Ken's Boring Holiday Pictures
U.S.A.


I don't have many pictures of the eastern USA yet, but that will change. I always tell people that neither Canada nor the USA deserve their reputations. People think that everyone in Canada is nice and everyone in America is a gun-toting crazy. Not true at all. It took me well over an hour there to see my first crime. Juuust kidding.

 


Gas Station, Idaho Falls, 1986<br> Always out for a sophisticated laugh, we had to have a picture of Mr. J.H. Boozer's establishment. Only the best for my viewers. Wait... 63.9 cents a gallon? Leavenworth, Washington, 1993<br> The town has a certain Alpine feel. "If anyone starts to yodel, I'm leaving." Blaine, Washington, 2000<br>Across the border from Vancouver, Blaine has a U.S. post office and, well.. boats. Washington Garden, Portland, 2008<br> Oregon is cool even in summer, but the roses seemed to like it. In Vegas this rose would probably catch fire. Multnomah Falls, Oregon, 2008<br>If you like water and trees, you'll like Oregon. Other than that, move on.. Southern Montana, 2008<br>Montana can be a puzzling place. On the outside, it looks like a fishing cabin filled with grizzled locals. On the inside, they might be serving soy cappucinos. Salt Lake City, Utah, 1986<br>At the time Salt Lake City was so spotless it was a little spooky; even the <i>graffiti</i> was clean. University of Montana, Missoula, 1993<br> I was only there for a semester. How was I to know she was the dean's daughter? Salt Lake City, 1986<br> With everyone panicking in a real attack, I always thought it should be a 'fall-in' shelter. Brownsville, Texas, 2002<br> We were at customs for hours for saying we drove from Mexico to go to Wal-Mart. Nothing gets you in trouble like telling the truth. Park, Washington State, 1993<br> I didn't write it down, so I don't remember which park this was in.. Jellystone? Salt Lake City Tabernacle, Utah, 1986<br> Those high spires on the tops of the building are uplifting.. and think of the radio reception. Missoula Skyline, Montana, 1993<br>On the mountain near the university. A peaceful, scenic place where only a few people are hit by hang gliders daily. Harbor Ocean View, Seattle, 2007<br>The fish market was bums, dirt, and traffic. What am I missing about Seattle? Flagstaff, Arizona, 2009<br> Flagstaff reminds me a lot of Banff, with its high-altitude, artsy mountain scene, and April hypothermia. University of Oregon, Eugene, 2007<br>Eugene is a pretty little city, but not terribly lively. I kid you not: there's a graveyard on campus. UM Campus, Missoula, Montana, 1993<br>The university was a good one, but I could only watch so much basketball in the evenings. I spent a lot of time walking up and down these sidewalks.. Trailer Park, Mesa, Arizona, 2008<br>Like many seniors, my parents sometimes winter near Phoenix. People were pretty nice there. After Las Vegas, it doesn't take much kindness to impress you. Thunderstorm, Nebraska, 2007<br>On the highway we saw this intense thunderstorm. Suddenly a grisly hand reached into the window.. Oranges, Mesa, Arizona, 2008<br>They were sour but colorful. But enough about the seniors at my parents' trailer court! Seattle Skyline, Washington, 2007<br> Seattle has a simple way to keep tourists there—make it impossible to find a freeway sign marking the way out. Sedona, Arizona<br>Sedona is an interesting town in northern Arizona known for its red soil and new age movement. Looking at what seems like the surface of Mars does feel dreamlike. Carpet Store, Tlaquepaque, Sedona, 2009<br>Beautiful handmade carpets, but they were thousands of dollars. Sheesh. Wipe your feet. Maybe factory production isn't such a bad thing sometimes. Sedona Back Road, 2009<br> Funky. You see Sedona red soil t-shirts for sale everywhere in Arizona. All I had to do was lie down and roll around a few times! Sedona Town Skyline, 2009<br>I liked Sedona a lot, and it's peaceful, but a little pricey. Red paint to keep touching up all those mountains