Date: August 26th, 2009
Distance: 16 miles
Country: England
Nothing really interesting happened today. I didn't do anything cool.
I rode from the motel outside of Heathrow, to downtown London. This was about 16 miles. Once I got there, I still hadn't a clue what I was doing. First thing was to get a phone. I hate to say it, but they are really nice to have. Plus the payphones are expensive and unreliable. I was just going to get a SIM card for my old phone. It was unlocked and everything. The only problem was that it apparently didn't have the right frequency bands. So I had to get another one. I wanted just a cheap used one. After shopping (and haggling) I was able to get one for about $50 with SIM card. Now I had a phone.
The next step was to find a place to stay. I camped out in a park and got some wi-fi to find a hostel. I ended up getting a place near the British Museum. That was about $20 a night for a room with (up to) 21 others. The beds were stacked three high, but was kind of a nice place. After that it was off to Leicester Square to find some food. While there I was again on the wi-fi, so that is where the rash of posts came from.
Then it was back to the hostel. Ended up watching TV and talking religion with a couple of the kids at the hostel and a guy in training to be a minister. The minister in training and his girlfriend had apparently taken their undergrad work at TCU. Which is where my uncle teaches. Small world. Anyway, it was fun talking about the bible and the history of the bible with people who were actually interested.
After that it was bed time for me. Sadly the dorm was really hot. So I lay on the bunk for a long time trying to get to sleep.
-Dravis
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Keflavik to London - Day 7
Date: August 25th, 2009
Distance: 33km
Country: England
Song of the Day: Half a Person - The Smiths
Woke up this morning around 3:00 because the tent was blowing down again. I had place the tent with the small end facing the wind the night before, but it had shifted. More correctly the wind was now coming from two different directions. Only in Iceland. Oh, and it was raining too. I really didn't want to get out of my nice warm sleeping bag, but I was more afraid of the tent coming down. So I went out (shirtless, because I didn't want to get my one clean sleeping shirt wet) and turned the tent 90 degrees. I actually felt really good about that. It probably doesn't seem like anything, but it made me feel like I could conquer the world.
After that I had to get up at 7:30 to ride (33 klicks) back to Reykjavik. I was going to talk to the custom's agent. Three hours. Three damn hours it took with a headwind and rain. When I got there, the customs person had been through already. He opened the box and decided it was all personal, so there were no taxes. The guy from FedEx, Hannes, was even going deliver it to me in Keflavik. Damn, I could have stayed in bed. At least they were nice enough to give me a ride back to Keflavik.
From there I did the mad dash, pack-bike-pull-down-tent-shower-pack-clothes-get-on-bus. Then I was at the airport and through security with time to spare. Whew. I actually like airports. I had a couple hours of calm there before my flight. Spent the last of my Icelandic money on a sandwich (not worth it) and got on the plane. Nice simple 2 1/2 hour flight.
Once we landed in London, I got a bit worried. I still didn't have a place to stay for the night. I didn't have a ticket out either. (I had looked up ferries, and will probably be taking one from Portsmouth to Cherbourg in a couple of weeks.) The guy at immigration was really nice though. He seemed to understand what was going on, and gave me tips for going through immigration in other countries (France).
After that, grabbed my bags. I tried to call the girl I was hoping to stay with here. She is a friend of Badger's. But the number wasn't working. I got online again and was looking for a place to stay. I found one, not too expensive near the airport. But the cab drivers wouldn't take my bike in the box. So I just put it together next to the cab stand. It was kind of funny because all the bored cabbies would come over and watch me put it together. I came together alright and I tossed the box.
My first experience with English roads was interesting. You can really tell that London has 2000 years of history because the roads don't make any sense. There is no real pattern. Things just change randomly. I got a bit to eat at the local McDonalds. (Lame I know, but they were open and I was hungry.) Then found the motel and went to bed. It was the first bed I slept in in a week.
-Dravis
Distance: 33km
Country: England
Song of the Day: Half a Person - The Smiths
Woke up this morning around 3:00 because the tent was blowing down again. I had place the tent with the small end facing the wind the night before, but it had shifted. More correctly the wind was now coming from two different directions. Only in Iceland. Oh, and it was raining too. I really didn't want to get out of my nice warm sleeping bag, but I was more afraid of the tent coming down. So I went out (shirtless, because I didn't want to get my one clean sleeping shirt wet) and turned the tent 90 degrees. I actually felt really good about that. It probably doesn't seem like anything, but it made me feel like I could conquer the world.
After that I had to get up at 7:30 to ride (33 klicks) back to Reykjavik. I was going to talk to the custom's agent. Three hours. Three damn hours it took with a headwind and rain. When I got there, the customs person had been through already. He opened the box and decided it was all personal, so there were no taxes. The guy from FedEx, Hannes, was even going deliver it to me in Keflavik. Damn, I could have stayed in bed. At least they were nice enough to give me a ride back to Keflavik.
From there I did the mad dash, pack-bike-pull-down-tent-shower-pack-clothes-get-on-bus. Then I was at the airport and through security with time to spare. Whew. I actually like airports. I had a couple hours of calm there before my flight. Spent the last of my Icelandic money on a sandwich (not worth it) and got on the plane. Nice simple 2 1/2 hour flight.
Once we landed in London, I got a bit worried. I still didn't have a place to stay for the night. I didn't have a ticket out either. (I had looked up ferries, and will probably be taking one from Portsmouth to Cherbourg in a couple of weeks.) The guy at immigration was really nice though. He seemed to understand what was going on, and gave me tips for going through immigration in other countries (France).
After that, grabbed my bags. I tried to call the girl I was hoping to stay with here. She is a friend of Badger's. But the number wasn't working. I got online again and was looking for a place to stay. I found one, not too expensive near the airport. But the cab drivers wouldn't take my bike in the box. So I just put it together next to the cab stand. It was kind of funny because all the bored cabbies would come over and watch me put it together. I came together alright and I tossed the box.
My first experience with English roads was interesting. You can really tell that London has 2000 years of history because the roads don't make any sense. There is no real pattern. Things just change randomly. I got a bit to eat at the local McDonalds. (Lame I know, but they were open and I was hungry.) Then found the motel and went to bed. It was the first bed I slept in in a week.
-Dravis
Reykjavik to Keflavik- Day 6
Date: August 24th, 2009
Distance: 51km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Burn to Shine - Ben Lee
Woke up to go to the Icelandic National Museum. It was very nice. It is like a museum of Icelandic history in chronological order from the settlement to the modern day. They had a number of artifacts from the last thousand years of history. I spent a couple of hours poking around there.
After that it was off to fight my way back out of the city. Again, what a pain. Little paths that come and go. Stupid paths. I was able to avoid most of the freeways. But I was happy to get out of town and get back on the highways. The shoulder out to Keflavik was actually very wide and felt pretty safe. I was worried about my tires though. There is broken glass all over the shoulder. But so far, no popped tires.
Oh, and I had to pick up my credit cards (and a few other things) from FedEx. It was on the outskirts of Reykjavik. When I got there, the package had arrived, yay! There was a tax on it though. I thought the guy had said it was 523isk. This is about five bucks. I told him that the stuff was mine, and there really shouldn't be taxes on it. It was leaving the next day anyway. But this was the person from FedEx. The person from customs had gone home, and I could explain it tomorrow. I was going to just pay the taxes and be done with it, when it turns out the actual amount was 5023isk. So about 50 bucks. There was no way I was going pay that. I would have to come back tomorrow. So I left that night without my stuff. Lame.
Went to the camping in Keflavik and met a nice girl from Switzerland. I guess she had spent the last two months biking around the island by herself. Way to go! We talked for a bit about the best places to see in Iceland. Oh, and the weather. It is better to come in June or July, apparently. It was fun to meet another solo bike tourer.
After that it was time for dinner. Nice restaurant in town. I was hoping for something with local color, but it was filled with foreigners. Oh well. After traveling to lots of different countries, I think most of the local people eat at pizza joints. I haven't been to any country that doesn't have them.
After that it was onto the Internet for a bit. It has been days since I checked my e-mail. I also wanted to find out if I had a place to stay in London. Finally I tried to book travel out of England. Talking with a few people along the way I am now thinking that having a reservation out of the country makes customs happy. I don't want to get stopped because they think I am trying to stay. I looked it up, but I wasn't going to put my credit card information into a public terminal. After that, just went to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: 51km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Burn to Shine - Ben Lee
Woke up to go to the Icelandic National Museum. It was very nice. It is like a museum of Icelandic history in chronological order from the settlement to the modern day. They had a number of artifacts from the last thousand years of history. I spent a couple of hours poking around there.
After that it was off to fight my way back out of the city. Again, what a pain. Little paths that come and go. Stupid paths. I was able to avoid most of the freeways. But I was happy to get out of town and get back on the highways. The shoulder out to Keflavik was actually very wide and felt pretty safe. I was worried about my tires though. There is broken glass all over the shoulder. But so far, no popped tires.
Oh, and I had to pick up my credit cards (and a few other things) from FedEx. It was on the outskirts of Reykjavik. When I got there, the package had arrived, yay! There was a tax on it though. I thought the guy had said it was 523isk. This is about five bucks. I told him that the stuff was mine, and there really shouldn't be taxes on it. It was leaving the next day anyway. But this was the person from FedEx. The person from customs had gone home, and I could explain it tomorrow. I was going to just pay the taxes and be done with it, when it turns out the actual amount was 5023isk. So about 50 bucks. There was no way I was going pay that. I would have to come back tomorrow. So I left that night without my stuff. Lame.
Went to the camping in Keflavik and met a nice girl from Switzerland. I guess she had spent the last two months biking around the island by herself. Way to go! We talked for a bit about the best places to see in Iceland. Oh, and the weather. It is better to come in June or July, apparently. It was fun to meet another solo bike tourer.
After that it was time for dinner. Nice restaurant in town. I was hoping for something with local color, but it was filled with foreigners. Oh well. After traveling to lots of different countries, I think most of the local people eat at pizza joints. I haven't been to any country that doesn't have them.
After that it was onto the Internet for a bit. It has been days since I checked my e-mail. I also wanted to find out if I had a place to stay in London. Finally I tried to book travel out of England. Talking with a few people along the way I am now thinking that having a reservation out of the country makes customs happy. I don't want to get stopped because they think I am trying to stay. I looked it up, but I wasn't going to put my credit card information into a public terminal. After that, just went to bed.
-Dravis
Reykjavik - Day 5
Date: August 23rd, 2009
Distance: None
Country: Iceland
Woke up in the afternoon. The sun was shining and really heating up the tent. So it was time to be awake. I decided to spend the day being boring and doing laundry. There was a washer and a dryer at the hostel next to the camping. Turns out this was a bad idea. For some reason my clothes came out of the washer smelling like mildew. The dryer didn't work any better. I ran it twice with no noticeable change in dampness. I was going to hang them out to dry by the clouds had moved in and were threatening to rain. So I just placed the wet clothes as best I could around the tent.
