Bean Town,Newport, and Concord

Welcome Back! Its been a while since the last post, but things have been rather busy, and I finally have time to catch you up on my travels. So much has happened since the last update -- Awesome experiences with many cool people, beautiful cities, and tons of fun! Enough banter, lets get to it!

After a restful night near New Haven, I headed North and East to Boston. Boston is a real gem of a city, and one that I had been anticipating for quite some time on my journey. I arrived mid-afternoon, and met up with a good buddy from college, Colin. Colin lives so close to Fenway Park (Home of the Boston Red Sox) that I wouldn't be surprised if foul balls occasionally pass by his window. Colin had serious plans for the night, and I was game.

Without delay, we headed downtown for our first stop of the evening -- a free hip hop show. After a quick stroll through Boston Commons and the Park , we headed to the show. The artists were energetic and enthusiastic, and thousands of supporters lent their cheers and screams to the ambiance. A few minutes later we arrived at the main attraction for the night: Silent Disco . I won't try to explain it in this space (click the link for more info), but lets just say it was one of the highlights of the trip. Good beer flowed like water, good people were around every corner, and groovy tunes poured into my ears all night. 

After a great night of Silent Disco and bar hopping with Colin, we headed back to his place and passed out. During my time in Boston, I got invited to Newport for the night, so without hesitation I headed South to beautiful coastal Rhode Island. I arrived in early afternoon, just in time for a beach outing with some newly found friends from New York. We sat around discussing food, politics, and other topics of interest all while getting a good tan! After a marvelous afternoon at the beach we headed back to their rental, and settled in for the night.

My new friends all had plans for a harbor cruise, so after seeing them off, I headed to the grocery store to grab some key ingredients for a delectable meal. When I got back, I got to whipping up a feast for the group that included: Kale salad, grilled skirt steak, fresh shrimp, corn on the cob, zuccini and summer squash, and fruit salad, just to name a few! We all devoured the food - I don't think there was more than a couple bites of anything left - and followed dinner with several wine courses. Afterwards we grilled smores, and had the final glass of wine before everyone retired for the night. A truly great day.

After waking from a wonderfully wine-induced slumber, I gathered my things, said my thank yous and was on my way (mind you, it was after noon before i left!). Once again I was headed North, this time to Concord, a cute little town in central New Hampshire. After arriving, I grabbed a bite to eat, and exhuasted, I fell asleep sometime around nine.

I got up early the next morning ready to explore what Concord had to offer. Concord is not really known for much outside of being the state capitol of New Hampshire, but I truly did enjoy my time there. They have a beautiful state capitol building that still houses the state legislature (the oldest such building to do so) and state lawmaker's doors sit ajar as one may have envisioned the scene some 100 years ago. After touring the downtown area, I grabbed some lunch at a yummy thai restaurant before hitting the road.

Ok folks, thats all the time I have for now, but more updates are in the works. Be patient, and you shall be rewarded :)

A.S. Bloom

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Philly, NYC, and New Haven

Welcome back to part two for tonite! I hope you enjoyed catching up on my travels in the past few days: There is tons more to come! After a few days headed up the East coast, it was time to proceed to some of the biggest cities in our beautiful nation.

After a great time in D.C., I headed North and West to Philly. Philly is another beautiful, historic city with lots to offer. I arrived in the afternoon, with few things more prevalent on my mind that getting a delicious, greasy, Philly cheesesteak. I headed to the (disputed) king of said meal, Pat's. Pat's has been a mainstay in Philly since 1920, and for good reason. Their service is sassy, food delicious, and the vibe is distinctly Philly. After satisfying my need for cheesy steaky goodness, I headed over to the West end of town to meet up with my hosts for the night, a couple of cool Drexel kids.

