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Thursday, August 31, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Sitting still too long has made me stall out
Being in Portland for a week was great. Getting the chance to chill out, relax, recharge, spend some time with my cousin and his girlfriend, and just wander around different parts of the city was fun, and I think a month in, pretty much just what I needed. I left Portland for Eugene, thinking I would stay for only one night. One night became three. In ten days I've covered about 100 miles.
So I'm sitting here, wanting to do a longer blog post. Wanting to cook myself a big meal before I leave a proper kitchen. Wanting to do this, that, and the other thing. Oh, make a plan. Plan plan plan.
But I think I'm just going to pack the car and go. Get moving again. Pick up some momentum. Because I think the longer I sit here, the less I'm going to want to get up and go.
More soon. Time to get moving.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Friday, August 25, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Saturday, August 19, 2017
Friday, August 18, 2017
Alberta and British Columbia, including Banff and Jasper National Parks
My time in Calgary was not my favorite. As I started with in my "Couchsurfing Fail" blog, it wasn't off to a good start, and I really did do or see much while I was there. I spent a lot of time in two different libraries, yet somehow I did end up there for three nights.
I am just not a big city person. No duh. I'll probably do a full post about this and some of the thoughts and realizations around it, but yeah. I get overwhelmed and overall I just don't like them.
I did, however, meet up with some people who use the Couchsurfing app and watched a bit of the meteor shower -- but strangely none of them surf or host, and I ended up sleeping in my car all three nights I was there. But I did discover that truck stop sleeping is a solid option, and not that bad, especially if I block out the windows. So that was a little bit eye-opening.
Banff and Jasper were nice, as was the drive in and out. Too much hurrying to get here or there in Canada, though, and everything is spaced out so far.
Thankfully I did find a Couchsurf in Kamloops, BC (not without confusing there, too, though), and another in Vancouver. So overall that wasn't so bad.
I dunno. Here are a bunch of pictures! More thoughts in some more specific posts I think.
I am just not a big city person. No duh. I'll probably do a full post about this and some of the thoughts and realizations around it, but yeah. I get overwhelmed and overall I just don't like them.
I did, however, meet up with some people who use the Couchsurfing app and watched a bit of the meteor shower -- but strangely none of them surf or host, and I ended up sleeping in my car all three nights I was there. But I did discover that truck stop sleeping is a solid option, and not that bad, especially if I block out the windows. So that was a little bit eye-opening.
Banff and Jasper were nice, as was the drive in and out. Too much hurrying to get here or there in Canada, though, and everything is spaced out so far.
Thankfully I did find a Couchsurf in Kamloops, BC (not without confusing there, too, though), and another in Vancouver. So overall that wasn't so bad.
I dunno. Here are a bunch of pictures! More thoughts in some more specific posts I think.
Big Rock Glacial Erratic
Canmore, AB, Canada
Banff and Jasper National Parks
Assorted Photos From Alberta and British Columbia
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
I'm not as worried about money
I'm doing OK on spending. Just OK I guess. Some days I worry, then I don't. I check my bank account once in a while and it's about where I expect. Occasionally a Paypal donation comes in and I get the notification email and it makes me really happy.
For a few days I've been wanting to do some rough math to figure out what my "worst case scenario" amount of money is. So I did that this morning.
I mapped a route from LA to TC and it was around 2300 miles.
I've been averaging about 25 mpg.
Let's say gas averages about $2.50 across the US.
2300 miles / 25 mpg = 92 gallons of gasoline
92 gallons of gasoline x $2.50 per gallon = $230 dollars
Let's just round that way up to $300, accounting for other expenses, more expensive gas, whatever.
Worst case scenario, and I'm spending way more than I should: I can get back home, from pretty much anywhere in the country, if I take a direct route with little stopping, for less than $300.
That ain't so bad.
For a few days I've been wanting to do some rough math to figure out what my "worst case scenario" amount of money is. So I did that this morning.
I mapped a route from LA to TC and it was around 2300 miles.
I've been averaging about 25 mpg.
Let's say gas averages about $2.50 across the US.
2300 miles / 25 mpg = 92 gallons of gasoline
92 gallons of gasoline x $2.50 per gallon = $230 dollars
Let's just round that way up to $300, accounting for other expenses, more expensive gas, whatever.
Worst case scenario, and I'm spending way more than I should: I can get back home, from pretty much anywhere in the country, if I take a direct route with little stopping, for less than $300.
That ain't so bad.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Monday, August 14, 2017
Sunday, August 13, 2017
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Friday, August 11, 2017
Wyoming, Montana, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks
After three National Parks in a little over a week, I'm a little burnt out. I've been calling it "scenery fatigue," or park fatigue. So a few days of doing almost nothing are kind of helping. And then I'm going right back into/over the mountains, probably passing through three Canadian National Parks on my way to Vancouver.
Yesterday was not a good day. Today is OK. Going through 600ish pictures takes a lot of mental energy, though. So this post will be mostly pictures. Some thoughts/words, too. I'm tempted to say not many ... but I know I tend to be long-winded.
From Rapid City, SD, I made a plan about how I was going to do Yellowstone. My host was very helpful, having been there many times, worked in the park, etc. She said I should definitely take the 212 (Beartooth Pass) into the park.
From there I went into Wyoming for just one night. I had an, uh, interesting time in a little bar in Gillette, had a bed to sleep in for a night, then went to Billings for one more night. From there, the park. Maybe not the most direct route, but I'm pretty glad I took the route in that I did.
I did go by Devils Tower, too, which was a good idea. I first saw it pop up about 15 miles away, and it immediately drew my attention.
There are some cool stories about/around Devils Tower. Most of the tribes in the area actually prefer that it's called Bear Lodge -- almost all of them have a name that translates roughly as that (or Bear Tipi, or Where-bear-lives) -- but you know, white people. But one of them was about a guy who, before WWII, was a professional parachutist (that's a profession?). Well, without permission from the parks or the government or anyone really, he decided he'd get dropped on the top of the tower. Success! He did it. He proved you can parachute with fairly good accuracy. And he also proved you can get stuck for six days in inclement weather until they can organize a rescue party to come get your butt down off the rock.
