I recently road-tripped from Wisconsin to South Dakota to participate in Douglas Beasley’s annual Dramatic Portrait: Figure in the Badlands Workshop, which has been on my wishlist for the past few years.
This photography workshop experience is well known for the fantastic group of people who attend, along with the dramatic portraits that are created in this remote, and sacred land with its sculpted soil, sweeping vistas and extraordinary light.
Recent events in the world surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the tragic murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and many others have brought into focus where we can do better, and be better. If you read my recent newsletter, you’ll know I am actively working on an action plan to better shape my mission at Open Air Places in a more diverse and inclusive way and I look forward to publishing that soon.
I admit, it’s been a challenge to stay active on this platform with all of the uncertainty in the world, and my own worries that I’ll do or say the wrong thing promoting travel or retreats (my two main gigs) when obviously those two things are responsibly on hold right now. I feel deeply that words matter, messaging matters and I always want to be an authentic voice sharing positivity and inspiration in everything that I do here.
This month I had a fun trip on my calendar - a week of Island Time in Hawaii where I intended to explore a handful of unique places to stay. This planning is in preparation for a 2021 retreat that I am producing with my friend and photographer, Douglas Beasley. The COVID-19 pandemic has paused my travel plans this month, but I remain excited to bring this trip to fruition when traveling is safe again.
Inspired this week by Kitty O’Meara’s “In The Time Of Pandemic” poem posted on her lovely blog The Daily Round: Living From The Spirit Level I wanted to share some of the ways I am staying inspired at home during this time of social distancing.
I’d love to hear what you are doing (….or not doing) in the comments below. Please feel free to share your silver linings! We’re all in this together.
XOXO
JENNA
If you’re anything like me, your ideal weekend escape is probably filled with beautiful cabins secluded in nature, proximity to Lake Superior and plenty of time for rest and reflection. Enter the space that rolls all of these goals into one: The RicePod™ - the first of the Salmela Architect cabins at Wild Rice Retreat, in Bayfield, WI.
21 green miles north west of Bayfield, along the gently curving hills of Highway 13, is the small community of Cornucopia, Wisconsin. Historically a fishing village, this gem along the South Shore of sparkling Lake Superior is home to one of my favorite places to find inspiration during my stays in Bayfield – HESTEKIN POTTERY.
This week I want to share one of my favorite teaching articles from friend and photographer Douglas Beasley. Over the past 8 years of knowing Douglas, I have organized 3 workshops for him at several prominent art centers in the Midwest, one on Madeline Island, the other in Bayfield, WI on the shores of sparkling, Lake Superior.
Take the curving Pan-American highway north-west out of Antigua, Guatemala for about two hours, and you’ll reach Lake Atitlan. Renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world it is Central America’s deepest lake. Ringed with magnificent volcano peaks, the lake bed is an enormous, breathtaking caldera. The volcanoes skirt down to the water, where lush greens transform into verdant coffee and avocado orchards.
It’s no secret that my favorite place to stay in Antigua, Guatemala is the magnificent MESON PANZA VERDE Hotel which I love for its unique elegance and ambiance. Are you just catching up to me now? Check out this blog for my collection of 50 colorful reasons to fall in love with this gem-like place.
Today I am going to give you another reason to adore Antigua. Meson Panza Verde’s sister property The PALO SANTO Hotel.
Read on for the details!
PALO SANTO HOTEL
Located on the quiet end of Antigua’s famous Fifth Avenue, PALO SANTO is right next door to the magnificent MESON PANZA VERDE HOTEL & RESTAURANT where guests can enjoy breakfast in the morning.
5 spacious and finely appointed rooms are centered around a gorgeous courtyard garden (which was set up for a dinner party during my stay). The rooms are decorated with fresh colors, local treasures and Guatemala’s famous handwoven textiles which add their characteristic warmth and ambiance.
Perfectly suited for hosting groups, retreats and workshops, I love the Mayan Temeskal sauna, swimming pool & airy yoga Shala on the rooftop terrace, with views overlooking Volcan Agua.
I think this place is so perfect that I’ve scheduled a 10-day Photography Retreat to happen here in September, with my friend and photographer Douglas Beasley. If you want to book a stay, or schedule your own retreat, workshop or event at this location I’d love to help you with a block of rooms!
You can browse images and booking details for the rooms at PALO SANTO by tapping the button below.
Founder & Lead Travel Ambassador for OPEN AIR PLACES.
The culturally rich city of Antigua, Guatemala has so much to offer travelers, and I feel lucky to share some of my favorite places to stay in this beautiful city.
This week I’ll be post more about my favorite inspirations in Guatemala. You can follow along on Instagram at @openairplaces or we can be Friends on Facebook where I enjoy interacting with my tribe of travel and art lovers.
xoxo
JENNA
The ever-enchanting city of ANTIGUA Guatemala has my heart.
When I have chance to go, I stay at one of Antigua’s finest places to stay - the Meson Panza Verde Hotel. Ideally located on the quiet end of Antigua’s famous Fifth Avenue. The iconic entrance is always adorned with fresh flowers, and stepping inside here feels just like coming home.
Hello Friend!
Last week I told someone that retreats are the BEST part of my life. I love taking them, I love planning them, and I especially love sharing why I think they are a must for creatives.
You may have seen my popular blog post “Top 10 Reasons Why Photo Retreats Enrich My Life” which is a illustrated list of why I keep signing up for photography retreats.
Today I am pleased to have the opportunity to elaborate on reason #4 on that list: Meeting Like-minded People.
I mentioned in my last blog that stepping into the old-town streets of Shangri-La is like stepping into a fairytale.
Arriving at this magical city on a day with soaring blue skies, cool mountain breezes and bright sunshine, probably has something to do with defining that impression. The longer I stayed, the more I decided that Shangri-La is way more than special.
I found so much to inspire me during my stay. Read on for my highlights!
Stepping into old-town Shangri-La, Tibet is like stepping into a fairy tale.
As I mentioned in my last blog, Shangri-La (formerly known as Gyalthang or Zhongdian in Chinese) is a 1,300-year-old Tibetan community, which was selected by the Chinese government in 2001 as the location of the mythical Shangri-La from James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. I couldn’t wait to see this sanctuary above the clouds.
I’ve been thinking a lot about creative workshops these days. They are my absolute-favorite thing to do, which is why I’m so inspired to make these opportunities for others. I love pushing pause on the busy-ness of regular life to focus on creativity. For me, it’s also a moment to reset my life’s intentions.
A three hour drive from Shaxi along curving mountain pass roads brings you to the Tibetan plateau and it’s first major trading site - Zhongdian. The city was renamed Shangri-La, after the Utopian Tibetan location described in Jack Hilton's novel, Lost Horizon.
Along the road north, we stopped at two rest stops. The first was a stunning overlook where you can see the bend in the Yangtze River after its long southeast journey from Tibet. It felt good to stop here and enjoy this magnificent view with the yellow canola fields in bloom along the river.
