So here I am, in Northampton, MA. Home of Smith College. It is exactly how you would picture a small New England town home to a small, elite liberal arts women's college: quaint shops and restaurants along the main street, a barn in the adjacent property to Wanda's house. We are soaking in the hospitality of the Deitners.
Tomorrow, Sunday, Paul and I head down to New Haven, about an 1 1/2 hour drive. We have 6 appointments set up. Also, continuing the theme of near strangers helping us in any way they can, Wanda's friend's friend's mother works in real estate in New Haven (what are the odds?) and she has her feelers out to get us a hot deal! Thank you, universe!
This trip had two main reasons for happening. To allow Constantly Burning Fire to tour and so that Paul could move to New Haven with me for my last year of nursing school. People have told me that a trip like this can test a relationship. We had fun. We are still very much in love, still talking to each other. We've been together almost five years now, two breakups, one year of long distance, lost jobs, tough jobs, great jobs, great trips, great shows, Thanksgiving with the family, Christmas with the family. Ready for what's next.
Just before leaving Seattle, Constantly Burning Fire were starting to gain a following, booking shows every week. Seemed an unfortunate time to leave, but sometimes life happens that way. Although, perhaps that is not the unfortunate coincidence. Perhaps the significance here is that I got into Yale, Paul decided to move to New Haven for me, and Tommy decided to move back to Northampton. The two cities aren't far apart. Constantly Burning Fire will burn on. Perhaps even the change in location, lifestyle, culture, will spur creativity and productivity, two ingredients for successful musicians. Two ingredients of many, with those others being good promotion, fans, good management, but hopefully these latter ingredients will be brought in by the former.
This next year has a lot of change for us, but we have arrived at the now.
To quote CBF, from "Star Child", let's take on the world and put on a show.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
In Studio at WIDR and the drive to Northampton
At this point in the trip, the road was starting to feel more and more like the East Coast. That morning in Chicago, we had gotten coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. We saw a Checkers and even a Ground Round. Gone was the vast openness of the West and the dry heat of the desert. We no longer were able to stare out the window at beautiful and unfamiliar landscapes. Even our mindset had changed. One more stop and then it was straight through to Northampton.
Constantly Burning Fire had an in studio performance scheduled at a WIDR, the radio station of Western Michigan University. It was part #10 of their Dead @ WIDR series. Once there the we were told the performance would be part of a podcast and not actually live. This meant FCC rules did not apply so Romanc3 was in the set! To listen to the podcast and learn more about WIDR visit http://www.widr.org/.
WIDR were great hosts: they gave us t-shirts and stickers and even took care of the parking ticket we got thanks to the oh so confusing and ridiculously stict parking rules of a college campus during summer session. In return, CBF left the studio smelling better than they found it by dumping over an energy drink during the performance.
The dancing that the boys have incorporated into their live performances couldn't be stopped despite no audience. They danced and kept most of the choreography that has become so integral to the songs. They did, however, leave behind the costumes and props.
Here is a video of Big Bird Ride.
In, out, and back on the road. Quick stop at an auto parts store, for yet another head light replacement and we were headed to Northampton. The trip was winding down, we were almost there. On the drive through Michigan, Paul and I talked about looking for apartments, how we were going to move my stuff out of my old apartment, what kind of jobs he wanted to look for, school starting up soon. We had enjoyed our past two weeks of wanderlust. The next step of the journey included looking for our first apartment together and setting up our life in New Haven. It would also be the first time Paul lived outside of Washington state in about 16 years. I would be starting my last year of nursing school. Big steps for each of us individually and as a couple.
After several debates, Mapquest searches and consultations with an actual map, we decided to head through Ontario, to I-90 in New York, rather than loop around through Ohio and Pennsylvania. One concern about the Canadian route was that we would be questioned and searched at the border, possibly adding up to two hours to the trip. Due to the condition of the car: broken window, broken head light, beat up paint job, as well as the contents: four people surrounded by bags and stuff, as well as Paul's and my history of questioning at the border, we were prepared for a full on search. Didn't happen, they just waved us through. Easy driving. We adjusted to driving in kilometers per hour and calculating distances in kilometers. When we stopped at a road stop, we bought a Bounty bar, just make the trip special, since you can't get them in the US.
Just before midnight we hit Niagara Falls, at the eastern border. The city of Niagara Falls at midnight is an interesting place. A mix between Vegas and Disney World, maybe a cleaned up
version of Seaside Heights, NJ, for those who know that seashore delight. The streets lie beneath a ferris wheel and a casino atop a tower. There are ice cream stands, fried food stands, a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, as well as a smattering of bars and restaurants, all bathed in neon, leading you to one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls.
The falls are lit up at night. Sara had never seen them, it had been years for Tommy, but Paul and I had just seen them in June. This would be the third time we'd seen them together. As we drove past, they were lit up in yellow and purple, interesting, but by the time we parked the color had changed back to white. The mist from the falls rose above. Quite the pretty sight.
Just at midnight, they turn off the lights on the falls. We piled back in the car, went through the American customs and drove down to Rt 90. Paul and I had been in the front seats until now. Tommy and Sara had agreed to take the overnight shift to get us to Massachusetts and avoid another hotel charge. Paul and I squeezed in the back and were able to sleep the entire way across New York State into Massachusetts. Fueled by coffee, cigarettes, and "loud and fast" music, Tommy was got us there.
I woke up around dawn to see Tommy's red dreadlocks bopping back and forth to Shake, Senora by Harry Belafonte of Beetlejuice fame. We were luckily almost there because it seemed he had crossed some kind of stress point. The landscape had changed to the rolling hills of New England and Upstate New York, the occaisional barn.
We were headed to the house Tommy grew up in Northampton with his mom, Wanda, and his two sisters. We arrived early Friday morning. Wanda greeted us with coffee, eggs, beer and pizza. New England greeted us with humidity, heat, and thunderstorms.
States visited: 14
Provinces visited: 1
Dogs met: 12
Cats met: 10
Birds met: 4
Constantly Burning Fire had an in studio performance scheduled at a WIDR, the radio station of Western Michigan University. It was part #10 of their Dead @ WIDR series. Once there the we were told the performance would be part of a podcast and not actually live. This meant FCC rules did not apply so Romanc3 was in the set! To listen to the podcast and learn more about WIDR visit http://www.widr.org/.
WIDR were great hosts: they gave us t-shirts and stickers and even took care of the parking ticket we got thanks to the oh so confusing and ridiculously stict parking rules of a college campus during summer session. In return, CBF left the studio smelling better than they found it by dumping over an energy drink during the performance.
The dancing that the boys have incorporated into their live performances couldn't be stopped despite no audience. They danced and kept most of the choreography that has become so integral to the songs. They did, however, leave behind the costumes and props.
Here is a video of Big Bird Ride.
In, out, and back on the road. Quick stop at an auto parts store, for yet another head light replacement and we were headed to Northampton. The trip was winding down, we were almost there. On the drive through Michigan, Paul and I talked about looking for apartments, how we were going to move my stuff out of my old apartment, what kind of jobs he wanted to look for, school starting up soon. We had enjoyed our past two weeks of wanderlust. The next step of the journey included looking for our first apartment together and setting up our life in New Haven. It would also be the first time Paul lived outside of Washington state in about 16 years. I would be starting my last year of nursing school. Big steps for each of us individually and as a couple.
After several debates, Mapquest searches and consultations with an actual map, we decided to head through Ontario, to I-90 in New York, rather than loop around through Ohio and Pennsylvania. One concern about the Canadian route was that we would be questioned and searched at the border, possibly adding up to two hours to the trip. Due to the condition of the car: broken window, broken head light, beat up paint job, as well as the contents: four people surrounded by bags and stuff, as well as Paul's and my history of questioning at the border, we were prepared for a full on search. Didn't happen, they just waved us through. Easy driving. We adjusted to driving in kilometers per hour and calculating distances in kilometers. When we stopped at a road stop, we bought a Bounty bar, just make the trip special, since you can't get them in the US.
Just before midnight we hit Niagara Falls, at the eastern border. The city of Niagara Falls at midnight is an interesting place. A mix between Vegas and Disney World, maybe a cleaned up
version of Seaside Heights, NJ, for those who know that seashore delight. The streets lie beneath a ferris wheel and a casino atop a tower. There are ice cream stands, fried food stands, a Ripley's Believe It or Not museum, as well as a smattering of bars and restaurants, all bathed in neon, leading you to one of the wonders of the world, Niagara Falls.The falls are lit up at night. Sara had never seen them, it had been years for Tommy, but Paul and I had just seen them in June. This would be the third time we'd seen them together. As we drove past, they were lit up in yellow and purple, interesting, but by the time we parked the color had changed back to white. The mist from the falls rose above. Quite the pretty sight.
Just at midnight, they turn off the lights on the falls. We piled back in the car, went through the American customs and drove down to Rt 90. Paul and I had been in the front seats until now. Tommy and Sara had agreed to take the overnight shift to get us to Massachusetts and avoid another hotel charge. Paul and I squeezed in the back and were able to sleep the entire way across New York State into Massachusetts. Fueled by coffee, cigarettes, and "loud and fast" music, Tommy was got us there.
I woke up around dawn to see Tommy's red dreadlocks bopping back and forth to Shake, Senora by Harry Belafonte of Beetlejuice fame. We were luckily almost there because it seemed he had crossed some kind of stress point. The landscape had changed to the rolling hills of New England and Upstate New York, the occaisional barn.We were headed to the house Tommy grew up in Northampton with his mom, Wanda, and his two sisters. We arrived early Friday morning. Wanda greeted us with coffee, eggs, beer and pizza. New England greeted us with humidity, heat, and thunderstorms.
States visited: 14
Provinces visited: 1
Dogs met: 12
Cats met: 10
Birds met: 4
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Drive to Chicago
After a some repacking we made the back seat somewhat more comfortable and we were off to Chicago. Tommy could read a book and Sara could relax a bit. Here we are heading through Wisconsin.
The roads through Minnesota and Wisconsin, into Chicago, are much like the highways I've driven for years. There were not any sprawling deserts, mountains, windmills, miles of open landscape. There were trees, traffic, exits and the like. Despite the familiar surroundings, the weather can become somewhat extreme.
We had gotten to Illinois. I was driving. The total trip was expected to take around 6 hours, not to extreme. We all had a good night's sleep, it was about four in the afternoon. Despite the ideal driving conditions, the rain became too intense, so I pulled off to wait it out. As we were sitting at the light just off the exit, we heard a loud shrieking noise. At first we feared it might be the steering, but it didn't seem to be related to driving. Maybe the speakers? No. What was it? It was getting louder and softer in regular waves.
We parked at the gas station, when I had a thought. Maybe it was a tornado warning. Maybe.
Not really all that worried, calmed by ignorance, we sat in the car. Tommy decided to stretch his legs in the store. A few minutes later we got a call from him. The store had been closed. A tornado had been identified. We should come in since the store had a basement.
There were about 12 other travelers there. Bewildered, sharing random pieces of information. The tornado had touched down just a few miles from where we were and was headed to Chicago. We waited a little longer, even after the all clear. A driver came into the store and said he had seen the funnel cloud just off the highway. He couldn't believe what it actually was then heard the siren.
By the time we were back on the road, the rain had relaxed to a drizzle. We continued onto Chicago.
We made it to Annie's and Seth's apartment. They had dinner waiting for us. Thanks so much. Since her band practice had been canceled at the last minute, she invited her band mates over for some beers. We just chilled in their apartment for the evening.
