La Placita Village, Tucson, Arizona

Ok, let me be straight up with you right from the start – La Placita Village, in downtown Tucson, Arizona, is not a traditional village in the old Southwest tradition.

Instead it is delightful collection of adobe, brick, and wood frame buildings designed to resemble a Mexican marketplace.

When I visited the complex on a blazing hot day in the middle of September, there were not a lot of people about, which gave me plenty of time to shoot some video footage, take photographs, and examine each of the buildings with their wonderful patchwork of vibrant oranges, purples, yellows, blues, greens and reds.

The village itself is home to the Tucson Visitor Center where you will find the usual assortment of maps, brochures, and merchandise. 

There are numerous buildings housing boutique shops, cafés and restaurants, and other small establishments, and the Village is within easy walking distance of several excellent museums, a Convention Center, Music Hall, the Fox Tucson Theater, and much more.

During the warmer months, free screenings of classic films are presented on the Village plaza, and other outdoor events are scheduled throughout the summer months.

Here is a short collage of video footage and photographs of the complex...

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La Placita Village

110 S Church Street

Tucson, AZ, 85701.

More Info:
Visit the Official Tucson Travel Information Guide…

Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio, Tucson, Az

Stunning art for sale at Philabaum Glass

~ I visited the Philabaum Glass Gallery and Studio during my stay in Tucson, Arizona last September. Tom Philabaum has been producing stunning works of art in glass for more than thirty years. He built his first glassblowing studio in 1975 in downtown Tucson, and opened a gallery in 1982. The current gallery and studio was opened in 1985, and not only features Tom Philabaum’s work, but the work of many other talented glass artists.

Visitors to the gallery are able to enter the studio attached to the main gallery, and watch as the glassblowers work their magic on the molten glass. This is not the place to go into a detailed description of glassblowing, and any way, I know next to nothing about the processes involved. However, it was exciting to watch these skilled craftspeople at work, and to spend time examining the truly stunning works in glass available for sale in the gallery and shop.

Tom Philabaum was the recipient of the 1998 Arizona Governor’s Art Award for Artist of the Year. And in May 2000, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona awarded him the prestigious $25,000 Arizona Arts Award in recognition of significant contribution to the growth and development of the arts in Arizona.

Glass artists at work at Philabaum Glass

Also in 2000, Tom began teaching nationally accredited classes at Philabaum Glass, giving birth to the Sonoran Art Foundation, co-founded by Tom and David Klein, which is now known as the Sonoran Glass School.

Tucson Glass Festival

In 2010, Tom Philabaum collaborated with the Sonoran Glass School to organize and host the first Tucson Glass Festival, presenting live demonstrations with visiting artists and exhibitions in galleries and museums throughout Tucson. The festival is currently underway in Tucson with the final events set for April 20.

I was delighted to be able to visit the gallery and studio during my stay in Tucson, and I recommend it highly if you are planning a stop in the city.

Here is a brief video compilation I have put together following my visit:

Instrumental I'm In Pieces courtesy of MJW RECORDS…

Available on Soundcloud…

More Information

Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio...

711 S. Sixth Avenue

Tucson, Arizona

Tel: 520-884-7404

Email: gallery [at] philabaumglass.com

Amtraking America

Welcome to Amtrak

~ During my 2010 American trip, I travelled via Greyhound Bus from New York City to New Orleans (with stopovers in Philadelphia, PA and Raleigh, NC). I have written an extensive six part road trip report of that journey beginning here…

That trip went so well, that I was keen to repeat the experience―albeit along a different route―during my 2012 visit to America. To that end, following my three week stay in New York City, I caught the first of what I thought would be many Greyhound Buses, to Lancaster, PA.

During my stay in Lancaster, someone suggested I use Amtrak to get to my next destination―Harrisburg, PA., a short leg by any standards. Since Greyhound Buses shared facilities with Amtrak, it was easy enough to do―so I did. That was it. I was immediately smitten. Seduced by the comfort; the leg room; the ability to get up and walk the length of the train; the large windows; the smooth, traffic free flow of the carriages; and more. The run from Lancaster to Harrisburg was over in under an hour, but I was hooked. I decided that if the opportunity arose to travel by train again, I would seize it.

