Xapa to the World

Category: Museums

  • Homeymoon!

    We don’t have many pics from the wedding just yet. People were very gracious with not taking photos during the ceremony, and our hired photographer has been very busy, what with it being wedding season and all. We do have one preview from her and a few others though to share. Also, I apologize for the pics being stacked one after another; I didn’t have time to edit them into multi-images.

    meandlanna sadiepreviewFirst Dance - Lanna cake

    Isn’t that fun? I am dying to see more photos!! Honestly, pins and needles here.

    We decided not to spend a great deal of money right off the bat (especially with all the money we spent on the wedding) and so we stayed put and had what we are calling, a Homeymoon. We didn’t go anywhere, get away from The House or anything, didn’t put any major time constraints on ourselves. And it was glorious! This was my first time living in The House and it was nice to get acclimated to the territory. Plus, I was exhausted. Very wiped out.

    We were instructed to open our cards the very next day (well, at least one of them) and discovered a gift card to Ruth’s Chris Steak House in downtown Cincinnati, a note of a reservation made for the next night, and tickets to the Reds game! It was our first time out of The House, since I had stocked us up with food. We really didn’t need to leave just yet. We had a blast. We got an appetizer of veal-stuffed ravioli. So wonderfully good! I got lamb chops for my main course and Matt got the steak filet. It was very upper-crust and way pricier than we would ever have done ourselves. They knew we had just got married too, so they came and chatted with us quite a bit, put rose petals on the table and gave us a complimentary dessert!

    130608 ruthschrisdessert

    The seats to the Reds game were pretty amazing too – just about 100 ft from 1st base. We only ever go if the tickets are free, or if there’s a large group of friends going and we’re sitting in the cheapo nosebleed section. They won, too! That doesn’t normally happen when I come to a game so that was a very nice treat!

    130608 redsgameWe also went to Target and picked up a bunch of the bigger items we had wanted, but didn’t get in gifts. We now have a pretty good amount of storage in the bathroom and have most of our kitchen supplies and bed linens. It’s been great getting everything put together. Another great was checking out with $740 worth of stuff and only having to pay $40 above what the gift cards would pay for. We definitely made out like bandits! And Matt was excited because he had things to put together. 🙂

    The only other big outing we did was to the Cincinnati Museum Center. The original plan was to go to the zoo, but it was raining cats and dogs. By the time we got downtown, we thought that was enough wildlife for the day and decided to romp around indoors.  130608 unionterminal02130608 unionterminal01130608 butterfliesThey are showing a special on the monarch butterfly at the Omnimax. It was really beautiful. They did a preview of the dinosaur show coming up, but there’s not much to report on that except for the baby in the third row’s reaction. She kept crying and saying, “Bye bye! Bye bye!” lol. Sad that the mom did leave with her right after the film started; I think she would’ve liked it once it got started, but I’m glad she wasn’t in there crying the whole time.

    We also went up to Tower A where they used to control all of the many trains that went through the terminal. I love the art deco appearance of the building, but it was completely functional in its day. Now, there are still trains that come through, but not nearly the same volume. The tower has some really cool artifacts and an incredible view!

    130608 trainsThe Huz and I love learning about how things work and the more technical and mechanical, often, the better! There were some really fun vehicles that would drive over the rail cars and pick them up then rush all over the place, sometimes putting them on a truck load. The guy driving was suspended way above the ground and it was crazy how fast they could drive!

    130608 unionterminal03I love this city. Cincinnati breathes home to me and even though the highway system drives me nuts, I love driving into it and seeing that familiar skyline. I’m so glad that we chose to have a Homeymoon and spend time around the city and in our home.

    130608 us

  • Getting Married: 38 Weeks – Road Trip

    I met up with some friends last year in Indianapolis and it was my first time to explore the city. I loved it! (You can find my posts about THAT trip here. Sorry Erik, I still don’t have a review up of your seminars.) Matt and I both had Labor Day off work, so we took off early Monday morning and drove over to Indy for a fun day trip.

    It was a rainy start, but we made our way straight over to The Children’s Museum. I went there on my last trip and their big exhibit was something on Barbie. My friend Audrey and I were not compelled at all to go check it out. This time, the special exhibit was “Hot Wheels for Real!”