On the way out of Billings I stopped at Pictograph Caves State Park. I guess I wanted/expected some crazy travel through time experience, but unfortunately with as hard to discern as the images have become it was hard to feel very connected to the people of the past who painted them. It was still very cool and I'm still glad I went.
OK, so Yellowstone.
When I started seeing mountains I thought to myself, Oh, cool, I'm almost into the park. Ha, no. It was at least two hours before actually passing through the entrance. Granted, that was with lots of stops. The driving was steep and slow and curvy with lots of switchbacks. My car became almost unresponsive, either from the steepness or the elevation or both. I made liberal use of my car's "auto-manual" feature, basically staying in second and third gear the whole time. First time driving in the mountains; ears popping, head aching. Interesting experience.
At one point I drove by the summit of the Beartooth Pass, and it was over 10,000 feet. I should have stopped to take a pictures, but didn't. Oh well.
Oh, guess what! I'm a bad planner. I didn't get into the park until 1 or 2 in the afternoon, and (no surprise) the campgrounds were all filled up. I had briefly considered the days before still doing a quick backcountry hike and camping just the one night, but decided against it for many reasons. The ranger at the entry station said that if I was considering camping I should turn around and go to one of the campgrounds I passed coming in. But I'm like Nah, Imma wing it like I always do. Oh yeah, and I went on a Friday. Good idea, right?
Around 5:30pm I hit a hard wall. I was very tired (physically) and getting grumpy. I needed food. Thankfully after eating and getting some caffeine I felt a little better (a little), but really it was a waterfall that woke me up.
The Lower Falls again took my breath away and gave me goosebumps and almost made me cry again. I was walking down the trail to the brink of the lower falls, and the more I walked the more I was like Is this even worth it? Another waterfall? Well, walking down it's pretty much impossible to see or even get a sense of the falls until you're right next to it. And as soon as I peeked over the edge I was fully awake again and full of energy and joy and whatever. To the immediate right is an enormous waterfall, probably the biggest falls I've seen in my life (tallest -- although there were a few in Ontario that might have been comparable) where the Yellowstone river drops probably a few hundred feet. Then there is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. And on the left bank there is this beautiful sight where all of the mist from the falls has settled onto the bank, and it's just all green. Lots of new plant growth and actually tiny little rivulets flowing back into the big river. So much mist that it's actually re-condensed and created little streams of its own. The water cycle before my very eyes.
It took me until almost dark before I reached the southern side of the park (Lake region). The few hours leading up to that I had started to think about what I was going to do, where I was going to sleep. I was leaning toward going down into Grand Teton National Park and seeing if any of the campgrounds there had any spaces. Car sleeping, I thought, was basically out. Parking at any of the main lots, in a roadside turnout, etc, were all invitations for a Ranger to wake me up with some not so nice words. At Lake, I stopped at Lake Lodge to try to get wifi (they had it but it wasn't working right on my phone), and then I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea. Where are there already tons of cars parked all night, and where one extra isn't going to draw any more attention? One of the hotels/lodges, of course.
I left thinking I'd still check the Teton campgrounds, but I got to the exit back to the main road and saw that the sun was already starting to set, and it'd be probably another hour or more before reaching the first Teton campground. Plus then I'd have to pay, and after dark I probably wouldn't even want to set up a tent so I'd probably sleep in my car anyways. So I turned around and did just that. Arranged my "bedroom" in one lot, then drove to the lot I intended to stay in all night, moved a few things around, and got settled. Left around sunrise and no one suspected a thing.
(With the things moved around they way they have to be to make room to sleep, and with the blanket forting ideas I've been trying out, it's almost impossible to see inside the car. Someone would have to be extremely nosy to even know I'm in there. And assuming the car doesn't draw any extra attention, and it shouldn't, no one should have any reason to come near or look or anything.)
It might take some of the romance and specialness out of what could have been a beautiful experience in nature away -- but it also adds a certain trademark Tony the Cheapskate element to the whole thing. So, it's a wash.
It took almost all day to reach the north side of the park again. Lots of stopping and picture taking, but not a lot of hiking, unfortunately. I finally reached Mammoth Hot Springs by about 4pm. Used wifi in the only building in the park with free wifi I could use, and found the Boiling River before leaving, which was a really unique and really cool experience. It's where water from the hot springs flows into the Gardener River. Move two feet one way or another and you can get water that's either way too hot or too cold.
Oh, the whole no-free-wifi thing is just the beginning of what could be a rant all its own. Yellowstone has to be one of the biggest tourist attractions on earth. Lots of international visitors. And with all those people -- and on Saturday I feel like it really was all of the people -- they try to get as much money out of you as possible. Most shops or restaurants did have wifi, but it was either a pay-by-minute model or you had to buy something from them and they'd give you a code (presumably). Surprisingly, the few places I saw prices in actually had reasonable prices for food, but everything else -- wifi included -- costs money.
Yellowstone is huge, and this post, like my visit, barely scratches the surface. Even if you took out all of the cool geothermal elements and attractions and were just left with forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, canyons, wildlife -- you'd still have a hell of a park. Add in hot springs and geysers and "paint pots" and it's no wonder it's the worlds first National Park.
From there I went to Livingston, MT, where I spent two nights and did my last batch of photo uploading and blogging and sharing, and I cooked some food and relaxed some too. Started to make a plan for Glacier National Park, and kind of last minute decided to look for a couch to surf in Great Falls, MT. Fired off some messages and took off.
Stopped somewhere in the middle and to my surprise, given the very short notice, not one, not two, but three hosts had accepted and made an offer to stay with them for just one night. I updated them all, but plans can change so I didn't accept any one until I was in town. Ultimately, it came down to who it sounded like had the comfier setup. I chose the one with a real bed. Nothing personal.
Glacier isn't as big of a park (it's still pretty damn big), and it doesn't have as many attractions, so I felt more confident in "winging it" there. I got in kind of later in the day, mostly just enjoying a nice, slow scenic drive. Guess what? One of the primitive campgrounds had space! It was a long bumpy drive to get there, but it had a space. I set up a hammock I was borrowed, heated up my leftover dinner from the night before, and got to sleep.