I was hoping to meet up with Gunni again for some swing dancing. But we must have missed each other. Instead I just went out for a nice dinner at this awesome fish and chips place. The fish was lightly breaded and juicy. They also had a selection of sauces for it, but frankly, you didn't need them. The fish, with just a bit of salt, was perfect. Highly recommended.
After that it was back to the hostel to recharge some batteries (laptop & Zune) then off to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Iceland
Woke up in the afternoon. The sun was shining and really heating up the tent. So it was time to be awake. I decided to spend the day being boring and doing laundry. There was a washer and a dryer at the hostel next to the camping. Turns out this was a bad idea. For some reason my clothes came out of the washer smelling like mildew. The dryer didn't work any better. I ran it twice with no noticeable change in dampness. I was going to hang them out to dry by the clouds had moved in and were threatening to rain. So I just placed the wet clothes as best I could around the tent.
I was hoping to meet up with Gunni again for some swing dancing. But we must have missed each other. Instead I just went out for a nice dinner at this awesome fish and chips place. The fish was lightly breaded and juicy. They also had a selection of sauces for it, but frankly, you didn't need them. The fish, with just a bit of salt, was perfect. Highly recommended.
After that it was back to the hostel to recharge some batteries (laptop & Zune) then off to bed.
-Dravis
Þingvellir to Reykjavik - Day 4
Date: August 22nd, 2009
Distance: 54km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: All Tore Up - The Tragically Hip
Not seeing the historic sites the day before was a bad decision. It was raining when I got up, so it wasn't as nice to be outside. Still I had come to see Þingvellir more than almost anything. The original home of the world's longest living government. Of course, a few things have changed since the Alþing was founded in 930. For instance, at the time there was not written Icelandic language. So everything was memorized by the Law Speaker and recited at the start of the Alþing. The Alþing was also the highest court in Iceland and could proscribe a punishment, but it was still the responsibility of the accuser and his family to ensure it was carried out. Now the Alping is still the parliament of Iceland. It now meets in Reykjavik though and it members carry fewer swords these days.
The valley is also interesting geologically. It is where the Eurasian plate at the North American plate are pulling apart. It is one of the few rift valleys in the world. There are several rifts that can been seen in the area. A few of them even have trails that you can take through them. It really does look like the earth is just pulling apart.
From there it was just a simple ride west into Reykjavik. A few hills at the beginning, but mostly downhills. I even had the wind at my back once or twice. Getting into the city was a real pain though. I had been riding on the shoulder of the highways up to this point. Traffic was getting heavier though. Starting around Mosfell there are a few paths. At first you would think some intelligent planner had put a nice bike path along the highway. But these paths have an unfortunate habit of going for a kilometer or so and ending in a subdivision or a bus stop. Just long enough for you to feel like it is really going somewhere. I did this four or five times. Getting onto a path, and then it stops. A couple of times the only option was to ride on the main road, which had become a real freeway along the way. So I was riding on the shoulder of the road. That wasn't too bad but you had to take care to avoid the cars at entrances or exits. Basically, it was a real hassle to do.
So I finally go into the city, went to the downtown area and there was some event going on. Streets were blocked off and cars were parked on every semi-viable surface. Sidewalks, medians, driveways. Basically if you could drive on it, someone had parked there. And people were walking (slowly) everywhere. It was hard to get around, even on the bike. I was just trying to find a place to stay. When I asked the guy at the information desk about a hostel, he just laughed. There wasn't anyplace left in town. I knew there was no way I was fighting my way back out of town. So I was contemplating a cold night in the park. Instead I found the camping in town. I had heard that it wasn't very good, but I am not sure why. It was definitely crowded. There were probably 300 tents set up over a couple of square blocks. But they had warm showers and a place to get cleaned up. The hostel next door even had a washer and dryer.
I also got in touch with a guy I had meet on CouchSurfing. He said that he would take me out for a good night on the town. This did not disappoint. I guess the big hullabaloo going on was the Culture Night. It celebrates the founding of the city or somethign. So everyone was in town for it. I met up with Gunni at a bar. He was with two guys from Switzerland. They had also met on CS. We hung out and chatted for a little while (named all 50 states) before heading off to the fireworks. The streets were just packed with people. Young and old alike. They did put on a good display. Woo-hoo. Again, I don't know why explosions and pretty colors are cool, but they are.
After the fireworks Gunni said the night was just getting started. He took us to an Irish bar with a tiny dance floor in the basement. After just a couple of minutes that tiny room was filled with people dancing. I guess Icelanders take they partying pretty seriously. It really was fun dancing and singing along to old tunes with a crowd of 30 other people crammed into a little basement.
From there we went to a Rock and Roll bar. The place was dressed up as a heavy metal bar, but the DJ was spinning songs Kings of Leon, Elvis and The Smiths. We also met some other Icelandic guys that Gunni knew. We had some fun rocking out to Icelandic metal. From there we took a walk outside, and the street had completely changed. It was just young people hanging out everywhere. There was trash on the ground all over and bottles smashed and broken in the streets. People just dropped things where they were. But for it all, people were still really friendly. We started talking with a number of people we just met on the street. Everywhere people were laughing and having a good time. It was like Mardi Gras in Reykjavik. I cannot possibly describe how awesome this was. I was very glad to have a local guide for this though. Thanks Gunni.
We went to a couple of clubs. I thought when they started playing Rage Against the Machine at one club that the place was going to come apart because everyone was getting so rowdy. But it was fun to sing along and really rock out. Then it was off to the hlölli shop for a late night gnosh. A hlölli is like a sub, but they fry up the meat a bit first before putting everything else on. So the meat is warm, the cheese is melty and the vegetables are just right. They also load it with hlölli sauce. I have no idea what it is, but it is pretty good. By the time I got back to my tent it was 6:00 AM and the sun was coming up. Boy what a night.
-Dravis
Distance: 54km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: All Tore Up - The Tragically Hip
Not seeing the historic sites the day before was a bad decision. It was raining when I got up, so it wasn't as nice to be outside. Still I had come to see Þingvellir more than almost anything. The original home of the world's longest living government. Of course, a few things have changed since the Alþing was founded in 930. For instance, at the time there was not written Icelandic language. So everything was memorized by the Law Speaker and recited at the start of the Alþing. The Alþing was also the highest court in Iceland and could proscribe a punishment, but it was still the responsibility of the accuser and his family to ensure it was carried out. Now the Alping is still the parliament of Iceland. It now meets in Reykjavik though and it members carry fewer swords these days.
The valley is also interesting geologically. It is where the Eurasian plate at the North American plate are pulling apart. It is one of the few rift valleys in the world. There are several rifts that can been seen in the area. A few of them even have trails that you can take through them. It really does look like the earth is just pulling apart.
From there it was just a simple ride west into Reykjavik. A few hills at the beginning, but mostly downhills. I even had the wind at my back once or twice. Getting into the city was a real pain though. I had been riding on the shoulder of the highways up to this point. Traffic was getting heavier though. Starting around Mosfell there are a few paths. At first you would think some intelligent planner had put a nice bike path along the highway. But these paths have an unfortunate habit of going for a kilometer or so and ending in a subdivision or a bus stop. Just long enough for you to feel like it is really going somewhere. I did this four or five times. Getting onto a path, and then it stops. A couple of times the only option was to ride on the main road, which had become a real freeway along the way. So I was riding on the shoulder of the road. That wasn't too bad but you had to take care to avoid the cars at entrances or exits. Basically, it was a real hassle to do.
So I finally go into the city, went to the downtown area and there was some event going on. Streets were blocked off and cars were parked on every semi-viable surface. Sidewalks, medians, driveways. Basically if you could drive on it, someone had parked there. And people were walking (slowly) everywhere. It was hard to get around, even on the bike. I was just trying to find a place to stay. When I asked the guy at the information desk about a hostel, he just laughed. There wasn't anyplace left in town. I knew there was no way I was fighting my way back out of town. So I was contemplating a cold night in the park. Instead I found the camping in town. I had heard that it wasn't very good, but I am not sure why. It was definitely crowded. There were probably 300 tents set up over a couple of square blocks. But they had warm showers and a place to get cleaned up. The hostel next door even had a washer and dryer.
I also got in touch with a guy I had meet on CouchSurfing. He said that he would take me out for a good night on the town. This did not disappoint. I guess the big hullabaloo going on was the Culture Night. It celebrates the founding of the city or somethign. So everyone was in town for it. I met up with Gunni at a bar. He was with two guys from Switzerland. They had also met on CS. We hung out and chatted for a little while (named all 50 states) before heading off to the fireworks. The streets were just packed with people. Young and old alike. They did put on a good display. Woo-hoo. Again, I don't know why explosions and pretty colors are cool, but they are.
After the fireworks Gunni said the night was just getting started. He took us to an Irish bar with a tiny dance floor in the basement. After just a couple of minutes that tiny room was filled with people dancing. I guess Icelanders take they partying pretty seriously. It really was fun dancing and singing along to old tunes with a crowd of 30 other people crammed into a little basement.
From there we went to a Rock and Roll bar. The place was dressed up as a heavy metal bar, but the DJ was spinning songs Kings of Leon, Elvis and The Smiths. We also met some other Icelandic guys that Gunni knew. We had some fun rocking out to Icelandic metal. From there we took a walk outside, and the street had completely changed. It was just young people hanging out everywhere. There was trash on the ground all over and bottles smashed and broken in the streets. People just dropped things where they were. But for it all, people were still really friendly. We started talking with a number of people we just met on the street. Everywhere people were laughing and having a good time. It was like Mardi Gras in Reykjavik. I cannot possibly describe how awesome this was. I was very glad to have a local guide for this though. Thanks Gunni.
We went to a couple of clubs. I thought when they started playing Rage Against the Machine at one club that the place was going to come apart because everyone was getting so rowdy. But it was fun to sing along and really rock out. Then it was off to the hlölli shop for a late night gnosh. A hlölli is like a sub, but they fry up the meat a bit first before putting everything else on. So the meat is warm, the cheese is melty and the vegetables are just right. They also load it with hlölli sauce. I have no idea what it is, but it is pretty good. By the time I got back to my tent it was 6:00 AM and the sun was coming up. Boy what a night.
-Dravis
Laugarvatn to Þingvellir - Day 3
Date: August 21st, 2009
Distance: 36km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Black - Pearl Jam
If I had gone to sleep with the wind howling, I woke up to it threatening to blow the tent down. It had picked up to about 30kph with stronger gusts. That is the only reason I got up. I just didn't think my poor tent could take it anymore. I tried getting dressed as best (and warmly) as I could. I then got up and started taking the tent down. Getting it down was easy, rolling it up was hard. I had to stake each layer down before I could roll it up.
