this post will be the best link to the story of summer 2006. this is the only way to read the story in order, so I will preserve it in this post, and remove it from the sidebar.
Showing posts with label cross-country 06. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross-country 06. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2007
driving 2006: one last post
FAQ on return (or really better titled: an interview with myself)
all in summary
How many miles did you travel?
Scout began the trip with 9,680 miles. We were at 16,838 in Seattle, and 20,460 when we finished the trip. So, that's a bit over of 11,000 miles - doubling her mileage. We watched her slip into 10,000 in Mississippi, and 20,000 in Kentucky.
How many days were you on the road?
46
How many of those 45 nights did you camp?
25
How much did you spend in gas?
That's hard for me to compute. My records show me paying $433 in gas. But I know that is not how much gas cost total. First of all, I started out with some gift cards from my class, which brought me part way to Texas. Also, I was splitting gas 2 ways, and sometimes 3 ways, most of the time. So Scout probably drank about $1000 in gas all told, but it's hard to say.
That's gross. Does Scout really drink gas?
Unfortunately, yes.
What was the most you paid for gas?
I'm having a hard time remembering...It was a LOT. We only got a gallon or two, but it was something like $4.50. That was in California, on the coast, not too near a town.
Did you have any car-incidents?
Nothing major. I did come so near to running out of gas twice...but didn't. We got screws in the tire, and eventually a flat, but it was easily repaired at $14.
Where was Scout when she turned 1 yr old?
Texas. Elizabeth had a little birthday party for her.
Where will Scout be headed when she turns 2 yrs old?
Texas.
What what your new favorite state?
Wyoming.
What was the best kept secret?
Colorado National Monument. Who'd'a thunk? Never heard about a peep about it from anyone. It was wild. You know, Utah looks like outer space. (and that part of CO does too...)
What was the best national park in Utah?
It's a close call between Bryce and Arches. I enjoyed hiking in ANP a lot, but Bryce really knocked the socks off my feet. (or would have if i was wearing socks, which i wasn't)
What's the longest time you went without showering?
6 days in Utah. Those parks don't have facilities to shower, since they're in the desert. But I wasn't too dirty...
What's the most you paid for a shower?
I only paid in the Grand Canyon. 2 times. I think it was about 2 dollars for 5 minutes. I really can't say if I was more dirty from 6 days in Utah or 2 days hiking in GCNP.
Where would you most like to go back and visit?
Last summer I wrote down that I'd like to go back to Colorado. I didn't get to see much of that state, and I could hang out there a long time. Right now, I'm itching for anything out west. It is just so different. and I miss the stars, and the feeling of such big, vast country.
Did any future summer plans unfold from this trip?
Yes, they did. I'm planning* a New England driving trip this summer. I'd also really like to spend a summer working in a National Park. I've also thought about working on a ranch in Wyoming one summer.
*used loosely (in comparison to notes of last year)
Did you ever get tired of driving?
Not really. I never got totally sick of the car like I thought I might. I did let Courtney drive more and more as we went eastward.
What is the final count of new states you saw?
MS, LA, TX, OK, NM, CO, UT, NV, AZ, CA, OR, ID, MT, WY, SD (in that order) - 15 new states. We abandoned NB and IO for I90.
Where would you most like to go back and live?
Seattle pulled me the most. I need to live in a city, and that is near the most beauty I saw. Wyoming would be a close second...I wonder if I could.
Did you have any unexpected expenses?
Uh, yeah. It's like I forgot I'd want to do anything besides eat, sleep and hike. I forgot about surprise-expenses (like a flat tire, for instance), and that I might want to buy souvenirs and gifts. Or that I might want to pay for something like a tour. And I didn't know San Francisco was so EXpensive.
What was the best souvenir you got?
Well, besides the good ol' stickers on my car...probably a Colorado key rack with green pine trees on it. and I still really like my Utah Rocks shirt (cuz it does). Of course, all the photos are the best.
What national parks would you like to go back and revisit?
I'd definitely like to go spend more time in Yosemite. That place is huge and I'd like to do more in it. I'd also like to go on backpacking trips in the Canyonlands and Grand Tetons. I'd like to see where the Colorado and Green rivers meet in the Canyonlands. And I'd like to do a hike through Cascade Canyon and back around and in another canyon in GTNP.
What did you learn from your trip?
That's probably the biggest question you could ask (which you probably didn't, but I did), because I learned a lot a lot. I learned a lot about camping, and geography, and planning, and traveling and living. And I learned a lot about nature - trees, terrain, birds, rodents, beavers, bears, moose and bison and stars. I learned from seeing, from doing, and from nature walks and talks with rangers. I learned from guide books and from friends. Mostly I can't even begin to quantify how much I learned, because I just took in so much. I had no concept of the Southwest to begin, and now I've been there. Obviously I learned on top of learning. And I learned (again) how much I love learning, and how I can have so many more interests: I mean, desert plants: can it get more interesting? There's nothing like being in it to make you learn and to make you want to learn.
Should you be in bed now?
Yes
How many more days of teaching left this year?
5
How many more weeks until summer?
3
Do you have more trips planned this summer?
Yes.