And with this post, I am now up to date. At this time, I am sitting in Annie's and Seth's apartment in Chicago. Paul, Tommy, Sara, Annie, and Seth are sleeping. We take off for Kalamazoo in the morning, then head straight for Massachusetts. The tone has shifted a bit for the trip. We are now focusing on our destination. After enjoying the journey, we are now anticipating its end. But one more show. One more drive.
States visited: 11
Dogs met: 12
Cats met: 9
Birds met: 4
The roads through Minnesota and Wisconsin, into Chicago, are much like the highways I've driven for years. There were not any sprawling deserts, mountains, windmills, miles of open landscape. There were trees, traffic, exits and the like. Despite the familiar surroundings, the weather can become somewhat extreme.We had gotten to Illinois. I was driving. The total trip was expected to take around 6 hours, not to extreme. We all had a good night's sleep, it was about four in the afternoon. Despite the ideal driving conditions, the rain became too intense, so I pulled off to wait it out. As we were sitting at the light just off the exit, we heard a loud shrieking noise. At first we feared it might be the steering, but it didn't seem to be related to driving. Maybe the speakers? No. What was it? It was getting louder and softer in regular waves.
We parked at the gas station, when I had a thought. Maybe it was a tornado warning. Maybe.
Not really all that worried, calmed by ignorance, we sat in the car. Tommy decided to stretch his legs in the store. A few minutes later we got a call from him. The store had been closed. A tornado had been identified. We should come in since the store had a basement.
There were about 12 other travelers there. Bewildered, sharing random pieces of information. The tornado had touched down just a few miles from where we were and was headed to Chicago. We waited a little longer, even after the all clear. A driver came into the store and said he had seen the funnel cloud just off the highway. He couldn't believe what it actually was then heard the siren.
By the time we were back on the road, the rain had relaxed to a drizzle. We continued onto Chicago.
We made it to Annie's and Seth's apartment. They had dinner waiting for us. Thanks so much. Since her band practice had been canceled at the last minute, she invited her band mates over for some beers. We just chilled in their apartment for the evening.
And with this post, I am now up to date. At this time, I am sitting in Annie's and Seth's apartment in Chicago. Paul, Tommy, Sara, Annie, and Seth are sleeping. We take off for Kalamazoo in the morning, then head straight for Massachusetts. The tone has shifted a bit for the trip. We are now focusing on our destination. After enjoying the journey, we are now anticipating its end. But one more show. One more drive.
States visited: 11
Dogs met: 12
Cats met: 9
Birds met: 4
Minneapolis
Early Sunday morning, the caravan of the two cars headed north to Minnesota, for a show in Minneapolis at the Red Sea bar. About 7 hours of driving, through Iowa, straight into Minnesota.
Paul and I found the bar about 4PM. It was in an area often referred to as little Somalia, due to the high numb
er of Somalians that had settled there. The area of town seemed somewhat hip, off the beaten path, what could be described as up and coming. A couple of nice coffee shops, an East African grocery, a theatre, some friendly looking bars. Paul had a friend, Chris, that he had lived with in Seattle, but had relocated to Minneapolis a few years back. He met up with us for dinner before the show.
Russ's girlfriend, Tiffany, was from a suburb of Minneapolis. She had been visiting her parents, so the minivan crew had headed there for a barbeque before the show. They met up with us later.
The bar had a good divey feel to it: Two pool tables, $2.50 for beers during happy hour. The stage was in a separate room, but it was the same size as the bar that could easily fit a hundred people. So the 20 or so patrons that cycled in and out during the show fit comfortably. This show had a sound guy, so the music sounded great throughout. The boys described it as the best sound they had ever had. We could even hear Tamara this time on Star Child!
Paul had put together the line up, three other bands from Minneapolis. The first band, Forest of Men, made up of the lead singer on his 6-string base, a drummer with a full kit, and then a second drummer with a smaller kit. They made it work. They added their own twist to covers such as TLC's Scrubs, White Stripe's Seven Nation Army, and the Pixies. They threw in a few of their own songs. They won us over with their witty sense of humor. The Fundament went second; good solid rock melodies. Constantly Burning Fire played after them and an untitled duo, known as Brent and Mitch, ended the night. Brent created his music through his mixer while Mitch played his six string base. They created unique melodies and sounds that pleased the ears and intrigued the spirit. They served as a great complement to CBF's electronic experimentations.
The show was great, the sound was great, CBF met up with the appreciative and surprised new fans. Despite the great stage and sound guys, the bar had a definite divide. The local bartender didn't charge everyone a cover. Despite the almost full bar, the bands were told they didn't bring in enough people to receive their split of the cover, which is standard practice, however there were more than t13 people there, as the bar claimed. Even with the three people allowed on each band's guest list. There were also no drink tickets. Other than the girls that were there to see the bands, there were not many other females at the establishment. This meant we were subjected to some unwelcome attention from the Somalian men that were there. Next time CBF plays Minneapolis, they will look for another venue.
Not ready to call it a night, but ready for a change of scenery, we head down the street to the Nomad, a comfy bar, completely empty inside, but their patio was full. There were a few hippies in the corner playing guitar and djembe drum while a girl sung. A couple more drinks with Tiffany's friends as well as Brent, then we all head back to Tiffany's parents' house, out in Victoria. They so generously allowed all seven of us to stay with them. We took over the basement. Tommy and Sara in the spare room on the air mattress, Paul and I on the air mattress in the main room of the basement, JR on the couch, Tamara on the loveseat.
So tired from the past few days: Friday, our feet in the Great Salt Lake, Saturday, partying in Nebraska, Sunday, partying in Minnesota. We could finally relax for a few days in Minneapolis.
The next day, Tiffany's mom made pancakes, cooked sausage and bacon and cut up melon for breakfast. Awesome, Angie! Thanks so much. Tiffany's family also offered up about as much Midwestern as anyone could ask for. They let us use their washer and dryer, their detergent. We just chilled at their house, played with their dog. They opened up their home to us.
Later that day, we said good bye to Russ, JR, and Tamara since they were driving back to Seattle. That also meant Tommy and Sara were once again without a ride. They bantered about the idea of a rental car, shipping all their stuff and taking Greyhound and Amtrak the rest of the way. Tommy was ready to just get to Massachusetts. He even contemplated skipping the in studio performance scheduled in Kalamazoo, MI for Thursday. Paul talked him out of it.
The final decision: we would all ship a bunch of stuff to Tommy's place in Massachusetts and Paul and I would take Tommy and Sara the rest of the way. We didn't need the camping equipment anymore. The radio show didn't need the costumes and props so those could go. We had about a week left on the road so we didn't need that much clothing. Mike, Tiffany's dad, had offered to ship the boxes from where he worked. Once again, we are so thankful for the ridiculous amount of help near strangers have been offering us.
We piled in and headed to Chris's apartment in Minneapolis, where we were staying that night. The four of us took over Chris's living room. Once again, thank you so much. With still no plans for Tuesday, Tommy and Paul practiced for the in studio performance, I hung out in a cafe in downtown Minneapolis. Later that evening, Sara made a delicious supper of chicken and veggie alfredo. After dinner, we head down to the Mall of America to see the movie District 9. The largest mall in america, the Mall of America is as much fun as they all say! We had time to kill before the movie started, so we rode the roller coaster. Somewhat tame for a roller coaster, but impressive none the less. And indeed, it was inside of a mall. How much more American can you get? The movie was entertaining and worth seeing if it interests you at all. A fun relaxing evening with the group.
The next stop was Kalamazoo, MI. Janice, Tommy's sister, had spoken with a friend of hers in Chicago, who had offered us her apartment when we came through. Chicago was just a few hours from Kalamazoo, which would work out well, however we hadn't heard anything in a few weeks so we were still in limbo come Wednesday morning. We might be heading to Kalamazoo and getting a hotel, or Chicago. Just as we were packing up our stuff and loading it into the car, we got a car from Annie in Chicago. We were welcome in her home. She even wanted to make us dinner.
States visited: 9
Dogs met: 9
Cats met: 9
Paul and I found the bar about 4PM. It was in an area often referred to as little Somalia, due to the high numb
er of Somalians that had settled there. The area of town seemed somewhat hip, off the beaten path, what could be described as up and coming. A couple of nice coffee shops, an East African grocery, a theatre, some friendly looking bars. Paul had a friend, Chris, that he had lived with in Seattle, but had relocated to Minneapolis a few years back. He met up with us for dinner before the show.Russ's girlfriend, Tiffany, was from a suburb of Minneapolis. She had been visiting her parents, so the minivan crew had headed there for a barbeque before the show. They met up with us later.
The bar had a good divey feel to it: Two pool tables, $2.50 for beers during happy hour. The stage was in a separate room, but it was the same size as the bar that could easily fit a hundred people. So the 20 or so patrons that cycled in and out during the show fit comfortably. This show had a sound guy, so the music sounded great throughout. The boys described it as the best sound they had ever had. We could even hear Tamara this time on Star Child!
Paul had put together the line up, three other bands from Minneapolis. The first band, Forest of Men, made up of the lead singer on his 6-string base, a drummer with a full kit, and then a second drummer with a smaller kit. They made it work. They added their own twist to covers such as TLC's Scrubs, White Stripe's Seven Nation Army, and the Pixies. They threw in a few of their own songs. They won us over with their witty sense of humor. The Fundament went second; good solid rock melodies. Constantly Burning Fire played after them and an untitled duo, known as Brent and Mitch, ended the night. Brent created his music through his mixer while Mitch played his six string base. They created unique melodies and sounds that pleased the ears and intrigued the spirit. They served as a great complement to CBF's electronic experimentations.
The show was great, the sound was great, CBF met up with the appreciative and surprised new fans. Despite the great stage and sound guys, the bar had a definite divide. The local bartender didn't charge everyone a cover. Despite the almost full bar, the bands were told they didn't bring in enough people to receive their split of the cover, which is standard practice, however there were more than t13 people there, as the bar claimed. Even with the three people allowed on each band's guest list. There were also no drink tickets. Other than the girls that were there to see the bands, there were not many other females at the establishment. This meant we were subjected to some unwelcome attention from the Somalian men that were there. Next time CBF plays Minneapolis, they will look for another venue.
Not ready to call it a night, but ready for a change of scenery, we head down the street to the Nomad, a comfy bar, completely empty inside, but their patio was full. There were a few hippies in the corner playing guitar and djembe drum while a girl sung. A couple more drinks with Tiffany's friends as well as Brent, then we all head back to Tiffany's parents' house, out in Victoria. They so generously allowed all seven of us to stay with them. We took over the basement. Tommy and Sara in the spare room on the air mattress, Paul and I on the air mattress in the main room of the basement, JR on the couch, Tamara on the loveseat.
So tired from the past few days: Friday, our feet in the Great Salt Lake, Saturday, partying in Nebraska, Sunday, partying in Minnesota. We could finally relax for a few days in Minneapolis.
The next day, Tiffany's mom made pancakes, cooked sausage and bacon and cut up melon for breakfast. Awesome, Angie! Thanks so much. Tiffany's family also offered up about as much Midwestern as anyone could ask for. They let us use their washer and dryer, their detergent. We just chilled at their house, played with their dog. They opened up their home to us.
Later that day, we said good bye to Russ, JR, and Tamara since they were driving back to Seattle. That also meant Tommy and Sara were once again without a ride. They bantered about the idea of a rental car, shipping all their stuff and taking Greyhound and Amtrak the rest of the way. Tommy was ready to just get to Massachusetts. He even contemplated skipping the in studio performance scheduled in Kalamazoo, MI for Thursday. Paul talked him out of it.
