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  1. #1
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    TR: Cross Country Done Wright

    I just finished my first x-country drive along with my daughter and returned to Boston from New Mexico (via Chicago). Beforehand, my 13 yo actually made the suggestion to visit a few Frank Lloyd Wright buildings... I was thrilled, but by the time we got to Falling Water (our 10th day and 15th FLW building, she may have regretted her suggestion!

    It was a great time, but somewhat ironic, as we saw some of the architectural world's finest creations, and also some of the natural world's greatest destruction. Our route took us from Albuquerque to Oklahoma City, Joplin, MO, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland, Falling Water, Ithaca, Cooperstown and home. Joplin just suffered the worst tornado disaster in history and New Mexico was beginning their largest wildfire in history the day we arrived.

    We were both seeing the mid west for the first time, and I can honestly say, I was never bored. It was amazing to see the number of wind farms, the natural beauty and the wide open roads (okay, except for Chicago). It was a good bonding experience and I'm sad it's over, but I think it opened my daughters eyes to many new issues, experiences, and insights. Many thanks to the mags who provided the tips, as they were great suggestions and made it more fun.

    We spent a day in Jemez Springs, NM to visit an old friend who teaches high school at the Indian reservation there.




    We only had to drive up the road 10 miles or so to see the backside of the worst wildfire in NM history:




    Albuquerque to Oklamhoma City in 8 1/2 hours... Cadillac Ranch, TX:




    1st FLW building, The Price Tower, Bartlesville, OK:






    Joplin, Missouri where clean up was in full swing:






    We spoke to the owner of this house who described her experience when the tornado struck. She said she ignored the warnings ("We get them all the time.") and was out running errands. She went down the street to pick up her son from a playdate. She noticed 1" diameter rain drops about a foot apart starting to fall. Then she turned to see the tornado bearing down on her, so grabbing her three boys, she dove into the crawl space along with her friends.

    She said they were in total darkness and heard what they thought out to be cars hitting the house. After only five minutes, they came out to see it completely flattened, along with the rest of the neighborhood. Her neighbors mostly survived, and one, age 95, survived without a scratch by holding her bath door closed with one hand and her lap dog with the other. She expressed gratitude for all the help they were receiving and for the safety of her family.

    It was truly remarkable to see the extent of the damage as I could not believe it while driving through town.








    On to St. Louis where we enjoyed walking around and then a ride to the top of the Arch as well as the City Museum's "hippy jungle gym on steroids":










    Chicago was Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, so it was full of his masterpieces.

    The Robie House:





    Unity Temple:



    Racine, WI, Johnson Wax HQ:




    We loved Chicago and while there, we were able to see the Cubs vs. The White Sox at Wrigley Field, take an architectural boat tour at night and went to the top of the Hancock Tower:
















    Cleveland was next, where we had tix for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Of course, like any good rocker, we got a ride in the back of a police cruiser while out that night... (When I inquired about our safety walking back after dinner, the officer offered us a free ride!)



    Our "house" band is now in the R&R HOF!:




    Our final FLW building, Falling Water, probably his finest... (If not one of the worlds finest.) Absolutely incredibly beautiful. (I couldn't help but think of what a great place to through a party, though!)












    On the way to Ithaca, we stopped at the still unfinished United Flight 93 Memorial in Stoystown, PA. This is the plane which the passengers took action against the terrorists on 9/11. I was surprised at how moved I was, but being there, July 5th, and thinking of those passengers final moments, made me proud of them as Americans. The memorial looks to be quite amazing when complete, as a 40'-50' wall traces the flight path of the jet before crashing. A grove of forty trees is to be planted for each of the deceased, where people can come to remember and honor their valor.






    Having driven by it a hundred times, we finally stopped to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. My daughter was only interested because she had the good fortune of sitting next to Jim Rice on a flight home from Florida this winter. She wanted a picture of his plaque:




    Stat wise, we did 3130 miles, spent 10 days on the road, saw 15 FLW buildings, 2 Halls of Fame and listened to 1 book on tape (To Kill A Mockingbird). The biggest surprise was probably Oklahoma City where they have built a new baseball park and completely renovated the warehouse district. It has a canal in the heart (with boat rides) and is a vibrant night time place to eat and hang... very well done. Cleveland rocks, but Chicago was easily our favorite. I wish we had another month to travel, but still feel lucky to have had this experience... especially with my daughter.
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddy View Post
    but still feel lucky to have had this experience... especially with my daughter.
    Awesome the two of you could do this together. Looks like fun. I've visited Robie House and FLW's home and studio in Chicago/Oak Park. Also Taliesen West in Scottsdale and the Meyer May house in Grand Rapids. If I ever get to Pittsburgh I'll try to drive out to Falling Water for sure.

