Tag: meow wolf

16.5 Things to See & Do in Central New Mexico

            We have reached the last chapter in my four-part road trip saga, and my final destination: New Mexico! I effectively procrastinated this article so long that I was forced to write it on the airplane—to a location which will be disclosed in the next article 😊 This is not to say, however, that New Mexico was not noteworthy. On the contrary, I found the state so lovely when I visited in May 2021 that I decided to return in November. I spent time in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and I have exactly sixteen and a half recommendations to share, should you find yourself in the area.

Santa Fe

          If, like me, you grew up listening to Broadway musical soundtracks, you might think of Santa Fe as the center of Bohemia, a mythical destination with powerful artistic allure. In Rent, Angel and Collins fantasize about leaving New York City for Santa Fe, singing “sunny Santa Fe would be nice!” And of course, no one can forget Jack Kelly of Newsies lamenting, “just a moon so big and yellow, it turns night right into day. Dreams come true in Santa Fe” in the famous song named after the city. Obviously, I played both songs on full blast on my drive into town.

            A spot of Santa Fe history before we proceed: this city boasts the oldest capitol city in the United States, as well as the oldest public building (La Palazza de Gobierno) and the oldest community celebration in the nation (La Fiesta de Santa Fe). New Mexican land transferred ownership a few times (Spain to Mexico to United States) before achieving statehood in 1912. Around that time, Anglo-Americans from the Eastern United States began to migrate to New Mexico, inspired by the expansive, breathtaking sceneries. These migrants decided to settle, creating Santa Fe’s reputation as a good place for artists to work and live. Santa Fe was viewed as “exotic” for its emphasis on indigenous art forms and its dry climate, which was thought to cure tuberculosis.  Art has always been central to the lives of Santa Fe inhabitants, from the days of the Spanish empire to the modern gallery scene. Today, Santa Fe is a major American tourist destination, with a thriving local art market that drives the city’s economy. The legacy of the native culture persists visibly in the art and architecture of the city, with unique zoning laws to preserve historic buildings such as traditional adobe houses in urban spaces. Basically, if you go to Santa Fe, go for the art!!

#1 Canyon Boulevard

          An outdoor shopping area with several streets lined with art galleries. The galleries are open weekdays, 9 am to 5 pm, so plan to spend a day there. I arrived later in the afternoon, so I only visited a handful of interior galleries, but there was a plethora of outdoor displays to behold. I took my time wandering the alleys and delighting in the colorful surprises around each corner. My absolute favorite was the wind sculpture garden at Wiford Gallery. I wound up there at sunset and it could not have been more enchanting.

#2 La Plaza

          The historic center of the city now plays host to a downtown area of restaurants, office buildings, museums, and you guessed it! More galleries! Some of these are open later than Canyon Boulevard, but you could still dedicate a whole day to perusing La Plaza’s unique architecture and selection of shops. You’ll walk right past the Palace of the Governor, as you pass the contemporary, upscale fine art galleries, but if you’re patient, street vendors will peddle their masterpieces to you at slightly more affordable rates. Besides, the streets are lined with sculptures and murals-you can get an eyeful without spending a dime!

#3 Los Museos (Museums)

          After the influx of Anglo-American immigrants in the early 1900s, the city of Santa Fe began to emphasize art culture and quickly opened a native art museum (New Mexico Museum of Art) to increase the momentum from tourism. Since then, the city has welcomed five more art museums, as well as several other museums dedicated to the cultural heritage and history of the city. I personally only had time to visit the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, however the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and the Museum of International Folk Art are both internationally renowned. When I left, I vowed to return to visit all the museums I missed.

#4 House of Eternal Return

          YUSSS! Meow Wolf’s first ever permanent installation is housed in Santa Fe, and that should tell you all you need to know about this city as the Art Capital of the American West. Unless that would be Los Angeles. Anyway…you can read my full review of House of Eternal Return in my article on Immersive Art, but suffice to say that Meow Wolf’s humble origins still blows most immersive art exhibits out of the water. Unlike the newer exhibits, HoER is mainly sculpture based, taking attendees on a psychedelic adventure through a family’s home that is trapped between dimensions. I went by myself and spent four hours inside the exhibit, fully unpacking every element of the expansive narrative. I also made friends in there! If you want to go, plan your time accordingly.

#5 La Fiesta de Santa Fe

          La Fiesta de Santa Fe: An honorary mention, because I wasn’t in town at the right part of the year to witness this cultural festival, but I have studied it, and it’s a huge bucket list item for me. The festivities begin in the beginning of September and continue for about a week, including elaborate reenactments of the Spanish conquest, dance and theater performances, parades, and a thrilling, symbolic burning of a giant effigy named Zozobra. The entire fiesta is a celebration of the unity of the Pueblo and the Spanish cultures, and a dream ethnography for an anthropologist like me!