The final decision: we would all ship a bunch of stuff to Tommy's place in Massachusetts and Paul and I would take Tommy and Sara the rest of the way. We didn't need the camping equipment anymore. The radio show didn't need the costumes and props so those could go. We had about a week left on the road so we didn't need that much clothing. Mike, Tiffany's dad, had offered to ship the boxes from where he worked. Once again, we are so thankful for the ridiculous amount of help near strangers have been offering us.
We managed to make it work. That's Tommy and Sara in the back.
We piled in and headed to Chris's apartment in Minneapolis, where we were staying that night. The four of us took over Chris's living room. Once again, thank you so much. With still no plans for Tuesday, Tommy and Paul practiced for the in studio performance, I hung out in a cafe in downtown Minneapolis. Later that evening, Sara made a delicious supper of chicken and veggie alfredo. After dinner, we head down to the Mall of America to see the movie District 9. The largest mall in america, the Mall of America is as much fun as they all say! We had time to kill before the movie started, so we rode the roller coaster. Somewhat tame for a roller coaster, but impressive none the less. And indeed, it was inside of a mall. How much more American can you get? The movie was entertaining and worth seeing if it interests you at all. A fun relaxing evening with the group.
The next stop was Kalamazoo, MI. Janice, Tommy's sister, had spoken with a friend of hers in Chicago, who had offered us her apartment when we came through. Chicago was just a few hours from Kalamazoo, which would work out well, however we hadn't heard anything in a few weeks so we were still in limbo come Wednesday morning. We might be heading to Kalamazoo and getting a hotel, or Chicago. Just as we were packing up our stuff and loading it into the car, we got a car from Annie in Chicago. We were welcome in her home. She even wanted to make us dinner.
States visited: 9
Dogs met: 9
Cats met: 9
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Nebraska
Constantly Burning Fire had a show scheduled for Saturday, August 15 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The crew that had rescued Tommy and Sara, which included Russ, JR, and Tamara, were already in Nebraska, chilling with Russ's family.
The plan was to just drive until we got exhausted and stop, either in Lincoln or before. Route 80 took us through the last bit of Utah, across Southern Wyoming and then across Nebraska to Lincoln. We were moving
from the West to the Midwest, the mountains to the plains. Windmills featured prominently across the Wyoming countryside. We probably saw about 4 farms of windmills, just along route 80, and they were huge! They seemed to stretch along for miles, with a least a hundred of the giant, white machines, blades rotating. We stopped for gas in Wamsutter, WY, population 68. I bought the paper and there were three stories about windpower. Wyoming had just had a conference on to discuss it. As a state, they saw wind energy as a promising new industry for its economy. They had the land and the wind. The problem, of course, was inconsistent and frustrating government bureocracy. There was still debate as to just how
lucrative the investment would be for the state and how the government should be involved. Revenue came from property tax on the wind farms, but cities would have to invest money into increasing infrastructure so that they could be built. Once built, they would only create a few jobs. The other issue for Wyoming, which is unique to the least populated state, was that the connecting lines to other states had not been built. One way Wyoming could make money off of the wind power, was to sell it to surrounding, more populated states, but not without carrier lines. Though the clouds seemed menacing, they only let down a few drops of rain. More severe weather would come later.
Past Wyoming, into Nebraska, as night falls. From what we've been told, the best time to drive through Nebraska is at night, since it isn't so interesting. I can't offer any opinion since we did drive through Nebraska through the night. It would seem that no cross country drive would be ocmplete without a drive through night. Glad we started that tradition Kelly! Around 11PM, we debated getting a hotel or continuing. I was wide awake, so we switched, so I could drive a few hours, while Paul slept. I made it two hours, Paul woke up, he took is place back at the wheel. I fell asleep. Maybe an hour and a half later, I was ripped out of my slumber by a loud dull shrieking sound. Damn, happened? It had started raining. But in Nebraska, it doesn't just rain. Thunderstorms drop inches of sleeting rain. The noise had been Paul driving through the streams of water that had formed. We had to pull over to wait it out. Paul got a little more sleep while we waited out the storm. Back on the road.
About an hour after that, with 75 miles to go, Paul was determined to get there. With 70 miles left, he thought it best to pull over. If we got into Lincoln too early, no one would be awake to greet us. After a few hours nap, we eventually found Russ's sister's house around 9:30AM. I was still so groggy from sleepy, I barely met everyone in the room before crashing out for another nap.
The show was booked at the Ghost House. We got there around 7PM for load in, but were told they weren't ready, by the four guys watching TV in the living room. Why we couldn't bring the gear into the basement, we couldn't figure out. We definately weren't getting the warm and fuzzy feeling that a touring band hopes to receive. They didn't seem to be expecting us. Constantly Burning Fire wasn't even on the flyer or the dry erase board in the kitchen that listed that evenings lineup.
We hung out in the grassy lot down the street. Russ played guitar, Tommy and Paul just played.
About an hour later, we head back to the house. Still not entirely sure we are playing here, Paul tried to win over the guys outside with his air keyboard skills.
We were finally allowed to load in. The Ghost House was just a house. The guys that lived there, in their early twenties, allowed bands to put on shows in their basement. BYOB. Maybe a cover. There was a card table in the kitchen to sell CDs, t-shirts, whaterver the bands wanted. The rest of the house was sparse with furniture. The downstairs bathroom lacked toilet paper, though it was rumored to exist in the upstairs rest room, though this was off limits to guests. Perhaps this was one reason there were so few g
irls. In fact, the only females there came with CBF.
The shows were in the basement, down the tricky, curvy stairs. Though sturdy, they tested a person's balance. Glad I didn't wear my heels.
The show was great, as usual. Russ added his guitar skills to several songs. Tamara got to sing her part on Star Child. The audience, about 15, was intrigued, danced, enjoyed.
Here is a clip of their opener, Doorway. That is Paul dressed in lights.
The minivan crew stayed with Russ's sister, while Paul and I stayed with Russ's aunt. Thank you so much to Russ's family for all their hospitality. Just about everyone met; Russ's friends, people in the coffee shops and stores, were so friendly. We really got to experience that solid Nebraska, midwest charm. It was awesome.
Off to Minneapolis tomorrow, for another show.
States visited: 7
Dogs met: 8
Cats met: 9
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 8
The plan was to just drive until we got exhausted and stop, either in Lincoln or before. Route 80 took us through the last bit of Utah, across Southern Wyoming and then across Nebraska to Lincoln. We were moving
from the West to the Midwest, the mountains to the plains. Windmills featured prominently across the Wyoming countryside. We probably saw about 4 farms of windmills, just along route 80, and they were huge! They seemed to stretch along for miles, with a least a hundred of the giant, white machines, blades rotating. We stopped for gas in Wamsutter, WY, population 68. I bought the paper and there were three stories about windpower. Wyoming had just had a conference on to discuss it. As a state, they saw wind energy as a promising new industry for its economy. They had the land and the wind. The problem, of course, was inconsistent and frustrating government bureocracy. There was still debate as to just how
lucrative the investment would be for the state and how the government should be involved. Revenue came from property tax on the wind farms, but cities would have to invest money into increasing infrastructure so that they could be built. Once built, they would only create a few jobs. The other issue for Wyoming, which is unique to the least populated state, was that the connecting lines to other states had not been built. One way Wyoming could make money off of the wind power, was to sell it to surrounding, more populated states, but not without carrier lines. Though the clouds seemed menacing, they only let down a few drops of rain. More severe weather would come later.Past Wyoming, into Nebraska, as night falls. From what we've been told, the best time to drive through Nebraska is at night, since it isn't so interesting. I can't offer any opinion since we did drive through Nebraska through the night. It would seem that no cross country drive would be ocmplete without a drive through night. Glad we started that tradition Kelly! Around 11PM, we debated getting a hotel or continuing. I was wide awake, so we switched, so I could drive a few hours, while Paul slept. I made it two hours, Paul woke up, he took is place back at the wheel. I fell asleep. Maybe an hour and a half later, I was ripped out of my slumber by a loud dull shrieking sound. Damn, happened? It had started raining. But in Nebraska, it doesn't just rain. Thunderstorms drop inches of sleeting rain. The noise had been Paul driving through the streams of water that had formed. We had to pull over to wait it out. Paul got a little more sleep while we waited out the storm. Back on the road.
About an hour after that, with 75 miles to go, Paul was determined to get there. With 70 miles left, he thought it best to pull over. If we got into Lincoln too early, no one would be awake to greet us. After a few hours nap, we eventually found Russ's sister's house around 9:30AM. I was still so groggy from sleepy, I barely met everyone in the room before crashing out for another nap.
The show was booked at the Ghost House. We got there around 7PM for load in, but were told they weren't ready, by the four guys watching TV in the living room. Why we couldn't bring the gear into the basement, we couldn't figure out. We definately weren't getting the warm and fuzzy feeling that a touring band hopes to receive. They didn't seem to be expecting us. Constantly Burning Fire wasn't even on the flyer or the dry erase board in the kitchen that listed that evenings lineup.
We hung out in the grassy lot down the street. Russ played guitar, Tommy and Paul just played.
About an hour later, we head back to the house. Still not entirely sure we are playing here, Paul tried to win over the guys outside with his air keyboard skills.
We were finally allowed to load in. The Ghost House was just a house. The guys that lived there, in their early twenties, allowed bands to put on shows in their basement. BYOB. Maybe a cover. There was a card table in the kitchen to sell CDs, t-shirts, whaterver the bands wanted. The rest of the house was sparse with furniture. The downstairs bathroom lacked toilet paper, though it was rumored to exist in the upstairs rest room, though this was off limits to guests. Perhaps this was one reason there were so few g
irls. In fact, the only females there came with CBF.The shows were in the basement, down the tricky, curvy stairs. Though sturdy, they tested a person's balance. Glad I didn't wear my heels.
The show was great, as usual. Russ added his guitar skills to several songs. Tamara got to sing her part on Star Child. The audience, about 15, was intrigued, danced, enjoyed.
Here is a clip of their opener, Doorway. That is Paul dressed in lights.
The minivan crew stayed with Russ's sister, while Paul and I stayed with Russ's aunt. Thank you so much to Russ's family for all their hospitality. Just about everyone met; Russ's friends, people in the coffee shops and stores, were so friendly. We really got to experience that solid Nebraska, midwest charm. It was awesome.
Off to Minneapolis tomorrow, for another show.
States visited: 7
Dogs met: 8
Cats met: 9
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 8
Salt Lake City
Utah so far had impressed us so we decided to spend an extra night in Salt Lake City, this time at that comfy, posh downtown hotel we had planned on the first night in Utah.
The Peery Hotel is a historic boutique hotel so it had character compared to the large national chains. A great little find! I went to their gym, Paul used their wireless internet, we showered and then head off to check out the city.
Salt Lake City is home
to the headquarters, known as Temple Square, of the Church of Latter Day Saints, or as they are more commonly known by their nickname, the Mormons. We took a tour of Temple Square lead by two sisters of the church. They pointed out the great temple, which is the largest LDS temple in the world and explai
ned that it was built over 40 years completed in 1893 by the pioneers. Since it is considered such a sacred place, public tours are not offered, but we were able to see the tabernacle, which was completed in 1867. The tabernacle has such great acoustics, you don't need microphones to be heard.
Then it was onto the visitor center, with an 11 foot marble statue of Jesus. There the sisters gave us cards we could fill out with suggestions for the tour as well as space to put our information so we could be contacted by LDS missionaries.
