Category Archives: Museums

Museums, State Monuments

Rios Caledonia Adobe – Templeton CA

The Rios Caledonia Adobe was built in 1846. It was a stage stop and a hotel on the route from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Rios Caledonia Adobe - San Miguel
1968 – Before Restoration

Over time things changed, the trains came and finally of course the roads. In 1968 the building was almost totally dissolved by weather.

Today, due to some hard work and steady efforts by the Friends of The Adobes. Rios Caledonia is well maintained and now a restored piece of history for San Luis Obispo County.

Rios Caledonia Adobe - San Miguel - Calofirnia
Caledonia Days Every September

Over the decades the the Rios Caledonia Adobe has been a residence for various families, a stagecoach stop, a tavern, a hotel, a mattress factory, and a tailor shop. 

After sliding into grave disrepair in the 1960’s the building was purchased by the County of San Luis Obispo.  The Friends of the Adobe  was formed to protect, repair and restore Rios Caledonia. Major restoration was completed in 1972 and the Adobe was opened to the public for tours in 1978.  A gift shop is also in the Adobe. Continue reading Rios Caledonia Adobe – Templeton CA →

Largest, Museums, Points of Interest

Musical Instrument Museum – Scottsdale – Phoenix

The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix is a Wow! Wow! Wow! No matter how prepared you could be this place is mind expanding. It is Overwhelming and beyond belief! If you are ever in the Phoenix / Scottsdale area this is a must see. Allow yourself most of the day and you will be glad you did! – Now for the story – As always I check yelp and see what museums are in a given area (OK at meal time I look for restaurants too). I love to find museums of all sizes and types, and especially like little odd museums, but that is for another time and rating. So I find this Musical Instrument Museum and figure that I can go look at a few fiddles, flutes, accordions and guitars.

Musical Instrument Museum – 10 Stars

Well this museum is so first class I would give it ten stars, really TEN stars. The quality of the presentations and the breadth of the offerings is completely beyond comprehension. After a few hours I was sure my brain would explode! Anet’s jaw was on the floor from the the first display on. Really! But enough about us.

The museum is impressive from the outside, and the patio for the entrance is very inviting. With you entrance ticket, you will receive a headset and  power pack. Pick a region of earth and start. You can walk up to a monitor and it will start playing the music of the country, people, area, or type depending on which hall you are transiting.

The Displays are spacious and have representative instrument for a given, culture or country, and videos with music to bring it all to you. The videos and music are only a couple of minutes long and give wonderful examples of contemporary and / or historical music. Stroll and listen and look and be impressed.
There is so much you could never take in it all in a day! So plan to come again.
I would recommend come early, have lunch in their restaurant, and return to listen and look more.
Oh, and on the restaurant, it is too cool! Fresh, local, tasty, incredible 5 star eating experience in a cafeteria like setting. The food was wonderful too!
So that should be enough bait to get you on a plane to Phoenix and up to the museum. A first class must see museum.

Voted a Top Ten Museum in the United States.

Museums, Oddities

Button Museum – Bishopville, SC

The Button Museum
Can You Find it?

While at The Cotton Museum in Bishopville, South Carolina, Button Museum - by Charley Carlin
I asked the man at the counter as I was exiting if their were any other small museums around?

No, he said. I asked if there were any local oddities nearby?

No, he said. Are there any places that are a bit different around here? I asked.
He scratched his head a bit and said there is this guy who stays up all night sewing buttons and he has The Button Museum. How do I get there? I asked. Well go down to the corner, turn right, the right at the second stop sign, then out about 6 miles and. . .  Well who knows where he sent me, but I started driving and searching. I went farther than he said, I turned back, I kept searching, I found a very small sign, I kept driving. Continue reading Button Museum – Bishopville, SC →

Museums, National Monuments, Points of Interest, Shrines

Harriet Tubman – Moses of Her People

Harriet Tubman Live Free or Die
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman - Moses of Her People
Moses of Her People

Harriet Tubman is quite a character, almost unbelievable. The first thing I saw and coming into the place was a tour guide who was wearing a sweatshirt and on the back it said:  
 if you’re tired keep going
if you’re scared keep going
if you’re hungry keep going
if you want to taste freedom Keep going
Harriet Tubman is credited with these words. She helped many people escape from the bonds of slavery, to escape into free states, and to escape into Canada. She had decided that she was going to either have Liberty or death and there was no in between. What a great woman of character. What a great leader of others.  An inspiration throughout her lifetime she had many, many wonderful stories
about who was free  and who was not free. Continue reading Harriet Tubman – Moses of Her People →

Museums, Oddities, Points of Interest, Railroad

Trolley Museum – Scranton PA

Across the parking lot from SteamTown is The Trolley Museum.

The Trolley Museum - Scranton, PA
Museum and more!
The Trolley Museum - Scranton PA
Nice Restored Trolley

It doesn’t exactly have the pizzazz, or pull, or press agents that SteamTown has, however, it is a unique piece of history that the City of Scranton maintains. If you’re coming to the trolley museum and if you’re not careful you can easily miss the last driveway in the parking lot. Next thing you know you’re you’re out of the place and it’s difficult to turn back in order to get back into the parking lot. So be warned. It turns out that if you have been to SteamTown, you may be done for the day, but if you can muster the strength, give the Trolley Museum a visit. It turns out let the trolley
was first a horse-drawn item, and it really enabled people to get around cheaper and easier. Who would have thought? The ability to get across town to do things that they might have been otherwise difficult is, of course, a good service.  The horses do take a certain amount of, let’s say maintenance, and it could be difficult having the people to take care of the horses. Continue reading Trolley Museum – Scranton PA →

Museums, National Register, Points of Interest

Point Pinos Lighthouse

The Point Pinos Lighthouse is a real inspiration. Monterey is always a joy to visit with the cool

Point Pinos Lighthouse - Monterey - California
Point Pinos Lighthouse

temperatures, the ocean breezes, the friendly people, the aquarium, and so much more. Having been in continuous operation since 1855, it is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast, and the docents will repeat this factoid several times, for anyone who will listen. The oldest lighthouse is on Alcatraz island in the San Francisco Bay. It is no longer operating and was originally lit up a few months before the Point Pinos Lighthouse. The lighthouse is open for tours in the afternoons from 1 to 4. The volunteers seem to really love their jobs. Continue reading Point Pinos Lighthouse →