All posts by aleavitt77

Wyoming: Jackson (Part II, Jenny Lake and Granite Hot Springs)

September 9, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

Sept 9 (Monday) – In need of some exercise after a Sunday Funday, we drove to Jenny Lake and took the $12 (round-trip) boat ride across the lake to the trailhead for the Cascade Canyon Trail. You can walk around the lake to the trail, but a little pressed for time we chose the boat which shaves some miles off the round-trip. The Cascade Canyon Trail ascends far up into the Tetons and one could hike to Solitude Lake. We ascended perhaps three miles on a gently sloping path, I estimate about 600-800 vertical feet.

We began by taking the horse trail up and to the right which soon meets back up with the more popular trail and runs along a mountain stream. It was a little cloudy but we got frequent views of the Tetons peeking through. Our lunch spot had inspiring views of an emerald green valley with water cascading down from glaciers. On the way down we stopped at Inspiration Point for views over the lake, and also glimpsed Hidden Falls.

There are ample hiking opportunities in the area. Jenni was sick much of the time in Jackson and we got a late start, so the idea of hiking up to the top of Jackson Hole and taking the tram down was off the table. I would like to return some day to do a bit of backpacking because these mountains are so beautiful.

Ted, our bartender yesterday at The Spur, had strongly recommended we check out Granite Hot Springs. It was already 2:15 pm and quite a drive to get there, but we had a nice moment abiding by our “let’s not be lazy on this trip” motto. The springs are about 30 miles southeast of Jackson (itself a significant drive from Jenny Lake). The drive was very pretty, and then we turned off the main road onto a dirt road leading to the springs. When one travels in a convertible, 10 miles on a dirt road takes about an hour. This was one of many highlights of our journey, as this area is rugged, remote and gorgeous. The dirt road runs along and above a river with abundant views of granite mountains.

The road to Granite Hot Springs

There are camp sites in the area. I did not research this, but it seemed that perhaps the ones closer to the hot springs can be reserved and have pit toilets while those closer to the paved road are fully wilderness camping. If I had a better vehicle and some preparation, this would be a delightful place to get away from it all.

At the end of the road is a hot spring fed man-made pool area. It costs $6 each and there are changing rooms and pit toilets available. The temperature of the pool fluctuates between 93º in the summer and a scorching 112º in the winter. We met a nice man from Iowa on a fly-fishing trip who told us he is not remarkably skilled but sure does look good courtesy of the Orvis catalog. He also said the Atherton Creek Campground at Lower Slide Lake is great. Rumor has it one may cross the creek just below the granite falls and enjoy a two-person sized natural hot tub for free.

River near the hot springs

So nice after a hike!

On the dirt road we saw some signs that could indicate points of interest. These included Payson Ranch, Jackpine summer homes, Granite ranch and the Safari Club International. We stopped at Albertson’s on the way home and found these Zip Superstarter fire starters at 6 for $6, which sure beats Duraflames at $5 each. In this area between the town of Jackson and Route 22 are more affordable shopping options like Albertson’s, K-Mart etc. if you want to buy anything or stock a condo while visiting, and there are countless outdoor outfitters.

The drive back to Colter Bay afforded some spectacular views and lighting, and we stopped at Oxbow Bend for sunset and mountains reflecting in the water. This is a famous photography spot, and you will see camera gear that costs about as much as a car.

Back home we grilled up some teriyaki pork tenderloin (which will appear in the next post, too) and baked potatoes. There is an American Alpine Club Climbers’ Ranch with a superb location near Jenny Lake. I do not know what is required to join the club, but it is something to consider. The Jackson area also has a museum of wildlife art and a national fish hatchery. We did not see any moose or bears here but a lot more bison and some pronghorn. And many more miles driven alongside rivers, which I enjoy.

North America, USA, Wyoming

Wyoming: Jackson (Part I, town and resort)

September 8, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

Jackson Hole holds a special place in the hearts of skiers and boarders worldwide. It boasts more than 4,000 vertical feet and arguably the best advanced terrain in the country, if not the world. I spent a week skiing Jackson in 2002 and hope to return in the winter soon, and I am eager to visit Chamonix in France which is another contender. While most famous as a winter destination, Jackson’s scenery, outdoor activities and proximity to Yellowstone make it a wonderful summer spot.

September 7 (Saturday, cont’d) – We exited Yellowstone at the South entrance and continued down to Colter Bay Campground, finding our first clean view of the spectacular Teton Mountains on the way. We also passed a sign indicating the 45º mark, i.e. the halfway point between the equator and the North Pole. For those unfamiliar with this area, perhaps a brief orientation would be helpful. Jackson, Wyoming is a town that is at the southern end of the Grand Teton National Park area. Jackson Hole ski resort is 12 miles northwest of the town, in Teton Village. Colter Bay Campground is on Jackson Lake, about 40 miles north of the town of Jackson. Hotels in the general area tend to be very expensive. There are several options for camping. We were told that Jenny Lake is the most sought after and tends to fill up early in the morning, so that was not an option for us. There is also camping at Gros Ventre, but I read that is somewhat out of the way. The important information I want to convey is pay attention to where you choose your lodging, because the area is fairly expansive and you could end up an hour away from where you want to spend most of your time.

We arrived at Colter Bay a little after 5 pm and got site D88 from many available sites. It costs $21/night and is spacious but privacy is not great and the designated tent area is a gravel-covered rectangle. There is a general store that is very well-stocked with food (including a deli counter) and supplies as well as guidebooks and camping gear, cabins available for rent and a gas station. Potable water and flush toilets are scattered throughout. Here they are stricter with bear warnings, advising against even bringing water bottles into your tent at night if such bottles ever had anything scented inside. But you can still keep food in the car or a bear locker.

The bay was bone dry but Jackson Lake was not, and the backdrop of the glaciated Tetons is jaw-dropping. There is no view from the camp sites themselves, which are set back in the woods. We saw a couple large deer in the parking lot.

September 8, 2013 (Sunday) – This morning I began reading Investment Biker, written 20+ years ago by Jim Rogers, the famous investor and former partner of George Soros. He is impressively prescient and raves about Samarkand (Uzbekistan), which Bob had just said is outstanding. This combo sparked our focus on visiting Central Asia on the first international leg of our trip.

We headed to the town of Jackson with spectacular views of the Tetons along the way. At one point there were countless bison on each side of the road, and we stopped (the first of a few) to savor the scenery at Oxbow Bend.

Bison and the Tetons

Come again?

We parked before 10:30 am and walked around town. The fall arts festival is ongoing and today is the Taste of the Tetons on the antler-adorned town square. Jackson is a great mountain town with abundant galleries, shops, bars and restaurants. While no match for Jackson Hole, the Snow King ski mountain is right in town and offers fairly impressive pitch. There is a Mangelsen photo gallery (I had perused the one in Park City on many occasions but believe he lives in Jackson) with some incredible nature shots. The line at The Bunnery told us it is a favorite for brunch.

Taste of the Tetons had perhaps 20 local establishments offering food for $2-4, and there was live music on the square. Between eating and the hour it was acceptable to make Jenni watch football the rest of the day, we walked around some more. She purchased Eagle Creek packing cubes at the small but effective Skinny Skis shop. We also passed a structure surrounded by a fence of alternating wood and actual skinny skies. They had the Dynastar Verticals and of course the classic Rossignol 4S Kevlar in teal green!

Taste of the Tetons at Jackson town square

Fence, Jackson style

The Giants had their season opener at night vs. the Cowboys, but there were hours to kill before then. We made the mistake of picking the Town Square Tavern for earlier games. The beer selection was weak and our waitress far worse.

Desiring to see the ski resort in daylight anyway, we broke early for Teton Village. While not nearly as developed as many ski base areas, there are several lodging properties, shops, restaurants and bars at Teton Village. It was surprisingly difficult to find a place that would show the Giants game with sound. I figured the Mangy Moose, an après-ski staple, would be our best bet. But they had no sound, so after much debate we settled at The Spur.

We sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Ted, an excellent bartender/waiter who grew up in Manhattan then went to school in Boulder before moving to Jackson for the skiing. Another group of young fellows sidled up to the bar and I sat next to Grant, who had also gone to school in Boulder and lived in Vail before moving to Jackson for the snowboarding. I was really struck by the passion these gentlemen had for the area and the mountain terrain. Ted went so far as to proclaim that skiing at Jackson is a different sport from anywhere else. I have often said this when comparing east coast vs. west coast skiing, but saying that Jackson is in a completely different league from the best of Colorado and Utah etc.?! Here were two guys who lived years in Colorado and were still awe-struck by the mighty Jackson Hole. That says a lot, and I am drawn to places where inhabitants display such passion.

OK, here the truth comes out. I have delayed my blog posts so long to avoid having to address the Giants’ season. The opener against the Cowboys was a harbinger of bad things to come. Despite many opportunities to win the game, the Giants secured an embarrassing loss rife with turnovers. My pain was comforted by the 307 Fries, which are the rich man’s version of chili cheese fries. This is a dish of pommes frites, braised elk and buffalo gravy smothered with Lark Meadow Farm cheddar cheese. I overheard the locals next to me talk of adding bacon on top, and I wanted to seem cool so abandoned my kosher principles and added some swine. Brilliant. If you were wondering, 307 is the local area code.

I love ski towns like Jackson. They offer fresh mountain air, natural splendor, outdoor activities, good food and beer, liberal attitudes and a unique balance of cowboy gruffness and cosmopolitan sophistication. They also tend to attract adventurous spirits and travelers. In addition to Ted and Grant, we met another guy working at The Spur who spends four months each year in Thailand bouldering the limestone karsts between Phuket and Krabi. He said he enjoys bouldering in the ocean because he can fall up to 50 feet with less devastating consequences! He also dives the Andaman Sea and Ko Tau in the Gulf of Thailand. I have always admired, perhaps even idolized, those who live life this way. It made me really happy that Jenni and I could now tell a story of our own lives that made these people say “wow, that’s so cool!”

The drive back to Colter Bay on the Moose/Wilson road was rough. Jenni was forced behind the wheel by my indulgences and encountered uneven dirt roads in the eery rain and fog with no lights anywhere except Sven’s headlamps.

Montana, North America, USA, Wyoming

Montana and Wyoming: Yellowstone

September 7, 2013 aleavitt77 2 Comments

August 30, 2013 (Friday) – As I noted earlier, I am covering Yellowstone in its own post as it is deserving and we covered the park in two days. Today was the first, which entailed a very early start. We hopped in Dave’s rented SUV with some of his family in Big Sky and he drove about an hour to the town of West Yellowstone, MT. Dave organized and hosted a full-day tour, I believe the company was Buffalo Bus Touring Company. We did the lower loop tour which may have been modified from the traditional route as this was a private event.

Traffic…

Elk

We visited Upper Yellowstone Falls which is nice but not comparable to the spectacular Lower Yellowstone Falls which sit at the end of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Flip-flops sufficed for the walk down Uncle Tom’s trail despite the warnings of how treacherous it is. The up-close vantage point of the falls and nearly constant rainbow make this well worth a little effort.

