Petra

If you have ever seen the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you are familiar with Petra (although only the exterior shots are realistic....everything internal was a piece of Hollywood fiction).

I, however, did not realize the extent of the fictionalization until I had the honor of visiting this ancient site in the summer of 2008.

Petra, literally meaning "stone," is the name given to a historic city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an.  It is situated near Mount Hor, in a valley between Wada Araba, the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba. 

Siq Peak

Not much is known of the city, though some that
people lived in the area as early as the eighteenth Egyptian dynasty (1550-1292BC).  At its prime, it served as the capital city for the Nabataeans sometime around 300BC. It was particularly impressive as a demonstration of the Nabataeans to control the water through a series of irrigation canals built through the canyon ("siq") leading into the city.  Also, the siq itself provided natural defenses for the people in inhabiting the city. 

When the Romans took over the area around 100BC, however, Petra began to experience a decline as trade routes were redirected.  A few hundred years alter, a massive earthquake damaged the water canals as well as numerous buildings.  Gradually, the city itself became viewed as little more than a curiosity.   Its renaissance, however, began when explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt first described Petra to the West in 1812. 

Through the Siq

 Today, the city is the most-visited tourist attraction in Jordan.  Additionally, it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.  Furthermore, in January of 2008, Smithsonian Magazine named it  as one of the "28 Places to See Before You Die." 

Petra itself a is a huge site, so if you plan to explore, be sure to wear walking shoes and bring plenty of water. When I went in July, it was exceptionally warm and dry. 

Map of Petra (via Wikipedia)

 Essentially, after passing a tongue-in-cheek coffee shop (see below), visitors have a long trek just to get to the entrance of the Siq.

 

Indiana Jones Coffee Shop

 Along the way, you can rent donkey-pulled carriages to lead you through the 1.2km Siq.  Upon entering the canyon, not only can you see the beautiful sandstone itself, but there are also various niches and carvings--many of which we do not know the meaning of to this day.  The irrigation system is also still evident.  Be warned, however--there are many places in the Siq that are very narrow, making claustrophobic friends cringe. 

Ampitheatre

  As you reach the end of the Siq, the most famous building in the city--Al Khazneh (aka, "The Treasury") slowly comes into view.  This massive building, carved entirely into the side of the sandstone, originally served as a crypt.  Local legends, however, state that a group of bandits hid money in an urn on the second floor, and it from this story that the name "Treasury" emerges. Visitors are allowed to walk up the steps and glimpse inside, but touring the interior is not possible. 

Sandstone in the Siq

Necropolis

In the courtyard outside the Treasury, various venders pander to the tens of thousands of visitors, offering everything from food to drink to nick-nacks to camel rides.  From here, you can walk for miles exploring the rest of the city which includes the official necropolis, a series of tombs, an amiptheatre, a market, El Deir ("The Monastery"),  and various temples. 

Visiting the site could take hours.  You really do need to be in decent physical shape to enjoy it.  Not only is the walk long and hot, but it undulates with the sand and stone upon which you step.  That being said, despite there being thousands of people there a day, it is so spacious that it doesn't feel crowded. 

Treasury from the Siq

When I first left for the Middle East, Petra was the part of the trip I was most looking forward to.  I had seen Indiana Jones, so it was something I connected to.  As I approached the Treasury, I began to fear that my excitement would not be met.  I was wrong.  Petra was everything I had hoped for and more.  It was one of the most beautiful places I had ever been.  The technological feats of carving this massive complex into the stone--at any age, let alone thousands of years ago--impressed me.  And, that so much of it is still intact was equally impressive.

 I would highly recommend Petra to anyone wishing to connect to an ancient time.  Anyone interested in theology, art, archeology, or architecture would surely be impressed.  Just remember to dress comfortably!

The Treasury

Piasa Bird

Today's attraction is probably even more obscure than my previous one, particularly if you're not from Southern Illinois! 

 The Piasa Bird attraction is currently a 48x22 painting on a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, about a mile north of Alton, Illinois.  This painting, however, is merely the latest in a string of pictographs commemorating the local legend of the Piasa Bird. The current painting is based on sketches made in the 1800s and is situated slightly upstream from where the original image appeared. 


The history of the site is that in 1673, Father Jacques Marquette, while making his trip down the Mississippi with Louis Joliet, wrote in his diary an image of a birdlike monster painted on cliffs.  He described the original image as a monster that was as "large as a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head and between the legs."

  


 The creature was given its name by the Illini Indians of the area, and it roughly translates to "a bird that devours men." Why? Well, you can read the legend of the Piasa Bird better here.

