Category Archives: Travel

Andree, Art, Black & White, History, Iowa State, Jesse, Music, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 2 – Pep Rally

September 6, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

I’m leery of posting pictures from the Liberty Bowl Pep Rally and the events around it the day before the Cy-Hawk game considering how terrible the Liberty Bowl went for the Cyclones. However, if the Cy-Hawk game goes poorly for the good guys, it will have more to do with the complete lack of healthy linebackers the Cyclones will be able to put on the field and not with any kind of bad luck. At least I hope.

Here are some pictures from the Pep Rally and other such events:

Still more pictures from Day 2 to come. Next stop… Sun Records!

Art, Black & White, Christianity, Jesse, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 2 – Art?

August 30, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

Before I went to Memphis, I bought a book of odd or weird things to see in the Home of the Blues. On this list was this piece of art, maybe art in front of a megachurch that was so ridiculous, I had to see it. I had to photograph it. Every single person I described it to before the trip thought it was stupid that I wanted to see it. I don’t even think that Jesse was all that onboard. This is how I knew I was on the right track. We drove pretty far out of our way to see… The Statue of Liberation!

How many people do you know, that have seen both the Statue of Liberty and the Statue of Liberation?

After we left this, we went back to the Beale Street area to checkout a pep rally and a parade!

Art, Black & White, Christianity, History, Jesse, Nature, Railroad, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 2 – Big River Crossing

August 23, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

After getting breakfast on the 2nd day of the Liberty Bowl Road Trip, we hit the road and then hit our feet and did the Big River Crossing. The Big River Crossing is the longest public pedestrian bridge that crosses the Mississippi River. If you are looking for a bit of exercise and some beautiful views, I highly recommend it.

Here are some pictures:

Haters.

But Jesse and I were just getting warmed up. Our next stop was to visit the dumbest or maybe the most brilliant… no the dumbest piece of art I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a painting by Jackson Pollock), and I loved it!

Art, Jesse, Night, Politics, Road Trip, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 1 Gamma

August 16, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Here is the 3rd and final collection of images from Day 1 of Jesse and I’s trip to Memphis to watch the Liberty Bowl back in December:

Day 1 in Memphis was really only a few hours. Day 2 was a packed day. Did a ton of things and took a digital ton of pictures. Can’t wait to start sharing them!

Angie, Art, Black & White, Contests, Jesse, Logan, Nathanial, Night, Politics, Road Trip, State Fair, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 1 Beta

August 9, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I made it down to the State Fair briefly last night to see what 3 of my pictures made it. And I came home with the photo book:

So if you are going to go to the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon, here are your clues to what 3 pictures I have there. A LEADING LINES picture. A color ANIMAL picture. A black & white PLACES & LANDSCAPES (I think that is the name of the category).

But I wasn’t the only person I know that have pictures at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon. 3 other regular contributors put up big numbers down there. Angie got 2 pictures in and won the Superintendent’s Choice for Adult Color. I don’t know what the Superintendent’s Choice is and Angie doesn’t know either, but it is one of the biggest awards there. She also got a picture in for color PEOPLE. Nathanial got 3 pictures in and got 1st Place in PLANES, TRAINS, & AUTOMOBILES AND 1st Place in in SPORTS. He also got a picture in for IOWA PLACES & LANDSCAPES. Logan got 3 pictures accepted. One for PANORAMIC. One for black & white PEOPLE. One for color PEOPLE. I’m not fooling when I say that there are some big time talents that participate in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

I’ll reveal my images on the last night of the Fair.

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Time for the second collection of images from Day 1 of Jesse and I’s trip down to Memphis to watch the Liberty Bowl. These picture were all took on Beale Streak. Soaking in the ambience, music, night life, and neon lights. A glorious place. 12 our of 10 stars. Would recommend.

Still one more collection of images to share from the night we spent wandering around Beale Street. But not the last time we did.

Art, History, Jesse, Night, Road Trip, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 1 Alpha

August 2, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Football season starts at the end of the month. So I probably should start sharing pictures from the road trip Jesse and I took to Memphis to watch Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl. It was a great trip even if the game ended up being somewhat of a dud. When we got to Memphis (technically West Memphis) we dropped our stuff off in the hotel room and then went straight to Memphis for some barbecue at Central Barbecue and then to Beale Street to check it out. Beale Street was pretty empty on the night, and I’m not mad at that, not mad at all.

Here is the first collection of images:

We walked around the outside of the Civil Rights Museum because it was closed. We had been there before on a previous trip to Memphis. It is an absolute must see if you haven’t been. It just blows the mind how terrible humans can be to other humans and what makes it even worse is that it isn’t even ancient history. It isn’t even history. We are living in some of the great civil rights battles right now. A fact that often makes me sad.

Bokeh, Kim, Self-Portrait, Still Life, Tenderloining, Travel

New Orleans Food Adventure – Day 6 & Day 7

July 28, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time for the Bokeh Picture of the Week!

