Amerisuites Richmond Arboretum

... is there. The sweep of the Eiffel Tower was as majestic as imagined. I am so impressed by the design of it which dedicates little to ornamentation, with the exception of some scroll work near the ground, yet it still looks so elegant.<br><br>We grabbed lunch near the base of the Tower (yes Mike, now that I am off the plane every meal will be described in excruciating detail). I had a crepe with bananas and Nutella. I need the bananas to keep ...

... of crazy and not to be messed with.<br><br>Well, it only went downhill from th**e. He started by asking me if I liked drugs, to which I answ**ed no, and thought for a minute he was going to off** me some. But then he continued with the questioning, asking if I liked "******s". Aware that 90% of the people in the bus station, including the guy sitting on the oth** side of me, w**e in fact african-am**icans, I became quite uneasy about what ...

... br><br>If you like great but not fancy accommodations and excellent regular food try Kibbutz sometimes called Guest Houses. Not cheap, but consider that 2 or 3 meals are included usually. <br><br>A dinner in a restaurant averaged $15. A car (Mazda 3) for 8 days was $500, Gas was about $8.00 a gal but with all our driving around for eight day, we spent $130 in gas.<br><br>We exchanged money 3 different ways: US cash ...

Well we started off right, but we hit lots of traffic on Rt. 95 heading into Mt.Vernon and Richmond. Made a historic pit stop at Mt. Vernon. Pretty impressive place. I almost embarrassed Kristi and had us kicked out for rubbing my face on General Washington's pillow. They take that stuff very seriously nowadays.<br><br>Then off to Richmond where we met Ryan and Kelly. First night...hotel...not bad. <br>We hit ...

... to change, pack up and head out!<br><br>We were finally on the bike and headed south towards Cary, North Carolina to visit Luba&#8217;s family at about 12pm. <br><br>The ride south was very pleasant. I really enjoy riding on small highways with really tall trees along both sides of the highway. It just seems like a much more peaceful ride. It&#8217;s so much different from the west coast riding where there a lot of open space.

... confederate flag hat, and a big black family was waiting in line behind him... <br><br>So off we went. For the next 7 hours, we rode on 4 rollercoasters (Dominator, Volcano, Stunt Double?, and Flight of Fear) and a kiddie swing type of ride. That's right. 7 hours and 5 rides. This is why the Flash Pass at 6 Flags is the greatest invention ever. The rollercoasters themselves were really, really fun and sometimes even ...

... it will take a week to get everything straightened out. The spiders loved our house while we were gone. We tooks thousands of pictures, and no, we won't make you look at all of them.<br><br>Praise God for a safe trip through 19 states and over 13,100 miles. <br><br>A few words of advice - "Go West, young man (and woman), go West!"

... out Colonial Williamsburg. I was unimpressed. Watching people in historical costumes alternate between texting and bad acting isn't worth $40 to me. But the buildings were nice, and it was a pleasant little town to stroll around. But at no point did I feel I had been transported back to the 18th century. There's something less than authentic about vending machines with $3 bottles of water and ads announcing "Ye Must Be Thirsty. Quencheth It You Scallywag!" I ...

... will stay in Monterosso from Friday, August 22 thru Sunday, August 24. The (early) morning of Monday the 25th, I head off for two days and nights in Venice, and finally I catch a train for Florence on Wednesday morning (the 27th), spend two nights in the famous city, and depart 6:30 AM on Friday, August 29 for the good ol' US of A. I hope that you will continue with me on this journey as I update my travel journal (as time and internet access permit).

... way too long, so I did not bother waiting for chicken fingers or punch. Next up was a reception just for Fr. Mike at another VCU student center also nearby the cathedral. This is where I ate my lunch. They had some appetizer food and a couple of carving stations along with a seafood and grits station, etc. We had a good time here visiting with more seminarians. Dallas and I departed from ...