Spain's Room Mate Hotels Changes Ownership

Fingers Crossed     

Got a somewhat vague e-mail last week informing me that my personal data from the Spanish hotel chain Room Mate was being transferred to another entity. It prompted me to do a little internet sleuthing to discern what is happening with one of my favorite hotel chains.

As many readers know I am a big fan of Room Mate Hotels. They have style, personality and are competitively priced in the markets they serve. Moreover my loyalty is attributable to a certain desk clerk at the Room Mate Leo in Granada Spain. 

When I arrived at the Leo a few years ago I went to present my passport and realized I'd left it in the back seat of the cab from the airport. That left me pretty anxious. 

It was late and the desk clerk calmly advised me that there was only one taxi company serving the airport at night and he'd try to track it down. His advice was just "go get a good nights sleep". 

What I didn't know was that he would go on to spend much of his shift tracking down the taxi from the airport.

The next morning (Valentines Day) I went down to ask about my passport and he was till on duty. He had the name of the driver from the taxi dispatcher but still hadn't connected with him. I alsed if I should just hang out there and he reminded that that I'd "traveled across the world to experience the Grenada's stunning Alhambra". 

He said, "Just go and we'll get the passport sorted". 

After a wonderful day soaking in some amazing architecture we returned to the hotel and I was handed my passport. That effort, so far beyond the level of service I'd ever experienced from a hotel before, left me gobsmacked. And, my attempts to tip for all that effort, were waived off with a smile in typical Spanish fashion.

So a bit more about Room Mate. All Room Mate properties feature carefully curated locations, individual regional design and extraordinary flair. All Room Mate's are themed around a fictitious alter ego or "room mate". Grenada's hotel was Room Mate Leo. My recent stay in Rotterdam was at Room Mate Bruno.

Despite operating in crowded and fiercely competitive markets, Room Mate finds ways to be better than its competitors. 

The chain began in 2005 under the vibrant leadership of Spanish equestrian and three time Olympian Kike Sarasola. The success that came fast to Room Mate brought with it the debt needed to fund rapid expansion.

Then the pandemic hit. 

Room Mate responded by keeping staff employed and offering subsidized rooms at 15 properties to displaced families and health care workers. But as the pandemic dragged on Room Mate could not offset steeply declining revenues and solvency.

In July 2022 it was acquired by the equity firm Angelo Gordon joined by the Canadian hotel management firm Westmont. Initial transition PR stresses that all 400 employees (many of which as I note are exceptional) will be retained. It indicates plans to expand outside of urban locations and possibly move toward franchised properties. It appears the US properties are no longer part of the chain.

What is unclear to me so far is if Room Mate management will continue under the charismatic leadership of Mr. Sarasola. Without his caché, energy and spirit (the "secret sauce" of Room Mate) I worry the chain will quickly become just another hotel chain. I say this as a lifetime elite in not one, but two, major international hotel chains (which is pretty rare). One of those chains changes private equity ownership every three to four years and each transition delivers painful examples of how the MBA / private equity "bean counting" mindset can dramatically erode quality in the hospitality industry. 

So far, at least as of this morning, the Room-Mate website profiles Mr. Sarasola as president of Room-Mate. So with 150,000 Room Mate Instagram followers, there are a lot of us that will be watching how it all plays out.

Kike Sarasola 

(photo from Room Mate website)

Check out Room Mate Here: Room Mate Hotels

Room Mate fans beg Westmont, Angelo Gordon - Please do the right thing.

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2022

Roadboy's Rules for Traveling Well for Less - Rental Cars

Roadboy's Travel Tips: Part 2: Destination Transportation

After two plus decades I figure it is time to update my "Traveling Well" posts from 2010.

As I've always written I believe travel should be something to remember, never a chore. So I plan trips to experience places for business and unique places for fun. Whether for business or pleasure I just like to travel in comfort and pay fair prices. 

 

My original three posts covered the techniques I use to select and secure great prices for Airlines, Rental Cars, and Hotels. Of course after all the years the core facets of my travel have evolved past just airlines, hotels and rental cars.

 

In 2022 I simply don't need to rent cars as much as I did in 2010. Nowadays I find driving in many places simply induces stress. 

 

Roads are much more crowded and pricey privatized toll roads have bloomed. In many cities it is as hard to find a place to park as it is to drive. Now even many basic service hotels charge for overnight parking. I mean really, when exurban freeway hotels like the Doubletree Hotel near the Airport in Grand Junction Colorado (with no urban life to be found around it whatsoever) starts charging to park a car overnight, well things have gotten pretty nuts. Add the rapidly expanding trend toward costly "congestion" tolls in places like Singapore and London and the true cost of that rental car explodes.