From there things weren't looking any brighter. I was hoping to ride to Geysir and Gulfoss, but with the wind blasting down the road it wasn't going to happen. I was going to ride off when I starting talking to a German couple who were also fellow bikers. They wanted to do the same thing, but were going to take a bus instead. Since it seemed like my only opportunity to see Geysir and Gullfoss, I decided to join them. There was a bit of a problem at the bus stop. The schedule there said that the bus had already left. The next bus would be coming that afternoon, but wouldn't return that day. That didn't work for me (there was no way in hell I was staying another night there), so I got on my bike and headed out. The (now) tailwind was actually pushing me up the hill. It was excellent, until I saw that bus that was supposed to have left. I turned around and began fighting the headwind. It was like pedaling through soup. The German couple had the bus wait for me. I ditched the bike and got aboard.
So I know taking the bus is cheating, and it cost me about 30 bucks for the round trip, but it was worth it. The Geysir thermal area was very neat. This is the geyser that gave them all the name. I guess it doesn't erupt very much anymore, but it used to be huge, probably similar in size to Old Faithful. It was supposed to have been active after an eatherquake in 2000, but has gone dormant again. Though, I guess they throw soap in it occasionally (on national holidays) to make it erupt. Just next to it was another geyser called Strokkur (butter churn), which erupts every couple of minutes. This isn't a spout like a fire hose, but one quick explosion that throws water into the air. I stood there and watched it through a few different eruptions. Quite cool.
From there back onto the bus to see Gullfoss, which is Europe's largest waterfall. I would say it is about half the volume of water as at Niagra falls, but that is still really big. There are also two steps to it. The first is about 25 feet, and the second is about 70. It is also hidden down in this basalt canyon, so you can't see the bottom of the falls. It appears almost to disappear into a crack in the earth. It was fun, but it was still cold. All the spray kicked up by the falls was blown by the wind right into your face. I wandered around took some pictures before looking for somewhere warmer.
After that it was back to the bus. I actually slept for most of the ride back. Was dropped off and said goodbye to the German couple who had been so nice. Sadly by that point the wind had basically stopped. So I had to actually work to get up the hill this time. And the road from there to Þingvellir is probably one of the hardest. It is a gravel road for most of the way. Only the steeper parts are paved. On my knobby tires I wouldn't mind, but I didn't want to get a flat in my slicks. The grades are also bad. I didn't see any signs, but 20% would not have surprised me.
I should also mention something about Icelandic roads, they do the minimum they have to in order to make a road. Some of this probably has to do with the work required to maintain roads in a cold climate. Beyond that however, may Icelanders still believe in the Huldufólk, or Hidden People. These are like Elves, trolls or other natural spirits. Delays and cost overruns during road construction is often seen as the work of the Hidden People. So in the U.S. if there is a little hill in the way, we just bulldoze right through it. Not in Iceland. The just pave or gravel right over the top of everything. So if you are looking for where the road goes, just find the tallest ridge, and you can be assured of going right over it.
After clearing the last ridge things started getting better. The gravel road met up with a paved road for the rest of the way into Þingvellir. And it was downhill. With a view of the lake in the background I couldn't have asked for anything better.
I got into the camping before 7:00, had some dinner and a shower. It was still to early to go to bed, so I washed some clothes in the sink and sewed a patch onto one of my bike shorts. I was thinking about going to see site of the all thing during sunset but I decided against it. Instead, I just went to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: 36km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Black - Pearl Jam
If I had gone to sleep with the wind howling, I woke up to it threatening to blow the tent down. It had picked up to about 30kph with stronger gusts. That is the only reason I got up. I just didn't think my poor tent could take it anymore. I tried getting dressed as best (and warmly) as I could. I then got up and started taking the tent down. Getting it down was easy, rolling it up was hard. I had to stake each layer down before I could roll it up.
From there things weren't looking any brighter. I was hoping to ride to Geysir and Gulfoss, but with the wind blasting down the road it wasn't going to happen. I was going to ride off when I starting talking to a German couple who were also fellow bikers. They wanted to do the same thing, but were going to take a bus instead. Since it seemed like my only opportunity to see Geysir and Gullfoss, I decided to join them. There was a bit of a problem at the bus stop. The schedule there said that the bus had already left. The next bus would be coming that afternoon, but wouldn't return that day. That didn't work for me (there was no way in hell I was staying another night there), so I got on my bike and headed out. The (now) tailwind was actually pushing me up the hill. It was excellent, until I saw that bus that was supposed to have left. I turned around and began fighting the headwind. It was like pedaling through soup. The German couple had the bus wait for me. I ditched the bike and got aboard.
So I know taking the bus is cheating, and it cost me about 30 bucks for the round trip, but it was worth it. The Geysir thermal area was very neat. This is the geyser that gave them all the name. I guess it doesn't erupt very much anymore, but it used to be huge, probably similar in size to Old Faithful. It was supposed to have been active after an eatherquake in 2000, but has gone dormant again. Though, I guess they throw soap in it occasionally (on national holidays) to make it erupt. Just next to it was another geyser called Strokkur (butter churn), which erupts every couple of minutes. This isn't a spout like a fire hose, but one quick explosion that throws water into the air. I stood there and watched it through a few different eruptions. Quite cool.
From there back onto the bus to see Gullfoss, which is Europe's largest waterfall. I would say it is about half the volume of water as at Niagra falls, but that is still really big. There are also two steps to it. The first is about 25 feet, and the second is about 70. It is also hidden down in this basalt canyon, so you can't see the bottom of the falls. It appears almost to disappear into a crack in the earth. It was fun, but it was still cold. All the spray kicked up by the falls was blown by the wind right into your face. I wandered around took some pictures before looking for somewhere warmer.
After that it was back to the bus. I actually slept for most of the ride back. Was dropped off and said goodbye to the German couple who had been so nice. Sadly by that point the wind had basically stopped. So I had to actually work to get up the hill this time. And the road from there to Þingvellir is probably one of the hardest. It is a gravel road for most of the way. Only the steeper parts are paved. On my knobby tires I wouldn't mind, but I didn't want to get a flat in my slicks. The grades are also bad. I didn't see any signs, but 20% would not have surprised me.
I should also mention something about Icelandic roads, they do the minimum they have to in order to make a road. Some of this probably has to do with the work required to maintain roads in a cold climate. Beyond that however, may Icelanders still believe in the Huldufólk, or Hidden People. These are like Elves, trolls or other natural spirits. Delays and cost overruns during road construction is often seen as the work of the Hidden People. So in the U.S. if there is a little hill in the way, we just bulldoze right through it. Not in Iceland. The just pave or gravel right over the top of everything. So if you are looking for where the road goes, just find the tallest ridge, and you can be assured of going right over it.
After clearing the last ridge things started getting better. The gravel road met up with a paved road for the rest of the way into Þingvellir. And it was downhill. With a view of the lake in the background I couldn't have asked for anything better.
I got into the camping before 7:00, had some dinner and a shower. It was still to early to go to bed, so I washed some clothes in the sink and sewed a patch onto one of my bike shorts. I was thinking about going to see site of the all thing during sunset but I decided against it. Instead, I just went to bed.
-Dravis
Hveragerði to Laugarvatn - Day 2
Date: August 20th, 2009
Distance: 52km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Bath of Fire - Presidents of the United State of America
Today was miserable. Woke up late, which frankly I needed. Combine jetlag with a couple of hours of uncomfortable sleep on the flight over, plus a long first day and you need 12 hours or so. It had also been raining in the morning, and I really didn't want to get up to rain. So I kept going back to sleep until about noon. I got up, had a few Pop Tarts (very glad I brought those), and rode off. It was windy and cold, but after a mile or two I warmed up and the cold stopped bothering me. The wind was coming right across the road and threatening to blow me into the ditch. There were a couple of close calls but I never went over.
My first stop was at the town of Selfoss. For about $1.25 I was able to get half an hour online at the local library. That is where my last post came from. I also stopped at the Bonus (supermarket) to pick up some supplies. The last thing I did in town was to get a hot dog. Mmmmmm, protein.
Now here is where it began to get bad. The wind had picked up to about 20kph and the road I was on turned north, right into the wind. Oh, and it was uphill. This was pretty much the rest of my day. Struggling up hills, even forcing my way down the hills into the wind. You should really not have to work to go down a hill on a bike. About 4:00 I got to the top of one hill, and in the valley below I could see trees. You have no idea how happy that made me. Trees meant no wind. Well, at least less wind. But it didn't last, there really aren't all that many forests in Iceland. I would fight the wind basically all day. The granny gear that I thought I would never use got a lot of use that day. I don't think I have ever spent as much time in 1-1. I was kind of glad that my bike computer isn't working, I didn't want to know how slowly I was going. (Dave, one of the guys I talked to before I left, said he turned his off once for the same reason.) The wind and cold all day really sapped my spirit. But I kept thinking that if I could make it in Iceland, I could make it anywhere. I got into the town of Laugarvatn around 9:00. The only thing that looked open was a pretty fancy restaurant. I still didn't have much money (no cards), but I was dying of hunger. So I just had some overpriced soup, and it was wonderful. If I had the money I would have gone through three bowls.
It was hard to leave the restaurant. The warm and calm that I had been in made the wind and cold outside that much worse. I pushed on to the camping, and just next to the main office was a burger stand. Damn. Probably could have gotten more for less there, but it was too late. I also paid 800isk for the (windy) camping with no shower. I pitched my tent and tried to align my tent with the wind. Just when I would get a good spot the wind would shift and blow the tent over. I finally found something in the middle and crawled inside. I went to sleep listening to the wind howling outside.
-Dravis
Distance: 52km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Bath of Fire - Presidents of the United State of America
Today was miserable. Woke up late, which frankly I needed. Combine jetlag with a couple of hours of uncomfortable sleep on the flight over, plus a long first day and you need 12 hours or so. It had also been raining in the morning, and I really didn't want to get up to rain. So I kept going back to sleep until about noon. I got up, had a few Pop Tarts (very glad I brought those), and rode off. It was windy and cold, but after a mile or two I warmed up and the cold stopped bothering me. The wind was coming right across the road and threatening to blow me into the ditch. There were a couple of close calls but I never went over.
My first stop was at the town of Selfoss. For about $1.25 I was able to get half an hour online at the local library. That is where my last post came from. I also stopped at the Bonus (supermarket) to pick up some supplies. The last thing I did in town was to get a hot dog. Mmmmmm, protein.
