GUIDE'S GLOBETROTTER

Twenty Two Miles Across the Sea

Catalina Island off the Southern California Coast

By Valerie Summers

Although the song about Catalina says it is 26 miles from the mainland, it is actually just 22 miles off the coast of Southern California. However, each time I have visited the island I felt as though I was hundreds of miles away from home. It’s a different world.  In need of some R&R but concerned about the cost of travel, I came across some information on Catalina’s Flying Fish Festival which was coming up at the end of May. It was perfect timing for a close by getaway.

On my most recent trip, I drove my car to the convenient Long Beach Downtown Catalina Landing where I boarded the Catalina Express, a high speed catamaran where I made my way to the outside upper deck.  One hour later, the mountainous island’s city of Avalon came into view with all kinds of boats bobbing up and down in the harbor, beaches filled with sun lovers, a boardwalk lined with shops and of course, Catalina’s iconic Casino.  Emerging from the ship I caught a glimpse of a school of beautiful bright orange garibaldi darting back and forth close to the dock.  I learned these are now protected and there are heavy fines for anyone caught trying to beef up their personal aquarium.

 Just about everything in Avalon is within walking distance and if it isn’t, the preferred method of transportation is more than likely a bicycle or golf cart.  Everything is slowed down.

  This area is heaven for those who enjoy water sports with Catalina boasting some of the clearest water in the world.   In addition to boating, swimming, diving, snorkeling, kayaking and parasailing are popular activities.  Glass bottom boat tours to view marine life without getting wet and the flying fish tours are other options.  Land lovers enjoy horseback riding, golfing or touring the island’s interior where the buffalo roam. Or….lots of folks just want to sip a cold one and relax.

Since I was there for the Flying Fish Festival, I explored several of the special activities watching kayak races, marine exhibits and professional creating of sand castles.  The piece de resistance, however, was boarding the open air 98 passenger Blanche W, named for the granddaughter of William Wrigley Jr., to view the flying fish.  Up until this time, I only heard of flying fish in a song about Mandalay. I was not sure what to expect as we motored away from the dock at sunset.

 As we cruised along away from Avalon our guide explained that the flying fish, who visit Catalina each year between May and September, are attracted to light as he scanned the water with a potent 40,000 candle power light.  Suddenly, there were groups of silvery fish flying out of the water and sailing along at heights up to 30 feet, sometimes gliding  as far as a quarter of a mile.  I was told that occasionally they come straight at the boat and land inside.   It was great fun spotting these unusual creatures of the sea that seem to like flying as much as swimming.

 The next day I investigated the Wrigley Memorial & Botanical Gardens honoring the memory of William Wrigley Jr. who died in 1932.  Although best known as the largest manufacturer of chewing gum in the world, he also played an instrumental role in the history of Catalina Island which he loved.  His greatest legacy was his remarkable vision and plan for the future of Catalina Island – that it remain protected for all generations to enjoy.  The Memorial Garden, which I enjoyed exploring, is particularly concerned with the preservation of all Catalina endemics. 

 I also checked out several shops, hotels and restaurants and discovered quite a variety to choose from in all different price ranges.   My choice for my island getaway was the charming European-style Hotel Villa Portofino, situated almost at the waters edge.   My favorite place to hang out was up on the sundeck which offered an unobstructed view of the harbor.  I imagined that I could have been at the Italian Riviera but I was just 22 miles from home.

 For information:

 Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau

310/510-1520

www.CatalinaChamber.com

Discovery Tours (Flying Fish Tours)

800/626-7270

www.visitcatalinaisland.com

 Catalina Express (catamaran from 4 Southern California locations)

800/995-4386

www.catalinaexpress.com

Hotel Villa Portofino

888/510-0555

www.hotelvillaportofino.com

                                                Ojai Music Festival

A Celebration for the Senses

                                                        By Valerie Summers

Nestled in a magical valley once dubbed Shangri-La during the filming of the 1937 movie Lost Horizon, Ojai’s annual Music Festival draws an international audience.  Surrounded by sprawling horse ranches, farms and orchards, the town of Ojai, just 85 miles north of Los Angeles, has attracted artists of all kinds to its bosom for decades.  The festival itself began more than sixty years ago where it re-emerges each spring.   

