Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

The Color And Light Of Randyland

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Last year I finally made it to Pittsburgh’s famed Randyland but avoided writing about it because I honestly didn’t know what to say.

The truth is I loved Randyland but didn’t completely understand it even when I was standing there. All these months later and I can’t say my understanding is any clearer. 

It’s color and light, trash to treasure, and a sense that all are welcome. It’s the eclectic and commonplace colliding to create memorable outdoor art. 

It’s free to walk through but there’s a price to pay – the cost is that you’ll see and read things that are hard to forget and may cause you to think.

I feel like I’m not explaining this very well. 

Some call it an outdoor art museum. Some say it’s one of the most important art exhibits in the country. Personally, I think the place defies description. 

Essentially, Randyland is an outdoor space on Pittsburgh’s northside that’s filled with murals and repurposed stuff made into art with lots of words and quotes from Randy himself. 

Who is Randy?

We met him briefly and he is lovely. His name is Randy Gilson and he seems to have created this place to foster a community where he belongs. On a sign he wrote

Hello, I’m Randy Gilson. Have you ever been bullied? I’m different. I’m retarded. I’m a broken tape measure. My life understands ME. I will never be like you. I’m happy. Please be happy. Everyone is unique, a gift.

From what I gather, Randy has been homeless in the past. He has been a community advocate and has worked to bring people together through art, gardening and being kind to others. He reminds us all that we are ok. No matter what others tell us, we are ok, just as we are.

No matter where you stand in this museum, there is something fascinating to see. And no matter how long you look, it’s impossible to take it all in.

I know plenty of people who would just call it a pile of junk but that would be a mistake. There is beauty to be found in the wall of empty but still vibrant paint cans. There’s intrigue to be found in the way old crystal chandeliers sparkle in the sunshine. There’s wisdom to be found in the words and in the way random objects are united in unexpected ways. 

Not everything is meant to be defined or even described. Randy calls himself a broken ruler and says he will never fit in, will never be like everyone else. 

I actually find that admission and that acceptance a breath of fresh air given how many of us work to fit in where we find no acceptance where will never belong. 

If you’re ever in Pittsburgh, the address is 1501 Arch Street. Go see it for yourself. Meanwhile, check out Make The Journey Fun on Facebook. I’ll post more pictures there because there were too many to share here.

Finding Festive Fun In Pittsburgh

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Holiday spirit has been elusive in my world but I finally caught the bug this week. These last several days I have spent with my East Coast Adventure Pal Nichola doing all the Christmasey things her town has to offer.

Friends, Pittsburgh knows how to celebrate the holidays. 

Christmas trees in the Hall of Architecture at the Carnegie Museum of Art, lights at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, more lights at Kennywood, an awe inspiring holiday model train display at the Trolley Museum and Christmas With The Pops at the Pittsburgh Symphony were the big things. 

We also enjoyed holiday lights across the city, sipped hot chocolate and enjoyed way more Christmas sweets than should be legal.

Looking at things unfamiliar was good for my brain and to jumpstart some creativity. A great example is Randyland, an outdoor art installation like nothing I have ever seen. There were bookstores, breakfast at a Mexican bakery and a slice of pop culture at the Andy Warhol Museum.  

Oh, the stories I have to tell!

With Christmas on the horizon, I’ll show you some of the festive stuff first and we will circle back later to the things that aren’t so timely.

A change of scenery and time with my friend is exactly what my mental health needed. A few hours in and all the stress and anxiety of my regular life was nearly forgotten. I slept well and my mind went quiet. Also, after a few days of eating and drinking basically whatever I liked, going back to healthier eating habits sounds, if not welcome, at least tolerable! 

My friend has family memberships to several museums around her city, an investment in the places but also a way to pop in and out at will, taking with her friends and family for fun outings. This made our adventure much more affordable as did staying at her house and cooking at home some.  After being in and out of the cold all day, it was wonderful coming home to a warm meal. 

All of this contributed to the affordability and fun of the trip. 

This is my rather un-subtle way of reminding you that adventure comes in many, many forms. It doesn’t have to involve a cruise ship or a resort. In fact, I would encourage you to look for other things including places close to home or those where you have friends and family willing to host you for a few days. In fact, I have many friends who have moved away who complain that they have to come home to see loved ones and that no one ever comes to visit them. I think it means a lot when someone they care about cares enough to go to them occasionally. 