We met up, and like any function involving college kids, began drinking. After starting our party, we headed to an open mic downtown, which featured quite a few really stellar acts. After finishing at the open mic, we headed back to the house to continue the party. An impromptu dance party erupted and, the next thing I knew it was 3:00 A.M. and time to get to bed. After a delirious post-drunken slumber, I awoke ready to tour historic Philadelphia. Again, I have to echo my earlier sentiment about the historic nature of the East coast cities - There is just something about the history that occurred on these haunts that is truly awe striking.

I took my time touring around the historic area of Philly, trying to get a good sense what types of events had transpired on the very grounds I was walking. I toured most of the historic buildings, and although they were brimming with tourists (myself included of course :), they proved to be quite fun and interesting. Probably the coolest site (and the most popular) was the liberty bell. Talk about hundreds of years of history bundled into one monument, the bell is a symbol of American pride and freedom in so many ways.

After a leisurely afternoon touring Philly, I headed for one of my most anticipated cities so far on the trip: New York City. New York is just one of those cities that has such a vibrant energy that once you're there, something just feels different. One thing to note though: New York is not for the timid, or faint of heart - especially drivers. One must be a complete a**hole in order to even jockey for position at a stoplight. I think my moment that epitomizes this is at the Holland tunnel where 8 toll lanes merge to 2 to enter the tunnel, and everyone just kinda smashes into one another in a bumper car like fashion until everybody fits like a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Exhilarating, but seriously scary. 

After making it through the maze of New York traffic, I arrived at my cousin Lisa's apartment in Manhattan near the park. We caught up, parked my car and headed for a delicious Italian meal at gorgeous restaurant minutes from her place. We came back, chatted for a while, and then I passed out, exhausted from a great day. I woke early the next day, and decided to take a stroll in Central Park. I knew it was vast, but two hours later I realized how HUGE it really is. After a nice long walk, I headed back to Lisa's place to grab a quick bite, and head out for the rest of the day.

After heading out, I hit most of the Manhattan hot spots including Time's Square, The East Village, and SOHO. All very cool places and unique in their own ways to the spots previous. I met my cousin Jonas near NYU and grabbed a cup of iced tea to cool off and catch up. After some good conversation, and a quick tour around the area we parted ways and I met up with Lisa down on Wall Street for a tour and a bite to eat. After seeing Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty we chowed down on some delicious Vietnamese food. A great end to a great day.

Once again, I slept like a rock, and woke, ready to continue my journey. I headed North to New Haven,CT home to Yale and some pretty cool historic buildings. I toured around the campus, snapping some photos of the grounds, before rain cut my tour short. What I did see was very cool, and seemed to be teeming with activity (most likely orientation for new students!). After spending the day in the area, I headed North for a reasonable motel room to rest my head.

Alright blogosphere, once again you are completely caught up on my trip. I hope you've enjoyed my tour of the East coast - There's plenty more where that came from!

A.S. Bloom

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Roanoke, Richmond, and D.C.!

Welcome back blogosphere! Its been more than a week since the last posting, and there is much to report. Once again, you will be treated to a double dose from the road! I can't wait to catch you up, so sit down, relax, and let's talk East Coast.

Last you heard from me, I was spending the night in Roanoke. Roanoke is a quaint little town with lots to offer. After a restful night of sleep (on the most comfortable mattress thus far) I woke with a renewed energy, and headed out for the day. My first stop was St. Andrews Church, a huge, immaculate example of early 1800's architecture. With jutting spires, ornate stained glass, and antique columns, it was truly awe inspiring and unexpected. After a quick visit at the church, I headed downtown to grab a bite from the local farmers market for lunch.

The market, although smaller than most, was packed with enthusiastic vendors. I engaged a vegetable vendor in conversation and found out that today was especially slow because there was another market going on across town. Despite the lack of vendors, I was able to procure some good lookin' veggies for the road. I also happened onto a local organic restaurant, that was serving a lunch special that included a turkey sandwich w/ pesto, mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and spicy arugula: How could I resist? The sandwich was delish, and after a late lunch, I was on the road to Richmond.

