Chrysler Museum Glass Studio

I love creative playdates! A week or so ago, Anouk and I joined friends to go and see visiting artist Gianni Toso work live in the Chrysler Museum's glass studio. And it was probably my favorite of our adventures around town to date -- such an inspiring, educational, and colorful experience. I've never seen anything like it before (not even in all my poking around for things to do).

I'm not sure what I expected -- maybe something like the glassblowers at Jamestown? Sort of campy and fun? While this was definitely fun, there was far less of a boisterous vibe. Things were quieter, more focused, as the artist worked and the people sitting in rows of chairs around the workspace watched intently. Occasionally, a staffer with a microphone would step up to narrate what Toso was doing as he switched tools, or melded two different colored glass rods and stretched them into a delicately twisting ribbon. Classical music was playing while he worked and there were also large monitors hanging around the room so that even the people in the back could see. Toso comes from a family line of glass makers spanning back 700 years (that's not a typo), and he himself has been doing this for six decades, so you really want to be able to watch him closely, and luckily, you can.

Anne and her friend C. really enjoyed strolling around the perimeter of the room and looking at all of the work done by glass studio resident and visiting artists -- the more colorful or intricate it was, the better. To be completely honest, though, this was probably one of those outings that was more exciting the parents than the kids, at least in our case. S. and I were fascinated by the whole experience, but I think they were just too young to appreciate it fully. However, there were many older children in the audience -- ages 6 to 8 or so and then some older tweens and teens -- who seemed as into it as we were. So that's probably the best age group for this event.

The next nearest museum-affiliated glass studio in the U.S. is in Toledo, Ohio (there are only five in the whole country), so we are very lucky to have this one so close to home. And there are many opportunities to visit. The Chrysler's glass studio presents free daily demonstrations at noon, every Wednesday through Saturday, and regularly offer classes, workshops, and Third Wednesday parties with booze, music, and glass art demonstrations. You can find out more on the studio's website, and you can see more of what these remarkably talented artists do on the studio's YouTube channel.

Tides are In

 A couple of weekends ago, my sister came into town from DC, and my uncle noticed that the Norfolk Tides, our local minor baseball league team, were offering a deal for Buy 5 tickets, Get 5 tickets free. Put them together and what do you have? Family baseball night. Hooray!

We set out to Harbor Park on a drizzly Saturday night hoping that the rain would hold off so that we could see the Tides play the Rochester Red Wings. It also happened to be Navy Appreciation Night, which meant that we got to listen to the Navy band, see a group of young men and women be inducted into the service, and cheer for a few military men and women (and military spouses) who were being recognized that evening. I feel like nothing says Norfolk like the Navy, and so I was extra proud of my hometown when I saw the crowd that had turned out that night.

Our seats were fantastic -- right behind home plate, which meant that A. got to see most of the action unfold only a few feet away. She was entranced by everything that was going on -- she kept up a pretty steady stream of commentary that could give the official Tides announcer a run for his money ("That man goes up there. He hits the ball. He running! Wow, he run!") For all that, I still think that she was more into the games in-between innings than she was the actual baseball game -- she cheered harder for the teams racing to build a giant hamburger than she did any time one of our players got a hit. (Although the hamburger race was very exciting that night, with one team running the wrong way and another forgetting the cheese).

We also introduced Anouk to cotton candy while we were at Harbor Park that fateful Saturday. She was definitely a fan of that, eating almost one whole bag by herself and then crashing hard from the sugar high. This coincided with the point at which the rain started in earnest, so we left at the top of the 7th inning. But we still felt like we got a good amount of excitement out of the evening -- we couldn't have asked for more.*

*Except maybe the Tides to not get shut out, but that's a small thing, right?

Go team! Have you ever been to a Tides game? What's your local minor league team called? (I still think Richmond has the best with the Flying Squirrels).

5 Places to Have a Picnic (in Norfolk)

Did you know that July was National Picnic Month? Neither did I -- until July was almost over. (National Picnic People, make sure you publicize this a little better next year!) However, we did manage to have two picnics in the last week of July -- one with friends at Bacon's Castle in Surry (post on that forthcoming) and one in our very own backyard.