So I've changed this post from a focus on "Rental Cars" to "Destination Transportation".


Destination Transportation

1. Mass Transportation

Twenty years ago travel options were pretty cut and dried. I'd fly to a destination for business or leisure and upon arrival rent a car. Few airports (especially in the United States) offered any multi-modal transportation options.

 

Now for many of my destinations I opt for public transportation / urban rail. The game changers are apps like Rome2Rio and Google / AppleMaps. With these tools I am able to determine if I really even need a rental car at all. 

 

To put it into perspective, I've sold all the rental car stock that used to be in my retirement portfolio. I think the car rental industry got fat and sloppy and now must rethink itself from the ground up.

 

I now plan to land and catch comfortable commuter trains at airports wherever I can. And there are lots of places to do that now:

• Amsterdam, 

• Athens, 

• Chicago (O'Hare and Midway), 

• Dallas, 

• Denver, 

• Lisbon, 

• London, 

• Madrid, 

• Newark, 

• Phoenix (Note: the light rail stop serving to Phoenix airport IS NOT a safe place to be in the evening)

• Portland, 

• Salt Lake City, 

• San Francisco,

• Seattle, 

• Singapore,

• Washington DC National 

 

And very soon (now!) Washington Dulles (and even LAX) will finally join the list of airports with rail links.

 

In cities where I can ride light rail I supplement travel needs with Uber or Lyft rideshares. No rush to refill the car at the airport or time spent checking in a car. 

Notable exceptions to any practical local rail options are Las Vegas and (mind blowingly) Manhattan. Neither offers convenient rail connectors anywhere, just taxi's and car rentals. 

 

But that is just another reason Roadboy avoids Las Vegas. 

 

Even some major global destinations stand out in the "shame" column. Barcelona's beautiful El Prat airport is an island with no convenient rail transport. But for now there is a decent local bus that makes a zillion stops or a pricier express shuttle to Plaza Catalunya). 

 

Another disaster is Paris CDG. In Paris I stick to the express bus service to / from the Paris Opera. The nearby train is creepily unsafe. 

 

Yet in both cities I'd still never consider renting a car, because once you arrive in the urban core of either city Metro service is superb.

So I save my car rental activity to places where no other option exists. You have to rent a car on Crete, or in Costa Rica, or even in Myrtle Beach. 

 

So here are my tips.

 

 

Car Renting Tips

 

1. Size: In rental car world size is relative. While I consider a full sized car something at least as big as a Camry or an Accord, rental car company might say a smaller car is "full size". So read the category list of each company carefully.

 

2. Check for road worthiness:

Currently car rental companies are painfully short of cars now, so much of what they are currently renting has more miles and is sometimes not as roadworthy as would have been expected in years past. Be sure to examine tire tread and don't leave if the "Check / Service Engine / Tire Pressure" light is on.  

 

3. Check for damage: 

Lately some rental car outlets (particularly smaller franchise locations on one-way rentals) have started nitpicking small windshield stars and scratches in places you can't see (like under door panels and on the roof of vans, etc.) All stuff the car probably had at check out. So before I leave an airport I use my phone to video record conditions. If any damage is bigger than a quarter tell the attendant at the booth to note it on the contract.

 

4. Get the best deal

In most cases I am no longer willing to prepay for any non-refundable rentals. So I rarely use my old friends Hotwire or Priceline. Life happens and a sudden illness or family emergency can cause you to need to quickly change even your most solid travel plans. 

 

I start looking for rentals at websites that show all the prices (CarRentals.com for example). Then I go to Costco Travel or AAA, and compare their prices. Costco prices are frequently great.

 

For distant future travel, I make rental reservations as far in advance as possible and then check back periodically to see if prices have dropped. In the case of a trip to Greece the prices tripled from the time I reserved until the time we arrived. On another trip rental rates plunged a few days before my trip. So I just cancelled and rebooked.   

 

5. Don't buy costly upsells

Rental car companies cream novice travelers. I see it all the time. I'll be at the counter reciting my string of "No's" and next to me is a young couple buying everything offered without a clue that their weekly rate just quadrupled.

 

Remember, the reason they make you stand in endless lines at airports is to sell you stuff. That is why business travelers all try to avoid counters by using express services. 

 

In most cases the only upgrde you might need is a toll tag. You won;t likely benefit from the prepaid gas option. Expect the "our gas price is cheaper than local gas stations" pitch. What they don't say is you probably won't use the whole tank, but they charge you for one. 

 

If you have AAA you don't need road service either.

 

But the biggest rip-off is insurance.  Before you go somewhere check with your car insurance agent. You will probably find out that you are fully covered for rentals. However, if you are traveling for business some personal insurances may not cover you, so talk that out with your insurance agent and employer. 