Would you care to elaborate in a future interview?
Yes.
all in summary
How many miles did you travel?
Scout began the trip with 9,680 miles. We were at 16,838 in Seattle, and 20,460 when we finished the trip. So, that's a bit over of 11,000 miles - doubling her mileage. We watched her slip into 10,000 in Mississippi, and 20,000 in Kentucky.
How many days were you on the road?
46
How many of those 45 nights did you camp?
25
How much did you spend in gas?
That's hard for me to compute. My records show me paying $433 in gas. But I know that is not how much gas cost total. First of all, I started out with some gift cards from my class, which brought me part way to Texas. Also, I was splitting gas 2 ways, and sometimes 3 ways, most of the time. So Scout probably drank about $1000 in gas all told, but it's hard to say.
That's gross. Does Scout really drink gas?
Unfortunately, yes.
What was the most you paid for gas?
I'm having a hard time remembering...It was a LOT. We only got a gallon or two, but it was something like $4.50. That was in California, on the coast, not too near a town.
Did you have any car-incidents?
Nothing major. I did come so near to running out of gas twice...but didn't. We got screws in the tire, and eventually a flat, but it was easily repaired at $14.
Where was Scout when she turned 1 yr old?
Texas. Elizabeth had a little birthday party for her.
Where will Scout be headed when she turns 2 yrs old?
Texas.
What what your new favorite state?
Wyoming.
What was the best kept secret?
Colorado National Monument. Who'd'a thunk? Never heard about a peep about it from anyone. It was wild. You know, Utah looks like outer space. (and that part of CO does too...)
What was the best national park in Utah?
It's a close call between Bryce and Arches. I enjoyed hiking in ANP a lot, but Bryce really knocked the socks off my feet. (or would have if i was wearing socks, which i wasn't)
What's the longest time you went without showering?
6 days in Utah. Those parks don't have facilities to shower, since they're in the desert. But I wasn't too dirty...
What's the most you paid for a shower?
I only paid in the Grand Canyon. 2 times. I think it was about 2 dollars for 5 minutes. I really can't say if I was more dirty from 6 days in Utah or 2 days hiking in GCNP.
Where would you most like to go back and visit?
Last summer I wrote down that I'd like to go back to Colorado. I didn't get to see much of that state, and I could hang out there a long time. Right now, I'm itching for anything out west. It is just so different. and I miss the stars, and the feeling of such big, vast country.
Did any future summer plans unfold from this trip?
Yes, they did. I'm planning* a New England driving trip this summer. I'd also really like to spend a summer working in a National Park. I've also thought about working on a ranch in Wyoming one summer.
*used loosely (in comparison to notes of last year)
Did you ever get tired of driving?
Not really. I never got totally sick of the car like I thought I might. I did let Courtney drive more and more as we went eastward.
What is the final count of new states you saw?
MS, LA, TX, OK, NM, CO, UT, NV, AZ, CA, OR, ID, MT, WY, SD (in that order) - 15 new states. We abandoned NB and IO for I90.
Where would you most like to go back and live?
Seattle pulled me the most. I need to live in a city, and that is near the most beauty I saw. Wyoming would be a close second...I wonder if I could.
Did you have any unexpected expenses?
Uh, yeah. It's like I forgot I'd want to do anything besides eat, sleep and hike. I forgot about surprise-expenses (like a flat tire, for instance), and that I might want to buy souvenirs and gifts. Or that I might want to pay for something like a tour. And I didn't know San Francisco was so EXpensive.
What was the best souvenir you got?
Well, besides the good ol' stickers on my car...probably a Colorado key rack with green pine trees on it. and I still really like my Utah Rocks shirt (cuz it does). Of course, all the photos are the best.
What national parks would you like to go back and revisit?
I'd definitely like to go spend more time in Yosemite. That place is huge and I'd like to do more in it. I'd also like to go on backpacking trips in the Canyonlands and Grand Tetons. I'd like to see where the Colorado and Green rivers meet in the Canyonlands. And I'd like to do a hike through Cascade Canyon and back around and in another canyon in GTNP.
What did you learn from your trip?
That's probably the biggest question you could ask (which you probably didn't, but I did), because I learned a lot a lot. I learned a lot about camping, and geography, and planning, and traveling and living. And I learned a lot about nature - trees, terrain, birds, rodents, beavers, bears, moose and bison and stars. I learned from seeing, from doing, and from nature walks and talks with rangers. I learned from guide books and from friends. Mostly I can't even begin to quantify how much I learned, because I just took in so much. I had no concept of the Southwest to begin, and now I've been there. Obviously I learned on top of learning. And I learned (again) how much I love learning, and how I can have so many more interests: I mean, desert plants: can it get more interesting? There's nothing like being in it to make you learn and to make you want to learn.
Should you be in bed now?
Yes
How many more days of teaching left this year?
5
How many more weeks until summer?
3
Do you have more trips planned this summer?
Yes.
Would you care to elaborate in a future interview?
Yes.