On the festival’s opening night, I made my way through the great white arch of Libbey Park, past a children’s playground and down a path leading to the informal outdoor festival site, the Libbey Bowl, a rustic amphitheater right in the center of town. Hundreds of audience members sprawled on blankets on the grassy lawn behind the wooden benches and fold up chairs fronting the stage, many enjoying picnics. Other music lovers found their way to their seats beneath the boughs of the sycamore and great oak trees which embrace the amphitheater. 

The four day festival included a mix of music ranging from works written in the 1800s to 21^st century offerings attracting the musically curious from all over the globe. The opportunity to meet and converse with these fascinating folks was an added bonus to my musical adventure.   Each year the festival has drawn some of the most prominent names in musical history including Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky, Michael Tilson Thomas, Esa-Pekka Solonen, Robert Spano, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Kent Nagano and Simon Rattle.  The impressive list goes on and on.

 The variety of musical presentations included many unfamiliar sounds as well as traditional offerings. Since the founding of the Ojai Music Festival, eclecticism and musical courageousness continue to produce concerts that are both playful and inspiring.   This year’s festival featured California-born conductor David Robertson as musical director along with soprano Dawn Upshaw, composer/artist Steve Reich, conductor Brad Lubman and his new contemporary ensemble Signal, So Percussion, the Ojai Festival Orchestra and others.  The four-day event featured six concerts, festival symposia, pre-concert insights held on the tennis courts adjacent to the Festival stage and three free bonus musical offerings.

 Dawn Upshaw enchanted the audience not only with her exquisite voice, but also her unaffected demeanor. Her eclectic program included songs by Stephen Collins Foster, Aaron Copland, Debussy, Ravel, Brahms and Kurt Weill.  On a much more contemporary note, composer and innovator of computer composition Philippe Manoury combined the operatic voice of Juliana Snapper with surprisingly sensual and ghostly computer sounds.

 Charlie Chaplin’s silent film Modern Times accompanied by Chaplin’s musical score played by the Festival Orchestra was another audience pleaser. The west coast premiere of Michael Jarrell’s Cassandre featured a dramatic reading by Barbara Sukowa accompanied by the Ojai Festival Orchestra. Other new works included Steve Reich’s (hand) Clapping Music and the Nexus Percussion Ensemble performance of his Drumming which included bongos, marimbas and glockenspiels with whistling and piccolo.

 Each night, under starlit skies, along with my friends who had joined me in Ojai, I walked the few blocks back to our lodgings.  During the four day festival, we booked a brand new three bedroom villa situated close to festival activities.   Villa Ojai was the perfect answer to a girl’s getaway, family gathering or retreat.  The bright and airy spacious modern villa featured a great room with a wood burning fireplace where we gathered each evening post concert for wine and conversation.  Just through the French doors leading to the back of the property we relaxed on the covered patio, which also incorporated a built in working fireplace, and drank our morning coffee while discussing the day’s agenda in the warm and comfortable setting. From one year to the next, festival goers reserve their accommodations early because of the scarcity of rooms available in the immediate area. There are a variety of places to stay in the town including spas and B&B’s but we were delighted with our choice of the very private Villa Ojai.

In addition to nourishing my soul with music, I also had the opportunity to nourish my body at the Harvest Lunch held at the close by Lavender Inn B&B.  In their beautiful flower and fountain filled garden I feasted under sunny blue skies.   Buffet offerings from the Slow Food movement introduced diners to the wonderful seasonal produce grown in Ojai and throughout Ventura County accompanied by fine local wines.  The tempting taste treats reminded me of the days before fast food and bemoaned my palate’s sacrifice to the current lost flavors of out of season produce shipped hundreds of miles.

 When not involved in festival activities, I explored the quaint, well kept downtown area, fortunately minus any chain stores, perusing galleries and shops and checking out the restaurants.  Happily, I also discovered that Ojai offers some wonderful hiking and bicycle trails and places to horseback ride.  I made a note to myself to return in the near future for further exploration.

