explore

Feature

No matter how far or where you travel, a new exploration awaits. For me, it was a little less than two hours away in a place called McCall, Idaho. When COVID hit and was spreading fast, my family and I questioned if we were able to still take our yearly summer trip up to McCall. We decided to still go and mindfully keep our distance from crowds of people and hot spots in town. McCall offers so many things from boating, hiking, skiing, and so many other outdoors activities. My family and I stayed the week in our time-share cabin. It was our last trip together before me and my brother had to head back to school. We brought my dog Max along as he loves hiking and finding hidden lakes to jump in the water. A trip to McCall allows us to spend time together as a family and enjoy living in such a beautiful state.

The town itself is mainly centered around Payette Lake as cabins line every shore as well as hotels. Docks are stretched into the water filled with boats and jet skis. Restaurants and stores are in walking distance from the shores and the beauty of the town is indescribable. When taking the boat out for my family, our dog usually doesn’t come along so its just the four of us. Usually when we decide on taking the boat out, it becomes our entire day. Wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and swimming are just some of the activities me and my brother do. My parents relax and around halfway through the day we shore the boat on the north end of the lake, right on the beach. My mom sets up a make-your-own sandwich station and we enjoy our lunch together on the beach in the warm sun. Later in the afternoon, as our skin is feeling the bright sun’s effects, we decide it’s time to pack up and head back to the cabin. Days on the water with my family are my favorite as I get to relax in the sun and take in the lake’s beauty.

Payette Lake

My parents have owned a ski boat since I was born and to this day every summer we take it out on the lake. But when we head to McCall, it’s the one time a year we are presented with the opportunity to rent jet skis. Jet skiing is a different kind of high especially when your full throttling towards the wake of another boat trying to catch some air. My and my brother are always excited when coming to McCall because we are able to rent the jet skis.We spent all day, and I mean all day, out on the lake until my jet ski was almost out of gas. Driving around on the lake, you feel so careless and free with the wind blowing past your face. It’s truly exhilarating.

Boating on Payette Lake

Hiking through the mountains of McCall, Idaho is one of the greatest ways to capture its full effect with the beauty of the nature that surrounds it. There are so many trails just surrounding the town and even more in the mountains with trails of all levels. I recommend grabbing a local trail map and researching which are right and your desired skill level. For a more of a beginner and family oriented hike, the trails around Payette Lake are the best option while still containing stunning views. This was one of the many trails my family and I embarked on and we decided to bring my dog Max along too. I’ve personally hiked this trail the most and it will never get old.

My dog Max

Towards the end of our trip, my mom had to drive back home a couple days early for work and took our dog, but my dad, brother, and I stayed an extra day. We decided to explore one last trailhead before the reality of going back to school and dealing with a global pandemic set in. It was one last exciting adventure to share for the summer. We researched a more difficult hike than the previous but also wanted one with a view. Leaving at 8 a.m. and driving around 30 minutes straight towards the mountain led us to Lake Louie and its trailhead. In order to actually make it to the lake and see the water, we were in for a treat. By “treat” I mean a solid uphill climb, with boulders sticking out and not another human in sight. We had to stop many times before we reached the lake as we were all drenched in sweat and chugging water. I didn’t think the climb was ever going to end, until around an hour later, we finally made it. It was so worth it as the lake was so clear and clean. A few fly fisherman lined the lake, but if you stood and stopped to take a breath, it was silent. You could hear just pure nature and your heavy breathing. We continued to hike around the lake until we reached a rock that stuck out across the water. We decided to eat our lunch in peace and took in the beauty that surrounded us.

 

 

Lake Louie

This last summer adventure before the virus picked up was nothing short of perfect. It was the best way to end the season and in the company of my family and dog made it so much better. It was also the last adventure that I was able to experience with my dog Max as he would pass away a month later. It was end for many things like having to be sequestered in my house for months, but it also brought new beginnings. Heading back to school and entering another year of life. Every summer, my family ends with our trip to McCall and it brings me peace in doing so. Traveling with people you love while exploring and experiencing new places and things is something truly special.

Travelogue

In 2017, I was given the opportunity to study classical singing with professors at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, New York. As a high schooler, getting one-on-one time with esteemed faculty from this famous university was very hard to come by, extremely exciting… and incredibly nerve wracking.