Upper Falls

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Uncle Tom’s trail at Lower Falls

Rainbow at Lower Falls

After a pre-packed lunch on the bus we arrived at Old Faithful having just missed an eruption. The good news is that it is called Old Faithful for a reason so we were secure in our belief that the next eruption would come within 90 minutes. Moreover, the lodge there is spectacular and our two gargantuan scoops of huckleberry ice cream (for a very reasonable $3.60) helped pass the time. We walked much of the loop around various thermal features, some of which look like hot tubs with mesmerizing colors.

Old Faithful

Near Old Faithful

Happy Huckleberry campers

Old Faithful delighted and then we continued to Fountain Paint Pots where we were treated to a not-so-ordinary eruption of Fountain Geyser. Though diminutive compared to Old Faithful, it was awesome to see the boiling water slosh around violently when the steam dissipated. In the same area we observed a steam hole where the fissures emit a sound like a jet engine.

Fountain Geyser

Fountain Paint Pots

The day was wonderful, except for hitting my head inside the bus really hard, twice, and mildly breaking my sunglasses in the process. Our guide was Matt Henry and he was excellent. Very knowledgeable and informative while also lighthearted and funny. The town of West Yellowstone looked a little Western kitsch but kind of neat. There is the well-regarded Playmill Theatre, some BBQ joints and of course touristy shops and tour companies.

September 7, 2013 (Saturday) – Today we headed east from Bozeman to Livingston, MT then south on Route 89 through Gardner and entered Yellowstone through the Roosevelt Arch. The approach was lovely.

Roosevelt Arch

Undine Falls

The Albright Visitor Center area is like a small town/campus with a justice building, post office, etc. Undine Falls was quite nice. We saw some pronghorn up close and lots more bison today.

At Tower Roosevelt service station I noticed the word Longmeadow on the Excel Dryer…small world, it seems that company is based in East Longmeadow, MA. From there we drove 20+ miles out the Lamar Valley as this is nicknamed America’s Serengeti and we had aspirations of sighting some serious wildlife. Alas, we did not. In luckier times, folks may see elk, bears or wolves.

We re-traced our path then drove south to Canyon Village and past the lake to exit out the south entrance. It was pretty in this area with a river gorge.

Some recollections on what I might have learned in Yellowstone: Ravens are super smart and they will steal things from your bag if you are not very careful. There are legends of ravens stealing cash and diamonds. Then again, they are from Baltimore. Bison can apparently jump up to 6 feet vertically and run 35 mph. They may look slow and laborious, but…Our guide told us of the Sheep Eater Indians, I think a band of Shoshone, who fashioned bows from the horns of bighorn sheep. Yellowstone Lake lies at over 7,000 feet and is the largest lake in North America at such an elevation. A wolf can eat 20 pounds of meat in a sitting…like me at Peter Luger.

Montana, North America, USA

Montana: Bozeman

September 6, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

As I am unconscionably behind on these posts, it is time to try something different. I will write some in a more summary and informal way. While it pains me to let the quality drop a little, the alternative is continuing to fall farther and farther behind. Here goes…

September 5, 2013 (Thursday, cont’d) – After checking into the Western Heritage Inn we did a bit of work before driving a very short way to Montana Ale Works at 8 pm. There was a wait but Jenni quickly grabbed a table in the lounge area. It is a huge space, reminiscent of a high school gym but a little narrower and maybe even longer. It is fairly dark and loud but good for those with years to go before AARP membership. My Steep and Deep from Lone Peak Brewery of Big Sky had an ABV of 8.1% and was delicious. This place has tons of beers on tap and all are available in half or full size and cost about $2.75-3.75 for a half or $4-5 for a full. Quite a bargain.

The NFL season opener was on. The Broncos were playing so the TV flashed Elway’s career start and end dates and Jenni thought he was deceased. I got buffalo wings which were crispy and not a ton of sauce. Kind of like a mix between the wings from Espresso’s in Medford and a more traditional offering. The blue cheese was thick and yummy. Jenni’s Pyramid Nitro Weiss Cream Ale tasted like a beer / cream soda combo. This is the kind of place I believe would do well in most college towns.

Sept 6, 2013 (Friday) – Although it was my birthday, we spent the whole day working in the hotel room. Well, we did enjoy some make-your-own Belgian waffles and mediocre coffee in the lobby of our hotel in the morning. And we fit in a 7-minute workout in the room. Look up the 7-minute workout which is 12 exercises for 30 seconds each with short intervals. I cannot imagine it is a perfect substitute for longer workouts, but it is better than nothing.

Enjoyment increased when we walked into town and secured a table by the open windows at Plonk. This place was recommended by a friend we made in Walla Walla. The pork belly appetizer was perhaps the largest portion of said dish I have ever eaten. The texture was a little tougher than usual but I loved it. Our scallop appetizer was a hit. I ordered a steak and enjoyed it but was underwhelmed. It was a NY strip but appeared (a one-knuckle rather than two-knuckle thickness) and had the tenderness more of a ribeye. The waiter said that is because it was grass-fed and from the valley. Environmental concerns and animal rights aside, I like my beef corn-fed. I have found pretty consistently that the steaks I have enjoyed the most are not those eaten in cattle-raising regions. Rather, they are the steaks I get in fancy steakhouses in big cities. Places like Peter Luger, Mastro’s, Bones, Wolfgang’s, Gibson’s, Peter Luger, Strip House, Sparks, Grill 23 and, of course, Peter Luger. That said, Plonk is a nice place with a very good menu and we enjoyed our meal. We passed Blackbird on the way to dinner which also looked good.

After dinner we went to Copper Bar which was in a downstairs space that was very upscale ski lodge. There was a stone wall, long bar with copper and dark wood. A youngish crowd. I ordered the rough mule which substitutes rough stock spring wheat whiskey for vodka. Bad idea. We walked around the block to work up an appetite and saw the neat statue of Jeanette Rankin sitting in a crescent moon at the corner of Tracy and Babcock. Back on the main drag, there was a 12-year old kid playing guitar and singing along with his dad or friend or who knows. He delighted us with Sweet Child of Mine followed by Sweet Home Alabama. Jenni had found a $5 bill on the street in Portland and decided his tip jar was the home she had been seeking for this nickel.

Child prodigy

Artsy utility boxes on the street

Jenni and Jeanette

On the way home we stopped into the downtown Co-op which makes sandwiches etc. I got a salted caramel brownie and Jenni a lemon rosemary buttermilk cookie.

September 7, 2013 (Saturday) – We got a fairly early start for the long day ahead of exploring more of Yellowstone and getting down to our desired campground in Grand Teton National Park.

Bozeman is a nice town and I see the appeal. There is a main street with several blocks of shops and bars and restaurants. We did not see the college campus but I imagine there is more to do there. Outdoor activities abound in the surrounding valleys and mountains. The vibe is laid back cowboy white water rafting guide bonhomie. There are some serious hats and belt buckles, but perhaps even more Oakleys and sandals. A gentleman was playing the upside down buckets on a street corner across from Plonk.

Montana, North America, USA

Montana: Glacier National Park

September 5, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

September 2, 2013 (Monday, cont’d) – After a Herculean effort to overcome last night’s bender, we arrived at Two Medicine Campground in East Glacier Park around 6 pm. It costs $25 for a 7-day pass valid only at the same park, or $80 for an annual pass valid at all national parks and recreation areas etc. We chose the $25 option but two days later paid the extra $55 to upgrade. For all you old folks out there, $10 buys lifetime access for anyone 62 or older plus up to three accompanying adults! When your social security runs out, you can still enjoy our finest natural wonders.

Glacier N.P. is quite large and it can take a long time to get between places. We intended to camp in Many Glacier because it is known to have the best access to day hikes. However, the park’s online campground status site informed us that it was fully occupied. I think this was for the best because Two Medicine is relatively isolated and quite stunning which means (a) it is more like serene wilderness and (b) we probably would never have seen it had we not camped here. At Two Medicine, we chose site number three from the many available options. This site is close to the entrance and right across a little stream that connects two lakes. Rising Wolf Mountain affords a magnificent backdrop. It costs $20/night and there are flush toilets and potable water. Here, too, one may store food in the car.

Sven effortlessly made the quarter-mile drive down to the general store by Two Medicine Lake after camp was set up. This is a fairly well-stocked country bodega open 8 am – 8 pm with beer, wine, eggs, chips, assorted outdoors gear, some guidebooks, etc. We picked up wood plus a neat, natural fire-starter made of wax and other materials costing a buck. This sure beats $5+ for a Duraflame. A beaver swimming in the lake near our site bade us goodnight.

September 3, 2013 (Tuesday) – Big horn sheep across the stream greeted us this morning.

View from Two Medicine campsite

Bighorn sheep across the stream

The weather forecast was spotty so we passed up Scenic Point and lit out at 11 am for a less exposed hike in Many Glacier. This is bear country. Already smarting from a failure to see said furry beasts in Yellowstone or Big Sky, desperation was setting in. As luck would have it, on Route 49 just a bit before the junction with Route 89 a black bear ran across the road perhaps 50 feet in front of Sven! Shout out to my Cal Berkeley peeps: my inner monologue was on repeat with “You know it, you tell the story, you tell the whole damn world this is bear territory!”

In Babb we took a left onto Many Glacier Road. The road slows but the aptly named parallel Swiftcurrent River and scenery offer solace. We parked at 12:30 pm at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn (with bathrooms and water) but one could go past here and park right at the Iceberg Ptarmigan trailhead. I am always happy to see Jenni, and there was a can of bear spray in my pocket. There are endless warnings about grizzly bears and the need to carry bear spray and make lots of noise. Shockingly few heed the latter instruction. We were the vocal minority, periodically clapping and shouting things like “noise!” I did my best Killers impression belting out “are we human, or are we bear sir?!”

The trail to Iceberg Lake is in great condition as this is a very popular hike. It is just under 10 miles roundtrip with a stated elevation gain of 1,200 feet, though I believe this is simply the difference between starting and ending levels and does not account for the ups and downs of the trail. Perhaps a quarter of the way up we saw some white mountain goats on cliffs across the valley. Ptarmigan Falls is roughly halfway and would make a pleasant picnic spot. Around the corner is a trail junction and just beyond that we saw some pine martens playing in the trees. These are funky creatures, they look like a cross between a bear cub and a monkey and apparently are the most arboreal of the weasel family.

Bear spray

Pine marten, a rare find

Around three-quarters of the way up we saw some big horn sheep on a hill in the distance. After crossing a mountain stream on a short wooden bridge, we came to a lovely lake with a dearth of icebergs. Panic set in, until we realized that global warming is just a liberal hoax and a few hundred yards further there was a veritable iceberg silent disco rave in a deep blue lake set in an amphitheater of 3,000 foot cliffs (including part of the continental divide). It had been raining for a while and I imagine sunlight makes this place glorious, but it was still quite special. The sound of glaciers calving enhanced the experience.

Lake just below Iceberg

Iceberg Lake

Bird on the trail

We “summited” at 3 pm and spent about 20 minutes there, returning to the car at 5 pm. Early dinner at Swiftcurrent Motor Inn was a family pizza with two toppings for $18 and caprese salad with shrimp for $6.95. The menu is mainly Italian and fairly tasty and reasonable given its remote location. There is a good beer selection and several bottles of wine under $30. Décor is medium colored wood with green or white fence squares on the walls, gingham curtains and green vinyl tablecloths. A slightly nicer version of my old Maine summer camp dining hall. Late summer in this region means huckleberry food and beverage items are pervasive. Here we could have chosen iced tea, lemonade or cream soda, all huckleberry flavored.