Monday, April 09, 2007
heading east
"Heading out for the East Coast
Lord knows I've paid some dues gettin' through,
Tangled up in blue." bd
Lord knows I've paid some dues gettin' through,
Tangled up in blue." bd
It shouldn't be surprising to people who have been around me that many words that are said recall lyrics and movie quotes to my mind. I guess it's just how my brain works. I like to share them in my blog. Actually, I tend to share them whenever they come up in conversation, much to Courtney's consternation (as she spent several more days with me camping last week when I brought up quotes of no less than five movies). But I have resolved to stay focused in this post...
It's been a long time coming, but I'm going to attempt to finish the cross-country journals that I started seven months ago. I sort of promised myself I'd do it over spring break, but blogging hasn't been on my mind.
Instead I made more road trip adventures, which perhaps I will share about later. For now, this may be sufficient. ha ha. I'm so pun-y.
When I last left off, Courtney* and I had started east on I90.
*Basically every time you see Courtney's name with a link, there is a link to a different post of hers about the trip. This will facilitate cross-reference. If you have any further questions, please direct them to askkate@crosscountrytravels.com.)
miles on Scout: 16,838 ; Seattle, 7/21I would live there. Bozeman would be fun. It makes a nice place for closeness to Wyoming...which was about to become my favorite state at this point...
7/25 I've realized that at this point I've started to get antsy about driving, covering ground, getting home. I've got to remind myself that this is my vacation, and I should do what I like, and what I need to do, and not feel driven to do do do, see see see when I'm exhausted. [which I employed by taking a nap in the middle of Yellowstone one afternoon] So, I'm going to sit here and take a slow pace and catch up on journal and letter writing.
We left Seattle about 1ish on Friday the 21st and had a nice afternoon driving, sitting in the sun, stopping at the Columbia River (just outside of Spokane). We went in the water and dried on the sand, and it felt good to go slow, living spontaneously. We stopped again when we got to Coeur d'Alene which is a pretty town with a lake.We watched locals hanging out on Friday night - swimming on the beach, in a drum circle - teenagers out on the town. Then we found a camping spot, after a long search, a half-mile from town where we had a grassy spot to set our tent, a group fire for our hot dogs, and free hot showers in the morning. We took advantage. Unfortunately, it was a very lit place and just by I90, and trucks rumbling past kept me from much sleep.
The next day we started out early for Yellowstone, but made a few stops and lost an hour at the ID/MT border, so we arrived late.
We stopped in Butte, looking for coffee (as I was very tired from lack of sleep). Courtney was driving, and the hills of Butte were not to her and Scout's liking. Hence you might say that MT Tech found us, rather than we found it. We pulled in and happened upon a rock & mineral museum which proved interesting. We drove out of town to Bozeman where a friend of a friend of Courtney's had a coffee shop -- Leaf & Bean, and we had coffee there. I bought some "author cards" with Impressionist and Renaissance artists for Elizabeth's classroom and mine. Bozeman was a happening college town - for Montana. Montana is gorgeous. When I was a kid I always wanted to go there to teach in a one-room school house.
As I said, we arrived late at Yellowstone. I recall driving south to it, from Bozeman, through "foothills." At least I thought they were foothills, and commented so to Courtney. I mean, they didn't look big. What I didn't know was that we were already 3 to 4,000ft above sea level. [There is this really cool website I just found while searching for that statistic. Check it out.] We rolled into the park with probably 2 hours left of daylight, but I had NO idea how expansive the park was. I think this is probably a trend of my journals, but it seems that this one takes that cake. I mean, it's just a corner of a state: it couldn't be that big. Oh, Wyoming is huge. (and beautiful) Once we realized that our reserved campsite was clear across the park, and that roads were windy and slow, we thought we ought to head straight for it to arrive before nightfall. But at the same time, knowing how far a distance it was, we probably wouldn't want to drive back up to the north end of the park, so we decided to look at some of the geothermic wonders on our way.
We ended up getting very way-laid, and it was probably 9 or 10 when we got to our campsite. I don't remember. First we saw Mammoth Hot Springs. (I couldn't remember the name of this, so I thought I could go to Courtney's blog to see what she wrote, but I quote: "mineral hot something or others." My trusty guide book helped, but only a picture will communicate what it was.)We learned that the springs are such unusual colors because different (and brightly colored) bacteria live in the hotter temperatures.
Next we were lured to the side of the road. I had since learned that cars parked on the side of the road probably mean wildlife. Sure enough, people were gathering because wildlife usually can be spotted at dusk. There was a huge field - a vast expanse - where you could be sure to see something.
There were wolves and coyotes in view, and a man kindly lent us his binoculars so we could see (or at least try). People also said there were bears to be seen. Mind you, they could not be seen by the naked eye. (This, you see, is why field is too tiny of a word to describe the vista.) So, I can sort of claim to have seen a grizzly bear, because I did catch a glimpse of him through the binoculars. I think there were other things to see, but wildlife spotting is a skill not quickly learned. We headed back down the road. We stopped again to look at some boiling water in the ground. That was odd. Struck us so especially I think because no one was there, there was no special signage or literature that we were reading: so it felt like this was supposed to be normal, but boiling mud is in fact very ODD! It stunk, and the mud was bubbling up. At this point it was getting dark enough that our pictures aren't worth showing.Finally we were stopped by buffalo. Indeed, my wish to see buffalo was more than satisfied in Wyoming NPs. Besides herds along the side of the road which initially made us very excited, we encountered a group meandering through the road.
