Travelin'

I have compiled quite the travel itinerary for 2008. Already this year I have made two trips to Boston, a road trip to DC, and a visit to the hometown of Salt Lake City - and I am only getting started...

May 7-11 I will be making a reconnaissance trip to St. Louis. Hopefully within these few short days I can find a place to live and get all the paper work signed (and maybe leave time to catch a Cards game at Busch Stadium).

May 17-23 is not travel time, but I will essentially be a tourist in New York. Mom, Jill, and Brooke will be visiting for the week. With school officially done (graduation on 21 May) I will have plenty of time to see the sights with the fam. To add to the fun, Trent and Amy will be joining the crew on 22 May. They will be around until moving day - Tuesday 27 May.

Trent and I decided to make an event of my move to St. Louis. We have scheduled a four-day roundabout road trip to the gateway to the west. The first day will include a short drive down the east coast to Philadelphia where we will enjoy original Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. Also on the slate is a visit to Citizens Bank Park where the Phillies will host the Colorado Rockies. Maybe we will make time for a run around the city of Philadelphia which will culminate in a momentous scaling of the stairs in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (a.k.a. The Rocky Stairs).

Wednesday we will be the longest travel day. We will drive across the entire state of Pennsylvania (a beautiful drive) and most of Ohio to the city of Cincinnati. Wednesday evening we have tickets to see the Reds play the Pittsburgh Pirates at The Great American Ballpark.

Thursday will include a relatively short drive to The Windy City - Chicago, Illinois - for the crowning event of our trip. We will be visiting one of the great sporting venues in the country - an opportunity any true sports fan must experience. Wrigley Field, the ivy wall, the Chicago Cubs... are you excited yet? I am! I am sure we will make some time to enjoy Giordano's famous stuffed Chicago pizza as well.

Friday we will drive the final leg to St. Louis where I hope to get as settled as possible before an early morning Saturday flight to Salt Lake.

I will have two long weeks in Utah. Already planned is a weekend hunting trip to Wyoming with Dad and Trent as well as the Bear Lake Half Marathon. Other than that, I look forward to plenty of chill time with the fam.

Another road trip to St. Louis follows my time in Utah - this time headed east. This trip will include a stop in Denver for a game at Coors field, before continuing on to my new home.

I will not be in St. Louis for long before my first work-related trip. I already have a conference scheduled in DC for the second week of July. I am currently toying with the idea of heading to DC a bit early to allow me to be in the nation's capitol on her birthday.

August is the next vacation. This trip will usher in the 2008 college football season. Jill is flying to St. Louis to join me on a road trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan where we will see the Utes take on Big Blue in the Big House. Of course, since I will be in Detroit I must make time to see a Tigers game in Comerica Park. After the sporting events, we are tacking on a jaunt to Chicago where Mom will meet us for some fun.

How about that for touring the country? Major cities in 2008: Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and St. Louis (I think I also have a conference in Vegas as well). New ballparks in 2008: Busch Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, Comerica Park, Coors Field, Great American Ballpark, Nationals Park - not to mention the repeats of Yankee, Shea, and Wrigley.

I always enjoy company in my travels... If you are interested in joining me at any time, let me know.