tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66049281880966207702024-03-08T05:30:23.712-05:00The Clemson Gnome ProjectCreating a Solid Orange globe, one city at a timeGNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-42622463214481654732013-01-19T21:49:00.002-05:002013-01-19T21:49:16.718-05:00Yet again, a while<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So yet again I have yet to post in a long time. Things have been quite crazy, with the holidays, traveling and everything else that goes on. The most recent trip I went on was to Panama back in October (see picture at the Panama Canal). I also spent a long weekend out in the Colorado mountains back in August. Those pictures have been on Facebook for a while, but I finally updated my Google Map so that all of my new locations have pictures attached to them. I currently am working on planning my next "big" trip, but for now there are just a number of weekend trips to visit friends. Hopefully some free time will come my way so I can go someplace new. In the meantime, it probably means even more sporadic posting, but I guess I'll take what I can get.<br />
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As always, safe travels, and let me know if there's anywhere fun that you are going! Would love to tag along.<br />
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Safe travels,<br />
~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-63480211091290504862012-06-28T22:08:00.000-04:002012-06-28T22:08:48.784-04:00Spain pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I finally made it back from my trip to Spain with my friends Jenny, Jesse and Levi. We had a blast getting to see so much of the country! I've got pictures posted on my Facebook page, so make sure to check those out!<br />
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In the meantime, I'll mostly just be getting ready for football season. To tide me over I'll be going to Savannah and Colorado (hopefully they'll put out those fires in the next 5 weeks...), both of which I am greatly looking forward to. Although I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little pre-occupied with all these Clemson to the Big 12 rumors. For my own selfish reasons, I'm all for the Big 12 move...it means more new places for me to visit. :)<br />
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But we'll see how that all shakes out. In the meantime, hope all is well out there! Let me know if you have any plans to go somewhere fun and new and want to bring me along like my friends did in taking me to Spain!<br />
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Safe travels,<br />
~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-3897951720737556262012-05-23T21:37:00.001-04:002012-05-23T21:37:15.126-04:00Bahamas, Spain, Panama!So many new places I've been to and will be going to in the near future! I'd write in great detail, but unfortunately I don't update that often and I doubt anyone reads this anyway so I'll just get to the highlights.
Back in April I went on a cruise to The Bahamas for a friend's wedding, and it was a blast! If you ever have the chance to go on a cruise with a large group of friends, I highly highly recommend it. One of the more fun times I've had on a vacation, that's for sure! At least it beat being thrown in the trash in Germany or having my ass fall out in Chicago (and Ethiopia).
I'll also be traveling to Spain next week with my friends Jesse and Jenny. They're going over there to see our friend Shannon who is living in Spain, and they are being so kind as to take me along for the ride.
In mid October I'm off to Charleston for a wedding then immediately hopping a plane to Panama for my honeymoon. Me and the Mrs. will be taking in the Panama Canal and Panama City, which should be a blast. We really can't wait.
I always promise to update this more often, but life just gets so hectic (and I run out of places to visit) that I don't get the chance as much. But I promise I won't go away! This might even make a good add to your RSS feed...if you're reading this at all.
Anyways, as always, safe travels!
