Top 10: Nashville, Tennessee

My favorite thing about our PIHNB Top 10 is to hear from people who are near and dear to our featured place. This month we were lucky to have 2 contributors to our PIHNB Nashville Top 10, (well this is a Top 8). Without further ado….

From writer and editor Margaret Littman:
“My favorite thing about Nashville is that it is the most creative place I have ever lived (also the weirdest, but that’s a different story). It would not be unusual to see a unicyclist, a man covered in lemon meringue pie or a gaggle of hula hoopers on a Tuesday on your way to the grocery store. The influx of people who have moved here to make their dreams come true in the music industry contributes to a constant state of wonder and optimism.

When not listening to something funky somewhere, I have a few preferred tourist stops in Music City:

1. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park: This outdoor park has bells that play the Tennessee Waltz, a
chronological look at the Volunteer State’s history and a linear garden that represents that the foliage across the state.

2. Parthenon: A replica of the Greek wonder, this one include a giant gold statue of Athena by a local artist and ongoing art exhibitions, plus the delights that are Centennial Park.

3. The Station Inn: This dive in the Gulch is one of the country’s bets places to hear bluegrass, not to mention see the hilarious Doyle and Debbie parody show.

For more of my Nashville picks, check out my app here.”
Follow Margaret on twitter here.

From writer and editor Lindsey Solomon, blogger at TypeL:

4. Music City
Nashville’s reputation as a musical haven comes honestly. People who live here seem to want to be a musician, know an aspiring one or have the opportunity to enjoy watching musicians any time they desire. I love living in a place where my favorite musicians come to play. Plus, famous stops like The Country Music Hallof Fame, Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium just ooze history.

photo by Peyton Hoge

5. Music Art City
Many come to Nashville for music, but I came (at least partially) for the art! The Frist Center for the Visual Arts – a non-collecting institution – has ever-changing and always exciting exhibits. Cheekwood, likewise, hosts wonderful exhibitions (including an impressive permanent collection) and includes fantastic gardens one could walk in for days. I am dying to try Nashville’s monthly Art Crawl, too. Free shuttles cart art lovers to numerous downtown galleries – what’s not to like?

6. Neighborhood Vibe
I like cities that don’t feel so much like cities. Okay, I like  cities that do feel like cities, too, but that’s another story. Nashville, to me, falls into the former category. There are so many neighborhoods that I wish to know better, each with their own personalities. For example, East Nashville appeals to my farmer’s market, vegetarian food loving side, while 12 South’s cottages and coffee make me wish I lived in this more walkable area of town.

7. Coffee
Is Nashville a city known for coffee? I’m guessing most guidebooks wouldn’t list it as such, but it is becoming one in my estimation. Nashville, in no particular order, is home to: Bongo Java, Frothy Monkey, Ugly Mugs, etc., etc., etc. While I plan to try all of these places and more, my favorite so far is Roast, Inc (don’t let the simple website fool you). They are “Nashville’s Only Single Cup Brewer,” which means they’ll prepare their latest delicious fair trade find in the brewing method of your choosing. I love watching them work with a crazy Yama Siphon Brewer (like a Bunsen burner chemistry experiment gone right) almost as much as I love drinking French press coffee without the at-home mess.

8. We Are Nashville
I didn’t live in Nashville when the 2010 flood came, but, from a distance, I saw the volunteer nature of my state come alive once again. Most of my friends were (so thankfully) unaffected by the waters, but I heard stories of them helping their friends and neighbors and acquaintances and strangers rebuild their lives. The “We Are Nashville” blog post and subsequent campaigns made me want to be a part of this city and its people more than ever.

Follow Lindsey on twitter here.

Thanks so much to Lindsey and Margaret!

Top 10 : The Netherlands

So far, we’ve gushed about the beautiful Spring color palette of Netherlands and lusted over the Gouda. Many of my friends have visited, so we think we have a pretty good idea of the must-sees (do we??).
Here are some Dutch highlights we’re dying to experience :

1. Prinsengracht
(Prince’s Canal) is one of the four main canals in the city. Most of houses along it were built during the Dutch Golden Age of the United Provinces and they provided great inspiration for our City Print (follow the purple shape in the pattern):

2. Bikes
The government sponsors initiatives to reduce car usage. Loooove it!
About 38% of all journeys in Amsterdam are made by bicycle.
Unfortunately, of those 700,000 bikes…
about 100,000 of them are stolen and 25,000 end up in the canals. Yikes!

3. Red Light District
What can we say? It’s infamous!
According to holland.com while “the content of the Sexmuseum and the Erotic Museum is obvious, the Condomerie has a unique selection of condoms worth visiting.”

4. FEBO
My dear friend Matt said these contraptions are “a chain of self-service fast food places, at 4 in the morning… you pull your hot food from behind small, coin operated glass doors.” While he admits it is not a fav of his, it’s definitely “peculiar” and worth trying. There are over 60 around the Netherlands and 22 in Amsterdam. They serve mostly krokets, frikandellen, hamburgers, “cheese soufflés.”

