Tag: house

Adventures in New Mexico Part 1-Breaking Bad

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Sometimes the best trips are the ones that you didn’t even know you were going on or needed.

Last May, after spotting a hole in my work schedule and realizing that it coincided with my son’s college break, a plan took root in my head.

Mother/son trip!

Deciding to meet in Atlanta on a Saturday morning, we would figure out where to go from there. Of course, we had some possibilities and preliminary plans, but in the end, flying standby would dictate where we would end up.

The winner?

Albuquerque, New Mexico!

A couple of years ago during Covid, I had mapped out a driving plan to some of New Mexico’s most interesting destinations and attractions. When we realized how many restrictions and quarantines were in place at that time, we headed south to the beach instead. I had kept this itinerary, however, in my back pocket and it was time to whip it out!

Landing in Albuquerque in the late afternoon, we decided that with the amount of daylight remaining, we would try to visit one thing in the city. I had thoughts of Petroglyph National Monument or Sandia Peak Tramway, but my son had another idea.

A fan of the television series, Breaking Bad, which I had never seen, he was hoping to see the house that was featured as the lead character’s home. Following directions to the home in the northeast part of the city, we entered a residential area and then following three other cars down Piermont Drive, we slowed behind them as he pointed it out to me. 3828 Piermont Drive, NE.

Since he wanted to take a photo of the house, we circled back around and parked on the street which was perpendicular to Piermont and right in front of the house. Little did I realize that this was the parking location where many a stake out took place during the show and he explained that the fence that now encircled the home was not present during filming. Soon after we parked, a woman exited the house and came into the front yard. She began holding up a phone, filming us and yelling for us to leave, even though other cars were driving by slowly and taking pictures of the house.

Realizing that this was our cue to depart, we pulled away as my son explained that he had read that the new owners of the house had no idea that their house was famous when they bought it and hated the attention that it garnered on a daily basis.

I felt terrible! Never having seen the show, it didn’t mean anything to me and as a homeowner, I would absolutely hate having people drive by taking pictures of my home, as this woman obviously did!

After finishing the series a couple of months ago, I understand that fans would be interested in where critical outdoor scenes were filmed, but after hearing stories from my son about people throwing pizzas on the roof, as was done in one of the episodes, I could sympathize with why the owners added a gate to give them a bit of privacy.

Since we had had a long day, we decided to have dinner (not pizza!) and make a plan for the next day…one that didn’t involve stake outs and invasion of other people’s privacy!!!

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Breaking Bad House

  • Address: 3828 Piermont Drive, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111
  • Hours: 24 hours
  • Admission: not available

The Hall and the Fossils

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Many years ago, while some work was being completed on our house, the electrician, noting my three very active boys, offered up a recommendation.

No, it’s not what you’re thinking…not chandeliers or track lighting…

He suggested that I take my boys fossil hunting!

Yes, fossil hunting!

Having a boy of his own, he was fully aware of the challenges of finding things to keep children occupied. Describing a place that he often took his son, he detailed all of the shark teeth and fossilized items they found on their visits. About an hour and a half away, located on the Potomac River in the northern neck of Virginia, he chronicled the property as the former home of Confederate Robert E. Lee, an historic estate open to visitors, although it was the area at the rear of the property, along the waterway that he wanted us to experience.

A few days later, I loaded the boys in the car and made that trip. We found dozens of ancient shark teeth, buried in the sandy banks, in that particular location and also in nearby Westmoreland State Park. Merely gazing at Lee’s former home as we drove by, I never gave the thought of visiting the stately manor much credence.

Years passed and the bags of shark teeth sat in a container on my kitchen countertop. As the restrictions from Covid lingered, I found myself away from work and desperately searching for things to occupy myself and fulfill my wanderlust desires. While cleaning the kitchen one day, I came upon one of those bags and thought about that sunny, fall day when we dug in the sand and carefully sifted it in hopes of discovering some ancient treasures. I remembered passing the Lee estate and decided to do an internet search to see if it was open to visitors. Certainly, I could stand to feel like a tourist again and maybe even do a little sand sifting!

On a mid-January day, my husband and I headed out to Montross, Virginia. Unseasonably warm and sunny, it was the perfect day to go sight-seeing. Upon our arrival, we ventured into the Visitor’s Center, paid our admission, collected our audio guide and wandered through the adjacent exhibit which gave an overview of the historical significance of the site as well its timeline.