And remember to start saving those credit card points and to figure out the hotel rewards program that works best for you so you can go further, longer! Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Tomorrow we go to Kennywood!

Nooks And Crannies In Old City Philly

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During your trip to the historic areas of Philadelphia, be sure to explore as much as possible on foot.

We did not have a car for this trip and that was by design. Traffic can be terrible and parking is an expensive, often challenging endeavor in a city like Philly. However, being on foot means you will see things that you would otherwise never notice or stop to enjoy if you had to look for parking.

This is true of most towns and cities but Philadelphia has some truly charming nooks and crannies.

There are alleys and pathways that are literally centuries old. We strolled through this little neighborhood that we only found because we decided to take a different route back to the hotel and I said “this looks like something.”

Isn’t it charming? 

It’s very Parisian with fleur de lis architectural accents, cobblestone and bistro tables surrounded by flowers galore. An occasional Canadian flag next to an American one alerted us that our instincts were correct.

If I ever return to Old City, you can bet that time will be dedicated to finding more places like this. There are also tons of what my friend calls “pocket parks” and sweet little spots with murals and fountains or statues with markers letting you know that so and so lived here or that an important event once took place on this site.  

I have several more of these spots to show you but this was my very favorite. I hope you like it too.

Clarion River

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After a long day of exploration, my friend and I came off the trail at Cook Forest State Park still not ready to head home. So we took a little drive and found a gorgeous area to pull over and admire the water.

Clarion River is a popular spot for kayaks, canoes, inner tubes and all manner of things that float. I searched the shore for pretty rocks and made friends with some ducks while my friend waded out for a little river yoga.

Her yoga.

My duck.

To each her own. We both were happy in the moment.

There’s a place where you can rent your equipment or just take your own. There’s also a place where you can get ice cream – in case you need to know!

Read about our hike at Cook Forest State Park here!

Stepping Into The Hobbit At Cook Forrest

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The quiet was so deep that their feet seemed to thump along while all the trees leaned over them and listen. J.R.R. Tolkien

Stepping into the Forest Cathedral Natural Area at Cook Forest State Park feels a little like stepping into a Tolkien novel. Quotes from The Hobbit come to mind.

This is one of the largest old growth forests of white pine and eastern hemlock in the eastern United States. Many of these trees are over 200 feet tall and are too big to wrap your arms around. These trees likely date to the era of William Penn, the first governor of Pennsylvania.

The trails here are wide and well maintained and meander through the hills. This is a place where fairies play and where you might spot a unicorn or two if your eyes were just a bit quicker. I wish these trees could talk. Some look like they are poised to pull up root and walk away.

These trees look like two old friends sitting together on a boulder. They appear to be holding hands.

This place exists because a lumber baron named Anthony Cook saw value in this incredible forest, reserving the best of it for conservation purposes. He also convinced others to join his cause, starting an important era of conservation in Pennsylvania. By the time of Cook’s death in 1891, two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s forests had already been cut so it is hard to place a value on Cook’s work.

His is an important and lasting legacy.

This place is gorgeous. The very idea that it exists because of the forward thinking of someone long ago is awe inspiring. Here’s to the future.

Exhaustion

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I am tired. Mentally and physically tired.

This is partly of my own doing since I have been out adventuring as much as possible in recent weeks. I stayed home Saturday to clean my house and did too much in a single day. Yesterday, I volunteered for Patriot Day, dragging myself home tired and sore after a day of physical labor.

So, yeah, I have been asking for it.

I continue experiencing symptoms associated with my thyroid and suspect that some of my trouble is related to this ongoing issue. But I try not to think about that as I’m actually sick of life revolving around the whims of this obnoxious little gland. I would make a terrible hypochondriac given how I prefer to just ignore an issue than dwell on it.

So, here I am. Thinking that this needs to be a quiet week. Hoping that this will be a quiet week.

I badly want to go back to this place pictured above. It’s a trail in Cook Forest State Park in Pennsylvania. It’s incredibly peaceful, stunning in its beauty. Restorative.

Luckily, I have plenty of forest nearby where I hope to go this week to mend my mind and soul. I believe in the healing power of solitude in wilderness. If I can walk without cringing tonight, I plan to be out on the trail amidst the trees and birds and meandering streams. At least for a while.

Sometimes we need to simply give ourselves a break and do the thing that gives us peace.