So I finally got around to writing about the last (and probably the longest) leg of our journey, and here it is.
We started out the day fairly early so we could see some sights before heading home on what was going to be a long drive back to Atlanta. After packing the car and saying goodbye to Robyn, we set out on the subway to see the New York Public Library, get some good shots of the Chrysler building, and finally back to Times Square to grab a birthday gift for my mom. The library was particularly impressive with its elaborately painted ceilings and sweeping architecture. Although to be honest I really just wanted to see some of the spots where they filmed Ghostbusters. Overall our excursion into the city didn't take too long, but it was still around lunchtime, so we a got quick bite to eat before finally heading back to the car to get on the road.
On our way back to Georgia we learned a few lessons. The first and most important of them was to never drive in Manhattan. Ever. Not knowing this beforehand we set out from Brooklyn and made good time for about five minutes before we hit some traffic on the way to the Williamsburg Bridge. Eventually we made it onto the bridge, and there we sat for a while with a nice view of Manhattan to keep us occupied until we finally made onto that hellish gridlocked island. Up until this point we had continued on our trip with a nonfunctioning air conditioner without issue, but most of the time we were actually moving, and a breeze through open windows was usually enough to cool us down. However, sitting in a stationary car trapped in a sea of other stationary cars there was no relief from the oppressive heat.
Four hours and several pounds of sweat later we emerged in New Jersey where we could begin our drive in earnest. From then on it was a pretty straightforward, albeit long, drive back to Georgia with only a couple stops for food (surprisingly I don't remember where we ate) and for Geries to get some fireworks before it was too late for stores to be open.
Roughly 18 hours after leaving Brooklyn we finally made the familiar turn onto Whitney Place at 6am and arrived where we started, but 6 weeks older, 9000 miles more well traveled, and with much less money.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Cycling Around the US (video)
I estimated that Geries and I put a little over 200 miles on our bikes over the course of the trip. This video shows some of the most interesting places that we went cycling.
List of locations (in order):
Mississippi River- New Orleans
Hermann Park Fountain- Houston
Grand Canyon
Sequoia National Park
Mojave Desert
Hollywood
Santa Monica Beach- Los Angeles
Yosemite National Park
Lombard Street- San Francisco
Ocean Beach- San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge
Director Park chess set- Portland
Mount Rushmore
Willamette River- Portland
Millennium Park Bean- Chicago
Statue of John Harvard- Cambridge
Lake Michigan- Chicago
List of locations (in order):
Mississippi River- New Orleans
Hermann Park Fountain- Houston
Grand Canyon
Sequoia National Park
Mojave Desert
Hollywood
Santa Monica Beach- Los Angeles
Yosemite National Park
Lombard Street- San Francisco
Ocean Beach- San Francisco
Golden Gate Bridge
Director Park chess set- Portland
Mount Rushmore
Willamette River- Portland
Millennium Park Bean- Chicago
Statue of John Harvard- Cambridge
Lake Michigan- Chicago
Day 41: Unique New York
Since by this point we had decided to only spend two nights in New York before heading home, there was quite a lot to try to cram into a single full day, and we got up fairly early to try to accomplish it all. Our first stop was the American Museum of Natural History on the west side of Central Park. Since we were in Brooklyn, this gave us our first opportunity to try out the fabled New York subway system. Thankfully Robyn was taking a similar route, so she showed us the ropes a bit on our way to the museum. We got off the crowded subway car a couple stops after Robyn, and waded into the sea of people rushing up the stairs into the blinding sunlight. As Robyn had warned, it was a little disorienting popping up out of the sidewalk in the midst of New York's frantic streets and towering skyscrapers, but after a short pause we got our bearings and headed over to Central Park from the East.
As huge and overwhelming as New York can be, by some unknown trickery Central Park seems to wash that away when you wander around its forested paths. Immediately when we passed the first line of trees the noise of the city became muffled and distant, and soon it became easy to forget that we were in New York at all. We wound our way through the paths of the park passing peaceful courtyards overlooking small lakes, and stopped a few times to watch performers play music or form giant bubbles-- all the while making our way in a generally western direction. It's hard to overstate the sheer size of the park. Even when walking at a decent pace, it took us a little less than an hour to walk along its smaller dimension until we finally reached West Central Park and the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History.
The atrium of the museum housed a massive display of dinosaur bones that soared above us to the top of the several-story ceiling, and the entrance of the museum proper was no less grand. After walking through the ticket check we came to the hall of African animals where a herd of elephants was frozen in a stampede at the center of a ring beautifully arranged displays of lions, gazelles, and other denizens of the African plains. As we wandered through the halls, moving from Africa to North America, and travelling back in time to the Big Bang, then jumping to the time of the dinosaurs, it became apparent to me that although the subjects of the displays were neat, I found the construction of the displays themselves far more interesting. The incredible attention to detail in the backdrops for the animals, and the life-like way they were arranged-- a pack of wolves stopped midair as they bounded across a snowy wood, or a pair of moose locked in a raging battle, eyes wide with fear and intensity-- made displays exciting when they could have easily been very dull. Even the other displays that didn't show as much life, like the ones housing dinosaur fossils or human-made items, still revealed a mastery of arranging information and artifacts that made the displays accessible and captivating.
Geries and I spent a few hours browsing the museum, passing through just about every exhibit (except the ones we had to pay extra for) before we were joined by our friend Kyle from Georgia Tech who just happened to be in the city at the same time. Once we met up we spent a little more time walking around and catching up with Kyle before we headed back underground to catch the subway on our way to meet up with Robyn for lunch. Since it was on the way, we made a quick stop at Grand Central Station to check out the bustling main terminal, and then headed outside where we met Robyn outside her building.
After a little debate we finally settled on trying some sushi, which proved difficult, since the first couple of places we walked to were inexplicably closed. Eventually we came to a small place where no one seemed to be speaking English, which we took as an indication that we had found a good spot. The food was good, but the service not so much. In any case after a while of eating and talking we said bye to Robyn and headed off with Kyle to explore Manhattan.
We took the subway almost all the way to the lower east side where Kyle hoped to see Obscura, an antique shop specializing in weird stuff that's featured on a TV show. Having seen the show before, I had an idea of what to expect, but they definitely had some items that caught me off guard, like a drawer full of human teeth. Although we didn't say hi, we had our brush with minor celebrity as we saw the owners of the shop ducking in and out of the back room while we browsed.
Once we were done checking out the shop we just went outside and walked around the streets without anywhere in particular to go, although Kyle and I started to get a craving for some pastries so we kept and eye out for a bakery in our wanderings. The neighborhood seemed to be another of the hipster hangouts that are apparently mandated for every major population center, and it was fun to people watch and window shop at all of the strange little shops and dives. Eventually we did come across a bakery where a laconic Russian man served us some passable, but not great, chocolate filled pastries (I should have gone with the apple strudel). By then it was already getting late into the afternoon, and Kyle headed off, leaving Geries and I to head over to our next stop.
Even though we were already down to about 10th Street, it was a deceptively long walk down to the southern tip of Manhattan to catch the Staten Island ferry. With my feet already starting to get sore we made our way through Little Italy and Chinatown and past the new World Trade Center on our way to the ferry. After what seemed like miles in the heat we finally made it to Battery Park and the ferry center where we took a load off waiting for the boat to come in. Once the ferry arrived we filed on with a few hundred other people and seated ourselves along the side so we could get a good view of the Statue of Liberty on the way past. The ride ended up being very refreshing with the cool breeze battling the heat of quickly retreating day. From the ferry we got an incredible view of the Manhattan skyline with the Empire State Building and (my favorite) the Chrysler building all in full view with the new World Trade Center towering over everything despite its lack of completion. We also got a good view of the distant Statue of Liberty just in front of the sinking sun. Before long we arrived at our destination, where we promptly left the boat and immediately reboarded to head back to Manhattan.
After being treated to a second helping of the excellent view from the ferry, we hopped back off the boat onto Manhattan which was quickly being blanketed in the gathering night. We took another subway ride, and when we emerged in Times Square the sky was already almost completely dark, although the square didn't seem to notice. Every wall around us was absolutely covered in huge flashing signs that lit Times Square as if it was day. Everything was a blur of motion and exploding colors that lingered even after closing my eyes. The crowds were tremendous, with thousands of people slowly floating through the dozens of hot dog stands and costumed street performers.
We walked to the far end of the square and then back before coming to The Counter where we sat down to get some dinner. The premise of the restaurant was pretty cool. It's a burger joint where you get a checklist instead of a menu, and you choose everything you want to go on your burger from the bread to the toppings, and even the type of meat. The burgers turned out to be excellent, and after stuffing ourselves we managed to make our way to the subway and back to Robyn's place in Brooklyn.
Robyn hadn't gotten back to her apartment yet by the time we got there, so we ended up spending a good amount of time just relaxing on the stoop watching cars pass and kids playing at the fire hydrant spraying water across the street. I was tempted to go over a couple of times myself since it was a hot night, but before long some of Robyn's neighbors came out to join us, and we chatted with them for a bit before Robyn made it back and we went up to the apartment and almost straight to bed.
As huge and overwhelming as New York can be, by some unknown trickery Central Park seems to wash that away when you wander around its forested paths. Immediately when we passed the first line of trees the noise of the city became muffled and distant, and soon it became easy to forget that we were in New York at all. We wound our way through the paths of the park passing peaceful courtyards overlooking small lakes, and stopped a few times to watch performers play music or form giant bubbles-- all the while making our way in a generally western direction. It's hard to overstate the sheer size of the park. Even when walking at a decent pace, it took us a little less than an hour to walk along its smaller dimension until we finally reached West Central Park and the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History.
The atrium of the museum housed a massive display of dinosaur bones that soared above us to the top of the several-story ceiling, and the entrance of the museum proper was no less grand. After walking through the ticket check we came to the hall of African animals where a herd of elephants was frozen in a stampede at the center of a ring beautifully arranged displays of lions, gazelles, and other denizens of the African plains. As we wandered through the halls, moving from Africa to North America, and travelling back in time to the Big Bang, then jumping to the time of the dinosaurs, it became apparent to me that although the subjects of the displays were neat, I found the construction of the displays themselves far more interesting. The incredible attention to detail in the backdrops for the animals, and the life-like way they were arranged-- a pack of wolves stopped midair as they bounded across a snowy wood, or a pair of moose locked in a raging battle, eyes wide with fear and intensity-- made displays exciting when they could have easily been very dull. Even the other displays that didn't show as much life, like the ones housing dinosaur fossils or human-made items, still revealed a mastery of arranging information and artifacts that made the displays accessible and captivating.
Geries and I spent a few hours browsing the museum, passing through just about every exhibit (except the ones we had to pay extra for) before we were joined by our friend Kyle from Georgia Tech who just happened to be in the city at the same time. Once we met up we spent a little more time walking around and catching up with Kyle before we headed back underground to catch the subway on our way to meet up with Robyn for lunch. Since it was on the way, we made a quick stop at Grand Central Station to check out the bustling main terminal, and then headed outside where we met Robyn outside her building.
After a little debate we finally settled on trying some sushi, which proved difficult, since the first couple of places we walked to were inexplicably closed. Eventually we came to a small place where no one seemed to be speaking English, which we took as an indication that we had found a good spot. The food was good, but the service not so much. In any case after a while of eating and talking we said bye to Robyn and headed off with Kyle to explore Manhattan.
We took the subway almost all the way to the lower east side where Kyle hoped to see Obscura, an antique shop specializing in weird stuff that's featured on a TV show. Having seen the show before, I had an idea of what to expect, but they definitely had some items that caught me off guard, like a drawer full of human teeth. Although we didn't say hi, we had our brush with minor celebrity as we saw the owners of the shop ducking in and out of the back room while we browsed.
Once we were done checking out the shop we just went outside and walked around the streets without anywhere in particular to go, although Kyle and I started to get a craving for some pastries so we kept and eye out for a bakery in our wanderings. The neighborhood seemed to be another of the hipster hangouts that are apparently mandated for every major population center, and it was fun to people watch and window shop at all of the strange little shops and dives. Eventually we did come across a bakery where a laconic Russian man served us some passable, but not great, chocolate filled pastries (I should have gone with the apple strudel). By then it was already getting late into the afternoon, and Kyle headed off, leaving Geries and I to head over to our next stop.
Even though we were already down to about 10th Street, it was a deceptively long walk down to the southern tip of Manhattan to catch the Staten Island ferry. With my feet already starting to get sore we made our way through Little Italy and Chinatown and past the new World Trade Center on our way to the ferry. After what seemed like miles in the heat we finally made it to Battery Park and the ferry center where we took a load off waiting for the boat to come in. Once the ferry arrived we filed on with a few hundred other people and seated ourselves along the side so we could get a good view of the Statue of Liberty on the way past. The ride ended up being very refreshing with the cool breeze battling the heat of quickly retreating day. From the ferry we got an incredible view of the Manhattan skyline with the Empire State Building and (my favorite) the Chrysler building all in full view with the new World Trade Center towering over everything despite its lack of completion. We also got a good view of the distant Statue of Liberty just in front of the sinking sun. Before long we arrived at our destination, where we promptly left the boat and immediately reboarded to head back to Manhattan.
After being treated to a second helping of the excellent view from the ferry, we hopped back off the boat onto Manhattan which was quickly being blanketed in the gathering night. We took another subway ride, and when we emerged in Times Square the sky was already almost completely dark, although the square didn't seem to notice. Every wall around us was absolutely covered in huge flashing signs that lit Times Square as if it was day. Everything was a blur of motion and exploding colors that lingered even after closing my eyes. The crowds were tremendous, with thousands of people slowly floating through the dozens of hot dog stands and costumed street performers.
We walked to the far end of the square and then back before coming to The Counter where we sat down to get some dinner. The premise of the restaurant was pretty cool. It's a burger joint where you get a checklist instead of a menu, and you choose everything you want to go on your burger from the bread to the toppings, and even the type of meat. The burgers turned out to be excellent, and after stuffing ourselves we managed to make our way to the subway and back to Robyn's place in Brooklyn.
Robyn hadn't gotten back to her apartment yet by the time we got there, so we ended up spending a good amount of time just relaxing on the stoop watching cars pass and kids playing at the fire hydrant spraying water across the street. I was tempted to go over a couple of times myself since it was a hot night, but before long some of Robyn's neighbors came out to join us, and we chatted with them for a bit before Robyn made it back and we went up to the apartment and almost straight to bed.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Scott & Geries Get Lost: The Video
After a full day spent wrestling with Windows Moviemaker (a huge mistake), I managed to cram over 5.65 hours of footage into one handy three minute video. There will be more to come! (Click on the vimeo button in the bottom right to watch in HD)
Day 40: The Sorry Pursuit of Scrabble
We started our day by packing our things in the car so we could move on to New York once we finished our sight seeing in Boston. Once everything was tucked away, we headed to the outskirts of the city to locate Greenhills Bakery, another find from No Reservations. We found the bakery snugly nestled between a couple of Irish pubs, which seemed more like the Boston I had expected, but hadn't seen so far. Inside I ordered their famous breakfast sandwich, and although they didn't have any of the white and black pudding (whatever that is... sounds good, though) I was not disappointed. Once we had some food in our stomachs it seemed like the perfect time to go grab some beer, so we headed over to take a tour of the Samuel Adams brewery.
