Colorado......*sigh*

Oh Colorado, what an amazing state. Colorado was one of my most anticipated states to visit. I had many positive expectations, and all of them were met. I planned to stay here for a full week and that's exactly what I did. I toured Denver, Colorado Springs and Idaho Springs. Some of the highlights were El Dorado Canyon, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak and Mount Evans.



Nebraska to Colorado

Many people I encountered along the way told me that the drive through Nebraska on Highway 80 would be really dull, boring and LONG. They were right:

Iowa

I ate some really tasty pork chops in Iowa. I'm told they're known for their corn and pork. I learned that there are 99 counties in the state and that Des Moines, the city in which I stayed, is the third insurance capital of the world.

The State Capitol in Des Moines is among the most beautiful capitols in the country. One striking feature is the central towering dome, which is constructed of iron and brick and covered with 23 carat gold. They even give free tours of the Capitol Monday through Saturday.

 On my way to Omaha I saw many wind farms along the highway. I later learned that Iowa is a leading U.S. state in wind power generation with 18.8% of the state's electricity generation coming from wind last year.

The Windy City

Chicago has that big city feel to it, with all the big city amenities, without the overwhelming crowds. It is very clean, with many public parks, bike paths and walkways. The riverwalk was one of my favorites.

Yes, it can be a bit expensive to live downtown, but nothing compared to NYC. Transportation is well developed, with buses, trains, subways and airports all nearby. There are lots of free public attractions, parks and recreational areas. One that stood out for me was the outdoor concert venue Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago organizes a marathon to raise funds for charitable causes. Please help my friend Des achieve his 2012 goal by making a tax deductible donation: www.ric.org/campbell

There are lots of fun things to see and experience in Chicago and I highly recommend you visit it!

Doing it the Detroit Way

Detroit is one of the wildest cities I've visited so far. It's such a unique place with an uncommon story behind it. Granted, people outside of Detroit have different views of it, a lot of them negative. But once you go there and experience the place for yourself and meet the people who live there you learn that this city has many positive things to offer.

Despite the statistics and the negative image, I believe this city has a lot of potential and could be a place to call home. You just need to have an open mind and look at the situation from a different perspective.

Welcome to Ohio

I'm spending two nights in Cleveland, OH. It was about a 4-hour drive from State College to here. Interstate 80 has a lot of truck traffic. The speed limit was 70 on some of the stretches. The cheapest gas I've seen so far is here in Ohio: $3.50 a gallon....!!!.

On Friday night I checked out Happy Dog, a local bar with live music. The Polka Happy Hour was covered by DJ Kishka, who was really hilarious:

Second stop: The University of Pennsylvania, State College PA

On Monday April 23 2012 I drove 45 minutes to State College. I stayed there until Friday.

I visited the university campus, including the Palmer Museum of Art and the famous Berkey Creamery.

They have great bars on College St. I went to Pickle's to watch the Champion's League game:

On Wednesday I checked out Indigo Night Club. The drinks there were sooo cheap and good. Cover at Indigo was $4, coat check $1, and I got a Grey Goose and Coke for $4!

On my last night, Thursday, I went to Zeno's Bub, which had some of the best and most varied beers I've ever tried. I had their Otto’s Apricot Wheat, Tröegs Scratch # 61 – Imperial Stout, and the Lindemans Lambic Framboise, all very different, but all highly recommended.