This trip to Nashville is shorter than most trips that I take for work. Only one full day. My original flight was scheduled at 8:50 AM. When I checked in there was a later flight so I took it, mainly because the flight is on a Barbie Dream Jet. These "regional jets" are pretty small and cramped. I can't even stand up in one. Thankfully, the flight is only 1.5 hours. Made it to Nashville (BNA) with no problem. The airport is small compared to airports that I usually fly into. Mostly small regional jets. As I deplaned and headed to the baggage claim I was impressed by how empty the airport was. I realize it was Sunday and that may have had something to do with it. I guess I'm used to Houston where even on Sunday it is busy. Went and grabbed my rental car and headed towards my hotel.
This hotel is so big that it is a hinderance. It is really like 4 hotels around a convention center. I have a 15 minute walk to my convention area it's just to big to be feasible. That being said, the rooms are very well appointed. The mattresses are hotel mattresses, obviously, but they aren't too bad, especially for the two nights I'll be here. While I recognize the benefits of a hotel like this I also have a fundamental disagreement with it. People who stay here don't leave the hotel it's all here. Nine places to eat, shopping, a Godiva Chocolate store and three atrium gardens with waterfalls, boats and a tropical conservatory. I should not have rented a car because we wont' leave the hotel.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
A really big show
Before we left Houston we planned on seeing at least one, maybe two shows. We ended up seeing five. Five shows in 4 days. What’s even more interesting is each show was of a different varietal of theater. Theatre is like alcohol. It can be the singular common factor between different types of theatre. Like beer, wine, and liquor, theatre can be fermented from many fruits. On this trip we saw an opera, a musical, a dramatic thriller, a comedy, and an off Broadway musical. I liked some more than others and for the sake of memory I would like to record my impressions of each below:
Thursday: La Traviatta, Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center.
• Venue: By far the largest venue I have ever been in. With Orchestra, Box, Grand Tier, Mezzanine, Upper Mezanine and Family Circle levels this building is almost an arena. Yet, the sound in the house is crisp and close. You could hear the actor’s foot falls as they moved across the stage. The stage has a high proscenium arch that acknowledges the grand dimensions of the building. From the lobby to the coat check room this place is built to amplify the elegance that is grand opera. The lobby features crisscrossing stair ways that take you from the lobby level (which leads to the box seats, the orchestra level requires that you step down) to the highest seats. The famous “star burst” chandeliers had recently been re-hung with new crystals. The carpet was so thick it felt as if I were wading through it. My only complaint was the subtitle devices. Instead of placing the words on a screen at the top of the proscenium arch they were on displays on the backs of the seats. This meant you had to shift focus to read the words. It gave me a headache.
• The Show: Flawlessly executed. The Met does Opera in a way that could only happen in a city like New York where arts is just ingrained in the culture. The sets were large, complex, lavish and numerous. 4 set pieces across 3 acts. The show opens in a Parisian townhome, the second act takes place in a country house and then moves to a ball back in the city. This requires a scene change during the show which was accomplished in minutes. The third act takes place back in the Paris house, only this time it begins in an upstairs bedroom. Violetta is sick in bed she hears news that her lover is coming to see her for the usual opera reasons. He’s been given a letter that shows she didn’t mean all those hurtful things she said to him at the big party the night before. She leaps from her bed and heads downstairs (leaping from your bed and heading downstairs takes about 9 minutes of singing in an Opera). On stage the second floor is all you see, it goes from stage level to the top of the proscenium arch. As Violletta walks to the stair case the set begins to move upwards. The second floor disappears above the stage and below it we see the first floor. It’s enormous and expensive and Opera. I really enjoyed this entire show and would say The Met is a must stop place for any Opera lover.
Friday: Young Frankenstein, Hilton Theater in Times Square
• Venue: Standard old theater. Medium sized lobby, the house was smaller than our houses in Houston and the lighting and sound was bolted on to the walls hiding the beautiful artwork that was once very important.
• The Show: Terrible. This Mel Brooks attempt at another hit after the raving success of The Producers was pure crap. The story is sacrificed for smoltzy showtunes and jokes that seem to be wedged into already weak dialouge. The funniest part of the show was the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” which, again, didn’t really fit. This thing is a tourist trap and Mel Brooks should get some help or a new musical maker if he plans on doing “Blazing Saddles” next.
Saturday: Equus, Broadhurst Theater on 44th and Broadway.
• Venue: It’s like someone took a theater and shrunk it, seats and all. We had seats at the front of the mezzanine which gave us a great view of the stage. The seats were small which was distracting at times.
• The Show: The play starred the guy who plays Harry Potter, his non-wizard uncle, and a bunch of other British notables. The story is one of a 17 year old boy who, for no apparent reason, uses a hoof pick to blind six horses in a stable that he works at on the weekends. The boy, played by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is sent to a psychiatric hospital and is put under the care of a psychiatrist played by Richard Griffiths (History Boys, Harry Potter’s Uncle who he lives with over the summer breaks.) The show goes into territory that a lot of people would find uncomfortable. Essentially, the young boy creates his own sort of religion out of mixed messages from his parents that involves a god named Equus who lives in every horse. Equus talks to him through the horses and part of worship is to ride the horse forcing it and the god inside to submit. After attempting intercourse with a female stable worker he feels as if Equus is condemning him through the eyes of the horses so he blinds them all. This psychological thriller is beautifully written. I love how the boys problems are not spelled out, but rather alluded to. The show is well written, amazingly acted and not for everyone.
Sunday: Boeing Boeing, Longacre Theater on 48th and Broadway.
• Venue: Similar to the Broadhurst
• The Show: A slow starting, but fast building romantic comedy about an American bachelor living in Paris who has 3 air hostesses as fiancées. They each work different schedules so they are never there at the same time, until…Well you get the gist. This play is hilarious. I laughed so much I want to see it again in hopes of catching the parts that I missed because I was laughing so hard. It’s energy carries it forward as a dramatic play in much the same way as “Noises Off” for anyone who is familiar with that show.
Sunday: Alter Boyz, New World Theater, Stage 4 on 48th and 8th (off B’way)
• Venue: Black box.
• The Show: This cute Christian spin on Boy Bands is cute and full of stereotypes. Some mild laughs and a pretty predictable story. If this were a movie I would have rented it.
All in all we had a great time and I’m ready to be home. So, I’m going to get packing. Next trip is Nashville in two week.
Thursday: La Traviatta, Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center.
• Venue: By far the largest venue I have ever been in. With Orchestra, Box, Grand Tier, Mezzanine, Upper Mezanine and Family Circle levels this building is almost an arena. Yet, the sound in the house is crisp and close. You could hear the actor’s foot falls as they moved across the stage. The stage has a high proscenium arch that acknowledges the grand dimensions of the building. From the lobby to the coat check room this place is built to amplify the elegance that is grand opera. The lobby features crisscrossing stair ways that take you from the lobby level (which leads to the box seats, the orchestra level requires that you step down) to the highest seats. The famous “star burst” chandeliers had recently been re-hung with new crystals. The carpet was so thick it felt as if I were wading through it. My only complaint was the subtitle devices. Instead of placing the words on a screen at the top of the proscenium arch they were on displays on the backs of the seats. This meant you had to shift focus to read the words. It gave me a headache.
• The Show: Flawlessly executed. The Met does Opera in a way that could only happen in a city like New York where arts is just ingrained in the culture. The sets were large, complex, lavish and numerous. 4 set pieces across 3 acts. The show opens in a Parisian townhome, the second act takes place in a country house and then moves to a ball back in the city. This requires a scene change during the show which was accomplished in minutes. The third act takes place back in the Paris house, only this time it begins in an upstairs bedroom. Violetta is sick in bed she hears news that her lover is coming to see her for the usual opera reasons. He’s been given a letter that shows she didn’t mean all those hurtful things she said to him at the big party the night before. She leaps from her bed and heads downstairs (leaping from your bed and heading downstairs takes about 9 minutes of singing in an Opera). On stage the second floor is all you see, it goes from stage level to the top of the proscenium arch. As Violletta walks to the stair case the set begins to move upwards. The second floor disappears above the stage and below it we see the first floor. It’s enormous and expensive and Opera. I really enjoyed this entire show and would say The Met is a must stop place for any Opera lover.
Friday: Young Frankenstein, Hilton Theater in Times Square
• Venue: Standard old theater. Medium sized lobby, the house was smaller than our houses in Houston and the lighting and sound was bolted on to the walls hiding the beautiful artwork that was once very important.
• The Show: Terrible. This Mel Brooks attempt at another hit after the raving success of The Producers was pure crap. The story is sacrificed for smoltzy showtunes and jokes that seem to be wedged into already weak dialouge. The funniest part of the show was the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” which, again, didn’t really fit. This thing is a tourist trap and Mel Brooks should get some help or a new musical maker if he plans on doing “Blazing Saddles” next.
Saturday: Equus, Broadhurst Theater on 44th and Broadway.
• Venue: It’s like someone took a theater and shrunk it, seats and all. We had seats at the front of the mezzanine which gave us a great view of the stage. The seats were small which was distracting at times.
• The Show: The play starred the guy who plays Harry Potter, his non-wizard uncle, and a bunch of other British notables. The story is one of a 17 year old boy who, for no apparent reason, uses a hoof pick to blind six horses in a stable that he works at on the weekends. The boy, played by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is sent to a psychiatric hospital and is put under the care of a psychiatrist played by Richard Griffiths (History Boys, Harry Potter’s Uncle who he lives with over the summer breaks.) The show goes into territory that a lot of people would find uncomfortable. Essentially, the young boy creates his own sort of religion out of mixed messages from his parents that involves a god named Equus who lives in every horse. Equus talks to him through the horses and part of worship is to ride the horse forcing it and the god inside to submit. After attempting intercourse with a female stable worker he feels as if Equus is condemning him through the eyes of the horses so he blinds them all. This psychological thriller is beautifully written. I love how the boys problems are not spelled out, but rather alluded to. The show is well written, amazingly acted and not for everyone.
Sunday: Boeing Boeing, Longacre Theater on 48th and Broadway.
• Venue: Similar to the Broadhurst
• The Show: A slow starting, but fast building romantic comedy about an American bachelor living in Paris who has 3 air hostesses as fiancées. They each work different schedules so they are never there at the same time, until…Well you get the gist. This play is hilarious. I laughed so much I want to see it again in hopes of catching the parts that I missed because I was laughing so hard. It’s energy carries it forward as a dramatic play in much the same way as “Noises Off” for anyone who is familiar with that show.
Sunday: Alter Boyz, New World Theater, Stage 4 on 48th and 8th (off B’way)
• Venue: Black box.
• The Show: This cute Christian spin on Boy Bands is cute and full of stereotypes. Some mild laughs and a pretty predictable story. If this were a movie I would have rented it.
All in all we had a great time and I’m ready to be home. So, I’m going to get packing. Next trip is Nashville in two week.
A really big show
Before we left Houston we planned on seeing at least one, maybe two shows. We ended up seeing five. Five shows in 4 days. What’s even more interesting is each show was of a different varietal of theater. Theatre is like alcohol. It can be the singular common factor between different types of theatre. Like beer, wine, and liquor, theatre can be fermented from many fruits. On this trip we saw an opera, a musical, a dramatic thriller, a comedy, and an off Broadway musical. I liked some more than others and for the sake of memory I would like to record my impressions of each below:
Thursday: La Traviatta, Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center.
• Venue: By far the largest venue I have ever been in. With Orchestra, Box, Grand Tier, Mezzanine, Upper Mezanine and Family Circle levels this building is almost an arena. Yet, the sound in the house is crisp and close. You could hear the actor’s foot falls as they moved across the stage. The stage has a high proscenium arch that acknowledges the grand dimensions of the building. From the lobby to the coat check room this place is built to amplify the elegance that is grand opera. The lobby features crisscrossing stair ways that take you from the lobby level (which leads to the box seats, the orchestra level requires that you step down) to the highest seats. The famous “star burst” chandeliers had recently been re-hung with new crystals. The carpet was so thick it felt as if I were wading through it. My only complaint was the subtitle devices. Instead of placing the words on a screen at the top of the proscenium arch they were on displays on the backs of the seats. This meant you had to shift focus to read the words. It gave me a headache.
