Corning Museum of Glass

All I can say about the Corning Museum of Glass is Wow! There was so much to see that it would take you a week, and even then you would probably miss something. The collection includes glass made in Egypt 1450-1150 BC to the very modern, from art glass to utilitarian. The photo below is from Egypt. There was room after room displaying every kind of glass work imaginable from all over the world.

The glass table and boat below were made around 1900 in France, and yes, the table is full sized.

Below is a piece of cameo glass recreating the Roman Portland Vase made around the end of the last century BC. This reproduction took three years to create and was finished in 1876.

Another case features American art glass made in the 1880s.

This closeup is a cracker jar.

As you would expect there were many Tiffany works. The glass window below was done by Louis Comfort Tiffany in 1905 for a Hudson River mansion.

As we went through the exhibits the sheer number of items was almost overwhelming. I think it would be quite easy to get lost as the exhibits circle around each other and I am sure we must have missed some.

My normal habit when we visit a museum is to photograph the object and then to photograph the information about it so that I can refer back to it. I did that today, but after a while I just began taking some general photos.

Of course, most of the exhibits are also behind glass, so not all of the photos came out clear.

There were several glass chairs which all looked a bit uncomfortable. However, they were very beautiful. I was reminded of a ceramic chair that my daughter made when she was in graduate school.

One of my favorites was a chess set that was made by Gianni Toso in 1981 in Venice, Italy. They are made in the form of Jewish and Roman Catholic religious figures. A Jewish rabbi and a Roman Catholic bishop are the kings and are joined by a group of holy men and women holding symbols of faith.

I have only touched lightly on the beautiful glass that is housed in the museum. When I get back home I will try and post more photos. However, if you get the chance to visit the museum yourself I would highly recommend it. I had heard that there was a museum in Corning, but it far exceeded my expectations. As for now, we're on the road again. Tomorrow we'll be back in Pennsylvania.

Toy Time

With the Christmas season upon us it seemed to be an appropriate time to post some of the photos I took at the Toy Museum in Branson, Missouri. It's every kid's dream of Christmas morning. Their collection includes toys from the 1880s to today. Their focus is to help you remember your childhood. whether you are 7 or 70.

They have a huge variety of toys, including planes, trains, cars, lbicycles, lunch boxes, dolls, circus, etc.

We saw many toys that we grew up with and many that our kids had.

They have a large collection of trains and cars.

I saw a garage that I yearned for for many years but never got.

They have a great collection of pedal cars.

There were many toys that I bought for my kids when they were little.

The doll collection was extensive, including many Raggedy Ann and Andy items.

They had Davy Crockett and Red Ryder toys, and a good selection of Roy Rogers toys. They were all my heroes. I still have the Roy Rogers cup that I sent for from Quacker Oats in about 1950. You can see a couple of them in the photo below, one on the shelf directly above the lunch box and one to the right of the lunch box.

There was lots more to see at the museum and we enjoyed it very much. If you find yourself in Branson I would recommend taking an hour or so and taking a walk down memory lane.

Kansas City

We spent the day taking in some of the sights in Kansas City. The leaves are starting to turn making for some beautiful color.Kansas City is known for its many fountains. We toured the National World War I Memorial. The tower is the Liberty Memorial that was dedicated in 1921.

The original museum had 7000 square feet and objects and documents related to WWI have been collected since 1920.

The Liberty Memorial was closed in 1994 because because of safety concerns because the structure had deteriored. In Museum was expanded to 80,000 and in 2004 was designated by Congress as the official national WWI museum. It opened again to the public in December of 2006. It is a state of the art museum and very interesting.

There are uniforms, medals, guns, posters, and personal items from all of the countries who were involved in the war.

A British surgeon's kit is shown below. The medical teams had a difficult role. There were over 29 million casualties and over 8 million people killed in the war.

The Museum is very well done and has a tremendous amount of information about WWI. We spent the afternoon but you could easily spend a couple of days there to be able to see and absorb everything.

There is a gorgeous view of downtown KC from the the base of the Memorial.

