Artist Shan Michael Evans My second trip to Vegas bowled me over. I was ecstatic to be back, and nothing beats wearing shorts in February. I started the long weekend with a one-night stay at the Downtowner Boutique Hotel . This hotel is in a prime location, a few blocks from the Fremont Street Experience and Container Park . The hotel offers a bar and a cute mini-golf/seating area in the middle of the complex. The staff went out of their way to make my stay comfortable, and I will stay here again. Artist Trent Larson I skipped Fremont Street this time and spent the evening at Container Park after dining at Bangkok Street Thai Kitchen . I was so hungry that I didn't take any photos, but I recommend this restaurant! I enjoyed some wine while listening to the DJ perform, but the best part was being mesmerized by the Mantis. I liken this experience to something you would see at Burning Man, even though I have never been.  Keep your head on a swivel in the downtown area because there ar...

Artist  DFace  in Beverly Hills As mentioned in a previous post, I traveled to Los Angeles in October 2023. Since my son was with me, my focus was on other activities for the first time. Ever! But, that didn't stop me from finding remarkable murals along the way. If you want to catch a bunch of murals on the same day, I suggest strolling Melrose Avenue, especially in West Hollywood. Fame Yard  is replete with amazing art, and I couldn't wait to see this one in person. It's a beautiful tribute to the late Mahsa Amini and the fight for freedom. Artists Cloe Hakakian and 1 Good Hombre Artist Punkmetender Artist Josh Raphael McCadney Artist HIJACK We stayed in Hollywood for old times' sake (I used to hunt celebrities instead of murals). Sad, but true. I love the art I found here! Artist Tristan Eaton Artist Corie Mattie (aka LA Hope Dealer) Artist Barbara Kruger Artist David Flores Artist Pinto Like the Beans  in Little Armenia These shots are a sampling of everything ...

Mural by Amy Zaremba  in Madison, WI Cheers to Mother Earth! What would we do without her? There is SO much beauty on this planet. It's the only one we have, so we need to do better. Much better. The pollution and litter are enough to make me want to scream daily. Are you living as sustainably as possible? While there is always room for improvement, here are the ways I contribute: I don't have a car. I use public transportation, bike, and walk. I carry reusable bags. I try not to buy food wrapped in plastic. If I do, such as a loaf of bread, I reuse the bag. I don't buy plastic water bottles. I have reusable bottles and recycle my Kombucha glass bottles for to-go beverages. If I'm traveling and I end up needing to buy water, I buy the boxed style. I recycle pretty much everything including the tins that mints come in. They make great little travel containers. I consume a vegan diet. I buy organic. I do just about everything online including paying bills and buying gift ...

"The Cultural Context of a Fox" by Cheryl Holz I'm craving art in new places; however, I'm still not ready to be crammed into a plane. So, I devised an alternative by looking for cities along the Metra train lines that would be good art experiences. Metra makes it easy to legally train hop by offering 11 different lines out of Chicago. Download the Ventra app, which allows you to purchase inexpensive one-day or weekend passes.  I caught wind of the impressive art embellishing downtown Aurora, so I decided to start there. I only had to see a couple of photos to yearn for a trip sooner than later. I boarded the Metra BNSF line to Aurora on a bitterly cold day. I'm used to being outside during the winter, but wow! I wimped out and only photographed seven murals. It's not a total loss, as I will return as soon as it warms up. A big thanks to Jennifer Evans, Director of Public Art , for answering my questions and providing me with a handy map of the installations...