 In the relaxed setting of Ojai, where its downtown ambience has not changed much since the 1930’s, a long list of actors, writers, artists and musicians are included among its residents in this tiny town that was once called Shangri-la.  And people from all over the world keep coming back each year for a special feast of music. The Ojai Festival’s legendary place in musical history as one of the world’s special performance venues continues to live up to its stellar reputation.

 For information:

Ojai Music Festival

201 South Signal St.

Ojai, CA  93023

805/646-2094

www.ojaifestival.org

Villa Ojai

Darryl Gurwich, proprietor

802 Canada St.

Ojai, CA  93023

310/709-1000

Darryl@villaojai.com

www.villaojai.com

Lavender Inn & Ojai Cooking School

210 E Mantilla St.

Ojai

805/646-6635

www.lavenderinn.com

Absolute Nirvana Spa & The Madeleine Inn

Santa Fe, New Mexico

By Valerie Summers

When I recently read in a prominent travel magazine that Absolute Nirvana Spa was “One of the hottest new spas in the world,” I had to check it out for myself. This sanctuary was inspired by a visit Carolyn Lee, the owner, made to Bali.  While I booked my reservations, I imagined bathing in a granite tub filled with red rose petals while soft music played… just me, warm scented water, rose petals and music. 

 My imagination would become reality after I checked into The Madeleine Inn Bed and Breakfast just steps from the Absolute Nirvana Day Spa and a short walk to Santa Fe’s main plaza.   One of New Mexico’s architectural gems, the 1886 Queen Ann home originally constructed by Chinese railroad workers for local railroad tycoon, George Cuyler Preston still bears the initial “P” on its chimney.   Entering, I was welcomed by Kevin, the innkeeper, who immediately invited me to taste one of his hot out of the oven chocolate chip cookies.  My room, the Columbine, was the only guest room situated on the main floor and I was told that it was originally the master bedroom.  What a lovely inviting room with its original stained glass windows and working fireplace with the modern conveniences of a flat screen TV and up to date bathroom. 

The comfortable sunlit common room invited me to cozy up in one of the overstuffed love seats.   I particularly admired the ebony and gold banister lining the staircase leading to the upstairs rooms.  It had a distinct oriental design, compliments of the Chinese rail workers, amidst the warm Southwestern décor.  I glanced through a large book which invited guest’s comments and read glowing reports from visitors from all over the world.

Owner Carolyn Lee sat down with me for a chat. She explained “The business of inn keeping came very naturally to me, as I have a deep love of home and an innate desire to be nurturing.  It would appear that I also have a desire to live life to the fullest, as I started with only four rooms and then grew it to 18 rooms and a spa.”   I asked about the name of the B&B and the former ballerina and daughter of a diplomat explained that she named the inn after her daughter Madeleine and the nearby adobe Hacienda Nicholas, where I breakfasted each morning, was named after Madeleine’s twin brother while up the street, honoring the twin’s older brother, stood Alexander’s Inn.

 Next morning, after breakfasting on stuffed French toast and fresh organic fruit, I headed for the spa.  I was surprised at the size and unobtrusiveness of the modest cottage since I had imagined something much larger. Carolyn had told me that “It had never been my dream to open a spa but I was so completely captivated by my spa experiences in Bali that I felt compelled to bring the essence of that magic back to Santa Fe.”  And indeed she did.   The intimacy of the spa turned out to be a plus…quiet, private and personal.

 I entered a small waiting room filled with glorious colors and as I had imagined, the sounds of trickling water and tranquil music.  My wiry master level massage therapist, Peggy Jo greeted me.  I discovered she had learned her trade in Thailand where she had lived for several years.  I was shown into my treatment room, the largest of three and suitable for a couples massage. 

My three full hours of pampering began with the Royal Javanese Lulur treatment although there were several other spa options to choose from both for men and women.  I was handed a robe and asked to undress and take the seat next to the huge granite tub on which sat a basket filled with red rose petals.  Once seated, Peggy Jo returned bringing with her a small foot bath.  I slipped my feet into the warm water and   experienced the ritual foot scrub.  This was obviously going to be a multi-sensory experience. I climbed up on the massage table and was expertly exfoliated with sandalwood, brown rice powder and turmeric, then massaged with the intuitive hands of my therapist who also used her elbows and knees while slathering my body with jasmine oil.  This was followed by a body mask of yogurt and honey.  Every now and then Peggy Jo sprayed a mist of lavender into the air so that all of my senses were given special treatment. All products used at the boutique Nirvana spa are organic and are literally good enough to eat with all spa menu items offering specific therapeutic value.   