We have also been enjoying some of KC's famous BBQ. We went to Jack Stack BBQ and had a wonderful dinner, and my nephew Corey made BBQ pork chops for us. Delicious! We have also enjoyed playing with Jack, my 2-1/2 year old great-nephew. I wish I had his energy!

More of KC to come.

Tour Time: Pioneer Park aka Alaskaland

I hope you are up for a little walking today. We are visiting Pioneer Park. The park used to be named Alaskaland, but the name was changed a few years ago with the thinking that it was confusing for tourists who were expecting Alaskaland to be a big amusement park. Well, almost everyone who lives here still refers to it by Alaskaland. Old habits are hard to change. The park is located in the heart of Fairbanks and covers 44 acres that is filled with Alaska's history but is also a community park.

The first thing you see when you come in the gate is the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts. It is used as a community center with art exhibits, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and a theater.

The next thing you will notice is the sternwheeler Nenana. It is designated a National Historic Landmark. It was in service from 1933 to 1952 and served villages on the Yukon, Nenana and Tanana Rivers. There is a extensive detailed diarama inside that depicts her journeys along the river.

We'll head on over to the Gold Rush Town. Many original log cabins and other early buildings have been moved here and have been refurbished as close as possible to their original condition. Most of them now house various merchandise and food. Below is one of the earliest cabins built in 1904.
Next to it stands a cache (pronounced kash). It is a small building placed high on poles for safe storage of food and supplies from bears and other wildlife.
This lovely two story house is the Kitty Hensley house. We will come back later and go inside. It has been restored to give you a glimpse of what life was like in early Fairbanks.

This Presbyterian church was built in 1904.
A view down the street. To the left is the Palace Hotel and Bath House.
The first floor was used as a bath house and a tub bath was 50 cents.A little further down the street is the Pionner Hall and Museum which provides a view of the life of the early pioneers who came seeking their fortunes and a new way of life. The Big Stampede is a narrated tour of the gold rush stampede.
Let's head over to the Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad for a ride around the park.

We can hop the train for a narrated tour around the park pointing out the various attractions. One summer my daughter Kit was a tour guide and rode round and round the park many many times.
Are you ready for a break? I know I am. We'll come back and visit the Mining Valley, the Air Museum, the Kitty Hensley House, and other attractions. It's just a little too much to cover in one day.

Tour Time: Automotive Museum

Our tour of Fairbanks continues. I hope you're ready for a trip back in time. The newest attraction in Fairbanks is the Fountainhead Automotive Museum. It just opened June 1st. It covers U.S. autos built before WWII and showcases the automobile in early Territorial Alaska. It also displays vintage clothing and historical photographs portraying the automobile in early Alaska history. Above is a 1906 Cadillac, the Model K Runabout, with it's snappily dressed owner ready to take it for a spin.

This beautiful vehicle is the only surviving 1906 Compound.

Here's a back view of a 1933 Auburn Boattail Speedster.

This is a 1936 Packard, a Dual-Cowl Convertible.

There are many beautiful items in the vintage clothing collection. Above is a 1920s flapper outfit. A net base is covered entirely by silver beads and gelatin sequins.

One of the most fun photos is this image of a Nash Standard that had a little problem on the Cushman Street Bridge, the main bridge in downtown Fairbanks.

This Motel T Snowflyer was built on a 1917 Fort MT chassis. It was used principally for business, like delivering the mail or by a doctor. It was an ideal vehicle for Fairbanks' snowy winters.

The photo above it titled "Joy Riding" Fairbanks Alaska. And now, although this is just a small sampling of the absolutely gorgeous vehicles in the museum, I think we'll have to call it a day and come back again. It will be well worth a second visit. Over the years in our travels we have visited many automobile museums across the country, and this museum compares favorably with any of them. The fun part of the museum is that all the vehicles are in working order and they will be driven around the adjacent grounds of the Wedgewood Resort, which covers 27 acres. The Resort is also adjacent to Creamer's Field and has connecting trails to the Field. If you are a birder this is the perfect hotel for your stay in Fairbanks. So get lots of rest, because I think our next stop will require a bit of walking.