TravelStream™ news feed for member leonardgrill on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/leonardgrill en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:10:53 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1246059536/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1246059536/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1246059536/tpod.html Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:10:53 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Gainesville, Florida, United States

If anyone is interested in looking at ALL of the photos from this trip, I managed to get them all to upload to my SmugMug site.  I have the best luck with that provider.  There are only 817 to plow through.  Good luck, you have my sympathy.   Let me know if the link does not work and I will send you a direct email from SmugMug.http://florida-track-club.smugmug.com/gallery/8733832_jPuXZ/28/577751623_w9XTi#P-1-16 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245973112/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245973112/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245973112/tpod.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:18:18 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Olive Branch, Mississippi, United States

Our last night on the road is in Olive Branch, Mississippi which is just outside of Memphis.  We walked all over the blues section.  This is a real touristy place.  All the restaurants and bars have people outside trying to hustle you into their joints.  It is a lot like New Orleans and you know how much I dislike New Orleans.  There is a lot to do in downtown Memphis.  They have pro basketball and minor league baseball plus all the music and eating establishments.  We ate at the Rendezvous Barbecue restaurant.   I make a huge mess when I eat ribs.  Since this is my last blog.  Please consider starting your own TravelPods when you are on the road.  Everyone would like to keep track of your vacations.  It is easy and keeps a permanent record of your travels.  I hate being the only person who does this.  When we get home tomorrow, we will have traveled 7000 miles and visited 24 states.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245886669/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245886669/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245886669/tpod.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:24:29 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

We just finished two big days of driving - last night we stayed in Albuquerque and tonight its Oklahoma City.  Along the way I found myself standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona waiting for a girl in a flatbed Ford to come down and take a look at me.  Patty found some real Navajo jewelry in the Old Town section of Albuquerque.  I really like Albuquerque's old town.  It is much better than St. Augustine.  In Oklahoma City we visited Patty's aunt and cousins.  They had a cookout in our honor. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245627418/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245627418/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245627418/tpod.html Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:31:53 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Los Angeles, California, United States

This morning we took the Walk Of Fame to the corner of Hollywood and Vine.  A number of producers spotted me and wanted me to be in their next productions.  I had to decline due to my commitment to Trivia Night every Wednesday.  We then went to Griffith Park Observatory to get a good view of the city and the Hollywood sign.  It is why above the city and offers the best views in town.  Our main goal today was to drive from Hollywood to the coast via Sunset Blvd.  This is a great drive past Beverly Hills, Brentwood,  UCLA, and lots of other famous sites.  Next was shopping on Rodeo Drive.  It was all I could do to hold Patty back.  She went nuts on diamonds, leather bags, and stiletto heels.  No celebrities were spotted.  The J. Paul Getty villa on Pacific Coast Highway held an amazing collection of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian sculpture and art.  After lunch at the Getty we walked the boardwalk at Venice Beach.  LA beaches have lots of parking and no condos.  We ate dogs and burgers at Carney's railcar cafe on Sunset Blvd.  We finished up the night at the Laugh Factory where I again made the mistake of sitting in the first row and became the butt of many insults.
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Moab, Utah, United States

Today was Canyonlands National Park day and we had a great time.  I rate Canyonlands as one of the very best National Parks.  I think that it is much more fun than the Grand Canyon.  Trust me go here first.  Why?  Because it really puts you close to natural features.  It is exciting but very dangerous.  You are able to walk right up to and off of the edge of every one of the canyons.  There are no rails to prevent you from going over the edge to about a 5000 foot fall.  Take a look at the photos.  It was really cool.  We ate dinner at the Red Cliffs Lodge which overlooks the Colorado River.  If I ever come back here I am going to stay at the Red Cliffs.  They have a working ranch with horses, a vineyard and a winery and a movie museum for all the films shot in the Moab area.  They will rent you cabins or hotel rooms right on the Colorado River.
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Moab, Utah, United States

We spent the day hiking in Arches National Park.  The weather was perfect, about 75 degrees all day.  This is a really great desert park (thank God that there are very few trees) and the arches are spectacular. After walking and climbing so much, my legs are killing me.  You can climb all over these rock and formations.  It is real hands on.  Tomorrow, we do Canyonlands National Park.  I know that no one will believe me, but one day is all that you need to see this size of park.  There are a lot of other activities in Moab, such as rafting on the Colorado River, biking or riding 4 wheelers through the desert.  Thus, a two, three, or four day stay in Moab is more than enough.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245303440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245303440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245303440/tpod.html Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:56:50 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Boise, Idaho, United States

Here are some more photos of Boise.  Today we visited the Raptor Center, then St. Mary's Church, then took a walk through downtown Boise, then to the Art Museum.  After the Art Museum we watched the beer horses.  Downtown has a Basque Center.  They have an old fronton that is VERY VERY cool.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245108966/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245108966/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245108966/tpod.html Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:32:52 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Boise, Idaho, United States

Phil took us on a big adventure through the foothills surrounding Boise to visit a few ghost towns and abandoned mines.  The roads were real "washboard" roads and knocked the Ford Expedition around pretty good.  I especially liked the outside facility that was in Placerville.  When we got to Idaho City we ate lunch at Calamity Jane's Cafe.  Let just say that this is a really backwoods eatery.  The locals seem to love it and the food was good.  In the evening we all went to see 'UP" in 3D.  It was great fun.  The theater was huge compared with the dinky Gainesville theaters. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245022538/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245022538/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1245022538/tpod.html Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:47:42 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States

Drove through Nebraska and most of Wyoming to get to Rock Springs WY today.  Arrived by 5 pm.  The mountains are real cool.  So cool that there is still snow on top of many.  We stopped at the Fort Cody Trading Post.  It was filled with all kinds of good stuff.  I managed to escape without making a purchase.  I was in such a hurry to get into the Fort,  I tried to scale the wall.  Please look at the photo to see what a pain in the rear it is to scale the wall.  Yesterday I spotted a Tesla on the road.  It is the first one I ever saw.  It is the first all-electric car available in America and costs about $100,000.   Rock Springs is a real wild west boom town.  The coal and oil industry's are really expanding.  New buildings going up everywhere.  Everyone here drives a 4 wheel drive pick up - and I mean everyone.  Driving a Chevy Impala made me just a little afraid. I added some of the better photos from my days in Chicago.  Tomorrow we land in Eagle, ID.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1244936113/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1244936113/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/leonardgrill/3/1244936113/tpod.html Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:51:01 -0400 Washington to LA Road Trip

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Kearney, Nebraska, United States

The drive to Kearney, NB today was very long. This was the first time in three trips West that I have encountered extended traffic stops on the interstate.  My luck finally ran out.  We stopped at Cabela's.  This is my second trip to this store.  It is fabulous. I bought some new assault rifles to defend myself when I get to California.  Check out my photo with the bear.  It is in the entrance of Cabela's store.
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