Thursday, September 20, 2012
Vegas Bachelor Party!
C'mon, do you really expect me to write the details about a bachelor party in Sin City?! Let's just say there were no pictures take for good reason. We certainly enjoyed the city and most of what it has to offer. We were there Friday night through Sunday night and I left around noon on Monday, back to my home state.
Crater and Dam, Hello Vegas
I had gone to sleep in the Walmart parking lot at 2:30 am and was hoping to sleep in a little later. Unfortunately, when the sun comes up and you're in a car with windows, it's hard to sleep much past dawn. I pulled a shirt over my face and squeezed out another 45 minutes of sleep before getting up a little groggy. After a caffeinated revival at the local coffee shop I hit the road for the Meteor Crater outside Winslow. I had been to the crater before as a little kid but I wanted to check it out with adult eyes.
The crater is privately owned but they've done a really good job with the museum there. It's the best preserved meteor crater in the world, partly due to the low moisture of the Arizona desert not eroding the sides, as well being relatively young at "only" 50,000 years old. It's an incredibly massive landmark and you can see how much the rim arose from the flat desert as you drive up the side to the parking lot. They even have a real piece of the meteor our on display for you to touch. It was cool to touch it but also reminded me of stalactites and stalagmites in caves where they used to let tourists touch and break off pieces. Hopefully one day the park service will get a hand on it and be able to preserve it because already many of the features on the top of this meteorite are smoothed down from people touching it. I watched the movie, walked with the tour down to the observation deck a short distance within the crater, and was awed by its size. The crater has been used by NASA for moon walk equipment tests and several other experiments and the history of these outings was fun to see in the museum.
After a bit I got a sandwich and hit the road, encountering a quick but exciting rain storm that did a good job of washing off the car. Several uneventful hours passed as I continued to get deeper into Steinbeck's East of Eden, which by now had become one of my favorite books ever. Eventually I got to the Arizona - Nevada state line and crossed the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. It was completed in 2010 and caused me to completely pass by Hoover Dam without realizing it, since the concrete sidewalls are tall to block the speedy winds coming down the canyon.
I pulled over and walked out on the bridge which provided a spectacular view of Hoover Dam. Then on my return took the last unique state sign picture of the trip. I drove down to the Dam and across it, parking on the other side to get out and walk across it as well. The dam is enormous and looking down the face of it was a bit daunting. It's been described as one of the engineering marvels of the world and I have to agree. Did you know the concrete at the center is still hardening and there's enough of it to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York? Yes, it's pretty impressive.
I walked back and hopped in the car, Vegas bound. Once I got there I picked up the bachelor, Adrian, and another friend Chris and we went to the hotel. I'll leave the rest for another post...
The crater is privately owned but they've done a really good job with the museum there. It's the best preserved meteor crater in the world, partly due to the low moisture of the Arizona desert not eroding the sides, as well being relatively young at "only" 50,000 years old. It's an incredibly massive landmark and you can see how much the rim arose from the flat desert as you drive up the side to the parking lot. They even have a real piece of the meteor our on display for you to touch. It was cool to touch it but also reminded me of stalactites and stalagmites in caves where they used to let tourists touch and break off pieces. Hopefully one day the park service will get a hand on it and be able to preserve it because already many of the features on the top of this meteorite are smoothed down from people touching it. I watched the movie, walked with the tour down to the observation deck a short distance within the crater, and was awed by its size. The crater has been used by NASA for moon walk equipment tests and several other experiments and the history of these outings was fun to see in the museum.
I pulled over and walked out on the bridge which provided a spectacular view of Hoover Dam. Then on my return took the last unique state sign picture of the trip. I drove down to the Dam and across it, parking on the other side to get out and walk across it as well. The dam is enormous and looking down the face of it was a bit daunting. It's been described as one of the engineering marvels of the world and I have to agree. Did you know the concrete at the center is still hardening and there's enough of it to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York? Yes, it's pretty impressive.