Fearing the parking situation at the brewery, we chose a place a safe distance away, and after a short walk we found ourselves among some nondescript brick buildings. Although at first I was unsure we had come to the right place, we soon came upon a friendly sign to point us toward the beer. Considering how large a company Sam Adams is, it wasn't quite what I had expected, walking up to a small door in the side of one of the brick warehouses only set apart by the chalkboard outside promising brewery tours. To further add to my surprise (and delight) we learned that the tour was actually free, so we strode on in and waited in the very low key anteroom for our tour guide to arrive. Eric, our tour guide, proved to be extremely enthusiastic, and was especially keen on making sure that everyone else was too, at least when it came to the free beer promised for the end of the tour. We started off with a quick look at the ingredients that go into beer, and a brief lesson on the whole process, even tasting some of the barley used in some Sam Adams brews. Next we visited a small experimental brewing area where we learned about the different tanks used, and even caught a glimpse of the bald bearded guy from the commercials in his natural habitat. The small section of the brewery we saw wasn't quite on the grand scale I had anticipated, but it was fun little tour, and our brush with celebrity seemed to validate the experience. After a little over an hour our bellies were slightly fuller, and we had a neat little Sam Adams tasting glass to show for our time, so feeling satisfied we headed back over to the USS Constitution to snap some pictures (Geries didn't see it the day before and he had the camera) before setting off for New York.
This time at Old Ironsides we opted for the self-guided tour, which really means you can only access the top deck, but that was fine for grabbing a couple of pictures. Today since there wasn't any significant chance of rain there was actually a little more to see since a lot of the equipment on the deck wasn't covered up. After pretending to be steersman at the wheel for a few seconds we hopped back onto the dock for a slightly disappointing gun drill (they didn't actually fire it) and back to the car to make our way to The Big Apple.
Freeing ourselves of Boston took a little longer than expected, but eventually we made it out, and made good time on our way to New York. It was late afternoon when we left, so dusk was creeping up when we finally made it to the city, although it's hard to say where the city proper really began. Driving into New York was like nothing I had ever seen before. Even miles from the distinctive Manhattan skyline buildings were piled on top of each other in a density that rivaled some of the other large cities we had visited. The final leg of our journey passed us through a sprawling metropolis that looked as if it had no end in sight. It was fully dark by the time we made it to our host's neighborhood of Bushwick in Brooklyn, although she wasn't there at the time. After a quick call to find out where to meet her, we jumped on our bikes and were speeding off toward Williamsburg.
Unbeknownst to us, Williamsburg is apparently one of the hippest neighborhoods in the city, and almost to an extent that it seems artificial. Once we broke away from the slightly sketchy looking warehouses we had been riding through we were instantly greeted with dozens of bars, restaurants, and grungy looking indie folk bands raucously playing on the streets. The place was absolutely alive with hipsters running around in their uniforms of bulky glasses and deep cut v-necks, but we managed to push our way through the crowd and somehow found an open spot on the overflowing bike racks to lock our bicycles before heading up to meet Robyn and her friends.
Robyn was actually a fellow couchsurfer we originally met in San Francisco, since she and her traveling partner Jeff were staying at Lance's place at the same time as us. They were actually taking a very similar road trip to mine and Geries's, although they were due to finish before us since they were heading back to New York. In case she made it back to New York before she got there, Robyn offered to let us stay with her, and after the delay in Portland, she got back long before us. When all was said and done we ended up with an incredible place to stay with a really cool friend we already knew without any additional effort on our part. It was really a nice testament to how great the couchsurfing community is.
Anyway, we made it to Robyn's friend's apartment without much trouble, and walked in on the strangest game I have ever seen. Lovingly dubbed The Sorry Pursuit of Scrabble, it is a mixture of Sorry, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Kings, a dash of Risk, and more than a dash of drinking. I won't go into the details of the rules because I'm still slightly unsure of them, and it would take up another post's worth of space. In any case, it was a lot of fun once we managed to piece together enough of the rules to have a cursory understanding of what was going on, and we had a blast getting to meet everyone there. Eventually Robyn won, and some of the guests filed out, but we sat around swapping road stories for a while before finally heading back to Robyn's place and hitting the couch after a long and exciting day.
Fearing the parking situation at the brewery, we chose a place a safe distance away, and after a short walk we found ourselves among some nondescript brick buildings. Although at first I was unsure we had come to the right place, we soon came upon a friendly sign to point us toward the beer. Considering how large a company Sam Adams is, it wasn't quite what I had expected, walking up to a small door in the side of one of the brick warehouses only set apart by the chalkboard outside promising brewery tours. To further add to my surprise (and delight) we learned that the tour was actually free, so we strode on in and waited in the very low key anteroom for our tour guide to arrive. Eric, our tour guide, proved to be extremely enthusiastic, and was especially keen on making sure that everyone else was too, at least when it came to the free beer promised for the end of the tour. We started off with a quick look at the ingredients that go into beer, and a brief lesson on the whole process, even tasting some of the barley used in some Sam Adams brews. Next we visited a small experimental brewing area where we learned about the different tanks used, and even caught a glimpse of the bald bearded guy from the commercials in his natural habitat. The small section of the brewery we saw wasn't quite on the grand scale I had anticipated, but it was fun little tour, and our brush with celebrity seemed to validate the experience. After a little over an hour our bellies were slightly fuller, and we had a neat little Sam Adams tasting glass to show for our time, so feeling satisfied we headed back over to the USS Constitution to snap some pictures (Geries didn't see it the day before and he had the camera) before setting off for New York.
This time at Old Ironsides we opted for the self-guided tour, which really means you can only access the top deck, but that was fine for grabbing a couple of pictures. Today since there wasn't any significant chance of rain there was actually a little more to see since a lot of the equipment on the deck wasn't covered up. After pretending to be steersman at the wheel for a few seconds we hopped back onto the dock for a slightly disappointing gun drill (they didn't actually fire it) and back to the car to make our way to The Big Apple.
Freeing ourselves of Boston took a little longer than expected, but eventually we made it out, and made good time on our way to New York. It was late afternoon when we left, so dusk was creeping up when we finally made it to the city, although it's hard to say where the city proper really began. Driving into New York was like nothing I had ever seen before. Even miles from the distinctive Manhattan skyline buildings were piled on top of each other in a density that rivaled some of the other large cities we had visited. The final leg of our journey passed us through a sprawling metropolis that looked as if it had no end in sight. It was fully dark by the time we made it to our host's neighborhood of Bushwick in Brooklyn, although she wasn't there at the time. After a quick call to find out where to meet her, we jumped on our bikes and were speeding off toward Williamsburg.
Unbeknownst to us, Williamsburg is apparently one of the hippest neighborhoods in the city, and almost to an extent that it seems artificial. Once we broke away from the slightly sketchy looking warehouses we had been riding through we were instantly greeted with dozens of bars, restaurants, and grungy looking indie folk bands raucously playing on the streets. The place was absolutely alive with hipsters running around in their uniforms of bulky glasses and deep cut v-necks, but we managed to push our way through the crowd and somehow found an open spot on the overflowing bike racks to lock our bicycles before heading up to meet Robyn and her friends.
Robyn was actually a fellow couchsurfer we originally met in San Francisco, since she and her traveling partner Jeff were staying at Lance's place at the same time as us. They were actually taking a very similar road trip to mine and Geries's, although they were due to finish before us since they were heading back to New York. In case she made it back to New York before she got there, Robyn offered to let us stay with her, and after the delay in Portland, she got back long before us. When all was said and done we ended up with an incredible place to stay with a really cool friend we already knew without any additional effort on our part. It was really a nice testament to how great the couchsurfing community is.
Anyway, we made it to Robyn's friend's apartment without much trouble, and walked in on the strangest game I have ever seen. Lovingly dubbed The Sorry Pursuit of Scrabble, it is a mixture of Sorry, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Kings, a dash of Risk, and more than a dash of drinking. I won't go into the details of the rules because I'm still slightly unsure of them, and it would take up another post's worth of space. In any case, it was a lot of fun once we managed to piece together enough of the rules to have a cursory understanding of what was going on, and we had a blast getting to meet everyone there. Eventually Robyn won, and some of the guests filed out, but we sat around swapping road stories for a while before finally heading back to Robyn's place and hitting the couch after a long and exciting day.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Day 39: Don't fire until you see the whites of their cannoli boxes
Our second day in Boston got to a late start, so after Geries and I split up I set off to break my fast with some lunch. After having browsed some options from an episode of No Reservations, I came across Michael's Deli, which seemed like just the place to get a good sandwich to start the day, and luckily it happened to be located very close to where we were staying. I walked into the small, unassuming delicatessen, ordered a Rachel (a reuben with coleslaw instead of sauerkraut), and was served a heaping pile of steaming corned beef-- Oh, and some bread and coleslaw. The sandwich was delicious, and just what I needed to start the busy day ahead of me.
I started by riding straight to downtown, passing through the parks we visited the previous day, ending at the golden domed State House where I hoped to pick up the "Freedom Trail," a path running through Boston that touches on some of the most interesting historical sights in the city. I had a little difficulty keeping track of where I was on the trail just by using the occasional city maps on street corners, so to find my way to my first stop, the USS Constitution, I instead just headed straight for the harbor and followed the road until I reached it. However, when I had nearly arrived at the ship I noticed a bold red line painted on the ground in the center of the sidewalk. As I continued, it turned to a brick inlay in some areas, then back to paint, and finally I realized that it marked the the path of the Freedom Trail. Feeling stupid, but now confident in my direction, I made good time getting to the Constitution.
The ship was hard to miss even from a distance, with its spiderwebs of rope draped over its tall masts soaring above the other boats in the harbor. When I arrived at its mooring, I took a quick stop in the museum to read about the storied history of the only surviving warship of the original six commissioned for the US Navy in 1794. I fell into line with a group to take a guided tour of the ship led by a seaman dressed in period uniform, and after a short history lesson we stepped onto the boat. Not particularly massive compared to some more modern ships I've seem, Old Ironsides made up for what it lacked in size with the weight of the history behind it, and the beauty of its design. We traveled from the impressive main deck, to the aptly named gun deck which housed dozens of several ton cannons, and finally to the cramped crew deck where hundreds of men tried to sleep in swinging hammocks surrounded by the constant pounding of the ocean and the acrid stench of their brothers in arms. Thankfully my group was only about 80 strong, and not too pungent, so I had a slightly less harrowing time touring the ship. Once I finished checking out the Constitution, I took a quick look at the more modern battleship docked next door before heading out to follow the rest of the trail.
Next up on the trail was the Bunker Hill Monument which was placed on the best location I could imagine: at the crest of Breed's Hill. All joking aside, it's as good a place as any since most of the battle took place there, and the monument would have been equally impressive at any location. Towering 221 feet above the hill is a massive granite obelisk not unlike the Washington Monument in DC. While preparing to ascend the 294 steps to the observation point at the top, I happened to run into Josh, who had just finished the climb up the tower and was a fellow couchsurfer I met while eating lunch at Mr. Bartley's Burgers the previous day (which I forgot to mention in my last post). It was funny chancing to see him again in my wanderings around the city. Even after seeing the sweat dripping from Josh's face and noting his labored breathing from the climb, I still made my way up the steps, and before long found myself at the top taking in an incredible view of Boston and the harbor from small window slits carved through the two foot thick granite. I took a moment to catch my breath and take one last look at the view before making the much easier descent and heading off for the rest of the trail.
Streets began to narrow as I wound my way along the trail passing the Old North Church where the signal was given to warn of the advancing British troops, and then past the home of Paul Revere as well as a graveyard housing people from the time of the revolution. While I followed the trail around cobblestone streets and into the lively Italian neighborhood of the North End I noticed an increasing number of people walking around carrying simple white boxes sealed in twine. Curious about the boxes, I eventually followed them to their source at Mike's Pastry in the heart of the North End. Inside I ordered an incredible cannoli that I wouldn't even have known of if it hadn't been for the distinctive white boxes, despite the fact that Mike's Pastry is apparently a Boston staple (I guess no one told me that).
After the cannoli I wandered a little further on the trail, passing the old state house, the sight of the Boston Massacre, and finally Faneuil Hall before joining up with Geries to grab some dinner before heading back to our hosts' place. We opted to get some of Mr. Bartley's Burgers, since Geries didn't get a chance to try them the previous day. This time I got a simple burger with a sweet and spicy pineapple and jalapeno relish, and before I knew it the burger was gone and we were on our way back to the house.
For me the charm of Boston lays in its rich history, and the seemingly small town feel of what is actually a large and vibrant city. I had a great time losing myself in the streets of such an old and interesting city, and I was excited to explore just a little more the following day. Since our drive to New York was so short we would have time to see just a little more in the morning before saying goodbye to Boston.
I started by riding straight to downtown, passing through the parks we visited the previous day, ending at the golden domed State House where I hoped to pick up the "Freedom Trail," a path running through Boston that touches on some of the most interesting historical sights in the city. I had a little difficulty keeping track of where I was on the trail just by using the occasional city maps on street corners, so to find my way to my first stop, the USS Constitution, I instead just headed straight for the harbor and followed the road until I reached it. However, when I had nearly arrived at the ship I noticed a bold red line painted on the ground in the center of the sidewalk. As I continued, it turned to a brick inlay in some areas, then back to paint, and finally I realized that it marked the the path of the Freedom Trail. Feeling stupid, but now confident in my direction, I made good time getting to the Constitution.
The ship was hard to miss even from a distance, with its spiderwebs of rope draped over its tall masts soaring above the other boats in the harbor. When I arrived at its mooring, I took a quick stop in the museum to read about the storied history of the only surviving warship of the original six commissioned for the US Navy in 1794. I fell into line with a group to take a guided tour of the ship led by a seaman dressed in period uniform, and after a short history lesson we stepped onto the boat. Not particularly massive compared to some more modern ships I've seem, Old Ironsides made up for what it lacked in size with the weight of the history behind it, and the beauty of its design. We traveled from the impressive main deck, to the aptly named gun deck which housed dozens of several ton cannons, and finally to the cramped crew deck where hundreds of men tried to sleep in swinging hammocks surrounded by the constant pounding of the ocean and the acrid stench of their brothers in arms. Thankfully my group was only about 80 strong, and not too pungent, so I had a slightly less harrowing time touring the ship. Once I finished checking out the Constitution, I took a quick look at the more modern battleship docked next door before heading out to follow the rest of the trail.
Next up on the trail was the Bunker Hill Monument which was placed on the best location I could imagine: at the crest of Breed's Hill. All joking aside, it's as good a place as any since most of the battle took place there, and the monument would have been equally impressive at any location. Towering 221 feet above the hill is a massive granite obelisk not unlike the Washington Monument in DC. While preparing to ascend the 294 steps to the observation point at the top, I happened to run into Josh, who had just finished the climb up the tower and was a fellow couchsurfer I met while eating lunch at Mr. Bartley's Burgers the previous day (which I forgot to mention in my last post). It was funny chancing to see him again in my wanderings around the city. Even after seeing the sweat dripping from Josh's face and noting his labored breathing from the climb, I still made my way up the steps, and before long found myself at the top taking in an incredible view of Boston and the harbor from small window slits carved through the two foot thick granite. I took a moment to catch my breath and take one last look at the view before making the much easier descent and heading off for the rest of the trail.
Streets began to narrow as I wound my way along the trail passing the Old North Church where the signal was given to warn of the advancing British troops, and then past the home of Paul Revere as well as a graveyard housing people from the time of the revolution. While I followed the trail around cobblestone streets and into the lively Italian neighborhood of the North End I noticed an increasing number of people walking around carrying simple white boxes sealed in twine. Curious about the boxes, I eventually followed them to their source at Mike's Pastry in the heart of the North End. Inside I ordered an incredible cannoli that I wouldn't even have known of if it hadn't been for the distinctive white boxes, despite the fact that Mike's Pastry is apparently a Boston staple (I guess no one told me that).
