Updates!

I'm not in much of a writing mood today, but I wanted to give you all some updates on what's been going on with me, my travel plans, theALTERNAtraveler's funds, and some more sh- uh, stuff.

If you're wondering why I haven't posted any reviews lately, it's because I haven't taken a trip anywhere since December. As you hopefully recall, theALTERNAtraveler's main goal is to save $10,000 to take 25 trips in one year. The reviews I've posted since theALTERNAtraveler began (in May of 2007) have been "practice runs" and have provided me with some interesting content for my site; content to keep people reading and browsing and donating to the project. I intend to resume taking some practice trips soon, but right now I have to be very frugal if I expect to put anything into the travel savings account for the future. I am looking into some side work that will hopefully **crosses fingers** up my monthly income by quite a bit. Wish me luck and remember, donations are ALWAYS welcome and just $5 will get you a free gift in the mail. Every little bit helps!

Another way you can help keep my site traffic flowing is to GUEST BLOG! If you've been somewhere awesome and feel like writing a brief synopsis of your trip or a helpful review of a cool venue or attraction you visited, please PLEASE do it. theALTERNAtraveler project is for everyone, and there's nothing I love more than posting a witty email or article written by one of my fellow anti-tourists. Link love all around, too! Get some hits on your blog from me, and I'll get some from you, all well you get the chance to show off your writin' skillz and help others to find some unique entertainment possibilities. You can submit through my MySpace mail at www.myspace.com/theALTERNAtraveler or through my regular email at theALTERNAtraveler@yahoo.com.

Mainly, I just want to assure everyone that this project has not been abandoned. As soon things improve monetarily, I will be back to posting deposit updates every two weeks. Until then, don't leave me! I'm working my butt off to give this project the time, money and interest it deserves. I can't wait until the day that I take off for my first of 25 vacations. I know it's going to be the most amazing feeling I've ever had. I know it.

In the meantime...

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Ooh! Ooh! I almost forgot - I finally uploaded all the videos from my trip to Omaha and Iowa City (December '07). See below. Reviews from Iowa City are in the works, too.

theALTERNAtraveler - Omaha & Iowa City (Part 1)


theALTERNAtraveler - Omaha & Iowa City - Part 2


theALTERNAtraveler - Omaha & Iowa City - Part 3


theALTERNAtraveler - Omaha & Iowa City - Part 4


theALTERNAtraveler Kisses the Black Angel of Iowa City

Tomb Sweeping Day

The company I'm currently working for has a factory in China with whom we converse on a daily basis. Today, we received an email letting us know that they would be closed on April 4th & 5th in honor of Tomb Sweeping Day.

"Tomb Sweeping Day?" you wonder, "What is that?"

Since I didn't know what it was either, I did a little Googling and this is what I found:

"Celebrated two weeks after the vernal equinox, Tomb Sweeping Day is one of the few traditional Chinese holidays that follows the solar calendar-- typically falling on April 4, 5, or 6. Its Chinese name "Qing Ming" literally means "Clear Brightness," hinting at its importance as a celebration of Spring. Similar to the spring festivals of other cultures, Tomb Sweeping Day celebrates the rebirth of nature, while marking the beginning of the planting season and other outdoor activities."

"With the passing of time, this celebration of life became a day to honor past ancestors. "

Very interesting. You can read more about it here. Cheers to learning new things everyday.

Find the Best Fuel Prices in Your Area

Don't let your road tripping dreams die because you're feeling the effects of rising fuel prices! Go to http://www.gasbuddy.com/, then type in your zip code. In no time at all, you'll be ready to fill 'er up while using the least amount of your hard earned greenbacks as possible.

I want to meet "Sam's Pals." Don't you?

I'm almost positive that I've previously written about my desire... no, my need... to visit the Dead Pals of Sam Sanfillippo. If not, I'm about to write about it now; if so, I'm about to write about it again.