    Matt was so super excited about this exhibit. I had seen that it would be there ahead of time, but Matt didn’t know. He must have said 10 times that his brothers would LOVE to see all of it too.

    Pretty Green Camaro…that’s all I’ve got. Oh, and something about the chrome being tinted, instead of it actually being paint.
    I’m pretty sure this kid is livin’ the dream – a super cape and a hot wheels track.

    There were quite a few boys running around with super-capes tacked onto their shirts. I hold to The Incredibles’ theory on capes though…they sure look impressive, but then they get sucked into an airplane engine and where does that leave you? Not very pretty.

    The dino dome really impresses me. I used to love dinosaurs until I saw Jurassic Park and it gave me nightmares until…last week. Just kidding! (I might not be…)

    Oh look! There’s Barbie, afterall…

    *sings* I am a paaaaa-leon-tooooo-logist.
    We may have been distracted here for a full 5 minutes when we got to the hands-on discovery center…and then again on our way out.
    Mirror Maze!

    After the museum, we drove over to one of my favorite shopping districts. If you’ve never been to Indy, then you should go to Massachussetts Avenue. If you have been to Indy, but haven’t been to Mass Ave, consider this your invitation. It’s much like Hillsboro Village in Nashville and just a lot of fun. There weren’t nearly as many shops open as the last time I was there. Something about it being a holiday… The toy store was open and we found some really fun things in there. The owners were running the registers and commented that they realize just how much they need their regular cashiers. I guess they decided to open that day on a whim and were really pleased with the amount of business they were getting. I asked the wife where we should get our lunch and she recommended Bru Burger Bar across the street. We were starving so off we went.

    In the last few years, I have really come to appreciate signature burgers from different restaurants. I never was a burger gal, but I’ve crossed over and was so excited to try one of Bru’s Chef Burgers. I went for the basic called “The Beginning.”

    They call it The Beginning. I call it Delectable.

    It quite literally melted in my mouth. What would take me back to Bru’s, though, is the ketchup – or what they call ketchup. It’s an amazing mix of ketchup, brown sugar, minced onion, and crushed red pepper. I think Matt and I both ran out of the stuff before we were done with our fries. The waitress said she thinks the restaurant was built around the ketchup because you’re always looking for something else to put in it.

    Pensive face over how amazing his blackened mahi-mahi sandwich is.

    After we stuffed ourselves and decided to move on, we walked over to one of my favorite shops, “Silver in the City/At Home in the City.” It’s actually two shops in one and is full of some incredibly witty, sarcastic, and sometimes irreverent material. Here are a couple of things we found:

    Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things About Me

    Have you ever seen Marcel the Shell with Shoes On? No? You must!  Go here and then here. We were *thiiiiiiis* close to buying one. He talked about the many large monuments in his hometown (hint, they’re athletics trophies) and what his breadroom is like. Yes, his breadroom. If you’re still confused, then go back to where I said “here” and “then here” and go there. Seriously, why are you still waiting?

    Reading is Sexy and Knitting is Knotty.

    The only thing that kept me from buying one of these is that they’re plastic. Other than that, we thought these were hilarious and very fitting…for me. 🙂

    —————————–

    I’m getting married to my, you guessed it, best friend on June 1st, 2013! Matt and I are super-excited and since we have quite a bit of time to plan this thing, I decided it’d be fun to blog about it. Well, maybe not always fun, but at least informative and it might give me a welcome distraction. You can find all the posts by clicking the “Getting Married” tab on the right of this page, or by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!

    My Pinterest Wedding Board

    Our Wedding Website on WeddingWire.com

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  • Review: Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis

    This is part of a series of reviews from my time in Indianapolis this past weekend.  Growing up in southwest Ohio, one of the major projects we had to do ( a couple of years) in school was a study of Native American culture.  Several tribes have trekked across the area that I live in and the culture is so rich – while I may not have fully enjoyed having to do the work, the knowledge gained was worth it.  I was excited to see that there is an American Indians and Western Art museum in Indy, so it was top on the list to visit.

