Tag USA

So much has happened in such little time, and yet so much remains undone! With the Mongol Rally launch date fast approaching we’re quickly losing sleep over the amount of work needing to be completed before our piddly rally car can promenade out of London.

Remaining to be done:

• Visas. We literally have none. Although, by the time you read this we’ll be well on our way to filling out the gruesome paperwork required for all of these lovely entrance tickets. We’ll need visas for 5 countries along our route, so we’re hoping no one turns us down!
• Car. Yes, that’s right. We don’t have a rally car yet. Would you like to donate one? If so, we gladly accept provided it has an engine. We’re working on finding a car in the UK and dealing with the issue of where to store it until our arrival and how to start the registration process from afar.
• A method of arrival. We are hoping to take a boat from the East Coast, USA to Europe, and we’re busy searching the internet for cruise deals, freighter travel that is affordable or even a rickety dinky that we can paddle across the big pond.
• Money. Yup, we still don’t have a whole lot of that green stuff. However, we’re hoping someone extremely wealthy and wonderful will donate a bunch of that right before we leave. Its for a good cause, and Mercy Mongolia would be as happy as we would if a huge sponsor stepped in!

Already done:

• Team mates. On the up side, we are ecstatic to have Bill on the team, and we have every reason to believe a 4th team member will be joining us soon.
• Equipment. We also have almost all the supplies we need for the 10,000 mile journey, which is great news because without the car we might be hiking the 10,00 miles (and we’re well equipped to do so with all the survival stuff we have!)
• Route. We’ve ironed out our exact route and we have even put together a decent time line of where we will be and when! Nifty what information you can find online, as well as all the cool tools available for trip planning on a massive scale. You can find some of these tools listed on the Resources page.
• Communication. Lauren is busy learning Russian as quickly as a brain can hold that knowledge. We also have all the language apps one i-touch can hold, as well as a few PC programs for language acquisition and a nifty phrase book for Russian. When all else fails, we’ll do as the Italians do and gesture!

That’s where we are, folks! Wish us luck on the insanity that is about to ensue as we get our butts to the UK and get this rally underway!

When ever you get to the point, if this actually happens, that you feel like there isn’t anything else you could do to top what you have already done, come look at our new page of Influential Adventurers and Explorers.  Lauren put together this list of some absolutely amazing trailblazers, some of whom are classic and some who are modern and not so well known, yet.  I want to take a moment to mention some of my personal favorites, but I urge you to check out our entire page which is complete with books and movies which were written about or by the explorer or adventurer.

Zheng He Painting

An ode to China, probably because of personal ties and interest in Chinese history – Zheng He.  There have been several books written about him recently and a lot of research about his accomplishments under the Yongle  Emperer.  He commanded a fleet of around 300 ships and over 20,000 men and possibly sailed as far as the Americas. See:  1421: The Year China Discovered America.  Moreover, he did all of this without his genitalia as he was a Eunuch.  Quite impressive if you ask me.

Zheng He and Christopher Columbus Ship Model

Not only was his fleet probably the largest of his time, the size of his ships was 10 times that of European mariners of his time period.   We were lucky to see Zheng He’s tomb in Nanjing when we visited in early 2008.  For connecting China to the rest of the world and bringing back cultures from every end of the known world, as the time, to the Emperor, Zheng He deserves a place on our list as a recently well known explorer.

In Expedition 360 Jason Lewis, a modern day adventurer, circumnavigated the globe by human power only – absolutely no engines at all.   He taught children while he traveled and raised money for charity along the way.  Hats off to such a brilliant accomplishment.  It is great to see people of our time still finding things that have not been done before and pursuing the impossible.  Jason wrote about some of his experiences in a book titled: Flightless: Incredible Journeys Without Leaving the Ground.

Benedict Allen

Benedict Allen is another personal favorite, and recently discovered adventurer of our times.  Instead of using all the fancy gadgets we have now, Allen has reverted back to the way of the original explorers in an almost necessary way.   His ability to leave his laptop and GPS behind deserves him a spot on our list.  Allen relies on embedding himself with indigenous people and learning their ways and culture and hoping they, and sometimes children, will take him in and teach him their ways.  He uses the skills they teach him to get through their terrain and survive in their environments as well as get him from A to B. Into the Abyss.

If you have any more influential and perhaps not so well known adventurers / explorers to add, please comment below and we will add them to our Influential Adventurers page on www.abandonthecube.com.

Trying to Hug a Redwood

I’ve always wanted to go to the Redwood National Forest in Northern California.  While we were out in the Pacific Northwest, we decided that it would be the perfect time to go.  So we packed up the car and picked up some friends in Eugene on the way down.

After the Greyback experience in Oregon, we packed up and crossed the border into California the next day.  Immediately, we were forced to pull over and go through a sort of customs.  We were a little concerned, as we had an entire car full of trash containing beer and wine bottles from the previous night of camping.  Luckily, a very mild Department of Agriculture employee walked out and asked us if we were carrying any fruits into California.  I paused, not wanting to get the apples we had saved for breakfast confiscated by the Agriculture Gestapo, but said, “we have some apples.”  Apparently, you can not transport citrus or avocados into California. Luckily we got away with the apples and continued our weekend venture down to the Redwood Forest.

The drive down to Crescent City was beautiful.  We went through several forests and drove down roads which wrapped around downs and large hills for the duration of a little more than an hours drive.  First thing we noticed was the curve speed / warning signs in California are not really recommendations like most places in the US.  You pretty much have to go exactly that speed, or less, around the curves to avoid rolling your car.  It was a pretty intense drive.  Right before you reach Crescent City, if you are coming form the North, you will go through a redwood forest grove with a small pull over area for cars.  We highly recommend you stop here and take the 3-5 mile hike through the groves.  It was well worth it and had trees that were completely different than elsewhere in the forest.

Fallen Redwood

We also did the famous “drive-thru tree,” which the Park Ranger was pretty upset about and said they would never do that to a tree.  However, this tree is on private property and it is still a good experience to drive an entire vehicle, in this case a van, through a tree with plenty of room to spare.    There are signs all over Highway 101 for the tree; the 101 is a highly recommended as it goes right through the national and state parks.  Make sure you stop at the information center in Crescent City as the rangers there will give you the perfect trip tailored to you time schedule.

They also recommended several camping spots in the State Parks.  We chose one and drove off 101 for about 30 minutes and came to a cliff overlooking the Pacific.  We parked our car, and hiked all of our supplies up the hill to find a phenomenal campsite surrounded by redwoods with a view of the ocean.  We could hear the Pacific rolling below us all night long while laughing and talking over a few drinks.  The majesty of the redwoods and their unworldly presence was an amazing experience making it easy to understand how sci-fi and fantasy writers have used the Redwood Forest as inspiration for their books and movies.  Planet Endor, in Return of the Jedi was filmed in the Redwood National Forest.  A perfect set for what truly looks like another world.

Into Cave Abyss

After a great two days in Eugene, we packed up the old trusty mini van once again and decided to hit the road and head south. With all four of us in the minivan, things were lively and the drive flew by quickly. We reached the creepy town of Cave Junction around 10pm and decided to see what these Oregon caves were all about. Mike ran into a terrifying-looking gas station to ask directions to the caves. They replied, “its near the greyback.” Mike nodded knowledgeably and ambled back to the van to report the directions. We sat in the van blinking at each other. “What’s a Greyback?”