After the cannoli I wandered a little further on the trail, passing the old state house, the sight of the Boston Massacre, and finally Faneuil Hall before joining up with Geries to grab some dinner before heading back to our hosts' place. We opted to get some of Mr. Bartley's Burgers, since Geries didn't get a chance to try them the previous day. This time I got a simple burger with a sweet and spicy pineapple and jalapeno relish, and before I knew it the burger was gone and we were on our way back to the house.
For me the charm of Boston lays in its rich history, and the seemingly small town feel of what is actually a large and vibrant city. I had a great time losing myself in the streets of such an old and interesting city, and I was excited to explore just a little more the following day. Since our drive to New York was so short we would have time to see just a little more in the morning before saying goodbye to Boston.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Day 38: Hahvahd
For our first full day in Boston, Geries and I split up in the morning, and I took a bike ride into town. The ride into the city was surprisingly easy with just one turn onto the bike friendly Commonwealth Avenue that I took all the way into town. After making a quick stop at Best Buy to pick up a CD, I made my way across the Charles river toward Cambridge and the renowned Harvard Square. From the bridge I got a nice view of downtown Boston in the distance. Though its close buildings seemed small compared to the colossal skyscrapers of Chicago, it was a pleasant mixture of old and new that summarized the rich history of the city.
A short ride from the bridge brought me to Harvard Square and its namesake school. I parked my bike and took a walk around the beautiful campus for a little while. Traditional brick faced buildings looked over well manicured lawns criss-crossed by paths bustling with tourists and students alike. I carved out some space in the grass on one of the many multicolored chairs and benches that were strewn about the courtyard until some unexpected showers drenched the area. Once the rain let up for a bit I continued walking around and found the infamous statue of John Harvard as well as a really interesting building with distinctive patterned shingles and a tower rimmed in busts of famous thinkers sternly looking down on passerby.
By this time I was getting fairly hungry, so I ducked out of the Harvard campus onto the streets of Cambridge to find Mr. Bartley's Burgers, which was suggested by our host. Before long I came upon the cramped restaurant sitting next to the Harvard Book Store, and managed to squeeze into the building before the sky opened up again. Inside was a whirlwind of activity, with patrons noisily chatting in every corner while servers literally shouted orders to the cooks. Every inch of wall space up to the high ceiling was plastered with pictures and posters and small strips of paper proclaiming things like "Al Pacino sat here." The menu was equally eclectic, boasting burgers named after celebrities and politicians. I ordered an Oprah Winfrey (probably so named because it could feed an African village), an excellent burger slathered in barbecue sauce and onions with a side of baked beans.
After lunch I browsed around the Harvard Book Store and some of the other shops in the Harvard Square area until I met back up with Geries. Next we headed a little southeast to check out MIT, which was as different from Harvard as you could imagine. All of the clean, modern buildings were simply numbered, as opposed to all of the halls named after rich dead guys just a few miles away at Harvard. It was already fairly late, so we didn't spend too much time before heading over another bridge and back into downtown Boston.
Once back in the city, we came upon the Public Garden and the Boston Common, a pair of scenic parks in the heart of the city. We spent some time wandering around the parks until we were ready to grab some dinner. After consulting the web, we found a nice sushi place in Chinatown where we had some great sushi before heading back to our host's place. A wrong turn delayed us for a few minutes, but we made it back without too much trouble.
When we arrived, our host Megan was around and offered to teach us a new card game called Nerts. It was a fast and furious combination of solitaire and speed that kept us occupied for a while before we watched some True Blood with Megan's roommate Andrea and Andrea's boyfriend Charlie. It was cool that we got to hang out with our host a bit even though it was a weeknight and she had work the next day. From there we got to bed to rest up for another day in the city.
A short ride from the bridge brought me to Harvard Square and its namesake school. I parked my bike and took a walk around the beautiful campus for a little while. Traditional brick faced buildings looked over well manicured lawns criss-crossed by paths bustling with tourists and students alike. I carved out some space in the grass on one of the many multicolored chairs and benches that were strewn about the courtyard until some unexpected showers drenched the area. Once the rain let up for a bit I continued walking around and found the infamous statue of John Harvard as well as a really interesting building with distinctive patterned shingles and a tower rimmed in busts of famous thinkers sternly looking down on passerby.
By this time I was getting fairly hungry, so I ducked out of the Harvard campus onto the streets of Cambridge to find Mr. Bartley's Burgers, which was suggested by our host. Before long I came upon the cramped restaurant sitting next to the Harvard Book Store, and managed to squeeze into the building before the sky opened up again. Inside was a whirlwind of activity, with patrons noisily chatting in every corner while servers literally shouted orders to the cooks. Every inch of wall space up to the high ceiling was plastered with pictures and posters and small strips of paper proclaiming things like "Al Pacino sat here." The menu was equally eclectic, boasting burgers named after celebrities and politicians. I ordered an Oprah Winfrey (probably so named because it could feed an African village), an excellent burger slathered in barbecue sauce and onions with a side of baked beans.
After lunch I browsed around the Harvard Book Store and some of the other shops in the Harvard Square area until I met back up with Geries. Next we headed a little southeast to check out MIT, which was as different from Harvard as you could imagine. All of the clean, modern buildings were simply numbered, as opposed to all of the halls named after rich dead guys just a few miles away at Harvard. It was already fairly late, so we didn't spend too much time before heading over another bridge and back into downtown Boston.
Once back in the city, we came upon the Public Garden and the Boston Common, a pair of scenic parks in the heart of the city. We spent some time wandering around the parks until we were ready to grab some dinner. After consulting the web, we found a nice sushi place in Chinatown where we had some great sushi before heading back to our host's place. A wrong turn delayed us for a few minutes, but we made it back without too much trouble.
When we arrived, our host Megan was around and offered to teach us a new card game called Nerts. It was a fast and furious combination of solitaire and speed that kept us occupied for a while before we watched some True Blood with Megan's roommate Andrea and Andrea's boyfriend Charlie. It was cool that we got to hang out with our host a bit even though it was a weeknight and she had work the next day. From there we got to bed to rest up for another day in the city.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Days 36 and 37: Historical Magic Eye
For our second day in Detroit I got a pretty late start, but managed to leave enough time to check out Greenfield Village before it closed. After a short drive across the city I arrived at the Henry Ford Museum complex where I entered the village. It's meant to be a replica of a turn of the century town and houses historically significant buildings that were literally moved from their original locations to be made available for viewing in the "living museum." Model T's sputtered around the narrow streets alongside horse-drawn carriages as villagers dressed in period clothing passed me on the sidewalk.
I walked by a working farm where men were baling hay on my way through the streets before I arrived at Orville and Wilbur Wright's cycle shop. More striking than the diminutive size of the shop was how little bike parts have changed in nearly a century. All of the parts in the display cases and lining the walls looked like they could just have easily replaced something on my bike right now. It was a stark contrast to how much aircraft have changed from the replica of the Wright brothers' first plane design that sat in the back room of the shop.
Next was the part of the village that I was most excited about. I'm more of a Tesla fan, so I didn't quite agree with the village staff's constant assertions that Edison was the greatest electrical engineer of his time, but nonetheless he was an incredible inventor and I was looking forward to seeing his workspace. In that respect, Greenfield Village didn't disappoint, holding the entire Menlo Park complex where Edison did much of his most important work. With hundreds of jars and contraptions filling shelves that lined every inch of wall space and heavy machinery in every corner, all run by belts driven from a colossal steam engine in the back room, the work space looked like something a mad scientist would envy. Just being in the space was a cool experience, but also revealed the problem with the premise of the village. In Edison's workshop I felt a kind of fragile closeness to the history, like a Magic Eye where if you squint and concentrate hard enough an image begins to emerge, but the smallest things like an overweight tourist creaking the floorboards or the overenthusiastic grinning of the village staff broke the illusion in an instant. I suppose that's something inherent in any museum, but the distractions became especially apparent at Greenfield Village. In any case, it was definitely a worthwhile experience, although for the price I think I may have enjoyed the Henry Ford museum more. I'll just have to check that out on my next visit to Detroit.
When I returned to the house I sat around outside with my grandparents for a while as we waited for Geries to return from his adventures. Once he got back, we headed out for some dinner at Outback before retiring for the night to get some sleep before heading out for our long drive the next day. We got up pretty early and set out on our way to Boston.
The drive to Boston was pretty uneventful aside from some ridiculous tolls along the way through Ohio and New York, and a bit of uncertainty as to where we were staying at our destination. We hadn't gotten any responses from couchsurfing by the time we were on the road, and it didn't seem like there were any forthcoming. Thankfully Robyn, a friend we met in San Francisco while we were all couchsurfing with Lance, hooked us up with a friend of a friend who could let us stay with her in Boston. All of this got arranged while we were on the road, and we ended up being all set by the time we got in town. It was late when we arrived, so after a brief introduction we took out spots on the couches and promptly fell asleep.
I walked by a working farm where men were baling hay on my way through the streets before I arrived at Orville and Wilbur Wright's cycle shop. More striking than the diminutive size of the shop was how little bike parts have changed in nearly a century. All of the parts in the display cases and lining the walls looked like they could just have easily replaced something on my bike right now. It was a stark contrast to how much aircraft have changed from the replica of the Wright brothers' first plane design that sat in the back room of the shop.
Next was the part of the village that I was most excited about. I'm more of a Tesla fan, so I didn't quite agree with the village staff's constant assertions that Edison was the greatest electrical engineer of his time, but nonetheless he was an incredible inventor and I was looking forward to seeing his workspace. In that respect, Greenfield Village didn't disappoint, holding the entire Menlo Park complex where Edison did much of his most important work. With hundreds of jars and contraptions filling shelves that lined every inch of wall space and heavy machinery in every corner, all run by belts driven from a colossal steam engine in the back room, the work space looked like something a mad scientist would envy. Just being in the space was a cool experience, but also revealed the problem with the premise of the village. In Edison's workshop I felt a kind of fragile closeness to the history, like a Magic Eye where if you squint and concentrate hard enough an image begins to emerge, but the smallest things like an overweight tourist creaking the floorboards or the overenthusiastic grinning of the village staff broke the illusion in an instant. I suppose that's something inherent in any museum, but the distractions became especially apparent at Greenfield Village. In any case, it was definitely a worthwhile experience, although for the price I think I may have enjoyed the Henry Ford museum more. I'll just have to check that out on my next visit to Detroit.
When I returned to the house I sat around outside with my grandparents for a while as we waited for Geries to return from his adventures. Once he got back, we headed out for some dinner at Outback before retiring for the night to get some sleep before heading out for our long drive the next day. We got up pretty early and set out on our way to Boston.
The drive to Boston was pretty uneventful aside from some ridiculous tolls along the way through Ohio and New York, and a bit of uncertainty as to where we were staying at our destination. We hadn't gotten any responses from couchsurfing by the time we were on the road, and it didn't seem like there were any forthcoming. Thankfully Robyn, a friend we met in San Francisco while we were all couchsurfing with Lance, hooked us up with a friend of a friend who could let us stay with her in Boston. All of this got arranged while we were on the road, and we ended up being all set by the time we got in town. It was late when we arrived, so after a brief introduction we took out spots on the couches and promptly fell asleep.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Days 34 and 35: Family matters
Our second day in West Olive/Grand Haven was very relaxed. I woke up at the crack of noon and sat around the house for the better part of the day until my grandparents came home. It was great to see my grandfather out of the hospital bed, especially since he seemed so ill suited for it. Even though he had broken free, he was still tired from the hospital staff's constant poking and prodding the night before. Nonetheless we got the chance to talk for a while and catch up for a few hours and over a nice dinner we had at the house.
Not long after dinner the sun was starting to get lower in the sky. So Geries and I made a trip to the beach to catch the sunset. It had rained earlier, so we lowered our expectations, but it turned out to be just as spectacular as the view from the previous night. This night there was a small tuft of cloud in the distant west that slightly obscured the sun until moments before it touched the horizon. The backlight from the sun rimmed the blue-grey clouds in a rich gold, and the wisps of cloud on the horizon feathered the edges of the glowing orb as it steadily sunk beneath the waves.
Next we took a quick trip to downtown Grand Haven to experience some of the nightlife. We found a group of people crowded onto some bleachers facing the channel, so we decided to join them for a little while to see what was going on. As it turned out we had arrived just in time for the famous Grand Haven musical fountain show. Unfortunately the grandeur of the show was a little spoiled by the Bellagio fountain show in Vegas, but it was a nice diversion anyway. Tired from doing nothing all day, Geries and I just stopped long enough to get some ice cream before heading back to get to bed and prepare for our early start the next day.
I woke up around 6am to get ready and have some breakfast before heading to Detroit. The drive from Grand Haven wasn't a long one, but we had to get there around noon to catch my grandparents before leaving to go to my cousin Lauren's high school graduation party. I was fortunate in the timing of our trip (and delays) since we arrived right on the day of the party and I got to see almost all of my cousins from my mom's side for the first time in many years.
We spent the rest of the day hanging around with my uncles Gary and George and my cousins Matthew, Nick, Lauren, and Mike eating tons of food (including some special Romanian sausage links) and playing cornhole. Living so far away makes it difficult to see my family, so I enjoyed the opportunity to kick back with my cousins, uncles, and grandparents for a day.
Not long after dinner the sun was starting to get lower in the sky. So Geries and I made a trip to the beach to catch the sunset. It had rained earlier, so we lowered our expectations, but it turned out to be just as spectacular as the view from the previous night. This night there was a small tuft of cloud in the distant west that slightly obscured the sun until moments before it touched the horizon. The backlight from the sun rimmed the blue-grey clouds in a rich gold, and the wisps of cloud on the horizon feathered the edges of the glowing orb as it steadily sunk beneath the waves.
Next we took a quick trip to downtown Grand Haven to experience some of the nightlife. We found a group of people crowded onto some bleachers facing the channel, so we decided to join them for a little while to see what was going on. As it turned out we had arrived just in time for the famous Grand Haven musical fountain show. Unfortunately the grandeur of the show was a little spoiled by the Bellagio fountain show in Vegas, but it was a nice diversion anyway. Tired from doing nothing all day, Geries and I just stopped long enough to get some ice cream before heading back to get to bed and prepare for our early start the next day.
I woke up around 6am to get ready and have some breakfast before heading to Detroit. The drive from Grand Haven wasn't a long one, but we had to get there around noon to catch my grandparents before leaving to go to my cousin Lauren's high school graduation party. I was fortunate in the timing of our trip (and delays) since we arrived right on the day of the party and I got to see almost all of my cousins from my mom's side for the first time in many years.
We spent the rest of the day hanging around with my uncles Gary and George and my cousins Matthew, Nick, Lauren, and Mike eating tons of food (including some special Romanian sausage links) and playing cornhole. Living so far away makes it difficult to see my family, so I enjoyed the opportunity to kick back with my cousins, uncles, and grandparents for a day.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Day 33: Sunset at dinner
Since we were staying south of downtown, we got one final glimpse of Chicago on our way out of the city toward my grandparents' house near Grand Haven, Michigan. Thankfully it waited to rain until we were leaving, and none of the dreary drizzling of this particular morning affected our previous days' activities. We made a mercifully short drive around the lake and through Indiana into Michigan before finally arriving at West Olive, where my grandmother, Connie, came out of the house to greet us.
My grandfather, Richard, was in the hospital at the time after having some heart troubles a few days prior, so once we had unpacked, relaxed, and talked with my grandmother for a bit, we headed over to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He looked remarkably well in spite of the incident and eager to get out of the hospital. We spent a while talking and catching up, which was very welcome since it had been over ten years since I had last seen my grandparents in person. Eventually we left to let Grandfather rest and to get some dinner along with a quick tour of Grand Haven.