There are so many wonderful parks and beaches around the area that are ideal picnic destinations, but I thought I would share five of our favorite off-the-beaten-path places around town that are just perfect to visit with a blanket and a basket of goodies.

1. Pagoda and Oriental Garden: This spot is so secluded (usually) that it's easy to pretend you're all by yourself right in the middle of the downtown waterfront. There's also a lot to do -- from watching the ships on the river to making friends with the fish in the carp ponds and a million places nearby to walk to. A really convenient place to stop for lunch if you're out and about of an afternoon.

2. Norfolk International Airport Overlook: There are so many other wonderful things to see at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens that the airport overlook (where you can watch planes take off and land and listen to chatter from the control towers) is often overlooked (see what I did there?) You'll have to pay admission to the garden for the chance to climb the hill but for an airplane-obsessed kid, this is pretty much heaven.

3. St. Paul's Church: For this spot, you'll need to be able to disassociate yourself from the whole graveyard thing a little, but if you can, the churchyard is the perfect place for lunch, beauty and history wrapped up in one (free) package.

4. Moses Myers House: We reviewed the MM house last week. While there, I couldn't help noticing the wide sweeping lawn to the side of the house and imaging a blanket spread out there, under the trees.

5. The Hague: A lot of people in Norfolk don't know about the Hague as anything other than the body of water they pass as they drive over the Brambleton Avenue bridge west of downtown, but around the Hague are extensive areas for running, biking, or just plain lounging and taking in some of the best architecture in the city (we love looking at the Queen Anne homes that line the seawall). Our favorite picnic spot is the crescent-shaped memorial pavilion near the Chrysler Museum (which might be closed off due to construction right now) but there are luckily plenty of other spots to choose from.

What's your favorite thing to pack in your picnic basket? Our family isn't really into sandwiches but we can whip up a mean pasta salad quick as a wink. ;) This also gives us the chance to use the dishes and silverware that came with our picnic basket -- somehow things always taste better when you're eating it off of miniature plates.

Happy weekend!

Moses Myers House

Our playgroup visited the Moses Myers House the same day we visited the Norfolk Police and Fire Museum -- after all, they are right next door to one another. I had visited the Myers House last October for a ghost walk but I was excited to see it in the daylight as the house is truly one of the most beautiful places in Norfolk, with original 18th century furnishings, stunning ceiling filigree, and ornate Wedgwood fireplaces.

The Myers family was the first Jewish family in Norfolk, arriving in 1792, and remained one of the most prominent until the 1930s. They had a lot of tragedy befall them, leading to some sad but interesting stories (and a lot of ghost lore -- some of the Myers House staff can tell spooky tales of encounters with the former residents).

While at the house, we were also excited to see an original sculpture exhibit done by glass artist Beth Lipman, called "Adeline's Portal" after one of Moses's daughters. The exhibit features hundreds of clear glass pieces modeled on artifacts found throughout the Myers House; we could have looked at it all day and still found new things to admire.

Truthfully, I think our brood of toddlers were just a little too young to fully appreciate all the house had to offer, but they did enjoy exploring, especially in the house's rambly back garden. I think the 5-and-up crowd would more inclined to appreciate the history of the place and I'm looking forward to making more visits in the future -- with and without A.

Norfolk Police and Fire-Rescue Museum

A. and I have passed the Norfolk Police and Fire-Rescue Museum on Freemason Street probably a hundred times while on our way to other places. I've been reminding myself for almost a year to make a trip there, but it wasn't until last week that we finally stopped in with our playgroup -- three moms and a gaggle of eager two-year-olds.

The museum -- which is actually two museums in one building -- houses artifacts that represent the police and fire departments' long and storied histories -- helmets, badges, boots, insignia, etc. We had fun peering in the cases and at the old photographs, but I think the big highlight of the trip was the old police radio and flashing siren perched on the front desk. The kids took turns playing with it for the better part of an hour (with varying degrees of cooperation).