After passing several casino games, we pulled into Cave Junction’s only hotel where a lady with 1980’s makeup and shoulder pads so large they hit her in the ears told us to head for the greyback to find a camping spot. She gave us a free local newspaper (aka, a tiny pamphlet of nothingness) and pointed up the road. “To the greyback!” We repeated her mantra back to her with a bit less gusto, “to the greyback?!” and made our way out the door.

Eventually, after a beer stop and a few more inquiries, we decided to just find out for ourselves what this mysterious greyback was. Twelve miles up a horribly-constructed road we found a campground and Mike ran past a “CLOSED” sign to inquire again. From deep in the woods a woman’s voiced yelled out, in true Goonies style, “We’re closed!” and then a dog began to bark very close by and Mike and his friend sprinted into the van. No help at the camp site. We drove back down the road and saw a lit phone booth. A mirage in the woods that seemed beyond creepy. I took a picture (yes, its on flickr, no it didn’t turn out very well because the car was bumping along a dirt road as I took it). It turned out the phone booth belonged to a man who ran a camp site. Score! He installed us in an RV lot for 16$ and we set about making a fire and cooking our dinner. Only after we finally figured out how to assemble the tent did we realize the rain cover was full of holes.

Mike and Lu in Oregon Caves

In the morning, the forest seemed only slightly less creepy. We packed up our camp site  after making some breakfast on what was left of the fire, and headed deeper into the woods to solve the mystery of the greyback. You just can’t stop for intrepid explorers eager for discovery.

The Oregon Caves system is a national monument. And we learned from our 90 minute tour of one of the caves that a monument is a presidential decree rather than an act of congress.  Hopefully that helps you down the road in bar trivia. Our national monument ranger wore the typical OD green suit and funny ranger hat, and talked to our group of adults like we were perhaps 6 or 7 years of age. She told us stories in a drawn out tone, and even called us kiddos. She led us deep into the heart of a cave, some 200m underground. It was a dark, creepy and yet beautiful experience. Unfortunately, in our attempt to preserve the cave someone cut it all up to put in cement floors, stainless steel stairs, railings, ramps, lighting, cables for lighting and emergency exits. Its really not much of a natural thing anymore, its more like a movie set on Batman. My hypothesis– if humans find it, its screwed.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the tour through tiny, musty cave rooms that looked very strangely like our first apartment in China. We scaled up and down slippery steps, around hanging stalactites and over pointy stalagmites. We even had to duck once. Eventually we left the caves without interacting with any live nature, and we drove back through Cave Junction (still creepy in daylight) and onwards towards California. While we never did learn what a greyback was, some mysteries are better left unsolved.

We packed up the minivan and decided to head south to see two longtime friends and adventurous souls who live in Eugene, OR. The drive was pleasant down ol’ I-5, and we arrived made great time without incident until we got to the lovely and illogically grid-like, one-way nightmare of downtown Eugene. We thanked Map Quest for their incorrect instructions and, without cell phones, decided to head towards the only hill in the city for a better look. Turns out that was the hill they lived on. Problemo solved.

The following morning, after an informative and retro night on the town,we ventured to a local hot spot, Off the Waffle, for some breakfast. A nice treat there, and then a quick peek at a vintage book store where I found a rare book on exploring Central Asia for herbs, before we decided to hike to the top of Eugene’s hill for a better look. As Mike was backing up the trusty Toyota, there was a bit of a mishap that doesn’t bear retelling. Suffice to say Mike can never make fun of how I drive again. Ever! Score! This was the best accident of all time, in my book.

Area Around Eugene

Eugene is a very unique city. In our limited time there we saw that very few large corporations have penetrated into the city’s center. Anti-expansion laws have made property prices skyrocket, but there are no suburbs full of Wal-Marts or Home Depots either. Independent restaurants and cafes dot the city, and the uniqueness is almost overwhelming at first. Americans seem to like arriving in a new town and having it look almost identical to the town they left. McDonald’s, Walgreen’s, Target…. all of these places are lined up on consumer alley (or main street) in almost every American town of any size. Eugene is a breath of fresh air and shows what America could look like if it wanted to. It reminded me of why I disliked traveling in the USA– every time you arrive somewhere new you feel like you haven’t left home yet.

While traveling to Eugene made me aware of all of this, it was also pleasantly different, and we spent a few days soaking that in. The higher prices were well worth it to try so many new things. By the way, at an independent grocery store I found out there are literally thousands of different kinds of cereal. Turns out if you shop at a name-brand store they get to decide your menu for you. And here I thought all along there were only a few kinds! Silly me. Eugene’s independent grocery store had two isles of bulk cereals. You take as much as you want, mix and match, add accompaniments, and you’re off! Don’t get me started on how many kinds of juice there are. I did not think you could find lychee juice outside of China. Anyways, suffice to say we liked Eugene.

We (Mike and Lauren) are happy to announce that we have a new team member who will join us for the 2010 Mongol Rally!  We asked Bill to write up a little announcement and some information about himself for our site.  We have also posted some information about him on our Mongol Rally Sponsorship page.

Bill (Verbatim from Email):

Bill and his Motorcycle

I am from the deep South; Huntsville, AL to be exact.  Up until the age of 23, I never really left the country (the border towns in Canada and Mexico not really counting).  But then with my job as a mechanical engineer with a pulp and paper equipment design company, I started leaving the country and visiting far off locations, a lot of the time, on my own.  This is when the travel bug really bit hard.  I had always liked the idea of going new places; I went 1000miles away from home for college at RIT in Rochester, NY.And I was always going on road trips and traveling around with my buddies in high school.  But I never knew how much fun experiencing other cultures in other countries could be.  Also, the challenge and adventure of figuring out a new place and exploring…sans guidebook…is exciting.  It’s almost like being a secret agent.  Especially when I get phone calls in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning asking me to run out to China or Brazil or Russia, or any other number of countries on just a few hours notice.  Which is what my job entails now.  Now I’m a a mechanical engineering consultant that specializes in supervising the erection, commissioning, and startup of mill equipment.

So all I do now is travel for work, and luckily my wife Jacqui works through the internet so she travels with me the majority of the time.  The only problem is that for work, I end up going to a lot of the same places over and over again and only get to see a new place occasionally, so I need vacations like this where everything is different and there is constant movement.  As my wife says, I don’t relax well…

I try to live life by the mantra “Nobody says you have to order an entree in the restaurant of life, you’ll only be here once! Order the sampler, try as many as you can before you’re full; odds are one of the items on this menu does more for you than you ever thought. And if I’m wrong, tell the waiter that his menu sucks, throw the cook aside and invent your own masterpiece. Just pour ’em all in, all your favorite ingredients. With enough imagination, any combination will work — there are no recipes for the paths still awaiting discovery.”

We are very happy to have him on our team.  Thanks Bill and welcome to Abandon the Cube and the 2010 Mongol Rally.  See you in London!

Here we go! Just the FACTS about why the West Coast is literally a billion times cooler than the East Coast:

1) Movies about the West Coast are usually uplifting, fun and feature scantly clad youths frolicking along the beaches. Movies about the East Coast usually highlight a primary character who has turned selfish and egotistical while striving for some sort of monetary or business related goal.

