On My Feet or In My Mind

Photo of the Day- Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2012-02-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

A Parisian Moment of Bliss

2012-02-27T09:30:00.001-05:00

Today isn't my birthday, but looking through pictures for a possible post on Paris, I was recalling the vivid memory of one of my best birthdays ever.

On August 4th, 1998, I was celebrating my 26th birthday. I was on the 14th day of a three week Eurail trip around Europe with my friends Tone & Stan. We had spent the night before drinking at a cool beer hall in Zurich, Switzerland, and had nearly missed our 6:13 A.M. train to Paris. (Oh, the folly of youth drinking late in the night with a 6AM train...) Not only were we tired, our level of tolerance toward each other had begun to worn down as it tends to do late in trips where you've spent every possible minute together.
The argument started over something really stupid- where to grab a quick bite to eat. Stan is even a pickier eater than I am, and he was sick of trying to translate the French so he knew exactly what he was eating. Tone & I were perfectly content with the cute little corner deli which was serving some delicious looking sandwiches, but Stan had his heart set on... McDonalds. It was my birthday, and I had no intention of having McDonalds while in Paris.
I ended up snapping at Stan, telling Tone "You deal with him today, I'll meet up with you guys later", and I walked off.

The plan for the afternoon had been to continue exploring the Left Bank, where we were when the argument broke out. Not wanting to bump into my travel companions until I was ready, I headed for Montmarte. I had read quite about this artsy neighborhood set on a hill in the 18th arrondissement in the Northern part of the city. The most famous building in Montmarte is the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, an attractive white-domed church on the crest of the hill.
I spent a couple of enchanting hours in Montmarte, first enjoying a small street fair featuring the works of local artists, then exploring the Sacré-Cœur itself. After I was done looking around in the Basilica, I sat peacefully on the steps overlooking Paris, listening to a couple of guitarists playing sings for a crowd in an impromptu sing-a-long.

I've had quite a few moments of extreme contentment while traveling, but sitting there that day, under a beautiful blue sky, overlooking one of the world's great cities, on my birthday, with a group of people singing John Lennon's classic Imagine together, I can not remember a greater feeling of bliss.

Photo of the Day- Mitzpe Ramon Crater, Israel

2012-02-26T11:00:00.001-05:00

Why I Don't Hate Guidebooks

2012-02-26T09:32:00.005-05:00

Helping me plan my upcoming New Zealand trip

I've read a lot of posts over the past few months by some very popular and well-traveled bloggers that have been critical of travel guidebooks. Maybe it's just that I'm not as popular or as well-traveled, but I still like guidebooks, and after picking a destination for my next trip, I usually buy 2 or 3 different kinds to get a different perspective for my trip.
For two years (1999-2001), I worked at a fantastic bookstore in Downtown Chicago called The Savvy Traveller (not affiliated with Rudy Maxa's radio show). This bookstore, which closed in 2003, was one of the best travel bookstores in the country. The owners, Sandye and Iris, were dedicated travellers and kept an amazing selection of books and maps on hand. As employees, we were allowed to read the books during down times or when working the front desk. During my time at the store, I didn't physically travel a lot, but I poured through guidebooks and other literature like crazy. Finally, near the end of my time at the store, I decided to go on my two-month long trip to Australia, and the store's resources were invaluable to me in making that trip the best I've ever taken.

In my hotel room, Amsterdam 2004. Books for the current trip and ones for next trip, too

Guidebooks have started to become more irrelevant with the profusion of the travel blogs that have popped up over the last 10 years. The availability of information on the internet as a whole has replaced the reliance on the hard copies of a physical guidebook. For both of my two-moth trips, Europe in 1998 and Australia in 2001, I used websites and e-mails as a resource, but a very limited one. For the Europe trip, I booked more hotels using trans-Atlantic phone calls and faxes than I did using the hotel's sights. To contrast that, I'm pretty sure I have booked every hotel over the past three years (that I didn't walk-in that day to) using websites.

Even with the proliferation of travel blogs and websites, there are still reasons to use guidebooks.

Inspiration- I have been known to buy guidebooks for places I'm only considering going. They are nice inspiration. I do like reading novels (even non-travel ones) but grabbing an occasional guidebooks to read like I would a novel has given me ideas for trips that I might not have taken without reading them. My 2010 trip to Israel started with an amazing podcast I heard on The Amateur Traveler, but I might not have realized how practical that trip was had I not gone out and bought both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide Israel books 'just to page through' after hearing it. Even with all that was available online for the Holy Land, having the whole country's travel info in an easy to flip through hard copy made finding locations I wouldn't have seen or read about in blogs possible.

Maps- One of the main things I love about Lonely Planet guideboks are their maps. They are usually pretty accurate, and I often photocopy the maps and circle locations and put notes on them to carry around with me when on the ground at a destination. There are often good maps available online, but they don't always print in the best format. Guidebook maps are a good starting point, and can often be replaced or supplemented by maps from local tourist boards when you arrive at a destination.

"Inbetween" sights- By "Inbetween" sights, I mean those places that have fallen through the cracks in blogs and normal travel websites and blogs. An example of this would be smaller markets or shops, and the one-star hotels that often do not have their own websites. For example, my awesome hotel in Jerusalem, The Hotel Hashimi, has it's own website, but it didn't show up when I was doing web searches on "Jerusalem Budget Hotels" before the trip. I was drawn to it by the recommendations in a couple of guidebooks, then was able to find out more information by looking it up specifically on the internet. Many other hotels, especially in areas of the world that have less reliance on the internet for marketing than we do as Americans, would be missed if not for their inclusion in guidebooks.

Experience- While travel blogs are a great resource, they are often limited to the bloggers experience in a place. Guidebook writers are required, as part of the job, to do actual research into options. While the hotel sections of these books may be biased toward a particular hotel the writer liked, other options have to be included in the section because that is part of the formatting. The helpful part of this is that the options are often broken down into sub-groupings by budget. I rarely look at the top-end hotels in guidebooks, as they are almost always out of my particular budget.

Food- There are an amazing number of awesome, mouth-watering food posts for just about every country and region in the blogopshere. (This is one of the weaknesses from my travel photo library, not enough food shots). Often times these posts will show you what to eat, but not always where to eat it at. Guidebooks come with restaurant listings, which can be useful if your are not in the mood to wander and look for a suitable dining option on a particular evening, or for places that you wouldn't find by walking. Now I'm not going to even try to sell guidebooks as the best option here, only as an option. I've found (and read many bloggers who feel the same way) that asking or following locals, or just wandering and looking at menus are usually the best options for the food scene. Also, street food from stands and carts are often the most inexpensive, authentic and delicious options out there.

An Eastern European adventure may be a few years away, yet still the guidebook is stashed in my car
for a reading option when waiting at oil change places, doctor's offices and other times
when using my phone or laptop are not practical.

The point of this whole post is not to adopt an elitist attitude toward guidebooks. I have a feeling that a number of these "anti-guidebook" posts are from people who have either been shunned by guidebook companies, or have meet professional guidebook writers and been turned off by their attitudes toward bloggers. I have met a number of guidebook writers on my travels and have often found their arrogance off-putting. I was seated next to a writer while eating a meal in Seattle a number of years ago. I was seated by myself and so was he, at the table right next to mine. As I often do when traveling and eating by myself, I pulled out a guidebook and was just rereading a section on the walk I was going to do after dinner. He asked me how I liked the guidebook, and I told him I found it useful for certain things and had enjoyed books by that company in the past. What started as a pleasant enough conversation turned icy when he explained what company he wrote for and why his company was so much better than the 'dumbed-down' book I had chosen. I was put off because, having worked in the aforementioned travel bookstore, I had found his company's books geared toward the higher end traveler. Even worse, their books were more focused on hotel and restaurants than on the actual sights of a place, which to me is the singular most important feature of any guidebook. I tried tactfully explaining why I chose the book I had chosen, but our conversation was quickly ended with the remark "Well, then, I hope you enjoy hanging around drunken backpackers and the rest of the uneducated tourist throng."

There are guidebooks for everyone. I've intentionally only mentioned Lonely Planet and Rough Guide books here because those are two companies that have served me well. I also have found the Let's Go series usefully, especially for those on a budget. I'm not going to bash those companies whose books I would never use, because I know my parents, who are also experienced travelers, use them and are usually pretty pleased with them (even the company of the above mentioned arrogant writer). I am especially a fan of how Lonely Planet has adapted to and embraced the future possibilities for guidebooks on the internet. Most of their guidebooks are available in easy to download PDFs from their website. What is even better about that option is that you can print only the chapters you want from these books. It's a brilliant idea, one I hope the other guidebooks companies follow suit on, or they'll risk going out of business because of their failure to adapt.

How do you feel about guidebooks? Are they situations where you refuse to use them? How about situations where you refuse to be without them?

Photo of the Day- Glacier National Park, Montana

2012-02-25T11:00:00.002-05:00

The Highline Trail starts at Logan Pass high in Glacier National Park

Video Post: Jerusalem- Western Wall

2012-02-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

A short video of the pre-Sabbath gathering at the Western Wall on my first night in Jerusalem. Truly one of those "I can't believe I'm actually here" moments.

The Western Wall, Jerusalem from Erik Smith on Vimeo.

Postcard Friday- Monument Valley Tribal Park, Arizona

2012-02-24T11:00:00.002-05:00

"LOCAL"- #FriFotos

2012-02-24T09:00:00.003-05:00

I've long been a fan of the #FriFotos feature on Twitter started by Jonathan Epstein (@EpsteinTravels). Unfortunately, due to a hectic work schedule, I am very rarely able to prepare a post for this event.

I finally sat down and made it a priority to participate. It just so happens that this week's theme is "Local". It's ironic that I already posted an article Monday this week called Ode to Detroit, My Hometown, in which I used some of my best "local" photos. I do have some others, and here are the best of them.

Greenfield Village

The Tempatation's costumes, Motown Museum, Detroit

Comerica Park, Detroit

St. Charles Borromeo, Indian Village, Detroit

Detroit at sunset

Ford Field, Detroit- NCAA Final Four

Greektown, Detroit

Renaissance Towers

The Gateway to Freedom- Statue Celebrating Detroit's role in The Underground Railroad- Hart Plaza

Mariner's Church- Downtown Detroit

Detroit is Hockeytown

Photo of the Day- Fox Sign, Detroit, Michigan

2012-02-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

Belgium Comes to Michigan- Ashley's Van Eecke Dinner

2012-02-23T09:30:00.024-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I was serving as amateur photographer for the largest Belgian Beer Festival in the Midwest at my favorite resturant, Ashley's of Westland. The event Friday night, February 17th, was an authentic Belgian dinner, with special host, Danny Dieussaert, Export Manager for the festival's featured brewery, the Van Eecke Brewery of Watou, Belgium.

Our meal started with potato & endive soup, country terrine, Belgian cheeses, and cocktail shrimp in dill & sour cream, served in an endive boat. This was paired with the black hommel beer, a deeply hoppy beer brewed with three different kinds of malts.

Next came the salad- haricots verts, with goat cheese and warm dijon vinagrette, which was delicious. The second beer was Kapittel Blonde, one of Van Eecke's most popular beers, which was also one of the sweetest I had that night.

