Los Angeles 2009

I went to go visit Brooke in Los Angeles. It rained the whole time I was there but I was so excited to see Brooke that I didn't care. LA is the largest city in the state of California and the second largest in the United States. One of the things I found unusual was how spread out LA is compared to New York. There's just vast land and highway with nothing on it.

It's raining so fancy martinis are the answer

Hollywood Walk of Fame

Outside the Pig n' Whistle from the movie Chinatown

Hollywood in the rain

Elephant statue in Hollywood

The beach outside Brooke's door

Jerome, Arizona 2008

Jerome is an awesome wild west biker hangout and a former mining town. Jerome is also known as an art destination, with more than 30 galleries and working studios.

The street you drive into when you enter Jerome


Kevin

View of the San Francisco Mountains

Beautiful old building facade

Peek-a-boo.

View behind Jerome

Sedona, Arizona 2008

Sedona is known for its red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks. The Red Rocks make Sedona look a civilization on Mars or another more alien planet. Tourists mostly do a lot of hiking and "spiritual pursuits." Strangely, Sedona is named after Sedona Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of the city's first postmaster?!

Church of the Holy Cross

Kevin and me on top of the Church of the Holy Cross mountain

Full view from the top

Andrew and Kevin on top of the Church of the Holy Cross mountain

View inside the church

More formations

More formations

Grand Canyon 2008

For Easter, we went to visit Kevin and Andrew's father and his wife in Arizona. We roadtripped from Peoria to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is a famous gorge carved by the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon National Park was one of the first national parks in the United States. We all agreed with Kevin's assessment, "Not overrated at all!"

Kevin and me at Mather Point

View from Mather Point

Brothers Andrew and Kevin

Sons and father Ken

Warning: Falling Into the Grand Canyon is Bad

The "Kids"

The whole crew on a look out


Taking it in

More views


Wow!

South Kaibab


Orphan Mine


Mohave Point

Sunset at Lipan Point

Chicago 2007

We drove up to Chicago for the wedding of our friends Pete and Adrienne. We stayed for the long weekend and saw a great deal of the city. It was my second time in the city; the first was a high school field trip to the Art Institute. Chicago is the third largest city in the United States after New York and Los Angeles.


Cloud Gate


Cloud Gate


Fountain from Married with Children


Crown Fountain in Millennium Park


Art Institute of Chicago


Billy Goat Tavern


The Navy Pier is a fun place to walk around with a drink


Other side of the Navy Pier


Front seats at the Chicago Jazz Festival!


Wieners Circle in Chicago


Cubs Game at Wrigley Field


Wrigley is awesome because people put bleachers on their rooftops


Pete and Adrienne got married at the Architectural Artifact Building