2) The East Coast has a rich history that includes the earliest days of America’s past. Meanwhile, the West Coast is still wild, untamed and rugged– so are the people who live north of California. People like D.B Cooper and Kurt Cobain.

3) The West Coast produces way better music. Now that’s just a fact.

4) The West Coast, if you get rid of California, is full of people who love the environment. There are ample forests, of the evergreen and rain varieties, as well as untamed beaches, rugged mountain peaks and even ferns that grow out of tree branches. The East Coast has Krispy Kreame.

5) The West Coast has Hollywood. The East Coast has Disney World.

6) The West Coast had the gold rush. The East Coast had a tea party.

7) The West Coast has vampires and werewolves, the East Coast has Pennsylvania Avenue.

8.) The West Coast has the King crab, and salmon. The East Coast has lobster– nature’s ugliest creature.

9) The West Coast has the leading ocean. Now for those non-geologists that’s a plate tectonic joke.

10) You never hear people talk about the dream of moving out East. Our nation’s manifest destiny was literally driven by people moving to the West Coast.

With the exception of Chicago, the entire non-coastal USA is literally just a highway to and from the coasts.

What better way to spend the Armageddon, then waiting it out safely underground? Apparently I’m not the first person to think of this. Washington State is renown for its end-of-worlders, and recently I met someone who worked in construction, building underground shelters for folks who live in constant fear. These shelters, or “UGs” as the builders call them, cost more than most people’s primary homes, and are built to withstand large eruptions or man-made blasts. They are usually constructed under a barn or other large object to conceal construction, and are stocked with yummy end-of-days foods like dehydrated eggs and grains in large 5 gallon tubs. The end of the world business is quite a lucrative one, apparently, as these specialty tubs of food and supplies have a huge profit margin. The Sea Egg (in the image to the left) is just such an underground shelter. It is essentially a bubble deep under ground, where earthquakes, eruptions or anything else cannot penetrate. The home can be built by two people with re-bar and concrete, and the plans can be bought online or else a professional team can add the greater comforts (and style) if you hire it done.

But underground homes are not the only alternative should Armageddon strike. Underwater homes are just one additional alternative. Ocean real-estate is cheap (aka-free) and the construction costs are not as steep as you might think. Already, chic underwater hotels are attracting attention internationally. you simply run your boat or swim out to a pipe in the water, climb down the pipe into your home. An additional model has people swimming or scuba diving down into a wet room and coming up inside your underwater home. This alternative is a ways off, and in the testing stages on most designs. For now, the do-it-yourself underground sea egg, or hiring a local UG construction company may be more practical and logical.

From my family’s home in Washington State you can see Mt. Rainier. It’s one of the most majestic sights on the West Coast at almost 14,500 feet, and is the highest mountain in the Cascade range (and in the continental, contiguous USA). More than 13,000 people a year climb the active volcano in Pierce County, making it one of the most visited alpine climbing destinations in the USA. But more importantly, the mountain is a feature in the background in Washington that takes everyone’s breath away on a daily basis…. well, on the days you can see through the rain. It is only 50 miles from Seattle, and visible from almost anywhere along the Western Washington area. In our small town, the mountain is so prominent in the background that it dwarfs every feature, even the massive evergreens that grow on almost every square inch of ground not taken by houses or roads. If you come into Washington via the north on Amtrak you get one of the areas most beautiful and stunning views– Mt. Rainier in the background as the train curves around the Puget Sound, with amazing views of the mountain reflecting off the water. Evergreen trees are everywhere, and when my train was pulling around one corner a bald eagle swept over the treeline for an afternoon fishing hunt. Yes, it is breathtaking.

Something strange about Mt. Rainier though, is that several people a year die climbing the mountain. Personally, I think this is because Americans climbing here don’t think of the mountain as exotic or dangerous because it is always in the background. Despite the cuteness of the mountain, and how prevalent it is in daily life here in Washington, you get several folks a year who go up the mountain without the right equipment, and without any training. Just because it is within driving distance of your house doesn’t make it safer than Kilimanjaro or K2. I mean, it’s a an active volcano covered in glaciers—what’s safe about that?   White outs are common on the mountain, and locals think the volcano could erupt at any time. Of the several deaths a year that are reported, most are attributed to avalanche, falls, rock and ice drops and hypothermia, which makes one of the most uninviting of destinations in Washington. Any serious climber would only tackle Mt. Rainier after successfully summiting several other smaller and more manageable mountains.

While it has always been a beautiful and meaningful part of the background, it is also a dangerous and extreme destination, and one I’m happy to visit again and again…albeit with the right equipment and usually, without leaving the paths.

When you are on the road, you occasionally find yourself in between places or in limbo waiting for the next leg of your trip.  That is where we have found ourselves for the next month or two as we wait for the Mongol Rally start date.  Currently, we are both out on the West Coast in the Seattle / Tacoma area.  Since we are still traveling, and the rally does not start until July 24, we can’t really get a job or search for any serious job during this time period – especially because of the current economic situation.

Route map?

We have taken this opportunity to catch up with family and friends and we’ve been traveling around the United States and trying to see as much of the US as we can, although we will still miss a lot because of its enormity.  What we can do is work on some projects at home or help out our friends and folks.  We are currently undertaking a variety of projects from painting the exterior of the house, which is hard in the State of Washington because it is always raining, but it is a great opportunity to fix up things without spending too much money.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and look for things on sale, discount, or discontinued products.  We have been able to repaint several rooms with $5 paint – previously mixed and returned because they didn’t like the color.  So for about $5 – %15 dollars we can repaint a room with what would normally cost $90 for the paint.  If you are redoing a bathroom, look for discounted marble counters, surrounds, flooring, or tiles.  My brother-in-law introduced this to me as he is quite the deal finder.  It helps to have an open mind about your room or what you are trying to change.  It may not be exactly what you want, but it can be a huge improvement to your home, and for as little as a few hundred dollars, you can easily make 4 digit value increases to your home.

Ask your relatives if they have any left over supplies such as brick, tile, or drywall.  You never know what someone may keep around.  We were lucky enough to have a relative give us their remaining marble tiles, which looked awesome and we can cover over 700 square feet with them.  Even though we didn’t think they would fit with the style of the home, once we got them there we found a place to make them work.  As long as you are personally willing to put in the time and research to teach yourself and learn how to do these projects. eHow is a great place to start, but you usually will want more detailed information.  Search a variety of websites and also consider going to your local library to find guides for tiling, flooring, carpeting, decking, etc.  If all else fails, go to a book store and buy Fill in the Blank, for Dummies. Moreover, don’t forget to ask for assistance at your depot stores as they are usually well informed and will be more than willing to help explain to you exactly what you need and how to do it.

We are planning to redo a gutted bathroom and refinish the hardwood floors in the hallway – all things that can be done on the cheap but make huge a remarkable changes to your home.  Make sure to call ahead and reserve the proper equipment for these jobs like an orbital sander and edger or tile equipment.  You may also want to check out www.youtube.com for what you are doing as they may have a step by step video for all of you visual learners.

Refinishing a hardwood floor:  http://www.ehow.com/how_1856_refinish-hardwood-floor.html

Tiling a Bathroom Floor: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,672069,00.html

We are still hoping to do some traveling while out hear, stay tuned for information on the regional National Parks.

