Going to the Zoo

Wow! It's been a long time since I made a new post. Not too much has happened as of late, but I did manage to spend another summer in Alaska while continuing to work towards my publishing degree (which will be completed in May).  Currently, my boyfriend and I are planning a road trip to our new home in an undecided place in Alaska. Right now, our top two choices are Kodiak and Fairbanks, but we are still researching places like Homer and Sitka. We're pretty excited about it! 

In the mean time, Eric has decided to visit me on his vacation instead of going hunting. We've been checking out the best that Bloomington has to offer. Whenever I spend take up a long term residence, I like to take advantage of the local attractions, and Bloomington's Miller Park Zoo is a pretty neat little day trip.

Chatting with a Wallaby

My favorite part of the zoo, besides the otters, is the wallaby exhibit. The fences are really low, and the animals are really laid back. One of them was feeling rambunctious and jumping from one side of the compound to the other. It was awesome!

Miller Park Zoo also houses a tiger, two snow leopards, a Malaysian sun bear, a rainforest exhibit, a bunch of monkeys, and a reptile house. It's about $5.00 to get in, so you get a lot of bang for your buck. When you finish walking through the zoo, you can take a walk around the pond.  

Random Facts About Illinois

Well, I’m back in Illinois! Harvest is underway, the trees are red, orange, and yellow, and the weather is finally cooling down (maybe a little too fast). Knowing I’ll be here for the next year while I further my education at Illinois State University, I plan to explore parts of Illinois I didn’t get to see as a kid.

Here are a few fun facts you might not know about my home state:

• Metropolis, Illinois is Superman’s hometown and was declared such by both DC Comics and the Illinois State Legislature

• Square Dancing is the state dance and frequently taught in PE.

• Sufjan Stevens dedicated an entire album to the state: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!

(It’s catchy and historical!)

• Rock Island hosted a nasty prison camp during the Civil War - 17% of the detainees died. The entire prison was destroyed after the war.

• Illinois hosts 6 professional sports teams: Chicago Bears,Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Blackhawks, and Chicago Fire.

• Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site was home to the most sophisticated prehistoric society north of Mexico.

• The Chicago River is dyed green on Saint Patrick’s Day

With so much to see, I’m pretty sure this is going to be a good year!

AAAAANNNNNDDDD WE'RE BACK!!!

Since I'm unemployed and about to go back to school, I figured now would be an excellent opportunity to start posting again. I have, admittedly, been very neglectful of Away We Go, and the rest of the staff has been incredibly busy. On behalf of my writing staff, I would like to apologize for failing to keep you in the loop with our high jinks. It is with great pleasure that we re-launch our blog!

To all of you who continued to check up – Thank you so much! We're thrilled to be back. Thank you for your patience! We will begin regular posts on Thursday.

Sincerely,

Jaimie Gleissner