Travel Galleries

Vietnam - September 2009 : If you like motorcycles. If you like travel. If you have some vacation time. Where do you go? I considered Wisconsin. I considered Arizona. But I ended up in Vietnam motoring from Hanoi to Hoi An. This trip came together over the course of the Labor Day weekend and things just fell into place. I visited Vietnam for the first time about two years ago and have said many times since that visit that I would return, and that I would do it on two wheels. That's where the friendly folks at OffroadVietnam.com come into play. I've read about them on the net for several years and heard good things about them, so I thought it would be kind of fun to check them out. I leave Chicago on September 17 and spend about 21 hours getting there, goof off in Hanoi for a few days, and then join a group of riders from all over the world while we go explore. This is the trip that I'm taking: http://www.offroadvietnam.com/eng/2-4.php#4. Can't wait.

Vietnam - September 2009

If you like motorcycles. If you like travel. If you have some vacati ...

Updated: Oct 16, 2009 5:01pm PST

Russia - Moscow to Vladivostok, Jan 2009 : So... this is my third attempt to complete an epic rail journey - the Trans-Siberian. In reality, the previous trips (ok, trip attempts - read this http://danbrew.smugmug.com/gallery/2252365_z2opU and this http://danbrew.smugmug.com/gallery/3028366_W6wdM) were the "Trans-Mongolian" since those particular routes transited Mongolia. I'm off to Moscow on December 27th and will spend a few nights in Moscow. It will be New Year's Eve in Red Square and then I'm off on the train to Vladivostok. A few nights in Vladivostok and then a flight back to Moscow and then back to the US. Pictures soon. Can't wait. :)

Russia - Moscow to Vladivostok, Jan 2009

So... this is my third attempt to complete an epic rail journey - the ...

Updated: Jan 09, 2009 10:38pm PST

Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan April 2008 : It should come as no surprise that I like to travel... I don't get to do it as much as I'd like (yet), but do like to put together a few nice trips a year. This one kind of fell into my lap. I was thinking of South America. I was considering finishing up the train trip (see the Russian galleries), I was thinking about Japan. I wasn't thinking about Thailand or Cambodia. Then... an opportunity appeared. I had an opportunity through work to attend a conference on Phuket (tough life, I know) - it really worked out well for a few reasons. It jives with what I do for a living, plus helps me to share best practices around the world for my job - without getting into all the details, that's a great thing. The best part? The company was gonna pay for the airfare. How cool is that? Actually, the even better part is that I have a dear friend who was planning on traveling in that part of the world around the same time. Hmmm. I wonder if I should get together with my pal Vicky? She's traveling with her cousin in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand at about the same time. Hmmm. The wheels start turning. The wheels ended up with me going to Japan to see Tokyo for a few days, doing the work gig on Phuket for a few days, then meeting Vicky and her pal in Siem Reap. Then we travel overland to Bangkok. Then Leigh Anne (the cousin) goes her own way and me & Vicky head off for Japan. So... jump right in for the details... Do click on the "map this" button on the upper right hand side of the screen - many photos are geo-encoded.

Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan April 2008

It should come as no surprise that I like to travel... I don't get to ...

Updated: Apr 24, 2008 2:28am PST

Siem Reap to Poipet - April 15, 2008 : Visit www.talesofasia.com to get great commentary on traveling between Bangkok and Siem Reap (and lots more great info about Cambodia). The first half an hour out of Siem Reap is not bad, the next 150 minutes varies between tarmac and dirt/sand. It wasn't that bad on our journey, but I could see where it would suck if there had been recent rain. About the worst you can expect in decent weather is a crazy driver - we were convinced that our driver would spin out or go over the berm when taking the detours around the construction at the bridge sites at 60 kilometers/hour. We made the journey from Earthwalkers in Siem Reap to our hotel in the middle of Bangkok in about seven and a half hours - including time spent at Poipet going through customs (maybe 15 minutes) and arranging for a taxi to Bangkok (1800 baht). I wish I had thought to do this earlier, but about an hour into the trip, I started snapping photos every five minutes. Click on the "MAP THIS" button in the upper right hand corner of this page and you'll see the photos on Google Earth and can get a good sense of the road conditions in each area. I didn't bother with photos on the Thailand side as it is all a very good paved highway. We were doing 120+ km/h all the way into Bangkok. :)

Siem Reap to Poipet - April 15, 2008

Visit www.talesofasia.com to get great commentary on traveling between ...

