D Travels 'Round

Daily Wanderlust: Chiang Mai, Thailand

I’ve been in Thailand a little more than one week now. (Yes, my blog is behind, sorry about that.) Each night, after work, I head here, to the little line of restaurants that line the road en route to Chiang Mai Gate.

There are three restaurants in a row — Indian, Thai, and French/Italian. All of them have Thai, but I love the little things that make each of them different.

On any given night, sitting down at any of these spots gifts me with lively conversation over beers and the intoxication that this is my life now.

Enjoy the view!

Daily Wanderlust: The Las Vegas Skyline at Night

Las Vegas … just thinking about my old home makes me nostalgic for the bright blue sky … the dusty desert … the palm trees.

By day, Las Vegas is colorful, thanks to nature. But, by night, its an entirely different story. When the sun sinks behind Mt. Charleston, the lights come on. Every hotel’s marquees flash enticing messages. The Luxor spotlight shoots into the sky.

Perhaps the best way to catch a glimpse of the city is from above. I am partial to landing at night and sitting on the right side of the plane where I am treated to a spectacular view of the entire valley.

But, when not in the air, one of the best spots to see the city, particularly The Strip, is from The Top of the World restaurant. At a not-so-shabby 1,000 feet above Las Vegas Blvd. and rotating oh-so-slowly, the nighttime view from the restaurant is one for the books.

Coming home

Pulling in to my neighborhood, I can feel my chest tighten.

The trees. When did they get so big? The homes. When did they get so old?

“Welcome to my house,” I say to Erica as I turn the car off.

Home. We. Are. Home.

I open the bright red door, the same bright red door we’ve had since my childhood and am greeted by my parent’s two dogs.

Then, Mom comes out and wraps her arms around me.

I can feel myself loosen. The excitement to come back to Maryland, the sad over the end of the road trip, the anticipation of my closeness to being an expat … they all flood through my veins.

I whisper in my mom’s ear that I love her. That it is good to be home.

Tired hits. We drove for more than eight hours today, from Louisville to Maryland with a stop for lunch in Frostburg to see my brother, an artist specializing in metal work.

Coming home, that tired just takes over and I quickly crawl into my bed as Erica gets herself situated in her room.

“Can you come and sit with me?” I ask my mom.

“Really? You’re going to sleep.”

But she knows this game well. Whenever I need to talk, to soak up my mom, I always ask her to come and crawl into bed with me. Even at 32, just having her next to me makes me feel at ease.

That’s when it hits me.

The magnitude of what I’ve just done.

Flashbacks roll through my mind:

I’m sitting at Putter’s across from my apartment in Las Vegas, drinking beer and shots with Dave on my last night in the city that has been my home for the better part of seven years.

I’m tucking my cats into their carrying cases, tears rolling down my face as they meow their protests. As I drive them to their new home, I sob. And, when I get to the house, it’s even worse.

I’m standing in my empty apartment, imaging where everything was. Seeing myself in my room. Playing fetch with the cats. Sipping wine on my balcony. Those memories seem so unfair as I stand there. The ghosts of the life I lived.

I lay with my mom and let tears roll down my face as I let the moments from the past month of my life sweep through my mind.

“It’s OK, D,” she says as I sit there, silently crying. “You’ve just done something major. And you are going to do something else major. You are allowed to feel like this. It isn’t easy.”

I know she’s right.

For now, I have two weeks to soak up my family and my friends in Maryland. And then, it’s on to Thailand.

Escape of the Week: America via iPhoneography

If there is one thing I did to an excess while driving cross-country, it was taking photos.

Between my new camera and my iPhone, I logged thousands of photos.

Because the iPhone was easy to tote around, there were so many instances when I simply pulled it our from my purse (or from the arm rest when I was driving) and snapped pics.

I like to think these photos help show the beauty of the lesser traveled/boring drives through the heart of America. For even more photos, be sure to click the links.

Enjoy the “iphoneography!”

The journey begins in Las Vegas. Dave and I head north on I-15 to Zion. Our drive through Nevada is flat, with desert surrounding us and mountains in the far distance.

A quick 2 1/2 hour drive from Las Vegas is one of the most spectacular spots I have ever visited — Zion National Park. Our first night, we grab dinner at the Bit & Spur, a cute Southwest restaurant with views of the fiery orange rocks from the patio.

The next day, we go and explore Zion. Walking from our moderately crappy motel, we hit the entrance to Zion on foot.

Our next stop: Colorado.

We drive for 10 – plus hours. My eyes having a hard time to stay open as we go from high desert to the Mars-like landscape of barren red rock jutting out at different levels with the Rockies (or what I kept saying were the Rockies) in the distance.

