ashleynorthwanders.

baltimore bound

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:16:00 +0000

moving here in the fall, I do believe…

the return week made complete with photo opening by the talented mpo + fun folks. hi, new home.

photo by pete? spot the sisters-C-three...

homeward bound

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:13:42 +0000

for now, my wandering days are over

….

you know it's over when you enter the DELMARVA region...

home sweet homestate

philly

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:11:24 +0000

philly was super great. a wonderful last stop with fun hosts and fun times…i think i was sort of over the documentation…slim pickin’s here.

this actually explains most of this stop though.

matching shoes...cool.

pittsburgh

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 03:08:59 +0000

it hosted andy warhol for the beginning of his life…I deem it stoppable. I think I’ve been here now nearly 10 times, but there is something new to see…like another inane set of directions that has you go over and back over parallel bridges to get to your destination…yayy. the mattress factory and of course, andy warhol museum [no photos, but just picture a large room with rectangular mylar helium balloon clouds with integral wind...k?] are fun stops…

boxsprings at the mattress factory? get.out.

conversing wood

only cool kids wear scrublike slippers over their shoes.

many-a-mirrored photo op these last few cities...

scary mannequins

some of them accosted us

dotty

vegan chai cupcake + chocolate stout cupcake. guess which was whose.

chicago to pittsburgh

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:59:57 +0000

a little longer than expected…with a surprise [surprise!] detour through michigan…that’s what happens when you jam out whilst trying to self-navigate.

chicago boasts many-an-awesome-bridge

not a surprise state

a surprise state

the bean in chi town and other windy city sites.

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:52:45 +0000

i heart chicago. was very excited for this stop…and evidently rightly so. an awesome, modern b+b, a fancy night on the town and general site seeing was had.

it's sue! the nearly complete dinosaur. rar.

pirates were overtaking the field museum. it was awesome.

the bean!

actually called the "cloud gate"

more bean shadows. cloud gate sounds lame.

a gehry bridge. reflective? nooo- get out.

near millenium park

dinosaurs loved this trip. even chinese ones.

minneapolis to chicago

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:46:08 +0000

midwest, eastern bound…

take a hint, pastey.

siiiike

cute water tower

make some illinoise

minneapolis

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:32:35 +0000

a giant red balloon from a BALLOON EMPORIUM…a picnic, a mini-moon landing, a total divey bar [latter 2 not pictured], ending with one of the best coffee shops I’ve seen, a super cool stop at the walker arts center, then the best vegan cherry pie and green tea mint almond milk smoothie amongst django reinhardt serenades. I’d say an all around excellent stop. What a curiously lovely town. I forgot to mention the slightly depressing but admittedly fun [my first roller coaster rides in over a decade] fun stop. yeahhh.

a giant red balloon to cheer up a somewhat overcast day

it belonged on a rainbowed black top

coordinating outfit for the occasion...accidently

yes.

reflecting on goonishness

shoe stars

sponge bob is like, it, huh? him + funnel cakes + indoor roller coaster = the evening

cloud craziness

and fun bridges

pink...and purple still exists!

concrete designs are the coolest

walker grass dots

walker walking reflections

yellow and blue

bertoia chairs nicely haunted me on this trip

sculptures on the walker roof

onto more rapid-er cities.

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 02:04:24 +0000

the 6, I mean 10 hour [oops] drive to minneapolis proved to be, at first, badass. Thanks to the bad[ass]lands.

First, a final lunch at bully blends and the surrounding original, granary which has been temporarily overtaken by pigeons. My internal health department halted the idea of taking interior shots of the space for the above listed reason….

And then, post-pigeons then bad[ass]lands [aptly a couple days prior to the moon landing anniversary], a requisite stop at Wall Drug. Where the ice water is free and the people are people-watchable.

outside the granary. also, perhaps a pigeon perch.

bad

bad-er

badest

badass.

tiny folks!

the landscape changed around every bend

it all seemed so moonish

very moonish

and stripey

yowsa

totally awesome

the grand finale

one of 54 signs warning us for the wall drug.

free ice water!

the famed jackalope

jackattackalope

mugs with your name :: one of countless eponymous trinkets you could procure here.

the outdoor water spouts. I'm telling you, endless entertainment for all.

wandererrrr

i do love a good hay bale spotting

the best rest stop ever

with parking lot shadows ripe for the pic-turing

and grass shadows made not in the shade

jumping shadows!

there was more than one teepee here.

me again

back on the road for a road-rainbow!

and a second road rainbow

a late night, almost arrival to MN with funny milk on the last leg of the long trip

camptacular

ashleynorthwanders — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:32:45 +0000

maybe prior to bartering trail mix for marshmallows with neighbors

the most spectacular camping suit can also double as a sleeping bag, FYI

a mini flip book, and fun with timed photos

a walk to the lake at dusk, pre-scary noises

the second most spectaular camping ensemble

best stars ever. not pictured but seen :: the milky way.

lara, geoff, kyle, some drinks and oil and balsamic, clearly. what do you bring camping, amateur?

Later that [dinosaur park] eve, met up with more seasoned [Baltimore folks] campers with some borrowed camping gear, one sleeping bag [by total accident] for an evening of stars, scary lake creature noises and open flames. over said flames, delicious hash browns + eggs + millet toast were cooked in a newly procured cast iron skillet [chicken fryer] as a tiffin + bamboo sporks came to the quasi-prepared rescue.