With a population that has been almost halved since its peak of only about 24,000 in 1960, Natchez, Mississippi, could easily become a forgotten, dying backwater along the Mississippi River. But its rich history, grand setting, elegance, and hospitality help maintain its relevance as one of the South’s most charming cities, particularly for those interested in heritage tourism. At the city’s zenith, more than 500 millionaires called it home — more than any other U.S. city except New York. They left behind a treasure trove of outstanding architecture that still lures a steady stream of visitors, including me, who come to gape at more than 600 antebellum structures — the largest collection in the United States. Read more about the top five buildings in Natchez >
Category Archives: Art & Architecture
The Best Artistic Depictions of Palm Sunday
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, a key date in the Christian calendar when millions of Christians around the world commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem — a fateful day that launches Holy Week. Depicted in art for centuries, Palm Sunday is an unmistakable scene, whether it’s been rendered on a canvas or, as in most of the ones that really impressed me, stained glass. Read more about the top five Palm Sundays >
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Key West’s Key Buildings
Key West, Florida, is quite literally the end of the road, the final stop along the Overseas Highway, one of the world’s top 10 drives. The richest city in Florida and one of the richest in the United States in 1889, despite its isolation, Key West’s glory days didn’t last very long: It declared bankruptcy in the 1930s. During that short time span, however, the city thrived on its tobacco factories and shipwreck salvage industry, creating handsome structures while wisely maintaining a low-rise profile better suited to survive the annual threat of hurricanes. Read about the top five buildings in Key West >
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A Must-see Library Even if You Are Not a Bookworm
With so many outstanding museums to visit in the capital of the United States, not to mention gorgeous churches and the White House and the U.S. Capitol to see how the government is supposed to function, it’s easy to overlook a library, and I had no intention of visiting one. But, uphill from the Capitol, the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress presented an alluring Beaux-Arts profile that I couldn’t resist. Once inside, I was wonderstruck by one of the most sumptuous interiors in all of Washington, D.C. Read more >
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Seattle’s Art World at Its Most Brilliant
Another gray, wet day in Seattle had me searching for indoor activities. The tall, black, steel man with the hammer on a downtown street corner caught my eye, even through the rain and from under the shelter of my umbrella. Unperturbed by the tail end of the morning rush hour, he maintained a steady and soundless rhythm as he beat at the air high above the corner of University Street and 1st Avenue. He also lured me to the building behind him, which quickly ended my quest: the Seattle Art Museum. Read more >
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Treasures Among the Towers: Finding the Best Buildings in Toronto, Ontario
As Canada’s largest city, Toronto has been a hub of finance, politics, culture, trade, industry, and education for a couple of centuries, all of which lends its urban landscape an impressive variety of structures. Although seemingly drowning in a sea of characterless skyscrapers right now, it still boasts plenty of unique buildings scattered around town that will enrich your visit to the “Queen City.” Read more about my top five buildings in Toronto >
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The Best Depictions of the Real Meaning of Christmas
December 25 is rapidly approaching, and for 2.2 billion Christians around the world, the Christmas season is in full swing. Although the secular aspects of this important holiday increasingly garner all the attention and overshadow the real meaning of Christmas — the birth of Jesus Christ — all you have to do is look at a Nativity scene (or listen to Linus’ beautiful soliloquy in A Charlie Brown Christmas) to be reminded of what it’s all about. For centuries, artists have been depicting that day that changed the world in Nativities in every type of media imaginable. Some of these painters, sculptors, glaziers, woodworkers, and other talented experts broke the traditional mold of just showing the Holy Family in a stable with some hay, farm animals, a couple of shepherds, and the Three Wise Men. I found these works in particular to be the most imaginative, and most memorable. Read more about my top five Nativities in the world >
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Navigating Your Way Through the Largest Art Museum in the United States
If you’ve ever visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, you know it is the leading art museum in the city, the largest in the United States, and one of the best in the world. If you’ve never been there, here’s a tip: Do not try to see it all in one day. You will fail. Its collection of every kind of art, from paintings, photographs, sculptures, and ivory carvings, to jewelry, musical instruments, Fabergé eggs, and samurai swords, is far too deep to conquer in one visit. Instead, pick a few things you’re particularly interested in and save the rest for another time—and be prepared to walk a few miles within the museum itself. Still too overwhelming? Then read about the top five things you must see and do >
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Portals to Greatness: The World’s Best Entryways
For better or worse, we often make snap decisions about books, or magazines, or people, by their cover. Sometimes we’re right, and the contents inside are as wonderful or as horrendous as we prejudged; sometimes we’re wrong, and exactly the opposite happens. When it comes to the world’s most magnificent building entrances, however, they never fail: They invariably lead to something magical inside, but they also always capture our attention, seducing us into admiring them on their own merit. Read more about the top five entryways in the world >
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Where Politics Do Not Matter: The Best Churches in Washington, D.C.
They’ve witnessed papal visits, presidential funerals, memorial services for war and terrorism victims, and countless weddings. For anyone visiting the capital of the United States who isn’t attending a particular headlines-generating service, however, they’re simply beautiful attractions with impressive art, long histories, and no interest in your political affiliation. Read more about the top five churches in Washington, D.C. >
Stephen Travels 