~G4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Y-tbtHoRjis/T72O0pam12I/AAAAAAAABng/WzAdiSvlXkI/s320/nassau_bahamas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Y-tbtHoRjis/T72O0pam12I/AAAAAAAABng/WzAdiSvlXkI/s320/nassau_bahamas.jpg" /></a></div>GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-58726178674724082022012-03-06T23:15:00.003-05:002012-03-06T23:18:29.188-05:00Posting?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HalfzmmFc80/T1bgN8-kLuI/AAAAAAAABm0/wK_IOB_95ZQ/s320/stockholm_sweden.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HalfzmmFc80/T1bgN8-kLuI/AAAAAAAABm0/wK_IOB_95ZQ/s320/stockholm_sweden.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I guess I should give up the idea that I'll be updating more frequently - lots of things going on right now, so updating has kind of fallen by the wayside. 2012 should remain very busy (with some fun trips, though) so I probably won't be able to put any focus onto this until 2013ish, but I'll still try to keep things as up to date as possible.<br /><br />I've recently had pictures tagged of me on Facebook in Iceland, Sweden, Virginia, Michigan and North Carolina, so check those out. Hopefully in the coming months I'll have updates now that I've relocated to North Carolina...time shall tell.<br /><br />But I'm still open to traveling with any new/old friends that would have me. If you're going anywhere fun and want company, you know the gnome to call!<br /><br />Safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-39696358432704454192011-11-04T15:35:00.001-04:002011-11-04T15:38:20.405-04:00Links of the day<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/11/do-a-barrel-roll-google-channels-apple-and-nintendo/">http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/11/do-a-barrel-roll-google-channels-apple-and-nintendo/</a><br /><a href="http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2011/11/conan-was-fantastic-last-night">http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2011/11/conan-was-fantastic-last-night</a><br /><a href="http://cdn.ksk.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/air-quote-mittens.jpg">http://cdn.ksk.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/air-quote-mittens.jpg</a><br /><a href="http://www.geekologie.com/2011/11/surfer-almost-gets-eaten-by-a-whale.php">http://www.geekologie.com/2011/11/surfer-almost-gets-eaten-by-a-whale.php</a><br /><a href="http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2011/11/what-is-a-threesome">http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2011/11/what-is-a-threesome</a><br /><a href="http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/11/03/high-school-soccer-season-cancelled-because-of-bernie-dance/">http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/11/03/high-school-soccer-season-cancelled-because-of-bernie-dance/</a> and then! <a href="http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/11/04/the-silly-weekend-at-bernies-celebration-decision-has-been-reversed/">http://thebiglead.com/index.php/2011/11/04/the-silly-weekend-at-bernies-celebration-decision-has-been-reversed/</a><br /><a href="http://www.geekologie.com/2011/11/womans-portrait-made-from-combining-500.php">http://www.geekologie.com/2011/11/womans-portrait-made-from-combining-500.php</a> doesn't hurt that she's cute<br /><a href="http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2011/11/the-best-of-the-9th-annual-corgi-celebration">http://warmingglow.uproxx.com/2011/11/the-best-of-the-9th-annual-corgi-celebration</a> I HAVE TO GO TO THIS<br /><a href="http://www.geekologie.com/2009/07/the-leidenfrost-effect-or-how.php">http://www.geekologie.com/2009/07/the-leidenfrost-effect-or-how.php</a><br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/04/opinion/lee-perry-palin/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2">http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/04/opinion/lee-perry-palin/index.html?&hpt=hp_c2</a> this might be the single worst idea I've heard during the primary season<br /><a href="http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/funny-gifs-terminaters-gonna-terminate.gif">http://chzgifs.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/funny-gifs-terminaters-gonna-terminate.gif</a><br /><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/04/us/mississippi-personhood-amendment/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2">http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/04/us/mississippi-personhood-amendment/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2</a> I can't imagine how the voters of Mississippi will vote on this one...GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-33104642882097933312011-11-04T12:57:00.002-04:002011-11-04T13:00:40.642-04:00No posts since June, wtfWow life has gotten more busy than I realized. I still owe pictures from Canada, Iceland, Sweden and a few domestic locations. It's on the to-do list.<br /><br />But in order to get me posting on here more regularly, and in direct response to Google removing the "sharing" option on Reader, this blog will now also serve as a (close to) daily link dump for those who follow me. Since apparently I normally have a treasure trove of shared items every day that now are going unshared thanks to the new Google Reader.