I wanted to take pictures before the sun went down, so I left Paul to wander in the visitor center. When I returned, he had engaged in conversation with two Mormons, a middle aged married couple. Paul, who loves small talk and conversations with strangers, was interested in their religion as well. Not much information had been provided on the tour about the history or doctrine of the Church of Ladder Day Saints. I was raised as a Protestant and went through all the sacraments, though I don't practice any more. Paul wasn't raised in any faith, though his parents' families are Christian. The couple explained how Joseph Smith was looking for a religion and was dissatisfied with the Protestant and Catholic interpretations of the Bible. In 1827, he knelt down in prayer and asked for guidance. He believed that Jesus Christ spoke to him and told him start the Church of Latter Day Saints. The movement started on the East Coast, but later, the pioneers moved out West and eventually settled in Salt Lake City. The followers believe they are the true religion of Jesus Christ and they follow their modern day prophets, whom they believe have been spoken to by Jesus Christ. They also use the Book of Mormons as their teachings, in addition to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. They, like the other Christian traditions, are still waiting for the return of Jesus. There are some differences. For example, the don't believe in the Trinity; they believe the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings. They also believe that our souls exist for eternity, both before and after our death. When we are born, our soul has been chosen by God to have a human form for this time and after death our souls return to heaven and are reunited with our families.
The couple wanted to sit down with us, to discuss more, since they could tell we were searching and had such beautiful hearts. We really were starving and had to get to dinner. They understood and asked us twice for our address, but since we honestly don't have one at the time, we couldn't give them one. They gave us two postcards with the Mormon website though, convinced we would return one day to the Church of Latter Day Saints. They also couldn't let Paul leave without his own copy of the Book of Mormon. Thank you.
We dropped the book off in the car and went to dinner. Salt Lake City had a very walkable downtown, a slathering of interesting restaurants, and nearby great skiing from what we were told, though since it was August, it was hot, near 100º, though cooled down in the evening to a comfortable temperature. Though I'm sure we have all heard the rumors about Salt Lake being a dry city, all the restaurants we saw had bars. An interesting city, all in all.
The last thing we wanted to see was the Great Salt Lake. A remnant of the ancient Bonneville Sea, it was huge and salty. The salt content varied from 4% to 25%, compared to the ocean at 3%. We thought the city bordered it so, the next morning we wanted to drive by, take a look and hit the road.
Two hours later, we still hadn't seen the lake. If we had a map, we may have been able to plan better, since the lake, unlike say Chicago, does not actually border the city. The lake was west, so at one point, after driving north for about 45 minutes on 15 north, Paul decided to get off the highway, and head west, hoping to run into the lake, since it was so huge. Thirty minutes later, no lake. We finally gave in and asked for directions at a 7-11. Three exits north, take a left. We also bought an atlas.
The directions too
k us to Antelope Island State Park, the largest island in the lake. Tired of driving, hot, hungry, annoyed at the $9 entrance fee, we struggled with just taking off or at least sticking our feet in. We choose the latter. The visitor center assured us it was not dead, but alive with brine shrimp and brine flies. Indeed it was. We found lots of shrimp and flies.
Below is a picture of the beach from the parking lot. There are no tides, but the level changes with the seasons and we thought that the water must come up higher in the winter.
The high salt content makes it incredible easy to float, however, since we didn't have on our bathing suits, and they were buried somewhere in our bag below a bunch of other stuff, we could only observe other people floating. The salt water did also make it easy to skip rocks. Here you can see how far the rock skips after the first bounce.
Okay, now after 1PM, and still quite a ways from route 80, we split the park. Paul had been proud of us for avoiding fast food so far on the trip, but figured now would be a good time to break the seal and hit the drive thru. Burger King, a shake, 2PM finally on the road to Nebraska, 14 hours of driving.
States visited: 5
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 7
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7
The Peery Hotel is a historic boutique hotel so it had character compared to the large national chains. A great little find! I went to their gym, Paul used their wireless internet, we showered and then head off to check out the city.
Salt Lake City is home
to the headquarters, known as Temple Square, of the Church of Latter Day Saints, or as they are more commonly known by their nickname, the Mormons. We took a tour of Temple Square lead by two sisters of the church. They pointed out the great temple, which is the largest LDS temple in the world and explai
ned that it was built over 40 years completed in 1893 by the pioneers. Since it is considered such a sacred place, public tours are not offered, but we were able to see the tabernacle, which was completed in 1867. The tabernacle has such great acoustics, you don't need microphones to be heard.Then it was onto the visitor center, with an 11 foot marble statue of Jesus. There the sisters gave us cards we could fill out with suggestions for the tour as well as space to put our information so we could be contacted by LDS missionaries.
I wanted to take pictures before the sun went down, so I left Paul to wander in the visitor center. When I returned, he had engaged in conversation with two Mormons, a middle aged married couple. Paul, who loves small talk and conversations with strangers, was interested in their religion as well. Not much information had been provided on the tour about the history or doctrine of the Church of Ladder Day Saints. I was raised as a Protestant and went through all the sacraments, though I don't practice any more. Paul wasn't raised in any faith, though his parents' families are Christian. The couple explained how Joseph Smith was looking for a religion and was dissatisfied with the Protestant and Catholic interpretations of the Bible. In 1827, he knelt down in prayer and asked for guidance. He believed that Jesus Christ spoke to him and told him start the Church of Latter Day Saints. The movement started on the East Coast, but later, the pioneers moved out West and eventually settled in Salt Lake City. The followers believe they are the true religion of Jesus Christ and they follow their modern day prophets, whom they believe have been spoken to by Jesus Christ. They also use the Book of Mormons as their teachings, in addition to the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. They, like the other Christian traditions, are still waiting for the return of Jesus. There are some differences. For example, the don't believe in the Trinity; they believe the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are three distinct beings. They also believe that our souls exist for eternity, both before and after our death. When we are born, our soul has been chosen by God to have a human form for this time and after death our souls return to heaven and are reunited with our families.The couple wanted to sit down with us, to discuss more, since they could tell we were searching and had such beautiful hearts. We really were starving and had to get to dinner. They understood and asked us twice for our address, but since we honestly don't have one at the time, we couldn't give them one. They gave us two postcards with the Mormon website though, convinced we would return one day to the Church of Latter Day Saints. They also couldn't let Paul leave without his own copy of the Book of Mormon. Thank you.
We dropped the book off in the car and went to dinner. Salt Lake City had a very walkable downtown, a slathering of interesting restaurants, and nearby great skiing from what we were told, though since it was August, it was hot, near 100º, though cooled down in the evening to a comfortable temperature. Though I'm sure we have all heard the rumors about Salt Lake being a dry city, all the restaurants we saw had bars. An interesting city, all in all.
The last thing we wanted to see was the Great Salt Lake. A remnant of the ancient Bonneville Sea, it was huge and salty. The salt content varied from 4% to 25%, compared to the ocean at 3%. We thought the city bordered it so, the next morning we wanted to drive by, take a look and hit the road.
Two hours later, we still hadn't seen the lake. If we had a map, we may have been able to plan better, since the lake, unlike say Chicago, does not actually border the city. The lake was west, so at one point, after driving north for about 45 minutes on 15 north, Paul decided to get off the highway, and head west, hoping to run into the lake, since it was so huge. Thirty minutes later, no lake. We finally gave in and asked for directions at a 7-11. Three exits north, take a left. We also bought an atlas.
The directions too
k us to Antelope Island State Park, the largest island in the lake. Tired of driving, hot, hungry, annoyed at the $9 entrance fee, we struggled with just taking off or at least sticking our feet in. We choose the latter. The visitor center assured us it was not dead, but alive with brine shrimp and brine flies. Indeed it was. We found lots of shrimp and flies.Below is a picture of the beach from the parking lot. There are no tides, but the level changes with the seasons and we thought that the water must come up higher in the winter.
The high salt content makes it incredible easy to float, however, since we didn't have on our bathing suits, and they were buried somewhere in our bag below a bunch of other stuff, we could only observe other people floating. The salt water did also make it easy to skip rocks. Here you can see how far the rock skips after the first bounce.
Okay, now after 1PM, and still quite a ways from route 80, we split the park. Paul had been proud of us for avoiding fast food so far on the trip, but figured now would be a good time to break the seal and hit the drive thru. Burger King, a shake, 2PM finally on the road to Nebraska, 14 hours of driving.
States visited: 5
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 7
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Arches National Park
Though it was not really on the way, Arches National Park was the one place I definately wanted to visit. While Gerty had held up well on the trip, we wanted to give her a break for the four hour drive to Arches from Salt Lake City through the desert and mountains, so we rented a car.
None of the car rental locations in the phone book had cars available, except one. Thrifty rental had a Chevy Cobalt available. Yes, it was a good car, the guarallous man with a heavy Middle Eastern accent assured me, there was just one problem with the car; the driver's side windshield wiper did not work. But, ma'am, we are the only rental agency with a car. That was true.
"Okay, we'll be there in an hour."
If this were a work of fiction, I suppose that would be foreshadowing, but I'll just tell you right now...it didn't rain. Just a few drops in the park, so the windshield wiper wasn't actually a problem.
Patty, the hostel host, assured us our car would be fine if we left it parked on the street in the neighborhood around the hostel for a few days. And it was.
We picked up the rental, where the agent gave us directions three times, telling us his "short cut" using Route 6 (which, even from the map seemed the most obvious way), about the great fishing in Price, UT, and how he loved Washington state. The computer froze twice, but we eventually had the car.
Wanting eggs at 1PM, we came across the Coachman, a steak and pancake house. Perfect! The food was homemade, the decor didn't match and the waitresses were honest to good happy to see us, as she told us. After a huge lunch, Denver omelet for me, hot turkey sandwich for Paul, we were on the road by 2PM.
On the drive down to Moab, we took our usual roles, Paul at the wheel lost in his thoughts or composing music, me in the passenger seat, knitting or writing my blogs. With the rental, we had the luxury of air conditioning and radio! Gerty's radio had been stolen a while back in Seattle, so thus far in the trip, we had been entertained by conversation and our thoughts. It was NPR for most of the way through desert, a few of pop's greatest hit, the occasional accidental Christian rock, and the classics.
We got a call from Tommy with an update on the car situation. It was dead, waiting to be taken away by River Auto Dismantlers. Fortunately, there was another contingent traveling from Seattle that were planning on meeting us in Nebraska. They would make a detour to Reno and pick up Tommy and Sara. We would see them all in Lincoln.
Arches National Park is in Southeastern Utah near a town called Moab. I didn't realize it before we went, but there is much to do in Moab. We could have easily spent three more days there. Moab itself is a cute little town nestled in the mountains. It has a small main street with restaurants, some shops, cafes. It certainly caters to tourists though has its own slew of locals. It reminded me of a mountain/desert version of Lavallette, the beach resort town I grew up in.
We got to Arches around 8:30AM and started hiking around 9:30AM. If you go, go early. Sunrise would not be too early. It was actually cool in the morning, but got hot, as in around 98º around 10:30. We managed it reasonably well with lots of water and the spray bottle.
We hiked the long trail, the Primitive Trail in Devil's Garden. When you sit all day in the car and eat and snack, you need to get as much exercise as possible when you can. The round trip hike was 7.2 miles. I had been apprehensive about hiking in the desert. I couldn't see the appeal compared to the panoramic views offered by hiking in the mountains, as well as the shade of the trees. Deserts were just hot with sand, a few cactus, right? No, it turned out to be a fun, interesting hike.
The trail starts off in the sand, but then takes you into the rocks of the park, up over rock fins, along cliffs. There was no elevation to deal with, which can make hiking in the mountains tiring. It was a lot of fun.
The trail gave shade occasionally, from bushes or rocks. There was one trying part. It was a switchback over the top of a sandstone rock fin. There were slight l
edges and maybe a 20 foot drop. I needed some encouragement, but we made it. We realized that we had to just trust our bodies, turn off our heads, and just move all four limbs to get over the top.