    **Be sure to check out Anthony’s (PR manager) comment after the review.  He shares some good information that I missed on my trip.**

    Here’s the specs:

    Eiteljorg Museum
    500 W Washington St.
    Indianapolis, IN 46204
    317.636.9378
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    The Eiteljorg, pronounced “I-tell-zhorg”, Museum is located right along White River State Park.  This makes it easy to access from pretty much anywhere in Downtown Indy, whether by car or on foot.  We got there on foot, so I can’t comment on the underground parking garage, but the woman at the counter asked if we were parked down there, so I’m thinking there’s a discount or voucher they offer.  Museum hours are Mon-Sat 10a-5p and Sunday noon-5p.  Sometimes this can vary depending on events in the city, so call ahead to double-check.

    A lot of it is art – paintings, sculptures, etc. Some are examples of handmade items such as textiles, pottery, weaponry, and beadwork.  If you are into that kind of stuff, then this is a really neat museum.  On the second floor, there is a full gallery depicting native tribes from around the continent.  Historical details and traditional clothing, art, shelters, and lifestyles are shown throughout the exhibit.  I personally love history, so this was a really interesting part for me.

    There was an interesting exhibit on the 1st Floor called “Red/Black” and it was all about Native and African American combined heritage and multi-ethnicity.  One thing that I liked about this exhibit is how they show a person’s ethnic identity as being their culture and something personal, rather than a person’s blood and physical features.  As a Christian, I believe that all people come from Noah and his wife and therefore, there are not different ‘races’ of man, but one race with many cultures.

    This wasn’t my favorite part of my trip, but I think I just wasn’t in the right mindset.  We didn’t plan to spend a lot of time there and maybe would have done better to eat in the cafe as well.  Also, I didn’t see anything for kids, and though I am an adult, I learn a lot from the creative exhibits made to help children learn.  They seem to have a lot of community events going on in partnership with the museum.  One such event is West Fest 2011, which will be September 24, 2011.  Check out the website for more information!

    So here’s the breakdown:

    The museum:  It’s an art museum, mostly, and then there are informational exhibits on native American tribes across the continent.  It’s quiet except for some of the kids who were dragged through it with parents and we crying to be let out.  I didn’t blame them.  Some photography is allowed, but you have to check the entrance to the exhibit to see if there is a “no cameras” sign.
    For kids: I didn’t see much for kids to do.  Granted, we didn’t explore all of the museum, but from the sounds of kids who were going through the primary exhibits and areas, it didn’t sound like much fun.  Not sure I would have enjoyed it as a kid either.  Not much to touch or explore, although there was one spot you could build your own mini-teepee (a little high for younger kids to reach, though).  Check the website if you want more info for family features.
    The cost:  It’s a moderately-priced museum.  Adults are $8.  Seniors, 65+ are $7. Kids 5-17 and college students (with ID) are $5.  Kids under 5 are Free, as are Members (about $50 for one year) and IUPUI folk.
    The food: Sky City Cafe is in the museum with access from the outside.  We didn’t eat there since we had just had some delicious Cuban food downtown, but from the menu, the options are mostly around sandwiches from about $8-$9.50 each of the southwestern style.  There are also some salads and a Mexicana section.  I went to a native American museum in Wichita and they had traditional Indian food, which was fun.  I don’t see anything like that on this menu.
    The help:  Attendant at the admissions counter tried every way possible to get us a discounted ticket. If you are staying at a hotel in the city, you can get a dollar knocked off the price.  One woman in the Red/Black exhibit kind of rudely told me to put away my camera, but I didn’t take it too personally.
    The parking: Parking garage underground, parking at White River State Park, and parking at various garages throughout the downtown. If you park in the State garage, know that you can only use cash to pay.
    The accommodations: It’s an Art Museum, comfort isn’t really high on the priority list, but there are a lot of pretty things to look at.
    Returnability:  I probably won’t go back. I feel like I saw enough of the museum.  The Museum Store had a lot of neat things though, especially some traditional tea blends (my favorite is the Warrior Brew). I’m pretty sure you can go in there without getting a ticket to the museum.