Our seafood entree' was Salmon, served with Poperings Dark Hommelbier, which had debuted in the United States the previous night at Ashley's. The meat entree was herb crusted lamb chops, which was served with a lentels, and Kapittal Prior, Van Eecke's tasty trippel, infused with all the hoppy goodness beer drinkers have come to expect from Van Eecke's beers.

Desert was Creme Brulee, served with Kapittal Abt, a quad, high in alcohol (10%) and similar in taste and quality to the Trappist Beers we had enjoyed at the Trappist Beer Dinner to open the festival.

Exceptional food and great beer were highlights of the evening, as were Danny's stories about beer making and the business of exporting beers from Belgium. One of Danny's best stories involved difficulty Van Eecke had initially in exporting their Kapittal line to the United States.

Van Eecke was initially denied the right to export into the United States based on the packaging of the Kapittal line. What on earth could they have found offensive about the design shown above?

Now, look closer at the monks. Does the second one from the left look familiar? The US government's argument was that they weren't going to allow any beer using President Obama's likeness on it into the country. They argument was resolved when Van Eecke proved they had been using this design long before 2008, when President Obama won his first term. This story got a good laugh from the guests at the dinner.

The assembled group also heard from endlessly interesting Steve Vallani, the president of Global Beer Networks, Van Eecke's importer in this country, and an importer of many other boutique Belgian beers, who spoke with passion about bringing quality Belgian beers into the United States.

The guests at the dinner were a nice mixtures of people inside the beer industry, as well as the general public, all there because of their love for good food, but especially, good beer.

It was an especially proud evening for Jeff & Roy More, Ashley's owners, who had spent a year tirelessly working to make Belgian Beer Week a singular event. Friday's dinner was the last of the two main dinners, but the festival had two more days left, and I would come return on Saturday for another day of the festival, a day of games and networking I will cover in my next post about the week.

Photo of the Day- EPCOT, Orlando, Florida

2012-02-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

Amsterdam's Begijnhof- The Quiet Amidst the Chaos

2012-02-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Amsterdam can be so many things to so many people. To some, it is an unadulterated den of iniquity. To other it is home to some of the best museums in all of Europe. To others, it is the singularly the greatest walking city in Europe.
To most people however, it is all of those things rolled up into one amazingly complex city. My first visit was in 1997. Our bus tour left us only parts of a day and a half to explore Amsterdam. My first impression was that of loosely organized chaos. Our bus dropped us off at the end of Damrak, the tourist-clogged main street leading away from Central Station, and probably the worst place to get a first impression of Amsterdam. Our tour guide took us on a quick walking tour through the streets and seedy alleys of the Red Light District, probably the second worse place to see within you first five minutes in the city. I suspect all of this was done to shock us (in my case, it worked), but soon we were on our canal boat excursion peacefully gliding along back canals while drinking wine and seeing the city in an entirely different perspective. The next day we returned to the city after a morning biking in Edam, and I spent the time walking the canal ring with a group of people from the tour group. I left that day with one dominant thought: I must come back here with more time to explore this fascinating place.

So return, I did. In July of 1998, I set aside a week of my two-month trip to Europe to explore Amsterdam with my friend, Ron. While I still came to appreciate the walks, the art and the chaos- I discovered my most favorite spot in Amsterdam on that 1998 trip.

I had read about the Begijnhof in one of Rick Steves' Europe Guidebooks. I'm glad I had paid attention to the directions, because it still took me a few tries to finally find my way into the courtyard from the entrance off of Spui.

Spui is a open, brick-lined square, which stands at a crossroad of sorts- the roads in one direction leads back to the Dam and further on Damrak and the Train Station, one leads toward Leidesplien, and many of the city's restaurants and cafes, and the other direction heads to Amsterdam's famous museums.

As I mentioned, finding your way in can be a bit tricky. There is an arched entrance off the main square, and also a gated entrance of the small alleyway just to the east. Five months after visiting, I had a friend going to Amsterdam. I explained to him how to find his way into the court, and even included a map with much of my helpful scribbling on it. When he returned 10 days later, he confessed that he never was able to find his way in.

Built originally as the courtyard of the nearby church, the square was closed off in the late 1300s. They building around the square were used to house women, the elderly and the infirm during the middle ages in Europe, a time where the downtrodden often became victims if they lacked protection.

Almost all the buildings surrounding the courtyard are architechtural gems in their own right, but the drabbest of all of them is the most famous, The Houten Huys, Amsterdam's oldest wooden house, dating from 1477. A nearby plaque proudly proclaims that the house 'remains virtually in it's original state'.

The Begijnhof's main church, built as a Catholic Church, has been used by an English Presbyterian Congregation since the mid 1600s, when the reformation stormed through Northern Europe. The courtyard also house a smaller chapel, which was once a 'hidden' church, like so many around Amsterdam.

While the history of the Begijnhof is extremely interesting, what stood out to me the first time I entered (and all subsequent times) is the overwhelming sense of peace and quiet. Being right in the heart of Amsterdam's frenetic center, with two tramlines a short walk away and crowds of locals and tourists congregating just outside of the gate, I expected tons of ambient noise, just like most other places in Amsterdam.

It is truly a peaceful place. Most of the days I've spent in Amsterdam, I've taken at least a short stroll around the grass-lined courtyard.

November 1998, when I still had hair :-)

I included the Begijnhof in my 10 Great Amsterdam Tips from last year, and it is my favorite spot to step away from the chaos of Amsterdam that surrounds it. If you do go, please be respectful. Although I didn't experience it, I have read stories about people being loud and disrespectful in the courtyard. It would be a shame if this special place was one day closed off to the general public for this reason.

Ashley's Belgian Beer Festival- Poperings Hommelbier Release

2012-02-21T13:03:00.000-05:00

The small Northern European nation of Belgium brews more beer per capita than any nation the world. They also have a great reputation for quality, not just quantity. One of my favorite local restaurants, Ashley's of Westland, hosts an 11 day Belgium Beer Festival, the largest such festival of it's kind in the Midwest. My wife and I attended (and blogged about) the Trappist Beer Dinner during the first week of the festival, and I was honored to be asked by one of the establishment's owners, Roy More, to come back and photograph many of the events during the remainder of the festival.

The event on Thursday night, February 16th, was the US Release of Poperings Hommelbier from the festival's featured brewery, Van Eecke. This small, family owned & operated brewery in Watou, Belgium has a reputation for producing high-quality and acclaimed beers. Watou is located in the Poperinge region of West Flanders, an area known for the growing of hops. It is appropriate that the beer being released was a dark, hoppy beer, one that is not even currently available in Belgium.

Andy pouring the first glasses of Poperings Hommelbier in the United States

On hand for the release of the beer was Danny Dieussaert, Export Manager for the Van Eecke Brewery. Danny's expertise into the realms of Belgian beer was a highlight of the evening, but was still secondary to talking with the gregarious Belgian. Danny explained to us that, because of the hops, and they way they were dry-hopped, this beer was more bitter than most of the other beers produced in Belgium. There was some bitterness to it, but to my unsophisticated tastebuds, it was no where near has bitter as many of our IPAs.

Rick, Pete and Danny

Proudly displaying the ribbons on their Ashley's Belgian Beer Festival Laynards

The release of Poperings Hommelbeir was scheduled for 7 p.m., but there was a VIP release party at 6:30 for both distributors and members of the public who had tried at least 15 Belgian Beers (out of over 160 possible!) during the festival.

It was a fun evening, with both beer experts and novices sharing their love of beer during an exciting event celebrating the release of a new beer from a well-reputed beer maker from one of the world's preeminent beer brewing regions. The highlight for me was meeting Danny and listening to his stories. I would have another chance to enjoy Danny's rich story-telling and Ashley's hospitality Friday night during the Van Eecke Dinner, which I will cover in my next post.

Photo of the Day- Gamla, Israel

2012-02-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- The Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

2012-02-20T11:00:00.001-05:00

Ode to Detroit, My Hometown

2012-02-20T09:00:00.007-05:00

I was born and raised in the Detroit area. I am not old enough to remember Detroit's heyday, but between stories told by my parents and grandparents, I have a pretty good image in my head of what those days were like.
Growing up, we hardly ever ventured into Detroit, except on field trips an sporting events. One of my favorite field trips growing up was to Fort Wayne, the historic beginning point of Detroit.
I loved Tiger Stadium, and was a frequent visitor there, especially once first my friends, than I, got our driver's licences.

During high school, the Greektown area began to see the beginnings of it's revitalization. It was one of our favorite excursions to head downtown, for dinner at Pizza Papalis, the to spend a few hours wondering around Trappers' Alley.
In all of those excursions, we were both saddened and amazed at the condition of the city outside the small areas of prosperous commerce. The drive to Fort Wayne went through an especially bad neighborhood, and this was even scary for kids growing up in the suburbs whose urban exposure was limited to what we read and saw on television.
I had a friends in high school who lived in Detroit, the actual city, as opposed to the Detroit-area, in which I would tell people I was from. One friend in particular, Jon, was always proud of Detroit, and the first to champion it when people bad-mouthed it, which became the trendy thing to do. Jon was one of the smartest guys I knew in high school, and while I too often joined in the Detroit bashing, I figured there had to be something to the esteem in which he held Detroit.

Then I went away to the Chicago area for college, and was amazed to see what a vibrant downtown was like. I had been on the people mover in Detroit, but I could not believe the first time I rode the 'El' from the suburbs to the loop in Chicago. I marveled at the idea of being able to go into the city for arts and culture and not being afraid. Growing up in Detroit, all we heard about was the crime rate in the city (Detroit was the US murder capital in the 1980s). In Chicago, we knew there were some scary areas, as the 'El' passed through a few, but the people in Chicago were not obsessed with the crime rate and the decline of certain areas. They celebrated their city. This made me even more ashamed being from Detroit.

I can not explain how much I miss Tiger Stadium

As my last paper for a geography class in college, I wrote a long paper on why Detroit had developed differently than most of the other cities in the Midwest. While helping me understand the economic and social factors that had lead to the decline of a once prosperous city, it did not make me any less embarrassed to be from there. In fact, after college, when asked where I was from, I would tell people "halfway between Detroit and Ann Arbor", just so people wouldn't associate me with Detroit.

The Motown Museum

Upon finally moving back to the Detroit area in 2007, my friend Ken and I embarked on a series of short excursions to find the cool things Detroit had to offer. Out first day trip was to the Motown Museum and to the Boston Edison neighborhood. The Motown Museum was cool, but in one of Detroit's many transitional neighborhoods. The real surprise of that day was Boston Edison, and it's gorgeous historic old mansions, one of the few and spread out signs of Detroit's golden age.

Since starting On My Feet or In My Mind in January of 2011, I have long considered making posts on Detroit a regular feature, both to try and convince people that while Detroit is not a top tourist destination, it is not wholly without redeeming value, as the national media would have you believe. I figured the idea of being a tourist in my hometown fit within the parameters of a travel blog. (And, heck, it was my blog so I could really do what ever I wanted...)