I actually slept quite well, having only hammock slept twice now. It's different for sure, but not bad. And I think at this point my body is just kind of like "Fuck it. You're sleeping, even if you're not comfortable." I was woken up at about 2:30am by a weird hissing noise, definitely wildlife of some sort but I'm not sure what (bird?), which was then followed with some crazy owls that sounded like monkeys. I drifted back to sleep and dreamt of bears and mountain lions, and woke well after sunrise.
I woke up to a spectacular view of Bowman Lake and the mountains in the background. I sent that picture to multiple people that morning, as soon as I reached the visitor center and wifi again.
But after Yellowstone, Glacier just seemed smaller. Not less beautiful, just different. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was built up by a few people I had talked to, and honestly I expected more. It was still a beautiful drive with incredible views, but it wasn't bigger or better than the Beartooth Pass I had driven just a few days before.
Remember that "scenery fatigue" I mentioned? Yeah, I think it's partly that. I've seen so much in the past two weeks I'm not "seeing the forest for the trees," so to speak.
Since then ... I kind of rushed up to Calgary for reasons I explained in a post the other day, and I'm not sure what to make of it. I've confirmed over and over that I'm not really a city person. And I don't know anyone here. And I'm kind of socially inept anyways, and again feeling overwhelmed and alone, so I've mostly kept to myself and I feel like I'm just wasting time.
Maybe more on that later. Besides, this is a Wyoming/Montana post. And those were neat.
Yaaaaayyyyy my picture uploads and blogging is up to date.
Yesterday was not a good day. Today is OK. Going through 600ish pictures takes a lot of mental energy, though. So this post will be mostly pictures. Some thoughts/words, too. I'm tempted to say not many ... but I know I tend to be long-winded.
From Rapid City, SD, I made a plan about how I was going to do Yellowstone. My host was very helpful, having been there many times, worked in the park, etc. She said I should definitely take the 212 (Beartooth Pass) into the park.
From there I went into Wyoming for just one night. I had an, uh, interesting time in a little bar in Gillette, had a bed to sleep in for a night, then went to Billings for one more night. From there, the park. Maybe not the most direct route, but I'm pretty glad I took the route in that I did.
I did go by Devils Tower, too, which was a good idea. I first saw it pop up about 15 miles away, and it immediately drew my attention.
Devils Tower
There are some cool stories about/around Devils Tower. Most of the tribes in the area actually prefer that it's called Bear Lodge -- almost all of them have a name that translates roughly as that (or Bear Tipi, or Where-bear-lives) -- but you know, white people. But one of them was about a guy who, before WWII, was a professional parachutist (that's a profession?). Well, without permission from the parks or the government or anyone really, he decided he'd get dropped on the top of the tower. Success! He did it. He proved you can parachute with fairly good accuracy. And he also proved you can get stuck for six days in inclement weather until they can organize a rescue party to come get your butt down off the rock.
On the way out of Billings I stopped at Pictograph Caves State Park. I guess I wanted/expected some crazy travel through time experience, but unfortunately with as hard to discern as the images have become it was hard to feel very connected to the people of the past who painted them. It was still very cool and I'm still glad I went.
Pictograph Caves
OK, so Yellowstone.
Beartooth Pass (Entering Yellowstone)
When I started seeing mountains I thought to myself, Oh, cool, I'm almost into the park. Ha, no. It was at least two hours before actually passing through the entrance. Granted, that was with lots of stops. The driving was steep and slow and curvy with lots of switchbacks. My car became almost unresponsive, either from the steepness or the elevation or both. I made liberal use of my car's "auto-manual" feature, basically staying in second and third gear the whole time. First time driving in the mountains; ears popping, head aching. Interesting experience.
At one point I drove by the summit of the Beartooth Pass, and it was over 10,000 feet. I should have stopped to take a pictures, but didn't. Oh well.
Yellowstone National Park
Oh, guess what! I'm a bad planner. I didn't get into the park until 1 or 2 in the afternoon, and (no surprise) the campgrounds were all filled up. I had briefly considered the days before still doing a quick backcountry hike and camping just the one night, but decided against it for many reasons. The ranger at the entry station said that if I was considering camping I should turn around and go to one of the campgrounds I passed coming in. But I'm like Nah, Imma wing it like I always do. Oh yeah, and I went on a Friday. Good idea, right?
Around 5:30pm I hit a hard wall. I was very tired (physically) and getting grumpy. I needed food. Thankfully after eating and getting some caffeine I felt a little better (a little), but really it was a waterfall that woke me up.
The Lower Falls again took my breath away and gave me goosebumps and almost made me cry again. I was walking down the trail to the brink of the lower falls, and the more I walked the more I was like Is this even worth it? Another waterfall? Well, walking down it's pretty much impossible to see or even get a sense of the falls until you're right next to it. And as soon as I peeked over the edge I was fully awake again and full of energy and joy and whatever. To the immediate right is an enormous waterfall, probably the biggest falls I've seen in my life (tallest -- although there were a few in Ontario that might have been comparable) where the Yellowstone river drops probably a few hundred feet. Then there is the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. And on the left bank there is this beautiful sight where all of the mist from the falls has settled onto the bank, and it's just all green. Lots of new plant growth and actually tiny little rivulets flowing back into the big river. So much mist that it's actually re-condensed and created little streams of its own. The water cycle before my very eyes.
It took me until almost dark before I reached the southern side of the park (Lake region). The few hours leading up to that I had started to think about what I was going to do, where I was going to sleep. I was leaning toward going down into Grand Teton National Park and seeing if any of the campgrounds there had any spaces. Car sleeping, I thought, was basically out. Parking at any of the main lots, in a roadside turnout, etc, were all invitations for a Ranger to wake me up with some not so nice words. At Lake, I stopped at Lake Lodge to try to get wifi (they had it but it wasn't working right on my phone), and then I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea. Where are there already tons of cars parked all night, and where one extra isn't going to draw any more attention? One of the hotels/lodges, of course.