This isn’t one of those hippy diatribes about the body corporate, or a quasi-scientific spiel about the plausible connection between tumors and constant reception (although I hear that’s a serious upcoming issue). Its just a simple explanation about one person’s decision not to own a cell phone, and why.

First off, the commitment. I don’t own anything else I have to sign away years of my life for. Two year contracts! You have to be kidding! And if you move somewhere that isn’t under their coverage they’ll drag out the process making you pay for months on end while they ‘verify’ your move. And you have to send them copies of your bills with your new address on them! Why not my birth certificate, or my dental records? I moved to China and Verizon took months to let me out of my contract! No wonder commitment is scary– you no longer want a service and yet you could be forced to keep it until your contract is up. Now that’s harsh!

Second, the lack of serenity. I don’t think I’m that important that I need to be reachable at all times. Also, being able to be in the moment is hard enough with all the ADD distractions, I don’t need to be texting someone or twittering how my lunch is going in order to enjoy it. Every once in a while I can watch a TV show or take a walk without being interrupted or snapping a picture of the moment and sending it to a friend with cute little smiley faces made out of parenthesis and colons.

Third, planning is lost. Without cell phones none of my friends seem to be able to make a plan and carry it through. They say, “ok, text me directions and call when you get there” and I try to explain that we’ll have to plan ahead and just trust that the other person will be there. I know it’s a lot to ask, but hey, our parent’s generation managed to meet their friends at the milkshake café or whatever without carrying a phone in their pocket.

Finally, and this may seem pedantic, but the ring tones are just a ridiculous way to accessorize and/or feel special. I don’t need to impress my friends with a shiny bejeweled talk box that has Morgan Freeman’s voice telling me who is calling and doubles as a camera, calculator, thermometer, organizer, computer, and voice recorder. I just don’t need more stuff distracting me from real life and interrupting me when I’m enjoying it.

Not many people make backtracks like we do! To make my point, our trips inside America in the last several months

Route map?

have been hectic, repetitive and somewhat ridiculous. Just look at that map! We landed on the east coast, managed to make it to Illinois, only to jump to New Hampshire and Washington, back to Illinois, then to Texas, back to Illinois, then to Washington again. make any sense to you? Yeah, us neither. And we did it ALL by land only, no air travel. If you ever want to hear our opinion of Amtrak or the Great American Road System, pleas ask. We’d be happy to monologue for you, and since Mike plays the guitar, he can even do it to song, if that’s your preference.

I have to confess, a huge portion of America has been neglected in our ridiculous travels, and that area is boring– which is why we didn’t go there (California, Oregon and parts of Nevada exempted). I’d love to see the Grand Canyon, but they located it in the middle of nowhere, so until they get some interesting side attractions out there we’ll be sticking to the more densely populated areas.

One of the amazing things about ground travel in the USA is the gas prices. It can be high in, say, Seattle and low in DC. Explain this to me, someone please? Why do the people along the coasts, where oil is delivered, often pay more?  Isn’t Canada our biggest oil supplier? Why do northern states pay more than southern ones? Check out this map of gas prices in the USA– see a trend?

Another thing that surprised me was the tax rates in various states we traveled through. Texas, for example, had an 8% sales tax rate while Arkansas was 9% and Missouri was 7%.  Property taxes is not taxed, but everything else is. Washington has a $9.00 minimum wage while Wyoming gets a mere $5.15 an hour. Some states don’t even have minimum wage standards. Emma Goldman would be sad.

Nevertheless, the trip was amazing. I’ve never seen so many MAC trucks! Ya know, America, a railway system might solve the over-congestion of the roads. I’ve also never seen so many fast food restaurants. You see a lot of interesting folks in sweat pants at the McDonald’s, or rummaging in the trash at various rest stops. We even saw one man get out of the driver’s seat of his RAM truck and finish his beer then toss it in the trash before peeing in the grass NEXT TO the bathrooms. Also, at any given interstate gas station you’ll find a plethora of items for sale that no one would, or has ever bought. Like neon pink mud flaps with a naked woman outline on them. And the gas station check-out guy is always eating or spitting sunflower seeds while you try to check out.

So, the cross-country ridiculousness went well, and we’re in Washington now. believe it or not we’ll be heading back to the Midwest soon enough– enhancing the backtrack.

Recently, I’ve taken the Empire Builder from start to finish a total of three times, that’s around 6,600 miles!

Traveling by train is an activity that requires great patience, but if you are looking in the right direction you’ll see much of what America is renowned for without getting out of your seat. The major cities of Chicago, Minneapolis and Seattle lie along the route, as do the amber waves of grain. Purple mountains of majesty sit majestically in the background while the fruited plains of Washington pass by. Rocky rivers, waterfalls and lakes all flash past the Amtrak window. As I sit on the train I have full visibility of the sky above, the massive expanse of land out my window, and the knowledge that those flying overhead above me are sorely missing out. It takes roughly 48 hours to cross the Empire Builder, and in the time you’ll witness a sunrise and a sunset (probably both in Montana) with snowy grasslands spotted in geese, or farmers plowing their fields and pausing to pet their trusty Labrador. If you are not in a hurry, and you can appreciate the little things in life, than you’ll appreciate a trip through the heartland by rail.

When I tell people I take the train across America, I’m usually met with laughter or a Bill-Clinton-like sad smile and a sympathetic, “I’m Sorry!” This rubbed off on me a bit, I’ll admit, and I was not looking forward to my third, 48-hour journey in as many months on Amtrak. After boarding my car, however, it took no time at all for me to be refreshed with the excitement of travel and the amazing views of the Mid- and Northwest. Between Milwaukee and nowhere-town North Dakota I sat next to a US Air Force officer who had been stationed in Korea for the past several years. He had driven his car to St. Louis to be shipped to his next duty station and was returning to his family in North Dakota to pack up his modest home and move to Alaska. This gentleman regaled me with stories of life in Korea, and even flipped open his laptop and gave me a military-style briefing on the DMZ (demilitarized zone along the 38th parallel). Two months ago on a previous Empire Builder experience I sat next to a woman from the Dakotas whose husband has recently passed away. She was visiting her daughter in Seattle after the funeral and talked to me about what a wonderful man her postal-service husband had been, and what she would do now that she was alone (teach Opera appreciation at her local college). Even further back, I met a girl who had been in prison for assault, only recently released and heading home—I can’t say that was a meaningful experience for me, but it was a part of America I had not seen before. Encounters with people on Amtrak are not always easy, but they are always memorable and for the most part these movable parades are a cross section of society that few get to really appreciate.

As we pulled into Seattle, where the tracks follow the sound so you have a mist-covered view of the water with mountains in the background, a bald eagle emerged from the mist and flew alongside the train. You’ll not find anything as mystical and beautiful as that from a tiny airline window.

Although still listed as the 14th most undesirable place to live because of the crime and unemployment, I’ve been lucky enough to come home for a couple weeks and catch up with friends and family. That has really been the best part about it. There are really some good people here and that is hard to come by in all the places we’ve been. Even though the weather is beautiful today, most activities and venues in Rockford are shut down for Winter. However, I want to take this opportunity to go through some of the awesome things to do in Rockford and a couple of interesting facts…or at least ones that I find interesting.