 

Also check what coverage your credit card delivers. And remember if you take any coverage from the rental car company at all you're credit card coverage usually evaporates. 

 

Personally, I buy annual travel insurance plans for myself and all my staff. The one we buy (Allianz AllTrips) and it includes rental car insurance.

 

Now lets talk about the rental car companies. Surprise, after years of consolidation, you now pretty much rent from just one of three mega companies.       

 

• Enterprise Group

Enterprise / Alamo / National 

At Enterprise it used to take forever to rent a car. First you met and become best friends with a smiley young rental agent that looked like they were in some religious cult. Then you'd fill out endless paperwork and endure the up-sell. Then they'd take out a clipboard walk around the car with you. All of it a huge waste of time.

To their credit when I'd return Enterprise cars and they asked how their "service" was, I was honest. I told them I felt they wasted 15-20 minutes of my valuable trip time. And frequently they offered 10-15% off my rental. 

 

Alamo is not a favorite of mine. Alamo cars were frequently dirty and service is slow. 

 

National used to be my favorite company using the Emerald Aisle. You'd just go pick the car you wanted and drive out. But their prices steadily increased to absurd levels and we quit using them. 

• Avis Group

Avis / Budget / Payless / Zipcar

Avis is a big legacy rental car company. It has lots of shuttles but is typically pricier than their offspring:

Budget and Payless. If you don't have an express service with Avis avoid them, their counter lines are legendary.

 

Budget offers a Fast Break program which, when it works, is good. Pricing is typically a little above Thrifty, but well below Avis. But at many airports Budget and Payless shuttles just never come....

• Hertz Group

Dollar / Thrifty / Firefly

Hertz is the other big legacy company. Hertz cars were always nicer. They offered frequent shuttles and astronomical prices. Hertz was where business travelers on expense accounts rented cars. But, since bankruptcy, the Hertz arrogance toward leisure travelers that aren't carrying leather briefcases has dropped.

Dollar and Thrifty frequently offer great rates and express services but they also feature epic wait times for airport shuttles.

 

The others:

 

• Silvercar (now Audi on Demand or some such thing)

A few years back I felt this wonderful app based rental car company was the future of the car rental industry. Then Audi bought it and methodically and systematically destroyed it. Rhetorical question: If they handle rental car companies like this......Anyway, in most markets Silvercar is no longer a viable option for travelers.

 

• SIXT:

A European company that rents some very lovely cars. But service is really uneven. One of my worst car rental customer experiences ever was from SIXT counter agents in San Jose California. As soon as the counter agents saw my Arizona drivers license they proceeded to lecture me (I am not making this up) about how the stupid the politics are in my state.

 

First of all, I have to live everyday with Arizona's stupid politics, I don't need anyone to assume I support it. But, more importantly, I was offended by the lecture and suggested they focus on just renting me the damned car. 

 

Funny, that was my last SIXT rental.

 

• Advantage, Fox,  etc.

Normally I'd say life is too short for these companies. Lines are long. And, they frequently don't have the car promised upon arrival.  Plus they frequently have dirty and infrequent shuttles. But to be fair Fox really came through on one occasion in Seattle (and I gave them credit in my blog). So if cash is tight and you have time to wait, well maybe they are worth it.

 

 

So what about Turo?

If you don't know about Turo, check it out. 

 

Turo is the AirBNB of car rentals. It is app based and you rent a car from a host not a company. I've used it in 4-5 destinations so far. In all but one case I rented from only top rated hosts. But in all cases the hosts were great, the cars were clean, the rates were fair and, delivery was fast (in two cases I just picked up the car from an airport parking lot using code and a key locker). 

 

No line, just go to the car, document the condition in the app and drive off. 

BUT remember. The big thing with Turo can be pricey delivery charges. They also charge for mileage etc. 

 

So do the math to see if Turo is a good deal for you or not. Also check with your insurance to make sure you are covered.

That's how Roadboy does it. 

Roadboy's Travels © 2010 2022

Roadboy's Rules for Traveling Well for Less - Airlines

Roadboy's Travel Tips: Part 1 Domestic Airlines

Updated 10-22

 

I first penned this article in 2010 and rereading it made me chuckle a bit. In many respects things have improved. Most of the aircraft being flown today is vastly better than in 2010 and, despite what a lot of the press says, service on many carriers continues to improve. The mix between very seasoned flight crews and the new generation coming on has been good. 

 

The real difference today is that most planes are now jammed and flying at capacity. So the whole flight network seems very fragile and every weather or computer glitch results in chaos and inherently makes travel frustrating.

