Mind the gap...

My mouth felt like it was stuffed full of cotton as I jogged down the long concourse to. my gate. "Mr. Guy Felder please present yourself at gate E7 for on-time departure of Continental flight 4 to Heathrow". They kept saying it over and over again. For those who don’t know, E7 is about half a mile from the security check-point. I plopped down in my seat, sweating and breathing heavily. I was running very late. Traffic, an inept shuttle van driver and my own ignorance had left me checking in past the one hour cut off period. After 20 minutes of arguing I finally told the clerk to check my bags and send it tomorrow if she had to. She said it might make it on the plane. I would take my chances.

Two glasses of water later (no booze because I was going to take an ambien later) I was calming down and getting settled in my seat. We departed late. I flew in first class, it was worth it. My own seat which turned into a flat bed and amazing food made the experience richer for me. I love to fly and flying in first class is part of the fun of any trip for me. An army of flight attendants hovering constantly and meal course that is enormous:
1. Warm cashews and beverage of choice (coke 0 for me)
2. Lobster bisque and spring rolls and chicken sate with peanut sauce
3. Spring mix salad with pecans and balsamic vinegrette dressing
4. A roll basked that seemed to come by constantly with ciabatte, garlic bread, rye and wheat bread rolls.
5. Main course of stuffed pasta in a mushroom cream sauce with brocolli
6. Wine, cheese, and fruit tray with assorted crackers
7. Port
8. Ice cream sunday with toppings selected at your seat
9. More port

After all of that, I couldn't stay awake. Fat and happy I popped an ambien, pressed the "bed" button on my seat control and tucked myself in. 5 hours later I woke up to use the restroom. I pulled out my ear plugs and chuckled as I heard a chorus of snoring around me. I had barely sat up when a flight attendant appeared asking if I was ok. I assured her I was and that I was only going to use the bathroom. She asked if she could have anything for me when I returned. When I got back to my seat she was there again and she helped me tuck back in for the rest of my nap. I woke up to the smell of breakfast and the cabin lights starting to steadily get brighter. I was still full from dinner but not knowing when I'd see food again, I ate.
1. Fruit and yogurt
2. Cinnamon Role
3. Cereal with fresh banana
I refused everything else I just couldn't do it.

8 hours and twenty-seven minutes later and I'm in London. I needed a shower and a hat. I cleared customs and went to stand at the luggage carousel to see if maybe my luggage had made it. I watched as piece after piece came down thinking I'd stand there until the last person left. There were only three of us left when my suitcase came sliding down. I did a little dance and was happy that the plane got delayed, I'm sure that's what got my luggage on. I grabbed it and resolved to not push my airport luck again. I hopped on the underground and started my long ride into London.

When I can, I use mass-transit in cities that have it. It’s usually an incredibly efficient and economical way to get around. This was true in London. For £7,50 (around $11.00 US) I bought a day pass for all zones which mean I could use the train all day. The station is right in the terminal outside of baggage claim and a train was waiting when I arrived at the platform. On a side note, subways systems are generally confusing to those who haven’t used them before. Thank goodness for the iPhone. I downloaded an app that was built for people who were using their iPhones off the data network (international data roaming rates are near $20.00/mb). Before my trip I bought 20mb of data just in-case. I had to use it sparingly. So, when I found the iPhone Tube app which had the schedules and maps stored in it I was set. Just put in the station I’m at and the station I want to go to (which I located using google maps, sparingly) and it would provide a detailed listing of which stations to transfer at, what trains to take, etc. You have to pay attention at first, but after a few trips you start to know where you are and what trains to take. All subway systems I’ve been on so far have their ubiquitous announcements that seem to ingrain themselves into your head. In New York (and many other places in the US), for example, you hear this:

Every single stop, every single station. “Stand clear of the closing doors please.” It rings in your sleep. In London, this lady with a lovely voice comes on and regardless of what the announcement is she always ends with a cautionary note to “please mind the gap between the train and the platform.” Every station, every stop, every train you’re reminded to mind the gap. I have to say that the announcements on the London Underground are probably the most informative of any subway I’ve ever been on. They tell you when you’re near a point of interest, what trains you can transfer to and if your train is stopping or changing service they tell you what to do next. The announcements are clear, informative and understandable. In New York it seems they have a goal to make things confusing and hire drivers who mumble or have such thick accents that you can’t understand them. Stops on the underground have announcements like this:

The stations are generally nicer than those in New York but not as nice the ones in DC (which I think are some of the most beautiful in their industrial/modern beauty).