• The Show: Flawlessly executed. The Met does Opera in a way that could only happen in a city like New York where arts is just ingrained in the culture. The sets were large, complex, lavish and numerous. 4 set pieces across 3 acts. The show opens in a Parisian townhome, the second act takes place in a country house and then moves to a ball back in the city. This requires a scene change during the show which was accomplished in minutes. The third act takes place back in the Paris house, only this time it begins in an upstairs bedroom. Violetta is sick in bed she hears news that her lover is coming to see her for the usual opera reasons. He’s been given a letter that shows she didn’t mean all those hurtful things she said to him at the big party the night before. She leaps from her bed and heads downstairs (leaping from your bed and heading downstairs takes about 9 minutes of singing in an Opera). On stage the second floor is all you see, it goes from stage level to the top of the proscenium arch. As Violletta walks to the stair case the set begins to move upwards. The second floor disappears above the stage and below it we see the first floor. It’s enormous and expensive and Opera. I really enjoyed this entire show and would say The Met is a must stop place for any Opera lover.
Friday: Young Frankenstein, Hilton Theater in Times Square
• Venue: Standard old theater. Medium sized lobby, the house was smaller than our houses in Houston and the lighting and sound was bolted on to the walls hiding the beautiful artwork that was once very important.
• The Show: Terrible. This Mel Brooks attempt at another hit after the raving success of The Producers was pure crap. The story is sacrificed for smoltzy showtunes and jokes that seem to be wedged into already weak dialouge. The funniest part of the show was the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” which, again, didn’t really fit. This thing is a tourist trap and Mel Brooks should get some help or a new musical maker if he plans on doing “Blazing Saddles” next.
Saturday: Equus, Broadhurst Theater on 44th and Broadway.
• Venue: It’s like someone took a theater and shrunk it, seats and all. We had seats at the front of the mezzanine which gave us a great view of the stage. The seats were small which was distracting at times.
• The Show: The play starred the guy who plays Harry Potter, his non-wizard uncle, and a bunch of other British notables. The story is one of a 17 year old boy who, for no apparent reason, uses a hoof pick to blind six horses in a stable that he works at on the weekends. The boy, played by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is sent to a psychiatric hospital and is put under the care of a psychiatrist played by Richard Griffiths (History Boys, Harry Potter’s Uncle who he lives with over the summer breaks.) The show goes into territory that a lot of people would find uncomfortable. Essentially, the young boy creates his own sort of religion out of mixed messages from his parents that involves a god named Equus who lives in every horse. Equus talks to him through the horses and part of worship is to ride the horse forcing it and the god inside to submit. After attempting intercourse with a female stable worker he feels as if Equus is condemning him through the eyes of the horses so he blinds them all. This psychological thriller is beautifully written. I love how the boys problems are not spelled out, but rather alluded to. The show is well written, amazingly acted and not for everyone.
Sunday: Boeing Boeing, Longacre Theater on 48th and Broadway.
• Venue: Similar to the Broadhurst
• The Show: A slow starting, but fast building romantic comedy about an American bachelor living in Paris who has 3 air hostesses as fiancées. They each work different schedules so they are never there at the same time, until…Well you get the gist. This play is hilarious. I laughed so much I want to see it again in hopes of catching the parts that I missed because I was laughing so hard. It’s energy carries it forward as a dramatic play in much the same way as “Noises Off” for anyone who is familiar with that show.
Sunday: Alter Boyz, New World Theater, Stage 4 on 48th and 8th (off B’way)
• Venue: Black box.
• The Show: This cute Christian spin on Boy Bands is cute and full of stereotypes. Some mild laughs and a pretty predictable story. If this were a movie I would have rented it.
All in all we had a great time and I’m ready to be home. So, I’m going to get packing. Next trip is Nashville in two week.
Thursday: La Traviatta, Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center.
• Venue: By far the largest venue I have ever been in. With Orchestra, Box, Grand Tier, Mezzanine, Upper Mezanine and Family Circle levels this building is almost an arena. Yet, the sound in the house is crisp and close. You could hear the actor’s foot falls as they moved across the stage. The stage has a high proscenium arch that acknowledges the grand dimensions of the building. From the lobby to the coat check room this place is built to amplify the elegance that is grand opera. The lobby features crisscrossing stair ways that take you from the lobby level (which leads to the box seats, the orchestra level requires that you step down) to the highest seats. The famous “star burst” chandeliers had recently been re-hung with new crystals. The carpet was so thick it felt as if I were wading through it. My only complaint was the subtitle devices. Instead of placing the words on a screen at the top of the proscenium arch they were on displays on the backs of the seats. This meant you had to shift focus to read the words. It gave me a headache.
• The Show: Flawlessly executed. The Met does Opera in a way that could only happen in a city like New York where arts is just ingrained in the culture. The sets were large, complex, lavish and numerous. 4 set pieces across 3 acts. The show opens in a Parisian townhome, the second act takes place in a country house and then moves to a ball back in the city. This requires a scene change during the show which was accomplished in minutes. The third act takes place back in the Paris house, only this time it begins in an upstairs bedroom. Violetta is sick in bed she hears news that her lover is coming to see her for the usual opera reasons. He’s been given a letter that shows she didn’t mean all those hurtful things she said to him at the big party the night before. She leaps from her bed and heads downstairs (leaping from your bed and heading downstairs takes about 9 minutes of singing in an Opera). On stage the second floor is all you see, it goes from stage level to the top of the proscenium arch. As Violletta walks to the stair case the set begins to move upwards. The second floor disappears above the stage and below it we see the first floor. It’s enormous and expensive and Opera. I really enjoyed this entire show and would say The Met is a must stop place for any Opera lover.
Friday: Young Frankenstein, Hilton Theater in Times Square
• Venue: Standard old theater. Medium sized lobby, the house was smaller than our houses in Houston and the lighting and sound was bolted on to the walls hiding the beautiful artwork that was once very important.
• The Show: Terrible. This Mel Brooks attempt at another hit after the raving success of The Producers was pure crap. The story is sacrificed for smoltzy showtunes and jokes that seem to be wedged into already weak dialouge. The funniest part of the show was the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” which, again, didn’t really fit. This thing is a tourist trap and Mel Brooks should get some help or a new musical maker if he plans on doing “Blazing Saddles” next.
Saturday: Equus, Broadhurst Theater on 44th and Broadway.
• Venue: It’s like someone took a theater and shrunk it, seats and all. We had seats at the front of the mezzanine which gave us a great view of the stage. The seats were small which was distracting at times.
• The Show: The play starred the guy who plays Harry Potter, his non-wizard uncle, and a bunch of other British notables. The story is one of a 17 year old boy who, for no apparent reason, uses a hoof pick to blind six horses in a stable that he works at on the weekends. The boy, played by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is sent to a psychiatric hospital and is put under the care of a psychiatrist played by Richard Griffiths (History Boys, Harry Potter’s Uncle who he lives with over the summer breaks.) The show goes into territory that a lot of people would find uncomfortable. Essentially, the young boy creates his own sort of religion out of mixed messages from his parents that involves a god named Equus who lives in every horse. Equus talks to him through the horses and part of worship is to ride the horse forcing it and the god inside to submit. After attempting intercourse with a female stable worker he feels as if Equus is condemning him through the eyes of the horses so he blinds them all. This psychological thriller is beautifully written. I love how the boys problems are not spelled out, but rather alluded to. The show is well written, amazingly acted and not for everyone.
Sunday: Boeing Boeing, Longacre Theater on 48th and Broadway.
• Venue: Similar to the Broadhurst
• The Show: A slow starting, but fast building romantic comedy about an American bachelor living in Paris who has 3 air hostesses as fiancées. They each work different schedules so they are never there at the same time, until…Well you get the gist. This play is hilarious. I laughed so much I want to see it again in hopes of catching the parts that I missed because I was laughing so hard. It’s energy carries it forward as a dramatic play in much the same way as “Noises Off” for anyone who is familiar with that show.
Sunday: Alter Boyz, New World Theater, Stage 4 on 48th and 8th (off B’way)
• Venue: Black box.
• The Show: This cute Christian spin on Boy Bands is cute and full of stereotypes. Some mild laughs and a pretty predictable story. If this were a movie I would have rented it.
All in all we had a great time and I’m ready to be home. So, I’m going to get packing. Next trip is Nashville in two week.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
On getting around in "The City"
When you talk to New Yorkers they often refer to New York, and more specifically Manhattan as, “the city.” The title offers interesting insight into how people who live in New York City view this little island.
Location is a huge part of any conversation. “Where are you staying?” In the city. “Oh, where?” It has always seemed to me to be more of a sort of How Well Do You Know New York quiz. If you just respond, “51st and Lexington” you should expect to hear back, “oh, uptown.” One of the first things you may know about anyone you have a conversation with is what borough they stay in. It always strikes me as odd until I consider that moving around in this place is not anything at all like Houston. Much more thought is required. Should I walk, take a cab, train or a bus?
Walking across Manhattan East to West is not bad; most people can easily do it. North to South, that’s a different story. Jeremy and I have walked home almost every night from wherever we were; it’s a nice way to end the evening.
Taking a cab is the most expensive form of getting around. It can be the quickest depending on where you are going. If traffic is bad, walking can be fastest.
The subway is a very complex, yet efficient way of getting places. The subway is split up in to several lines: the red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple and brown. Each line has several trains, which are differentiated either by a number or a letter. The letters/numbers are not repeated across lines, so you would not have a C train on the blue line and the yellow line. The C train is blue. If you take a look at this map (http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm) you’ll see that each of the trains on each colored line makes most stops. This is called “local”. A local train makes all the stops. There are also express trains but those generally don’t go express until they get out of Manhattan so you usually do not have to worry. You do need to know which train to take on lines such as the orange. Just south of central park it splits three ways. I have only had to take trains out of Manhattan once and I had a friend as a guide. Since we stayed in Manhattan we did not have to plan much. This is one place where having an iPhone proved invaluable. I downloaded the iTrans Application that tells you what trains and where to transfer to get from one station to another. This takes most of the guesswork out of the subway system and made it very easy for us to use.
Whenever I come here I realize that in Houston we get into this paradigm of automatically including our car in any travel plans. When I’m in New York I find myself putting a lot more cognitive effort into deciding how I should go from point a to b. When you put that into the context of the culture here it’s easy to realize why location is such a topic of discussion. Just by telling someone where you live/stay he or she can gain insight into the parts of your daily life that include commuting and traveling.
After using getting around this city for 5 days I am looking forward to being back in Houston where I just hop in my car and drive where I want to go. Waiting on trains, watching to make sure unscrupulous cabdrivers don’t go the long way.
Location is a huge part of any conversation. “Where are you staying?” In the city. “Oh, where?” It has always seemed to me to be more of a sort of How Well Do You Know New York quiz. If you just respond, “51st and Lexington” you should expect to hear back, “oh, uptown.” One of the first things you may know about anyone you have a conversation with is what borough they stay in. It always strikes me as odd until I consider that moving around in this place is not anything at all like Houston. Much more thought is required. Should I walk, take a cab, train or a bus?
Walking across Manhattan East to West is not bad; most people can easily do it. North to South, that’s a different story. Jeremy and I have walked home almost every night from wherever we were; it’s a nice way to end the evening.
Taking a cab is the most expensive form of getting around. It can be the quickest depending on where you are going. If traffic is bad, walking can be fastest.
The subway is a very complex, yet efficient way of getting places. The subway is split up in to several lines: the red, blue, green, yellow, orange, purple and brown. Each line has several trains, which are differentiated either by a number or a letter. The letters/numbers are not repeated across lines, so you would not have a C train on the blue line and the yellow line. The C train is blue. If you take a look at this map (http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/submap.htm) you’ll see that each of the trains on each colored line makes most stops. This is called “local”. A local train makes all the stops. There are also express trains but those generally don’t go express until they get out of Manhattan so you usually do not have to worry. You do need to know which train to take on lines such as the orange. Just south of central park it splits three ways. I have only had to take trains out of Manhattan once and I had a friend as a guide. Since we stayed in Manhattan we did not have to plan much. This is one place where having an iPhone proved invaluable. I downloaded the iTrans Application that tells you what trains and where to transfer to get from one station to another. This takes most of the guesswork out of the subway system and made it very easy for us to use.