I have done a few posts on the Detroit area, and some have done pretty well, especially the post on Our Cruise on the Detroit Princess Riverboat in the summer of 2011.
Over the past couple months, I have been talking to more people about the city, and there is a general optimism about the future of Detroit. I'm not going to stretch credibility and say Detroit is close to breaking out as a top American tourist destination, but there are more reason to be optimistic about the direction than there has been in many years. There are many obstacles, including the city government's current financial crisis, but Detroit continues to endure despite these trials and tribulations. There is now momentum toward the rebuilding of this city's image. Just last month, National Geographic Traveler Magazine featured Detroit, something that would have been unheard of for any reputable travel publication during the last 20 years.

Sun setting over Belle Isle

It's taken a long time, but I'm proud to call Detroit my hometown. Through all the struggles, the city and the area endure, because Detroiters are a hard-working people who labor once was the backbone of the mighty American Auto industry. With that determination, it is possible to see Detroit rise from the ashes.

I've purchased the domain name, detroitontherise.com, and I intend to start building a site to promote events and tourism in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan. I certainly have no intention of giving up this blog (I'm finally starting to develop a loyal readership, which I am so appreciative of and honored by), but I hope to use the Detroit on the Rise site, as a group effort with many of the people I meet who are as passionate (in most cases, more passionate) about focusing on Detroit's positives and not the negatives that pervade both local and national media. With my month-long trip to New Zealand coming in May, it seems unlikely that the site will debut anytime before late this summer, as I will need to design it and work on content as well.

If you are from Detroit and you are interested in helping with this project, please e-mail me at eriksmitdotcom@gmail.com.

Photo of the Day- Brooklyn Bridge, New York City, New York

2012-02-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California

2012-02-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Postcard Friday- Zion National Park, Utah

2012-02-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

My New Zealand Campervan

2012-02-17T10:00:00.004-05:00

I've had a lot of people asking me how my New Zealand trip planning is going.

Well, quite frankly, it's not. The downside to having a good job that is paying for this trip is that is actually does occupy a large portion of my time.

But, for those of you dying with anticipation- I have booked my campervan. I have read a lot about the best way to travel around New Zealand, and I think the campervan route seems perfect for me. I researched pretty much all the options in this field, and this vehicle was what I settled on. (To the many bloggers who suggested Allways Rentals- I did contact them, but never heard back, which was surprising)

I'm sure I'll have quite a bit more to write about my campervan experience in the future.

Contrasting Visits to Crater Lake National Park

2012-02-16T11:24:00.000-05:00

Crater Lake National Park is Southern Oregon has been one of my favorite National Parks since my first visit there in August of 2005. I was so fond of the park that I always knew I would go back whenever I made it out to Northern California to visit the National Parks there. Well, that day finally came in September of 2011, but unfortunately for me, the two visits couldn't have had more of a contrast.

Click on this picture to read

I love the legend of Crater Lake. A special place like this deserves a unique legend.

2005: I approached the park from the northern entrance on a crystal clear August day, coming from the Bend, Oregon area .

I'd heard a lot about this park, and my anticipation for the visit was higher than it has been with many parks.

Even at elevation, the weather was quite warm. The lake was almost perfectly calm, reflecting the few clouds that were in the sky as they floated across the lake's surface. My first thoughts were about the lake's water is such a unique shade of blue.

2011: I approached the park from the south, having driven in from Northern California, specifically, the underrated Lava Beds National Monument.

The Ghost Ship

I had read about the lightning-started fires back in July, but it had never occurred to me that they still might be burning the third week of September, but, sure enough, they were. Even had I known in advance, I probably still would have visited the park, unless I had seen pictures of how reduced the visibility was.

Two things made the haze covering the lake's surface especially disappointing. First, it was impossible to appreciate the color of the lake without sunlight shining on it, and the sun could not penetrate the thick smoky haze. Second, Wizard Island, the small cone-shaped island that usually draws the eye from all points of the lake was barely visible, even from the overlook right above it.

In 2011, I had driven over 250 miles out of my way (one-way) to make a return visit to Crater Lake. I was upset with myself for not simply checking the NPS website to make sure the fires had been put out.

Two sets of side by side comparisons:

2005

2011

*********************************************************************************

2005

2011

Even with my disappointment during the 2011 visit,I highly recommend Crater Lake National Park- it's still one of my favorites. The people I talked to while there in 2011 were mostly first time visitors of the park, and they were still delighted with it, since they hadn't seen it without the smoky haze.

Photo of the Day- Mount Connor, Northern Territory, Australia

2012-02-16T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- The Alcazar of Toledo, Spain

2012-02-15T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo Essay- Jerusalem's Old City Souq

2012-02-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

I had the good fortune of staying right in the heart of the Muslim Quarter Souq (market) on my May 2010 trip to Jerusalem. When I first entered it through the Damascus Gate, walking through the chaos carrying 60 pounds of stuff to my hotel, I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Over the course of the 8 days I stayed there, I fell in love with the sights, sounds and smells of the souq. I enjoyed long evening strolls after dinner, among people rushing home after a long day at work and vendors working on one last sale for the day as they closed up their small shops. Everything you can imagine is sold in these stalls, and I would often wind up bringing some desert back to the hotel from the booths.
I took over 300 photos of the souq, and I've tried to narrow it down to my 20 favorites for this photo essay.

Photo of the Day- Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

2012-02-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

A Valentine's Day Special: 21 Unromantic Places

2012-02-14T08:00:00.009-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post (I Travel, She Doesn't), my wife is a serious non-traveler, so it goes without saying that I have very limited experience finding romantic destinations. I have been a lot of places where I could appreciate the romantic possibilities said place has to offer, but instead of trotting out another one of those "10 Romantic Destinations" or "10 Places to Get Your Groove Back" posts that will be flooding the travelblogosphere today, I've decided to focus on the least romantic places I've been.

(I'm not saying that everyone would find these places unromantic, some can find romance almost anywhere, but I'm saying the majority of sane people would not feel too romantic in these places.)

Auschwitz/Birkenau (or other concentration camps)- The most popular post I have written is the one on Auschwitz, and I'll reiterate what I said in that post. This type of 'sight' may be sad and gruesome, but they are important to see so that we can learn from history and not allow the same mistakes to be repeated. As important a sight as it is, there is nothing remotely 'romantic' about these somber places.

Indian Mounds- I suppose if two archaeologists were married, they might be able to find Indian Mounds romantic. Even history buffs like me, however, have a difficult time getting excited about them.

Hiram al-Sahrif (Temple Mount)- Jerusalem- The building itself is gorgeous, but don't even try holding hands with your significant other here. There are men walking around just waiting to chastise you for such behavior. I even saw one of these men get angry at a gentleman who held out his hand to help a woman up some steps. I'm sure that was just a bit of confusion, but the whole atmosphere up here is pretty extreme.

Presidential Libraries- I love visiting Presidential Libraries, especially the Bill Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, but I am a geek. Forget trying to be romantic, I would get a pretty severe look from my wife if I said "Hey honey, let's go to the Gerald Ford Presidential Library this weekend!"

Anyplace I have my shirt off- Even the Great Barrier Reef (pictured above) can be spoiled by me with my shirt off. It's ain't pretty. :-)

Driving through Canada's Prairie Provinces- I'm not saying this whole region is without beauty, and Winnipeg gets some nice press, but it's mostly a large, flat, agricultural area without a whole lot to see. I question my own sanity for even taking the picture above. What on earth could I have been trying to photograph?

McDonalds- I don't care what country you are in, the is no inherent romance in McDonalds.

Wall Street- I know I a m going to have more than one reader who is going to take issue with this one, but remember I prefaced this by saying 'most people' as a qualifier. It seemed a pretty austere and uptight place to me when I visited, but I have heard when the business day is done, many of the workers here hit the local establishments pretty hard. That may help increase the amount of liaisons, but not necessarily of the romantic kind...

Tel Meggido (Armageddon), Israel- A fascinating site, with over ten layers of different civilizations built on top of one spot. However, nothing about the site reputed to the point at which the end of times begins whispers sweet nothings in the ears of visitors. It's strictly a fire-and-brimstone kind of place.

Camping with this guy- Many people would argue that camping can be very romantic, but I have a feeling the majority of people would say 'not romantic'. To push it over the edge for non, I added this guy and the conspicuously placed bottle of lighter fluid...

Crocodile Farms- Another completely cool things to do, but something about all of those teeth and predatory instincts that should give visitors enough chills down the spin to quash any amorous feelings.

Cold War Era Nuclear Missile Sights- One of the coolest tours I have even done was of the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota, but as referenced in the blurb on Armageddon above, it's hard to imagine 'the destruction of civilization' as something sweet. (Although anyone who saw the underrated 1993 movie Matinee with John Goodman can recognize my earlier point about romance being found almost anywhere.)

Amsterdam's Red Light District- This one may be lost on those who haven't actually walked through this den of iniquity, and while there are literally a hundred or more descriptions that would be appropriate of this place, romantic isn't even close to that list.

Traffic & Traffic Jams- I ******* hate traffic. It was one of the things I disliked most about living in Chicago. Constant traffic. Few things push me over the line from sane to insane (which for me most will agree is a very fine line) quicker than long delays because of traffic. I added this one for my wife, who is often the one taken out of a pleasant (not even to say romantic) mood by my slow drift over the aforementioned sanity line because of traffic. Honey, I'm sorry :-) (until the next time...)

Forts & Replica Forts- Again, fascinating places for history buffs to visit, but there is not much romantic about the history of forts. Most of the time, sanitary conditions and a population made up of 90% men living in barracks like the ones above, aren't likely going to solicit tender feelings.

New Bedford Whaling Museum- This is definitely a well-done museum, but the giant whale skeleton in the entrance hall and glass displays full of the tool of this gruesome commercial endeavor take any romance out of the place. Melville wasn't exactly a romance novelist.

The Tomb of the Virgin Mary, Jerusalem- The crowds at this site may force some close proximity to your traveling partner, but the damp, musty, incense-choking atmosphere is not exactly an aphrodisiac.

Swamps- As an ecological sight, swamps are varied and incredibly fascinating. They can also be dark places full if lore and mystery. All that said, it hard to find the boggy undertones of such a place appealing to those looking for an amatory environment.

Any of the elevated viewpoints overlooking modern Athens- Pollution is a buzz-kill, and Athens has more than almost any place I've ever been.

Fossil Beds- Another interesting subject in it's own right, Fossil Beds are another one of those extremely dorky things I have done a lot of, but all of them by myself. While the actual fossil beds themselves are probably pretty boring and uninspired to most people, they often are in very beautiful places.

Cemeteries- While these often have some touristic appeal (like the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris where Jim Morrison's grave is located, pictured above) they can also be pretty morbid places. When researching this article I did find some mention that certain people find them erotic, it seems pretty creepy to me.

Leave it to me to write a Valentine's Day downer like this. As I mentioned in the intro, if you are a follower of travel blogs, I suspect you'll be able to find numerous sources today to help you focus on those many, many romantic spots that are out there.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photo of the Day- Katy Shepard Hotel, North Manitou Island, Michigan

2012-02-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

A Non-Camper Camping at Yosemite

2012-02-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

On my trip to Northern California last September, I was faced with a dilemma as to where to stay in Yosemite National Park. There were basically three options; one- book lodging at one of Yosemite's hotels (the cheaper tent villages were all full), two- book a hotel in one of Yosemite's gateway towns, or three- camp inside the park.

