New Orleans, Louisiana

Memphis - New Orleans via Amtrak (City of New Orleans route)
Brad's birthday
April 24-27, 2008

• Nick, Brad, Amanda, and Erica took the train from Memphis to New Orleans. Drove to downtown Memphis to Central Station, where we checked in, got our tickets, and boarded a bus to an area near President's Island, off Riverport Road, due to an 18 foot deep sinkhole that forced Amtrak to detour train service around the city. We arrived at the train around 6:30 AM in what appeared to be a shipping/rail yard and boarded.
• Train departed and for the next 10 hours we were riding. Surprisingly, there was plenty of good food on board. As we rode through the Mississippi Delta and into Louisiana, we kept ourselves entertained by reading, chatting, eating, and watching the woman behind us interact with her child. And the conductors. This lady felt it was her god-given right to disembark and smoke at each stop (whether she was allowed to or not). She was pretty vocal about her rights as a smoker.
• Arriving in New Orleans around 4 pm, we left the train station via taxi and went to the hotel (Doubletree) downtown. We checked into the hotel and started walking, mainly looking to hit up some bars and score a couple drinks - sorely needed after being on the train all day.
• Harrah's casino was located across the street from the hotel - we made our way into the casino at some point and played a few games. Well, Nick and Brad played (Nick's first go at Roulette banked him about $200) while Erica and Amanda got something to eat. They were both wasting away from starvation. We saw Amy Lavere play a set that evening.
• The next day saw more drinking, hanging out in the French Quarter at bars, playing air hockey, darts, pool. One of Erica's happiest moments of the trip came when she realized that her Coor's Light bottle changed colors once the beer was no longer cold. Amanda said that this was when Erica would know when to start chugging her beer. One of Amanda's meals that day consisted of a chili dog from a greasy spoon, topped with slices of cheese FRIED on a FLAT GRILL. A picture of health, this woman.
• Erica, Amanda, and Brad took an afternoon trip to the Garden District. They visited a cemetery and had some phenomenal pizza. Nick met up with them once back downtown and everyone went to the market to look at junk. We also took a walk along the river.
  
• That evening we all went to dinner at a nice restaurant in the French Quarter and while Amanda was dressed to the nines, she was not wearing the most comfortable pair of hooker shoes...so much so that she had to make a trip into the Walgreen's to get a pair of flip flops. We stopped at a few more bars, had a few more drinks then headed back to the hotel.
• The following morning, we all packed up and got a cab to the train station (NOUPT). Checked in, waited, then boarded the train. Once into Mississippi, the conductor asked us (each, sitting alone with no one next to us) to consolidate since we were together and take up 1 full row because there were several more passengers getting on at the next stop. And one of them just happened to be our lovely carmate from the trip down, just a few days before. And she was still concerned about when/where she was going to be able to smoke her cigarettes. Classy.
  

Phoenix, Arizona

MEM-PHX
Feb 29-Mar 2, 2008
Baseball Spring Training

• Flew from Memphis to Phoenix. Arrived on the afternoon of the 29th and checked into the Homewood Suites in Chandler, a suburb.
• Settled in then made our way to the Spring Training game. We had tickets for 3 Cubs games in 3 days. Cubs play in the Cactus League of MLB Spring Training.
  
• Friday - Game 1: Cubs vs Giants at HoHoKam Park in Mesa. Gametime weather is perfect - sunny and not a cloud in the sky. Nick bought a new Cubs hat and Brad got a new Cubs t-shirt. Cubs lose.
• A banner advertising a place called Culver's in the outfield bragged about something called 'butter burgers'. This is something that can clog arteries just reading/learning about. It is a burger on a bun that has been buttered so generously that the sandwich itself sits in a deep pool of melted butter on the plate. A Google Image search turned up some interesting-looking burgers.
• Went to a bar in the area and had a few beers after the game. Ate dinner then went back to the hotel.
• The next day we went for a hike in South Mountain Park/Preserve. It took some effort to get to the park where the trail starts, off the Maricopa Freeway. It was hard as hell to find. When we arrived, there was nowhere to park, so we essentially had to go to the other side of the park and come in from the north, which ended up working out well anyway, since there was nobody hiking in the area we went. The highest mountain in the park (opened in 1924) is a little over 2,500 elevation. On the hike, we came across some great scenery and lots of wildflowers.
• Saturday - Game 2: Cubs vs Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. This stadium is easier to access, but was a bit smaller than HoHoKam. Good game, but...Cubs lose.
• That evening we were in Chandler and drove around looking for a place to eat. Ended up stopping at a Greek restaurant called My Big Fat Greek Restaurant (a chain restaurant that clearly had no sense of originality...we ate there anyway). Good food. Annoying belly dancers all over the place.
  
