No Time to Cool My Heels, Gotta Ramble!

Just got back from traveling a couple months in Mexico that I blogged HERE and editing photos from this trip HERE and now packing to leave again for D.C. and N.Y.C. for about 3 weeks in total.

I was in D.C. to see one of my images displayed in the Smithsonian Castle last year and really enjoyed touring the galleries and driving around the Virginia countryside near my sister's place in Hamilton, VA. I just felt a bit rushed I guess.

"Lincoln" ~ Washington D.C. © 2011 Skip HuntI wanted to do a double-header trip to D.C. and N.Y.C. last year but the schedule wouldn't allow it and I didn't find a friend's place to stay at until it was too late. 

This time, the stars aligned and although I really can't afford it... I'm going anyway. Haven't been to the "Big Apple" since way before digital photography. Now that I think about it, the last time I was in N.Y.C. was 13 years ago! 

Will be staying with a friend and attempting to do this on a shoe-string, and getting my kicks from the beat of the street and the aroma of dirty-water dogs.

Flying out of Austin on August 26th for D.C. and then back from N.Y.C. on September 16th. What happens inbetween those dates is completely up to whichever way the wind blows and the will of the Great Spirit. 

Stay tuned!

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas 

Maybe it's still on?!

According to CNN's website regarding hurricaned Irene, American Airlines cancelled all flights in Washington DC from noon today to noon tomorrow. My flight is supposed to arrive Washington Dulles at 11:40AM tomorrow so I assumed it was cancelled. However, nothing about cancellation on the AA site. In fact, I just got my flight check-in email and just checked in for Austin/Dallas and Dallas/Washington.

Although the same flight today shows "cancelled" for today, it shows "on time" for tomorrow. So, maybe it's still on?! 

I've packed my carry on backpack with very minimal camping stuff & trail mix in case I get stranded somewhere and have to make due. 

Just hope for my East coast friends and family that the storm's hit is much milder than predicted.

Stay safe everyone! 

It's On Like Donkey Kong! :)

Flight to Washington not cancelled. My trip is on like Donkey Kong :)

Hamilton Park & Ride

"Morning Rays" ~ Virginia (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Heading out on a local bus for a day of wandering in Washington D.C. I wanted to make sure to be as unnoticed by my sister as possible so that I leave a "low maintenance" guest impression. I really like the area and want to return.

My sister kept asking if I wanted a ride but I just insisted it was only a 20 minute walk to the downtown bus stop from her house Hamilton, VA. Besides, it's a beautiful day and I actually like walking.

I really don't understand why more people don't walk to destinations when possible. They'll walk around a track or mall for an hour or so for exercise but not to a destination. When I was in Mexico recently, I'd ask for directions and I'd be told you have to take a bus or a taxi there. Then I'd change the question to "If I wanted the exercise, how far is it?" and they say it's about a kilometer or so, maybe 20 minutes walk. That doesn't seem like a mandatory taxi or bus ride to me! :)

Click to read more ...

Martin Luther

"Martin Luther" ~ Washington DC (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Corn Flake

"Corn Flake" ~ Washington DC (c) 2011

Memorable Moment: Sitting in a Starbucks watching a fellow come in off the street & buy a small cup of steamed milk. Then have a seat across from me and carry on a conversation with a large box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

Couldn't make out everything, but the gentleman addressed the box of cereal as Cornelius. They were having a rather heated discussion about genetic food modification and the gentleman definitely didn't appreciate Cornelius' position on the subject.

He just got very upset and drank the last of his steamed milk with angry conviction, then stormed out the door.

Cornelius begrudgingly followed behind sporting a mischievous smirk on his front cover side.

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas

Cracked Up

"Cracked Up" ~ Washington DC (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

This is a fresh audio phone blog from the base of the freshly cracked Washington monument.

Phone Blog HERE

More wandering in and around the Washington area coming soon!

Precious

"Precious" ~ Washington DC (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Union

"Union" ~ Washington DC (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

I wasn't planning on taking the train and had no intention of even going inside of the station.

There was every reason to keep moving... until some vague magnetism nearly pulled me through the doors. Once inside, the current just kept pulling me in deeper.

