https://passportmagazine.com/stars-favorite-consignment-shops-west-hollywood-beverly-hills/

by Marlene Fanta Shyer

Artsy, liberal, laid-back Brighton is London’s coolest cousin. It’s an hour train ride from Victoria Station, and it won me over in just one weekend.

More than a seaside resort, its famed Brighton Pier (www.brightonpier.co.uk) offers an amusement park at one end, and cafés, shops, crowds, and fish and chips everywhere else, no matter what the weather. The Pier’s adjacent beach is long, wide, and free, the English Channel laps serenely at its rocky shore, and there are umbrellas, mats, and chairs to rent and people to watch. Should you prefer to see more of them, you might try the very private nudist beach a mile east, Cliff Naturist Beach. It’s shielded from the road and very popular with you know who.

That gay demographic is considered to be about 30,000 strong in this city of 250,000, so let’s call Brighton über-gay- friendly. One of the first cities in England to offer marriage equality meant that many early civil partnership ceremonies were conducted here. The city was also the one-time hangout of Oscar Wilde, who stayed at the seafront Royal Albion Hotel (www.royal-albion-hotel.co.uk) in the latter part of the 19th century. Unfortunately, the Regency-style hotel with its original columns and balconies is a bit sad and faded, these days.

To the west of the Pier, on the lower promenade, find the Artist Quarter (www.theartistquarter.co.uk), where more than a dozen artists produce and sell from their individual “arches,” aka shops. Ceramics, furniture, blossom paintings, you name it, are here.

Buy something, then celebrate at the city’s best gay bars, conveniently nearby: Legends (www.legendsbrighton.com), A Bar (www.abarbrighton.co.uk), and the less expensive Bar Revenge. Around the corner is Club Revenge (www.revenge.co.uk), the city’s biggest nightclub. It features dancing and occasional floor shows.

For a more intimate experience, find smaller, cozier bars on St. James Street, the “happening gay spot.”

Brighton’s top dazzle is The Royal Pavilion, built by George IV before he became a full-fledged king. He used it for assignations with his mistress, (a Catholic he was not permitted to marry), and for elaborate entertainments. You may need sunglasses inside to look up at the 30 foot chandelier in the banqueting room, decorated with carved dragons and dubbed “a diamond blaze.” Under it sits a table about as long as a tennis court, set with silver, gold, crystal, and the usual royal palace tableware glitter.

The red-and-gold Chinese-inspired music room was the scene of one of the first six gay weddings celebrated in the UK, in 2014. Stand on the hand-knotted Axminster and check out more chandeliers. These are all lotus shaped, and the large central one is encrusted with thousands of glimmering small shells. You can also choose to get married here or in one of the Palace’s many other spaces, but don’t overlook the sign out front: “No confetti please.”

For a nice break, check out the very genteel upstairs tea room, and when you’re through taking in the posh, meander through the estate grounds to the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery (www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk). Find art nouveau decorative design, classic 20th-century furniture, Henry Willett pottery, and a gallery showing celebrations from around the world.

While there is no single major exhibition space in the city, nearby is the University of Brighton Gallery (www.arts.brighton.ac.uk) with its mix of student and big-name artists’ works. Design, photography, sculpture, you’re likely to see eclectic everything in this modern glass-and-steel building.

Some smaller galleries are located in the North Laine, the more arty and bohemian area north of North Street. The Lanes, between North Street and the sea, is the historic area. Forget the spelling discrepancy and get happily lost in the network of narrow streets and alleyways, with their surplus of quaintness, their bygone era mix of pubs, cafés, and shops, including many antiques.

On Regent and Kensington Streets in the North Laine, is a legal display of graffiti on one side of the street. Just outside the Lanes on Duke Street, is Fabrica (www.fabrica.org.uk), featuring large installations in the interior of an old church.

While here, you’ll want to make a chocolate stop at Choccywoccydoodah (www.choccywoccydoodah.com) or pick out a greeting card at Creasedcards (www.creasedcards.com), which has some of the cleverest on the planet. Head then to Church and Bond Streets to Gresham Blake (www.greshamblake.com), the bespoke gentlemen’s outfitters, where while you are measured for your finery, you might actually spot residents Nick Cave or Fat Boy Slim being measured for his.

For footwear to go with your new outfit that’s kind to our four-legged friends, head over to Vegetarian Shoes (www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk) in the North Laine where no cute animals were killed to make any of the boots or slippers they sell. It’s one of a kind in the UK.

Also one of a kind is 64 Degrees (www.64degrees.co.uk) on Meetinghouse Lane. Chumps? Rump? Fregola? They’re not shoes. It’s not a dance. It’s lunch! Considered by foodies to be the most exciting dining spot in the city, you’ll be rewarded by the brilliant way mundane chunks of beef, pork, fish, or chicken have been transformed into beautiful, tasty jewels on the plate in front of you. Sit on a stool and sip Picpoul or Malbac while watching cute guys in black aprons fuss over each work of culinary art, incorporating precisely the bit of fregola needed. The headwaiter Chris, a dead ringer for George Clooney, is also good for the appetite.

For a more traditional dining experience, the New Steine French Bistro (www.newsteinehotel.com/restaurant) is like being invited to a friend’s place; dinner is served in a cozy dining room with a bay window and a fireplace. For traditionalists, a sirloin steak with chips, for the more adventurous, skewered St. Jacques with chorizo, rice, and spinach timbale. For everyone, the crème brûlée is also highly recommended here.

