Since arriving in the East I have been asked the same question numerous times: What is your favorite place that you have visited? In four months I have seen so many interesting and seemingly unique people, places and events that it is hard to remember them all much less nail down just one as my favorite. Here are three vignettes from some of my most memorable experiences.
Wijiji in Chaco Culture National Historic Park, New Mexico- Alone in the falling light of dusk I stand below 900 year old walls. In the soften tones, the rows of careful masonry reveal themselves, thick stones, hand carved, support layers of small flakes, laid with the patience of devotion.
Slaughter Pen Trail System in Bentonville, AR - Beyond walls hung with the story of my country, the land becomes unruly. Tousled by a furious Midwestern storm, the trails of the Slaughter Pen trail system are strewn with downed limbs, blending them into the surrounding forest. In the pleasure that only biking provides, I glide through a freshened landscape, for a moment, oblivious to the outside world.
DeGrazia Gallery in Tucson, AZ – Daylight meanders into a room in the DeGrazia gallery. I have the feeling that this gallery was designed by the art; crafted by the artist. Seamlessness is present between the canvases and the walls that display them. Empty space is consumed by light from the Arizona sun, making it not empty, but another piece in the collection. Art in context, art in the place it calls home.