Razor Rover

5 posts

Traveling Niagara Falls in the Razor Rover

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For our last stop of the road trip, we saved the best for last: It was an amazing, beautiful, and refreshing dream come true to finally see an internet connection on my iPhone!

Yeah, we had no phone or internet reception in Canada, and had to catch WIFI just so I could post #RazorRover photos.

New York was just across the border from Niagara Falls in Ontario, but I thought I may have to swim a few feet closer toward America to get the internet service on my phone to work.

Thankfully, Stosh thought of better way to do that – turn the Razor Rover into the Razor ROWER! So, I did. And it worked! That’s when Stosh & Anya took this photo of me celebrating internet euphoria at Niagara Falls!

This concludes the Razor Rover trip to Canada. The first Razor Rover trip was in San Francisco, in March. Live-tweets of the #RazorRover are on Twitter and Instagram. Check out the previous stops we made along this trip here:

3. Traveling Toronto in the Razor Rover
2. Traveling Kalamazoo, MI in the Razor Rover
1. Traveling Indiana Dunes in the Razor Rover

More Razor Rover adventures to come!

Traveling Toronto in the Razor Rover

I can officially say I’ve been to a different country. (Although, I’m from Ukraine and live in the U.S., I’ve spent enough time in both of these countries to consider them both homes.)

Me driving the Razor Rover in Toronto, Canada
Look, I really am in Canada!

When we’re not getting high on fresh air, we’re getting up high on tall buildings. We got to the 114th floor of the The CN Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world, or something. I tried to figure out what rank of tallness exactly, and then instantly regretted it. Don’t even bother looking at the debates about CN Tower and Willis Sears Tower unless you enjoy being queasy from thinking about technicalities. Basically, I was in a tall building in Canada! Wee!

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The view from the CN Tower in Toronto – I think I can see Chicago from here!

Earlier this year, I made a resolution to see more places and made a goal to visit at least one state I’ve never been to. And so far this year, I’ve visited 3 new states AND a new country!

A couple years ago, when I finally became a U.S. citizen, I got a shiny U.S. Passport (which is pretty much the MULTIPASS in travel) so I gotta make good use of it.

The first Razor Rover trip was in San Francisco, in March. Check the blog tomorrow to see the final stop of this road trip!

Traveling Kalamazoo, MI in the Razor Rover

Stosh, Anya, and I traveling in the Razor Rover
Me, Anya, Stosh, and Stosh’s microphone traveling in the Razor Rover

When we arrived in Michigan, we found the beautiful Kalamazoo Nature Center. Anya and I roamed around the trails with a camera while Stosh roamed around the trails with a microphone. But interviewing nature wasn’t an easy task because of attention-whore mosquitoes. More like, Kalamazoo MOSQUITO Center.

Sucking in all the fresh air I can get at Kalamazoo Nature Preserve
Sucking in all the fresh air I can get at Kalamazoo Nature Preserve

I don’t usually purchase oxygen, so I don’t know what it typically costs on the market. Breathing the fresh air at the Kalamazoo nature trails was $7 per person. Pretty sure it was 100% pure oxygen.

Thankfully, the Razor Rover doesn’t pollute.

The first Razor Rover trip was in San Francisco, in March. Check the blog tomorrow to see where we headed next!

Traveling Indiana Dunes in the Razor Rover

Anya & Stosh at Indiana Dunes
Anya & Stosh at Indiana Dunes

A couple weeks ago, my friends and I went on the road trip in the Razor Rover from Chicago.

This is Anya and her boyfriend Stosh. We cruised through Indiana Dunes State Park. They seemed to be super excited about a bunch of sand and water and sand and water. You can’t see me in the photo because I fell asleep in the back.

Anya is actually my sister. But she’s my friend, too. Maybe she was adopted, but don’t tell her that.

The first Razor Rover trip was in San Francisco, in March. Check the blog tomorrow to see where we headed next!

Traveling San Francisco in the Razor Rover

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I finally visited San Francisco a few weeks ago. It was a pretty big deal because this was the first time I got to see a palm tree within its natural habitat.

Oh, yeah, and, this is the farthest I’ve ever traveled alone, to a place I haven’t been to, but have been dreaming of visiting for years.

I wanted to do a fun art project for this trip and was inspired by Land Rover. The little car I’m sitting in is the Razor Rover. It’s very lightweight. And no, I didn’t drive all the way to San Francisco from Chicago in it. Because that would’ve been crazy. I flew in on Virgin Airlines, and they are awesome because they let me take Razor Rover in my carry-on.

Oh, yeah, and, because they sing and dance in their airplane safety video and give you free tomato juice.

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Before my trip, I designed Razor Rover, built it out of watercolor paper, and drew the details in with ink markers. Then I took the photos with the help of my iPhone, a fisheye phone-camera lens (thanks, Land Rover!), Joby GripTight Mount, and a bluetooth remote.

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For my 29th birthday, I strolled through the Golden Gate Bridge. I spent  about 4 hours in the area. (One of those hours was spent charging my phone.) It was so windy that I didn’t think I’d be able to get a Razor Rover photo. Thankfully, one of the employees at the gift shop was able to give me a couple strips of tape to secure the Razor Rover to keep me from flying away in it.

There were a lot of people at the bridge that day and I got some weird looks while I was driving Razor Rover. I thought maybe it’s because they wanted a ride. So, I offered. But then they said stuff like, “Uh, that’s okay. Good luck!”

Weirdos.

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At Pier 39, a few people did enjoy Razor Rover. Because it’s such a smooth ride, this guy didn’t even realize he was driving it!

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Here’s me in the Razor Rover, attempting to go where no car has gone before: UPHILL the squiggliest street – Lombard Street.

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When I got to the top, I parked Razor Rover to the side and enjoyed the view from Russian Hill.

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During my first Razor Rover trip, this was the first time I stayed in a hostel, too. The Green Tortoise Hostel SF hallways have this amazing, colorful carpet. During my week-long stay there, I got to meet people from lots of different countries, including England, Australia, Germany, and Italy. Some of them were just enjoying traveling, some were backpacking countries and working temporary jobs, and some were visiting San Francisco for conferences.

RazorRover-Mia

I also met Mia, a glassblower from Finland, because she was staying in the same dorm as me. Here, she is testing out Razor Rover’s cruise control. Look, no hands!

It was her idea was that we should catch the sunset at Ocean Beach.

RazorRover-OceanBeachMia

Mission accomplished!

The Razor Rover trip photos were improvised on-location, and I live-tweeted and live-Instagrammed (it was very-instant, okay?) most of the trip. There will be more Razor Rover adventures in the future, and you’ll be able to see the live updates by following the #RazorRover hashtag from my Twitter & Instagram.