Travel

Travel + Landscape | New Orleans by Lauren Wessel

 

“The first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds - the cemeteries - and they're a cold proposition, one of the best things there are here. Going by, you try to be as quiet as possible, better to let them sleep. Greek, Roman, sepulchres- palatial mausoleums made to order, phantomesque, signs and symbols of hidden decay - ghosts of women and men who have sinned and who've died and are now living in tombs. The past doesn't pass away so quickly here. You could be dead for a long time.” ― Bob Dylan

 

I've always had a romantic idea of New Orleans-- you can blame my adolescence poring over Anne Rice novels, where the decadent vampires strolled the streets of the French Quarter or lurked in swamps... so when I finally got to visit the city, that's where my mind went. The French Quarter, the old cemeteries and tombs, and swamps. Of course, I also sought the music, the thrum of jazz and blues... but more than anything I wanted to come to terms with my fantasy of New Orleans in reality. I believe I succeeded-- below are photos from casual strolls from Bywater to the French Quarter, an old pharmacy, Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, and the Barataria Preserve in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

Travel | Spring in New Harmony, Indiana by Lauren Wessel

This spring, my mum and I returned to one of our favorite towns-- New Harmony, Indiana. We've visited New Harmony fairly frequently over the years, stopping into our favorite cafes, restaurants, and shops. The town is very walkable-- in fact, you have to try pretty hard not to walk the whole town during your stay. 

Founded by Harmonists, New Harmony is known for it's blend of art, nature, and spirituality. There are two labyrinths, an open air (roofless) church, walking trails along the Wabash River, and various historical homes and buildings significant to the founding of New Harmony. I won't try and summarize the whole history of the town, but you can check out visitnewharmony.com for more info!

Travel + Landscape | Ireland 2016 by Lauren Wessel

Story time: I first went to Ireland in 2012 to do a study abroad semester at the Burren College of Art in County Clare-- it was absolutely life changing and really kick started my travel addiction, and much of my art and photography is still influenced by the experience.

A couple years ago I convinced my mom to take a trip back with me; but unfortunately my grandfather died the day we were meant to fly out... so we rescheduled for spring instead of fall. It turned out to be the trip both of us needed and I was inspired all over again. Revisiting favorite-- sacred, to me and I'm sure many others-- places and discovering new ones!

We started in Dublin-- just in time to catch some of the 1916 Centenary celebrations. From there, we made our way through Counties Wicklow, Cork, Kerry, Clare, and Meath, visiting gorgeous landscapes, castles, and estates.

Travel + Landscape | Red Rocks and Sand Dunes in Colorado by Lauren Wessel

February 2017-- which seems a lot more recent than it is, in hindsight-- I went on a road trip with my mum from our home in Louisville, Kentucky, first to visit her sisters in Colorado Springs, then on to a friend's home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. As much as I love road trips, I did not love driving across Kansas the long way! 

In Colorado we did a lot of exploring of old stomping grounds-- Manitou Springs, Garden of the Gods-- and discovering new places, like Manitou Cliff Dwellings. On our way from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe, we stayed a night in the town of Crestone and visited Great Sand Dunes National Park. The dunes are AMAZING. The tallest dunes in North America, they are a phenomenon nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the "centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, conifer and aspen forests, alpine lakes, and tundra" (from the NPS website). We crossed the Rio Grande at some point, and I got a shot of the beautiful canyon-like layers it cut through the earth.

Sadly, I put my camera away during our Santa Fe leg of the trip, as we were doing a lot of walking and touristy activities (Meow Wolf, Santa Fe plaza, Georgia O'Keefe Museum, gallery hopping on Canyon Road, etc!). 

We took the southern route back to Kentucky, and got to travel Route 66 for a while, which is something I'm going to have to revisit in the future! The town of Tucumcari, NM by itself is worth a visit, though we only passed through... it's like a time capsule of amazing old signage and buildings. 

Photos from this blog can be purchased as prints! 

Here are a few shots I got on my phone of various road trip moments!

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Thanks for reading/looking/scrolling!