On our way home, the Cattle Baron Supper Club in Babb was busy, as was Two Sisters Café a few miles south. We refueled at a pricey Exxon in St. Mary, which has the area’s most substantial grocery store, a few other shops, and the St. Mary Lodge. There are cows all over the roadside and one must exercise caution, especially at dusk. The views and sunset were beautiful.

View to west on drive home

Two Medicine lake

There was a man from Choteau conversing by the stream who cracked me up. He had this accent and spoke in a nasally voice and generally reminded me of Dan Akroyd in Caddyshack 2. “I don’t read” became one of our favorite quotes of the trip.

September 4, 2013 (Wednesday) – Today’s forecast was good but tomorrow’s was even worse than yesterday, so again we bagged plans to hike Scenic Point and instead drove the famous Going to the Sun Road which bisects the park east to west. Our thinking was that Going to the Sun is the most popular activity due to its views and driving it in a hailstorm might be sub-optimal.

We ate Ezekiel bread and almond butter for breakfast and stopped for coffee at the St. Mary Lodge, which sits at the eastern entrance to Going to the Sun Road. The scenery is spectacular and there are various trailheads. At a construction stop, we caught nice views of a glacier, which are fewer and farther between than 10-20 years ago.

The Logan Pass visitor center is at the apex of the road and even after Labor Day the parking lot was a mob scene. I dropped Jenni off to take a quick look while I circled for a spot to no avail. Sadly we missed the short hike to Hidden Lake as I think this may be the best location for seeing mountain goats. I remember visiting Glacier in the early 90’s and at one place seeing these goats all over and up close. I think that was at Logan Pass.

Beyond here, the road is a narrow, cliff-hugging affair that is a tad hair-raising. Large pick up trucks must fold in their side mirrors. I was happy to be here on a 70’s and sunny day with the top down. Traversing the park took about 2.5 hours without a lot of stopping. Now on the west side of the park, we drove to Bigfork to visit Flathead Lake. Bigfork is a nice lake town with activity concentrated on Electric Avenue. We had hoped to take a scenic cruise or rent kayaks, but most of the boat rental companies had already closed for the season or needed more advance notice. We stopped a few minutest at Flathead Lake State Park for a closer view of the water. It is said to be remarkably clear, but this was hard to judge in the shallow area we could see. It does seem like a nice area for summertime recreation.

From here we drove north through Kalispell, which looked fine and has everything you might need…Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Starbucks, Five Guys, etc. I had heard great things about Whitefish so we parked on Central Avenue to see the charming town center. Most of our time was spent doing research over coffee drinks at Red Caboose. Next we cruised over to the city beach. I found this an idyllic locale. It was calm, there were people paddle boarding and the lake is surrounded by mountains with a great view of the Whitefish ski slopes. I do not mean jagged, dramatic peaks but more like Vermont mountains with a higher-starting elevation.

Paddle boarders on Whitefish Lake

Whitefish Lake with ski trails beyond

We were tempted by Piggyback Barbeque near the lake and Southern fried chicken at The Shak. MacKenzie River Pizza is a Montana casual dining chain with a location here. It was disappointing to learn that the Taste of Whitefish would occur tomorrow, just out of our reach.

To return home, we took Route 2 which is definitely not as scenic as Going to the Sun Road but it does not close at night, offers nice scenery parallel to the train tracks and one may drive 60-70 mph. Grilled cheese sandwiches cooked on foil on the campfire grill grate were good enough; the stars better than that.

Observations on Glacier N.P.: The scenery is up-close and jaw-dropping. Our experience was a tad disappointing because it was gray much of the time, and we did not see as much wildlife as expected. There are a lot of options for accommodation. Choose wisely or you might find yourself with a 2-3 hour drive to get from your bed to a point of interest. The backcountry lodges of Granite Park Chalet and Sperry Chalet probably make excellent options for those so inclined. The west side of the park is more developed, accessible and has more recreational opportunities and more mountains outside the park. The east side is less developed, harder to reach and I would say far more spectacular, plus it offers the contrast of jagged peaks and plains.

Observations on Montana: Distrust in the federal government is palpable. Ted Kaczynski took to the extreme and committed atrocities in the name of feelings that are probably shared on a much softer level by many. I read that Montana has the third highest gun ownership percentage in the country, behind only Wyoming and Alaska and just ahead of South Dakota. This is one of the only places I have been where I might choose to drive below the speed limit. Drivers do not speed much, perhaps because the limits are set so high. At gas stations one does not need to input his zip code. Cows are abundant. I was stunned by how many female workers I saw at road construction sites. I love the large parking spaces because here nobody pretends that everyone drives a compact car. Montana is beautiful and uncrowded, and it seems these folks want to keep it that way: http://www.montana-sucks.com/. I found locals quite friendly.

September 5, 2013 (Thursday) – We woke and packed up early fearing rain and hail. Tracing our route back to Bozeman, we again passed through Browning, which seems to be the home of the Blackfeet Nation. At our campsite we had heard talk of recent peaceful protests. I think there is ongoing tension here between the tribe and government. There are several roadside stops with large dinosaur figures, apparently this area was fertile ground for fossils.

Beyond several miles of construction, we ate lunch at Chubby’s Diner in Augusta. What a classic spot. There were hilarious signs and notes, like the permanent advertisement of free food all day tomorrow (jest) and the poster for an upcoming lawnmower race (real). Jenni’s eggs and toast came with enough hash browns for four people. I ordered the Super BOB (breakfast on a bun) with eggs, cheese, two large spicy sausage patties and raw onion with hot sauce on a sesame burger bun. Strong. This is the kind of place where when you ask if they can do iced coffee, they simply say “no,” even though we all are sure they have ample supply of the two key ingredients. If you need a place to crash for the night, check out the Bunkhouse Inn.

CHUBBY’S!

Store in Augusta

We made it to Bozeman a little before 2 pm and Sven sheltered us from a torrential downpour while we awaited a response from an airbnb inquiry. This never came so we checked in to the Western Heritage Inn.

Montana, North America, USA

Montana: Big Sky

September 1, 2013 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

First, apologies for such a long delay between blog posts. I could blame it on sorting out health insurance, car troubles and planning our trip to Asia etc., but such a hiatus is simply an unacceptable way to treat my beloved readers!

In an attempt to return myself to your good graces, I have some breaking news to share: Montana is really big. And it is sparsely populated. If you find yourself lamenting that the world has become too crowded, spend a little time in these parts.

August 29, 2013 (Thursday) – We packed up camp and set out from Idaho for a luxurious wedding weekend in Big Sky, Montana. Route 3 put us on I-90 a bit east of Coeur d’Alene and we avoided driving the same road as yesterday. At an elevation above 4700’, we crossed Lookout Pass into Montana. There is an eponymous ski resort located here, though I would not imagine it merits more than an hour or two of travel.

Interstate 90 passes most of the state’s largest cities and we broke for lunch in Missoula. Only burgers are on offer at the Missoula Club, perhaps the executive chef sought the no-creativity crown from the name-giver. We sat at the bar with a close-up view of the flat-top where the chef prepared some very tasty burgers. Two singles with American cheese, mine with bacon, and a root beer to split. The Mo Club also serves shakes and malts. It is reminiscent of a double-deep, alcohol-serving, Montana style version of White Hut (credit to Jenni).

In addition to solid grub and ambiance, I had a wonderful “technology is everywhere” experience here. The walls are covered with old black and white photographs of University of Montana and local high school athletic teams. An older fellow saw me admiring the display and approached to tell me that he was on the 1953 state championship football team (and that his son owns nearby Red’s bar, I think). He then pulled out his iPhone to show me pictures of a recent team reunion and told me he posted them on Facebook, after which he heard from classmates he had not communicated with in 50 years.

I grabbed a coffee at La Bella Vita, which is the first combo belle epoque furnishings / barista establishment I have visited. We continued east on I-90 and spotted a billboard for the Testicle Festival. How bizarre that Dave and Barbra did not choose their wedding weekend to coincide with this romantic event? The drive was fairly scenic, much of it along a river. Especially so on Route 191 which I believe runs through the Gallatin Valley from Bozeman south to Big Sky. Apart from the usual summer construction delays, the trip was smooth.

Seth and Jill had already checked in so we went straight to the Mountain Home we had booked at Moonlight Basin. Our foursome headed back down the hill towards 191 where we saw a big moose right on the side of the road! We grabbed drinks, snacks and breakfast supplies at the aptly named Hungry Moose Market & Deli in the Big Sky Town Center before heading to Dave’s rented home where Dana cooked up some terrific chicken wings and ribeye steaks. It was so nice to catch up with Dave’s family and meet Barbra’s. The stars were outstanding.

August 30, 2013 (Friday) – Today we went to Yellowstone, but I am going to cover that in a separate post. Many more wedding guests arrived today so in the evening we had dinner with close friends at Buck’s T-4 Lodge down on Route 191. The menu was more extensive and upscale than I had anticipated, and we all shared an excellent pheasant quesadilla plus Jenni and I split pan seared red deer loin with truffle risotto and Montana natural lamb. It is a nice place and the meal was tasty, though not superb. Some of us hung out for a while back at our house.

Lone Mountain Trail runs about 10 miles from Route 191 up to Moonlight Basin. There are a few different commercial areas, it appeared that the Big Sky Town Center is the most robust. The scenery is great and the wildlife most impressive. Lone Peak is a commanding pyramid that stands guard at 11,116 feet of elevation. The meadow area closer to 191 sits around 6,000 feet and Moonlight Basin around 8,000 feet. In addition to the moose mentioned above, we saw many deer, some bighorn sheep on the roadside, others saw a bear near the lodge on wedding day and Jenni promises she saw a wolf in the early morning on our drive to Yellowstone! A few of us may also have seen a wolf. Our hearts tell us so, though statistics might suggest it was a coyote. But it sure did look like a wolf.

Aside from the dining options I tried, some recommended spots include Blue Moon Bakery, Choppers Grub and Pub, Lotus Pad, Broken Spoke, Olive B’s, Rainbow Ranch, The Corral Bar and Steakhouse and The Cabin Bar and Grill.

August 31, 2013 (Saturday) – Today was a great day. We saw Seth’s ass and didn’t even have to use the A.K. Plus, Bugaboo Cafe cooked the Montana Size breakfast sandwiches with much hog. We grabbed these before rehearsing at the chapel and then heading to white water rafting the Gallatin River. Montana Whitewater Rafting Company guided us through mostly class 1 and 2 rapids. In my raft were Jenni, Phil, Seth and Jill. The weather was perfect. Seth was cajoled into joining after declining via email because he was only interested in class 4+. After all, it was not long ago that he had run a West Virginia dam release with class 5 and 6 rapids. Shortly after we set out, the raft hit a little bump in a mild rapid and out popped Seth. We all laughed hard. Phil immediately reached for him and ended up pulling down his shorts. But we believe he re-secured his under garments before being pulled out of the water. At which point his shorts caught on the rope on the side of the raft, and he was left flopped over the side, half in and half out, limp as a dead fish, big white ass facing the world with his shorts at his ankles. This was one of the funniest experiences of my life. A raft with the same company (but visitors outside our crew) was in perfect position just upstream and the guide got some amazing shots.

