Dave's Travel Log

Kentucky Town Demands Apology From A&E

2005-05-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

By ROGER ALFORD, Associated Press Writer
Mon May 2, 6:54 AM ET

"Obviously, being labeled the town from hell can not be interpreted in any way as positive," City Manager Donovan Blackburn wrote in a letter to the network.

Blackburn said local residents cooperated in the production of the documentary show, which revolved around murders committed by a group of occultists, after a producer told them the town would be portrayed positively.

A&E acknowledged Wednesday that it received Blackburn's letter.

"It was not the intention of A&E Network to malign the town of Pikeville, but rather to examine it through the eyes of people who live in that community and who were affected by the particular case we were profiling," the network said in a statement last month. "We are deeply sorry that the mayor's office of the city of Pikeville was offended by the portrayal."

"City Confidential" is billed as a show that "goes inside a unique American city and explores its colorful characters, its peculiar history, and the truth behind its hidden mystery."

Blackburn said he watched the show when it aired on March 26 and was shocked that Pikeville was portrayed as a hillbilly haven, a stereotype people throughout the region have fought vigorously to overcome.

"You start the piece by showing a rebel flag on Julius Avenue, an overweight man without a shirt smoking a cigarette and an old pickup with a few women in the back," Blackburn said. "As I am sure you would agree, you can go to almost any city in America and find the same."

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Ummmm...sure. Yeah, you'll find rebel flags, shirtless, overweight men sitting outside smoking cigarettes and pickup trucks with women riding in the back almost everywhere.

In fact, I almost hit a fat shirtless guy who just happened to be sitting under a rebel flag on Geary the other day. Yeah, I was distracted by the pickup truck full of women in the back and I veered off the road. It was a close call.

April 29 - Santa Barbara

2005-04-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

On my wayward travels back to SF, I stopped off in Santa Barbara to enjoy a little time on the beach. It's pretty sweet down here.

April 28 - Venice Beach

2005-04-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm actually back in California. Hmmm...not sure I'm ready to go home yet. :) I guess the plan is to meander up the coast for a bit until I hit home. This is Venice Beach. It's a little early in the season, so the beach wasn't too crowded. I can imagine what a zoo it must be during the peak of the summer!

April 27 - Flagstaff, AZ

2005-04-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

One of the best Hostels I stayed in was the Grand Canyon International Hostel in Flagstaff, AZ. I highly recommend it (or its sister hostel around the corner, the Dubeau International Hostel...I stayed at both). Dallas works there...she's very cool.

April 26 - Navajo Bridge Over Grand Canyon

2005-04-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

This is the Navajo Bridge in the Grand Canyon National Park. It's the only crossing over the Colorado River for a stretch of 600 miles.

The actual 'Grand Canyon' is 100+ miles away, but it's pretty friggin' grand here...the photos don't do any justice in showing the actual depth of the canyon, but it's almost 500 feet down to the river.

Kirk & Kelly...

2005-04-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is Kirk and Kelly. They're were also staying at the hostel in Kanab, and finishing their last week of a year of world travel. They're a great couple and a lot of fun. Kirk and I stayed up until almost 3am playing Weed. (It's a card game)

April 25 - Kanab, UT

2005-04-25T18:34:00.000-07:00

The hostel in Kanab has been fun. Here I met Stu and Kerry, who are traveling from England. They're very cool, and were fun to hang out with. They're planning to pass thru SF in 2 weeks, so we'll hopefully hook up there as well.

April 24 - Snow in Arizona???

2005-04-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Snow!? Yup...I left 94 degrees in Phoenix today, drove less than 2 hours to Flagstaff and ended up in 30 degrees and snow! Yuck.

I spent the night at a hostel in Flagstaff, and met some very cool people. Then I head North past the Grand Canyon, through the Kaibab Forest (8,000ft and blizzard conditions for a while) to Kanab, UT.

The snow-covered trees were beautiful!

April 15 - 21...