The first option of staying in one of Yosemite's hotels was, by far, the most expensive option. Prices for the hotel rooms were well over $200 a night, and at three nights, would have been over what I had budgeted for lodging for the whole 15 day trip. The Ahwahnee, Yosemite's world famous, top end hotel, has a few rooms available, all priced in the $400 a night range.
The second option, booking a hotel in one of Yosemite's gateway towns, was cheaper, only about $100 a night, but would have necessitated a long drive each day to visit the park.

My rental car & site at Yosemite

I chose the third option (as you, my intelligent reader probably surmised from the imaginative title of this post)- camping inside the park. I was lucky to book one of the last remaining sites at the Lower Pines Campground, in the heart of the valley.

"Camping" out of the van in 2004

It's not that I'm a complete non-camper. I have camped before, and generally I really do enjoy it. I have camped a lot less since I got my first laptop and digital camera in 2004, mostly because I like editing some of my photos at night and even trying to post some on either my website or on this blog, and while many campgrounds now have wifi, few have a strong enough signal for uploading photos or using Skype. While I still don't mind camping, the type I usually do is out of a van, where I have protection from the elements, a comfortable mattress and storage for the overpacking I usually do.

The Lower Pines Campground Ampitheatre

There were advantages and disadvantages to camping in Yosemite, but as I found, the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages.
I loved being able to attend the ranger programs in the evening. The ampitheatre was a short walk away from my site in the other part of the campground. It was like stepping in to a time warp for me, as my family and I used to attend these when we did our long family road trips when I was in my teens. It was those experiences that helped me develop my love of travel and our National Parks. The one I attended in Yosemite was on the wildlife of Yosemite, and was lead by and intelligent and enthusiastic young ranger.

On the way back from the program, I was able to stop and take a picture of the moon, a shot that took 20 minutes of trial and error to get, but one that has quickly become one of my favorite shots ever. I doubt such a clear image would have been impossible if I hadn't been in the pitch black of the valley.

Glacier Point, shortly after sunrise

I strongly considered the second option of staying in a gateway town, as I'm not usually opposed to commuting into a park so that I have the comfort of a hotel bed, but I knew I wanted to get up early and do some early morning photography. Having a drive to drive in would have required me to get up an hour before sunrise. This part of the decision paid off wonderfully, as not only did I get the pictures with soft morning light I had been looking for, I also got some of the best wildlife pictures from the trip, as the park's animals are notoriously busier during the dusk to dawn hours.

The Pavilion Buffet at Curry Village

Social Hour in Curry Village

The campground's proximity to Curry Village was something that I also appreciated. Since I had flown to California from my home in Michigan, I had limited space packing. I had been able to pack my tent and camping essentials, but not any of my cooking supplies, meaning I would need to have access to food while camping, or be satisfied with PB&J sandwiches for those couple of days. After a long day of hiking, I knew the sandwich route was fine for lunch, but for dinner, I would need some real food. There were numerous options available at Curry Village. They were more expensive, being inside the park, but I have no problem paying for a little convenience. The first night I ate the Pizza Deck, a cute little take-away pizza cafe, and the second night I indulged in the more-expensive Pavilion Buffet, which was worth every penny with it's many excellent options.

One of Yosemite's free shuttle buses

The campgrounds had restrooms, but no showers, and again, Curry Village's close proximity came to the rescue there, as showers were available there for $5, which was money well-spent. Being right in the heart of the valley, Curry Village was a short hike, or an even shorter shuttle ride away from the campground. I made good use of Yosemite's convenient free shuttle. It stops at all the major trail heads and tourist attractions, and allowed me to leave the car parked instead of having to worry about parking all the time.

Bear-proof (!) containers in the campground

The biggest downside to the camping experience were no fault of Yosemite's. I've already mentioned that I was limited in the amount of packing gear I could take since I was flying and only willing to pay for one extra bag. I had intended to buy a cheap air mattress to sleep on when I got to California, and also a cheap sleeping bag, if I could find one. When I did my shopping at a Wal-Mart when I got to California, I couldn't find a cheap air-mattress I was willing to buy and then throw away before heading home. I elected to purchase a camper's pad, which was woefully inadequate. I attempted to soften my sleeping surface by layering the pad with all of the clothes that I had brought, but that experiment also failed.

I had a few uncomfortable nights sleeping, but the days were busy and exhausting enough that I really could have slept anywhere. Each morning when I woke, the exhilaration of "I'm right here in Yosemite Valley" was enough to offset any lingering stiffness from sleeping on the ground. Even if you are a non-camper, the wonderful campgrounds of Yosemite provide a convenient and inexpensive option for travelers to one of America's finest National Parks.

(Disclaimer: During the height of the tourist season, June though July, you'll want to book your site well in advance, as they fill up quick. The other option is to put your name in for one of the first-come, first-served sites left available every morning, but that requires some luck and an early arrival.)

Photo of the Day- City Hall, Delft, Holland

2012-02-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Mount Rushmore National Monument, South Dakota

2012-02-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Fort Pike State Historic Site, Louisiana

2012-02-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Fort Pike State Historic Site in Louisiana, is located right outside the city of New Orleans.

The United States had been victorious in the War or 1812, but the young nation had been made aware of the vulnerability of much of it's coastline during the war. Commishioned in 1819 by President James Monroe, the fort was completed in 1826 and was to serve as a protector not only of New Orleans, but also of the vital shipping lanes of the Mississippi River.

To discourage attack, Fort Pike was equipped with the most modern weapons of war for the time, including both 32 & 24 pounder cannons, meant to be able to repel an attack from both land and sea.

Built to be exceptionally sturdy and to be able to withstand bombardment, Fort Pike's history as a military fort is quire tame. It saw no action in either the Seminole Wars of the 1930s or the 1940s Mexican War, instead serving as a staging point for soldiers headed to the front lines in both wars.

During the Civil War, the fort was taken by the Louisiana militia, only to be recaptured by Union forces a year later and successfully used as a staging point for important Southern battles like Vicksburg and Chattanooga.

Despite it's peripheral involvement in the major conflicts of the time, Fort Pike is notable because no a single canon was ever fired in times of war. The fort's website and interpretive boards make repeated mention of this.

Between 1870 & 1890, Fort Pike saw cuts in the number of troops and well as the amount of new military technology invested in it. The fort was abandoned in 1890, and was left in a state of disrepair until it became a Louisiana State Historic Site in 1972.

photo courtesy- Infrogmation (March 11th, 2006) via wikipedia

The first six photos in this post were from my visit in March of 2005. Hurricane Katrina's strom surge six months later left Fort Pike submerged for days, the heavily damaged once the waters receded. The site was closed for over two years, finally reopening in May of 2008. Five months later, Hurricane Gustav caused more damage, and the fort remained closed to the public again until early 2010. It was also closed for a time to be used as a staging center for clean up for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in May of 2010.

The site is now again open to the public. Here is a link to Fort Pike State Historic Site's official website.

Postcard Friday- Perth, Australia

2012-02-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Ashley's Trappist Beer Dinner

2012-02-10T03:28:00.004-05:00

On Thursday night, my wife & I attended the Trappist Beer Dinner, the kickoff event for the Belgian Beer Festival at Ashley's Restaurant in Westland. The eleven day event is the Midwest's largest Belgian Beer Festival, and one Ashley's owner and management work tirelessly for months to make the high quality event that it has become.

The festival features over 160 Belgian Beers, including over 40 on tap at a time. Many of the beers features are first-time Michigan or Midwest releases. The festival's website contains a complete list of the beers available.

The evening's dinner was hosted by John Staunton, Midwest sales manager for Merchant du Vin Importers. John provided entertaining stories from his experiences visiting many of Belgium's famous Trappist Breweries.

Belgian Endive Rockefeller

The first beer of the evening was Greens Tripel from the DeProef Brewery, an exclusive for this dinner. This gluten-free beer is considered one of the best tasting gluten-free beers available. It was served with our Hors d'oeuvers, potato & endive soup, Belgian Endive Rockefeller, and cocktail shrimp in sour cream and dill, served in an endive boat.

Country Terrine & Orval Cheese

Our appitizer was Country Terrine, which is similar to pate, and Orval Cheese. The beer served with it was Orval, from the brewery inside the Abbey of the same name located in the Gaume region of Belgium. Many critics consider this Trappist Beer to be one of the world's finest.

The design above comes dirctly from the legend of how the Orval Monestery was founded. The following is taken directly from Orval's website-
The monastery was born of an act of gratitude : Matilde was a widow and her wedding ring had accidentally fallen into the fountain. She prayed to the Lord and at once a trout rose to the surface with the precious ring in its mouth. Matilde exclaimed : "Truly this place is a Val d'Or! " In gratitude, she decided to establish a monastery on the site.

Next was served the Salad Brabaconne, a curly endive salad with duck confit, black pudding, potatoes, oyster mushrooms and a Dijon Vinaigrette. The salad was excellent, a true compliment to Jeff More, Ashley's owner, who told us during this course how hard it was to locate authentic, quality ingredients for this salad.

The salad was served with Lindeman's Cuvee Rene. John explained to us that this sour Gueuze Lambic Beer is often mixed with many of Lindeman's famous fruit lambic beers to allow the drinker to control the sweetness of their beer.

The seafood entree was Waterzooi de Lotte et Moules, or Monkfish and Mussel Waterzooi. Waterzooi is a traditional Flemish soup. It was served with another Trappist beer, Westmalle Tripel, which is credited as being the first beer of it's kind, since having spawned many copies, including one of my favorite beers, La Fin du Monde, of the Canadian brewery Unibroue. While La Fin du Monde is one of my favorite beers, it was quickly apparent to me that Westmalle Tripel was, in quality, leagues ahead of any other tripel I have ever tasted.

Our meat entree was a Braised Pork Chop with Black Current & Mustard Sauce, potato au gratin and Roasted Brussel Sprouts in beer. This was complemented nicely by the Rochefort 8, the final Trappist Beer of the evening.

Our desert was a Belgian waffle, topped with chocolate sauce, candied walnuts and ice cream. This was served with Lindeman's Cassis, a black current lambic, from Lindeman's excellent selection of fruit beers.

We had a great time at the Trappist dinner. We were able to try new foods and beers, which we were quite impressed with. I knew Janeen would like the Lindeman's Cassis, but she was also enjoyed a few of the other beers, which is the ultimate compliment since she is not really a beer drinker. I enjoyed all of the beers, but especially the Westmalle Tripel and the Orval. Even for a relative novice to the world of Trappist beers, it was easy to taste why these breweries have attained the international reputation they have. The thing I enjoyed most about the evening was how well the beers & food complimented each other, with the perfect beer being chosen for each course.

Ashley's Belgian Beer Festival runs though February 19th, and has a few more special events planned along the way. For beer connoisseurs, the festival is a must-visit. Here is a link to Ashley's Belgian Beer Festival's website.

Photo of the Day- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

2012-02-09T11:00:00.001-05:00

Beautiful White Sand Dunes along the Lake Michigan coast in Northwest Michigan

A View From Above (Part Two)

2012-02-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

I've always loved elevated views- from tall buildings and mountainsides.