At this point in the season the river was pretty mild, but whitewater rafting is always supremely enjoyable. Nobody did the zip line also offered onsite. After some relaxing jacuzzi time on our home’s deck, we boarded the 4:30 pm school bus shuttle to the rehearsal dinner. The ride up to the mountain top pig roast catered through Cache Creek Outfitters was on a narrow dirt road that we shared with some cows. With a little vino in hand, we took a horse-wagon loop ride and enjoyed the views and late afternoon light. The pig was wonderfully tasty (I went just with the Carolina-style vinegar sauce though there was also a sweet sauce), there were heartfelt toasts, a s’mores station and a local bluegrass type band. Another highlight was the welcome/warning from the proprietor informing us that there was a grizzly in the area so think twice before wandering off.

Wagon ride at Cache Creek

Groom and fellas

Did I mention I dig on swine?

The after party, of course, was at our house. We put a large dent in the Glenlivet 12 that Koz had given me, and Jenni wowed the crowd with her backcountry knowledge that Dorito’s make an excellent fire-starter. I guess if Duraflame tasted as good then I might shrug off all those chemicals, too.

September 1, 2013 (Sunday) – I cooked some bacon, eggs and cheese then relaxed a bit before donning my tuxedo and visiting Dave and Barbra’s new cottage and then the lodge for some wedding party pictures. Newly endowed with stylish blue-striped socks, a fine silk bow-tie and a Tiffany money clip, I was ready to celebrate the marriage of one of my dearest friends in the world. We had a fabulous night of dancing to an awesome Montana band, followed by an after party in the penthouse suite at the lodge and then the after after party back at our house. We hit the pillow around 4:30 am, best I recollect.

Beautiful bride and the Tufts crew

September 2, 2013 (Monday) – We beat the odds and made it to the brunch at Dave’s original mountain house. I was pretty crushed and placed low odds on completing the six-hour drive to Glacier National Park. A large iced latte from the coffee stand (these are ubiquitous in this region) in the Conoco lot at the intersection of Lone Mountain Trail and Route 191 helped us get started. After passing through Helena we stopped for gas in the tiny town of Augusta. It would have been cheaper in Choteau but this is not territory flush with civilization. The drive becomes especially scenic around Dupuyer where the Rockies loom to the west juxtaposed against the plains to the east. Dinner was a sordid affair consumed between the Taco John’s drive through in seemingly dejected Browning and our campsite at Two Medicine on the east side of Glacier. TJ’s makes Taco Bell feel like organic kale and quinoa.

Please note that I cannot insert a hyperlink to Two Medicine campground at the moment because lunatics have hijacked the Republican party and shut down the federal government. But hey, when you can print the world’s reserve currency and after trillions it remains so, why not shove your middle finger in the rest of the world’s face and hope for the best?

North America, Oregon, USA

Oregon: Portland and Environs

August 26, 2013 aleavitt77 4 Comments

August 24, 2013 (Saturday, cont’d) – An hour or so after leaving the Red Hills Market, we parked in Portland’s Pearl District and made a quick stop at REI to grab a head lamp (we forgot one at home, and they make camping so much better) and some bear spray for our upcoming time in Glacier National Park and surrounding areas. Fun fact: in Oregon, the speed limit signs omit the word “limit.”

The Pearl District is Portland’s most upscale, nearby downtown and loaded with fine dining, bars and shopping. We walked South and then East to the riverside park for a bit before circling back to the full block of food trucks between 9^th and 10^th Avenues and Washington and Alder Streets. Portland is famous for food trucks, many organized in pods and seeming a bit more permanent than those in LA which truly move around constantly. There is another cluster we saw at 3^rd and Washington and across the river on the Eastside they are everywhere, often found in little parking lots and at times accompanied by live music. Though it was tough, we passed up the panoply of options covering lots of Thai, Indian, Middle Eastern, Fijian, waffles, BBQ, Mexican, Georgian (the country), etc. Instead, I ordered a sandwich at Lardo and brought it to Jenni’s table around the corner at Grassa (same owner). My pork belly with heirloom tomato, arugula and caper mayo on ciabatta was delicious and very reasonable at $8, and Jenni loved her rigatoni with braised pork and an iced tea for $10.

PDX food trucks/carts

It’s BACON…bacon, bacon, bacon

We grabbed our laptops from the car and fit in a little session at Starbucks on 11^th and Lovejoy before driving up to Nob Hill and walking around 23^rd Street. This is another fairly upscale area with some yuppies and good dining options. Salt & Straw, an ice cream shop, was packed. We left this area and took the Ross Island Bridge to our first-ever airbnb home in Woodstock. The multitude of strip clubs we passed did little to reassure us we had made the right call, nor did our hosts’ admonition to remove all valuables from the car because there are prowlers in the neighborhood. Despite this shaky start, we stayed in a beautiful, brand new home and it was a great experience. Ours was one of the rooms in the finished basement, with an air mattress (the fancy kind that is as high as a low bed) and good WiFi. The half bath was on the main floor and the shower another flight up. Everything worked well, the water pressure was strong and they provided towels and bath products. Brian and Shannon are superb hosts. They are warm and welcoming yet mellow, offering a printed few pages on the house and the area and a wealth of recommendations on request. Brian makes excellent coffee in the morning and even shared some Morimoto Soba Ale and Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (tastes like candy, in a good way) before our dinner the following night. Which reminds me, Jay and Erin told us about sour beer which evidently is popular in Portland and perhaps elsewhere. It is evident that our hosts love Portland, and they are eager to ensure you will, too.

At 7:15 pm we tried to go to Khun Pic’s Bahn Thai but it was closed today, so instead we ate at Chiang Mai on Hawthorne. It is a small, unassuming place with some sidewalk seats and prompt service. Jenni enjoyed her shrimp pad thai and I my yum jeen gai. There are Thai restaurants everywhere in Portland, and while tasty this type of ethnic food may not represent the best value in Portland, at least relative to what is on offer in other cities. I can get better Thai food at the same price in LA, but would be hard pressed to find delicious hand made pasta like Jenni had at Grassa for under $10.

I am struck by how quickly we (in the broad sense) are able to adapt. At first it felt slightly odd to be sleeping in a stranger’s house that is not a proper lodging establishment. The next morning it seemed entirely normal.

August 25, 2013 (Sunday) – Plans to hike Dog Mountain in Washington were quickly abandoned when we slept in a bit and saw the forecast was spotty. It is supposed to be a challenging day hike with glorious views, be sure to get a Northwest Forest Pass for parking if you go. Instead, we zipped over to the Yolk food truck at 48^th and Woodstock for breakfast egg sandwiches. I think we are all grown-ups and can agree that huge, calorie-laden sandwiches are interchangeable with strenuous hikes. Jenni got the Sunshine and High Clouds with sautéed spring vegetables, chives, shallots, goat cheese, and saba on an English muffin. I got the Brother Badass with maple glazed pork belly, aged white cheddar, and Dijon tossed greens on a baguette with a little hot sauce. It was excellent. I have been impressed with the bread in Oregon, which most sandwich aficionados will confirm is the most important ingredient. After, we visited the farmer’s market in the Key Bank parking lot at 47^th and Woodstock, open part-year 10 am to 2 pm on Sunday. The usual fare was available, including tomatoes, berries, peppers, honey, fish (including Columbia River wild sturgeon), meats, hazelnuts, jams, etc.

We headed East and grabbed the 205 North to the 84 East to exit 17 (Troutdale) for the Historic Columbia River Highway. This is not the quickest path to Multnomah, but perhaps the best compromise of speed and scenery. We caught some nice glimpses of Mount Saint Helens (I believe) to the North as we drove. The waterfalls begin several miles East of Troutdale and we parked beyond at the Wahkeena picnic area and did a loop hike from there over to Multnomah Falls Lodge. It took about 2 hours 15 minutes from trailhead to lodge and then another 10 minutes or so for the half mile back to the car. Our luck with flawless weather ran out as it rained most of the time. This did not detract much as we had raincoats and were hiking through verdant forest with rushing streams and magnificent waterfalls. It occurred to me how spoiled we are in LA; I think the last time I recall hiking in the rain was Peru in August 2009!

Brother Badass at Yolk…PDX = pork belly

Wahkeena to Multnomah Falls

Top of Multnomah Falls

Bottom of Multnomah Falls

Back in the City of Roses we had a late lunch at Little Big Burger on SE Division Street. This is a local mini-chain with $3.75 quarter pound burgers that are diminutive in diameter but fairly thick. A choice of cheddar, swiss, goat or blue cheese is complimentary and I added bacon for $0.50. The burger was tasty though slightly overcooked, and the truffle fries ($2.75) were pretty good. Everything is locally sourced and compostable. Up the road we visited Stumptown Coffee for a strong cup of jo and a chai latte, and next door is the Woodsman Market which crams a lot of delicious looking fare into a small space.

Back at the house we worked a while and then met Samir and Mae at Nostrana at 9 pm. Apparently many Portland restaurants offer late night happy hour menus, so we got Insalata Nostrana, olives, nuts and a margarita pizza with a couple of draught beers for $31 total. The menu offers a lot of delicious sounding options and this place is very well-reviewed, but we kept it simple and cheap. It was great to catch up and we went home after Samir and I bored the ladies to tears with an obviously riveting conversation about Detroit and municipal insolvency.

Brief observations and additional information on Portland: There are semi-permanent food trucks in little parking areas all over the city. Everything is compostable. Major emphasis on locally sourced ingredients…grass-fed beef, antibiotic and GMO free, etc. The Pearl is the upscale/trendy district with more high-end shopping and restaurants. Nob Hill seems to be more yuppy-like. The Eastside has more hipsters and is grittier. There are clusters of bars and restaurants on Hawthorne, Division and Belmont. There are lots of bicycles and dogs. Smoking is more prevalent than in LA. Beer and coffee are religion.

We initially tried to stay at the Portland Hawthorne Hostel but it was full and they recommended the Bluebird Guesthouse, which also was full though it opened up after we had booked airbnb. For inexpensive accommodation, you might try those places. If money is not an issue, you probably ought to stay downtown. We heard the art museum there is quite nice.

Food and beverage joints not mentioned above that were recommended to us include the following: Tasty and Sons; Ken’s Artisan Pizza; Little Bird; Le Pigeon; Bunk; Olympic Provisions; Ava Genes; Toro Bravo; Secret Society (above Toro Bravo) for cocktails; The Ox; Pok Pok (I believe there is a Brooklyn location, too); Porque No (the Hawthorne location was bangin’ when we drove by on Saturday night)

August 26, 2013 (Monday) – Eager to get started on the four hour drive to Walla Walla, breakfast was an apple and Saturday night’s pad thai. It is rather scenic following the Columbia River gorge much of the way. Folks drive pretty slowly in these parts; on the 84 East I was doing 71 in a 65 and passing almost everyone. Fairly quickly the landscape changes from the wet, green scenery of Portland and its environs to barren and rocky, reminiscent of parts of Utah or Wyoming.