Updated: Apr 15, 2008 7:17pm PST

Russia, China, Vietnam - August 2007 : This gallery contains photos and comments from the continuation of an epic journey traveling most of the world. I began this journey in January 2007 (http://danbrew.smugmug.com/gallery/2252365/1/117546107) and for reasons too complicated to get into, never finished. I'm going to try again, though. I'll leave Chicago in early August on the same flight that I took back in January. I'll fly to Moscow and then travel across Siberia and the Gobi desert to Beijing. I've decided to add a journey from Beijing to Hanoi to see a little bit of Vietnam as well. Photos, posts, commentary & thoughts to follow... Click on any photo to view larger size...

Russia, China, Vietnam - August 2007

This gallery contains photos and comments from the continuation of an ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2007 5:59am PST

Moscow January 2007 : Photos and comments from an epic journey traveling most of the world. I begin in Chicago in January of 2007 and fly to Moscow and then travel across Siberia and the Gobi desert to Beijing. Photos, posts, commentary & thoughts to follow...

Moscow January 2007

Photos and comments from an epic journey traveling most of the world. ...

Updated: Jan 08, 2007 5:15am PST

Maui 2006 : Highlights of a September 2006 trip to Maui. Sounds like I travel a lot, I know. It just kind of worked out that way. Rented the KTM from Jon at Maui Dual Sports - www.mauidualsport.com. Very nice.

Maui 2006

Highlights of a September 2006 trip to Maui. Sounds like I travel a l ...

Updated: Sep 16, 2006 10:44am PST

Ozarks : Still putzing around with the Google Mapping API - took a bunch of pics on a recent trip to/from Lake in the Ozarks. Only purpose was to get a hanful of pics with very different geo coordinates so I could play with the Google API. All in preparation for the trip to Alaska in 20 days - I want to make sure I've figured out the mapping part before I take off...

Ozarks

Still putzing around with the Google Mapping API - took a bunch of pic ...

Updated: Jul 09, 2006 3:37pm PST

Mexico 2006 : Another sample gallery to experiment with the Google mapping thing...

Mexico 2006

Another sample gallery to experiment with the Google mapping thing...

Updated: Jul 03, 2006 3:16pm PST

Key West 2006 : A quick run down to Key West to prep for my Alaskan adventure. I wanted to be able to go after the "Ultimate Coast to Coast" ride from the Iron Butt organization - Key West to Prodhoe Bay, Alaska. The most southern road and the most northern road in the continental US. Now I've just go to do the Alaskan thing...

Key West 2006

A quick run down to Key West to prep for my Alaskan adventure. I want ...

Updated: Jul 27, 2006 4:51am PST

Alaska 2006 : This gallery will serve as a temporary place holder for most of the pics from my Alaska trip - I'm uploading them from the road and am doing a very brief first review - everything that gets the benefit of the doubt ends up here. I'll do quality editing and, maybe, some image adjustments, and have a "Best of Alaska" gallery within a few weeks. For now, though, enjoy...

Alaska 2006

This gallery will serve as a temporary place holder for most of the pi ...

Updated: Aug 23, 2006 5:54am PST

San Francisco Trip 2005 : Highlights of a cross-country motorcycle trip from Chicago to San Francisco, with stops along the way at Rocky Mountain National Park, Big Sur, Golden Gate Bridge, Glacier National Park, and more...

San Francisco Trip 2005

Highlights of a cross-country motorcycle trip from Chicago to San Fran ...

Updated: Jul 03, 2006 10:48am PST

Moscow 2004 : A January 2004 trip to Moscow to see some new things...

Moscow 2004

A January 2004 trip to Moscow to see some new things...

Updated: Jul 03, 2006 1:21pm PST

Pacific Coast Highway 2004 : This was a run from Chicago to the Pacific Coast Highway and back in 2004. I rode a 2002 BMW K1200LT (still have it - a great motorcycle!).

Pacific Coast Highway 2004

This was a run from Chicago to the Pacific Coast Highway and back in 2 ...

Updated: Sep 22, 2007 6:50am PST

Grand Canyon 2003 : A short little jaunt out to the Grand Canyon and back.

Grand Canyon 2003

A short little jaunt out to the Grand Canyon and back.

Updated: Apr 02, 2007 9:07pm PST