From the Vault - Mirrors

From the Vault - SE vol. 6

We entered the state exactly one year ago today. Hurrah!

October 9, 1005 - From Nashville, TN to Asheville, NC

At the information center on the border.

View from the information center.

From the Vault - SE vol. 5

October 8, 2005 - From Oklahoma City, OK to Nashville, TN

Graceland in Memphis

The Elvis Auto Museum at Graceland


The Heartbreak Hotel

P.S. Gabrielle--thinking of you as I post these! :-)

From the Vault - SE vol. 4

Several photos today. Seems like there was more to take pictures of in Texas than in New Mexico. Or at least, I didn't post all the good Texas pictures the first time around, so there's more left to choose from now. :-) Although I must tell you that in retrospect, the panhandle of Texas was the most god-forsaken landscape that we drove through. Absolutely no desire to go back. But I hear other parts of Texas are lovely. Can't dismiss the whole state for one corner. Imagine somebody judging CA by Bakersfield. Ha!

October 5, 2005 - From Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX

The Texas state flag always makes me do a double-take
because it looks so much like North Carolina's.

A precaution not required by most states.

My first introduction to authentic Southern deep-fried food:
catfish, hushpuppies, fries, and beans. My arteries harden
just remembering it.

Entrance to the campground where we stayed that night.

The view from the window of my KOA Kabin. Nothing made me

appreciate hotels more than one night in that little shack.

From the Vault - SE vol. 3

October 4, 2005 - From Flagstaff, AZ to Albuquerque, NM

Miles and miles

From the Vault - SE vol. 2

October 3, 2005 - From Laughlin, NV to Flagstaff, AZ

Wannabe Vegas

The Crown Railroad Cafe right off Route 66

From the Vault - Special Edition

One year ago yesterday, my parents and I drove away from our house in Saugus--the one I grew up in, and which they owned for 26 years. We didn't get very far that night, on account of leaving so late, but the journey had begun. A year ago today, we were in Laughlin, Nevada.

In honor of our cross-country adventure, From the Vault will feature photos taken exactly a year ago that day, and not posted in this blog before now.

October 2, 2005 - From Acton, CA to Laughlin, NV

Good Ol' Southern Pacific

Dad goes to the car at a rest stop in Barstow, CA

Mom wrangles the dogs at the Barstow rest stop

From the Vault

Weeping Willow

Taken August 3, 2006 in Virginia.

I think the weeping willow is my favorite tree. There's something about it that is wistful and lazy and dreamy and soothing. I'm torn, however, as to whether I prefer it au naturel, or trimmed nice and straight. Wow, that about sums my day up right there...the ongoing feud between order and chaos. (I did some housecleaning, in case you're wondering where THAT came from!)

From the Vault

Bridge near Clinton Presidential Library

Taken October 8, 2005 in Little Rock, AR

From the Vault - Bella Via

Taken October 2001, Santa Clarita, CA

For several years, my hometown had an annual street painting festival at the Valencia Town Center mall. I went twice and then they stopped having it, I believe due to funding issues, which is such a bummer. The art was always so colorful and bold. Some of my favorites are here.

From the Vault - Paris Edition

Taken February 9, 2002 behind the clock at Musee d'Orsay in Paris, France

My first taste of Europe was my whirlwind trip to Paris, France in February of 2002. It was my last year of teaching, and I went with my best friend Nicole, who taught in the classroom next door to mine. I was determined to use up my accumulated sick days, which numbered around five dozen. (Alas, I never came close.) My decision to switch careers had invigorated me, and I was in a very adventurous mood. We left in the middle of the school week! Calling in sick to go to Paris felt so extravagant. We basically kept it a secret from everyone we knew at school, and then on the day we were leaving, at lunch we rolled out our suitcases from Nicole's storage closet and our friends asked where we were going. We said Paris, and they were like, "Las Vegas?" Imagine our glee saying, "No, the real thing!!"

We'd bought our tickets the previous November, because a) we found ridiculously cheap fares on Air France, and b) I like to plan. I planned up a storm for this trip. We had only four days in Paris, so we had to make them count. I got several guidebooks, but the best of them all was Rick Steves'. I adore his humorous and frank style. With such limited time, we had to prioritize, which is what I did. I made a table of all the attractions we might want to see, in order of importance. I can't find the list now (bummer!) but it had the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, and Sacre Coeur at the top of the list, while things like the sewer tour and a department store fashion show were lower on the list. For each site I listed the days they are closed and hours they are open, what arrondissement they are in, whether Rick had a guided tour in his book, whether the Museum & Monument Pass covered admission, which Metro stop to use, and special notes, such as the best time of day to go, etc. (Yeah, I'm anal.) But I'm proud to say that we managed to squeeze in all our top choices!

For accommodation, I found an apartment online, which was much more spacious than a hotel room, and quite reasonably priced. Not to mention that we felt very Parisian returning to our pied a terre in the evenings. The location was awesome. The first night we went for a walk, just wandering up and down random streets. Nicole stopped to tie her shoe, and when I looked up, there was a moment of holy-cow recognition: "Dude, there's Notre Dame!" Walking home later, we were pretty directionless, but we rounded a corner, and voila! There was our street. Oh, the serendipity!

For transportation around the city, I thought we could maximize our sightseeing by remaining above ground, and a hop-on hop-off bus seemed ideal. You pay a flat fee at the beginning of the day, and the bus runs in a constant loop all over Paris, picking you up and dropping you off right in front of the most popular destinations. Well, that plan soon went out the window. The bus flew right by our first stop, which happened to be the Musee d'Orsay, and dropped us off at the Place de la Concorde, requiring us to hoof it back to the museum in what I remember as a bitingly cold wind. Then, when it was time to move on to our next destination, we spent probably half an hour waiting for a bus that never arrived...so we quickly learned that the Metro is the best way to get around.

Enough about Paris for now...maybe in a future edition of From the Vault I will reminisce some more. I have such fond memories of my short stay in the City of Light. I've uploaded photos to flickr and you can see them here.

From the Vault

At first glance, it may appear to be snow blanketing the roadside. But look closer. The palm trees should clue you in a little.

Flowers in Oceanside

Taken March 20, 2004 near Camp Pendleton, CA

Here's another view. Doesn't it remind you of the field of flowers outside of Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz? (I can't decide if the stop sign ruins the photo or makes it. What do you think?)


And, just thought I'd freeze this milestone I happened to catch with a screen capture:


All hail round numbers!

From the Vault

Update: See more From the Vault.
9/17/06
7/15/06
6/15/06
6/9/06
6/2/06
1/5/08

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I was looking around for a meme to do for today's entry, because I was feeling a little uninspired, and I came across "Thursday Challenge." It's a photo meme, and this week's theme is "Ground." I was searching through my pictures for an appropriate photo, but here's where being a picky rule-follower can be a burden. Every photo I considered, I dismissed as not quite right. As if I were picking something to be displayed in the Louvre! It's a blog, for crying out loud. Apparently I don't like being restricted by themes, as my own postcard swap taught me.

So I decided to start my own meme. You can do it on any day you want, and more than once a week if you want. And there is no theme. All you have to do is pick one photo from your "vault" that has never been on your blog before, and post it. You can write about it, or let it stand alone. It's kind of like your favorite singer putting out a CD of songs that they recorded but which never made it onto an album. In the age of digital cameras, we all take tons of photos that never see the light of day, for lack of a proper venue, or an "excuse" to show them. So let "From the Vault" be that venue, that excuse. Here's my inaugural offering:

The Star

Taken May 11, 2001, Pier 39 (San Francisco, CA)