North America, Oregon, USA

Oregon: Dunes to Dundee

August 24, 2013 aleavitt77 2 Comments

August 20, 2013 (Tuesday, cont’d) –We waved goodbye to California and boldly went where many have gone before: the alluring Oregon coast. The offshore rocks grow even larger and more impressive, often covered in green, some resembling small islands more than large boulders. We took the turn off for Cape Blanco and saw a young deer in the road on our way to the lighthouse and nearby campground. After much debate, we passed on staying here. It is rustic and remote-feeling with good privacy and electricity at each site, all for $20/night. There are cabins available to rent, but all were taken. Detractions included persistent strong wind and poor light, plus we preferred to get further up the coast today. The jury is still out whether we made the right call. We also declined Eel Creek Campground and continued up to Honeyman State Park.

Honeyman has roughly 400 sites and was packed with families and dogs. Privacy was non-existent. Nonetheless, the facilities were nice, everyone was very friendly (neighbors gave us s’mores, another camper took our trash to the dumpster, the host offered a homemade egg carton device as a fire starter) and the location served us well. We got a first-come site (#222) for $21/night and there were free hot showers and bathrooms with soap dispensers and paper towels. Yes, less than a year ago I was staying in overwater bungalows in the Maldives and now I’m amped about complimentary paper towels. We drove three miles to Florence and bought provisions at a mediocre Safeway. I grilled some corn and boneless chicken thighs marinated in Sweet Baby Ray’s original BBQ sauce. I think boneless chicken thighs may be the most underrated cut of protein out there. (If any of you have connections at Tyson Foods, I’m available for a marketing position.) We also bought ear plugs which helped at a crowded campground, though I was astonished at how quiet the place was each morning until about 8 am.

August 21, 2013 (Wednesday) – We rose a little after 7 am, had yogurt for breakfast and headed into Florence to Siuslaw River Coffee Roasters by the bridge. This is a nice coffee shop, but the WiFi was weak and that paired poorly with our goal of planning our next several nights. Striking the right balance between flexibility and plans is a work in progress. It is nice to wing it, less so to worry about where you are sleeping each night. The fact that it is peak tourist season exacerbates the difficulty of finding last-minute accommodation. Six hours later (seriously), we had booked all our nights through Big Sky, MT and felt good. Florence seems moderately charming with its blend of chains and small coastal town vibe.

Lunch back at the campsite was Triscuits, salami and Tillamook smoked cheddar. We walked about 50 feet over a dirt trail and emerged in another world. Honeyman sits at the Northern end of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, and the sand dunes are expansive and spectacular. They span roughly two miles to the ocean. It is possible to walk all the way, but I’ve been under the weather and walking up and down large hills of sand is exhausting.

Side note: There is a good chance that all the jumping pictures you see will be of Jenni. She has not mastered the photo timing, so the ones of me just look like I am stretching. And as many of you know, that just looks like me anywhere in the world. Also, after several pure barre classes it appears her vertical leap has surpassed mine.

We traveled parallel to the coast perhaps one-third of a mile to Cleawox Lake. The dunes closest to the campground are off-limits to vehicles, but a little farther out is a huge area with ATVs, dirt bikes and guided tours on dune buggies holding 10+ passengers. I went for a dip in Cleawox, which was cool but surprisingly nice and refreshing. They may rent canoes/kayaks etc. at Cleawox, but if not they certainly do across the highway at Woahink Lake. The showers were empty at 5 pm, after which we BBQ’d and made another campfire.

Cleawox Lake

My new office

August 22, 2013 (Thursday) – Thunder frightened us into packing quickly and hitting the road for some McDonald’s breakfast meals. These never disappoint. The coast was shrouded in fog but we decided to continue anyway (out of the way) for what we had heard was lovely scenery up to Newport. Eleven miles North of Florence we visited the Sea Lion Caves, billed as the largest sea cave in the US. Admission is typically $14 but today it was $8 because the sea lions recently unionized and negotiated four-day weekends. An elevator descends 200 feet through the rocks to a cave viewing area with some educational displays and a short video. It would have been nice to see the famed inhabitants, but we still enjoyed the experience and views of nearby Heceta Head Lighthouse. Continuing North, the coast stays rugged and lovely. There are several places to camp and many vista points. We stopped at Seal Rock then cruised through Newport’s historic bay front with its overwhelming smell of fish. At the petrol station, I learned that Oregon is the only state aside from New Jersey where it is still illegal to pump one’s own gas. This must be a defense mechanism when overshadowed by your neighbor.

America, f#*k yeah!

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Seal Rock

We headed East on Route 20 (somewhat windy and hilly but it moves pretty fast) and 50s and foggy turned into 80s and sunny by the time we hit Corvallis. The seemingly infinite forests of evergreen made it abundantly clear why the Douglas fir is on Oregon license plates. The Oregon State campus looks pretty nice. Monroe Avenue has some bars and restaurants while 2nd to 4th streets seem more of a “downtown” area with many commercial establishments.

We ate PB&J sandwiches at our parking spot and walked around a little. Jenni traded in a book she had finished and bought two new ones at The Book Bin. We popped into Avalon Wine for some recommendations on wine country and Andy delivered this and countless tips for Portland (which he declared one of the best food scenes in the country right now, not a terribly controversial statement), plus a recommendation that we drive over the Cascades to Smith Rock State Park. Our itinerary was too full, but the pictures suggest this is regrettable.

Route 99W is the more scenic route to Eugene, and we checked into the Timbers Motel around 3:45 pm. We got a basic room with queen bed for $69. Luxurious it was not, but the WiFi worked and the water pressure was good. I have two general rules when it comes to real estate. You want to be near the gay community and not near the bus station. Despite being across from Greyhound, the Timbers is well-located. We ambled East on 13th Street to the University of Oregon campus, then down to 18th Street, back to Pearl and up to Broadway. We considered buying a $20 ticket to join the monthly chamber of commerce networking event, held this month by Summit Bank with several food and beer stations. This is not to be confused with the daily hippy and weed-smoking networking event, held everywhere else in Eugene.

Eugene fire hydrant

Eugene parking lot art

The menu and space at Belly were appealing, but we settled at Bon Mi. Good choice! Jenni got a delicious spicy noodle pho with beef and my red hot pork ban mi was superb. The baguette was just perfect. Together with a Radiant Ale seasonal brew and an Oatis oatmeal stout, each from local Ninkasi Brewing, dinner cost $20. Dessert was a captain crunch donut at Voodoo Doughnuts, just the sort of 24-hour place you’d expect to find in Stonerton. Check out the selection and the incredible tag line on their donut-holding devices.

Spicoli would be in heaven

Irrefutable

We passed a couple more beggars and schizos and were back in the room by 7:30 pm for some more planning and blogging. Had we been in Eugene a day later, we could have enjoyed the Eugene Celebration.

August 23, 2013 (Friday) – Willamette wine country, here we come. Around 10:45 am we headed Northwest and 75 minutes later arrived at a $10 tasting at Cristom Vineyards. This winery (with a small cluster of others) is in the Eola-Amity Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA), where it benefits from cool breezes off the coast that blow through the Van Duzer Corridor. I have now shared everything I know about wine. The refined palate and erudition of my wife and father-in-law have yet to reach my upper region. Though technically located in Salem, it is very quiet here; much less crowded than the McMinnville/Dayton/Dundee area. We enjoyed the wines then continued on Zena Road to 99W heading North. At Cristom’s recommendation, we ate lunch at the Blue Goat in Amity. It is a lovely space with high ceilings, exposed pipe and brick, and a wood-fired oven. We sat at a large curved counter though there are several tables and booths. As would be common over the next few days, the menu lists the local farms from which the restaurant sources its products. We split a very good smoked chicken salad sandwich with honey-balsamic slaw on the side, and a phenomenal dish of fresh Turkish figs with blue cheese and bacon. The figs were so fresh and delicious that they beat back my disdain for bacon and blue cheese. The damage was $23 including tip. We were also tempted by Uncle Jack’s BBQ, a door or two down.

After lunch, we continued a short distance to McMinnville and walked around Third Street, the main thoroughfare. This is where McMenamins Hotel Oregon is located. It was full, but we heard it is a nice play to stay and a great place for a roof-top beverage. As with most of Oregon, there is ample free street parking. We poked our heads into Honest Chocolates and came away with a few treats, including a yummy piece of honey caramel milk chocolate with French sea salt.

Cute shop in McMinnville

Me and Ben

Walking distance from here is the Eyrie tasting room where we sampled six wines and had a nice conversation with the pourer, an East coast transplant who formerly worked in financial PR. Next up was White Rose located in the Dundee Hills. The tasting room is beautiful with great views from the property, but we were not fans of the $15 tasting of three pinot noirs.

White Rose vineyards and view

White Rose sky

We headed back down the hill and up 99W to Four Graces. Set in a charming white building with a gravel yard and several wrought iron tables and chairs, we enjoyed our $10 tasting of five wines. The staff was very friendly and we purchased the Willamette Valley Pinot Gris 2012 for $20. Nearby was a roadside stand called Bert’s Chuckwagon that we heard serves good BBQ. Some tasting rooms close at 4 pm while others, like Four Graces, close at 5 pm. We shut it down and drove back up the Dundee Hills to Wine Country Farm, our B&B for the evening. We were greeted with a multi-course complimentary tasting of the house Armonéa wines before being shown our room: the Courtyard Suite. We paid $200 for a very large room with king bed and a couch facing the fireplace. There was another room available with a queen bed but a balcony, and we might have chosen that one had we realized the views from the property would be so nice. At the tasting we met Jay and Erin, a nice couple celebrating their 5th anniversary in the same place where they married. They joined us for an 8 pm dinner at Joel Palmer House, a ten minute drive away. As the name suggests, it is set in a quaint house and the restaurant specializes in mushrooms and homemade truffle oil. The standard option is a three-course $49 menu. We split a mushroom soup and a tart to start, the filet mignon with foie gras supplement ($15) and lamb for the entrée course, and a mushroom s’more and rice pudding for dessert. Even the unemployed must take advantage of foie gras outside the totalitarian regime of California. The meal was very good but I was not impressed.

Romantic swing at Wine Country Farm

Wild mushroom soup at Joel Palmer House

I was, however, very impressed by Jay and Erin’s description of the legendary Pig-N-Ford Races at the Tillamook County Fair. Since I was hours-deep in wine and beer tasting and have never been myself, I paste below the description from Wikipedia:

Drivers use stripped Model T Fords with stock mechanicals. Five cars are lined up with the engines off at the start line of the Averill Arena horse racing track. Drivers stand next to the grandstands. When the starter pistol fires, the drivers run to the opposite side of the front straight, grab a live 20-pound pig from a bin, then must hand-crank their car and drive it one lap. They then stop, kill the engine, get a different pig, and race another lap. The first driver to complete three laps in this manner without losing their pig is the winner.

The race was first run in 1925. The official story is that two local farmers were chasing a runaway pig in their Model Ts and were having so much fun, they decided it should be a race at the next county fair. The Pig-N-Ford Races have been run every year since 1925. Drivers belong to the Tillamook County Model T Pig-N-Ford Association, and membership is often a lifelong affair. Cars and memberships are often passed down through families or sold to close friends. Some of the cars that first ran in 1925 are still on the track today.