Life in Boston shuts down so early… there have been many-a-times I would have LOVED a FEBO.

5. Keukenhof Gardens
Tulip overkill? Is that possible? Probably not. This national landmark has 4.5 million tulips in 100 varieties (7 million flower bulbs planted by hand), but it is only open for two months of the year in Springtime. According to their website, Keukenhof is the most photographed place in the world.

6. Texel
My friend Chad really enjoyed his time here. Texel is an island in the province of North Holland and a big tourist destination. The local wool is a hot commodity, there are sheep everywhere. The beaches are breezy, but have beautiful white sand. And of course, it’s a great place to cycle, see the quaint authentic architecture and there is even a brewery! Texel sounds absolutely picturesque.

7. Heineken

Well, it’s like the only beer Lizzie will drink and obviously, it tastes just a little bit better when sipping it in Zoeterwoude (where the chief brewery is)!

8. Buisjes En Beugels

The Dutch are amazing craftsman – they have a knack for wood and apparently Amsterdam is the place to score beautiful wooden toys. Buisjes En Beugels in particular has a lovely and sophisticated collection of children’s toys (and clothes):

9. Au Coin de Marue : ONE OF OUR FAVORITE BLOGS

Tuinman, a photographer from Amsterdam, photographs beautiful funky street style.

 

 

Tuinman says, “Why are my eyes drawn by these people? I don’t think it has anything to do with beauty or aesthetics but more with their general attitude. They all have an ‘intangible something’ that reflects into their expression. It’s like their body and face embrace entirely their personality.”

10. Madurodam
A bit kitschy… well, maybe a lot kitschy. But this theme park deserves a laugh at least. Canals, gabled houses and all kinds of other typical Dutch scenes: it’s a miniature city that offers the highlights of the Netherlands on a scale 1:25. Really, who wouldn’t want a picture of themselves in this secene? :

I know Charley (JHill’s newest edition) would like to sit in a huge wooden Dutch klompen (clog)…

….gotta love photoshop

More must-see’s in the Netherlands: traditional windmills, the Begijnhof courtyard, pankcakes with bacon and apple for l unch, the Decco Spa which is filled with furnishings for a 1920’s Paris restaurant! Street vendors – fries with mayo and fresh paling (eel) and herring.

A special thanks to Kate, Matt and Chad for sharing their most memorable Amsterdam experiences!!  

Top 10: Kansas

This month we are celebrating Kansas, a lovely state that has more going for it than just fields of beautiful sunflowers. It was such fun to research it for our Kansas Map Print and our Flint Hills, Kansas City Print. We are excited to have our Kansas’ Top 10 written by Jayhawk, journalist, baker and animal-lover, Brenna Hawley.

Brenna and her grandpa at his 50th wedding anniversary at the Brookville Hotel.

Brookville Hotel Lobby

1. Brookville Hotel – Abilene
While this place is neither in Brookville nor a hotel, it is easily one of my favorite places on the planet. It’s a traditional fried chicken dinner restaurant that moved to Abilene a few years ago. There’s only one menu, but it’s been the same forever. My grandparents had their 50th wedding anniversary here back when it was still in Brookville, and it’s one of my favorite memories waiting eagerly for my grandparents to find their surprise. Now, when I eat here, I always bring home a tub of mashed potatoes. They’re my favorite food!

2. Coronado Heights – Lindsborg
Said to be a hill where Coronado surveyed the Kansas landscape back in the 1500s, it now has a sort of stone castle built on the hill. Climb up to the top and you can see the Kansas landscape for miles. It’s a great place for a picnic and hiking, and it’s beautiful at almost any time of the year, except when covered in snow. It’s another nostalgic place for me, because my grandparents got engaged here in 1942. How’s that for history?

KS countryside near Claflin

3. Flint Hills
Everyone seems to think Kansas is flat as a pancake, but drive through these hills (or walk up those darn hills on campus at KU) and you’ll think differently. These rolling hills are unbelievably gorgeous and are another place where you can see for miles. Even if you don’t stop, you can see these hills while driving through on I-70.

Farmland forever in Lewis

downtown Lewis

4. Little towns (Lewis)
One of the wonderful things about Kansas is you can see small towns in all their glory, past or present. Every year I drive with my dad and grandma down to Lewis, where my grandma and grandpa grew up. Unfortunately, this is a town that is slowly dying, with a downtown with few stores and a school where kids no longer attend. But there’s something still charming about this place and others like it around the state.

waving the wheat at a KU football game

real wheat in western KS – Brenna and her grandma

5. Farmland

We have a tradition at the University of Kansas called waving the wheat. Whenever the football team scores a touchdown, all the fans in the stadium will wave their arms and it looks like a wheat field. That’s one of my favorite things about going into farmland in Kansas — the rolling fields of wheat, corn, soybeans and countless other crops. Visiting my uncle’s farm is also a great escape from every day life — I’ve bottle-fed a calf, held baby pigs and made friends with a donkey.

