Yet another fun blog tool... a map covering every state I have visited. However, I do have to say that my stop in West Virginia was an overnight stay during a road trip with family when I was still a teenager. I don't remember much about WV other than driving thru lots of tunnels and seeing nothing but mountains. I've also driven thru Ohio and Georgia before, but never stayed overnight anywhere in each state, so I can't really say I've "visited" them. Since 1994, I have flown to most states outside of the northeast... I'm not really into long road [View Full Entry]

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New York City: born there, went to work with mom and dad there, worked there, took some classes there, lived there, etc. Yet, after spending most of my 34+ years in and around New York, I've taken a lot for granted. If you ask me to identify my favorite city, I would immediately state New York City without blinking twice. I love the different neighborhoods, quality of cuisine and nightlife, the parks, mass transit, the skyscrapers, etc. There is still SO MUCH I have not seen. I had planned spending the weekend in the NYC, but because of unforeseen expenses this [View Full Entry]

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I was in Austin, TX last weekend. Rumor has it that I am on tour networking with key contacts to form an exploratory committee and possibly run for President. Good idea. But, no. With the exception of my regular trips to the Chicago area, I'm looking forward to taking a bunch of "never been there" kind of trips. Refer to my previous two trips: Barcelona and Phoenix... first time visits to Spain and Arizona, let alone the cities. Flying to Austin was as random as me flying to Hong Kong and Barcelona. The flight was on sale by Continental for less [View Full Entry]

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Trivia question for my friends: What is my favorite structure or building in the state of New Jersey? Think about that for a few minutes. Don't cheat. Yeah, like you're going to listen to me. As I chill out in the Valley of the Sun on the eve prior to my departure home to the Garden State, I can reflect back on my long weekend trip here and say this was another worthwhile trip. The weather and lack of itinerary planning basically kept me within the valley, yet with no regrets. Refreshingly enough, my flight departed Newark on time and arrived [View Full Entry]

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So I did it. I finally traveled to Spain for a brief, yet unforgettable long-weekend trip. Lessons learned. Good times. Elite status through February 2008. Met new people. Different cultures. C'est la vie. Asi es la vida. That's life. Did you know Catalan is the language mostly spoken in Barcelona? A combo of Spanish and French as far as I can tell. My visit to Barcelona was half as crazy as my trip to Hong Kong in December 2002. 16 total flight hours vs. 32 in 2002. 3 nights/4 days stay in a hotel near La Rambla vs. 14 hours stay/2 [View Full Entry]

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