The Uber Tourist

Some people take leisurely vacations. They arrive at their desired destination and then wing it. I am not that person. Though I often enjoy having a day without a planned itinerary to explore a new city, that is usually the second or third day on any trip. The first day is spent following a must-see list that I have devised ahead of time. This is because I don't want to miss anything that might be of note in a place that I will likely never visit again. Call me crazy, but that's how I operate. An example I like to point out is the 15 hours I once spent in London when I worked at NOVA and was sent to deliver a suitcase of tapes. While there, I was able to explore the British Museum, enjoy a pint of cider and an order of fish and chips, take a 2-hour double decker bus tour around the city, drink a glass of wine in my hotel room while watching weird British TV, and oh yeah, deliver the tapes. I don't mess around, kids. My friend Lisa in Boston is the same way. We are a dynamic duo of vacationers, and it has been a staple of our friendship, taking us to Niagara Falls, Dallas, and Seattle in the last 2 years. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is an Uber Tourist like myself. Case and point, a day trip I made with half of my team and our Support Team Leader, Elana, this past weekend. I thought for sure everyone else would enjoy my detailed itinerary, but I think it actually stressed people out. While I was busy trying to get us to the State Capitol tour, Iowa Historical Museum, International Llama Show, Living History Farm (kind of like Colonial Williumsburg) and Gray's Park, I didn't notice that some of my team was just plum exhausted. So note to self, maybe cut down on the activities next time I go somewhere with the group, or at least leave more wiggle room for wandering. Here are some pics of the weekend:

Iowa State Capitol, Des Moines:


Westward, a mural by Edwin H. Blashfield in the capitol building:

A llama we met named Tippecanoe and his owner Chris, who coincidentally lives in Marquette, Michigan! Looks like we'll be visiting her llama farm when we arrive in the Upper Peninsula next month.


Drinking Sasparillas at the Living History Farms. Turns out this delicious drink (which tastes like a creamy root beer) was brewed at the Amana Colonies, another Iowa tourist site Gaby and I visited a few weeks ago.

Weird sculpture that I took a picture of to send to my friend Ron, an artist in San Francisco:
Asian Heritage Park we happened to drive by on the way out to dinner. Perhaps this subconsciously factored into our choice to have Asian food.