Silly America

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 10 - New York

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:23:08 -0600

This morning I woke up way too early in a cushy bed in NYC. I didn't want to leave! But alas I had big things ahead, and by big I mean the size of an elephant! I hopped on a subway to Coney Island for a very special eating contest that fitted three of Major League Eating's top eaters versus three of the Ringling Brothers' elephants. It was a tough and hilarious competitition! (I'll have a more thorough recap of this and everything else with way more pictures when I get back to Chicago!) Afterwards I met up with fellow bloggers the Hungry Sisters and we got some Nathan's and I watched as they went on the Cyclone...I had my camera that I wouldn't trust to be on it so I didn't go...yeah, let's use that as an excuse. We then parted ways and I made my way back to Manhattan, walked through Bryant Park, and Times Square then took advantage of my cushy hotel bed. Sometimes you just have to take a vacation from vacationing, especially when you start thinking of all ten thousand of the photos you took that need to be edited when you get home. After a lazy day I took an impromptu walk through Central Park and grabbed some takeout Chinese food! Tomorrow it is off to Coney Island again for the year's biggest eating contest, the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest! And guess who's got herself a VIP ticket? You can watch the hot dog eating contest live on ESPN, 12noon Eastern, 11 Central.

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 9 - Seattle / New York

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:04:00 -0600

I spent my day travelling. Two busses to the Seattle/Tacoma airport. Shuttle to my gate. Delayed plane to New York. And finally a cab from JFK to Manhattan. I'm a bit screwed up on time zones but the fact that my hotel is pretty posh (thank YOU Priceline name your own price)and a giant brisket sandwich is now in my belly make everything A-Okay. I honestly don't think I have ever stayed at a hotel this nice before and, come to think of it, don't think I have ever stayed in a hotel all by myself before. It is an experience in itself! I didn't bust out my good camera today...but here are a few pics I took from my point and shoot.

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 8 - Seattle

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:49:09 -0600

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 Most of the time while on vacations I am a gogogo person who likes to see everything and do everything humanly possible...but sometimes after a long 7 days of vacation and a lot of stress at work and home a girl just needs to have a lazy day! The day started out with a trip to the Woodland Park Zoo. It's a really nice zoo and there are lots of exhibits. My favorite was the adorable red panda (who unfortunately was sleeping in a tree, but was cute nonetheless) and the orangutan who seemed to have dressed himself up like a Star Wars Jedi... After a few hours of wandering I headed back and chilled with my friend Scott. We got some Pho for dinner and later got some Starbucks (it started in Seattle, so it totally is local...) and spent a pretty quiet night in. A good relaxing night to end off the first...uh second...no, third...part of my trip. Tomorrow morning I leave Seattle for New York City!

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 7 - Seattle

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:47:19 -0600

I got to Pike's Place Market at least decently early enough that the tourist crowds hadn't started forming yet. I wandered a bit before spotting the original Starbucks and starting out my morning with a tall mocha. I then wandered some more until I figured out which stand was the one that threw fish around. They were kind of awesome. I thought though that they just tossed fish around but I guess they only do it when people order something. So while there were fewer crowds gathered around there was also fewer fish tossing. Though I could have probably stayed and watched them forever I decided to walk around some more. I saw Giant Shoe Museum and put in some quarters to get a peak at the world's largest shoes. And I added to my ever growing pressed penny collection. I wandered across the street to get some macaroni and cheese that my coworker said was the best in the world (and she might have been correct.) I then headed back to watch more flying fish. There was more throwing but a bigger crowd. Very entertaining to say the least. I left the market and headed towards Pioneer Square. I toured around their memorials and parks, checked out Elliot Bay Bookstore, and grabbed more coffee. Then I took the Seattle Underground Tour, which brings you beneath the city and explains some of the history of Seattle that you won't hear in school. At night me and my friend Scott went to the Italian restaurant Volterra in Ballard that was amazingly good. I had a seafood stew and it was delicious. Now I am again stuffed! I have one more day in Seattle and then it's on to New York!

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 6 - Seattle

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:23:47 -0600

Monday, June 29, 2009 Exhausting day! I'm now staying with my friend Scott in Seattle and so this morning I took the bus with him over to University of Washington where he works/is in grad school. I toured around a bit while he worked and saw the fountain, red square, a Washington statue, the quad, and some other random statues sprinkled throughout campus. I grabbed a coffee at the coffee shop at the physics building and then we met back up for lunch and got some delicious Thai food. He went back to work so I grabbed a bus to Fremont...which is, by the way, the most Silly American area in America. Just sayin'. Fremont not only has topiary dinosaurs, not only has a giant rocket ship, not only has a statue of Lenin (that was advertising Taco Del Mar)...but also has a gigantic bridge troll! How in the world can that be topped? So I spent most of the afternoon touring around Fremont and being enamored by the sheer amazingness of it...and then I headed over to Gas Works Park which is a big green park offset with all these huge gas tanks. Pretty neat. Also neat was that there was a glorious view from there of the city skyline. Glorious. Then I headed back to Northgate to meet Scott for an all you can eat sushi dinner. And boy did I all I could eat...and boy am I stuffed...