• Sunday - Game 3: Cubs vs Giants at HoHoKam. Entertaining crowd...including the drunk guy in front of us, yelling and waving around a Miller Chill (duh, it's a light lime beer with only 100 calories). Met a couple fans from Chicago visiting Phoenix for Spring Training. Cubs lose.
• After the game, we trek 10 minutes to the PHX Airport and back to Memphis.

Seattle, Washington

MEM-SEA
Seattle, Washington
Jan 19-23, 2008

• We arrived in Seattle and waited for Carrie and Adam to pick us up at the airport - they were already in Seattle. We checked into the hotel, downtown.
• Had a few beers and then met up with Krista and Larry at a bar a few blocks from the hotel. Nice place, although Larry mentioned that we stuck out because we were overdressed for Seattle.
  
• Larry was talking up a bar with a bunch of pinball machines (Shorty's), so we walked till we found it, in Belltown. Played a ton of pinball...no clear cut champion, though. Unless you count the beer as a player. Then, the beer won. Made it back to the hotel without incident.
• Brad and I went to Pike Place Market and ate fresh donuts, looked at the water and then we were done with that. It was cold and rainy. Bought a magnet.
• That day Carrie and Adam went hiking with Krista and Larry, so Brad and I went to Everett, WA - the home of the Boeing Company. We went through the Future of Flight Aviation Center and the factory ($15), which is home to the 747, 767, 777 and the new 787 Dreamliner. Secrecy and security is the name of the game at Boeing - no phones, cameras, electronics of any kind, purses, or babies. The factory was really cool - covers 98 acres, and is the largest building by volume in the world. About 110,000 people visit annually.
• Celeste hung out with us that evening - we went to Hale's Ales and a few other places near Fremont.
  
• The next morning (Sunday) Krista, Larry, Celeste, Carrie, Adam, Brad, and of course Charlie went to brunch at Salty's. We ate a lot of excellent food and then Brad and I went to Celeste's 'temporary' home on the lake and hung out on the beach for a while (even though it was COLD!!).
• The weekend was way too short - seemed like we were only there for a day, but we had a great time. The next day we headed back to Memphis.
  