Now here is where it began to get bad. The wind had picked up to about 20kph and the road I was on turned north, right into the wind. Oh, and it was uphill. This was pretty much the rest of my day. Struggling up hills, even forcing my way down the hills into the wind. You should really not have to work to go down a hill on a bike. About 4:00 I got to the top of one hill, and in the valley below I could see trees. You have no idea how happy that made me. Trees meant no wind. Well, at least less wind. But it didn't last, there really aren't all that many forests in Iceland. I would fight the wind basically all day. The granny gear that I thought I would never use got a lot of use that day. I don't think I have ever spent as much time in 1-1. I was kind of glad that my bike computer isn't working, I didn't want to know how slowly I was going. (Dave, one of the guys I talked to before I left, said he turned his off once for the same reason.) The wind and cold all day really sapped my spirit. But I kept thinking that if I could make it in Iceland, I could make it anywhere. I got into the town of Laugarvatn around 9:00. The only thing that looked open was a pretty fancy restaurant. I still didn't have much money (no cards), but I was dying of hunger. So I just had some overpriced soup, and it was wonderful. If I had the money I would have gone through three bowls.
It was hard to leave the restaurant. The warm and calm that I had been in made the wind and cold outside that much worse. I pushed on to the camping, and just next to the main office was a burger stand. Damn. Probably could have gotten more for less there, but it was too late. I also paid 800isk for the (windy) camping with no shower. I pitched my tent and tried to align my tent with the wind. Just when I would get a good spot the wind would shift and blow the tent over. I finally found something in the middle and crawled inside. I went to sleep listening to the wind howling outside.
-Dravis
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Iceland Ho! - Keflavik to Hveragerði - Day 1
World Tour - Day 1
So the flight in was nice, with one major exception. I was getting copies of my credit cards, and of course forgot them in the copier. So now I am here with just a little bit of cash. So far it is going pretty well. Getting around by bike is actually pretty cheap.
Keflavik to Hveragerði
Time: 11 hours
Date: August 19th, 2009
Distance: 115km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Downtown Sundown - Thin Lizzy (Because Phil knows.)
The bike ride was long. The countryside around Iceland is amazing, and like almost nothing I have ever seen. In places there are mossy rocks off to the horizon. It is also pretty barren. No trees, and in a lot of places not much else. There are a few small towns around, which so far have been nice. Occasionally you see sheep grazing near the roads. It rained about mid-afternoon, so that didn´t help. I don´t mind being cold, but the wet was annoying. I was glad to have the waterproof panniers. But as I mentioned earlier, the ride was long. I left at 10:00AM and didn´t get to the Hveragerði until 9:00. The last hill outside of town nearly killed me. As I was rolling into town I had to keep from falling asleep. I stopped for some food and was so tired I could barely eat it. Also had an interesting conversation with a local who kept talking about the Catholic church starting a civil war in Iceland. I think he was drunk. It is harder to tell if someone is drunk when they don´t quite understand English anyway. After I finished eating, I went to the tjaldsvæði (campsite). The place was nice and they had warm showers, which was just what I needed. After that I went right to bed.
-Dravis
So the flight in was nice, with one major exception. I was getting copies of my credit cards, and of course forgot them in the copier. So now I am here with just a little bit of cash. So far it is going pretty well. Getting around by bike is actually pretty cheap.
Keflavik to Hveragerði
Time: 11 hours
Date: August 19th, 2009
Distance: 115km
Country: Iceland
Song of the Day: Downtown Sundown - Thin Lizzy (Because Phil knows.)
The bike ride was long. The countryside around Iceland is amazing, and like almost nothing I have ever seen. In places there are mossy rocks off to the horizon. It is also pretty barren. No trees, and in a lot of places not much else. There are a few small towns around, which so far have been nice. Occasionally you see sheep grazing near the roads. It rained about mid-afternoon, so that didn´t help. I don´t mind being cold, but the wet was annoying. I was glad to have the waterproof panniers. But as I mentioned earlier, the ride was long. I left at 10:00AM and didn´t get to the Hveragerði until 9:00. The last hill outside of town nearly killed me. As I was rolling into town I had to keep from falling asleep. I stopped for some food and was so tired I could barely eat it. Also had an interesting conversation with a local who kept talking about the Catholic church starting a civil war in Iceland. I think he was drunk. It is harder to tell if someone is drunk when they don´t quite understand English anyway. After I finished eating, I went to the tjaldsvæði (campsite). The place was nice and they had warm showers, which was just what I needed. After that I went right to bed.
-Dravis
Monday, August 17, 2009
Going Away Party
On Friday night I had my going away party. My friend Mark agreed to host. Since he had finished his deck, I thought it would be nice to grill out there. He joked that since the railing wasn't up yet, no one could have too many beers and fall off. So when I e-mailed to invite everyone, I wrote the following disclaimer and asked everyone to bring notarized copies in triplicate as a joke.
I, _____________, the user, hereafter listed as The Drunks, do understand and abide by all conditions for deck enjoyment as listed below provided by the owners of the deck, hereafter listed as the party of party. The Drunks are aware of the safety conditions of said deck. The Drunks are responsible for their on personal well being regardless of state of intoxication or proximity to the deck. The Party of the Party will be in no way more sane or sober than the party of The Drunks and will therefore and forthwith offer no aid, comfort, condiment or concoction to any party who is injured, abused, molested, trod upon, put out or or harassed in any situation involving said deck. This includes activities performed while enjoying or not enjoying the deck, looking at the deck, or merely hearing about the deck some weeks later. The deck is is provided for private use and is only for standing or sitting. Drinking on the deck may lead to serious bodily injury or embarrassment, and is not the responsibility of the Party of the Party, even if the Party of the Party is witness to the action and denotes approval by clapping, whooping or laughing. Ten points will be awarded to The Drunks if someone sleeps on the deck. Sleeping is not a recommended use of the deck. Written consent will be required for any rebroadcast of the deck.
Our friend Bro
oklyn really went above and beyond, she actually did it. I have the photos to prove it, as well. Thank you Brooklyn, I was flabbergasted. That was awesome.
-Dravis
I, _____________, the user, hereafter listed as The Drunks, do understand and abide by all conditions for deck enjoyment as listed below provided by the owners of the deck, hereafter listed as the party of party. The Drunks are aware of the safety conditions of said deck. The Drunks are responsible for their on personal well being regardless of state of intoxication or proximity to the deck. The Party of the Party will be in no way more sane or sober than the party of The Drunks and will therefore and forthwith offer no aid, comfort, condiment or concoction to any party who is injured, abused, molested, trod upon, put out or or harassed in any situation involving said deck. This includes activities performed while enjoying or not enjoying the deck, looking at the deck, or merely hearing about the deck some weeks later. The deck is is provided for private use and is only for standing or sitting. Drinking on the deck may lead to serious bodily injury or embarrassment, and is not the responsibility of the Party of the Party, even if the Party of the Party is witness to the action and denotes approval by clapping, whooping or laughing. Ten points will be awarded to The Drunks if someone sleeps on the deck. Sleeping is not a recommended use of the deck. Written consent will be required for any rebroadcast of the deck.
Our friend Bro
oklyn really went above and beyond, she actually did it. I have the photos to prove it, as well. Thank you Brooklyn, I was flabbergasted. That was awesome.-Dravis
Rock'n Horse Trail - Now with less rock!
Yep, we finally got out and did the Rock'n Horse ride. I have been meaning to do it for years. I am very glad it all worked out, but I wish I had another week to prepare.
I didn't have time to make t-shirts. I was really hoping for that. I also didn't have time to plan a playlist for the ride. As it turns out, that wasn't a big deal since I forgot the batteries for the stereo, so the ride had significantly less rocking that I was hoping for. Also, I wanted to spend some time getting all the food ready, instead it was a last minute run.
But on the good side, we did it. There were nine riders and all of them finished. The Most Accomplished award goes to Mark. He had not been on a bike in a decade, this was only his second time on a bike with gears, and I got him a bike that was way too small. (Sorry man, I didn't even think about it.) But he made it the whole twenty miles along. Only a few complaints thrown in there. The Iron Butt award goes to Jonn-E for taking his road bike with cyclocross tires.
The last two miles were pretty bad though. There is a winding trail to the campsite that is marked "bicycles permitted". I assumed a bikable trail. It turns out this is just a hiking trail or an advance mountain bike downhill. Not so good for people who don't ride, or have a road bike with nobbies, or have a set of fully loaded panniers. I don't think anyone rode more that half of it. No one was injured, but I think we put a few wheels out of true.
The camping was great though. It was the first time in a while I have put my tent up during daylight. We got food and drinks for people. New rule of thumb though, get twice as many hotdogs as you have people. We stayed up late into the night talking and being noisy. I was glad the campsite was secluded and none of our neighbors complained.
Got a slow start in the morning. Went through oatmeal, eggs and bacon. We also had been losing people. So we only had five people to set out for the ride. Stopped at Franklin Falls for a quick hike before setting out on bikes. Instead of heading back up the route from the previous evening, we went up to Hyak. Someone had met a couple of other bikers who had gone through the tunnel the day before. So we decided to do that.
The Snoqualmie tunnel is closed, but someone had already cut a hole in t
he chain link fence. So we snuck into it as well. That tunnel is still one of the best parts of the trail. Two miles of darkness with the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, it wasn't that dark. Jonn-E had an amazing headlamp. It really illuminated everything in there.
Once on the other side the guys spent a little time exploring the west end of the tunnel. We were able to use a couple of different sets of metal rungs to climb to the top, Prince of Persia style. It was pretty cool up there. But we could see the creek that runs over the entrance is really doing a number on the structure. The last flood had left a couple of logs on top. We decided to continue the work by pushing them off into the rocks below. This was about the time the girls decided to leave us.
The guys caught up as they were crossng a washout a mile and a half down the trail. Flooding this last spring must have been amazing because there was a thirty foot hole in the trail. You could see what was left of the concret cultvert. Crossing a log with a heavy bike is a bit interesting.
From there it was a fast downhill. I love my new 46t chainring. Sara and I were crusing along at about 20mph for the next 7 miles. We stopped to wait for the rest at about the half way point. Mathius showed up about 5 minutes later. He and Sara took off ten minutes after that. I waited for quite a while, but Jonn-E and Becky never showed up. It turns out that Jonn-E had a bad flat, and the patches wouldn't hold. I rode back up to see if I could help, but that tire just wouldn't hold air. They ended up walking out at the next trail. I went off by myself back to Rattlesnake Lake. It only took about 40 minutes to go the 12 miles.
Once everyone was back at the trailhead we said our goodbyes. To all the people who came out, a big thanks. I had a great time and I hope you did too. I am hoping that it will happen again next year, even if I am not here. I am also going to miss you guys when I am gone. Good luck and keep stomping those pedals.
-Dravis
I didn't have time to make t-shirts. I was really hoping for that. I also didn't have time to plan a playlist for the ride. As it turns out, that wasn't a big deal since I forgot the batteries for the stereo, so the ride had significantly less rocking that I was hoping for. Also, I wanted to spend some time getting all the food ready, instead it was a last minute run.
But on the good side, we did it. There were nine riders and all of them finished. The Most Accomplished award goes to Mark. He had not been on a bike in a decade, this was only his second time on a bike with gears, and I got him a bike that was way too small. (Sorry man, I didn't even think about it.) But he made it the whole twenty miles along. Only a few complaints thrown in there. The Iron Butt award goes to Jonn-E for taking his road bike with cyclocross tires.