<br /><br />So in short, more posts coming in the future and I'll make sure more of them contain stories about my adventures. Keep me posted on any trips you might be going on, as I'm always looking for some place new to see. :)<br /><br />As always, save travels.<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-10787137414367621432011-06-26T17:07:00.002-04:002011-06-26T17:10:52.504-04:00Michigan and future tripsI'm getting more sporadic with my posting - perhaps because I've explored almost everywhere there is within a short distance of home. I just need to get out more...<br /><br />...which I will be! Two weeks ago I spent a week in the Detroit area. I will be going back there again later in July. The week prior to that, I'll be spending a week in Vancouver. It is a city I have never been to, and one that has always been on my "to-do" list, so to say I am excited is an understatement. The week after my trip to Detroit I will be going to San Jose, California. Keep in mind that all of these trips will be paid for courtesy of work, and free travel is of course the best kind. Once all that travel is done, there won't be much time to spare before my big trip to Iceland/Sweden towards the end of August. So much to get prepared for in the next 8 weeks!<br /><br />I'll try to keep the updates coming as I get to travel to new places - as always, safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-31066395046079079192011-04-25T22:10:00.003-04:002011-04-25T22:14:59.234-04:00Trip to the beach<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BZl-Fn3sc0A/TbYpAfdhwqI/AAAAAAAABlU/Q2eima_0rII/s288/tybeeisland_ga.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 288px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-BZl-Fn3sc0A/TbYpAfdhwqI/AAAAAAAABlU/Q2eima_0rII/s288/tybeeisland_ga.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I'm getting really bad at updating, but I suppose the more you travel the fewer new places there are to go. I need to start expanding my horizons!<br /><br />But this past weekend I went on a short-notice trip to Savannah and Tybee Island, right here in Georgia. Having never been to either city, it really was an exciting trip. Savannah reminded me a lot of Charleston, SC - only if Charleston was smaller and not nearly as cramped in the downtown area (although Charleston does beat it out in terms of things to do and history). I even got a chance to stop by the Moon River Brewing Company. The food was great, although the beer was average.<br /><br />If you're ever in town, two "musts" are Zunzi's (a great hole-in-the-wall place for lunch that apparently is loved by everyone in town) and The Distillery, the only craft beer bar in the city. When you stop by The Distillery, make sure that you save room for dessert and order their deep-fried moon pie. It is truly exquisite.<br /><br />Tybee Island was also a blast - we got to go up to the top of the lighthouse on the north side of the island, and had an awesome calzone at Lighthouse Pizza (wonder where they got their name...). The beaches weren't all that crowded and were gorgeous - we even saw a pod of dolphins swimming just off of the shore!<br /><br />All in all, it was a very pleasant trip. Hopefully I'll have more weekend trips like that in the near future - but in the meantime, I'm busy planning my first trip to Europe. Can't wait!<br /><br />As always, safe travels - and let me know if you need any companionship for a trip you are taking!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-11784985531248931352011-03-04T18:30:00.002-05:002011-03-04T18:33:44.986-05:00ScandinaviaYet again, long time no type! But for a change, I come with big news - this coming August, I'll be making my first trip to Europe! I'll be spending a full day in Iceland, followed by a full week in Sweden. As of now the plan is to just hang out in Stockholm, although I'm sure we'll venture outside of the city at some point. I am very excited for the trip - it will be my first venture abroad in quite some time.<br /><br />In other news, I got back from Columbus, Ohio. I got to walk around campus and take in everything at Ohio State (even the sign honoring Woody Hayes...booooo), which was quite something. I could have done without the bitter cold, but you can't have everything!<br /><br />I've posted pictures from my Ohio trip on Facebook - make sure to check them out!<br /><br />As always, safe travels - and let me know if you have any expeditions you'd like any company on!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-61856561962601306672011-02-14T22:08:00.002-05:002011-02-14T22:09:47.190-05:00Quick trip to OhioI'm still waiting to get done loading my pictures from my road trip to Maine/Canada, but I just made plans today to travel to Columbus, Ohio for a day. I'll be briefly taking in THE Ohio State University, and hopefully snapping a few pictures along the way. I'll also try to be better about updating more regularly...just been so busy recently!<br /><br />Happy Valentine's Day to you all!