I left thinking I'd still check the Teton campgrounds, but I got to the exit back to the main road and saw that the sun was already starting to set, and it'd be probably another hour or more before reaching the first Teton campground. Plus then I'd have to pay, and after dark I probably wouldn't even want to set up a tent so I'd probably sleep in my car anyways. So I turned around and did just that. Arranged my "bedroom" in one lot, then drove to the lot I intended to stay in all night, moved a few things around, and got settled. Left around sunrise and no one suspected a thing.
(With the things moved around they way they have to be to make room to sleep, and with the blanket forting ideas I've been trying out, it's almost impossible to see inside the car. Someone would have to be extremely nosy to even know I'm in there. And assuming the car doesn't draw any extra attention, and it shouldn't, no one should have any reason to come near or look or anything.)
It might take some of the romance and specialness out of what could have been a beautiful experience in nature away -- but it also adds a certain trademark Tony the Cheapskate element to the whole thing. So, it's a wash.
Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park
It took almost all day to reach the north side of the park again. Lots of stopping and picture taking, but not a lot of hiking, unfortunately. I finally reached Mammoth Hot Springs by about 4pm. Used wifi in the only building in the park with free wifi I could use, and found the Boiling River before leaving, which was a really unique and really cool experience. It's where water from the hot springs flows into the Gardener River. Move two feet one way or another and you can get water that's either way too hot or too cold.
Oh, the whole no-free-wifi thing is just the beginning of what could be a rant all its own. Yellowstone has to be one of the biggest tourist attractions on earth. Lots of international visitors. And with all those people -- and on Saturday I feel like it really was all of the people -- they try to get as much money out of you as possible. Most shops or restaurants did have wifi, but it was either a pay-by-minute model or you had to buy something from them and they'd give you a code (presumably). Surprisingly, the few places I saw prices in actually had reasonable prices for food, but everything else -- wifi included -- costs money.
Yellowstone is huge, and this post, like my visit, barely scratches the surface. Even if you took out all of the cool geothermal elements and attractions and were just left with forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, canyons, wildlife -- you'd still have a hell of a park. Add in hot springs and geysers and "paint pots" and it's no wonder it's the worlds first National Park.
From there I went to Livingston, MT, where I spent two nights and did my last batch of photo uploading and blogging and sharing, and I cooked some food and relaxed some too. Started to make a plan for Glacier National Park, and kind of last minute decided to look for a couch to surf in Great Falls, MT. Fired off some messages and took off.
Stopped somewhere in the middle and to my surprise, given the very short notice, not one, not two, but three hosts had accepted and made an offer to stay with them for just one night. I updated them all, but plans can change so I didn't accept any one until I was in town. Ultimately, it came down to who it sounded like had the comfier setup. I chose the one with a real bed. Nothing personal.
Glacier isn't as big of a park (it's still pretty damn big), and it doesn't have as many attractions, so I felt more confident in "winging it" there. I got in kind of later in the day, mostly just enjoying a nice, slow scenic drive. Guess what? One of the primitive campgrounds had space! It was a long bumpy drive to get there, but it had a space. I set up a hammock I was borrowed, heated up my leftover dinner from the night before, and got to sleep.
I actually slept quite well, having only hammock slept twice now. It's different for sure, but not bad. And I think at this point my body is just kind of like "Fuck it. You're sleeping, even if you're not comfortable." I was woken up at about 2:30am by a weird hissing noise, definitely wildlife of some sort but I'm not sure what (bird?), which was then followed with some crazy owls that sounded like monkeys. I drifted back to sleep and dreamt of bears and mountain lions, and woke well after sunrise.
Glacier National Park
I woke up to a spectacular view of Bowman Lake and the mountains in the background. I sent that picture to multiple people that morning, as soon as I reached the visitor center and wifi again.
But after Yellowstone, Glacier just seemed smaller. Not less beautiful, just different. The Going-to-the-Sun Road was built up by a few people I had talked to, and honestly I expected more. It was still a beautiful drive with incredible views, but it wasn't bigger or better than the Beartooth Pass I had driven just a few days before.
Remember that "scenery fatigue" I mentioned? Yeah, I think it's partly that. I've seen so much in the past two weeks I'm not "seeing the forest for the trees," so to speak.
Since then ... I kind of rushed up to Calgary for reasons I explained in a post the other day, and I'm not sure what to make of it. I've confirmed over and over that I'm not really a city person. And I don't know anyone here. And I'm kind of socially inept anyways, and again feeling overwhelmed and alone, so I've mostly kept to myself and I feel like I'm just wasting time.
Maybe more on that later. Besides, this is a Wyoming/Montana post. And those were neat.
Assorted Photos from Wyoming and Montana
Yaaaaayyyyy my picture uploads and blogging is up to date.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Couch Surfing Fail
So last night sucked.
I left Glacier at about 6, but before I did I took advantage of the free wifi at the last visitor center. To my pleasure two hosts had replied. Not knowing what could happen, I updated them both.
As I've been learning on this trip, I can safely add 1-2 hours at least to all predicted travel times. I very rarely drive straight through when I'm going to be in the car more than two hours. Google maps predicted 3 hours 3 minutes, but going by experience I told them both I'd be arriving around 10pm at the earliest. I asked both if that was OK, and assured them if it was too late I'd find something else. I had a feeling that the border crossing would take a bit, and figured I'd stop for wifi in the middle.
I honestly didn't want to drive all the way to Calgary last night for these reasons. I messaged people in a town closer to the border, but got no responses. I was right on both delays, and I arrived at about 10:15.
Host one, the one I thought I had the best chance of staying with, assured me it was only a three hour drive and I'd be in town around 9, ignoring my estimate. She tried to call while I was driving, but I have no service. I'm in a different country; my phone doesn't work right. I'm happy it works at all, and wifi is saving me.
Host two was easy going about it, but said she'd be out until 11:30. So I tried to arrange with host one.
I found wifi, messaged host one, explained the no service, wifi only situation. She said she was about to get in bed already, but if I was close the couch was mine. Got the OK. Got an address. Have her an estimate. Said "I'll head over. See you soon." I guess I assumed I'm leaving wifi and you won't be able to reach me was implied. Never assume.
I also assumed that I was driving to a house. No. Apartment complex. Great. Which apartment? I drove around the parking lot to see if she was outside waiting for me. Raining, so of course not.
I knew there must have been a follow up message, so it was back to looking for wifi.
