A geeks vacation plans just got firmed up. I have to admit some of these look real good.
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'POPULAR SCIENCE' LISTS 'GEEKY GETAWAYS': Popular Science magazine has a list of "geeky getaways" in its May issue, vacation ideas that could appeal to those who love science.

Iowa's Great Ape Trust (Des Moines) -- The largest great ape research facility in North America, with 13 apes. Membership to the trust gets visitors a tour and special lectures.

The Wildlife Research Institute (Ely, Minnesota) -- Four-day black bear field study courses are offered.

Alcor Life Extension Foundation (Scottsdale, Arizona)-- Facility where people who have died are cryogenically frozen, including Baseball great Ted Williams. Tours are available.

Body Farms (University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Texas State University-San Marcos, and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee) -- Learn about crime-sleuthing and forensic-anthropology skills at these body farms, where scientists observe how donated bodies decay.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, California) -- Free tours of the lab are offered, including the Space Simulator and the Marscape where rovers practice.

Soudon Underground Laboratory (Mine State Park in Minnesota) -- Travel 2,400 feet down to see an underground atom smasher.

Tsunami Research Center (Oregon State University in Corvallis) -- Watch huge waves being generated, including in a 350,000-gallon tank.

Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (University of California-San Diego, University of Buffalo, New York, and University of Nevada at Reno) -- Observe huge earthquake simulators.

Okay, the atom smasher thing sounds cool!

OOH, I would LOVE to go to one of the body farms. Especially after reading one of my favorite books that I've mentioned before:
Stiff - The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers.

I don't know if you're kidding or not Mrs M., but I just strolled over to Amazon.com and bought a used copy for $2.48.

There's another used copy at $2.48 available as well. Andrew?

I remember that Stiff - The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers came up on this board almost two years ago, when we were discussing the Body Worlds exhibit that was being shown at OMSI at the time.

If I were feeling a bit daring, I might visit one of these cadaver farms, despite the idea of coming face-to-face with rotting flesh seeming pretty disgusting to me. If I were to smell the decomposing cadavers, then I might toss my cookies.

Alfredo, You could come over to my house and prepare yourself by changing and disposing of some diapers (Baby M's, not mine). The kid refuses to potty train...sigh.

Skep, you will enjoy "Stiff".

Anybody know how to clean breakfast out of a keyboard?

I guess my idea of an ideal geek vacation would be like the one that Scott Fybush takes...travel around the country to visit various tower sites:

http://fybush.com/featuredsite.html

Jr. Tech- Those pictures made my eyes moist. Thank you.

One of my favorite geeky getaways from the index at the bottom of the page would have been Mt Washington site:

http://www.fybush.com/site-030220.html

But with the move of the TV transmitters and the fire a few years ago, it has lost some of its attraction.