travel | Daydream Tourist

Oct 1

Monticello, America’s First Great Mansion

I’m very excited to have joined a group of excellent bloggers for the monthly ArtSmart Roundtable! These folks love travel and art history as much as I do, so it’s a great fit. Each month we pick a theme to write about and for October it is architecture. Check below for links to all the other awesome ArtSmart Roundtable posts!

My travel itineraries always include visits to restored or recreated historic homes. It brings me just a little bit closer to the past when I can see a Tudor, Victorian or Art Deco building complimented by its matching contemporary decor. Many times they are more impressive on the inside than they are on the outside. There is one historic American home though with such an elegant Neoclassical design that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA.

Monticello’s west portico in early April (Photo: Daydream Tourist)

Sep 28

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Boston’s Most Historic Advertisement

Boston’s iconic Charles River skyline contains a bright, conspicuous CITGO gas sign. You might think this is just an unfortunate billboard ruining the view, but the beloved orange triangle is actually a piece of historic art now maintained by the city.

Sep 11

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The Florence Baptistry, or How I Happened to Earn a Indulgence

Procession at the Cathedral and the Baptistry ...

Procession around the Florence Cathedral and Baptistry during the 18th century

Apparently circling the Duomo in Florence as part of the Feast of Corpus Christi procession earns you a plenary indulgence. I didn’t so much choose to participate as I was swept up into the crowd. If anything, our triumphant entrance underneath the gleaming mosaics of the Baptistry was reward enough. But the nuns at the convent where I was renting a room insisted I had earned some spiritual extra credit by taking this walk, so it must be true. Looks like travel really is good for the soul! Here’s how it happened.

Sep 5

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Photo of the Week – Stikman in Chicago

I posted not too long ago about Stikmen popping up near Boston, so I was on the look out for them in Chicago. I didn’t find any of the road decals but I did find one of the original stick figures. The Art Institute of Chicago sits on Michigan Avenue with the front steps looking down S Adams Ave. As you cross Michigan, literally a few yards from the Chicago Art Institute, there is a Stikman glued to a street light utility box and painted for camouflage. Thousands of people walk this way every day to enter the Museum. I wonder how many noticed the Stikman? I wonder how long he’s been there?

Sep 4

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Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Navy Pier Chicago

Have you ever unexpectedly stumbled on something amazing while traveling? The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is just that! It is a free collection of art tucked into the Navy Pier in Chicago and is really a treat.