  3. #3
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    Falling Water looks dope, would love to make it there one of these days.

    Cooperstown is a cool little town, great brewery on the outskirts (Ommegang), a kick ass museum (Farmer's Museum) and a pretty lake. Only downside is the baseball hall of fame.

    No pictures of Ithaca? It's Gorges!
    Quote Originally Posted by Tunco perfectly summarizing TGR View Post
    It is like Days of Our Lives', but with retards.

  4. #4
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    Falling Water is totally worth it. Can't believe it took me so long to get there!


    I forgot to include a pic of "Bricktown", Oklahoma City:




    For Dumpy (do you recognize this place?) It's my old apt and view:



    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  5. #5
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    Feb 2008
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    great pics BD, nice TR. Welcome home.

  6. #6
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    Great looking trip BD, thanks for putting together the TR.
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddy;3306750

    For Dumpy (do you recognize this place?) It's my old apt and view:


    [IMG
    http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o404/SugarDaddy88/Wright%20Road%20Trip/IMG_2506.jpg[/IMG]

    Stewart Ave bridge?


    Although, I don't see any fences in that shit, so it can't be too close to campus...
    Quote Originally Posted by Tunco perfectly summarizing TGR View Post
    It is like Days of Our Lives', but with retards.

  8. #8
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    Close Dumpy. Right gorge, but College Ave. bridge (and yes, there is suicide fencing, it's just painted black and blends in...)
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  9. #9
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    Thanks for the pics of Joplin. It's easy to forget.

    Frank Lloyd Wright does nothing for me...just saying.

  10. #10
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    Great pics. Those types of trips with your kids only happen a few times in life it seems.


    I want to plan a national park lodges tour some time with the wife and kids.


    Fallingwater, single greatest architectural masterpiece of residential if not all American architecture. Definitely one of the greatest residential works in the world. An almost perfect melding of site, materials and form.

    If you can't see the genius (whether you like his work or not) of this man at least 50 years ahead of his time, you are blind. Never graduated from an architectural school.
    Last edited by OSECS; 07-12-2011 at 09:32 AM.
    "You damn colonials and your herds of tax write off dressage ponies". PNWBrit

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDaddy View Post
    If only Ithaca was like that all year...

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by OSECS View Post
    I want to plan a national park lodges tour some time with the wife and kids.
    ...and your wallet!

  13. #13
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    trippy shot, dude. it makes me want to listen to Pink Floyd. cool TR, BD.


    edit:
    just realized where i knew those towers from.



    Last edited by buttahflake; 07-12-2011 at 03:47 PM.
    crab in my shoe mouth

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by OSECS View Post
    Fallingwater, single greatest architectural masterpiece of residential if not all American architecture. Definitely one of the greatest residential works in the world. An almost perfect melding of site, materials and form.
    Except for the failed cantilevers and all the leaks.

    Just kidding. I'd love to see it in person. I used to work with the guy who removed and then reinstalled all or most of the built in furniture during the big restoration like 8-9 years ago. He was going to take me with for part of it but our boss told him he'd be fired if he took me (remodeling crew with only three full time builders couldn't spare two for a couple months, damn).

  15. #15
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    Very nice! That's awesome you got to share something cool like this with your daughter.

    Two thumbs up!
    ‎"Powder snow skiing is not fun. It's life, fully lived, life lived in a blaze of reality." -Dolores LaChapelle

  16. #16
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    Well done. Your daughter will tell her children about that trip one day.

  17. #17
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    Excellent road trip.

    FYI there is a FLW designed house on sale in the philly suburbs. You should check it out. It's one of the "suntop" homes. I pooped in one once. A friend lived there. They are awesome.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suntop_Homes

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by RootSkier View Post
    Except for the failed cantilevers and all the leaks.
    Yeah, apparently FLW was a much better artist than an engineer.