I walked back and hopped in the car, Vegas bound. Once I got there I picked up the bachelor, Adrian, and another friend Chris and we went to the hotel. I'll leave the rest for another post...
Aliens and Native American Art
Waking up in the morning was nice and I used up the last of my eggs with another chip/egg/bell pepper/salsa scramble. Pretty soon I was back on the road after what was probably my last night of camping for the trip.
The quick drive up to Roswell resulted in a stop at the International UFO Museum. I've heard the story of the Roswell Incident many times so the idea wasn't new to me. They did have a ton of material there, but most of it was further "he said, she said, he knew someone who said, she heard of someone who knew someone who said..." so there wasn't much that was actually informative for me but it was a fun stop nonetheless. I watched a few minutes of a movie there, checked out the gift shop, and was back on the road for Santa Fe.
Arriving in the New Mexico capital the scenery started to change. The flat desert faded away and mountains began to rise signaling the beginning of the legendary Rockies. I hadn't seen the Rockies since Montana and they were much different up there but it was still a welcome sight to be back with some trees and vistas. I believe I've shared this quote before but it hit home again and provided some comfort:
"...for going to the mountains is like going home." - John Muir
Santa Fe was everything I expected it to be. Most of the buildings were designed in the pueblo style with adobe and dark exposed beams and the art scene was phenomenal. Along the square were dozens of vendors and the city had a partnership with local Native Americans for them to be able to sit on one of the wide sidewalks and sell their art. I've never seen so much beautiful jewelry in one place! I got a turquoise pendant for Steph since it was nearing a year since we first started dating, and continued to check out the rugs, pottery, and leather works in the shops.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay as long as I would have liked. Being that I was going to Vegas and I had just recently found out about it, I didn't have any clothes that would be appropriate for the club scene. I did some shopping there in Santa Fe and got a few items that would work for the weekend but also that I liked and wear out after as well. After some rushed shopping I was back on the road, eventually cruising through Albuquerque at sunset.
I stopped at a Denny's for a real meal since snacking on carrots and chips and salsa all day was not working so well for my stomach. I downed some coffee and got back on the road, trying to make it a long night so my next day into Vegas would be a little shorter. I took a side road near the Arizona border to try and get a state sign picture but there wasn't one. I did play around with the long exposure a bit more and came up with a couple interesting pics of the night sky with a full moon and the interstate close by. I also succeeded in getting my state sign picture near the Arizona Welcome Center. It's by far the weirdest state sign picture given that it's at night and I decided to wear the Sleep No More mask from NY that Steph and I got. The end of the night, which happened to be after 2 am, found me at a Walmart just inside Arizona where I had a few companions and tried to get some shut-eye before Vegas tomorrow!
The quick drive up to Roswell resulted in a stop at the International UFO Museum. I've heard the story of the Roswell Incident many times so the idea wasn't new to me. They did have a ton of material there, but most of it was further "he said, she said, he knew someone who said, she heard of someone who knew someone who said..." so there wasn't much that was actually informative for me but it was a fun stop nonetheless. I watched a few minutes of a movie there, checked out the gift shop, and was back on the road for Santa Fe.
"...for going to the mountains is like going home." - John Muir
Santa Fe was everything I expected it to be. Most of the buildings were designed in the pueblo style with adobe and dark exposed beams and the art scene was phenomenal. Along the square were dozens of vendors and the city had a partnership with local Native Americans for them to be able to sit on one of the wide sidewalks and sell their art. I've never seen so much beautiful jewelry in one place! I got a turquoise pendant for Steph since it was nearing a year since we first started dating, and continued to check out the rugs, pottery, and leather works in the shops.
