My wife and I spent a weekend in Springfield, Illinois, over the 2023 Memorial Day weekend. This town of just over 113,000 people may be the smallest state capital I have ever visited. I wouldn’t describe it as spectacular, but it does have a certain charm. There are several good restaurants and pubs downtown, and the hotel where we stayed was comfortable, clean, and convenient. The architecture of the state government buildings is impressive, especially the restored Old State Capitol that served as the state house from 1840 to 1876. On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States on the southeast lawn of the building. The new State Capitol was completed in 1888, although the legislature began meeting in the building a decade earlier while it was under construction. Designed in the shape of a Greek cross, the capitol features a magnificent dome that carries the structure to a greater height than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Old State Capitol, Springfield, IllinoisNew State Capitol, Springfield, Illinois
The major tourist draw for Springfield is a collection of attractions associated with the town’s most famous citizen, President Abraham Lincoln, who practiced law and started a family here. The Lincolns resided in the city from 1837 to 1847, the year Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Though his most memorable years were spent in the nation’s capital, he built his legal and political career in Springfield and was buried there after his assassination in 1865. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is a first-class destination for people of all ages interested in history, presidents, or politics. The museum’s interactive exhibits and video presentations are joined by lifelike replicas of Lincoln, his family, and his associates to tell the story of the president’s early childhood in Kentucky and follow his path to the White House and on to his tragic death.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IllinoisAbraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, IllinoisAbraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield, Illinois
We also took a stroll around the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, which is made up of a restored and/or replicated section of the town dating back to the 1840s and includes the actual house where Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln raised their family. There are exhibits about the Lincolns and their neighbors in several of the other homes and buildings at the site, and visitors can book tours of the Lincoln home too. There is an interpretive center filled with information about the 16th President and what life was life in Springfield in the mid-19th century.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site, Springfield, Illinois
The Lincoln Tomb and War Memorials State Historic Site is also located in Springfield in Oak Ridge Cemetery. It is a massive granite structure crowned with a towering obelisk. Tours of the tomb are self-guided, and we were lucky enough to be the only people inside during our visit. The hallway leading back to the actual tombs of Lincoln and his family is filled with bronze statues of the President, including a miniature replica of the Lincoln Memorial Monument at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a solemn place worthy of such a celebrated and significant leader of the nation. It is a humbling experience to see it in person.
When my wife and I moved to Springfield, Missouri, in late 2018, I had no idea how vibrant the music community would be in this town of 200,000+ people in the heart of the Ozarks region. Within a few months, I was participating at a weekly open mic night jam where musicians, singers, and songwriters gathered to perform a wide variety of music, which was mostly classic rock, country, pop, and the occasional folk tune. As we became more immersed into the community through work and social activities, I learned this part of the country has an incredible musical legacy going all the way back to the early 19th century when immigrants began to settle in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, bringing with them musical traditions from southern Appalachia rooted primarily in Scotland and Ireland. Old time music jams, or house parties, lasting all night sprang up throughout the hills and hollers featuring various stringed instruments like fiddles, mandolins, banjos, upright bass fiddles, and guitars. Weekly old time and/or Bluegrass music jams still exist today in the rural Ozarks in places like McClurg, Missouri, and Mountain View, Arkansas.