Whenever I come here I realize that in Houston we get into this paradigm of automatically including our car in any travel plans. When I’m in New York I find myself putting a lot more cognitive effort into deciding how I should go from point a to b. When you put that into the context of the culture here it’s easy to realize why location is such a topic of discussion. Just by telling someone where you live/stay he or she can gain insight into the parts of your daily life that include commuting and traveling.
After using getting around this city for 5 days I am looking forward to being back in Houston where I just hop in my car and drive where I want to go. Waiting on trains, watching to make sure unscrupulous cabdrivers don’t go the long way.
Friday, October 24, 2008
ORD to EWR and into Manhattan
We rode into Chicago early and the gate for our next flight was right next to our arrival gate. So we grabbed some lunch while waiting for or New York flight. We had an uneventful flight, grabbed our luggage and decided to try Alex's idea of taking the bus from Newark to Grand Central. Same price as the train. Well it took twice as long. OH well..live and learn. We arrived at our hotel via subway, checked in and got to our room, threw on some nice clothes and headed over to Lincoln Center to try and get Rush tickets to La Traviatta. We just missed the rush tickets but decided to buy rear orchestra seats.
Opera at the Met is amazing. This show was amazing. Amazing sets, amazing voices, amazing acting, just fun. It's also nice to go to a place where people still dress up for theater. I have to admit, I really enjoyed throwing on my suit, scarf and black wool coat. It was so cold I needed it and we just don't get to dress that way here much.
At the intermission before Act II Jeremy told me he felt like it was too early in his life to be sitting at the Met watching an Opera. I do not think I have ever felt that way. What I find more and more is that I enjoy experiences more than material things. Walking through Times Square, being on the subway, Central Park. I don't mistake my enjoyment for wanting to live here, but it's the experience that creates rich, lasting memories. It's the experiences that you can share with someone else that create those memories that strengthen the bonds of any relationship, friend, family or loved one. Because no matter how I explain or tell about what I did on this trip, only the people that are here with me can really understand.
Opera at the Met is amazing. This show was amazing. Amazing sets, amazing voices, amazing acting, just fun. It's also nice to go to a place where people still dress up for theater. I have to admit, I really enjoyed throwing on my suit, scarf and black wool coat. It was so cold I needed it and we just don't get to dress that way here much.
At the intermission before Act II Jeremy told me he felt like it was too early in his life to be sitting at the Met watching an Opera. I do not think I have ever felt that way. What I find more and more is that I enjoy experiences more than material things. Walking through Times Square, being on the subway, Central Park. I don't mistake my enjoyment for wanting to live here, but it's the experience that creates rich, lasting memories. It's the experiences that you can share with someone else that create those memories that strengthen the bonds of any relationship, friend, family or loved one. Because no matter how I explain or tell about what I did on this trip, only the people that are here with me can really understand.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
En Route IAH to ORD 9:45 AM
Well we’ve just been sequenced which is pretty consistent with my other trips to ORD. Sequencing occurs because of the heavy traffic at most major airports. In order to keep planes from entering holding patterns that can last up to an hour airports and airlines realized it was cheaper to slow down on the way. It saves gas and it keeps the passengers from getting antsy as the plane flies over the same real estate for an hour. I’ve never flown to Chicago and not been sequenced. You can tell when it happens because the plane starts to slow down. We’ll be landing in Chicago in less than an hour and we have about 30 minutes to get to our next gate. I was hoping to get lunch but that probably is not going to happen. Then it’s another 2 hour flight to Newark, New Jersey and a 20 minute train ride to Manhattan. The flight so far has been uneventful and quiet. The plane is old, it smells moldy but it has laptop power, which CO does not.
We were up at 5AM, left the house at 6AM and were at our gate by 6:50AM a full hour before our flight was scheduled to leave. There were two flights departing from our gate area, ours to ORD (O’Hare in Chicago) and the other to MIA (Miami International Construction Zone and Drug Bazzarre as Dave Barry calls it). Those of us bound for Chicago had on our long sleeves with coats over our arms knowing we’d need them in a few hours, the folks headed to Miami were clad in t-shirts and shorts. We pushed back on time and got in line for the runway. I can remember back when planes didn’t have to wait in line, they just taxied and took off. The last time I flew on a “whisper jet” as these MD80’s are called, was on my way to Seattle, we took one from Dallas. The MD – Super 80 “Whisper Jet” name is a throw back to the days when airlines named their fleet types. Such names as “Astroliner” “Sky train” “Golden Jet” and others The MD80 was called “Whisper Jet” because th engines are mounted in the rear of the plane making the cabin much quieter for the front ¾’s of the cabin. However, because the engineers are mounted on the fuseleage instead of under the wing, the back part of the cabin is VERY noisy. The restrooms particularly. These planes are old. I really don’t miss the in-flight entertainment; I rarely watch it.
We were up at 5AM, left the house at 6AM and were at our gate by 6:50AM a full hour before our flight was scheduled to leave. There were two flights departing from our gate area, ours to ORD (O’Hare in Chicago) and the other to MIA (Miami International Construction Zone and Drug Bazzarre as Dave Barry calls it). Those of us bound for Chicago had on our long sleeves with coats over our arms knowing we’d need them in a few hours, the folks headed to Miami were clad in t-shirts and shorts. We pushed back on time and got in line for the runway. I can remember back when planes didn’t have to wait in line, they just taxied and took off. The last time I flew on a “whisper jet” as these MD80’s are called, was on my way to Seattle, we took one from Dallas. The MD – Super 80 “Whisper Jet” name is a throw back to the days when airlines named their fleet types. Such names as “Astroliner” “Sky train” “Golden Jet” and others The MD80 was called “Whisper Jet” because th engines are mounted in the rear of the plane making the cabin much quieter for the front ¾’s of the cabin. However, because the engineers are mounted on the fuseleage instead of under the wing, the back part of the cabin is VERY noisy. The restrooms particularly. These planes are old. I really don’t miss the in-flight entertainment; I rarely watch it.
New York, New York
In our second trip this moth Jeremy and I are heading up to New York for a long weekend, flying out today (Thursday 10/23) and coming back on Monday, (10/27). This trip came about a we were talking to some friends back in August about some shows we all were wanting to see that just may not ever come to Houston so, New York it was. This trip is part of Jeremy's birthday gift to me and I could not be more excited. This is my second trip to New York this year and the Jeremy's first since he was a little kid. We have a lot of things planned so it seems like it will be a packed few days. Unlike the Grand Canyon, I've been to New York a few times so I sort-of know my way around or at least how to get a taxi. Like the Grand Canyon I believe New York is a place that you just have to go to yourself to experience it. It is a unique experience from any other big city. I know that big cities are not attractive to everyone, and believe me, by the time Monday rolls around I will be ready to get back to Houston where I can just hop in my car and drive myself, but New York is more than a big city, it's the cultural center for a lot of things that I enjoy. Fine arts, television, and some urban land marks to name a few.
On this trip we want to do the following:
Attend an opera at the Met: La Traviata (this is tonight so we'll see what time we get in)
Go to Time's Square (Jeremy has never been and I told him it's heaven for people who think TV's are cool)
Tour the NBC Studios at 30 Rock
See the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park
See a dramatic play that won't ever come to Houston
See a musical, or two, we'll decide Friday morning
Go to the Chapel of Apple (the 5th Ave Apple store which is an all glass cube with an all glass elevator and staircase.)
Walk walk walk walk walk
We do have lots of stuff planned and plenty of stuff on the tentative burner to keep us busy.
We are flying into New York by way of Chicago this time. Tickets on Continental were $150.00/per person than on American Airlines so rather than fly direct we're doing it the old fashioned way. I have not flown on American since the days I was off to the West Indies a few times a year. Let me say this, I dislike American Airlines. Their planes are old (the plane we'll be flying on today is not even manufactured anymore), they do not serve meals (not that the one's on CO are that good) and they are historically an airline which has lots of delays. So I'm fully expecting to have my baggage lost. That being said, last night as I was packing I got a call from them to inform me that our flight from Houston to Chicago had been pushed back an hour so instead of leaving at 7:00 AM we were leaving at 8:18 AM. Well that was nice. They actually called us to tell us. So we'll see, maybe I'll change my opinion. I will say this, I need to stop being stupid about flight times. I keep picking these crack of dawn flights and it just makes for a slow start to a trip when you're sleepy the entire first day.
I'll be posting more during our trip and will have pictures to share as well. Right now it's time to head to the airport.
On this trip we want to do the following:
Attend an opera at the Met: La Traviata (this is tonight so we'll see what time we get in)
Go to Time's Square (Jeremy has never been and I told him it's heaven for people who think TV's are cool)
Tour the NBC Studios at 30 Rock
See the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park
See a dramatic play that won't ever come to Houston
See a musical, or two, we'll decide Friday morning
Go to the Chapel of Apple (the 5th Ave Apple store which is an all glass cube with an all glass elevator and staircase.)
Walk walk walk walk walk
We do have lots of stuff planned and plenty of stuff on the tentative burner to keep us busy.
We are flying into New York by way of Chicago this time. Tickets on Continental were $150.00/per person than on American Airlines so rather than fly direct we're doing it the old fashioned way. I have not flown on American since the days I was off to the West Indies a few times a year. Let me say this, I dislike American Airlines. Their planes are old (the plane we'll be flying on today is not even manufactured anymore), they do not serve meals (not that the one's on CO are that good) and they are historically an airline which has lots of delays. So I'm fully expecting to have my baggage lost. That being said, last night as I was packing I got a call from them to inform me that our flight from Houston to Chicago had been pushed back an hour so instead of leaving at 7:00 AM we were leaving at 8:18 AM. Well that was nice. They actually called us to tell us. So we'll see, maybe I'll change my opinion. I will say this, I need to stop being stupid about flight times. I keep picking these crack of dawn flights and it just makes for a slow start to a trip when you're sleepy the entire first day.
I'll be posting more during our trip and will have pictures to share as well. Right now it's time to head to the airport.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Home again.
This is the final posting for my Grand Canyon trip journal.
As I mentioned in my earlier entry we decided yesterday that we were not interested in sight-seeing in Santa Fe and really just wanted to go home. We packed up and checked out of our hotel around 10:00 am and pointed Genie towards home. I told Jeremy I would drive the first 10 hours to Dallas if he did the last four to Houston. This drive is the longest I have ever made in a single day. We headed south for an hour or so on a state highway from Santa Fe to meet up with I-40. We took a left on I-40 and 3 hours later we stopped for gas and lunch in Amarillo. We then hopped on another US 287 or 280 I can't remember which took us from Amarillo, through Wichita Falls and into Fort Worth in about 3.5 hours. As we drove through the Panhandle I started to see towns that I have heard my dad talk about, I think. Matador rings a bell. I think he used to go there as a child.
We made it into Fort Worth around 8:00 PM, found a gas station and switched places. After 9.5 hours of driving I was ready to just ride. Jeremy took us through Fort Worth and into Dallas and finally hooked a right onto I-45 and we headed south. We pulled in our driveway around 12:30 AM on Saturday morning 13 and a half hours, including stopping for lunch and 3 times for gas, after leaving Santa Fe. Google maps said it would take us 14 and a half hours, I think that's a pretty bad estimate. The I was very tired and also very glad to be home. The house was stifling as I had turned the AC way up before we left. Thankfully it was cool enough outside that it didn't take any time at all to cool the house off.
We have much to do today. Laundry and unpacking.