The program was a three hour’s plane ride away from my home in New Mexico. I’d be living with a roommate in a college dorm for a month. That would be the longest time I’d lived alone that far from my parents.

When my parents and I got into an Uber to head to campus, I remember looking out the window, surprised to see how small the city was. When I thought of  ‘music’ and ‘New York’ put together, my mind went straight to bustling streets, skyscrapers, glitz, glamour and energy at every corner. But Rochester is in the Northern part of the state. Hours away from New York City.

The slightly unkempt streets of mid-town were lined with wall-to-wall faded pastel wood condos. I remember seeing two kids shooting hoops in their front yard and running into each other, seemingly because there was always less space to run around in than they’d hoped. The shopper’s buildings were short, flat roofed, made of brick or stone. I could tell when they were newly refurbished almost immediately, because there wasn’t paint chipping off the seams of each cemented rock.

All of this was in extreme contrast to Eastman campus.

The main auditorium at Eastman School of Music is made of glass, with a domed ceiling that towers over everything else on the block. When I walked up the stairs to the stage, the bamboo floors were freshly polished. I could see the grand piano’s reflection at my feet. A red velvet curtain cascaded down from the ceiling. I was in awe that I’d be performing here in a month.

For the first five days or so, I attended my classes quickly and quietly, did my homework in the lobby, and then would go back to my room and text friends back at home until dark. Sometimes until 3am since that was only midnight for them. I didn’t see my roommate much. She would spend a lot of the day out exploring. She’d sometimes invite me along, but I wasn’t really interested in exploring the city that kept me up at night with the sounds of sirens in the distance.

Then one night after rehearsal, a few girls invited me to go to grab pastries with them. I had been pretty recluse up to that point, so I was surprised they even knew my name. However, music theory homework was looking pretty daunting for that weekend, so I decided I was happy to have the distraction.

They took me about 3 blocks east of campus, and turned into a little blue door in the middle of the plaza. The sign hanging over it read “Java Café”. A bronze bell rang over our heads as it hit against the door frame. I was immediately greeted with a classic, vintage coffee bar. Hand-drawn chalkboard menu, copper espresso machine, tiered scone tray and all. The walls were painted cobalt blue, adorned with abstract paintings and distorted, modernist photos. The music was ambient and smooth. Almost as soothing as the smell of fresh cinnamon coffee cake, hot from the oven, being panned into the display case.

Walking around the corner I saw a mahogany staircase leading into a basement, coated in scarlet light. It was a bit steep, so I clung to the gothic black metal railing. The ambient music from above faded away as I descended, gradually being replaced in my ear by the sound of reggae. At the bottom, immediately to my right is a line of three pool tables, a bar at the far end. I immediately ask a hand for balls and cues, challenging one of my friends to a two out of three.

I went back upstairs and ordered an Aztec mocha (a mocha with a dash of red chili powder; a New Mexican staple, that apparently is also found in Rochester.) They served it to me downstairs, where I was already beating my friend at pool. Decisively.

After accepting defeat, the four of us went back upstairs and sat on the wood barstools in the breakfast nook. I ordered another mocha, iced this time. There were street performers playing the bongos and singing for a modest, but very engaged impromptu audience out in the plaza. They were only illuminated by the dim cream lights strung between lamp posts at either end of the lawn. Watching intently from the window, I sipped at my mocha and spiced dark chocolate filled every crevasse of my mouth. Its rich, decadent taste seemed to melt all my apprehension away. I fell into a daze, and the sounds of the room started to fade into the background. I hadn’t felt this relaxed in weeks.

I might have remained like that for the whole evening, but I was snapped back to reality by a young man greeting us at our table. He introduced himself as a free-lance artist trying to make a name for himself. As we invited him to sit down, he pulled a small black folder out of his saddle bag and opened it to reveal four charcoal sketches. Portraits of each of us.

I took the aged piece of paper he’d drawn me on delicately from his charcoal blackened hands. I had a half smile on my face, eyes closed, taking a sip from my mocha. It looked like it belonged in a kooky Art Deco frame, posted on the wall with the rest of the art in this place. It almost seemed wrong to take the drawing out the door; it felt like I’d be ripping it from its home.

