The Borax Visitor's Center - Boron, California

DATE:  July 11, 2015

SITE:  Borax Visitor Center

LOCATION:  Suckow Rd., Boron, Kern Co., California

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

I have absolutely no idea why I really wanted to come to a borax mine. I think I was curious to see a mine totally devoted to what I thought was the only use of borax...laundry detergent. Yet, I knew I had to be wrong too. I was pretty sure borax wasn't used in all laundry soap so why pull so much of it out of the earth?

The mine is quite a bit off the freeway. I’m glad that I had read some of the TripAdvisor reviews because I knew a head of time that to get to the visitors center, you leave the paved road. What I didn’t realize was the hill…unpaved…that you would have to go up. The visitors center is quite a bit above the mine.  

 

When you enter the facility, you have a series of signs directing you to the visitor center. There are other signs talking about safety and how long since an accident, but the funniest were the speed limit signs. They slowed us down with each sign and then we hit the 37 1/2 MPH sign? Huh? How do you do that?

The staff working the visitors center are all volunteers and boy are they enthusiastic about this place. Both of the gentlemen working there had retired from various positions in the mine.  One glommed on to us and I wasn’t sure if we weren’t going to have a personal guide the whole time.

I was set straight...Borax is the brand and the mineral is called borates. The mineral is used for cosmetics, enamel glazes, fire retardant, anti-fungal, in the manufacture of fiberglass, shields against radioactivity, a non-stick surface texture for cooking, as poison in ant and roach bait and lots of other things.

Borax, the brand, in one form or another, has been in continuous business in California for 144 years. This area is known for the largest deposit of borates in the world and is one of two deposits of what is considered "world class" borate.

It would be way too easy to get all science-y in this blog. Part of what I enjoy after visiting someplace is the research I do to find out more about it and to share it. Am I really sharing it with anyone? I believe so but this really is more about a personal quest for travel and learning and so far, I am achieving both.

The word "borax" comes from the Arabic būraq (بورق), meaning "white". It was first discovered in dry lake beds in Tibet and it wasn’t until it was discovered in California and Nevada that large enough quantities could be mined at a cheaper cost.

Frances Marion Smith, aka “Borax Smith, discovered borates in a plentiful supply in the Nevada desert in 1872 and then in Death Valley in 1881. The use of 40 mules mule train to haul borates out was started in 1883.  

Smith was a very smart business man and promoted the idea of the mule train. In fact, research has shown that the team was a mixture of horses and mules. But that didn’t stop Smith from having his mule train go down Broadway in New York or through the streets in San Francisco or even at the World’s Fair, passing out sample boxes of his products. There was even a TV show, “Death Valley Days”, that the hosts regularly advertised two of Borax’s products…Borateem  (laundry soap) and Boraxo (hand cleaner)

The current mine that Dirk and I visited is called Rio Tinto and it opened as an underground mine in 1927 but became an “open pit” mine in the 50's. The term "open pit" is used often on their website and at the Center. I don’t know but that just doesn’t sound all that great but they do point out how environmentally conscious they are and what they have done to be so.

Our guide explained that there is still one very long underground mine left...I think he said over 2 miles long. I kept thinking, as we were sweating in the baking sun, that it must be awfully cool down there.

Looking down on the pit, you can see vehicles coming up taking borates to different processing areas. It wasn't until Dirk and I stood next to, and Dirk inside of, one of the tires that you realize just how huge this place really is.

St. Louis Art Museum - St. Louis, Missouri

DATE VISITED:  06/14/2015

SITE:  St. Louis Art Museum

LOCATION:  1 Fine Arts Dr., St. Louis, St. Louis Co., Missouri

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS: 

I have to admit…I am not a very creative person and I’ve never really been into art. When I was in Washington DC…twice, I went through only one gallery and that’s because a friend wanted to go. So when Dirk mentioned the art museum, I smiled on the outside and groaned loudly on the inside.

Never again. There was more than just art here. Sure, it had pictures and sculptures, but it also had what I would consider artifacts…and that interests me. To be fair, it wasn’t that I enjoyed the art that much more although some was really interesting…no, it’s because the slant that Dirk gave the art. He was renaming things, telling me what the person in the painting was thinking and making me laugh the whole time.

We had gone by the museum the previous day on our trolley tour of St. Louis, so some of the external pictures of the museum are from that sunny Saturday.