Across the street from a betting parlor is an elegant white-tablecloth restaurant perfect for celebrating a win. 24 St. Georges Restaurant (www.24stgeorges.co.uk) is also its address. Your plate arrives, looking pretty as a picture and tasting like it should win a Certificate of Excellence, which it did, in 2014. It’s featured in Michelin and considered number one in Brighton.

Where will you stay? There are large luxury hotels like the Grand (www.devere-hotels.co.uk) or the Hilton Brighton Metropole (www.placeshilton.com/brightonmet), but sometimes the small places are much cozier and save you from credit card shock later. A ten or 15-minute walk from everything is Snooze (www.snoozebrighton.com), a gay-friendly, homey, hip guest house. Hats off to the courage of using the entire color wheel in the same room, for flea-market items cleverly turned into retro élan, and also to the great English breakfast, the warm welcome and friendly atmosphere here.

Tempted now to visit Brighton? Oscar Wilde wrote, “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.” Next time you’re in London, do.

It’s my fourth visit and I’m again seduced by Prague’s streets. Walking in the city is like stepping into an old pen-and-ink drawing. Gothic spires in light and shadow reflected in a river, cobblestones after rain, towers and lovers, and there you have it. What doesn’t show is the Czechs’ affinity with Americans. This city never lets me down, even when tourists’ backpacks jostle and there are long lines waiting to get into its teeming hot spots.
On this visit I confine my meandering to the city’s historic core, Praha 1, which is divided into five districts filled with mythical scenery and outdoor cafes. No need for trams because within this area I can walk pretty much everywhere, which is a big part of the city’s charm.
Located in Hradčany (Castle District) St. Vitus Cathedral, is Prague’s centerfold attraction. This masterwork was built in the 14th century and is the largest and most important in the country. To walk again through its bronze door and look up at the vaulted ceiling in the light coming through stained glass always guarantees a spiritual hit. Most impressive inside is the St. Wenceslas chapel, where relics of the saint are stored, but sorry, one can only view its paintings of Christ and semiprecious jewel treasures from the doorway.
This is pretty much also the case at the iconic Prague Castle where Kings and presidents and their ilk have their offices. It’s the biggest castle on earth and we, the commoners, may stroll the glamorous premises and check out the gardens. Admission price varies and there are student and senior rates.
Around the corner is the narrow Golden Lane, possibly named for the alchemists who once lived there. One reputedly died with a lump of gold in his hand but one can’t be sure he actually created it out of base metal. Some claim poor sanitation caused the streets to flow with urine and thus, Golden Lane. In any case, the place has really been cleaned up.
These attached houses have this year been painted in Easter Egg colors and are now generally spiffy. Originally built in the sixteenth century as houses for King Rudolf’s marksmen (who must have been pintsized guys) these are teensy houses with bitsy rooms. Some are outfitted as if for residences for castle staff in later centuries–seamstress, baker–and one, number 22, was where Franz Kafka did his writing in the early twentieth century. I can easily picture him writing his cockroach story here. Number 14 was inhabited by a fortune teller who predicted Hitler would die soon but didn’t predict that she would. The Gestapo came and killed her. Number 16 housed a Renaissance tavern, but note the modern egg display that looks like midcentury (20th) kitchen design. Other houses are small shops, selling everything from napkin rings to books to puppets. Puppet theatre was big in this country 150 years ago so marionettes are to Czechs as wooden shoes are to the Dutch. Everywhere!
At the end of Golden Lane is Daliborka Tower, named for its first prisoner, Dalibor z Kozojed, a popular supporter of the oppressed, sort of a Czech Robin Hood. He played the violin while waiting in a dungeon to die, touching the people of Prague, who brought him food, drink and sympathy. The authorities were afraid to announce the date of his execution, but finally, the music stopped. The famous Czech composer, Bedřich Smetana, turned this sad story into a famous opera, “Dalibor.” His statue stands near the Charles Bridge, which is pure romance at night. During the day, it’s stomping ground for musicians, souvenir mongers, and views of the Vltava, which flows under it. The river inspired Smetana’s beautiful piece of music, also known as “The Moldau.” It’s on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdtLuyWuPDs
Another composer, Antonin Dvořák, is famous for his New World Symphony; his likeness stands in front of Rudolfinum, Staré Město Strana, (Old Town), the Czech concert hall located on the right bank of the river. Programs and tickets for concerts are available online: http://www.ticketsonline.cz/
Among the city’s (and country’s) other claims to fame are its ubiquitous Pilsner Urquell , and its sklo, or glass. The beer is available everywhere, but for purists, look for one of the 180 pubs designated as tankovna where the beer is unpasteurized and reputedly more authentic. My Czech grandma drank it from a tumbler. (About $.90-$2.95 for half a litre, or just under one pint)
For the best of Czech glass, head to Moser, Na Příkopech 12, in Nové Mĕsto (New Town) or on Staroměstské náměstí, (Old Town Square.) That is the number one purveyor of lead-free glamorous, signed pieces ranging from small paperweights to museum-quality sculpture. The company was started in 1857 and Ludwig Moser could not have predicted that his glass would be a hot item on eBay in 2012. I discovered another superb glass designer, Karen Feldman, www.artelglass.com, who has a shop at 29 Celetná, nearby in Staré Mĕsto (Old Town.) Her pieces run anywhere between $50 to $5000. They’re outstanding.
Glass chandeliers? I found them at Erpet Bohemian Crystal, Staroměstské náměstí, (Old Town Square.) Thumbs up for the most expensive, at about $14,000, but I’d have to have it shipped and rewired. Too big for the powder room anyway.