2005-04-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Not much doing right now. I'm in Scottsdale doing a whole bunch of learning abot the real estate and land markets out here. Dealing with the Bureau of Land Management, land surveyors, patents and easements, hydrologists and flood control surveys. Not much fun, but a good learning experience.

April 13 - International Lingerie Show, Las Vegas

2005-04-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Yup, seriously. A lingerie trade show.

"Why?" you ask.

"Uh, why not!?!?"

I heard about it when I was in town, and figured it'd be an interesting experience. It sure was. It was a show for lingerie store buyers, so it was mostly lingerie designers (not too many lingerie models, but a few), and a lot of sex toy manufacturers and distributors. Product samples sure were interesting. ;)

It was actually a very professional show. But interesting, nonetheless, to experience what retail buying is like at a trade show. And the product wasn't half bad. :)

A map of the states I've visited so far on this trip.

2005-04-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

This is pretty cool! (thanks to Lorna Brown for unknowingly pointing me to the site to create this)

create your own personalized map of the USA

April 6 to April 12 - a vacation from my vacation

2005-04-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, time for a little break from my break. I valet parked my car at Mandalay Bay and flew back to San Francisco for a few days. I need to take care of a few things, and get some papaerwork together for the mortgage on the property in AZ. And, of course, can't miss the San Francisco Beer Festival!

I'll be home for a few days and then head back to Vegas and then Arizona again.

April 3 - Las Vegas Triathlon

2005-04-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Heather and I returned to Vegas yesterday and she flew home. I hung around for a few days and went to cheer on my friend Joyce and her rommate Jason as they raced in the Las Vegas Triathlon.

Joyce is a stud...

A week ago, she ran a marathon, and the week prior she had another race.

At the end of the month, she's racing the Wildflower long course. That would be a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and 13.1 mile run.

Jason laughs (and cusses?) when Joyce passes him on the course...knowing that he started before her, and she's not only catching up, but finishing before him.

Fredonia Police

2005-04-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

We were tipped off that there'd be a cop sitting right on Main Street in Fredonia (Arizona), and yup he was right there, as usual.

And yup, just as we were told...he's a total dummy.

Tomahawk Throwing

2005-04-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

The 'Camp Host', Jackaho was a super cool guy. He's a "Mountain Man" (which means, as we later learned, that if necessary, he could live completely off the land, providing for his own food, shelter and clothing), and also happens to be the #3 ranked tomahawk thrower among Mountain Men in the US.

Jackaho challenged us (or himself?) that he could teach us to throw the tomahawk, and that we'd sink in the target by our second through.

Yup, he was right! I missed the first throw, but landed the second (and the third and forth!)

Heather landed hers too!

Then Jackaho started to show off a bit with a forehand throw from the side...

And a back hand throw from the side.

April 1 - Utah Trails Indian Village

2005-04-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

So we're driving into Kanab, Utah, and decide to drive around town a bit and see if there's anything interesting going on before we decide on a place to stay. We pass this billboard:"Sleep in a TiPi", and figure we've got to explore...

The place was awesome! But question #1: Do TiPi's have stoved in them? Question #2: Are there HOT showers?

Tha answer is YES, some of the larger Tipi's do have fire pits and can be kept somewhat warm (although drafty)

And YES, the facility does have a modern bathroom with nice, clean showers and hot water.

Better yet though, they had two hogans...which were nice and toasty inside.

We stayed in one of the hogans. It was fantastic!

Nighttime was beautiful out there, with start everywhere.

And the tipi's looked really cool lit up at night.

This is Baby...she's the Indian Village mascot, and a totally sweet dog.

April 1 - Coral Pink Sand Dunes

2005-04-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, enough of Zion...we decided that after freezing our asses off camping for 2 nights (34 degrees or so overnight), we needed a hotel with a hot shower. So we head towards Kanab Utah, and passed through Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.

This place was wild...7 miles of beautiful, fine sand dunes in the middle of nowhere.

