art Archives - One Delightful Life

Corning, New York’s downtown area reminds me of one of those quaint towns used as a backdrop to a Hallmark holiday movie. Known as the Gaffer District, the picturesque area is lined with small boutiques, unique restaurants and independently owned businesses along Market Street. I love the town for its charm but more importantly because it’s walkability – you can stroll up and down the streets and shop the historic district until your heart’s content. I would know – I visit Corning twice a year!

The Upstate New York town is built around a clock tower, an eye-catching stone pillar erected in 1883 by Erastus Corning. The town’s history can also be seen its turn of the century architecture and narrow alleyways. During the summer, the district is adorned by hanging flower baskets and visitors often find themselves sipping craft beer or coffee on outdoor patios. When winter arrives, Centerway Square attracts families who bring their children to visit Santa and enjoy the enormous holiday tree.

So, how could you spend your time in Corning? Whether you’ve only got an hour or an entire weekend, there is so much to explore! (Scheduled Market Street entertainment depends on the season so be sure to check with the Corning’s Gaffer District page). I know that you’re going to love your visit to one of my all-time favorite towns and what HuffingtonPost.com called “11 of America’s Best Small Towns, Perfect for a Long Weekend Trip.”

SHOPPING

The Gaffer District has well over 50 places to shop ranging from gift shops that carry one-of-a-kind items to brand name clothing at discount stores such as Bass Factory Outlet or Van Heusen Factory Outlet. I love shopping in Corning because each store has something that appeals to me or would make the ideal gift for someone else. Whether you’re on the hunt for new clothes or colorful glass vase (Corning, New York is the home of the Corning Glass Museum), you will leave Market Street with a gem of a gift!

To view a complete list of stores, view here.

DINING

I don’t know about you, but when I go shopping I build up an appetite! Thankfully, the restaurants on Market Street are amazing! Some of my must-stop favorites include Aniello’s Pizzeria (order a New York style slice of pie or a bubbly hot sub sandwich) or Market Street Brewing for a cold craft beer and a Black and Bleu Burger. During our last trip, I went to Carey’s Brew House for a cold one and next door to Capn’ Morgan’s Sports Bar & Grill for the most delicious hot wings. When visiting Market Street, you have more options than you can imagine for dining from reservation only dinner restaurants to whimsical ice cream shops. If you have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend Dippity Do Dahs for ice cream or The Source at Factory No. 2 for locally-made, artisan chocolates and a coffee.

To view a complete list of restaurants, click here.

MUSEUMS

When in Corning, you have two options for visiting museums and I’ve experienced both so I can recommend each one: The Corning Glass Museum and The Rockwell Museum.

People travel from across the country to see live glass blowing demonstrations at The Corning Glass Museum and walk the gallery to see their exhibitions. Corning, aka “The Crystal City” is known as the premier city for glass production and glasscutting because of Steuben Glass, which became part of Corning Glass Works in 1919. Look at your glass measuring cups in your kitchen or dishware. They may be from Corning Glass Works!

The Rockwell Museum houses artwork featuring the great American West. In addition, the museum showcases a mix of contemporary Native American art with traditional bronze sculptures and landscape paintings. Traveling with your family? This is a great stop to enjoy kid-friendly spaces for learning.

AWARDS

Voted “America’s Best Small Towns for Christmas” by CountryLiving.com, Corning has also earned recognition from TripAdvisor.com for “2016 Certificate of Excellence” and “Top 100 Events in North America – GlassFest” by the American Bus Association.

After speaking to a Visitor’s Center employee, I learned that there are a multitude of events including wine festivals. Corning is part of the Finger Lakes region, which is home to over 100 wineries! Plan your visit. You shouldn’t leave the region without planning a wine tour.

There you have it! I hope that you found this post a helpful resource for planning your trip to Corning, New York! I continue to find new stores and restaurants to try when I return twice a year. Without a doubt, visiting this little historical town will surprise you with its shopping, dining and museum options. Don’t forget to tell me what you enjoy most about traveling to Upstate New York in the comments below!

Have you ever visited Tulsa, Oklahoma? If you’ve never been, you’re missing out! If given the opportunity to take in the city, I recommend making time to tour their world renowned art museums and galleries, enjoy the local restaurants and breweries, and get outside to enjoy the city’s newest park. Again, don’t assume it’s another midwestern city. It has so much to offer for every traveler. It’s a must-see city!

ART

Philbrook Museum of Art

Having passed up an opportunity to visit the museum a couple years ago, I wasn’t going to miss my opportunity this time to tour the world class museum. Originally built by the Phillips family (as in the super wealthy oil family that owned Phillips 66), the 72-room mansion on 23 acres of grounds were constructed with the plan to eventually gift it as an art center for Tulsa. What a gift to the city!

Look closely. You’ll find markers like this one on the grounds that honor those who had a hand in building it.

The museum’s interior and gardens were kept nearly the same as they were when the Phillips family lived there. As you walk through all three levels of the museum, you can’t help but imagine the wealthy family entertaining friends in the parlor while the organist played, a room which now houses European paintings. I found myself gazing longingly at two Picasso paintings (that’s me below in awe of his work). Having never seen a Picasso, I was surprised how close to it (and all the other work in the museum) I could get to it. No velvet ropes. No security personnel. Just me and two Picasso paintings. It was amazing!

I was admiring a Picasso, and I was left without words.

