Southeastern France is just one simple experience that convinces me that travel is ultimately about being curious, listening and learning about a world that is different from your own.

 

So, the next time you feel like life is not up to your expectations, don't just sit there, get up and go! And try to boldly go where no man (or woman) and your own significant others have gone before. Travel to parts unknown will lighten your step, sharpen your vision and hone your directional skills as a True Nomad when you come to that next fork in the road. Trust me - You'll know what to do.

 

 

Livin La Vida Loca

 

D.L.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

Travel Quote of The Week - Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Video Artist of The Week - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. The band's really good, but Grace Potter can just flat out sing .