Belfast, Northern Ireland

What an amazing journey Hearsay has had, going from Sydney, Australia to the opposite side of the world. Hearsay was hosted in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Geoffrey Bowman, who along with Rick and several other writers, co-authored a book scheduled for release in 2010.

Along with Geoffrey, one of the places Hearsay visited was the dry dock at Harland & Wolff where the Titanic was built.


Hearsay overlooks the Belfast skyline, which is obviously dominated by the cranes at the Harland & Wolff shipyard.


A better view of the Harland & Wolff cranes ...


This is the Northern Ireland Assembly, which is the country's equivalent of the United States Capital.


A map of Northern Ireland ... Belfast is located on the country's eastern coast.



ESTIMATED TRAVEL BETWEEN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA AND BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND: 10,640 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 30,790 MILES

Sydney, Australia

Yes ... you read that right. Hearsay has made the long, long journey to the land down under, where he's being hosted by Colin Burgess, the editor of a book series to which Rick recently contributed.

The Burgess family took a trip to Sydney and brought Hearsay along for a day of fun in the sun.

Here's Hearsay on a ferry, coming up on the Sydney Harbour Bridge ...


This is a great view of the Sydney skyline, along with the famous Opera House ...


An even better shot of the Opera House ...


Hearsay soaks up the sun on beautiful Manly Beach after a delightful ferry ride from Sydney's Circular Quay ...


A map of Australia ... Sydney is in the southeastern part of the country, on the coast.(http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/pacific/australia)


ESTIMATED TRAVEL FROM YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA TO SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: 9,550 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 20,150 MILES

Bratislava, Slovakia

We haven't mentioned Hearsay's European cousin, Habeas, before, have we? Habeas lives in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia.

He recently went on a tour of the city, and sent back these photos.
This is a panoramic view of Bratislava.


Here's Habeas at a World War II memorial in Bratislava.


This castle dates to the eighth century. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

Here in the background is St. Martin's Cathedral, where 13 Austrian and Hungarian kings were coronated during the Turkish occupation of Budapest in the Middle Ages.


Finally, Habeas overlooks a bridge over the river Danube, with a round, UFO-shaped restaurant on top.


Bratislava is located on the western edge of Slovakia, near the border with Austria. (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/europe/slovakia)

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

OK ... so Hearsay has been to some pretty cool places in the last few months, but this installment pretty much takes the cake. Here, our intrepid traveler was able to make his way to the Space Shuttle Launch Pad B at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This is Hearsay at the base of what's known as the External Tank (the rust-colored tank in the middle) and the Solid Rocket Boosters that would launch Endeavor into space. There wouldn't be much of Hearsay left if he happened to be in this spot during an actual liftoff.



That leads to this view, of the very top of the External Tank and the Florida coastline ...

Finally, Hearsay winds up just outside Endeavor itself, and is shown here in front of the spacecraft's Forward Reaction Control System.


ESTIMATED TRAVEL FROM HERMITAGE, TENNESSEE TO YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: 330 MILES

ESTIMATED ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA AND KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA: 1,060 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 10,600 MILES

Nashville, Tennessee

Joe Estep took Hearsay on a whirlwind tour of Nashville. Here's just a few of the hot spots they hit in and around town ...


The legendary Ryman Auditorium, the longtime home of the Grand Ole Opry.


Of course, Nashville wouldn't be Nashville without Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl!!!

Franklin, Tennessee

Hearsay continues on his adventures with our friend, Jennifer Estep. Here, he's shown with Rick's best friend since high school and Jen's brother, Joe Estep, at The Bunganut Pig Pub & Eatery in Franklin, Tenn., just outside Nashville.

What exactly is a bunganut pig? Good question. There IS an explanation, and it has something to do with a pig going to school at Oxford.

At any rate, Hearsay got to hang out with Joe and Jen, and even members of the band they went to see. There are a few rumors concerning where Hearsay will be next, so stay tuned.

ESTIMATED TRAVEL BETWEEN CLEVELAND, OHIO AND FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE: 480 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 9,540 MILES

Cleveland, Ohio

Who would've thought that Hearsay would ever wind up in Cleveland, Ohio? Well, he did, thanks to Jennifer Estep, a good friend of Rick's who lives in Hermitage, Tenn., just outside Nashville. Jen is the sister of Rick's best friend from high school, Joe Estep, and she's the daughter of Rick's adopted godmother, Sandi Estep.

I guess that makes her Rick's godsister, right?

