Bucket List Items…Check. Part One.

For myself the trip up the East Coast was a long awaited wish list item. Subcategories of the East Coast wish list included seeing Smithsonian Museums, walking through Central Park in New York and seeing famed works of art at the  Museum of Modern Art, visiting Jefferson’s home Monticello, wandering about Walden Pond like Henry David Thoreau, cheering the Boston Red Sox at a game in Fenway Park, eating clam chowder in Boston, pizza and a bagel in New York, and lobster in Maine. I can say we put check marks next to all of those. 

Pictured above is the Smithsonian National Gallery of Art.  

At the National Gallery of Art I was able to see a painting titled Giant Magnolias on Blue Velvet, by Hudson River School Artist,  Martin Johnson Heade.  As many of my friends know I paint for hobby, and I have painted a study of a different version of the giant magnolias myself. Mine however is a later version of the same still life as MJH would paint multiple versions over successive days as the flowers while his subject wilted. Interestingly, I showed a photo of my version to a museum docent, because there were many artists throughout the National Gallery of Art that were painting copies of works in the collection.  The docent wrote down my name and passed it to the curators in hopes that I might receive a residency to paint this particular version of MJH’s painting.  So hopefully, DC, I will soon return with paintbrush and canvas in hand.

Here we are, the two of us celebrating at Fenway. Our seats were actually next to each other but for the selfie shot this was easier.  We’re rocking our Boston Red Sox hats that have Fenway embroidered on the bill. Sadly we hit a losing night.  This is actually a picture of a lobster roll I had in Maine at the Allagash Brewery, while Tim went on the brewery tour. This lobster roll is prepared Connecticut style, which I found I liked it much better then the Massachusetts style lobster roll. The Connecticut style has a grilled garlic bread roll topped with lobster and you’re given butter and lemon on the side. The Massachusetts style roll has mayonnaise mixed in with the lobster. I found that combo a bit too rich for my taste buds.

Tim really enjoyed the Allagash Brewery and got himself a lobster roll following his tour also. His favorite beer was  this seasonal ale James Bean. The ale is aged in bourbon barrels and awarded a dousing of cold brew coffee. I bought this bottle at Total Wine just last week. Tim also bought bottles at the brewery.

While we’re on food items here’s a picture of our pizza we had in New York, the night we arrived. Margherita with olives, meatballs, and magnifico!Everything I’ve been told about New York pizza is true. You could fold over the crust and the pizza melted in your mouth as your tastebuds escalate to heaven. There’s a smoothness to the sauce that blends all the flavors together. We ate this pie at Angelo’s  on 57th very close to Carnegie Hall amongst locals who knew where their seats were, and were so well known to the staff that they probably had their orders ready upon arrival.  

I’ll add part two in the next couple of days, but in the meantime I’ve left you with pizza, beer, lobster and Fenway Park to hold you over.