Columbia... More than a Historical Capital

Like I stated in my overview, you don’t have to travel to places such as NYC or London to see a great art museum. In this case, you can just come to Columbia. The museum is the largest international fine art museum in South Carolina and one of the largest in the South East.

The museum houses one of the most sizable collections of 14th through 18th century European art. Visitors to the museum can admire a rare fresco by Botticelli. They can also take in works from Francesco Guardi, Canaletto, Francois Boucher, and Pieter Claesz, just to name a few. One of the highlights of the 19th century collection is from Monet at Giverny. The American artist works includes pieces by Thomas Sully and Gilbert Stuart. There is also a beautiful group of Tiffany glass here. Modern masters include the talents of Milton Avery, Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Fairfield Porter, and Sandy Skoglund. There is also an assemblage of glass works by Marioni and one of my favorite, Chihuly. Here visitors will delight in amazing paintings, centuries old sculptures, pottery, and decorative items.

The museum covers 2 floors. Most of the collection is displayed in the second level. The main level hosts a number of changing exhibits and special exhibits, such as the Frank Lloyd Write exhibit I saw while I was here. Here are also artist studios, education galleries, the library, a teacher’s resource center, the garden terrace and secret garden, and the museum shop. The museum is also a great place for your next meeting, conference, or event. They do have restrooms and the building is handicapped accessible. Photography is allowed without the flash or use of a tripod.

Hours/admission/information

Hours: Wed-Sat. 10am-5pm
Fri. 10 am to 9pm (10am-5pm in Dec.)
Sun. 1-5pm.
Closed Mon. and Tue. And major holidays.

Admission; $5 (a) $ 4 (60+) $2 (c/s) free on Saturday! Some special exhibits may carry an admission.

Website: www.columbiamuseum.org.

Throughout the year the do offer a number of classes and lectures. They can also arrange group tours with advanced notice.

Up next? They have several wonderful upcoming exhibits but my favorite is the Renoir exhibit April 25-October 1st!

The museum is a great outing for everyone in the family. If you’re near Columbia you must stop in and see this amazing museum.

For one of the best views of Columbia or simply a place to stretch out underneath the Carolina blue skies, just head near downtown to Finlay Park.

The park itself is over 150 years old. It was constructed in 1859 and was then named Sidney Park for Columbia councilman, Algemon Sidney Johnson. The park only enjoyed being one of the crown jewels of Columbia before the war broke out. After the fighting stopped and life began to return back to the city, the park was left to just sit. As the city grew around it just sat unused and overlooked occasionally being used for commercial ventures.

Amazingly enough it was not until 1990 that is was given its second wind. Former Mayor, Kirman Finlay, decided to revitalize this end of the city and along with it, the park. It was renamed Finlay Park in honor of the man who had the vision to look past the neglected park and see something special.

Today this gorgeous 18 acre park is once again a jewel in the city’s crown. The park has played host from everything from festivals, political rallies, and the popular Easter sunrise services. There is even a bronzed statue on the grounds of the Mayor.

The park is the setting for some of the most popular events in Columbia including Columbia Kid’s Day. The summer concert series, Shakespeare Theater, Let’s Share, and more. Many large scale concerts are held here each year ranging from large national acts to local favorites and cover a variety of musical tastes.

The park features 2 play grounds, fountains, a playing field, a pergola with swings, a large man-made lake with a paved path around it, and a snack bar in the summer. It is one of the largest handicapped accessible parks in the country. The stunning backdrop of this park consists of a series of waterfalls that flow out to the lake. Then there is the unbelievable view of the Columbia skyline. The view from top of the waterfall is worth coming if you do nothing else in the park.

And the view and waterfalls are mainly why I came here. It was getting late and the weather wasn’t the best and it was cold so I didn’t spend a tremendous time exploring this beauty. But what time I was here I was in heaven. Yet, despite the not so agreeable weather, I still saw families and couples out strolling, kids playing and rolling on the grounds, and people out walking their pets. I was so amazed to see so many people on this day out enjoying the park.

For more information on the park and the facilities you can visit them on the web at www.columbiasc.net then click on parks.

