Banksyland On Tour

Last week we had the joy of viewing international art at home. Portland is the first (and possibly only) stop on the tour of Banksy art called, appropriately, Banksyland. This includes art from a private collection, canvas prints of large building murals, videos, and possible recreations. 

While not all the pieces are original pieces, it's okay, because proceeds from your ticket go toward charity. Eric and I have been to the UK and seen a few of Banksy's pieces, including some of his famous rats. Obviously, we haven't been all over the city, and we've only been in the city for 3 weeks over the last 15 years, so it would be difficult for us to see many.

 

Banksy rats we saw in London

Banksy has art all over the world. Much of it is political- or human rights-related, and makes you think about everything around you in a different way, which can only be a good thing. Art should make you view things differently. Banksy has been doing guerilla street art for decades and has worked with other artists to create an anti-corporation defunct theme park exhibit and bought a boat to be used as a way to help refugees that don't live in an EU country, since distress calls from non-Europeans don't really get answered. 

Banksy has devoted a career to being anonymous, but also using his money for good and to make statements, whether social, political, or corporational. Greed is bad, war is bad, exploitation is bad. People can be and do good. Cops want to help people, but can get caught up in their power over people. Look for beauty everywhere, because it's there.

Banksy created a whole hotel museum full of Banksy art in Jerusalem to show the huge disparity in how people live within Israel. Called the Walled Off Hotel, a play on the Waldorf Astoria, you can actually stay in rooms here. Budget rooms are cheap and outfitted with Israeli military surplus. They are much like hostel rooms with shared bathrooms. In the same hotel, you can stay in a lavish suite. The photos themselves probably don't do enough justice to how it feels to visit.

I really enjoyed the transitions of the video art showing how a blank wall is transformed and how they can use things that are already on the street/sidewalk or even on the wall to make it personal. Clearly, you aren't getting the full experience with this exhibit, because they can't recreate the significance of the art on certain buildings, but when you can't travel, this is kind of the next best thing. Easily accessible art is always a good thing in my opinion, and is echoed by those that put on this show.

This show isn't huge, but there is a lot packed into a small space. You learn about the pieces and the relevance of certain things. You learn about Banksy's views of corporate greed, advertising, the government, war, and the beauty around us. You can watch a short video on the obtaining of that refugee boat, how corporations use advertising to exploit you, and how Dismaland, the anti-greed theme park, came together and was received.

You should know that this is an unofficial exhibition. Banksy did not endorse it, as he believes that art should be free and accessible to everyone. This is why almost all of his artwork is street art. Literally, anyone who walks past that building can view it, for nothing, and take their time to admire, enjoy, and critique it. If nothing else, I felt our money going to charity, even if it's just to enable more people to see and experience more art, was put to good use. 

There's also a very small gift shop that I didn't think was necessary, but there were some cool things in there, including Banksy-fied skate decks. What's your favorite traveling art show or permanent museum?

How To Try Travel Sharing

It's no secret that travel share is a booming industry. With less mainstream ways to travel on a budget, it's easier than ever to travel the world without going broke. I'm all for going independent when I can to save some bucks, especially if I have plenty of traveler reviews to back up the safety and legitimacy of it all. 

Instead of staying in a hotel or eating at a traditional restaurant or going to the big box car rental places for some wheels, why not go local and more affordable?

 

Accommodations
I've been on the travel share bandwagon for a long time. While I love a hotel and still use them when needed, I love to feel more at home when I travel and enjoy having a kitchen and laundry at my disposal. If you do, too, try:

• Airbnb - Indisputably the most well-known way to rent a vacation space. Choose from a room in a home to an entire apartment and everything in between. Get to meet locals where you can while making use of the spaces they aren't using. (Here's an account of one of my Airbnb experiences.)
• Homeexchange - Want to really save some money? Swap your house with other travelers where you want to go. Take in their mail, feed their dogs and generally be them for the duration of your trip.
• Homeaway - Like Airbnb, see a long list of spaces for rent, go through HomeAway, so you know your reservation is safe and secure.

Transportation
You may already be using Uber and Lyft to get around, but why stop there? If you want to drive on your own schedule, rent someone else's car while you're in town. See locals who can spare their wheels while you're visiting on these great sites:

• Turo
• GetAround
• ZipCar - Unlike these others, these are shared cars in a city. Rent it by the hour. Pick it up and drop it off at a designated location.

Dining
I'm open to meeting new people and I love to eat. Now you can visit locals for homemade meals or meet someone for food at a restaurant. This is especially good for people who are traveling solo and don't like to eat alone and those that are really outgoing.

• EatWithALocal
• TravelingSpoon
• EatWith

Other stuff
Sometimes you get to a place and realize you want something specific, like golf clubs or skis. Since bringing them with you can be crazy expensive, why not rent some from someone while you're in town? 