Here's the second set of these- here is the link to part one (the international version).

View from the World Trade Center, December 1999

Another WTC view, December 1999

Helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon, May 2003

Las Vegas Strip from the Stratosphere Tower, May 2004

Death Valley, May 2004

Chattanooga, Tennessee from Point Park, January 2005

View from Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia, January 2005

Sunset in Fort Myers Beach, Florida January 2005

The Mississippi River, Natchez, Mississippi March 2005

The National Mall from the Washington Monument, May 2005

Jefferson Memorial from Washington Monument, May 2005

View from Signal Mountain, Grand Teton National Park, May 2006

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, May 2006

San Antonio from the Tower of the Americas, April 2007

The Alamodome, San Antonio, Aril 2007

Check back for part three in a few weeks.

Photo of the Day- The Rio Grande, Big Bend National Park, Texas

2012-02-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

10 Tourist Attractions in The Black Hills

2012-02-08T10:00:00.002-05:00

The Black Hills region of Western South Dakota and Eastern Wyoming is one of America's top tourist destinations. There are enough things to do to keep the visitor busy for a week or more. As with most regions, some of the sights are can't miss and some are nothing more than tourist traps. I've use the (+) sign here to indicate which I enjoyed and recommend and the (-) sign for those I'd recommend skipping. The beautiful thing about travel is that you are free to ignore my opinion and visit the one that appeal to you.

(+)Badlands National Park- Though technically not part of the Black Hills, Badlands National Park is located just to the east. It has remarkable scenery, and some colonies of cutest prairie dogs. The park also protects a large area of grassland, which is emblematic of the Central United States.

(+)Wind Cave National Park- One of the most unique caves in the world, Wind Cave was the seventh national park in the United States. The cave contains 95% percent of the world's boxwork, a unique honeycomb shaped pattern that emerges when cave walls dissolve and the tougher surfaces are left behind. Tour can be book a the park's visitor center, 10 miles north of Hot Springs.

(-)Wall Drug- Anyone who has driven through the Central United States on I-90 has undoubtedly seen the sign for this attraction. I first visited it with my parents on one of our family trips out west. Today it is a compact little mini-mall, a sight worth visiting mostly so you can say you were there, and to satisfy the curiosity brought on by the many signs leading up to the location. This is one sight that will definitely appeal more to the children than the adults.

(+)Custer State Park- One of America's largest State Parks, the highlight of any visit to Custer State Park is the Bison. It is one of the easternmost points in the United States where this majestic symbol of the great plains still roam free in herds. In addition to the buffalo, the park is teeming with other wildlife, such as elk, mule deer, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, antelope and feral donkeys.

(-)Deadwood and the Gold Rush towns- The Black Hills saw a gold rush in the late 1870s and in the early 1880s the region had the highest population of anywhere in the Dakota Territory. Today, these former gold rush towns are kitchy places, with Deadwood, the largest and most famous of them, overflowing with tourists, especially during the summer, to visit the many casino and gift shops that now line the streets.

(+)Minuteman Missile National Historic Site- I wrote a longer post about this cold war era nuclear missile sight for my friend Chris over at the Amateur Traveler. Needless to say, the tour here is one of the most unique activities I have been a part of in any National Park. Being a child of the Cold War, this site brought out so many vivid childhood memories and fit the images I had in my head of those people sitting in bunkers somewhere in middle America waiting to launch our weapons if we were attacked. Tours should be arranged in advance through the park's information desk or visitor center.

(+)Jewel Cave National Monument- Located on the western part of the Black Hills, Jewel Cave is the second longest cave in the world. As with Wind Cave, cave tours of various difficulty are offered at the site's visitor center. Both caves are unique in their own right, but if forced to visit one or the other, Wind Cave and it's boxwork would be the one to chose, in my opinion.

(-)Crazy Horse Memorial- This largely uncompleted sculpture aims to be the largest sculpture in the world, when (and if) it is ever completed. Located 16 miles west of Mount Rushmore, the facility is run by the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation. During my last visit in May of 2006, I was less than impressed with the quality of the exhibits in the site's tiny museum, and even less impressed with the interpretive programs offered.

(+)Devil's Tower National Monument- Probably more famous for being the landing spot of aliens in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind than being America's first National Monument, Devil's Tower is a laccolith, an igneous sheet intrusion, that rises over 1,200 feet out of the ground in Eastern Wyoming. The Native Americans which used to live in the area had many legends to explain the presence of such a singular formation, one of the favorites being a tale that two boys from a neighboring village were chased by a bear, and were rescued after they prayed for help and the gods pushed the tower up below them to save them. The bear clawed at the tower (hence explaining the striations on the column) but was unable to get to the boys. There is a fine painting of this legend in the monument's visitor center.

(+)Mount Rushmore National Monument- Probably the most famous of all the Black Hills attractions, Mount Rushmore is so much more impressive in person than it is in pictures. The excellent museum at the site goes into great detail showing how sculptor Gutzon Borglum created this uniquely American masterpiece. During the summer months, crowds flock to the monument for it's evening light show.

The Black Hills region has excellent camping and hotel options as well. It has a well-operated tourist structure, providing entertainment for every age group. The closest airport is in Rapid City, near the northern edge of the region. It makes an excellent stopping point for travelers heading from the east to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, but it would also be easy to spend a week or more just in the Black Hills.

Photo of the Day- Abraham's Centopath, Hebron, West Bank

2012-02-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

Video Post: Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives

2012-02-07T10:00:00.002-05:00

This is the view of the Old City of Jerusalem from in front of the Seven Arches Hotel on the Mount of Olives. Truly one of the world's most incredible views.

Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives from Erik Smith on Vimeo.

Photo of the Day- Betsy Ross House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2012-02-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

King's Sweet Auburn- Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site

2012-02-06T10:00:00.005-05:00

Located in Atlanta's Historic Sweet Auburn District, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site preserves many buildings important in the life of Dr. King, but also in the neighborhood itself. The visitor center, located at 450 Auburn Avenue, chronicales the King's life and also the American Civil Rights Movement.

Outside the visitor's center is the Gandhi Promenade. At the base of Gandhi's Statue are plaques with both Gandhi's famous case for the non-violent protest, and Dr. King's recognition of Gandhi's influence in his own teachings.

Along the Gandhi Promenade is The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. The walk contains the 'footprints' of honorees, people who are memorialized for their struggles for and contributions to the American Civil Rights movement.

Among the buildings preserved in the disitrict, The King Birth Home, located at 501 Auburn, is a highlight. It was here in this middle class two-story home, that Dr. King spent the first 12 years of his life.

Also preserved within the boundaries of the historic preservation district are shotgun row houses (pictured above) typical to the time in which King called Sweet Auburn home, and Fire Station No.6.

Another highlight of the Historic Site is the Ebenezer Baptist Church, dating to 1886, and the church that Dr. King's and his father were pastors at. Martin Luther King Sr. was a pastor at this historic house of worship for more than four decades, while also being an important crusader in the Civil Rights Movement.

Although not part of the National Historic Site administered by the National Park Service, The King Center for Non-violent Social Change is located across the street from the visitor's center. The center, currently run by King's son, focus on the history of non-violent social movements, and contains the tomb of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, who established the center in 1968.

The sight, a tribute not only to the man, but to the movement to which he dedicated his life, is a excellent addition to any Atlanta intinerary. The NPS's web page for the sight is located here.

Photo of the Day- Lion's Tail, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

2012-02-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

So, Yeah, I'm Going to New Zealand

2012-02-05T10:00:00.010-05:00

This past Tuesday night, I finally booked my flight to New Zealand. I had been saving for and reading about this destination pretty much since I got back from my last international trip, to Israel in May of 2010. Earlier last month, I posted a long rambling article about slowly going insane not knowing what my trip destination would be this year. At the time of writing that article, it looked to me like I wasn't going to be able to afford the trip to New Zealand I wanted. As I stated in that post, I had certain things I was willing to cut from my itinerary to be able to afford it, and there was also a list of things I was not willing to compromise on.

Sure enough, my self-imposed deadline of January 20th to have all the money set aside rolled around and I wasn't where I needed to be. I told my close friends and family that the trip was dead in the water, and I was pretty profoundly depressed for a few days, but then I got to thinking. I had my heart set on going on April, what if I bumped the trip back to May? The added bonus to that was it was a much better time for me to miss work. There also came a point where a strange sort of calm came over me. I finally just said to myself, "Yeah, I'm going to go to New Zealand." I told my wife, and she readily agreed (I don't think she wanted to deal with the mopy me if I didn't go). A couple of days later, I booked a flight for May 10th, returning June 9th.

Nugget Point Lighthouse (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)

Now that I've booked the flight, the fun really begins. As with most trips, by the time I book the flight, I already have a rough outline of my itinerary in mind. Due to the fact that May is late fall in New Zealand, I decided to start my trip on the South Island. I'm flying in to Auckland, as most international flights do, but boarding a plane for Christchurch two hours later. Christchurch is still suffering from the after effects (and aftershocks) of a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake in February of 2011. There is a portion of the downtown area that is still closed to the public. I am hoping to find someone who can give me a tour of the 'Red Zone' so I can see how the reconstruction is going. Before the earthquake, Christchurch had the reputation of being one of the Southern Hemisphere's most livable cities. I am going to rent my campervan in Christchurch and head south, stopping in Dunedin, then venturing out onto the Banks Peninsula, hoping to get a glimpse of the rare yellow-eyed penguin. Continuing South, I'll spend a couple of days in the Catlins, a sparsely-populated, rugged area that makes up the southeastern part of the South Island.

Milford Sound (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)


Doubtful Sound (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)

From the Catlins, I'll cut across the bottom of the South Island to Te Anau, and use this small town as a base for exploring two of New Zealand's most famous tourist attractions, Doubtful and Milford Sounds. Most tourists chose Milford Sound over Doubtful Sound, since it is more easily accessible, and also cheaper. I can't imagine traveling all this way and not cruising both.

Next on to Queenstown, New Zealand's adventure sports capital. It would be hard to see me doing something like skydiving or bungy-jumping, but I'll try and find something that qualifies as more my style of adventurous.

Franz Joseph Glacier (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)

Continuing up the rugged west coast, I'll be stopping to do some hiking on either the Fox or Franz Joseph Glaciers. I'm also planning on doing a scenic flight over the glaciers and also Mount Cook. Had I not had the money to do this excursion, I would have rather not gone on the trip at all. I even have built in extra days here, hoping to take the flight on the most conducive weather day.

Crossing through Arthur's Pass in the highlands of the central South Island, I will head toward Kaikoura, New Zealand's whale watching capital, to take a wildlife cruise.

Wellington (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)

Catching the ferry at Picton, I'll cross over to the Wellington at the southern tip of the North Island. Wellington has a great reputation for not only being a beautiful, bit also rich in culture. After two weeks in the wild, wide-open landscapes of the South Island, I am sure returning to civilization will be a welcome change.

Champagne Pool (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)

I've set aside almost a week to drive from Wellington to Auckland. I'm sure I will stop in Rotorua to see the geothermal features, and also a Maori cultural show, as I have heard that this is the best place to do that. I also hope to try some 'zorbing', another one of this 'uniquely-Kiwi' experiences. (See Amanda's Rotorua post here.)