I was driving at this point, and I had no idea what to do. I saw the oncoming traffic stopped, and I was in the lead going south, and the three bison were headed straight for me. I admit my initial thoughts were of a buffalo walking right over my car and stomping through my windshield. I couldn't go forward in my lane, and I couldn't pass around on the other side, so we just sat while the bison ambled as they pleased. Several ended up walking right past my car, on the far side of the road, probably 10 feet from me. (Needless to say, we were unscathed.) I shot some pictures of course, but it is hard to see them for the dark. But they were as big and real in person as you can imagine. 
It was full dark by the time we got to our campsite, and by Courtney's records it took us four hours to go the 80 miles. (me with a bison nearby: click on it to see a larger image and see how close he was to the pathway)Well, if I continue in this vein, this post will be a book.
Suffice it to say that the next day we enjoyed the geysers, took a brief nap in the afternoon (we had woken up so earlier to beat the crowds), saw a moose, saw Yellowstone Canyon
& the waterfall, and had dinner on the lake. Now that is worth mentioning. It was a sunny calm afternoon, and Courtney and I were getting hungry for dinner. We had basically everything in our car to make dinner, so we just stopped at a picnic table by Yellowstone lake, a bit off the main road. I envisioned a nice dinner of hot dogs and beans, with some hot cocoa to top it off. I think I even set out the tablecloth on the picnic table. Things were coming along nicely when it started to get a bit windy. We had to forgo the tablecloth. The beans were warm, and the hot dogs were cooked, and I was trying to heat the water for the hot chocolate. Then top to the fuel can flew away, nearly landing in the lake. Suddenly, the gusts were so strong that not even the pan of water heating on the tri-legged stove was secure, 
and we rushed everything into the car, trying not to lose anything in the lake as possible. Courtney and I were in hysterical fit of laughter (If you can imagine this), and we were content to watch the white caps on the lake from inside Scout. While eating the beans and hot dogs, I opened to my NP guide book and read:Yellowstone Lake can be a dangerous place for the unprepared. When a summer storm moves through, the most inviting, mirror-smooth surface can fast become a seething mass of whitecaps.Right before our eyes.
My favorite of all sights in YNP (besides the wildlife) were the colorful hot springs. The geysers sure are amazing, and learning about the geology of the place, and about forest fires was all very enlightening, but to see, the hot springs were most beautiful.
The next day, after a brief hike in which I really really wanted to see a moose (but only saw a deer),
we drove to GTNP: Grand Teton National Park! I was really unprepared for how beautiful those mountains are, and proclaimed it on the spot my favorite place thus far (and since). Daddy said it would be. The number of pictures I took of the mountains testify, but I still feel none of them do justice.
Courtney and I drove up Signal Mountain to have a vista:
We walked to the lake where the guide books told us we might see wildlife in the evening, and we did see some moose on the other side of the lake. I envied the kayakers who glided through the water so silently and got a better view.
(Can you see it on the right?)That night we walked to an amphitheater to hear a ranger talk on beavers and I was nearly scared to death on the way there (at dusk) for fear of bears, and then I think I nearly scared Courtney to death when I convinced her my sense of direction was strong enough for us to abandon the main path (in the dark) and take a short cut to camp which nearly got us lost and made us turn around once (but I maintain we still got there quicker).
But the best of all was a hike up the mountain and into Cascade Canyon. Courtney wouldn't let me wimp out and take the ferry across Jenny Lake, so we walked around the lake, up into the mountains to Hidden Falls, and then further up to a vantage point of the lake and Jackson Hole.
(From this point we followed the advice again of my guide book I ought to recommend it: Insight Guides) and continued into the canyon.
It was the best decision ever: the butterflies and mountain flowers were gorgeous, and being between the walls of those mountain sides was amazing. It was hard to turn back, but we knew we needed to make it back to the car: and we did. 
We ended up running around the lake a good bit, partly because we thought it would be fun to see if we could beat the ferry, and partly because it started raining on us.The next morning we drove down to Moose Junction (thinking we might tube the river) and then up the beautiful drive through Jackson Hole on 89. We had no reservations for camping that night, but decided to find a place east of the park, cutting our driving time across
Wyoming for the following day. Courtney and I found a near-empty place with no water, but I was so enchanted with Wyoming, I was thrilled. (Aside from the mosquitoes) everything seemed to be beautiful, including the incredible rock formation just outside our camp (which looked more amazing in the evening light, but I got no picture until the morning)(i'm in to eecummings now, so i will be using parenthesis, punctuation and spacing as i like)
The drive through Wyoming did make me want to move there
as did sights of men in cowboy boots and hats for real. I can't really describe the terrain: it was so varied. At one point two completely different views were on either side of us. One looked like Utah and and other like Colorado (in their stereotypical views). Now how can you capture that in a photograph?This picture here is me trying to express my new-found love for this state:
(This is supposedly by the world's largest hot springs, which are something like 140degrees naturally, but cooled to 90 for safely where we saw them. They stank, and didn't actually look like much. But we saw them.)