• Loanables
• BabyQuip - Rent baby strollers, car seats and more.
• Baby'sAway - Same as BabyQuip, but great if you're traveling with more than one baby.
• Spinlister - Need a bike? Rent one at your destination!

Travel sharing is perfect for those that want to help out individuals while also getting a hyperlocal experience.

Do you have a favorite travel share company?

A Disney Vacation In a Box

So, I had such a fun time creating my own Destination Date Nights and then planning a Japan staycation for my friend, that I decided to do it again. We were meant to go to Walt Disney World in 2020, and then again in 2021, but with Covid, and then all the terrible laws and government since then, we postponed and then outright cancelled our vacation. Our friend was going to meet us down there. 

A bit of a behind the scenes pic

The disappointment from us all has been understandable, and we'll eventually get back down there for this trip, but for now that's not happening. Since we aren't able to take that trip, and she had never been, I decided that she should still get to have that Disney magic at home, whenever she felt the need.

Every staycation needs a backdrop, in my opinion, and to make this one extra special, I planned a two-step backdrop. At some point, I plan to do a Disney party, focusing on the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, so I figured I'd use the castle backdrop anyway. I purchased the one above on Amazon, set it up in the backyard, put on our (subtle) Disney gear, posed in front of it, and then took a bunch of photos. One of them was good enough to keep, and then I edited, cropped, and uploaded that one to make a new background. 

Other backdrops you might like: 

• nighttime castle and World Showcase Lagoon
• nighttime castle with stars
• daytime Disneyland castle
• Christmas on Main Street
• Halloween on Main Street
• It's A Small World
• Spaceship Earth, or you can design your own with a public domain pic on Zazzle (get up to 60% off your first purchase with my link). I use the seller Canadapromo for all my tapestries. They aren't as heavy and they are machine washable. 
• Don't forget the clamps to hang your background!

While I waited for my background to be printed, I put together the rest of the staycation. I wanted this to be an "experience", so there was a story and a layering system to everything in the box, meaning she would have to experience the trip in the way intended. Here we go:

Disney is more than just a castle, so I picked three of my favorite attractions and got the prints made of them. These help set the atmosphere. "Some people are just happy to be at the parks, surrounded by all the sights and sounds." 

"Jump on the monorail to City Hall and get your Birthday button, then head to your meet and greet with all the princesses." Some of our favorite things and must-dos were on the list to start off this staycation. If it's your birthday, anniversary, first trip, or whatever, a free button from City Hall is always fun. I tried to come up with a way to do a meet and greet that wasn't super cheesy, and knowing that I was going to include an actual birthday card, this pop-up card was an easy choice. 

I knew she would be spending her birthday with her mom and grandma, and souvenirs are always fun. Mouse ears are the ultimate souvenir, so I ordered 3 different princess ear headbands for them to all get in on the fun: Anna, Ariel, Belle. 

Of course, my visit is never complete without treats. Ya'll know I have a churro budget, and when she and I went to Disneyland a few years ago, I had 4 in 3 days, and Dole Whip, and popcorn, and some other things I probably didn't need. She loves sweets as well, so I wanted her to be able to enjoy her own churros at home, Mickey (and Donald) ice creams, and then I tossed in some Mickey cups I found at Party City to be used for sodas, adult beverages, or mini popcorn buckets. (Here are some similar ones on Amazon.) 

Parades and rides are hard to replicate at home, but luckily, there are people who film all the things, so I made YouTube playlist of some of the best rides and entertainment, then I included this at-home VR headset that you put your phone in, start your video, and then wear it like goggles. Stroll down Main Street, browse shops, watch a parade, ride Space Mountain. You name it, you can find someone who's filmed it on YouTube.

And, of course, no trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without fireworks. Sure, they could watch fireworks on YouTube as well, and I included a link to a few, but what about fireworks at home in your house?! A company called Uncle Milton made a whole line of fireworks simulation toys about a decade ago. They were discontinued, but I found a bunch on ebay. This one is the fireworks light show launcher, which gives you all the best parts of fireworks. It makes the fireworks launch sound and projects static fireworks wherever you point it.

I wanted one for myself, and then I found out they had a Pixar version, so I bought both versions. They were used, but they worked perfectly and was the cherry on top of my staycation box. I sent her the Pixar one, which also projects Disney characters in the "sky" with the fireworks, and kept the generic one for myself and future party planning. (I wish I had thought to look on ebay when I wanted this for the end of a Weasley Wizard Wheezes themed Harry Potter party.)

This whole staycation fit into an extra large FedEx box (approximately: 11-7/8" x 10-3/4" x 11"), which is not huge, but a lot of items fit inside, and more would have fit if I hadn't wanted to layer things in a specific way. You, obviously, don't have to include as many things I as I did, or you can include more if your budget allows. 

Who would you send a staycation in-a-box to and where would you send them?

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