Found it. Already 15 minutes later than I told her I'd be. Sure enough, a message one minute after I left wifi the first time. She told me where to park and what building she was in. Great! Headed back.
Wandered around figuring out which building. Found it. Great, 20 units with buzzers and the door is locked. It didn't occur to me until after I got back that I now knew a building but not an apartment number. Do I buzz them all? At 11 o'clock on a Wednesday? No.
So I just stood outside in the open looking super shady, hoping she'd look out and see me. Now 30 minutes after I said I'd be there. At different times I thought I heard knocking on a window, and someone saying "Hello?" Were those addressed to me? No idea. And how did they help me?
Pull out my phone to see if there are any open networks. Of course not.
By 11:30, 45 minutes after my expected arrival time, I gave up. I could have went back to my wifi spot again and figured it out. I could have. But I got the impression she was already annoyed and/or asleep, and might leave a bad reference. Still early in the trip, I don't need that. Rather than wake her up, piss her off, only to then be shooed out at 6am anyways.... Nah.
I found a new wifi spot, with a better connection. Sent her a message apologizing, and saying I'll figure something else out. No response; either sleeping or pissed off. Still no response this morning, so I'm leaning towards pissed off.
I tried again to contact host two. No response.
So I made another plan, to hide in plain sight again. It worked. I slept OK but could have used a few extra hours. I'm sitting in a McDonald's (in a Walmart) writing this on my phone. When a library opens at 9 I'll go there.
Lessons learned:
- Trust my instinct. I didn't want to drive all the way to Calgary last night. I knew it'd be too late. I let this happen.
- Be abundantly clear that wifi is my only way to connect to communicate while I'm in Canada. No extra info while I'm on the way. I can't call or text.
- Get all of the information. House or apartment? Apartment number? Where do I park? Which door? How do I let you know I'm there? I can't call or text.
- Have a back up plan anyways. The surf might not work out for so many reasons.
I'm annoyed, a little groggy, but I also realize this is partly (mostly?) my fault. Yes, it's largely the lack of cell service, but I also wasn't prepared enough or thinking everything completely through. It's not really her fault at all. She didn't give me complete information, but she's probably used to being able to just send a quick text.
So... I search again today. Hopefully things go a little (a lot) better.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
Monday, August 7, 2017
South Dakota
After just posting the Minnesota post, which feels forever ago and weird because it was already three states ago, I think I need to try to keep up a little better. I'm about blogged out, so it will still be a few days before I get to the Yellowstone pictures/post, but I'm going to try to get pictures up and type the words while they're still fresh(er).
Thankfully I entered South Dakota in a better mood. I had another couchsurf arranged, I arrived, all was good. This host was a lot different than the first, in neither a good or a bad way. It just made it clear to me right away that this couchsurfing thing was going to be interesting, and that I was going to meet a huge variety of people before I'm done.
Not a lot of words, I guess. I was in a better mood and starting to have a better idea of how to plan and execute everything. But, uh, here are some pictures!
The Corn Palace is about half-way across the state -- which is nice, because it broke up the monotonous drive across South Dakota, where there isn't a whole lot of variety or things to see -- and it is lie the definition of a tourist trap. But it was cool.
And when I came around the corner I saw a basset hound and a smile instantly cracked and I snuck a picture or two then approached. Unfortunately she was very shy and didn't really let me pet her (I snuck an ear-rub), but I talked to her people for a few minutes, and it was nice.
OK, yeah, the Badlands were amazing. On one of the many signs somewhere in the park there was a quote that summed it up pretty well. Paraphrased, It's an implausible place. It looks like a setting from science fiction.
I started to experience many instances of literally having my breath taken from me, just with the awe of what was in front of me. That some place like this could exist. And I've experienced it several times since, and probably will continue to.
My "camping" experience there was a story all its own, which I might sum up another time (don't feel like typing it out right now). I had intended on staying two nights, but by early afternoon on the second day felt like it was time to move on. Unfortunately I didn't make a good plan to explore the Black Hills area, but I did make a couple cool stops.
I ended up taking a long gravel road most of the way from the Badlands to the Black Hills, and felt pretty stupid for it. Bad planning, as per usual. Thankfully it wasn't too bumpy, but I don't really want to find myself on a long stretch of dirt road in the middle of nowhere all by myself again.
Wind Cave was cool. I had never been in a cave before, and it was a neat experience. It was kind of on a whim that I decided to go, and had to pay for a tour, but whatever. The tour guide was knowledgeable and you could tell passionate, and probably not an inch over five feet. (She was constantly telling us "It's really low here, be careful," while not even having to duck herself.)
I also, kind of, sort of, not really bumped into people I also kind of bumped into at the Corn Palace the day before. Again, maybe another story for another day.
(If this album isn't embedded -- it's being difficult -- try this.)
From Wind Cave, through the Black Hills, to Rapid City was a nice drive. Hilly and scenic. I decided not to stop at Rushmore, because 10 dollar just to park? No thanks. And then shortly past there the weather got really weird. Going into Rapid City I basically drove a semi-circle around a rain storm that at any moment looked as if it could go full tornado or something. It was freaky, but beautiful. In the "assorted" album above you can see a few pictures, but they don't really convey what it looked or felt like.
My host there was cool, someone I feel like I would have been friends with (or at least known in the same circle of people) if she lived in TC. A plant biologist that actually works for the NPS.
While in Rapid City I did make one trip into the town, and they had a few pieces of the Berlin Wall, which was totally random, but neat. And while in that park someone with tattoos on his face approached me way too close for comfort and just said "What's up bro?" as he walked past. It was broad daylight. Just ... weird. So I kind of kept a wide berth from everyone else for the rest of that walk.
From there I went to Billings, MT. Cool, right?
Thankfully I entered South Dakota in a better mood. I had another couchsurf arranged, I arrived, all was good. This host was a lot different than the first, in neither a good or a bad way. It just made it clear to me right away that this couchsurfing thing was going to be interesting, and that I was going to meet a huge variety of people before I'm done.
Not a lot of words, I guess. I was in a better mood and starting to have a better idea of how to plan and execute everything. But, uh, here are some pictures!