This site is worth visiting for several reasons.  For one, it provides a good viewing place of the beautiful Mississippi River.  It has a limestone carving with more of the legend of the creature as well.  You can touch the caves, site and enjoy the scenic bluffs, and imagine what life would have been like when the Piasa roamed the skies.

Additionally, there is no charge for the site, so you can enjoy it for a few minutes or all day long at your leisure without having to empty your pockets! 

House on the Rock

It only seems fitting that my first "attractive attraction" to discuss is my all-time favorite: The House on the Rock--an incredibly unique "museum" that is more of a collection of collections than anything.

It is located in Spring Green, Wisconsin. It opened in 1959.  These we know for certain. What is more ambiguous is the origins of this house.  Apparently, architect and designer Alex Jordan, Sr. met with Frank Lloyd Wright to discuss a particular house, and Mr. Lloyd Wright responded, "I wouldn’t hire you to design a cheese case for me, or a chicken coop."  While the legitimacy of this meeting is often debated, some feel that son Alex Jordan, Jr. built the House on the Rock to spite Lloyd Wright.

The original "House" sits on the top of Deer Shelter Rock in the middle of a fairly-forested region.   It, the Mill House, and the Japanese Flower Garden all have an Asian style mixed with a touch of Frank Lloyd Wright's organic style.

 Japanese Gardens

Over the years, however, the site has expanded to include a number of rooms and buildlings, each with their own unique themes, including the "Streets of Yesterday," "The Heritage of the Sea," "Music of Yesterday," "Spirit of Aviation," and rooms that feature doll houses, circus models, and at Christmas, a huge collection of Santa Claus figures.  The House also features the world's largest indoor carousel as well as quite a few of automated musical instruments.

Streets of Yesterday

One of my favorite places in the House is the "Infinity Room" that sticks out 218 feet from the side of the House with 0 under supports! You can walk fairly far out into the room (though not completely to the tip obviously), and as there are over 3000 windows, you feel like you're walking on air!

Infinity Room

Today, in addition to the attraction itself, the complex site also features lodging, spa, and golf areas. Even in terms of visiting the House, you can choose whether to see certain sections or, as I would recommend, take the "Ultimate Experience." This visitor's package includes 4 tokens for the automated machines and allows you to visit all areas of the House at your own pace.

If you plan to visit, however, I should warn you that there is a LOT of walking involved! It is a very large site and even just walking through the gardens can be tiresome for some.  Furthermore, some sections are not wheel-chair accessible, though the staff (as I have encountered them) are very friendly and are willing to assist with alternate routes.  Also, some spaces are rather confined, dark, and/or loud....so those who are sensitive to these may find some rooms troublesome.

Carousel in Action

Overall, this attraction is actually pretty hard to describe because of its diversity.  As a history teacher, I like to work in mentioning the House on the Rock on occasion, but it's hard to grasp for someone who has never been there.  A couple of my students did a project on it, however, where they had to create their own society--and it was completely set in the House on the Rock.  This seems appropriate as the rooms of the site span a number of eras, cultures, and esthetics. 

Mill House

Ultimately, if you are looking for a straight-forward museum, this is not going to be something you enjoy at all.  If, however, you want to see diverse architecture, interesting artifacts, and an eclectic collection of...well, you name it, this is the place for you!

Here's the official website for more information. 

And, while I went several times when I was a child, I was able to re-visit a few years ago, so here are links to my pictures and videos:

Album 1
Album 2
Album 3
Album 4

Introduction

Hello! 

While I have several other websites and blogs out in cyber-space, this is a different undertaking for me.  Instead of curating design elements I enjoy (http://jamienaragon.posterous.com/) or writing about cycling on one of many websites, this particular blog will be dedicated to one of my biggest passions---museums.Well, okay, not just museums...pretty much any attraction, be it an amusement park, a zoo, or a museum...or who knows what! Just, any time in my travels I stumble across something interesting, I'll toss it up here. The catch? It'll be a bit of a critique of the attraction or site--a summary of my experiences; recommendations (or not); what to expect...those kinds of things.  

So, hopefully over the next few days, I'll have some of my first sites up here for you.  As a preview, some of the places I have been to in the past few years I will analyze for you are as follows:

House on the Rock
National Arabic-American Museum
Bicycle Museum of America
Holocaust Memorial Center
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Museum
Toledo Museum of Art
JFK Presidential Library
Piasa Bird
The St. Louis Wax Museum
Fort Meigs

So enjoy and please share your experiences too!