I arrived late in the day, and was greeted by some cousins that I hadn't seen in about 10 years! Needless to say, there was some serious catching up to do. We gathered over dinner at a yummy Mexican restaurant, and got up to speed. Best of all, we were able to relate on food (of all things)!  After dinner, we headed back and I retired for the night. I woke late, gathered my things, and headed downtown to the capitol building.

The Richmond capitol area was stunning, and historic. There is just something about the capitols on the East coast that the West simply cannot contend with: There is a real sense of history in these places - knowing that our forefathers walked these grounds years ago is a tremendous feeling. Beautiful, historic statues abound the area, and many a photo op can be had. The grounds (which contain several other gov't buildings) are immaculately maintained, and humming with activity. Men in suits we abundant, walking this way and that, going about their daily business.

After a nice tour of Richmond, I headed North to our nation's capitol, Washington D.C. I timed my tour of Richmond perfectly as to miss the horrendous D.C. traffic which tends to be a rolling parking lot from 3:30 to 7:00 or so. I arrived at my Aunt's house just after 3:30, relieved to have missed the traffic. She arrived shortly past 4:00, and after a bit of catching up we headed to grab a bite to eat. After dinner we headed back for a quick game of scrabble, and then to bed, for a big day was in store tomorrow.

I woke at a reasonable hour, gathered my things for the day and headed to the metro station for a quick ride downtown. I arrived to the all the splendor that Washington D.C. has to offer. What can one say about our nations capitol? It is truly stunning, with most of the historic buildings and sites clustered into roughly a 2-3 mile strip. One could easily spend days here and not see all that there is to be seen: From the capitol, to the national gallery, to the Smithsonian, all the way down to the White House - D.C. is rich in history and culture. I spent the better part of the day cruising the mall, before meeting up with my Aunt Arlene for a real treat.

After a long day in the hot sun, I was in dire need of some entertainment, preferably located somewhere air conditioned. Aunt Arlene came through with dinner at an Indian restaurant, followed by a show at the Ronald Regan center. The performance came from The Capitol Steps, a group of political satirists who put on a show about current events. They dance, sing, and perform some hilarious comedy bits that had me in stitches! If you haven't heard of them, head over to their site and check them out - some seriously funny stuff.

After a long day in the city, I came home and fell asleep, exhausted from the day's activities. The next day, I relaxed, played some scrabble, and walked along the canals with my Aunt. It was a fun day, but all the while I knew I would have to depart on Monday morning. The next stop on the journey: Philly.


A.S. Bloom

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The Nati, Lexington, and West Virginia

Once again, welcome back for the second of two blasts for tonite. I hope that you enjoyed my travels through bourbon country and Louisville, and are hungry for another bite from the road. Read on, blogosphere, you've earned it!

After a wonderful day on the Bourbon Trail, and exploring Louisville, I spent most of the day touring Louisville before heading out. My tour guide Alex and I went and had a delicious lunch from an Indian buffet, and then went to see downtown. Downtown Louisville is a pretty cool place, and as she explained is a complete anomaly as far as Kentucky goes. Among the sites we saw, some of my favorites included the 30 ft. louisville slugger bat resting against a building, and Churchill Downs - both very cool. After a fun little tour, I headed North and West to Cincinnati.

Cincy is a cool town just North of the Ohio River with a bustling metropolis and a damn good baseball team. After a restful night just North of town, I headed downtown to grab a bite and walk around. I ate at a Cincinnati institution: Skyline Chili. This place has been around since the early 1900's and celebrates and unique variety of chili that is spiced with cinnamon, cocoa, and hot chilis. This results in an interesting but delicious variety of chili - I had mine on what the locals call a five way (pasta, chili, beans, onions, and cheese) - quite good. 

