That's right. The time has come for me to get into that car and get the hell out of dodge for 5 weeks touring the US of A. Gus and I are doing some final packing today and then first thing tomorrow morning we're heading down to D.C. to visit a good friend of mine from high school that just graduated from George Washington. I'm hoping to hit up the National Gallery, the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, and possibly the Phillips Collection. Not only do I like art, but I'm doubly a geek because I work in museum marketing and work with the buyers of all these institutions. I promised my work buddies that I'd go to the gift shop and take pics of Galison products, just like I did when I went to London and visited their National Gallery in '06. 


June 5-9 we will be spent in the Outer Banks for 4 days of beach. Yay! We're staying in a private campground about midway down the Cape on the oceanside. I have booked us a dolphin-watching cruise for Friday afternoon and made reservations for myself to take an equestrian tour through the woods and beaches of Hatteras Island on Saturday morning. This is going to be interesting, people. I haven't rode in about 10 years. I also have never rode Western, which I understand most people in the US ride. Yup, my hoitee-toitee Yankee self grew up riding English, so this is going to be very different, and maybe even a little uncomfortable/scary. I spoke at length with the woman that works there on the phone, so I trust she'll pick an "easy" horse for me to ride given my unfamiliarity with the riding style, as well as my long absence from riding as a result of an unrelated back injured I sustained at age 12. Up until that point I had been riding summers, and then shelling out for lessons at a stable in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. 

I saw some really cool ecotours on kyaks that looked majorly fun, but Gus wasn't really feeling those. I may just go and do one without him though. I've only been kyaking once in Orlando and I really loved it. They have sunset outings, as well as evening ones where they take you through marshes so you can see the algae and plant growth bioluminescing through the water. That is SO COOL! Though my college courses wouldn't be an indication, I'm actually a huge nature geek. I love the outdoors, astronomy, geology, and animals. It's all quite fascinating, so I'd hate to pass that up. 

After North Carolina there's going to be a lot of driving through the Southeast, but not a lot of siteseeing. We're going to have to drive through South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, and Mississippi until we get to New Orleans, where we'll spend a few days. 

I'm uncertain how often I'll be able to keep y'all appraised of what's going on with me, but I'll occasionally try to post so that you guys know how I'm doing. And, of course, what exciting adventures I get myself into  :)

I'm signing off! See you girls (hopefully with lots of fic!) in five weeks. 

Lots of love, 
Cat