As for the initial question concerning 'time freezing', I'd like to add my two cents which is just confirming what has already been similarly stated. Let's say you 'could' travel with the photon, for the sake of making an analogy (CAUTION: I say the following 'very loosely'): try not to think of time as 'freezing' for the photon, instead let's say that it does not really 'apply' anymore, if you will. 'At' the speed of light, the 'rest of the world' will 'freeze' because you are traveling 'at the speed of time'. I am NOT saying that you can travel backwards in time however, because we would start violating the law of entropy. To you, at speed c, traveling a great distance would seem to happen instantaneously.
I now subject my words to the PF guillotine as I press the "Submit Reply" button...