Making CiderEdward's Apple Orchard

Edward’s Apple Orchard

This place is just simply the best and has been for as long as I can remember. Crowds flock in from Chicago and all over the region to see Edwards Apple Orchard in Fall. I surprising could not find their website, however this is a must do in the Fall. Technically in Poplar Grove, every year thousands of people drive out of the city down country roads to visit this once quaint orchard farm. Over the years it has grown into a huge barn converted into a store with great Mid-West and country style goods that you can’t find anywhere else, tons of apples in baskets to choose from, and phenomenal apple cider. And the kicker – Edward’s Apple Orchard donuts! These sugar coated donuts are home-made right in front of you at the orchard and melt in your mouth. These are such a phenomenon here, I have even seen Orchard donut wedding cakes.  It is a great place to take your kids, as they have a free petting zoo, and another building full of country antiques. If that’s not enough, you can go downstairs and order cider by the cup, a single donuts, or anything else the place has to offer.

Midway Village Water Wheel

Midway Village

The forgotten museum of Rockford, I grew up about a mile away from this place.  As dorky as it may be, I used to volunteer out there during all of their events.  It started out as a ministry required volunteer program I had to do for school and then I just never quit.  I got all dressed up in some mid 1800’s gear and went down to the printing press and made people their name while showing them how movable type works, which was a great experience because my Great Grandfather owned the local newspaper in Comfrey, Minnesota.  I would also give them a tour of the hardware store where I memorized every detail about each item in the store.  This place was amazing during the Civil War Reenactments and Wild West Days.  These are of my fondest childhood memories and it is sad to see it not in use or busy on the weekends.  It seems as though they don’t have enough volunteers working there to have any of buildings open.  I think it is quite an experience walking through what appears to be a small pioneer town of the good ol’ days.

On The Waterfront

Crowd at Davis Park

The music festival of my youth.  We couldn’t go through a Summer without trying to spend almost every night down by the river for this monumental event for Rockford.  Tons of people come out for this several-day-long music festival.  I saw my first concert here, although I am too embarrassed to tell you who it was.  Regardless, Rockford brings in a lot of great bands for this event and everyone comes downtown to check it out.  Summer is the time to be in Rockford as there are just tons of things going on.  They have over 5 stages set up, probably more now, to suit everyone’s’ musical tastes.  From Steve Miller Band, to Cold or Powerman 5000, to Bobby Vee from my parents generation, they have all genres.

Historic Auto Attractions

I just heard about this recently from some friends and although I have not been here yet, it looks amazing.  This is actually in Roscoe, just outside of Rockford, Illinois.  Going through their website is pretty amazing.  It simply must be one of the best private car collections in the United States.  I am not going to load an image because you simply just need to see their website (click above on ‘Historic Auto Attractions’).  They have wax representations of tons of historic figures, most wearing authentic garb, a superman (wearing the actual costume from Superman 1), Bonnie & Clyde’s death hats, John Dillinger’s 1932 Studebaker… the list goes on and on.  Absolutely amazing.

Japanese Gardens

Anderson Gardens

From what I have been told, Anderson Gardens has been rated the best Japanese garden in all of North America, a pretty amazing accomplishment.  I drove by the gardens literally every day on my way to high school.  This is pretty typical for people of their home town, but I have never been here.  I’m planning on it this Spring though.  I am trying to view my trip home as part of our extended journey and am trying to see all the tourist stuff you miss out on in your own town.  They also have a pretty nice restaurant located on the grounds from what I understand but the menu does not have any prices … yes it’s one of those.  Probably something for the budget traveler to avoid (the restaurant only I mean) as I’ve fallen victim to that scam all over Central Asia.  I don’t want to be that guy who asks how much everything on the menu is…it is simply habit for me now after traveling for too long.

Rock Cut State Park

Rock Cut State Park

I try to drive or hike through the park in the Fall because it really is beautiful.  During the Summer I used to go down to the water, just slightly off of the right of this picture, and go fishing.  My buddy Matt, who met us in Ankara, Turkey earlier this year, and I caught a ton of small bass and blue gill just off the shore.  We would bring some food to grill out as well.  It always made for a perfect Summer day when I was younger and I highly recommend a trip out for the whole family.  Your bound to catch something, albeit not very big, if you throw a line in.  Rarely did I ever go home not having caught something.  There is even a bait shop and a place to pick up some equipment in the middle of the park.  Moreover, a great camp ground for tents and RVs is on the other side of the lake.

There are a lot of things I am leaving out, please feel free to add them in the comments and keep the list going – for all of you Rockfordians who want to prove that Rockford really isn’t as bad as the magazines state.  First one I left out that comes to mind already is Magic Waters!  The name says it all.

Bush Library

A  recent visit to the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas revealed a deeper look at the man, the President and the Bush family. We were taken on a long, very detailed tour of President Bush, from his childhood to his military career and his courtship of Barbara. We walked through his life in Texas starting a family and a business, and then his entrance into politics and his gradual assent to the highest office in the government. We learned a great deal  about his time in the UN, and in China, as well as details about his family and how his children fared while he was in office and beyond. A replica of the Oval Office and Situation and Speech rooms made the visit seem like a tour of the White House, and also gave a sense of the pressure and stress of the position of president.

Bush Museum

The museum itself was very well organized and designed, with accessibility and interactive displays as a focus. When entering the museum visitors must first pass through security, as the former President and first lady have an apartment on the premises and are known to ‘drop by’ the museum from time to time. A friendly volunteer will then direct you towards the introductory theater, where a short film clip is shown of the former President and First Lady explaining the layout of the museum. From there, you can walk through the artifacts donated by the family and their colleagues and friends, including family photos, quote boards and video clips. For children, the museum has a video game simulation of landing a plane on an air craft carrier, as George Bush did in the war. A replica of the plane dangles above, and throughout the museum there are activities for children and games to keep them entertained while adults read and view the materials provided.

Having visited only one other Presidential Library, the Abraham Lincoln, I found this a real treat. We had hoped to also stop and see the William Clinton Library and Museum, but time did not permit. I hope to visit all of the Presidential libraries at some point, as they offer real insight (albeit biased) into the person in the office, instead of the figurehead. They are an invaluable resource and a great asset to the nation.

The museum is located at: 1000 George Bush Drive West, College Station, Texas 77845, and costs $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for children. Open on all non-major holiday days. For more information on the Bush Library, visit their official website.

The Alamo

Remember the Alamo! This saying had little meaning to me until recently, when we visited the Alamo in San Antoino, TX. This was a prime turning point in the battle between non-Mexican residents of Mexico and the Mexican government that ultimately resulted in the independent Republic of Texas (recognized by the US government, but not by the Mexican one). The annexation of Texas, as it would later become, was one of the primary reasons for the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 which ultimately resulted in the USA winning, by battle and purse, over 50% of Mexican soil and landing the entire southern portion of modern-day America, including the gold found the following year in California.

Having visited Palo Alto, a battle where the Mexican army was turned away due to superior American military equipment, seeing the Alamo, where the Mexican army used sheer numbers to overwhelm a fortified mission, was in stark contrast. Ill-equipped Texans defended the mission they had only recently won themselves by battle, and held out for 13 days with nearly all 182-250 defenders lost, including the famous Davy Crockett, and James Bowie. The Mexican Army spared the women and children hiding in the mission.