  19. #19
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    Awesome TR! Love the sugar twins CD
    The memories of that trip w/ your kid will last a lifetime BD

    Sprite
    "I call it reveling in natures finest element. Water in its pristine form. Straight from the heavens. We bathe in it, rejoicing in the fullest." --BZ

  20. #20
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    did you also hit up kentucky knob while you were at falling water? supposedly its better but I haven't seen it.

  21. #21
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    awesome TR. My daughter is not even 6 months old, but I dream of doing things like this with her.
    "fuck off you asshat gaper shit for brains fucktard wanker." - Jesus Christ
    "She was tossing her bean salad with the vigor of a Drunken Pop princess so I walked out of the corner and said.... "need a hand?"" - Odin
    "everybody's got their hooks into you, fuck em....forge on motherfuckers, drag all those bitches across the goal line with you." - (not so) ill-advised strategy

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by The AD View Post
    Yeah, apparently FLW was a much better artist than an engineer.
    I think more arrogant than a bad engineer. His column solution for the Johnson wax building was brilliant. Considering he never finished his formal training he was pretty innovative and knew how to exploit a material in it's most natural form.

    He definitely pushed the limits at Fallingwater and lost that battle.

    Root, that sucks but there's plenty of time for a pilgrimage. I've been to Taliesan East and that was amazing. Seeing the school and his home was almost a religious experience.
    "You damn colonials and your herds of tax write off dressage ponies". PNWBrit

  23. #23
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    After five, two hour, "in-depth tours", from OK to PA, a few FLW traits consistently came through:

    1. He was short.... (Estimates anywhere from 5'-2" to 5'-6"... w/ heal inserts and platform shoes).

    2. The man had ego issues. (Often told the client they were idiots and was often right.... they usually paid 3-5 times more than the budget.)

    3. He liked "Cherokee Red"

    4. His roofs leaked and his chair designs sucked.

    5. He was an amazing genius, way ahead of his time.


    Falling Water is managed by the Western PA Conservancy and they said it takes $5M/yr to keep it up. (That includes the 5000 acres around it.)

    I often got "rolled eyes" when I asked if the roofs ever leaked. The cantilevers at FW had 1/6 the amount of rebar necessary, so it's lucky they stayed up. In 2006 they redid them and used post-tensioning cables to insure they will remain.

    As Osecs points out, FLW's "Lily Pad" columns at the Johnson Wax HQ were absolute engineering genius... and withstood five times the required design loads. The interior spaces of the administration building are so sublimely beautiful, lit by natural light from above between the circular tops, filtered through several miles worth of glass tubing. That tour was free and I would highly recommend it, too.


    http://flw-lockheart.blogspot.com/20...dquarters.html

    CB, we did not make it to Kentucky Knob. I would have loved to, but had to make sure I did not OD my daughter.

    Snowsprite, the Twins are now in the permanent library of the HOF. It took some serious negotiations, but I dropped some names and pulled some strings. (Not to mention they'll take any band's CD and put it there if you just hand it to them...)

    LH, good tip... it's amazing how many FLW buildings are out there (and that I never knew of.)

    A listing of all public sites: http://www.franklloydwright.org/fllw...lic_Sites.html
    Screw the net, Surf the backcountry!

  24. #24
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    Jul 2004
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    Unfortunately, FLW's designs were far ahead of the available building technology. Today, you could build Falling Water and avoid the materials problems that Falling Water suffers. When a friend of mine spent a year there several decades ago, one issue for Falling Water's mission was whether to restore with the original materials (to the extent available) and techniques or to rebuild with new materials and techniques. It is still an issue, but the Conservancy has elected to retain original materials where possible.
    I ski because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things.

    "This deep snow makes my skis stupid!"

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by ole2planker View Post
    Unfortunately, FLW's designs were far ahead of the available building technology. Today, you could build Falling Water and avoid the materials problems that Falling Water suffers. When a friend of mine spent a year there several decades ago, one issue for Falling Water's mission was whether to restore with the original materials (to the extent available) and techniques or to rebuild with new materials and techniques. It is still an issue, but the Conservancy has elected to retain original materials where possible.
    Very true in many respects, but with Fallingwater his arrogance prevailed. His engineers did provide detailed structural plans, (I believe he buried them in the conc. pours as a slap in their face), and he chose to ignore them. But even with that, encasing unprotected steel in a material that absorbs water was a recipe for failure at some point anyway.
    "You damn colonials and your herds of tax write off dressage ponies". PNWBrit

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