#6 The Flying Tortilla

          A Mexican American breakfast joint with fabulous chilaquiles (fried tortillas with tomato sauce and eggs) y chile rellenos vegetarianos (breaded poblano peppers stuffed with veggies and cheese)

#7 Café Castro

          A Mexican restaurant that boasted the most impressive array of vegetarian options I have ever seen! I opted for the tamales, which I have been craving since I gave up meat two years ago!

#8 Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café

          A Santa Fe veggie staple, from what I understand. It’s known for its hearty, flavorful vegetarian cuisine from around the world, including Indian, Lebanese, and of course, New Mexican dishes. My uncle and I are both naturally inclined towards Indian food, so we enjoyed a sampling of dal (lentils), subzi (vegetable) curry, and rice. We ordered take out, so I can’t say much of the restaurant’s ambience….until I get to the Albuquerque section, and you’ll see why.

#9 Dale Balls Trail

          I hiked this trail system in early May and was enamored by the vibrant, unexpected color in the desert: brilliantly red cactus blooms, fuzzy pastel-colored lichens, and the occasional yellowing weed struggling to survive in the sand. I hiked to a height of 8500 feet where I happened upon 360 views- in one direction, Santa Fe’s low skyline, and in the other direction, arid landscapes as far as the eye could see.

#10 Bandelier National Monument

          Okay, this one is technically in the town of Los Alamos, New Mexico, about an hour outside of Santa Fe. This national monument preserves mesa and canyon landscapes that have been settled for over 1,000 years, first by the Ancestral Puebloans and then by Spanish colonizers. Adobe structures and cliff dwellings still stand within the park, and visitors are invited to climb the rocky crags to experience life in a cliffside. The weather was perfect in November—if you go during the summer, be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen as the walking trails are mostly unshaded.

Albuquerque

          Admittedly, Albuquerque never had the appeal that Santa Fe once had for me. I had always wanted to experience Santa Fe, my Mecca as a musical theater student. My uncle recently completed his PhD in Los Alamos, a nearby town, and I reached out to him about my visit, which was very spontaneous…as in the day before. By pure coincidence, he had moved to Santa Fe mere weeks before I wrote to him; he hosted me that weekend and the whole trip worked out beautifully and serendipitously.

          But when my playwriting colleagues from undergrad told me they were moving to Albuquerque, I wanted to ask, “why?!”  Beckie and Brayden, some of my closest college friends, desperately needed a change of scenery a few months into the pandemic. I promised them I would come to visit, and I made it the grand finale of my cross-country road trip. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time in Albuquerque, and found it to be a quirky, interesting place where I would like to spend more time.

          In my experience, Albuquerque contrasts Santa Fe in many ways. While Santa Fe is the state’s capital and cultural center, Albuquerque has served as an important trading center since its founding in 1706, serviced by several major railroads, airlines, and highways. The city has a markedly more urban feel to it, despite being bounded by the Sandia Mountains to the north, the Manzano Mountains to the East, lava fields to the West, and the Rio Grande River through the center. One of Albuquerque’s major draws is its low cost of living compared to other major cities in the Southwest, and especially when compared to Santa Fe.

#11 Anodyne

          A relaxed billiard hall/ pub on Central Ave, in a prime spot downtown. I enjoyed a margarita; I’ve heard they also serve perfectly cooked tacos. I’m not the best at pool, but I was enthused to discover a modest array of pinball machines in the back of the dimly lit establishment. Pinball has kinda been my thing recently—more on that later—so it really made my night to shoot a few rounds on The Addams Family machine!

#12 Effex

          As a raver, I’ve seen my fair share of clubs across the country (and even across the globe). Each has its own merits, and some have none (ahem, Skully’s in Columbus). With Effex, I was most impressed by the variety in music and the rowdiness of the crowd. When we arrived at around 10 pm, I watched four girls fall down the stairs within five minutes of each other. Everyone had gone all out with their costumes, and the highlight of the night was easily when Bohemian Rhapsody began to play and a spotlight illuminated a man next to us who turned out to be Freddie Mercury In the Flesh!!! With his wife beater and mustache, he was indistinguishable from the real Freddie, and the entire crowd egged him on as he performed a dramatic rendition of the legendary six-minute song. We ended up befriending Freddie Mercury—he was a fun dude!

Effex

#13 Salt & Board

          An intimate, upscale charcuterie restaurant that my friend, Brayden, proudly manages. He treated us to a lovely night of sweet and salty samplings, with my favorites being the spicy mustard and the array of soft cheeses. My tip for charcuterie dining—pay attention when your server tells you what’s on the board. I know Brayden was frustrated when we asked him what everything was for the fourth time, but some foods are more self-explanatory than others, okay?!