While on a self-guided tour of the museum, we admired all types of original artwork from African art to Contemporary works and Native American artifacts to American artwork. The museum has it all! If you’re moving quickly through the rooms, you can probably see the museum’s interior in a little over an hour. However, if you don’t view the garden behind the Philbrook, then you may regret it later. Actually, while the artwork was breathtaking, the outdoor sitting areas and garden were my favorite space on the grounds. We spent about 2 hours in the museum and the gardens, so I recommend dedicating more time to your visit so you can enjoy it all.

Plan for extra time when visiting the museum to give yourself the chance to truly appreciate the immense art collection. Not all rooms provide benches for sitting, but each room’s artwork is worthy of your attention.

Despite the other small groups of tourists and two groups of high school students, we were easily able to navigate our way through perfectly pruned shrubs and around meticulously manicured flowers. I’m from the midwest so I thought I’d recognize all of the botanicals on the grounds, but I saw many types of flowers and shrubs that I had never seen previously.

View of the gardens from the museum’s back patio.

I know we’ll return to the museum again, but next time we’ll plan our visit during one of the museum’s movie nights hosted on the Film Lawn. All I can say is that you need to see the Philbrook for yourself. The artwork, the history, and the grounds are fascinating and worthy of your visit. Learn more about the Philbook Museum of Art and view its hours here.

Spectacular stained glass windows adorn the museum.

We visited the museum during its 80th anniversary so we took the chance to play vinyl 80s records. The station was located outside of the main galleries and near the gift store.

THE OUTDOORS

The Gathering Place

Before we arrived in Tulsa, we knew we were going to enjoy the outdoors at Tulsa’s newest park, The Gathering Place. Built entirely from $400 million in donations, the park’s 66 acres was constructed to attract a diverse cross-section of people, hence the name “A Park for Everyone.”

You can enter the interior of the park from all sides, which are well marked with signage.

Others cities should take note of Tulsa’s beautiful park project. It’s vast acreage spans includes areas built entirely for kids (or adults at heart!), an outdoor music venue for concert-loving crowds, and is dotted with state-of-the-art sports equipment. Not feeling athletic? No problem! Many areas of the park offer moments for relaxing and serenity. Read my complete review of the park and see bonus photos here.

BREWERIES

If you’ve viewed my Instagram, then you’ve seen what a craft beer fan I’ve become over the last year. Somehow in 48 hours, we drank at 5 breweries (and one German biergarten).

Hungry for dinner and a beer, we made our way to Growler City in Tulsa Hills, a center for big name retail stores and restaurants. The bar/restaurant has a 3 menu that includes 100 draft beers! It’s a feast for the eyes. Luckily, the menu is categorized by types of beer and if unsure what you want to order, the bartender is quick to give you sample or three. Go there for the beer, not so much for the food.

We spent Saturday on a self-guided brewery tour. Having done some research, we knew which breweries served beers that we would enjoy and had the vibe we wanted. Our first stop took us to Cabin Boys Brewery “Crafted for the Community” situated in a blue-color factory neighborhood outside the city’s downtown area.

The tasting room pales in size to the brewery space, but we easily found two seats at the bar and were served quickly by their friendly staff. Honestly, I could have had multiple beers there but we had other breweries to try and so after several competitive games of Connect 4, we packed it in and made our way to the next stop.

Marshall Brewing Company Tap Room was our next brewery visit, a brewery that is considered the first production craft brewery in Tulsa and one that has seen steady growth since its launch.

The two-tiered tap room is a newly renovated space in the heart of the city’s blue collar district. If you’re looking for a spacious tap room with TVs in nearly every corner so you can watch the game and fun game spaces, this is a must-stop.

This photo was take just before I narrowly lost a game on shuffleboard. I blame the tilted table.

Don’t miss the hops wall that allows visitors to inhale that true hoppy smell!

Our last brewery tour stop took us to a another new tap called Nothing’s Left Brewing Company, a one time old school gas station. Our visit took place during the brewery’s grand opening weekend, and it was so worth the visit! Brewing since 2015, their craft beer menu has something for every beer drinker. I was so pleased with my go-to brew Yabba Dabba Brew, which tasted like Fruity Pebbles cereal (it sounds insane but it was delicious!), that a bomber (22 oz.) to bring home to Kansas. Bonus? The brewery also includes a pup-friendly patio!

Side Note: If you’re not a fan of craft beers, you may enjoy Fassler Hall located in the Blue Dome District. Constructed to resemble a German beer hall that includes an outdoor biergarten, weekend goers can order a German beer served in a glass stein or take advantage of their elaborate bottomless Bloody Mary bar. They also serve a full menu of standard bar food but up the ante by offering German sausages and sides.

The Blue Dome District is made up of locally owned art galleries, restaurants, and bars. A little rough on the edges, it is still worth the visit. In this downtown Tulsa neighborhood, brick exposed buildings are covered in hand painted murals and visitors will enjoy the variety of entertainment options.

I recommend stopping at Andolini’s Pizzeria, if you’re looking for a quick slice of New York style pizza or a decadent serving of homemade gelato.

Tulsa, Oklahoma is a city with a vibrant arts community, beautiful outdoorsy area, and a place that offers countless options for any foodie. Traveling from the north, be sure to swing by The Pioneer Woman’s Mercantile in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Read about our visit there.

I was traveling with a part-time pilot instructor, so of course we also pulled the car over to check out The Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Plantetarium. Aviation aficionados will fall hard for the museum’s gallery of notable pilots and the restored antique planes. Make sure to nab a volunteer to take you inside the MD-80.

Things to Do in Corning, New York

Tulsa, Oklahoma: A Must-See City