Even if you can only stay a short while I encourage every one to take time, leave the city behind, and soak up the beauty of this oasis amid concrete.

After touring the state capital I was exhausted and ready to go home. But once I get going I really don’t want to stop until I get home. I knew I had to eat supper before I left so I headed out to the Mellow Mushroom.

The Mellow Mushroom is located on Gervais Street only minutes from the State House in an area that is currently undergoing revitalization as a major entertainment area of the city. Like most of the buildings in the area, the restaurant is housed in an old historic building.

I am lucky enough to be able to park right in front. When I enter there are only few people in front of me. The staff are trying to figure out where to place the two families in front of me, but soon someone comes over and asks how many. When I reply just myself, I am quickly ushered to a bistro table in the corner beside of the window. When I arrive Enter Sandman by Metallica is playing. This is your first clue this is not your typical restaurant.

Within just a minute my very handsome, young waiter comes over to take my drink order. I order my Coke and continue to peruse the menu. The menu here isn’t vast. It mainly consists of pizza, hoagies, calzones, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. So there are options for Vegans and Vegetarians alike. I wasn’t starving and wanted to take something home for John. I decided on the Caesar side salad and the small pizza with extra cheese on one half for John and pepperoni and sun-dried tomatoes on my side. My waiter quickly returns with my drink and takes my order. Now if you order pizza you are told up front this is not fast food and pizza takes 15-20 minutes. Fine with me, I am not in a hurry.

From my perch I get a great view of the State Capital building as the flood lights are starting to wash soft colors unto the building. I am certainly enjoying the view here. I imagine given its proximity to the capital building and downtown it must also be a popular place during the week for business lunches.

Inside the lighting is low. After placing my order I take a trip to the ladies room and my eyes get quite a shock as I go from low lighting to a neon hot-pink bathroom! Back outside I notice a huge mushroom on one of the far walls. I am not sure what this building was once used for, but it seems very small for such a trendy establishment. Downstairs in the non-smoking section there isn’t a lot of room with only about a dozen booths and about 4 tables. Since I don’t smoke I never ventured upstairs so I am not sure how much room was up there. But judging by the noise it must be much bigger and sounded like they must have more activities up stairs.

Within a few minutes my handsome waiter brings out my side salad which is huge. The salad has a rich creamy dressing, homemade croutons, and Parmesan cheese. They do seem to like their Parmesan and it is almost a bit to much since it is the kind out of a green can and not fresh. My pizza arrives about 15 minutes later. The crust is thick and buttery and the pizza is delicious. This pizza is certainly one of the best pies I have had lately and certainly hits the spot since by now I was getting hungry.

Now I arrived a little after 5 and it was already crowded. With in about 15 minutes there was already a line forming outside and people trying to squeeze inside since it was cold outside. This fashionable restaurant caters to everyone. I see everyone from an older couple with their grandkids in tow to a soccer team coming in as I am finishing up my meal. With the loud music and the noise from patrons it is hard to hear someone talking. So this is the place to take a date after a date or two and you have had time to talk and get to know each other. They also have lots of "best of awards" all over the walls. And judging by my meal they deserve it. They do have a full service bar.

As I finish up my last bite of pizza and push my plate back, my handsome waiter once again appears with a Togo box without me having to even ask. The waiter was a hottie, the food was great, and so was the service. What more could I ask for? I make my way past patrons in line for their own piece of pie and once again drag myself back in my van. By this time I notice the street is starting to fill up with hungry patrons and cars. I am glad I have already eaten and beat the crowd. I settle back in my seat for my 2 hour drive back home with my tummy quite happy.

The Mellow Mushroom is a chain of restaurant all over the South. There is limited parking close by, so I would try to get an early start. Prices are in the $10-$20 pp price range. They are open:

Mon-Thur. 11am – 10pm
Fri-Sat 11am – 12am
Sun 3pm-10pm

Website: www.mellowmushroom.com. You can also go to www.vistaontheriver.com to find out more about this up and coming area including its dining and entertainment offerings.
Highly reccommended

When making my travel plans I chose the Natural High because I noticed it was located on Main Street and appeared to be close to the art museum. It sits directly across from the museum, giving it a great location.

