I'm getting connected!

I finally called Comcast and they're hooking me up to that new-fangled internet thingy at my house on Monday. SWEET.

In other news, I'm having a Hellish week at work, so I suggest you fill your time with a couple of my favorite travel sites until I can put up some new and interesting posts. Peep 'em here:

www.43places.com

www.mytravelguide.com

Later, kids!

PHOTOS! Chicago, IL (9/9/07)

Look who finally uploaded some photos!!! If you can't see the slideshow below, you can view the pictures on my flickr account here. Enjoy!

R.I.P. MJ's Bar & Grill

I just heard that MJ's Bar & Grill (Las Vegas, NV), which I recently reviewed, has closed down.

Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in Las Vegas, as well as in many cities around the globe - local hang-outs being shut down because they can't compare to more well-known, common tourist attractions and venues.

Please support local independent businesses, both in your town and others. Through your patronage, you can help to give them a chance when they go up to bat against their corporate rivals.

theALTERNAtraveler bows her head over the passing of another great local spot...

Money in the Pot

I made a healthy deposit today of $164.04...

TOTAL BALANCE: $717.21

REMAINING TOWARDS GOAL: $9,282.79

I can't wait to see that first $1,000 sitting in my account! Seriously, I can't wait. I am very wrapped up with this whole project. I spend all my free time at work advertising it all over the web, updating my blog and MySpace, and thinking of ways to improve the planning. I admit, however, that I am slacking about getting the internet at my house. I keep forgetting to call Comcast. Boo.

Things to do:

1. Call Comcast about internet
2. Get business cards made
3. Convince people to make a donation =)

I have also been thinking about the rules and restrictions I will need to set for myself once my 25 trips officially begin. For instance, I will be working with a budget of $10,000 and I need to decide how to split it up per trip. Of course, some trips will be more expensive than others, so I can't evenly split the money into $400 per trip. I think I will have to set budgets on a per trip basis, but I will put a cap on my max per trip - $500 max, maybe? Also, will it be fair if I stay with friends for free in certain cities? I think that might be against my intentions of this project, which is to show EVERYONE how to take a cheap and fulfilling vacation, whether they "know people" or not. The same goes for any free things I could be offered. I am planning on telling people along the way that I will be reviewing and publicizing their businesses, but I need to make sure that no special treatment is given. I think if I am offered a free drink or something, I will just ask that the business put out some of my business cards to help me advertise. (Future recognition and business perks are already in my head. Uh oh.)

I am planning a trip to Milwaukee with my friend, Brown, hopefully in October. A little weekend getaway always does a body good. I have a three day weekend at the end of September as well, but I don't think I'll be traveling anywhere. I've recently moved into a new home and want to work on getting my office/art den arranged. That will be a vacation in its own right.

Thanks for reading, and please continue to fill out those surveys so I can post a few more. Have an awesome weekend!

Museum of Contemporary Art Recommendation (Thanks, Kristin!)

I got an email from the other day from my friend, Kristin (Chicago, IL), recommending that I visit the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Peep it here:

i saw your blog about the art institute and i wanted to let you know about the museum of contemporary art..the MCA is located right by water tower place, one block away from the magnificent mile...one of the exhibits coming up is called sympathy for the devil: art and rock and roll since 1967

http://www.mcachicago.org/exhibitions/exh_detail.php?id=56

when i read your blog, i thought you might be interested in this...mca is also doing an exhibition of its permanent collection for its 40th year anniversary

now for the good stuff...on tuesdays, the mca is free all day and open until 8...sometime soon it will have 40 free days in celebration of the 40th anniversary...although im not sure when these are

hope you find this info useful..i love your idea for alternatraveler and wish you luck with your travel plans in the future...cant wait to read more!

kristin

I'm so excited to have readers contribute. This project means the world to me and building a solid foundation for it is only possible with the help of others. Thanks again, everyone.

Survey says...

I've only gotten five surveys! Come on, guys - it'll only take you a few minutes. Please??? Click here.

Daniel from Las Vegas, NV:

What is your favorite vacation destination?
"Iraq"
Why?
"Just the feeling of not knowing if you'll come back home is exciting."

