pictures
2006
European Tour ’06
June-July 2006. An Astrophysics Summer School on Sicily and a VERITAS meeting in England just begged me to take another couple weeks off and explore more of Europe than I got to over Christmas. Initially spent a couple days in Paris. Had some time to explore London after the meetings. Then down to Italy through Venice, Florence, Rome, and the beautiful seaside Cinque Terre (where I watched Italy win the World Cup). Met up with Karl and headed back into France, with stops in Monaco and Nice, before returning to Paris for Bastille Day (fireworks by the Eiffel Tower) and showing Jon how fun Europe can be.
Snow in AZ!?
March 2006. Working in Arizona yet again. And it snowed. In the desert. It was crazy.
2005
Germany: Weihnachten, Silvester, and more
December 2005. So, my first trip to Europe. Christmas and New Years in Germany, with a side trip to Switzerland. Truly, the most fun I've had in a LONG time. Everything was so different, so beautiful, so old. Visited Karl in Heidelberg, Anna & her mom in Berlin, and saw Neuschwanstein, the famous "Cinderella Castle", in Bavaria. I'm totally going back to visit again.
Snowy Switzerland
December 2005. As much as I hate the cold and snow, Switzerland in December was SO worth it. Four amazing days of riding on trains, going up into the mountains, walking on a glacier at almost 12,000 feet. Spent some time in Lucerne, Interlaken, St. Moritz, and Zurich. And what could be more fun than getting some bread, some cheese, some chocolate, and a bottle of wine, and spending the entire day on a train through the heart of the Alps. The pictures don't even begin to do it justice.
Arizona Birthday
December 2005. OK, working on the telescope isn't as good a birthday as laying on the beach in Hawaii, but i still managed to have fun. Vicky made brownies to ring in the day at midnight. The pix are mostly dark and blurry, but a couple turned out really nice.
VERITAS in Montreal
July 2005. Another trip for school, the VERITAS Collaboration meeting. And wow, what an amazing city. Very different than that US, much more like Europe. Of course, there was time to take in some of the city's beauty, both old and new.
Arizona: Science and Beauty
May 2005. Yet again, I travel to Arizona to work on the telescope. But side trips certainly broke up some of the monotony of observing all night. Both sites are truly breathtaking in their own right. The contrast of the technological and architectural beauty of Biosphere 2 with the natural beauty of Sedona is simply amazing.
SoCal Spring Break
March 2005. Never been to LA before, so thought it would be a nice, sunny, warm place to flee to while St. Louis is still flirting with winter. Sadly, there was more clouds and fog than sun, but it was still a blast. Did a LOT so came out of it all very tired. Santa Monica, Malibu, Hollywood, Mulholland Drive, Beverly Hills, WeHo, Disneyland, Venice Beach, the OC (Newport, Laguna), San Diego, Coronado... And plus, we got a free upgrade to a convertible! Mairin took some pics as well.
Arizona Again
January 2005. Not as camera-happy as the last time I went out there. Worked a lot, and the VERITAS collaboration meeting. But went to the Pima Air and Space Museum before I left.
2004
Hawaiian Birthday
December 2004. So what if I just went a couple years ago? It was my birthday, time to splurge on an awesome vacation back to the middle of the Pacific. Totally surreal seeing all the Christmas decorations up, and watching the Hula dancers do Hawaiian versions of Christmas songs. I'd say 80 degress on the beach is perfect for this time of year! And again, the scenery is to die for. Check out the Travel Guide I've put together from my visits also.
Out in Arizona
October 2004. My first time going out to Arizona to observe and work on the new VERITAS telescope. Mirror-mount mounting can be so tedious. But there's enough stuff in the area to go see to make the trip plenty worthwhile. Ahh, the scenery, the sunsets... so beautiful!
Luke-Tim in STL
October 2004. Downtown St. Louis, the Arch, and Old City Hall. I'd never been before and have lived here almost 3 years! Went around with a boy I met in New Orleans who came up to visit. He still won't give anyone a clear answer on what to call him.
AAS-HEAD New Orleans
September 2004. This oddly named meeting took place right after Southern Decadence, so why not go down and attend both? With a hotel a block off Bourbon Street, insanity was bound to occur. This beautiful city proved a good time for all.
Back in ACK
August 2004. For vacation this summer I again returned to the island of Nantucket, and those sandwiches I missed so much. Such a beautiful little island, though sometimes a pain to get to.
Denver AAS Meeting
June 2004. Physics conference. But there was plenty of time to explore the beautiful downtown and take in the sights.
Craig’s Wedding
May 2004. Who knew a trip to Allentown, PA and an alcohol-free reception would turn out to be so much fun.