Personal updates and online ventures

Hi there, as you’ve noticed from my other recent posts, this blog is no longer being regularly updated. I’m doing freelance writing for music sites like axs.com and examiner.com, where I cover pop and rock music news and concert reviews. Good times indeed!

Also, since I have a number of fans who are into yoga, check out yogauthority, where I have contributed some articles about aerial yoga hammocks, trapeze stands, and reviews of yoga towels and blocks.

I’m officially a quirky travel guy

9000 Miles was a blast, but the site has run its course. If you’re still following along with me, head over to Quirky Travel Guy, the new travel site I debuted this week. I’m still in the process of tinkering with the layout, but content is already going up three times a week, with stories about my visits to 49 states (no Hawaii yet), Canada, and Mexico.

Also, Quirky Travel Guy has a Facebook page, a Twitter feed, and a Flickr account. We’re going large.

See you over at the new site!

St. Louis and the new travel blog

My trip to St. Louis a few weeks back was a great time… we checked out the City Museum, the Arch, and the Budweiser plant.

I’ll be describing all of these on my new travel blog, set to launch in early February. Stay tuned to this space for the details!

Friday Photo: Grand Teton stream

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (June 2009)

Another stream running through Grand Teton and the hills all around it.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: Tunnel border

California/Oregon border (June 2009)

A shot in the tunnel that borders the two states. Up ahead are lots of pine trees and a small “Welcome to Oregon” sign on the right side of the road.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: Heavy punishment

Knoxville, Tennessee (April 2009)

At Chili’s restaurant, you can park right by the door. But only for 10 minutes. After that, you’re in trouble.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: Wall Drug

Wall, South Dakota (August 2010)

Near Mt. Rushmore is a tourist trap town of Wall, South Dakota. Wall’s claim to fame is Wall Drug, supposedly the largest drug store in America. We were warned that it was pointless to go but we went anyway just to check it out, and indeed, it’s not even really a drug store. It’s a large building that houses several different businesses under its roof – a mini-mall, basically. False advertising!

See all of my Friday Photos.

Meet me in St. Louis!

I haven’t been able to travel much in 2010 because my funds have been tight, but I’m excited to announce that I’ve booked a trip to St. Louis for early December!

A 2-day, mid-week, mid-winter vacation to St. Louis might not be the most exotic trip one could take, but I’m looking forward to it. St. Louis is one of the biggest American cities I have yet to visit so I’ll finally get a chance to see the Arch and all the other stuff the city has to offer. I’m taking the Megabus so it’s a bargain-basement trip – just $17 for the round-trip – and I’ll probably couchsurf to minimize my expenses.

I recently read the Patricia Schultz book 1,000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die, and I browsed through it and discovered that I’ve already seen 168 of them. St. Louis offers the potential to see 4 more, so I will definitely try to hit those spots during my brief time there.

More details will be coming next month either here or on my brand new travel blog, which is still a work in progress. I hope to roll it out by the beginning of 2011.

Friday Photo: Black Hills bison

Black Hills, South Dakota (August 2010)

A massive group of a couple hundred bison likes to hang out near the Norbeck Visitor Center in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are not bothered by your puny human vehicles and will wander around as if you’re not even there, as this shot from the front seat of the van shows.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: Fur trade museum

Chadron, Nebraska (August 2010)

There’s a museum in the middle of nowhere in western Nebraska dedicated to the fur trade. Unfortunately it was closing just as we arrived, so we only got to see the outside.

See all of my Friday Photos.