Washington, DC to Savannah, GA

When I left Harrisburg, it was by bus for Washington, DC. But when I left America’s national capital, for Savannah, Georgia, it was on the Amtrak Atlantic Coast Service that takes in New York - Washington, DC - Charleston - Savannah - Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa/Miami. There was no turning back after that. Given a choice between spending nearly eleven hours on a train or a bus, there is only one choice, and that of course is the train.

Atlantic Coast Service route guide

In researching current prices for this entry, I was able to confirm what I already knew, that depending on how and when you choose to travel, it can be cheaper to take a train than it is to take a bus. For example, current prices (as of Sunday, 14 April 2013), for the Washington-Savannah run are US$101.00 for the morning and afternoon trains, and US$173.00 for the evening train. The same route by Greyhound Bus ranges from $85.00 (advance purchase) to $159.00 (refundable ticket). The Standard Fare is $142.00.

Using the example above, the bus is cheaper than the train service. However, even though I was initially looking for the cheapest tickets available, I did not hesitate to spend the extra $16.00 for the space and luxury of the train. Oh, and it helps that some of the Amtrak services include WiFi as well. And did I mention the restaurant car? And the observation carriage with its comfortable seating that allows you to sit back, stretch your legs, and enjoy panoramic views of the passing countryside? All in all, the experience is better; the ride much smoother; and the journey certainly seems to pass much quicker.

After the Richmond stop I walked up to the restaurant car for a coffee and Panini. It occurred to me that a coach paying passenger could spend most of their trip here in relative comfort. In fact, it was a whole lot easier to use my iPad there where I could rest the device on a table and type, than to balance it in my lap, or hold it for extended periods.

Also in the restaurant car one has an opportunity to take part in conversations with a number of other passengers, rather than sit alone or converse with the person in the seat next to you in your designated carriage―assuming they want to talk in the first place.

New Orleans, LA to Tucson, AZ

Alpine, Texas

From Savannah, I rode a Greyhound to New Orleans, and after a five night stay there, I boarded Amtrak’s Sunset Limited service for Tucson, Arizona.

For the record, current prices on the New Orleans-Tucson run are $143 (Amtrak), and $188 (web only) to $232 (refundable) for the Greyhound Bus. That’s a difference of $45 assuming you buy the cheapest tickets, or a difference of $89 (if you purchase a refundable Greyhound ticket) in favour of Amtrak. As the saying has it: It’s a no brainer.

I have taken to referring to Amtrak as one of America’s best kept secrets. Almost everyone I spoke to about my train travel was amazed at the prices I paid, and my glowing recommendations. Most assumed that travelling by train would be far more expensive than by bus, and had therefore never considered the Amtrak service.

If there is a downside to using the rail network, it is that compared to the Greyhound Bus network, passengers have many more choices available to them when travelling by bus. The American rail network is a pale shadow of what it used to be, which is a great pity. Never the less, what remains covers all the main urban centres and for my money, it just can’t be beaten. At the very least, take time to compare prices between the Greyhound Bus and Amtrak services. Like me you may become a convert to the joys of rail travel.

More Information

Amtrak… 

Greyhound Bus… 

When Travel is Just Like Coming Home Again

Victoria Square Fountain, Adelaide

~ For most of my life I have lived in Adelaide, Australia, and although I like to say that Adelaide is a nice place to come home to, the more I travel the more I am beginning to feel that I have roots in other countries and cities around the world.

My parents were Greeks who immigrated to Australia just prior to the Second World War, and of course I have visited the island my parents came from – Ikaria – on multiple occasions. 

Two of my sisters have returned to live on the island, and both have children and grandchildren growing up there. I consider Ikaria to be my first home away from home, having visited several times during the 1970s, and again in 2008 and 2010.

South Street Seaport, NYC.

New York City Dreaming

When I landed at New York City’s JFK airport following an exhausting flight from Australia, my return to that city in 2012 for my third visit in six years, also seemed like coming home.