One shocking event, though there were many in this troubled time, was the Mier Expedition of  1842.  Santa Anna continued to attack Texas after the treaty of Velasco (where Texas became an independent republic.) in hopes of gaining back Mexican territory.  On one event 500 Mexican troops attacked and killed 54 Texans in the Dawson Massacre. Texans responded by counter attacking with their militia in the Somervell Expedition. After retaking the lost land, the Texans were disbanded, all but a few captains and their men went home.  Those Texans camped on the Texan side of the Rio Grande. They were ordered to pull back by Somervell, who knew that they had no serious Texan force to defend against a real attack, but the rogue captains did not, unaware that some 3,000 Mexican troops were in the area. The small party of 261 soldiers were met by the full force of Santa Anna’s army, and surrendered after heavy fighting. They were marched to Matamoros for punishment but 181 of them escaped, with 176 being recaptured. To punish them for the deaths they caused in their escape attempt, Santa Anna declared that every 10th man be executed. He initiated the ‘Black Bean Lottery’ where a jar of 159 white beans and 17 black ones was passed around, with each man drawing his own fate. Those who drew the black bean were executed the following day. Those who survived either died later or were released in 1844, along with a few survivors of the Dawson Massacre. This episode, like many in the Texan Independence War and the Mexican-American War, are largely unknown while the Alamo remains a rallying cry and historical strong point in Texan stubbornness and fortitude.

For more information on the Alamo, visit their official website.

Palo Alto Battlefield

If you live or vacation in Southern – Central Texas, this is especially important to all the winter Texans, take a short drive North of Brownsville to visit the Palo Alto Battlefield.  Easy to find and only taking an hour or so see, the Palo Alto Museum was a refreshing overview of sometimes forgotten American, and Mexican, history.  The quaint museum displays artifacts from the battlefield as well as detailed information regarding political debate on the subject before, during, and after the war.  There are uniforms, guns, cannon balls, maps, and pictures, but if you museumed’ out, you can watch the PBS video on the battle of Palo Alto, which gives a great overview of the battle as well as the museum.

The museum argued that the first battle of the Mexican – American War (Palo Alto) was provoked by President Polk, who had his mind set on the acquisition and extension of the United States to the Western seaboard.  According to what we saw at the Palo Alto Museum, after skirmishes and heated debate over Texas, the United States, and the Mexican border was ongoing in congress.  Polk himself declared the Rio Grand as the border, although it was not recognized as the official border by either side.  When Mexican General Mariano Arista crossed the river with his 3,400 troops, it was portrayed as an invasion by Polk politicians and Zachary Taylor, sent by President Polk earlier to further stir up Mexican fear of a U.S. invasion, moved towards ‘Fort Texas.’  The front line, still visible today, stretched over one mile.  The terrain made any type of charge suicide so Taylor used new artillery tactics called ‘flying artillery’ to fire once and relocate the artillery to fire against any flanking attempts by the enemy.  The U.S. was unaware of their artillery’s devastation until morning when they discovered that General Arista had pulled out and left over 100 casualties behind in the field.   The American artillery used newer explosive cannon balls which shot shards of shrapnel all around the impact area.  The Mexican army, on the other hand, used older (non- impact – explosive) weapons and artillery.

General Taylor was ordered to push forward and invaded Fort Brown (modern day Brownsville) and Matamoros before pushing deep into Mexican territory, eventually all the way to Mexico city.  In two short years, Polk had negotiated the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico in which Mexico lost over half its land to the United States and the US pushed its borders down to the Rio Grand in Texas as well as purchased what is now California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah for 15 million USD (about 370 million in 2009).  You can walk through the snake infested trails of Palo Alto in amazement at the epicenter of what would eventually lead to the the largest expansion of the United States since the Louisiana Purchase.  A highly worthwhile and recommended visit for anyone who appreciates history, especially the less well known aspects.

Texan Rose

Texas! The only state in the union that considers becoming its own country on a daily basis and was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845. Texas! Known for the highest number of executions per year. A place so exciting and fast paced it took the armadillo as its state animal. Texas! The lone star state, a word that means “friendship” but a people at odds with both the north and the south. Ah, Texas. There is no other place in the union where history is so alive, so fierce that ‘death by cowboy’ is still considered a legitimate fear. The politics are ripe and raw, the people are hardy and tough, and the sun beats down upon more people in Houston and San Antonio than in 31 other states. So, what did we northerners think of our 6 week stay in the Lone Star State? — I’m glad you asked:

Texans are a tough breed. The ones we met were rough and ready to deliver their political, religious and musical opinions without instigation, and we’re about as willing to listed to the northern view as a child is willing to listen to the news. But, despite their hotheadedness, they were a friendly and approachable people- despite the truck bed gun racks and camouflage clothing. Although we have games like “Big Buck Hunter” in the bars up north, there was nothing of that sort down in Texas. Instead, bar goes serenade each other with karaoke or play a charming game of shuffle board. No, they are not big hunters, they raise cattle instead, proving that brains outdo brawn any day. While the northerner is off hunting in the snow, the southerner is playing shuffle board at the bar while his steers make him millions. And if cattle isn’t the occupation of choice, then oil is. More readily available than water, in places, oil is the Lone Star’s liquid of choice.

Color!

What about the wildlife, the countryside, the great outdoors? Glad you asked. There is more than enough land in Texas to go around. Don’t ever worry that America will become to congested– it wont. There is land in Texas even the Texans don’t know what to do with.  Things are so spread out, that without a car (or horse) it is nearly impossible to get around. Even in the cities there is a certain amount of space between structures that says, “hey, this here is my land, buddy. Get your own!” And, if you wanted your own land, it is available for sale in Texas and teaming with wildlife like hawks, lizards, strange pig-gazelle looking creatures and more. None of which us northerners have seen in the wild before and consider strangely comical when seen from a car window.

Having visited much of the USA, it is fair to say that Texas does indeed have something special. For the independent hermit or outspoken don Quixote, this is the place to be. Austin has great live music and cosmopolitan flare, Houston has NASA (and Billy Bob Thorton) and San Antonio has the Alamo- possibly America’s most famous underdog story.

Progreso

Having visited Progreso several times this winter, and Matamoros only once, it is safe to say I’m a bit skewed towards the former destination. Nevertheless, I have rational reasons for enjoying Progreso more than Matamoros. For anyone living along the East Coast of Texas, this will be vital information for you if you are planning on visiting Mexico anytime soon, for everyone else, its a bit of a tale of our visit to Matamoros, where days later there was a shoot out and US customs confiscated several pounds of illicit drugs.

Matamoros inspires looks of fear and awe in Winter Texans, who for so long have heard horror stories of drug deals, border wars and shoot outs occurring at this crossing. Call it naivety, but we wanted to check out the city and see what the market had to offer. We drove to the border and parked the car on the US side before walking gaily across the bridge into Mexico. As soon as we stepped on foreign soil we heard an old familiar sound– taxi drivers whispering discount promises in one ear and steering you quickly towards his patched up vehicle. We saw chickens and other farm life wandering around aimlessly in tiny, makeshift pens, and we saw several people looking at us with disbelief. It seemed more like our recent trip to Uzbekistan, than across a mere 100 yard river from America.

We held up our printed map of Matamoros and decided to walk to the market, a 2 mile stroll following the train tracks before veering into a slum that jetted into the market and bazaar area. Along the walk, people paused to give us strange looks or point the way to the market and shake their head. Perhaps our tiny group of American should not have been there, but hey– we made it through Azerbaijan without incident, why not Mexico?