Microphone
The regional music scene gained national attention in the 1950s with the “Ozark Jubilee,” a live, nationally broadcast country-western variety show on ABC Television originating from the Jewell Theater in downtown Springfield from 1955 through 1960. Many country music stars began or advanced their careers by appearing on the Jubilee including Porter Wagoner, Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, and the Philharmonics. The Ozarks Studies Institute of the Missouri State University Libraries is in the process of locating and digitizing episodes of the Jubilee and making them available to the public on YouTube, a project with which I have been directly involved. The playlist is at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjcjShg6ypA54TjijKG6ty9WpPDxkn-Xw
“Ozark Jubilee”
Many people in the Springfield area argue that the “Ozark Jubilee” opened the door for another major movement in the entertainment industry centered about forty miles south in the little hill town of Branson, Missouri. Just as the Jubilee was going off the air in 1960, the Herschend family was building a 19th-century-style Ozarks theme park just west of Branson they would call Silver Dollar City. One of the major attractions of the park was live music, mostly consisting of traditional fiddle or square dance tunes but also Bluegrass. As country music rose in popularity across the nation, a few entrepreneurial musical families saw an opportunity to open theaters for country music variety shows along Highway 76, the hilly, curvy road that connects downtown Branson to Silver Dollar City. With the theaters came restaurants, hotels, shops, and other attractions. By the 1980s, some of the aging country music stars of Nashville, and even some of the younger ones, began either playing shows along the strip or opening up their own theaters. Over the next two decades, Branson exploded into a tourism mecca offering family-friendly entertainment centered around country music, with a whole lot of white Protestantism and patriotism thrown in for good measure.
Springfield, Missouri (www.springfieldmo.org)
The Branson boon began to wane as the 20th century ended, although Highway 76 is still filled with a multitude of tourist attractions and theaters and all the trappings that accompany them. Fortunately, nearby Springfield continued to be a music town, although it never aspired to be like Branson. Many people here maintain, and I would agree, that the Springfield music scene is more authentic, with only minimal interest in attracting tourists. We have certainly seen our share of that authenticity. The first band we heard in Springfield was on New Year’s Eve 2018 at Moon City Pub on Commercial Street, which was also the location of the weekly open mic night I would begin attending. The name of the band was Mood Ring Circus, an ensemble of four twenty-something guys who were gifted musicians, singers, and songwriters performing their original, hard-driving tunes. We were blown away. As it turned out, the lead singer for the band was also the host of the aforementioned open mic night. His name is Justin Larkin. The pub closed down during COVID, and the owners sold it; however, Justin has continued to host open mic jams at several locations around town.
We have become good friends with Justin and his family. He has produced and recorded me performing several of my own original songs and a few covers in his garage studio. He plays multiple instruments on the recordings and sings harmony parts. This year we are working on a song we wrote together titled “Miles of Time,” which is an absolute rush for me. Justin is about the only person I know personally who makes his living performing music. He plays mostly in southwest Missouri but occasionally tours through the western states playing in clubs, breweries, and restaurants. He is immensely talented as a musician, vocalist, and songwriter. His music is streaming on multiple platforms, and he has his own website at https://justinlarkinmusic.com/
The second musical group we heard was a married couple, Shannon Stine and Natalie Wlodarczyk, two women who call themselves The Shandies. They both play guitar and sing, performing mostly in southwest Missouri. The Shandies are wonderful songwriters, musicians, and vocalists. They have a dedicated page on Spotify. Their shows are a nice mix of their own music and eclectic selections of mostly soft Americana tunes from the last fifty years. The third performer we heard was a solo act, a guy named Dallas Jones. Equally talented on the guitar and the keyboard, Dallas has a voice that could have come straight out of Nashville. He is also a multi-generation cattle farmer. It has been a pleasure getting to know him over the past few years. The genres of music we are drawn to are similar, which include pop, soft rock, and country from the last fifty of so years. Although I am older than Dallas by a couple of decades, we both cut our musical teeth on the folksy tunes of John Denver. Dallas did me the great honor of playing and singing with me for a set at one of my gigs in town early in 2023. Dallas also has a dedicated page on Spotify.
One of the performers I met and befriended at various open mic sessions in town is a guy named Brian Pitts. He’s only a few years younger than I am, so we grew up listening to a lot of the same kind of music, mostly rock and pop music from the late 1970s and into the ‘80s. Brian was the front man in a touring band back in the ‘80s but fell out of performing for about 30 years to raise a family and build a career. He has a great voice and is an accomplished drummer. During the COVID pandemic, Brian really concentrated on learning how to play the guitar well enough to accompany himself singing. His efforts paid off, and we began to harmonize with one another during our respective open mic sets. People began to compliment us on how tight our harmonies were, so we decided to work up a few sets and put together a duet vocal show, with Brian on guitar and me swapping back and forth with guitar and keys. He came up with the clever name, “Openly Gray.” Brian is really striking while the iron is hot. He has joined several different acts: an Eagles tribute band, a Yacht Rock band, and a Hall & Oates tribute band. His vocals are excellent for these genres.