Leaving the center, we then made our way down a long walkway toward the “Great House”.

Built by Thomas Lee in 1738, this plantation remained in the Lee family for four generations that helped to define our nation. While most people are aware that Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, many don’t know the names of the signers, aside from Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Hancock. In fact, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, both born at Stratford Hall, were two of fifty-six endorsers during 1776.

Years later, the birth of Robert Edward Lee, in 1807, was documented in the plantation journals. This young man called Stratford Hall his home until leaving to serve as General-in-Chief of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War from 1861 until 1865.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960, the property is under the care of the National Park Service and the United States Department of the Interior. The grounds are impeccably kept and the home is proportionately constructed and in exemplary condition.

We first made our way through both levels of the Great House, examining the period furniture, original colonial pine floors, brick masonry and oil paintings. The home is elegantly furnished and exhibits the wealth of the Lee family during the time.

Heading outside, we analyzed the home’s meritorious brick exterior, acknowledging the skillful craftsmanship, before taking to task the other structures located on the 2,000 acre property…the Overseer’s work place, the Payne cabin (home of the enslaved Payne family and the grave marker of “Uncle Wes” William Westley Payne), the spring house, the gardens, the northeast out-building, the gardener’s cottage, the burial vault, the smokehouse, the kitchen, the slave quarters, the southwest out-building and the coach house and stables. The property is vast, including marked nature trails, so allow a few hours see everything.

Great House Exterior
The Overseer’s Cabin
Overseer’s Cabin
Payne Cabin
Payne Cabin
The Grave of “Uncle Wes” William Westley Payne
The Spring House
The Spring House
Stratford Hall Gardens
Northwest Outbuilding
The Gardener’s Cottage
The Gardener’s Cottage
Burial Vault
Burial Vault
Kitchen and Smokehouse
Craftsmen’s Work and Living Quarters
Slave Quarters
Slave Quarters
Coach House and Stables
Coach House and Stables
Nature Trails

Since we still had a bit of time remaining before the winter sun slide beyond the horizon, we headed down to the beach area. Before we ditched our shoes for our coastal explorations, we investigated the grist mill with its paddle wheel and the lake.

Grist Mill
Grist Mill

Finally, it was time to see if I would have any luck with our specimen search. We had the beach to ourselves and we thoroughly combed the area and dug through the sand as much as my cold fingers could stand.

Potomac River Beach

Nothing.

Oh well, maybe I just don’t have the patience that I used to.

Leaving empty-handed, we made a quick stop at the slave cemetery. Sadly, we did not even have some shells to leave on the marker in remembrance of those who served the Lee family faithfully.

Slave Cemetery

Although it was the perfect day for sightseeing, obviously it wasn’t the perfect day for fossil hunting.

The boys will simply have to join me next time!

Stratford Hall

  • https://www.stratfordhall.org/
  • Address: 483 Great House Rd, Stratford, Virginia 22558-0001
  • Hours: 1000-1700, Wednesday through Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
  • Admission: Adults (ages 14+), $12.00, Children (ages 6-13), $5.00, Children (under 5), free. Grounds Pass (access to the hiking trails, public beach area, gardens, public grounds, Visitor Center, and Gift Shop only), Adults, $8.00, Children, $5.00.

King’s Castle

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While visitor’s may be aware of the connection of two of King Streets most famous landmarks, Flagler College and The Lightner Museum, many may not know that these came to fruition because of the Villa Zorayda.

Villa Zorayda, an architectural masterpiece, was built by Franklin Smith in 1883, in the Moorish style of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. When Henry Flagler, millionaire American industrialist, founder of Standard Oil and the Florida East Coast Railway, arrived in St. Augustine in 1883 with his new wife, they found the hotel facilities and transportation systems to be inadequate. Flagler, intrigued by the stunning Villa Zorayda, offered to buy it for his honeymoon but was turned down by the owner, Franklin W. Smith. Flagler then went on to build his own architectural masterpieces on King Street.

Villa Zorayda, also known as Zorayda Castle, was Smith’s winter home and housed his extensive art and antique collection. Over the years, it was utilized as a restaurant, a nightclub, a gambling casino and a hotel. After renovations in 2003, it was reopened to the public in 2008 as a museum.

My first encounter with the architectural marvel was while riding the Old Town Trolley. As we drove through the parking lot to drop off some riders, I was intrigued with the beautiful style, but it wasn’t until the next day when I had a bit of time on my hands to hot foot it over for a quick look-see.

