Random Travel Photos

I spent most of today in transit, as I am at a conference that I am helping facilitate in Minneapolis until Thursday, but I still managed to squeeze in some minor adventures and to visit two famous places along the way.

My connecting flight was through O'Hare airport in Chicago, an airport that always seems sunny and bright no matter what time of year I connect through it:



as opposed to the Detroit airport, which should be cool but somehow always makes me feel sad inside:



While at O'Hare, I saw a plane flown by "Dutch" O'Hare, the airport's namesake:



and I saw a dinosaur, because they just straight up have a fossilized brachiosaur in the airport:



I also walked by the Garrett's Popcorn stand:



I was sorely tempted to buy some, just because the main store in downtown Chicago is a semi-famous tourist destination and my friend Keri, who lives in Chicago, has ranted for years in capital letters about how it isn't worth standing in line for and how only stupid mouth-breathing tourists in fanny-packs and track suits with words written across the butts would ever wait in line for hours just to buy it. I was going to get a small popcorn today and take a photo of myself shoving handfuls of it into my gaping maw so that I could post it on Facebook and taunt her with it, but I wasn't really hungry and I still had to get to my gate.

I had a salad instead.

I eventually landed in Minneapolis, a city of tall buildings:



and friendly people, but before I went to see the buildings or the people I made time to visit something famous in the airport.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the restroom where Senator Larry Craig propositioned an undercover policeman for sex in 2007:



I wasn't sure it was the right one, even though I had directions, and it isn't the one pictured on the Wikipedia page for the Larry Craig Scandal, but when I asked a nearby employee if it was the Larry Craig Bathroom they said yes. It might be airport policy to just identify any bathroom as such, though, so who knows?

Back to Minneapolis, though, I found out that my hotel is attached to the Crystal Court, which is gorgeous inside:





and I walked around and found the statue of Mary Tyler Moore:



who could turn the world on with her smile.

Overall, it's been a busy day, and I need to study my presentation materials for tomorrow, but so far I'm having fun.