Still as subways go, with the aid of my iPhone app it was very easy, and before long I was bumming around underground without the app. Much less confusing than New York City with its lines, trains, and closures. All in all I spent $30.00 US on transportation for the weekend. That was day passes, and a fare to the airport to leave. A cab ride from the airport to the east side was around £85 ($120) compared to £6,50 for a day pass. The taxi gets you there quicker, but I think that I can sit for an hour and watch people.

I got to my hotel around noon to find I could not check in until 3pm. I had 3 hours to kill. So I checked my bags and set out on foot. I want to take a moment and apologize to anyone who was around me for these three hours. I’m sure I looked weird with my greasy messed up hair; and I’m sure I smelt a little rank as well. That being said, I did what I often do when I get somewhere new. I headed out of the hotel and hung a right. Didn’t have to walk far before I saw one of the most recognizable landmarks in London.

Turns out the Tower Bridge is just down the road. Speaking of roads, they don't make any sense here. No nice straight roads intersected by other roads. They twist and turn and it's easy to get turned around on foot. I got jumbled up a lot at first. I strolled around the tower bridge and did the tour which lets you go up top and walk on the walk ways which run across the top. These were installed so pedestrians could continue to cross the bridge even when it was raised. So, if the bridge was up you had to get in an elevator, ride it up (or climb a lot of stairs) then walk across. Wow. No one in Houston would do that. No thank you. Londoners though do a lot on foot. The bridges are choked with foot traffic as people walk across in the evenings and mornings. I guess it makes sense if you look at a subway map

There aren’t many stations on south side of the Thames. Add tourist to the mix and you have congestion worse than automobile traffic. Joggers would wiz by annoyed at people standing their way taking pictures of the tower bridge.

The bridge itself is beautiful. It’s the first and last place I went in London. Staring out at the very wide River Thames under two huge gothic towers is just amazing. The Tower Bridge is the only draw bridge over the Thames. The rest (all up river) are low clearance bridges. So large ships can only go about half a mile at most up river before they have to stop at the London Bridge. When it was built the Tower Bridge stood between tall ships and the Pool of London which was a sort of port. Now river traffic into the small area is so low that you have to give 24 hours notice to have the bascules raised. The bridge, in this way, is like so much of the things which are interesting in London, a monument that, while beautiful is not that relevant any longer.
After my tour of the Tower Bridge and old engine works (very interesting) I walked down the Thames towards London Bridge. I arrived back at my hotel at precisely 3, checked in and hit the shower. After my shower jet lag caught up with me and I could barely stay awake which was not ideal as I had an appointment at 4. Thankfully, I was able to shrug off the sleepies. After I got back to the hotel I took a one hour nap that I wanted to be much longer. I was so tired I was nodding off on the train. I knew I needed to stay up for the full, very long day to get myself adjusted quickly. I decided to set out and get moving so I'd be able to stay awake.

 I hopped on the train and headed for Westminster Palace. As I walked across the bridge to get a full view of the palace Big Ben struck 8pm. It's not as loud as I thought it'd be. I suppose it was designed in a time when it did not have to compete with masses of cars. The view of the Houses of Parliament from the opposite bank of the river Thames is stunning. After stopping for a minute to take it in the area I was standing in was illuminated by a right kleg light from a film crew who was shooting what looked like a honeymoon scene from a Bollywood Movie. Not wanting to be in it I walked off.

"Why stop now?" I thought. So I headed back to the underground and wound my way up to Buckingham Palace. It’s a 10 minute walk from Victoria station to the palace. You come up the side along the Royal Mews and the Victoria and Albert Musuem. The place complex is big. Maybe I’m patriotic, but I like the Whitehouse better. Perhaps it was that only half of the architectural accent lighting was on and many of the lanterns on the palace walls were busted but the entire thing just screamed of something that was once great and now transitioning to becoming a relic. I hope the Whitehouse never falls to that state. Like the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace stands for something ceremonial. A Queen, who is the sovereign in formality only ruling over what was once a great empire and is now just a commonwealth that seems to treat her with respect for the past role that monarchs have played in the nation’s history, yet if she actually exercised her authority it would be probably lead to the end of a monarchy in Great Britain.