Of course, as I entered, I was met with my least favorite phrase, “Photography Not Permitted”. Argh! Still, I paid my admission, put on my audio guide headphones and started my tour in the small study.

Whoa! This place was amazing! Had I stepped into a middle eastern palace? It sure looked like it!

The trim, the gold detailing, the gorgeous hand-painted tiles! And this was just in the first room, the Prayer Room. Each of the rooms were similarly styled and filled with Franklin Smith’s art and antique collection, now owned by Abraham Mussallem, an authority on oriental rugs and Egyptian artifacts who also purchased the villa in 1913.

The highlight of the villa is the central two-story center court which can be gazed upon from both levels. Rooms surrounding this courtyard are similarly decorated and are bedecked with alabaster and plaster reliefs, replicas of the walls of the Alhambra Palace. “There is no conqueror but God” is reproduced in the tracery of the Alhambra and is inscribed in Arabic script above the front entrance. Filling the space are hand painted wood panels, intricately designed doorways and geometrically shaped windows and colorful stained glass. There are Middle Eastern brass lamps, Oriental rugs, sculptures, carved furniture and Egyptian artifacts throughout. The most curious piece of the collection, however, is the Sacred Cat Rug made from the hairs of ancient cats that roamed the Nile River and is over 2400 years old.

The highlight of the villa is the central two-story center court which can be gazed upon from both levels. Rooms surrounding this courtyard are similarly decorated and are bedecked with alabaster and plaster reliefs, replicas of the walls of the Alhambra Palace. “There is no conqueror but God” is reproduced in the tracery of the Alhambra and is inscribed in Arabic script above the front entrance. Filling the space are hand painted wood panels, intricately designed doorways and geometrically shaped windows and colorful stained glass. There are Middle Eastern brass lamps, Oriental rugs, sculptures, carved furniture and Egyptian artifacts throughout. The most curious piece of the collection, however, is the Sacred Cat Rug made from the hairs of ancient cats that roamed the Nile River and is over 2400 years old.

Sacred Cat Rug

It was awe-inspiring to wander from room to room studying each piece of the collection, including items from its gaming and club days. My favorite room, however, was on the second floor…the Harem Room. More of a small porch, it had a small star-shaped window to peek into the room and decorated with blue and white tiles and ornamentation. An exquisite wooden swing hung in the entry area to this room and I was tempted to take a quick ride…

Harem Room

I did not, of course, but you know what I did do?

I snuck a few pictures…okay more than a few…since the woman manning the front desk wasn’t too worried about interacting with the customers…even when paying…much less watching to see if we were disobeying instructions!

 In all, my visit lasted about forty-five minutes, but was worth the exploration of this unique property and its furnishings. If you are visiting St. Augustine and making your way down King Street to witness the unique stunning structures that are Flagler College and the Lightner Museum, take a bit of time to stop in and check out the Castle of King Street, Villa Zorayda.

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Villa Zorayda

  • https://villazorayda.com/
  • Address: 83 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
  • Hours: Monday to Saturday, 1000-1700, Sunday 1100-1600. Closed Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
  • Admission: Adults (ages 13-59), $12.00, Children (ages 7-12), $5.00, Seniors (ages 60 and over), $11.00.
  • Parking: Free parking for one vehicle while visiting the museum.

A Cat…Or Two…Or Three

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Historic homes in Key West are plentiful.

Cats, too.

One of the most famous and most visited landmarks of Key West is the former home of writer Ernest Hemingway.

Hemingway and his second wife, journalist Pauline Pfeiffer, made Key West their home after leaving Paris and returning to the United States in 1928. Enchanted by the island at the southern end of the Florida Keys, they purchased a home on one of the largest private lots in the city and settled into to the laid back and permissive lifestyle that the remote U.S. city offered.

The home, which stood on one of the most elevated spots on the island, was well constructed to endure the ferocity of the Caribbean hurricane seasons. It was lovingly restored and filled with European antiques that Hemingway purchased on his frequent trips abroad.

As we waited in the oppressive heat for our tour to start and were admiring the home’s stunning Spanish Colonial exterior, a cat or two wove their way around our feet. Figuring they were strays that had made their way onto the property, we followed our tour guide into the home and listened as he regaled us with tales of Hemingway’s colorful life.