#14 Vinaigrette

          A gourmet salad bistro in Old Town. Of course, restaurants with several good vegetarian options will always earn my vote, but this one really captivated me with its cozy nature-based aesthetic. At the beginning of November, it was still warm enough for us to sit on the patio and soak up some desert rays. I was utterly amused by the succulents on each table that had grown so vigorously they had cracked their clay pots. The food was delicious as well, with excellent service.

#15 Watrous Coffee House

          A spacious, modern coffee shop with huge windows for ample natural light. I’m no coffee connoisseur, so I make no remarks in that regard, but I was very pleased with my pastry and *the vibes*

#15.5 Annapurna’s World Vegetarian Café

          My friend Brayden raved about this place, but I never connected the dots! The cafe building hosts an Ayurvedic cooking school, and the exterior murals depict Shiva, the Hindu destroyer god, so naturally my interest was heightened. However, I didn’t realize that this was another location of the restaurant in Santa Fe until months later! So, I tried the food in Santa Fe (amazing) and I experienced the environment in Albuquerque (also amazing) and therefore my overall review of the chain is this: amazing! BUT to be fair, I think a second location should only be considered ½ of a destination.

Annapurnas

#16.5 Pino Trail

          A relatively flat yet scenic trek through the foothills of the Sandia Mountain Wilderness area. My playwriting friends were particularly fond of this trail for its proximity to their apartment. On this hike, I was drawn to the textures of the desert. Bushels of cactus spines appeared fuzzy and wild grasses contorted into tiny curlicues. We stopped hiking after a mile or so to attempt (with varying levels of success) to climb a boulder. Eventually, we all ended up on rocks and snapped some cute shots.  

          There you have it: 16.5 things to do and see in central New Mexico! I found both Santa Fe and Albuquerque to be exciting cities with tons of engaging activities, from indulging my inner foodie to marveling at the natural sceneries. Of course, it helped that my friends and family in the state are positively wonderful people. New Mexico is a big state; there’s plenty I haven’t seen and for that reason, I will surely be back within the next few years. Carlsbad Caverns, I’m coming for you!

Magical Midwest

          I’ve been road tripping 😊 I got back last week, and I’ve finally had a chance to collect my thoughts. Eight weeks of traveling solo really took it out of me!

          I had been wanting to do a big trip after I graduated last May, but COVID-19 wiped out my plans for the year, as I’m sure you can all understand. When restrictions loosened, my wanderlust mixed with continued skepticism about leaving the country. Then, I realized that the pandemic had scattered my closest friends across the Eastern United States, many of them to places I had never been!

            My lease in Boulder ended in September, so I quit my job, packed up my new-to-me Subaru Crosstrek, and set off. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with friends along the way, and I brought my portable camp stove so I could save money on meals. I spent the first three weeks or so in the Midwest, and what a magical three weeks it was! Ohio, especially, is the brunt of a lot of jokes when it comes to states that are “interesting” or “important” or “nice to live in.” I must admit, after finishing my undergraduate in Ohio, I do have a soft spot for this…ahem…irrelevant state. In my most recent travels, however, I discovered what Ohio is great for. Mushroom hunting!!!

          The proudest day in my mycology career was the day I spent in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio. I saw hundreds of specimens while hiking just six or seven miles through the woods, including the prized amanita muscaria.

          If you don’t recognize this picturesque toadstool from fairytale illustrations, you might know it from the Super Mario Bros. franchise. This one was hiding coyly under a leaf, not two yards from the trail. I’m so glad I looked in that direction because I’ve been hunting for one of these elusive morsels for years. The “Fly Agaric” mushroom IS psychoactive, though it is not the strain commonly referred to as “magic mushroom” (psilocybe cubensis). This specimen has a long entheogenic history in shamanic traditions all over the world. In Siberia, indigenous mystics would ingest the caps and relay their experiences as transcendental visions, prophetic communications from the world above.

            No, I didn’t try it. It’s illegal to remove anything from a national park, and anyway, I didn’t have the materials to make a proper spore print. I decided not to disturb the forest for my own selfish curiosity. I still felt quite blessed to have seen the specimen at all, and I finished my forage with a newfound appreciation for the muggy air that I had always hated about Ohio. Thanks to the humidity, I saw more fungal growth that one day than I’ve ever seen in Colorado (hint: I haven’t been looking in the right places)!

            Besides the treasured amanita muscaria, I saw several other gems on my adventure throughout the American Midwest. My first stop on the long journey was a music festival on the Kansas/ Missouri border, and that weekend alone provided enough stimulation to last me through a whole new lockdown.

Dancefestopia: LaCygne, Kansas

          Dancefestopia Music and Arts Festival is a relatively small electronic music festival held at Wildwood Outdoor Education Center. Accordingly, the 10,000 attendees are essentially overgrown children covered in dirt and glitter, gathering in a field to dance, play, and trade tie-dye and other trinkets. It’s a very PLUR (peace, love, unity, respect) vibe and the fest falls on my little sis’ birthday weekend, so we always try to go.

