Any time I go on a road trip, I keep my eye out for fun, fascinating and even weird roadside attractions.  Driving through Kentucky yesterday the Husband and I noticed that we would be passing the Original Kentucky Fried Chicken.  While KFC is not my favorite in the friend chicken department, eating at the original was too good to pass up!  So off we exited interstate in Corbin, KY, took a turn or two and arrived at the original Sanders Cafe.

Although Sanders Cafe is not completely original, it has been restored and a modern KFC can be found inside, along with the “original” side and memorabilia.  Sanders Cafe is a National Historic Landmark and has a sign out front to familiarize guests with the history of this place.

Of course I had to have some Original Recipe Fried Chicken to make this visit official.  It was actually greasier than I remember it being.

And no visit would be complete without a picture with the Colonel himself.

That is right my friends.  Once again your dear friend Ashley has hit the road.  This time I am hanging out in Central Illinois.  The Husband had to be here for work and I am tagging along.  Hopefully I will be able to keep myself busy this week.  I brought four books plus my laptop but more importantly, my workout clothes.  Luckily the hotel has a gym, since the weather outside is a bit on the colder side (under 40).

The good news, is that on the way home I will get to stop by the Costco and the Trader Joe’s in Indianapolis.  The closest ones to me are over two hours away in Nashville, so it will be nice to hit these on the way home on Friday.  If you have never been to a Trader Joe’s, you should find your closest one and get there as soon as you can.  It is a great grocery store.  I can’t wait!

In case you have not been watching television or reading the news over the past few months, today is Election Day.  Get out there and VOTE!

I have never used this blog as a political forum.  And I will not (unless I ever choose to run for an office) try to sway your opinion on who to vote for.  I won’t even tell you who I will be voting for as soon as I finish my cup of English Breakfast Tea.  I think it is important that you read about the candidates and their positions on issues and make your own informed decision.  However, there are two things that I wanted to discuss here on Election Day.

My European Vacation and the Vote

I was surprised by how many people in Europe asked, as their very first question to me after finding out I was from America: Are you voting for Obama or McCain?  Sometimes they came straight out and asked: Are you voting for Obama?  I feel that it is a personal decision I am making and honestly was not 100% decided while on vacation, so I responded that I was not sure.  Many time this response was met with disappointment and a head shake.  Sometimes they began to try and sell me on Obama.  I was amazed that every where in Europe (and I visited 12 different countries) people were so concerned about who I was going to vote for.  But you know what was really sad?  That I couldn’t even name a single President/Prime Minister/King of any country I visited.

Shouldn’t we be SAD that this is a “Day in History?”

I think it is great that today we will either vote a woman or a person of color into a major office.  But I also think it is sad.  It is sad that it has taken us this long.  It is sad that it has been this hard to make it happen.  It is sad that only one of these “monumental” events will occur today.  It is sad we live in a country where race and gender and even age are bigger issues than the things that matter, like healthcare, foreign policy, war, and the economy.  I am excited, just like everyone else, but I am also very dissapointed in the people of the USA.

OK guys, I am back off the pedestal.  Just remeber that we are a nation that prides itself on freedom and democracy.  Don’t take it for granted.  Don’t let it go to waste.  Get out there and vote.

Yes, I have returned from my month long tour of 12 European counties.  It was so much fun and I can’t wait to tell you all about it and share all of my pictures with you too.  Of course, I still have plenty to talk about in regards to my Asian trip too. The good news is that I plan to stay around town for the rest of the year. I will be sworn in as an attorney in the state of Tennessee in about two weeks, so I have to be around to play form tag with clerks and the Board of Examiners until then.  But the holidays are around the corner and since almost all of my family are right here, I don’t have to go anywhere.

It is good to be home!

I thought I would check in with my lovely readers out there to let you know that Europe is wonderful.  The delay in the Ashley in Asia series has been postponed temporarily because I decided to go to Europe for a month!  With the Bar results coming back soon and my life as a Lady of Leisure shortly over, I figured I would end it with a bang.  So far I have enjoyed Oktoberfest in Munich, Salzburg, Budapest, Zagreb, Ljubljanna, Zurich, Bern and now I am in Amsterdam.  I have been having so much fun, but obviously not traveling with a computer, so nt a lot of updating and no pictures.  Don’t worry, upon my return in November the Ashley in Asia series will continue along with Ashley in Europe.

Just what you have all been waiting for: a recap of my post-Bar trip to Asia.  I figured I should get this out on the blog before I head off to my next big trip in Europe.  But back to the story at hand.  In case you haven’t heard, the Husband and I went to Hong Kong and Tokyo (with a long layover in Thailand) for a little bit more than two weeks at the start of August.  I have already posted all of my pictures from my trip on Flickr, so I will only highlight a few photos on this blog.  So without further ado…

Ashley in Asia: Getting to Hong Kong

Taking Off

Doesn’t he look so excited?!?