The tourist mecca of Old Town is the world-famous medieval Astronomical clock. l always look closely at its adornments, which can seem a bit confusing. There are three basic parts to the clock, originally created in 1410: There’s a calendar dial representing months, an astronomical dial representing the sun and moon, and the popular wooden apostle statues and a representation of Death–when small trap doors open and they march out on the hour. I enjoy this spectacle for the fun it is, and skip walking up the clock tower steps, although there’s a nice city view at the top. According to my guide, in these crowds it’s also time watch my wallet.
Pickpockets hang out wherever tourists gather, like Wenceslas Square, Václavské náměstí, (New Town) which is the business hub of Prague. This was the city’s beating heart my first visit, and now it’s more the beating heart of cash registers, with too much chain store action. The chains also proliferate at the Palladium, Náměstí Republiky 1, (New Town) which used to be an army barracks, and is now a five floor pink palace full of shops and restaurants, many whose names I recognize . Chain stores also line Pařížská, the high-end shopping street, the one in which one finds Dior, Cartier, Rolex et al, priced higher than airport duty-free.
To look at older stuff, I head over to Antique Vladimír Andrle at Křížovnická 3, very near the Charles Bridge. I admire a 14 karat gold 19th Century chiming pocket watch priced at $11,000. The shop also has many less expensive timepieces, and everything else: a vase, icon, ring? My January birthstone is another Czech staple, garnets are here and everywhere.
The shop is one of Andrle’s several locations, and this one is located in the Four Seasons Hotel, (www.fourseasons.com/prague) considered to be one of the two best here, along with the Mandarin Oriental (www.mandarinoriental.com/prague).
This time I was happy to stay at the Buddha Bar, a small and sexy hotel created by a tech-maven with a movie-set sensibility. Red lacquer, gold serpents, red sheer curtains, and black terrycloth bathrobes– the designer obviously had a hot Mandarin romance on his mind. My room had a drawer of chilled wines in the fridge as well as a comp espresso coffee maker. And, the staff was wonderfully obliging when I needed yet another tutorial in remote controlling the draperies, bathtub-view TV and, no kidding, the toilet/bidet.
For budget hotels my guide praised the well-located the Leonardo (www.hotelleonardo.cz), a few steps from the Charles Bridge.
I asked to see the best contemporary art galleries and my favorite was the museum-like Kampa, U Sovových mlýnů 2, in Malá Strana (Little Side). The gallery is devoted principally to Czech art and is in an area with an overdose of bucolic charm. With its Kampa Park, Devil’s Brook canal and Michael Gabriel’s welcoming red horse sculpture, it all makes for a good way to spend an aesthetic afternoon.
At a random coffee stop at a courtyard cafe, I also stumbled across a cute cottage gallery, the Hradčanská Galerie at Hradčanské námĕstí 12 (Castle District). It features the work of another Czech, Josef Kalousek, and one painting I wish I’d bought. The gallery owner is friendly and speaks English, as everyone in Prague seems to these days.
Even the smallest restaurants’ menu choices come with a translation. When it comes to Czech food I say, “when in Rome…” and indulge. My guide recommended Alcron at the Radisson Hotel, Štĕpánská 624 (New Town) as one of the city’s tops, but for a more casual dinner, I found the new and lively, LaRepublica, Jakubská 8, (Old Town) near my hotel, very Czech, pubby and fun. Our waiter Honza looked cute in his red vest and there was a four-piece oompah band on a balcony that happened to be playing “Hello Dolly” as we walked in. If they’re playing American show tunes, and a main dish can be had for ten dollars, what could possibly be bad? (Well, the smoking. Be warned, people are still lighting up everywhere, including restaurants.)
Another memorable dinner was at the Plzeňská Beer Hall Obecní dům, Námĕstí Republiky 5, (Old Town) reached by going down a long flight of stairs in a gorgeous Art Nouveau building. Inside is a large space filled with Tyrolean chairs, bright lights, and a typical Czech menu. The nation’s favorite dish is Svíčková Na Smetaně, which is a sirloin bathed in a sauce made from root vegetables. It’s traditionally served with dumplings and cranberries. Our dinner, served with one beer and one wine came to a total of about $39 for both. Also, the bread served here and everywhere is dense, dark and outstanding.
I did eat a non-Czech lunch at La Finestra, Platnéřská 19, Staré Mĕsto. It’s top of the line Italian, near the Charles Bridge and next door to a specialty deli. I never got to the new vegan/vegeterian Maitrea Restaurant, Týnská Ulice 6, (Old Town) It’s highly regarded and reasonable, at about eight dollars a dish.
Next time! It’s what I always say when I leave Prague, where I was born in a house where there is now a florist shop, where the Párky, the grilled frankfurters, are the best in the world and the 100-year old car, the Skoda, is still going strong. Next time I’ll save my shoes and try the Segway: Vlašská 364/2, Malá Strana (Little Side), explore the gay Vinohrady district and the Jewish Quarter, learn more Czech. For now, Děkuji for thank you and Prosím for please will have to do.

“WESTSYLVANIA”

“Westsylvania” is the catchy new name for a werewolf-free territory that encompasses 12 disparate counties in western Pennsylvania. Scattered over 500 square miles of pretty country in and around the Allegheny Mountains, it is a fine fall travel option, combining foliage glamour with the added plus of colorful tourist attractions. There are at least seven, counting both of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterpieces as one.

Less well known than Fallingwater, is Kentuck Knob. Built in 1953, the home is built on a hexagonal grid, constructed entirely of red cypress and native fieldstone, and looks as if it had just gone up yesterday. In typical Wright fashion, it cuddles itself into its site, which overlooks the Youghiogheny (pronounced yok-a-gay-nee) River Gorge and surrounding mountains. The current English occupants, Lord and Lady Palumbo, have added personal items that diminish the don’t-touch-museum-quality of the glass-walled interior. With its (added) kilim-covered chairs and family photos, it’s an architectural wonder, but also a snug home in which one can picture oneself sipping a cup of hot tea after a long day’s hike through the property’s sculpture gardens. And who but Frank Lloyd Wright could have invented the car port? Here is the prototype.