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-76793916420665589062011-01-04T15:46:00.003-05:002011-01-04T15:48:31.106-05:00East Coast Road TripJust this past weekend, I was informed that some family was taking a road trip to Maine/Canada to get their new german shepherd. They will be heading through multiple cities along the coast, but will eventually end up in Portland, Maine for sure. Hopefully we'll get to stop and see a bunch of sights along the way!<br /><br />I'll make sure to post pictures and any fun stories upon my return. Until then, safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-69335202840657172332010-12-19T14:07:00.002-05:002010-12-19T14:09:35.606-05:00Hawaii (but not me)I got a new friend on Facebook a week or two ago, and he just posted pictures of his Clemson gnome in Honolulu, Hawaii. The objective of this blog is really to just show Clemson's presence all over the planet (although it gives me a great excuse to travel), so I added a picture from Chris' photo album to my map to show the additional coverage Clemson gnomes have had on the planet. Make sure to go take a look!<br /><br />As always, safe travels, and let me know if you need any company on future adventures!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-16055613978306508852010-11-29T10:51:00.003-05:002010-11-29T10:56:32.486-05:00It's Basketball SeasonWell, that was embarassing. After our first touchdown against SC we seemed to be flying high, but then after Dawson couldn't hold on to a snap all of a sudden it was over. Extremely disappointing - first time losing to SC back to back in 40 years. The only reason I haven't stopped my payments to IPTAY is because rumor has it Terry Don is on his way out...if that isn't the case, I doubt I'll be getting season tickets next year. I'd rather spend my money/Saturdays traveling as is.<br /><br />That aside, Thanksgiving was a blast. Saw tons of family and friends throughout the holiday weekend, and even made plans to go to New York in August of next year. I'm also working on details for a trip to Europe around the June-August time frame. Should be a fun summer - now I just need to make some plans for Winter and Spring.<br /><br />Here's hoping the basketball team can salvage some sort of moral victory this weekend in Columbia. Won't be holding my breath, though.<br /><br />As always, safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-6607262553143742722010-11-21T13:08:00.004-05:002010-11-21T13:18:48.265-05:00Trip to Oklahoma<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1224.snc4/155656_1692560079518_1403259973_31799431_477091_n.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 202px;" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1224.snc4/155656_1692560079518_1403259973_31799431_477091_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I got back from my trip to Oklahoma last weekend, and what a trip it was (but don't get me started on the long drive). Seeing a game at Oklahoma was a truly awesome experience - for any college football fan, it is a must. From what I've seen so far, they take the cake on pageantry and the overall game day experience.<br /><br />Also, if you're ever in town make sure to try the Iron Starr and get the BBQ Club. It's smoked turkey, brisket, bacon and cheese on Texas toast. It's out of this world, and a short walk from the stadium.<br /><br />The other highlight of the trip was getting to try the infamous Whataburger fast food chain. I'd hear stories of their superiority to other fast food burgers, and I will admit that outside of the West Coast it is the best fast food burger you can get. But In-N-Out still reigns supreme (that being said, I would still take a road trip to Birmingham to get to the nearest Whataburger).<br /><br />We got to drive through Arkansas and Mississippi as well, but we didn't really have time to stop and check out any of the sights along the way. I'll just have to make sure to swing back through at some point in the near future (I know Clemson will be playing Ole Miss in a few years, so perhaps then).<br /><br />But as of now, it's just traveling around for the holidays. Don't really have a ton coming up other than our big night game this Saturday and doing Thanksgiving in Charleston and Greenville. If you've got any big trips coming up and want some company, I've got nothing but free time. :)<br /><br />As always, safe travels! And Happy Holidays!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-3613728991707765812010-10-25T21:04:00.002-04:002010-10-25T21:09:21.128-04:00Yet Again, Long Time No TypeSo much has happened since I last posted. We went to Auburn and lost. Our football team was awful. Now we look half decent, although not nearly as good as we should. I went to Penn State and saw Illinois win for the first time ever in Happy Valley (meaning I must have brought Clemson's good fortunes in football up north). I've gone back and forth for many tailgates, and had great times on campus at Clemson.<br /><br />But I haven't been anywhere exotic or new lately. That will be changing in just a few weeks when I go to Norman, Oklahoma to see the former #1 team in the country take on Texas Tech. We'll be stopping in Nashville and probably Arkansas along the way, so there should be new experiences to share in the near future.