Despite everything I still believe that travel should be something to remember. Never a chore. So I plan trips to experience unique places. I just like to do it in comfort at a fair price. The next three posts will cover how to select and get the best possible prices for airlines, rental cars, and hotels.


Domestic Airlines - My Take

Flying is a crapshoot. Mergers, hidden fees, and tarmac waits - oh my!

Now, first things first. I always shop for good fares. But I don't always fly the lowest priced carrier.

 

With some sleazeball airlines now adding hidden fee after hidden fee a fare that initially seems cheap may, in reality, just as costly. Want a seat assignment? That's extra. Want to use the overhead bin? That's extra. Want to get a boarding pass? That's extra. Want a coke on board? That's extra. Want any legroom at all? That's extra.

 

Sadly, some of the fastest growing carriers in the US have adopted the Ryan Air / Easy Jet European death by a thousand cuts fare model. As a result I always begin every googleFlight search by simply unclicking, Spirit, Allegiant and Frontier. I won't Life's too short to waste flying those carriers. And one of them frequently get massively assessed big fines for not maintaining their planes....

 

However, if you are traveling in a gap year, with a backpack and no cash, be my guest.

So here's the rest of the domestic options.

• Alaska

Nice people, an expanding route system, clean planes, and fair rates. Their first class on long flights is always nice. Alaska's frequent flier program is wonderful.

Their odd merger with Virgin America is now complete. They had to switch aircraft and they inherited another fragile hub (SFO) where the tiniest whisp of fog closes its second runway and sets off horrible delays.

 

If Alaska ever truly wants to become a real national carrier it needs an all weather hub that doesn't have a view of the Pacific Ocean.

But for west coast service, from Mexico to Anchorage, Alaska remains the best.

• American

After decades of declining service levels and lousy flying stock American has finally gotten rid of its awful fleet of skinny MD 80's. It's new Airbus centric fleet is excellent.

 

Historically American rivaled United for having the most patronizing, arrogant, and godawful, staff in the air. American counter and gate staff exuded contempt for passengers and AA used the most bizarre upgrade policy (segments) in the industry. Throw in its wretched hubs (Dallas, Chicago and Miami) and viola - Yuk!

 

Hard to imagine that despite how hard I tried to avoid flying them, I still passed my 2,000,000 miler status on AA years ago.

But to be fair, in the past five years American service has shown dramatic signs of improvement in customer service as the dinosaurs retire. It all seemed to happen after the merger with US Airways ªwho had been acquired by America West). Union regs for a long time kept AWA and USAir staff apart, but eventually those AWA crews (always the nicest humans in the air) brought positive change to US Airways and eventually AA. 

AAdvantage American's current frequent flier program is now like Delta and United's presenting a constantly moving target in redemption pricing. Yet, they keep trying to us sell points. Why would any sane human buy points from airlines that constantly erode the value their points? Go see PT Barnum's famous quote about damned fools.

 

Some good news for me is they have finally bagged those stupid upgrade "Segments".  

• Delta

While I find the state of Georgia to be filled with some of the nicest, most wonderful people in the US, none work at ATL. No matter how many improvements the airline makes, Delta's main liability will always be its home base of Atlanta's horrible Hartsfield airport followed by its quirky fleet. How come North America's largest hub airports are typically our worst airports?

For years while Delta was just another "recovering" legacy airline their planes were old (oh those horrible Lockheed L10-11 Tri-stars) and the merger with NWA just increased their inventory of antique planes along with another hub in sunny warm Minneapolis.

 

In the last few years however, I find Delta's planes to be improving and usually pretty clean. Delta is now one of my favored airlines and their hub in Detroit is very nice. Salt Lake City.... is improving, but still not a fave...

 

• JetBlue

Great flights, fair prices and nice planes. They Are launching European service soon and offer a business class product called Mint. Sadly, JetBlue just under serves the market I live in (Phoenix). 

I am at a complete loss why they want to purchase Spirit(?) What a clash of cultures. We will just have to wait and see how that goes.

• JSX

This is the anti-airline that few have heard of. JSX offers an excellent alternative to conventional airline service. Sort of a private jet meets scheduled airline vibe. Small jets configured for comfort. They fly between separate private terminals at major airports. There are snacks, comfortable waiting rooms and quick just get on the plan (zero TSA) boarding. I fly them whenever possible.

 

• Southwest

Smiling superbly trained staff (the best in the business - period). Clean almost new planes. Terrific refund / change policy. Wonderful frequent travel recognition with its "A" List program.  What's not to like? 