I stopped at a Denny's for a real meal since snacking on carrots and chips and salsa all day was not working so well for my stomach. I downed some coffee and got back on the road, trying to make it a long night so my next day into Vegas would be a little shorter. I took a side road near the Arizona border to try and get a state sign picture but there wasn't one. I did play around with the long exposure a bit more and came up with a couple interesting pics of the night sky with a full moon and the interstate close by. I also succeeded in getting my state sign picture near the Arizona Welcome Center. It's by far the weirdest state sign picture given that it's at night and I decided to wear the Sleep No More mask from NY that Steph and I got. The end of the night, which happened to be after 2 am, found me at a Walmart just inside Arizona where I had a few companions and tried to get some shut-eye before Vegas tomorrow!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Speeding Through the Southwest
After leaving Austin I had a long day of driving to get to New Mexico. The driving started early at around 8 am so that I could hopefully make it to Carlsbad Caverns before they closed at 3:30 pm. The road was loooong, hot, and severely boring. Thankfully I had been convinced the night before by Al's friend Kendall to utilize books on tape and that it was the only way to drive long stretches. Remembering my sister's recommendation of Steinbeck's East of Eden, I spent most of the drive through the rest of Texas engrossed in literature centered in the Central Valley of CA. Although this made me zone out and pass by scenery even more than before, I did pause the story for a bit to reflect on how miserable bike touring through this area would be. The distances between towns were days long via bike and it was hot with no stops to refuel water. Aside from merciful traffic you were on your own out here and I reflected on the relative fortunes of my Northern, more populated route.
Eventually I made it into New Mexico and finally to Carlsbad. I would have been late if not for the hour I gained when entering Mountain Time Zone since even with the change I made it with 5 minutes to spare. I got the last ticket into the natural entrance to the caves and started making my way down the trail. The switchbacks down into the mouth of the cave were a bit ominous with the darkness gradually swallowing me from the openness of the afternoon sun. As I walked further down the temperature dropped and I took my sunglasses off.
I had gone to Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana just a couple months ago but Carlsbad is completely different. The size itself is inspiring and was made even more present by the quiet engulfing me. Down in the earth I was the only sound besides some water drops, especially since I was the last person allowed into the natural entrance. The trail was perfectly lit, enough to see your way and the notable features but not more light than was absolutely necessary to achieve those goals. I played around with some long exposure pictures with my simple point-and-shoot camera and had a great time exploring.
It took me a little over an hour to reach the Big Room and once there I joined several other people who had been able to take the elevator down to just explore that room. This area was even more impressive than the rooms and features along the descent and I was struck by just how fast and ongoing it was. It's not one single enormous room but rather a series of rooms and areas connected by large corridors so each turn you take reveals more. To give you a sense of the size, the walk around the perimeter of the Big Room took me just over an hour and I was keeping a decent pace.
Once back on top I continued to Brantley Lake State Park where I was the only person in the Primitive Campground. I set up the tent without the fly, excited to finally have a cool, dry night and camping with a clear night sky. Dinner was a medley of chips, bell pepper, eggs, and salsa and I experimented more with the camera and the nearly full moon, yielding this pic of me at camp with the Corolla and three stars of the Big Dipper in the background. I'm excited for Santa Fe tomorrow and to see more of the Southwest.
I had gone to Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana just a couple months ago but Carlsbad is completely different. The size itself is inspiring and was made even more present by the quiet engulfing me. Down in the earth I was the only sound besides some water drops, especially since I was the last person allowed into the natural entrance. The trail was perfectly lit, enough to see your way and the notable features but not more light than was absolutely necessary to achieve those goals. I played around with some long exposure pictures with my simple point-and-shoot camera and had a great time exploring.
It took me a little over an hour to reach the Big Room and once there I joined several other people who had been able to take the elevator down to just explore that room. This area was even more impressive than the rooms and features along the descent and I was struck by just how fast and ongoing it was. It's not one single enormous room but rather a series of rooms and areas connected by large corridors so each turn you take reveals more. To give you a sense of the size, the walk around the perimeter of the Big Room took me just over an hour and I was keeping a decent pace.