Bokeh doesn’t quite have the grasp of begging. She still is more of a see food, go after food kind of a dog. It is a challenge for sure!

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Time to share more of the food I knocked down on my work trip to New Orleans. Going to share the food I ate on my last full day in New Orleans and on my trip back to the Cyclone State. Then we can move on to more local food adventures! Get pumped!

This Bananas foster French Toast was probably my favorite meal on the trip.

Still thinking about it!

At the convention center they were giving out more free samples of gumbo. Wasn’t great.

No lunch, but at night Kim, Tony, and I ate on Bourbon Street.

Not a balcony view, but still a pretty good view.

Appetizer.

I got the Taste of New Orleans, honestly, not great.

I got breakfast on Day 7 at Daisy Dukes.

I went with the Country Fried Steak.

Another fair chocolate milk.

It was good, but the other breakfast cafe was better.

After hour flight got delayed I had some Combos and a Fanta for lunch.

Then for an afternoon snack I got a mango smoothie from Smoothie King.

It was pretty good!

For supper, I hit up Shake Shack. This is not a good shake.

The fries were also mediocre.

But I don’t expect much from airport food.

But the burger was pretty good!

Then on the flight home, knocked down some snack mix on the airplane.

Next Sunday we return to normal food adventures. In fact, we return to a tenderloin. This one, a very local one.

Art, Bokeh, Michelle, Still Life, Street Photography, Tenderloining, Travel, Work

New Orleans Food Adventure – Day 5

July 21, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Bokeh Picture of the Week coming up!

She’s a charmer!

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Time to share the food I knocked down on my work trip to New Orleans. This time I ate breakfast and it was so amazing that I wish I had eaten breakfast every, single day! So freakin’ good. I also ate lunch with Michelle at a food truck across the street from the Convention Center. Then I tried to eat supper at the Computer Mine Sales Team party but the food was just the worst thing ever. Hard to describe how terrible it was. So I ended up knocking down a street dog on Bourbon Street. No regrets there. One of the best hot dogs I’ve ever eaten!

I got the Breakfast Burrito with sausage.

You can’t get a good chocolate milk outside of Iowa, but this wasn’t bad.

I could have licked the plate, it was so good!

I got the Smoked Sausage.

It was pretty good.

But what Michelle got was better.

Sales “party”.

I was so excited for the fried okra, but you can’t serve fried foods like this!

This was the most serviceable food there.

Gross. But free at least.

A dang good Bourbon Street hot dog!

Jimmy J’s Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants I’ve ever been to. In fact, I went there for breakfast again the next day. Oh my, I’ve said too much.

So I haven’t been great about updating my quest to live healthier. But this is what I can say. I’m currently 3.8 pounds from my ultimate goal weight. And this week I earned a new FitBit Badge:

WooHoo me! I did a better job of getting steps in this week and I ate better… well until the weekend. I ate lots of Fair food. But that is okay. Not every day can be nutritional winners!

Art, Bokeh, Michelle, Still Life, Tenderloining, Travel, Work

New Orleans Food Adventure – Day 4

July 14, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Another Bokeh Picture of the Week? You got it!

On Friday Bokeh went in for her final set of puppy vaccines. She now weighs 35 pounds. This picture is of her waiting on me to pump some gas.

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Time to share the food I knocked down on Day 4 of my work trip to New Orleans. I didn’t eat breakfast again. I ate lunch at the convention center concession stand, which was a mistake. Then got tricked into going to supper with the sales team by Michelle, but it was worth it. The Butcher was one of the best meals I had on my trip.

Shrimp Po’ Boy from the Concession Stand.

It was not good, but at least I got outside.

I got the Moroccan Spiced Lamb.

With marinated brussel sprouts.

Michelle’s meal.

The Butcher definitely made up for the Po’ Boy. It was a great meal!

Still 3 days left of New Orleans meals to share. Well 2.333333.

Bokeh, Still Life, Tenderloining, Travel

New Orleans Food Adventure – Day 3

July 7, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Another Bokeh Picture of the Week? You got it!

Most of the other pictures I have of are still being considered for my submission for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. This one is of her going for a little car ride.

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Time to share the food I knocked down on Day 3 of my trip to New Orleans. I actually didn’t eat that much on that day. I had some pastries in our training meeting. I completely skipped lunch. So the only real meal of any interest was my supper. Here are the pictures:

A King Cake, but no baby in it.

The hotel was giving out free jambalaya. It wasn’t great.

I had never had a Muffaletta, but now I wish there was a place around here to get one!

Unfortunately, they served Coke.

The fries were only, okay.

But the sandwich was outstanding!

But you have to like olives!

Which I do!

With tip, it cost me $31.67.

Next Sunday will be more food from New Orleans, but I might pick up the pace a bit.

As for the health journey. I was pretty terrible with tracking again this week, but I can say that I’m currently 5.4 pounds from my first ultimate goal. I’ll do better this week.