The city of Grand Haven is extremely small, and mostly consists of shops and restaurants along the channel that flows from Lake Michigan to a smaller lake further inland. As we made our rounds the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and we had an excellent view of it right above the channel from Snug Harbor restaurant where we had dinner. I had a heaping plate of delicious seafood nachos that I tried my best to finish, but couldn't quite make it.
Once we were finished with dinner we made a quick drive out to the pier to catch the incredible sunset over Lake Michigan. Geries and I walked out to the end of the pier where we could more clearly see the horizon. A soft orange streak across the sky faded into a rich purple just where the lake met the sky, reflecting back the muted, but gorgeous, colors of the setting sun. Even after the other places we had watched the sun set, it was hard to beat the brilliant display which smoothly transformed as the sun sunk deeper below the horizon.
Weary from our travels, and helped along by our full stomachs, Geries and I rested for a little while when we got back before finally getting to sleep.
My grandfather, Richard, was in the hospital at the time after having some heart troubles a few days prior, so once we had unpacked, relaxed, and talked with my grandmother for a bit, we headed over to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He looked remarkably well in spite of the incident and eager to get out of the hospital. We spent a while talking and catching up, which was very welcome since it had been over ten years since I had last seen my grandparents in person. Eventually we left to let Grandfather rest and to get some dinner along with a quick tour of Grand Haven.
The city of Grand Haven is extremely small, and mostly consists of shops and restaurants along the channel that flows from Lake Michigan to a smaller lake further inland. As we made our rounds the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and we had an excellent view of it right above the channel from Snug Harbor restaurant where we had dinner. I had a heaping plate of delicious seafood nachos that I tried my best to finish, but couldn't quite make it.
Once we were finished with dinner we made a quick drive out to the pier to catch the incredible sunset over Lake Michigan. Geries and I walked out to the end of the pier where we could more clearly see the horizon. A soft orange streak across the sky faded into a rich purple just where the lake met the sky, reflecting back the muted, but gorgeous, colors of the setting sun. Even after the other places we had watched the sun set, it was hard to beat the brilliant display which smoothly transformed as the sun sunk deeper below the horizon.
Weary from our travels, and helped along by our full stomachs, Geries and I rested for a little while when we got back before finally getting to sleep.
Day 32: Mozart on the lawn
Our second full day in Chicago started pretty late. Geries and I split up since I needed to get my bike worked on before I could head out. Michael, one of the guys living in the place we were staying at graciously helped me take care of my shifter issues, and I managed to head into town by about midday. I probably went a little too fast down the Lakefront Trail, because by the time I reached the city I was drenched in sweat. I walked down Michigan Avenue for a bit before resting in the shade of the old water tower to cool off. It just so happened that they were filming a Marshall's commercial there, so I watched that for a while as I caught my breath and dried off.
Next I just rode around the city for a while. Fascinated with the buildings, I stopped often to look around and take some videos before moving on. Eventually I made my way to a McDonald's (a favorite on the trip because of the free wifi) to sit down and do some writing. Unfortunately I had trouble connecting to the wifi, but the milkshake was worth it, and I got a chance to at least type up some things so I'd be ready once I could get connected to the internet.
After I was thoroughly cooled off and had finished with my computer I headed back to Millenium Park, my favorite place in the city so far. Watching the people crowding around the Bean was an entertaining way to kill some time until the concert on the lawn began. The Chicago Symphony does regular concerts in Millenium Park's beautiful outdoor concert hall, and I was lucky enough to be around to catch one of them. I plopped down on the lush grass that formed the seating area for the venue, and had a relaxing time listening to some Mozart played by an incredibly accomplished orchestra for a couple hours before meeting back up with Geries to grab some dinner.
Since we were both very hungry by the time we met up, and we didn't feel like hunting down another place to eat, we decided to visit the downtown branch of Portillo's where I got another great Italian beef sandwich as well as an excellent Chicago chili dog. Once we were full we made another trip to the Hancock Tower to get some more night shots of the city from above.
When we finished at the tower we had a pretty thrilling bike ride back to the car. Along the way I was going pretty fast when a guy decided to cut me off in his car. I managed to brake in time (making a pretty spectacular skidding stop), but couldn't express my displeasure before the car had zoomed off in the distance. Thankfully we made it back to the car with no casualties, and headed over to Alice's place near the University of Chicago to spend our final night in the city since we had only originally planned to stay with our other host for two nights.
Next I just rode around the city for a while. Fascinated with the buildings, I stopped often to look around and take some videos before moving on. Eventually I made my way to a McDonald's (a favorite on the trip because of the free wifi) to sit down and do some writing. Unfortunately I had trouble connecting to the wifi, but the milkshake was worth it, and I got a chance to at least type up some things so I'd be ready once I could get connected to the internet.
After I was thoroughly cooled off and had finished with my computer I headed back to Millenium Park, my favorite place in the city so far. Watching the people crowding around the Bean was an entertaining way to kill some time until the concert on the lawn began. The Chicago Symphony does regular concerts in Millenium Park's beautiful outdoor concert hall, and I was lucky enough to be around to catch one of them. I plopped down on the lush grass that formed the seating area for the venue, and had a relaxing time listening to some Mozart played by an incredibly accomplished orchestra for a couple hours before meeting back up with Geries to grab some dinner.
Since we were both very hungry by the time we met up, and we didn't feel like hunting down another place to eat, we decided to visit the downtown branch of Portillo's where I got another great Italian beef sandwich as well as an excellent Chicago chili dog. Once we were full we made another trip to the Hancock Tower to get some more night shots of the city from above.
When we finished at the tower we had a pretty thrilling bike ride back to the car. Along the way I was going pretty fast when a guy decided to cut me off in his car. I managed to brake in time (making a pretty spectacular skidding stop), but couldn't express my displeasure before the car had zoomed off in the distance. Thankfully we made it back to the car with no casualties, and headed over to Alice's place near the University of Chicago to spend our final night in the city since we had only originally planned to stay with our other host for two nights.
Day 31: Beating the system
Our first full day in Chicago began with more of the sweltering heat from the previous day. After a welcome shower we headed over to the bike shop where I got the tube earlier. This time I just let them install the tube at the shop, and after a short wait I was ready to go. We biked down a few blocks to the edge of Lake Michigan and caught the Lakefront Trail which leads around the shore all the way to downtown Chicago. Lake Michigan is so large that it's impossible to see the opposite shore, making it seem more like an ocean than a lake. As we made our way down the bike trail beaches popped up along the shore. It was quite a unique experience being on a beach with nothing but water to one side and the towering skyline of a sprawling metropolis to the other.
When we entered the city proper we found ourselves on Michigan Avenue which provided an incredible first impression of the downtown area. My neck hurt from craning it upward to take in the diverse collection of skyscrapers as we walked down the bustling street. Even in the summer heat there were throngs of people jockeying for position on the sidewalk. Before long we arrived at the river running through the heart of the city. It was an impressive sight with the soaring buildings standing just feet from the picturesque waterway.
By this time we were starting to get hungry for lunch, so after making a few calls to locals to guide us, we made our way to Xoco's to grab something to eat. The restaurant was a modern, crowded little space where we got some excellent Mexican sandwiches to tide us over until dinner. Once we were finished eating we explored the city a little more and found ourselves in Millenium Park, the home of the famous Bean. The park houses dozens of public sculptures, but by far the most famous is the giant mirrored bean that glimmered in the sunlight as we arrived. Curved in such a way that reveals an incredible mirrored view of the cityscape around it, the bean also has a fun-house mirror room area underneath that projected dizzying reflections of the dozens of people that were milling about in its shadow.
We didn't have much time to linger at the Bean, however, since we had to meet Mark, a friend of Geries's, at Linden in a short while. Thinking it would be a pretty quick ride, we hopped on the iconic L Train to make our way over. As it turns out, Linden is one of the furthest stops on the rail line and it took us nearly an hour to get there. Thankfully our friend was still around, and after locking our bikes up in some of the coolest bike racks we've seen, he took us for a short tour of the North Shore area on our way to get some dinner. Mark took us to Portillo's, a Chicago staple and excellent Italian beef restaurant. The sandwich was as delicious as it was messy (we had ours dipped, so the bread fell apart as soon as we touched it), and after we had our fill we headed back to the train station to meet another friend downtown.
Alice, a friend from high school, met us at a small tea shop a short ride from the train station, and we set off to do some sight-seeing in the city. We walked around a little while, catching up, until we came to the Hancock Tower where we hoped to go to the top to get a bird's eye view of the city. Much like the Space Needle, there was a pretty hefty charge just to go up the elevator to the 94th floor. Thankfully, though, there was no minimum charge at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. The beer was pretty overpriced, but it was still cheaper than going to the observation deck, so it was easier to think of it as getting a discounted elevator ride complete with a free drink. It was a surprisingly clear day, and the view from the top was spectacular. We could see the whole city laid out before us, and for miles over the lake. The sun had gone down by the time we finished our drinks, and we got to see the city come alive with thousands of shimmering lights blanketing the ground for miles.
When we finally left we were hungry again, so we took a trip to Lou Malnati's to partake in another Chicago staple: deep dish pizza. The pizza was great, and we had a good time catching up with Alice, who we hadn't seen since high school, but eventually it was time to go, so we packed up and headed out for the Lakefront Trail to get back to our place in Uptown. I had a little bike trouble along the way which made shifting impossible, so I was stuck in the highest gear for the rest of the trip, but we didn't stop much so it ended up not being too much of a handicap. However it meant that I would have to get some more help before I could go riding again the next day. Since we were tired when we got back I put it off for the morning, and we went straight to bed when we arrived at the hotel.
When we entered the city proper we found ourselves on Michigan Avenue which provided an incredible first impression of the downtown area. My neck hurt from craning it upward to take in the diverse collection of skyscrapers as we walked down the bustling street. Even in the summer heat there were throngs of people jockeying for position on the sidewalk. Before long we arrived at the river running through the heart of the city. It was an impressive sight with the soaring buildings standing just feet from the picturesque waterway.
By this time we were starting to get hungry for lunch, so after making a few calls to locals to guide us, we made our way to Xoco's to grab something to eat. The restaurant was a modern, crowded little space where we got some excellent Mexican sandwiches to tide us over until dinner. Once we were finished eating we explored the city a little more and found ourselves in Millenium Park, the home of the famous Bean. The park houses dozens of public sculptures, but by far the most famous is the giant mirrored bean that glimmered in the sunlight as we arrived. Curved in such a way that reveals an incredible mirrored view of the cityscape around it, the bean also has a fun-house mirror room area underneath that projected dizzying reflections of the dozens of people that were milling about in its shadow.
We didn't have much time to linger at the Bean, however, since we had to meet Mark, a friend of Geries's, at Linden in a short while. Thinking it would be a pretty quick ride, we hopped on the iconic L Train to make our way over. As it turns out, Linden is one of the furthest stops on the rail line and it took us nearly an hour to get there. Thankfully our friend was still around, and after locking our bikes up in some of the coolest bike racks we've seen, he took us for a short tour of the North Shore area on our way to get some dinner. Mark took us to Portillo's, a Chicago staple and excellent Italian beef restaurant. The sandwich was as delicious as it was messy (we had ours dipped, so the bread fell apart as soon as we touched it), and after we had our fill we headed back to the train station to meet another friend downtown.
Alice, a friend from high school, met us at a small tea shop a short ride from the train station, and we set off to do some sight-seeing in the city. We walked around a little while, catching up, until we came to the Hancock Tower where we hoped to go to the top to get a bird's eye view of the city. Much like the Space Needle, there was a pretty hefty charge just to go up the elevator to the 94th floor. Thankfully, though, there was no minimum charge at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. The beer was pretty overpriced, but it was still cheaper than going to the observation deck, so it was easier to think of it as getting a discounted elevator ride complete with a free drink. It was a surprisingly clear day, and the view from the top was spectacular. We could see the whole city laid out before us, and for miles over the lake. The sun had gone down by the time we finished our drinks, and we got to see the city come alive with thousands of shimmering lights blanketing the ground for miles.
When we finally left we were hungry again, so we took a trip to Lou Malnati's to partake in another Chicago staple: deep dish pizza. The pizza was great, and we had a good time catching up with Alice, who we hadn't seen since high school, but eventually it was time to go, so we packed up and headed out for the Lakefront Trail to get back to our place in Uptown. I had a little bike trouble along the way which made shifting impossible, so I was stuck in the highest gear for the rest of the trip, but we didn't stop much so it ended up not being too much of a handicap. However it meant that I would have to get some more help before I could go riding again the next day. Since we were tired when we got back I put it off for the morning, and we went straight to bed when we arrived at the hotel.
Days 29 and 30: Attack of the floating heads
While not the longest we've had, the drive from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore was easily the most brutal. It ended up taking about twelve hours, but it seemed like far longer. The scenery was beautiful for a little while, with vast plains stretching into the distance to meet the huge sky dotted with puffs of white cloud. However, the road was so flat and straight, and the countryside so similar that it seemed as if we weren't moving at all throughout the time we were driving through eastern Montana and South Dakota. Eventually we the landscape was broken up by small rocky hills that steadily grew into grey spires stabbing the endless blue sky. As we wound our way through the Black Hills we came to the road leading to Mount Rushmore, and climbed a winding path through the mountains. A small town had sprouted up due to the monument and was filled with nothing but garish signs, hotels, and restaurants. Thankfully the town faded out of view before we were able to see Mount Rushmore.
When we finally crested the hill we were blinded by the sun sitting low in the sky, but could barely make out the outline of the massive sculpture we had come to see. We wound our way up the road a little more to the parking lot where we finally caught a good look at Mount Rushmore. It was still difficult to see with the sun just above the presidents' heads, but it was still an incredible sight. Once we parked we walked up to the viewing area and visitor's center. At the end of a walkway of smooth stone is the Grand View Terrace with its unobstructed view of the incredible monument. Hundreds of feet above the ground Washing, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln look out from their stony home on the side of Mount Rushmore. There's a strange sense of life in the sculptures that is a testament to Borglum's work, and makes the monument that much more impressive.
We didn't look for long at first, since the sun still made it difficult to see, and we wanted to see the sculptor's studio before it closed, so we rushed down the stairs to the small wooden building where Borglum prepared his masterpiece. The studio was a relatively small space with a large model of what was originally supposed to be the finished monument complete with bodies supporting the presidents' heads. In another corner stood a mockup of the hall of records that was partially built into the mountain behind the sculptures. Once we were done poking around the studio, I headed to the visitor's center to see some of the exhibits and wait for the sun to fall behind the mountain.
Once we had a clear view of Mount Rushmore we took some pictures and sat around admiring the larger-than-life work of art until the lighting program started in the amphitheater underneath the terrace. A ranger presented some history before the stage was given over to a short film about the construction of the monument and the importance of the figures that it depicts. The film was cheesy patriotism at its finest, and in any other setting might have seemed like stomach-churning propaganda, but in the shadow of Mount Rushmore I couldn't help but buy into it and feel a swelling sense of pride.
After the presentation we made our way back to the car to get on the road again. We originally intended to stay the night in the area, but realizing that we had another long ride ahead of us we made the poor decision to drive through the night so we could get to Chicago before it got too late the following day. I didn't end up driving very much at night, so I did get some restless sleep before I took my shifts the next day. Despite the discomfort, we did make it to Chicago by around four. After braving the many tolls on I-90, uncharacteristic heat, and a vicious wind we finally made it to our host's place in Uptown.