 The Lulur originated in the palaces of Java in the 17^th century and was used by Javanese princesses as a purifying ritual before marriage.  When my hands on treatments were completed, I entered a private steam room and let all the essences sink in to my body, then took a relaxing shower.   Upon emerging I discovered the granite bathtub had been filed with scented water with crimson rose petals floating on the surface just as I had imagined. I slid in and poured a cup of hot ginger tea from a small iron teapot. This was definitely a heavenly experience.         

 When I emerged, completely relaxed and as smooth as silk, my esthetician, Jade, invited me into her domain.  She suggested the Traditional Asian Facial for me utilizing a grocery list of yummy organic products including fresh avocado, banana, papaya, cucumber, brown rice, honey, yogurt and lemon.   After an hour of massage, facial masks and steam, I was literally glowing, feeling completely pampered and relaxed and ready for a night of continued sensory indulgences.

 I had experienced a little piece of heaven on earth at the blissful Absolute Nirvana Spa.

 For information:

 Absolute Nirvana Balinese Spa

www.absolutenirvana.com

The Madeleine B&B

www.madeleineinn.com

888/877-7622

106 Faithway St.

Santa Fe, NM  87501

Images:   Valerie Summers

Exploring the Art of Taos

By Valerie Summers

Taos Mountain, a sacred Mecca for Native Americans, has long been regarded as one of the spiritual high points in the world and is believed to have the power to draw those who visit back if it likes them and to make those leave who it does not like.   I am thankfully on the OK list since I keep going back. In the past, when I have visited Taos during the winter months, I have spent most of my time skiing at the skier’s paradise known as Taos Ski Valley which just recently has admitted boarders to its snowy slopes.  However, on this visit I concentrated on the arts and artists of Taos, both past and present.

This winter I returned to Touchstone, my favorite Bed & Breakfast/art gallery owned by artist/innkeeper Bren Price.   Taos has long been regarded as one of the great art centers of the world which began when the wagon artists Ernest Blumenschein and Bert Phillips were traveling in broke down in 1898.  They fell in love with Taos and its magical light and never left.  Many artists have followed that road to Taos for more than a century and have created a beautiful cultural community.  Painters, writers, jewelers, poets and sculptors flourish in Taos which has drawn many notables to its bosom including Georgia O’Keeffe and D. H. Lawrence.

What I love most about Touchstone is the art.  It is like sleeping in an art gallery which indeed is what it was originally intended to be.  Talented, spiritual Bren Price’s exquisite watercolors fill the rooms.  My favorite area of Touchstone is where breakfast is served, a gallery lined with windows overlooking the mountains and Taos Pueblo lands, its light reflecting on the vibrant colors of her intuitive paintings.

And lest I forget, my beautiful room, named The Frida, which featured a handsome watercolor of that Kahlo woman, also included a spacious, colorful Mexican tile bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub for two.

 Price’s involvement with art extends into the Taos community and beyond.  Her once a year invitational show, Leda’s Pond, is a call for erotic, not pornographic, art and there is standing room only for the show, which generally takes place around Valentine’s Day for two weeks.  She is also involved in the newly formed TAO (Taos Artists Organization) which arranges studio tours for visitors to the area and creates a forum for visual artists.  In an excerpt from the 1915 constitution of The Taos Society of Artists it reads “This Society is formed for education purposes, to develop a high standard of art among its members, and to aid in the diffusion of taste for art in general.”  TAO seems to be a 21^st century version of this. 

One afternoon, following a massage in one of Touchstone’s spa rooms, I headed towards the down town plaza where I intended to visit the Harwood Museum on the historic Ledoux Street where the original art colony, the Taos Society of Artists, began.  There, I discovered a beautiful modern two-story space housed in one of the earliest examples of Pueblo Revival Style.  It was filled with the works of the Taos Society of Artists, Hispanic traditions, Taos Moderns and major American Modernists including John Marin and Marsden Hartley. 