Fallingwater, in trouble since one of its cantilevered platforms was discovered to be listing and cracking some years ago, is currently being held aloft through some engineering legerdemain of suspension wires. The house’s familiar shape of horizontal concrete slabs still can take one’s breath away, the way it’s fitted into the mountainside to look as if it grew out of it. And the waterfall next to it seems to have been designed for it, instead of vice versa. Inside are all the genius built-ins, skylights, quirky windows and enough seating for all the friends and family of Mr.and Mrs.Kaufman (of the Kaufman department stores) who commissioned Wright to build it, and whose son finally donated it to posterity.

A short drive away in Johnstown is a museum dedicated to the city’s own holocaust. The flood of 1989 is harrowingly depicted in the Johnstown Flood Museum in unforgettable, graphic detail. The exhibits feature the recorded voice of the disaster’s last survivor recounting his own gripping experience, an award-winning documentary film that puts one into the very heart of that day in May, and photos of survivors–some who lost seven or eight children–that touch the heart. The museum is an eye-opening walk through the history of human carelessness and unnecessary loss of the lives of more than 2000 men, women and children.

More cheerful is the Incline Plane, right nearby. It’s a funky trip one can take up a mountain in a vehicle that looks more like a freight elevator than a cable car. It’s the highest and steepest anywhere, and for three dollars, it’s up and then down, with a lunch at the Incline Restaurant and a photo opportunity between. For more fun, head west towards Nemacolin Woodlands in the Laurel Highlands region. This enterprise was the whim of one Joe Hardy, owner of some 400 lumber stores, who bought a broken-down property for three million some five years ago and transformed it into a titanic resort. Whatever one looks for in a vacation brochure is here in person: A couple of golf courses with major credentials, splendiferous swimming pools, world-class restaurants, art, sports clay pigeon shooting, kids’ entertainment, elaborate spa, you-name-it. Activities are available to guests, also to day visitors, in a setting that’s a mixture of Hollywood gradiosity and European ritz.

About an hour’s drive away and not far from Altoona, is the county of Bedford. Collectibles and antiques lovers will find 27 retail outlets scattered through the countryside here; an old hotel now gutted and transformed into three stories of old stuff is right in town. It’s called Founders Crossing, sits on the corner of Pitt and Juliana Streets and also sells local crafts. No matter how long one browses, it’s just not enough.

In the heart of Altoona is the remarkable Pennsylvania Railroad Museum. Even museumphobes will find provocative its three-dimensional displays, featuring a wax-museum type series of exhibits. The most memorable is the story of “Jim”, a black dining car steward who appears here in lifelike form, to present an oral history of his forty-seven years on the PRR on tape. He lived through the civil rights movement and one experiences it with him, getting it through his eyes and ears. Also on view is a re-creation of the typical home of an Italian railroad worker, an authentic barroom and a newsstand, featuring a talking newsboy, who animatedly describes his own life.

Last in the Westsylvania loop is the Victorian town of Bellefonte. This is a hop, skip and jump from Penn State University, and might be just the place for a nice, relaxing walk. The little city is historically significant because it was the first Pennsylvania town with its own court housed in a public building. As a result, it attracted the area’s best lawyers and politicians, becoming the state’s political center. It is the birthplace or childhood home of seven of Pennsylvania’s governors. Bellefonte was reputedly named by Talleyrand, who visited the site in 1795 and first saw the natural spring at the city’s south end. “La Belle Fonte!” he supposedly cried, and the spring is still the heart of this city of 7000. What is available in every tap free there, is bottled and shipped to us for a price as Evian or Dannon, among others. A local walking tour is called “Gingerbread and Iron” an apt description of Bellefonte’s authentic architecture and camera-ready streetscapes. A historical footnote is that Bellefonte is the home town of the Mills Brothers, and if they sang about a lazy river, they might have had in mind Stone Creek. It runs through Talleyrand Park here, and is filled not only with trout, but with an overflow of nostalgia.

So is the historical Bellefonte Rail Station and a main street that looks like a page torn from a history book. A few days spent in Westsylvania might inspire the visitor to ask, “How could they ever leave it?”

WALK ON WEST HOLLYWOOD –

Find your soul in West Hollywood, of all places? Absolutely. Spirituality can be found between the blue-painted lampposts of “The Boulevard” and its neighboring streets, beckoning you and your stress with open doors and open arms.

At the Metropolitan Community Church at 8714 Santa Monica, you may make friends either with God or with other gays and lesbians at the Sunday morning worship services, or attend Bible Study or HIV/AIDS support on Wednesday nights, or Recovery groups on most other nights. “The circle is ever widening,” Reverend Neil G. Thomas says, and the congregation also represents the transgendered, straight and bisexual. Similar Christian-based congregations, including those who are Russian-speaking, are at the popular WeHo Church and Worship Center, also on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Kol-Ami means “Voice of my people” and is a glamorous reform synagogue with a very ambitious agenda for the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual community. The “betterment of humanity” is part of it, so is “social justice,” “education,” and of course, “religious worship,” which takes places every Friday night and once a month on Saturdays. The synagogue performs life cycle ceremonies, (commitment, naming, funerals, and so on) and there are speaker events, cultural programs, an annual dinner/dance, social action and interfaith programs. This very welcoming congregation is headed by Rabbi Denise Eger, and each service is followed by a coffee-cake social, so God knows, you might find a new friend.