After lunch I took a little walk around downtown before heading to the Krohn Conservatory for a little tour of some beautiful flora. Krohn is a spectacular series of greenhouses focusing on all types of vegetation, both local and tropical. After touring and taking some stunning photos (head over to the flickr site for all the goodies) I headed to the Cincy Art Museum, which was unfortunately closed - bummer. No problem though, I was only a couple of minutes from my other destination: Graeter's. Graeter's is a Cincy tradition for several generations, and is craved worldwide. They have some of the best ice cream that I have ever tasted, and the stuff that was fresh from the line did not disappoint.

After a nice day in The Nati, I headed South to Lexington. Lexington is self proclaimed as the horse capital of the U.S., and there was surely no shortage of proof. After a good night's sleep, I woke and headed out on a tour of the downtown and the historic area that surrounds it called Gratz Park. Although the main drag is pretty torn up due to construction (took me 20 mins to get 6 blocks) the surrounding areas are beautiful, ornate, and historic. They also have a really cool J.Doe project that involves, who woulda thought, horses.  

After a nice afternoon in Lexington (narrowly avoiding a huge downpour) I headed West to Charleston, the capitol of West Virginia. I got in late, uploaded some pics, watched a movie on HBO and passed out. After a nice restful night, I woke for my tour of Charleston. Although there is not a ton to report here, they do have a beautiful capitol building located right off the Kanawha River. Charleston is a small and historic town located in a a gorgeous lush green area, and seems to cater to a slower pace of life. Overall a cool place to visit.

Alright blogosphere, I'm happy to report that once again you are completely caught up on the trip! Tonight I'm in Roanoke, and headed to Richmond tomorrow - I'll make sure to keep you in the loop :)

A.S. Bloom

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The Bourbon Trail and Louisville

Hey there, glad you came back to get your fix from the road! Lots has happened since the last update, so once again I am pleased to announce that you will be getting a double dose tonite, so sit back and enjoy!

Last you heard from me I was headed Westward toward Knoxville for the night. I'm sure there are plenty of cool things to do in Knoxville, but it served one purpose on my road trip: A gateway to the Bourbon Trail. For those of you that don't know what the Bourbon Trail is, it is a hundred of so mile stretch in central Kentucky that features some of the best distilleries in the country (possibly the world!) - for more info go here. So, I woke early, and got on the road to the Maker's Mark distillery.

I arrived in the early afternoon, and quickly signed myself up for the tour, as well as the tasting that concludes some of their tours. The tour was excellent: This place is steeped in tradition, with generations of Samuel's men crafting fine whiskies and bourbons (there is a difference my friends!). Although the Maker's Mark name has only been around since the fifties, the distillery itself has been there since the early 1800's. They share their recipe with you on the tour claiming that the real secret is the water in the area - somehow filtered through the limestone rock in the area - it creates the optimal taste for bourbon -- who woulda thunk it?

After the tour, one gets to partake in a tasting of both the traditional maker's as well as their new product, Maker's 64, which has a bit more spice to it - both delicious. They also offer their tour guests the option of purchasing their own bottle(s) and hand dipping it into their signature red wax - naturally I had to partake. Easily one of the coolest experiences on the trip. After wrapping up the tour, I headed West to the Heaven Hill distillery, to partake in their tour as well. Unfortunately it couldn't even come close to the maker's tour, as it was more of a bourbon history lesson, but it was fun none-the-less. The coolest thing about Heaven Hill is the sheer quantity of different bourbons they produce, and the way they are created in comparison to Maker's Mark - if you're interested head over to their site for some interesting facts on my favorite drink.

After one of the best days of the trip, I headed North to Louisville to meet up with the person I would be couchsurfing for the night. This was a foreign experience for me (at least in the sense of couch surfing with a stranger) but it proved to be quite a good time. My travels had rendered me hungry and thirsty so my host (also named Alex) took me to a local beer haus called Sergio's. This place hosts more than 1300 different varieties of beer, and is rated in the top 10 places in the world (that's right, the world!) to get a beer. I ordered some ceviche (delicious) and tried a couple of local beers, including a bourbon barrel stout(exactly what it sounds like) and a knock your socks off IPA. A great start to the night.