Once back on top I continued to Brantley Lake State Park where I was the only person in the Primitive Campground. I set up the tent without the fly, excited to finally have a cool, dry night and camping with a clear night sky. Dinner was a medley of chips, bell pepper, eggs, and salsa and I experimented more with the camera and the nearly full moon, yielding this pic of me at camp with the Corolla and three stars of the Big Dipper in the background. I'm excited for Santa Fe tomorrow and to see more of the Southwest.
Time in Tejas
After dropping Ariel off at the airport I tried to get to the Tabasco factory but they were closed. The plant and the ecological preserve on Avery Island seemed well worth a stop so I'll add it the the massive list of things to see for next time I'm crossing the country. I continued through Louisiana and into Texas where, given my strong aversion to setting up a tent in the dark that night, I found a rest area outside of Houston and hunkered down in the car. You can imagine it's not the most comfortable sleep to be in the passenger seat of a vehicle on a balmy Texas night so I woke up a few times throughout the night. Each time I was surprised how many people were either resting as well or had stopped for a bathroom break. Families and and all sorts of people were busy at 1 am, 3 am, and 7 am when I got started and left for Austin.
Austin turned out to be the fun city it's advertised as. I met my sister's friend Natalia for lunch when I got in town and she recommended Barton Springs so after some food I checked it out, hoping to beat the heat. The $3 entrance fee was well worth it and I enjoyed swimming and wading in the cool water of the springs that have been corralled into a nice public pool. People were doing flips off the diving board and laughing, all around it was a great time. I then drove over to Natalia's and showered before heading back out to explore the town. We met up again for pizza and some local brews and she gave me a few directions to wander such as Sixth Street which is the main attraction and it has a few different elements. There are sports bars and live music clubs and venues near the downtown, and then some hipster bars and interesting eateries on the east side of the interstate. It was still a little early in the night so most music hadn't gotten started so I pretty much just wandered.
After doing a little Facebook browsing I found out that Al from NOLA was having a "hurrication" here in Austin with a couple of her friends to avoid Hurricane Isaac which was supposed to touch down that night. I sent her a message and the four of us met up at a bar with a couple others. It was nice to see a couple familiar faces since my hostess for the evening was busy in band practice, and we had a couple beers and chatted.
Later on in the night the music picked up and I was pretty thrilled with the overall scene. It's called the "Live Music Capital of the World" and I can now see why. I'm not sure I could live in Austin for the lack of recreation outside the city and the stifling heat, but it sure was fun to spend some time in such a vibrant night scene.
Austin turned out to be the fun city it's advertised as. I met my sister's friend Natalia for lunch when I got in town and she recommended Barton Springs so after some food I checked it out, hoping to beat the heat. The $3 entrance fee was well worth it and I enjoyed swimming and wading in the cool water of the springs that have been corralled into a nice public pool. People were doing flips off the diving board and laughing, all around it was a great time. I then drove over to Natalia's and showered before heading back out to explore the town. We met up again for pizza and some local brews and she gave me a few directions to wander such as Sixth Street which is the main attraction and it has a few different elements. There are sports bars and live music clubs and venues near the downtown, and then some hipster bars and interesting eateries on the east side of the interstate. It was still a little early in the night so most music hadn't gotten started so I pretty much just wandered.
After doing a little Facebook browsing I found out that Al from NOLA was having a "hurrication" here in Austin with a couple of her friends to avoid Hurricane Isaac which was supposed to touch down that night. I sent her a message and the four of us met up at a bar with a couple others. It was nice to see a couple familiar faces since my hostess for the evening was busy in band practice, and we had a couple beers and chatted.
Later on in the night the music picked up and I was pretty thrilled with the overall scene. It's called the "Live Music Capital of the World" and I can now see why. I'm not sure I could live in Austin for the lack of recreation outside the city and the stifling heat, but it sure was fun to spend some time in such a vibrant night scene.
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