Let's Do A Travel!

FLICKR

2007-06-21T20:53:30Z

Oh, PS, my flickr photostream is getting updated a little bit more quickly than this blog: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elyw77/ Love, Geo.

Born to Wander (Portland, Or. Part II)

2007-06-21T19:17:26Z

I'm actually having a hard time staying on top of all of this. It's not for the shortage of wifi, because it is pretty much everywhere in the pacific northwest. i mean everywhere*. it's not for lack of technology, but for time. it seems like we are constantly on the go go go - seeing things, going places, eating pizzas. i think this is possibly the busiest vacation i have ever had. everyone is restless and everyone has someplace to go. which is good i guess, but caused us to leave Portland pretty prematurely. Seattle is great and all, but i think i could have spent another day kickin' around PDX. i feel like there is so much i missed. "When a person is very dangerous, they are known as Frank Scotto" However, there are a few things i gathered in my brief time in Portland. For one, it's a pretty amazing place for finding things. Portland is an overall very clean city, most of the trash has been slept away leaving only little treasures and scraps of interest. it seemed like i was finding neat stuff all day everyday (and promptly losing them because i am very disorganized). My favorite so far was a tryyyyyyyped out love letter from di to jim that i found on N. Mississippi by the porn house. i lost the letter, but the best line is seared into my heart and mind:

if i had synesthesia your name would be lavender and you would taste of cashew butter.

That is some deeper next level hippie romance. i love particularly how unappealing either of those things are. lavender is nice, but cashew butter? Portland is also a good place for zinesters, apparently. Peter picked up the Zinester's Guide to Portland at Powell's, and it was basically how he, Matt and I got around for the rest of our time in town. I also got a bunch a of zines. here is a brief list: Dishwasher #16 (by Diswasher Pete!) 2 "you" letters" Modern Cartoonist by Daniel Clowes the Dvorak zine!! (i had long thought about making the switch, now i might) Noise Art - (by this guy Dustin i knew in Michigan) Peter and i split the cost on the new Yeti, it will be at NEST soon. Portland is also a great place for brunch. and croissants in general. also zoobombers. and donuts: and t-shirts and software: and doobies: ohhh, i have to go again. i want to quick say thank you to everyone that was so nice to us in Portland: Mike, Josh, Willow, Jordan, Tony, Alysha, Julie, Johanna and Caleb. Portland was nice, but i think it would have truly sucked if these people wouldn't have been so great about opening their homes showing us around town. thank you so much! also, gypsy jazz. love, geo. next: Camping in Tacoma, Seattle * i am really inspired by the personal telco project

Portland, Or.

2007-06-19T19:33:31Z

the landing clapton is god. We are knee-deep in Portland, folks. Have been for a couple days now. As expected it's a really nice town with lot's of really great, hospitable, wonderful people. Some with magnificent fancy spoon collections: We have been breaking off into little groups, and right now Peter and I are catching up on things in the Stumptown Coffee Roasters at 3rd and Pine right now. We just got a call from the rest of the guys, who are kickin' it at a friend's house in Beaverton. They want start heading north pretty much right now. I kind of don't want to leave, but I guess it's appropriate that a coffee shop would be one of the last places i see in this town. So far I have been to the following coffee shops: Fresh Pot on Mississippi Half & Half A place by Mike's house that had really great croisants. Ken's? Stumptown Coffee Roasters The coffee here is amazing. Particularly this courier stuff. Show report: dudes played at this rad place called the Artistery with Calvin Johnson and Julie Doiron. It was family style, in a round robin, where each of our three bands played two songs each while julie doiron and Calvin played amazing full sets each. It was so weird and awesome. the Aristery has a great church basement vibe and they had free falafel and hummous snacks. Pete and I have to quick run to the Independant Publishing Center to talk to a guy. I will finish this up later. I don't want to leave already! love, geo

I'm leaving now.