The stats:
Total Miles Driven: 3,347 (Estimated: 3,189)
Average MPG: 47.7
Trip route: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=2507+Detering+St,+Houston,+TX+77007&daddr=I-37+S+to:400+N+Harrison+St,+Alpine,+Brewster,+Texas+79832,+United+States+to:US-67+to:111+W+University+Ave,+El+Paso,+TX+79902+(Hilton+Garden+Inn+El+Paso)+to:320+N+44th+St,+Phoenix,+AZ+85008+to:PO+Box+3245,+Grand+Canyon+Nat.+Park,+AZ+86023+(Grand+Canyon+Holiday+Inn+Express)+to:Center+Loop+Road,+PO+Box+129,+Grand+Canyon+National+Park,+AZ+86023+(Grand+Canyon+National+Park)+to:Cliff+Dwellers+Lodge,+Uninc+Coconino+County,+AZ+to:North+Rim,+AZ+to:Cliff+Dwellers+Lodge,+Uninc+Coconino+County,+AZ+to:1968+Galisteo+St,+Santa+Fe,+NM+87505+to:2507+Detering+St,+Houston,+TX+77007&hl=en&geocode=%3BFVRxwAEddmQh-g%3B%3BFYQm1gEdrlra-Q%3B%3B%3BFUQvJgIdwPBQ-SEZ8Nl7k78TqA%3BFX0vJgIdpO9Q-SGyLDS-E3Di4Q%3BFdHfLwIdOdFV-SHa-E2QHSiuzQ%3B%3BFdHfLwIdOdFV-SHa-E2QHSiuzQ%3B%3B&mra=ls&via=1,3&sll=33.101175,-103.81763&sspn=21.936013,30.058594&ie=UTF8&ll=33.83392,-108.479004&spn=10.905405,15.029297&z=6
We went over budget by about $100.00. All in all not to bad. The total trip cost including food, lodging, gas, park fees, helicopter ride and all was just over $1,200.00. All things considered this was a fun trip. I was well enough to do some canyon stuff and we were able to see as much of it as we wanted. I found out what driving for 12 hours feels like and I saw some interesting parts of the USA. If anyone is interested in packing up their car or hopping on a plane for a trip to the Grand Canyon I'll be happy to tell you what I know.
As I mentioned in my earlier entry we decided yesterday that we were not interested in sight-seeing in Santa Fe and really just wanted to go home. We packed up and checked out of our hotel around 10:00 am and pointed Genie towards home. I told Jeremy I would drive the first 10 hours to Dallas if he did the last four to Houston. This drive is the longest I have ever made in a single day. We headed south for an hour or so on a state highway from Santa Fe to meet up with I-40. We took a left on I-40 and 3 hours later we stopped for gas and lunch in Amarillo. We then hopped on another US 287 or 280 I can't remember which took us from Amarillo, through Wichita Falls and into Fort Worth in about 3.5 hours. As we drove through the Panhandle I started to see towns that I have heard my dad talk about, I think. Matador rings a bell. I think he used to go there as a child.
We made it into Fort Worth around 8:00 PM, found a gas station and switched places. After 9.5 hours of driving I was ready to just ride. Jeremy took us through Fort Worth and into Dallas and finally hooked a right onto I-45 and we headed south. We pulled in our driveway around 12:30 AM on Saturday morning 13 and a half hours, including stopping for lunch and 3 times for gas, after leaving Santa Fe. Google maps said it would take us 14 and a half hours, I think that's a pretty bad estimate. The I was very tired and also very glad to be home. The house was stifling as I had turned the AC way up before we left. Thankfully it was cool enough outside that it didn't take any time at all to cool the house off.
We have much to do today. Laundry and unpacking.
The stats:
Total Miles Driven: 3,347 (Estimated: 3,189)
Average MPG: 47.7
Trip route: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=2507+Detering+St,+Houston,+TX+77007&daddr=I-37+S+to:400+N+Harrison+St,+Alpine,+Brewster,+Texas+79832,+United+States+to:US-67+to:111+W+University+Ave,+El+Paso,+TX+79902+(Hilton+Garden+Inn+El+Paso)+to:320+N+44th+St,+Phoenix,+AZ+85008+to:PO+Box+3245,+Grand+Canyon+Nat.+Park,+AZ+86023+(Grand+Canyon+Holiday+Inn+Express)+to:Center+Loop+Road,+PO+Box+129,+Grand+Canyon+National+Park,+AZ+86023+(Grand+Canyon+National+Park)+to:Cliff+Dwellers+Lodge,+Uninc+Coconino+County,+AZ+to:North+Rim,+AZ+to:Cliff+Dwellers+Lodge,+Uninc+Coconino+County,+AZ+to:1968+Galisteo+St,+Santa+Fe,+NM+87505+to:2507+Detering+St,+Houston,+TX+77007&hl=en&geocode=%3BFVRxwAEddmQh-g%3B%3BFYQm1gEdrlra-Q%3B%3B%3BFUQvJgIdwPBQ-SEZ8Nl7k78TqA%3BFX0vJgIdpO9Q-SGyLDS-E3Di4Q%3BFdHfLwIdOdFV-SHa-E2QHSiuzQ%3B%3BFdHfLwIdOdFV-SHa-E2QHSiuzQ%3B%3B&mra=ls&via=1,3&sll=33.101175,-103.81763&sspn=21.936013,30.058594&ie=UTF8&ll=33.83392,-108.479004&spn=10.905405,15.029297&z=6
We went over budget by about $100.00. All in all not to bad. The total trip cost including food, lodging, gas, park fees, helicopter ride and all was just over $1,200.00. All things considered this was a fun trip. I was well enough to do some canyon stuff and we were able to see as much of it as we wanted. I found out what driving for 12 hours feels like and I saw some interesting parts of the USA. If anyone is interested in packing up their car or hopping on a plane for a trip to the Grand Canyon I'll be happy to tell you what I know.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Santa Fe - Day 1
Today is our first and only full day in Santa Fe. We planed Santa Fe into the trip because we felt like we needed a place to land after 8 hours of driving from the Grand Canyon. I am glad we did.
Today my sore throat is gone. I feel parched occasionally, but that's about it.
We left Cliff Dwellers around 8:00 AM and retraced our route south. Instead of turning back towards the south rim we headed on to Flagstaff. In Flagstaff we took a left and headed towards Albuquerque. 4 hours later we were in Santa Fe. So..Santa Fe? What gives? I don't get the attraction.
We checked into the hotel we had reserved. It was an older, very charming Inn. We arrived in our room and realized it was smaller than cliff dwellers. This was not going to work. So, we checked out and headed over to the Residence Inn at the Marriott. Here we had a kitchen, sitting area, and huge bathroom to spread out a bit. I plopped down on the couch to watch the debate and Jeremy made us some pizza rolls for dinner. It was great to have a good night's sleep.
Today we woke up and started talking about plans for the day. We both concluded we are just ready to go home. So, as soon as I press "publish" on this blog we will be loading up and heading back to Texas. We are ready to be home. This is the reason we really wanted to drive, flexibility. Once I am back home I'll have one final entry with my thoughts for this trip. Our next trip is to New York at the end of October for a short weekend to see some shows.
Today my sore throat is gone. I feel parched occasionally, but that's about it.
We left Cliff Dwellers around 8:00 AM and retraced our route south. Instead of turning back towards the south rim we headed on to Flagstaff. In Flagstaff we took a left and headed towards Albuquerque. 4 hours later we were in Santa Fe. So..Santa Fe? What gives? I don't get the attraction.
We checked into the hotel we had reserved. It was an older, very charming Inn. We arrived in our room and realized it was smaller than cliff dwellers. This was not going to work. So, we checked out and headed over to the Residence Inn at the Marriott. Here we had a kitchen, sitting area, and huge bathroom to spread out a bit. I plopped down on the couch to watch the debate and Jeremy made us some pizza rolls for dinner. It was great to have a good night's sleep.
Today we woke up and started talking about plans for the day. We both concluded we are just ready to go home. So, as soon as I press "publish" on this blog we will be loading up and heading back to Texas. We are ready to be home. This is the reason we really wanted to drive, flexibility. Once I am back home I'll have one final entry with my thoughts for this trip. Our next trip is to New York at the end of October for a short weekend to see some shows.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Grand Canyon, Day 3, Final Day
We just finished dinner at the restaurant here at the “lodge” and now we are back in the room hanging out hoping to get to bed early. I for one am pretty tired. I just took my meds and temp things seem to be ok. Sore throat is still here mostly though at times it seems to go away.
I have struggled with what to say about our accommodations because I do not want to sound like I’m negative. I think my lack of appreciation for this place is a product of a few things. First, we have been away from any city of any kind since Monday and that is not something I am used to, and I have confirmed that is something I do not like. Second, the place is just not nice at all. Between the West Indies and sleeping in trundle beds with my face 4” from the ceiling of an RV at Deer Camp I’ve stayed in some pretty awful places. This one…well it is right up there. I certainly understand that its location and proximity to out of the way places is the attraction and not the accommodations. I also know what I enjoy and what makes something a good experience for me. Getting a good night’s sleep is a big part of that. Third, mostly through work travel, I have been exposed to places that, because of their location and the type of person they want to attract, have a different idea behind hospitality. Either way this was a means to an end, an end that so far has been worth it.
We left this morning for the North Rim around 8:30 AM or so. We headed North out of the Vermillion Cliffs on what I found to be an unexpected drive. Out here you are either driving into a valley or out of one. I figured we had gone about as far down as we were going to go. I was wrong. About 10 miles into the drive the road we crested a ridge and we saw the next 20 miles of our drive: a straight line that was heading into a valley at the base of the North Rim. As we headed into the valley I gulped each time we passed signs saying 7,000 feet, 6,000 feet, 5,000 feet and finally 4,000 feet. When we reached the bottom the red Vermillion cliffs to our east dove into the prairie almost echoing our decent.
According to maps provided by the park service the North Rim trails were at 8,300 feet. We had a lot of climbing to do. The road ran right into the side of the North Rim and turned left. The Speed limit slowed to 35 and a sign warning of steep grades ahead next 8 miles. We inched our way up through several switch backs along the side of the rim. No guard rails and a sheer edge for a shoulder. 8 miles later we reached a sign that said “6,000 feet.” I couldn’t believe. That’s IT!? It felt like a 10,000 feet. The road wound its way up more gradually through some cuts and then we arrived on the Kaibab Plateau and a burnt out pine forest. We continued for 20 minutes or more through a completely antithetical forest. Instead of green trees and under brush reaching skyward there were black charred skeletons and then some whose bark had been burned off and the exposed wood bleached white, all the limbs dropping towards the ground. The small trees almost seemed to be bowing towards each other sometimes crossing. Eventually I remarked to Jeremy “enough burnt trees already.” If this was the fantastic North Rim drive, forget it.
We emerged from the burnt forest and reached a little town at a cross roads called Jacob. The town consists of two buildings. One is a restaurant and gas station. The other is a lodge. We turned right and began heading West again towards the North Rim. Shortly after we left Jacob we saw what people were talking about. Walls of pine trees stacked like a choir on either side of us. Amongst the pines were aspens whose leaves were all turning shades of bright orange, nearly yellow. The contrast is breath taking. I thought to myself that scenes like this are what make people want to paint. Somehow I had gotten the idea that places like this in America were gone. But here we were. We would climb for a bit with the trees right up to the road on either side of us with the white bark of the aspens leaping out at us from the forrest of pine. At some point after the climb we would arrive in a large meadow with the trees spreading away from the road for a different type of view. This pattern repeated several times even after we went through the park gate. You only pay once for 7 days at the Grand Canyon, and that pass gets you in at either rim. We arrived at the North Rim Lodge and found it much smaller, quieter and rustic. Charming is the word that comes to mind. There was only one parking area and it had many empty spaces. The main feature of the area and the only lodging on the North Rim is the historic Grand Canyon Lodge built in 1928 on the edge of the rim. The lodge is surrounded by dozens of small cabins, some that look over the canyon and others that are set back. The lodge is amazing. As you walk in through the lobby there is an auditorium/ballroom on your left, dining room on your right and a great room filled with plush leather sofas a fire place and three huge windows that look out onto the canyon. Off each side of the great room are two sun porches with rocking chairs, love seats and tables. Off either side of the lodge you can walk out to these viewing points. We took pictures at both then decided to tackle the Bright Angel Trail before lunch. Only ¼ mile in length this trail is the most traveled. Even with its short length it is still challenging and left me huffing and puffing. The trail follows a ridge which grows narrower and narrower until each side of the trail is nothing but shear drop-off. Some people refused to cross the narrowest part. Jeremy and I marched on being passed up by people over 2 times our age. Once you reach the end you find yourself standing on the point of one of the many fingers that extend out into the canyon. You can look back and see the lodge in the distance and you also can see into the canyon much more than when you on the rim. Below you can faintly hear the roaring of springs over a mile away at the bottom of the canyon. Soon my famous rumbling stomach reminded us both that we should consider lunch so we headed back up to the lodge for a mediocre lunch with a magnificent view.