Making our way through the living spaces that the writer shared with his wife and noting his cherished keepsakes, we also noted a cat or two…or three. Now, seeing cats outside was one thing, but there was a cat sleeping near the floor-to-ceiling window, one stretched out on the dining room table and another lounging on the bathroom window sill. An avid fan of architecture, I am usually engrossed in the details of historic homes and their furnishings, however, instead of appreciating the beautiful yellow patterned tile in the bathroom and Hemingway’s hunting trophies, I was playing spot the cat!

The guide led us up to the top floor’s rooms including the bedroom and there…on the bed…another cat!

We moved out to the gallery, admiring the nearby Key West Light House, and finally learned the story of the Hemingway cats.

As the story goes, Hemingway was given Snow White, a white six-toed cat, as a gift by a sea captain…a very auspicious gift, as polydactyl cats are thought by sailors to bring good luck. The cats on the property, between fifty and sixty, are descendants of Snow White. The cats bear the names of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Humphrey Bogart and live a fat and happy life within the home and on the premises.

Making our way down the back stairs and into the back garden, we spied more of Snowball’s descendants sprawled out in the shade taking afternoon siestas. As we headed back upstairs to take a look inside the carriage house where Hemingway’s office was located and where he penned “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” and “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, there was another cat, no doubt dreaming about the inspiration that once occurred here.

Finally, we made our way to the rear of the property to lay our eyes on the inviting swimming pool, the first of the Florida Keys, that was installed by Pauline Pfeiffer as a surprise for her husband. Not something that he would have spent his hard-earned money on, he angrily (and a bit melodramatically) threw a penny into the pool, indicating that she had spent his last hard cent, despite the fact that it was paid for with her money. Pauline kept the penny and had it embedded in the concrete near the pool. Though he was not initially impressed with the addition to his home, it grew on him and he eventually had a six foot wall erected around the property so that he could swim nude, privy to only his wife’s and cat’s eyes.

Stopping to inspect the penny, which is still present, we also ducked into the gift shop which displayed books and gifts for sale and yes…a cat…sleeping high on one of the shelves!

As we made our way to the exit gates, we took note of the small houses erected for the cats tucked between the lush growth of the property. We also stopped by the Cat Cemetery and discovered the graves, etched with the deceased cats famous names. We paid our respects to Kim Novak, Willard Scott, Collette Colbert, Liz Taylor and all of the others who came before them.

What I though the most interesting was there was a cat named Pauline Pfeiffer! I wonder if she liked swimming in the beautiful pool?

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The Ernest Hemingway House and Museum

  • https://www.hemingwayhome.com/
  • Address:  907 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040
  • Hours: 0900-1700, daily
  • Admission: Adults, $16.00, Child, (6-12 years), $6.00, Children (5 years and under), free. Rates include 30 minute guided tour.

The Gandhi House

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Located on a pretty, tree-lined street in downtown Mumbai is the former home of one of the most famous people of India.

Mahatma Gandhi.

This was our second stop (if you don’t count shopping and a quick breakfast at Leopold’s) on our fast tour of Mumbai and I was very excited to see the house that Gandhi lived in and used as his headquarters from 1917 to 1934.

Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in 1869, in western India, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who led the country to obtain their independence from British Rule. He led a very eventful life and is widely known around the globe even in death.

His home on Laburnum Road now acts as a museum and is free to visit. Upon entry, I discovered the small lobby of the museum, however, the majority of the first floor is used as a library, filled with books and manuscripts. There is a large bust of Gandhi, his many quotes emblazoned above the doorways and countless pictures line the walls.

Moving on to the second floor, up a staircase lined with photographs, I found the space which acted as Gandhi’s personal bedroom. Kept preserved in its original condition, his bed and charkha (spinning wheel) were kept as he left them and the space is protected by glass partitions. Also on the second floor is a photo gallery with snapshots of Gandhi’s life. There are also photos, letters and press releases on display for visitor’s to peruse.

The best part of the second floor, however, are the dioramas. These beautifully constructed scenes highlight important events and meetings in Gandhi’s life.

I later found that there is a rooftop terrace that is accessible, however, I do not remember finding an entrance. It was a beautiful day and I wish we had been able to ascend to a spot where I am sure that Gandhi spent his afternoons enjoying the sunshine.

Though my visit was rather short, this historic home had an amazing story to tell. It was most enjoyable walking through and discovering the space that such an important figure called home.

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Mani Bhavan