We stopped for lunch h
ere, near Intimate Arch, though the arch itself can't be seen in the picture. The silence was also a difference from hiking in the forests. No wind in the trees, stepping on leaves and sticks. Just silence, the occasional lizard call. The rocks themselves gave off an impressive silent, peaceful power. Though we struggled in the heat and sun, they soaked it up. Thousands of years rain and wind to carve them into their shapes. We just stood in their solid elegance.
There were more sights to see along the road out of the park, including smaller hikes which we wanted to do, but were totally worn out. It would have been nice to have another morning at the park. Your ten dollar entrance fee allows you 7 days access so it would have been totally doable, but were running out of time.
Back to the hostel, shower, nap, we made dinner there, then out to the Moab Brewery for some drinks. We head back to salt lake City the next day.
I would definately recommend a trip to Arches and Moab, if you ever have the opportunity. There were a lot of Europeans, particularly French speaking, for some reason. If I lived in Europe I think it would be worth the flight. In addition to Arches National Park, Moab also has Canyonlands National Park, which would have been fun to explore. Fours hours to the southwest is Zion National Park, which was also recommended to us by the locals. Aside from the national parks, the town has adventure companies that offer rafting trips, 4x4 jeep tours as well as tamer dinner cruises down the river. And for the biggest adventurers, there is skydiving from the Moab Airport. As their brochures suggest, it would be the country's most beautiful drop zone. If you are going to jump, wouldn't it be great to see the canyons and rivers, mountains, and parks? Just something to keep in mind!
States visited: 5
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 7
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7
None of the car rental locations in the phone book had cars available, except one. Thrifty rental had a Chevy Cobalt available. Yes, it was a good car, the guarallous man with a heavy Middle Eastern accent assured me, there was just one problem with the car; the driver's side windshield wiper did not work. But, ma'am, we are the only rental agency with a car. That was true.
"Okay, we'll be there in an hour."
If this were a work of fiction, I suppose that would be foreshadowing, but I'll just tell you right now...it didn't rain. Just a few drops in the park, so the windshield wiper wasn't actually a problem.
Patty, the hostel host, assured us our car would be fine if we left it parked on the street in the neighborhood around the hostel for a few days. And it was.
We picked up the rental, where the agent gave us directions three times, telling us his "short cut" using Route 6 (which, even from the map seemed the most obvious way), about the great fishing in Price, UT, and how he loved Washington state. The computer froze twice, but we eventually had the car.
Wanting eggs at 1PM, we came across the Coachman, a steak and pancake house. Perfect! The food was homemade, the decor didn't match and the waitresses were honest to good happy to see us, as she told us. After a huge lunch, Denver omelet for me, hot turkey sandwich for Paul, we were on the road by 2PM.
On the drive down to Moab, we took our usual roles, Paul at the wheel lost in his thoughts or composing music, me in the passenger seat, knitting or writing my blogs. With the rental, we had the luxury of air conditioning and radio! Gerty's radio had been stolen a while back in Seattle, so thus far in the trip, we had been entertained by conversation and our thoughts. It was NPR for most of the way through desert, a few of pop's greatest hit, the occasional accidental Christian rock, and the classics.
We got a call from Tommy with an update on the car situation. It was dead, waiting to be taken away by River Auto Dismantlers. Fortunately, there was another contingent traveling from Seattle that were planning on meeting us in Nebraska. They would make a detour to Reno and pick up Tommy and Sara. We would see them all in Lincoln.
Arches National Park is in Southeastern Utah near a town called Moab. I didn't realize it before we went, but there is much to do in Moab. We could have easily spent three more days there. Moab itself is a cute little town nestled in the mountains. It has a small main street with restaurants, some shops, cafes. It certainly caters to tourists though has its own slew of locals. It reminded me of a mountain/desert version of Lavallette, the beach resort town I grew up in.
We got to Arches around 8:30AM and started hiking around 9:30AM. If you go, go early. Sunrise would not be too early. It was actually cool in the morning, but got hot, as in around 98º around 10:30. We managed it reasonably well with lots of water and the spray bottle.
We hiked the long trail, the Primitive Trail in Devil's Garden. When you sit all day in the car and eat and snack, you need to get as much exercise as possible when you can. The round trip hike was 7.2 miles. I had been apprehensive about hiking in the desert. I couldn't see the appeal compared to the panoramic views offered by hiking in the mountains, as well as the shade of the trees. Deserts were just hot with sand, a few cactus, right? No, it turned out to be a fun, interesting hike.
The trail starts off in the sand, but then takes you into the rocks of the park, up over rock fins, along cliffs. There was no elevation to deal with, which can make hiking in the mountains tiring. It was a lot of fun.
The trail gave shade occasionally, from bushes or rocks. There was one trying part. It was a switchback over the top of a sandstone rock fin. There were slight l
edges and maybe a 20 foot drop. I needed some encouragement, but we made it. We realized that we had to just trust our bodies, turn off our heads, and just move all four limbs to get over the top.We stopped for lunch h
ere, near Intimate Arch, though the arch itself can't be seen in the picture. The silence was also a difference from hiking in the forests. No wind in the trees, stepping on leaves and sticks. Just silence, the occasional lizard call. The rocks themselves gave off an impressive silent, peaceful power. Though we struggled in the heat and sun, they soaked it up. Thousands of years rain and wind to carve them into their shapes. We just stood in their solid elegance.There were more sights to see along the road out of the park, including smaller hikes which we wanted to do, but were totally worn out. It would have been nice to have another morning at the park. Your ten dollar entrance fee allows you 7 days access so it would have been totally doable, but were running out of time.
Back to the hostel, shower, nap, we made dinner there, then out to the Moab Brewery for some drinks. We head back to salt lake City the next day.
I would definately recommend a trip to Arches and Moab, if you ever have the opportunity. There were a lot of Europeans, particularly French speaking, for some reason. If I lived in Europe I think it would be worth the flight. In addition to Arches National Park, Moab also has Canyonlands National Park, which would have been fun to explore. Fours hours to the southwest is Zion National Park, which was also recommended to us by the locals. Aside from the national parks, the town has adventure companies that offer rafting trips, 4x4 jeep tours as well as tamer dinner cruises down the river. And for the biggest adventurers, there is skydiving from the Moab Airport. As their brochures suggest, it would be the country's most beautiful drop zone. If you are going to jump, wouldn't it be great to see the canyons and rivers, mountains, and parks? Just something to keep in mind!
States visited: 5
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 7
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Nevada and then Salt Lake City
With an early start on Monday, 7:30AM, me at the wheel, 11 hours of driving ahead of us, Paul and I were off to Salt Lake City. We were looking forward to stay at a posh downtown Salt Lake City hotel, to relax and rejuvenate after a about a week on the road. We hoped to get to the hotel around 8PM and then head off to Arches National Park, about 4 hours south, the next day. Tommy and Sara had planned to leave early, around four or five. They had an even less structured plan than we did and were just going to head to Nebraska, visit some family in Sacramento, hang out in Reno, do some camping.
We passed through Sacramento, headed toward Reno. Another beautiful sunny day of driving through the rolling Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Tommy and Sara had wanted to spend some time in Sacramento, so we thought we might wind up in Reno around the same time. We called them as we got closer, but they hadn't left yet. They hoped to leave within the hour.
We stopped in Reno for lunch. Drove through downtown with all its kitschy glamour, but chose a diner on the outskirts of town. A greasy roast beef melt in our stomachs, hit the bathrooms, and we were back on the road, Paul at the wheel.
The desert sun was hot and blazing! We were surrounded by dry hills; no trees, no clouds, just hot. The landscape was pretty though. We became quite familiar with it over the next 400 mi
les or so
No air conditioning in the car so we made our own. The spray bottle felt wonderful!
Tommy called a few hours after lunch. Their car had overheated. They were in a Denny's parking lot, hoping it would cool off. They would keep us posted. A few hours later, they called us from a hotel. They would be spending the night in Reno.
Our plan was to just drive through Nevada. I took over driving later that evening. About a half hour before Utah, I see a police car following me. Could it be? Seriously? Three times?
Yes. He pulled me over after about a mile.
Also, very polite, no pressure, apparently our left break light was out. Took our documents, a few questions, we knew the drill. Came back, a few more questions, where are we going, what are we doing, okay, just a warning, have a safe drive!
Into Utah around sunset, we saw just the beginnings of the salt flats before it got dark. Further into the state, we drove past the Great Salt lake. Though we couldn't see it, we could certainly smell it, a briney, burnt, just past pleasant odor. Quite distinctive.
Entering Utah also meant crossing into Mountain time, an hour later. Forgot about that. With the longer than planned lunch, road construction, being pulled over, the time change, we weren't going to get into Salt Lake until around 11PM. We didn't think it would be worth it to spend the money on a nice hotel we wouldn't really enjoy. We called all three hostels in Salt Lake from the Hostel Handbook and one had a room, the International Ute Hostel, $45 for the room for two people. Found the hostel, brought in our bags, went to sleep.
Hostels are great for maintaining your budget and also for meeting other travelers and interesting people. We met a middle aged man who was looking for a new city to call home, a young girl from Austria who had just finished an au pair assignment in Connecticut and was traveling before heading home. And we met Patty, the hostel host, a self described hippie past menopause. She had such an open, trusting spirit. Never asked our names, just asked that we leave the cash under her dolphin pillow. Wanted everyone to be happy and safe and to treat each other like people, not peace on Earth, but peace for the night. She always tried to be in a good mood. On particularly bad days, she kept her fish hat handy, "to spread the mojo" and improve her mood. Works, don't ya think?
We passed through Sacramento, headed toward Reno. Another beautiful sunny day of driving through the rolling Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Tommy and Sara had wanted to spend some time in Sacramento, so we thought we might wind up in Reno around the same time. We called them as we got closer, but they hadn't left yet. They hoped to leave within the hour.
We stopped in Reno for lunch. Drove through downtown with all its kitschy glamour, but chose a diner on the outskirts of town. A greasy roast beef melt in our stomachs, hit the bathrooms, and we were back on the road, Paul at the wheel.
The desert sun was hot and blazing! We were surrounded by dry hills; no trees, no clouds, just hot. The landscape was pretty though. We became quite familiar with it over the next 400 mi
les or soNo air conditioning in the car so we made our own. The spray bottle felt wonderful!
Tommy called a few hours after lunch. Their car had overheated. They were in a Denny's parking lot, hoping it would cool off. They would keep us posted. A few hours later, they called us from a hotel. They would be spending the night in Reno.
Our plan was to just drive through Nevada. I took over driving later that evening. About a half hour before Utah, I see a police car following me. Could it be? Seriously? Three times?
Yes. He pulled me over after about a mile.
Also, very polite, no pressure, apparently our left break light was out. Took our documents, a few questions, we knew the drill. Came back, a few more questions, where are we going, what are we doing, okay, just a warning, have a safe drive!
Into Utah around sunset, we saw just the beginnings of the salt flats before it got dark. Further into the state, we drove past the Great Salt lake. Though we couldn't see it, we could certainly smell it, a briney, burnt, just past pleasant odor. Quite distinctive.
Entering Utah also meant crossing into Mountain time, an hour later. Forgot about that. With the longer than planned lunch, road construction, being pulled over, the time change, we weren't going to get into Salt Lake until around 11PM. We didn't think it would be worth it to spend the money on a nice hotel we wouldn't really enjoy. We called all three hostels in Salt Lake from the Hostel Handbook and one had a room, the International Ute Hostel, $45 for the room for two people. Found the hostel, brought in our bags, went to sleep.