After lunch we decided to drive out to two points within the North Rim but not close enough to hike to. More narrow roads boarded on both sides by trees breaking away occasionally to remind us that we were at the Grand Canyon. When we reached the first stop “Cape Final” we were found an awe-inspiring perspective. We could see the canyon, and then across the South Rim and the plateau leading away from it. I was amazed. Looking further you could see the Vermillion cliffs and Marble Canyon where we had driven 1.5 hours from earlier that day. We headed off to the next point and after three stops at scenic overlooks we decided we were canyon’d out. We headed back out of the park down the rim and to Cliff Dwellers, arriving about 4:00 in the afternoon. I went to medicate and rest a bit and Jeremy drove down the road to the Colorado River bridge and took some pictures. Besides driving back across the east end of the canyon again tomorrow morning on our way to flagstaff this really ends the Grand Canyon part of the tour.
At this point I would like to consider what I would do differently or when I come back.
1. I would fly to either Phoenix or Las Vegas. It takes along time to get here from Houston by car. Saving two days of hotels and drive time would be worth it to me. As I said in my last posting, I’m not upset that I drove. I just do not see the need to do it again. Driving from Phoenix, that part is fun. If you leave from Vegas then you get to go past the Hoover Damn and see the other half of the canyon.
2. I would find some way to go into the canyon, either by burrow, or day boat trip. You can only see so much from the Rim before it all starts to look the same. I think that going into the canyon would give you a different perspective.
3. I would plan much farther in advance. We had most of our reservations made by the end of July, however, it seems that a year out may be the rule.
4. I would not stay at Cliff Dwellers.
What would I do the same?
1. I would drive Rim to Rim again. The majority of people do not do this and I do not know why. The South Rim is deffinately set up more like an attraction. Cars, vans, kids, trains, busses. It is awesome to see and a great way to experience the canyon for the first time, but you tire of it quickly. The North Rim is much more rustic and charming and getting there is at least half the fun. Also, again the perspective thing. Driving from Rim to Rim helped me frame the canyon in my mind. Pine forests on the north and south with a dessert and red cliffs to the east.
2. I would take the helicopter ride.
3. I would go when we did. The North Rim is closing in two weeks and the South Rim was mostly void of kids.
All circumstances considered I have enjoyed this trip. It has been stressful at times, very difficult at others but the enjoyment I have gotten from so many new experiences has been worth it. I now think that vacations also do something else for me. They remind me of the value of my every day routine. I am ready again for what was mundane before. I look forward to being able to go somewhere without consulting a map, figuring out arrival times and gas stations. At last look we had put 1,947 miles on the Prius since I left Houston on Saturday. That’s an average of 388/ day. We have been driving somewhere every day of this trip. Tomorrow we head off for our 8 hour drive to Santa Fe (I think it will be more like 7 or so). We are getting into town in time for the VP debate if all goes well. Then Friday we are mostly staying around Santa Fe.
I have struggled with what to say about our accommodations because I do not want to sound like I’m negative. I think my lack of appreciation for this place is a product of a few things. First, we have been away from any city of any kind since Monday and that is not something I am used to, and I have confirmed that is something I do not like. Second, the place is just not nice at all. Between the West Indies and sleeping in trundle beds with my face 4” from the ceiling of an RV at Deer Camp I’ve stayed in some pretty awful places. This one…well it is right up there. I certainly understand that its location and proximity to out of the way places is the attraction and not the accommodations. I also know what I enjoy and what makes something a good experience for me. Getting a good night’s sleep is a big part of that. Third, mostly through work travel, I have been exposed to places that, because of their location and the type of person they want to attract, have a different idea behind hospitality. Either way this was a means to an end, an end that so far has been worth it.
We left this morning for the North Rim around 8:30 AM or so. We headed North out of the Vermillion Cliffs on what I found to be an unexpected drive. Out here you are either driving into a valley or out of one. I figured we had gone about as far down as we were going to go. I was wrong. About 10 miles into the drive the road we crested a ridge and we saw the next 20 miles of our drive: a straight line that was heading into a valley at the base of the North Rim. As we headed into the valley I gulped each time we passed signs saying 7,000 feet, 6,000 feet, 5,000 feet and finally 4,000 feet. When we reached the bottom the red Vermillion cliffs to our east dove into the prairie almost echoing our decent.
According to maps provided by the park service the North Rim trails were at 8,300 feet. We had a lot of climbing to do. The road ran right into the side of the North Rim and turned left. The Speed limit slowed to 35 and a sign warning of steep grades ahead next 8 miles. We inched our way up through several switch backs along the side of the rim. No guard rails and a sheer edge for a shoulder. 8 miles later we reached a sign that said “6,000 feet.” I couldn’t believe. That’s IT!? It felt like a 10,000 feet. The road wound its way up more gradually through some cuts and then we arrived on the Kaibab Plateau and a burnt out pine forest. We continued for 20 minutes or more through a completely antithetical forest. Instead of green trees and under brush reaching skyward there were black charred skeletons and then some whose bark had been burned off and the exposed wood bleached white, all the limbs dropping towards the ground. The small trees almost seemed to be bowing towards each other sometimes crossing. Eventually I remarked to Jeremy “enough burnt trees already.” If this was the fantastic North Rim drive, forget it.
We emerged from the burnt forest and reached a little town at a cross roads called Jacob. The town consists of two buildings. One is a restaurant and gas station. The other is a lodge. We turned right and began heading West again towards the North Rim. Shortly after we left Jacob we saw what people were talking about. Walls of pine trees stacked like a choir on either side of us. Amongst the pines were aspens whose leaves were all turning shades of bright orange, nearly yellow. The contrast is breath taking. I thought to myself that scenes like this are what make people want to paint. Somehow I had gotten the idea that places like this in America were gone. But here we were. We would climb for a bit with the trees right up to the road on either side of us with the white bark of the aspens leaping out at us from the forrest of pine. At some point after the climb we would arrive in a large meadow with the trees spreading away from the road for a different type of view. This pattern repeated several times even after we went through the park gate. You only pay once for 7 days at the Grand Canyon, and that pass gets you in at either rim. We arrived at the North Rim Lodge and found it much smaller, quieter and rustic. Charming is the word that comes to mind. There was only one parking area and it had many empty spaces. The main feature of the area and the only lodging on the North Rim is the historic Grand Canyon Lodge built in 1928 on the edge of the rim. The lodge is surrounded by dozens of small cabins, some that look over the canyon and others that are set back. The lodge is amazing. As you walk in through the lobby there is an auditorium/ballroom on your left, dining room on your right and a great room filled with plush leather sofas a fire place and three huge windows that look out onto the canyon. Off each side of the great room are two sun porches with rocking chairs, love seats and tables. Off either side of the lodge you can walk out to these viewing points. We took pictures at both then decided to tackle the Bright Angel Trail before lunch. Only ¼ mile in length this trail is the most traveled. Even with its short length it is still challenging and left me huffing and puffing. The trail follows a ridge which grows narrower and narrower until each side of the trail is nothing but shear drop-off. Some people refused to cross the narrowest part. Jeremy and I marched on being passed up by people over 2 times our age. Once you reach the end you find yourself standing on the point of one of the many fingers that extend out into the canyon. You can look back and see the lodge in the distance and you also can see into the canyon much more than when you on the rim. Below you can faintly hear the roaring of springs over a mile away at the bottom of the canyon. Soon my famous rumbling stomach reminded us both that we should consider lunch so we headed back up to the lodge for a mediocre lunch with a magnificent view.
After lunch we decided to drive out to two points within the North Rim but not close enough to hike to. More narrow roads boarded on both sides by trees breaking away occasionally to remind us that we were at the Grand Canyon. When we reached the first stop “Cape Final” we were found an awe-inspiring perspective. We could see the canyon, and then across the South Rim and the plateau leading away from it. I was amazed. Looking further you could see the Vermillion cliffs and Marble Canyon where we had driven 1.5 hours from earlier that day. We headed off to the next point and after three stops at scenic overlooks we decided we were canyon’d out. We headed back out of the park down the rim and to Cliff Dwellers, arriving about 4:00 in the afternoon. I went to medicate and rest a bit and Jeremy drove down the road to the Colorado River bridge and took some pictures. Besides driving back across the east end of the canyon again tomorrow morning on our way to flagstaff this really ends the Grand Canyon part of the tour.
At this point I would like to consider what I would do differently or when I come back.
1. I would fly to either Phoenix or Las Vegas. It takes along time to get here from Houston by car. Saving two days of hotels and drive time would be worth it to me. As I said in my last posting, I’m not upset that I drove. I just do not see the need to do it again. Driving from Phoenix, that part is fun. If you leave from Vegas then you get to go past the Hoover Damn and see the other half of the canyon.
2. I would find some way to go into the canyon, either by burrow, or day boat trip. You can only see so much from the Rim before it all starts to look the same. I think that going into the canyon would give you a different perspective.
3. I would plan much farther in advance. We had most of our reservations made by the end of July, however, it seems that a year out may be the rule.
4. I would not stay at Cliff Dwellers.
What would I do the same?
1. I would drive Rim to Rim again. The majority of people do not do this and I do not know why. The South Rim is deffinately set up more like an attraction. Cars, vans, kids, trains, busses. It is awesome to see and a great way to experience the canyon for the first time, but you tire of it quickly. The North Rim is much more rustic and charming and getting there is at least half the fun. Also, again the perspective thing. Driving from Rim to Rim helped me frame the canyon in my mind. Pine forests on the north and south with a dessert and red cliffs to the east.
2. I would take the helicopter ride.
3. I would go when we did. The North Rim is closing in two weeks and the South Rim was mostly void of kids.
All circumstances considered I have enjoyed this trip. It has been stressful at times, very difficult at others but the enjoyment I have gotten from so many new experiences has been worth it. I now think that vacations also do something else for me. They remind me of the value of my every day routine. I am ready again for what was mundane before. I look forward to being able to go somewhere without consulting a map, figuring out arrival times and gas stations. At last look we had put 1,947 miles on the Prius since I left Houston on Saturday. That’s an average of 388/ day. We have been driving somewhere every day of this trip. Tomorrow we head off for our 8 hour drive to Santa Fe (I think it will be more like 7 or so). We are getting into town in time for the VP debate if all goes well. Then Friday we are mostly staying around Santa Fe.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Grand Canyon - Day 2
It seems my posts have taken on a sort of format or order. First the health update, then discussions about what I did, where I stayed and finally, where I’m going next. I only point this out for the sake of doing so. I have no intention of changing it. This paragraph is only a short forward to a very long entry. I am really only writing it to be sure my fingers are warmed up enough to keep up with my brain. That being the case:
At last glance my temp was 98.8 which is close enough for government work. Throat is still a bit sore, my appetite is coming back and I’ve started hacking. Which is usually a sign that I’m over the sickness. I guess that’s a mixed blessing mostly because the coughing lasts for about one month. I can deal with it. So, I believe I’m mostly well. I expect improvement to be the experience for the rest of the trip. I have to thank Jac for her advice on going to a clinic. Evidently these clinics exist all over the place and they accept your insurance. So, if you get sick and don’t want to wait 6-8 months to see your doctor because he can’t take appointments due to his 11-2 schedule then find a clinic near you. They can handle most common ailments. I wouldn’t go to them with a lump or chest pain. I was pleased with my experience. I was pleased that the doctor took my needs into consideration. I may still have been in El Paso if I had gotten a “this will run its course” diagnosis.