Feeding your soul is one thing, feeding your stomach another. Combine them both at the casual Abbey, where religious statues–St. Francis, for one– hold sway and God’s furry creatures, if they’re well-behaved, are welcome on the patio. A pot of free condoms waits at the bar and in the rear are private curtained alcoves for praying or, more likely, a bit of heart-and-soul cuddling. No matter what your persuasion, if you get a star next to your order, you get a free meal here.

Another sort of religious experience is a browse through the famous Bodi Tree Book Store, where the shelves are lined not only with New Age tomes but also the candle, crystal and incense accoutrements you’ll need to take home. Or, head for the perfect mind-body place at the Angel City Gym on Melrose Avenue, which mixes kick-boxing and Pilates weights with a metaphysical ambience of live turtles and koi fish in a rock pool, an atmosphere of tranquility and a real fireplace, in case you’re in the mood for a bit of hearthside meditation.

You’ve been good and now reward yourself with a pinnacle spiritual high: a visit to Maxfields right across the street, a shop which can only be called heavenly. Is it a museum? A gallery? An experience! Here are diamond rings shaped like skeletons, Lebovicci light sculptures, men’s fashion$, vintage luggage, an Italian Giotto bicycle with a price tag of $9,175. Best of all is the platinum cell phone that comes with a year of free concierge service, $20,000. Whether or not she got a direct line to the Above, Gwyneth Paltrow was one of its first customers.
When you go, don’t trust the Higher Power to choose a hotel. For great value, try the Best Western, for celebrity watching, Le Parc, for intimacy, Le Montrose Suite Hotel, for location, the Sofitel. And for clothing optional, the all-gay San Vincente Inn.

WASHINGTON, MISSOURI

What’s happened in Washington, Missouri, since the zither factory closed? Wine, among other things. After the glaciers melted away in this region, the residual benefit was a rich soil needing no irrigation, just waiting for the grape. This dot on the map, an hour’s drive from St. Louis, is now home to four serious wineries. They have sprung to life here on Route 94, along what they call a “Weinstrasse,” which means Wine Street in German, and evokes the area’s principal heritage. As a result of a collection of glowing accounts sent back to Germany by a farmer who had recently settled here, many immigrants followed to this Missouri River Valley region in the early part of the nineteenth century. The Blumenhof Winery, established in 1979 by a descendant of one of those German settlers, is open every day for tasting and sales (except on the four major holidays) and although its wines cost half of what comparable bottles sell for in Sonoma, it has already won competitions and medals in Texas, Florida and California. A grafting of two types of grapes – chardonnay and seyval – has resulted in the silver-medal prizewinning Blumenhof Chardonel 1997.

The Augusta and Montelle Wineries, both owned by a former TWA pilot, have also produced medal winners. Augusta is most proud of its “Cynthiana” – described as “earthy”, “robust” with a “raspberry bouquet and a vanillin aftertaste”. Both the Augusta and especially the Montelle have taken advantage of valley and ridge views by building elaborate decks furnished with picnic tables. Here, weather permitting, people come weekends to picnic, listen to music and sample the whites, the reds, the blushes.

Last on the Weinstrasse is the Sugar Creek, with its lively atmosphere and singing host. He will talk wine and tell you that “La Rustica is good!” and perhaps also recommend Michael’s Signature Red. Like the other three, this winery is casual, one can buy hamburgers or wursts or bring one’s own, and depending on weather, listen to live music weekends between April and October. Dancing in the property’s gazebo is not discouraged.

For teetotalers, Washington has more: a corn cob pipe factory and museum, for one thing. One should say THE corn cob pipe factory, because it is now the only one in the world. If you haven’t seen anyone smoking a corn cob pipe lately, you may just not be looking hard enough. Although the pipe, originally made famous by Douglas MacArthur, has waned in popularity, one and a half million are still sold every year. The stem, originally made with cattle bones and reeds is now made of plastic. The bowl is gouged from special corn grown for the purpose, the cobs aged two years. These days the pipes are sold mainly through drugstore chains to older men and college boys. Want one? They retail from $2.50 to $20 and tobacco is not included. One should not visit Washington without making tracks to the homestead of Daniel Boone, a twenty mile ride out of town. He lived the last twenty years of his life here in a small town now called Defiance. The home sits on his 856 acres, is authentic, with many pieces of furniture the original furnishings. Boone’s house was thought to be the most exquisite home west of Mississippi and included elegant parlor and dining rooms, as well as a fourth floor ballroom. On the premises is also an old schoolhouse, a chapel and the home of a rich merchant of the period. There is hot controversy about Boone’s burial plot, claimed by Kentucky, but his remains are believed to be right here on this property. In any case, the “Boone Settlement” contains 150 sites of national historic value.

The area’s hands-down top restaurant, American Bounty, offers big-city quality and is to be found right in town on Front Street, which faces the Missouri River. A dinner entree of sauteed crabcakes with “kaffir lime essence, Tasmanian fire onions and red pepper aoili” goes for $17.50. Other entrees begin at about $13.95 and stop at $20.50. Other agreeable dining options in town are Char-Tony’s, or Elijah McLean’s. Walking off lunch might be a pleasure along the historical Katy Trail, the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. This nature preserve and biking-hiking trail stretches for two hundred miles across the state. It travels through valleys, remnant prairies, open pastureland, dense forests; bike rentals are available. A less ambitious form of exercise might be a walk through the Shaw Nature Reserve, with its thirteen miles of hiking trails amidst various wetlands, restoration of native vegetation, groves and fields and a wildflower garden. There is a three dollar admission charge here and children’s admission is free.