2007-06-17T00:37:15Z

With the help of others I've become an expert packer, i think. Still not much of a traveler, but an expert packer. For the last week or so I've been seeking all sorts of packing advice from all sorts of friends who have experienced the touring advice about exactly what to bring and how much of it? the universal answer? not much. "you're on tour-you're expected to smell!" I'm going to the west coast tomorrow for almost the first time. the first time as an "adult," at least. In a few minutes my friends Micah and Andrea from Breathe Owl Breathe will show up on my doorstep ready to go. They played a great outdoor set this afternoon at Riverside Park for the second annual Water Festival, celebrating Michigan's most precious resource. They just called to tell me they were packing up their stuff right now and are about to head over. soon after they arrive my mother will too. She is giving us a ride down to Chicago so we can catch a 6am flight to Portland, Or. Even as an adult, i still need my mom to pick me up and drop me off. it's kind of nice, actually. There will be six of us in a van traveling up and down America's west coast and it has been mad very clear that the less stuff I bring the more comfortable i will be, so i took care to travel light. one suitcase: but, in that suitcase? another suitcase! (between souvenirs, records, and books i suspect i will be bringing a lot of stuff back with me) and in that suitcase? all my shit! 1 fleece sleeping bag 1 pair of pants, green 1 collared shirt 1 cardigan, blue 1 pair of tiny shorts 1 half towel 4 t-shirts 8 pairs of undies 3 pairs of socks, black 2 pairs of ankle socks, white my liquids: This is my first time flying with the new laws that pertain to liquids on a plane. it's crazy. Nineteen days... I am a little worried I over-packed. they are going to be here any second, so i had better wrap this up. I am going to try to document and post as much of this trip as I have the energy for. That, hopefully, will include some of the music! The Sunday before last Peter played a show in Chicago at InCUBATE. You can listen to it by clicking your little cartoon hand right here. Oh, I have to go, but look forward to more songs and stories from the road, some video of Breathe Owl Breathe at Water Festival, and a brief description of one of the loveliest travel care packages I have ever received. I miss you already! love, geo.

oh boy, it's the final "on the road" update to the Utah Saga

2007-04-20T00:29:51Z

Sorry for the delay of this post. I don't have much time to write to wrap things up right now, plus I don't have the Super8 movie developed yet. but in a few weeks, hopefully that will be up as well. so without further adieu, here's the final update from the car on the way back: -Bradley Robertson

Utah Roadtrip - Day 2,3,4,5 Updates!

2007-03-21T02:14:59Z

Hello, We've been hanging out in Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon for the last 2 and a half days. But before we get into all the hiking etc, here's a video that Grace and Devin made after our Grand Canyon dilemma video. Anyways, we've been through quite a lot. Zion National Park was amazing for all of us, Devin was especially taken with it and he says it's his favorite. We did an update after our long drive from Salt Lake City to Zion in our tent: We started off the day with a hike called Angel's Landing. Which was a strenuous and amazing hike. Very rewarding. Then we whipped through Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, and finished with a short trek into the Narrows. here's a picture of angel's landing. you are seeing the final 0.5 miles called "the saddle" which is that thin section you see beginning in the bottom right and moving to the top left where it ends in a small summit where we ate our lunch. We went up and down in about 2.5 hours! yeah! We woke up early the next morning and headed out to Bryce Canyon. We passed through a 1 mile tunnel on the way out which was completed in 1930! crazy... We got to Bryce at about 10:30, picked our campsite and were out hiking by 11:20 am. We started out with Queens's Garden and Navajo Loop, and being very adventurous and at the time, filled with much energy, decided we would do the Peek-a-Boo Loop which turned out to be RIDICULOUS. We ran out of water, we lost one of our stuff animal polar bear mascots, Spike, for about a half hour which caused us much stress. We ended up hiking for 5 hours straight, killing ourselves but knocking out Bryce Canyon in one day. it was intense. We went back to our campsite, setup our tent (because we were told it was going to rain tonight/possibly snow) and then went into town in search for a shower and food. We got the hookup from the giftshop lady and got to use their code entry showers which was really nice of her. We then ate a HUMONGOUS meal at the lodge here, courtesy of my parents...hehe, and have been siting in the lobby enjoying the free internet... and now, the update from the lodge. tomorrow we head towards Canyonlands and Arches National Park. -Bradley Robertson (Smith)