Although it wasn't clear from the couchsurfing profile, we ended up staying in an old hotel that had been converted into what can only be described as a Christian commune. The people were very friendly, and we got our own room that is presumably reserved for couchsurfers. We didn't end up doing much exploring that night, although I did get a new innertube to replace my bicycle's flat tire and promptly broke it while trying to install the thing. By that time the shop was closed, so I had to wait until the next day to get it taken care of. Once we were finished wrestling with the broken innertube we just relaxed for the rest of the night and got to bed early to rest up for our day in the city.
When we finally crested the hill we were blinded by the sun sitting low in the sky, but could barely make out the outline of the massive sculpture we had come to see. We wound our way up the road a little more to the parking lot where we finally caught a good look at Mount Rushmore. It was still difficult to see with the sun just above the presidents' heads, but it was still an incredible sight. Once we parked we walked up to the viewing area and visitor's center. At the end of a walkway of smooth stone is the Grand View Terrace with its unobstructed view of the incredible monument. Hundreds of feet above the ground Washing, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln look out from their stony home on the side of Mount Rushmore. There's a strange sense of life in the sculptures that is a testament to Borglum's work, and makes the monument that much more impressive.
We didn't look for long at first, since the sun still made it difficult to see, and we wanted to see the sculptor's studio before it closed, so we rushed down the stairs to the small wooden building where Borglum prepared his masterpiece. The studio was a relatively small space with a large model of what was originally supposed to be the finished monument complete with bodies supporting the presidents' heads. In another corner stood a mockup of the hall of records that was partially built into the mountain behind the sculptures. Once we were done poking around the studio, I headed to the visitor's center to see some of the exhibits and wait for the sun to fall behind the mountain.
Once we had a clear view of Mount Rushmore we took some pictures and sat around admiring the larger-than-life work of art until the lighting program started in the amphitheater underneath the terrace. A ranger presented some history before the stage was given over to a short film about the construction of the monument and the importance of the figures that it depicts. The film was cheesy patriotism at its finest, and in any other setting might have seemed like stomach-churning propaganda, but in the shadow of Mount Rushmore I couldn't help but buy into it and feel a swelling sense of pride.
After the presentation we made our way back to the car to get on the road again. We originally intended to stay the night in the area, but realizing that we had another long ride ahead of us we made the poor decision to drive through the night so we could get to Chicago before it got too late the following day. I didn't end up driving very much at night, so I did get some restless sleep before I took my shifts the next day. Despite the discomfort, we did make it to Chicago by around four. After braving the many tolls on I-90, uncharacteristic heat, and a vicious wind we finally made it to our host's place in Uptown.
Although it wasn't clear from the couchsurfing profile, we ended up staying in an old hotel that had been converted into what can only be described as a Christian commune. The people were very friendly, and we got our own room that is presumably reserved for couchsurfers. We didn't end up doing much exploring that night, although I did get a new innertube to replace my bicycle's flat tire and promptly broke it while trying to install the thing. By that time the shop was closed, so I had to wait until the next day to get it taken care of. Once we were finished wrestling with the broken innertube we just relaxed for the rest of the night and got to bed early to rest up for our day in the city.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Day 28: Smarter than the average bear
I woke up in the morning to a scene
quite different from the previous night with light streaming into the
tent heating the small space until it was almost unbearable. Once
Geries was up I began getting ready for my trip through the park.
Geries decided that he just wanted to rest for the day, so I would be
exploring on my own. I set out shortly after and made a quick trip to
the Mammoth Springs Inn where I spent the best $3.38 of my life on a
shower after not having had one for a few days while we were camping.
Feeling rejuvenated, I began to drive
to Norris Geyser Basin, home of Steamboat, the largest geyser in the
world. Unfortunately while I was there there was no major eruption,
but the chances were pretty slim since the last one was seven years
ago. As if in a meek attempt to appease the hopeful crowds, Steamboat
let off some smaller eruptions hurling steaming water about ten feet
into the air every five minutes or so. It managed to keep me
entertained while I was there for about an hour catching up on blog
posts. Once I was finished and it was clear that I wasn't going to
catch a Steamboat eruption, I followed the creaking boardwalk through
the rest of Norris Basin. Without too many other park visitors around
it was kind of eerie walking through the scarred landscape with its
cracked and barren soil hosting only a few crippled trees that
sprouted between steaming pools of stinking water. I was thankful for
the boardwalk since just feet from the path I spotted several holes
punched through the rocky crust that seemed to extend deeper than I
could imagine. The path was littered with hot spring and geysers, but
one of the most interesting was Porkchop Geyser, which exploded in
1989, flinging rocks and debris at eight park visitors (thankfully
missing all of them). A ring of jagged rocks rimming a small blue
pool are the only remnants of the explosion.
Once I finished the short hike through
Norris, I went to check out some of Yellowstone's other diverse
landscapes. I soon found myself at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a
glacier-carved gash that stretches for miles and houses the roaring
Yellowstone River. I took a quick stop at the brink of the Upper
Falls where the Yellowstone River dumps thousands of gallons of
frothing water into the base of the canyon below. The speed and might
of the river produced a deafening roar that echoed against the
surrounding cliffs.
Next I made my way to the south rim of
the canyon to visit Artist Point. I took a short hike along the rim
of the canyon to get there. Narrow and broken, the path wound along
the rim, occasionally brushing the edge long enough to get a view of
the falls behind and induce a sense of dizzying vertigo. I soon
reached Artist Point, which is a small outcrop of rock that juts into
the canyon, offering a view down its length, revealing the falls in
the distance and showcasing the beauty of the rift's sheer walls.
While the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is tiny compared to its big
brother in Arizona, its multicolored striated walls are just as
striking, with vibrant oranges and sunny yellows contrasting nicely
with the green trees clinging to its rocky shoulders.
Intending to turn away from the rim and
head back to the car along the rest of the loop I was following, I
started down a trail past Artist Point. The maps were a little
misleading, however, and since I was unsure if I had chosen the right
path, I doubled back and followed my original trail back to the car.
Once back at the car I headed to Yellowstone Lake, which I don't
remember seeing on the previous trip. I chose a hike out to Storm
Point along the edge of the massive lake. From my view along the
path, the only land visible was Stevenson Island and the towering
mountains many miles in the distance. As I walked through a dense
forest that skirted the lake shore I was reminded of the trail
description that mentioned that the trail was usually closed in early
summer due to bear activity. Every creaking pine or gust of wind
became the signal of an approaching bear, and I found myself walking
faster until I finally broke out of the forest and made a short climb
to the tip of Storm Point. By this time the sun was low in the sky,
and the panoramic view of the vast lake was completed by the streaks
of sunlight reflecting off the wind fueled waves crashing against the
shore.
I enjoyed the view for a while,
gathering the courage needed to trek back through the supposedly
bear-infested woods when a couple of hikers showed up speaking in
thick Russian accents. I introduced myself to Alex and Isaac, and
after we all got some pictures at the point, I hiked back with them.
We had a nice talk, and the walk back seemed much short, and less
fraught with anxiety. We soon reached our cars and parted ways, but
it was nice to meet the two boisterous Russians.
From the lake I began the long drive
back to Mammoth along what I thought was the same path I had taken
out there. However, soon I saw snow drifts along the side of the road
where I could have sworn there weren't any before. It eventually
became clear to me that I made a wrong turn, but thankfully the road
I chose also led back to the campsite, so what could have been a long
delay turned into an opportunity to see some more of the park. Along
the drive through the Tower area I couldn't help but stop at almost
all of the pullouts I saw so I could get pictures of the sunbathed
meadows and towering peaks that I passed. Wildlife encounters slowed
my progress a bit, but it was nothing compared to the previous day.
When I finally arrived back at the
campsite, Geries was there with three newcomers, Leslie, Martha, and
Michael, who he had met that day on his travels in the campground.
It was cool to have some people to hang out with as we had our
dinner, and we ended up talking well into the night as Geries showed
Michael how to do star photography. We eventually said goodnight to
our new friends and got to bed so we could wake up early for the
drive to Mount Rushmore in the morning.
Days 26 and 27: Bison backup
Since our drive was supposed to take
all day, we got an early start so we would get to Yellowstone before
it got too late. Yellowstone is the first place on our trip that I've
actually been to before, and since I had such a great time on the
first trip I was extremely excited to be headed back.
Our drive to the park was pretty
uneventful, but the changes in landscape where very drastic. We
started in the fog-covered mountains of Washington, driving along
winding roads hanging off the ragged edges of evergreen-spotted
cliffs. However, less than an hour later we began our descent on the
eastern slope, and soon found ourselves in hilly desert not unlike in
southern California east of the Rockies. The landscape transformation
was accompanied by an equally marked change in temperature as it
became blisteringly hot in the car for the next few hours.
Eventually we made it through the hilly
desert plains and entered Idaho where the mountain roads began again
and continued through Montana. Montana had some particularly striking
countryside because along the road it was almost uninhabited. We
passed some lonely houses occasionally, but for the most part we were
surrounded by beautiful, unbroken hills and mountains with an
expansive blue sky sparsely interrupted by streaky white clouds. Even
though we were tired after about twelve hours of driving, it was
still an enjoyable trip.
We finally reached Yellowstone in the
dark, but unlike Yosemite we had a plan, and we soon found a place to
set up camp and spend the night. The camp was built and we were
asleep within an hour, which definitely beat driving around the park
for hours only to sleep in the car.
I woke up in the morning bitterly cold
and with a full bladder. It was all I could to to slide out of my
slightly warm sleeping bag into the nearly freezing temperatures to
relieve myself. I tried to get back to sleep after, but the damage
was done, so I put on my frozen shoes and walked around a bit to try
to shake the chill. I noticed a trail that I hadn't seen the night
before and followed it to a fog-blanketed stream where I watched the
sun rise through a thick shroud of mist until Geries woke up.
We got some breakfast in the town of
West Yellowstone and headed back to our tent to break camp and go
into the park. To make sure there was still a space when we were
ready to get some sleep, we made our way to Mammoth Springs where we
hoped to camp for our next two nights in the park. We drove through
the winding roads of the park with columns of steam issuing from
pools and vents at dozens of points along the road, giving the park
the look of a recently abandoned battlefield with smoking craters.
The illusion was completed in Mammoth hot springs which could have
passed for a post apocalyptic wasteland with barren, acid-eaten rock
supporting some stunted and dying tries. Travertine terraces bled
rancid sulphur water and crystal clear pools rimmed in orange-stained
rock sputtered and hissed steam as a constant reminder that this is a
land in turmoil. After we finished our hike around the springs and
had some lunch, we finished up our campsite and made our way up to
the North entrance.
Our slight detour north brought us to
the North entrance of the park where the Roosevelt Arch stands. I
have a great picture in front of the arch from my previous trip to
Yellowstone, so I wanted to grab another for comparison. Being there
reminded me of the great time I had in the park on my previous visit
and got me even more excited to revisit some of my favorite places
and explore some new ones. After having a bit of trouble getting a
picture at the busy arch, we finally made our way to Grand Prismatic
Spring.
When we got there we first walked
around the boardwalks rimming the spring and smaller pools that flank
it. A constant blanket of steam came from the surface in rolling
waves, partially obscuring the kaleidoscope of brilliant colors that
lend the spring its name. Unsatisfied with the ground level view we
moved a short way up the road to the Fairy Falls trail which crosses
in front of th ehills that overlook the spring. Before long we found
a well worn offshoot trail that led up the steep, dusty hillside
littered with deadfall from a fire years ago. Scrambling up the
hillside was difficult, but well worth the effort as we were rewarded
with a great view of the entire Grand Prismatic Spring. It had even
warmed up a bit, so the steam cloud relented and we could more
clearly see the magnificent pool. After a slightly more treacherous
climb down, we made our way back to the car to drive to Old Faithful
and the Upper Geyser Basin.
We waited with a crowd of a couple
hundred people as Old Faithful was scheduled to erupt. The geyser
teased the crowd with occasional belches of steam and water before
finally exploding with full force, launching a column of superheated
water almost a hundred feet high. The earth rumbled and groaned as
the water issued forth for about a minute before finally settling
down, causing the audience to disperse with equal abruptness. After
Old Faithful, Geries and I took a walk along the boardwalk through
the geyser basin. Tendrils of steam dyed orange by the setting sun
rolled off the edge of the plateau and into the air above the swiftly
flowing river below. We caught another eruption from the Lion Geyser
Group from a distance, but otherwise just enjoyed the walk through
the beautiful crystal-clear pools and steam-spouting geyser mouths.
After the short hike, we were starting
to get pretty hungry, so we headed back to the campsite to get some
dinner before the sun went down. Unfortunately the park's bison had
other plans. Not a mile out from Old Faithful the road was blocked by
a herd of bison trying to cross. We waited for about thirty minutes
before the lumbering beasts decided which side of the road they
wanted to be on and finally started moving again, thinking we were in
the clear. We made it a short way down the road before we were
stopped yet again by a line of cars that we couldn't see the end of.
Afraid to open the windows for the mosquitoes swarming outside, we
say int the car, slowly building up heat as we waited nearly an hour
and a half with only an occasional ranger car speeding by in the
opposite lane as an indication that we might ever move. Finally when
we were on the brink of giving up and turning around to take the
ninety mile alternate route we rolled up to the bison congested area.
Dozens of bison littered the road and shoulder, standing there with
nary a flinch as we wove through to the clearing on the other side of
the wall of unmoving buffalo flesh. Just as we thought we were free,
a bison turned into our lane, narrowly missing the car. By then the
sun had nearly set and was completely down when we reached the
campsite, so we ate a quick dinner and went to sleep almost
immediately after.
Day 25: The center of the universe
Kevin woke us up next morning offering
a trip to get some bagels and coffee, which Geries declined to get
some more sleep, but I accepted since I was getting hungry. Johnny,
Kevin, Braxton (Kevin's son) and I piled into the car to head out for
some breakfast. We picked up some bagels at a local supermarket and
then arrived at one of the strangest coffee shops I've seen. A
woman's silhouette graced the sign for Espresso Gone Crazy, which was
basically a small shack with a drive-through window. It ended up
being like a Hooters for coffee, although I had hot chocolate
instead. All in all not a bad way to start the day.
When we got back Sara was up, so the
group of us sat around eating our breakfast and watching Netflix
until Geries woke up. After he had been fed and gotten ready to go we
hopped in the car and made our way back into town to meet up with
Dexter, a hallmate from our freshman year at Tech, and his friend
Julia. We picked them up and drove downtown to park before going to
check out Pike Place Market, which is somewhat similar to Fisherman's
Wharf in San Francisco. The market lies inside buildings near the
waterfront and inside noisy vendors peddle everything from massive
Copper River salmon and local kitsch to spicy chili pepper jelly.
Everywhere we turned was a bustle of activity with a slowly moving
crowd creeping along from stall to stall to inspect the endless
assortment of items for sale. As we arrived under the famous market
sign we came upon one of the many fresh fish dealers where we caught
a little show as the workers tossed thirty pound fish to each other
to be packaged for customers.
Once we had enough of the crowd we
stopped over briefly at the first Starbucks to snap some pictures and
say that we had been there. Next we visited an infamous installation
at the market: The Gum Wall. Down an alleyway I would have avoided at
night there stands a wall that houses dried gum from literally
thousands of mouths. The multicolored wall runs twenty or thirty feet
long and gum surprisingly reaches about ten feet high, complete with
little gumsicles hanging from the windowsills.
After we were done at Pike Place and
its monument to saliva we somehow still had an appetite, so at the
suggestion of Julia we made our way to Japonessa to get some sushi.