<br /><br />Unfortunately, my trip to Rhode Island never came to fruition. There is still the possibility of me going there in the future, but no plans have been put in motion yet.<br /><br />I also found out that I will be spending Christmas in Blue Ridge, GA which will be another first for me - it's still Georgia, but hopefully we can have a white Christmas!<br /><br />Anyway, just wanted to touch base and let everyone know that I haven't been on the road much, and sure could use a nice trip. You going anywhere soon? :)<br /><br />As always, safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-69171459515810223942010-09-06T11:55:00.003-04:002010-09-06T12:12:28.393-04:00Costa RicaFirstly, I had a blast this weekend at the North Texas game. Our defense looked nothing short of awful so that has me worried for the Auburn game, but at least our running game doesn't appear to have too much of a falloff. Can't wait to play Presbyterian next week - let's see if they have any more trick plays like the one they ran against Wake!<br /><br />But on to the more important story, my week long adventure in Costa Rica. There's too much to share on here so I will try to keep it as short as possible.<br /><br />We landed in San Jose on the 21st and had private transportation to the Arenal Volcano - the third most active volcano. Our room had a private porch with rocking chairs so you could sit outside and enjoy the view. If there aren't clouds around the top of the volcano at night, you can even see magma come shooting out the top of it. While there we visited La Fortuna Falls (which you can go swimming in - although the water is quite cold), did a hike in the Arenal National Park, and went whitewater rafting. All along the way we saw wildlife, had great local food, and had amazing tour guides. If you ever plan on going to Costa Rica, a stop at Arenal and La Fortuna is an absolute must.<br /><br />I was then transported from Arenal to Playa Flamingo on the Pacific coast. This is one of the many hotel resorts you can stay at in Costa Rica (we choose the Pacific because it seemed to be a little bit safer than the Caribbean). The resort we stayed at was gorgeous and had all drinks included. You know I loved that! But around the pool you could constantly see iguanas and many indigenous birds, which was a nice reminder that you weren't just at some resort in Florida. While at the beach we went zipling on a canopy tour (which is worth the trip to Costa Rica by itself) and had an ATV tour along the beach, which was incredibly fun.<br /><br />We then went back to San Jose for a day to do a coffee plantation tour at the Doka Coffee Estate. It was actually quite interesting to see the process they use to pick which coffee beans meet their high quality standards. We sampled a lot of coffee, had a bunch of chocolate covered coffee beans and bought a bunch of bags of coffee to bring back for friends. We then stayed the night at a wonderful 5 star hotel (we had been slumming it in 4 star hotels until that point), and woke up the next day to fly back home.<br /><br />All in all, it was probably the best trip I've ever been on. When you factor in the total cost of the trip, I don't know if I'm going to find a better "bang for your buck" trip than Costa Rica. I highly recommend you go find out for yourself! If you're interested, I've included links below to the companies we used on our trip.<br /><br />All of my pictures are on Facebook (posted by my friend Kris), so make sure to take a look when you get a moment!<br /><br />And finally, it appears that work may bring me to Rhode Island at the end of this month or the beginning of October. I'll make sure to post more details when I have them.<br /><br />As always, safe travels!<br /><br />~G4<br /><br />Links from the trip:<br />The company who booked everything for us (I can't thank them enough!): <a href="http://www.mapcr.com/">http://www.mapcr.com/</a><br />The resort we stayed at near Volcan Arenal: <a href="http://arenalspringshotel.com/">http://arenalspringshotel.com/</a><br />The company that did all our tours/transportation around Arenal: <a href="http://www.desafiocostarica.com/">http://www.desafiocostarica.com/</a><br />The resort we stayed at on the beach: <a href="http://www.resortflamingobeach.com/index.cfm">http://www.resortflamingobeach.com/index.cfm</a><br />The hotel we stayed at in downtown San Jose: <a href="http://www.mybeaconescazu.com/">http://www.mybeaconescazu.com/</a>GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-14456934236790426762010-08-14T19:21:00.002-04:002010-08-14T19:29:38.380-04:00Long Time No TypeIt's been a while since I've updated. I've been so busy traveling that I haven't really had the chance to update the blow with pictures. Here's a quick summary of what we've missed since my last post:<br /><br />- I visited Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia for the first time over July 4th weekend. Saw many beautiful sights, visited a brewery and a vineyard, and managed to get to a friend's renewal of vows in Frostburg, MD. Also had some pints at Dante's in Frostburg - I highly recommend you drop by if you're ever in town!