Nosara, Costa Rica

MEM-LIB
Liberia, Costa Rica - Nosara, Costa Rica
Dec 21, 2007 - Jan 1, 2008

• Brad, Nick and Amanda flew from Memphis and Laura came in from Lexington. Everyone reached Liberia at approximately the same time. We met up with a nice young lady from the hotel at which we would be staying, who drove us all to the hotel in Liberia. That night we walked around a bit, found a place to eat (pizza) and had a few beers at the hotel. Cute place - although Laura was not a fan of the geckos and bird-sized bugs that had free roam.
• Carrie and Adam flew in from Jacksonville the next day. Nick, Brad, Amanda and Laura met up with them at the airport, and from there we would be taking a hired van to Nosara. It was simply a matter of waiting on Carrie's luggage. There was a bit of confusion with the airline as to where, exactly, the bag was. In Carrie's words, as she stormed out of the airport, "Delta is dead to me".
• So, sans Carrie's luggage, we find the drivers (Kennit and Orlando) and begin the trek to the Nacoya Peninsula, located on the western coast of the country. On the way, we encounter big floppy eared cows, drink lots of beers, make a few pit stops, and see some pretty remote countryside.
• We arrived in Nosara after it had gotten dark, and there was some confusion about where we were to meet the manager of the house we had rented, and where to pick up the rental SUV. Driving around in circles ensued, but finally we were able to locate each.
• We made it up to the rental house (info here), a large, secluded place with a pool, guest house and great view (which we would find out in the morning).
• Nosara has roads that are not just rugged; they are nearly impassable. Pity the fool not in an SUV.
• We ate pretty well the entire week. We stayed fairly stocked on food at the house, but ate out at restaurants in town several times. One of our favorite places was Olga's, an open-air place near the beach. They had casadas (veggie/chicken dishes with rice) for about $3 US. Overall, the food at most places was really affordable, as were the drinks.
• Wildlife spotted at the house: scorpions (one in the guesthouse shower), large iguana, snake, monkeys, giant toads, giant frogs, geckos, 4 or 5-inch long grasshopper, giant pinching bugs, and of course, the caretakers' dogs.
• One of the activities during the week included a zip line tour at Miss Sky Canopy Tour. It was pretty fun - we had a nice night of drinking the night before, which may be the reason Amanda got a little green toward the end. The website claims that it is the longest zip line canopy tour in the world, at over 11 km in length.
• Went to the Reserva Biologica Nosara, a nature preserve about 100 acres in size. We took a short hike on one of the trails and saw lots of different flora and fauna, including monkeys, crabs, and lots of different birds.
• On the 29th of December, Carrie, Adam, and Laura went to the northern part of Costa Rica to go to Arenal Volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. They stayed the night at a lodge there, and Nick, Brad, and Amanda stayed at the rental house. That day, a few guys came to clean the pool (and they did). We needed supplies like water and food and beer, so we asked if they would give us a ride to the local market, a few kilometers away. They were happy to do that, and when they dropped us off at the market, they made plans to come back to the house to hang out. And they did. We ended up celebrating Nick's 30th birthday in downtown Nosara with the guys, making our way from one club to another. Needless to say it was a late night (and we got to ride in the back of a pickup truck!!!). Carrie, Adam and Laura returned the next day with stories of rainforests, volcanoes, and a show-stopping mudslide that blocked the mountainous road on their return.
• Brad, Laura, Adam, and Carrie went deep-sea fishing. They caught LOTS of tuna and enjoyed it the rest of the week.
• Went on a "Nature trip" on the Nosara River with an eccentric German boat captain. It was in a brochure as a river trip, but the minute we all get on the boat the captain announced that it was actually a bird-watching tour. Scandalous.
• We went to a few different beaches in the Nosara area. One (Playa Ostional) was famous for being the second largest nesting place in the world for Olive Ridley turtles. By the thousands, usually at sunset, they storm the shore, lay millions of eggs, and go back to the water. Playa Pelada was a nice beach to soak up the sun. Lots of surfing waters here as well. Playa Guiones was the largest and most popular of the beaches in the area, at 7 km long.
• On December 31st, the caretaker and his family cooked us dinner on the grill. We ate rice, chicken, tuna, salad, and a few other Costa Rican dishes on the huge table outside on the patio. We told the family about the giant snake that had slithered into and down the length of the pool on one of the first nights of our stay. They seemed to be very relieved that we were ok, as this was apparently a very venomous snake. After dinner, we had a few drinks and hung out at the house. New Year's fireworks were going off in the distance but we didn't get too crazy, due to an early morning that was approaching.
• We got up the next morning, early, and headed to return the SUV and catch the ride back to Liberia. We got to the Liberia Airport, which was no example in how to secure an airport...yes, that is a giant airplane sitting 50 feet away, with nothing between it and the open-air gate area except a rope.So...we had no real trouble getting through security, checking in, and catching the flight back to the States.

Sat, August 11, 2007

MEM-LAS
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
August 3-12

• We packed up our tent and belongings at Toroweap and began the long journey back to normal roads. If we could make it...
• Driving out on the same bumpy, grinding road, the Mazda held up and got us back. After exiting at the entrance to the area, we still had another hour or so on the dirt desert road. We took a fork that led us west (since we were going to be heading west on the highway once we reached it). This road was less traveled, and certainly less maintained. Sand was up to a foot deep in some places, making it feel like we were driving through deep snow.
  
• Finally reaching AZ-389, we headed W/N and into Utah, going West toward I-15. We headed West on I-15 then took 12/169 South through Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada toward the Hoover Dam.
• We reached Hoover Dam and explored the dam and its museum a bit. Temps outside were well above 115 degrees. Very cool place though...it's a pretty incredible sight.
• After leaving Hoover Dam, we drove on to Las Vegas. We stayed at Harrah's on the strip. After eating dinner, we went to check out Bodies the Exhibition. Had some beers at a few different casinos, walked around, lost some money, then called it a night.
• The next morning (Aug 12), we packed up, drove to the airport, and headed back to Memphis.
  
