PARKER POSEY, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN, AND MEMORIALS

In addition to running into Parker Posey (!!!) at Hotel Saint Vincent, my trip to New Orleans with my (Karie’s) husband last month was nearly perfect. We drove down to hang out with fifteen of his fellow Tulane School of Architecture colleagues to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Their cohort is so impressive — I left inspired in so many ways.

Some other inspiring moments included po’boys at Domilise’s, a watery cocktail at the Boot, visiting some of the more beautifully designed hotels of late, and, top of my list, getting a heaping handful of new tapes from Domino Sound, the best record store in the country next to Asheville’s own Harvest Records.

Another major moment — visiting the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, on the drive home from New Orleans. If you tour the south for any reason at all (on your way to say hello to us in Asheville, for example), I’d recommend a stop here. This memorial is one of the more moving, shocking, and beautifully designed monuments I’ve encountered.