Finally, we cross Utah into Colorado and we get our first glimpse of the magnificent Rocky Mountains.

Suddenly, I am awake. Thrilled to be in such a spectacular landscape.

From Denver, we head back up to Keystone for a conference. While I wait for our conference to kick-off, I spend time wandering through the main street of the charming ski town of Breckenridge.

In Keystone, we are treated to high altitude and a sunset to rival some of the best I’ve ever seen. I’m sure that had something to do with the peak with little bursts of lingering snow set against the pine trees and pinks and blues of the sky.

I said “see you soon” to Dave in Keystone and then began the rest of my road trip with Erica. In the middle of the night, we drove from there to Denver, and in the morning we were off through the flat roads of Nebraska (and Colorado).

Eventually, we stopped in Omaha and enjoyed the awesomeness of the city and a dive bar tour.

The next day, we head out to Chicago via I-80 and Iowa. I’m surprised and delighted by what we see out of the window. It’s beautiful.

Of course, as we get closer to Chicago, traffic stops. Which gives me time to hang out the window and take some pics.

After Chicago, we headed south through Indiana …

… to Louisville. Of course, we took obligatory shots at Churchill Downs and of the charm in Downtown Louisville.

Our second night, we hit up Holy Grail, a church-turned-bar near my friend’s place.

No visit to Louisville is complete without trying some bourbon!

After two weeks of driving cross-country, we finally headed to Maryland, stopping to see my brother first in Frostburg.

And then, eight hours later, we were to my house. And the next brief chapter of my life began.

Daily Wanderlust: The White House Squirrel

Growing up in Maryland, my dad always made it a point to take my brother and me on “adventures.” These could be anything from sitting at the Metro station on a bench and watching the planes take off from National Airport to checking out all of the museums, to walking down the Potomac when the cherry blossoms were pink and snowing down on us.

As a child, he even took us on a tour of The White House and Senate, where we got to take the underground train to a special dining room where all of the Congress people eat.

It was really cool growing up in place that was in such close proximity to the nation’s capital.

When I returned to Maryland after my road trip through Zion, the Rocky Mountains, Omaha, Chicago and Louisville, taking Erica to see DC was a must.

On this day, we parked it outside the iron fence and looked onto the grounds of The White House. Here, this little guy enjoys a snack on one of the most famous lawns in the world. Hello, photobomb.

The charm and quirk of Louisville, Kentucky

“Louisville is so cute!” I coo to Erica as we drive through the giant, tree-lined streets. “It reminds me of Atlanta!”

While totally out of the way on our road trip, I included Louisville on the route for two reasons: one, because one of my good friends live there; and two, because it was a place I had considered living when I returned from my long-term travel. Of course, Las Vegas won out, but it was the only other place I wanted to go. Even without seeing it first.

Aside from visiting Churchill Downs, seeing the city through the eyes of a local is something both Erica and I want to do. Thankfully, my friend Karen and her fiancé volunteer to take us on a little exploration of the city.

We head to West Main Street to explore the quaint and charming city.

Located on Main Street is the Louisville Slugger Museum. With record attendance two-years in a row, today there is a crowd of people outside. Inside, they will learn about the history of the museum, as well as tour the factory and more.

Just outside the museum is the World’s Largest Baseball Bat — a must for photos.

And then, there is the quirk. Erected in May 2012 in front of the popular 21 C Museum Hotel, this Statue of David is a replica of the infamous Italian one. Standing at 30-feet tall, the enormous gold figure is not easy to miss.

My favorite part of Louisville, though, it what lays outside of the main streets — the homes. Gorgeous, palatial homes dripping in Southern charm can be found here, complete with front porches to take in the summer nights.

Have you visited Louisville? What were your favorite spots?

Editor’s Note: This post is a part of the #winosontheroad series. Over Yonderlust and d travels ’round went road tripping and exploring America from Colorado to Maryland in June 2012. Be sure to check out all of the posts of life on the open road.

A visit to Louisville isn’t complete without Churchill Downs

Here’s a quick lesson:

If you mention Louisville ever, ever, make sure you don’t pronounce it “Louie-ville.”

Seriously.

It’s like when people from Nevada hear other people pronounce the state’s name as “Nevahhhdahhhh.”

As someone who lived in Nevada, hearing that is like nails scratching down a blackboard. Knee tingling awful.

Back to Kentucky. The name is pronounced “Lool-ville.” Only, it’s not that easy. You’ve got to do that “ool” in the back of your throat, all guttural.

Aside from having a name that bothers my throat, setting up shop in this quaint semi-Southern town was the perfect ending to our road trip across America.