Geries and I tried the Super Bad Boy Roll for obvious reasons, and
spent lunch catching up with Dexter, who we haven't seen for a couple
years, and getting to know Julia. It was really nice to get a chance
to hang out with a friend we haven't seen in a while and make a new
friend at the same time.
Our next stop was the Seattle Public
Library which more than anything was quite a cool building. It is
covered in glass and diagonally criss-crossing supports that match
the strange angles of its outline. The building starts with a sloping
base that goes up like a pyramid until it darts outward again and
finally ends some eleven stories up. We had some fun exploring the
multicolored rooms and checking out the view from the top before
heading out for Fremont.
Fremont, the self-proclaimed center of
the universe, reminded me of Little Five Points from Atlanta with its
quirky shops, people, and street art. It's hard to consider a place
normal when it is most well known for the giant troll that lies under
the Fremont Bridge and a massive bronze statue of Lenin. After
visiting the famous troll we walked around for a bit and saw some
interesting things, including a sign that pointed the way to the
Fremont Troll, Rapunzel, and a noogie (on top of your head) as well
as a homeless man that seemed to be jumping an invisible jump rope.
Eventually we wandered our way over to a gelato shop that stands in
the shadow of the massive statue of Lenin. Inside (the gelato shop,
not the statue) I got some mint chocolate gelato and even sampled the
spicy Aztec chocolate flavor, which was surprisingly good.
By this time it was time for our
friends to head out, so we dropped them off and headed back to Sara
and Kevn's house. No one was home when we got there, so we just
relaxed for a while and had some dinner until Sara, Kevin, Johnny,
and Braxton returned with even more couchsurfers. We spent the rest
of the night hanging out with our hosts and the newcomers before
heading to bed to get some sleep for the long drive to Yellowstone
that was ahead of us the following day.
Day 24: I'm on a boat
Olalla, a
rural area across the bay from Seattle, and where we were staying for
the next two nights, was only about a two and a half hour drive from
Portland, so even though we took our time getting up and getting
ready we made it there in the early afternoon. When we arrived, our
hosts weren't around, but we met a pretty large group of couchsurfers
holding down the fort. We took some time to get acquainted and have
some lunch before they headed off on th enext leg of their journey,
leaving me, Geries, and Johnny, a couchsurfer from Germany that just
arrived in America the previous night. Since we were eager to check
out Seattle, we invited Johnny along and made our way into the city.
We plugged a Seattle address into the
GPS and went on our merry way assuming that it would take us around
the bay. However, soon we found ourselves driving straight toward the
water and by the time we realized we were in line to take the ferry
it was too late. The ferry ride ended up being worth the price,
though, since it was a pretty fun and scenic ride across the Puget
Sound. We got a great look at the city from a distance, including the
iconic Space Needle.
The ferry dropped us off in West
Seattle, and from there it was just a short drive to downtown where
we parked and set off toward the waterfront to find a place to eat.
We eventually settled on Ivar's Seafood Bar where we got some classic
Seattle fish and chips. Through dropping-stained windows we watched
as brave souls fed fries to the pier's large and very vocal seagull
population. Hungry birds swooped down as if from nowhere and plucked
fries right out of the unsuspecting feeders' hands. Once we had our
fill of food and entertainment we took a walk up the waterfront to
the Olympic Sculpture Garden where we were greeted by an inexplicably
naked father-son duo cast in bronze at the center of a fountain. We
took a nice walk through the rest of the park and saw some
interesting sculptures, including a tree that we almost mistook for
the real thing despite its chrome exterior (it was very
inconspicuously placed).
Next we walked over to the Space
Needle, which is surrounded by the Pacific Science Center. Although
we didn't get to go inside the Science Center, they also had a wide
array of public sculpture for us to enjoy on our walk to the
flying-saucer-like tower. Just outside the Space Needle was an
exhibit of sculptures that looked like an explosion of jellyfish was
magically turned into glass. The monstrous glass sculptures seemed
familiar, and as we later learned they were actually made by the
same artist that did the hanging sculptures in the management
building at Georgia Tech.
Eventually we stood under the Space
Needle looking up its sloped exterior to the flying saucer perched
atop that we were just too cheap to go up to. A short elevator ride
with about ten minutes on the observation deck cost almost twenty
dollars, and even more ridiculous was the thirty-five dollars per
person that you had to spend at the restaurant to be let up. We still
enjoyed the view from the bottom, though, and afterward we made our
way back to the car. This time we made sure to have the GPS avoid the
ferry, and we had a toll-free ride back to the house.
Once we arrived, Kevin, one of our
hosts, was there to greet us (his wife Sara was asleep) and we spent
some time talking and getting to know him while we shared beers in
the hot tub. It was a nice relaxing way to end a pretty good day.
After we dried off we took our spots in the camper parked just
outside the house and got some rest to prepare for our next day in
the city.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Day 23: Like being at home
It's funny how you can stay somewhere long enough that it begins to feel like a second home, even when you haven't really been there that long. Things just become familiar and safe and you have a hard time leaving a place like that for something unknown. After spending nearly a week in Portland when we had only spent three nights at most in other places, this strange little corner of northern Oregon had become very familiar indeed. However, that didn't mean that there wasn't anything new to explore in the city.
Our morning was spent with Geries calling mechanics about the car while I took my bike into a shop to fix a couple of issues that Bob and I couldn't handle on our own. Before long Geries decided that the car would make it, and that we wouldn't bother getting it taken care of in Portland. I guess we'll see how it plays out. Seattle is only about a four hour drive, so it's as good a test as any to see if the car can handle the rest of the trip without risking getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.
After spending the rest of the morning into late afternoon lazing around, we decided to go back into the city one last time. Geries dropped me off near Forest Park where I caught a very nice little trail that led up the hill to Pittock Mansion, a famous house and one of the first in Portland which was previously owned by the founder of the popular newspaper the Oregonian. A winding beaten dirt path carried me through the thick forest just on the edge of the city proper and eventually spat me out at the top of a tall hill where the formidable Pittock Mansion stood. I walked around to the back of the house and was greeted with a spectacular view of Portland with the incredible Mount Hood looming in the background.. It was a fun space to kill a few minutes in, just looking down on the city and finding the places I had visited earlier.
While at the viewpoint from Pittock Mansion I noticed from my phone that Andy, a recently graduated friend from Tech, lives in Portland. I wish I had known earlier so we could have connected sooner, but in any case we got in touch and I headed back down the trail to my bike. I rode into the city and met Andy for a great dinner at Blue Moon. The hamburger I ordered was top notch and I had a great time catching up with Andy. This reminds me to be more thorough in checking through my friends to see if any live in the areas we're visiting. I would hate to miss a chance to hang out and catch up even if for just a little while.
Dusk was gathering as we parted ways, and I rode my bike over to a MAX station to head to the house. Before long I was back, and had the good fortune to catch Bob before he made it to bed. I couldn't have asked for better hosts, and it was good to say thank you and goodbye before he left for San Francisco in the morning (much earlier than we planned on getting up to head to Seattle). Portland was a fantastic experience, but soon we'll finally be on the road again to begin the second half of our trip as we make our way toward Seattle.
Our morning was spent with Geries calling mechanics about the car while I took my bike into a shop to fix a couple of issues that Bob and I couldn't handle on our own. Before long Geries decided that the car would make it, and that we wouldn't bother getting it taken care of in Portland. I guess we'll see how it plays out. Seattle is only about a four hour drive, so it's as good a test as any to see if the car can handle the rest of the trip without risking getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.
After spending the rest of the morning into late afternoon lazing around, we decided to go back into the city one last time. Geries dropped me off near Forest Park where I caught a very nice little trail that led up the hill to Pittock Mansion, a famous house and one of the first in Portland which was previously owned by the founder of the popular newspaper the Oregonian. A winding beaten dirt path carried me through the thick forest just on the edge of the city proper and eventually spat me out at the top of a tall hill where the formidable Pittock Mansion stood. I walked around to the back of the house and was greeted with a spectacular view of Portland with the incredible Mount Hood looming in the background.. It was a fun space to kill a few minutes in, just looking down on the city and finding the places I had visited earlier.
While at the viewpoint from Pittock Mansion I noticed from my phone that Andy, a recently graduated friend from Tech, lives in Portland. I wish I had known earlier so we could have connected sooner, but in any case we got in touch and I headed back down the trail to my bike. I rode into the city and met Andy for a great dinner at Blue Moon. The hamburger I ordered was top notch and I had a great time catching up with Andy. This reminds me to be more thorough in checking through my friends to see if any live in the areas we're visiting. I would hate to miss a chance to hang out and catch up even if for just a little while.
Dusk was gathering as we parted ways, and I rode my bike over to a MAX station to head to the house. Before long I was back, and had the good fortune to catch Bob before he made it to bed. I couldn't have asked for better hosts, and it was good to say thank you and goodbye before he left for San Francisco in the morning (much earlier than we planned on getting up to head to Seattle). Portland was a fantastic experience, but soon we'll finally be on the road again to begin the second half of our trip as we make our way toward Seattle.
Days 21 and 22: Saab stories
On Saturday we rose bright and early to prepare for our bike ride with Bob and some of his friends. There was quite a chill in the air as we headed out, but the sky was clear, signalling that we would have a brisk but enjoyable ride ahead of us. We met up in a small park and Bob introduced us to Roy, Josh, and Doug, who we had met before at the Chrome store opening. We chatted a little until it was clear that no one else was going to show up, then saddled up and rode out.
The route first took us through some industrial parks on the edge of the city before we cut in a bit to make it onto the Steel Bridge to cross the Willamette near the Navy ships. From there we followed a bike trail that runs alongside the river, passing through quite a few rowing clubs along the way. We moved along at quite a clip and soon I felt a cold sweat despite the nip in the air. At our pace it wasn't long before we reached another bridge and made our way back across the Willamette to follow a similar trail on the other side. As we passed by some apartment buildings, the riverbank jutted out into the water, revealing a great view down the length of the river and plenty of Portland's unique bridges.
Finally we came near the end of our ride and were going to stop at Breken's Kitchen to grab something to eat. They looked open and busy, bu when we tried to go in it turned out they were filming something in the coffee shop. Unfortunately they weren't interested in hiring any more extras, so we took our leave and went to Grand Central, a bakery turned coffee shop that was more than adequate.
We sat around some delicious egg biscuits and muffins and talked for a while before leaving to get back to the car. It was a great group of guys to hang out with, and I wish we could have had more time to shoot the breeze. Everyone had some great stories to tell, and both the ride and the breakfast stop flew by too fast.
Once we got back to the car we hopped in and made our way back to the house to shower and pack so we could leave for Seattle. On the way there, however, the check engine light on the Saab came on, so we stopped at the house just long enough to drop off the bikes and me, and Geries took it to an auto store to get it checked. We learned that some of the cylinders were misfiring and that a couple of the spark plugs had some oil on them. While the car still ran, it had lost some power, so we got it to a mechanic to have it checked out more thoroughly. Since it was Saturday the pickings were pretty slim, but we found a place to do a diagnostic. They told us that there were a couple of leaking gaskets and we left with that information, planning to extend our stay and see what our options were to get it fixed on Monday when all the mechanics open back up.
In the meantime we still had more of Portland to see, so we rode our bikes to the MAX train station to take us into town. We rode around for a while and took in the city by night. The riverside was especially impressive with all the ships and lights up for the Rose Festival. Eventually we made our way back to the train and headed for Bob and Christy's house for another night.
The next morning there wasn't much we could do for the car since it was still the weekend, so we slept in and I spent the day relaxing at the house while Geries went back into the city. It was nice to take a day to unwind after travelling around the country at such a breakneck pace. But even though I didn't see more of the city, I had a great time working on my bike with Bob and had an excellent dinner and conversation with our hosts, making the day far from a waste. Although not exciting, it was one of the best days of the trip so far. I got to bed fairly early hoping to get up early as well and get the car taken care of so we could leave by Tuesday morning for Seattle.
The route first took us through some industrial parks on the edge of the city before we cut in a bit to make it onto the Steel Bridge to cross the Willamette near the Navy ships. From there we followed a bike trail that runs alongside the river, passing through quite a few rowing clubs along the way. We moved along at quite a clip and soon I felt a cold sweat despite the nip in the air. At our pace it wasn't long before we reached another bridge and made our way back across the Willamette to follow a similar trail on the other side. As we passed by some apartment buildings, the riverbank jutted out into the water, revealing a great view down the length of the river and plenty of Portland's unique bridges.
Finally we came near the end of our ride and were going to stop at Breken's Kitchen to grab something to eat. They looked open and busy, bu when we tried to go in it turned out they were filming something in the coffee shop. Unfortunately they weren't interested in hiring any more extras, so we took our leave and went to Grand Central, a bakery turned coffee shop that was more than adequate.
We sat around some delicious egg biscuits and muffins and talked for a while before leaving to get back to the car. It was a great group of guys to hang out with, and I wish we could have had more time to shoot the breeze. Everyone had some great stories to tell, and both the ride and the breakfast stop flew by too fast.
Once we got back to the car we hopped in and made our way back to the house to shower and pack so we could leave for Seattle. On the way there, however, the check engine light on the Saab came on, so we stopped at the house just long enough to drop off the bikes and me, and Geries took it to an auto store to get it checked. We learned that some of the cylinders were misfiring and that a couple of the spark plugs had some oil on them. While the car still ran, it had lost some power, so we got it to a mechanic to have it checked out more thoroughly. Since it was Saturday the pickings were pretty slim, but we found a place to do a diagnostic. They told us that there were a couple of leaking gaskets and we left with that information, planning to extend our stay and see what our options were to get it fixed on Monday when all the mechanics open back up.
In the meantime we still had more of Portland to see, so we rode our bikes to the MAX train station to take us into town. We rode around for a while and took in the city by night. The riverside was especially impressive with all the ships and lights up for the Rose Festival. Eventually we made our way back to the train and headed for Bob and Christy's house for another night.
The next morning there wasn't much we could do for the car since it was still the weekend, so we slept in and I spent the day relaxing at the house while Geries went back into the city. It was nice to take a day to unwind after travelling around the country at such a breakneck pace. But even though I didn't see more of the city, I had a great time working on my bike with Bob and had an excellent dinner and conversation with our hosts, making the day far from a waste. Although not exciting, it was one of the best days of the trip so far. I got to bed fairly early hoping to get up early as well and get the car taken care of so we could leave by Tuesday morning for Seattle.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Day 20: Rain on our parade
Like the day before the sky was overcast when we woke up, which bode ill for the Rose Festival Parade that was scheduled for the afternoon. However, instead of raining immediately and clearing up like the previous day, it waited until we were out and about to being pouring rain. This made our first stop all the more necessary, since we were going to a Columbia store where I could get a jacket to see me through Portland's volatile weather. Sunshine lit our way out of the store, almost making it seem unneeded for me to wear the jacket I just got, but I knew better and kept it on. Sure enough, not long after we got back in the car the sun was obscured by ever darker clouds and the rain began again with renewed gusto.
Rather than get completely soaked, we walked our bikes into the city instead of riding them, and went to grab some lunch at one of the food trucks, a unique Portland installation. The food trucks line a few of the streets near the city center offering everything from gourmet soups to Korean burritos. We chose to visit Remy's Stewed Intentions whose owner we had met the other night on our walk through the city with Bob. Charlie, a small clown bust (the reason we stopped to say hello the previous night), greeted us as we ordered some delicious pork adoba from Remy.
