Cruising in a 1975 Corvette Stingray Convertible from Conall Dempsey on Vimeo.

Come along and join me on my Summer 2011 Roadtrip through Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Penninsula, Minnesota, Iowa and just into Canada.

Go on and browse my curated photo collection from the 2 week, 2,500 mile journey: Corvette Tour of the Midwest!

If you’re in Austin, it’s definitely worth stopping by the bridge to watch.   And for the vast majority of you who are NOT in Austin, this video may be the best I can do for you right now.

It is usually unwise to cross the path of a train at the same time as a train is crossing. In certain cases, however, such an action is not too terribly unsafe.

Ponder this lengthy arrangements of fuzzy caterpillars crossing a hilltop path. Lined up head to tail, each caterpillar is a car hitched on to a long train. Each car is part cargo and part engine. This train displays remarkable capabilities to split, re-connect, divide into multiple paths and rejoin into one.

Bonus points go to anyone who can count the total number of caterpillars on this train.

This post may be best if accompanied by the Quad City Dj’s – C’Mon ‘N Ride It (The Train)

While wandering these paths, I realize that I could do with a nice wine pouch or sling, so that I did not need to keep putting the bottle in and out of my backpack.  Finding a nice strong length of string (about three feet long), I worked out a way to create a simple wine sling to serve me for the day. The following five steps are a quick “How To.”

(1)Have a bottle of wine / be on a mountain path

(2) Take a length of string, approximately three feet long.  Near the middle of the string, tie two slip knots into the string about 3 centimeters apart from each other.  Ensure that you tie the knots so that each one can be tightened by pulling on the string end leading away from it — this is important because it means that tension in the string makes it grip the bottle more tightly.

(3) Tie a square knot to link the two free ends of the string together.

(4) Loop each slip knot over the top of the bottle (below the upper lip) and tighten.

(5) Sling the string over your shoulder or neck and get hiking. Stop for a gulp as needed.

If you’ve walked past this building in down town Milan, Italy, you will certainly remember it!

Disco time? Seizure-inducing?

Why exactly it needs to have these attention grabbing lights, I am not sure. But I like them.

Perhaps, in a city filled with amazing architecture, even buildings need to accessorize to stand out.

Rather than looking at linguistic differences, this barber shop chooses to emphasize what is shared between two languages.

Not meant to save space, I wonder if the sign is trying to highlight that we may be more connected than we think.

The English-speaker wandering down this Italian street does not need to feel quite so disconnected from the locals passing by.

No matter what language you speak, hair grows from your head and barbers are there to help.

Perhaps this barber, whose business it is to separate us from our hair, is trying to  help get around language barriers and bring people together.

down the sidewalk

had not passed,

The walk of later pedestrians

would surely

longer last.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s 806 miles to Chicago.

We’ve got a convertible Corvette

A full set of road-trip tunes.

It’s dark out, and we’re wearing sun glasses.

Hit it.

Just have a couple of photos up so far, but check back often as it will be updated frequently!

Now it seems the highway men need protection from the travellers.