The drive from Chicago to Kentucky (I don’t even like writing the name of the city because even thinking about it gives my throat sympathy vibrations), is entirely uneventful. Indiana is … Indiana. We shoot across the state fairly quickly, crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky just as the sun begin to sink, turning the city into a pretty picture of pinks and blues.

With a few hours until my friend we are staying with, Karen, gets out of work, Erica and I have some BBQ and enjoy the golden hour over the charming restaurant-lined main street.

Louisville, Kentucky — Those, my friends, are some tasty fried pickles.

Erica and I have a few goals for the Louisville leg of our journey:

1. Don our best dresses and fascinators and head to the horse races.

2. Tour the disco ball factory (the town is home to the largest maker in the world).

3. Drink bourbon. Which for some reason, my whisky-loving mind cannot do.

We, as a duo, accomplished only one of those things. Half-way.

On our first full day in Louisville, we wake up and head to Churchill Downs.

It’s a hot day. The sun is out as we park our car in someone’s parking lot/yard and head into the grand building, and later, the grand stand.

The guy running the lot offers us tickets in the stands for a whopping $5. General admission is $3, so we decide being in the shade and in the stands is worth the $2.

Then, we cross the street and head into the complex.

It’s not nearly what I imagine. In my mind, I expect to see women dressed to the nines, extravagant hats perched on their well-coiffed heads, sipping Mint Juleps with ice that clinks gently as it settles to the bottom of the glass.

Yeah. That doesn’t exist. Except for maybe during the Derby.

Today, the people are normal. Shorts. T-shirts. The only hats people have on are baseball hats (and the fedora I threw on my head in an effort to look cooler than I am).

It’s not crowded, either. Even though the parking lot looks packed, walking into the track results in a crowd where the horses hang out before the race, and by the betting area.

The stands … they’re pretty much empty.

Erica and I have no clue how to place bets. I’ve only bet on horses once before when I was living in Las Vegas. My friend, an odds-maker, walked me through it. Today, he does the same, sending me text messages on how to bet and what to bet.

Then, after betting $2 on the winner of the race, we head up to our seats to watch.

Giddy, we clutch the little pieces of paper in our hands as the horses are brought out and strut around the starting line.

Then, they’re off. Galloping. Thunking their hooves onto the peachy dirt.

We lose.

Fortunately, we stick around for two more races …

… and win.

As we leave Churchill Downs, we’re still happy. Still excited. And, our day is young. There’s a murder mystery party to attend.

The quickie Chicago Tour of Awesome in photos

Chicago is no small city, especially after spending time in Omaha.

It’s huge. Huge.

I grew up in a suburb of Washington, DC, which basically doesn’t have any skyscrapers. Then, living in Las Vegas, the closest thing to skyscrapers we got were the resorts on The Strip.

So, coming in to Chicago and seeing those tall, lanky buildings shooting upwards towards the clouds bordered on absolutely awesome.

This isn’t my first visit to Chicago, but it is my first time as an adult.

Waking up following a good night’s sleep inside my “blanket burrito” at the Hyatt Regency is bliss. It’s the first time in days that I’ve felt well-rested.

Erica and I pack up our belongings, grab the car from valet and head to the ‘burbs to meet Katie, a dear friend of mine from my previous travels.

Then, we head back to the city via her quaint little town of Hinsdale (with a stop for a Chicago Hot Dog) and the Metra, landing us at Union Station.

With budget in mind (we didn’t have much), Katie crafts a nearly-free tour of the Windy City.

We start by passing the Sears Tower (yes, I know that is not the name), with a walk across the Chicago River, then walk to the financial district …

… and Garrett Popcorn Shop for some of the famous popcorn.

The cheddar and caramel is the popular Chicago Mix for all you lovers of the puffy kernels wanting to try something truly “Chicago.”

Even with clouds hanging low and the chance of rain lingering, we continue on to the gorgeous grounds of the Art Institute and then Millennium Park.

Our first stop at the park is the Crown Fountain. It’s actually two glass towers that feature LED lighting and images of more than 1,000 Chicagoans’ faces. On this day, even with the lingering clouds and threat of rain, children and adults alike frolic in the shallow water.

When a stream of water comes out of the mouths of the images, children giggle with delight while we sit back and watch.

After the fountain, we stroll over to the famous Cloud Gate, a huge structure that visitors flock to daily.

We stick around Cloud Gate for a good bit, taking photos and exploring the area immediately surrounding it.

In true Winos on the Road fashion, after Cloud Gate, we head to the Fairmont Chicago for a quick glass of wine at Eno Wine Room before its time to return to Hinsdale.

On our train home, somehow we end up in the “quiet car.” Of course, keeping three giddy travelers high on the city quiet is no easy feat.

