Nikki MurrayNikki Murray | Tag Archive | Travel

Cell dump #22

Nikki Murray — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:10:47 +0000

Cell dump #21

Nikki Murray — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:39:54 +0000

Mementos from my youth

Nikki Murray — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:25:49 +0000

Sometimes I forget about the little things I’ve saved over the years. I have a tendency to throw a lot of things in the garbage. I’m not particularly sentimental and hate clutter, so I refuse to keep every card, every letter, or every scrap of paper ever given to me for fear that one day I’ll become that old lady who keeps plastic bins full of shit that she’ll never have time to look through again.

With all that said, I have hung on to a few scraps of paper and little mementos from the travels of my youth:

The yearly pilgrimage

Nikki Murray — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:39:09 +0000

Every year I drive up to Chicago to see the family and visit the cemetery. The visit started began with a dinner, a trip to the cemetery and some walking around downtown. Family, food, friends and fun… always a good beginning. (Incidentally, I forgot my camera gear, so all these photos were taken with an iPhone4.)

A stop through Nashville

Nikki Murray — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:08:04 +0000

Not really having any defined itinerary on our way to Memphis, we figured we’d stop in Nashville because it was there. The thought was that if we really liked Nashville, we’d stay there longer. Turned out that one day in Nashville was enough. I’m not a fan of country music and aside from the parthenon, Nashville really didn’t have anything I hadn’t already seen in dozens of other southern towns.

After our one day stop, we packed up our things and moved on…

Bye, Nashville!

Corvette Museum

Nikki Murray — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:57:41 +0000

I had already decided at the start of the trip to Memphis that I did not want to schedule anything. There was no real itinerary or schedule, which allowed for unplanned stops, including one at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky. Not having known it even existed until I saw the sign for it, I figured what the hell.

interior of a futuristic 70s prototype

My father’s love of Corvettes was stuck on me from the day he picked me up at O’Hare airport in his 1986 gold t-top. I have very fond memories of riding down Illinois highways with classic rock on the radio and the hot summer wind blowing through my hair. I can even remember the first Vette calendar I was given for Christmas. In fact, the bestowing of that calendar was about the time I fell in love with the ’53…

be still my beating heart

that is one hot ass

the '57 wasn't too bad either

There was a lot of historical information at the museum: props, photos, race car uniforms, videos, and many biographies of those who had some special hand in the evolution of an iconic American car. I didn’t realize until I looked at the website recently that you can also go across the street and tour the actual assembly plant as well. Maybe next time…

hello, freaky pod people statues

Just when I thought I’d seen my total dream car, (the 1953 white convertible), we came to a room with some very custom vehicles. It was hard to get photos in there, as some were behind plexiglass or the full views were ruined by signs. Nevertheless, I had to get photos of this beauty:

'54 - the sexiest paint job I have ever seen on a Corvette

delicious flames and interior

seriously, how can you not love this? HOT

Between all the beautiful chassis in that building and the happy memories from my younger years that resurfaced, I was thoroughly glad I stopped there. The museum had all my favorites and I gained a couple of new ones. If you’re a Corvette enthusiastic or just have a general appreciation of classic cars, I would definitely recommend a stop there. There’s a little something for everyone.

I heart this font

a little something for the patriotic

a little bling for the ladies (even though I personally find it revolting)

The Concert I waited My Whole Life For

Nikki Murray — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:28:15 +0000

For my 35th birthday, I received an envelope with three pieces of paper. One was a receipt. The other two were printed tickets to the U2 360° concert. That’s right, U2.

Now, to fully understand the magnitude of this gift, it should be explained why I have been a fan of U2 for approximately 16 years. It began with my uncle Michael, my father’s youngest brother. Michael taught me how to make paper airplanes. He taught me how to write my first computer program:10 Print "Hello" And with a beautiful shiny black vinyl record, he played for me my very first U2 song: Sunday Bloody Sunday.

There were two primary reasons for my initial infatuation with U2. First, my uncle Michael liked them and that meant they were instantly cool because my uncle Michael was the embodiment of all things cool. Secondly, they were Irish, and when you come from a father whose family prides themselves on being 100% Irish, that means a great deal. I’ve been a devoted fan ever since.

And so, after sixteen years of hoping someday I would get to see U2 in person, I finally did.