Boston Baked Pickle

Mr. Pickle spent May 14-21 with my friend Darla and her fam on a trip to Boston to hang with some Smithies! He had fun taking in some historical sights, moon gazing, staying in a haunted hotel, and meeting a freakish relative. Weeeee! 

First up was a stop in Hull, Massachusetts - a teeny peninsula town south of Boston. Mr. P sits on Nantasket Beach watching the full moon rise over the Atlantic ocean.

At Hull Public Library reading stories with his new buds. 

 On the very tip of the peninsula is Fort Revere Park.The fort dates back to the 1630s when it was used to protect Boston harbor. There are cool abandoned skeleton of buildings covered in graffiti. Here's Mr. P in the ruins with the ocean in the background.

 Hanging out in the ruins.

The next stop was Northampton, Massachusetts - home of Smith College!

Here is Mr. P at Smith's "Illumination Night" where the entire campus was strung with paper lanterns lit with candles.

Here are some lovely living friends at the Smith College Lyman Plant House.

Smith College Lyman Plant House.

At the Smith College Japanese Garden. 

Mr. Pickle stayed at the historic (and haunted!) Parker House Hotel, right next door to the Honeyfitz suite. (JFK had his bachelor party at the Parker House - the place was big with the Kennedy family!) Apparently the 10th floor is haunted, and Mr. P stayed on the 11th floor! Egads!

 A stop at the Boston Children's Museum ended up in a meeting with a distant relative?! It's in the eyes!

Mr. P also visited the Boston Tea Party ships & Museum and met up with Samuel Adams.  

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Oh, another great trip to the coast!

Thanks so much to all of you who sign up to travel with Mr. Pickle. His goal is to get to all 50 states. He's nearly halfway there. Will you help him?! 

Hola Señor Pickle

Mr. Pickle spent July 6-11 in Barcelona, Spain with my good friend Miss Olivia. She was off on a business trip, and he just couldn't pass up a trip abroad that included a beach-side hotel. Work shmerk! He dined, he lazed, he took in the architecture. [Side note: I am completely jealous. While I'm particularly obsessed with all things Iceland, a trip to Barcelona is on my bucket list in a big way.]

 You can't go to Barcelona without dying over some Gaudi architecture. Here is Mr. Pickle at Casa Batlló, built by Antoni Gaudi. (This is one of Mr. P's new hats. Pretty dapper looking!)

More whimsy at Casa Batlló, the dragon's hump. Le sigh. 

A mushroom shaped fireplace inside Casa Batlló. 

Mr. P and the beautiful Casa Milà.

 Enjoying a very pink pithaya and coconut fruit smoothie from the Mercat Boqueria, one of the best markets in the world. He had no idea what a pithaya was, but it was dang tasty. (Fruit of a cactus! What?!)

Hanging out at the Temple de la Sagrada, and snapping shots like mad of more Gaudi. 

Mr. Pickle and his hotel shenanigans! He enjoys a good towel. (New hat!)

Alas, in the Born District he meets some friends his own size. Hello wooden Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia! 

Mr. P and Miss O enjoyed a fancy lentil and cava dinner at Poble Espanyol.

 

They skipped on over for a lovely trip to the botanical gardens, where they found some growing beauties, including an inland paperbark tree...

As well as a kangaroo paw!

 

Mr. Pickle got a glimpse of the Olympic stadium and the torch. 

Of course Olivia and Mr. P had to visit some cakes, since she's the baking queen. And boy did they find the prettiest rainbow layer cake! 

Alas, a trip to the beach! Where's the cabana boy to bring him a drink?! (The umbrella that he picked up on a recent trip to California sure came in handy.)

Mr. Pickle and his new friends may or may not have done some tagging in an inline skate park. He may or may not look totally awesome in his bandana made of fabric from NYC's Mood. This may or may not be in my top five pickle pics ever.

 More baking, a bit of vintage flan, and a pickle getting hungry for MORE CAKE!

I guess this pickle did get some work in at the conference while he was abroad. Which I guess is the reason they went to begin with! His new glasses make him look more official, don't you agree?

What a lovely trip!!! Beautiful sights and stellar company.
He's been to so many different countries so far in 2012!

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Mr. Pickle is off to Switzerland next week, but after that he's free to travel with YOU! Where are you taking him? Let me know. He needs to get to Kentucky and Wyoming and Vermont and Maine, etc.

Going Back to Cali... For the First Time

Mr. Pickle's traveling pal Elizabeth was headed to the west coast, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity! He started his 2012 travels by joining her for a birthday weekend of January 13-17 for some fun and sun in San Diego, California and surrounding areas. He almost made it to Mexico!

 Mr. Pickle enjoys the Tijuana Estuary. That's Mexico behind him!

Enjoying some sun, but... Look out below! 

Stopping to smell the flowers at the botanical gardens at Balboa Park. 

Enjoying foliage at the botanical gardens requires caffeine. What can I say... Bean up, little pickle!

 Mr. P meets the founders at Balboa Park in San Diego. 

Enjoying hiding in the pickle weed at Imperial Beach. This pickles LOVES his beaches.

On the hunt for Gulls at Imperial Beach! 

Pizza breakfast at Leucadia Farmer's Market. Where Miss E says the coffee was adequate and the pizza was amazing. I'm sure Mr. P would agree, he's a bit of a foodie. (In more ways than one!) 

 He meets some blood oranges at the Leucadia Farmer's Market. Mmmmm, those look tasty.

Overall, Mr. Dill Pickle had a fabulous time on the west coast with Miss E. It was a perfect way to start this year's travels, and he looks forward to heading to Vegas next week!

Check out his itinerary, and email nomadicpickle [at] gmail.com if you want to take him somewhere.