There are far too many solo and group performers in the Springfield area for me to include in this post, but here are a few more. I am only including people here who perform regularly. All of these people have either their own websites or pages on online musical platforms and/or social media.
Joe Dillstrom and his band, The Paper Moons – a multitalented solo musician, vocalist, and songwriter who also performs with a group playing soft jazzy and romantic classics.
Molly Healey – a looping violinist, cellist, guitarist, pianist, and singer-songwriter who tours with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, the most famous band to come out of Springfield; she often serves as a recording session musician for soloists and ensembles in the Ozarks; she also has a regular Sunday evening gig with Dallas Jones in town.
Red Light Runner – one of the best cover bands in Springfield, featuring the powerful vocals of Drew Beine and the phenomenal guitar skills of Steven Sparks, who also plays in multiple bands, including Mood Ring Circus mentioned above.
Paul Thomlinson and Innuendo – another incredible cover band in town; Paul is a killer guitarist and vocalist who is a front man for the Eagles tribute and the Yacht Rock bands that Brian sings with, plus he is the other half of the Hall & Oates tribute band with Brian; Paul is also an intelligent, all-around great person.
Devlin Pierce and the Song – Devlin is a fine songwriter and guitarist with one of the most powerful voices around.
David Hoover – an Ozarker at heart who channels James Taylor and Jim Croce like no one I’ve ever heard; David is one of the best acoustic guitar players in the area.
Trent Prewitt – in his early twenties with his eyes on the prize of becoming a hit in Nashville; Trent has a wide-range country voice and is comfortable on both guitar and pedal steel; he is a songwriter and also plays occasionally with a few local bands.
Michael Evens – a sweetheart of a guy with the voice of an angel; Michael plays multiple instruments and has been a big part of the open mic scene behind the curtain in several locations in Springfield.
Don “DR” Randolph – at last, someone older than I am! DR has been playing and singing music with multiple bands in the area for decades; he is one hell of a bass player and a mainstay in the jam band of mostly older rock and country players that hosts an open mic session on Monday nights in town.
Rory Joyce – I cannot end this post without mentioning the man who hosted one of the open mic jams in town; he inspired and encouraged many of the amateurs in the area and was quite an accomplished musician and vocalist; sadly, Rory died in 2022, but his legacy lives on at the open mic night he started and built in Springfield.
The old woman in charge receives a call on the infernal cell phone she needs but curses daily from the only person in town worthy of her friendship. “Someone told me your mule is out of her pen.”
A concerned resident whose property backs up to the boundary of the farm’s north hayfield has seen the wayward beast grazing in his backyard. “We thought she’d want to know where it is.”
The upsetting news comes late on this August day, but if she follows the well-worn tractor path, perhaps she will find her beloved companion in time. “It’s dangerous for her to be out there after dark.”
Leaving her spirited dog at home, she sets out alone, locking the gates behind her when she arrives just as the sun punches holes through the line of trees. “You’ll follow me back to your pasture if you see my car.”
Past the farmhouse, the utility shed, and the cow barn, she steers through limbs heavy with green leaves reaching out and down, gently swaying as if to woo her. “A good car is just what I need to help find my lost girl.”
She drives along the perimeter of the large rolling hayfield but sees only a small gathering of whitetail deer grazing obliviously near the protection of the pine forest. “Have you headed into the woods looking for water?”
She notices a small clearing at the field’s northeast corner, a red-clay trail sloping down into darkness and just wide enough for her vehicle to clear the towering trunks. “Poachers with their four-wheelers trespassing again.”
Gripping the wheel tightly, she creeps and descends deeper now as dusk races toward her, distorting her sense of distance and filling her with an inconceivable revelation. “Is it really possible that I have made a mistake here?”