The Oz Museum

6. The Wizard of Oz – Wamego, Liberal
Everyone knows you can’t have a list about Kansas without this movie on it! There are quite a few places that lay claim to the movie. In Wamego, you can visit the Oz Museum, Oz Winery or Toto’s Tacoz. The town’s even painting its new water tower to looks like the hot air balloon from the story. Or you can head to Liberal, which says it is the official hometown of Dorothy. You can even tour her house!

7. The University of Kansas – Lawrence
I’ve visited some other campuses in my day, and I don’t think I’m completely unbiased, but KU is one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever been, especially during fall or spring. The trees are giant, the buildings historic and the people friendly. There are the icons – Fraser Hall flags, the Campanile – and other buildings you might only know if you go to school there – Stauffer-Flint Hall. But I wouldn’t give my four years of school there for anything!

Allen Fieldhouse

8. Allen Fieldhouse – Lawrence
I was born and bred to be a Kansas Jayhawk. Both my parents have two degrees from the University of Kansas. I even went to preschool on campus. So when I step into the basketball arena that is Allen Fieldhouse, I literally get chills. When the pregame video starts to play and I see Danny Manning in 1988, Wilt Chamberlain straddling the lane and Mario making his miracle shot, I can’t help myself, I just get taken up in the game. There is nothing more exciting than a KU basketball game in the loudest arena in the country.

The Garden of Eden

9. Garden of Eden – Lucas
Okay, there’s a little bit of wacky in Kansas, too. This is a house that is surrounded by concrete sculptures commenting on socialism and people in power in the early 1900s. The kicker? The guy who did all this, Samuel Dinsmoor, is buried in a concrete mausoleum on the lot. You can see him through glass, hair and all.

Country Club Plaza

10. Kansas City
This is cheating a little, because it’s a whole city. But there are a bunch of wonderful things to do in the city, which is actually partly in Missouri, which is also why it’s cheating. There’s the Country Club Plaza, the KC Zoo, the Kansas Speedway. Whatever, it has Kansas in its name!

A little ’bout Brenna: She worked at her college paper throughout her years at KU, thus the Jayhawk part (rock chalk!), and since graduation has been a reporter at the Lawrence Journal-World. She combines her passion for baking and writing in her blog Ingredients of a 20something. And then there’s the animal-lover part. “I love my cat Melvin, even when he wakes me up in the middle of the night by running laps in my bedroom. Like last night.” Thanks Brenna!

Top 10: Camden, Maine

What’s so great about Camden, Maine. Well lots of things. Just ask JHill’s Lizzie, that’s where she is from!

1. Library & Amphitheater 

Built in the 1930’s Camden’s picture-perfect library is an iconic landmark which sits atop of Main Street and overlooks the harbor and little shops. The Amphitheater is a popular locale for weddings.

2. Bagel Cafe

Boston may run on Dunkin’ Donuts, but Camdeniets fuel-on these bagels. I recommend the homemade garlic and herb cream cheese spread on a sesame bagel.

3. Swan’s Island Blankets 

Mrs. Obama is a fan. She gave one of these cozy gems to the Irish Prime Minster on St. Patrick’s Day.

4. Reny’s

99-cent spices and tote bags adorned with embroidered moose. The varied and inexpensive selection of clothes, food, camping gear, holiday decorations and homegoods will not disappoint. I often advise visiting friends and family to skip the downtown stores and stroll right on into this “Maine Adventure.”

5. Maidens Cliff

It’s a beautiful hike up Maidens Cliff with a rewarding summit vista of Megunticook Lake and surrounding countryside. The story of Elenora French, a young girl who fell down the mountain in 1862 while chasing her bonnet, is infamous in town. Erected in her honor is a 600 pound, 12×24 foot white cross.

6. “Stop, Wait and Wave”

It’s on every crosswalk. We are friendly folk.

7. Camden International Film Festival

This annual festival has screened hundreds of award-winning films and hosts filmmakers from all over the world. Six seasons and going strong, the crowds pour in larger every year.

8. Appledore

A cruise on the Appledore is the best way to soak up Camden’s salty air. It is our most beloved schooner.

image via

image via 

9. Bay Chamber Concerts

The live music ensembles selected by the Bay Chamber (mostly classical, but sometimes jazz or folk), always provide a relaxing evening.

10. Route 105

Partial to this scenic drive, it has been my route into town since my family moved to Maine. With superior drive-by photo opts (especially during leaf-peeper season) and with a slim chance of being pulled over by blue lights, it’s a great 20 (or 12) minute cruise.

Fresh tiny blueberries in August, a burger at Cappy’s Chowder House and the handful of quaint art galleries are just a few more of my personal favorites. Maine truly is a haven and I am so so happy Jen humored my Camden pattern desires. I look forward to her visit, so she can see how well she has captured a places essence (yet again).