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Anyone in the Western States...need your help :)

Cultural Activities in the West....Are we as good as our Eastern Friends? Cultural Activities....not softball, lemonade stands, kite flying off the cliffs of Torrey Pines, but real honest to goodness Cultural Experiences...Museums and Art Galleries. Many times I have heard people say that they wanted to come to America to visit but they wanted to go to New York, or Boston, or one of the states in the East because that's where they have Museums. Well, I hate to put my esteemed friends in the East down....but we also have Culture out West, and I'm bound and determined to prove it ~ with your help.

I am trying to compile a list of Cultural Activities for some of the Western States and would love if anyone from these States would give me the name of at least one Museum, or Art Gallery.

Arizona
Utah
New Mexico
California
Oregon
Washington
Nevada

All of our States also have something that is Historic, but Specific to our State like Lewis and Clark, Seattle's Pikes Place, California's Golden Gate Bridge. We also have the Getty Museum in California, and a host of other ones that an International Visitor would be able to whet their appreciative senses.

I am starting a new Column on my outside blog that will be geared to Immigrants, and Visitors. As I was working on it, I realized that I would be spending tons of time trying to find the best parts of some of our Western States, so why not ask my Active Rain Friends.

So if you live in one of these States and have a couple minutes I would love your input. The name, and location and whatever you know about it, like hours of operation, phone number, etc.

I really appreciate any help you can give me, and after I get all the info I need I will Post the Article :) Remember that people that move to our areas usually do it from word of mouth from a friend, or from pictures.

Thank you in Advance.....and even if you don't live in one of these States, but you want to share something from your State....well that's OK too :)

By: Kathy McGraw- CELLing Realty in California

Posted by Kathy McGraw, Riverside County CA Real Estate on 09/23/2008 07:43 PM

Comments (33)

Cultural Activiites in the Networking Channel

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33 Comments on Anyone in the Western States...need your help :)

SEP

2008

Are you calling my lemonade stands and softball cultural activities? LOL!!

Great idea. I have been to Los Angeles and San Francisco in CA but not to the other States on your list. i did not go to any museums thogh.

Oh Audrey.....they are aren't they :) Laughing with you :)

Gita- Ahh so what were the things besides Disneyland, Sea World, and the Zoo's that you might have visited? And Gita did you have any preconceived ideas about California before you came here?

Kathy,
So you're recruiting fellow members to do your work--smart!

Cynthia- Guess there's a little Tom Sawyer in all of us :)

Kathy, like for suuureeeer, the left coast must have a lot cultural places to go to. Surfs Up ......... LOL

Seriously, check out Jeff Dowler's posts, he has blogged about a bunch of places just in his part of the state.

Kathy, I'm in New York but I've walked the Golden Gate--amazing! San Francisco has lots of trendy art galleries but I don't remember names---what about Alcatraz? That place amazed me.

Carole-Yes that is a big Tourist draw....I remember when I went there with my friends from Europe.

SEP

2008

Kathy - I would love to see the beautiful Western states, I'm sure they all have a lot to offer - not just Disney, etc. The farthest West I've been was just recently to Colorado - what a beauty. Good Luck in your new endeavor.

George-Yes Jeff lives about a mile or so from my Daughter. I lived there for years, and they have a ton of great things to do. Now how do I convince Europeans that want just Culture? Ahhh the dilemas, can't people just understand that So Cal is a Walking and talking Museum all by itself LOL :)

Petra-I loved that area, beautiful. My son went to school in Germany and graduated from Munich High School. But I will have to say that my very first experience with intolerance was in a grocery store there :) It was because of that experience that I am ultra sensative to people and the misunderstandings when they visit here.

Kathy - What about Nevada, isn't that a western state? Or did you just forget about me? Let me see, Arizona, California, Oregon, New Mexico, and no Nevada?

Robert.....I am laughing.....yes I guess it was an oversight LOL :) What would we be out west without Nevada.....so do you have any big cultural Museums LOL :)

Arizona-

Flagstaff has the Museum of Northern Arizona- http://www.musnaz.org they often have indian or cowboy related exhibits, as well as biological and paleoanthropological exhibits- dinosaur bones and such.

Probably the best known is the Heard Museum in Phoenix- http://www.heard.org also often indian related.

My favorite- the Arizona Science Museum- http://www.azscience.org They specialize in exhibits geared toward explaining science to kids.

Many small towns in AZ have small museums dealing with local history- we do.

Leslie....Thank you very much for the info. I love Arizona, and it's History.

SEP

2008

The Oregon Historical Society and the Portland Art Museum are two must stops in Portland and they are within about a 1/4 mile of each other also.