For me, it was a special moment to see my great-uncle (whom I never met) listed in the register of fallen firefighters, a little bit of a personal connection to all that history. It was also really eerie to be able to run our hands over the piece of the World Trade Center that stands by the door.

The Norfolk Police and Fire Rescue Museum is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10-4 PM, and Sunday from 12-4 PM and admission is FREE. And they give you your own badge, what more could you ask for?

Have a great weekend, everybody!

A picnic at St. Paul's Church

When I was a student at the Virginia Governor's School for the Arts, years ago, the churchyard at St. Paul's was one of my favorite places to go after rehearsal, to sit and read and go over lines and discuss all the gossip of the day with a classmate or two. Yesterday, Anouk and I took some friends -- and a picnic lunch -- to visit the mossy churchyard. A lot about the surrounding downtown Norfolk area has changed since I graduated in 1999, but St. Paul's itself is just the same as I remember it, comfortingly so.

An 18th-century church might not seem like the most exciting place for playgroup, but A. and her friends had a blast exploring. They ran up and down the brick pathways and even peeked inside the church, exclaiming over the massive pipe organ and the intricate stained-glass windows. Of course we visited the cannonball lodged in the church's south wall, a souvenir of the Battle of Great Bridge during the first days of the Revoluntionary War. (Little Zeke thought it had been fired by pirates, and was very interested to see it.) There was even a tiny playground, and the shady magnolia trees adjacent were the perfect spot to spread our picnic blankets and sit awhile.

St. Paul's is the only surviving colonial-era building in Norfolk, and unlike many of the other historical sites around the city, is still being put to its original use today. The parish at St. Paul's is vibrant and active, and as a result, the church is a bustle of activity throughout the day, people going in and out, tending the graves, and setting up for morning services. I like that -- it makes the church feel like a representation of the city itself, which has been through so much and is still standing. St. Paul's reminds me every time I visit of Norfolk's long and colorful history. The things the church has seen -- the Revolution, the Burning of Norfolk, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the Civil Rights Era! As we walked through the courtyard yesterday, I found myself wishing that those old stones could talk. Just think of all the things they'd have to say -- and I would sit right down and hang on every word.

TowneBank Park

I can't say enough good things about TowneBank Park as a place to play in Downtown Norfolk. Tucked away between Waterside and Nauticus on the Elizabeth River waterfront, the park offers pretty much everything you need to appreciate warm summer weather and while away a sunny afternoon. Being at Towne Bank Park is something akin to chilling on an enormous backyard patio. There are comfy lawn chairs and squashy couches spread out over the grass under shady beach umbrellas, and games (corn hole, badminton) and baskets of toys (hula hoops, Skip-its, frisbees) scattered in between for the more energetic kids (and honestly, adults, too).




Closer to the riverfront is a bank of fountains that serves as a very serviceable sprayground -- it's nowhere near as awesome or expansive as the one at Norfolk Botanical Garden but it's more than adequate to cool off and thus serves its purpose. The American Rover tall ships and the Spirit of Norfolk are docked in the harbor nearby, which is a big deal for boat-loving little ones, and the ferry, with its big paddlewheel, comes chugging by every half hour or so to deliver a load of passengers. There's even an outdoor cafe (open 10-2) if you find yourself in need of something to eat or drink.

The vibe of the park gets more boisterous and grown-uppish as happy hour approaches, but in the morning and early afternoon it's a sunny, quiet place to play. A. and I went after lunchtime last Wednesday with a group of friends and it was the most fun she had all week (even including a busted-up knee -- whoever's bright idea it was to set the fountains in a floor of cement obviously never had a toddler). When the kids were adequately soaked and starting to get pink and done-looking, we loaded them into strollers and wagons and wheeled them across Waterside Drive to enjoy the art and air-conditioning of the Selden Arcade (and the refreshments in the Starbucks adjacent).

Bring towels. Bring water shoes and snacks. Bring enough change for the parking meter (this is something I always forget. The diligent downtown meter maids say: you don't want to forget).