September. It signals the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The start of the school year and the kickoff of the football season. The warm temperatures of the summer start to wane, and a chill comes into the air. And Christmas. Let’s not forget Christmas!
Wait… what?
Last year, I had planned a day trip to Philadelphia as a Christmas gift for my wife. Life, however, intervened, and so the trip was delayed several times. Finally, on a beautiful Saturday in mid-September, my wife was able to cash in her gift and enjoy a delicious lunch in the city, tour a unique private collection of art, and then make an unexpected detour to visit acre upon acre of beautiful flowers.
Let’s begin:
A Philadelphia Day Trip
Our adventure would take us from our home in New Jersey to Philadelphia for the a brief but fun excursion!As this was my wife’s much-belated Christmas gift, I woke up early to do some light decorating. Happy Holidays!We were treated to an absolutely gorgeous morning! After about an hour and twenty minutes in the car, we were crossing the Ben Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia.No glamour shots of the Acura on this trip – we stashed the Acura in a parking garage and began our adventure. At least the Acura RDX beside my TLX would be good company!Our first stop? El Vez, a Mexican restaurant in the Center City section of Philly. El Vez is part of the Starr Restaurant Group, a set of upscale restaurants founded by restauranteur Stephen Starr.With temperatures in the low 70s and sunny skies, we opted to sit outside along South 13th Street.We started our meal with an order of chips and salsa. The tortillas chips are freshly made every morning and are served with red salsa, green salsa, and pico de gallo. We washed it all down with the house margaritas. So good!My wife had an order of the black cod al pastor tacos, served with cabbage, aioli, and grilled pineapple. She was in heaven with every bite!Meanwhile, I devoured an order of steak tacos, topped with chipotle salsa and pico de gallo. El Vez was terrific – easily one of the best Mexican restaurants I have visited in the region. Fueled up, we called for an Uber and headed across the city.Our afternoon destination was the Barnes Foundation. A private art museum established in 1922, the Barnes showcases the collection of Albert C. Barnes, a chemist who invented an antiseptic to treat eye, nose, and throat infections. He spent his fortune amassing a collection whose total value in 2025 is almost $25 billion dollars (via Wikipedia).Although walk-up tickets are available, visitors are strongly encouraged to pre-purchase timed tickets. With our tickets already on my phone, we breezed past the ticket booth and headed into the museum.The centerpiece of the 4,000-work collection are the over 900 paintings, many of them from Impressionist masters such as Renoir, Monet, and Cezanne.Unlike most museums where art is arranged by artist, at the Barnes the art is grouped visually. Pieces are placed together that show similarities in the use of color, or brushstrokes, or shapes, for instance. This approach goes back to Albert Barnes himself, who believed that art should be experiential.Small brass plates indicating the name of the artist are the only information you will receive. Unlike most museums, at the Barnes there are no placards beside each artwork providing information and background details. Albert Barnes’ goal was to make visitors better critical thinkers, able to enjoy art without viewing it through someone else’s interpretation (via Wikipedia).The museum does offer small booklets in each room that will inform you the name of the artwork, the artist, and the country or region of origin… and that’s it. Everything else is up to you to either appreciate on your own, or, to quote my mom, a retired librarian: “Look it up!”The collection was absolutely fascinating. The large painting in the middle was from Pablo Picasso, created well before his Cubist period.The collection of Impressionist paintings were worth the price of admission alone. These two paintings by Cezanne (top) and Van Gogh (bottom) were absolutely beautiful in person.The museum’s holdings go far beyond paintings. It also houses a sizable collection of statues and jewelry from the ancient world. Some of these ancient Egyptian pieces date back over 4,000 years.In the lower level stands display case filled with pottery from the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest.At first, I found the lack of information annoying. “What am I looking at?” I asked myself in exasperation. However, the longer we spent in the museum, the more the more the museum’s minimalist approach began to make sense. I don’t know if I’d like to experience every museum this way, but at the Barnes it certainly was memorable! After a fun few hours, we took an Uber back to my car and headed home.As we crossed back into New Jersey, my wife asked if I’d be up for a detour to see sunflowers. She put a new address in the GPS and we headed into the farm country of central NJ.Turning off a main road, I barreled down a dirt and gravel path before bouncing across a grassy field to park. We had arrived at Holland Ridge Farms.Holland Ridge Farms is a u-pick flower farm. Pay an admission fee and then amble through acre after acre of various flowers and plants, picking what you want. The current Fall Festival showcases their sunflowers, but decorations are already going up for the upcoming Winter Wonderland, which will highlight tulips.“See?” I said to my wife, “Christmas in September!”The Casey family founded the farm in the 1960s, having emigrated from Holland. The farm leans heavily into the culture of their homeland.Pick out some beautiful flowers but aren’t sure what to do with them? For a nominal fee, the staff will help you create an eye-catching arrangement.The main attraction: sunflowers for as far as the eye could see!When I say “as far as the eye can see,” I mean as far as the eye can see!Appropriate to the theme of all-things Holland, a windmill is the centerpiece of the farm.I wished I had brought my big camera – I tried as best I could to capture the magic I was seeing through my phone.We saw at least 17 food trucks on hand to provide sustenance to visitors. We were still full from lunch at El Vez, but I did grab an apple cider donut from a bakery food truck to take home.We departed the same way we entered, and I tried not to groan too loudly as I heard gravel pinging up from the dirt road and ricocheting off my car.At the end of the day, we pulled back into our garage. It wasn’t the longest drive we’ve taken recently, but it was certainly packed with adventure!
Garage Updates
Before closing, I wanted to share a reader’s new car, some updates on the Acura, and then a new additional to our feline garage.
The first update is a new car congratulations to my Dad. He recently traded in his 2017 Honda Accord for a 2022 Subaru Legacy Limited XT.Despite being three years old, the car looks barely used. I gave it a test drive, and it was a fun vehicle. It handles well (as is expected with a Subaru) and the driver’s seat was quite comfortable. The cabin is well designed, and all the controls are placed within easy reach of the driver.With the Limited trim level, the car comes with a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder motor. The engine is less powerful (although more fuel-efficient) than the snazzier turbocharged motor that comes in higher trim levels of the Legacy. However, I personally don’t think that’s a bad thing. Turbocharged engines are fun, but I am still not entirely convinced that they will last as long as their non-turbocharged counterparts.Congrats, Dad. The car is a beauty. Here’s to the next adventure in your new ride!Meanwhile, my trusty Acura TLX recently passed its first state inspection since I purchased it. I was there for twenty minutes. Five minutes for the inspection, and then fifteen minutes chatting with the technician about classic Hondas and Acuras!Speaking of my TLX, it continues its inexorable quest to reach 100,000 miles. 64,000 miles of trouble-free motoring are in the books – 70,000 is getting closer. Onward!Finally, we recently added a new member to our household – please meet Mikko! He’s an energetic two-year old rescue from a local shelter. Our hope is that he provides some nice friendship for Betty, our longtime feline companion.
Wrapping Up
“Better late than never!” is the motto of how we celebrated Christmas 2024. El Vez is an excellent restaurant, and the Barnes Foundation is a fantastic attraction that gets far less attention than some of the neighboring museums in Philadelphia. Finally, Holland Ridge Farms is worth a visit any time of year (but especially in autumn to see endless rows of sunflowers!).
Thanks for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
The Open Road Ahead 