When I boarded the A-train for the Washington Heights apartment (and two cats), I would be ‘house’ sitting for the second time, it was a great feeling, and it was all I could do to suppress an open smile. Let me tell you though, smiling openly on a 6:00am A-train full of sleepy New Yorkers heading into Manhattan for the start of the working day is probably not a good idea.

I first went to New York in 2008, and have returned every two years since. There more I go, the more I love it, and the more that city also begins to feel like home. I hope to return to the Big Apple again in 2014, which should pretty much cement its place in my mind as my second home away from home.

Federation Square, Melbourne

Wherever I Lay My Hat
I have been house sitting for friends in Melbourne for the past four years, and every time I return to that city, it too feels like coming home. Then there are my visits to an American cousin in Tucson, Arizona in 2010 and again in 2012. If I get a chance to visit again – and I certainly hope to – I know that Tucson will also join the list of cities that have become my surrogate homes as I continue to travel and occasionally retrace my steps around the world.

What all these locations have in common is the familiarity I have developed with them: knowing how to find my way around what were once strange cities and landscapes; knowing where the nearest supermarket, ATM, subway station or bus stop is to my home away from home; and knowing enough about a location to be able to offer advice and information to people who are themselves looking for assistance. Then there is the joy I get from returning to favorite locations within each of these cities: Federation Square and the crowded alleys of Melbourne; the South Street Seaport and Bryant Park in New York City; the tiny villages and summer festivals of Ikaria; and the giant Saguaro cactus plants that dot the dry desert landscape around Tucson, Arizona. But most of all, it is great to be able to continue my explorations in each of these locations to broaden my knowledge and understanding about each city, and the people who live and work there.

Adelaide is a great place to return home to, but I can’t wait to again revisit my various homes away from home, and add other countries and cities to those already mentioned here.

Jetlagged and Muddleheaded

Click image to view larger size



So here I am, still jetlagged and feeling muddleheaded, adjusting once again to being back in Adelaide, Australia after my latest three month extended travels through America.

The route map above, plots out my trip from New York City to Los Angeles, California, although the map doesn’t show my day trips out of Flagstaff, Arizona, from where I headed out each day in my hire car to the Grand Canyon (twice), Sedona and environs, and up to Monument Valley, Utah.

This completes my third visit to the United States in six years, and I’m delighted to say that once again, I had a great trip, during which I met many friendly locals, and spent more time in hotels than I have ever had the dubious pleasure of doing so before now. However, just to be clear, I did not drive myself across America. The route outlined above was shared between several Greyhound Bus rides, and what is left of the great Amtrak rail network, as well as the afore mentioned car hire.

Over the coming weeks and months I will begin to process the encounters, the highlights (and low-lights), and the hotel stays, and try to encapsulate my experiences via this blog. I have thousands of photographs to sort through, discard or enhance and utilise here, and more hours of video footage than I can ever hope to examine, edit, shape and put to good use in some way, shape or form. But what’s a traveller to do? The answer I guess, is to take each story as it comes and try to extract the heart out of each experience, and write about it in a way that will be of interest and use to readers who stumble on this blog.

First Flights

Image: First flights have come a long way since the Wright Brothers!

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I must be getting old, because I have no recollection of my first flight – although it almost certainly took place when I embarked on my first overseas journey in April 1971. That was the year I set off on one of those rites of passage trips that thousands of young Australians undertook then – and still do – and I have no recollection of ever having flown before that.

I write about this now, because of an interesting incident that took place during the Denver to Tucson leg of my travels down to the American south in 2010. A young male passenger sitting in the seat behind me was travelling by air for the first time, and his general excitement as the plane prepared for take off got me thinking about first flights, and how they are totally different from what is depicted on television shows and movies.

In those media (unless used as part of the drama), the aircraft is always whisper quiet, take off always smooth, and the seating in Economy Class always spacious! You hear no engine noises, passengers never experience ear popping discomfort, and never have to sit through the safety demonstration or frequent announcements from stewards or pilots.

Since this passenger’s main reference points were the movies and television shows he would have seen, the actually experience of flying would have been quite different and even nerve-wracking. No doubt he would have had conversations with family members and friends who might have already flown in aircraft, but nothing prepares you for the experience like being there, strapped in your seat waiting for the plane to take to the air.

