More Preparation

Dan bought a new lens for his camera! The lens that he used for museum work has been failing intermittently for a couple of years, and he finally broke down and replaced it. The key feature of this lens is that it can take pictures in very low light throughout its zoom range ( 2.8 17-55 zoom). Sunday we went to the Legion of Honor Museum to test it out. He really enjoyed the steady and reliable action of the new lens. Here is a sample of the photos he took that day.

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (Venetian, 1696-1770)

The Empire of Flora, ca. 1743

Gift of Samuel H. Kress Foundation

Palace of the Legion of Honor; San Francisco, CA

I bought the latest generation iPad for the trip. It has super fast Verizon connection so its mapping device works great. It also has an HD Video camera that takes excellent video. I discovered Sunday that video is not allowed in museums, even when photos are. Too bad.

Dan made reservations for several more nights yesterday. We're covered up through Bentonville, Arkansas. Only a few more motels to figure out.

We made a similar trip in 2010, but our preparation was inadequate, our car was old, and Dan had problems with his camera. It really pleases me that this year we have time to think everything through in advance. I know most people are into 'spontaneous,' but planning ahead really works for us. To see the detailed itinerary, click here: Itinerary