The Corn Palace is about half-way across the state -- which is nice, because it broke up the monotonous drive across South Dakota, where there isn't a whole lot of variety or things to see -- and it is lie the definition of a tourist trap. But it was cool.
And when I came around the corner I saw a basset hound and a smile instantly cracked and I snuck a picture or two then approached. Unfortunately she was very shy and didn't really let me pet her (I snuck an ear-rub), but I talked to her people for a few minutes, and it was nice.
The Corn Palace
OK, yeah, the Badlands were amazing. On one of the many signs somewhere in the park there was a quote that summed it up pretty well. Paraphrased, It's an implausible place. It looks like a setting from science fiction.
I started to experience many instances of literally having my breath taken from me, just with the awe of what was in front of me. That some place like this could exist. And I've experienced it several times since, and probably will continue to.
Badlands National Park
My "camping" experience there was a story all its own, which I might sum up another time (don't feel like typing it out right now). I had intended on staying two nights, but by early afternoon on the second day felt like it was time to move on. Unfortunately I didn't make a good plan to explore the Black Hills area, but I did make a couple cool stops.
I ended up taking a long gravel road most of the way from the Badlands to the Black Hills, and felt pretty stupid for it. Bad planning, as per usual. Thankfully it wasn't too bumpy, but I don't really want to find myself on a long stretch of dirt road in the middle of nowhere all by myself again.
Wind Cave was cool. I had never been in a cave before, and it was a neat experience. It was kind of on a whim that I decided to go, and had to pay for a tour, but whatever. The tour guide was knowledgeable and you could tell passionate, and probably not an inch over five feet. (She was constantly telling us "It's really low here, be careful," while not even having to duck herself.)
I also, kind of, sort of, not really bumped into people I also kind of bumped into at the Corn Palace the day before. Again, maybe another story for another day.
Wind Cave National Park
(If this album isn't embedded -- it's being difficult -- try this.)
From Wind Cave, through the Black Hills, to Rapid City was a nice drive. Hilly and scenic. I decided not to stop at Rushmore, because 10 dollar just to park? No thanks. And then shortly past there the weather got really weird. Going into Rapid City I basically drove a semi-circle around a rain storm that at any moment looked as if it could go full tornado or something. It was freaky, but beautiful. In the "assorted" album above you can see a few pictures, but they don't really convey what it looked or felt like.
My host there was cool, someone I feel like I would have been friends with (or at least known in the same circle of people) if she lived in TC. A plant biologist that actually works for the NPS.
While in Rapid City I did make one trip into the town, and they had a few pieces of the Berlin Wall, which was totally random, but neat. And while in that park someone with tattoos on his face approached me way too close for comfort and just said "What's up bro?" as he walked past. It was broad daylight. Just ... weird. So I kind of kept a wide berth from everyone else for the rest of that walk.
From there I went to Billings, MT. Cool, right?
Minnesota
My re-entry into the US from Ontario, I think I might have mentioned in a different post, was quick and uneventful. The agent at the window basically asked where I was from, what I was doing in Canada, asked, and I quote "Do you have anything bad?" and when I replied that I did not, just said "Welcome back."
In Thunder Bay I drove out to Fort William Historical Park -- and it was nothing like I expected. They charged $14 for a tour, where from what I could gather interpreters dressed in period garb would walk and talk and so on, but I just wasn't feeling it. I was expecting something more like Mackinac Island, and it was nothing like that, from what I could tell.
However, just across the border was exactly what I was expecting. Grand Portage National Historical Monument, where I decided to stop on a whim, was actually pretty cool. The highlight, for me, being the few enormous birch bark canoes they had there. Oh, and the fact that one of the interpreters was cooking himself dinner, basically, and that was his job there.
From there I drove down the shoreline, following Lake Superior. To say it was disappointing after the Ontario shoreline would be unfair, but it wasn't as scenic. The land was starting to flatten out and the view of the water was mostly obscured by trees. It was still a nice drive, but just not what I had just experienced in the previous days.
I stopped in Grand Marais, MN, which was a nice little town. I've been to the Grand Marais in the UP probably a dozen times, so I felt like I needed to see the other one. It was a bigger town than the Michigan one, but still small. Walked around a bit, and used the internet at the library. Sent some Couchsurfing messages and received no response.
I decided to keep driving, to get closer to Duluth. Around the time it got dark I pulled into a rest stop which had wifi, and used the internet in my car for a while. But for some reason I didn't want to stay there, so I decided to keep driving.
The rest of my night was pretty awful.
About 20 miles down the road I found another rest stop, this one attached to a state park. It seemed less hospitable than the last, and no internet. I already had wished I had stayed at the last one (and it was about 11 o'clock by then). Thanks to mis-reading a map, I thought there was one more rest area between where I was and Duluth, so I decided to drive to it. Got to what I thought was it and -- it was a chamber of commerce parking lot. I pulled up the map (saved in a tab on my laptop) and sure enough, the rest area I was already at was the one I was looking for. So tired, and at this point angry, I turned around, back-tracked again, and drove back to that one. I picked a parking spot that I thought would be private, and figured out how to block out my windows a bit, more for sun than privacy, but kind of for both.
I actually slept pretty well that night, finally. And the blanket fort made for decent privacy. Someone would have to be exceptionally nosy to even know I'm in my vehicle, so as far as that goes, I'm sort of reassured.
In the morning I went to go use the bathrooms, but out of curiosity decided to walk towards the falls that were apparently there, and they were pretty. So I wasn't in a terrible, terrible mood after that.
I went to Duluth that morning, bought some groceries, visited their libraries. Their downtown main branch was huge. But Duluth is actually pretty big, or at least a lot bigger than I'm used to. I had to park downtown, and had to run out once to feed the meter. I was still doing computer stuff, but didn't want to just put dollar after dollar in the meter, so I decided to relocated to their western branch, which was smaller and had their own parking lot.
While there I finalized a plan for my first couch surf, and got on the road again. I made a stop at Hammerheart Brewing Company. I had met Austin, one of the guys who runs the place, when he had been in Traverse City about a year and a half ago, and I decided it'd be good to stop by. He was really nice, and even though he was busy took a few minutes to chat with me about a variety of things. Slid me a free beer and two small pours of some of their more premium stuff. Later that night I arrived in Chanhassen, outside of Minneapolis, and met my host for the night (actually the next night too).