Hostels are great for maintaining your budget and also for meeting other travelers and interesting people. We met a middle aged man who was looking for a new city to call home, a young girl from Austria who had just finished an au pair assignment in Connecticut and was traveling before heading home. And we met Patty, the hostel host, a self described hippie past menopause. She had such an open, trusting spirit. Never asked our names, just asked that we leave the cash under her dolphin pillow. Wanted everyone to be happy and safe and to treat each other like people, not peace on Earth, but peace for the night. She always tried to be in a good mood. On particularly bad days, she kept her fish hat handy, "to spread the mojo" and improve her mood. Works, don't ya think?
The Show
Janice had come through for Constantly Burning Fire. The show was set for 7PM on Sunday at Modern Times Bookstore in the Mission!
Woke up that day in the tent, a little chilly. Finally get to shower. Barry went off to work, internet and coffee at a cafe for us, then laundry. Tommy and Sara met us at the laundromat. Tommy and Paul worked out the set list for the show. I used the Neti pot in the bathroom to get rid of the final remnants of the sinus infection. Clothes done, off to lunch with Tommy and Sara. After we ate, they had some errands to run, so we went our separate ways.
Since Paul and I had done the touristy stuff in San Francisco last year, the waterfront, biked the Golden Gate Bridge,
there wasn't anything we really wanted to see. It was such a gorgeous day, so we headed to Dolores Park in the Mission for some people and dog watching and some napping. We found a shady tree and relaxed for a few hours until Paul had to get ready for the show. There was a great view of the downtown skyline.
They set up in the back of the bookstore, usually reserved for book readings and acoustic artists. Since one song did not flow directly into the next, the boys were able to banter in between songs and talk and interact with the audience. It gave the performance an intimate, folksy feel despite the electronic music.
The audience, above, from left to right, a homeless guy, Barry, our host, two of Janice's friends, and Paul's backback. There were several other people who wondered in from time to time from the book store. CBF gives out free CDs at the show, and appropriately enough, just before their drinking song, one audience member offered two ice cold 40s as payment for the CDs. Much appreciated.
First show on the road done. Tommy had lived in San Francisco for three years and was never able to get a show anywhere in the city, an experience common to many musicians in the Bay Area. CBF was very appreciative of Modern Times for allowing them to play and Janice for booking the show.
A few drinks at Dirty Thieves and it was off to sleep for our last night in California.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7
Woke up that day in the tent, a little chilly. Finally get to shower. Barry went off to work, internet and coffee at a cafe for us, then laundry. Tommy and Sara met us at the laundromat. Tommy and Paul worked out the set list for the show. I used the Neti pot in the bathroom to get rid of the final remnants of the sinus infection. Clothes done, off to lunch with Tommy and Sara. After we ate, they had some errands to run, so we went our separate ways.
Since Paul and I had done the touristy stuff in San Francisco last year, the waterfront, biked the Golden Gate Bridge,
there wasn't anything we really wanted to see. It was such a gorgeous day, so we headed to Dolores Park in the Mission for some people and dog watching and some napping. We found a shady tree and relaxed for a few hours until Paul had to get ready for the show. There was a great view of the downtown skyline.The show was at Modern Times Bookstore, an indepe
ndent shop in the Mission. The Constantly Burning Fire set is usually programmed before a show by Paul and then just set to play in its entirety. He had made several sets of different lengths and varied atmosphere for the trip. They have one song that some may find offensive about an adult topic and due to the public kid friendly nature of a bookstore, they were asked not to play that song. That song, however was in every set. This meant they would have to play individual songs through the set. Not their style, but being the professionals they are they made it work.
ndent shop in the Mission. The Constantly Burning Fire set is usually programmed before a show by Paul and then just set to play in its entirety. He had made several sets of different lengths and varied atmosphere for the trip. They have one song that some may find offensive about an adult topic and due to the public kid friendly nature of a bookstore, they were asked not to play that song. That song, however was in every set. This meant they would have to play individual songs through the set. Not their style, but being the professionals they are they made it work.They set up in the back of the bookstore, usually reserved for book readings and acoustic artists. Since one song did not flow directly into the next, the boys were able to banter in between songs and talk and interact with the audience. It gave the performance an intimate, folksy feel despite the electronic music.
The audience, above, from left to right, a homeless guy, Barry, our host, two of Janice's friends, and Paul's backback. There were several other people who wondered in from time to time from the book store. CBF gives out free CDs at the show, and appropriately enough, just before their drinking song, one audience member offered two ice cold 40s as payment for the CDs. Much appreciated.
First show on the road done. Tommy had lived in San Francisco for three years and was never able to get a show anywhere in the city, an experience common to many musicians in the Bay Area. CBF was very appreciative of Modern Times for allowing them to play and Janice for booking the show.A few drinks at Dirty Thieves and it was off to sleep for our last night in California.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 7
San Francisco, should we or shouldn't we?
The road that left the park followed a canyon. We started at 4000ft, down to 2000 feet, then down to sea level of flat open road of northern California. Our water bottles collapsed a bit from the elevation changes.
More beautiful views of the landscape. We drove past cows, sheep, vineyards, rolling hills, sweeping landscapes. The drives have been beautiful, particularly at sunset. The cool comfortable mountain air was replaced by warmer temperatures. The sun beat down on the car, making it hot. Paul was driving, I was typing on the computer, the windows open. We were sweaty and tired from our hike, four hours driving to San Francisco.
There had been talk of Constantly Burning Fire playing a house party but as we drove south, it hadn't been confirmed. Janice, Tommy's sister, offered to let them play at the bookstore she worked at, but that wasn't set either. Without a show, there wasn't a real reason to go. Paul had lived there for a month last year, after Portland, and it hadn't warmed his heart. I had visited him while he was there for a long weekend, so I had already seen the city. We had a good time, biked the bridge, hung out in the mission. Paul just never found his niche there and had mixed feelings about going back, particularly without a show. We talked about skipping it and just heading to Utah, our next stop, but decided to give San Francisco another chance. Also, Paul wanted to see his friend Barry.
Adding to our apprehension about visiting, we didn't really have a place to stay, but hoped our friends wouldn't let us down. They ultimately did not.
Once we passed the hills into the Bay Area, Paul started making calls. Tommy and Sara had been staying with Janice for the week, but high rents in San Francisco meant tiny, tiny apartments and there wasn't any more room. Barry lived in one room with his girlfriend, not a studio apartment, just a room with a bathroom. Both Janice and Barry said they would call their friends and find us a floor to crash on.
As a back up, we called the 7 hostels in our Hostel Handbook, all full. We tried the hostels in Sausalito, full. Now 9PM, waiting in traffic at the Bay Bridge, no where to stay, needing showers, hungry, now regreting our decision to come to the city, should we even pay the toll? We took the last exit to Oakland to bide our time.
Off the exit into some neighborhood of Oakland, a neighborhood we probably shouldn't have been in. Paul had driven the entire trip thus far, about 1200 miles. He was done.
"I'm going to find a parking lot, any parking lot, and you can drive now."
"Okay, if we can find a parking lot with some kind of bathroom that would be..."
"No, any parking lot and we will switch."
Okay.
Paul pulls over on a road. I get in the driver's seat.
"Which way do we go? Should we find a diner or somewhere to eat?"
"I'm done making decisions. I don't know Oakland at all. I'm not giving directions. Remember Sun River?"
"Should we go left, right?"
"I'm done making decisions."
Okay, I go straight, left, straight, straight, left. Having not been able to fix the left blinker due to a lack of a screwdriver, we still had to use hand signals. On one street we were getting questioning looks from people when I held my hand out the window, so Paul thought that maybe it was best I stop. We didn't want anyone to think we were pointing at them. Right turn, right turn. Past the two hookers yelling the luxury car. Take a right, a right, another right, then straight. Past a Sears, Men's Warehouse, Chase bank. Getting nicer.
"Are you hungry? Want to look for a restaurant?"
Nothing. Silence. "I'm not making decisions."
Right. Hmm...then the phone rang. Barry. We could set up our tent in his backyard in the Mission, the hip neighborhood in San Francisco. Awesome, we were off to meet him for drinks at Dirty Thieves.
"How do we get to the Mission?"
"Back on the highway we got off of."
Okay, I go right, straight, follow the curve.
"Do you know where you are going or are you just going on a whim?"
"No, I have no idea. I've never lived here."
Okay, switch again.
"Thanks for driving honey." And gives me a kiss.
Rock star parking at the bar! Just out front. I run to bathroom. At least I could wash my hands if I couldn't shower. Dirty Thieves was a great dive bar, just enough drunk locals, feisty bar tender, people hanging out but not crowded. We fit right in.
While washing my hands, I dreamed of a refreshing cocktail, something blue with vodka and crushed ice. I came out and there was a shot of whiskey and a PBR waiting for me. That would work too.
Barry's girlfriend had gone to sleep already so we couldn't shower. We set up the tent in the dark and went to sleep stinky, but at least we had a place to sleep.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 4
More beautiful views of the landscape. We drove past cows, sheep, vineyards, rolling hills, sweeping landscapes. The drives have been beautiful, particularly at sunset. The cool comfortable mountain air was replaced by warmer temperatures. The sun beat down on the car, making it hot. Paul was driving, I was typing on the computer, the windows open. We were sweaty and tired from our hike, four hours driving to San Francisco.
There had been talk of Constantly Burning Fire playing a house party but as we drove south, it hadn't been confirmed. Janice, Tommy's sister, offered to let them play at the bookstore she worked at, but that wasn't set either. Without a show, there wasn't a real reason to go. Paul had lived there for a month last year, after Portland, and it hadn't warmed his heart. I had visited him while he was there for a long weekend, so I had already seen the city. We had a good time, biked the bridge, hung out in the mission. Paul just never found his niche there and had mixed feelings about going back, particularly without a show. We talked about skipping it and just heading to Utah, our next stop, but decided to give San Francisco another chance. Also, Paul wanted to see his friend Barry.
Adding to our apprehension about visiting, we didn't really have a place to stay, but hoped our friends wouldn't let us down. They ultimately did not.
Once we passed the hills into the Bay Area, Paul started making calls. Tommy and Sara had been staying with Janice for the week, but high rents in San Francisco meant tiny, tiny apartments and there wasn't any more room. Barry lived in one room with his girlfriend, not a studio apartment, just a room with a bathroom. Both Janice and Barry said they would call their friends and find us a floor to crash on.
As a back up, we called the 7 hostels in our Hostel Handbook, all full. We tried the hostels in Sausalito, full. Now 9PM, waiting in traffic at the Bay Bridge, no where to stay, needing showers, hungry, now regreting our decision to come to the city, should we even pay the toll? We took the last exit to Oakland to bide our time.
Off the exit into some neighborhood of Oakland, a neighborhood we probably shouldn't have been in. Paul had driven the entire trip thus far, about 1200 miles. He was done.
"I'm going to find a parking lot, any parking lot, and you can drive now."
"Okay, if we can find a parking lot with some kind of bathroom that would be..."
"No, any parking lot and we will switch."
Okay.
Paul pulls over on a road. I get in the driver's seat.
"Which way do we go? Should we find a diner or somewhere to eat?"
"I'm done making decisions. I don't know Oakland at all. I'm not giving directions. Remember Sun River?"
"Should we go left, right?"
"I'm done making decisions."
Okay, I go straight, left, straight, straight, left. Having not been able to fix the left blinker due to a lack of a screwdriver, we still had to use hand signals. On one street we were getting questioning looks from people when I held my hand out the window, so Paul thought that maybe it was best I stop. We didn't want anyone to think we were pointing at them. Right turn, right turn. Past the two hookers yelling the luxury car. Take a right, a right, another right, then straight. Past a Sears, Men's Warehouse, Chase bank. Getting nicer.
