Trip to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Ask anyone of the 16 women who went on this trip ... and you will likely hear the following, "it far exceeded my expectations." Crystal Bridges is not just about its remarkable and vast collection of Colonial American art through to works of the present, but also about architecture and nature. The museum itself is a work of art designed by Moshe Safdie and it takes its reputation for architecture seriously as evidenced by the inclusion of a Frank Lloyd Wright home on the property and a soon to be installed Buckminster Fuller Geodesic Dome. And, the emphasis on nature is not to be forgotten. The "Bridges" were designed around a spring (Crystal Spring) and dammed ponds accentuate this water element. Paths and plant specimens alongside monumental outdoor sculpture seem as integrated into the experience as the world-class art on display inside.

While in Bentonville, Arkansas, we visited the sublime Cooper Chapel. Set in the woods overlooking a pond, the glass, wood and steel Gothic style chapel inspired and left us contemplative. We were also treated to a tour of contemporary art at an unlikely location -- our hotel. There were cutting edge galleries showing works by numerous artists from all over the country.

Special thanks to the Trips Committee for arranging such a memorable trip -- with extra gratitude to Enid Hyde for logistics, Janet Lindgren for programs, and Collette Bruce for arranging the visit to Cooper Chapel.