Our next destination was Devils Tower. Strange thing. I thought we could hike up it, but I was quote mis-informed.
You have to have climbing gear. Which is obvious once you see it:We circled it and watched climbers through binoculars. We learned that one guy went skydiving (this was in 1941) to see if he could manage to land on it. He did, but then he was stuck up there. It was six days before he got down. Back in 1893 some guys made a ladder up it, and you can still see a bit of the ladder through binoculars.
That afternoon we drove on to South Dakota. I was told that South Dakota would be really neat, but I honestly was less than excited about most of it. But this was the first place on my trip that this was the case, so I suppose that is allowable. The Black Hills to me were just too commercialized. Coming from empty land, billboards and fake-cowboy-town just seemed dumb and annoying. And Mt. Rushmore was pretty near that. I mean, I have always wanted to see it, and it is pretty neat to see it for your own eyes. (And nice to have a shot of yourself like this=)
but basically it felt fake, contrived, and tacky!.The literature was all about stopping to reflect on what our country means to us, and in our state of mind, it just seemed ridiculous. (Besides which, sculptures in mountains isn't perhaps my favorite thing about my country, especially when we remember that this was Indians' land.) Courtney basically lost it, especially when we went through a mist tent - a novelty for me - that set her off laughing so hard. She kept at it, and I wasn't really laughing any more. She was bolled over and hyperventilating, so everyone was staring at us, and I was trying to tacitly communicate that she was not having a break down. It took her a long time to recover.
Basically I was sorry I had spent $8 to park (little compensated that I could use the pass all year in case I was back in the area with a black four-door vehicle before December) and wished we had just driven by and looked at it.
We did go in a few caves there that were fabulous. We did two tours and I will direct you to Courtney's post for more details. We left the Black Hills and descended into the plains, heading for the Badlands. But not before Courtney and I went to Wall Drug, thus completing my fascination with reliving "East Coast West Coast."
"Have you dug Wall Drug?
Have you played the banjo?
A six-foot bunny was about all I can stand." sm
Have you played the banjo?
A six-foot bunny was about all I can stand." sm
And that was about all we could too, though it was fascinating in its own way.
(me at Wall Drug. like I said, it just isn't the real thing, but I still like men in cowboy hats.)
Friday, July 28
I've just been contemplating how this trip is almost over. I'd lost track of the days this week (shocking...I know) but as I was praying for Jessica in Africa, I realized that if it was the end of July and time for her to come home, it was time for me too. Court and I haven't even done half our driving yet, but we are just a few days for Atlanta. After tomorrow we'll do three straight days of driving and be in Atlanta, and it feels weird.
Initially, I loved the Badlands. We left Wall Drug awing at the sunset, and drove into the park, heading for the campgrounds. We got out once to look over the landscape, having to hold on to our hats in the wind. A sliver of a moon rose over the formations as we drove east. When we got to the campsite the wind was blowing stronger. I declared the arid climate and clear skies to be a sure sign I could sleep without a tent again, though I did fear everything not under me blowing away. Courtney wanted the tent, so we staked and pitched it, doing all we could not to blow away ourselves. I have never experienced wind so strong, and I wish I could give you a mph or words to describe it. If I tell you that the sleeping bag would have blown away, does that help? I slept where I was sheltered from the wind by the tent, but could see all the stars, and look for constellations that I haven't seen again since.
In the middle of the night I was awoken when the wind suddenly stopped. By morning it was still and hot as a dessert, and the sun was so oppressive that breakfast was unpleasant without shade. The temperature was around 105 and there is no shade to be had. We lowered our ambitions for hiking and chose a short hike up some badlands. They are extremely difficult to cross. Besides the sweltering heat and complete lack of shade, the footing is steep and slippery. I cannot imagine leading a horse through it, much less a wagon train. And it went on for miles. It is no wonder that they called it the 'bad lands to cross.'
I guess I might have enjoyed it more if I had seen it in June before it became so hot, but compared to my memory of Utah, South Dakota just didn't do it for me. We spent some time in the air conditioned visitors' center, and then left a day earlier than planned. 
It is amazing in this picture, though, ain't it?
This brought us to Minnesota on Saturday night, and as we were looking for a camp site, we listened to Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion tell stories of Lake Wobegone as we drove between corn fields. No joke.The following night we were in Illinois staying with my cousin Rachel. We spent a short time in Chicago, and I thought it was a nice city. Courtney got her nosed pierced.
The drive the following day - Chicago to Atlanta - was probably the longest of the whole trip, and I can't even begin to describe how weird I felt, and how antsy I became. Weird to be returning back to 'regular life' where I didn't have to store things carefully in a car, pack and unpack my sleeping gear, set up and light a stove when I wanted to eat, and basically spend my energy to survive and enjoy the land. I was anxious about adjusting to this 'normal life' when it felt like what I had been doing was 'really living'. And returning meant going back to work shortly. And mostly returning meant moving into a new house in a new neighborhood. So it was very momentous when we entered the perimeter and passed all familiar sights. I think I made Courtney drive because I almost went insane.