<br />- I then flew to California (another first) with my friend Justin. It was my first trip where someone volunteered to bring me along (since I was shipped to Ethiopia with Christen years ago). We got to see San Diego and some of the sights in Los Angeles. What a trip!<br />- Upon arriving back from California, I then joined a group of Clemson graduates on their Annual Beer Trip. We drove around North Carolina visiting many breweries, bars and restaurants. Needless to say, while many mornings we didn't feel the best we still had a heck of a time. Among the places I would recommend, I'd say that Raleigh was by far the best city of the trip. With places like Big Boss, LoneRider, and The Pit BBQ we had ourselves filled with pork and beer. The Highland Brewing tour in Asheville was also a trip (if you go, make sure to check out the Big Ass Fans that they have on the ceiling - they are unreal). And of course we stopped at Foothills in Winston-Salem, which has long been a favorite of mine. I'm just waiting for the day that they release a shirt for my favorite beer they make - People's Porter.<br /><br />Since then, I've been preparing for my trip to Costa Rica next weekend. I'm getting very anxious for this - can't wait to share all my stories with you upon my return! Hopefully it won't take me more than a month to update next time. :)<br /><br />Up until now I've posted all of my pictures both to Facebook and Google Photos. Instead of using both, I'm just going to be uploading to Facebook from here on out. So whenever you want to see pictures from my latest trips, head over to the FBook or check out my Google Map.<br /><br />Well, that should be enough of an update for now. As always, safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-51269359115069769662010-06-29T17:05:00.003-04:002010-06-29T17:14:49.027-04:00Upcoming Trips to Maryland and CaliforniaOn Friday I am heading out of town to go to Frostburg, Maryland for a family friend's renewal of vows. While en route we'll hopefully get to see some of the area, and just maybe I'll get to stop by Dante's (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17830) for a pint or two of brew. Can't wait!<br /><br />But in bigger news, one of my facebook friends has invited me to go on a trip with him! Justin and his family are apparently traveling to California for the week of July 12-18 and he will be bringing me along. We'll be going to Anaheim, San Diego, Los Angeles and Hollywood to take in all the sights and all the experiences southern California has to offer. Should be a really great time.<br /><br />This is all adding up to a very busy July, as at the end of the month I also have my beer trip to North Carolina. After a mostly uneventful beginning of the year, I can honestly say I'm ready to hit the road - it's going to be a blast. :)<br /><br />Safe travels!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-47188983027198961222010-06-19T21:15:00.004-04:002010-06-19T21:19:11.713-04:00St. Pete BeachLast weekend I took a trip to St. Pete Beach in Florida, and wow did I have a blast! Unfortunately, on Saturday we had a heat index of 110 degrees, so it was sweltering outside. But we still made the most of it - enjoyed a cabana on the beach, laid in a hammock in the afternoon and evening, and got to spend a lot of quality time with family and friends. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun place to go (we stayed at the Tradewinds, which is a <span style="font-weight:bold;">massive</span> complex - it seemed to keep going on and on and on and...).<br /><br />Only news to report is that some friends of mine may have snagged some tickets to the Auburn football game. I'm not adding it to the calendar until things are set in stone, but it looks promising! Can't wait for football season, especially now that the baseball season is almost over (also can't wait for us to kick some Sun Devil ass tomorrow in Omaha).<br /><br />Well, here are the best pictures of me from my trip - hope you enjoy them!<br /><br />~G4<br /><br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rGaWKDtTTSThpLq_b_HjFQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xhu-mNmatag/TB1qQBf4AoI/AAAAAAAABgc/LUVRCY-IMlg/s144/DSCF4662.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/clemsongnomeproject/Florida?feat=embedwebsite">Florida</a></td></tr></table>GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-65965870666476576382010-06-03T10:09:00.004-04:002010-06-03T10:12:25.992-04:00Auburn football gameUnfortunately, it looks as though it is going to be far more difficult for me to get tickets to the Auburn football game this year. Single game tickets aren't available, and since gnomes aren't made of money I may be SOL. We are still going to do our best to make it happen...but I'm not holding my breath. Darn shame.<br /><br />Next weekend, however, I will be heading to the oily beaches of Florida's gulf coast. I'm really looking forward to see in person whether Florida's advertisements of having clean beaches is really true or not.<br /><br />And before I sign off, best of luck to the Clemson golf and baseball teams! Golf is in the hunt at the national championship tournament up in Chattanooga, while the baseball team begins regional play against Southern Miss in Auburn on Friday. Should be an interesting baseball game - especially since Brett Favre told the Southern Miss baseball team that he'd return to the Vikings if they return to Omaha.