Many Bed-and-Breakfast accommodations are to be found in the Washington area. The elegant Schwegmann House overlooks the Missouri River, is in the National Register of historic places, and serves an elaborate breakfast. It also offers a suite with a massage tub for two. La Dolce Vita, another local B-and-B, also offers a “million dollar view”. The owners make and sell wine, and in addition to gourmet breakfast, make available afternoon snacks, and of course, offer a taste of the house wines, including “the best red in Missouri.” Nearby are also two motels, The Ramada and a Best Western, many antique shops, and the quaint sort of Main Street shops missing from all the chain-store malls throughout America. Washington is an unspoiled part of the Show-me state that wishes to show us how down-home and friendly Missouri can be.

Washington area Chamber of Commerce: 1-888-7WASHMO
Web site: http://www.washmo.org

THE SPIRIT OF TAOS

What gambling is to Las Vegas, art is to Taos. Located in northern New Mexico, a two and a half hour drive from Albuquerque, (or a ten and a half hour drive from Dallas) this funky town has its own distinctive color palette. A wash of blue skies–300 days of sunshine practically guaranteed every year–greenish sage, terra cotta adobe and sunset pink; it’s no wonder artists have flocked here for more than a century. Taos began as an art colony when a pair of painters traveling in the area had a small accident. A wooden wheel broke, the men tossed a $3 gold coin to see who would stay behind to watch the wagon and who would go to get it fixed. Ernest Blumenschein walked to town that day in 1898 and was so intrigued by the scenery and clear light that he and Bert Geer Phillips came back, spread the word, and ultimately founded the Taos Society of Artists. Today, 1000 artists of every description make their home here.

Eyes do tend to widen at the first sight of majestic Taos Mountain. It’s imbued with hints of mysticism, some irresistible magnetic force that pulls the creative and their like to this spot. Other locals are a multiracial mix of entrepreneurs, free spirits, celebrities(Julia Roberts, Val Kilmer), retirees, the highly-educated-turned-blue-collars and those “who have just missed too many trains.” Architects’ masterpieces stand cheek by jowl with ramshackle cabins with a rusting truck or two in front yards. Forget status consciousness here; think crystal healing, yoga, meditation, spiritualism. Typical of the Taos mindset are “Earthships”–buildings made from recycled scrap tires, aluminum cans, bottles and cardboard. These other wordly places are open seven days a week for tours and some may be rented as lodgings.

Art galleries are everywhere and their products vary in price range and quality. Gallery A is high-end, shows contemporary cutting-edge work including dolls and sculpture, the Fenix is hot, the Lumina is one of the city’s best and adjoins a sculpture park. For typical Southwestern jewelry, it’s the Dearing Gallery; the Blue Rain specializes in Contemporary Native American art but is not for a modest budget; a clay pot on display had a price tag of $85,000. More moderate prices are easily found, and there is an “Art Walk” every other Saturday during which artists are on hand, the galleries stay open late and refreshments are served.

There’s more than art to occupy one’s time here. The Pueblo village is one of the principal Taos drawing cards. The clusters of two-story adobe dwellings house the Native Americans (also known as the Pueblo Indians) who live as they have for 800 years, without electricity or plumbing. They sell handmade goods in their many shops, practice ancient rituals, worship and hold their traditional dances. There is an entrance fee of ten dollars per person per visit, but it is best to check beforehand to ascertain that the Pueblo is open to the public. Sometimes there are religious restrictions that prohibit visitors. Archeological evidence indicates that Taos is the oldest populated city in the United States, with human habitation going back to 3000 BC. It was in the middle of the sixteenth century, however, that the first Europeans arrived. The Spanish settlers were attracted by the Rio Grande and the timber of the valley. During following centuries, upheavals and rebellions decreased the population because of attacks by Plains Indians but by the early 1800’s, Taos had become headquarters for the many mountain men who hunted and trapped here. One of the them, Kit Carson, is its most famous former resident, and a small museum is devoted to his life. Also of particular interest is the late Millicent Rogers, Taos “fashion icon” and local benefactor, brought to town in 1947 by her actress friend, Janet Gaynor. Her legacy: innovative jewelry designs(turquoise, coral,silver, oyster shell) and a comprehensive collection of Native American and Hispanic art. One of the town’s best gift shops is found in her museum.

There’s a different aesthetic experience in watching the famed Taos sunset, best observed from the Rio Grande Bridge, the lightest suspension bridge in North America. It’s the length of four football fields, and every so often, one can spot one of the golden eagles that regularly fly over it. Rattlers live in the rocks below and created problems when the bridge was built in 1965, but seem to keep their distance these days, a comforting fact for hikers. Hiking is popular in Taos, and llama treks are available any time of year. Those docile animals will carry gear and walk at the end of a leash, but not exactly like Fido. A guide walks ahead or behind the llama parade and there you go, hiking the trail, being very nice to the animal, which does not wag it’s tail or–hopefully–spit at you. More athletic activities include whitewater rafting, golf, and fishing.

Taos has an altitude of almost 7,000 feet, closer to 10,000 at Ski Valley, a twenty-minute ear-popping drive up the mountain. Nights are cool year round and even in luxury accommodations air-conditioners rare. For some, the altitude may require some adjustment; because the air is dry, the body loses moisture and drinking water often is recommended.

For more sociable imbibing, there’s local beer at Eske’s Brewery, Riesling at LaChiarapada Winery, frozen Margaritas at the Chile Connection or Gruet, considered excellent Taos “champagne”. Gourmet dinners can be found at a variety of local restaurants, most notably, the Stakeout, which may sound like a prosaic grill, but offers an imaginative menu and a fine-dining experience. The Villa Fontana is also a good bet, especially for lovers of mushrooms, which are featured in many dishes.