 

Well what's not to like is their "Just OK" fares and constant attempts to eek out special fees. Southwest's rabidly loyal customers however drink the cool-aid and assume they are getting the best price. Reality - after Southwest lost their fuel hedge pricing advantage a few years ago, their prices began to mirror everyone else. In fact their fares are frequently the most expensive so spend the time to compare (I use GoogleFlights to start my comparison shopping)

Their other major feature is both their advantage and Achilles heal. Southwest flys point to point instead of hub to hub. So when anything goes wrong it turns into a total cluster......

They also have some nasty quirks that annoy me.

Quirk one. When you go to cash in a free trip you find that they now (Herb is flipping over in his grave) limit award seats just like everybody else.

Quirk two. The "free" bags thing. Recently I needed to change plans and return home from Denver on short notice. On the way to the terminal my I-phone showed Southwest had the most convenient flight and was only $25 more than a less convenient Frontier (yuk) flight. When I arrive at the counter the fare quoted is two times the price on my phone. I show the agent the price on my phone. Counter agent laughs and says "that's web only, we can't sell it at the counter". So I am left to fumble through a time consuming smart phone web purchase (the fare I saved went a long way to pay for that I-phone). 

For giggles I asked how come Southwest's web fare was $25 more than Frontier's? The agent winks and says, "we don"t charge $25 for checked bags". Got to hand it to Southwest, instead of just charging passengers that opt to check their bags, they just charge everybody and say its free!

In their zeal to perk up the bottom line, Southwest now has four pricing categories and charges (a lot) for the first 15 passengers (Business Select) and then adds fees to buy lower boarding passes numbers.

• United

Another "Legacy" carrier in and out of trouble. The friendly skies are frequently anything but friendly. It is hard for me to ignore that many of my worst travel experiences have been on United. But, like Delta, lately I see glimmers of hope. Planes are getting cleaned up, prices are fair, and there are improvements in service. Hope springs eternal. Besides I'm a Gershwin fan and loved their advertising use of Rhapsody in Blue. Now if they could just fix their awful frequent flier program.

The new kids: Breeze and Avelo. These airlines are seeking to fill in the gaps in under served markets. They have some good leadership, I hope they thrive.

Getting the Best Airfare

Normally I find it best to buy a month or so in advance. That said, fares can fluctuate wildly. All it takes is one company starting a 48 hour fare sale and all bets are off.  99% of the time, however, waiting to buy tickets just before you go is nuts. 

 

With the removal of change fees during Covid (lets see how ling that lasts?) there is really little reason not to set a Google fare alert and buy whenever fares are rated "much below normal".

1. Always buy more than 14 days in advance. Usually the time frame about 45 days before a flight is when I find the best savings.

2. Test fares using on GoogleFlights. It can search everything but Southwest.

3. If you are more than 14 days out check Southwest. Unless they offer a sale though, after 14 days they will likely price out high.

4. Check SkyLux if you want international business class.

5. Check your favorite airlines website and search their last minute deals. Once in awhile they are great. 

The Best For Last!

I've saved the best tip for last.  Register for Travel Zoo's weekly "Top 20".  In the past two years every week they have unearthed truly exceptional deals.

That is how Roadboy does it.

Roadboy's Travels © 2010 (2022)

Reflections on Dallas*

Plus A Few Odds and Ends

Over my lifetime I've returned to Dallas dozens of times. 

 

But it was the first visit that was the best. When I was a gawky fifteen or sixteen year old kid my family stopped in to see some of my dad's relatives in Texas and Oklahoma. The Texas relatives lived near Dallas in Keene. 

 

For me, that trip became momentous because they had a son about my age (whose name after all these years I cannot remember). I was in awe of him. He already had his own car and he owned his world. With him at the helm, windows open, we roared down an endless lattice of dusty roads dodging armadillo's and being chased by roadrunners. 

 

Right then I knew I had to get my license and a car to achieve true freedom.

On Saturday we experienced an endless Seventh Day Adventist service. It was nothing like the "59 minutes or die" Lutheran services I had grown up with.

 

But, church on Saturday freed up Sunday for a trip to Six Flags Over Texas. 

 

Now, I'd grown up soaring on the ancient Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz. And there was maybe three family visits to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. Rides to me meant tickets. On each trip we spent our ride tickets with military precision. We never, ever, left Disneyland with unused "E" tickets.

 

So when they explained the rides at Six Flags required no tickets, this kids mind was blown and we had the best day ever.

 

In the decades since I've returned to Dallas dozens of times planning public safety buildings and forensic science labs. And with every visit I come away amazed at Dallas' restless energy.

Last week I returned for the International Association of Chief's of Police Convention. And Dallas proved to be a perfect host. The weather was cool, the people were friendly, the food was great, and the conference was productive.