Was it the attraction of wanderlust powerfully embedded within the gothic columns? Or, were there vagabond ghosts beckoning from the other side?

All I know is that just sitting there in the grand station hall felt sacred.

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas

Green Light

"Green Light" ~ Leesburg, VA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Walked for hours around the quiet streets of Leesburg, Virginia. A quiet change from the national mall in DC but the lack of pedestrians felt odd. Being alone didn't bother me in the slightest. It was the sense that you weren't actually alone at all. I don't know the history of Leesburg at all, but I felt slightly bewitched there.

Almost a year ago I wandered these same streets and felt the very same presence.

As I let the breeze dictate my direction, I found myself favoring a path leading toward the outskirts. Eventually I came upon a large park of rolling hills and pine trees. There's a large garden and barn atop the largest of the hills along side an old cemetery.

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Daughter of the Stars

"Daughter of the Stars" ~ Shenandoah National Forest, VA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Bewitched

"Bewitched" ~ Hamilton, VA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

It's so strange for me to be wandering around the Virginia countryside in search for images and a sense of the place.

I'm not sure why that is but I can feel much hardship and many ghosts. The architecture gives me the sensation of being a foreigner, but I'm staying with family in the country of my birth. I didn't expect i would feel this here.

In Washington DC, the languages I hear on the street are sometimes hard to identify. The sound of Hebrew being spoken is so far the most exotic. Anywhere near the National Mall sounds like any international airport with English blending into a cacophony of global tongue.

I have noticed that just a tiny bit of courtesy goes a very long way here the norm must be for rudeness because when I simply smile, say please & thank you, and generally interact in a pleasant way... the response from locals is always very well received in kind. However, I've seen others obliterated with sharp tongue for merely stepping over the yellow line before they are called.

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas

Yew Tube

"Yew Tube" ~ Waterford, VA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

DC to NYC

Peace You :)

"Peace You" ~ NYC © 2011 Skip HuntI decided to spend one more day exploring DC before heading out to NYC. So glad I did but I did get caught up in the rain. Between rain showers and visits to galleries and such, I did manage to check out the Freemason House Temple of the Scottish Rite, or something like that. Such a fascinating tour and because their computer system was down, it was free. :) 

There was heavy-duty Egyption symbols all over the place and the number symbology as well. Not just decorative, but the sort of detail that implies a grander intent. I never got a clear answer about why the hard-core Egyption symbology, and not even from a couple people I know who are in the Masons. The mystique intrigued me and their acceptance of ALL religions with the common belief of a supreme being resonated. I didn't join up or anything, but am intrigued enough to look a bit more into their history.

To save money, I took a "BoltBus" from DC to NYC and stayed in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn with an old friend. It's a small place so I was sleeping on the floor, but he had a nice sleeping matte and carpet so it was just dandy for a bit more than a week. I also had a great visit to Long Beach and spend the night on a friend's AWESOME sofa for a bit of beach culture only an hour from the city. It was a great break from the concrete and the company of my friend and her crew was so much fun. Will definitely be going back!

I spent most of the time just exploring around the city on a budget, mostly like I do in any foreign city when I'm traveling. That was really my main intent, and it went off without a hitch. I crammed about a 3 weeks worth of exploring into about 8 or 9 days. My feet were trashed, but all of my hopes were met and then some. 

I'm so lucky to have the kinds of friends who'll put me up for awhile so that I can continue to explore on a shoestring and search for new images to make!

There will be more photos added to this blog and then I'll wrap it up with some final thoughts, but I'm already home now... dreaming of my next adventure. :)

More coming so stay tuned!

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas 

Little Lambs Eat Ivy

"Little Lambs Eat Ivy" ~ Waterford, VA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Ant Farm

"Ant Farm" ~ A view from the Manhattan bridge, NYC (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Grass Roots Effort

"Grass Roots Effort" ~ Waterford, VA (c) 2011 Skip Hunt

Gallery of DC + NYC

I mostly shot and edited iPhone images to put into the blog from the road, but I also shoot a regular camera in higher resolution for more creative control. Here's a few that I've edited from this trip and more HERE