Sam's perky taxidermy collection is another oddball attraction I discovered on RoadsideAmerica.com. (Could I be a bigger champion of any one website? Doubtful.) Apparently, Mr. Sanfillippo has a taxidermy museum in the basement of a funeral home in Madison, WI, with a bunch of little critters set up in all sorts of fun poses. From the little info I've found on this place and on Sam, I've gathered that the animals are donated to him; therefore, I find it perfectly acceptable that they be made into some lively dead art.

Anywho... for over a week I've been trying to find someone to go see this place with me next Saturday. It's only about 2 hours away from my home and it would be a perfect night away - head up to Madison, check out the animals, head just a few miles away to Ella's Animatronic Deli (another RoadsideAmerica find that I can't wait to see), go out to some bars, spend the night, and on Sunday make the short drive home, well-rested and satisfied to have left the state for a bit. Nobody has said yes to my pleas for companionship yet. It's not even that spontaneous of a trip - we'll only be gone for about 24 hours and you still have five days to prepare yourself for a night away. Come on, people. Live a little.

Wish me luck in finding someone to accompany me, and take a minute to check out the links to Sam's taxidermy collection and Ella's Deli.

Ooh! There's one more thing! I found a new blog to worship - Escape Adulthood with Kim & Jason. This awesome couple is on a mission to cure "adultitis," and I am proud to be a champion of their cause, as well. Read some of their posts and you're sure to leave the site inspired to stop acting your age. Amen, Kim and Jason. Amen!

Just wanted to give myself a pat on the back...

I forgot to mention that a couple travel sites gave me a nod recently...


Back in December, http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ posted a mini write-up I did about the Black Angel of Iowa City, along with a photo I took of the statue. I was totally flattered and I can't believe I forgot to post a link here! I love, love, love this site. You can see my write-up here.


In January, a site that's relatively new to me, http://www.travelerseyes.net/, was kind enough to post my mission statement and a link to my page. This traveler has been keeping her eye on Travelers Eyes ever since. You can see the post about me


Thanks again, guys. I really appreciate the exposure. :)

ATTN: Aspiring Nomads

I just found an amazing article on www.vagabondish.com about how to work long-term travel into your life with little or no cost out of pocket. This is something I would love to do someday... after I've taken my 25 trips in one year, I think it'd be great to get away, write those memoirs, and not have to worry about bills for a while! It's really a wonderful article with tons of helpful links for any aspiring nomads out there. I highly suggest you peep it. :)

8 Tools to Travel Long-Term & Live Rent Free

St. Patty's Day is not for me.

Once again, I missed the dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick's Day. It happened on Saturday the 15th. Whoops. Since I missed this time-honored tradition, here's a photo I ganked from one of my favorite travel blogs (http://www.debohobo.com/), so we can all just pretend that I was there to capture the magic for you...


I'm sorry, but St. Patrick's Day is just one of those holidays that makes me want to stay within five minutes of my humble abode (along with New Year's Eve). I hate going to bars and waiting 30 minutes for a drink only to have it knocked over by some drunken idiot before I even reach my table... and that's assuming that I got to the bar early enough to grab a seat between all the sweaty bodies looking for a little green beer or Jager Bomb action. I like to drink and I like hanging out at bars, but I don't like drinking and hanging out at bars on St. Patty's.

Anywho, I hope that you all enjoyed this holiday for me. If you have any photos or tips of awesome places to hang out for "party holidays" such as this one, send 'em my way.

Oh, yeah - Erin Go Bragh!

Vote for my favorite KJ - Rockin' Rick!

I just got this email from my favorite karaoke jockey in the area, Rockin' Rick. Please read it and take a second to vote for him for Suburban Nitelife Magazine's Best of the 'Burbs Contest. If you've never been to his karaoke at Ernie McCann's in North Aurora, make it a point to stop by sometime. Now go on with your votin' selves! We've only got until tomorrow to vote. Thanks, guys! (See the email with voting link below.)

