Random Summer Fun

Still cleaning up my camera found some more good pictures.

When in Virginia I went to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's crib. In its time it was the grandest house in America. Jefferson was ambassador to France for awhile and was the first guy to be able to afford to import European style. This house was his private residence build on land he got from his father. The house is so cool the Americans put it on the nickel.

Jefferson in bronze


Monticello, unfortunately they don't let you take photos inside.


Then there was the bachelor party, out in the woods with a bunch of boys.

Hunter and the big dog


This fox was on the golf course


The big dog


Paulywood


Brian


Bridegroom


We ate like royalty


Veal lasagna


Tenderloin


Terry and his best friend


Before


After


In America they have this thing called Sausage Biscuits and Gravy, it is basically anywhere that breakfast is served. It is ok, but unbelievably heavy, not something I would choose for my first meal of the morning. The other claim to fame at this restaurant is fried chicken and waffles, now that's breakfast.

Yamnuska

Yamnuska is a rock face on the way from Calgary to Banff, it is one of the more striking peaks seen along the road. Finally climbed this thing for the first time this past summer.

The view from the road. The shear face is for rock climbers, scramblers go around the right side up the back and back down in front of the face.


Me contemplating the route


Kelly and Charlene


Approach to the back side














Attack of the Yamnuska monster


There is one relatively technical part with a metal cable to help out.








The summit


The scree in front of the face

Talking to Michiganders

Now it's Michigan, Lansing to be exact. Michigan is cool, looks like Ontario. An interesting place to be, given the hard economic times here.

I had a really odd moment. I usually watch TV before I go to bed. The other night I got watching one of those house buying shows where a young couple looks at houses then chooses one to buy. The shows are definitely geared toward women, but I like them. Anyway, we can discuss my masculinity at another time, this is not the topic right now. So I pick up the show more than half way through and I can't get over how strange this couple is talking. They were talking in what seemed like a really slow manner. I was paying more attention to see if I could determine where they were from, I have really been noticing the Michigan accent. I noticed that they made their "o" sound elongated all the time. I also couldn't figure out why the narrator of the TV show had to keep converting the house prices to US dollars. Then it dawned one me, these people are from Canada. I have been away so long, Canadians sound like they have an accent to me, I was shocked. I also had to admit why Americans accuse Canadians of talking really slow, the couple on the show talked so damn slow.

Here's some pictures.

I am currently obsessed with the Otto E. Eckert Power plant in downtown Lansing, it looks awesome. Right out of a Charles Dickens novel.



Notice the person fishing in the foreground, people in Lansing love to fish beside this thing.


The day's catch, they said this walleye was going to be on the fry pan that very night.




Some more US government property. You can see they have moved away from the Greek and Roman revival favoured in DC

Washington DC

Press play before you read! This blog is multimedia!!



Whilst in Virginia I was lucky enough to go to Washington DC, my first time there and ever in a gigantic American east coast mega city. It was about a four drive, so was only possible on a weekend. There is way too much to see in one weekend. It was a great city, I was there the weekend before the 4th of July.

This was in the sculpture garden right on the national mall. I know what I think it looks like.


Some of my favourite pieces at the Hirshhorn






The botanical garden








Views on the mall






Looking toward the Lincoln memorial


The Lincoln memorial is amazing. The Pantheon in Rome is still my favourite building but this one is a close second.














Foyer of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I believe the Apollo 11 capsule is the one on the right.


The Wright Brother's airplane


The sun setting on Virginia


You can see the entire Washington DC set here:

Washington DC 2009