ilchicag | Liz | Travel Blog

Page 9 of ilchicag Travel Blog Posts

North America » United States » Tennessee » Memphis February 17th 2006

This trip was spontaneity at its finest. I decided Thursday afternoon to take the train down to Memphis, filled up my iPod Friday morning with every song about Memphis I owned, and was on the Amtrak Friday night headed south. I was ecstatic; not only was Memphis reportably 30 degrees warmer than Champaign (it was unbearable in Illinois), but as luck would have it that weekend was to be the weekend of the annual Beale Street Zydeco Festival. I love Zydeco! It all seemed perfect. I would take the train Friday night, arrive at 6 AM in Memphis, grab breakfast and then explore the town before I'd depart again at 10:30 that night in order to be back in Champaign for the Indiana game Sunday afternoon. I boarded the train with nothing but my journal, some ... read more

DMB at Red Rocks

North America » United States » Colorado » Morrison September 12th 2005

Red Rocks Amphitheater

ilchicag

Visited US States Map ... read more

California 2005, Part III: San Francisco

North America » United States » California » San Francisco August 14th 2005

Boats in the harbor at sunset

ilchicag

Well, San Francisco: I LOVE YOU! Our first little stint in San Fran barely did it justice. Now that we've had time to walk around and take in the city... it is just so cool. I have never felt so in tune with a city than I have here in Frisco. I even love how harmonious the town is within itself. Even though there are a multitude of different, unique neighborhoods with their own culture and denizens, at first glance they all seemed to be fairly tolerant. Now, if I were to go to law school here and actually spend some real time here, I may find a different story; however, I think first impressions are pretty important and do mean something. I think the best thing that I loved about San Francisco, or at least ... read more

The base of the Golden Gate Bridge, in the eternal fog

California 2005, Part II: Mendocino coast

North America » United States » California » Mendocino August 14th 2005

Sunlight streaming through the redwoods

ilchicag

We woke up in the hot, dry, Napa Valley and fell asleep in the cool, coastal Mendocino area (more specifically Fort Bragg). It was pretty uneventful, but undoubtably beautiful. It's like you're in the quaint California countryside, and then all of a sudden you're in the mountains. And I don't mind at all. Mendocino's a real hippie town - it's full of intertwining gardens that boast plants not readily found in the great state of Illinois and little shops. I love the fog that surrounds the area from the Pacific. We pretty much just walked around all day, taking lunch in a home deli and getting coffee in little standing room only cafes. So quaint! We ate in Fort Bragg, which is definitely more fisherman town than Mendocino. We also took a stop at what is ... read more

California 2005, Part I: San Francisco - Napa Valley

North America » United States » California » Napa Valley August 14th 2005

Grapes at Sterling Vineyards

ilchicag

California was great. I'm such a fan of northern California. It's incredibly laid back and oh so very quaint. We both began and ended our trip in San Francisco, a city that I would go back and visit today if I could. After a long, but enjoyable flight, we got to California late at night; that in itself was spectacular. All I could see for the longest time were dots of light in the hills from all the surrounding homes and whatnot and black water below. It was like landing in outerspace where all you could see were stars. Once we landed, we waited in line for what seemed like an eternity to get our rental car. By time we got the car, all of us were extremely tired and just went to our first ... read more

March to the Arch: Final Four 2005

North America » United States » Missouri » St Louis April 4th 2005

The Arch from below

ilchicag

Fighting Illini go the Arch for some college basketball. And not just SOME college basketball... we're in St. Louis for college basketball. Actually, right now, we ARE college basketball. Maybe it's because I'm from Illinois (the state and the school), but I can't remember a team that has attracted such a following like we have this year. Everywhere is orange. Everywhere it's about the Illini (save ESPN). Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it's our hundreth year of basketball. Or that we only lost one regular season game (screw you, OSU). Or maybe it's the Dee Brown infamous jersey pop that has put Illinois in the limelight. Whatever it is... I can't say that I ever thought I'd actually be here, at the Final Four, to see my team play in the national ... read more

Back to the Roots 2004

North America » United States » South Carolina » Charleston August 7th 2004

Beautiful Charleston

ilchicag

This is a picture/back log of a trip my family and I took to South Carolina in August 2004. We went to Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina. It was great, except I got a terrible, terrible sunburn (I had blisters! Ew!). It was so terrible I had to spend a day on a couch in the horizontal direction and could hardly move. By time we got down to Charleston, I could move (it was still painful) but I was so red that when I was in the Market, a little girl actually pointed at me and laughed. I looked like a lobster, I guess. Laughter aside, it was a great trip. Had a lot of great seafood and got to visit the place where my dad's side of the family is from. My dad was ... read more