Auckland (photo courtesy of Amanda Williams of A Dangerous Business)

I'll end my trip in Auckland, where ironically, most people start their trips. I hope to stop at the Waitomo Caves on the way from Rotorua to Auckland, and then possibly take an excursion up to the Bay of Islands a few hours drive north of Auckland. I'm really hoping I'm not so tired (and happy to be in a regular bed after a month in the campervan) to enjoy Auckland, since it receives rave reviews from most travelers who visit.

That's just a rough outline of the journey. I still have more than 3 months to research and decide on what else to do with my time. In the previously mentioned Slowly Going Crazy post, I had said that I had planned to stop in Fiji or Tahiti on the way over. After doing a lot of reading, I decided that it would be prudent to cut the South Pacific stopover and focus on New Zealand. I'm glad I made this decision, and I doubt I will regret it.

I'm sure I will have many more pre-trip posts coming before my departure in May. I hope to do some posts while in New Zealand as well, but I have read a lot in recent days about the frustrating state of internet in New Zealand.

(Side Note: A very special thanks to Amanda Williams of the wonderful blog A Dangerous Business for allowing me to use her photos for this post since I, obviously, have none of my own yet. Besides giving me inspiration from her New Zealand posts when I needed the push (especially this photo essay on the drive between Christchurch & Queenstown) Amanda's so kind in fielding my many questions, which I'm sure will only increase now that the flight is booked! If you haven't checked out her blog before, you should, it's how a really professional blog looks (unlike this one :-) )

Photo of the Day- Window Washers, Boston, Massachuettes

2012-02-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

Postcard Friday- Vintage Glacier NP Postcard

2012-02-03T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

2012-02-02T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- ANZAC Parade, Canberra, Australia

2012-02-01T11:00:00.000-05:00

State of the Blog- January 2012

2012-02-01T10:00:00.010-05:00

After not posting a lot of content in December and watching my numbers plummet due to that, On My Feet or In My Mind bounced back well in January. I had 190 views on January 1st, a great way to start out the new month, helped by four 2011 year end posts written in the last few days of December. Overall for the month, my blog recorded 3,272 views, my third best month ever. The best part of those numbers was the consistency at which the views came. My high day was 205, and the low day was 67. I had 14 days over 100 views and 5 more days in the 90s. I also crossed the 25,000 views mark this month.

One of the quirky ice sculptures at The Plymouth Ice Festival

I was surprised at how strong my numbers were even on day where I didn't post new articles. This month I did 9 articles, 2 photo essay, and 2 video posts. The best performing post of the month was my look back at my best HDR photos of 2011, followed by the long overdue post on my walk along The National Mall in DC back in May with my father, and another local piece about the Plymouth, Michigan Ice Festival. I also wrote a post about going stir crazy while waiting to make concrete travel plans in 2012. It's the first post that I've ever written with the tag Incoherent Ramblings, and I doubt it will be the last. I also participated in Jeremy Branham of Budget Travel Adventures' Best of Travel 2011, after being nominated by Leigh over at Hike Bike Travel.

A few things I did new this month, both with a disappointing lack of success. The first was that, following the advice of a blogger I trust, I decided to start focusing regularly on America's National Parks, which I have spent the bulk of my travel focusing on the last ten years. I wrote two posts on National Parks this month, one on Fort Bowie National Monument and the other on Craters of the Moon National Monument. Neither post did well, but I'm not giving up on this just yet. I have four more posts I am working on for this month, and I am hoping to make it a regular feature. The other new addition was my video blog posts. These also didn't do as well as I had hoped, but they still did much better than my Photo of the Day feature does. I haven't taken a lot of video that is usable, and much of it is short clips (10-20 seconds) that I have shot using the video features on my various cameras. I am going to continue to randomly post these, especially all the HD ones I have taken since I got my SLR camera. I am also going to remind myself to take more of these on future trips.

An HDR photo from The Henry Ford (post upcoming)

I also switched over to the commenting platform Disqus, which is a huge upgrade over blogger's arcane built-in commenting system. I like it because I can finally reply to those people who have been kind enough to make comments, and have them actually receive my reply via e-mail, like most blog's comments sections do. As far as comments go, I had 32 comments, as relatively small number considering the page views, but I am not complaining. I read a lot of other blogs, and while I try to comment frequently, it takes some work to do so. Hopefully the new format will encourage more comments in the future.

For those who follow me on Twitter or are my Facebook friends, you probably saw my ranting about Wordpress on Sunday night. I have been saying for months that I intend to switch over from Blogger to Wordpress, but I finally have started working on it. I can now say I would be surprised if I was switched over in less than 6 months. I really want On My Feet or In My Mind 2.0 to be something special, so I'm going to make sure it's nice and polished before I roll it out. It's probably also going to take months of reading to figure out what the hell I'm doing over there. I have no formal computer education, and this is the source of constant frustration when trying to do the simplest things even on Blogger. On that note, heartfelt thanks to my friends Justin and Deej for helping me get the floating share bar you see in the left column up and running. I spent more hours than I care to admit trying to do it myself, with no success.

The whole gang at The Henry Ford on Eli's Birthday

So what's coming up on this here blog, you ask? A couple of things. I've recently been reading a fabulous e-book on photography called Getting Out of Auto by Bethany over at the blog Beers and Beans. I can't say enough about how she simplifies many of those things that can confuse or throw off beginning photographers. I can now say I mostly understand aperture, ISO, and f-stops, things that had been alluding me since I bought the SLR camera in April of 2010. (It's a great investment at $9.95) Anyway, she has an excellent section in there about photographing food, something that is one of my biggest weaknesses on my travels. I have a couple of upcoming special dinners where I'll be shooting pictures at then hopefully doing posts on. I also intend to keep trying to find local 'attractions' here in the Detroit area to post on. I'm hoping my friend Keath & I do a long talked about visit to a few more of our favorite Michigan microbreweries as well. I should have a post about a visit to The Henry Ford, Detroit's finest museum and one witha stellar national reputation that we visited on my nephew Eli's birthday up soon as well. I may also finally finish a few articles I have been slaving over for a few months (writing, throwing them out and re-writing) about my experiences blogging and with the travel blogging community.

The final thing I hope to do this month is start blogging about my next adventure, (I announced it on Facebook and Twitter last night) which is going to be 29 days in New Zealand, starting on May 10th. A post is coming on that in the next couple of days.

Thanks again, from the bottom of my heart, to all those who stop by and make this blog worthwhile.

Erik Smith
January 31st, 2012

Photo of the Day- Chalmette Battlefield, New Orleans, Louisiana

2012-01-31T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Washington

2012-01-30T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Israel

2012-01-29T11:00:00.001-05:00

Video: Yosemite's Glacier Point

2012-01-28T18:38:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite video clips from my trip last September to Northern California. Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park is one of the most amazing viewpoints I have ever seen.

(This clip is best enjoyed with the audio on mute- I was so mesmerized by the scene I didn't even hear the tourists around me prattling on.)

Yosemite's Glacier Point from Erik Smith on Vimeo.

Photo of the Day- Pinnicles National Monument, California

2012-01-28T11:00:00.000-05:00

Postcard Friday- Jerome, Arizona

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Arcadia, Michigan

2012-01-26T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- Central Station, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Fort Selden State Historic Site, New Mexico

2012-01-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Alcatraz, San Francisco, California

2012-01-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company

2012-01-23T09:30:00.001-05:00

When in San Francisco last September, my friend Chris Christensen took me on a walking tour of San Francisco that I had won during an auction from Passports with a Purpose, a charity where popular travel bloggers offer items to bid on, with the proceeds going to a different charity each year.

I was more than happy to let Chris choose the path of the tour, but when he asked me if there was any place special I would like to see, I asked if he would show me around San Francisco's legendary Chinatown. We strolled around the neighborhood, taking in the sights and sounds of this unique district.

As we were getting ready to head back toward the North Beach area, where we were to have dinner, Chris said there was one thing he though I would enjoy first. Just off Jackson Street (between Stockton & Grant) we headed down a small alley (Ross Alley) and found the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company.

Inside of room, we found two women at work at the griddles, quickly stuffing each cookie with it's fortune.

I was charged a dollar to be able to take pictures. After years of wondering how those fortunes got inside the cookie, the question was answered in five short minutes.

There are bags of fortune cookies for sale (which would make good souviners if you can get them home without crushing them) and there are a few other kinds cookies available as well.

Here's a very short video I took.

Photo of the Day- Boston, Massachusetts

2012-01-22T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Plymouth Ice Festival- A Photo Essay

2012-01-21T22:34:00.001-05:00

I went out this morning the the Ice Festival at Kellogg Park in downtown Plymouth. I remember visiting the festival since I was a child living in nearby Canton. This is the festival's 30th year, and the coldest day of all the ones I have been to. Besides the ice sculptures, there are activities for kids, many food options, and the charms of downtown Plymouth.

While I enjoyed my time at the festival tremendously, I hadn't thought it through very well, as going to shoot a photo essay requires walking around in temperatures in the teens while not being able to wear gloves due to the need to switch settings, lenses and filters.

I hope you enjoy the results of two hours of my hands being frozen solid. I'm posting my 13 favorites here- there is a link below to more pictures on my Facebook Page.

Here is the link to the rest of the set on my Facebook Page.

Here also is a link to the Ice Festival's Website.

A Perfect May Evening Walk Along The National Mall

2012-01-21T16:50:00.002-05:00

A year after buying my first SLR camera, and a month after watching a tutorial on HDR photography, my dad and I headed east to give it a try. I used this short trip to visit some more National Parks in the east I hadn't been to, but the main reason for the trip was to go to a place that had lots of excellent subject for photography all within easy walking distance of each other. The National Mall in Washington D.C. fits that description perfectly.

We were staying out in Alexandria, Virginia, so we boarded the metro and got off at the Smithsonian stop. We had started the day outside Baltimore, and had been dodging hit and miss storms all day as we made our way south toward D.C., stopping at a few sights along the way.
The skies had begun to clear around 4:30 when we checked into our hotel. By the time we made it down to the mall, skies were clearing a beautiful blue. The temperature was perfect, in the mid-60s. On our last visit to D.C. in May of 2005, it had been quite warm. During my visit in July of 2002, it had been flame-throwing hot and also humid, a lethal combination.

I had experimented with HDR pictures at home before leaving, and that had taught me for the best results, I needed to be diligent about using my tripod. My dad served as designated tripod carrier.

From the Washington Monument, we headed west down the mall and came to the fantastic World War II Memorial. The memorial was quite new in 2005 when we visited, and we were pleased, but not surprised, to see that 5 years later, the memorial still looked brand new.

The sun was setting as we headed toward Constitution Gardens. It made for a beautiful HDR opportunity.

From Constitution Gardens, we headed downhill to the somber Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in my opinion, one of the most understated (and underrated) monuments on the mall.

By the time we made it to the Lincoln Memorial, it was dusk and the memorial was swarming with school groups. I had expected this, since May is a popular month to do class trips to Washington D.C. for almost any school east of the Mississippi.