Marie from Aurora, IL:

What is your favorite vacation destination?
"Tucson, AZ"
Are there any specific places or activities that you can recommend?
"Restaurants - La Indita (personal fav), Bisonwitches, The Cup Cafe @ Hotel Congress, The Grill, Oregano's

Clubs/Bars - The District (personal fav), Club Congress @Hotel Congress, Surly Wench, Monkeybox, Vaudeville Cabaret

Hotels - The Congress is THE BEST!!!"

Gerald from Las Vegas, NV:

What is your favorite vacation destination?
"It will be Albuquerque, NM in October."
Why?
"Because I'm going there for the Hot Air Baloon festival Oct 6th - 14th."
Comments:
"Maybe I will see you there."

Max from Aurora, IL:

What is your favorite vacation destination?
"Barcelona [Spain]"
Do you have a story to share about this place?
"I got drunk at a Jazz bar with my roommate. When we got home after climbing the stairs to our apartament, Raul and I looked down 4 flights of stairs through the curving stairwell to the ground floor and decided it would be a good idea to spit. We watched his spit fall to the bottom, land, and echo back to us. Then I went to spit but it just drooled down my chin and landed on the handrail."

Nicki from Oswego, IL:

What is your favorite vacation destination?
"Mexico"
Are there any specific places or activities that you can recommend?
"Rivera Mia, Cancun. Wave running tours are always fun."
Comments:
I'd like to go to England again too! That's another one of my favorite spots... amazing shopping!"

Great responses so far! I know it's not P.C., but the Iraq one really cracked me up, as did the story about Barcelona. Keep 'em coming!

I need your help in choosing destinations!

I need your help in choosing destinations for theALTERNAtraveler to visit. Please click this link to take my short survey. I can't wait to see your responses!

Cheers to mobile posting!

I can now post blogs from anywhere, thanks to the new Blackberry I just got. Sweet! I'm officially getting set up for life on the road.

Chicago, IL (9/9/07)

Chicago, IL - Day Trip

My friends Niki & Nicki (I know, it's adorable...) took me on a belated birthday day trip to Chicago on Sunday. They surprised me by taking me to the museum at the Art Institute of Chicago, as I had never, believe it or not, been to an art museum. After the museum, they took me to Millenium Park, where we ate cookie dough and drank champagne. It was a damn good day.

Date(s): 9/9/07
Airfare/Gas: Zilch (my dear friends paid for gas)
Spending: $27 ($12 admission + $15 lunch)
Lodging: N/A

TOTAL COST: $27

REVIEWS:

The Art Institute of Chicago
111 S Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60603-6404
(312) 443-3600
http://www.artic.edu/aic/

Admission: Adults - $12
Kids, Students & Seniors - $7
FREE on Thursdays from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Parking Garage: $20 all day parking

Originally, my friends and I only planned on staying at the Art Institute for an hour or two, but we enjoyed it so much that we stayed for about four hours. If you're unfamiliar with this museum, let me give you a point of reference - it's the one visited by Ferris and his friends in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Some artists whose work I particularly enjoyed viewing were Roy Lichtenstein, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Grant Wood. There was also an exhibit featuring Egyptian artwork, which I was really looking forward to but was a little disappointed with, as it was very small. On the flip side, I was unexpectedly impressed with their giant collection of Renaissance artwork. We didn't get to see all the exhibits, though, because they are building a new wing onto the museum. Next time, hopefully...

The museum is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside, and it was a bit confusing to navigate. They had plenty of security guards to point you in the right direction, but only if you knew the section number or building name, as they had no knowledge of specific artists or artwork.

We ate a light lunch at The Garden Restaurant, which is located in the courtyard, centered around a beautiful fountain. We had a wonderful waiter, Jonathan, for whom I made a sculpture, crafted from four different types of cheeses, in the form of a human head. He really appreciated it and took a photo with us.

All in all, it was a great time. I love being reminded of what a lovely and cultured city Chicago is.

DE to the POSIT

I made another deposit today... at least 10% of my total income is being devoted to this project, so it damn well better be a success!!! You can help that happen by keeping up to speed with my blogs, leaving comments, and, last but not least, donating through that handy little PayPal button to your left...

TOTAL BALANCE: $552.74

REMAINING TOWARDS GOAL: $9,447.26

Whoop whoop!

Also, I'm still working on finishing the map from my previous entry. I only have internet at work right now, which is making it impossible to finish entries and upload photos... HOPEFULLY I will have it at home in the next week or so.

Have an adventurous weekend!