          My secret to affording music festivals is simple: I volunteer at them. Like many other fests, Dancefestopia offers a highly discounted ticket ($50) in exchange for a set number of hours worked during the event, and it’s a great way to make new friends. We saw artists with the likes of Jai Wolf, Troyboi, Rezz, and GRiZ. We also chilled in hammocks by the lake, got a treat from our favorite festival food truck (SPACE FRUIT!), and met up with all sorts of great people—the highlight of the weekend for me was seeing my old friend Cece. We originally met at Resonance Music & Arts Festival in PA in 2019. When we found out we would both be at Dancefest, we made plans to meet up, but inevitably, I lost service once we arrived at the campgrounds. It was purely by luck that we ran into each other because we did so past our meeting time and not anywhere close to our meeting spot. Ah, the magic of festivals!

Convergence Station: Denver, Colorado

          After Dancefest, I left my car in Iowa and flew back to Denver for a short stint. I had a couple of appointments, but more importantly, the new Denver Meow Wolf exhibit was having its grand opening! Naturally, I snagged tickets for opening day. You can find my full review of Convergence Station in my post about Immersive Art, but suffice it to say that Meow Wolf is reason enough to travel 800 miles out of the way.

Morton Arboretum: Chicago, Illinois

          I flew back to the Des Moines airport and began the car-only part of my trip, setting off for Chicago. I had never driven in Chicago, so I was somewhat unnerved to find myself driving long stretches in underground tunnels with stop lights lurking past every twist and turn. Tunnel driving is stressful enough—why further complicate it with surprise hazards?!

          Buena Park, a neighborhood nestled along the Western coast of Lake Michigan, is home for Caleb, one of my dear friends from college, and his eccentric Maine Coon, Huey. I spent one evening with him, catching up and hearing about all the cats he watches in the city.

          We had an early start the following morning, as he was off to cat sit and I wanted to hit an art exhibit before leaving the state. Then I was southbound, winding underneath the Chicago River once again as I exited the city.

          I arrived at the Morton Arboretum a bit early, during members-only hours, but the kind lady at the visitor center didn’t seem to mind. This was the first time I had ever visited a sanctuary like this, and it wasn’t just for the trees—through Spring 2022, Morton Arboretum plays host to a five-part installation by one of my favorite multi-media artists, Daniel Popper. I first experienced his work in Tulum, Mexico, and again several years later at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Human + Nature, as this installation is named, is my favorite of his so far; it is the largest in scale and beautifully complemented by the serene natural surroundings of the arboretum. The five sculptures were in five different parts of the park, each one the thematic centerpiece of the plants around it. Visitors were encouraged to touch and explore, although not climb, the life size sculptures. It is impossible to say which one I liked the best because they were all creatively stunning in their own ways.

Lost Lands: Thornville, Ohio

          Upon completing my tour of Morton Arboretum, I made for Ohio, my ex-state of residence which I remember fondly (although I can’t say I would ever move back). I was on to the second music festival of my trip: Lost Lands. This festival is markedly bigger, heavier, and crazier than Dancefest, with a prehistoric theme that utilizes life sized animatronic dinosaurs throughout the grounds. In the past, I have considered Lost Lands “home,” but this year, the LL gods did not smile on me.

          I drove into a nasty thunderstorm in Indiana that followed me all the way to Thornville. Catastrophically, torrential rain hit as the first wave of attendees were pulling into their campsites and unloading their gear. The downpour continued for several hours, transforming the dusty fields into saturated mud pits, and placing a bleak damper on the fun to come. Luckily, I was stationed in the information tent for my first volunteer shift, so I was shielded from the angry sky, but we had no power, no heat, and tragically, no service. Everyone else was hiding out in their cars, so we didn’t answer many informational questions that first night, but I did make friends with some lovely gals named Liz and Emily, who had come all the way from Massachusetts.

          Sadly, the morning of Day 0 (the pre-party) did not look up from the night before. The grounds remained soaked to the point that festival organizers began turning attendees away. That mess was unbeknownst to me, for I had woken up in the backseat camper of my Crosstrek with a terrible feeling in my gut. What I initially thought was an adverse reaction to the tater tots I had eaten the night before quickly made itself known as a stomach virus—easily the worst one I have ever experienced. I was unable to keep even a sip of water down, and I was crippled by a grinding pain in my abdomen. I was camped by myself, on the outskirts of a muddy field, with my car tires completely sunk into the mud. As a volunteer, I had been placed in the farthest possible “worker” campsite, several miles down the road from the event grounds in rural Ohio. Food and water were a bumpy twenty-minute bus ride away; port-a-potties were at least thirty minutes by foot. In my condition, I couldn’t get more than five feet from my vehicle.