Jennifer was in Cleveland on business, and she took Hearsay along for the ride. Hearsay, along with Jen's friend Mike Kerestesy, was able to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

ESTIMATED TRAVEL FROM RED BOILING SPRINGS, TENNESSEE TO CLEVELAND, OHIO: 850 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 9,060 MILES

Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee

Hearsay couldn't wait to get back out and about, and wound up in Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., about 75 miles northeast of Nashville.

Red Boiling Springs is known for ... well ... it's hard to say just what Red Boiling Springs is known for. In the 1920s, the community featured some 1,500 motel rooms for those visiting the mineral bath.

ESTIMATED ROUND-TRIP FROM YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA TO RED BOILING SPRINGS, TENNESSEE: 290 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 8,160 MILES

Ormond Beach, Florida

After a traditional first-stop dinner at the Olive Garden in Ormond Beach, Hearsay couldn't help but head down to the ocean. There's something majestic about the ocean, something soothing and peaceful.

ESTIMATED ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA AND ORMOND BEACH, FLORIDA: 960 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 7,870

Florida State Line

It took a while, but Hearsay finally made to the Florida state line on his way to Daytona.

Georgia State Line

After going through South Carolina on the way to Daytona, Hearsay hit Georgia.

South Carolina State Line

After spending a total of 15 hours in airports going to and coming home from New Hampshire (no, really ... 15 hours!!!), Hearsay was more than happy to drive to Daytona.

Yes, it was the Fourth of July. But, sometimes, a monkey just has to do what a monkey just has to do. All in all, it's an easy 550-mile drive. First, Hearsay went through South Carolina ...

Loudon, New Hampshire

Hearsay waits for the start of the June 2008 Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.

ESTIMATED ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA AND LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE: 1,400 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 6,910 MILES

Manchester, New Hampshire

In what might very well be the coolest view he's ever had on the road, Hearsay's hotel room in Manchester overlooks left field at the home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Play ball!!!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia.

The City of Brotherly Love, home of the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and ... as Jesse Houston was so quick to point out ... Rocky Balboa. More importantly, Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Liberty Bell is here, too.

Somewhere.

Despite what would eventually become a 5 1/2-hour layover (that's another story entirely), Hearsay wasn't able to get out and see the sights of this incredible city. Maybe next time. In the photo above, Hearsay stops for a quick photo between gates. The plane in the background, the one with the light-blue tail, features the logo of the Carolina Panthers.

Amazingly, there were no Philly fans standing at the gate, booing the plane.

Sonoma, California

With the field rolling down the frontstretch behind him, Hearsay gets ready for the start of the 2008 Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

ESTIMATED ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA AND SONOMA/SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: 4,600 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL: 5,510 MILES

San Francisco, California

After a 4 a.m. wakeup call to hit the road -- or the airways, whichever the case may be -- Hearsay finally made it to the San Francisco area Saturday afternoon, California time.

Hearsay's first stop was the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Opened in 1937, the legendary structure would cost approximately $1.2 billion in today's currency. At 4,200 feet in length, it's the seventh-longest suspension bridge in the world.

And ... there are 600,000 rivets in each of the bridge's famous towers. In the top photo, Hearsay gets a little help from a fellow tourist overlooking the bridge.

In the second photo, Hearsay is shown with Alcatraz Island in the background (just to the right of his ear). For years one of the most notorious prisons in the world, Alcatraz was "home" to a host of infamous criminals -- Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz."

At least three movies have been based on the island -- Escape From Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood; The Rock, with Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris; and Murder in the First, with Christian Slater and Kevin Bacon.

Brooklyn, Michigan

Somehow, Hearsay managed to sneak past security guards to make his way into the production truck for TNT's pre-race show in Michigan.

The truck is pretty amazing, with monitors and speakers and computers and Heaven only knows how many wires running all over the place. There's a green room for on-air talent to rest and relax ... and hey, comedian Bill Engvall was just spotted outside.

How cool is that?

ESTIMATED ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN YADKINVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA AND BROOKLYN/ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN: 910 MILES

TOTAL TRAVEL 910 MILES

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Hearsay is shown here just outside Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

Normally, the facility is known as "The Big House," and for good reason. With an official seating capacity of more than 108,000, the home turf of the University of Michigan is HUGE. A crowd of 112,118 on hand for a 2003 game against archrival Ohio State still ranks as the largest in the history of NCAA football.

However, for North Carolinians, Michigan Stadium is better known as the place where Appalachian State University put a whuppin' on the Wolverines on Sept. 1, 2007. Go Mountaineers!!!