She is startled when the front of her car drops suddenly and jolts her so violently that her glasses fall to the floor, filling her field of vision with hazy, undistinguishable shapes. “I should just go in reverse and back to where I started.”
She leans forward, and her fingers crawl over the floorboard until she finds the glasses, slightly bent now at an odd angle and no longer fitting properly over her cloudy eyes. “Can you see the lights, girl? It’s time to go back home.”
The car won’t budge because the front wheels are buried to the axle in a large trench caused by heavy rains, and vulnerability wraps around her like a large blanket. “I can call my man to bring his tractor and pull me out.”
The reality of her predicament rushes in when she sees that her phone shows no cell signal at all out here so far from the highway, and she is alone in the darkness. “The horn will only attract strangers, if they even hear it.”
She turns off the car’s engine, fully reclining her seat and closing her eyes to settle in for the night with one final thought occupying her mind as the headlights cut off. “I have nothing to fear because, after all, this is my place.”
She falls into fitful sleep infested with startling dreams and unfamiliar noises of nocturnal creatures that wander like restless spirits around her stranded chariot. “I hope you found a safe place to rest tonight, sweet girl.”
An orange ball of fire on the horizon shoots soft beams between the conifers and the dense morning fog, piercing the windshield to bathe her face in warm light. “If I start walking due east, I should find my way out.”
Grabbing her cane, she carefully exits the useless car, then follows the sun and struggles up the hill until she hears traffic and finally reaches the busy highway. “I need to rest a bit and then decide what to do next.”
The salesman smoking outside at the used car lot across the highway can’t quite believe his eyes as he sees what looks like a mythical creature emerging from the trees. “Who is that and where in hell did she come from?”
The Ozarks is one of those regions of the country that is diverse and interesting enough to be a tourism gold mine. From the bright lights and music of Branson, Missouri, to the gentle flowing current of the Buffalo River in Arkansas, there is something for just about everyone. Although there are no large cities in the Ozarks, there are towns with a few city amenities, like the restaurants, shopping, museums, and entertainment spots available in Springfield, Missouri and Fayetteville and Bentonville, Arkansas. On the other hand, Ozarks visitors can head off grid and commune with nature at any number of conservation areas, state parks, national parks and forests, national rivers, and wilderness regions.
Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas
Between those opposite ends of the destination scale, there are a few spots that offer a nice blend of the outdoors with the comforts of the built environment. One of those is the Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park near Paris, Arkansas. Located just below the crest of the highest peak in the state (2,753 feet), the lodge is situated on Mount Magazine’s south bluff overlooking the expansive Petit Jean River Valley and Blue Mountain Lake. Because this ridge is so high above the valley floor, the park includes a launch area for hang gliders within walking distance of the lodge. Other activities to enjoy include mountain biking, horseback riding, backpacking, and ATV riding. The park visitor’s center is within walking distance of the lodge on one of several nearby easily accessible nature trails.
The Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park, ArkansasThe Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas
The term “lodge” may be a bit misleading to potential vacationers to the site. Other than the rural setting, the exposed pine log beams, the nature-themed art, and the natural rock accents, the lodge has many of the comforts of a resort. The rooms are well appointed, many of which have a whirlpool spa. The indoor pool is spacious, and there is a fitness center and a game room too. There are multiple seating areas with large glass panels looking out over the valley. The dining room and bar are a real cut above what most guests would associate with a state park. Accommodations range from individual rooms and suites in the main lodge to cabins of various sizes flanking the building on either side, all overlooking the valley. Each cabin has a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace, and covered deck with an outdoor hot tub. The lodge also houses a conference center.
The Lodge at Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas
What attracted me most about the lodge and prompted me to book a room for my wife and me in the fall of 2022 was the view. It is magnificent. We spent many hours on the balcony of our lodge room looking out at that incredible vista. The pleasant surprise was how nice the whole facility was. The service was great. The food was quite delicious and plentiful considering the price and the somewhat rustic setting, with buffets offered for most meals, although ordering from a small menu was an option. The park is in a remote part of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, but there are small towns only thirty minutes away. It’s a great place for the family that enjoys nature but doesn’t want to sleep in a tent or camper, although the park has plenty of campsites. The lodge and cabins are also perfect for a romantic getaway, and we are always ready for that kind of excursion.