doesn't come cheap. Tlaquepaque, Sedona, 2009<br>A beautiful shopping court, and sometimes it seemed more Mexican than Mexico. It just shouldn't be that clean! Sunset, Sedona, 2009 <br>Sedona is known as a new age hangout, yet most people seemed down to earth there. But there's not much earth.. just rock. Tlaquepaque, Sedona, 2009<br>I'm not sure the concept works. I spent all my time admiring the shopping court and forget to ever <i>buy</i> anything. Chicago Skyline, 2007<br>Them buildings is pointy. Mom's Cafe, Salina. It's always nice to have another mom.. and it<i> is</i> Utah, so it happens. "You are nowhere," North Platte. Nebraska has a bit of a self image problem at times. Northwestern University, Chicago<br> Keep off the grass! Park fountain, downtown Chicago. "Love and marriage, love and marriage.." Now you know what television shows I watch. Chicago skyscrapers. "Look.. up there.. it's a bird.. it's a plane!" I kept waiting for someone to say it. Picasso sculpture, Chicago. Like the road system, don't try to understand, just enjoy. Chicago freeway into downtown. It was during the time of day when traffic was light (10:46-10:51 am). My favorite part of Chicago: the beach. Warmer than California's, and 1/10 as crowded. View from the Hancock building, 96th story. "Does this window <i>opennnn....</i>" My wife's friends, Sean and Mihyun, ran a Pho restaurant on Seoul street. Bring on the neon. Downtown beach. Some 'dog's life.' They were allowed into a special section that we weren't! Rainstorm, Nebraska Highway, On gloomy days like this one, the best way to see the state is at 140 km/h. Pizza Shop, Chicago, No trip to Chicago is complete without—that stupid cliché. But if you do like pizza, it is great. War Memorial, Lincoln, 2007<br>Who says there aren't exciting things to do in Nebraska on Saturday night! Highway View, Northern Idaho, 2008<br>Lots of farms were growing flowers. Or they might just be potatos in disguise. Kalamazoo, Michigan, 2007<br>A quiet place; maybe because the highways aren't marked to get in or out? Presbyterian Church, Chicago, 2007<br> Beautiful buildings are everywhere downtown, and only <i>some</i> are famous for gangsters being gunned down in. Marina, Chicago, 2007<br>"I declare, Clarissa, we may have to junk that yacht; I believe the clock ticks too loudly." Bridge Art, Chicago, 2007<br>A depiction of ancient Greeks getting testy on the last shopping day before Christmas. Roadside Cliffs, near Salina, Utah, 2007<br> "Honey, I left my purse on<i> that</i> rock.. over there.." Divided Highway, Eastern Utah, 2007<br> You need dynamite to make a <i>driveway</i> in Utah. Geese at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, 2009<br> It sounds like one of those cities from a Bugs Bunny cartoon, but it's a real city in southern Michigan. Flowers in May at WMU<br> The Dutch are famous for flowers, and there's anearby town named Holland which ought to be sort of a tip-off. An armor demonstration at the medieval conference. A little more photogenic than the manuscript digitization standards lecture. Dillon, Colorado, near Vail, 2007<br> Nice place, cool, and peaceful. If I were in the houses right <i>below</i> the mountain I wouldn't feel so peaceful. Lake near Dillon, 2007<br> Colorado's a lot like the Rockies in Alberta, minus the ridiculous prices, bad food, and nine million Japanese tourists. You can't have everything.

 

Chicago - Things I liked
The great architecture. The beaches. Art, culture, history. Good restaurants. Well-dressed people; after Las Vegas, it's nice to see more than sweat pants. 		Things I disliked
It takes ages to get anywhere. Some drivers honk at me for not speeding enough through a school zone, and others can't find third gear. It's a surprisingly congested city.


This'll be the player
96th Floor of Hancock Building, Chicago (May 2007) 0:06
Bird on Cactus, Mesa, Arizona (March 2008) 0:08
Multnomah Falls, Oregon (June 2008) 0:07
Night Thunderstorm in Nebraska (May 2007) 0:30