"Are you hungry? Want to look for a restaurant?"
Nothing. Silence. "I'm not making decisions."
Right. Hmm...then the phone rang. Barry. We could set up our tent in his backyard in the Mission, the hip neighborhood in San Francisco. Awesome, we were off to meet him for drinks at Dirty Thieves.
"How do we get to the Mission?"
"Back on the highway we got off of."
Okay, I go right, straight, follow the curve.
"Do you know where you are going or are you just going on a whim?"
"No, I have no idea. I've never lived here."
Okay, switch again.
"Thanks for driving honey." And gives me a kiss.
Rock star parking at the bar! Just out front. I run to bathroom. At least I could wash my hands if I couldn't shower. Dirty Thieves was a great dive bar, just enough drunk locals, feisty bar tender, people hanging out but not crowded. We fit right in.
While washing my hands, I dreamed of a refreshing cocktail, something blue with vodka and crushed ice. I came out and there was a shot of whiskey and a PBR waiting for me. That would work too.
Barry's girlfriend had gone to sleep already so we couldn't shower. We set up the tent in the dark and went to sleep stinky, but at least we had a place to sleep.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 3
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 4
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Seven o’clock, still 91 miles from Lassen National Park. We aren’t going to be able to camp inside the park, but we camp somewhere close and hopefully have learned our lesson about keeping schedules.
First camp site: full. Second camp site: full. A detour to find Camp 4 which turns out to be a lake and picnic area. Getting darker, we try a third camp site. There are a few camps set up, but no host, no posts. Barely able to see anything, we ask one of the campers if they would mind if we just set up next to them.
“Sure that’s a legitimate camp site.”
Cool. Is that the pay station over there?
“You don’t have to pay for this camp site.”
Even cooler.
We set up camp in the dark and go to sleep, with me coughing into the night. We decide to set our alarm for 7AM with hopes of getting to the park by 10AM. We are awake by 7:40AM and on the road before nine. A record for us.
Lassen Peak erupted in 1914 causing massive destruction in the surrounding area. The park was formed after the eruption because the area has all four types of volcanos that exist. We had planned to hike to the top of Lassen Peak. We get to the park by 10 (yay!) only to learn that the Lassen Peak trail was closed due to avalanche. Now what? The park ranger excitedly suggested an alternative: Br
okeoff Mountain. With an additional 2 miles and 600 ft of elevation, a bit more strenuous than Lassen Peak, but a better hike and just as gorgeous views.
The picture is Lassen Peak.
We drive through the park, stopping to see Devastated Area, an interpretive trail that explains the history of the area and the different kinds of volcanic rock. We didn’t have time for the 3-mile Bumpass Hell hike that takes you into an active hydrothermal basin where you can see mudpots and hissing fumaroles (I’m not sure what they are), but did stop at the Sulphur Works to see the roadside volcanic vents, complete with the smell of sulphur.
We had lunch at the visitor’s center. While sitting at the picnic tables outside, we were right at the base of the volcanos, where we could fully appreciate their size. The weather was still cool, but sunny and comfortable. A California wrap and a cup of coffee later, we were ready for the big hike.
7 miles round trip, 2600 ft elevation. The hike took us to the top of the 9400 ft Brokeoff Mountain. We saw the Lassen Peak trail. It was straight up the side of the barren peak. If you go, I would recommend the Brokeoff Mountain. It’s a great hike, strenuous, but doable. Just when you can’t continue up the incline, they give you a relatively flat trail. You start off in the trees, hike through fields, see the volcanic destruction, along cliffs, beautiful views early on, cross a few streams, smell the pennyroyal and clover. All the way to the top, where you get a great view of Lassen Peak, the other volanos, the Sacramento Valley, the Sierra Nevadas, and on a clear day, Mt. Shasta.
It felt good to hike. I got tired out in the beginning, but I think the activity helped clear my sinuses a bit. Maybe ¾ through the hike I started to be able to keep up with Paul. Closer to the top, the trail got narrower and gave views straight down the mountain into the valley. I was motivated to get the top and pushed through. Finally, the top and I sat on a mountain. I was tired at this point and wanted to lay down and never leave. The top of the mountain was about 20 square feet. There were about 8 people already there sharing the platform. First time for me to the top of a mountain. Really loved the view of Lassen Peak.
Paul and I make it up in 2 hours, about 20 minutes on the top, then down in 1 ½ hours. The trail seemed never ending on the way down as we dreamed of plums and cranberry juice. Not that we were hungry, they just seemed like a good idea. Into the car, sweaty, tired, legs burning, four hour drive to San Francisco.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 1
Getting There
Woke up Friday morning mucus filled and coughing, ready to head south. We had planned to leave around ten, but woke up at ten. Changed the time to 11AM. Shortly after twelve we hit Route 97 heading south facing a 5 ½ hour drive to Lassen National Park. We figured we would get to the park around six and camp there.
Paul is intrigued with landscape, landforms, geological history so driving through the volcanic legacy of Central Oregon intrigued him.
“If we had more time, I’d love to drive off and explore this area more.”
Then we saw a sign for the Lava Cast Forest. We had to go. Screw the schedule.
It was a short 1 mile hike through and area that had been devastated by a volcanic explosion 6000 years ago.
As the lava flowed downhill, it would form around the trees. As the trees burned and the lava cooled, it would leave behind molds, though here they are called casts.
It added about an hour to the trip, but worth it.
We needed gas so we followed the signs to Sun River, just outside the park. Unfortunately, Sun River is not your ordinary town, it is some kind of resort. All the houses look the same and there are not normal streets; there are roads that are connected with circles that do not tell you where you are going. We went around circle 6, circle 9, circle 7, saw the golf course, avoided all the families riding bicycles together on the bicycle paths that run parallel to all the streets and circles. After 45 minutes, we had to stop and look at the maps posted at each circle. Apparently we needed circle 10 to get back to 97. In all the time, there were no gas stations. We found circle 10, even found a sign to 97, and surprisingly, as gas station, just inside the entrance. Now 3 o’clock, we were back on the road.
More pretty vistas, small country towns and the open road. With more planning we, could have made a trip to Crater Lake, but realized a little too late how close it was to the highway. The next big town was Klamath Falls, just before the California border, which we got to around five. Dinner at a Black Bear Diner, a stop at the auto supply store for headlight and blinker bulbs, a stop at Safeway for hiking food, an hour and half later, back on 97. Ah, zee open road…
More gorgeous vistas, mountains and hills in the distance, highlighted by the setting sun, our over packed hurdling down the highway and those familiar red and blue lights behind us.
“And we’re getting pulled over.”
“Hello, I’m officer [someone] with the Oregon State Patrol. Just want to let you know this will be recorded. I’m pulling you over for doing 70 in a 50. Why were you going so fast?”
What answer are they looking for when the ask this?
I was in the passenger seat so I had opened the glove compartment to look for the registration.
“What was that that fell out?”
Not seeing anything fall out, Paul and I searched the packed floor and could only guess it was the quarter sitting on my backpack.
“Do you get pulled over a lot Mr. Weaver?”
“Not in a while, but just yesterday for having a headlight out that I just fixed.”
“Because you seem nervous. I saw your hand shake when you handed me your license. Can I see your hand?”
Paul held out his hand and yes it was shaking. I felt bad for him. Twice in two days.
“Where are you headed? I see your car packed.”
Connecticut.
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
I asked Paul if he was nervous. He said yeah, it sucks getting pulled over. I gave his hand a squeeze. We both figured he’d be getting a speeding ticket. Damn.
The officer comes back.
“Okay, I’ll be honest with you. I’m going to ask you a lot of questions. Whenever I see someone so nervous I usually find something. If I search the car, will I find anything? Any marijuana, open containers of alcohol, anything?”
Uh, no.
“Really, if I get the canine unit out here will the dogs find anything?”
No, nothing. You can have a look.
“Where are headed tonight?”
Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Over his radio we here, Weaver, Washington, all clear.
“You have the car all packed up.”
We’re headed to Connecticut, taking two weeks to get there.
“I’ll be honest, I ask a lot of questions when drivers are nervous because 9 times out of 10 I find something, but I believe you I do. Okay, I’m going to let you on your way.”
Hmm. Weird. Actually, a cool cop overall, polite. I never felt nervous, but unexpected.
We wouldn’t have minded the K-9 unit, but it would have delayed us even more.
On our way again, finally into Northern California, gorgeous view of Mt. Shasta and we keep going.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 0
Paul is intrigued with landscape, landforms, geological history so driving through the volcanic legacy of Central Oregon intrigued him.
“If we had more time, I’d love to drive off and explore this area more.”
Then we saw a sign for the Lava Cast Forest. We had to go. Screw the schedule.
It was a short 1 mile hike through and area that had been devastated by a volcanic explosion 6000 years ago.
As the lava flowed downhill, it would form around the trees. As the trees burned and the lava cooled, it would leave behind molds, though here they are called casts.
It added about an hour to the trip, but worth it.
We needed gas so we followed the signs to Sun River, just outside the park. Unfortunately, Sun River is not your ordinary town, it is some kind of resort. All the houses look the same and there are not normal streets; there are roads that are connected with circles that do not tell you where you are going. We went around circle 6, circle 9, circle 7, saw the golf course, avoided all the families riding bicycles together on the bicycle paths that run parallel to all the streets and circles. After 45 minutes, we had to stop and look at the maps posted at each circle. Apparently we needed circle 10 to get back to 97. In all the time, there were no gas stations. We found circle 10, even found a sign to 97, and surprisingly, as gas station, just inside the entrance. Now 3 o’clock, we were back on the road.
More pretty vistas, small country towns and the open road. With more planning we, could have made a trip to Crater Lake, but realized a little too late how close it was to the highway. The next big town was Klamath Falls, just before the California border, which we got to around five. Dinner at a Black Bear Diner, a stop at the auto supply store for headlight and blinker bulbs, a stop at Safeway for hiking food, an hour and half later, back on 97. Ah, zee open road…
More gorgeous vistas, mountains and hills in the distance, highlighted by the setting sun, our over packed hurdling down the highway and those familiar red and blue lights behind us.
“And we’re getting pulled over.”
“Hello, I’m officer [someone] with the Oregon State Patrol. Just want to let you know this will be recorded. I’m pulling you over for doing 70 in a 50. Why were you going so fast?”
What answer are they looking for when the ask this?
I was in the passenger seat so I had opened the glove compartment to look for the registration.
“What was that that fell out?”
Not seeing anything fall out, Paul and I searched the packed floor and could only guess it was the quarter sitting on my backpack.
“Do you get pulled over a lot Mr. Weaver?”
“Not in a while, but just yesterday for having a headlight out that I just fixed.”
“Because you seem nervous. I saw your hand shake when you handed me your license. Can I see your hand?”
Paul held out his hand and yes it was shaking. I felt bad for him. Twice in two days.
“Where are you headed? I see your car packed.”
Connecticut.
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
I asked Paul if he was nervous. He said yeah, it sucks getting pulled over. I gave his hand a squeeze. We both figured he’d be getting a speeding ticket. Damn.
The officer comes back.
“Okay, I’ll be honest with you. I’m going to ask you a lot of questions. Whenever I see someone so nervous I usually find something. If I search the car, will I find anything? Any marijuana, open containers of alcohol, anything?”
Uh, no.
“Really, if I get the canine unit out here will the dogs find anything?”
No, nothing. You can have a look.
“Where are headed tonight?”
Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Over his radio we here, Weaver, Washington, all clear.
“You have the car all packed up.”