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 5 - British Columbia, Canada

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:07:46 -0600

Sunday, June 28, 2009 Woke up in Prince George. Headed home. By home I mean the U.S., but not home home. Saw more awesomesauce, such as a town called Williams Lake that was having their annual stampede! We drove and drove and drove some more until we finally hit the border again and had an interesting exchange at customs... Border Agent: Why were you in Canada? Us: We drove through to go to Alaska. Border Agent: How long were you in Alaska. Us: Approximately three hours. Border Agent: Three hours? Us: Yes. Border Agent: Why did you drive through Canada to go to Alaska for three hours. Us: Something to do. He thoroughly did not understand. And he kind of sounded like Napoleon Dynamite. Just sayin'. So we made it through three days of driving through Canada and made it all the way to Alaska! It was pretty amazing. Now I am back in Seattle for three more days. Can't wait to see what else I can see!

Have you seen this truck?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:49:23 -0600

'cause it's awesome. "Truck Norris" truck, spotted outside of an A&W at 4086 Hwy 16, Smithers, BC, Canada on June 27, 2009.

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 4 - British Columbia, Canada / Hyder, Alaska

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:39:46 -0600

Saturday, June 27, 2009 We made it! We again awoke pretty early and hit the road...Most of the pit stops of the day were to take photos of signs pointing to our main destination of the trip: Hyder, Alaska. Yes, yes, you can drive from Seattle to Alaska. Hyder is a small little town on the Canadian/British Columbian border accessibly by road. We made a stop to see a glacier that while awesome definitely showed major effects of global warming. We stopped in Stewart, BC where we wanted to go to their Toaster Museum, but it was closed. We did stop for lunch at Silverado Cafe for lunch before taking off down the road back to the United States. We eased into Hyder, Alaska and took some photos of the welcome sign. Then we stopped at a bar to get Hyderized. What is getting Hyderized you ask? Well, you will just have to wait until I get back and have time to truly explain! (Don't worry, there is a video!) We hung out around town for a bit, went to the post office, went down the pier, tried and failed to spot bears,...and well, that's about what there is to do in Hyder! But it was AWESOME! So we turned around and crossed Canadian customs to again enter British Columbia and hit the road back to a hotel in Prince George. We did see a bear along the way back!

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 3 - Seattle, Washington, USA/British Columbia, Canada

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:41:44 -0600

Friday, June 26, 2009 Day three of my vacation consisted of driving. A whole lot of driving. Luckily I wasn't the one behind the wheel this time and I learned that it is a whole lot easier (and perhaps a whole lot safer) to take video and photos while a passenger. We woke up early and checked out of our hotel in Seattle and hit the road in a rental car for the Canadian border. Our destination for the night was a motel in New Hazelton, British Columbia. Can you believe that this was my first time ever in Canada!!! The day really did consist of nothing but driving, gas station stops, and lunch at a cute little hamburger joint (I got a fish sandwich and strawberry shake.) While there were no actual stops planned along the way I did manage to see a whole lotta roadside attractions! From a big marmot to a big toy man to a giant chicken on the roof of a restaurant! How awesome is that? After driving for about 16 hours we didn't get to our destination until well after midnight and by that time, despite doing nothing but sit in a car all day I was pretty exhausted. So I basically crawled into bed and passed out. I needed a good night's sleep because I had another long day ahead... p.s. Canada totally counts under "Silly America" because it's still in North America.

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 2 - Seattle

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:48:37 -0600

First stop today was the Sci-Fi Museum in Seattle Center. It was pretty cool but the best part was the special exhibit on the work of Jim Henson. We didn't have time then to go to the second have of the museum: EMP, but hand stamps could be used all day. Why didn't we have time? Well it was time for a Mariners game! And what a gamne it was! Not only did the Mariners kill it but there was a lot of action, some base stealing, AND the guys who were raking the field busted out in dance! Afterwards we returned to the Experience Music Project before it closed for the night! Next up was the Space Needle! We went up to the top and checked out the views! And, well, I am tired! Tommorrow I'm getting up bright and early and heading off to Hyder, Alaska! See you in Canada!