<br /><br />Go Tigers!<br /><br />~G4GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-83618269071687977782010-05-23T22:08:00.002-04:002010-05-23T22:09:58.758-04:00Mother's Day in CharlestonOn Mother's Day I headed down to the battery park in Charleston for a picnic. 7 red ant bites aside, it was a wonderful time! Great food, sneaking booze, and beautiful weather - what more could anyone ask for? Just wish I'd had time to take more pictures around the park! Hopefully I can change that later this summer.<br /><br />Safe travels!<br /><br />~G4<br /><br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dd1kfRgbcrp3n3g7mG-rlg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xhu-mNmatag/S_nffaA2T1I/AAAAAAAABf8/IpfArZFsLb0/s144/DSCF4569.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/clemsongnomeproject/SouthCarolina?feat=embedwebsite">South Carolina</a></td></tr></table>GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-44372012949627726902010-05-23T21:56:00.002-04:002010-05-23T22:03:42.602-04:00Trip to AthensBack at the beginning of May, I made a trip with some friends up to Athens, GA. At first we stopped at the Terrapin Brewery, which was a blast. It's hard to beat the deal they have there - you pay $10, get to hang out and listen to music, get a free pint glass, and get enough pours for you to have a good time (I think by the end of it I had 3+ pints worth of beer). The atmosphere there is awesome, so if you have the chance to visit Athens, doing a tour at Terrapin is a must.<br /><br />From there we headed out to dinner at Cali N Tito's, a BYOB Mexican establishment. I recommend the enchiladas - exquisite. While there we also dropped off my brother to hang out there for a while. So if you stop in, see if you can spot a Clemson gnome in the establishment - he should be there somewhere. :)<br /><br />I'll post a short update about my trip to Charleston after this. In the meantime, check out the pictures from Athens!<br /><br />As always, safe travels - and if you need any company on a future trip, you know who to call!<br /><br />~G4<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Oy8EOaQUVIN4u22nNFDf5g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_xhu-mNmatag/S_nc7Ni8DII/AAAAAAAABe8/yOd6njPPGEo/s144/DSCF4516.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/clemsongnomeproject/Georgia?feat=embedwebsite">Georgia</a></td></tr></table>GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-68529865647896419382010-04-13T16:00:00.000-04:002010-04-13T16:03:28.236-04:00Mayfield DairyThis past weekend I went on a short excursion to Braselton to check out the Mayfield Dairy. Had some great ice cream, and got to hang out with the largest (and only) cow there.<br /><br />But surprisingly, that's all I really have to report for the past few weeks. I'll be going to the Clemson/GT baseball game on Saturday here in Atlanta, so perhaps I'll snap a photo or two there.<br /><br />As always, safe travels!<br /><br />~PG<br /><br /><table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/rMmWueqNx_akoqQox2xBCw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_xhu-mNmatag/S8TNV7GdBhI/AAAAAAAABd8/J6kOD3FaBjw/s144/DSCF4479.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/clemsongnomeproject/Georgia?feat=embedwebsite">Georgia</a></td></tr></table>GNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-91971310417686793342010-04-02T14:34:00.001-04:002010-04-02T14:35:44.485-04:00St. Petersburg, FLI'm in the final stages of planning my trip to Costa Rica (looks like I'm going to have a heck of a time), but I also just found that I'll be traveling to St. Petersburg, FL for a long weekend in June. It'll be my first trip to that area since losing to Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship Game, so we'll see what I can do to keep from getting misty-eyed while down there.<br /><br />I'm also flying to Charleston the weekend of the 24th...up until then I don't really have any travel plans, but hopefully I can find a weekend adventure to go on...<br /><br />As always, safe travels!<br /><br />~PGGNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6604928188096620770.post-29908313105607114862010-03-22T15:33:00.001-04:002010-03-22T15:35:09.109-04:00Costa Rica and free Thrashers tickets!Firstly, I've planned my first TRUE international adventure to Costa Rica! Still need to book everything, but it looks like I'll be leaving the last week in August. I'll be going on canopy tours, hiking volcanos, white water rafting...and that's just the first 3 days! I'll post more details as I have them.<br /><br />Also, I just won a free pair of tickets to the Thrashers/Bruins game tomorrow. It's the biggest game the team has had in probably 2 years, as this determines who owns 8th place in the playoff race. Thanks to <a href="http://bluelandchronicle.blogspot.com/">The Blueland Chronicle</a> for the tickets. I'll hopefully have pictures after the game tomorrow!<br /><br />~PGGNOMEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07881841143941678025noreply@blogger.com0