Friday Photo: Blog header fail

Somewhere in New Mexico (May 2009)

The brilliant header photo you see at the top of my blog did not just happen. It took a few attempts to get a really good shot like that.

Here’s an outtake from the first attempt, somewhere in New Mexico. The skies were overcast and there wasn’t much in the background, so it didn’t really work. The one shown at the top of my blog was taken a couple weeks later in Arizona.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: I spy the Bushes

Kennebunkport, Maine (August 2009)

A stealth view of the Bushes’ vacation compound from the comfort of my van.

See all of my Friday Photos.

I’m hitting the road again!

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to travel, so I’m super excited to announce that from August 15-21, I’ll be undertaking a road trip from Chicago to Boston with my friend Kat! We’ll be traveling along Route 20 past Cleveland, Buffalo, and Amish country in New York.

The best part is that the trip is completely free! We won it in a contest. We’ll be required to post blogs and videos along the way, but otherwise we have the freedom to do our own thing.

Not only is the trip being paid for, but we’re being given all-new tires, new shocks and struts, and $500 for a general vehicle tune-up before hitting the road. Amazing!

Last week I got my first flat tire ever in my van, after more than 20,000 miles driving in it. That made me take a look at my other tires, and I realized they’re all worn through. They all desperately need to be replaced, but doing so is not in my writer’s budget. Then along comes this trip and I get tires for free!

I’ll post more details about the trip as the date gets closer. I won’t be blogging about it here but I’ll be sure to post all my links so you can follow along with us. Once I get to Boston, I have to drive back to Chicago, and I’ll be stopping in Pittsburgh on the way to see family and friends, which is great, because I wasn’t sure I’d have the funds to make such a trip this summer.

Stay tuned!

Friday Photo: Canyon trees

Grand Canyon, Arizona (May 2009)

A few trees cling to life on the side of the Grand Canyon.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: Scary dentist car

Seattle, Washington (June 2009)

The Summer Solstice party in Seattle featured a bunch of art cars. This one obviously belonged to a dentist.

See all of my Friday Photos.

Friday Photo: Creepy woods

Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia (April 2009)

I did some light hiking in West Virginia early in my journey. This section of woods was kinda creepy… it was chilly, with lots of fog and seemingly dead trees.

See all of my Friday Photos.