The last two miles were pretty bad though. There is a winding trail to the campsite that is marked "bicycles permitted". I assumed a bikable trail. It turns out this is just a hiking trail or an advance mountain bike downhill. Not so good for people who don't ride, or have a road bike with nobbies, or have a set of fully loaded panniers. I don't think anyone rode more that half of it. No one was injured, but I think we put a few wheels out of true.
The camping was great though. It was the first time in a while I have put my tent up during daylight. We got food and drinks for people. New rule of thumb though, get twice as many hotdogs as you have people. We stayed up late into the night talking and being noisy. I was glad the campsite was secluded and none of our neighbors complained.
Got a slow start in the morning. Went through oatmeal, eggs and bacon. We also had been losing people. So we only had five people to set out for the ride. Stopped at Franklin Falls for a quick hike before setting out on bikes. Instead of heading back up the route from the previous evening, we went up to Hyak. Someone had met a couple of other bikers who had gone through the tunnel the day before. So we decided to do that.
The Snoqualmie tunnel is closed, but someone had already cut a hole in t
he chain link fence. So we snuck into it as well. That tunnel is still one of the best parts of the trail. Two miles of darkness with the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Actually, it wasn't that dark. Jonn-E had an amazing headlamp. It really illuminated everything in there.Once on the other side the guys spent a little time exploring the west end of the tunnel. We were able to use a couple of different sets of metal rungs to climb to the top, Prince of Persia style. It was pretty cool up there. But we could see the creek that runs over the entrance is really doing a number on the structure. The last flood had left a couple of logs on top. We decided to continue the work by pushing them off into the rocks below. This was about the time the girls decided to leave us.
The guys caught up as they were crossng a washout a mile and a half down the trail. Flooding this last spring must have been amazing because there was a thirty foot hole in the trail. You could see what was left of the concret cultvert. Crossing a log with a heavy bike is a bit interesting.
From there it was a fast downhill. I love my new 46t chainring. Sara and I were crusing along at about 20mph for the next 7 miles. We stopped to wait for the rest at about the half way point. Mathius showed up about 5 minutes later. He and Sara took off ten minutes after that. I waited for quite a while, but Jonn-E and Becky never showed up. It turns out that Jonn-E had a bad flat, and the patches wouldn't hold. I rode back up to see if I could help, but that tire just wouldn't hold air. They ended up walking out at the next trail. I went off by myself back to Rattlesnake Lake. It only took about 40 minutes to go the 12 miles.
Once everyone was back at the trailhead we said our goodbyes. To all the people who came out, a big thanks. I had a great time and I hope you did too. I am hoping that it will happen again next year, even if I am not here. I am also going to miss you guys when I am gone. Good luck and keep stomping those pedals.
-Dravis
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wheel Disaster
So, the very expensive and basically bombproof wheels I had built up, were the wrong size. I had asked for the Mavic XM 719, which is a 26" mtb rim. The shop ordered and built up the wheels with Mavic A 719 rims, which are 700c road rims. Now I have to scramble to get some new ones. Urgh. I wished I had checked this yesterday. It also sucks becuase I am sure the guys did a really nice job. Those wheels are basically indestructable. They are 36 spoke double eyelet wheels. Something that can take a lot of weight for a long time. Basically what I want for a touring bike.
The shop is trying to make it right. They did offer me a set of slightly used XTRs. These are great wheels for going down trails and stuff and probably cost about twice what I paid for mine. But still the wheels only have 24 spokes on the back, and 20 on the front. I don't need the weight savings of a couple less spokes. I do need to know that these wheels will last a long time with all the weight. So is like being offered a Ferrari when you bought a truck. It is a great deal, but it doesn't really help me.
So they are a calling arround to see if they can get some parts in time to get a new set of wheels built up. So we will see what happens.
From all the stuff I have learned while rebuilding my bike, people talk about touring a lot, yet the don't make high end equipment for it. The high end stuff is all about being lighter and faster. New alloys, hollow parts, that kind of stuff. It is for racing, because everyone wants to be Lance. The focus is on weight and speed, not on reliability. This is what the manufactures use as a goal for their high end parts. Make something that gets on the winning bike. The weight savings comes at a cost in both price and durability. The parts are probably reliable enough, but they are made with the idea that you can get replacement parts. On the Tour everyone has a truck following behind them full of components. So if you trash a couple of spokes you get a new wheel. If you break a chainring, they replace it. But they aren't made for a solo world tour. So if you are looking for a touring bike, don't try and find the highest end. Go for the stuff that is in the low-middle area. I think you will find it heavier, cheaper and more reliable.
-Dravis
The shop is trying to make it right. They did offer me a set of slightly used XTRs. These are great wheels for going down trails and stuff and probably cost about twice what I paid for mine. But still the wheels only have 24 spokes on the back, and 20 on the front. I don't need the weight savings of a couple less spokes. I do need to know that these wheels will last a long time with all the weight. So is like being offered a Ferrari when you bought a truck. It is a great deal, but it doesn't really help me.
So they are a calling arround to see if they can get some parts in time to get a new set of wheels built up. So we will see what happens.
From all the stuff I have learned while rebuilding my bike, people talk about touring a lot, yet the don't make high end equipment for it. The high end stuff is all about being lighter and faster. New alloys, hollow parts, that kind of stuff. It is for racing, because everyone wants to be Lance. The focus is on weight and speed, not on reliability. This is what the manufactures use as a goal for their high end parts. Make something that gets on the winning bike. The weight savings comes at a cost in both price and durability. The parts are probably reliable enough, but they are made with the idea that you can get replacement parts. On the Tour everyone has a truck following behind them full of components. So if you trash a couple of spokes you get a new wheel. If you break a chainring, they replace it. But they aren't made for a solo world tour. So if you are looking for a touring bike, don't try and find the highest end. Go for the stuff that is in the low-middle area. I think you will find it heavier, cheaper and more reliable.
-Dravis
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Jackson to Seattle - Road Trip Day 15
I woke up about an hour before the other guys. I had slept great. I figured out how to get warm in my sleeping bag even though it is only rated to 45 degrees. You have to mummy up, even if you aren't cold to begin with. The problem is if you don't all the heat will escape and you will wake up cold in the middle of the night. I had just my face sticking out, and was warm all night.
Once the guys got up, we broke camp and drove on to Grand Teton. I guess I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed. Not that it wasn't a cool park, but I had been used to big mountains. I think it would have been a lot more fun to hike around in. It just isn't something you can experience on the drive through it.
From there we went to Yellowstone and did the whirlwind tour. Now Yellowstone is something you can see while driving around. Then again, it would still be so much better to spend weeks there hiking, biking and camping. But since we had to get back, the whirlwind tour would have to do.
Yeah, I did the tourist thing. Got a video of Old Faithful. Took pictures of river canyons. Saw the paint pots bubbling. Stared at the deep blues in the hot spring pools. In my defense you just can't go through without being awestruck with the scenery around you. So I have some pictures and videos and will try to post them.
It was also interesting to see the dead stalks of lodgepole pines from the 1988 wildfires. In some places vast areas were covered in these skinny headstones. Yet, underneath it all were young pines that had grown up in the last 20 years. Good for the NPS for letting the dead trees stand where they burned. It make a wonderful expression for rebirth and regrowth.
The best parts were getting out and interacting with nature. No, not hugging a tree. First we went swimming in Firehole river. There were a bunch of people around. Badger and I shot the rapids a couple of times. Not that they were much more than a strong current. We also gave some advice to a mom who was shooting the rapids with her 4 year old daughter. Way to go mom! (For those of you who were worried, they were both wearing life vests.)
From there we drove to Mommoth Hot Springs. But taking a dip in the springs was off limits. Probably a good idea, since the watet would probably kill you... Instead we went down to Boiling River. The hot water comes to the surface only about 20 feet from the Gardener River and flows into it. You can't swim in the Boiling River (for obvious reasons). You can get into the Gardener River where the warm water cascades into the cooler river below. Though it is disconcerting to be hit with alternate waves of hot and cold water. It was a good way to cap the trip. Sitting in river and hot spring looking out at the amazing landscape an setting sky.
From there it was just a long jaunt home, mostly in the dark. I do have to say Montana is big. It is also great to be home. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own be tonight.
Now I have to get ready for the Rock'n Horse on Saturday!
-Dravis
Once the guys got up, we broke camp and drove on to Grand Teton. I guess I have to say that I wasn't all that impressed. Not that it wasn't a cool park, but I had been used to big mountains. I think it would have been a lot more fun to hike around in. It just isn't something you can experience on the drive through it.
From there we went to Yellowstone and did the whirlwind tour. Now Yellowstone is something you can see while driving around. Then again, it would still be so much better to spend weeks there hiking, biking and camping. But since we had to get back, the whirlwind tour would have to do.
Yeah, I did the tourist thing. Got a video of Old Faithful. Took pictures of river canyons. Saw the paint pots bubbling. Stared at the deep blues in the hot spring pools. In my defense you just can't go through without being awestruck with the scenery around you. So I have some pictures and videos and will try to post them.
It was also interesting to see the dead stalks of lodgepole pines from the 1988 wildfires. In some places vast areas were covered in these skinny headstones. Yet, underneath it all were young pines that had grown up in the last 20 years. Good for the NPS for letting the dead trees stand where they burned. It make a wonderful expression for rebirth and regrowth.
The best parts were getting out and interacting with nature. No, not hugging a tree. First we went swimming in Firehole river. There were a bunch of people around. Badger and I shot the rapids a couple of times. Not that they were much more than a strong current. We also gave some advice to a mom who was shooting the rapids with her 4 year old daughter. Way to go mom! (For those of you who were worried, they were both wearing life vests.)
From there we drove to Mommoth Hot Springs. But taking a dip in the springs was off limits. Probably a good idea, since the watet would probably kill you... Instead we went down to Boiling River. The hot water comes to the surface only about 20 feet from the Gardener River and flows into it. You can't swim in the Boiling River (for obvious reasons). You can get into the Gardener River where the warm water cascades into the cooler river below. Though it is disconcerting to be hit with alternate waves of hot and cold water. It was a good way to cap the trip. Sitting in river and hot spring looking out at the amazing landscape an setting sky.
From there it was just a long jaunt home, mostly in the dark. I do have to say Montana is big. It is also great to be home. I am looking forward to sleeping in my own be tonight.
Now I have to get ready for the Rock'n Horse on Saturday!
-Dravis
Craig to Jackson - Road Trip Day 14
Woke up and rushed to get out of the motel. Stranger wanted to see Dinosaur National Monument and see the fossils. Unfortuneately we took Highway 318 to the the wrong side of the park. I guess that isn't too big a deal since the quarry visitors center is falling down. So instead we went to the Gates of Lodore. This was very cool. The Green River just cuts right through the mountain there, leaving big cliffs on either side. Amazing. We spent some time playing around the rocks and swimming. We also met a couple of groups rafting down the river. That looked amazing. I guess they only let three groups go a day or something. So get your permits early.