B&B’s are the way to sleep in Taos. One can not say enough about their diversity, hospitality and the culinary creativity of their hosts. Breakfast can be anything from Ranchos Huevos to fresh-baked apple and cinnamon bread to exotic sausages. Rooms with mountain views, kiva fireplaces, and hot tubs are not uncommon. Highly recommended are Alma del Monte (Elizabeth Taylor stays here) or the Casa de las Chimeneas, the first Taos B&B to get an AAA Four-diamond rating. Others range from stunning to so-so, and prices go from about $100 to $500 a night, depending on the time of year.

WHERE TO STAY: CASA DE LAS CHIMENEAS–505-758-4777; ALMA DEL MONTE–505-776-2721; THE LITTLE TREE BED AND BREAKFAST–800-334-8467

RESTAURANTS: STAKEOUT, 505-758-2042; VILLA FONTANA, 505-758-5800; TIM’S CHILE CONNECTION, 505-776-8787; ESKE’S BREWERY, 505-758-1517

TAOS TOURIST INFO: 800-732-8267 or www.taoschamber.com

THE RHINE’S TWIN OBSESSIONS: WINE AND WOMEN

Where else in the world would one encounter a statue of the Virgin holding the infant Jesus in one hand and a bunch of grapes in another? It is to be found in the Church of Our Lady, originally built in the fourteenth century, in the wine-happy German town of Oberwesel. This little city is typical of others, large and small, that dot the coast along the Rhine, in the kingdom of Riesling. Here is where that grape is grown and revered–and the same could be said of women, real and legendary.

Oberwesel kills two birds with one stone with an annual celebration that elevates to queenly status a local Ms. crowned as Wine Witch. This is an honor bestowed with much fanfare, music and fireworks as the young lady replaces last year’s witch, burned in effigy. Honored and applauded, the new, good witch symbolizes both the purity of wine and maidenhood as she goes out into the world as ambassador of her town and its blonde beverage.

The river itself flows north from Switzerland to the Netherlands, and the soil, in combination with the climate, makes its shores perfect for its wineries. It is the middle region, however, the “Mittel-Rhein” stretch from Mainz to Koblenz, that is of greatest interest in terms of color, history, and perhaps, attention to the fairer sex.

In Mainz, St. Stefan’s Church pays homage not only to the venerable men of the Bible, but also to its heroines. Chagall is the artist who began this design at the advanced age 88 but never traveled from the South of France to see the project, finished in 2000. He created its bluish stained glass windows and came up with a new Biblical spin, dedicating half of them to the women of the Old Testament.

Nearby, on the riverbank of St.Goar is the site where the famous and fictional Loreley* combed out her endless length of blonde hair and lured sailors to their watery deaths. Whether or not she deserved it, the Germans named the place the Loreley Valley after her, and as you climb aboard one of the Köln-Düsseldorfer excursion boats, a modern-day Loreley, yellow wig and all, might welcome you aboard while her partner plays her familiar song on his accordion. As the boat proceeds, a guide will point to the exact spot on the rocks where the temptress sang her song and will describe–in three languages–how she did the sailors in. The poet Heinrich Heide describes their fate best:

“The boatman in his small skiff is
Seized by a turbulent love,
No longer he marks where the cliff is
He looks to the mountain above.

I think the waves must fling him
Against the reefs nearby,
And the did with her singing
The lovely Loreley.”

These boats, which resemble large hotel dining rooms surrounded by glass windows, are one way to move from one village to another. (Trains, bikes and your own two feet are other choices.) Look out and you will see towns of half-timbered houses with funky names like Lorch, Filsen and Spay. Castles, ruins, forests and the Taunus Mountains also slide by. So does the boxy, modern Königsbacher Brewery, a sore thumb amidst so much antiquity. Further up the river, disembark in Koblenz.

This city has a population of 110,000, many outdoor village-y squares for eating, drinking, meandering. On Jesuitplatz is a fountain statue of a mischievous boy who spits water from his mouth every few seconds, the quirky city symbol.

And another an attraction dear to a woman’s heart: In the Liebfrauenkirche, a medieval church rebuilt in 1992, stands a very unusual depiction of the holy family. Here is a plaster Joseph holding the baby Jesus. Holy infant and father? Rarely seen, and at last, a respite for Mary! Also in this church, more Olympian women are rewarded, their images preserved in stained glass. Sophie Scholl, for example, was a student in Munich who with her brother Hans began the Weisse Rose (White Rose) organization, which protested against Hitler during the Second World War. In 1942 Sophie, her brother Hans and all members of the community were killed by the Nazis.

Another window features Edith Stein, beatified by John Paul II in 1987. She was born on October 12, 1891 in Breslau, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Later, she converted to Catholicism, became a Carmelite nun in 1922, and when Hitler came into power, was sent for safety to a convent in Holland. The Nazis found her anyway, shipped her to Auschwitz, and there she died in the gas chambers with her sister, also a convert, in 1942.

The window dedicated to Mother Teresa was controversial when installed several years ago. Ordinarily, the living are not accorded such an honor, but special permission was granted in this case. The church is host to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

As is most of this Rhine area, known as a region filled with happy, optimistic people. Whether it’s the wine or the women is anybody’s guess.

