Destinations

The League-Kempner Mansion in Galveston is endangered without its determined new savior

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 11-10-2022

The League-Kempner House represents the last great house of the Broadway Castle District designed by Nicholas Clayton.

One of the most intriguing houses in Texas is, until recently, one of the most endangered. The last of Galveston’s privately owned Gilded Age homes, the League-Kempner Mansion is in danger of loss without its determined new savior. At 1710 Broadway, the home was built by Galveston aristocracy John Charles League and Nellie Ball in 1893. It represents the last great house of the Broadway Castle District designed by Nicholas Clayton, architect of the Bishop’s Palace. Following League’s death in 1916, matriarch of the Kempner family Eliza Seinsheimer Kempner acquired the home. Eliza employed Houston architect to the oil barons …continue reading

The historic Fanthorp Inn: Four Presidents and forty Spittoons

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 05-19-2022

Hidden down a scenic road about 20 miles northeast of Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Fanthorp Inn captured my imagination the first time I set eyes upon it

How can a building exist in four different countries without ever being moved? Simple: the structure was part of Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the USA, the Confederate States of America, and back to the USA again. Hidden down a scenic road in Grimes County, about 20 miles northeast of Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Fanthorp Inn captured my imagination the first time I set eyes upon it. So I found the occasion to step back in time for a TroysArt Travelogue. Joining me for the excursion into Texas history is my gal pal Stacey Abbott, the pert blonde owner of Spa 1107 …continue reading

I haven’t been everywhere. So why not a trip to Cleveland?

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 11-09-2021

“The Angel of Death Victorious”—a life-sized guardian angel marking the grave of Francis Haserot in Lakeview Cemetery

Tennessee Williams infamously said, “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” I adore the quote, and I have used it before—after all, I do love New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans! But I haven’t been everywhere. So why not a trip to Cleveland? And one must appreciate the randomness of a trip to Cleveland for my first flight since we were all locked down for Coronavirus. I knew nothing about Cleveland. Who really does? The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the theme song for the Drew Carey Show …continue reading

The hyped & hidden highlights, haunts, & hangouts of New Orleans

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 12-15-2019

Tino wanted a picture in from of Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, the American Horror Story Coven House.

Bart Simpson once said, “When the Big Easy calls, you gotta accept the charges.” And that has pretty much been my motto for years. So in October, while having dinner with a handsome fellow, I discovered that he had never been to New Orleans—and that sounded like a call to me! That meal was our first time to get together but we had a great rapport and a lot of fun. So within a week we were set for hitting the hyped & hidden highlights, haunts, & hangouts of New Orleans. Not that I ever need a reason to hit …continue reading

Everything you need to know about Vincent van Gogh

: Artists, Destinations, Galleries & Museums : Written by Troy Broussard : 04-26-2019

Vincent’s self-portraits have established him as one of the most famous faces in history. Self Portrait, 1887, oil on cardboard.

Most people whom I know have a favorite artist. And there are dozens of artists that I adore, even crave. I love Eduard Manet for his strong color and composition; I love John Singer Sargent for his scale and painterly brushwork; but above all, I love Vincent van Gogh for his ebullient colors, skewed perspectives, and life story. So imagine my excitement when I heard that an assemblage of 50 paintings by van Gogh would be exhibited in Houston–and only in Houston. This TroysArt post is not only about Vincent van Gogh: His Life in Art at the Museum of …continue reading

Martin Dies State Park: A tent near the water

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 11-15-2018

My recent escape in a tent near the water at Martin Dies State Park in Jasper, Texas.

November 2018: Imagine an evening in the wilderness, gathered around a campfire with friends and a few bottles of wine. An airy tent with an inflatable mattress and fresh sheets is only stumbling distance. A vacation is not about distance traveled or money spent but rather about moments shared. And my recent escape in a tent near the water at Martin Dies State Park in Jasper, Texas, was just that. In March I penned one of my signature TroysArt travelogues about a camping trip to Guadalupe River State Park (TroysArt – Camping is just code for drinking under the stars). …continue reading

San Francisco—hobos, homos, Rice-A-Roni, and the Golden Gate Bridge?

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 08-16-2018

The TransAmerica Pyramid Tower is like a fabulous obelisk and is a favorite for me—like a priceless bibelot in the center of an antique vitrine.

August 2018. What does anyone, who has not been, know about San Francisco besides hobos, homos, Rice-A-Roni, and the Golden Gate Bridge? At my age and with the travel I have accomplished, it seems crazy that I have not been there. While working in California, years back, I would occasionally fly in and out of San Francisco but that is only geography. Tennessee Williams said, “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” By Williams’ ringing endorsement alone, San Francisco warrants a visit. So this summer I set my sights on the Golden …continue reading

Camping is just code for drinking under the stars

: Destinations, Lifestyle : Written by Troy Broussard : 03-08-2018

We took a group selfie. (From left: Michael, Skip, me, Delta Dawn, & John)

March 2018, Guadalupe River State Park – Walking the dog, I gaze toward the heavens to watch Southwest jets in airways that traverse the city of Houston and I imagine what destinations are in store for the passengers aboard. I yearn to visit new places, but travel is not always about boarding a plane. Travel can be just a matter of picking a place to go. So in conversation with my friends Skip and John, I mentioned that I was overdue for camping, to which Skip reminded that it had been nine years and a dog ago since joining them. …continue reading

A Confederacy of Vices

: Destinations, TroysArt : Written by Troy Broussard : 03-23-2017

The perfectly located Hotel St. Marie looks like an antique building but was built 40 years ago, making it a relative newcomer to the Vieux Carré.

MARCH 2017: A GLAMOR TO GUTTER LITERARY TRAVEL LOG OF FRENCH QUARTER TOURISM, WITH OCCASSIONAL REFERENCES TO A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. New Orleans is one of the extraordinary cities, a hybrid of old and new world cultures, the perfect package of people, architecture, attitude, and vibe. Tennessee Williams once said, “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” But what about Chicago? What about Las Vegas? What about Miami? The point is well made, New Orleans is unique and there is no place like it. For a year, my friend Graham and …continue reading

Laura Plantation is Louisiana’s best house tour

: Destinations : Written by Troy Broussard : 03-16-2017

Laura Plantation was built in 1805 in the traditional Creole colonial manner with a raised brick basement and briquette-entre-poteaux construction.

Growing up, I never heard of Laura Plantation; but over the past two decades it has been the buzz of Louisiana’s plantation parade. Hard to believe, but this historical gem has been hidden in plain sight within the cluster of other notorious homes like Oak Alley, St. Joseph, and San Francisco. And having seen nearly every plantation across my home state and many house museums around the world, visiting Laura has been on my list. Last year at a wedding in Houston I met Jay Schexnaydre, one of the managers of Laura Plantation. He encouraged me to visit, promising it …continue reading