Day 2 of Utah Backpacking Craziness

2007-03-18T02:00:04Z
Kaitlyn Bohlin, Devin Byker, Grace Miguel, and Bradley Robertson left Grand Rapids. At approximately 5:15 pm, Friday afternoon, we set out in Bradley Robertson's volkswagon passat for Salt Lake City, Utah. Passing through Illinois was quite boring for all of us I'd say, pretty routine. Iowa was interesting, especially because I woke up when we were almost to Nebraska and it was snowing, which we really didn't expect. Nebraska, contrary to popular concensus, got me excited. I really got into all the little farms, rolling hills, and nothingness. Then, an hour or so into Wyoming we spotted mountains! whooo! We arrived in Salt Lake at approximately 6 pm, about 26 and a half hours after we left. We drove in shifts, usually about 6 hours each, and slept (cramped) around a cooler, knitting supplies, camera bags, banana peels, and cheese puffs; all with backpacks at our feet. To document the trip, I've brought along my LOMO LC-A, a polaroid camera, and most exciting( ly? ) a Minolta K7 Super 8 camera (including two 3.5 minute color transparency film cartriges. That's film, movie film, in case i was too technical...no sound. so, eventually, i'll post it up here. Here's our video blog for the day, dictated by Devin Byker (Most likely the only one you'll get to see till the end of the trip as we won't have internet). We originally planned on going to the Grand Canyon but upon our arrival in SLC, as you found out in the video, we have decided to stick to the just the national parks in Utah (Zion, Bryce, Canyonlands, and the Arches), and yes, i just might be going insane out here in the 70 degree weather. -Bradley Robertson (Smith)

an andygoldsworthyish travel

2007-01-17T00:44:19Z
annika and anna traveled to rosy mound in grand haven over christmas break. we were excited about this thing. the beach made its own sculpture... and then we made things on the beach for a while. it was cold out. but worth it. some things didnt turn out. this is where we were. and driving back to the knibbe cottage we saw this sign. so if you are ever in need of antiques, guns, or funny old things. this is the place for you.

nurses and tower

2007-01-14T02:19:42Z
i set out on a travel and placed the clay tower at the fulton heights plant! site all four hundred pounds are now ready to be brought back to the earth with the help of the elements and time. close up on the action nurses senior (Ed) in the photo for scale with the form still on the tower.

christmas time travels

2006-12-27T13:35:30Z
the weekend before christmas, i went on a travel to the east side of the state to macon township, to visit my grandma and aunt for the holiday. macon township is in lenawee county and is actually pretty large--about 32 square miles--but only consists of about 1500-2000 people. the neighborhood: my grandma lives at a crossroads, across the street from macon methodist church and mere yards away from macon grocery, macon township school, and about a mile away from boystown (now girlstown as well)--an organization that houses and educates "at risk" adolescents. my brother and i went on a rather long and quite cold walk on christmas eve day to see the sites and reminisce. macon road macon methodist, across the street from gram's macon grocery macon township school playground affected by the lack of snow and my annual reading of richard adams' watership down, i constructed a small set of rabbit sculptures after the fashion of garden labels and put them by the woods next to my grandma's house. my brother thought they might get awfully cold if we left them there, so we took them inside and decided that they would make another appearance in the spring--with more of their kin and perhaps a garden raid. i hope everyone had a lovely break--happy new year! tater next entry: diggy swimmy goes on a travel to washington D.C.

In my absence...