Yes, yes I know. Medicine has to be prescribed carefully. And if I could have stayed home from work for a week to recover from this then steroid, tettradol, and penicillin shots would be over doing it. But, that was not the case. I had to get to Phoenix. I think I now know how Judy Garland must have felt when they juiced her up to go on stage. I think in this case it was warranted. I made it to Phoenix, Jeremy was able to pilot us through to the Grand Canyon and by today I felt fine to go out a bit.
We left the motel (I say motel cause this was not a hotel. It was the worst Holiday Inn I have ever stayed at. And we were on the ground floor. At the risk of sounding like a snob I will share with you what it says in my Hilton Customer Profile: “Mr. Felder insists upon a room on a high floor, preferably not facing east and AWAY FROM THE ELEVATOR!” (I stay at Hiltons for all of my work trips) I know this because when I checked in the last time in SFO (San Francisco) the desk clerk laughed and when I asked why he showed me what was written) around 10:00 AM and headed for the Grand Canyon Airport. There we checked in for our 30-minute Helicopter Tour of the North end of the Canyon. The cost was $150.00 a person and that had me a bit up in the air as to if it would be worth it or not (pun intended). After we lifted off above the forrest of pine trees that surround you almost the entire trip from Phoenix and saw the North Rim of the canyon tinted blue in the distance I instantly felt it was worth it. The blue color has to do with the distance. It is so far away that the sunlight starts to refract through the air and make “blue sky.” The pilot pointed us towards the rim of the canyon and we flew low over the forest. At times it looked as if we might brush the pine trees with the legs of the helicopter. As we approached the canyon the pilot said over our headphones, “Here is our Grand Canyon.” I pulled up my camera to begin snapping pictures and had to put it down. At that moment it was an unnecessary distraction. I was so overwhelmed by so many emotions that I could not give an accurate inventory of them. I inhaled and just looked. The pilot slowed the helicopter down and descended into the canyon a bit. We flew across the canyon slowly so we could see how the winding valleys all lead down to the Colorado River below. The experience was amazing. A forest of pine and cedar trees just ends, it does not fade, or grow sparse, it just ends. And then the canyon begins. The contrast so stark that it feels like you’re in another place altogether. We flew to the North Rim and then back across again. The flight lasted thirty minutes which was barely enough time to even comprehend what you were looking at. In that 30 minutes I was able to gain a perspective on the sheer scale of the canyon which I believe affected me the first time I approached the rim on foot.
We left the airport, grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy’s and stopped by a filling station to get a map of Arizona (the places we were going did not have addresses, only PO Boxes so I didn’t want to have to rely on the GPS to get us there). We also discovered that the Prius, who I have named Genie (because it is my magic car/pet /ride. Squee!) was making an odd noise. We investigated and had some concerns. However, the park was only 2 miles away. The noise went away and we quickly attributed it to the 34 degree temps and Genie being upset because she has been covered in bugs and had to sleep outside for too long. I have to stop here and tell a story about Alpine.
On my way back from Alpine to I-10 my car was instantaneously and unexpectedly blanketed with what I thought were heavy rain drops. After turning on my wipers I soon realized it was not large rain drops, but bird crap. I remember a little poem my Grandma would say to us as kids, “Birdy birdy in the sky why’d you do that in my eye? My oh my am I glad that elephants can not fly.” Well, I now believe in flying elephants because I had a care covered in crap from bow to stern that was delivered at once. So it was either a flying elephant or a super advanced species of hawks who can syncro-crap.
We drove into the south entrance of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. There was a line which took about 5 minutes to get through. $25.00 to enter the park with a 7-day pass. Not bad. We drove for 10-15 more minutes and started to see cars lining the road on either side. I instantly start seeing visions of Washington DC in my head where every free museum is packed with people 3 rows deep gawking at a huge diamond or something. This was not the case. The cars were lined up here because people wanted easy access to the Rim Trail. We followed the sign-age and maps provided to us at the gate and found parking quickly. We could then either hop on a shuttle bus which takes you to all the points of interest along the Rim Trail or we could hike the trail ourselves to get there. We chose the latter. I packed my back pack with some water, trail mix, sun screen and digital camera, put on my wide brimmed hat because I would rather look dorky than have to worry about burns and off we went.
A two mile hike on a mostly flat trail at 8,000 feet is a bit different than 3 miles on the completely flat Memorial Park at 56 feet. I huffed and puffed through the forest as we took the trail up to the rim. The first thing we both noticed was the quiet. It was very quiet. Still, even. I marveled at how much noise I am used to. A moment later we emerged onto the south rim trail. This trail, for the most part, literally runs along the edge of the rim. You are on the edge of the canyon. I could barely walk for just wanting to look. We walked along the path sharing what passerby’s were vocalizing about how amazing it was. We stopped often and took in the views, often stepping off of the trail for a closer look. The trail is raised and paved and very well maintained. I was surprised by this, however, after seeing a family with a member in a wheel chair I understood. This trail is wide and accommodating because it is for everyone. Once you leave the Rim that is no longer the case as I will discuss a bit later on.
We made it to our first stop, this large, flat out cropping where people were just sitting and taking in the view. You really have to stop and look because there is so much to take in. So many layers. We chilled out for a bit and drank more water. I ended up guzzling all three of my bottles during the day. We then walked on to another observatory and walked through there then decided, mostly because I was worried about overdoing it, to take the shuttle back to the other side of the park.
There have been many surprises on this trip. One that I still am getting over is the large number or Europeans. There are as many Germans in rented convertibles as geysers in huge sedans. British families, Germans, Asian it is all here. I believe some of it has to do with the time of year. It was crowded and this is the end of the season. I am glad we did not come over the summer when they say there is no parking, the lines for busses are three deep and people are basically walking in single file lines along the trails. I also was surprised by the number of people on their cell phones on the trail. Then I saw the signs “cell phone tours.” You just call in and get a tour on your phone. THEY HAVE CELL PHONE SERVICE over the entire trail. However, as I stated earlier, this abruptly ends once you enter the canyon. While on our helicopter tour our pilot told us that 1,400 people will hike into the canyon, 20,000 people will raft the river this year, 140,000 will ride in on mules, 300,000 will stand on the southern rim and 600,000 will fly over.
We went to see the Kobil house which was built on the edge of the South Rim by the Kobil Brothers who lived there and worked out of it as photographers of the canyon. The house is amazing and the view is nice. It’s too bad they turned it, along with every other building, into a gift shop. “Look at this ancient Indian Lean To and go explore our collection of DVD’s inside of it.” It just takes away the authenticity of it for me. After viewing the house we hiked a few minutes down the Bright Angel Trail then back up and over to the visitor center to get information on the north rim where we are going on Wednesday. We grabbed the shuttle back to the Genie and then packed up and headed off for our next stop.
I was very impressed with the park and its efficiency. I was also impressed at how accessible they made things for everyone. If you can’t hike a three mile trail, no big deal, they have free busses that will take you to all of the biggest points of interest. Getting into the canyon is not for everyone, but my next trip here will involve seeing the canyon from the bottom up. I want to take one of the many boat day trips. All in all I was pleased with the South Rim. I had read-up on it and knew that it was the busiest of the two park locations. So I knew what to expect. The drive around to the North Rim was completely unexpected.
We headed out of the park on the East side. There are only 2 places to cross the canyon’s 215 mile length: Hoover Dam and Lee’s Ferry. It’s about a 5 hour trip along the South Rim from Hoover Dam to Lee’s Ferry. The South Rim is about half way. We had initially discussed heading to Hoover Dam, but ruled that out this time. It is still on my last, perhaps if I ever end up in Vegas for work or something. So, we had a little more than two and a half hours of driving ahead of us. Some of it on Arizona 64 and some on Arizona 89. Arizona 64 runs East to West through the park and beyond. The road hugs the South Rim for the first 30 miles or so and has a bunch of pull-offs. The views you get of the canyon from these are amazing and not crowded. We stopped at 3 of the 10, mostly because we wanted to get to our hotel before dark. Out of the three we stopped at, Grandview Point was the best. You have to watch for the sign and actually turn off the road and go a ways down towards the canyon because it is at a point where the road and the rim have some distance between them.
The view is everything the name says. You can see two gorges meeting at a bend that you are standing in the center of. The name Grandview was given to it as a marketing ploy in 1880 by a prospector turned hotelier. He built a rudimentary lodge on the site and hosted burrow tours of the canyon for guests brave enough to take a 12 hour stage-coach ride from Flagstaff. Still, the draw of the canyon made the hotel very popular until the Santa Fe Rail Road ran a line to the Grand Canyon Village a few miles away where the national park head quarters is now situated.
We continued through the Kaibeb Pine Forrest and started winding our way down the canyon side as it spread out and began to turn into mountains and cliffs. Over the next hour we would go from 7800 feet to 3000 feet twisting and turning all the way. I would say that this drive was the best part of the visit so far. As the canyon walls slide away they open up on the vast green valleys that seem to go on forever to the east and west only bounded by the canyon walls. I can’t even begin to describe it fully here, but it will be a part of any future trip I make here. I just do not think I could ever take it all in. This part of the country is such a study in contrasts that you would never see if you just stayed on I-10 weaving in and out of clusters of 18-wheelers. As we left the pine forest we entered verdant grasslands that are bordered by red cliffs. In the center was the Colorado River, still hidden, however now only making slits in large, flat rock formations. It was as if the Grand Canyon was scaling down. I even commented to Jeremy that it was like we were in a mini-canyon at this point. As we wound our way North East the sun began to set and the cliffs turned a bright red. The grassland began to become sparser as arid desert claimed more and more of the land between the cliffs. By the time we reached Lee’s Ferry (named after a man named Lee who had a Ferry here) it was almost too dark to take pictures. We will definitely be taking some on our way out of here on Thursday.
We arrived at Cliff Dwellers just after sunset. Cliff Dwellers is this old lodge that I found through a travel writer who wrote about taking a trip around the canyon. She stopped her on here first night. In fact it was her article that made me want to do drive around from the South Rim to the North Rim. The North Rim park area is much smaller, 1,000 feet higher, 10 degrees cooler and much less crowded than the south. It also only has one on park lodge which we could not get a room at. So, we are making the 1.5 hour drive tomorrow morning and will spend as much of the day there as we feel will be enjoyable then it’s back to Cliff Dwellers for the night. The next time I do this I am going to plan well in advance so that I can get a room at the North Rim Lodge. Cliff Dwellers is like deer camp. Well not exactly. The outdoor dining area held the usual assortment of travelers. A group of older brits, a middle eastern couple, a drunk guy, and a crew of river rafters. Evidently they start some of the longer river journeys from Lee’s Ferry.
Speaking of that, and in closing (and how!?) I was reflecting today on what this experience had meant to me so far. There are two unique parts of this trip for sure. One, this is the most time I have taken off of work since I was 19. I have never been away from my work for this long. Two, unless its Austin, San Antonio or Dallas I fly. Guy’s golden rule: if it takes longer than 4 hours to get there I’m going on wings. You see, when you fly someone tells you where to go to leave. They tell you where to put your bags, to sit, what to buckle and most importantly someone else handles the gas and the directions. You just sit back, read or whatever to pass the time. When you drive it is completely different. Especially out here. You can’t see the next gas station from the one you’re at. You have to use math and maps to figure out if you need to pull over here or can you wait until the next stop? The process is infinitely more complex, stimulating and tiring as you are paying attention because no sooner are you familiar with something then around the bend comes something new. When you drive out here you should know how to use lower gears to control your speed on downhill grades. Cruise control and one leg holding the stearing wheel won’t cut it. Most importantly I have a better idea of what is between here and there. Much of it is uninteresting, but I wouldn’t have ever seen the interesting things. The next time I visit the Grand Canyon I will most likely fly much of the trip. I am glad I did this though. We’ll see if that holds through on Saturday when we hit Centerville and I’m ready to puke on the dashboard because I hate that drive from Dallas so much. It’s like someone said “how can we take beautiful rolling hill country and make it boring?” Then the plan for I-45 was born.