YOU DID IT!!! Once again we are voted into the finals for Suburban Nitelife
Magazine's best of the Burbs!

Now, we need you even more than ever! The finals voting takes place now
through March 15th. WE NEED YOUR VOTES!!! Log on to: www.nitelife.org.

Remember, vote everyday, you may use more than one e mail account to vote several times in one day, but be sure to leave at least half an hour between voting
sessions!

You will find us under the following catagories:

Rick, with Rockin With Rick Karaoke...Best male KJ
Rockin' With Rick Karaoke...Best Karaoke company
Ernie McCann's...Best karaoke club
Mike Lowy...Best Musician
Rockin with Rick Music videos @ The Muddy Duck...Best Promotional

PLEASE GET YOUR FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND OTHERS TO CONSIDER VOTING FOR US AS WELL!
We have been to the top before, it would be so cool to do it again!

Thanks for your support, winners will be announced on March 31st!

Keep Rockin'..........Rick

Hand me my soapbox. STAT.

<--- That's not me, just to clarify. :)

Grandma Sally's Waffle House is the inspiration for this soapbox rant; or, more specifically, my inspiration was the observation I made while I was there a couple days ago, enjoying a delicious lunch...

I stopped at this awesome family restaurant for lunch to see my longtime friend Joanie, a current Grandma Sally's waitress who used to work at a diner my friends and I frequented in high school (R.I.P. Cozy Corner). After chatting with her for a while, I sat back to enjoy my soup and salad. I had brought a book with me, but I wasn't in the reading mood, so I decided to "people watch" instead. What caught my eye? The owner.

He was standing at the cash register counter, panning his eyes over the crowd that filled his restaurant. Now, I'm no mind reader, but I recognized the look on his face - it was a look of pride.

I know the look well, because it's the same look that I get on my face everytime someone links to my blog or writes me an email with a destination tip or comments on one of my posts. I've seen this look a thousand times in the past, especially while growing up - it's the same look that I would see on my dad's face each time he gained a new customer at his paper supply business. It's the same look that my mother and brother would get on their faces when a customer would call to tell them how satisfied they were with a sign that one of them had painted for a local business. It's the same look of pride that reminds me that most small business owners will do anything they can to make their customer's experience the very best it can be.

This particular man looked out over his bustling restaurant for only a minute, smiled to himself, then went right back to working that cash register. When was the last time you caught a glimpse of someone's well-deserved pride spreading across his or her face?

We all shop at big stores and buy name brand goods; sometimes, it's just easier that way (and many times it's cheaper, too). All I ask of you is that you make sure that when you're done spending a cool $300 on that new Olympus digital camera, you get your finished photos framed by that friend of a friend who owns the little shop on Main Street. He'll appreciate it, and, in turn, so will you.

I got a new jobby job!

Updates, updates, updates…

I got a new job! I started yesterday and so far it’s going well. I accepted a sales assistant position, so I will no longer have to worry about making a revenue goal each month. Why is this wonderful? Besides the awesome-ness of not having to guess what my take-home pay will be at the end of each month, due to the rise and fall of commissions, it also means that I will be able to make planned deposits to theALTERNAtraveler with every check. My budget is going to be so much easier to calculate from now on.

The only downside of taking on a new job is that my vacation time starts all over again. I will have to wait six months at my new company before I am able to take any vacation time, so for a while, weekend trips will be my only option. That’s not a bad thing, though – I love weekend trips! I am going to go somewhere between now and the end of May – probably to Wisconsin – and then I’ll take a longer trip over Memorial Day weekend – most likely to Killeen, TX, where my dear friend Nicki Brown now resides.

Good things are on the ALTERNAhorizon!

Stay tuned for another soapbox rant about supporting small businesses. My wide mouth is itching to blabber on and on about a beautiful experience I had at a local diner (Grandma Sally's in Naperville, IL) yesterday.