• 

Fri, August 10, 2007

MEM-LAS
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
August 3-12

• Departed camp at Kaibab National Forest around 8:30, dumped trash and got water at some RV park. We thought they might chase us, but we got out alive.
• Stopped in Fredonia for gas, beer, and breakfast. We then headed out to one of the most remote places either of us had been...Toroweap-Tuweep (be sure to click the link for information) is nearly 3 hours from any type of civilization. This is an area of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, accessible only by a 2.5 hour drive on a very primitive dirt road. This place, managed by the BLM, is not for everyone. We passed the first 25 miles or so fairly easily. And then...when we arrived at the year-round ranger station, the ranger asked if we needed anything. As in, "what are you doing here?" And we told him that we were going to camp at Toroweap. His only reply was to chuckle and ask how we would get there, pointed at the car, and asked if that was what we came in. We said yes, and he said we wouldn't make it back out. To which we replied that it was a rental. Apparently that matters little. He essentially gave us the standard warning about recommending a SUV or 4WD (not something the little Mazda had). We decided to try it anyway - we had already taken the effort to get this far.
• Park brochure (.pdf)
• Then comes the hard part. More than an hour of bouncing on, over, and between a rocky "path" of a road. The car at some points would be leaning at such an angle it felt like it would tip over. We finally made it to the camping/overlook area and after the most stressful drive of our lives, we were pleased to have made it.
• The wind was incredible. The sustained winds were strong enough to blow anything away, including the tent. With stuff in it. Staked. The air being blown was so hot that we felt like we were in hell (temps were in the 115-120 F range). But the view and the idea of being in the middle of nowhere on the edge of the Grand Canyon was enough to make us not care. Draping clothing over any exposed skin, we went for a hike up to the actual rim of the canyon. It was breathtaking and dizzying at the same time (not the greatest combination of sensations when you're close to 4,000 feet [about 2/3 mile] up a sheer cliff). We took several pictures, climbed on rocks, found different vistas and watched rafters maneuver the Colorado River below...from up here they appeared to be just specks on the water.
• After hiking back to the camp, we hung out in the shade of a scrub tree and watched jackrabbits and other small animals run around. We had a few beers and built a fire (not too successfully due to the winds).
• In the end, we were glad we braved the geology and remoteness of the place. It was getting back out in the morning that had us concerned.

Thur, August 9, 2007

MEM-LAS
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
August 3-12

• Happy birthday, Nick's mom!
• We had gone to bed fairly early (~10) but still managed to sleep till about 9 am. We packed up and drove back to Jacob Lake Inn/Diner for breakfast. Interesting little place - nice, cute waitresses running all over the place. And although it is the middle of summer, there seemed to be a bit of a Christmas celebration going on. We knew this because of all the Christmas decorations - stockings, lights, the works. When we asked about it, the employees said that they celebrate Christmas in August because the place closes down for the winter and no one would be there.
  
• We had gained an hour (AZ does not observe DST). Drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon via AZ 67 - about 40 miles. Went to the visitor's center, then to the general store for ice (and a jacket). It has been really cold at night - upper 40s last night.
  
• We hiked the Ken Patrick Trail of the Canyon (click link and zoom in for a map), which takes you from the trailhead, 10 miles one way (...we did not follow the trail all 10 miles) along the Bright Angel Canyon drainages. The trail was very primitive and took some route finding abilities. We found out later that our difficulties were not through a lack of trying on our part - the trail is notorious for simply disappearing then continuing farther up ahead, up and down, in and out of drainages. It follows the rim for part, then through forest, then back on the rim...excellent views. We hiked for close to 3 hours along the Ken Patrick trail.
  
• After the hike, we drove farther into the park, to the end of the road at Cape Royal, where there were several incredible overlooks. The scenery is really amazing and the scale of the place just cannot be described or done justice in photos. This is truly one of the places that people have to see at least once in their lives.
• When we left the park, we went back north into the national forest, a bit south of where we had camped the night before. Found a really nice site in the forest that was flat and had lots of wood around. It was COLD!!! In the lower 40s.
• Beer of the day: Trippel Belgian Ale (7.8%), Nimbus Pale Ale
• Dinner: corn on the cob, potatoes/onions, BBQ chicken
• Mileage 1350
• More North Rim info: http://www.bobspixels.com/kaibab.org/misc/gc_visit.htm#nr
  

Wed, August 8, 2007

MEM-LAS
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
August 3-12

• We slept late at the hotel in Durango (till about 11...it was a rough night). Left the city around 12 or so. Among the souvenirs we picked up were 3 parking tickets.
  