Something about seeing great building for the first time at night strikes me. Perhaps it's the intimacy of it. Far fewer people are there and the buildings are usually illuminated more than those surrounding them. I suppose it sort of sets them apart from their surroundings. Coming back during the day is like seeing them for the first time again set along side and within the surrounding city.

I first had this experience in Washington, D.C. when my friend Kevin picked me up from the airport and took me to the National Mall at night. I was spellbound at the pitch black mall with the monuments illuminated against the darkness almost as beacons. As in D.C. I sat on the steps of the Victoria monument and took moment to not only take in the palace but to also consciously realize I was in London. I was in Great Britain. I was across the ocean. I was 5,000 miles from my home. I was using mass transit. I was finding my way in an unfamiliar place. I was sitting on the steps of a monument to Queen Victoria looking at Buckingham Palace. Yeah. This is what travel is all about.

Westward ho!

It's in the 40's there is a light dusting of snow on the mountains that seem to be ever present obstructions to the horizon. So far for me mountains have been the defining element of my time here in Utah. They impact everything from the weather to the round-about routes you must take to get anywhere. Seems a fitting place for Mormons to settle. A land of obstacles for a people, who for a long time faced obstacles to enjoying the free practice of their religious beliefs; and who now have become the grestest obstacle for so many to express love the way that they want.

The 3 hour drive from Salt Lake City to Loa took me from wide, familiar interstates, through traffic choking construction on the same (familiar too), to a high pass in a rain storm with winds so strong that the road spray from the car next to me blew onto my windshield obscuring my view. Around half way I turned off the instertat and wound my way through a series of twists and turns over several roads, for the time that I was on them bore the name of the same state highway. We have the same thing in some of the more remote parts of Texas. Some trans-state highway intersecting the main streets of towns in its path. The single lane, poorly maintained roads suddenly turns into a large, well maintained highway as if to say "this is all we are interested in." And for it the town gets a speed trap and a few fast food places and a big 24 hour gas station.

The placement of the rural towns here is different. Mostly they are in clusters. Not strung out like they are in Texas. My sister tells me that the original settlers (read: Mormons) grouped their towns purposefully. In every single town, regardless of size, there is a large Lds church.

As I drove further south, I began to spend more and more time climbing up mountain passes and cruising back down. Ear popping and signs indicating the summit elevation were frequent. The elevation afforded breath taking views of verdant irrigated valleys juxtaposed against the brown and yellow mountainsides. The final climb was the highest and steepest before I swept into Loah.

I bought the Tom Tom application for my iPhone and it ended up working as a very able guide. There is much more to write about. Now it is 7:30 and I need to head to Salt Lake for my flight.

Saturday - Life in Rio is a Beach

First thing I have to say about the beaches in Rio...There are some beautiful people and they all go to the beach. We walked out on the beach and rented a chair for 7,00 reais (about $4 US). In fact the entire day with drinks, chairs, and all cost us about 50 reais ($30 US). We spent about four hours on the beach. I spent a lot of it under my umbrella watching the waves roll through the turquoise water and crash to the shore. This town is centered around beach life. Shorts are rare, speedos are common and nice bodies are the rule. Made me wish I had taken weight watchers a little more seriously. Then I thought, "It's Rio, who cares" peeled off my shirt and ran out to the water with my friends. The waves here were serious. They'd drag you out and push you in as they came crashing down. There were a few times I had to pull my suit back up. Although it was cold, it was a blast. We went back to our chairs and people watched some more before deciding to head home.