In California:

San Jose Area:

San Jose Museum of Modern Art

San Jose Quilter's Museum

The Egyptian Museum, San Jose (largest outside of Egypt)

Children’s Discovery Museum

Japanese American Museum

Tech Museum

Winchester Mystery House

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Lawrence Hall of Science

De Saisset Museum

Lick Observatory

Intel Museum

Surfer's Museum (Santa Cruz)

San Francisco:

DeYoung Museum

California Academy of Sciences

Exploritorium

Zeum

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Asian Art Museum

Legion of Honor

Todd- Thank you very much.....it's hard to really know where to go, and that's the point of the Article I am putting together.

Jill- Wow- That's a heck of a list, thank you very much. Your area is an important one, as I know personally some people that moved there, or visited from Europe. Thank you again for taking your time. Oh, and I actually have pictures of the Winchester Mystery House as my daughter just went there a few months ago. Fascinating :)

When I was in college, I used to give horse drawn carriage tours in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. People always wanted to know the good places to go... not necesarily the tourist places... it's now a habit/ hobby to find out the fun and interesting things to do. I've got several lists I've put together... maybe I should do a blog of them....

Hi Kathy,

What a great idea. I lived in So Cal and we've got quite a few here too.

I posted not long about about the Bowersin Santa Ana (OC) and their exhibit of the Terra Cotta Warriors.

The Huntington Library has always been one of my favorites, the exhibits and botanical gardens are amazing. Many movies have been filmed there over the years.

About 2 weeks we went to Julian, CA. and they have a small on Historical Julien.

Another favorite is the Getty in Los Angeles. The architecture is worth the visit on this one. This one also has free admission. I took a group (bus load) of clients there about a year after it opened, it was a wonderful event.

There is also the Getty Villa in Malibu, haven't been to that one yet.

And then there is a group of wonderful museums in Balboa Parkin San Diego. Been to many myself, yet not all of them, there is so much to see in that place. The park was also home to the World's Fair someone where around the 1920's. There are so many different ones here you could spend days there. Scenes from the movie Citizen Kane was filmed at the park. Some of the architecture was used to portray Wm. Randolph Heart's home, now Hearst Castle, you probably know all about that place yourself.

BTW, I think the William has posted on some of the museums in Balboa Park. Oh, then there is the Cabrillo Monument and Museumon Point Loma. They also have a historic Light House that is open for visitors, yet I'm not sure it's actually a museum.

I guess you can tell I just love these places!

SEP

2008

Central Oregon - High Desert Museum between Sunriver and Bend - The Museum at Warm Springs Indian Reservation these are both great places to visit

To the Carraige Driver....thanks, let me know if you write a blog with a link. \

Lynda-Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Wonderful places you've listed, and Balboa Park is a must for anyone that visits the San Diego Area. I'll let you know when I have the list done :)

Thesa- Thank you too very much. The recommendations of people that are familiar with the area make it even better. I didn't know about this Indian Rez.....that's somewhere my family will definitely be going to :)

SEP

2008

Hi Everyone,

Jill Ballard, the ex-carriage driver (who is still figuring out how to post on Active Rain) here.

I just posted on my blog my current lists for San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Cruz and Monterey/Carmel. They are works in progress. Hope it helps.

Time for me to represent. Leslie already gave you a few very good Arizona places... let me add three can't-miss locations for high-culture events (and fun): Herberger Theater, Gammage, Phoenix Symphony

SEP

2008

Jill-I will have to go0 check, normally it is not ok to put a link to your own Post in someone else's...but in this case a link would be a good thing :) BTW can I use these links/places from your private list for my Article? See, if you put them here you let me use them....but with your own Post....so yea or ney :) :) Thanks.......

Chuck-I like how you said that...high-culture events....and the Symphony is one that certainly fits that bill :) Thank you very much for the input.

Kathy,

In Tucson, AZ: Jane Hamilton Fine Art by Design

Mike in Tucson

Mike- Thank you very much....Fine Art is absolutely something many visitors are looking for :)

SEP

2008

Europeans think Canada is part of America...:-)

Ahh but many know Canada as the first leg to getting to North America. Easier to get a Visa from my understanding :)

Kathy - Sorry for the late response, how soon do you have to have this information? I think it's a great idea. Please give me a dead line, OK?

Robert Swetz

Hi Robert....I have one more week, approximently. I want to get this part done, and all these great contributions is a big help :)

SEP

2008

Kathy, what about all of the Missions. San Juan Capistrano has a beautiful one. There are several all up and down the coast.

OCT

2008

I should add this one for Arizona... almost all of downtown Scottsdale... stroll by one art gallery after the next.

Jane- Missions...yes we do have these. But think about it, how many people don't equate these with "Museums" :)

Chuck- Ok....we can just say Scottsdale LOL :) Thank you for the input.

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