Our first day was really a day of travel.  We started off bright and early on a flight out of Knoxville to Chicago a took a nice long 6 hour plane-break (a.k.a. layover).  While waiting for our Chicago to Hong Kong flight I started the first of three books I had brought with me on the trip.  I do not sleep on airplanes, so I always travel with at least one novel.  For the ride out I read Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky.  We finally boarded the second leg of our flight and sat in an airplane for 16 hours and 25 minutes.  Yes, it takes that long to get from Chicago to Hong Kong.  Nothing exceptional happened on the flight, besides the fact that I finished Fire in the Blood, started City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau and watched a couple of movies that were so boring I can’t even remember what they were!

Tip: I make sure I select a vegetarian meal for my food preference.  If you have a food allergy or know you you prefer a certain type of food, it might be available as an option on your next international flight.

Mmm… Airplane food! I always request a vegetarian meal.

The Arrival

We finally made it to Hong Kong.

We finally arrived in Hong Kong on the evening of our second day traveling to the other side of the world.  The first stop was to the Hong Kong Tourist Center.  There are few locations inside of the Hong Kong Airport, and they are all helpful.  I already knew I wanted to grab the Hong Kong Walks brochure, as it included walks to all the sites in Hong Kong that I wanted to see.  Hong Kong was also offering a “Summer Temptations” program.  There were multiple brochures covering this program, one which included coupons for stores and attractions (even one for Buy One, Get One Free Ice Lollies at Disneyland!).  All of the “Summer Temptations” brochures included a little ticket that had you collect stickers at popular attractions.  Once you collected three stickers, you could redeem the ticket for a little cookie and tea bag gift tin.  Conveniently, there were redemption locations in the airport, so we waiting to redeem them on the way home.

Tip: When traveling to a new city, always check out the local Tourist Information Center for free maps and discounts on places you are planning on visiting anyway!

Tip: On your way out of the airport, if you are going to be taking the metro(MTR) into the city, make sure you stop and purchase tickets as soon as you get through Customs. If two people are traveling together you can purchase a special ticket that is cheaper than buying two tickets into the city.

Safety first!  MTR always reminds you to hold the escalator rail.

The Accommodations

Arriving so late meant that we headed straight to the guest house to check in and get some sleep.  We chose to stay at the Alisan Guest House at Causeway Bay.  It was simple, yet adequate, close to food and the metro, and inexpensive.  That makes it the perfect place for us to stay.  I am all about budget traveling.  The cheaper you can travel, the more places you can go and the longer you can stay.  The only exception I make is when Disney is involved.  I have such a passion for Disney, that I let that be the big splurge of a trip.  Every now and then I will also put a little extra money out for food, but most of the time I will not participate in fine dining (one meal for the price of three and you have to pack extra clothes and shoes).

The shower in the bathroom and the heater (turn it on 10 minutes before you shower!)

The Alisan Guest House is on the 4th and 5th floor of a busy Hong Kong side street.  The ladies working check-in in the evening are polite and quick to get you checked-in and settled into your room.  The rooms are sparse, with the shower sharing the same space as the toilet and only room to walk next to one side of the bed.  There is a television and (most importantly) an air conditioner.  That is one luxury I can not give up in the summer heat.  Pack your own toiletries, but Alisan will supply the sheets and towels along with a communal refrigerator that includes complementary water.  If it is available, ask for a room away from the street.  We slept in a room on the street side of the building and had neon lights flooding our room throughout all hours of the night.  But even with that nuisance, I would still return to the Alisan Guest House during a future trip to Hong Kong.  It was safe and clean with friendly staff, which is what I always need in a place to lay my head!

Tip: When I was researching accommodations for Hong Kong, I noticed that many smaller places do not book their rooms more than 60 - 90 days in advance.  Don’t be surprised if you run into this trend, you can still get a good room at a reasonable price.

The lovely bed at Alisan Guest House with our luggage on top.

Coming up: Ashley in Asia: Hong Kong’s Temples and Parks

Want more? See all the photos on Flickr 

Because I have been slacking a bit lately (can I blame it on finals?) you probably did not know that I am on my post-finals vacation.  The Husband and I decided to go to New England in December.  Yes, we are very crazy people.  I wanted to get in my last couple of states from the East Coast for my goal of all 50 states before I turn 30.  So we hit up Rhode Island and Maine and a couple more up here.  So as we prepare ourselves for the flight home, we have tumbled upon a huge “NorEaster.”  The sky is white, the ground is white.  You don’t see much else but white.  Our flight has already been pushed back from 6 am to 8:15 am.  We are suppose to start boarding in 20 minutes.  Right now, the plane is covered in so much snow and ice that there is no way a pilot could see out the front windows.  We shall see what happens…

I just got the email that I will be able to purchase Beijing Olympic tickets so I have booked plane tickets for the Husband and I.  This is going to be a great Bar Trip!!!