          Around noon, I ran out of water and began to panic. I was still violently ill, the festival was in the early stages of last-minute cancellation, and I had no way out of my situation. I befriended a fellow staff member who offered me some medicine to get my nausea under control. When I could finally stand without retching, I was able to flag over an on-site tractor to tow me out of the mud. For the record, I have all-wheel drive and “X-MODE,” whatever that is. When I say I was STUCK in the mud, you know what I mean.

          Miraculously, I got my car to move, and I got my organs to stop moving just long enough to drive to Columbus, just over an hour away from the festival. I sought refuge with Georgia, an absolute angel who was my roommate all through undergrad. I cannot understate how lucky I was to have her during this tribulation. She might have literally saved my life with her electrolyte mix. After a day of resting on her couch and cautiously sucking on ice chips, I was able to keep some fluids, and then some food, in my system. By the time music was starting on Lost Lands Day 1, I had regained enough strength to return to the festival and rage!

          The lineup for 2021 was INSANE and I saw a ton of my favorite DJs who I had never seen before, including ARMNHMR, Crystal Skies, Trivecta, and Fancy Monster. Most people think of Lost Lands as a heavy dubstep festival (which it is!), but the lineup of artists is so diverse and so stacked that you can really pick and choose between genres of dubstep you like. For me, that’s melodic bass, so I hardly spent any time headbanging! Despite a rocky start, Lost Lands turned out to be an amazing weekend, filled with good music and good vibes.

Columbus, Ohio

          On Monday morning after the festival’s conclusion, I set off for Columbus again, this time ailed by an acute case of post-festival depression. My digestive tract was finally feeling back to normal, and my spirits were high—up until my arrival at Georgia’s loft in the Short North, where I discovered that I had inadvertently passed my sickness to Georgia and her boyfriend. They were recovering slowly and luckily for me; they were only mildly amused and not at all upset that I had ruined their weekend. I stayed with Georgia and Aron for a week or so and tried to redeem myself for putting them through a forcible digestive cleanse, as we took to calling it. I can’t speak for them, but my intestines had been completely reset once the whole thing was said and done.

          Georgia and Aron showed me around several parts of Columbus, including a bunch of delightful restaurants and eateries. My favorites were Fox in the Snow, a local coffee shop that served a souffle egg sandwich; Pistacia Vera, a French bakery that was just as pleasing for the eye as it was for the tongue; and Eden Burger, a plant-based fast-food joint whose fries were to die for. They also took me to the Columbus Art Museum and the Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens—both stunning. The former destination offered a special exhibition on the work of Columbus artist Aminah Robinson, while the latter featured hundreds of breathtaking installations by glassblower Dave Chihuly. 

          While in Columbus, I also had a chance to stay with Margo, my friend and mentor from college, her boyfriend Jackson, with whom I was previously acquainted but never knew well, and their rather interesting cat Rosaline. Margo helped me infiltrate the Ohio State University library so I could get some work done, and I learned some fascinating things about the OSU mascot, Brutus. You probably know of the Ohio State Buckeyes, but did you know that the mascot is a literal buckeye? Not a squirrel or a groundhog or any other creature that might serve as an ambassador for a buckeye, but an actual nut with eyes and legs? Apparently, Brutus has had a long, dark history. The mascot suit has undergone many changes since the institution of modern college mascots, and I’ll let you all be the judge of which iteration is the creepiest. My vote is for 1975.

          Margo is a member of CorePower Yoga. She encouraged me to finally cash in my three free classes and I had a blast, even though I hadn’t done hot vinyasa in a long time and thought I was going to die at times. The owner asked if I wanted to teach there and I had to explain that my own Yoga practice doesn’t necessarily align with the CorePower model, which tends to prioritize fitness and body image over stillness and intrinsic awareness. She seemed somewhat offended that I brought this up, but she agreed that, CorePower’s “whole shtick” is fitness. Still, I believe it is important to have conversations about the histories and cultural contexts of the practices we market for commercial gain. To me, it seems that CorePower uses the word “Yoga” to attract paying audiences to a practice that is, in many ways, antithetical to the philosophical roots of Yoga.

Eberhart Wedding: Northern Ohio (Rootstown/ Kent/ Akron/ Cleveland)

          Around the second week of October, I bid my Columbus friends farewell and went North towards Cuyahoga County. I spent a day in the national park, making revolutionary fungal discoveries every few steps. That evening, my boyfriend Skyler flew in from Denver. He’s also an avid mushroom hunter, so I took him into Cleveland the next day, to a public park that is a part of the Old Growth Forest network. True to its name, the park was a wonderland of Ohioan biodiversity, featuring centuries-old vegetation, rare fungus, and cold-blooded creatures. Can you spot the critter in this photo?