Just before the train begins its chugging, I feel a tap on my shoulder and turn around.

“This is the quiet car,” the woman behind me says sternly, pointing to the blue sticker that looks as if it was just slapped on the wall of the car yesterday.

I close my mouth, along with the other girls. For the remainder of the trip home, we silently make faces, do little dances in our seat and send each other text messages.

Katie’s mom picks us up from the depot in Hinsdale and we head back to their house, where champagne, wine and the most amazing lobster pot pie ever awaits us.

In the morning, Erica and I begin our journey to Louisville, Kentucky … the last stop before we arrive to my parents house in Maryland.

Daily Wanderlust: World’s Largest Baseball Bat

If Louisville, Kentucky could have one major claim to fame in the world, it would be the Lousiville Slugger. At least in my mind.

After all, the wooden bats made here have become synonymous with baseball. The “Lousiville Slugger” scroll etched onto each bat is easily recognized. In downtown Louisville, it is easy to see the city’s deep appreciation for the bat manufacturer. For more than 120 years, the maker has been here, creating bats for some of the world’s best baseball players.

In the century-plus, Louisville Slugger has sole more than 100 million bats and is considered the most popular bat brand in the history of the sport.

Today, the company has extended its breadth, now making gloves, helmets, gear, bags and more.

During our road trip, we made a stop at the famed World’s Largest Bat, perched against the Louisville Slugger Museum. Made in 1995, the five-story bat weighs in at 34 tons and is made of hollow carbon steel, like the bat used by Babe Ruth.

The art of a good night’s sleep

I can feel myself getting sick. I’ve felt it for days, but originally brushed it off as altitude sickness when I was in the Rocky Mountains.

But now … in Chicago … I can feel a gland pop up on the side of my throat. I can feel my head begin to thump.

This is not good.

Erica and I had wanted to go out on our first night in town. Wanted to explore the city beyond just the Hyatt Regency, but, after dinner and drinks, we just couldn’t move beyond the safe confines of our plush hotel room.

And, for both of us, that is just fine.

Our trip en route to Chicago from Omaha was uneventful, just like our drive through Nebraska.

Crossing into Iowa from Omaha was absolutely beautiful.

Fields of green and yellow, dotted with trees against a bright blue sky and fluffy, popcorn clouds provided for those special moments of awe. With so much gorgeous out of our windows, it made the trip fly by.

Clocking in at around 470 miles, we figured we’d get there in less than six hours.

Then, Katie, who we were visiting the next day, called. When we thought we were about half-way there.

“So, I will think of you in six hours when you get in to town,” she said before we hung up the phone.

“Oh, no,” I corrected her. “We only have three hours left. We’ll be there before five.”

About two hours later, I realize she’s right.

We are stopped. In horrific traffic. For more than 20 miles. For two hours, we creep along as cars snake their way in front of us. The skyline of Chicago teases us in the far distance.

I just want to get there.

Finally, we exit off of the highway and being our drive through the city.

Coming from my home of Las Vegas, entering Chicago is like another world. The buildings here tower over us as people begin to leave their offices and head home. There is this hum … a pulsing energy that reaches up through my car and wraps around me.

I can feel the city in my bones. That hum of excitement. That LIFE.

It’s simply magnificent.

When we finally arrive to the Hyatt Regency, we have 10 minutes to freshen up and meet someone for dinner and drinks.

Erica and I walk into our room and immediately love it. It’s spacious. It’s got two inviting beds. And, the view is nothing short of fantastic.

We rush through getting ready, throwing a little color on our faces, changing out of our driving clothes and into less casual clothing.

The two glasses of wine and food are just what we needed at Big Bar, one of the drinking and dining options at the hotel.

We sit at a high top as we look out onto the city, thanks to one entire side of the restaurant being made of glass.

We have enough energy for one more drink before we head back to our room.

Tucked into the 31st floor, she and I both sit and stare out the huge window at the night sky. Dotted with twinkling lights that reflect into the Chicago River.

It’s nearly magical.

After showering, I climb into my own bed. And bliss.

My head sinks in to the mountain of pillows under it. I curl up, pulling the thick comforter under my neck. I’m tucked in without even having to exert any effort.

It is absolutely lovely.

The next morning, we are supposed to wake up early and head to Hinsdale, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, to go and meet Katie.

But, I cannot move. The bed has wrapped its sweet arms around me and won’t let me out. It has nearly removed the sick from my body.

Finally, two hours later, Erica and I both get up and head to Hinsdale. Refreshed. Relaxed. And extremely well-rested.

I was a guest of the Hyatt Regency during my stay, however all opinions are my own. If you have questions regarding this, please read my disclosure policy.