Summer Kickoff, Road-trip Style

At the beginning of May, I decided I wanted to visit Chicago. The prospect of getting out of Minnesota (where I currently go to UMN and work several part-time jobs) seemed blissful. The thought that I was going to Chicago to "get away from it all" was ironic at best and the thought of it still makes me smile (mainly because I've *never* had a more stressful time in my life). While most friends have moved out of the area, there are still a few good friends who I wanted to visit.


After starting plans for that trip, I also started talking with some girls in my ward (church congregation) about the "Epic Road Trip of 2012" (epic because we were crazy and wanted to go all the way out to the East Coast and back in 4 days). The trip consisted of us starting at 9:00PM on a Thursday night driving through the night and next day until we got to New Jersey where we spent the night. Of course we did stop on the way in West Virginia so I could mark another state of my list, and we also stopped for dinner in PA at the famous Wegman's Grocery Store.

West Virginia. They had great shakes!

Group shot outside of Crickster's.

Infamous Wegman's

The next day we hung out in Manhattan before heading to Syracuse to spend the night (via Vermont). Sarah, Christina, and Katie were kind enough to oblige when I asked if we could make the WV and VT stops. The reason? I have a goal to step food in all 50 states before I'm 30. While I have a few years left, each of these states were isolated (I had been to all surrounding states for both) and neither is what you would call a destination spot. So after this trip I'm down to 11 states.

Time Square was on the list, mainly because we wanted to eat at Junior's, which has the BEST cheesecake I've ever had.  This stop came after the obligatory stops to Central Park and the New Yankees Stadium. Then we took a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and stopped by the new construction site for the World Trade Center.

Sarah and Christina Post for a picture

Figuring out my new camera, and trying to be artistic.

More artistry 

Christina's dad (The Duke) cooked lunch for us after church and then we went to see some of the LDS Church historical sites of Up-State NY. We went to the Hill Cumorah, Palmyra Temple, and the Sacred Grove. We finished up the day at Niagara Falls (both in US and Canada).

Hill Cumorah

Palmyra Temple

Flowers from the Sacred Grove.

Niagara Falls

That was the Epic Road Trip. Then there was the trip to Chicago (mentioned first). This consisted of a ladies night out with some of the cohort, photo shoots at temples (an apparent tradition of Marjon's and mine), visiting friends from the Branch, and good food. We didn't get to go to Hot Chocolate, but we (Marjon, Greg, and I) did go to Via Stato. For some unknown reason, I don't have any pictures of our lovely dinner or from brunch on Monday morning (Bongo Room with Melissa and Greg). Most of the pictures are more attempts at creativity and learning my new camera.

Some of my cohort. While I loved every minute of it, I wish we could have had everyone.  This group got me through the
 toughest academic program I'll ever experience. Yes, that includes my PhD. Wonderful people!

Baha'i Temple

Creativity.

Chicago LDS Temple