He asked us if we’d like to make a donation, and of course I accepted. I was captivated by the unique, quirky, animated style behind the piece. I found myself glancing at it and smiling for the rest of the night. I don’t think the frame I bought for it does it justice, but it is still hanging in my room to this day.

For the rest of that trip I couldn’t stop exploring the city. I visited the Java Café more times that I want to admit. (Let’s just say, by the end I’d reached first name basis with a few employees.) I started going to more concerts and sight singing parties with friends (these are where a bunch of singers come together to since a piece no one there has ever seen before. It doesn’t always sound great, but it sure is fun!) I contacted home less and less as I got more wrapped up in the city.

On the last weekend of the trip, I introduced everyone to a small underground karaoke bar I’d found one night, and we all surprised each other with songs to sing. I was given Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns and Roses. Whenever I hear it I’m reminded of that trip, and the people I got to know over that month. A lot of them lived abroad, and I haven’t seen them in person since. But we’ll always have Rochester, Java, and Eastman School of Music.

Travelogue

A mom, dad, and toddler in a stroller posing and smiling in front of the pyramid of the Louvre museum
My mom, dad, and I at the Louvre, Labor Day weekend of 2002

In 2002 when I was 14 months old, my parents and I went to Germany to endure 2 weeks’ worth of hospital appointments when they were trying to diagnose me with what we now know as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. As a much-needed break, my parents decided we would spend Labor Day weekend in Paris, because why not?

I only know this based on stories they’ve told me, but the gist is that it was chaos from the beginning. Apparently, my dad booked the reservation at a hotel with an address of something like 1234 Paris St, Paris… spoiler alert: Paris St, Paris doesn’t actually exist and neither did that hotel. So, my poor parents were stuck walking around the streets of Paris with me, until they found an available hotel room.

The stroller they were borrowing from a friend fell apart within the first day we were there, so my parents had to take turns carrying me around the city. They set aside an entire day to visit the beautiful Louvre, but I guess I didn’t appreciate art back then, because I proceeded to scream at the top of my lungs while my parents rushed past the Mona Lisa and Venus di Milo to get me out of there.

Now, I’m 19 years old and I have regrets about how I spent my time abroad. Being physically disabled leads to some challenges in travelling across the country, and I can’t even imagine trying to go across seas. But now, with COVID-19, no one is travelling, and that has encouraged museums to go virtual – including the Louvre. So, I have taken full advantage of these resources being free at the moment, and decided to take a day to go “visit” some beautiful art.

***

I started my grand adventure with a simple Google search of “French cafes near me,” after all, I needed to get the full experience. I quickly found that La Belle Rosette was only a ten-minute walk from my dorm room, and I was off! I enjoyed their quaint little area that wasn’t too big, but I imagine it is nice and intimate when you can dine-in. I ordered the Rosaletta panini lunch combo, and my friend got the Mona Lisa panini combo – needless to say, we felt very French.

The front of the cafe, La Belle Rosette
La Belle Rosette, taken on October 6th 2020

We carried our treats back to campus and ate outside the Beans café and enjoyed our delicious sandwiches. Then, the real adventure began. I easily found the Louvre’s website, and within a few clicks I had found their virtual galleries.

The galleries’ online experiences were all unique, some went full-on like a Google Earth street view, and some were simple panoramas that you could slide through. A lot of the pieces had zoom-in options and captions of what the name was, who created it, and brief descriptions of what the medium was and/or what they were symbolizing. The only unfortunate thing was that those captions were all in French for most pieces, so I would recommend having a translator at the ready.

A screenshot of "The Body in Movement" virtual Louvre gallery
A screenshot of the exhibit “The Body in Movement,” taken on October 11th 2020

You can view the art and filter search results by the room the art is in, or by the exhibit it is included in. I went by exhibit, since I didn’t have any art in mind, and I wanted to experience as much as possible.

There was an exhibit appropriately titled, “Founding Myths: From Hercules to Darth Vader,” that I instantly clicked to view more in-depth. It included sculptures and paintings depicting the Greek and Roman heroes and monsters, and more modern concepts. I couldn’t identify what in the exhibit had to do with Darth Vader or the Star Wars saga but I assumed they may have been mentioned in French or on a sign that was too small to view. I enjoyed the artwork nonetheless. There were even interactive pieces, which I found odd and exciting coming from this prestigious museum. The “What, Where, Who?” light game was really intriguing, as it invited guests to press buttons that controlled different lights to convey the power that color and shadow has on art. Unfortunately, that wasn’t part of the virtual experience, but there was a button explaining the concept.

