Head Out On The Highway...: September 2008

Sometimes miracles happen. Last night, completely out of the blue, She Who Must Be Obeyed turned round and suggested that some time next year, I take a month off and go somewhere with my cameras. My initial response was to ask how much wine she'd had to drink, which was possibly not the best response, but heh.

Turns out she's thinking of inviting out my mother-in-law to come visit from England and spend some quality time with the grandkids. I'm told everyone will be happier if I go off on a trip for a month. I'm not going to object.

Anyway, she did put some conditions on the trip:

It's got to be something productive - so no sitting on a beach in Cancun. That means I've either got to take some more pictures I can sell, or it has to drive traffic to one or more of our web sites, or something...
I need internet access at least every few days so I can make sure bills etc are paid (so no backpacking through the Sahara or to one of the Poles I guess).
I'm not allowed to get captured by FARC rebels (so scratch the dirt-biking in the jungles of Columbia idea), and I'm not allowed to get arrested (or if I am, not jailed, I need to be back home by the end of the month). I'm not allowed to be eaten by a bear. She stressed it has to be something relatively safe. Why she had to emphasise this I have no clue.
It has to be during school time, I need to be at home for school holidays for the kids (actually, I'd make sure I was there for the kids regardless, they always come first).
I can't do the African safari, because she wants to come.

The fact she came straight out with these conditions shows that she'd been thinking about it for a while, and also shows to some extent what she thinks of me. Oh well.

Anyway, I'm looking for ideas.

A month isn't long enough to ride the Pan American Highway on a motorbike (it would take me a week to ride to the starting point in Anchorage alone from Austin).

Road trip to Alaska is a distinct possibility (although that's a trip she wants to do as well, so might get some resistance there - she'll possibly try to classify that one as an "African Safari" and exclude it).

Going to Europe is a distinct option - haven't been to a European F1 race in 16 years, and have never been to Spa, Monza or Monaco. Haven't been to Farnborough Air Show for 20 years, so renting a motorbike for a month and touring round Europe between events is very appealing.

I've also always wanted to go to China, but need to research that much better.

I'm interested primarily in Travel (not a city person though), wildlife, and motorsports. Suggestions welcome.