Saturday, March 21, 2009

Back in the Saddle

Good mornnnnnning Washington, D.C.!

Yes, I'm back. Haven't written for ages. Don't know what I'm going to write about, so I'm gonna go with the flow.

I've been on the road and seen some kewl stuff.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame: First Stop on the Road Trip

Like the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Custom chopper a la Lincoln.
Click image to enlarge and check out the details.

Or, Lincoln's Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

The Nauvoo Temple at dusk.

Or, the Mormon's newly reconstructed temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. (For the record, I behaved myself like the good little Mormon girl I use to be and I did not mock. It was hard.)

A loom in the woolen mill in the Amana Colonies, Iowa.

Or, maybe the Amana Colonies in Amana, Iowa, which we thought were Amish, but in fact were German Pietists. Don't ask me what a Pietists is. I don't know. I do know they aren't called that because they eat pie.

America's Corniest Destination. Seriously.

Or, the Corn Palace Convention Center and Visitors Bureau in Mitchell, South Dakota, where the exterior facade changes each year and is made entirely of corn cobs and husks. True story.

The Badlands are bad, man. Like way cool, dude. Check it out.

Then there's the Badlands outside of Wall, South Dakota. If Disney had a miniature version of the Grand Canyon and you sat in a little car to tour it, that would be the Badlands.

Wall Drug: Featured on the Today Show, GMA,
People magazine, blah, blah, blah...


Speaking of Wall, South Dakota, there's Wall Drug. A veritable emporium of... of... of... schtuff. Lots and lots of schtuff. Good donuts, though.

The Big Boys: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.

Or, how about Mount Rushmore. Coolest memorial outside of Washington, D.C.

Not so much into road trips?

So, what to write about? What to write about?

I could write about how badly the movers damaged my belongings. Or, the dude on the ferry to Whidbey Island, Washington, who did a weird little jig in an attempt to discreetly(?) readjust his nuts. Maybe I could blather on about the air raid sirens in western Pennsylvania that woke us up at 4:30 in the morning. Or, how about how I left the park ranger at Mount Rushmore speechless when I asked him if he could point out to me "this memorial thingie that's suppose to be here."

Nah? Dullsville? How's about I just shut up and let you look at the pictures from my trip? If you want to see more, visit D.C. Confidential.

Oh, and just in case you missed the memo, I'm moving to Langley, Washington, for a year. Maybe more. We'll see. I'll be leaving town for good around April 12 or so. I have feelings about this, but I'm not sure where to start, so give me a while. I'm sure I'll find a way to articulate them shortly.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential/Janet Kincaid

16 comments:

Cele said...

You can babble on about anything I will listen, especially because your photos are so damn artistic.

Anonymous said...

You're like the Lourve of the internet, except you didn't really plunder any loot -- you just took pictures of the icons of contemporary culture. Thank you.

As a value-added bonus comment, I remember a manager I had that went through such obvious contortions to adjust his nuts I was sure he had an advanced case of jock itch. Only he wasn't a jock. I think he was just obsessive compulsive about his nuts.

can i say that in public? i dont have a good moral compass when im soussed on wine. sorry. you shud erase this.

Phoebe.

J.M. Tewkesbury said...

Cele: Thank you. Babble is my middle name! ;-)


Phoebe: No way in hell am I erasing that. It's too, too funny. One day I want to drunk blog!

LG said...

Great photos. I've been following along with your posts but just haven't had much time to comment lately.

Washington is amazing. I love it there, having lived in the Olympia area for almost nine years. I think I'll ultimately end up in the Portland or Seattle areas at some point.

I'd love to hear more about what got you out there. Take your time, we'll be here to listen when you're ready.

Maya said...

I can help you with that drunk blogging thing (though you might regret it)!

Herb said...

WOW! Great trip and great pics! thanks for sharing!

NG said...

Two things:

1) I have been dying to go to the Corn Palace ever since I saw it on an episode of Real People when I was 8. Oh, Skip Stephenson, you lovable scamp, whatever happened to you?

2) There is a story floating around my family about how we went to see Mt. Rushmore when I was 4 or 5 and I asked about 1,000,003 times when we were going to get there and then when we FINALLY got close enough to see it through the car window, my father pointed it out to me and I looked up from the book I was reading and said, "Big deal."

Janet Kincaid said...

LG: Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing a new part of the country. I've lived on the West Coast before (Bay Area) and was born in Vallejo, California, so moving to the PacNW feels a bit familiar. At the same time, I'll be living on an island, which will be a new experience and a bit more isolated than my past living experiences, so we'll see how that plays out.


Maya: I'm sure you could and I'm sure I would.


NG: Okay, for the record, you're going to be one of the people I miss most.

1) If you're in South Dakota, you should definitely stop and see the Corn Palace. It's everything you appreciate about the, er, corny and weird.

2) That's hilarious! Sublime. And I'll bet you're getting the paybacks now with your mini-Me (aka The Dormouse.)

Janet Kincaid said...

Oops! Missed your comment Herb. Sorry 'bout that.

Yes, it was a fun trip. Glad you enjoyed the pictures. I'm always happy to share. In a few weeks, I'll be making another road trip. This time through the U.S. South. So stay tuned...

Virginia said...

I'll leave the light on.
V

Cyndy said...

Oh how I miss being on the road! But your fabulous photographs are a lovely substitute.

Anonymous said...

Louvre
should

Oy, my head still hurts.

-ph

Janet Kincaid said...

Virginia: Yeah! Can't wait to meet you.


Cyndy: I'd love to win the lottery and then spend the rest of my life living out of a Mini-Winnie, going on road trips, and taking pictures of the stuff I see.


Phoebe: Bless you. :-)

Brian said...

I loved reading all about your travels, and I have to say, congrats on the non-mocking in Nauvoo!! I find myself flirting with similar temptations, but I usually behave myself as well. OKay, so there was the one "protesting" incident at BYU that got me arrested, but I'm not counting that! :)

Sean said...

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Looks like you had a great trip. Personally, I think South Dakota is underrated. There's a lot to see between the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Deadwood and Wall Drug.

Janet Kincaid said...

Brian: One day, I'm gonna make you tell me that story! Having grown up in the heart of Mormondom (Provo and Orem), I mocked even when I was active. It's hard not too when the hair is big, the families are unnaturally large, the jello salads are green with cottage cheese, and the per capita consumption of casseroles could fill 320,000 swimming pools at a depth of eight feet every single day! See what I mean? Mocking.


Sean: I have to say, South Dakota really surprised me. I hadn't expected to see so many great things! In fact, of all the states we drove through, it was the one where we saw and did more stuff and spent more time than any of the other states.