• Ate lunch at Arby's in Farmington, NM, a town full of strip malls and shopping centers.
  
• Made our way to the Four Corners Monument, where the states of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico meet. This is a very remote area of the country, not surprisingly. No electricity, no water, no phones. It costs $3 to enter the monument area, which is managed by the Navajo Nation. Lots of Navajo selling jewelry at booths set up near the actual four corners. Took the typical tourist pictures then left. It is scorching hot here in the desert.
• Drove, then drove some more. A bit more driving, then we ended up in Page, AZ (a boating town on Lake Powell) and got some supplies. We decided to drive to Jacob Lake, but the campground there was closed. Ended up driving to Kaibab National Forest, which is about 25 miles north of the Grand Canyon's North Rim. We drove into the forest using a logging access road and went about a few miles in, where there was no one around - no campsites, no people - we just stopped driving and walked into the forest with a tent. It was eerily quiet. A recent fire had charred most of the trees in the forest, so we were very careful with our fire once we set up camp.
• Mileage 1227
  

Tues, August 7, 2007

MEM-LAS
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
August 3-12

• After a very windy night, Brad is awake at 8 or so, while Nick takes in more rest. Deer still lurk in and around the campsite.
• We left Dalton Creek camp around 10 AM and drove into Colorado. Arrived at Mesa Verde National Park and checked out the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi people that lived in this area around 1200 A.D. Some of the dwellings have over 100 rooms. The rest of the park was also pretty cool - nice scenery, winding roads. Elevation in the park ranges from 6,000 - 8,500 feet.
• Continued on to Durango, CO. We had reserved a room at a very nice little boutique hotel called Nobody's Inn. It was a really cool place, above a store on a main street downtown. There were about 5 rooms, each with a clever name. The room we rented was called Anybody's Room. Cool antique items all over the place.
• The town of Durango reminds us of Missoula, MT (see 7/8/05) - cool bars, shops, a university. We ate at a place called Lady Falconburgh's (gross). The did have a great beer selection (38 on tap!). Walked around downtown then went to a bar/restaurant called The Quiet Lady. The bartender there (Aaron) was a bit of a know-it-all, but informative. Next we headed to a couple more alcohol-serving establishments, a few breweries (Caver's, then Steamhouse). All the beer was tasty. We ended up at a basement bar downtown near the hotel and drank some more. We met a couple from Austin named Joel and Margaret, who were very nice and liked to drink as well. Finally we ended up back at the room, where we made our way to the roof and hung out for a while before calling it a night. It was nice to sleep in a bed!
• Mileage 850

Mon, August 6, 2007

MEM-LAS
Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico
August 3-12

• Departed camp around 8:30 (so early...) and drove to Arches National Park. Drove to Devil's Garden at the end of the road and took a 1.5 mile hike to Landscape Arch, which is the longest natural arch in the world at 290 feet. We saw a lot of other arch formations, but nowhere near the 2,000 that the park claims to have. It's possible that it's all a big hoax. We will get to the bottom of it, for sure.
• Drove to Moab, Utah and ate at a Mexican place (Nick had a burrito verde, Brad had a super burrito). Walked around Moab for a while - it's pretty touristy, but it's a nice place...and full of Native American crap for sale.
• We had a few pints at the Moab Brewery, then headed south 0n UT-191 to Monticello. Stopped at the visitor center there and talked to an old guy who told us to head to Dalton Creek Campground inside Manti-La Sal National Forest. So we did. And we were pleased. We got there around 3 PM and were the only campers there - the camping area had about 15 sites. It was really quiet, and there were a lot of deer...they felt the need to intrude on our campsite on more than one occasion, coming up to us within about 6 feet. Nick kept a table between himself and the deer but Brad was a hero and didn't run. Also lots of cows roaming the countryside.
• Elevation ~8,500 feet
• Dinner - BBQ chicken, sauteed zucchini/onions
• Beer of the day: assortment of the last 2 days, and PBR, Natty Light
• Mileage: 690