 Fortunately, when exiting the museum, I strolled down Ledoux for some exploring.  The first gallery I entered featured the enticing contemporary art of Nancy Ortenstone.  One particular painting, which the gallery director managed to bring out for me to view, took my breath away…a 60x72 inch ethereal painting called Floating Mesa. While there, a gentleman, who turned out to be the artist’s husband, invited me to stop by at his gallery at the other end of the street.   Further along the narrow street, the whimsical sculptures in the garden of the Inger Jirby Gallery caught my eye.  Inside, the artist herself showed me through her gallery filled with vibrant colors, commenting that she always picks unusual, gorgeous places to live and paint and that New Mexico is one of the most splendid places on earth for a landscape painter.

At the Pierre Delattre Gallery & Studio, I found the gentleman I had met at my first gallery stop, paintbrush in hand, in conversation with poet Dora McQuaid. I learned that she was collaborating with photographer Lenny Foster whose work “evokes an other worldliness.”   I spent close to an hour chatting with the affable Pierre while admiring his whimsical and happy works of art.  He took great pains in describing how giclees are produced and I was pleased to be brought up to date on this art process.  He shared his philosophy of happiness with me and told me what he does to keep in a happy frame of mind.   It certainly shows in his art.

 My final stop on Ledoux Street was at Lenny Foster’s Living Light Photography studio situated on the far side of the Harwood Museum.  I felt as though I was visiting a friend in his living room surrounded by expressive photographs of all sorts of subjects.  His latest project, The Dreamtime of Horses featured several black and white images, from an equine detail to a magnificent white stallion charging across a meadow, accompanied and enhanced by the descriptive poetry of McQuaid.

 Speaking with the artists added a new dimension to my art tour.   Many of these artists’ works appear in private collections and museums all over the world. With more than 100 galleries in Taos, I had only enough time for a sampling, but it was a start.

 I ended my art foray with visits to two other iconic arts museums, the Taos Art Museum and Fechin House and the Millicent Rogers Museum.  The Fechin house itself is a work of art designed and built by Nicolai Fechin between 1927 and 1933.  In addition to the painting collection of Taos artists, I enjoyed viewing the artist’s intricate wood carvings adorning the furniture in the otherwise traditional adobe house. Fechin’s hand carvings reflect his love of wood and his Russian peasant folk art heritage.  Although the metal works in the house were also of Fechin’s design, very few of his paintings were on view.

 I concluded my Taos art tour at the Millicent Rogers Museum which I always enjoy because of the diversity of its collection.   Beautiful, talented, wealthy art patron Rogers was heir to the Standard Oil fortune.  Her museum collection encompasses Hispanic arts and crafts, traditional and contemporary potters, textiles, paintings, photography, graphics and an extraordinary exhibition of jewelry, much of which Rogers designed.  The core of the 8,000 piece museum collection was personally amassed by Millicent Rogers.

 The museum’s of Taos capture its true spirit by enabling visitors to experience the theatre of the past and by retracing the footsteps of the original players while creating a bridge to the present and the future for the artists of Taos.  Hopefully, many more of the works of the talented artists of Taos will find their way from their galleries into the museums of the world.  In the meantime, I am happy to continue my future walks down the artist’s gallery trail of Taos.

For information:

Touchstone Bed & Breakfast/Art Gallery

0110 Mabel Dodge Lane

Taos, NM  87571

800/758-0192

www.touchstone.com

Harwood Museum of Art

238 Ledoux St., Taos

www.harwoodmuseum.org

Millicent Rogers Museum

1504 Millicent Rogers Road

www.millicentrogers.org

Taos Art Museum & Fechin House

227 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

www.taosartmuseum.org 

Inger Jirby Gallery & Sculpture Garden

207 Ledoux St.

www.jirby.com

Ortenstone Gallery

241 Ledoux St.

www.ortenstone.com

Lenny Foster Living Light Photography

246A  Ledoux St.

www.lennyfoster.com

Pierre Delattre Gallery & Studio

Ledoux Plaza

www.pierredelattre.com

Images:  Valerie Summers