After we got back home there were showers and a trip to the mall for some sim cards and dinner. Now it's 12:31AM and everyone is getting ready to hit the clubs. I'm on the fence. If I go to this I'm not going to pride tomorrow. There has to be more to Rio then trying to find large concentrations of gay men. I want to see the city. I've seen the beach. I think I may split from the group tomorrow and do my own thing. It's hard to believe but after tomorrow we only have two more full days here and then it's back to Houston. And though I'd prefer sitting in a beach side restaurant having acai paste, granola and bananas for breakfast with some fresh squeezed Ubru over dancing the night away at the clubs, I have to say I'm loving this city. Just being here is energizing. The constant breezes. The people all seem pleasant and happy. The word you hear the most is "Obragado" which means "thank you." You know that word and you'll get far.

This morning when Alex and I were having our breakfast by the beach we both agreed, we could spend a month here. I wish all my friends and family could be here. I know, I know, different strokes for different folks, but I can't imagine a life where I don't occasionally go to a place where no one speaks my language. I learn that though I get scared and I'm not comfortable, I can do it. I can make it. That's an important thing for me to remember. It's also nice to realize that even when the economy is in the tank, our life in the US is pretty good. Good enough that I could conceive of being in Rio for a month. I'm feeling pretty energetic, I think I'm going to go out.

In Rio de Janeiro (Trip report and day 1)

Whenever I'm leaving for vacation I always imagine the experience as something like Pilgrim's Progress. I'm cutting off heavy load called "work" that I carry with me. Whenever I have a trip experience where things go wrong, I imagine it's like work trying to drag me back. Take four people on three flights with six segments through six various airports, combine with some bad weather and you have a recipe for a "Anything Could Happen" casserole.

My 9pm departure from Houston direct to Rio de Janeiro did not leave until after midnight, over three hours late. I was going to be the earliest to arrive and now I thought I'd be the latest. Since there was nothing I could do to speed the plane up I just sat back and enjoyed the 9hr 10min flight to Rio. I decided to upgrade myself to first class. I'm glad I did. The food and service were "ok". The real benefit for me was after the meal when everyone in the cabin pulled out their masks and ear plugs then laid their seats down, extended the leg rests and went to sleep. I slept until it was time for breakfast. It was very relaxing. Then, we landed. That's the end of the relaxing.

I was supposed to meet two others who were coming from Dallas at the airport. When I checked the arrival boards I could not find their flight. Two hours later I found out they weren't coming to that airport. I found myself in the circumstance I feared the most. No idea where anyone was. No idea how to speak to anyone in a place that was foreign to me. I was making calls to the people back in the states. I finally heard from Alex, we agreed I would join him at his airport. I arrived there around 5pm, four hours after landing.

On the cab ride over I saw much a very stratified Rio. Slums called favelas full of precariously stacked apartments, some only partly finished pushed up against a freeway of crawling traffic where motor cycles wiz between cars and vendors walk along the narrow medians selling food to people in their crawls as we crawled along. Then, we turned a corner, and we were on the main drag to Copacabana. As we entered the city the scenery changed dramatically. Lovely tree lined vistas, parks where kids were playing soccer and large buildings took the place of sprawling squaller. The people changed too. All dressed in shorts, sun glasses and some with shirts.

I arrived at the other airport to find Alex waiting. My trip at this point changed dramatically. I had someone who could speak the language. We stopped at a food stand and ordered some thing that was a blend between empanadas and a corn dog. It was delicious. Then we headed over to the apartment we would be renting for the week.

The feeling of getting to a "home" is such a grounding and secure feeling. It's nice to have a place to put down your bags. We dropped of four bags and hit the streets. We found a grocery and picked up some food and water and such. Then we headed back to the apartment and met up with the rest of our party. They dropped off their bags and we all got dressed and walked down to the beach to find some food.

From dinner we headed to a club. Clubs, in general, are almost all the same. They have the same types of people. This one was no different, save for the music sucked. It was stuff that we would have heard on the radio in the US years ago. Another interesting thing, it was all in English. That was fun to sing along with. We were out until 2'ish and then we headed for pizza.

I have to say that I enjoy not being single. But it can also be annoying. When the energy of the group is devoted to finding and meeting guys it can take away from the fun of dancing and hanging out with friends. Tying your self worth to the chance of meeting someone in a club is a risky bet. in my experience it is usually the people who are there to have fun who tend to get the attention. Something about people having a good time and not worrying about making eye contact or standing over in a certain part of the bar in order to try and get the attention of someone just seems to be a waste of an evening. I do also realize that I view things a little differently. My looks are not something that I've ever leaned on in order to make friends or meet people.