From there we drove on right through the rest of Colorado. Getting to Utah was lame. The road in Colorado was only a two lane highway, but it was well maintained and the speed limit was 65. In Utah the pavement ended and we had 25 miles of washboard roads. They even had a 14% grade up one of the gravel roads, and that was the best section.
In Wyoming, that roads improved, but the scenery was pretty boring. I kept thinking of new slogans for Wyoming. One was "Wyoming, see why no one lives here." Or "Wyoming, it is like Kansas, but with Altitude!"
We stopped in Jackson to look at getting a hotel. It quickly became apparent that it was a waste of money. So we stole some wi-fi and found a place to eat and the nearest campsite. We grabbed some Mexican food, and ended up staying at Gros Venture campground.
-Dravis
From there we drove on right through the rest of Colorado. Getting to Utah was lame. The road in Colorado was only a two lane highway, but it was well maintained and the speed limit was 65. In Utah the pavement ended and we had 25 miles of washboard roads. They even had a 14% grade up one of the gravel roads, and that was the best section.
In Wyoming, that roads improved, but the scenery was pretty boring. I kept thinking of new slogans for Wyoming. One was "Wyoming, see why no one lives here." Or "Wyoming, it is like Kansas, but with Altitude!"
We stopped in Jackson to look at getting a hotel. It quickly became apparent that it was a waste of money. So we stole some wi-fi and found a place to eat and the nearest campsite. We grabbed some Mexican food, and ended up staying at Gros Venture campground.
-Dravis
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Granite to Craig - Road Trip Day 13
First off, let me just say, spend some time in central Colorado. Driving around is amazing. Better yet get out of the car. Go rafting on the Colorado river. Or biking in the hills. Even just taking a hike. You will not be disappointed. Or you could do what we did.
Woke up around 9:30 and broke camp. I guess Badger slept in the car the whole night because the ground was hard and it was cold up at 10,000 feet. We got into the car and headed down to Winfield. The ghost town there was kind of quaint. The cabins were all nice. But that was kind of the problem. We were looking for something in a bit more disrepair.
So we headed out to see the Swiss Boy Mine. Now that is a hike. Keep in mind Winfield is already at 10,000 feet. To get to the mineshaft is another 1,500 feet. Plus not only is the air thin, but the grades are terrible. Also, there really isn't a trail up to the top. There is an old wagon road up to the bottom end of the tram lines. There are still two steel cables strung up to the top. I think these were used to lower buckets or boxes of ore to the wagon road below. But the wagon road ends right there. So once you start climbing above that it is right up the mountain through the underbrush. Badger and I did make it to the top. Stranger was getting light headed and decided not to push on too much beyond the bottom of the tram. The sad part is after all that, we forgot our cameras. Oh well. Not much to see anyway. The mine was all collapsed. The upper terminus of the tram was half falling over.
We had also left the water behind. So when we got back to the car between the three of us we polished of a half gallon of water.
On the way out, we also stopped at the Vicksburg museum. Again, quaint, but not the half falling apart structures we wanted to see. We also stopped for some burgers in Leadville. Which was much needed as we had neglected breakfast in our rush to get out of camp.
After that it was back north on 24. We did stop to see the abandoned town of Gilman. Now this is what we were looking for. Of course there were some "No Trespassing" signs on the way in. But those I think are mostly to make sure you don't kill yourself. So we pressed on. Badger kept saying it looked like the game Fallout, and I had to agree. Gilman is a bit more modern, abandoned only in 1984. But it has the look of something where the people just vanished one day. The friges and stoves are still in the kitchens. Though now vandals have knocked most o
f them over. A couple of trucks were still in the garages out back. Nuts, bolts, wires, chains, sheets of steel. All of it left behind. We evan found the infirmary and the floor was strewn with thousands and thousands of X-Rays. It really was amazing ot walk around there. Plus the town is set on a 600 foot promentory over the Eagle river. So beyond the rundown buildings are spectacualr views. We took a bunch of pictures and I will try to post them soon.
From there it back to I-70 and West. Part of this was along the Colorado River gorge. Just amazing. Even pictures could not convey 10% of what being there is like. Around every corner there is another spectacular view. Beautiful cliffs going up 500 feet or more on either side. I tried to get some pictures. So we will see if any of them turn out.
We then turned north on Highway 13. The land was more like high desert or scrubland. Still more beautiful scenery. Lots of deer and other wildlife too. One deer almost jumped in front of the car. We did make it Craig safe and sound though. So far it is a nice little town. We got a motel for the night.
We also went out to see G.I. Joe. It definatly was entertaining. But I kept having to ignore parts of the plot that really didn't make much sense. I also had problems with the idea of a super-secret organization, with super high-tech secret bases that no one knows about. The bad guys have never been heard of before, and yet they have thousands of minions. Sure, guys. But again, if you put on your suspenders +5 of disbelief, you will have a good time. Which is what it was supposed to be about anyway.
I also did like the little theater here. Just two screens. But it was cheap ($7) and the lady that ran it was very nice.
Anyway, off to bed.
-Dravis
Woke up around 9:30 and broke camp. I guess Badger slept in the car the whole night because the ground was hard and it was cold up at 10,000 feet. We got into the car and headed down to Winfield. The ghost town there was kind of quaint. The cabins were all nice. But that was kind of the problem. We were looking for something in a bit more disrepair.
So we headed out to see the Swiss Boy Mine. Now that is a hike. Keep in mind Winfield is already at 10,000 feet. To get to the mineshaft is another 1,500 feet. Plus not only is the air thin, but the grades are terrible. Also, there really isn't a trail up to the top. There is an old wagon road up to the bottom end of the tram lines. There are still two steel cables strung up to the top. I think these were used to lower buckets or boxes of ore to the wagon road below. But the wagon road ends right there. So once you start climbing above that it is right up the mountain through the underbrush. Badger and I did make it to the top. Stranger was getting light headed and decided not to push on too much beyond the bottom of the tram. The sad part is after all that, we forgot our cameras. Oh well. Not much to see anyway. The mine was all collapsed. The upper terminus of the tram was half falling over.
We had also left the water behind. So when we got back to the car between the three of us we polished of a half gallon of water.
On the way out, we also stopped at the Vicksburg museum. Again, quaint, but not the half falling apart structures we wanted to see. We also stopped for some burgers in Leadville. Which was much needed as we had neglected breakfast in our rush to get out of camp.
After that it was back north on 24. We did stop to see the abandoned town of Gilman. Now this is what we were looking for. Of course there were some "No Trespassing" signs on the way in. But those I think are mostly to make sure you don't kill yourself. So we pressed on. Badger kept saying it looked like the game Fallout, and I had to agree. Gilman is a bit more modern, abandoned only in 1984. But it has the look of something where the people just vanished one day. The friges and stoves are still in the kitchens. Though now vandals have knocked most o
f them over. A couple of trucks were still in the garages out back. Nuts, bolts, wires, chains, sheets of steel. All of it left behind. We evan found the infirmary and the floor was strewn with thousands and thousands of X-Rays. It really was amazing ot walk around there. Plus the town is set on a 600 foot promentory over the Eagle river. So beyond the rundown buildings are spectacualr views. We took a bunch of pictures and I will try to post them soon.From there it back to I-70 and West. Part of this was along the Colorado River gorge. Just amazing. Even pictures could not convey 10% of what being there is like. Around every corner there is another spectacular view. Beautiful cliffs going up 500 feet or more on either side. I tried to get some pictures. So we will see if any of them turn out.
We then turned north on Highway 13. The land was more like high desert or scrubland. Still more beautiful scenery. Lots of deer and other wildlife too. One deer almost jumped in front of the car. We did make it Craig safe and sound though. So far it is a nice little town. We got a motel for the night.
We also went out to see G.I. Joe. It definatly was entertaining. But I kept having to ignore parts of the plot that really didn't make much sense. I also had problems with the idea of a super-secret organization, with super high-tech secret bases that no one knows about. The bad guys have never been heard of before, and yet they have thousands of minions. Sure, guys. But again, if you put on your suspenders +5 of disbelief, you will have a good time. Which is what it was supposed to be about anyway.
I also did like the little theater here. Just two screens. But it was cheap ($7) and the lady that ran it was very nice.
Anyway, off to bed.
-Dravis
Denver to Granite - Road Trip Day 12
Got a late start on the day. Part of it was getting up a bit later than we could have. Badger was also having trouble with his iPhone and was trying to get that to work again. I spent some time order a couple parts for my bike. We also chewed up some more time going out to get some breakfast at the Irish Snug. But the food was great and I was hungry, so it was well worth it.
We said goodbye to Tiffany (thanks again) and got on the road just after 4:00. We headed west on I-70. We crossed the continental divide and went south on Highway 24 into the lakes region. What amazing views. The scenery in the central part of Colorado is fantastic. First you are going through huge mountain gorges. Then you pass into high valleys with little rivers or creeks snaking through them. Then overlook pristine alpine lakes. Just amazing.
We camped just outside of Granite along Clear Creek. There was a large campsite there but it was dark by the time we got in. We wanted a spot with a fire pit so that we could cook some food (hot dogs, bean and corn). As luck would have it we found a family that was going to bed. The gave us their fire pit in exchange for us tending it and putting it out. They even let us have the remainder of the fire wood.
After dinner we went over to meet the people on the other side of the trees. We could hear them laughing and carrying on. So Badger and I decided to go say hello. It turns out they were part of an extended family from Denver. They invited us to stay around and talk for a while. It turns out they were staying out there for another week camping and fishing. We had a really good time. So, to the Snorkel People, thanks for sharing your fire with us.
-Dravis
We said goodbye to Tiffany (thanks again) and got on the road just after 4:00. We headed west on I-70. We crossed the continental divide and went south on Highway 24 into the lakes region. What amazing views. The scenery in the central part of Colorado is fantastic. First you are going through huge mountain gorges. Then you pass into high valleys with little rivers or creeks snaking through them. Then overlook pristine alpine lakes. Just amazing.
We camped just outside of Granite along Clear Creek. There was a large campsite there but it was dark by the time we got in. We wanted a spot with a fire pit so that we could cook some food (hot dogs, bean and corn). As luck would have it we found a family that was going to bed. The gave us their fire pit in exchange for us tending it and putting it out. They even let us have the remainder of the fire wood.
After dinner we went over to meet the people on the other side of the trees. We could hear them laughing and carrying on. So Badger and I decided to go say hello. It turns out they were part of an extended family from Denver. They invited us to stay around and talk for a while. It turns out they were staying out there for another week camping and fishing. We had a really good time. So, to the Snorkel People, thanks for sharing your fire with us.