During our vacation in 2022 to San Diego, my wife and I spent a morning strolling around Balboa Park. Named for the Spanish-born explorer and perhaps the first European to witness the Pacific Ocean, this 1,200-acre site has a long, rich history going back to 1868 when San Diego’s leaders set aside the scrappy undeveloped area for public use. It didn’t really begin to take shape as a recognizable park until 1892 when a schoolteacher turned botanist and entrepreneur named Kate Sessions leased 32 acres of the property for her growing nursery’s propagation. She also agreed to plant trees annually in the park and in other public spaces around the city. The species included cypress, pine, oak, and eucalyptus. Some of the oldest specimens in the park today were part of the original plantings. She also introduced exotic plant species such as bird of paradise, Queen palm, and poinsettia. Her efforts eventually earned Sessions the honorary title “The Mother of Balboa Park.”
Balboa Park, San Diego, California
By the early 20th century, the City of San Diego had installed water systems, roads, and other infrastructural elements to Balboa Park. The origin of the elaborate Spanish Colonial architecture dates to 1915 when the park was selected as the site for the Panama-California Exposition. The Cabrillo Bridge and the buildings along El Prado date to this event, along with the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. More buildings were added for the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935-36, especially in the Southern Palisades area. These structures have a much more Southwestern look in the tradition of Pueblo Indian architecture and even Mayan designs.
Balboa Park, San Diego, California
After World War II, several of the main buildings were converted to museums and other cultural institutions. Today, visitors to the park can enjoy the San Diego History Center, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Natural History Museum, Fleet Science Center, Institute of Contemporary Art, Museum of Photographic Arts, Women’s Museum of California, Veterans Museum, WorldBeat Center, Museum of Us, San Diego Air and Space Museum, San Diego Mineral and Gem Society, San Diego Automotive Museum, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Mingei International Museum, the Marston House (early 20th-century Arts & Crafts design), Comic-Con Museum, and Timken Museum of Art.
Balboa Park, San Diego, California
There are fountains and gardens throughout the park, along with the Japanese Friendship Garden (subject of an earlier post). There are restaurants and coffee shops. There are statues (especially in Sefton Plaza), the impressive California Tower, the Spanish Village Art Center, a beautiful carousel, and a miniature train. The park’s visitors center is the best place to start exploring the site. If we return to San Diego, I plan to devote more time to wandering through some of these museums. The Botanical Building and Lily Pond were undergoing major renovation work when we were there, so I definitely want to see those if we go back to Balboa Park, and I hope we do.
Balboa Park, San Diego, CaliforniaBalboa Park, San Diego, CaliforniaBalboa Park, San Diego, CaliforniaBalboa Park, San Diego, California
In 1909, famed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright began constructing a house on the brow of a hill near Spring Green, Wisconsin. He had grown up in the hills of the state and was inspired by the landscape. His mother was of Welsh descent, and he named the 800-acre estate Taliesin, which is a personal name rooted in Welsh mythology that translates to radiant or shining brow. This was not Wright’s first home, nor would it be his last. He had completed a small two-story residence in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, in 1889. Fire almost completely destroyed Taliesin in 1914 and again in 1925, but Wright rebuilt both times.
In the early 1930s, Wright and his third wife, Olgivanna, established an architectural apprentice program at his Wisconsin home called the Taliesin Fellowship, which provided students with an immersive experience that integrated design and construction with growing and preparing food and the study of the arts. The term the Wrights used was “organic architecture.” Wright would continue to make changes and additions to Taliesin over the years after the fires, including converting a chicken coop into a dormitory for his architectural apprentices!