2006-12-18T17:00:27Z
Stephen Kim Sculpture Class December 18, 2006 So I wasn't on the trip to Kalamazoo because of a help session for my calculus exam that was about to go down at 6:30pm on that dreaded Monday. The help session did not help me from failing my exam unfortunately. So here is my travel going back home for the holidays to Toronto Canada. A nice place, a buzzing city, great place for the wandering artist, and extremely multi-cultural, (5 consecutive years as the most multi-cultural city in the world stated by the UN). You can already tell I'm completely trying to sell out my city but it's a cool place to visit. So here are my pictures. One mode of Transportation, speed: max. 5mi/hr a bike right outside my apartment, Max. speed: 0mi/semester The car and license plate of my parent's chevrolet... Just about to take the 6hr long drive back home with the addition of arguing and fighting amongst child and parent and spouse This was a bathroom stop, ironic that my dad, mom and I were the ones traveling, and no we did not use the family bathroom together. nice sky, burning right above the Canadian Immigration station... world's not largest truck stop thank you corporations for Tim Hortons, nothing beats their coffee: large double double a christmas tree in the middle of Eaton's Centre shopping mall, it was covered in swarovski crystals. looking out from the entrance of Old City Hall Can't get enough of city lights, I live on this stuff Skating rink in front of New City Hall, as soon as I took the picture some guy fell right on his ass in front of me, couldn't stop laughing lights on a tree, the city is getting ready for the festival calvaclade of lights: every neighbourhood in Toronto decorates the streets according to their ethnic background: greektown had olive leaves, little italy had its country shape, chinatown had dragons etc. This is the PATH, underground system of shops and restaurants all beneath the downtown core area, sort of like our Calvin tunnel system, for when it gets ricidulously cold outside ahhh, lovely public transportation...gotta love the subway The back alley to my house, great neighborhood, spooky too The graffiti on the external boiler at the back of my house Looks like my parents are running but actually they're only walking, they are quite old Kew beach, nice Sunday afternoon stroll smoke stakes and a recylcing plant right next to the beach one of my favorite past times, skipping rocks just a nice picture, purely visual What I learned from this trip? I'm a terrible pohotgrapher and taking pictures is not my thing. Thanks for reading and looking. See some of you in intermediate sculpture next semester!

nurses and smith's satellite derive

2006-12-12T15:40:29Z
Smith and I left the group to wander kalamazoo. First stop is the library. next stop is the town center where we find alkaline cells and a camera at the five and dime. we stop for a pose at the movie advertisement. The market sells fine foods and portraits on the same shelf. in order to do a successful travel we went to adventure travel where the possibilities for sweet destinations never end. we were advised to travel to the local hot spots like the museum and some galleries. We decided to check for some local colleges in search of sister art departments. nurses con una chica y un guitara nurses follows a path of evergreen on the ground in the decorated park.

Sculptures goes to K'zoo

2006-12-12T01:52:19Z
On our way, with Splinters at the wheel of a 15 passenger van. We're hoping to find the vegan fast-food joint in Kalamazoo. We arrive and Noodles and Splinters head for the Radisson on Michigan to check out the fancy restrooms. If you ever have to go to the bathroom in Kalamazoo, this is the place. We found this wellness center and figured they might know where the fast food would be. In fact the woman working there did know, but declined offering directions because there were too many turns. Instead, she told Noodles that it was 2 miles in some diagonal direction. So off we went, soon learning that vegan fast food no longer exists in Kalamazoo- no more Ope's. So we headed for the local co-op to get some lunch before heading back. JACKPOT! Headphones was ready to head home... BEEZY-Check it out! It was tough to leave Michigan's city of love and understanding, but we had work to be done here in Grand Rapids. Look for more from the other travelers soon, for indeed this was a stellar travel.