August 24, 2013 (Saturday) – Breakfast at the Wine Country Farm was excellent. It was a veritable feast of fresh biscuits and homemade jam, an egg casserole dish, sausage, bacon, and hash browns. On our way out of town to Portland, we stopped at the Red Hills Market in Dundee. This is your typical, classy wine country market with food to order, gourmet salts and sauces, charcuterie, cheese, wine, recipe books, etc.

We had a great time in the Willamette Valley but I was underwhelmed (at best) by the wine. I did not love the product and disliked the value. The wines we tasted at White Rose cost $60-80/bottle. There are far better pinots available from California’s central coast, and for less money. On to Portland…

Books, General

Books

July 1, 2013 aleavitt77 2 Comments

One of the many enjoyable aspects of long-term travel is I get to read a lot more…for pleasure. I am starting a new post that I will update periodically to list the books that I have read (or am reading) since our journey began. Note that many of these authors have corresponding blogs where you can get a taste for the concept without buying/reading a whole book. And if you have suggestions for books you think I would enjoy, please do let me know!
The Lean Startup: a very popular book relevant for both new entrepreneurs and established companies launching new products, among others…as the title suggests, the goal is to figure out if your business is viable and if so start and grow it without betting the farm…advocates practices like continual testing of assumptions, metrics that are both measurable (of course) but also meaningful, etc.

Investment Biker: older book by Jim Rogers, partner of George Soros at the Quantum Fund with legendary returns…as Amazon says, it is “the fascinating story of his 1990 investing trip around the world by motorcycle, with many tidbits of hard-headed advice for investing in foreign markets.” while not infallible, he is quite prescient and it is a good read.
Delivering Happiness: the Zappos story, a book about building the best customer service business and having fun in the process. Tony offers some neat ideas for managing employees and creating the right culture. I enjoyed it a lot and many of his philosophies align with my own.
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: book about the Mumbai slums. Bill Gates said, “It reads like a novel by Dickens, but is a real-life depiction of the challenges hundreds of millions of people face every day in urban slums. It’s also a reminder of the humanity that connects us all.” The tales of corruption are truly horrifying.

Business Stripped Bare: Richard Branson book about how he got started with Virgin and his relentless focus on brand. If you do not define your brand, someone else will.

Long Walk to Freedom: Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. His patience, tolerance, sacrifice and humility are quite the inspiration.

The 4-Hour Workweek: another very popular book, Tim aims not only to inspire you to examine your professional and personal lives but he gives step by step instructions for freeing your time and generating income. At first I was lukewarm because it seemed like another book heavy on philosophy (which I don’t really need since I already made the decision!), but then Tim proceeds to offer a wealth of resources for starting businesses and using outsourcing both professionally and personally.

The Kite Runner: per Amazon, Khaled Hosseini offers “an educational and eye-opening account of a country’s political turmoil–in this case, Afghanistan–while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over.” I thoroughly enjoyed it, and great fiction is just what Madurai called for. I think I particularly like historical fiction for the simultaneous escape/repose and learning.

Half the Sky: informative book on women’s rights issues around the world, which the authors wisely convey as human rights issues. They focus largely on maternal mortality, human trafficking, sexual violence and routine daily discrimination. The authors argue there are extensive pragmatic, as well as ethical, reasons to empower women and eliminate discrimination and repression. A nice balance of facts and studies with many individual stories makes it an enjoyable read, and the authors recommend specific remedies at the policy level and actions you can take to help.

Little Princes: about an American man (Conor Grennan) who volunteered at an orphanage in Nepal at the start of a round-the-world trip and was drawn to return and start a children’s home and reunite children lost/trafficked during Nepal’s civil war with their families. A very enjoyable read, and for those Latham-ites seeing this, Liz Flanagan is featured prominently as she connected with Conor, then spent time with him and the kids in Nepal and now they are married.

David and Goliath: a disappointing entry from Malcolm Gladwell. The theme is that sometimes what we consider disadvantages are actually advantages, and vice versa. He covers topics like the extraordinary success of many with dyslexia, inverted U-curves witnessed in studies of school class size, the limits of power, etc. I loved Blink, The Tipping Point and Outliers and had high expectations. This is not a bad book, it is just not nearly as good as his others.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: a book about Dr. Paul Farmer’s work in Haiti and elsewhere. Though my Kindle loan expired midway through, I enjoyed what I read. Clearly a brilliant man, Dr. Farmer’s work focuses on the intersection of medicine and anthropology.

Undaunted Courage: a terrific book by Stephen Ambrose, per Amazon “the definitive book on Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, the most momentous expedition in American history and one of the great adventure stories of all time.” Jeremy L. recommended this book to me years ago and I finally got around to reading it…I only wish I had done so before our US road trip!

Three Day Road: Joseph Boyden’s first novel about two Cree Indian friends who leave Canada to fight in World War I. It is said to be loosely based on the real life of a famous Canadian sniper. Quite graphic but a good read. And as I read it immediately after Undaunted Courage, it furthered my education on some of the abuses by whites against native Indians in North America.

A Lesson Before Dying: I did not love this book

Omnivore’s Dilemma: I loved this book. A seemingly balanced and very informative analysis of the facts and philosophy of America’s food system. Highly recommended.

Born to Run: a very enjoyable read about the Tarahumara tribe and Mexico’s Copper Canyons. And more generally about running and approaches to living. A nice mix of scientific support and a riveting story.

Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage: fantastic book about the extraordinary survival journey of Ernest Shackleton and his fellow shipmates. A quote for all you mariners: “But the sea is a different sort of enemy. Unlike the land, where courage and the simple will to endure can often see a man through, the struggle against the sea is an act of physical combat, and there is no escape. It is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man never actually wins; the most that he can hope for is not to be defeated.”

Setting the Table: Danny Meyer’s book about hospitality. His priority is to his own team, then in descending order guests, community, suppliers and investors.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: I thought the book was good but not amazing. The story, though, is pretty amazing. Per Amazon, she “was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more.”

Miracle in the Andes: inspiring book written by one of the survivors (he was one of two who made the trek to get help) of the famous Uruguayan rugby team plane crash in 1972 in the Andes. A great tale of overcoming unspeakable personal tragedy.

Asia, Cambodia

Cambodia (old notes)

November 30, 2010 aleavitt77 Leave a comment

For some years before I started a blog, I took notes on trips. Sometimes friends ask for these notes to help with trip planning. To organize everything in one place, I’m adding my old trip notes to my blog. These were written shorthand and probably not too enjoyable to read but hopefully useful to plan a trip.

I do not have access while traveling to my old photos, but I think through the link below you can see Jenni’s Facebook album from this trip even if you do not have a Facebook account.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.832103361035.2478054.414086&type=1&l=a00c0128e7

We spent a week in Cambodia over Thanksgiving 2010, visiting Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. It was a phenomenal trip. So much so that I cannot but wonder whether Cambodia is that terrific or was there an element of this being one of those trips that just clicks…as I discussed in my Sri Lanka post. But now that I’ve reread all my notes, I think Cambodia is just awesome.

11/19-21

Airport in PP small but very smooth, easy visa ($20) etc. Take 4 pm flight to Siem Reap on turbo prop, about 40 minutes.

Met at airport by driver with V12 Benz (which ended up being about the nicest car we saw the whole trip, only two seats in the back), usually charge but hotel got us free because had told me could send car to pick us up in Phnom Penh then said no because of boat festival.

Terrasse des Elephants Hotel is nice. Room is $65 and has sitting area where first enter with a day-bed type thing, big balcony off to the right that connects to back staircase which could take to the pool or dining area, to the left is bed with mosquito net and then beyond that a step or two up with a cool carved fountain and on either side a shower and a sink, rooftop edgeless pool. Right at old market and pub street etc.

After a swim, we saw fireworks from the roof, then we ate dinner at Khmer Kitchen across from old market. J had Khmer Curry with pumpkin and tofu and I had amok with fish. That, big water and two Angkor beers for $10.

Then walked down to river where boat festival going on. Awesome. Tons of people, band on a stage, almost walked into a little boy peeing. Saw cars with long wooden boats on the roof, like 8 ft hanging over the car on each side. Then just walked around a bit more before returning. Area is great, lots of alleys with bars and restaurants. Very happening. Weather is hot and humid but not super oppressive.

11/22

Breakfast at hotel around 7:30. Pancakes with homemade pineapple jam and honey, eggs with hash brown and grilled tomato, delish coffee, fresh oj, dragon fruit. Then met our guide thai and driver yan ($30 and $40 for day because went farther away) and drove to Angkor entrance and bought 3 of 7 day passes for $40 each. Crowded. Drove through villages and past temples. Houses mainly on stilts for water and to keep out snakes, scorpions, etc. Saw people making palm sugar, water buffalo, cows, etc.

Got to Kbal Splean maybe around 10 and walked about 1.5 km on trail through light jungle. Quite a few others around. J with flip flops, oops. It’s the River of 1000 Lingas which is the phallic symbol. To represent water flowing off mtn (like Mt Meru), all is Hindu, holy water. Hike not too tough but rocks etc so tough for oldies, lots of butterflies. Saw a cave, waterfall, some sanskrit writing on the rocks. At start a bunch of puppies and kids and peeps trying to sell t-shirts and scarves and books. A little pushy but not too bad and rather sweet.

Drove maybe 15 minutes back to Banteay Srei, saw water buffalo in water and taking mud bath. Ox cart. Road is two lanes, pretty wide and nice. Driving not too crazy.

Banteay Srei is temple with very intricate carvings, lots of Hindu mythology representations. Surrounded by a little moat. Saw big chameleon and a snake winding through the stones. Big trees all around. Sampled some fresh jack fruit. After walk through area with stalls selling things and then lunch. J got fried noodles with veggies and egg and I got fried pork with garlic and pepper (as in tons of both, green peppercorns on the vine). Cans of lychee and soursop. Finished lunch about 1:45.

See a lot of people with medical masks. Still are Khmer Rouge around but I guess nobody fights. But guide said in the 90s it was still dangerous.

After lunch stopped where making palm sugar which sell in little brown discs, yummy. Make by boiling palm juice in wok type thing over little oven made of cow dung, clay, rice stalk…burning wood. Said 80% of country perhaps still cooks with wood. Where got sugar also grow bananas, tamarind, mango, lime. There’s poverty but not much hunger it seems because have lots of rice, fish, fruit etc. Maybe more in Phnom Penh .

Our car has driver on right side even though country drives on right side.

Next up was Banteay Samre. Legend is that it’s the farmer’s temple because was a king who loved sweet cucumbers and he gave the farmer a spear to protect his farm if anyone but the king tried to take cukes. Then one day the king wanted to test him so he went and farmer didn’t recognize him so killed him at once and then buried king under his house. And tradition is if they don’t know who is king then have elephant walk around and whomever elephant kneels before is the king. So elephant went to farmer’s house and knelt and everyone thought he was kneeling for the farmer but really was paying respects to the king.

We liked this temple, not so crowded.

Then went to Pre Rup, has 5 towers, much higher than others we saw. Big and steep stairs. From top nice views, green all around. Can see in distance one of towers of Angkor Wat.

Next was Banteay Kdei which is Buddhist temple. Not restored as well as others. Long day, glad we got car with A/C for today.

Back to hotel around 5:15. Volleyball is popular here. Our hotel great but room has shower that’s just elevated by the fountain in the room, so wouldn’t be good to share other than with s/o!