Wright and his students needed seasonal respite from the harsh winters of Wisconsin and found one in 1934 when he rented space for the Fellowship in sunny Arizona. The change in climate was so welcoming that Wright decided to create a winter location for his school. He purchased property in the rugged Sonoran Desert at the base of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, northeast of Phoenix, where he and his apprentices would construct Taliesin West. This winter camp would become a study in how to blend architecture into a stark landscape incorporating water, shade, foliage, and indigenous materials to create a desert oasis. Wright’s architectural school used both Taliesin locations depending upon the season, even after the master’s death in 1959 in Phoenix at the age of 91. Although the Wisconsin program at Taliesin East finally closed in 2020, the tradition continues to this day with the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in two locations in Arizona. Both Taliesin East and West are now historical sites open to the public, with guided or self-guided tours available.
Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona
During the week following Christmas in 2022, my wife and I returned to the Phoenix area for a vacation. It is one of our favorite destinations in the country and where we hope to spend considerable time during retirement. On this trip we visited Taliesin West, which was my first time seeing the site. We took a self-guided tour, using a mobile phone app with earplugs to listen to a virtual guide describe the structures and surrounding grounds as we walked through a series of numbered stations over the course of about an hour. The whole setup was quite slick – impressive and informative. Along with other visitors taking the same tour, we were able to stroll through the various rooms and outdoor spaces. It is understandable why Andrew Pielage decided to call his photographic exhibition of Wright’s work “Sacred Spaces,” showcasing how the architect skillfully designed structures that seem almost sanctified.
Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona
Several design elements of Taliesin West stand out in my mind. A common theme throughout is the use of sharp angles for roof lines, steps, walkways, and water features. This collection of points is reminiscent of the McDowell Mountain peaks visible to the east of the property. The stone and plaster walls, interior and exterior, imitate the rocky outcroppings around Scottsdale and throughout the Phoenix valley. Red, orange, brown, and blue are dominant colors for painted surfaces and fabric, reflecting the palette of the Sonoran Desert floor and the skies above that remain clear most of the time. Although rare in the desert, water is present in the form of rivers, such as the Salt, Gila, and the Agua Fria in Phoenix. Also, the Sonoran Desert gets more rainfall than any other desert in North America. Wright and his apprentices included several modest water features at Taliesin West. Some people have speculated that Wright may have become paranoid after suffering through multiple devastating fires and wanted water nearby as a safeguard. In any case, the presence of water created a literal oasis at Taliesin West.
Taliesin West in Scottsdale, ArizonaTaliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona
The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation that owns and operates Taliesin West does a fine job of managing the site as a historically-preserved house museum. The rooms are presented in a fashion that makes them look as if Wright and his students have left for the summer but will return next winter. Spaces are appointed with original (or at least period) art pieces, artifacts, furniture, and furnishings. The story the curators are telling is as much about Wright’s apprentices and their accomplishments as it is about the master architect himself. There are various places where people could gather together, including a small theatre. There are at least three pianos in the buildings, implying how important music was to the general atmosphere the Wrights were producing. Toward the end of his life, Frank Lloyd Wright was hosting cocktail parties with Olgivanna at Taliesin West for select groups of people in the greater Phoenix area. What fascinating conversations must have occurred at such gatherings, no doubt dominated by the celebrity architect who had grown so fond of his sacred space in Arizona.
Taliesin West in Scottsdale, ArizonaTaliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona
Japanese gardens are different from other gardens. They are characterized by simplicity and minimalism, designed to encourage reflection and meditation. They raise landscape architecture to a fine art form, creating harmony of several key elements in a natural setting: stone (from gigantic boulders to pea-size river rock), sculpture, plants, shrubs, trees, paths, and perhaps most important, water. Running water, cascading falls, and shaded pools with large koi fish are almost always included. On the botanical side, there are usually plenty of evergreens, but typically in a wide variety of shades and textures depending upon the garden’s geographic location. Although there are several different types of Japanese gardens based on terrain and purpose, most are composed of the above-mentioned features.
Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego
My wife and I have visited many different public and private gardens over the years, from coast to coast in America and a few in Europe too. We happen to have a Japanese garden where we live in Springfield, Missouri. We enjoyed a stroll through the Japanese Friendship Garden in Phoenix, Arizona several years ago. In August 2022, we were on a vacation in San Diego, so of course, we specifically sought out the Japanese Friendship Garden there, which is one of the most famous in the country.
Japanese Friendship Garden, San DiegoJapanese Friendship Garden, San Diego
Like other Japanese Friendship Garden cities, San Diego has a sister city, Yokohama, in Japan. The partnership was established in 1957 and was one of the first sister cities on the west coast. The Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego opened in 1991 and has expanded over the years to a size of twelve acres. Among the garden’s many features are a cherry tree grove, a large section of azaleas and camelias, a water feature that mimics the San Diego watershed, and a beautiful koi pond. There is a bonsai exhibit and places for rotating exhibits of art. It really is one of the finest attractions we saw in San Diego.
Japanese Friendship Garden, San DiegoJapanese Friendship Garden, San Diego
I was a bag boy. That is to say, my first job was working as a bag boy when I was 17 years old. I started out for a brief few months working at a grocery store chain called Winn Dixie. My family shopped at this store’s competitor, Piggly Wiggly, which was much more prevalent in our town. One day when I was in the Piggly Wiggly where my folks shopped, the store manager stopped me and asked if I wanted a job. I accepted and ended up working there for the next five years. By the time I left, I had advanced to the position of front end manager, which meant I was responsible for supervising all the bag boys, running a cash register when necessary, and scheduling all the cashiers’ breaks. There were plenty of related duties as required, including making coffee and keeping a cup in the manager’s hand whenever he wanted one.
I couldn’t have known it at the time, but I learned so much about life and people during those five years. I witnessed blatant racism and discrimination against black employees. I saw my share of gender inequity too. I saw sexual harassment for the first time. Admittedly, as an older teen and a man in my early twenties, I got away with inappropriate behavior and language that would have earned me a reprimand 20 years later. I had not yet learned to respect people, especially women, as I should. My college education would eventually help me overcome my immaturity in this regard.
I had lived a sheltered life before starting this job. I was raised in a Southern Baptist home, had attended a Baptist private high school, and had very little contact with anyone who drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes, much less weed. Some of the people I worked with at the grocery store had lives drastically different from mine, and I saw glimpses of an unfamiliar world on many occasions. By the time I was 21 years old, I was working closely with women who were anywhere from 10 to 15 years older than I was. There were generous portions of flirtation and provocative language served all around, and more than my share of stupidity. I was a little more than infatuated a few times. And yet, I have no doubt that these women cared about me and had no intention of hurting me. To the contrary. They were incredibly patient with me. I hope they were never truly offended by my childish behavior.
Some of my fondest memories from those days involve the times the bag boys and I had to stay after hours to strip the wax from the floors throughout the store and rewax them. This was a laborious project that kept us working sometimes 5 or 6 hours after the store closed at 9:00 p.m. Most of these guys were slightly younger than I was, and we had developed a bond working so closely together week after week. Sure, we wasted more time than we should have, and we got distracted too often playing practical jokes on each other. Some of the pranks were over the top, and I would never confess them in writing – just hilarious. I had hints from time to time that some of these fellows had much tougher home lives than I could have imagined, and I probably wasn’t grateful enough for the safe environment I took for granted. I made more than spending cash at Piggly Wiggly. I got schooled. I learned to lead. I found new values. I made friends.
My wife and I try to get to the beach at least once a year. In the past, most of our coastal visits have been to the Atlantic side of Florida; however, we have occasionally made it to other surfside destinations in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Oregon, and California. For the summer of 2022, we decided to spend a few nights at Laguna Beach as part of a trip to San Diego and Joshua Tree National Park. We booked two nights at Surf and Sand Resort because it looked like a really nice place where we could get an oceanfront room with a balcony, something that has become an absolute must for us.