Watching movies, you miss the whine and roar of jet engines as they pick up revolutions that set the plane rolling slowly down the tarmac; and you miss the thumps and bumps that occur as the front landing wheel rolls over the runway lights helping guide the pilots. As the plane ramps up to maximum take off speed the roar of jet turbines becomes even louder until the aircraft finally severs the link with gravity and takes to the air. The list goes on: the thumps, as wheels are retracted into their wheel bays; the ritual of in-flight meals, the regular announcements, visiting the restroom for the first time, and making an effort to actually read the safety guide.

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Image: Flaps down and speed brakes up as this plane lands once again

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When you watch movies, you never get to experience those moments of tension as the aircraft begins to descend to your destination. Even I never get bored watching as the wing flaps are extended exposing hydraulic cables and other mysterious aircraft parts within the wing cavities. There are more thumps as the wheels are now lowered into place. Ears popping again, you watch as the plane skims over fields, houses, highways, and airport perimeters, the ground rushing by seemingly faster and faster until finally wheels hit the tarmac with a jolt and the flaps extend to their maximum length to create as much drag as possible to help slow the speeding aircraft down. Finally, adding even greater levels of noise to the whole landing experience, reverse thrusters on the engines roar into life as they too are brought into play to help slow the plane.

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Video of thrust reverser being deployed on a 737

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And to think, all these and more exciting moments are included free in the cost of your airline ticket!

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Image: Sunset over Europe during my 2010 flight to Paris

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Of course, there’s more: entertainment channels to play with; breaking through cloud cover into bright sunshine and blue sky; turbulence; flashing wing lights; golden sunsets; and traffic flowing down streets and highways at night lighting up cities and towns like flowing lava.

No wonder this young man was excited. Heck, I’m excited just writing about it!

I remember the Denver to Tucson flight took place at night, which makes me pose the question: What would be the best time to take a first flight – or any flight for that matter – during the day, or at night? Each has its own joys and delights, but each is quite different. Personally, I prefer day flights, but can get just as much enjoyment from night flying – especially when passing over large cities.

What about you? If you’ve read this far, why not take a few minutes to share your first flight experience or express your preference for day or night flying. I look forward to your contribution.

Time Travel

Note to self: When travelling by air across several time zones, never rely on your watch, cell phone, or other personal timekeeping devices to get you to your flight on time. Look for airport clocks and use them as your time keeper. That way you won’t miss your connecting flight like I did. In fact, for an entirely different reason I almost missed my rescheduled flight as well – but more of that later.

I had landed in Atlanta, Georgia en route for New York City from Tucson, Arizona. Checking my iPhone, I noted I had plenty of time before my connecting flight. Unfortunately, I had put the phone into Airplane Mode, which effectively disables it during aircraft travel. This was probably the reason the phone did not automatically adjust for the time change between Tucson and Atlanta.

So there I was, happily munching on a ham and cheese sandwich while waiting for my flight when I happened to notice an airport clock indicating the real time in Atlanta, and I immediately began to get very concerned. My plane was due to depart at 3.05PM, and the clock was showing 3.15PM! In a panic, I raced to the check-in counter, only to find Delta Airlines staff had already left and were finalizing details before my flight (which was still sitting on the tarmac at the end of the access ramp) departed for New York.

I tried unsuccessfully to get someone to help, but to no avail.

Almost fifteen minutes later – with the plane still docked to the access ramp – a staff member finally emerged from behind a security door and approached the counter. But it was too late. The flight had been secured and readied for take off, and I had officially missed my flight.

I felt like an idiot, and no-one was to blame but myself, but you can be sure that in future I will be using airport clocks to make sure I catch my flights on time. Thankfully, I was able to get another flight to New York which was due to depart two hours later than my missed flight.

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However, the story does not end there.

My new boarding pass indicated that this flight was due to depart from Gate 30 in Terminal A, one of several massive terminals that make up Atlanta International Airport.

With plenty of time to sit and eat my unfinished ham and cheese sandwiches*, I waited near the check-in counter for my flight.

