Travel
How they do malls in Dubai
This is from the Ibn Battuta mall near my hotel. It’s named after a famous Muslim explorer who travelled from Morocco to China, hence the mall has various themed sections ranging from Tunisia to what’s pictured here, China. Like many things in Dubai, there’s a purported world record involved, and this is supposedly the world’s … Continue reading
Dubai Day Two
I’m at the start of a three week business trip in Dubai, UAE, my first time visiting the city and my first time in the Middle East. On travels to what amounts to an entirely new continent, culture, and geography, I try to do a little remedial reading about the place, which also gives me … Continue reading
We made it!
After a long 17 hours in the car over the course of two days, we arrived at night in New Hampshire, dog, trailer, two year old, and assorted bits and bobs in tow. Unfortunately I’m headed back to TX later in the week for work, so I’ll barely settle in before I’m off, but I … Continue reading
From SC to NH via TX??!?
Last weekend brought our usual amount of craziness, as Meghan was up in New Jersey for a wedding shower for her friend Anita. That left the little man and I alone to pack up the remaining dozen or so boxes, and supervise the movers who had come to handle the furniture. With an empty house, … Continue reading
Running down a dream
We are off to NYC on Saturday to run the half marathon there. It will be our first time running together since we did our first half in Miami back in early 2009, and the first time we will have a pint-sized cheering section on the sidelines!
Italy
We are in Pescara Italy this week, for work and hopefully to find our new home for the next few months… Stay tuned for more Italian adventures…
Pat’s Most Excellent Motorcycle Adventure
To celebrate the pending “expansion” of PatandMeg.com, Meghan was kind enough to let Pat tear across the country on his motorcycle, and play the mud with a bunch of other goofballs for the weekend in Colorado. You can follow his adventures on on Advrider, complete with witty commentary and stunning (well, mostly mediocre) photography. You … Continue reading
China Update
I know, I know, I’ve been pretty bad with updates on this trip, despite being gone for a month. There were several highlights to this visit: my first trip to Beijing, two visits to the Great Wall, a side trip to Xi’an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors and most exciting, Meghan joining me for … Continue reading
China Update: YOU BUY NOW!
It has been just about a week since I arrived back in Shenzhen, China for my 3 week trip. I started this trip with an evening in Hong Kong, one of the most futuristic cities I have ever visited. I managed to score a harbor view room at my hotel, which overlooked Victoria Harbor with … Continue reading
Efficiency is Life
One of my favorite aspects of being in China is that I generally don’t have a clue as to what is happening when trying to read or communicate with others. I thought the Chinese language would be a bit like a pictograph, a more advanced version of hieroglyphics perhaps. While you might not initially know … Continue reading
China Trip: Day One
I arrived safely in Hong Kong last night after the 14 hour flight. Despite the length it was not too bad; I managed to get a lot of reading done as well as catch up on a recent James Bond movie. The Hong Kong airport was easy to navigate, and despite some minor missteps I … Continue reading
Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway
A couple of weeks ago a friend and I took a trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the premier motorcycle roads on the east coast. Rather than recount the entire trip here, you can follow the link for the ride report at Adventure Rider.
The Mighty have Fallen
It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a good travel rant, and after a long (and delightful) absence from the friendly skies, Monday morning marked my return to that ethereal entity know as “the road.” I’ve picked up a new client that promises some interesting international travel, but the experience kicked off with a … Continue reading
Back from Paradise (Island that is)
I got back from the Bahamas yesterday afternoon around 5. It was a great trip, and the resort was really nice. I stayed at Atlantis, and it’s almost a self-contained city. They have 5 hotels on the property, four of which are almost Vegas-size. Two of the larger towers have what looks like a huge … Continue reading
A (Monkey) Business Trip
I am sitting in the lobby of the Embassy Suites "Outdoor World" hotel, located near the Dallas airport, and in the middle of nowhere, save for a gigantic Bass Pro shop next door. We are here for a convention of Meghan’s school network, and why a bunch of young fun-loving teachers decided to hold their … Continue reading
Driving in the City of Lights
I spent the first week of December in Paris for work, and decided I would rent a car to get around. For some odd reason, I rather enjoy driving in foreign cities. First, there is the difference in vehicles, with most countries have vastly smaller cars than the US, from the go-cart like machine we … Continue reading
Trip from Hell – The final chapter
Running on Mountain Dew and sheer stubbornness, I pulled my trusty rental truck into our driveway around 5:30AM and hunkered down for the night. I was tired and, how you say, not so fresh, and was asleep before hitting the pillow. The next day brought a call from the Charlotte airport. They had my bag … Continue reading
The Trip from Hell, Sponsored by US Airways, Part 2
The sunset of Part 1 left our weary traveller at the Philadelphia Marriott, approximately 500 miles from his final destination, without a suitcase, hoping for a better day. The next morning started well, despite a return to work clothing that I had been wearing in a hot airplane for most of the previous day. I … Continue reading
The Trip from Hell, Sponsored by US Airways, Part 1
The horror that is the summer travel season of 2007 has finally claimed it’s first victim from PatandMeg.com. As many of you know, I travel on a nearly weekly basis, and have indulged in most of the major airlines. I’ve had some nasty experiences before, but sit right back and you’ll hear a tale of … Continue reading