Before I left the Minneapolis area I decided to try some Somali food, which was recommended to me. It was good. They gave me a banana I didn't quite know what to do with, but I just broke it up and put it in with the meat and rice and it actually complimented it quite well. But I'm still not sure if that's what I was "supposed to" do.
And I also decided to go to a "ninja" gym for the first time. It just so happened that a few weeks previously, before leaving home, I saw an episode of American Ninja Warrior and in it they mentioned Conquer Ninja Warrior outside of Minneapolis, so I kind of knew it was there. There are gyms like this all over the country now, but I decided to give this one a try.
Pretty much all of the obstacles are properly hard, and I could only successfully manage a few. It was very humbling. Almost all of them depend on great grip strength and proper technique -- neither of which I had. There is a large discrepency between the grip strength of my right hand and my left hand; my right hand could grip many things, but my left really couldn't manage much at all. Oh well. I know another weakness.
But as some consolation, I was able to do their warped wall (a thirteen foot wall) on my first try, and two times after that. So that was neat.
Unfortunately I still feel like I didn't get to properly experience Minnesota, mostly because of my mood. In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I really only got to see Superior, and maybe a few smaller ones I drove by. I wanted to swim, but didn't. I wanted to do several other things, but didn't. I mostly just drove through.
I confirmed what I long believed, though, that Minnesota is very similar to Michigan. The northern parts of the states are both more scenic, with more variety in the landscape. Same flora and fauna, mostly. And as you get further south the forests become more deciduous, the land becomes flatter, there is more farm land, and so on.
So that was Minnesota.
In Thunder Bay I drove out to Fort William Historical Park -- and it was nothing like I expected. They charged $14 for a tour, where from what I could gather interpreters dressed in period garb would walk and talk and so on, but I just wasn't feeling it. I was expecting something more like Mackinac Island, and it was nothing like that, from what I could tell.
However, just across the border was exactly what I was expecting. Grand Portage National Historical Monument, where I decided to stop on a whim, was actually pretty cool. The highlight, for me, being the few enormous birch bark canoes they had there. Oh, and the fact that one of the interpreters was cooking himself dinner, basically, and that was his job there.
From there I drove down the shoreline, following Lake Superior. To say it was disappointing after the Ontario shoreline would be unfair, but it wasn't as scenic. The land was starting to flatten out and the view of the water was mostly obscured by trees. It was still a nice drive, but just not what I had just experienced in the previous days.
I stopped in Grand Marais, MN, which was a nice little town. I've been to the Grand Marais in the UP probably a dozen times, so I felt like I needed to see the other one. It was a bigger town than the Michigan one, but still small. Walked around a bit, and used the internet at the library. Sent some Couchsurfing messages and received no response.
I decided to keep driving, to get closer to Duluth. Around the time it got dark I pulled into a rest stop which had wifi, and used the internet in my car for a while. But for some reason I didn't want to stay there, so I decided to keep driving.
The rest of my night was pretty awful.
About 20 miles down the road I found another rest stop, this one attached to a state park. It seemed less hospitable than the last, and no internet. I already had wished I had stayed at the last one (and it was about 11 o'clock by then). Thanks to mis-reading a map, I thought there was one more rest area between where I was and Duluth, so I decided to drive to it. Got to what I thought was it and -- it was a chamber of commerce parking lot. I pulled up the map (saved in a tab on my laptop) and sure enough, the rest area I was already at was the one I was looking for. So tired, and at this point angry, I turned around, back-tracked again, and drove back to that one. I picked a parking spot that I thought would be private, and figured out how to block out my windows a bit, more for sun than privacy, but kind of for both.
I actually slept pretty well that night, finally. And the blanket fort made for decent privacy. Someone would have to be exceptionally nosy to even know I'm in my vehicle, so as far as that goes, I'm sort of reassured.
In the morning I went to go use the bathrooms, but out of curiosity decided to walk towards the falls that were apparently there, and they were pretty. So I wasn't in a terrible, terrible mood after that.
I went to Duluth that morning, bought some groceries, visited their libraries. Their downtown main branch was huge. But Duluth is actually pretty big, or at least a lot bigger than I'm used to. I had to park downtown, and had to run out once to feed the meter. I was still doing computer stuff, but didn't want to just put dollar after dollar in the meter, so I decided to relocated to their western branch, which was smaller and had their own parking lot.
While there I finalized a plan for my first couch surf, and got on the road again. I made a stop at Hammerheart Brewing Company. I had met Austin, one of the guys who runs the place, when he had been in Traverse City about a year and a half ago, and I decided it'd be good to stop by. He was really nice, and even though he was busy took a few minutes to chat with me about a variety of things. Slid me a free beer and two small pours of some of their more premium stuff. Later that night I arrived in Chanhassen, outside of Minneapolis, and met my host for the night (actually the next night too).
Then I had a couple of really weird days. I was super grateful for a bed to sleep in, and some good rest, but emotions and an overactive brain really kind of derailed me for two or three days. So unfortunately I didn't get to see as much of Minnesota as I would have liked. I did make a trip back into downtown Minneapolis and wandered around a little bit, though. I went to Minnehaha Falls Park and the sculpture garden, but that was about it.
Before I left the Minneapolis area I decided to try some Somali food, which was recommended to me. It was good. They gave me a banana I didn't quite know what to do with, but I just broke it up and put it in with the meat and rice and it actually complimented it quite well. But I'm still not sure if that's what I was "supposed to" do.
And I also decided to go to a "ninja" gym for the first time. It just so happened that a few weeks previously, before leaving home, I saw an episode of American Ninja Warrior and in it they mentioned Conquer Ninja Warrior outside of Minneapolis, so I kind of knew it was there. There are gyms like this all over the country now, but I decided to give this one a try.
Pretty much all of the obstacles are properly hard, and I could only successfully manage a few. It was very humbling. Almost all of them depend on great grip strength and proper technique -- neither of which I had. There is a large discrepency between the grip strength of my right hand and my left hand; my right hand could grip many things, but my left really couldn't manage much at all. Oh well. I know another weakness.