I was disappointed (although not unprepared) to see that the reflecting pool was completely torn up. I had hoped for some majestic shots of the Washington Monument reflected in it, but I had read a few days before departing that NPS officials expected it to be 2012 before the pool was finished. I cropped the above photo to remove as much of the eyesore as possible.

I have visited the Lincoln Memorial at least 5 other times, but I had never seen the engraving pictured above before. Such a cool idea, & it gave me goosebumps to be standing on such a hallowed spot.

The biggest frustration of the night (along with having to try and find shots without thousands of school kids running through them) was trying to photograph the dimly-lit Korean Veterans Memorial. I spent quite a long time here trying to get at least one photo that would turn out. The one pictured above was the best of the bunch. It just showed how little I knew about low-light photography. I hope to correct this with another visit in the next few years.

We headed back toward the Smithsonian Metro stop to catch out train back out to our hotel, but we were able to stop at the World War II Memorial again. I had never been there after dark, and I was blown away with how beautifully lit it was.

We also stopped at the Washington Monument on our way back. I spent more time here taking pictures on the tripods than I expected. All of the monuments and Memorials, including the White House, are lit in such a gorgeous way.

Above is the final photo of the evening. As a photographer, I am a functionalist. I take pictures of things the way they look. I have little artistic eye. I hope to delve into this in a later post. That said, I particularly like this photo of the flag and the Washington Monument.

It was a great night on the National Mall. The fact that the weather participated was an added bonus. The photographs turned out pretty well for my first attempt at both DVR & night photos, but the highlight of the night was spending a wonderful evening with my dad, two history guys walking around a place so rich in history (and monuments and memorials to our history) that it is almost unmatched anywhere in our country.

Photo of the Day- Hopwell Furnace National Historic Site, Pennsylvania

2012-01-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Postcard Friday- The Blue Lagoon, Iceland

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Brandenberg Gate, Berlin, Germany

2012-01-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Balanced Rock, Arches National Park, Utah

2012-01-18T11:00:00.002-05:00

Photo of the Day- Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hiking a Volcano- Craters of the Moon National Monument

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Despite being out of shape, I climbed an extinct volcano, called Cinder Cone, in Craters of the Moon National Monument in Southern Idaho. It's wasn't a tremendously difficult hike, despite having a grade of over 25% for most of the trail.

The surface is mostly cinder, which doesn't give way as much as sand does (try hiking a sand dune in Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado or Sleeping Bear Dunes NL in Michigan for that experience), but it also isn't as stable as dirt. The lack of vegetation on the side of the cone going up gives it an 'otherworldly' quality.

The views for the top are definitely a reason to undertake the hike to the top. it gives the visitor an overview of the volcanic landscape that makes up this park, as well as the awesome forces that it takes to alter an entire landscape.

While, as I previously mentioned, there is no vegetation on the trail on the way up, there is some at the top of the cone. The top photo shows some of the small flowers that thrive in this harsh environment, and the lower photo shows the lone wind-blown tree that grows at the top.

The National Park Service preserves a number of volcanic sites, and Craters of the Moon is as good as any of them. It's an easy park to add to any itinerary that includes Yellowstone, as it is a beautiful 3 hour drive east of there.

Photo of the Day- Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York

2012-01-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day - Beit She'an, Israel

2012-01-15T11:00:00.004-05:00

Video: Ocean Surf During A Cape Cod Sunrise

2012-01-15T09:00:00.003-05:00

I haven't used much video here on my blog, mostly because I don't really like many of the short clips I tend to take. This one, however, is from a perfect sunrise in Cape Cod National Seashore in September of 2008. It's a perfect moment of zen.

Photo of the Day- Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana

2012-01-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Postcard Friday- Sistene Chapel, Vatican City

2012-01-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

An Authentic Philly Cheesesteak

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

I visited Philadelphia with my father in May of 2011. Besides visiting the obvious historic sites, I knew we needed to get an authentic Philly Cheesesteak.

I did a lot of reading online (probably more than a cheesesteak deserves) and found that two places in South Philadelphia (Pat's & Geno's) vie for the title of "The Inventor of the Philly Cheesesteak". After all the reading, we decided on Pat's King of Steaks for our 'authentic' experience.

I love the above sign. It's cute, very touristy, and a tribute to the brusqueness of Philadelphia. We knew we were supposed to order it with Cheez Wiz for it to be 'authentic', but neither of us like Cheez Wiz, and couldn't stomach the thought of it on our sandwich.

In the end, we both settled for the sandwich with onions and provolone, but attempting to make up for the sin of not getting the Cheez Wiz on the sandwich, we got fries with it on top.

How were the sandwiches, you ask? They were good, nothing special, but good. We got what we wanted in the end- the ability to say we had an authentic Philadelphia Cheesesteak where they were invented, and that, I suppose, was the whole point of the experience.

Photo of the Day- St. Luke's Anglican Church, Richmond, Tasmania, Australia

2012-01-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Flags over Arkansas Post National Monument

2012-01-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

Between Trips (& Slowly Going Crazy)

2012-01-11T09:00:00.006-05:00

This is such an odd state I'm in right now. Ever since I got seriously bitten by the travel bug as an adult in 1996, I've lived between trips. That is, one one trip is finished, I have always had an idea (or ideas) where the next trip is going to be. There is a lot in my life other than my traveling, but that still doesn't stop me from feeling it's all just between trips.

Contemplative in Budapest, July 1998

That's the crux of the problem now. Four months after my last excursion, fifteen amazing days in Northern California, I still have no concrete plans for travel in 2012. There are lots of factors that have led to this odd (and maddening) position. First of all, I'm waiting for a few factors to fall into place before I have an idea of how much money I have to spend on the upcoming trip. I should have this nailed down by the end of the month, but I'm not a patient person, and the state of limbo (which I've pretty much been in since September) is starting to get to me.

I wrote in my post summarizing my travels in 2011 (both posts, actually), that the 19 days I spent on the road last year was the smallest number since 2000. The reason for this was simple- I had grand plans of a five week trip to New Zealand in 2012, and I was saving my cash. I did what I usually do when I get zeroed in on a destination- I bought all the relevant guidebooks (Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Eyewitness Guides) and read them like novels. I got attached to blogs that did a lot on New Zealand (specifically Landlopers, A Dangerous Business, y Travel Blog and Wanderlust Nessie). By the time I left for California in September, I had a pretty solid start on what I hoped would be my New Zealand itinerary. I even became a bit fixated by stopping in Tahiti on the way over. I'm not a beach person, but those waters are so blue....

Then, as always, life happened. We had a couple of expenses I didn't forecast pop up, we got serious about selling out house, and I decided to spend good money on Christmas presents for my wife. She's put up with my travel obsession like a trooper, even though she doesn't get it at all (see I Travel, She Doesn't post here.) This is quite a change for me- usually I put travel above all else, and in the past, I'd never have spent money on these things, instead, I would have saved it for the trip I was currently obsessing about (or, when single, I would have save most of it and pulled out the credit card for part). Most of my friends, who are non-travelers, applauded these moves as me, finally, approaching 40 next year, growing up. Even my mom, from whom I inherited the travel obsession, was pleased to see me making 'good' choices. Just about the only one who thinks I've sold myself out here is my wife, but to be fair, she almost always puts my needs ahead of hers.

A Traveling Family- My mom & dad, with me, my sister and brother-in-law (not Asia, Disney's Animal Kingdom)

Regardless of how I got here, I am here, in this position. Barring a miracle, I am not going to have the money needed for my trip to New Zealand. I have enough for a trip to New Zealand, but not my trip. This deserves some explanation. When I plan trips, I work relentlessly for a few weeks or months, reading everything I can get my hands on about the destination, and researching the expected costs online. I eventually come to my 'ideal' itinerary (really, it's not as rigid as it sounds). The final result gives me a good idea of the main factors; number of days needed to do it, best time of year to travel, splurges I need to budget for, and a rough overall amount of money I need to execute the trip (to which I always add 15%, as it's the average of what I usually go over).

As far as the proposed New Zealand trip goes, I'm only willing to scale my 'ideal' itinerary back so far. Here are the the highlights of that trip I refuse to compromise on. First, I want to rent a campervan. From all I've read, this is the best way to see New Zealand, especially since I actually like camping in beautiful settings, and New Zealand is that. Second, I must visit both islands. I will admit that I am more stoked about South Island, with it mountains, sounds and glaciers, but to plan just a trip to the South Island, hoping that one day I got back to explore the North Island, is just something I can't do. The cost of the flights alone makes that prohibitive, but so does the fact that I have so many more places on my must-see list. Third, New Zealand has some once-in-a-lifetime (expensive) splurges that I would regret not doing. Cruising both Doubtful and Milford Sounds, Flightseeing over the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers, Zorbing, a Maori Cultural Show, a cruise in the Bay of Islands, and a whale watching cruise in Kaikoura being some of the things I deem essential. I would rather postpone the trip than cut these things. Fourth, the previously mentioned stop-over in Tahiti. If I don't do Tahiti in tandem with a trip to New Zealand, I never will, because I can't see a point in time in my life where I'd spend the money required just to visit the South Pacific. Stopping over doesn't increase the price of the airfare that much (less than $200) and it's just one of those things I have to do.

Milford Sound, New Zealand (photo taken by my mom)

I have trimmed the New Zealand trip down as much as I can, yet it still looks as if I'll be enough short of my funding goal that it needs to wait for another time. This is really depressing for me- I can't remember ever focusing on a destination for so long and not actually doing the trip. I haven't hit full depression mode on this, yet, but if those factors I mentioned earlier go the way I think they will in the next few weeks, the loss of this trip will hit me like a ton of bricks. It won't be pretty.

Anticipating that is going to happen, I've started to open my mind to other possibilities. I spent 27 amazing days in Israel in 2010, my first international trip in six years. Most of the previous eight years travels had been spent on road trips trying to visit the National Parks units in the lower 48 United States. While I love these National Park road trips, the trip to Israel reminded me of how much I like international travel. I promised myself upon returning that I'd try to do some kind of international trip every other year. This idea was also agreeable to my wife. 2012 is the year for me to cross an ocean, and I'm intent on doing that.

Coming up short on funding the New Zealand trip doesn't mean I have zero to spend on traveling. That trip was just a considerable expense, and I have a decent amount to use for my wanderings. The problem, however, is I became so focused on New Zealand, that I really didn't even think about what to do if that trip didn't happen. The possibilities are almost endless, but all the things I've started to consider have fairly major drawbacks. Here are some of the potential trips, and why, for the time being, I've ruled them out.

Eastern Europe- I love the idea of visiting Europe again. My summers there in 1997 & 1998 really bolstered my travel confidence and are some of my fondest travel memories. The countries I want to visit most in Eastern Europe are Slovenia, Croatia, & Albania. These aren't as expensive as the rest of Europe, but I'm not sure I can link the three countries in the timeframe I have available, especially since public transportation in Albania (and Montenegro, which you have to cross to get from Croatia to Albania) seems so difficult that I'm not sure I can pull it off in three weeks. Information on travel in this area is sketchy on the internet, too, and while it seems like that would be part of the adventure, I Still would have concrete dates I would have to be in places to catch my flights. I'm still looking for a practical way to make this work. I have a feeling, in a few years, these countries, especially Albania, Montenegro & Kosovo, will continue to improve their tourism infrastructure, and this trip would be more practical given my time limitations.