-Dravis
Denver - Road Trip Day 11
So we actually spent most of the day outside of Denver. Tiffany, our gracious host, was kind enough to take us out to Red Rocks. The scenery was great. The rocks really are an amazing brick red color. They also jut out of the ground at 30 degree angles. There is a large amphitheater there that often host concerts of various sorts. Unfortunately this was the case when we got up there. Tickets were $25, not really worth it just to take a peek.
We also wanted to go climb around on the rocks, but there are lots of signs posted explaining the punishments for such behavior. It is a thousand dollar fine and/or half a year in jail. Yikes. So we hiked a bunch of the little trails around the rocks, instead. Getting used to the altitude is a bit strange. You find yourself winded after short climbs. The little hike was well worth it. From the top we could see a lightning storm raging over Denver (and not us). The foothills were laid out before us in lines like waves on an ocean. Very cool.
From there we were going to head to Black Hawk. Stranger wanted to check out the casinos in Colorado. But first we made a spontaneous detour to Heritage Square to go on their alpine slide. I had never been on one before, so what the heck. I will try anything once. It is basically a fiberglass channel you ride down on a plastic sled. Lots of fun, but it seemed like it was over too fast... Ah well.
After that we did make it out to Black Hawk. This was an old mining town turned casino destination. The road out is amazing, basically running in the Clear Creek gorge. There are big cliffs rising on either side with the road and river switching places in the middle. The city itself has done a nice job of keeping the traditional feel of the town despite the large casinos. A number of the original buildings are still being used. Stranger went off the play a poker tourney. Tiff, Badger and I had some dinner (on the recommendation of the valet out front) at the Gilpin casino. Unlike all of the Vegas casinos I have eaten in, the food there was really good.
From there it was back to Tiffany's place to get some shut eye.
-Dravis
We also wanted to go climb around on the rocks, but there are lots of signs posted explaining the punishments for such behavior. It is a thousand dollar fine and/or half a year in jail. Yikes. So we hiked a bunch of the little trails around the rocks, instead. Getting used to the altitude is a bit strange. You find yourself winded after short climbs. The little hike was well worth it. From the top we could see a lightning storm raging over Denver (and not us). The foothills were laid out before us in lines like waves on an ocean. Very cool.
From there we were going to head to Black Hawk. Stranger wanted to check out the casinos in Colorado. But first we made a spontaneous detour to Heritage Square to go on their alpine slide. I had never been on one before, so what the heck. I will try anything once. It is basically a fiberglass channel you ride down on a plastic sled. Lots of fun, but it seemed like it was over too fast... Ah well.
After that we did make it out to Black Hawk. This was an old mining town turned casino destination. The road out is amazing, basically running in the Clear Creek gorge. There are big cliffs rising on either side with the road and river switching places in the middle. The city itself has done a nice job of keeping the traditional feel of the town despite the large casinos. A number of the original buildings are still being used. Stranger went off the play a poker tourney. Tiff, Badger and I had some dinner (on the recommendation of the valet out front) at the Gilpin casino. Unlike all of the Vegas casinos I have eaten in, the food there was really good.
From there it was back to Tiffany's place to get some shut eye.
-Dravis
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Random Thoughts...
If I ever become a cowboy I am going to rename myself John Treeb. Then I can open up the Treeb Ranch.
-Dravis
-Dravis
Salina to Denver - Road Trip Day 10
Woke up in Kansas. Really nothing there, so we drove on. The only good thing was the Wendy's at the Pilot gas station and truck stop. It had free wi-fi so I could get on the net for a bit. They also had showers and Stranger wanted to get cleaned up. So we had some time to kill.
After passing into Colorado, not much changed. The eastern half of the state is still part of the great plains. Getting towards Denver though, it gets a little more mountainous. Frankly that was a nice change of pace.
Denver itself was a little disappointing though. Not for what it was but the number of people out smoking. Seeing a dad hand his 16 year old son a cigarette was a little sad. It seemed like everywhere you looked someone was lighting up. Whats up Denver? Do you think that the thin air will protect you from lung cancer? I don't think so.
One of Badger's friends, Tiffany, offered to let us crash as her place. It was nice to have a place with a real bathroom to get cleaned up. We went out to a Mexican place for dinner. We then headed across the street to the Atomic Cowboy for some pool and drinks. We also played a bunch of rounds of Apples to Apples. Then back to Tiff's place to sleep.
I even got a couch to sleep on. Woo-hoo! Being short enough to fit most couches is kinda nice. Also it fits with my philosophy that you only get old when you stop sleeping on couches.
-Dravis
After passing into Colorado, not much changed. The eastern half of the state is still part of the great plains. Getting towards Denver though, it gets a little more mountainous. Frankly that was a nice change of pace.
Denver itself was a little disappointing though. Not for what it was but the number of people out smoking. Seeing a dad hand his 16 year old son a cigarette was a little sad. It seemed like everywhere you looked someone was lighting up. Whats up Denver? Do you think that the thin air will protect you from lung cancer? I don't think so.
One of Badger's friends, Tiffany, offered to let us crash as her place. It was nice to have a place with a real bathroom to get cleaned up. We went out to a Mexican place for dinner. We then headed across the street to the Atomic Cowboy for some pool and drinks. We also played a bunch of rounds of Apples to Apples. Then back to Tiff's place to sleep.
I even got a couch to sleep on. Woo-hoo! Being short enough to fit most couches is kinda nice. Also it fits with my philosophy that you only get old when you stop sleeping on couches.
-Dravis
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Springfield to Salina - Road Trip Day 9
This has been a bit of a boring day. Nothing really exciting going on. The exciting part of the day was doing laundry. Yay. This was good, I had really started to run low on clean clothes.
Other than that we spent the day driving. Missouri is frankly kind of boring. Though I was confused to see super churches and adult superstores with about equal frequency... What are you trying to say Missouri?
Kansas is also about as boring as you have heard about. Yes they have farms. They have cows. They have lots of... nothing. It isn't really flat. There are a few small hills or gullies. There really aren't any mountains or even big hills though. Without many trees you basically get a 360 degree view of the horizon. Still after the first 30 miles, this gets pretty boring.
We stopped at a rest area a little after midnight. There was a little area behind the place across a little creek. We could see fireflies zooming around the fields. There was even and area which was perfect for pitching a tent. It was also much cooler than in Missouri. So we setup camp and went to sleep. I am not sure if this was specifically legal, but I didn't figure anyone would notice or really mind.
-Dravis
Other than that we spent the day driving. Missouri is frankly kind of boring. Though I was confused to see super churches and adult superstores with about equal frequency... What are you trying to say Missouri?
Kansas is also about as boring as you have heard about. Yes they have farms. They have cows. They have lots of... nothing. It isn't really flat. There are a few small hills or gullies. There really aren't any mountains or even big hills though. Without many trees you basically get a 360 degree view of the horizon. Still after the first 30 miles, this gets pretty boring.
We stopped at a rest area a little after midnight. There was a little area behind the place across a little creek. We could see fireflies zooming around the fields. There was even and area which was perfect for pitching a tent. It was also much cooler than in Missouri. So we setup camp and went to sleep. I am not sure if this was specifically legal, but I didn't figure anyone would notice or really mind.
-Dravis
St. Louis to Springfield - Road Trip Day 8
Today, after a quick breakfast we headed over to the City Museum. This was so amazing. Very much worth the trip down to St. Louis. The name is a bit misleading. It is really a multi-story playground. Frankly I was shocked at how much they got away with. It takes just a bit to realize that, yes, they really let you climb on that. There are rebar cages that lead between floors. There is a dungeon with little dark holes to crawl through. And you will be crawling. These spaces are built for kids. Outside is a metal contraption with planes and a fire truck. It is like someone with a child's imagination leaned how to weld. I can't say enough stuff about it. You just have to run around on the thing to believe it.
Also, I don't know how they let people run around on this stuff and not get sued. There aren't a whole lot of places that you can fall to your death. But there are all sorts of places that are dark and small. If someone did get hurt in there, it could be a while before anyone found them. The amazing thing is that parents don't seem to mind. While it may be a little be dangerous, it probably isn't really any worse than playing out in the woods. So thank you parents for being reasonable.
If you are sans kids, wear some clothes you can get dirty and join in. If you see a tiny whole in the wall and don't know where it leads, crawl in and find out. Run around and crawl into any caves or crevices you can fit into. It really is just as fun for adults as kids. Plus this place is great for just being a kid again.
From there, as sad as it was to go, we headed out for Springfield. Badger had a friend out there he wanted to see. But it turns out she was in Arkansas. So we ended up heading out the the Mark Twain National Forest for some camping. Roasted a couple of hotdogs over a fire. Cooked up some corn and baked beans. I love camping.
Sleeping was a different story. I can't say it was awful, but it definitely was uncomfortable. The temperature was in the 80s and the humidity was above that. They stayed that way well after the sun went down. So I ended up in a tent steaming all night. Plus the cacophony of crickets can cicadas was not the most pleasant thing to fall asleep to. At least it was a good chance to finally test my tent out.
-Dravis
Also, I don't know how they let people run around on this stuff and not get sued. There aren't a whole lot of places that you can fall to your death. But there are all sorts of places that are dark and small. If someone did get hurt in there, it could be a while before anyone found them. The amazing thing is that parents don't seem to mind. While it may be a little be dangerous, it probably isn't really any worse than playing out in the woods. So thank you parents for being reasonable.
If you are sans kids, wear some clothes you can get dirty and join in. If you see a tiny whole in the wall and don't know where it leads, crawl in and find out. Run around and crawl into any caves or crevices you can fit into. It really is just as fun for adults as kids. Plus this place is great for just being a kid again.
From there, as sad as it was to go, we headed out for Springfield. Badger had a friend out there he wanted to see. But it turns out she was in Arkansas. So we ended up heading out the the Mark Twain National Forest for some camping. Roasted a couple of hotdogs over a fire. Cooked up some corn and baked beans. I love camping.
Sleeping was a different story. I can't say it was awful, but it definitely was uncomfortable. The temperature was in the 80s and the humidity was above that. They stayed that way well after the sun went down. So I ended up in a tent steaming all night. Plus the cacophony of crickets can cicadas was not the most pleasant thing to fall asleep to. At least it was a good chance to finally test my tent out.
-Dravis
Monday, August 3, 2009
Chicago to St. Louis - Road Trip Day 7
Woke up on the floor of Rich's place today. I had been sleeping on my sleeping pad. It is what I am taking on my world wide tour so I better get used to it. The pad was actually pretty good to sleep on. I didn't wake up sore at all, which was something I was very grateful of.
We dropped Rich off at the Shedd, and picked up some more pizza. We wanted to stick around for a bit and eat the pizza by the lake. It was just a gorgeous day. They also had a path the ran up and down the beach, I really wanted to ride my bike down the shore. Too bad I left it in Seattle. Anyway, the bad thing about Chicago is that you just can't park there. We didn't find any. I guess my advice would be, if you go to Chicago bring the bike but forget the car.