But as some consolation, I was able to do their warped wall (a thirteen foot wall) on my first try, and two times after that. So that was neat.
Unfortunately I still feel like I didn't get to properly experience Minnesota, mostly because of my mood. In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I really only got to see Superior, and maybe a few smaller ones I drove by. I wanted to swim, but didn't. I wanted to do several other things, but didn't. I mostly just drove through.
I confirmed what I long believed, though, that Minnesota is very similar to Michigan. The northern parts of the states are both more scenic, with more variety in the landscape. Same flora and fauna, mostly. And as you get further south the forests become more deciduous, the land becomes flatter, there is more farm land, and so on.
So that was Minnesota.
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Friday, August 4, 2017
Thursday, August 3, 2017
The Trip So Far: Two Weeks
The first week was really interesting, and a huge learning experience. Couch surfing wasn't happening, I was super, super unorganized. I was tired and finding myself really overwhelmed by the littlest of things.
Week two has went much, much better. Couch surfing is working out better. I'm in a much better mood and have a better outlook on things going forward. I'm getting better sleep. I'm planning a little better. And I still have so much further and longer to go.
But I think I'm having fun. I'm doing new things, seeing some truly amazing places. I'm getting the hang of it.
I'm still finding myself getting really emotional at times. Several times in the last week I've experience literal breath-taking moments, and been in complete awe at what is in front of me. It's usually accompanied by a big stupid grin and being on the verge of tears. And knowing what is around the corner, that will only continue.
WiFi hopping is still a constant, and for reasons unknown to me through much of South Dakota and now on the east side of Wyoming, I continue to have no cell service. I expected at least roaming. So WiFi is huge for me. Looking at a service map it looks like it won't be until I get to the west coast that cell service will be consistent again -- which is OK, but at least a week or two away. Canada part two will be coming up and I know I won't have service there. So lots of libraries, coffee shops, and fast food restaurant parking lots until then.
I have a ton of pictures to go through from Minnesota and South Dakota. When I feel the urge I'll go through them and pick the best ones and post them and write a little bit about my experiences in both of those states, I'll be writing a post/a couple of posts. But it's a lot of pictures, so I kind of have to work myself up to it. That alone will probably take hours.
As strange as it is, because it's a "vacation" and because I'm trying to relax and take my time, and because I'm not working, it seems like, in a way, it should be easy going. Just goof off for a couple months. But I'm finding that I'm actually busier than I've been in a long, long time, and it's all essential to the task I'm trying to complete. It is taking a lot of work in planning, then executing a plan, and making sure I'm stocked, ready to go on each new leg, not forgetting things, etc. Every time I sit down to use the internet there is something I need to do. Maps, maps, maps, and more maps. Reading park info sites. Sending messages.
It's a lot. But because I'm alone I also am trying to keep all this social media stuff updated so I have some connection to the outside world and home. It's silly, but seeing the same handful of people hitting like on so many different things really does make me feel a little less alone, and like I'm actually getting to share the experience with all of you. So things like typing this up are actually really important to me, even if only a small handful of people are reading it. I say "small handful," and that almost sounds bad, like I want more people to see and like everything, but it's not. I keep seeing the same names on everything and it makes me feel good.
This is part of how I keep finding myself overwhelmed. There is a lot to be done. But beyond that, it's not even necessarily what's going on, but just the possibilities. I could go anywhere and do anything; trying to narrow it down to what I really want to and will do takes a lot of mental energy and a lot of planning.
Anyways ... posts from Minnesota and South Dakota coming. Some cool stuff.
Week two has went much, much better. Couch surfing is working out better. I'm in a much better mood and have a better outlook on things going forward. I'm getting better sleep. I'm planning a little better. And I still have so much further and longer to go.
But I think I'm having fun. I'm doing new things, seeing some truly amazing places. I'm getting the hang of it.
I'm still finding myself getting really emotional at times. Several times in the last week I've experience literal breath-taking moments, and been in complete awe at what is in front of me. It's usually accompanied by a big stupid grin and being on the verge of tears. And knowing what is around the corner, that will only continue.
WiFi hopping is still a constant, and for reasons unknown to me through much of South Dakota and now on the east side of Wyoming, I continue to have no cell service. I expected at least roaming. So WiFi is huge for me. Looking at a service map it looks like it won't be until I get to the west coast that cell service will be consistent again -- which is OK, but at least a week or two away. Canada part two will be coming up and I know I won't have service there. So lots of libraries, coffee shops, and fast food restaurant parking lots until then.
I have a ton of pictures to go through from Minnesota and South Dakota. When I feel the urge I'll go through them and pick the best ones and post them and write a little bit about my experiences in both of those states, I'll be writing a post/a couple of posts. But it's a lot of pictures, so I kind of have to work myself up to it. That alone will probably take hours.
As strange as it is, because it's a "vacation" and because I'm trying to relax and take my time, and because I'm not working, it seems like, in a way, it should be easy going. Just goof off for a couple months. But I'm finding that I'm actually busier than I've been in a long, long time, and it's all essential to the task I'm trying to complete. It is taking a lot of work in planning, then executing a plan, and making sure I'm stocked, ready to go on each new leg, not forgetting things, etc. Every time I sit down to use the internet there is something I need to do. Maps, maps, maps, and more maps. Reading park info sites. Sending messages.
It's a lot. But because I'm alone I also am trying to keep all this social media stuff updated so I have some connection to the outside world and home. It's silly, but seeing the same handful of people hitting like on so many different things really does make me feel a little less alone, and like I'm actually getting to share the experience with all of you. So things like typing this up are actually really important to me, even if only a small handful of people are reading it. I say "small handful," and that almost sounds bad, like I want more people to see and like everything, but it's not. I keep seeing the same names on everything and it makes me feel good.
This is part of how I keep finding myself overwhelmed. There is a lot to be done. But beyond that, it's not even necessarily what's going on, but just the possibilities. I could go anywhere and do anything; trying to narrow it down to what I really want to and will do takes a lot of mental energy and a lot of planning.
Anyways ... posts from Minnesota and South Dakota coming. Some cool stuff.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
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