Prologue

When my friend Alex said, “You should come to Rio with us next time!” The year was 2004 and a lot had happened to me in that one day in August that had lead me to Alex’s dinner table. Between now and then we became close friends. I say this only to point out that this trip has significance beyond just going to another place. It’s something a friend and I have talked about doing for a long time. That is important for me. It is important that I live a life of “I wanted to and I did” as opposed to “I’ve always wished I could have.” And now, even if I had to go home tomorrow, I’ve been to Rio de Janeiro. I wanted to do it and I did it

Washington DC day 3

Today was wet. It rained almost all day. Combine that with temperatures in the 50's and we were in winter again. We started our day with a tour of the US Capitol. Waste of time. We waited in various lines for about 30 minutes for a tour of basically two rooms with a tour guide who could be the daughter of Gretta Vansustren. We saw the Rotunda and Statuary Hall. After that we went over to the National Archives to see the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. Cool stuff! After that we headed over to the Natural History Museum and saw the Hope Diamond. Then we headed down to the American History Museum saw the Ruby Slippers, Kermit D. Frog, Oscar the Grouch and a bunch of gowns worn by former first ladies. We had dinner at Old Ebbitt's which was a PJ Blands. Back at the hotel now staying out of the rain.

Tomorrow we are renting a car and heading to Udvar-Hazey, National Cathedral, Arlington Cemetery, and to dinner with some friends.

Washington, DC - Day 2

Today was started with rest. We did not leave the hotel room until almost lunch to head off to Steven Udvar-Hazey. We stopped off at a Subway on our way to the subway. We headed out towards the airport where the air and space museum was. We arrived to realize we were not carrying exact change bus fair and could not find somewhere to get change on a Sunday. SOOOOO we turned back around and headed to the mall. We went to the museum of modern art and saw some disturbing stuff. Jeremy said ti best, "modern art is something anyone could do, the artist was just the one to think it up." My favorite piece was the big man. He looks SO REAL.

We wondered through some sculpture gardens then over to the American History Museum to find it packed. We'll be going back during the rainy week ahead. We then went over to the American National Holocaust Museum. This place was terrible. It was laid out like a 4-story Ikea, death march and all. The place was packed, over-loaded to be exact. The experience of the museum was greatly diminished because we were shuffling through oh so slowly.

We finished up at the museum and got back to our hotel around 5PM. This hotel is the most curious place I have ever stayed. It's like if a Star Trek and a James Bond film collided.



We rested a bit and then headed out to Marvin's a Belgian/Soul Food fusion restaurant. It wasn't amazing, just good. We walked back to the hotel and have decided to call it a night.

Tomorrow we go see the Capitol and do more museuming.

Houston to Washington DC trip report and first night in DC

Wow, it what a long day! We left the house today at 9:30 AM for our 10:50 flight. Made it to the airport around 10:10 (just in time to check our bags by 10:20 AM). (This schedule is called the Guy Felder plan. The ultimate goal of the Guy Felder plan is to arrive at the gate after everyone has boarded and before they close the cabin door. With the Guy Felder plan there is very little waiting in line and no standing in the gate area. However, the Guy Felder plan makes some people nervous. I concede to those people that the Guy Felder plan leaves very little room for error, this is why it should only be deployed at one's home airport.)

We were on the plane by 10:40 in the morning getting settled in for our flight. We ended up sharing a row with Anise Parker (who is running for Mayor of Houston and has my support), so that was cool. We were told around 10:45 that we did not have a full crew and that they were waiting for a first officer from a flight from Austin so we would be leaving shortly after 11:00AM. I turned to Anise and Jeremy and said, "We we won't be out of here before noon." Ten minutes later the pilot came on again and announced that the airport was closed due to weather and we were going to de-plane.