After getting a good start, we headed out on the town, Louisville (the locals call it Louahvahl) style. After hitting the local coffee shop for a pick me up, and the record shop to pick up a special order, we headed to the Rudyard Kipling bar, another pretty cool spot. Alex used to work there, so the beer was free, and low and behold the bartender was from the Denver area - small world! After reminiscing with the bar hop on The Mercury Cafe (his former place of employment) we moved on to the next spot. Here we met up with many of Alex's friends, and drank until hunger once again set in. I indulged in a local specialty - The Kentucky Hot Brown - a meal of epic caloric proportions - a huge pile of toast, turkey, ham, cheese sauce, tomatoes, and bacon! After that, I waddled to bed, satisfied with a truly great day.

Alright blogosphere, Ive crammed as much info as possible into this post - Stay tuned for tonite's second helping.

A.S. Bloom

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PS: You may have noticed that I have added an additional feature set to my blogs - Now you can email, blog, tweet, facebook or google buzz any of my blog posts (The buttons posted below this message) - Feel free to spread the word on my travels!

North Carolina!

Welcome Back Ya'll! (I think I've been in the South for a while :)...) Checking in here from Knoxville,TN after a beautiful day trip through the Great Smoky Mountains, and a great couple days trekking across the gorgeous state of North Carolina. I've got lots of updates, so sit down, grab a cold beverage, and lets catch up.

Last time you heard from me I was in Charleston, and from there I headed up the coast to Wilmington, NC. Wilmington is a nice little town that straddles the Cape Fear River, and is minutes from the coast. After a great night's sleep, I started the day the day off with a visit to Airlie Gardens - a spectacular area that dates into the mid 1800's. They are most notable for their ancient oak tree (the oldest in America as I remember) as well as their azalea gardens. Although the azaleas had already finished blooming, I was able to visit the oak tree as well as the rest of their spectacular grounds. Beautiful foliage and gardens abound, and one could easily spend the entire day exploring the 55 acres of splendor.

After a great morning exploring Airlie, I headed downtown to grab a bite to eat at the Front Street Brewery. This place is widely known for their delicious brews, but also for their tempting eats. I indulged in a little bit of both, ordering a pulled pork sandwich (coleslaw included on sandwich!) with potato salad and a hoppy IPA to wash it down with. Everything was spectacular, and my server informed me that it wasn't frowned upon to order 2 beers before noon - I laughed, but declined. After lunch I headed down to the beach (about 10 minutes away), jumped in the water, and smiled excitedly having swam on both coasts within a month of each other!

After a great day in Wilmington I headed West to Durham to stay with a family friend who has a beautiful home there, just outside of Duke Woods. I got in fairly late, and after a couple hours of conversation about the trip, I retired for the night. I woke early and put in a couple hours of labor on the property (the least I could do for such hospitality) before heading out into Durham  to see Duke Gardens, another spectacular urban oasis for all sorts of flora and fauna. I spent a good couple of hours exploring every corner of the garden, snapping all sorts of great photos, again words can't explain the beauty of this area - head over to the flickr site for all the goodies.

After a gorgeous afternoon at Duke Gardens, I was instructed by a reputable source that I had to eat at an out of the way little cafe called Allan and Son BBQ. I was a bit skeptical when my GPS led me out into the middle of the woods and announced "Arriving at Destination", but as I drove a few blocks further I came upon a ton of parked cars crammed into a tiny lot. This must be it, I thought to myself. Indeed it was, and this is the kind of local place that warms the soul and fills your stomach to bursting capacity. A cafeteria style restaurant with about 10 or 15 tables, Allan and Son serves the kind of food momma used to make - Ribs, Potato Salad, Fritters, Lima Beans, Salad w/ Ranch dressing and bacon bits (and don't forget the sweet tea!) -- all for about 7 bucks -- it couldn't have been better!