At last glance my temp was 98.8 which is close enough for government work. Throat is still a bit sore, my appetite is coming back and I’ve started hacking. Which is usually a sign that I’m over the sickness. I guess that’s a mixed blessing mostly because the coughing lasts for about one month. I can deal with it. So, I believe I’m mostly well. I expect improvement to be the experience for the rest of the trip. I have to thank Jac for her advice on going to a clinic. Evidently these clinics exist all over the place and they accept your insurance. So, if you get sick and don’t want to wait 6-8 months to see your doctor because he can’t take appointments due to his 11-2 schedule then find a clinic near you. They can handle most common ailments. I wouldn’t go to them with a lump or chest pain. I was pleased with my experience. I was pleased that the doctor took my needs into consideration. I may still have been in El Paso if I had gotten a “this will run its course” diagnosis.
Yes, yes I know. Medicine has to be prescribed carefully. And if I could have stayed home from work for a week to recover from this then steroid, tettradol, and penicillin shots would be over doing it. But, that was not the case. I had to get to Phoenix. I think I now know how Judy Garland must have felt when they juiced her up to go on stage. I think in this case it was warranted. I made it to Phoenix, Jeremy was able to pilot us through to the Grand Canyon and by today I felt fine to go out a bit.
We left the motel (I say motel cause this was not a hotel. It was the worst Holiday Inn I have ever stayed at. And we were on the ground floor. At the risk of sounding like a snob I will share with you what it says in my Hilton Customer Profile: “Mr. Felder insists upon a room on a high floor, preferably not facing east and AWAY FROM THE ELEVATOR!” (I stay at Hiltons for all of my work trips) I know this because when I checked in the last time in SFO (San Francisco) the desk clerk laughed and when I asked why he showed me what was written) around 10:00 AM and headed for the Grand Canyon Airport. There we checked in for our 30-minute Helicopter Tour of the North end of the Canyon. The cost was $150.00 a person and that had me a bit up in the air as to if it would be worth it or not (pun intended). After we lifted off above the forrest of pine trees that surround you almost the entire trip from Phoenix and saw the North Rim of the canyon tinted blue in the distance I instantly felt it was worth it. The blue color has to do with the distance. It is so far away that the sunlight starts to refract through the air and make “blue sky.” The pilot pointed us towards the rim of the canyon and we flew low over the forest. At times it looked as if we might brush the pine trees with the legs of the helicopter. As we approached the canyon the pilot said over our headphones, “Here is our Grand Canyon.” I pulled up my camera to begin snapping pictures and had to put it down. At that moment it was an unnecessary distraction. I was so overwhelmed by so many emotions that I could not give an accurate inventory of them. I inhaled and just looked. The pilot slowed the helicopter down and descended into the canyon a bit. We flew across the canyon slowly so we could see how the winding valleys all lead down to the Colorado River below. The experience was amazing. A forest of pine and cedar trees just ends, it does not fade, or grow sparse, it just ends. And then the canyon begins. The contrast so stark that it feels like you’re in another place altogether. We flew to the North Rim and then back across again. The flight lasted thirty minutes which was barely enough time to even comprehend what you were looking at. In that 30 minutes I was able to gain a perspective on the sheer scale of the canyon which I believe affected me the first time I approached the rim on foot.
We left the airport, grabbed a quick lunch at Wendy’s and stopped by a filling station to get a map of Arizona (the places we were going did not have addresses, only PO Boxes so I didn’t want to have to rely on the GPS to get us there). We also discovered that the Prius, who I have named Genie (because it is my magic car/pet /ride. Squee!) was making an odd noise. We investigated and had some concerns. However, the park was only 2 miles away. The noise went away and we quickly attributed it to the 34 degree temps and Genie being upset because she has been covered in bugs and had to sleep outside for too long. I have to stop here and tell a story about Alpine.
On my way back from Alpine to I-10 my car was instantaneously and unexpectedly blanketed with what I thought were heavy rain drops. After turning on my wipers I soon realized it was not large rain drops, but bird crap. I remember a little poem my Grandma would say to us as kids, “Birdy birdy in the sky why’d you do that in my eye? My oh my am I glad that elephants can not fly.” Well, I now believe in flying elephants because I had a care covered in crap from bow to stern that was delivered at once. So it was either a flying elephant or a super advanced species of hawks who can syncro-crap.
We drove into the south entrance of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. There was a line which took about 5 minutes to get through. $25.00 to enter the park with a 7-day pass. Not bad. We drove for 10-15 more minutes and started to see cars lining the road on either side. I instantly start seeing visions of Washington DC in my head where every free museum is packed with people 3 rows deep gawking at a huge diamond or something. This was not the case. The cars were lined up here because people wanted easy access to the Rim Trail. We followed the sign-age and maps provided to us at the gate and found parking quickly. We could then either hop on a shuttle bus which takes you to all the points of interest along the Rim Trail or we could hike the trail ourselves to get there. We chose the latter. I packed my back pack with some water, trail mix, sun screen and digital camera, put on my wide brimmed hat because I would rather look dorky than have to worry about burns and off we went.
A two mile hike on a mostly flat trail at 8,000 feet is a bit different than 3 miles on the completely flat Memorial Park at 56 feet. I huffed and puffed through the forest as we took the trail up to the rim. The first thing we both noticed was the quiet. It was very quiet. Still, even. I marveled at how much noise I am used to. A moment later we emerged onto the south rim trail. This trail, for the most part, literally runs along the edge of the rim. You are on the edge of the canyon. I could barely walk for just wanting to look. We walked along the path sharing what passerby’s were vocalizing about how amazing it was. We stopped often and took in the views, often stepping off of the trail for a closer look. The trail is raised and paved and very well maintained. I was surprised by this, however, after seeing a family with a member in a wheel chair I understood. This trail is wide and accommodating because it is for everyone. Once you leave the Rim that is no longer the case as I will discuss a bit later on.
We made it to our first stop, this large, flat out cropping where people were just sitting and taking in the view. You really have to stop and look because there is so much to take in. So many layers. We chilled out for a bit and drank more water. I ended up guzzling all three of my bottles during the day. We then walked on to another observatory and walked through there then decided, mostly because I was worried about overdoing it, to take the shuttle back to the other side of the park.
There have been many surprises on this trip. One that I still am getting over is the large number or Europeans. There are as many Germans in rented convertibles as geysers in huge sedans. British families, Germans, Asian it is all here. I believe some of it has to do with the time of year. It was crowded and this is the end of the season. I am glad we did not come over the summer when they say there is no parking, the lines for busses are three deep and people are basically walking in single file lines along the trails. I also was surprised by the number of people on their cell phones on the trail. Then I saw the signs “cell phone tours.” You just call in and get a tour on your phone. THEY HAVE CELL PHONE SERVICE over the entire trail. However, as I stated earlier, this abruptly ends once you enter the canyon. While on our helicopter tour our pilot told us that 1,400 people will hike into the canyon, 20,000 people will raft the river this year, 140,000 will ride in on mules, 300,000 will stand on the southern rim and 600,000 will fly over.
We went to see the Kobil house which was built on the edge of the South Rim by the Kobil Brothers who lived there and worked out of it as photographers of the canyon. The house is amazing and the view is nice. It’s too bad they turned it, along with every other building, into a gift shop. “Look at this ancient Indian Lean To and go explore our collection of DVD’s inside of it.” It just takes away the authenticity of it for me. After viewing the house we hiked a few minutes down the Bright Angel Trail then back up and over to the visitor center to get information on the north rim where we are going on Wednesday. We grabbed the shuttle back to the Genie and then packed up and headed off for our next stop.
I was very impressed with the park and its efficiency. I was also impressed at how accessible they made things for everyone. If you can’t hike a three mile trail, no big deal, they have free busses that will take you to all of the biggest points of interest. Getting into the canyon is not for everyone, but my next trip here will involve seeing the canyon from the bottom up. I want to take one of the many boat day trips. All in all I was pleased with the South Rim. I had read-up on it and knew that it was the busiest of the two park locations. So I knew what to expect. The drive around to the North Rim was completely unexpected.
We headed out of the park on the East side. There are only 2 places to cross the canyon’s 215 mile length: Hoover Dam and Lee’s Ferry. It’s about a 5 hour trip along the South Rim from Hoover Dam to Lee’s Ferry. The South Rim is about half way. We had initially discussed heading to Hoover Dam, but ruled that out this time. It is still on my last, perhaps if I ever end up in Vegas for work or something. So, we had a little more than two and a half hours of driving ahead of us. Some of it on Arizona 64 and some on Arizona 89. Arizona 64 runs East to West through the park and beyond. The road hugs the South Rim for the first 30 miles or so and has a bunch of pull-offs. The views you get of the canyon from these are amazing and not crowded. We stopped at 3 of the 10, mostly because we wanted to get to our hotel before dark. Out of the three we stopped at, Grandview Point was the best. You have to watch for the sign and actually turn off the road and go a ways down towards the canyon because it is at a point where the road and the rim have some distance between them.
The view is everything the name says. You can see two gorges meeting at a bend that you are standing in the center of. The name Grandview was given to it as a marketing ploy in 1880 by a prospector turned hotelier. He built a rudimentary lodge on the site and hosted burrow tours of the canyon for guests brave enough to take a 12 hour stage-coach ride from Flagstaff. Still, the draw of the canyon made the hotel very popular until the Santa Fe Rail Road ran a line to the Grand Canyon Village a few miles away where the national park head quarters is now situated.
We continued through the Kaibeb Pine Forrest and started winding our way down the canyon side as it spread out and began to turn into mountains and cliffs. Over the next hour we would go from 7800 feet to 3000 feet twisting and turning all the way. I would say that this drive was the best part of the visit so far. As the canyon walls slide away they open up on the vast green valleys that seem to go on forever to the east and west only bounded by the canyon walls. I can’t even begin to describe it fully here, but it will be a part of any future trip I make here. I just do not think I could ever take it all in. This part of the country is such a study in contrasts that you would never see if you just stayed on I-10 weaving in and out of clusters of 18-wheelers. As we left the pine forest we entered verdant grasslands that are bordered by red cliffs. In the center was the Colorado River, still hidden, however now only making slits in large, flat rock formations. It was as if the Grand Canyon was scaling down. I even commented to Jeremy that it was like we were in a mini-canyon at this point. As we wound our way North East the sun began to set and the cliffs turned a bright red. The grassland began to become sparser as arid desert claimed more and more of the land between the cliffs. By the time we reached Lee’s Ferry (named after a man named Lee who had a Ferry here) it was almost too dark to take pictures. We will definitely be taking some on our way out of here on Thursday.
We arrived at Cliff Dwellers just after sunset. Cliff Dwellers is this old lodge that I found through a travel writer who wrote about taking a trip around the canyon. She stopped her on here first night. In fact it was her article that made me want to do drive around from the South Rim to the North Rim. The North Rim park area is much smaller, 1,000 feet higher, 10 degrees cooler and much less crowded than the south. It also only has one on park lodge which we could not get a room at. So, we are making the 1.5 hour drive tomorrow morning and will spend as much of the day there as we feel will be enjoyable then it’s back to Cliff Dwellers for the night. The next time I do this I am going to plan well in advance so that I can get a room at the North Rim Lodge. Cliff Dwellers is like deer camp. Well not exactly. The outdoor dining area held the usual assortment of travelers. A group of older brits, a middle eastern couple, a drunk guy, and a crew of river rafters. Evidently they start some of the longer river journeys from Lee’s Ferry.
Speaking of that, and in closing (and how!?) I was reflecting today on what this experience had meant to me so far. There are two unique parts of this trip for sure. One, this is the most time I have taken off of work since I was 19. I have never been away from my work for this long. Two, unless its Austin, San Antonio or Dallas I fly. Guy’s golden rule: if it takes longer than 4 hours to get there I’m going on wings. You see, when you fly someone tells you where to go to leave. They tell you where to put your bags, to sit, what to buckle and most importantly someone else handles the gas and the directions. You just sit back, read or whatever to pass the time. When you drive it is completely different. Especially out here. You can’t see the next gas station from the one you’re at. You have to use math and maps to figure out if you need to pull over here or can you wait until the next stop? The process is infinitely more complex, stimulating and tiring as you are paying attention because no sooner are you familiar with something then around the bend comes something new. When you drive out here you should know how to use lower gears to control your speed on downhill grades. Cruise control and one leg holding the stearing wheel won’t cut it. Most importantly I have a better idea of what is between here and there. Much of it is uninteresting, but I wouldn’t have ever seen the interesting things. The next time I visit the Grand Canyon I will most likely fly much of the trip. I am glad I did this though. We’ll see if that holds through on Saturday when we hit Centerville and I’m ready to puke on the dashboard because I hate that drive from Dallas so much. It’s like someone said “how can we take beautiful rolling hill country and make it boring?” Then the plan for I-45 was born.