Swam again, pool is one of those flush with ground, looks nice. There are rooms on pool/roof level. I had an ABC Stout, 8% alc and tasty. Then signed up for cooking class at Le Tigre de Papier and had dinner Angkor Palm. Sat outside on sidewalk, comfy wicker chairs. J got sambor curry with chicken and a Tiger beer, I had 7 plate sampler with a Beer Lao. Both lagers, solid. Then some sweet banana dessert that came with my meal and then we got ice cream at Blue Pumpkin (jackfruit with coconut/pistachio). Walked down Pub Street and over by food market and then across Sivatha St to Angkor night market. Couple places saw groups playing music that said mine victims. Night market has jewelry, t-shirts, carvings, etc. Fish foot and regular massages all over.

Exhausted, back to hotel around 8:40. Shorts with short sleeves at night and still hot.

11/23

Woke before 6 am and went to roof for sunrise but already had risen. Then walked through old market and saw food vendors setting up. Cutting meat, chickens, fish, fruit, etc. And a few places that serve food. Crossed river and walked around, went into tour office to inquire about getting to Phnom Penh and heard over 300 people died in Phnom Penh . Called J’s rents and found out it was a stampede from the boat festival. Lucky we planned trip in this order and smart we didn’t change it once knew about the festival. Walked around a bit more, that side of river is less touristy. Then back to hotel around 7:30 for breakfast. American again but also French toast instead of pancakes, which was delish. And really good coffee. We both agree we like this part of the world. Exotic feel, cheap, people seem peaceful and very deferential. Yesterday our guide sat in the front seat and had his seat so far forward to maximize J’s leg room, even though she didn’t need it.

Hotel dining area has that Indochina colonial feel.

Guide said our hotel used to be a nightclub/karaoke.

Today we’re taking a cooking class at Le Tigre de Papier ($12/p) at 10 am, which is in the alley.

About 8 in our class, teacher was Jenni. Started with walk through the market to show us things. J made mango salad then chicken curry, I made banana flower salad and Samlor Kteas (pork, coconut milk, winter melon, pineapple, broth, tamarind liquid, lemongrass paste which think had lemongrass, turmeric, lime kaffir leaves, red chili). A little tough to understand teacher but was fun and good value. Then sticky rice with mango for dessert. Ended around 1:30 pm.

There are lizards everywhere here. After lunch went to pool and got crappy piña coladas and read.

Afternoon went to Bodia Spa which is on side street near Blue Pumpkin. Got 90 min aromatherapy massages in one “room” with little wall type thing in between. $38 each is very steep for Cambodia , but place was nice and worth it. Nicer than eg Touch in BH where 60 min is $57 and you have to tip.

Then walked around a bit more and back to hotel to shower. Oh, after lunch also went to book store with illegit but cheap. I bought Kitchen Confidential and also The Lonely Planet Story for $11.

Had a glass of wine in room then went outside and got fried noodles with beef from street cart right in front of hotel. Bought water (about 50-60c for 1.5 litres) and looked for some pancakes without luck. Ate noodles in room, $1 fed us both dinner. Siem Reap definitely has some backpacker vibe but perhaps not quite as much as I expected, which makes sense given it’s a world famous cultural attraction. Not the same vibe as Thailand , at least in the islands or Khao San Rd.

11/24

Woke around 5:15 and got tuk tuk to Angkor Wat, arrived around 6:30. Beautiful weather on ride, ticket station empty where Monday was packed. Main entrance is on West so sun rises behind temple. Pretty clouds reflecting in the moat. Very crowded right inside gate but walked through and over to East entrance where not crowded and pretty. Saw some cows by the moat. Romped around for a while, went up steep wood steps to upper level once opened (think 8 am). Nice views. Scaffolding in many places which a bit of a bummer but oh well. Also saw tons of monkeys playing on East side of temple, very fun. Around 9:30 had breakie at Matthieu next to Chez Sophaea outside the temple (think Mathieu and Chez Sophaea are same). Great scrambled eggs, baguettes with jams and butter, latte and espresso. Peaceful spot, pricier than most but very civilized meal. Kenny just texted me that Thursday has been declared National Day of Mourning so we’ll see what that means.

Our tuk tuk driver is Naro (?), $13 for the day, didn’t bargain at all.

After late breakie we drove through Angkor Thom to Ta Prohm. The jungle temple, was fairly crowded but neat and liked it with trees growing all in and around. Feels more natural though is maintained whereas hear Beng Melea (sp?) farther away is more truly wild. Then around 12:15 went to Bayon (54 faces) and walked around a while. Hot and not ideal light but also less crowded than usual. Then walked back along rd to Bauphon and Elephant Terrace etc and got ice cream before meeting our driver. More restoration work and closed areas than I expected, in general. J was bummed 😉 she didn’t get to ride an elephant because have em in morning at Bayon but we kept on to Ta Prohm and when returned…

People use bikes and mopeds for a lot, eg sell sunglasses out of big case attached to back or grill food on a built in. Back to hotel around 2:30 pm.

Went to internet cafe around corner from our place. Good connection for $.75/hr. A number of work peeps, Cubell, Sharath, Cheech emailed to check in after stampede (reports now say 378 dead). Then went across street to Cafe Central which is open air (big windows with plantation shutters, kind of colonial vibe with the potted plants and wicker chairs) caddy corner from old market on Northwest. Got mango daiquiris and margarita pizza. Western menu with some local as well, slightly more expensive than some but seems nice. The pizza was ok, sweet potato pakora (like fritter with corn etc) with mint dip I loved. Around here, not that many Americans. Lots of Europeans and Asians and of course quite a few tour buses.

Back to hotel and washed a few clothes then up to pool where I read and J napped. Really nice on roof in evening when cooler and lights on. J slept a while and I read, back in room.

Dinner at Socheata on market. More authentic, J got fried noodles with beef and a jackfruit shake, and I got khmer chicken (with palm sugar), quite tasty. But also got green papaya salad which was awful. Think has some kind of fermented paste or something which to me tastes rotten. And reminds that on Monday at start of 1000 lingas hike our guide had me taste some liquid from a cut branch which was like sour glue tasting. Guess it’s supposed to help ease pain…hopefully more than it causes in the mouth. Later for us tonight, finished dinner around (gasp) 9:30.

There are other parts to Siem Reap we didn’t see, we really just did temples and stayed around old market area except a brief foray across the river yesterday morning. Didn’t do FCC or Hotel de la Paix or National Museum or any bars or restaurants on airport rd…

11/25

Breakie at hotel then check out and get in car with our driver, $85 to Phnom Penh with stop at Kompong Plukh to see flooded forest. Drove about 1 hour, nice to see more of Siem Reap and countryside. Driver used to work for UN and NGOs, think as…driver. KP about 6 km off rd, dirt with villagers around and a little market etc. Then stop at station and paid $20/each for entrance and boat tour on long wooden boat that has maybe 24 seats on wooden benches, two rows of 6 doubles. Just us and car and boat driver on our boat, each seems to depart with only a few tourists…not efficient but guess more full employment. Boat driver is orphan, maybe 16 years old and think paid about $85/month by government and boats til about 1 pm then goes to school. Driver says men get married usually 25 and up, women 17 and up. Often live with her family a few years to save money. He says KP is much better and less crowded than Chong Kneas floating village. He said no mosquitoes on lake now, only at night. Hope he’s right!

On drive to KP also pass turnoffs for the Roluos temples I think.

No mosquitoes confirmed. KP very cool and unique experience. Boat through narrow low tree-lined water lane maybe 20 minutes and then pass government buildings and then get to village, with wooden houses raised maybe 20 ft above water. Lots of kids. People live here to fish. Also saw some pigs in little floating pens, a couple little wooden dug outs with fruit. You pass a monastery on the way too, which is on land. Could get onto smaller boat without motor and go more inside the trees but we didn’t. Get out to open lake and just chill for a bit. Could swim but I was afraid of sickness. Then returned to land around 11:30 am. Funny how everyone is always hustling, but in pretty mellow way. Like our driver telling us can do Phnom Penh in one day and then one day go to Kep and islands and he could drive us and cheaper than if arrange through hotel…something about 35%.

KP has some other tourists but quite few, does not at all feel crowded or touristy.

Always fascinating to see a way of life without materiality. Really all you need is food and water, so if you can get that you just hang out and do odds and ends. And hope you don’t need much in the way of healthcare. See some hospitals and clinics around. Think guide first day said government provides care for everyone up to 15.

Boat has fine looking life jackets but nobody uses. Not a ton but of course see trash in water, and driver throws in his cigarette after a few puffs.

Saw a wedding at market by KP and then many more on the drive. Says they last 2.5 days. Real aggressive driver, no margin for error. And again wheel on right side (another Camry from Japan ). Road to Phnom Penh in pretty good shape. Speed limit 90kmh, sometime he goes about 100-110.

Our Monday tour guide asked a lot about how many lanes we have on our highways. And he laughed a lot at things we wouldn’t necessarily laugh at. And of course they’re amazed at the money we have. The top tax rate, hard to fathom someone can make $250k in a year. Seemed to have a negative view of Obama of late.

Lunch today at some place on the way. Looks like tourist stop but at same time pretty bare bones. Like big place with lots of big tree tabletops and stools but authentic menu and lunch with two sodas was $6 and bathrooms have hole in the ground.

Everywhere takes $ and quotes in $ but often give small change in riel and use interchangeably at 4000 riel per $…think now official exchange rate is about 4050. But at ATMs I’ve tried/used they only dispense $, so you can’t arb for the extra 1.25% 😉 Outside more populous areas and even some within you can buy petrol in plastic or whiskey type bottles.

Almost everyone seems looks healthy, at least where we’ve been very little evidence of war, and nobody is fat nor looks malnourished.

Pass through Kampong Thom which looks like decent sized city/town. River runs through.

At lunch J had fried noodles with veggies and I had spicy soup with fish. So so, fish had bones. I got spicy but was easily tolerated. Chili sauce generally hasn’t been that hot either. Either light for tourists or food not THAT spicy here or a bit of both.

Every Lexus SUV I’ve seen has big Lexus writing and logo on driver side. And some (all?) Land Cruisers as well. Not much military or police presence that I’ve noted. And granted we stayed in touristy areas pretty much and never out past 9:30 but Siem Reap felt very safe.

J noticed some houses are very plain looking with weathered wood but had brightly colored staircase.

Lots of monasteries in the country.

I’ve been reading Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know about/by Ranulph Fiennes, crazy badass explorer/endurance guy. J reading law school outline and Let the Great World Spin. She read I Don’t Remember Anything already, didn’t love it.

Most signs are in English and Khmer (Sanskrit derived I think).

Drive is pretty long, arrived at Blue Lime hotel in Phnom Penh around 5:15 pm, would say at least 5+ hours of driving. Phnom Penh is a real city. Bustling, a little intense.

