We have been watching the weather closely, as we have a limited window in terms of our time off and our wanting to visit some of the galleries and museums in New Orleans before they close for the holidays. It looks like we can expect snow flurries off and on until we reach Cincinnati, OH tonight but if the forecast is correct we should have great weather the rest of the trip.
Pookie our lovable toy poodle ready to go!
This is also Pookie's first big road trip. Pookie is our toy poodle and a rescue dog. He does not love the car and our one previous experience of having him stay with us in a hotel was not particularly positive, however, he is always up for an adventure and loves going for walks and hanging out with us - so we have booked doggie friendly accommodation, have lots of treats and his favorite blanket.
We are also somewhat vacation challenged. Other people seem to be able to relax on the beach, hit the golf course, sleep in or just hang out. But not us! Our vacations have always been task oriented and typically are a few days tagged on to a research trip, business trip or a conference. This trip is no exception.
I just finished my PhD comprehensive exam so we both needed a break. Two of my research interests lie in the globalization of art and the international biennial phenomenon as well as audience engagement with contemporary art. As a result I have been quite interested in the biennial Prospect New Orleans. The inaugural Prospect I opened in November 2008. Prospect II was originally slated to open November 2010, but has been rescheduled to 2011. So this year Prospect New Orleans together with a number of New Orleans galleries and museums have organized a series of exhibitions as Prospect 1.5 running November 6 2010 - February 19, 2011. Unfortunately, we will have just missed PhotoNOLA, the annual celebration of photography which just ended on December 11th and DesCours the annual architecture, design and installation art event that concluded on the 12th.
So, while our time in New Orleans will no doubt be spent walking around the city, visiting galleries and looking at art, we are going to spend the time driving to and from New Orleans collecting data for part of a research project that Phil is involved with which concerns the health and safety of long-haul truck drivers.
Trucks on westbound 401 between Waterloo, ON and London, ON
Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea are some of the health issues that are of concern to truck drivers, their families and the companies they work for. In the initial pilot phase of this project survey questionnaires were administered to almost 200 drivers at a truck stop outside Toronto. However, for this part of the project we are interested in the actual driver experience.
Trucks on westbound 401 between Waterloo, ON and London, ON
While we are not truck drivers, we wanted to use our trip to get a glimpse into the lives and experiences of these long haul drivers. We wanted to see for ourselves what sorts of food options these drivers have if they are restricted primarily to truck stops. What services are offered for drivers at these stops? What is it like to live on the road? Without being an actual driver, we wanted to see if we could get a better understanding of some of the issues and concerns these drivers face.
401 between London, ON and Windsor, ON
So, our goal is to stop only at truck stops and to see how easy or difficult it is to find fresh, healthy and nutritious food on the road.
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