Renee retired in February, and her first act as an unencumbered person was to propose a road trip to California to see our granddaughter graduate from college.  That brainstorm turned into a 10,000 mile drive across 20 states over almost 8 weeks.  Much of the trip was completely unplanned.  We drove through cities we’d never heard of, and towns and villages that barely make it into the maps.  Many were forgettable, some were joyous discoveries.

We learned to look for three signs of vitality in a community: flowers, umbrellas, and street art – all splashes of color that show the natives are alive and engaged.  Flowers are usually provided by the city: pots on the streets or baskets hanging from light poles.  In a vibrant city, people supplement those with flower boxes in windows, on stair steps, and by entrances to stores and restaurants.  Asheville, North Carolina greets you with flowers everywhere.  Also street musicians: here, banjo and bagpipes on a corner.

Umbrellas usually come attached to outdoor dining tables that invite you to sit down, have a drink, and enjoy the human parade.  The colors of the umbrellas and the buzz of activity are irresistible.  Fort Collins, Colorado, had one of the best umbrella scenes we encountered, comparable to what you find in France and Spain.

But street art is the crowning jewel and something of a wild card. When funded by the city, murals are often preachy and off-putting. This one in Wheaton, Maryland, brings color to a town square, but the “Rescue a single life” message reminds us of public art under communism.

However, that is not always the case, and this wall, by and for the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, adds some excitement to the street.

In another example, this mural brings a touch of humor to the business of policing in Memphis, Tennessee.

Grass-roots street art, or graffiti, on the other hand, is a mixed bag, ranging from gang tags to serious art work. Falling in the latter category, this one appears to be an ad for a store but was located in an alley in Amarillo, Texas.

By our own metric, the most exciting city/town/village in the country may be Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 2015, a civic group brought in serious graffitists from the UK, Brazil, Belgium, Australia, and elsewhere, and turned them loose on their building walls. The result was 12 terrific works of public art that absolutely enliven the downtown today. This one, titled Badlands by UK graffitist D*Face, was, we determined, the Mother of All Murals.

Down the street, another, mural by 3D artist Ana Maria of Portugal, captures your eye as you feed the meter.

The project sponsors hope that these amazing artworks will do for Fort Smith what the Guggenheim museum did for Bilbao and Cadillac Ranch for Amarillo: bring tides of tourists with their cameras and cash. It certainly worked with us: we fully intend to return to Arkansas and see the rest of the place.

So, flowers, umbrellas, and street art:  when you find them, grab your camera and dive in. We think you are about to discover a lively and photogenic community.

– Bruce Schaefer

P.S.   A few days after Fort Smith, we arrived in Amarillo, Texas. This is how Cadillac Ranch looks today. Bring your spray paint, leave a tag.