          The main reason for us being in North Ohio was that my good friend Olivia had asked me to be her bridesmaid. I spent a lot of time with Olivia and her then-boyfriend, Robbie, in college, and I always adored them together, so it was very exciting to be a part of their wedding. After marking off our finds in our field guide, Sky and I drove over to Kent to meet up with the other folks in the bridal party: Talon, Lexi, and Michaela. I was friends with all three of these people in college, yet I had seen none of them since before the onset of the pandemic, so it was wonderful to catch up over manicures. The rehearsal dinner went smoothly, and we concluded the night with a bonfire at Lexi’s house. Good dogs, great cheese, and excellent camaraderie made for the perfect precursor to the big day, and I even bonded with Lexi’s mom over puffballs, an edible fungus that often pop up in yards and lawns!

          The Eberhart-Rocco wedding was a beautiful, love-filled affair. The ceremony, held at Olivia’s childhood church, was traditional and very sweet. The reception was at the Akron Museum of Art, and guests were invited to peruse the galleries as they waited for the festivities to commence. The entire menu—down to the cupcakes—was vegan (and delectable, if I do say so myself). I teared up at several points throughout the night, but Robbie’s reaction to seeing Olivia coming down the aisle was easily my favorite moment, closely followed by Lexi’s maid of honor speech. I got to see Caleb again, as well as some other great folks I know from college. The DJ played some bangers!! Now, I’ll think of Olivia and Robbie whenever I hear “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd.

          Marriages, mascots, music, mushrooms. Do you see why my time in the Midwest was magical? I must admit, I’ve never lauded Ohio with such a word, but aside from contracting norovirus, the first few weeks of my road trip were positively so. Which leads me to another story about norovirus—yes, someone else along my journey contracted the dreadful cleanse, but that is a story for another time. Check back next week for the next leg of my journey: the historical states!

9 Coolest Immersive Art Experiences

            I have been captivated by theater and the performing arts for as long as I can remember. Uniquely from other art forms, performance exists exclusively in its moment of conception. Performance carries urgency; it requires active audience participation. For these reasons, the performing arts can respond to current events in our communities and engage in topical conversations in ways that paintings and photographs cannot.

            In recent years, though, a new genre has emerged that straddles the line between theater and fine art. These installations, dubbed “immersive art experiences,” combine the immediacy of performance with elements of sculpture, narrative, and audio-visual art forms. They’ve already popped up in just about every major U.S. city!

            I’ve made it my quest to visit these immersive exhibits wherever I can find them. These are NINE of my absolute favorites across the United States.

Arcadia Earth- Manhattan, New York

            Perhaps the best example of timely art with a political statement, Arcadia Earth is constructed entirely from recycled materials—mainly, man-made debris that was discarded in the ocean. This exhibit, located just outside Washington Park in New York City, takes viewers on a journey through imaginative forests and underwater realms, inviting us to consider the damaging impacts that humans have on the natural world. The combination of augmented reality technology, shocking statistics, and thousands of plastic grocery bags incites a powerful call to action. The experience concludes in a room plastered with campaign posters by environmental activists; attendees are encouraged to sign their names on the wall as a means of joining the fight against climate change. Get tickets to this thought-provoking adventure here.

House of Eternal Return- Santa Fe, New Mexico

            The first of MEOW WOLF’s three permanent installations tells the story of an experimental scientist who mistakenly deports himself and his family into the multiverse. They leave behind their home and several unstable portals which can be freely traveled by attendees. Meow Wolf’s attention to detail is unmatched, and the (mostly) realistic house is chock full of narrative allusions, such as pages upon pages of the scientist’s copious notes documenting portal phenomena. Step through the bookcase or inside the refrigerator, however, and you’re instantly transported to the destination of your choice, from snowy wastelands to decrepit beach towns. All 70 rooms in the House of Eternal Return were created by local artists, but kiosks throughout the exhibit unravel an underlying storyline: the dark origin of the multiverse. I visited this exhibit alone and spent five hours exploring the 20,000 square feet—do yourself a favor and snag an early slot here.

Natura Obscura- Englewood, Colorado

            Set in a magical forest shrouded in secrecy, this exhibit sure lived up to its name. Animal spirits peered out of frosted mirrors; trees and flowers twinkled in gentle shades of white and pink. Tickets to these wintry woods included the use of UV flashlights, which revealed secret messages throughout the installation. This experience also had a corresponding mobile app which allowed attendees to scan glowing symbols in the forest, revealing the mystical origins of its spirits. Sadly, Natura Obscura closed in December 2019, but its creators, Prismajic, are onto bigger and better installations! 

Sleep No More- Manhattan, New York

            My colleague, Olivia, and I attended this film noir retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth during our spring break in 2017. We were welcomed into the lobby of the Mckittrick Hotel in Chelsea, New York with cocktails and expressionless white masks, with instructions to remain masked for the entirety of the experience. We made a quick decision to split up and entered the performance space separately. I highly recommend this approach for future attendees.