Maybe I was overtired from having risen at 5.00AM to catch my plane out of Tucson. Or maybe I was simply just not paying attention. Whatever the problem was, it did not register that the staff at the Delta check-in counter where regularly announcing flight details for St Paul, Minnesota! I mean I heard the announcements, but my addled brain simply did not raise a red flag and warn me about them.

At 5.00PM, ten minutes after boarding was due to start for my flight to New York City, I heard the check-in staff announce that the flight to St Paul, Minnesota was “…now boarding”.

Finally, my brain kicked into gear and I thought; “What? St Paul, Minnesota?”

In a rising panic, I found a staff member, and asked her what was going on.

She blithely answered that my flight to New York had been rescheduled to Gate 4!

Gate 4 was right down the other end of the Terminal A passageway. In a mad rush I grabbed my backpack and pushed my way through the crush of people heading to one of the hundreds of flights that depart from Atlanta every day.

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Reaching Gate 4 did not give me any comfort at all. The electronic sign board showed this plane was departing for Cairo, Egypt!

Now folks, I am normally a very cool, calm and collected sort of guy, but this was too much. I have heard that Egypt is a great place to visit, but right then and there, I wanted to go to New York City.

To cut a long story short, the plane was going to Cairo – but it was passing through New York’s, JFK airport on the way. So with literally, 15 minutes to spare, I managed to catch my rescheduled flight, and settled into my window seat for a much needed rest and stress free flight to the Big Apple.

Of course, there was one more complicating factor to deal with. As I was departing Atlanta, my suitcase was reaching New York City. Yes, folks, I may have missed my earlier flight, but my luggage didn’t! Thankfully, the ‘system’ for dealing with lost or uncollected luggage worked exactly like it was meant to, and after a bit of running around between JFK’s Terminal 4 and Terminal 2, I was reunited with my belongings.

So there are two lessons to be learned here: keep one eye on airport clocks, and the other eye firmly fixed on airport departure boards – just in case your flight is moved from one departure gate to another.

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* Mary, thanks for those ham and cheese sandwiches. Apart from some small inflight snacks, those sandwiches were all I had time to eat throughout a long travel-weary day.

Tucson, Arizona

Image: Saguaro cactus rising high over the desert floor

If you ever hear me complaining about the occasional Adelaide heat wave again, please feel free to remind me about my stay in Tucson, Arizona, where the average summer temperatures are in the 100 plus degrees range – and not just for three or four days at a time, but often for weeks at a time. Apart from that, the heat, like South Australia’s summer heatwaves, is very dry and contains almost no humidity, which is a great relief.

I have come to Tucson to catch up with my American cousin, Maria and her husband, George, who have been living here for some 20 years.

As we left the airport at 10.00PM, just after my flight touched down from New Orleans (via Denver), my attention was immediately drawn to the giant saguaro cacti in the airport car park. These amazing plants can grow up to 50 feet in height, and can live up to 200 years.

Image: San Xavier Mission

Having introduced me to their friend (another George), my very gracious and accommodating hosts have given me a great introduction to Tucson, the surrounding mountains, and numerous National Parks in the vicinity of the city. One of the highlights was a visit to the National Historic Landmark, San Xavier Mission. The Mission was founded in 1692, although construction of the current church only began in 1783.

Only? Did I write, “only began”?

What was I thinking? The First Fleet hadn’t even set sail for Australia in 1783! By the time Captain Philip reached Sydney Cove in 1788, the building program for the San Xavier Mission was already five years old and would continue until 1797.

The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church’s interior is filled with the most amazing statuary and painted murals. Despite its age and designation as a historic landmark, it is still used as a working church, where Catholic Masses are held on a regular basis.

Image: One of the many amazing sculptures adorning the San Xavier Mission

Little is known about the people who decorated the interior of the church. It is thought that the artwork was most likely created by artists from Queretero in New Spain (now Mexico). The sculpture was created in workshops and carried by donkey through the Pimeria Alta to the Mission.

The San Xavier Mission is only about nine miles south of Tucson, just off of Interstate 19, and should be on every visitors list of places to see when visiting Tucson. As it is, some 200,000 visitors from all over the world come to see what is widely considered the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States.

Surprisingly, there is no admission charge to visit the Mission, although there are donation boxes situated within the church which every visitor should contribute to.