We’re headed to Connecticut, taking two weeks to get there.
“I’ll be honest, I ask a lot of questions when drivers are nervous because 9 times out of 10 I find something, but I believe you I do. Okay, I’m going to let you on your way.”
Hmm. Weird. Actually, a cool cop overall, polite. I never felt nervous, but unexpected.
We wouldn’t have minded the K-9 unit, but it would have delayed us even more.
On our way again, finally into Northern California, gorgeous view of Mt. Shasta and we keep going.
States visited: 3
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 0
Bend
We set off for
Once we left the mountains and drove through the lowlands of Central Oregon, the highway continued to offer beautiful views, with large arid cliffs to the left and the Cascades off to our right with
Shortly after arriving in
The car is packed, but empties a bit when Paul and I take out our clothes and stuff we need for the night. Paul drove, Aimee took the passenger seat, and I sat
“I’m not going to give you a ticket, just wanted to let you know. But let me see your license, registration, and insurance.”
Back to his car, comes back, checks the car and says “Whoa, you’ve got a lot of stuff! Even have another person back there.” I got a little nervous with that, but still just let us off.
Coolest cop ever.
The Bendistillery makes its own gin and vodka, including several fruit infusions. I had the mango vodka and yes, it was delicious. Disco themed nights usually bring up notions of bad weddings for me, but the DJ kept is fun: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life, Car Wash, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson. When we arrived at 10, the place was empty, but filled up when a cycling club arrived after their ride. Paul and I danced and danced amid the locals dressed in their bell bottoms.
Velvet was a chill spot, slow for a Thursday from what we were told: hip décor, good sound system, two levels. Aimee ran into some friends and we chatted for a bit before heading home. We had thawed a chocolate pie and it was waiting, yes, it was delicious.
States visited: 2
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 0
Portland
When it comes to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve always been a Seattle girl. I have visited Victoria, Vancouver, Tacoma, Portland, and the Olympic Peninsula, but none could steal my heart away from Seattle. I’ve met my Portland counterparts, but could never be convinced of its allure. I’d spent the night in Portland once visiting some friends. It just seemed like a smaller Seattle with better public transportation.
The first stop on our tour was Portland, actually at my suggestion. I figured I could give it another try, see what others saw. Paul tried to secure a show, but it just didn’t happen so we were going just as tourists.
On the initial drive down I-5 then off the exit to our host’s house, my impressions didn’t change. Nice city with some Pacific Northwest feel, but nothing distinguishing. Then we found our destination. A quaint craftsman house in the Hawthorne district. Our host, Junko, was outside, watering her plants in her sundress and sandals. She greeted us with a warm smile as her cat walked across the lawn and greeted us with a warm meow. “You must be Sara’s friends. They aren’t here yet, but come in.”
Once inside her house, we were greeted with the scent of essential oils and simple, but welcoming décor. Her colorful art graced the walls, her easle featured prominently in the living room. Junko is an old friend of Sara’s and had graciously offered to let all five of us stay for the night. She lived in the house with three cats and her dog.
Tommy, Sara, and Janice showed up at the house within minutes and we all headed out for Thai food on Hawthorne, the main drag through the neighborhood about two blocks from Junko’s house. After dinner we went back to the house, hung out for a bit and then staked out our sleeping spots: Paul and I in the living room, Tommy, Sara, and Janice up in the guest room.
The next morning I woke up early, 7AM, and decided to go for a walk so I put on my sneakers, grabbed my iPod and headed down the street. Lots of bicycles and skateboards in Portland. Lots of plants and gardens in the yards of the beautiful old homes.
I walked down Hawthorne for about 45 minutes, past interesting bars, restaurants, cafes, vintage shops, and other businesses, each with their own unique flavor. Not that Seattle is an oasis of big chain stores, but Portland seemed to be even less so. On first glance at least, the restaurants and shops seemed to have a more home grown sense.
Tommy’s crew took off for San Francisco around noon, but Paul and I stayed in Portland for a few more hours. We were headed to Bend next, so we had a shorter drive. Paul lived in Portland for a month last year, so he drove me through the different neighborhoods showing off his old haunts. He pointed out the Chaos café, where he played his first show in Portland. We drove past the Pub at the End of the Universe, where he had played several shows. Unfortunately, it didn’t open until later in the evening so I couldn’t try their chocolate raspberry stout Paul recommended. We drove through trendy Pearl district, Brooklyn, where Paul had stayed, then up to Alberta street, with its own restaurants, bars, cafes, and vintage shops. We got out of the car for a stroll through Mt Tabor park. Thanks to its elevation, we saw great views of the Cascades and downtown Portland. Quite a pleasant afternoon.
Not sure where we will be after graduation, but Portland is now on the list.
States visited: 2
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 0
The first stop on our tour was Portland, actually at my suggestion. I figured I could give it another try, see what others saw. Paul tried to secure a show, but it just didn’t happen so we were going just as tourists.
On the initial drive down I-5 then off the exit to our host’s house, my impressions didn’t change. Nice city with some Pacific Northwest feel, but nothing distinguishing. Then we found our destination. A quaint craftsman house in the Hawthorne district. Our host, Junko, was outside, watering her plants in her sundress and sandals. She greeted us with a warm smile as her cat walked across the lawn and greeted us with a warm meow. “You must be Sara’s friends. They aren’t here yet, but come in.”
Once inside her house, we were greeted with the scent of essential oils and simple, but welcoming décor. Her colorful art graced the walls, her easle featured prominently in the living room. Junko is an old friend of Sara’s and had graciously offered to let all five of us stay for the night. She lived in the house with three cats and her dog.
Tommy, Sara, and Janice showed up at the house within minutes and we all headed out for Thai food on Hawthorne, the main drag through the neighborhood about two blocks from Junko’s house. After dinner we went back to the house, hung out for a bit and then staked out our sleeping spots: Paul and I in the living room, Tommy, Sara, and Janice up in the guest room.
The next morning I woke up early, 7AM, and decided to go for a walk so I put on my sneakers, grabbed my iPod and headed down the street. Lots of bicycles and skateboards in Portland. Lots of plants and gardens in the yards of the beautiful old homes.
I walked down Hawthorne for about 45 minutes, past interesting bars, restaurants, cafes, vintage shops, and other businesses, each with their own unique flavor. Not that Seattle is an oasis of big chain stores, but Portland seemed to be even less so. On first glance at least, the restaurants and shops seemed to have a more home grown sense.
Tommy’s crew took off for San Francisco around noon, but Paul and I stayed in Portland for a few more hours. We were headed to Bend next, so we had a shorter drive. Paul lived in Portland for a month last year, so he drove me through the different neighborhoods showing off his old haunts. He pointed out the Chaos café, where he played his first show in Portland. We drove past the Pub at the End of the Universe, where he had played several shows. Unfortunately, it didn’t open until later in the evening so I couldn’t try their chocolate raspberry stout Paul recommended. We drove through trendy Pearl district, Brooklyn, where Paul had stayed, then up to Alberta street, with its own restaurants, bars, cafes, and vintage shops. We got out of the car for a stroll through Mt Tabor park. Thanks to its elevation, we saw great views of the Cascades and downtown Portland. Quite a pleasant afternoon.
Not sure where we will be after graduation, but Portland is now on the list.
States visited: 2
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 0
Thursday, August 6, 2009
It Has to Start Somewhere
Hello All!
For most of August, Paul and I will be crossing and exploring the United States from Seattle to Connecticut where Paul is moving so he can make me breakfast, do the laundry, spend some time with Nick the cat and give me tons of love and support as I charge through my last year (technically 9 months) of nursing school. Joining us are Tommy & Sara and a few other people here and there. Tommy is moving to Massachusetts and Sara is coming along for the excitement of it all. Along the way, Paul & Tommy will be playing shows as Constantly Burning Fire. I wanted to write about the trip so I could keep you all informed of our adventures.
Constantly Burning Fire is an experimental, electronic musical duo that creates sounds that spark your imagination and entertain your curiosity. Paul developed the concept sometime in 2007, they played their first show together in February 2008 in Seattle, put our their first CD in May 2009 and are now touring the country. For more, visit http://www.mypsace.com/constantlyburningfire.
On July 31, we moved out of the apartment in Seattle and down to Lacey, WA for a few days to Paul's parents' house before we officially hit the road on Tuesday. On August 1, CBF played their last show in the Pacific Northwest in Tacoma, WA at the Silent Music Studios. Also on the bill, The Howlies from Atlanta, the Black Hollies, from New Jersey, and Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel from Tacoma.
Some highlights:
But seriously, another amazing performance by Constantly Burning Fire.
I love their song Big Bird Ride!!! Love it!!!!!
And so it goes...Tuesday we packed up the cars, with stuff, stuff, and more stuff. While doing so Tommy learned a technique to p
ack more stuff into a loaded car. With the trunk full, half of the back seat full, with just enough space for Janice, his sister, Sara holding his bass in the front seat and still more stuff laying on in the driveway, he managed to find a "cavern" in the trunk, below the boxes and cartons. He excitedly exclaimed "I found a cavern. I found a cavern. We can fit so much more stuff" as he grabbed jackets and blankets and water bottles and shoved them into the cavern. "Quick, quick, more stuff!"
Despite the last minute discovery, they stopped at Greyhound after they left to ship more stuff to the East Coast, in consideration of the comfort of the passengers.
The picture is Tommy in his car.
Paul and I loaded up good 'ole Gerty, his 1992 Mitsubishi Mirage and we were off to Portland.
For most of August, Paul and I will be crossing and exploring the United States from Seattle to Connecticut where Paul is moving so he can make me breakfast, do the laundry, spend some time with Nick the cat and give me tons of love and support as I charge through my last year (technically 9 months) of nursing school. Joining us are Tommy & Sara and a few other people here and there. Tommy is moving to Massachusetts and Sara is coming along for the excitement of it all. Along the way, Paul & Tommy will be playing shows as Constantly Burning Fire. I wanted to write about the trip so I could keep you all informed of our adventures.
Constantly Burning Fire is an experimental, electronic musical duo that creates sounds that spark your imagination and entertain your curiosity. Paul developed the concept sometime in 2007, they played their first show together in February 2008 in Seattle, put our their first CD in May 2009 and are now touring the country. For more, visit http://www.mypsace.com/constantlyburningfire.
On July 31, we moved out of the apartment in Seattle and down to Lacey, WA for a few days to Paul's parents' house before we officially hit the road on Tuesday. On August 1, CBF played their last show in the Pacific Northwest in Tacoma, WA at the Silent Music Studios. Also on the bill, The Howlies from Atlanta, the Black Hollies, from New Jersey, and Brotherhood of the Black Squirrel from Tacoma.
Some highlights:
But seriously, another amazing performance by Constantly Burning Fire.
I love their song Big Bird Ride!!! Love it!!!!!
And so it goes...Tuesday we packed up the cars, with stuff, stuff, and more stuff. While doing so Tommy learned a technique to p
ack more stuff into a loaded car. With the trunk full, half of the back seat full, with just enough space for Janice, his sister, Sara holding his bass in the front seat and still more stuff laying on in the driveway, he managed to find a "cavern" in the trunk, below the boxes and cartons. He excitedly exclaimed "I found a cavern. I found a cavern. We can fit so much more stuff" as he grabbed jackets and blankets and water bottles and shoved them into the cavern. "Quick, quick, more stuff!"Despite the last minute discovery, they stopped at Greyhound after they left to ship more stuff to the East Coast, in consideration of the comfort of the passengers.
The picture is Tommy in his car.
Paul and I loaded up good 'ole Gerty, his 1992 Mitsubishi Mirage and we were off to Portland.
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