Weather delays happen. There is no point in getting upset about it; it's one of those "help to accept the things I can not control" sort of things. Jeremy and I got comfy around an electrical outlet and began to entertain ourselves with various movies. At first they told us 12:30, then 2:30 then 4:00. We did not get back on again until 4:00 in the afternoon, five hours later. I can't say that the delay was difficult. I watched a movie and read a book and just took it in stride. I could be sitting at home or sitting at an airport. We landed in Washington, DC around 8:00 PM (5.5 hours late). If you ever fly to Washington DC I suggest landing at Reagan National Airport and sitting on the left side of the plane with a window view. On approach the plans flies right past the National Cathedral, Watergate hotel, Kennedy Center, all the monuments on the mall and then turns to touch down. You get to see a great aerial view of how the mall is laid out. We grabbed our luggage and hopped on the Metro into DC.

I have to say that I always enjoy being a city where there great public transit and DC, while no New York or Chicago, has pretty good mass transit. The metro stations are clean and the trains come at pretty regular intervals. We had to walk about .25 miles from our station to the hotel with luggage in tow.

The subway stations on the DC Metro or beautiful. They look as though they were designed in the 1960's. I am not a design expert but the use of concrete and lighting is amazing. Most subway stations in New York and Chicago or these low ceilinged, drippy, dank platforms where the train is preceded by a rush of dank air. These metro stations were like being inside a large coffered archways with lights that shine up from either side and from the middle.


After we checked into our hotel we checked out the maps to find the best way down to the mall. We hopped back onto the subway for a short ride over to the Smithsonian museums and then did the rest of the trip on foot.

I love seeing the mall at night. The entire mall is either dimly lit or not lit at all which is in stark contrast to the monuments which are brightly lit. It is a really neat affect. I like it because it tends to mask the people, it almost feels like it's just you and monument.

Click here to see a map of our treck (I can't figure out how to get it to embed).

We started out over on the Smithsonian side of the mall and headed straight for the Washington Monument. We walked around the monument watching the shadows of the people who played in the lights. Just after the Washington Monument is the newest monument, the World War II monument. The best way I can describe it is theatrical. It is full of waterfalls and lights with huge pillars. Very loud and bombastic. it is nice to visit, but not one of my favorite ones. We left the World War II monument and decided to walk down the reflecting pond towards the Lincoln Memorial. I love the Lincoln Memorial, especially at night.

As you walk towards it you begin to see President Lincoln's statue appearing from behind the columns, it is almost like it is glowing. Then you walk up the main steps and into the monument and I find that I have to just stand there for a moment in front of that huge statue of President Lincoln seated in that chair. Every time I go there I am moved deeply. I am moved because it is a very tangible realization of my national heritage which is something we do not have a lot of in places outside of our capitol.
On either side of the Lincoln Memorial there are two great speeches inscribed; the Gettysburg Address and his 2nd Inaugural. I am familiar with both, however, I wanted to read them again. As I read the Gettysburg address I felt a great sense of shame towards those in my state who, today, talk of secession. I stood there, reading these lines inscribed on the wall:

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

I thought to myself, "how dare they?" How dare they who bring up secession because the freely elected leaders of this country are not leading as they see fit even suggest that such a thing should happen. How dare they devalue the lives of every person who fought in the civil war? I went and sat on the steps of the memorial and looked back out over the reflection pond at the Washington Monument. I snapped this picture (that's Jeremy's head.)



We then headed off to see our last monument, The Jefferson Memorial. To get there you have to walk past the Korean War Memorial. Out of all the war memorials the Korean War and World War I memorials are my favorites. The Korean War memorial is just statues of soldiers in tableau. It is very moving (no pun intended). World War I is a stone gazebo tucked away in the woods on the side of the mall. It is so peaceful, many times people can be seen there just reading a book.

I snapped a few photos as we headed around the tidal basin to the Jefferson Memorial.




Jefferson Memorial is another one that I find very moving. This larger than life statue of Jefferson standing in the middle of a beautiful rotunda. The proportions are just awesome. As I read the text on the walls this one stood out to me the most:

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

We landed back at the hotel around midnight ready for bed. Today we plan on the following:

National and and Space Museum
United State Holocaust Museum

To see all the pictures from last night go to: http://gallery.me.com/casperey1978#100042

First morning in Nashville

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.