HISTORY AND ROSES IN THOMASVILLE, A DOT ON THE GEORGIA MAP –
Wooodalls Southern RV — March, 2001

It is no wonder the tiny town of Thomasville is bustling with those who’ve discovered it. It’s a far cry from urbanized Tallahassee, Florida, its nearest heavyweight neighbor. A thirty minute drive from that city (northeast off 1-10 on highway 319) makes it worth the detour, or even an extra trip.

Not to be confused with North Carolina’s Thomasville, this town has its own distinct appeal, and there’s not a furniture factory in sight. In fact, one’s initial reaction on driving into Thomasville is that “It’s a Wonderful Life” could have been filmed on its streets. With its population of 20,000, its leafy, wide streets and Victorian houses — many adorned with candles in windows and rocking chair porches — it is a beguiling place as all-American as the flags that fly here on Main Street and the neighborly “hello’s” that greet visitors at every turn. And what a Main Street it is! Thomasville takes us into the nineteenth century here, thanks to the National Historic Trust. Eighteen years ago, it became one of the first cities to be eligible for a grant that restored the street’s facades and planted new trees. Now, with returned or reproduced shop signs, as for example “Isaac Levy 1184 Mercantile” or “Pickett Bootist and Shoes, 1884″, the avenue takes one on a walk into a gentler time. Jergen’s Jewelry Store on Broad Street is worth a stop; its 1856 interior is a thoughtful restoration of a Victorian interior with old-world paneling and light fixtures reminiscent of great-grandma’s parlor.

Thomasville had its heyday after the Civil War because it was one of the very few Southern cities hospitable to Northerners, but as soon as Florida was developed the town’s fortunes fell. Still, the vestiges of its elegant past remain. Many here occupied plantations; the grand houses built on working farms still exist today, thanks to the benevolent tax structure, which allows for great wealth. It also encourages civic pride, and one sees that everywhere. Here is a place in love with its own history, but accepting of progress. (Yes, RV’s are quite welcome here.)

The jewel in the town’s crown may be the glamorous Melhana Plantation, one of 71 historic plantations in South Georgia. Originally set on 7,500 acres, its 30 historic buildings now sit on just 40 beautified ones. Seeking refuge in the peace of this quiet corner of the south, it’s understandable why Jacqueline Kennedy headed to Melhana, now a resort, immediately following the assassination of her husband. Famed for its magnolias, with its luxury accommodations and imposing pink stucco facade, the inn is now one of 150 Historic Hotels of America.

Another claim to fame is its cuisine, and going one better than simply dining in its pink-walls-and-candlelight restaurant, Melhana offers “Taste of the Month” cooking classes between February and October. For one hundred dollars, would-be chefs can take three days of lessons from the executive chef. Not a foodie? Just stop by the plantation for a drink and let the guitarist and piano player entertain you during cocktail hour.

If Melhana Plantation is known for its magnolias, Thomasville is famous for its roses. Located at Cherokee Lake on Covington Avenue, a garden the city owns is filled with 500 roses of both hybrid and garden varieties. The eye-catching field of flowers is free and open to the public. For horticulture fans, the Rose Show and Festival at the end of April is the best time to visit. Parades, street dances, arts and crafts sales celebrate the occasion; there’s music, even a Rose City Golf Classic. It’s at the Country Oaks Municipal Golf Course on Georgia Highway and it’s a 71 handicap. Reserve early for this event: (912) 225-4333.

Nature doesn’t stop at roses in Thomasville. The Birdsong Plantation, a 565 acre working farm focused more on wildlife than vegetation, is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 9 to 5, and Sunday from 1 to 5. This is the home not only of magnolia trees and long leaf pines, but also of deer, turkeys, bobcats and cotton rats, and since it’s a preserve, no hunting, no trapping is allowed here. An unusual bird window is a standout in this park. Imagine being invited to a pleasant, rustic house in the woods, taking a seat in the living room and quietly looking through a picture window to observe nature’s inspired aviary drama. In full-view and closeup are redheaded woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, cardinals and grackles living their bird lives, feeding themselves and their young, in a natural setting of a waterfall, and crepe myrtles giving tree shade, with an occasional salamander, hummingbird or woodpecker paying a visit. Checking out everything nature has to offer here will cost about five dollars and should keep one happily occupied for hours. If you’re not too tired, you might stop at the corner of North Crawford and east Monroe Streets to take in the majestic Thomasville oak tree, born from an acorn in 1685. It’s got a circumference of 24 feet, a limb spread of 162 and a resurrection fern grows on its branches. President Eisenhower visited this corner and was so impressed that he photographed the tree himself.

Other photo opportunities abound in town. Old Magnolia Cemetery is the resting place of First Lieutenant Henry Flipper, the first African American graduate of West Point. He was dishonorably discharged, accused of stealing three thousand dollars and later exonerated. After his name was cleared he became an engineer and inventor. Nearby is the 1907 one-room schoolhouse that educated him and many black youngsters who lived here as well. Most were the children of the employees of the white gentry that vacationed here every winter. The Lapham-Patterson House is a grand Victorian cottage, typical of the summer residences of the era. And All Saint’s Episcopal Church, the oldest in Thomasville and also visited by Jacqueline Kennedy after her husband’s death, is pretty and white and photogenic too.

For casual dining, Richard’s Grill, with its Beatles posters on the walls, offers “fried pasta” and family dining. Fallin’s is a barbecue joint where the barbecue is an art and the fussy restaurant owner has high standards and a cook who’s been with him for fourteen years. It is highly recommended. The City of Roses RV Park is at Old Boston Road. It is a “clean, quiet” park, allows gas or charcoal grills, small children and pets, and features some 60 Cable Channels.
(912) 228-7275.

For more information call Thomasville Tourism Authority at (800)704-2350 or check the website: http://www.thomasvillega.com