            Through haunting choreography timed to ethereal soundscapes, the characters enacted their respective storylines throughout the hotel. They crossed paths with one another in raunchy culminations of love and violence, occasionally shepherding the masked attendees together for climactic events such as Macbeth’s feast. I was often distracted from one performer by the dramatic intrusion of another, and at times, I stepped away to explore the empty rooms, which were each filled with carefully crafted props. This 360˚ attention to detail is precisely why I love Sleep No More—between the concurrent narratives and the interactive set, Olivia and I saw two entirely different performances! It was a decadent, riveting theatrical experience that fortunately, survived COVID-19. Sleep No More returns to the Mckittrick Hotel in February 2022. Try to grab the earliest time slot so you catch the whole story 😉 Book tickets here.

Omega Mart- Las Vegas, Nevada

            Like Meow Wolf’s first permanent installation, this psychedelic grocery store starts off innocently enough…until you start to look closely at the products lining its shelves. Cream of Mushroom Sop, Infinity Watermelons, Tattoo Chickens, and MILLLLLLLK are just a few of the not-quite-lifelike items available for sale inside Omega Mart. If you dare, step inside the soda cooler or crawl through the tent display—with portals to the multiverse abound, you can even find a route via the lockers in the employee break room! I adore that the Meow Wolf experience is never a linear one; each room has three dynamic exits and countless unexpected pathways leading you back through each one. I continued to stumble upon the headquarters of the mysterious Dram Corp, where each of the dozen computers were loaded with unique case files and video recordings. Similar devices throughout the exhibit implicate Dram Corp in agendas to obscure truths about missing children and leaks of dangerous contaminants.

            At twice the size of its predecessor, Omega Mart offers a grander, flashier presentation. It relies more heavily on projection mapping technology and other multi-media art forms than HOER. It also incorporates more elements of performance, such as the grocery store employees who converse “helpfully” with attendees and seem to turn off when certain portals are activated. These changes are especially fitting given that the new exhibit is in downtown Las Vegas, in an art collective a few blocks away from the Strip. People flock to Vegas for the spectacle, and with impressive artist collaborations like Alex & Allyson Grey, Omega Mart does not disappoint. Give yourself plenty of time to interact with each arresting design—book early tickets here.

Otherworld- Columbus, Ohio

            The concept of alternate realm tourism is not exclusive to Meow Wolf’s vision. This experience invites attendees into a restricted laboratory, where the gateway to other worlds lies open and unattended. Venture beyond and you’ll discover bioluminescent plants, alien creatures, and vast dreamscapes of light and sound. Otherworld offers attendees several mazes and puzzles to solve throughout the exhibit, and even occasionally serves as a performance venue for experimental musicians. This extraterrestrial mission is located about twenty minutes outside of Columbus, Ohio. Grab tickets here.

ARTECHOUSE NYC- Manhattan, New York

            ARTECHOUSE is a digital art production that has brought permanent installations to Washington D.C. and Miami Beach as well as the famous Chelsea Market in New York City. These installations play host to rotating exhibits for up to six months at a time, each one a pioneering fusion of art, science, and technology. When I visited ARTECHOUSE in Spring 2020 (just two days before the national travel advisory was issued), I saw Intangible Forms by Japanese artist Shohei Fujimoto. The main attraction was a stunning laser display that stretched from floor to ceiling in a three-story warehouse space. Brilliant red beams danced effortlessly in time to the unearthly music, creating perfect grids and fluid images. Multi-media projects in other rooms used similar patterns and projections of light to mimic the lasers’ operatic movement. Though Intangible Forms is no longer, ARTECHOUSE NYC continues to lead the quest for innovative audio-visual art forms with a brand-new exhibit called Geometric Properties. Check out availability here.

Shiki Dreams- Denver, Colorado

            From the creators of Natura Obscura comes another whimsical wander through the woods. Shiki Dreams exists in the same universe as its precursor but follows the story of a gentle Yeti named Shiki. His home is a winter wonderland teeming with enchanted trees, lore-filled relics, and snowy owls in flight. This experience, too, is enhanced with an augmented reality mobile app which encourages attendees to engage with their environment and unravel the secrets hidden among the trees. Named as one of the top 5 immersive art experiences in America, Prismajic’s current endeavor will run until the end of October. Don’t miss this charming adventure- get your tickets here.

Convergence Station- Denver, Colorado

            Easily my most anticipated experience of the year! Meow Wolf impresses yet again with an immersive psychedelia guised as an interdimensional train station. Visually stunning and intelligently mapped, Convergence Station seamlessly blends compelling narrative with diverse installations by local artists to guide attendees on a multi-sensorial tour of the realms. This experience takes elements of reality and runs with it, propelled by plotlines of lost memory and alien technology. Exhibit employees serve as diegetic characters (each with a unique backstory) that can answer attendees’ questions about the world. Elaborate props in each room spell out the history of the multiverse. My favorite? A thick, metal-bound storybook that offers clues on how to contact the Gods of the cosmos.