As with every place I go I set aside time to explore. Usually I sneak off to museums and local historical sites. And yet, after all of my visits, I know I have barely scratched the surface in understanding the cultural complexities of a region that just continues to evolve and grow explosively. Luckily I have a secret weapon in the form of a wonderful friend (and excellent guide) who shares a passion for exploring the obscure.

Past blog posts have chronicled favorite places: museums, restaurants, and the art deco masterwork that is Fair Park. And what I've gleaned is that Dallas is a place of incredible contrasts. The old and new literally slam into each other in a downtown that seems to defy boundaries.  

Here are a few things from this trip that caught my eye.  

First was the art glass in Lang and Witchell's 1931 Dallas Power and Light Skyscraper. After researching the building I loved that fact that, prior to the energy crisis of 1975, the whole building was illuminated each evening in revolving colors.

The God of Electricity

(The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company)

(The Dallas Power and Light Building, now the Pegasus Brewery)

Dallas is nothing if not a city of contrasts. There are leafy enclaves for the obscenely rich. There are edgier neighborhoods that seem to become hip overnight. And in between there are modest neighborhoods for everyone else. 

 

The metroplex is full of gentlemen's clubs and mega churches. Park City Baptist has a huge illuminated clock on its steeple with the two ominous words "Night Cometh" on the face.

New hotels pop up and restaurants come and go as if on a fast moving conveyor belt. I'd trade a day of my life for just one more slice of bourbon bread pudding in Richardson's long since closed Jolie's. I adore Joe T. Garcia's endless fiesta in Fort Worth. And great funky Bar B Que joints are everywhere. On the formal side, there were lobster tacos at the Mansion on Turtle Creek and a perfect steak in the original 36th floor Reata restaurant in Fort Worth. This is the restaurant that literally blew apart during a freak tornado just a few years later.  

Dallas and Fort Worth are awash in incredible museums. Many come with "starchitect" credentials. Most noteworthy is probably Louis I. Kahn's Kimball Art Museum in Fort Worth. It opened in 1972 just two years before his death in Penn Station returning from a trip to India.

I particularly admire Tadao Ando's 2002 "The Modern" also in Fort Worth. The remarkable concrete work in that building is as soft as Venetian plaster. 

Renzo Piano has two museum's here: the addition to the Kimball and the exquistely delicate Nasher Sculpture Museum in downtown Dallas. 

Besides art there is Morphosis' brash new Perot Museum Nature and Science. Perhaps the the most chilling museum in Dallas is the 6th Floor Museum overlooking Dealey Plaza. This museum preserves the precise perch from which Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy.  

Star Gazing in Texas (San Antonio 1938)

(Ida Ten Eyck O'Keefe 1889-1961)

However, this trip I spent the afternoon in the Dallas Museum of Art enjoying works by John Singer-Sargent, Thomas Hart Benton and a whimsical painting by Georgia O'Keefe's little sister Ida. Honestly I had no idea Georgia O'Keefe had a little sister.

Dallas always serves up the unexpected. This trip walking back to my hotel I came across a swirling 90' foot tall white chapel anchoring Thanks-Giving Square. Other trips I'd wondered what it was, but this trip I stopped to explore the non-denominational square created by Dallas businessmen who felt the City just needed a place to celebrate the spirit of giving (Damn, I'll vote for that!)

What a perfect message for a nation that has allowed itself to be polarized to the point of near civil war by cynical internet trolls in Saint Petersburg. Shame on us.

 The Chapel in Thanks-Giving Square

Phillip Johnson said his inspiration for this 1973 era chapel was the Great Mosque in Samarra, Iraq. And, while Johnson will never be my favorite American architect, I found myself loving this chapel as it rises like a swirl of soft serve. Its shape forms a marvelously simple and introspective interior space gloriously illuminated by a ceiling of stained glass. 

Thanks-Giving Chapel

This trip finished off with my friend Paul taking me cemetery hopping. In years past we visited the Western Hills Cemetery to see Clyde Barrow's grave (Clyde is buried next to his equally repulsive brother "Buck").

This trip we went to see Bonnie's grave.

Although Bonnie Parker wanted to be buried with Clyde her mother made sure those wishes were left unfulfilled. Instead she was buried in 1934 in the "Whites Only" Fishtrap Cemetery. In 1945 her remains were exhumed and moved to a plot next to her mother in the Crown Hill Cemetery.

 "This Old World is Made Brighter by the Lives of Folks Like You"

Bonnie's funeral service was estimated to have attracted between 20-30,000 spectators. Pretty Boy Floyd and John Dillinger both sent condolences. Clyde's funeral also attracted thousands, although many fewer than Bonnie.   