From there we headed off to our next destination, St. Louis. And I would like to say something nice about the drive down, but it was pretty boring. Corn fields and soy bean fields all just blended in together. The only interesting park was the stop to swim in Lake Springfield. The lake was pretty murky and there was goose crap everywhere. Stranger wouldn'g get in, but Badger and I had a good time. The water was cool, and it was nice to be out of the car. We swam around for 20 mintues before heading back to the car.
Oh, and for the Zodiac readers out there, I saw signs for Sangamon, Taylorville and Stevenson(sic) roads outside of Springfield. That seemed just a bit more than coincidental. So the next person to see the author should ask him if he spent much time there.
Anyway, we got to St. Louis and drove around for a bit. I guess that downtown is pretty dead on the weekends and evenings. There was a little bit of a croud because of the Rock the River show going on under the Arch. We headed over there and had a little picnic in the park to finish off the rest of the pizza. We wandered around the croud for a bit before getting bored.
We went back to the car, and were going to find someplace to stay for the night. Stranger wanted to hit a casino up the street and get some poker in. Badger wanted to get some gas since we were almost out. So between the two this ended with us getting basically lost in East St. Louis. This is not a place where you want to get lost. I hate to say it, but the town looked like a craphole. Run-down boarded up buildings everwhere. We saw a lady of the evening plying her trade. When we did find a gas station, we beat a speady retreat back the the Missouri side.
After that we dropped Stranger off at the casino. Badger and I went out to see Public Enemies. Now this was a pretty good movie. Well worth the money. The sound is pretty amazing, so I think it is worth seeing in the theater. Michael Mann still makes some of the best action movies around.
-Dravis
We dropped Rich off at the Shedd, and picked up some more pizza. We wanted to stick around for a bit and eat the pizza by the lake. It was just a gorgeous day. They also had a path the ran up and down the beach, I really wanted to ride my bike down the shore. Too bad I left it in Seattle. Anyway, the bad thing about Chicago is that you just can't park there. We didn't find any. I guess my advice would be, if you go to Chicago bring the bike but forget the car.
From there we headed off to our next destination, St. Louis. And I would like to say something nice about the drive down, but it was pretty boring. Corn fields and soy bean fields all just blended in together. The only interesting park was the stop to swim in Lake Springfield. The lake was pretty murky and there was goose crap everywhere. Stranger wouldn'g get in, but Badger and I had a good time. The water was cool, and it was nice to be out of the car. We swam around for 20 mintues before heading back to the car.
Oh, and for the Zodiac readers out there, I saw signs for Sangamon, Taylorville and Stevenson(sic) roads outside of Springfield. That seemed just a bit more than coincidental. So the next person to see the author should ask him if he spent much time there.
Anyway, we got to St. Louis and drove around for a bit. I guess that downtown is pretty dead on the weekends and evenings. There was a little bit of a croud because of the Rock the River show going on under the Arch. We headed over there and had a little picnic in the park to finish off the rest of the pizza. We wandered around the croud for a bit before getting bored.
We went back to the car, and were going to find someplace to stay for the night. Stranger wanted to hit a casino up the street and get some poker in. Badger wanted to get some gas since we were almost out. So between the two this ended with us getting basically lost in East St. Louis. This is not a place where you want to get lost. I hate to say it, but the town looked like a craphole. Run-down boarded up buildings everwhere. We saw a lady of the evening plying her trade. When we did find a gas station, we beat a speady retreat back the the Missouri side.
After that we dropped Stranger off at the casino. Badger and I went out to see Public Enemies. Now this was a pretty good movie. Well worth the money. The sound is pretty amazing, so I think it is worth seeing in the theater. Michael Mann still makes some of the best action movies around.
-Dravis
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Chicago - Road Trip Day 6
Chicago is a pretty cool town. I wish we had a bunch more time here. Our friend Rich got us some free tickets to the Shedd aquarium. But first we were on a mission to get a new iPhone for our friend. There was an Apple store in downtown so we headed there.
We headed into town on the El. Again, I love mass transit. It doesn't solve all of life's problems, but at least we didn't have to drive or park around downtown. Our man picked up a new iPhone and we headed to the aquarium.
The Shedd was pretty cool. I love going to a place where I can learn new things. Upstairs they had a bunch of Sea Dragons. Those were very cool. They look like almost mythical creatures. Downstiars they also have a bunch of ottters. Otters are so neat an playful. They seem a lot like people in a way. They also had a couple of Sea Lions from the Columbia river. I guess they were removed from the Bonneville dam becuase they were feasting on all the Chinook salmon in the fish ladder. Also the Wild Reef was great. I was very impressed with the Sawfish. The only bad part about it was the croud. If you can, I suggest going on a weekday rather than a Saturday. It was really packed.
From there we met back up with Rich, and were going to head back to his place. But back on the El we met some girls who were just getting back from the Sox game. They were having a post-game party and invited us to join them. A big thanks to Amy for having us over at her place. As she explained it, from all her travels the best times were from hanging out with local people she just met. I couldn't agree more. We had a blast. Most of the time was spent on the roof of her building right off of Lake Michigan (nice view). Laurie taught us how to play "bags". By which they mean bean bags. For the game there are two boards set about ten paces apart. Each about eighteen inches by two and a half feet. There is also a five inch hole in the boards. There are two teams of two based on color of bean bags. Each pair stands opposite of each other. Each side takes turns throwing the bags onto the opposite board. Landing on the board is a point, in the hole is three points, and hanging into the hole is 2 points. You have to get exactly to 21, and going over drops you down to 13 points. I guess this is a midwest thing, but it was a lot of fun. Our poker playing friend picked up a new nickname as Laurie kept calling him "Stranger". Again thanks to Amy and Laurie for showing a great time.
As were we getting hungry we decided to head out and get some Chicago style pizza. So we got back on the train and headed over to Pequod's Pizza. Now there is some great pizza. This is the thick kind that really makes meal. I think we were all groaning on the way back from being too full. The only bad thing is that you basically have to eat it with a fork and knife. I always thought that looked and felt weird. Then again, it does look better than trying to jam a fistful of thick wadded pizza into your mouth. So I let it slite.
We headed back to Rich's place to crash again. Big thanks to him for letting us stay. He is super cool guy to hang out with. All in all a great day. Now to get some sleep. Another big day tomorrow.
-Dravis
We headed into town on the El. Again, I love mass transit. It doesn't solve all of life's problems, but at least we didn't have to drive or park around downtown. Our man picked up a new iPhone and we headed to the aquarium.
The Shedd was pretty cool. I love going to a place where I can learn new things. Upstairs they had a bunch of Sea Dragons. Those were very cool. They look like almost mythical creatures. Downstiars they also have a bunch of ottters. Otters are so neat an playful. They seem a lot like people in a way. They also had a couple of Sea Lions from the Columbia river. I guess they were removed from the Bonneville dam becuase they were feasting on all the Chinook salmon in the fish ladder. Also the Wild Reef was great. I was very impressed with the Sawfish. The only bad part about it was the croud. If you can, I suggest going on a weekday rather than a Saturday. It was really packed.
From there we met back up with Rich, and were going to head back to his place. But back on the El we met some girls who were just getting back from the Sox game. They were having a post-game party and invited us to join them. A big thanks to Amy for having us over at her place. As she explained it, from all her travels the best times were from hanging out with local people she just met. I couldn't agree more. We had a blast. Most of the time was spent on the roof of her building right off of Lake Michigan (nice view). Laurie taught us how to play "bags". By which they mean bean bags. For the game there are two boards set about ten paces apart. Each about eighteen inches by two and a half feet. There is also a five inch hole in the boards. There are two teams of two based on color of bean bags. Each pair stands opposite of each other. Each side takes turns throwing the bags onto the opposite board. Landing on the board is a point, in the hole is three points, and hanging into the hole is 2 points. You have to get exactly to 21, and going over drops you down to 13 points. I guess this is a midwest thing, but it was a lot of fun. Our poker playing friend picked up a new nickname as Laurie kept calling him "Stranger". Again thanks to Amy and Laurie for showing a great time.
As were we getting hungry we decided to head out and get some Chicago style pizza. So we got back on the train and headed over to Pequod's Pizza. Now there is some great pizza. This is the thick kind that really makes meal. I think we were all groaning on the way back from being too full. The only bad thing is that you basically have to eat it with a fork and knife. I always thought that looked and felt weird. Then again, it does look better than trying to jam a fistful of thick wadded pizza into your mouth. So I let it slite.
We headed back to Rich's place to crash again. Big thanks to him for letting us stay. He is super cool guy to hang out with. All in all a great day. Now to get some sleep. Another big day tomorrow.
-Dravis
Sandusky to Chiacago - Road Trip Day 5
Were supposed to get up at 9:00 AM to get to the park by 10:00. That did not happen at all. Everyone was more than happy to get a few more hours of sleep. So we didn't get to the park until a bit after noon. The first ride we went on was the Mean Streak. This old woody had an amazingly short line. We were on in less than ten minutes. From there it was over to the Millennium Force, which took a little under an hour in line. After that we stopped for some lemonade. In doing so one of the guys dropped his iPhone. It landed face down and the front shattered. No more iPhone. Nothing anyone could do, and no reason to let it ruin our day so we continued with the rides. Then we rode twice on the Raptor, 30 minutes and 20 minutes in line. That is probably the best ride there. By that time it was 4:00 PM. So we had to head out for Chicago.
The drive out was pretty nice. The farm fields of Ohio and Indiana are quite charming. I do have to say my dislike of Gary Indiana stays the same. Sorry to the people who live there, but if you can avoid it. There is nothing there but ugly factories and power stations. Plus every time I have been through there the toll roads are being worked on, so you have to slow down. Not worth it at all.
We drove a little north of Chicago to go to Evanston. Our friend Rich was letting us stay at his place. He also took us out to a little pub down the street. Which was a very good thing as we hadn't really eaten anything on the road. We were very ravenous by the time we got the burgers. There was much rejoicing. After that we went back to Rich's place and watched Buckaroo Banzai. That movie is awesome. When the movie was over we went off to bed.
-Dravis
The drive out was pretty nice. The farm fields of Ohio and Indiana are quite charming. I do have to say my dislike of Gary Indiana stays the same. Sorry to the people who live there, but if you can avoid it. There is nothing there but ugly factories and power stations. Plus every time I have been through there the toll roads are being worked on, so you have to slow down. Not worth it at all.
We drove a little north of Chicago to go to Evanston. Our friend Rich was letting us stay at his place. He also took us out to a little pub down the street. Which was a very good thing as we hadn't really eaten anything on the road. We were very ravenous by the time we got the burgers. There was much rejoicing. After that we went back to Rich's place and watched Buckaroo Banzai. That movie is awesome. When the movie was over we went off to bed.
-Dravis
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)