Memories of hot & humid weather elsewhere

This current heat wave in the Bay Area, dotted with rolling thunderstorms, reminded me of a past trip to San Antonio. Twelve years ago, Eric and I were there in the middle of summer, the week before the 4th of July. Eric was at a conference and I explored the city on my own. I explored the McNay Art Museum and the San Antonio Botanical Garden alone but Eric and I eventually got a chance to take a boat cruise and stroll around the Riverwalk. It did rain a few times while we were there. The weather was hot and humid - but perfect for leisurely walks with a wide-brimmed hat on and a fruit slushy in hand for little moments of sweet brain freeze.

 

This post is also an excuse to share another "Where my Flickr Photos are Being Used on the Internet" photo. It is of my fourth most-viewed Flickr photo of Riverwalk, by the Casa Rio Restaurant. The tour boat in the foreground, ready to take the right turn, was waiting for the other boat to pass from under the bridge. This appeared in a 2016 post from a discount / deals aggregator website, faredealalert.com: 

From Faredealalert.com's website, July 22, 2016

If we ever have a chance to visit again, I'd like to stay in one of the hotels by the river so I can explore it further. On this trip, we stayed by the Alamo, at the Emily Morgan, which was convenient when we finally visited the Alamo. We weren't prepared for the torrential downpour that greeted us after our visit but we were just a short walk to dry clothes.

Remembering an emotional visit

A recent search for "Where My Flickr Photos Are Being Used on the Internet" took me to the American Automobile Association's webpage highlighting their recommended destinations for a Civil Rights Trail Road Trip, one of several trip guides if you are driving within the Southeastern Appalachian area.

My photo of the "Outrage Hand" was taken during my visit to the the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in July 2014. I explored Atlanta on my own while Eric attended a conference. The section of the photo I took doesn't convey its actual size. It's part of a large mural, so large that I couldn't capture it all in one frame. This photo might give you a sense of scale.

My visit to the Center was educational and highly emotional. I was there about two hours and cried most of the time. The Center knows emotions will run high as there are boxes of tissues in some of the galleries.

AAA is right to include the Center on their Civil Rights Trail Road Trip. It is definitely worth a visit.

From AAA.com's Civil Rights Trail Road Trip guide 

The Chicago Theatre

As seen from the State Street 'L' platform.

A New York City moment

Eric and I visited New York City for the first time this past spring and we hope to visit again. We took a sightseeing boat tour around Manhattan and this would be the closest we got to Lady Liberty. Maybe for our next visit, we'll give her a proper visit. Until then...

The New Colossus - Emma Lazarus (1883)

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, 

With conquering limbs astride from land to land; 

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall strand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, 

Your huddled masses wearing to breathe free, 

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Revisiting London

Some of my favorite photos from our week-long visit to London this past spring.  

Going underground (within Zones 1- 6)

 

I'm pretty sure The Jam's Going Underground isn't about riding the London subway. But I couldn't help humming it in my head when I was traveling... UNDERGROUND! After many years of dreaming about going, I finally made it to London.

Eric and I celebrated our wedding anniversary a little early this year, during Spring Break. It's a milestone year for us so we wanted to go big and to also make use of our passports before they expired. We used tons of credit card points, stayed in a posh and completely lovely boutique hotel a block away from the British Museum, and froze our butts off in what would be England's coldest March in 50 years. 

Days began with a really yummy breakfast buffet at the hotel. There were pastries, cereals, smoked fish, cheeses, toast, bagels, fruit, and the full English breakfast. And if that didn't float your boat, you could order from their a la carte menu. I skipped the beans and the smoked fish and cheeses, but ate pretty much everything else. We never ate lunch as we were too full from breakfast, but we did have tea once. Clotted cream is MAGIC.

After breakfast, we walked and walked and took transit and walked some more. We spent an entire day at the British Museum and still didn't see everything. There's just NO way. If I lived there, I'd be a member even though it's free. Thank you, Transit for London, for putting your Legible London maps everywhere we needed one, which was well, everywhere.

When we finished our walking and gawking, we made our way to dinner. Afterward, we returned to the hotel to rest, download photos from the cameras, recharge batteries, and watch some BBC. Eric always fell asleep before I did, Kindle in his hands, propped up in bed. I stayed up late planning the next day's excursions and mapping our transit and walking routes. Around midnight, the infomercials would start and in between, sometimes this video would come on TV. That was my cue to sleep. I tried not to plan too much and at times, I could have planned and timed things better, but overall, we had a great time letting London unfold before us. While we had plenty of opportunities to take a ton of photos, I knew I was restraining myself. I wanted to just *be* there, to be present, not just going around documenting things. But hehe, of course we ended up with over 1800 shots, some are here and here. 

Just when I started getting used to things- the weather, the accents, even the sidewalks- our travel card was expiring and our trip was ending. I hope we can return when the weather's warmer or when we have the appropriate clothing. I will definitely make another pilgrimage to Kew Gardens, and explore other neighborhoods, shops, and parks we either breezed through or didn't get to visit at all. And tea! More cream teas!