Matamoros

Finally at the market, we didn’t see a single other American. A mile long street of tiny shops selling Chinese-made shoes, clothes and plastic flowers stretched before us, and we perused the items, snapping pictures, looking at our map frequently, and generally playing the role of retarded tourist quite well. On the walk back to the border, a cab drive hollared out his window, “50 cents a person!” and we jumped in without a second thought. He chatted kindly with us in broken English while we sat bashful and ashamed that we didn’t already speak Spanish. We walked back across the border and the dichotomy was so shocking that suddenly people risking their lives to swim across the river made sense. Hell, I’d do it if I lived in Matamoros.

Progreso, on the other hand, is a town made for tourists. After you park on the US side, you walk across a wheel-chair friendly bridge to Mexico, where several tanks and armed guards keep watch. The streets are lined with liquor shops, souvenir shops, bars and restaurants, as well as cheap dentists and optometrists. We did not encounter a single other tourist under the age of sixty, and the elderly retirees and snow birds were having an amazing time getting drunk on cheap margaritas, dancing to polka and buying up hand-woven baskets and rugs. Its a great place to visit if you want two mustachioed men to play mariachi music to you while simultaneously chugging beer.

Being unemployed, we decided to try to make ourselves useful to society in a way that doesn’t include posting comments on various websites. We decided to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in Texas.

Logo

Texas is a remarkably transient place. In the winter, all the snowbirds from up north evade the winter chill by vacationing in the south. They are known affectionately as Winter Texans. Between the months of November and March, they invade the south and the sale of liquor and geriatric products both go up (as most Winter Texans are retirees). In March along the southern border, Spring Break fanatics show up with kegs and short skirts to celebrate their brief freedom and terrify the locals. Afterward, the local Texans are left reeling from the not-so-subtle transition from Winter Texans to screaming, drunk teens until the cycle starts over again in November.

We woke up at 5:30 in the morning and jumped in the car for the hour long drive to McAllen, TX, where the local Habitat for Humanity chapter was currently working on two side-by-side houses. We arrived and discovered we were younger than everyone on site by at least 35 years. Nevertheless, the all-male group was in chipper spirits as they showed us how to hang drywall. These folks spend every winter in Texas helping Habitat for Humanity. They show up every work day and donate their time and energy to a great cause, without complaining or politicizing. In truth, these were some of the nicest, warmest and most thoughtful people we’ve met while traveling. We worked from early in the morning until 4pm, and these volunteers took only one break and a short lunch break. They worked at a brisk pace that left us, the younglings, out of breath and exhausted. They had lots of little tricks to teach us about hanging drywall, and were so helpful that soon we were well into the swing of things. That day, we finished the entire interior of the house so it was ready for an expert plaster layer to come in. More importantly, we got to know some of the folks we were volunteering with, an experience that left us smiling all afternoon. These folks take, “salt of the earth” to a whole new level.

If you want to donate your time to Habitat for Humanity, contact your local chapter and find out what they are working on. If you don’t have any construction experience, usually someone on site can teach you enough to help out. If you have free time, why not spend it on something meaningful and lasting, like supplying someone in need with a beautiful home.

SPI Welcome!

For the past month we have been sheltering ourselves away from the massive cold front that has left the Midwest covered in snow and ice. We journeyed south, like the Winter Texan snow birds, to South Padre Island, TX, a tiny sliver of land only three blocks wide and roughly 15 blocks long, surrounded by the water of the Gulf of Mexico.

South Padre Island, or SPI as locals call it, is a strange place. The island’s southern half is flush with hotels, rental properties, and a plethora of shops selling swimsuits and surfboards and of course a variety of restaurants. The northern half is undeveloped beach and swamp land, even the island’s main road doesn’t venture all the way to the end of the island. During the winter, northerners flood the island and at any given time you’ll find dozens of retirees enjoying the moderate weather on the beach, or flooding the Denny’s for their senior coffee. During the spring, the island is swarmed with spring breakers, who leave a wake of red keg cups behind them when they depart. The summer sees family vacationers while the fall witnesses the return of property owners come to see the year’s damage to their rental houses and condos. Thus, the island can be a different experience depending on when you travel there.

SPI Map

South Padre Island has a lot to offer in terms of sight seeing, take for example, the world’s largest fishing pole, which is houses in Port Isabel, directly across the bridge from SPI. You’ll find a local chainmaille designer, Michael DeVeny, hard at work at the port’s busiest restaurant and bar, Pirates Landing. He spends his time hand weaving necklaces, armor, weapons and vases out of chainmaille and boasts an impressive catalogue of crafts. Additionally, SPI had its own treasure story, a tale of woe, romance and loss wherein the Singer family (yes, of the sewing machine company) buried all of their jewelry and money between two palm trees along the beach when the civil war broke out. Later, they returned but the trees were gone, the sand dunes had shifted, and the treasure was never recovered. A similar event happened earlier, which leads me to think that if the Singer family had read their history, they could have avoided the same fate. In 1521 and 1553 Spanish galleons were smashed against the island and the crew of sailors and explorers were either killed by the harsh environment or by the natives who defended the land. All of their treasure was lost and the ships were never found. Alas, all of my personal attempts at finding either treasure have proved fruitless.

South Padre Island is indeed a sub-tropical paradise off the Texan coast with something for everyone, from treasure seekers to chainmaille enthusiasts to spring breakers and retirees.

Border Crossing

Having always loved Latin music, food, clothing and culture, my first trip to Mexico was dreamt about for years before it actually occurred. Last week I was able to live that dream when we crossed into Progreso from Texas. This was supposed to be a time of intense joy as a lifelong dream of visiting Mexico was finally achieved. However, the experience was sorely spoiled by the government on our side of the border. Here’s why:

I’ve crossed some 20 borders in my day, and not one of them has required me to pay for the privilege of exiting and re-entering the country. But, believe it or not, this is exactly what happens when you cross the land border between Texas and Mexico. In order to pass you must deposit a shiny quarter into the waiting mouth of a machine before it will grant passage into Mexico. Roughly 19,750 million American visit Mexico each year. This number times .25 = $4,937,500. That’s four million bucks the US government makes on American cross-border transportation. While I completely understand that the US-Mexico border needs funds in order to operate, I have a small problem understanding why this is the only border in the world that requires this payment. Side note: the Mexican side charges .35 cents to each person exiting the country for America. They make over 6 million a year.

Many people, Texans mostly, travel to Mexico to buy cheap goods. Cheaper liquor is one such item folks will traverse the borders in search of. While in Mexico we did what many other gringos around us were doing– we shopped, ate enchiladas, had a few margaritas and then bought a bottle of booze to carry across the border to America. While in 2009 the laws stipulated that each citizen could bring back a bottle a month, untaxed, something has changed. We were stopped by rude and rough border guards who demanded $1.25 per liter of liquor. There was no explanation, just a demanding voice, a gloved palm reaching through bars and a continued barking of the order to pay up. There was no willingness to explain, no literature on why the tax was suddenly applies to each bottle entering the country. Sigh.