As I clicked out of that section, I realized something; I apparently had seen the Mona Lisa when I was 14 months old, and I have no memory of it… I should look it up! Sounds simple, it’s bound to be in one of these exhibit links and I’ll be able to tell people, “Yeah, I’ve seen the Mona Lisa… virtually.”

I followed through the list of available virtual exhibits, including the “Remains of the Louvre’s Moat,” saw the Great Sphinx of Tanis and some animal mummies, glanced at some sculptures of Greek deities…

But there was no di Vinci!

I started overthinking it (as I’m prone to do) and convinced myself that maybe they exclude di Vinci’s work from the virtual tours, keeping them as a “hidden” gem only available in-person. Bummed, I started clicking random French buttons thinking I’d find the online giftshop so I could daydream about buying a t-shirt, and then I saw it. Clear as day, in an 8-point font at most, was a link titled, “Mona Lisa Beyond the Glass.” Huzzah! This whole “trip” was worth it!

I was soon enveloped in a 5-minute long video of the curators of the di Vinci exhibit explaining how they have created an exhibit exclusively for the Mona Lisa to be viewed on a virtual reality headset. They explained that every visitor wants to have their moment with the beautiful piece, but due to crowds, people only get an average of 30 seconds in front of her. So, they created a VR-experience that allows you to see the individual layers di Vinci had to use to create the depth and details. There’s even an app anyone can download on their smartphones (for free) that gives you the same exposure to the art. I didn’t install the app since the video was immersive, and instead I downloaded the free exhibit booklet, and learned that it took di Vinci from 1503-1519 to finish the masterpiece.

As a little treat, I perused the online giftshop, oohing and ahhing at all the pretty replicas that could be purchased at a range of €3.00 to €2,500! I considered purchasing a small notebook as a souvenir for this “once in a lifetime” experience, but after calculating shipping, I realized my small notebook was going to cost more than a new hardback novel from Barnes and Noble. So, I decided to simply bookmark the page to look back at and proceed to ooh and ahh at it.

My first and second visits to the Louvre were vastly different – for starters there were far less tears this time around! And even though this recent “trip” was quite unconventional to most, it was probably the best I am going to get, and I enjoyed it! Lately, a lot of people have been talking about what the “new normal” of the world is going to be, and I hope virtual tours are something that sticks around. Not only is it more physically accessible, but it allows people with economic issues to still experience the beauties of the world in an immersive way. After all, isn’t art one thing that everyone should have access to?

Review

As you swirl around the zig-zags of the mountainous town of Manitou Springs, Colorado, you finally see it. First, you may only see trees, and then a few of the stone peaks gently welcoming you in. Then, they suddenly appear – the beautiful red rocks of Garden of the Gods.

You can’t decide whether to attempt to find a parking spot so you could climb the multiple trails, or to stay in the car while listening to music to simply enjoy the view. I personally just drove around in my car, as handicap spots exist but are limited, and pulled over at the designated spots to take Instagram-worthy pics and just gaze at the lovely view. Regardless of your choice, you will instantly fall in love with the glorious Garden.

This exquisite national landmark is both dog-friendly and wheelchair accessible, as most of the trails have dog care stations and there are a few paved sidewalks. With 21 miles worth of trails, you could have a different experience of the park each time you go exploring. They even offer guided tours where you and your friends could climb one of the monumental boulders and get a view that one could only say belongs to the Gods.

The visitor center is an entertaining experience in of itself, with a fully-immersive exhibit of the history of Colorado’s land and an overwhelming gift shop! When you begin your tour, your eye instantly goes to the center display, a dinosaur fossil unique to Colorado, and suddenly you find yourself fascinated at the transformations the land has gone through.

Garden of the Gods is open year-round, with fluctuations based on weather, and it’s beautiful on any given day. You could go on a spring morning, a rainy summer evening, or a fall afternoon when the leaves are changing, and feel like you are experiencing the park for the first time.