"Z" Is For Zorachs, Unforgettable Artists from Maine

It's hard to believe that an entire month has passed, and the A to Z Blog Challenge is at the final letter "Z" which at first seemed difficult for the Passenger to Paradise. But it wasn't difficult after all because I remembered the famous American Modernists, Marguerite and William Zorach, and their home on Georgetown Island in Maine.

When our daughter attended a summer program for gifted young writers, she met and became friends with one of the Zorach great-grandchildren. We later took her to Maine to visit her new friend and had the unique opportunity to see where Marguerite painted and where William created his pieces of sculpture. Original art was on view all over the grounds and in the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Tessim and  Peggy Zorach. We got to see the wall murals, created by Marguerite, as well.

As an artist, I especially appreciated the opportunity to see original works by artists I had studied in college. Over the years after that, I corresponded with Peggy and enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her. Seeing the Zorach art gave me a new appreciation for Maine and for the contributions of the Zorach family there.

Thanks to all of you who made the A to Z Blog Challenge possible. Although I was able to visit only a few blogs each day, I plan to keep the list and continue my visits. Thanks to all of my new blog followers. I was delighted to almost double the number and cross over the 100 followers milestone.

"Y" Is For Yellowstone

"Falls" MM Sikes

A two-week stay in Yellowstone National Park may be the highlight of travels for the Passenger to Paradise. Four years ago, one of our daughters planned a special family trip to Yellowstone, and it was unforgettable. We discovered a photo op in every direction no matter where we were in the park.

Along the way we found that buffalo actually roam free and block the roadways as everyone stops, gets out of their vehicles, and takes pictures of the big lumbering animals. We learned that might not be a good idea because of the danger of being trampled or gored by one of the wild creatures.

Old Faithful MM Sikes

We spent part of our time at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel, a beautiful and delightful place with its own resident artist displaying work painted on site. We also stayed at the Old Faithful Inn with a view from our window of Old Faithful geyser which actually erupts every 90 minutes or so.

Among the highlights of our trip were the cowboy trail ride with a BBQ dinner that featured unlimited steaks. We enjoyed the Yellowstone Grand Canyon and Mammouth Hot Springs.

"A Mudpot" MM Sikes

Touring the amazing mudpots was yet another unforgettable experience.

I would love to return to Yellowstone, but for now I'll just enjoy looking at some of the many photographs I took on this fantastic journey.

"Y" has to be for Yellowstone.

"X" Is For the Temple of Xtoloc at Chichen Itza

"Pathway to the Ruins" MM Sikes

For the past few weeks, as the Passenger to Paradise, I've been researching the Maya ruins in Central America. During that investigation, I came across the Temple of Xtoloc. The remains of this small temple are located on the edge of the famous cenote at Chichen Itza known an the Well of Sacrifice.

According to my research, this cenote is quite large, covering a surface of about one acre. The well was used for perhaps as long a period as 500 years and contained not only treasures but also the skeletons of people of many different ages, including children, who were sacrificed in rituals. This information came from A Guide to Ancient Maya Ruins by C. Bruce Hunter which shows a photograph of the well with the temple in the background. From the Internet, I found a description saying that there are actually two cenotes at Chichen Itza and that the one the temple is on is not the sacrificial one but may have served as the source of fresh water supply for the people.

Chichen Itza is a Maya ruins site we visited a few years ago. The well was one of the locations on our tour. I later created a large series of paintings from photographs taken of the many excavated buildings. The painting on the right is one of the series. I made a very large painting of the Well of Sacrifice but not of the Temple of Xtoloc.

Jungle Jeopardy, my WIP set in the jungles of Central America, includes exploration of some of the Maya ruins. Copan in Honduras, where many of the most intriguing ruins are found, may have been settled as long ago as 2000 BC. Stela B, a large stone carving found at Copan, contains images some people believe are elephants. Sad we know so little of the true history of this part of our world.

Have you visited any of the Maya ruins? If so, what was your reaction?

"W" Is For Williamsburg, Virginia - Land That I Love

"Williamsburg Inn" painting by MMSikes

Williamsburg, Virginia is the community of my heart. For many years, it has been a central location in my life. As an art student at the College of William and Mary, I commuted to the school at least three times a week, studying painting, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics. I've exhibited art in exhibitions and in galleries in Williamsburg. As a correspondent for the Newport News Daily Press, I covered Williamsburg and wrote feature articles for several years. Now I play tennis there three times a week.

"The Historic Area--stretching from the College of William and Mary at one end of Duke of Gloucester Street to the Capitol building at the other--attracts droves of admiring visitors from all over the world. Nearby, at the edge of the restored area, the Williamsburg Inn offers gracious accommodations, graceful decor, and delightful gourmet dining."

That's what I wrote as part of my entry in Hotels to Remember featuring the historic inn. My painting on the left is actually of the back of the inn as seen from the golf course. I love this side of the inn because it seems more like old Williamsburg to me.

We are fortunate that in 1926, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. decided to support the project to restore the historic area to eighteenth-century glory. Now every year thousands of people flock to the community to tour the colonial buildings and absorb the history. Those who retire here often serve as guides for the tours or become interpreters.

As the Passenger to Paradise, I cannot think of a better destination for travelers. Have you ever visited Williamsburg? If not, it's a worthy place to add to your travel list.

"V" Is For Vienna, Austria

Right before my senior year in college, I spent a summer working on building a kindergarten for a church in Linz, Austria. During that summer we took a side trip to the city of Vienna (Wien). As soon as I saw the ornate building facades, the church spires, and the art I felt at home. The streets seemed familiar to me as well. This was my first experience with deja vu.

Years later, when I returned to Vienna, I had a similar sense of great familiarity with the old city that I was visiting with two of my daughters. While one of them flew an airplane between Vienna and Istanbul, Turkey and the other recovered from a cold, I explored the streets alone. Although I was by myself, I felt comfortable and secure. From that experience, my interest in reincarnation grew, and I eventually used that interest as I developed the plot of Hearts Across Forever.

For me, "V" must be for Vienna, Austria. Perhaps the spark of the wanderlust for the Passenger to Paradise was born there.

What do you think about deja vu? Ever had any experiences with it?