            Building upon the sculptural labyrinth of House of Eternal Return and leaning less on spectacle than Omega Mart, Meow Wolf’s third permanent installation is the largest in size and infinitely more creative. Even the building inspires curiosity, being nestled between the footprints of I-25 and I-70 in Denver, Colorado. It also houses a small music venue that boasts groundbreaking, interactive projection tech. The venue, “The Perplexiplex,” has already hosted international artists with the likes of GRiZ and Clozee—all within just one month of its public opening! Convergence Station is my favorite immersive art experience yet, so much so that I now consider it a Denver destination. If you find yourself in the area, you simply must arrange for tickets to this mind-bending voyage here.

Non-Bacchanalian Things to Do in Vegas

         Does anyone else get the urge to escape?

         It’s not necessarily an impulse to vacation, per se. It’s more like an overwhelming boredom with your current location; a NEED to be invigorated by a change of scenery.

         I used to get this feeling ALL the time pre-COVID. And I, being the impulsive person that I am, would draft a hasty letter to my boss at the patent office.

hey Sara, I will be out of town this week. Hope you don’t need me ;-p

-Kaya 

         I’d pack up my car and simply leave. I hardly spent a weekend on my campus in Southeast Ohio during my senior year of college. I was too busy exploring the surrounding states while I could! It’s much harder to escape now that I have a job that relies on my being there in person, and now that I live in Colorado. There is plenty to see here, but it’s at least a two-hour drive in any direction to cross the border. And because of all that, I find myself getting antsy.

         A few weeks ago, my three-day weekend coincided with that Frontier “80% off all flights” email. I couldn’t resist. I hopped a plane to Las Vegas.

         I spent a lot of my childhood in Vegas with my grandparents, so I must admit that the flashy splendor of the Strip has long since wore off for me. I even did the whole night club- gambling excursion on my 21st and I was just not impressed. Admittedly, my idea of travel usually means engaging with the local culture and spending as little money as possible, and trips to Las Vegas are the exact opposite. The downtown area offers spectacular imitations of every other place in the world: Paris, New York City, Rome, Giza, Venice; all the while offering nothing unique of its own. Each casino is designed to dazzle you with a luxurious façade, then trap you inside a sleazy, expensive escape from reality.  

         All that said, Vegas has its gems, just like any other city. I had a very pleasant, peaceful trip this last time, so I decided to compile a list of things to do in Vegas that do not involve all-out Bacchanalian chaos.

Plants!

          My favorite thing to do on the Las Vegas Strip is free and completely open to the public 24/7. Tucked inside the Bellagio is a conservatory with live plant sculptures that change seasonally. I have visited the conservatory three times in the past eight months, so I have seen three different exhibits; the current exhibit for summer 2021 features a bamboo loft, a sparkling phoenix, and a stunning Daniel Popper statue. I first saw Popper’s work in Tulum, Mexico in 2020 and was positively thrilled to recognize another statue of his. 

Performance Arts!

          Besides the famous “exotic topless dancers,” there’s quite a diverse entertainment scene in Vegas. Over the years, I’ve seen everything from touring Broadway musicals to intimate comedy shows. By far, my  has been Zumanity, the Cirque Du Soleil performance hosted at the New York New York Hotel & Casino. I felt it really represented the spirit of Sin City: an impressive, erotic distraction with a few cheap thrills. If you don’t know me—I did my undergrad in playwriting and dramaturgy. So yeah, this theater history nerd was squealing at Zumanity’s nod to World War II era cabarets.

Eat!

          Okay, this one is a little more indulgent, but I’m not talking about the multi-cuisine buffets. Many world-class chefs have restaurants in Vegas, and their portion sizes won’t have you poolside in a food coma. I recently discovered Mon Ami Gabi, a French restaurant inside the Paris (big surprise!) Hotel & Casino on the Strip. We waited just thirty minutes and paid surprisingly reasonable prices to sit on the patio with a perfect view of the Bellagio dancing fountains. They happily accommodated my vegetarian diet by replacing the shrimp in my pasta dish with a bright vegetable medley. Best of all, we had a prime spot for people watching as the sun went down.

Play!

          An art collective by the name of AREA15 recently popped up downtown, one mile west of the Strip. This 200,000 square foot warehouse is home to several interactive art exhibits such as 4D movie theaters, mirror mazes, and flight simulators. The most notable of these exhibits is Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart, a truly trippy adventure through a very strange labyrinth of a grocery store. See my article on Immersive Art for my full review of Omega Mart.

Hike!

          Las Vegas is set against a backdrop of bare mountains in a stunning array of colors, some reaching to elevations as high as 12,000 feet. If you’re not planning on being too hungover in the mornings, like me, you can hit the trails! It’s best to hike early in the morning or later in the afternoon, as the sun is unforgiving and desert vegetation offer little to no shade cover. I personally love to explore Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, located just 20 minutes west of downtown. Day passes are just $15/ vehicle and you can even hike to some Native American petroglyphs.