Me at the Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam 1996

Southeast Asia- The on-the-ground expenses in Southeast Asia are beyond affordable, but as with the lesser developed countries of Eastern Europe the slow moving pace and irregularity of public transportation is a major roadblock to a three to four week trip. It would basically force me to focus on a smaller area. I have already been to Thailand & Vietnam, and the countries that have the largest appeal to me are Cambodia and Laos. Assuming I would have to fly in and out of Bangkok, and I'd need to leave at least three days at the beginning to adjust to the culture shock (and jetlag) and then at least 5 days at the end of the trip to leave Laos via Chiang Mai before heading back to Bangkok to catch my flight, that would leave me with around 18 days to split between the two countries. This could be done, I suppose, but I read a lot of blogs about the area, and most people take months, not weeks, to explore these countries. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that they have more available time and the cost of living in Southeast Asia allows them to take their time. The final factor causing me pause as far as this trip is concerned is climate. I'm able to handle heat while traveling, but the hot & wet of the jungle will be a real challenge for someone who is bulkier (the kindest word I could find). I keep telling myself I should wait on this one until I lose some weight, but that's been the never-ending battle...

Trevi Fountain, Rome, 1998

Revisiting Western Europe- I love the thought of revisiting my favorite places in Western Europe and photographing them well, with my SLR camera. During my previous visits, back in 1997-99, I had a 35mm camera. While many of these pictures turned out well for the limitations of that camera, there are simply too few of them, and they are also a bit grainy, especially when I have to scan them to put them up here in my blog or on my website. There are three main problems I have with this trip. First, and most of all, Western Europe is really expensive. This is made even harder for me since, during the 97-99 trips, the US Dollar was at one of it's highest values, so everything was at least affordable, if not downright cheap, especially in Southern Europe. With the dollar down and the Euro in place, a hotel that cost me $30 a night back then would be well over $100 a night now. As hard as I try, this is really hard to adjust to. Second, I have trouble narrowing the list of 'must-visits' in Western Europe down to a list that is possible to do in the 3-4 weeks. I've already acknowledged that England, Germany, Benelux, Spain & Portugal (tear-drop here since I love love love Portugal) are out because of the need to geographically limit the trip. The list of 'musts' includes Paris, at least 3 days in the Swiss Alps, Venice, & Rome. Places I haven't been but would need to include are San Marino, the Cinque Terra, Ljubljana, and the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. No way to include all of that in the time frame I have. The third problem is I would feel guilty revisiting places I've been, twice in most cases, when I have a long list of places I haven't been that I want to visit.

With all of the trips above, as with any trip abroad right now, the cost of airfare is prohibitive. It's impossible to find a flight to Europe for less than $1300, to Asia for less than $1600, and to New Zealand for less than $1800. I understand that times have changed and the airlines are having financial difficulties so they must charge more, but even my flight to Israel in 2010 was barely over $1000. The advantage I had there was that I was able to scour the travel sites for months before finally booking the flight when an awesome deal came along. For the trip this year, time is approaching fast, since this is going to happen in either April or May.

Thingviller National Park, Iceland, 1998

The final option I have considered is taking two shorter trips, between 10-14 days, instead of the one longer trip, doing one in May or early June, and the other in mid-September to late October. Because of the expense of airfare, it would be impossible to do two international trips. One would have to be a driving trip in the US, and, as I stated before, I do really enjoy these, and I do have the itinerary of a 10 day driving trip to the Eastern Seaboard done already. (I was supposed to go there instead of California, but Hurricane Irene made me scuttle plans at the last minute). Recently, I have been researching the idea of going to Iceland and driving around the Ring Road that encircles the island. I could do this in 10 days easily, and have a couple of days left over for the (massively expensive) side trip to Greenland, a place that has always fascinated me. I visited Iceland on my way to Europe in 1998, spending three days in Reykjavik, the capital, and doing two day tours to the surrounding areas. I really enjoyed this, it was so singular, but the rest of the two months trip was on my mind the whole time, and I didn't focus on the experience of Iceland enough.

After all of that, there is one thing I know for certain right now. I will travel this year. That's all I know for sure, but that knowledge is the only thing that is keeping me sane (Ok, well after re-reading this, marginally sane). I would love any suggestions as to things I haven't considered, and would also understand if I get comments telling me that the way I approach the planning of my trips isn't spontaneous enough or is just plain neurotic. Believe me, I have heard both of these things before, and I'm sure I will hear them again. As soon as I actually book something, I'm sure I'll post about it, and I'm sure it won't be quite the mini-novel that this post has become.

Thanks for reading. I do feel a bit better after getting that off my chest. It's certainly cheaper than therapy...

Photo of the Day- Detroit at Sunset

2012-01-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington

2012-01-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Cabin, New Echota State Historic Site, Georgia

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Photo of the Day- Artwork, La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain

2012-01-07T11:00:00.001-05:00

Worth the Hike- Fort Bowie National Monument

2012-01-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Fort Bowie National Monument is located in the baking desert of Southeastern Arizona. What makes this such a unique National Park is the fact that you have to hike a mile and a half to get to the site. The National Park Service, in most cases, put the parking lot and visitor centers close to the actual sites. Even when the facilities and parking lots aren't close, they are usually in temperatue climate zones, when a pleasant mile and a half walk is not that big of a deal.

The fort was established in the 1860s, as a result of a couple of bloody skirmishes with the Chiricahua Apache. I asked the ranger at the site's visitor center why the NPS had elected to separate the site and center from the parking area. He told me that the hike though the area gave people a good introduction to the harsh environment that had to be overcome by the soldiers staged at the fort. I was so glad I had started my walk around 8 AM, sine temperatures were in the 90s by the time I reached the fort around 9 on that day in early May.

The sight itself is mostly ruins, but getting a feel for the fort is not that hard through pictures and interpretive signposting. Also interpreted well are the 1862 Battle of Apache Pass and the ruins of the Butterfield Stage Station, part of the larger Butterfield Overland Mail route, which connected points east with San Francisco, one of the only ways of communication between the larger population of the East and the West Coast in the years preceding the Civil War.

On of the highlights for me was taking the secondary trail back to the parking lot. It leads up a hill and overlooks the sight from above, which gave me perspective on all the runs I had just spent a couple of hours walking around. Both trails highlight desert vegetation, which is part of such a unique ecosystem.

While a 1.5 mile hike may prohibit some from visiting, my advice would be to visit in the off-season, or start your hike early in the morning. Obviously, as with all hikes, make sure you carry enough water with you to avoid dehydration. There is a small road that leads to the visitor's center, but it is really only for park personnel and handicapped visitors.

Postcard Friday- Hong Kong

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Photo of the Day- Thurmont Vista, Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland

2012-01-05T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- Road Sign, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

2012-01-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

Best of Travel 2011

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As I wrote in my personal review of 2011, this was my lightest travel year since 2000. I'd been saving money for a trip to New Zealand this year (that now, unfortunately, seems unlikely to happen) so I made the sacrifice of going on only one two week trip and one five day trip. Lucky for me, both of those were special in their own ways.

The following recap is part of Jeremy of Budget Travel Adventures' (an excellent blog) Best of Travel 2011 project. I was nominated by another fantastic blogger, Leigh of Hike, Bike, Travel. It's truly an honor to be part of a project with so many of the bloggers I admire and respect. Here is a link to the guidelines for the post.

Best Domestic Travel Destination:

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point

San Francisco fro Alcatraz Island

I wanted to pick just one of these here, but I couldn't, so I'm going to cheat and list both. Yosemite National Park is remarkable in so many ways. Beautiful vistas, abundant wildlife, amazing hiking trails, and areas of serenity despite the crowds make this one of America's top National Parks. San Francisco quickly has become my favorite American city, simply because it is so unique. It's hilly setting is only part of it- it has culture and history around every corner.

Best Travel Experience:

My father and I took a trip to the East Coast, specifically so I could test two new facets of my photography skills- night photography and HDR images. I needed a place we could drive to that was photogenic, contained a lot of sites in a small area, and would be lit in a way amiable to night photography. That is how we found ourselves strolling around the National Mall in Washington D.C. on a perfect weather night in May. The pictures turned out pretty well for my first venture into two new arenas, but the time spent with my dad, enjoying the monuments and memorials designed as tributes to our great country, is something I will cherish forever.

Best International Destination:

Israel (in 2010)

Since Chinatown in San Francisco doesn't count, I'll say none. Since I got married 5 years ago, I promised my non-traveling wife I would try to keep the international trips (longer & more expensive) to every other year at most. I spent 27 amazing days in Israel in 2010, so 2011 was a year for the passport to stay in my upper desk drawer.

Worst Travel Experience:

I had envisioned the two days I had set aside slowly cruising down the Pacific Coat Highway from the Oregon border to San Francisco as being days of blue skies, a picture postcard at every turn. Instead, I got grey, sprinkles and marine fog the whole time. The worst part was I could tell how spectacular that stretch of road would have been in nice weather.

Most Embarrassing Travel Moment:

I read back in August that Crater Lake National Park was suffering from lightning-started fires. It didn't occur to me that by mid-September when I visited that they might not be out. A simple check of the NPS' website the night before (or week before) would have prevented me from driving 200 miles out of my way to a park I had been to and had fond memories of. Instead, I showed up and was disappointed (the kind word for it) to not be able to see all the way across the lake or appreciate it's unusual shade of blue. On the upside, many people commented that the pictures I took there had a 'cool' effect in them due to the smoke. Ugh.

Best Local Destination:

I live in the suburbs of Detroit, which takes it's share of abuse nationally, but in July, some friends of ours and my wife & I took a river cruise on the Detroit Princess Riverboat. It was a beautiful evening, and seeing the sun set behind Detroit's skyline emphasized the point that this city is in a beautiful setting and could be a great city again someday, hopefully. I've committed to doing more posts about this area, a city I am proud to be from, to show everyone it is not wholly without value.

Best Travel Lesson:

The most important lesson was a personal one for me. I tend to be an over-planner when it comes to my trips. I was originally supposed to go to the Eastern Seaboard for the September trip, but Hurricane Irene left me scrambling for alternatives last minute when it washed away a number of road I was planning on using. I had a general outline in my head of what an eventual Northern California trip would entail, but when I booked my flight less than 2 weeks before my departure date, I was both excited and a little panicked. I did quite a bit of researching and planning in those 12 days leading up to my departure, but I also taught myself that I can be flexible and still see everything I want to, while also leaving enough open time to explore the unknown. It's whether I can put this lesson in to practice in the future that will be interesting.

I'm supposed to nominate five bloggers for this- many of my favorites have already been nominated or have told me to 'stop nominating me for everything', but I'll give it a go anyway. :-)

Erin at A Sense of Place
Shannon at A Little Adrift
Elle at Veni Vidi Vici
Toni at Reclaiming My Future
Deej at The World of Deej

Photo of the Day- The Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, Israel

2012-01-03T11:00:00.001-05:00

Photo of the Day- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio

2012-01-02T11:00:00.003-05:00

Photo of the Day- The Flatiron Building, New York City

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