Kelpie Flies Alone

2006-12-09T18:01:37Z
here is the rough timeline of my trip to north carolina. (I have carry-on traveling down to a science. I can go for two weeks on what i can fit in my banjo case and backpack.) Thursday, November 30: 12:30pm: hop a plane to Atlanta from Kalamazoo, sit next to large man who sits spread eagle the whole time and keeps sniffing and coughing. 4:30: in atlanta, realize that my plane is delayed for an hour. Begin talking to complete strangers to aleviate boredom and hunger. 6:30: arrive in Asheville NC. Picked up by boyfriend Nicky, go to the Lobster Trap to meet friends. 8:00: sushi 9:00: Beer and Jack of the Wood bluegrass jam Friday, December 1: 1:30am: go home and watch Family Guy. sleep. 9:00am: Wake up and shower, go to mall to buy christmas presents for myself (on mom's list of things to do) Nicky buys two pairs of womens jeans for himself with my coupon. I buy ugly sweater and more jeans from Old Navy. how embarassing. 1:00pm: Visit UNC Asheville campus. Get alot of little books of information. How productive. 2:00: Go to Graham's house to meet the rest of the Steep Canyon Rangers, Nicky's band. Take a shot of whiskey and hit the road as soon as Charles shows up. (Charles catches some zzs in the van while the rest play poker.) 7:00: arrive in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, at the Cat's Cradle. The Rangers soundcheck and i photograph them individually for a photography project. (Each ranger, their signature and the number of years they have been playing their instrument. Note that although Nicky is the youngest, he has been playing twice as long as everyone else.) (Woody thinks he's pretty hot) (Nicky is pretty hot) 10:00: Our friends the Big Fat Gap open, then the Rangers perform, I dance around and shout things. Saturday, December 2: 12:30 am: everyone goes the Milltown, the bar. 1:30: Everyone goes to Mile's Andrews'' house to pick. 3:00: We stop for biscuits and mashed potatoes and then go to friends' Charlie and Katie's house to sleep. 9:30am: Nicky and i wake up. Play with Katie's dog, go to Harris Teeter to get sushi and freshsqueezed orange juice, come home and watch the Carolina/Kentucky game. I think carolina won. 2:00pm: get back in the van, meet Charles at the Outback Steakhouse, and hit the road again. Woody calls the Pourhouse to tell them we will be late. 8:00: arrive in Charleston, South Carolina at the Pourhouse. Rangers soundcheck, i set up the merch table and we all eat. rice and beans and fried plantains. 10:00: My good friend Lauren Bevins arrives and we sell merch, dance, and Lauren smokes while i try not to smoke. Its Graham's birthday, so every single woman in the audience buys a shot for him. Sunday, December 3: 1:30: the rangers finish playing, we sell more cds, and get in the van again to go back to asheville. Some of us, having consumed much of the alcohol which was sent onstage to Graham, begin to sing accapella gospel tunes. We attempt to watch dazed and confused, but I fall asleep, Woody is disinterested, and Charles and Graham are too loud in the back. 7:00am: Return home. Go to bed. 1:00pm: get up, go to see my new apartment. 3:00: go to Greenlife Grocery to see if i can get my old job back. Also pick up vegan curry for lunch. mm. 4:20: Nicky drops me off at the asheville airport where i find that i have to check my banjo. I pitch a fit, crying etc, hoping their desire to get the plane off the ground in time will prompt them to give my banjo back, but to no avail. I talk to the baggage men on the tarmac, but they say, "If i do that i'll get in big trouble." i say, "If you break my banjo you'll be in even bigger trouble." no help. 6:50: arrive in Cincinnatti. I ask the new baggage guy if i can please have my banjo back, since i saw them throw it and load it upside down from the plane window. He says i may not have it back. 9:20: leave for kalamazoo. 10:40: arrive in kalamazoo. get banjo back, out of tune and very cold. I am upset. 11:30: Nicky calls to say that at Graham's birthday party, he and Graham were wrestling and they both fell down and hit their heads on the marble floor of the restaurant. I am amused, but unsympathetic. Monday, December 4: 12:05am: get home to GR. shower and go to sleep. -Kelpie.

nurses keeps cool

2006-12-07T17:12:59Z
On my first travel I found this mini fridge keeping some soda extra cold. Someone left this behind for the vagabonds and travelers who are always eager for an ice cold beverage. Nurses in the photo for scale. I am decked out for the 12 degree air. Check out this mad technology during the coffee shop triangulation.