Saw one KFC in Siem Reap and nothing else. Blue Lime is hip, little bit of Viceroy feel to me. Off alley near National Museum, lobby with couple couches and free computers then walk through pool area (infinity edge, like last place) with several little cabana types and our Room was 21 (last was 201) which is good sized with king bed and private plunge pool in back. $75/nite, but tomorrow we have to switch rooms. Took a dip and left around 6 pm, walked toward riverfront, got some eye drops in pharmacy and went to FCC for drink and ended up getting dinner. Happy hour 5-7, got Mai Tai and Passion fruit drink and strawberry mojito and Angkor Sunset, and 3 small plates. All in $22, pretty good, not amazing. Good spot, on corner on river with 2nd floor (as everywhere, what we call 3rd floor) bar and tables and open air and then rooftop terrace. Lots of white peeps there. After dinner walked a few blocks up riverfront then came back and turned in at Amanjaya. At next corner was spot called Derk Wang which had great looking beef bbq out front. Headed back to room and got home about 8:30. Still warm but nice breeze and a little cooler than Siem Reap. Phnom Penh seems cool, lots of activity, lots of street food. Nice big riverfront area with little park between street and river.

Were planning to do Friends for dinner and passed on walk home (right near hotel) and was closed so guess good decision.

Been taking 4-6 pepto/day and so far, knock wood, no stomach problems.

Rooms here are pretty spacious, concrete bed and grey tile floor. Funny because much more modern looking and has old tube TV where last place had Sony flat screen (maybe 37″ or so) with DVD player.

11/26

Woke around 6:45, ate included breakie out by pool. Coffee, passion fruit juice, bread with jam, scrambled eggs, fruit (banana, pineapple, watermelon, mango). Had to switch to a smaller room (#5, on 2nd floor) so ate then packed up and left bags in room and took tuk tuk to Russian market. Walked around a while, bought some t-shirts and J a top and wicker stuff and little lights to hang, and I got a $3 digi watch. Market has lots of clothes and scarves/throws, prepared and raw food, jewelry, auto/gardening/mechanical stuff. Stayed til about 11:30 then to Tuol Sleng (S-21), the genocide museum. In old high school right in city, pretty depressing. Spent about an hour then same tuk tuk back to hotel. $10 for the roundtrip.

Each place has outlets that take a regular plug. Saw some big houses, of course in middle of all and behind big gates.

Balance must be great because lots sit sideways on the back of mopeds. And sometimes see 3 or 4 peeps on a moped, some kids. Very non-aggressive or confrontational culture as far as I can tell.

Tried to go to Friends for lunch but sign says closed Nov 19-29. Bummer! Then were gonna go to where saw bbq last night but think they grill/roast all day and then serve at night. So walked back to river front and ate at Anjali, with seats side by side right on edge of sidewalk so can watch traffic and river. J got seafood fried rice didn’t like much, I got pan fried fish with kampot pepper and herbs and fries, liked it a lot. Also got shakes and my ice coffee were tasty. Maybe a little cooler / less humid here than in Siem Reap.

Saw a couple gay bars in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, good to see it’s tolerated at least somewhat, not sure extent.

Have barbers on side of street, think cut is about $1.25. And guy had a trimmer device but instead of electric power it’s connected to scissors handle looking things and he just opens and closes scissors over and over!

Toyota seems to dominate car market here, lots of Lexus, Land Cruiser, Camry, some Corolla and RAV4, think one sports car looking thing we saw was like a MR2.

Far bank of river has some truly enormous billboards.

After lunch walked and saw Wat Onaloum (sp?) but can’t go inside, then to National Museum . $3 entrance, liked it. History on country and Angkor , lots of old statues and carvings, lots of bronze and sandstone. Nice courtyard area. Then back to hotel to swim. Refreshing and sat in cabana but mosquitoes. Bites starting to add up. Each night until now our bed had netting around so am a little worried for these next two nights. From museum I wrote: Someone should make a movie about The Reamker, Indian story.

BlackBerry data hasn’t worked whole trip, phone and text work. Saw weekly newspaper at lunch, has listing of activities including music and art and pilates etc. Probably neat to be expat place like this.

Went to Chow/Quay on the river front for 7 Eleven at 7 pm (on Friday? only). Hotel, looks cool. Great rooftop with chill lounge DJ and chairs and tables etc and great cocktail menu. Happy hour so grapefruit basil martinis for $2.75! Dinner menu as well but didn’t eat here. And weather is great.

Talking about how mellow a culture. Serious city but never beef between tuk tuk drivers over customer, and no road rage at all. At most you see someone look at another driver as pass, but no cursing or gesturing or even muttering under breath. Not much begging. Lots of peeps trying to sell you stuff or give you ride but minimal begging.

Country blessed with almost no natural disasters. Minimal monsoon I think and not really anything else. GDP per capita isn’t necessarily a good measure of quality of life since only measures commercial transactions. If you grow fruit and catch fish and collect rain water and have no disasters or violence, your income and GDP contribution might be zero but your life aint so bad. Granted we saw areas close to lake and rivers and I’m sure some in countryside are “poorer” and in city it’s tougher life, but…think may also be an element of after Khmer Rouge peeps stick together and are so averse to conflict so…

Dinner at Van’s in old Indochina Bank building, just off the river. Fairly empty, nice space. Had smoked duck breast and scallops with passion fruit to start, then duck ravioli in sauce and boneless pork shank. Not bad, not blown away at all but pretty good. About $100 all in with bottle of Cotes du Rhone and water. Took tuk tuk here for $3, could probably bargain more and in general than we did.

After dinner went to Riverhouse Lounge. Fair number of bars etc right there. RL was two stories, paper said hip hop but more like top 40. Kind of cheesy yet young and attractive crowd. Were there about 5-10 minutes at 11:15. Many tables with bottles, all black label. Tuk tuk so easy to get when need one, standard rate around town seems to be $3. Hotel location seems really good, most places on/around river front are quite close.

11/27

Didn’t sleep so well, dogs howling and noise etc. Woke around 7:45, at breakie I had fried eggs. Coffee has been good everywhere. Took tuk tuk to Wat Phnom, the buddhist temple on a little hill paid $1 each to go in but seemed like if you came from different side it was free?? Nice decorations inside. Some monkeys around. J devastated that no elephants there that day, guess he was hurt. Then walked past US embassy and to Raffles hotel le royal. Nice place, cute cafe and shops, think elephant bar supposed to be nice place for happy hour. Right next to National Library which is closed on weekends, and across from biz school that’s in conjunction with Malaysian school. Walked South along Monivong past train station and tall Canadia building, then to Psar Thmei, the central market. Has big dome and then many arms shooting off, kind of more of the same. We bought quick dry shirts, scarf, table runner, bed decoration, t-shirt gifts. Got a coconut to drink, surprised how much liquid inside. Then walked over to Sorya shopping centre, a 7-8 story mall. Walked through Lucky supermarket, quite nice. Have these packaged meals to cook with meat, veggies, seasoning etc, for about $1.90. One store we went into (BS Fashion, haha) was not at all cheap. Then got ice cream cones at Swenson’s in the mall, solid if pricey for Cambodia. Can sit down and they’ll take your order. J got macadamia, I got this vanilla with pb thing and blueberry cobbler. Then walked down St 63 several blocks, saw Dept of Plastic Arts and Handicrafts, and went East back towards river on St 240.

Some nice little shops, thought about lunch at Freebird (bar with Western menu) but went to The Shop which is great little cafe/bakery etc. Almost like an Urthh Cafe, but better. Seemed to be spot for either tourists or expats or both. Attractive crowd. J got baked brie sammy, I got roast pumpkin and goat cheese salad. Finished up about 2:15.

Really enjoying Phnom Penh , very much has the third world big city feel but manageable and pretty safe feeling and some hip spots / oases.

Went into some more nice stores…housewares, beads, women’s clothes. At corner of St 19 (?) is Red Apron wine shop and bar and then Rubies wine bar as well. Walked down to Royal Palace but didn’t go in, and tuk tuk guy tried to get us to go to some orphanage but we didn’t because unsure of truth and he said it was 20 minutes each way and tired etc. Walked back to hotel up St 178 and got home at 3:40…drained. Pool.

Earlier today walking we passed used car dealer, prices crazy! Was like $40k+ for a 2004 Lexus SUV. Think an ’09 Camry was about $32k. Went out around 6 pm, grabbed some chicken on a skewer by hotel. Crappy part of wing, cost $.25 and not worth that. Then went into clothes store but didn’t buy anything and then finally the holy grail of Derk Wang bbq! On the same street as Friends but a little North, on a corner. Have cow roasting all day. I got small plate of meat, they serve it with sauces…one is like bbq, one like a lemon pepper with lime juice, another has lemongrass and chilis and lime juice…latter two they put together at the table. We each got a bottle of Angkor beer. They also serve cow innards, braised ox penis, and other things…we refrained. Solid.

Love how no stop signs or lights at all but a few major intersections, yet everyone just gets through. Quote of trip is definitely “hello, tuk tuk”.

Took one to Equinox on St 278 by St 51 (cool little area with bars, shops etc.). Close to Independence Monument . Right across from Elsewhere Bar where have big expat party think first friday of the month. Looks like cool spot with a couple pools and little beds/lounges jutting into them.

Equinox is 3 stories, we sat at bar on 2nd level which is open air and got pizza margarita and mojitos and then a bunch of Angkor drafts. Mekong Pirates is this reggae/funk band with almost a bit of Israeli sound and they went on around 8:30. Maybe 10 or so mainly white dudes and a Cambodian (?) female singer (but some guys sing too), music is in French. Lots of peeps there, seemed to be expats and maybe longer-stay backpackers. Great band and great vibe. Were a couple little kids there with parents, noted how you’d never see that in US but do see it abroad sometimes. Then went up on 3rd floor roof, beautiful night.

Around maybe 10 or 10 :30 walked across street and up to top level (3rd/4th floor) of Top Banana guesthouse and hung out at the bar. That was mainly longer stay backpackers, had bartender Todd from Albany who was very nice. We talked for a while with this guy from Seattle . Really fun. They had happy chocolate truffles on the menu but had run out, and when we left around 11:30 we had tuk tuk driver take us to river front to check out Happy Pizza, and everything was DEAD. FCC maybe was open, but every place else was closed, streets were pretty much abandoned, we were shocked since it was not even midnight on a Saturday. Not sure if most places just shut down early or if there was some effect from the stampede earlier in the week. Guy at our hotel desk suggested was the latter.

11/28

Nobody seems to tip, but I’ve generally been leaving change and maybe touch more at times.

Recalling our driver from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh when telling us about baby pigs we saw said that people buy them and “sponsor” them while they grow up before going to market. Sponsor, to become bacon…haha.

At breakie met a couple from CO (he grew up in Studio City, live Colorado Springs with place in Breckenridge), here a couple days before meeting up with small group for photo safari in Siem Reap then Myanmar.

Asia Life magazine seems good, helpful listing of events etc. That’s how we heard of the Mekong Pirates show last night.

After breakie went to Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda. Pay $6.25 to enter, need to cover knees and shoulders. Pretty crowded. Nice buildings and architecture, not incredible but worth doing. Finished around 10, I bought the shirt I’d tried on last night (looks like button down with pullover, all one piece, $16) and back to hotel to shower and pack. It’s hot today.

Brought raincoat and zip off pants and pull over, aside from plane ride never wore anything but shorts and short sleeves.

Cab to airport was $10, takes maybe half hour. Ate sandwiches after security. Drinks there expensive, and have to pay $25 departure tax each.