I was done touring my houses and by now my Bojangles biscuit had long worn off. So I decided to go eat and then tour the museum. I make my way from my van parked near the State House down Main Street to the Rising High Bread Company. It was bone chilling cold and rainy this day so I was glad for a warm place to sit.

The RHNBC is along the lines of Panera or the Atlanta Bread Company. The selections are written out on a chalk board and you place your order then wait for your number to be called out. The selections here are mainly sandwiches, paninis, salads, and soups. There are plenty of options for vegetarians but very limited for Veagans. I weight my choices while in line and finally decided to go with the chicken salad. I also decide for an extra $1.50 to make it a combo. I was deciding between pasta salad or soup and my final vote was pasta salad. I place my order and I am given my cup for my drink and my number.

When I arrived it was about 1:30 and yet there were only about a dozen or so tables with patrons at them. I grabbed my cup and go to look for a table to drop off my backpack before getting my drink. The available tables were dirty and it is not like I came in during the lunch rush and employees had a hard time trying to keep tables clean. I finally find one that isn’t quite as bad and drop of my bag and take my cup and go wait for my sandwich. Unfortunately for me the table is near the door and every time someone came in I felt the cold of the outside.

I go to the tea urn and pour tea from the canister labeled SWEET TEA. I move over to the condiments table to grab a lid and napkins. The place is a mess and running low on items. There are only a few regular sized lids left. Napkins and straw wrappers are strewn about and dropped food is all over the place. Yet as I wait for my number to be called, I noticed plenty of employees standing around laughing and talking. I was always told while working in the restaurant business, if you have time to lean you have time to clean. Apparently this isn’t their motto.

Shortly after coming up my order is ready. I make my way back to my table and sit down ready for my meal. I take a swig of my tea and ugh the tea labeled sweetened is anything but. I go over to the condiment table across from my table (which is much tidier and in order and which also has a microwave) and grab a few packages of sweetener. I take a bite of my pasta salad and 2 bites later I regretted my decision not to get soup instead. The pasta salad is dripping in oil and has a spicy tomatoes base to it. Not what I am used to in a pasta salad. Then a take a bite of my chicken salad. It comes on delicious black bread with tomatoes and lettuce. The sandwich is OK. It isn’t bad, just not outstanding either. There are no spices or something such as celery, grapes, or pecans to give it a crunch. Just I guess, chicken and mayo. Certainly eatable though and I made the most of my meal.

Like many other areas, there has been a renewal of the downtown area prompting business and attractions to the area. And Columbia is certainly reaping the benefits of its newly re-energized downtown area. The RHNBC is in what used to be an old department store. I am not sure the age of the building but judging by its lines and designs it appears to be during the 1930’s-1940’s during the Art Deco era. The sharp lines, use of chromes and black and decorative fixtures are keeping with that time period. The walls are an infusion of rust, tan, and brown. The decorations on the columns are a moss green. They have local art hanging on the walls.

My time here certainly wasn’t the worst restaurant experience I had so I would certainly give it another try before declaring it not recommended. After all as I said it is in a great location directly across from the art museum and only a few minutes from the State House. I would have just liked to have seen the place a bit cleaner. Also next time I think I will go with another sandwich and stay away from the pasta salad. They do have a bakery and you can take home some of their delicious bread. They also had some great looking desserts. I had my eye on chocolate cake but I was stuffed. I meant to stop back in after I came out of the museum but I was so cold I totally forgot about it later. Prices are in the $10 pp and under category.

Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm
Sat. 9am-5pm
Sun. 11am-3 pm

Website: www.columbia.net/risinghi-menu

There is a second location on Harden St. with just weekend hours.

Recommended

For some unknown reason there will always be a debate over Frank Lloyd Wright and his works and life. Granted Frank’s life was sometimes on the scandalous side. But that certainly doesn’t deter thousands upon thousands of devotees who are great admirers of his work. And why there is ever any discussion of the fact that he is quite simply the greatest architect that ever lived, I will never know. For myself, and many others, over that there is no doubt.