Founded in 1881 as the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, the collection was housed in a building downtown. The current location and structure was built for the 1904 World’s Fair, which was also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.

The building has the words “Dedicated to art and free to all” carved on the front and in 1908, the first museum director arranged for a municipal tax to support the museum.

The museum underwent two more name changes. In 1909, it was renamed the City Art Museum and in 1972 it was renamed Saint Louis Art Museum, which it is still called.

A planned expansion estimated to cost $125 million was put on hold when the economy started tanking but thanks to private donations, the expansion went on in 2009. The foundation was not only able to raise the $130 million needed for the expansion, but also an additional $31.2 million for operating the larger facility.

At one point, we were walking thru an exhibit on rooms as they existed during different times in US history. We heard an alarm and looked over and saw a guy and girl coming out of an alcove. The guard nearby said the alarm was set too close to the guard rail and people kept setting it off. So Dirk and I walk in there and what’s the first thing I do? Point at something to get Dirks attention…right over the guardrail…and the alarms go off.

“Oh hell” came out rather loudly and I turned around and looked at the guard…he’s laughing. I told him, “You’d think after just watching someone else do it, I wouldn’t be dumb enough to repeat it a minute later”. All Dirk could do was shake his head.

I was delighted to find out that Dirk has some of the same disdain for most modern art that I do. Calling some of this stuff art is laughable, but what the heck, someone’s making money off it…just not from me.

Ok, how is a glowing stick a piece of art?

A room full of "huh?"

"This represents...blah, blah, blah"

More wonderful examples of modern art. I never bother reading an artists explanation on these types of pieces because it sounds so made up and pretentious.

This made me laugh. I don't know if Dirk was thinking..."what the heck"...but I sure was.

  

I was an idiot going through part of the museum because I realized that without taking a picture of the panel explaining the piece, I would get home and have no idea what it was. I’ve tried to look them up and have found most but their website has ALL their pieces, not only what was on display while we were there.

Below are the pieces that I found interesting enough to include here….

The Captive Charger, 1854 by Charles Ferdinand Wimar. There were several paintings with Indians in them but I liked this one because of the wary look 2 of the Indians are given...watching their backs.

The Marriage of the Virgin, 1515-20 by Jan van Dornicke. I was just caught by the subject that shows the marriage of Joseph to Mary.

Mrs. Robert Gwillym, 1766 by Joseph Wright. I have to admit, it was what Dirk said that made me enjoy this piece so much. He posted on FaceBook..."Little known fact...it seems that as she was being painted she was heard singing...I dost haveth a blank space baby...and I shall scribe thoust name"...a reference to a Taylor Swift song. Had me giggling for a while.

 

Eiffel Tower, 1924 by Robert Dalunay. Simply...I liked the colors. The artist once said "everything is color in nature".

Daphne, 1930 by Renee Sinenis. Artist says he was trying to capture that moment when Daphne transformed into a tree to escape Apollo's unwanted attention.

 

Portrait of a Woman, c.1696 by Nicholas de Largilliere. Intimate images set in the bedroom or boudoir were a display of wealth and power.

 

The Mississippi, 1935 by John Steuart Curry. Many artists in the 1930's were depicting the dust bowl, but this artist showed animals and families trapped by rising waters in many of his paintings and drawings.

 

Magnolia, c 1885-95 by Martin Johnson Heade. This artist painted several pictures of magnolia blossoms after moving to Florida and becoming captivated with the flower.

 

Field Armor from 1510 to 1525 & 3/4 Armor from approx 1625. Both are most likely German.

The Account Keeper, 1656 by Nicholas Maes. The artist shows a woman dozing off as she updates the account books. I told Dirk this is how I felt when I had to balance something at work. But what caught our eyes was the depth to the picture, which of course, you cant really see in this picture.

Covered Censer from the Yuan or Ming Dynasty's, 14th century

 

Virgin and Child, c. 1320 by Unknown (French). What captivated me was how the virgin is looking at her child. When I pointed it out to Dirk, he thought it was rather creepy.

Saint Cathrine, 1600-1625 by Leonard II Limosin. It was story of Saint Cathrine that caught my eye. She was supposed to marry a roman emperor but refused because she had pledged herself to Christ. Tortured for her actions, she was first placed on a wheel, which broke but was ultimately beheaded.

Suffer the Little Children to Come Unto Me, 1615 by Jacques Jordaens. The artist was conveying Christ's blessings on the mother and children by painting them almost in a radiant light.