But I've altogether forgotten how much I enjoyed this trip. Camping this week reminded me how much I love it. I think I might go camping this weekend again.
Monday, February 19, 2007
on I90
One of my all-time favorite books is Walk Two Moons. It's an adolescent novel by Sharon Creech. It was in the Sonlight Curriculum for ninth grade and I read it in Slovakia when Laurel did. It was so good. I distinctly remember lying on my dusty, old, over-stuffed couch in my living room while the girls breaked for lunch. But I couldn't stop reading.
The thing that is fascinating about it is that it holds several stories in one. And slowly they are brought together and missing pieces of each one begin to make sense. So it is sort of like a mystery which draws you in further with each chapter.
I love it because I love the way Creech uses langauge. She says things in unexpected ways, and I can hear the voice of the characters loud and clear in my head. This is probably why I love reading it aloud so much. I've read it aloud to my students each year since, which means I've read it aloud going on 5 times (since I had 2 classes 2 of the 3 years).
But the thing that really strikes me about it is how many deep issues Creech brings up. It's not one of those typical teen books trying to relate to kids of the day...at least it doesn't come across like that to me. It's just that the characters struggle with things that we all resonate with, and there is so much packed in, layer over layer.
Sal and her grandparents are on a road trip across I90 from Ohio to Idaho, and Courtney and I drove the same road this summer. We traveled to nearly all of the places that they stopped, in reverse. I had planned to read it aloud to her too, but we ended up listening to Dylan's Chronicles on cd. Sean Penn's voice took us through Montana.
Speaking of I90, there is another band that I like that few know about. It is called the Singing Mechanic, and I think he's fabulous. (He's a mechanic, and he sings. Not sure if he's still around, but I think so - I think he's put out by Asthmatic Kitty too). Fabulous because he plays the piano, which I love. And because it's funny, a lot of it, to me. There is one song I love the most, and I've always wished it to be true about me, so I could sing it out with my whole heart. So, it was on my road-trip cd, and I was thrilled when Courtney got the whole thing stuck in her brain too:
The thing that is fascinating about it is that it holds several stories in one. And slowly they are brought together and missing pieces of each one begin to make sense. So it is sort of like a mystery which draws you in further with each chapter.
I love it because I love the way Creech uses langauge. She says things in unexpected ways, and I can hear the voice of the characters loud and clear in my head. This is probably why I love reading it aloud so much. I've read it aloud to my students each year since, which means I've read it aloud going on 5 times (since I had 2 classes 2 of the 3 years).
But the thing that really strikes me about it is how many deep issues Creech brings up. It's not one of those typical teen books trying to relate to kids of the day...at least it doesn't come across like that to me. It's just that the characters struggle with things that we all resonate with, and there is so much packed in, layer over layer.
Sal and her grandparents are on a road trip across I90 from Ohio to Idaho, and Courtney and I drove the same road this summer. We traveled to nearly all of the places that they stopped, in reverse. I had planned to read it aloud to her too, but we ended up listening to Dylan's Chronicles on cd. Sean Penn's voice took us through Montana.
Speaking of I90, there is another band that I like that few know about. It is called the Singing Mechanic, and I think he's fabulous. (He's a mechanic, and he sings. Not sure if he's still around, but I think so - I think he's put out by Asthmatic Kitty too). Fabulous because he plays the piano, which I love. And because it's funny, a lot of it, to me. There is one song I love the most, and I've always wished it to be true about me, so I could sing it out with my whole heart. So, it was on my road-trip cd, and I was thrilled when Courtney got the whole thing stuck in her brain too:
been to the west coaststill to this day when I see my WALL DRUG sticker, the song comes to my head. And yup, we saw the 6-foot bunny and played the banjo. Had 5-cent coffee and free ice water too. But mostly we drove 90. and felt alive.
been to the east coast
coasting is the Best Fun of my Life
driving down the highway
doing things my way
no one knows the --- for my life.*
now i feel that i'm improving
not as fast as this car is moving
my life's never been this good before
driving 'cross the country
movin' past the fun tree
Boston city is comin' up real slow
down on 90,
goin' 85
down on 90,
i feel alive.
have you dug wall drug
have you played the banjo
a six-foot bunny was about all I can stand
now i feel that i'm improving
not as fast as this car is moving
my life's never been this good before
before
saw a weary diner,
breakfast can't be finer
boston city is coming up real slow
the trip has been a long one.
it's just what we do for fun
BETTER THAN A RE-RUN TV SHOW!
Down on 90.
*don't know all the lyrics...
Monday, December 18, 2006
the dear northwest
On November 30th
This Thanksgiving I flew to D.C. to spend the week at the home of my sister, her husband, and my new nephew, JT. My parents and sister came down from NJ, and David and Jodie joined us from SEATTLE.
They pointed out that I had written about my trip all the way up to the point when I got to their home.
So, I shall resume writing.
Much if this will have to be from memory. Not sure how interesting I can make it. But this is for posterity....so, let's be honest. How did it feel?