We have learned the hard way the difference between oceanfront and ocean “view” when it comes to beach accommodations. Ocean view only means that some fragment of sand and water will be in your field of vision when you are looking out from a window or balcony. If we want to sit outside our room and gaze at the beach, waves, and water (and we do), we book an oceanfront room. When Surf and Sand Resort promises you this type of room, they really come through in a big way. Our room was on the fourth floor, and it was so close to the ocean that when we were looking out the sliding-glass door from inside, we couldn’t even see the resort’s namesake: surf and sand. The view was more like looking out of the cabin of a cruise ship on the high seas!
Laguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach, California
On our first night, we ate dinner at the resort’s restaurant at a table located on a terrace within a few yards of the breakers. The sounds, smells, and feel of the breeze on our skin all combined to make dinner something more than just a meal. The next morning we walked a few blocks to a charming breakfast spot that served the regular fare, along with some specialty dishes and incredibly delicious fresh fruit. For lunch we dined outside at a nearby Mexican restaurant that specialized in providing way more food than we could eat, but it was fantastic. Later that day we took a walk on the beach, which is bordered north and south by massive rocky ledges that jet out into the ocean, both of which were visible from our balcony. That evening we walked again a few blocks to a dinner spot that was on a deck right at the beach, offering stunning views of the sun sinking toward the flat line of the horizon.
Laguna Beach, CaliforniaLaguna Beach, California at sunset
Yes, we did spend a lot of time eating, but we also relished hours relaxing with books and magazines on our balcony. We took naps in the room. We sat for long stretches on the balcony just watching the magnificent Pacific Ocean and the various ships, boats, jet skis, and surfers that crossed our field of vision. The room was comfortable even though it was not equipped with air conditioning. We really didn’t need it. We kept our sliding glass door open the entire time we were there, day and night, listening to the crashing surf. I never saw an insect – not one. That would never happen on the Atlantic coast. Laguna Beach is truly a gem and worth the splurge. I hope we can go back sometime.
There is a bizarre and surreal place at the intersection of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in Southern California that was several million years in the making. It was worth the wait. With massive rock formations rising up from the flat desert floor, Joshua Tree National Park is like a geological museum that is slightly larger than Rhode Island. It is hard to imagine that these stone towers, created from magma rising from deep below the surface and eventually hardening as it cooled, are what is left behind from millions of years of soil erosion. Boulders the size of boxcars are miraculously balanced on top of each other, like rock piles left behind by the children of gods.
Rock pile at Joshua Tree National Park
There are also large masses of rounded granite that have been altered and even sculpted by rain, wind, ice, chemical reactions, plant roots, and other forces to form fantastic shapes and configurations. Set against the backdrop of nearby mountain ranges and surrounded by the desert floor, these structures are truly impressive. Throw in a developing thunderstorm billowing above (yes, it does rain in the desert) and you have all the makings of a classic Thomas Cole masterpiece.
Rock formation at Joshua Tree National ParkSkull Rock at Joshua Tree National Park
Then there is the namesake of the park, the Joshua Tree, which would fit perfectly into the backdrop of almost any picture book by Dr. Seuss or on the cover of a paperback book about planets on the other side of the galaxy. Belonging to the same family of Agave plants native to tropical South America, Joshua Trees are a type of Yucca, which we often associate with the short, dark green spiky plants of the tropics and deserts. Joshua Trees have an almost whimsical character, proving yet again that nature has a sense of humor. The plant takes on many different shapes and sizes, as if taking its cue from the rocks around it. Joshua Trees have a rather limited range within the deserts of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.
A Joshua Tree at Joshua Tree National Park
There are several places in this wonderful park where visitors can get breathtaking panoramic views of mountain ranges and valleys that stretch out for miles. At just the right position and vantage point, the scene is reminiscent of something out of a science fiction movie. At the very least, these vistas could serve as inspiration for visual art depicting imaginary worlds. Joshua Tree National Park is one of those natural wonders of the United States that is somehow liminal, neither here nor there, but somewhere between.
If You Want My Opinion 