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San Francisco

My tour of San Francisco in May 2006 consisted of a visit to my friend Michele and experiencing just about every tourist destination in and around the Bay. It was such a big trip, it warranted its own section of the website.

View my San Francisco page!

Canada

I finally crossed the border and visited our friendly neighbor to the north in October 2009. I made a quick trip to Niagara Falls, but hope to return in the future to see more sites.

Museums

I am a museum junkie. I love to visit museums both large and small, both famous and out-of-the-way, and of all varieties. Here are some of the museums I've visited lately:

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY)

American Museum of Natural History (New York, NY)

Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY)

Museum of the Earth (Ithaca, NY)

Corning Museum of Glass (Corning, NY)

Iroquois Indian Museum (Howes Cave, NY)

Roberson Museum and Science Center (Binghamton, NY)

Hershey and Gettysburg, PA

I went to the Harrisburg/Carlisle, PA area in October 2006 for a wedding, and got to see Hershey's Chocolate World and Gettysburg Battlefield along the way.

Hershey's Chocolate World is a cheesy, commercial, touristy spot with a fake "factory" tour that resembles a Disney World ride - complete with animatronic singing cows! And of course there are plenty of stores from which to purchase Hershey products and souvenirs. It was actually a very fun place (and every chocolate lover's paradise) as long you don't take it too seriously. :)

Gettysburg, on the other hand, was anything but fake. We toured the battleground using an audio tour in the car, though we couldn't finish it because it took so long and we had to head back home. They've maintained the battlegrounds just as they were during the Civil War, even going so far as chopping down trees to maintain the aesthetic. You can stand on a hill and imagine the troops marching over the horizon. Today, though, there are numerous monuments scattered throughout. There is a monument for every battle, every troop, every state, you name it. Some of the statues, such as the North Carolina memorial, were very moving. You could see the emotion on the statues' faces. If I were to go again (and I would like to go again), I would probably bike through. With the car, you always had to find a place to park. And you were just driving slowly from one stop to the other. A bike probably would be more practical.

Photo Slideshow

Ithaca, NY

In October 2007 I visited Ithaca, Binghamton's hippy cousin to the north, for their annual used book sale and farmer's market. Though Ithaca is a mere 50 miles from home, it is like a whole other world. First of all, the community is more close-knit. People there seem to like being out at a cafe, or the park, or the Commons and just hanging out together. In Ithaca, everything is very close together so its urban geography lends itself to this.

The used book sale I went to was HUGE and seems to be a big Ithaca tradition. The sale is held in a warehouse to help raise funds for the Tompkins County Library. Since there are a lot of colleges up there (including an Ivy League one), a lot of the books were of the academic variety. I was surprised at both the selection and quality of the books. It seems that Ithacans love to read and donate their used books to the sale. One drawback: due to the fire code, only a certain amount of people were allowed into the building at one time, which meant a TWO HOUR wait outside to get in. Had I known I would be standing outside in line that long, I would have brought food and something to do.

After the sale, I was STARVING so I stopped by the Ithaca Bakery for a sandwich (which was good, but expensive). The deli seems to be an Ithaca staple, and I liked their HUGE menu and lively atmosphere. It was a traditional deli in every sense.

Next it was off to the Ithaca Farmer's Market - which, like the book sale, was HUGE. It was right on the shore of Cayuga Lake, with a dock and park area behind it where you can chill out. There were a lot of people sitting on the benches and on the side of the pier reading, talking, and enjoying the nice day. The market itself resembled more of a flea market, with not only food but wine, jewelry, and crafts for sale. And, in typical Ithaca fashion, everyone was hanging out there and having a good time.

Photo Slideshow

Future Travels

Where to next? Here's the top 20 places I would like to visit before I die. Though I would like to visit just about anywhere in the world, these are most favorites. So far I've visited one of them. I have a long ways to go.