I don’t want it to seem like the trip to Mexico wasn’t amazing—because it was! A small mariachi band played while we sat on a balcony overlooking the main street having margaritas, children rode their bikes up and down the main drag while adults sold a sundry of baskets, rugs and other items to passing tourists. The food was good, the people were friendly and not pushy, and despite being within spiting distance of the USA, the culture was unique to Mexico and very vibrant. Hotel Del Arco Los Cabos is a great place to stay while traveling through the Cabo San Lucas area.

Mount Washington Hotel Lobby - Ready for the Holidays

Also known as the Bretton Woods Resort, the Mount Washington Hotel is the one of the last remaining “Grand Hotels” of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.  Since it was built by Joseph Stickney in 1902, for a mere 1.7 million dollars, it has been host to a variety of historical events, politicians, and celebrities.  The Kennedy’s were known to vacation at the hotel during ski season in the White Mountains.  The hotel was a moderate success until Income Taxes, Prohibition, and the Great Depression reduced guests to minimal numbers.  The hotel closed in 1942 during World War II, was purchased by a Boston syndicate in 1944 for only $450,000 – a fraction of what it was built for decades earlier.

World Bank and IMF Conference Table - Mount Washington Resort

Shortly after the purchase, the Bretton Woods Monetary Conference convened while the Allies pushed their invasion through France.  750 delegates from 44  Allied nations met to discuss the commercial and industrial economic recovery of the world following the war.  The Bretton Woods Conference established the International Monetary Fund (IMF), The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) – which became part of the World Bank.

The IMF, still today, oversees the global financial system on a macroeconomic scale of countries who affect the exchange rates and balance of payments.  Initially created the stabilize the world economy following the war, the International Monetary Fund now lends money to developing a struggling nations through a system of annual donations from member nations.

The IBRD was originally created to fund reconstruction in countries devastated by World War II.  Now, the IBRD is one of the five facets of the World Bank and currently finances poor and impoverished nations by acts of lending.  I was amazed to discover that such modern day controversial and monumental conferences that affected the world, were brought about in the small rooms of the Mount Washington Resort – nestled away in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  The resort was giving a grant of $300,000 for hosting the conference and $18 per room from each of the delegates for the three week conference.

Like in The Shining

Walking over the creaky wooden floors and through the drafty hallways of this grand old hotel, I couldn’t help but hear in my head, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” and “Here’s Johnny!”  Or even worse, I thought I would see those two twin girls in blue dresses at the end of this hallway in the picture to the left.  Down the corridor in that picture, to the left, there was also a bar which was coincidentally empty except for one well dressed man cleaning a glass behind the counter.   That was it, I was convinced that this was the hotel from the movie.  However, The Shining was filmed in a similar aged hotel in the mountain of Colorado.  Just as in the Shining, Mount Washington used to close down in the winter as the roads were too snow covered to reach the mountain resort.

In 2008 the TV Show Ghost Hunters featured the Mount Washington Resort attempting to find ghosts of the past in the 100 plus year old hotel.

Regardless, visiting the Mount Washington Resort was a great historical experience and although we didn’t stay, maybe next time.

Recently, I have been surprised by how difficult traveling is in America if you don’t want to fly. And reasonable people are prone not to want to sit in a metal tube as its flung across the nation with potential terrorists to hinder its flight, or birds to ruin its motors, or a drunken pilot- which is known to have occurred. True that flying is quicker, but its often not worth the hassle and this intrepid writer isn’t planning on boarding and flying vessels without a parachute. So, as I ponder how to get from Washington State on the West coast, to Texas, on the southern boarder, I’m struck by how few reasonably priced options there are.

As this isn’t Europe or Asia, and the argument for a larger and more comprehensive (and not inept) rail system in America has already been made and ignored, I’ll suffice to say that Amtrak leaves so much to be desired that most travelers rule it out as an option. To get from WA to TX would require a traveler to transfer to several different trains, and throw in a few bus rides to boot! That is out of the question for the hassle, the complications with transferring baggage personally, and the cost—which would be staggeringly close to $350 USD.

Let’s think about renting a car next. Since most US rental agencies shy from one-way rentals, there are not many options out there for finding a car to drive the distance without breaking your piggy bank. And trust me, my money really is in a giant piggy bank not worth running for a lousy car rental deal. A one-way rental plus gas would run me in the neighborhood of $500 USD.

Lets consider the bus network of America. Now, if one enjoys being watched over the back of the seat in front of you by a deranged cocaine addict who says your eyes look like food, then this is the way to go! However, if you are mentally stable then the Greyhound just might refuse you a seat. The cost of a bus to TX from WA is around $400 USD, and one would have to change buses several times before reaching the end destination—and reaching that same destination with all of one’s luggage and sanity is a real maybe.

So what is the American budget traveler to do?

Driving from North Carolina to the Mid-West

When it was time to depart the East Coast and North Carolina the issue of how to move forward was pressing.  We wanted to continue our trip as close as possible to the ways and methods we had used while abroad and treat our time in the United States like we were simply traveling through another country.  Not having the population as other countries of comparable size (China) and with a developed culture and auto industry focused on the American family owning automobiles, we have found getting from A to B more difficult.

Taking the train from Florida to South Carolina, we already had found it to be comparative to a flight price-wise.  However, it was much more enjoyable.  Traveling by public transportation in the United States is difficult in the sense that there are fewer schedules, they are more expensive, and although you can get around by these means, you are stuck at your destination unless you have a car or someone picking you up.  When you arrive in town you can’t simply take a bus or walk as you can in other countries.  This was confirmed as we walked for hours in the rain in Columbia, SC.  Luckily we found a bus driver who explained we could not walk that far, switched buses twice, waited for about an hour, and found a bus driver nice enough to drop us off in front of the hotel we were looking for – which was actually way off her route.

Naturally, we would have loved to take the train from North Carolina.  We even got excited when we learned we would have to take the Northbound train to Washington D.C., where I have family we could have visited, and then take the East / West bound and travel to Chicago.  However, the price for doing this per person was $240 USD.  Direct buses to Chicago were slightly over $100 USD per person, but would have left us in downtown Chicago.  We would have then had to take a $18 USD p.p. bus ticket to Rockford.  I then searched for hours and discovered that we could rent a car and pay for gas to transport the two of use from Winston – Salem directly to Rockford for a fraction of the price.  I was surprised to discover this and was at first really disappointed that this method was cheaper, but then I appreciated the American importance on independence and easy of the highway network system…although it would sure be nice if public transportation was a little bit more affordable.

I must have looked pretty pathetic the morning we arrived at the Avis agency in Winston-Salem because I pretty much begged the guy for the cheapest possible option, and a hybrid if possible to save on gas.  Unfortunately, that was not an option, but he took pity on us, set us up with a 15% discount, and a $20 discount for taking a car that “had not been cleaned.”  We ended up renting a car for $150 and only spent about $50 in gas.  Therefore, we got from A to B for exactly $100 a person and it was much faster and thrifty than the bus or train.  If you are interested in traveling through the U.S. make sure you ask or search for these discounts or coupons when making your arrangements.  If you are not from the U.S., I highly recommend using couch surfing or similar websites to find a place to stay once you arrive in your destinations, as we have heard that many a times, these people are willing to come pick you up at the train or bus station once you arrive.  Although making these travel arrangements in the U.S. is more difficult, once you decide and arrive on a particular method, it is pretty much headache and hassle free, which is something I can not say about most other places we have been.