Basically, Seattle felt great. I loved it. I fell in love with the mountain views, the sky, and feel of it. The whole town feels fresh and recycle-y. I just like that. People (I generalize) do not recycle here and it drives me crazy. I say, "It's not a question of if we'll recycle, it's a question of how to recycle." And for some reason recycling is difficult here because 1.) most cities make you pay for collection and 2.) there are not recycling bins in many places. I just don't understand that. It should be a matter of course. I want to live in a city that recycles 60% of it's trash. Because at least that much is recyclable.
so, that's how I feel.
Like I said, I loved Seattle from the start. David guided me to his home, and we walked Ivy to a coffee shop where we could sit outside with her and sip lattes. Jodie met us on her run. The coffeeshops give dogs treats, so Ivy loves to go.
When I picked her up from the dealer, the guy repeatedly said: "Your car was really dirty." I was delighted with her new shininess.
While my car was getting its tune up, we went downtown to the fish market and bought a fish for dinner to take to the cousins. The fish market is a tourist attraction where they throw the fish and shout orders, and it's fun to watch.
That afternoon we picked up Courtney from the airport and headed on a ferry across the sound. Boarding the ferry, a stern ferry-man questioned my NJ tag on the front of my car. Something about it not being legal to have two plates on my car... I tried to convince him people did that in Georgia, but he warned me I should take it off. On further thought, we decided it might not look too good as we were crossing the border to Canada, so I did remove it, and it's been gone ever since. I wish I had a European plate to replace it.
We arrived at the cousins' as Javan was on a ladder, putting different splotches of paint on the new wall and trim to see what colors everyone liked best. Their new house is on beautiful property overlooking the water. Javan and I took a kayak out to let down the crab trap so we could have a dessert of crab after our salmon dinner. *Ah, the joys of the northwest.*
(David, Uncle Bert and Javan bringing in the crabs.)
Uncle Bert has an incredible telescope, and we got a fantastic view of Mt. Baker from their porch. I felt like I'd be able to see a climber on the side of the mountain.
The next morning was Sunday, and Courtney and I headed off to Port Angeles listening to a Tim Keller sermon. We had convinced Aunt Karen and Joel that they should come up to Duncan too, so they drove up later, planning to walk on the ferry. We parked Scout in line for the ferry and made the most of our hours in Port Angeles. We visited bookstores, walked up to the residential area where we got a view of the bay,
stopped to watch some sand-sculpturers,
poked around in a junk-shop where I bought a tiny backgammon set, and then settled down in a cafe to play the game.
Courtney dared me to walk all the way back to Scout holding the board game like a briefcase. Most amusing.
Our time in Duncan was restful and fun. We spent 4 nights there - the longest I spent in one place since Dallas.
(Grandpa, pulling garlic for Aunt Jenny)
Waiting for the ferry at Duke Point, Nanaimo on Thursday, July 20th
and today I am 24.
We had a good time in BC. Very good.
We swam, rode horses,
paddled the pond,
and went water skiing!
(Uncle Bill, driving the boat for us)
That was the best. Paul got up on skis and I kneeboarded which was tons of fun.
(Courtney skiing. Isn't it the most beautiful place to ski? We paid for it in temperature though.)
One evening we watched old family movies.
On Tuesday (before Aunt Karen and Joel had to leave) my family had a little birthday lunch for me: they put a candle in a pan of chocolate-marshmallow bars Grandpa made.
It was hilarious.
That afternoon we drove into Victora and stopped at Ceragem for a free massage. fun. We dropped Aunt Karen and Joel at the ferry and Courtney and I went to tea at the Empress--quite an extravaganza.
Then we walked around Butchard's Gardens, intoxicating ourselves with roses.
(...and being silly. I think this beautiful trashcan is silly, anyway.)
All in all it was an excellent time in BC. Of course we also took a visit to the Country Grocer to stock up on good tea. On the way up to the ferry I stopped in at the "Senior Center" to say goodbye to Grandpa who was carpet bowling.
We got a lot of weird stares there, seeing as we were the only ones not octogenarians.
Tonight we'll spend in Seattle with David and Jodie again. Then we'll head east on I-90 to reach Yellowstone by Saturday night.
Friday 7/21
Today we spent the morning in Seattle. We drove down through the locks and watched people getting their yachts ready for a weekend sail. Then we cheered on the salmon jumping up the fish ladder. That is one of the most amazing things in creation.*
We all drove on to Fred Meyer's grocery store and Courtney and I stocked up on food for the road. We parted ways with family, and Courtney and I began the trip east.
It was a strange feeling to be heading toward home after so long driving away. I must admit I felt some regret. I hadn't tired once of driving, and I never did get that sick feeling in my stomach of moving further away from home and not being able to get back.
But there were still many adventures to come.
*I also really like goats now. (these are my cousins')
This Thanksgiving I flew to D.C. to spend the week at the home of my sister, her husband, and my new nephew, JT. My parents and sister came down from NJ, and David and Jodie joined us from SEATTLE.
They pointed out that I had written about my trip all the way up to the point when I got to their home.
So, I shall resume writing.
Much if this will have to be from memory. Not sure how interesting I can make it. But this is for posterity....so, let's be honest. How did it feel?