Grand Canyon, First full day
It's a little after 7:00 AM, I'm awake after having taken my meds and temperature. 98.8 this morning! My throat is still sore, but it feels like the sore area is much smaller. The temperature right now is 36 degrees outside with a high of 76. We will be checking out of the hotel this morning after getting a few things together for the next two days. Today we are planning on doing some exploring along the south rim of the canyon. We are also thinking about taking a helicopter tour, though nothing is decided on that yet.
Sometime in the afternoon, 3:00 PM at the latest we are going to take the following route:
View Larger Map
As you can see it will take us along the south rim for a ways and I am told this is a great way to see much of the South Rim. We will stay two nights at Cliff Dwellers.
We had originally wanted to stay at a lodge on the North Rim but it is booked solid a year out. I did find another Holiday Inn on the North Rim but at this point I think we'll just spend our two nights at Cliff Dwellers. I think that we will spend Wednesday at the North Rim, then head back to Cliff Dwellers for the night. On Thursday we can explore Lee's Ferry and the Vermillion Cliffs before making the 7 hour drive to Santa Fe. We'll be traveling down I-40 which follows Route 66, In-fact if you sing the song backwards you'll know all the town we're going to hit between Flagstaff and Santa Fe. Currently we plan on spending two nights in Santa Fe. We want to go to Los Alamos, and the quaking Aspens. Then on Friday we are going to this Japanese Spa called 10,000 waves. It comes high recommended. The perfect way to relax and refresh before Saturday.
On Saturday it will be time to make the long 14 hour drive back to Houston. I highly doubt we will do this all in one day; though with 2 drivers and a motivation to be back in our house we may just do it. I drove 12 hours by myself with a 2 hour break about 8 hours in. If we switched every 2 hours we might be able to do it. However, if we get too tired we will will stop and continue the trip arriving in Houston on Sunday. I took a day off of work on Monday just to have some time to get laundry done and hang out at the house.
I know this was a long post but I wanted to let everyone know what our plans were as we will most likely be "off the grid" for the next day or two. I am amazed at the places that have internet around here though. I hope everyone is well, and keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I continue to get better.
Sometime in the afternoon, 3:00 PM at the latest we are going to take the following route:
View Larger Map
As you can see it will take us along the south rim for a ways and I am told this is a great way to see much of the South Rim. We will stay two nights at Cliff Dwellers.
We had originally wanted to stay at a lodge on the North Rim but it is booked solid a year out. I did find another Holiday Inn on the North Rim but at this point I think we'll just spend our two nights at Cliff Dwellers. I think that we will spend Wednesday at the North Rim, then head back to Cliff Dwellers for the night. On Thursday we can explore Lee's Ferry and the Vermillion Cliffs before making the 7 hour drive to Santa Fe. We'll be traveling down I-40 which follows Route 66, In-fact if you sing the song backwards you'll know all the town we're going to hit between Flagstaff and Santa Fe. Currently we plan on spending two nights in Santa Fe. We want to go to Los Alamos, and the quaking Aspens. Then on Friday we are going to this Japanese Spa called 10,000 waves. It comes high recommended. The perfect way to relax and refresh before Saturday.
On Saturday it will be time to make the long 14 hour drive back to Houston. I highly doubt we will do this all in one day; though with 2 drivers and a motivation to be back in our house we may just do it. I drove 12 hours by myself with a 2 hour break about 8 hours in. If we switched every 2 hours we might be able to do it. However, if we get too tired we will will stop and continue the trip arriving in Houston on Sunday. I took a day off of work on Monday just to have some time to get laundry done and hang out at the house.
I know this was a long post but I wanted to let everyone know what our plans were as we will most likely be "off the grid" for the next day or two. I am amazed at the places that have internet around here though. I hope everyone is well, and keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I continue to get better.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Grand Canyon, finally.
I posted a few more pics to my album. Arrived at our hotel on the South Rim around 4:30. The drive was pleasant enough. It was nice to be the rider for a change. 2 days of driving a total of 1200 miles had taken it's tole on me. At this point, honestly, I'm ready to go back home. I don't plan on doing that. But it's how I feel. When you're sick you just want your own bed and your own place to bum around. I have just crossed the 24 hour mark with my antibiotics and I'm hoping to see an improvement tomorrow. I've already seen some improvement, it's small. I still get tired really easy and need rest. Enough about that.
Today was spent collecting Jeremy from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and then loading up the car and hitting the road for a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix to Grand Canyon, Arizona. We had no idea what we were in for. Our little Prius loaded with luggage, food and whatever else had to go from 3,000 feet to 7,000 feet and it lest us know it was not happy about that at all. We went from forests of Sequoia Cactus to dense pine trees. We drove down historic Route 66 for a bit and found a historic looking Jack in the Box. I'm not sure what we'll do tomorrow, I need to see how I feel.
Today was spent collecting Jeremy from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and then loading up the car and hitting the road for a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix to Grand Canyon, Arizona. We had no idea what we were in for. Our little Prius loaded with luggage, food and whatever else had to go from 3,000 feet to 7,000 feet and it lest us know it was not happy about that at all. We went from forests of Sequoia Cactus to dense pine trees. We drove down historic Route 66 for a bit and found a historic looking Jack in the Box. I'm not sure what we'll do tomorrow, I need to see how I feel.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Phoenix
I went to an urgent care facility earlier today. Turns out I have an infection in my throat along with a high fever et al. I got three shots and six medications to take. I gotta say I started to feel better almost instantly. So much so that I went ahead and decided to drive on to Phoenix.
What a boring drive. I-10 through New Mexico really only hits on major town, Las Cruces. The other three are small. It was amazing. Just miles of nothing. What was really odd is they didn't have any warnings about the lack of gas stations. Of course, this was not a problem for the Prius which made the 6.5 hour drive to Phoenix on one tank. I got into Phoenix around 8:00 in the evening. After checking into my hotel I met up with Chris. We had dinner and enjoyed getting to catch up with him.
My throat is still sore and I still get tired easy. I think I'll be ok for the trip I just might have to rest a lot.
What a boring drive. I-10 through New Mexico really only hits on major town, Las Cruces. The other three are small. It was amazing. Just miles of nothing. What was really odd is they didn't have any warnings about the lack of gas stations. Of course, this was not a problem for the Prius which made the 6.5 hour drive to Phoenix on one tank. I got into Phoenix around 8:00 in the evening. After checking into my hotel I met up with Chris. We had dinner and enjoyed getting to catch up with him.
My throat is still sore and I still get tired easy. I think I'll be ok for the trip I just might have to rest a lot.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Houston to Alpine in 7 hrs 30 minutes
I do not know how long I will have to write, my sister is on her way here right now. The drive was not that bad. I would not call it fun, but it was different, lot's to look at. I think I'm timed it just right. By leaving at 4 a.m. I was just leaving San Antonio as the sun came up. So the boring part of the drive that I'm used to went by in the dark. I left Houston with half a tank of gas and had to fill up in Boerne (sp?). Made it to Alpine with two bars left. Whew. I got gas in Alpine for $3.79/gallon most expensive yet. Not a problem I budgeted for gas to be at $4.00 for the trip. I have to say to any of my Prius loving family who is reading this, going 85 in the hills brings the Prius back into ranks with other cars. I was averaging 38-41 mpg and you should have heard that little engine on the hills.
I'm sitting in a park in front of a court house with a church playing "Holy, Holy, Holy" to let us know the noon hour has begun. I will update this post more later I'm going to start writing about the drive right now while waiting for Abbey.
I am actually sort of surprised with myself. I didn't get to bed last night until midnight and what sleep I got was filled with anxiety dreams.
I'm not surprised anymore. By the time I got to El Paso I was obviously getting very ill. I barely made it into the hotel room. Fever and then cold. I laid down right away and slept from about 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm then back to bed at 10:30. My throat is killing me, my back hurts but the headache is gone and I feel like I have more energy. Right now I'm not sure what's going to happen. I think I have a fever, but I'm not sure. I may just stay here another night and see how I feel on Monday.
Now back to Alpine. I had a lot of fun. The ranch that Abbey works on is amazing. It was stunning. It looked like something out of Lord of the Rings. Evidently they shoot movies there. We went and visited one of the sets, the Old Mission. This Brooks & Dunn Video was filmed there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyNzkrnzvx4
Pictures that I took: http://gallery.me.com/casperey1978/100034
Of course after I left for El Paso things started to go downhill fast.
I'm sitting in a park in front of a court house with a church playing "Holy, Holy, Holy" to let us know the noon hour has begun. I will update this post more later I'm going to start writing about the drive right now while waiting for Abbey.
I am actually sort of surprised with myself. I didn't get to bed last night until midnight and what sleep I got was filled with anxiety dreams.
I'm not surprised anymore. By the time I got to El Paso I was obviously getting very ill. I barely made it into the hotel room. Fever and then cold. I laid down right away and slept from about 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm then back to bed at 10:30. My throat is killing me, my back hurts but the headache is gone and I feel like I have more energy. Right now I'm not sure what's going to happen. I think I have a fever, but I'm not sure. I may just stay here another night and see how I feel on Monday.
Now back to Alpine. I had a lot of fun. The ranch that Abbey works on is amazing. It was stunning. It looked like something out of Lord of the Rings. Evidently they shoot movies there. We went and visited one of the sets, the Old Mission. This Brooks & Dunn Video was filmed there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyNzkrnzvx4
Pictures that I took: http://gallery.me.com/casperey1978/100034
Of course after I left for El Paso things started to go downhill fast.
Friday, March 28, 2008
3/28/08: En Route to EWR
11:15 am (est): Just crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains on our way to EWR. Smooth flight so far, great seat (thanks to Buhz). I’m sitting next to two non-revs from CO. One is flying on business for the company the other is pleasure flying. I almost thought I was going to have a seat to myself, but no the flight is full. Most of the people around me are reading or dozing we have about one more hour to go before they make us put our stuff up. For some reason I am starving. I had cereal this morning then I had a banana at the airport and then cereal and a banana on the plane. My stomach is still grumbling, but it’s just going to have to keep on going cause I’m not eating again until I get to EWR. I definitely prefer flying on the larger plane, the AVOD is rather cheesey though, but who cares? I’m on my laptop with my legs stretched up into the first class cabin only problem is I have to lean out into the aisle to accommodate the guy next to me. The three fattest people on the plane are seated in my row. I’m one of the three for now. I got the seatbelt on though, with out an extension.
Once we land I need to grab my other bag, get the train and maybe grab a snack. Then take the train from EWR to Penn Station then grab a cab down to my hotel and relax a bit before the first part of my class tonight. I swear, if this class is retarded I’m not going. I’ve already decided not to go Sunday and I might decide to just not go Saturday. We’ll see. If I feel like I could be more productive sitting in my hotel doing work then I will.
As I sit here I can’t help but ponder as to why planes are made to look so sterile. Oh well, I think I’m going to dick around with the avod. More once I’m in my hotel.
Once we land I need to grab my other bag, get the train and maybe grab a snack. Then take the train from EWR to Penn Station then grab a cab down to my hotel and relax a bit before the first part of my class tonight. I swear, if this class is retarded I’m not going. I’ve already decided not to go Sunday and I might decide to just not go Saturday. We’ll see. If I feel like I could be more productive sitting in my hotel doing work then I will.
As I sit here I can’t help but ponder as to why planes are made to look so sterile. Oh well, I think I’m going to dick around with the avod. More once I’m in my hotel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)