Growing up in places such as London and Charleston I have also loved old houses. There is nothing I love more than to take Jaz for walks in our local historic districts and just marvel at all of those old homes. No matter how many times I see them. And every time I go to places such as Charleston or Savannah and look at those big plantation homes, I imagine myself rambling around in a big ole’ hooped skirt. But for all those lovely Victorian, Greek Revival, and Tudor homes, my favorite abode in the whole world is Wright’s Falling Waters located in rural Pennsylvania. I am drawn to the simple beauty of the home as it is perched over a waterfall. Spectacular!. Every since I saw that home in a book I have been a huge admirer of his work.

Frank was born in 1867 and died in 1959. His career expanded over 70 years. During that time he started 1,141 works which included houses, offices, churches, schools, libraries, bridges, museum, and more. 503 were completed and of those 409 can still be admired today.

Now as I explained in an earlier journal the 1960s and '70s were known for lots of things not so great (Vietnam, Nixon, atrocious tastes in home furnishings, avocado green appliances, free love, free drugs, good music though) but there were also lots of good that come from this time period. Among them a desire to preserve and protect our historic landmarks throughout the country. Prior to 1970 there were only 2 of FLW’s houses open to the public. Today more than 20 homes are open to the public and more than 1 million visitors come each year to view these historical treasures. Among them are Taliesin in WI, Taliesin West in AZ, the Robie House and his home and studio in Chicago, and of course Falling Waters. In 1959 he completed the famous Guggenheim museum in NYC and today it is enjoyed by thousands every year. Approximately 1/3 of Frank’s homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Frank took us out of the box style of the Victorian homes and gave us the straightforward prairie style homes. His homes have clean simple lines and make use of natural resources. His floor plans are open and flow from one room to the next. He also makes use of the surroundings and blends his homes in with the landscape. Quite a change from the opulent homes of the times. When he designed Falling Waters he built this eye-catching residence over a waterfall rather than try to destroy the fall or try to work around it.

The FLW House Beautiful exhibit is a one-of-a-kind look at the furniture Frank designed as well as drawings, metal works, textiles, and accessories. There are 100 pieces in the collection which come from both his foundation and private collectors. There were also wall panels, photographs, historical publications that included maps, books, and catalogs.

The show first began in Feb. 2006 in Naples, Fl, and will continue through January 2008. There are 6 cities lucky enough to be chosen to play host to this most extraordinary display. This of course included Columbia. It is currently showing in Midland MI at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art through 5/27. The last lucky recipients will be the Phillbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, OK.

For me this was simply an honor to see all of these remarkable pieces. Just to look at his blue prints and see where he took notes and to know that these were from the hands of Wright was truly an something I will never forget And if the display is coming to your town, I hope you will step inside and enjoy this collection.

For information on all things FLW you can go to www.franklloydwright.org. This website is sit up by the FLW foundation and offers information on Frank, the exhibit, and touring the homes that are open to the public.

There is another rare treat for fans of Frank who live nearby (or who are interested in coming in). On November 3rd and 4th, 2007 there will be a rare chance to visit the Auldbrass Plantation (www.south-carolina-plantations.com/beaufort/auldbrass.html) in Yemassee SC (near Beaufort). The plantation is the only plantation house ever designed by Wright.

In 1939 C. Leigh Stevens who did some work for the Savannah River Lumber Co. commissioned Frank to design a home for him in Yemassee on land the company gave him. The work was to be done several phases and contained a number of out buildings. Unfortunately a series of set backs including war, finances, fire, and the deaths of both Wright in 1959 and Stevens 3 years later, left the home unfinished. In 1987 producer Joel Silver (The Matrix, V for Vendetta, Veronica Mars, Ghost Ship, Sword Fish) purchased the home and completed the work. Silver is considered an authority on Wright and owns several other FLW homes. He purchased it from the Open Land Trust on the agreement it would be open on occasion to the public. It was open recently for a special tour to coincide with the FLW exhibit in Columbia and it is open every other year (odd numbered years). If you would like a chance to tour this home you can go to www.openlandtrust.com and click on Auldbrass. It will give you an email address to contact in case you’re interested. So you can better believe you will see me there. Hope to see you there!