Once we had eaten our fill, we headed back to the Chrome store where we browsed around and chatted up some of the employees before finally breaking down and getting bags for ourselves. The bag is remarkably well designed, and works perfectly for riding, which is what made it especially tempting for use on our trip. When we finally left the shop, Geries and I split up for a bit and I went exploring.
It had finally stopped raining, so I got on my bike and rode down to the river where several Navy ships were moored for the Rose Festival. I wasn't very sure of where I was going, but I soon crossed the Willamette River without meaning to. It was fun riding across one of the many bridges that Portland is known for. Since Portland is pretty much cut in half by the Willamette, there are many bridges that span it, all with their own unique style. I eventually found another bridge to make it back to my original side of the river, and got a great view of the ships on my way over. It was an impressive sight, seeing those incredible machines sitting docile on the river. As I passed the fenced perimeter, though, I saw that they were heavily guarded by stocky men in fatigues sporting large assault rifles and holding back a massive German shepherd.
Geries and I met back up at the square with the great amphitheater and went on to check out some more of Portland's little parks. We stopped at one with a giant chess set on the ground and watched some of the park-goers play a game before we finally packed up and headed back to the house for dinner.
We had an excellent dinner with Bob and Christy and spent a good while talking until it was time for us to leave to make it to our movies. Geries chose Men in Black III while I went to see Prometheus. In spit of Ridley Scott's claims to the contrary, Prometheus is absolutely a prequel to the Alien movies, or at least it is set in the same universe and takes place prior to Alien. I'm still not sure how I feel about the movie, but from a technical standpoint it was extremely well executed. The performances were great, the atmosphere was suitably desolate and foreboding, and the effects were spectacular, but I was still slightly confused by the end of it all. I think that I just need to see it again at some point. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, despite my slight misgivings. The movies took us late into the night, and when we were done we came home and immediately went to bed to prepare for a bike ride in the morning and heading to Seattle after.
Rather than get completely soaked, we walked our bikes into the city instead of riding them, and went to grab some lunch at one of the food trucks, a unique Portland installation. The food trucks line a few of the streets near the city center offering everything from gourmet soups to Korean burritos. We chose to visit Remy's Stewed Intentions whose owner we had met the other night on our walk through the city with Bob. Charlie, a small clown bust (the reason we stopped to say hello the previous night), greeted us as we ordered some delicious pork adoba from Remy.
Once we had eaten our fill, we headed back to the Chrome store where we browsed around and chatted up some of the employees before finally breaking down and getting bags for ourselves. The bag is remarkably well designed, and works perfectly for riding, which is what made it especially tempting for use on our trip. When we finally left the shop, Geries and I split up for a bit and I went exploring.
It had finally stopped raining, so I got on my bike and rode down to the river where several Navy ships were moored for the Rose Festival. I wasn't very sure of where I was going, but I soon crossed the Willamette River without meaning to. It was fun riding across one of the many bridges that Portland is known for. Since Portland is pretty much cut in half by the Willamette, there are many bridges that span it, all with their own unique style. I eventually found another bridge to make it back to my original side of the river, and got a great view of the ships on my way over. It was an impressive sight, seeing those incredible machines sitting docile on the river. As I passed the fenced perimeter, though, I saw that they were heavily guarded by stocky men in fatigues sporting large assault rifles and holding back a massive German shepherd.
Geries and I met back up at the square with the great amphitheater and went on to check out some more of Portland's little parks. We stopped at one with a giant chess set on the ground and watched some of the park-goers play a game before we finally packed up and headed back to the house for dinner.
We had an excellent dinner with Bob and Christy and spent a good while talking until it was time for us to leave to make it to our movies. Geries chose Men in Black III while I went to see Prometheus. In spit of Ridley Scott's claims to the contrary, Prometheus is absolutely a prequel to the Alien movies, or at least it is set in the same universe and takes place prior to Alien. I'm still not sure how I feel about the movie, but from a technical standpoint it was extremely well executed. The performances were great, the atmosphere was suitably desolate and foreboding, and the effects were spectacular, but I was still slightly confused by the end of it all. I think that I just need to see it again at some point. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, despite my slight misgivings. The movies took us late into the night, and when we were done we came home and immediately went to bed to prepare for a bike ride in the morning and heading to Seattle after.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Day 19: Good donuts come in pink boxes
Rain greeted us for our first full day in Portland, and only the second rainy day so far on our trip. After taking our time getting ready we packed up and headed downtown. We stopped first at AAA to get some maps to help out and even got some discount movie tickets to use while we were in town.
Parking was a bit difficult, but no worse than some of the other places we've been to. Eventually we found a spot and hopped on our bikes (by this time the rain had stopped) and started exploring. The first Portland icon we visited was Powell's Books, which is an impressive monument to the dying business of brick-and-mortar bookstores. Powell's takes up an entire city block and then some, filled with literally miles of bookshelves holding thousands of new and used books sometimes including interesting and rare old editions. I could have spent hours getting lost in the massive maze of books and checking out the dozens of handpicked reading lists provided by the staff. There were even a few walls that had been signed by visiting authors. However, once our bags were full, and our wallets lighter, we finally broke free and played with some of the interesting street art (a giant pendulum) before moving on to grab some lunch.
For lunch we stopped at Breken's Kitchen which was on the outskirts of the Pearl District. Breken's is mostly known for coffee, but we had some great lasagna instead. We didn't have much time after lunch before our parking ran out, so we rushed back to pick up the car and make one last stop before leaving the city for a while.
On our way out we dropped by Voodoo Doughnut, a place that nicely sums up the sort of counter-culture vibe that Portland exudes. "Keep Portland weird" is painted in giant block letters on one of the buildings opposite Voodoo, and the cramped donut shop seemed purpose-built to meet that challenge. garish colors adorned the walls while decidedly "alternative" workers brought out tray after tray of bizarre donut creations that one could preview in their rotating glass display cases on the counter. I ordered the No-Name, a donut with chocolate frosting, Rice Krispies, and peanut butter, along with some signature voodoo dolls, donuts shaped like little people with a pretzel-stick pin inserted in their chests and complete with agonized icing faces.
When we were done at the donut shop, we headed back to the house to meet Bob to attend the grand opening of Portland's Chrome store. Chrome, which was started by Bob's friend Steve, is known for its messenger bags made for cyclists, so when we arrived there was quite a display of bicycles outside the shop. Not everyone there was a cyclist, though, or even knew what the store was for. It seemed like there was an equal number of die hard fans compared to hungry passerby trying to get their hands on free tacos and beer.
It was fun for a bit, but we only stuck around long enough to grab a beer and say hello to Steve before setting off to get some dinner. On the way through the city Bob showed us some of his favorite spots in Portland. We walked along the streets with an almost random assortment and arrangement of trees that made it seem as if Portland was just a bunch of buildings that magically sprouted up in a forest. Eventually we reached a small square where we played around in a very special amphitheater. When standing in a certain point in the amphitheater your voice is amplified, but only to yourself. It was a very strange and cool experience.
Not long after we made it to Hot Lips Pizza, where we had some excellent food, beer, and company. We spent a while there just eating and chatting before finally heading back to the house to rest up for our next day in Portland.
Parking was a bit difficult, but no worse than some of the other places we've been to. Eventually we found a spot and hopped on our bikes (by this time the rain had stopped) and started exploring. The first Portland icon we visited was Powell's Books, which is an impressive monument to the dying business of brick-and-mortar bookstores. Powell's takes up an entire city block and then some, filled with literally miles of bookshelves holding thousands of new and used books sometimes including interesting and rare old editions. I could have spent hours getting lost in the massive maze of books and checking out the dozens of handpicked reading lists provided by the staff. There were even a few walls that had been signed by visiting authors. However, once our bags were full, and our wallets lighter, we finally broke free and played with some of the interesting street art (a giant pendulum) before moving on to grab some lunch.
For lunch we stopped at Breken's Kitchen which was on the outskirts of the Pearl District. Breken's is mostly known for coffee, but we had some great lasagna instead. We didn't have much time after lunch before our parking ran out, so we rushed back to pick up the car and make one last stop before leaving the city for a while.
On our way out we dropped by Voodoo Doughnut, a place that nicely sums up the sort of counter-culture vibe that Portland exudes. "Keep Portland weird" is painted in giant block letters on one of the buildings opposite Voodoo, and the cramped donut shop seemed purpose-built to meet that challenge. garish colors adorned the walls while decidedly "alternative" workers brought out tray after tray of bizarre donut creations that one could preview in their rotating glass display cases on the counter. I ordered the No-Name, a donut with chocolate frosting, Rice Krispies, and peanut butter, along with some signature voodoo dolls, donuts shaped like little people with a pretzel-stick pin inserted in their chests and complete with agonized icing faces.
When we were done at the donut shop, we headed back to the house to meet Bob to attend the grand opening of Portland's Chrome store. Chrome, which was started by Bob's friend Steve, is known for its messenger bags made for cyclists, so when we arrived there was quite a display of bicycles outside the shop. Not everyone there was a cyclist, though, or even knew what the store was for. It seemed like there was an equal number of die hard fans compared to hungry passerby trying to get their hands on free tacos and beer.
It was fun for a bit, but we only stuck around long enough to grab a beer and say hello to Steve before setting off to get some dinner. On the way through the city Bob showed us some of his favorite spots in Portland. We walked along the streets with an almost random assortment and arrangement of trees that made it seem as if Portland was just a bunch of buildings that magically sprouted up in a forest. Eventually we reached a small square where we played around in a very special amphitheater. When standing in a certain point in the amphitheater your voice is amplified, but only to yourself. It was a very strange and cool experience.
Not long after we made it to Hot Lips Pizza, where we had some excellent food, beer, and company. We spent a while there just eating and chatting before finally heading back to the house to rest up for our next day in Portland.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Day 18: On the road again
The drive from San Francisco to Portland was a tiring one. Not only was it about 12 hours on the road, but it was also hard to leave a place where I had such a great time and met so many interesting people. Nonetheless we made our way north of San Francisco where the bay turned into rolling hills of golden grass which in turn transformed into the foothills of great mountains when we finally entered Oregon.
Oregon was actually a fun state to drive through because it had this feeling of untamed wilderness that was very striking. Sparse settlements occasionally dotted the undulating landscape-- just enough that we were reminded that people did actually live in this place so close to the pristine wild. Even when we did pass through major population centers they were hidden by a thick screen of trees and sharp hills.
At last, when it was nearly dark, we reached Portland. The sky was stained a glowing orange that wonderfully illuminated the distinctive evergreens, so different from the ubiquitous palm trees found in California. We reached our destination just as darkness fell at the house of Bob and Christy.
We were immediately greeted by Goose, the lovable black lab of the household, and welcomed inside by Christy just as Bob arrived. We had an excellent dinner and discussed some of the next day's possible activities, getting some great suggestions from our hosts. Also before going to bed, Bob, who has an extensive knowledge of bicycles, helped fix some nagging issues with my bike that in just a short amount of time dramatically improved its performance.
Oregon was actually a fun state to drive through because it had this feeling of untamed wilderness that was very striking. Sparse settlements occasionally dotted the undulating landscape-- just enough that we were reminded that people did actually live in this place so close to the pristine wild. Even when we did pass through major population centers they were hidden by a thick screen of trees and sharp hills.
At last, when it was nearly dark, we reached Portland. The sky was stained a glowing orange that wonderfully illuminated the distinctive evergreens, so different from the ubiquitous palm trees found in California. We reached our destination just as darkness fell at the house of Bob and Christy.
We were immediately greeted by Goose, the lovable black lab of the household, and welcomed inside by Christy just as Bob arrived. We had an excellent dinner and discussed some of the next day's possible activities, getting some great suggestions from our hosts. Also before going to bed, Bob, who has an extensive knowledge of bicycles, helped fix some nagging issues with my bike that in just a short amount of time dramatically improved its performance.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Day 17: The San Francisco Bike-athon
The morning broke with no fog to speak of, but being wary of the deceptive weather I decided to go with jeans for the day, which turned out to be a solid choice. We left at about 10am on our bike tour of the city and didn't return until 6pm. Our first stop was at the Golden Gate park, which was very close to Lance's house. It was a nice park to ride through, though we didn't really stop to enjoy it very much. We made our way through the park until we reached the street that would take us to The Presidio, which is a national park that provides access to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Our tour through the Presidio gave us our first taste of how hilly San Francisco is. By car it's easy to underestimate how steep some of the hills are, but when you travel by bike, even some of the lesser hills can be agonizing. After a particularly grueling climb we made it to the top of the Presidio which offered a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as the part of the city that juts out into the bay. More than just being an incredible feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge is a spectacular work of art. It's signature red expanse just completes the image of San Francisco in my head.
Once we had our fill of the view from the Presidio, we took the much easier ride down the hill to come directly to the Golden Gate Bridge where we got to ride our bikes all the way across the San Francisco Bay. It's incredible how deceptive the length of the bridge is. We made it to the south tower in what seemed like a short amount of time, but it felt like it took quite a long time to get to where the main cable almost touches the bridge, marking the center. It was also much higher above the water than it seemed. As we were stopped at the south tower to take pictures of the bridge and the bay, including Alcatraz in the distance, I watched a man drop a banana peel off the side, and it took a good 20 seconds for it to reach the swirling waters below.
Since there wasn't much to see on the north side of the bridge but the bridge itself, we made our way back across to continue our tour of the city. On our way to Fisherman's Wharf from the bridge we took Lombard Street, which is absurd in about every way a street can be. We didn't even bother biking up the comically steep hill, passing cars that looked as if they were on the verge of tipping over and toppling down the street. Once we reached the top we made it to "the crookedest street in the world" which followed a path that might have been drawn by a polygraph down an only slightly less steep decline than the other side of the hill.
After our ordeal with the hills of San Francisco, we arrived at Fisherman's Wharf, which as we were warned was bustling with tourists. Being tourists ourselves, it didn't bother us much, and it was a pretty novel experience with the cool ocean breeze, and the countless street performers crowding the streets. At Lance's suggestion, we tried out Boudin's Bakery for lunch, where we got the traditional clam chowder in a sourdough breadbowl. It was the perfect lunch for the day: both delicious and filling, since it basically amounted to a whole loaf of bread with some excellent clam chowder added in. Next we took a brief trip to Pier 39, which is basically just a mall on one of the piers in the bay, and then hopped on our bikes again to explore more of the city.
On our way out of Fisherman's Wharf we passed through Chinatown and North Beach again, but stopped to savor it this time as we went to Z Cioccolato, another suggestion of Lance's, where we got some amazing saltwater taffy to bring back for our host (and ourselves). Next we made a brief stop back at the Union Square area to pick up some photo prints before heading out to the Mission district centered around the old Delores Mission, one of the oldest buildings in the city if not the oldest, dating from the 1700's. While in Mission, we stopped at Bi-Rite Creamery where I got some of their famous salted caramel ice cream.
Finally, on the last leg of our city wide biking marathon, we passed through Castro, the gay district, and went almost up to Twin Peaks, the tallest point in San Francisco. We made it up about half the slope before we decided it would probably be a better idea just to head back, which we did. We arrived at Lance's just as he completed his afternoon run, and hung out for a little bit before Lance made us dinner again. This time we had salmon, burgers, baked potatoes, and brussel sprouts, which were all excellent.
It's going to be tough to say goodbye to San Francisco since it was such a vibrant and fun place to be, and because our host showed us an excellent time, but tomorrow we'll be headed off to Portland and hopefully another great time.