Cheers and a good day to all! I'm happy a pig in poo. :)

Finally - a deposit!

Well, in the midst of my financial woes, I had to retract some of the money I had put aside for my travel project. It's been a hectic month for me, and I think it will take a little time to get back on my feet... but I started today! I was able to put back $322.43 into the account. Once I get my tax refund back, I should be able to pay off a little personal debt and put even more back into theALTERNAtraveler, and hopefully buy us (me and YOU) a new digital camera for use on future trips!

TOTAL BALANCE: $904.65
** $90.43 from Donations **

REMAINING TOWARDS GOAL: $9095.35

Due to my money problems, any plane rides I had expected to be taking in the next couple months will have to be pushed off. I'm hoping to get in a cheap weekend trip once the weather warms up around here... maybe at the end of March? I'll keep you posted. My plans are constantly shifting and transforming, and I'm okay with that. Gotta keep on moving forward.

I swear that I'm still alive!

Things have been bonkers in my little world lately, hence the lack of posts and trip planning. My monetary state is still bothersome and I'm hoping it will straighten itself out soon. I've been in a position where I am not able to follow my number one financial rule - pay yourself first (or pay theALTERNAtraveler first, as it is). I will work it out. Traveling on a budget is my specialty, after all... the unfortunate part is that I currently have NO budget. This Friday, there will be a deposit, no matter how small. During these tough times, I need to remember that every dollar can count towards something fantastic, as long as I allow it to.

In other news, I went to see one of the free movies at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora and it was AWESOME! They've remodeled a lot since I was last there. The Godfather was playing, and it drew quite a crowd. Aside from the obnoxious mother yelling at her child in the seats right behind my friend and I, it was a great time (we ended up moving seats after half an hour and the rest of the showing was pleasant). It was my first time ever viewing The Godfather, and it turns out that I have quite the crush on the young Marlon Brando.

Tonight Jaws is playing, which I would love to see on the big screen, but I had a last minute doctor's appointment come up. I hope one or two of you will go enjoy it for me. It's a 7:30 p.m. Don't miss it!

Boo. :(

Due to some rather severe financial shortcomings, I was not able to deposit any money into my travel account last Friday. Hopefully my next paycheck will allow me to add more than my usual 10% next week.

In other, and happier, news, I am planning two trips for the beginning of 2008 - Texas in February and Reno/Las Vegas/California in March. I'll be visiting some of my best buds in each location and I can't wait!

As I think I mentioned before, my awesome parents got me a portable GPS for Christmas. I've been able to test it out a few times now and I LOVE IT! It is sure to become my most valuable travel accessory and I would recommend that anyone who is serious (or not so serious) about their road trips should pick one up. They are worth the money. Mine is a Garmin brand, and I am totally satisfied with its performace thus far.

Cheers to everyone, and I will be back soon... hopefully with a little extra cash!

REMINDER: Free movies at the Paramount started a couple weeks ago! Read the post here and come on by if you're in the area.

And the winner is...

Unfortunately, I didn't get many submissions to my first ever photo contest... fortunately, the ones I did get were awesome! Here they are:

Gerald (NV)

Eiffel Tower, Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

Eli & Her Mom (IL)

White House, Washington, D.C.

Lyndsie & Terry (IL)

Ed Debevic's Restaurant, Chicago, IL

Laura & Jeff (GA)

Boating

Mikey & Jess (ND)

Papago Brewing, Scottsdale, AZ

"The Head Squisher"

Jason (ID)

Disney Cruise

"Don't I look good in pink?"

Thanks, guys! I really appreciate your submissions.

And now... the moment you've all been waiting for... or not... the winner of the first official ALTERNAphoto contest is:

GERALD!!!

I can't believe he had the exact photo that I cited as an example in the contest rules. For this, and for his flowing rockin' locks, GERALD WINS!!!