Most kids growing up in the 60's knew the myth of Bonnie and Clyde based on Arthur Penn's 1967 movie. The film glamorized their lives, made stars of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, bagged 2 Oscars®, and then finished with a slow graphic portrayal of their death in the goriest and most agonizing detail delivered to date in a mainstream American movie. Everyone in 1967 talked about "that death scene". 

Of course a couple of years later the American appetite for graphic violence was sent into overdrive with films like A Clockwork Orange and Strawdogs.

In reality Bonnie started out as an honor student that wrote poetry. She married Roy Thornton in 1926 at the age of 15.  She never saw Roy again after he went to jail in 1929 (he died in an escape from Huntsville in 1937). A year later she met Clyde Barrow at age 19. Despite professing her love for Barrow, she was still wearing Thornton's wedding ring at the time of her death.

Clyde was raised in abject poverty. He opted to become a hoodlum in his attempts to escape the slums of west Dallas. His brother Buck was a good instructor and Clyde's petty crimes and auto thefts eventually landed him in Eastham Prison. While in prison he was subjected to repeated sexual assaults and eventually murdered his tormentor with a lead pipe. Another prisoner, with a life sentence, took the fall for Barrow and he was released. Other prisoner's said Clyde changed from a "schoolboy to a rattlesnake" in Eastham.

We also visited the grave of Conrad Hilton whose lonely solo tombstone contains the line "Christmas is Everyday". I plan to google that one someday.

The end of the trip was capped by the rude, maskless, jerk sitting behind me who coughed without ever covering his mouth the whole flight home. 

72 hours later I tested positive for Covid.

This Test is Dedicated to the POS Sitting in Seat 15A

 

Roadboy's Travels © 2022

 

*When I say "Dallas" I mean the Dallas "metro" area. It is sort of like when I say San Francisco I really mean the region from Napa to San Jose. And "LA" for me is everything from Simi Valley to the Orange Curtain.

Roadboy's Short Week in London - St. Pauls, Shows, and Fashioning Masculinities

St. Pauls, Two Shows, and a Blockbuster V&A Exhibition

Every visit to London I set out to go explore something old and something new. Truly, this is a city I could easily live in for months (maybe a lifetime?) and never get bored.

If only London weather weren't quite so shite?

This trip was limited in time and I was visiting with a number of friends that had not been to London before. So I went early to "do my own things" and then orchestrated a few things for the first timers. 

As with many visitors, as soon as they figured out the miracle that is London Transport, they waved goodbye and went off to explore on their own.

And so did I. 

My big highlights for this trip included time spent in Sir Christopher Wren's epic St. Paul's Cathedral, two hit shows and a visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A). 

2022 is a banner year for me as I got to visit the V&A twice!

First off St. Pauls 

The imposing St. Paul's seen today is the major historic icon of "The City" (original sections of London and London's modern financial district). It was completed in 1711. So it is a mere 311 years old. I say this tongue in cheek as it replaced the 426 year old St. Paul's destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

 The Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

While modern "Walkie Talkies", "Cheese Graters" and "Shards" now fight for dominance on the London skyline, St. Paul's stands with unmatched grace and elegance. It is the center of The City.

Views from the Dome of St. Pauls

London's Financial District with the Walkie Talkie and (partially obscured) Cheese Grater

My last visit inside St. Pauls was 48 (ouch!) years ago at an age when I was immortal. So these many years later it was now a personal triumph to comfortably ascend all 528 stairs to St. Paul's to the uppermost "Golden Gallery" dome, with its peerless view. Sadly the famous "Whispering Gallery" inside the dome remains closed to visitors. 

Services Just Ended

St. Paul's Choir Seating

The interior condition of the Cathedral is extraordinarily well cared for. Everything sparkles and demonstrates a truly active place of worship. It also houses numerous sanctuaries and memorials demonstrating Britain's gratitude for its modern allies in battle. The crypt below is the final resting place for authors, poets, politicians, church leaders, the architect, the Duke of Wellington, and Admiral Nelson.

 

Fashioning Masculinities

As always there were a variety of blockbuster special exhibitions on in the V&A. There was one on African Fashion, the Art of Beatrix Potter and one co-sponsored by Gucci and the V&A entitled Fashioning Masculinities to celebrate the history of men's fashion. I wanted to see the men's fashion exhibit, but knew my traveling companions likely would not share my interest, so when everyone was eager to depart for other sites I seized my chance.

The Exhibition presents men's fashion in three typologies: Undressed, Overdressed, and Redressed. None of the types is necessarily based on specific time frames. 

Undressed presented the way fashion interprets and frequently seeks to drape the frequently unattainable perfect expression of male form.   

Undressed

Overdressed, presents how designers throughout modern history have sought to design fashion to enhance physical attributes, attract and command attention. Overdressed Fashion is more than clothing it is bold testaments underscoring power and status.   