Our tour through the Presidio gave us our first taste of how hilly San Francisco is. By car it's easy to underestimate how steep some of the hills are, but when you travel by bike, even some of the lesser hills can be agonizing. After a particularly grueling climb we made it to the top of the Presidio which offered a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as the part of the city that juts out into the bay. More than just being an incredible feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge is a spectacular work of art. It's signature red expanse just completes the image of San Francisco in my head.
Once we had our fill of the view from the Presidio, we took the much easier ride down the hill to come directly to the Golden Gate Bridge where we got to ride our bikes all the way across the San Francisco Bay. It's incredible how deceptive the length of the bridge is. We made it to the south tower in what seemed like a short amount of time, but it felt like it took quite a long time to get to where the main cable almost touches the bridge, marking the center. It was also much higher above the water than it seemed. As we were stopped at the south tower to take pictures of the bridge and the bay, including Alcatraz in the distance, I watched a man drop a banana peel off the side, and it took a good 20 seconds for it to reach the swirling waters below.
Since there wasn't much to see on the north side of the bridge but the bridge itself, we made our way back across to continue our tour of the city. On our way to Fisherman's Wharf from the bridge we took Lombard Street, which is absurd in about every way a street can be. We didn't even bother biking up the comically steep hill, passing cars that looked as if they were on the verge of tipping over and toppling down the street. Once we reached the top we made it to "the crookedest street in the world" which followed a path that might have been drawn by a polygraph down an only slightly less steep decline than the other side of the hill.
After our ordeal with the hills of San Francisco, we arrived at Fisherman's Wharf, which as we were warned was bustling with tourists. Being tourists ourselves, it didn't bother us much, and it was a pretty novel experience with the cool ocean breeze, and the countless street performers crowding the streets. At Lance's suggestion, we tried out Boudin's Bakery for lunch, where we got the traditional clam chowder in a sourdough breadbowl. It was the perfect lunch for the day: both delicious and filling, since it basically amounted to a whole loaf of bread with some excellent clam chowder added in. Next we took a brief trip to Pier 39, which is basically just a mall on one of the piers in the bay, and then hopped on our bikes again to explore more of the city.
On our way out of Fisherman's Wharf we passed through Chinatown and North Beach again, but stopped to savor it this time as we went to Z Cioccolato, another suggestion of Lance's, where we got some amazing saltwater taffy to bring back for our host (and ourselves). Next we made a brief stop back at the Union Square area to pick up some photo prints before heading out to the Mission district centered around the old Delores Mission, one of the oldest buildings in the city if not the oldest, dating from the 1700's. While in Mission, we stopped at Bi-Rite Creamery where I got some of their famous salted caramel ice cream.
Finally, on the last leg of our city wide biking marathon, we passed through Castro, the gay district, and went almost up to Twin Peaks, the tallest point in San Francisco. We made it up about half the slope before we decided it would probably be a better idea just to head back, which we did. We arrived at Lance's just as he completed his afternoon run, and hung out for a little bit before Lance made us dinner again. This time we had salmon, burgers, baked potatoes, and brussel sprouts, which were all excellent.
It's going to be tough to say goodbye to San Francisco since it was such a vibrant and fun place to be, and because our host showed us an excellent time, but tomorrow we'll be headed off to Portland and hopefully another great time.
Day 16: At the Thirsty Bear
Our first full day in San Francisco began with quite a bit of fog. Not realizing what that meant in terms of the temperature, I dressed in my usual shorts and short sleeved t-shirt. It stayed relatively overcast, windy, and pretty chilly for the rest of the day, but since I couldn't bring myself to spend money on a jacket while we were out, I just braved the weather in my inappropriate attire.
We started the day relatively late, but we made it downtown around 11am to start checking out Market Street before having lunch with our host, Lance. In the downtown area, Market Street is absolutely bustling with people at all times. People duck in and out of the dozens of shops that line the street while cars and bikes jockey for position among the many streetcars hooked into the spiderwebbed ceiling of cables that hangs above every street in the city. Geries and I walked around for a while looking at shops until lunch time when we met up with Lance and his friend Michael.
After navigating the streets considerably faster than we had without our guides, we made it to Thirsty Bear, a restaurant and organic microbrewery right in downtown San Francisco. We all ordered the beer and burger combo, which included one of the brewery's beers on tap, and a lamb and pork burger with hard boiled egg and arugula. The burger was delicious, and the beer was also very good. I tried the Valencia wheat, which was good on its own, but I probably should have asked for an orange peel to go with it.
Once we were fed, we went back to the car to try to visit an art store so Geries could get a stamp and sealing wax. Navigating Market Street by car proved to be a nightmare. At every intersection it seemed like it was impossible to turn left, making it quite an ordeal just to get to the other side of the street to go the opposite direction. We eventually found the only way to switch directions was just to go all the way to the end of the Union Square area and turn around then come all the way back.
We did find the art store, and after we got what we came for, we made it back to Lance's to rest before heading out to a birthday party for Michael, who we had lunch with earlier. The party was very low key, and we got to meet a ton of cool people who told us, among other things, all about the things we should do and see in San Francisco. Before the night was out we also got to meet Robin and Jeff, two couchsurfers from New York that had just come in that night to stay with Lance. We had a great time just hanging out and talking with Robin, Jeff, Lance, and all the others at the party. With our new list of places to go, we were ready to get to bed and rest up for our next day in San Francisco.
We started the day relatively late, but we made it downtown around 11am to start checking out Market Street before having lunch with our host, Lance. In the downtown area, Market Street is absolutely bustling with people at all times. People duck in and out of the dozens of shops that line the street while cars and bikes jockey for position among the many streetcars hooked into the spiderwebbed ceiling of cables that hangs above every street in the city. Geries and I walked around for a while looking at shops until lunch time when we met up with Lance and his friend Michael.
After navigating the streets considerably faster than we had without our guides, we made it to Thirsty Bear, a restaurant and organic microbrewery right in downtown San Francisco. We all ordered the beer and burger combo, which included one of the brewery's beers on tap, and a lamb and pork burger with hard boiled egg and arugula. The burger was delicious, and the beer was also very good. I tried the Valencia wheat, which was good on its own, but I probably should have asked for an orange peel to go with it.
Once we were fed, we went back to the car to try to visit an art store so Geries could get a stamp and sealing wax. Navigating Market Street by car proved to be a nightmare. At every intersection it seemed like it was impossible to turn left, making it quite an ordeal just to get to the other side of the street to go the opposite direction. We eventually found the only way to switch directions was just to go all the way to the end of the Union Square area and turn around then come all the way back.
We did find the art store, and after we got what we came for, we made it back to Lance's to rest before heading out to a birthday party for Michael, who we had lunch with earlier. The party was very low key, and we got to meet a ton of cool people who told us, among other things, all about the things we should do and see in San Francisco. Before the night was out we also got to meet Robin and Jeff, two couchsurfers from New York that had just come in that night to stay with Lance. We had a great time just hanging out and talking with Robin, Jeff, Lance, and all the others at the party. With our new list of places to go, we were ready to get to bed and rest up for our next day in San Francisco.
Day 15: Toll woes
We woke up bright and early to break camp and leave Yosemite on our way to San Francisco. Thankfully our food hadn't been raided by bears the night before, although who knows if they came by anyway? Our campsite was positioned pretty well in the park for us to make a speedy getaway north to San Francisco, so we made good time, and soon the rock walls and trees of the canyon became the rolling grassy hills of Northern California. Before long the city of Oakland sprang up before us, and the San Francisco Bay Bridge loomed in the distance. We had a bit of a nasty shock when we got up to the base of the bridge and were faced with a five dollar toll to cross. After begrudgingly paying the toll, we took the bridge right into the city, getting an excellent view of the bay, Alcatraz, and the San Francisco cityscape.
Our first stop was at a barbecue for one of the fathers at the church Lance, our San Francisco host, attends. We met up with Lance and another couchsurfer, Aaron, who had stayed with Lance earlier, but was leaving that day. After hanging around and meeting with some of Lance's friends at the barbecue, another couchsurfer staying with Lance-- Leo, from Germany-- made his way over, and we all headed back to Lance's place.
Geries and I were road-weary and dirty from the drive and camping, so the first thing we did was take showers and relax for a bit while Lance left to go pick up a friend from the airport. We talked with Leo, and watched some Breaking Bad for the first time until Lance got back a few hours later. Once Lance arrived he made us a delicious dinner of salmon, rice, and zucchini, and told us about some of his work, which included being on set in the miniature photography unit for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
After dinner we had a little bit of trouble with a malfunctioning washing machine that kept us up a little longer than expected, but we eventually got to bed to get some rest for our first full day in San Francisco.
Our first stop was at a barbecue for one of the fathers at the church Lance, our San Francisco host, attends. We met up with Lance and another couchsurfer, Aaron, who had stayed with Lance earlier, but was leaving that day. After hanging around and meeting with some of Lance's friends at the barbecue, another couchsurfer staying with Lance-- Leo, from Germany-- made his way over, and we all headed back to Lance's place.
Geries and I were road-weary and dirty from the drive and camping, so the first thing we did was take showers and relax for a bit while Lance left to go pick up a friend from the airport. We talked with Leo, and watched some Breaking Bad for the first time until Lance got back a few hours later. Once Lance arrived he made us a delicious dinner of salmon, rice, and zucchini, and told us about some of his work, which included being on set in the miniature photography unit for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
After dinner we had a little bit of trouble with a malfunctioning washing machine that kept us up a little longer than expected, but we eventually got to bed to get some rest for our first full day in San Francisco.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Day 14: Up the winding stair
We woke up with the sun, with knots in our backs, and with some suspicious stares from the older couple that was packing their car in the spot next to ours. Cool air greeted us as we stepped out of the car to stretch our legs and begin our first real day in Yosemite.
First on our agenda was to set up our living arrangements for the night, so we took a trip down to Yosemite Valley to check out the visitor center. Our ride through Yosemite was considerably improved with a splash of sunlight. Once we emerged from the trees and reached the edge of the canyon wall, the views were incredible. Massive walls of glacier-carved granite erupt at nearly a right angle from the ground forming a meandering valley thousands of feet below. On our way to the valley we passed Inspiration Point, where the size and beauty of the park became immediately apparent.
Eventually we made our way to the valley floor where we got a glimpse of Yosemite Falls, only one of many falls in the park. Not long later we made it to Yosemite Village where we were directed to a campsite that had some vacancies. A seemingly short distance on the map turned out to be a nearly 30 minute drive to Tamarack Flats where we made our camp. The drive was just as scenic, but offered views of the meadows on the other side of the mountains before diving back into the forest and to our campsite. It was a great feeling to set up camp after having slept in the car the night before. Carving out a space to call home, even if just for one night, brought quite a bit of relief, and left us free to enjoy the park.
Once we pitched our tent and secured our food against bears, we trekked back to Yosemite Valley to talk to some rangers and plan the day's activities. Originally I had hoped to hike to the top of Half-Dome, a huge granite formation that towers over 8400 feet above the valley floor, but unfortunately we got a little too late of a start for me to attempt the twelve hour hike before sunset. Instead we opted to take a quick bike ride over to the Lower Yosemite Falls, which were absolutely packed with people-- probably due to its easy access from the main roads. It was an impressive sight, but slightly spoiled by the crowds, so we took another bike ride a couple miles down the road to the trailhead that would lead us to the top of Vernal Fall.
The hike was very relaxing, and even though there were still quite a few people, it was nothing compared to the hectic crowd surrounding Lower Yosemite Falls. Paved paths lead the way up most of the trail on the northern side of the river formed by the waterfall until we crossed the river and were faced with packed dirt and stone. From the bridge across the river we caught a glimpse of our end goal: a towering waterfall several hundred feet above. The final leg of the hike was the most impressive and strenuous, as it was essentially a stairway carved into the rock. To make things more exciting, it was merely feet from a sheer drop into the raging river below, and carved so steeply it may have been more akin to a ladder than a stair.
As the stair wound its way along the riverside we grew nearer and nearer to Vernal Fall. Before the stair dipped into the rock face and away from the river for a bit we were taken right next to the top of the falls where a fine mist formed spectacular rainbows and made the undulating staircase slightly more treacherous. When we reached the top we were rewarded with an incredibly clear view of the cliffs behind us, and the deafening waterfall pouring countless gallons of water into the valley below.
Once we were rested we made our way back down the almost comically steep stairs, and biked back to Yosemite Village and where we were parked. On our drive back to the campsite we took a stop along the side of the road to watch the sunset from the edge of the canyon. The setting sun tinted the cool grey granite a warm orange and plunged the trees in the valley into a dark green shadow.
By the time we made it to the campsite, it was almost completely dark. Since we were exhausted from the hike, we just stayed up long enough to build a fire and roast some hot dogs before turning in for the night.
First on our agenda was to set up our living arrangements for the night, so we took a trip down to Yosemite Valley to check out the visitor center. Our ride through Yosemite was considerably improved with a splash of sunlight. Once we emerged from the trees and reached the edge of the canyon wall, the views were incredible. Massive walls of glacier-carved granite erupt at nearly a right angle from the ground forming a meandering valley thousands of feet below. On our way to the valley we passed Inspiration Point, where the size and beauty of the park became immediately apparent.
Eventually we made our way to the valley floor where we got a glimpse of Yosemite Falls, only one of many falls in the park. Not long later we made it to Yosemite Village where we were directed to a campsite that had some vacancies. A seemingly short distance on the map turned out to be a nearly 30 minute drive to Tamarack Flats where we made our camp. The drive was just as scenic, but offered views of the meadows on the other side of the mountains before diving back into the forest and to our campsite. It was a great feeling to set up camp after having slept in the car the night before. Carving out a space to call home, even if just for one night, brought quite a bit of relief, and left us free to enjoy the park.
Once we pitched our tent and secured our food against bears, we trekked back to Yosemite Valley to talk to some rangers and plan the day's activities. Originally I had hoped to hike to the top of Half-Dome, a huge granite formation that towers over 8400 feet above the valley floor, but unfortunately we got a little too late of a start for me to attempt the twelve hour hike before sunset. Instead we opted to take a quick bike ride over to the Lower Yosemite Falls, which were absolutely packed with people-- probably due to its easy access from the main roads. It was an impressive sight, but slightly spoiled by the crowds, so we took another bike ride a couple miles down the road to the trailhead that would lead us to the top of Vernal Fall.
The hike was very relaxing, and even though there were still quite a few people, it was nothing compared to the hectic crowd surrounding Lower Yosemite Falls. Paved paths lead the way up most of the trail on the northern side of the river formed by the waterfall until we crossed the river and were faced with packed dirt and stone. From the bridge across the river we caught a glimpse of our end goal: a towering waterfall several hundred feet above. The final leg of the hike was the most impressive and strenuous, as it was essentially a stairway carved into the rock. To make things more exciting, it was merely feet from a sheer drop into the raging river below, and carved so steeply it may have been more akin to a ladder than a stair.
As the stair wound its way along the riverside we grew nearer and nearer to Vernal Fall. Before the stair dipped into the rock face and away from the river for a bit we were taken right next to the top of the falls where a fine mist formed spectacular rainbows and made the undulating staircase slightly more treacherous. When we reached the top we were rewarded with an incredibly clear view of the cliffs behind us, and the deafening waterfall pouring countless gallons of water into the valley below.
Once we were rested we made our way back down the almost comically steep stairs, and biked back to Yosemite Village and where we were parked. On our drive back to the campsite we took a stop along the side of the road to watch the sunset from the edge of the canyon. The setting sun tinted the cool grey granite a warm orange and plunged the trees in the valley into a dark green shadow.
By the time we made it to the campsite, it was almost completely dark. Since we were exhausted from the hike, we just stayed up long enough to build a fire and roast some hot dogs before turning in for the night.
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