turn around

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:31:09 -0600

"A good photograph is knowing where to stand" Ansel Adams

2009 Crazy Stupid Vacation - Day 1 - Seattle

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:14:32 -0600

I took approximately five bazillion photos today...but you will have to wait for them all...in the meantime, here are a couple of my favorites from the day: *** My alarm didn't go off but luckily I was staying at my parents' place so they could drive me and my dad woke me up. It was 2:15am so I really only got 3 hours of sleep. In the shower I got soap in my eye and the sting wouldn't go away and hurt for over an hour. After leaving I realized that I forgot my phone charger and had to turn around to get it. I still got to the airport around 3:30 for my 5:15 flight and truthfully that is probably the least amount early I have ever been to a flight...and still when I got there I had to stand in line for 20 minutes because security wasn't open. And I was not searched at security! Seriously, that is a first in a loooong time! I didn't have any liquids and I guess my shoes this time didn't pose any threats. I was kind of nervous because I didn't have round trip tickets and I know that can set them off sometimes. But I got through with no problems! There was a set of twin boys on my flight wearing shirts that said "Thing 1" and "Thing 2". Just sayin. I got on my flight and slept most of the way to Phoenix. I opened my eyes and all I saw was desert. It was pretty awesome. When I got to Phoenix I headed to the gate on the boarding pass, which was all the way at the other end of the airport...I got there are there was nothing on the sign and no one at the desk...I checked the board and the flight had been moved to a gate pretty much exactly where I started...great. So my day started kind of cranky... But, despite the fact that my feet are now KILLING ME Seattle itself is so far totally amazingly awe to the some. AND while I did get lost a lot I didn't get lost too much. You think with the amount I drive and travel I would have some sense of direction, but really I have ZERO. But I did way better at staying on track then I did when I went to Amsterdam. So I think my map-reading skills are getting better... Anyways, enough about all that! So I checked my bag into the hotel and took off. I didn't really have a game plan, but the hotel way kind of sort of close to Capitol Hill so I decided to start there. First up was the very Silly American Seattle Museum of Mysteries which had info on bigfoots and ghosts and such. Then I headed to Volunteer Park to check out the free conservatory. After that I took a break at a coffee house while it rained a little. So Seattle-esque, right? Then what to do after coffee but stop for a burger. My coworker said Dick's was delicious and she was correct. Word to the wise, you have to pay for ketchup, but it's only 5 cents. My final stop in Capitol Hill was to look for the Jimi Hendrix statue...which took entirely too long because I was on the wrong side of the street and there was a construction truck parked in front of it... After that I took a walk through the downtown area where I saw a building with walruses on it and took a much needed break at the Seattle Art Museum. By break I mean they had a coat check (I carried my heavy camera bag and laptop around all day) and bathrooms and a little bit of air conditioning. Much needed. The museum was great though. A lot of modern art which was my favorite and a cool installation in the lobby made of old cars (which made me totally miss my Spindle). After that I headed off the pier to check out Ye Olde Curiosity Shop and their crazy creatures, and stopped for lunch #2 at Ivar's where I had some clam chowder on the pier and chased around some seagulls. Then it was on to Olympic Sculpture Park in Belltown. A great collection of outdoor sculptures! I walked around Belltown a bit, including passing by the iconic-to-Seattle-music Crocodile Cafe. Then walked to the Space Needle, but didn't go up to the top yet. I was going to try to find dinner but since I had already eaten two lunches I wasn't that hungry. But the museums around the space needle were all closed and I just was looking for something else to do. But I still have trouble witht he whole going into a restaurant and eating alone thing. So I didn't... And...now I am EXHAUSTED! But it was a tons of fun day! And tomorrow I get to do it all again before driving to Alaska!

From Sea to Shining Sea

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:40:37 -0600

And I am off! For the next twelve days I'll be on the most awesometacular vacation of the year! It starts tomorrow morning when I fly to Seattle. From there I'm driving to Hyder, Alaska, and back... I'll be spending a few days in Seattle and then flying to New York City! Yes, yes I do realize that New York and Washington are on opposite coasts, but I just can't miss the Coney Island Fourth of July hot dog eating contest! I went last year and it was AMAZING! Can't wait to be there again! So I have a LOT and planned and you can bet there will be some Silly American awesomesauce along the way! I'll be blogging and sharing photos as much as I can while on the road...and will be updating Twitter too!
View My Stupid Vacation in a larger map

Video Recap of the 2009 Missouri Road Trip!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:44:56 -0600

A few weekends ago I took off for a road trip around Missouri! It was an awesome time and we saw a LOT! Here's a video montage of a bunch of the crazy stops...The World's Largest Fork! The World's Largest Rocking Chair! The World's Largest Pecan! And much much more! And of course there was a stop at the Major League Eating hot dog eating contest! >>Watch this video on Vimeo. >>Watch this video on YouTube.

This is how we roll...

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:57:28 -0600

Some disclaimers on the video I am about to share...

Don't try this at home.
I suppose I should say don't try this in your car.
True story: I was going to auditon for American Idol today, just 'cause. But am way too busy prepping for the vacation I leave for in TWO DAYS to even think of getting to an arena by 5am.
This video proves why that was smart thinking.
I sing in my car. I do. I sing to everything. And dance.
I don't know the words to any songs. But I pretend I do.
Did I mention not to try this yourself?

Well, I think that about covers it...when on a road trip with me, Silly Americans, this is how we roll: >>Watch this video on Vimeo. >>Watch this video on YouTube.