 

 Prince Alessandro Farnese' Swagger Cape

(Sofonisba Anguissola - Oil on Canvas About 1560)

 

Short or long swaggering capes popularized in Spain offered 17th century men the opportunity to drape themselves in expensive fabrics and show off a nonchalance. The concept extends to today.

 

 Billy Porter's Red Carpet Cape

(Randi Rahm - 2018)

 

  Billy Porter's Red Carpet "Swagger" Ensemble

 

In the case of Billy Porter's cape the designer's stated intent was to make Mr. Porter a "walking piece of political art". 

 Color, Lavish Materials, Eye Popping Colors

 

Even functional wardrobe staples commissioned for specific usages (such as WWI and WWII bomber or aviator jackets) convey connotations of courage.

 

Second Lieutenant Gilbert SM Insall, VC, MC, RFC

(Edward Newling, oil on canvas 1919)

 

Overdressing can blur history with modern functional statements such as the use of the traditional Scottish kilt. 

Bespoke Kilt in Black Watch Tartan

(Nicholas Daley / Glenisla Kilts, 2017)

The final section is Redressed. This section presents modern fashion as fusion and complexity.  This is where fashion moves from pure adornment to contemporary expressions frequently presented in monochromatic tones. Whether a zoot suit, James Dean in his Levi jeans or the gender bending usage of men's clothes by Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, and David Bowie, Redressed seems to kick open the door to unlimited non-binary expression.

 

 David Bowie Ensemble

(Thierry Mugler - 1996)

In the accompanying Exhibition Statement it states that this David Bowie performance ensemble for the 1996 Brit Awards was intended to use fashion to enthral and disrupt.

Fashion may also serve as a bridge between multiple cultures.

Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar 

(Bernard Boutet de Monvel - 1929)

Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar commissioned two portraits to express his status bridging two cultures. The above portrait has him clad in western attire set against modern furniture. It was intended to convey his status and sense of contemporary style. Yet, he also had a second portrait completed wearing traditional Indian dress.  

Monochromatic clothes tend to accentuate power.  John Singer Sargent's portrait below provides an excellent example.   

 

 W. Graham Robinson

(John Singer Sargent 1894)

In this portrait Singer Sargent had his subject (writer Robinson) wear a heavy black overcoat cinched to the max. Sargent meant to accentuate Robinson's slim silhouette using the coat (despite the fact that the painting was created over a series of hot summer days). 

 

Singer Sargent worked hard to capture every shade of black contrasted only by a white wing collared shirt and a jade handled cane. The artist presented Robinson as the quintessential London dandy.

Gender roles were also emphasized by many celebrities over the past hundred years perhaps no one more notably than Marlene Dietrich.

Marlene Deitrich's Severe Tuxedo Coat 

(Watson & Son - Hollywood California - 1932)

 

Dietrich is quoted as saying "I am at heart a gentleman". Whatever she may be, she successfully glamorized men's attire for a generation of women. Her outfit in the film Morocco featured a tuxedo, bow tie, and top hat.  

 

Yves Saint Laurent 1979

(Helmut Newton - Vogue Paris) 

 The Suit Dissolves

Exhibition notes that although the tailored suit persists as the epitome of male wardrobe, contemporary designers are busy redesigning it with irony and wit.

Judy Garland's Famous Tuxedo Jacket, Black Fedora and Black Nylons

(Judy Garland (age 28), performs "Get Happy" from Summer Stock -1950)
 

The exhibition afterward features a quote from Virgil Abloh who expresses that fashion offers an opportunity to place all beings on an even playing field. The chance to blur long held, and often outdated, social norms. 

 

The exhibition rekindled memories of a documentary about the life of Bill Cunningham the legendary New York Times photographer who set out each day on the streets of New York to capture street fashion.  His keen street level observations celebrated the "everyman" sense of design. Style isn't limited to fashion designers. In fact many NYC fashion designers noted how Cunningham's photos regularly influenced / nudged their own work.

 

As the week came to a close we stopped into the Vaudeville Theater's box office in a hail mary attempt to see if the very sold out musical "SIX" might have any returns and / or see how the show's stand by seating works. 

 

Amazingly two seats popped up on the screen while were there, so we finished the week enjoying the high energy musical. And, as I watched the stars of Six perform, it occurred to me how the costuming for the show echoed what I'd seen in the V&A fashion exhibit.

 

 SIX

 

Although this trip began originally destined for me to continue on to Slovenia, Italy and Austria to cycle, emerging health related issues now require I terminate the trip and return home.

Travel, like life, is all about being agile as situations demand.

 

       

Roadboy's Travels © 2022