After filling my tank on southern hospitality and delicious food, I once again headed West to Asheville, a little hippie town on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. I arrived, strolled around the downtown (Think Boulder without the pretention) and found the last lodging in town at a campground just outside of town. After setting up camp, I headed back into town for the Asheville Tourists baseball game, where a hometown hero, Todd Helton, was supposed to make a rehab start. Unfortunately Todd didn't make it, but it was still a great game, and with dollar beers and hot dogs, I really couldn't complain. The stadium is historic (Babe Ruth played here!) and beautiful. Asheville Tourists 13, Hagerstown Suns 4.

After a great night, I headed back for camp, excited for what the next day held in store: The Smoky Mountains! The night wasn't quite as restful as I would have liked (sooo hot!) but I woke early with renewed energy, ready for my hike! I headed South to Mountains, and selected a nice day hike (about 5 miles) that displayed some spectacular views and led through some really interesting trails. These are not quite the Rockies, but absolutely gorgeous none-the-less. After a great day in the mountains, I headed West once again to Knoxville.

Its that time again blogosphere -- Hope you enjoyed the update -- We'll talk again soon.

A.S. Bloom
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Savannah and Charleston

Welcome Back! After a restful stop in Tampa, it was again time to resume the road trip. I headed North and East to Savannah, a five hour drive from Florida. The drive up was beautiful and relaxing, and before I knew it I was pulling into the historic South. The Western US is gorgeous and wide open, but few areas are as steeped in history as the deep South.

I arrived in Georgia with plenty of sun left, and decided to wander a bit through one of the most beautiful areas in Savannah: Forsyth Park. Forsyth Park is widely known, and it did not disappoint. After a quick bite at a local organic foods coop, I headed over to the park to walk around and snap some photos. Wide open green spaces and marvelous old oak trees abound, with antique civil war memorials and fountains strafing the middle of the park. It was a gorgeous day, and the walk was truly inspiring. The architecture of the houses surrounding the park are also stunning, and a great introduction to the history that defines the area.

After spending a nice afternoon in the park, I did a little cruising around, and then turned in for the night, with thoughts of continuing my journey through the South the next day in Charleston. A short drive from Savannah, Charleston came quickly into view, and I knew I would finally get some beach action in the Atlantic. What I didn't expect was the magnitude of my lodging (I had expected to be moteling it again) -- I was able to finagle a 2 night stay at a magnificent beach house on the Isle of Palms owned by my parent's friends. A ten minute walk from the beach, and right on a canal, I could not have asked for more. 

After a great night's sleep, I headed into historic Charleston to see what it had to offer. Charleston is a magnificent city steeped in Southern charm and tradition, oozing with class. I was able to snag a key parking spot right off the main drag, and subsequently began a walking tour of the area. Although it was a hot day, I hardly noticed it as I was drawn in by the sheer beauty of the area. The first part of my tour took me to the waterfront area, which has several gorgeous fountains and spectacular views of the water. It was beautiful, but nothing in comparison to where I was headed next.

What Charleston is really known for is its historic homes and churches, many of which date back to the 1700s, something no Western state can claim. I ventured down to rainbow row, which garners its name from the historic homes which are painted in all sorts of wonderful pinks, purples, and greens. Right near rainbow row, several old antebellum homes can be spotted, and stick out with their antique architecture and wrought iron facades and gates - truly gorgeous. The churches are also amazing, and remind you of something you might see in London or Paris, not somewhere in the U.S.... My words cannot even do this area justice - Jump over to the flickr page for the full effect. 

Alright blogosphere, you are finally caught up with the trip! Its been quite some time since I was able to say that, but it is with great pleasure that I can. Lots more updates to come -- In the next few days I'll be in North Carolina exploring my way to the Great Smoky Mountains and then meandering back to the coast... Stay tuned!

A.S. Bloom
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