Epic Road Trip to the Land of AZ

This green kid scratched SIX MORE NEW STATES off his list! He drove through 9 states in 10 days with Barb, Libby and Georgeann, with their destination being a new home in Tempe, Arizona. They started in Illinois and headed to: Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri -- and back to Illinois to end their epic journey. WHOAH! Talk about some epic pickle business. He made many stops along the route.

The U-Haul van was packed to the brim and Mr. Pickle was on board to supervise.  

And to get into some mischief, of course. 

Finally on the open road! Adios, Illinois!  

They crossed the Mississippi into Iowa. Is this heaven? Where's the field of dreams? 

Time to cross Nebraska! 

Julesburg, Colorado rest stop. Mr. P did NOT stay away from the wildlife.  

Another rest stop, Colorado style. 

This time it's another pit stop on Route 66, in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Mr. P and the gang.  

Mr. P always buckles up for safety. 

Along the Continental Divide in New Mexico. 

In Phoenix, Arizona Mr. P met a new friend named Elwood! What a cutie! 

ALAS! Mission accomplished! The new apartment has been reached.  

Mr. P wishes he could stay and be a roomie.  

Definitely an Arizona relative! 

Taking some time to relax at the pool in Phoenix. 

Perhaps Mr. Pickle's first maker space adventure? They visited Tech Shop in Chandler, AZ. Mr. Pickle built some dreams there. 

But first he had to stand in The Help Line to get some help with some sunglasses.  

Amarillo, Texas 

Mr. P checking out the rims at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX. 

A spot to rest in Oklahoma! Okie noodlers! 

Mr. Pickle is welcomed into Missouri! The 9th state he visited during the 10 day road trip, and the 6th new state to him from this trip. 

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WOW! 

Mr. Pickle is crossing the states off like no tomorrow! 

He's now been to 29 states and 14 countries. 

Check out his itinerary. He wants to travel with you! 

Kentucky? Oregon? Maine? Tennessee? 21 left!

Summer Fun in Chicago

Mr. Pickle is spending most of the month of June with one of his favorite traveling buds, Elizabeth. They've gone on a few other trips together, and it's kind of perfect. This time around, Miss E showed Mr. P her new hometown of Chicago! He's been there a couple times (once with me and once with Jenny), but as with every trip, there's always new stuff to do and see. Which is just what they did:

I sure hope Mr. Pickle followed this rule. Or kept his ketchup obsession hush hush.

Obligatory photo of reflection in The Bean. I'm sorry, but I just love The Bean. And check out E's lemon dress. Foodies all around.

 

 Hiding on the hat of a new friend. Say, where's Mr. Pickle's hat?!

 

Ah, there's his hat. (He has actually acquired NEW hats since this trip, which I can't wait for him to try out.)

A cool pickle chillin' in the cool city. More signs! Mr. Pickle is VERY safety cautious! For humans and pickles. Elizabeth likes to point this out.

Catching some rays at the beach. Aaaaah. It never gets old. Where's his Summer Shandy?

A cool down session was in order, so Buckingham Fountain is where they parked it.

And so ends his tour of the city. He's sticking with Elizabeth for a bit and they're heading to California next. Stay tuned!

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Mr. P is currently booking summer trips.
Check his itinerary and email nomadicpickle [at] gmail.com if he fits into your trip. He must visit more states!

Mr. P in the Deep South

The last time we saw Mr. Pickle he was in NYC with Miss E and she was mailing him to her friend Jenny in Chicago. I'm happy to report that Mr. Pickle arrived safely in Chicago. From there he began his crazy adventure with Jenny from June 21- July 5!

They headed down to New Orleans for a library conference, then traveled from there to Texas. Let's see what this pickle and Jenny were up to...

 They went to New Orleans for the American Library Association Conference in New Orleans. There he met Eric Wight, author of the Frankie Pickle series. How cool is that!?

 Mr. P woke up with some beads in NOLA. We won't guess how he got those.

 He was antsy to get a move on to Texas!

 A pit stop at Walmart for road trip snacks, where he encountered an aisle dedicated to his relatives.

 At Jungle Gardens on Avery Island. Gators!

 Macro pickle.

 A close encounter while on a Louisiana Cajun Country Swamp Tour. Egads!

 Enjoying some local culinary delights at Prejeans in Lafayette, LA.

 Mr. Pickle investigating the oral hygiene of this taxidermied gator! He sure got brave on this trip.

 Here he is safe from death's jaws at the Blue Moon Guest House in Lafayette, LA.

 Mr. P and his friend Mary in the Corn Cob Crib at the Gruene Mansion Inn in New Braunfels, TX. They made it Texas! Yeehaw!

Apparently they are very big into their icy treats in Texas. Mr. P discovered this as he found a pickle flavored ice pop!

His own bed in a loft at the historic Coopersmith Inn in Galveston, TX.

 Mr. P is catching some rays on the beach in Gaslveston.

 THE CLAW. Mr. P became quite entranced with this claw game in Lockhart, TX (BBQ capitol of the world).

 BBQ feast time at Kreu's Market. No reason to get messy, so he slapped on a bib.

 Cowboys and a pickle! At the Mesquite Rodeo, near Dallas.

 At Billy Bob's. The world's largest honky tonk in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards.

 As always, a fashionable Mr. Pickle. He thought about boots, but his plaid clashed.

And finally, a wagon ride home. Word on the street is that Mr. Pickle rode off happily into the sunset. Giddyup!

Would you like to take Mr. P on a trip with you? See if it fits in his schedule, then let me know!

Chicago: A Dynamite Weekend

The weekend of March 4-6 I took Mr. Pickle on a quick trip to Chicago. I went with my mom, sister, nephew, and nieces, so we did mostly kid-friendly stuff. (What? You mean small children don't like shopping?!) I took hardly any photos of Mr. Pickle! Sad, I know. (Don't be like me.) It was a 3 day weekend- one day it rained and one day it snowed, what can I say.

We went to the Lego Land Discovery Center in Schaumburg. In addition to meeting Batman, Mr. P also met Barack Obama, Darth Vader, C3P0, Albert Einstein, Harry Potter, Hagrid, Santa Claus, and Indiana Jones. It was a pickle's dream come true.

We also went to Shedd's Aquarium, which is always a nice adventure! The beluga whales were his favorite.

Where will he be off to next? You decide!
email nomadicpickle [at] gmail.com if you want to take him somewhere.