Basically, Seattle felt great. I loved it. I fell in love with the mountain views, the sky, and feel of it. The whole town feels fresh and recycle-y. I just like that. People (I generalize) do not recycle here and it drives me crazy. I say, "It's not a question of if we'll recycle, it's a question of how to recycle." And for some reason recycling is difficult here because 1.) most cities make you pay for collection and 2.) there are not recycling bins in many places. I just don't understand that. It should be a matter of course. I want to live in a city that recycles 60% of it's trash. Because at least that much is recyclable.
so, that's how I feel.
Like I said, I loved Seattle from the start. David guided me to his home, and we walked Ivy to a coffee shop where we could sit outside with her and sip lattes. Jodie met us on her run. The coffeeshops give dogs treats, so Ivy loves to go.
(Jodie, David and Ivy squeezed into Scout.)
That evening we ate ethnic food - I forget, perhaps Ethiopian? We drove over to West Seattle and walked along a boardwalk where I decided I'd live. The next morning I had to get Scout checked up. She was past due for an oil change. I was excited because I knew that they would wash her. And they did. I can't really describe it in words how dirty she was. If you want to see, the trunk still hasn't been vacuumed out. Cheerios remain as evidence of camping meals.When I picked her up from the dealer, the guy repeatedly said: "Your car was really dirty." I was delighted with her new shininess.
While my car was getting its tune up, we went downtown to the fish market and bought a fish for dinner to take to the cousins. The fish market is a tourist attraction where they throw the fish and shout orders, and it's fun to watch.
That afternoon we picked up Courtney from the airport and headed on a ferry across the sound. Boarding the ferry, a stern ferry-man questioned my NJ tag on the front of my car. Something about it not being legal to have two plates on my car... I tried to convince him people did that in Georgia, but he warned me I should take it off. On further thought, we decided it might not look too good as we were crossing the border to Canada, so I did remove it, and it's been gone ever since. I wish I had a European plate to replace it.
We arrived at the cousins' as Javan was on a ladder, putting different splotches of paint on the new wall and trim to see what colors everyone liked best. Their new house is on beautiful property overlooking the water. Javan and I took a kayak out to let down the crab trap so we could have a dessert of crab after our salmon dinner. *Ah, the joys of the northwest.*
(David, Uncle Bert and Javan bringing in the crabs.)Uncle Bert has an incredible telescope, and we got a fantastic view of Mt. Baker from their porch. I felt like I'd be able to see a climber on the side of the mountain.
The next morning was Sunday, and Courtney and I headed off to Port Angeles listening to a Tim Keller sermon. We had convinced Aunt Karen and Joel that they should come up to Duncan too, so they drove up later, planning to walk on the ferry. We parked Scout in line for the ferry and made the most of our hours in Port Angeles. We visited bookstores, walked up to the residential area where we got a view of the bay,
stopped to watch some sand-sculpturers,
poked around in a junk-shop where I bought a tiny backgammon set, and then settled down in a cafe to play the game.Courtney dared me to walk all the way back to Scout holding the board game like a briefcase. Most amusing.
Our time in Duncan was restful and fun. We spent 4 nights there - the longest I spent in one place since Dallas.
(Grandpa, pulling garlic for Aunt Jenny)Waiting for the ferry at Duke Point, Nanaimo on Thursday, July 20th
and today I am 24.
We had a good time in BC. Very good.
We swam, rode horses,
paddled the pond,
and went water skiing!
(Uncle Bill, driving the boat for us)
(Courtney skiing. Isn't it the most beautiful place to ski? We paid for it in temperature though.)One evening we watched old family movies.
On Tuesday (before Aunt Karen and Joel had to leave) my family had a little birthday lunch for me: they put a candle in a pan of chocolate-marshmallow bars Grandpa made.
It was hilarious.
That afternoon we drove into Victora and stopped at Ceragem for a free massage. fun. We dropped Aunt Karen and Joel at the ferry and Courtney and I went to tea at the Empress--quite an extravaganza.
Then we walked around Butchard's Gardens, intoxicating ourselves with roses.
(...and being silly. I think this beautiful trashcan is silly, anyway.)All in all it was an excellent time in BC. Of course we also took a visit to the Country Grocer to stock up on good tea. On the way up to the ferry I stopped in at the "Senior Center" to say goodbye to Grandpa who was carpet bowling.
We got a lot of weird stares there, seeing as we were the only ones not octogenarians.
Tonight we'll spend in Seattle with David and Jodie again. Then we'll head east on I-90 to reach Yellowstone by Saturday night.
Friday 7/21
Today we spent the morning in Seattle. We drove down through the locks and watched people getting their yachts ready for a weekend sail. Then we cheered on the salmon jumping up the fish ladder. That is one of the most amazing things in creation.*
We all drove on to Fred Meyer's grocery store and Courtney and I stocked up on food for the road. We parted ways with family, and Courtney and I began the trip east.
It was a strange feeling to be heading toward home after so long driving away. I must admit I felt some regret. I hadn't tired once of driving, and I never did get that sick feeling in my stomach of moving further away from home and not being able to get back.
But there were still many adventures to come.
*I also really like goats now. (these are my cousins')
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