The sand was awesome.

Although we weren't alone out there.

March 31 - Zion

2005-04-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

After exploring the Valley of Fire, we drove to Zion National Park and arrived around dusk.

We did a few hikes the next day and explored some of the different areas of the park.

Luckily it was still 'off season', but the park was already pretty crowded. It's become so commercial, it's sad. You travel through most of the park on buses which run every 7 minutes or so. Cars aren't allowed anymore because the traffic volume is too high, and traffic jams were getting way too out of hand.

Nonetheless, the hiking was beautiful. Although after hiking a few areas in the park, I was beginning to feel like it was the 'same car wreck, different view'. It was all beuatiful and scenic...but just a lot of the same. Taking a different trail didn't really get you any different scenery or anything.

We did make a new friend there though...

He was not at all shy about introducing himself and joining for lunch.

Wait a minute...aren't we out in the wild? Shouldn't these guys be scared of us and scurry away? So much for not disturbing nature...

March 30 - Valley of Fire State Park

2005-04-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

I left Arizona on Tues, 3/29 and head up to Vegas. Heather flew into Vegas on the 30th to meet up and head to explore Zion and some of the parks in Nevada and Utah. It's the first time I broke out any of the camping gear on the trip, and Heather brought a mess of borrowed gear from SF as well.

This is the Valley of Fire in Nevada. ..

The rocks are an incredible deep red sandstone.

And in all kinds of wild formations.

Along with some beautiful desert blooms...

2005-04-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Driving around some of the 'up and coming' areas outside Phoenix, you still find some interesting characters roaming around.

Believe it or not, this is actually prime real estate right now.

Most of the roads are still unpaved...

But people are buying up the land and building beautiful homes out in the desert. (It's actually only about 20 minutes from Scottsdale)

If all goes well, that crazy Spanish ranch will neighbor the 2.5 acres I'm trying to buy.

Sedona

2005-04-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sedona was incredibly beautiful.

The red rock is very cool, and the formations from millions of years of erosion are incredible.

Scottsdale

2005-04-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

After a few days with Lisa and Larry, I head over to visit Kevin, Gigi, Mason and Bosco (the dog). Here's Kevin, Mason and a family friend...

I kidnapped Bosco for an afternoon and we went for a hike.

Much different secenery hiking in the desert as compared to hiking in the Bay Area.

There's been a ton of rain in the desert this year so everything is still lush and there's a lot still in bloom.

Easter

2005-04-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

What's Easter without the Easter Bunny? These are my friend Kim's kids. Well, 2 of 3. Kim and I worked together years ago...boy how times have changed.

Here's Kim with the entire gang...

And this is Lisa. I'm staying with Lisa, Larry and their two little ones (Lindsey and Baby Larry).

This i s what a suburban Easter egg hunt looks like. Definitely frightening.

And this could be a poster for birth control...

This just led to nightmares.

El Paso at night

2005-04-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

El Paso is actually somewhat pretty at night...

Remote control locomotives?

2005-03-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

This is interesting...so much for the railroad engineer's union.

The Wild West....still

2005-03-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

"John Wesley Hardin. The West's most feared gunman, killer of at least 26 men, was shot dead in the Acme Saloon on this site Aug 19, 1895.

Hardin was shot in the back of the head be El Paso Constable John Selman.

At Selman's trial a witness testified: 'If Hardin was shot in the eye it was excellent marksmanship. If he was shot in the back it was excellent judgement.'

Selman, out on bail a few months later was killed in a gunfight. "

Luckily(?), guns and ammunition are still easily obtained here.

Ok, maybe I've had enough of Texas.

Juarez, Mexico

2005-03-25T19:15:00.000-08:00

El Paso was interesting. The city is pretty much a sprawling dump (well, at least what I saw of it), but you can walk to Mexico! It's literally just across a bridge. (The bridge essentially crosses over a moat that separates the US from Mexico)

For $.35 you can walk across the bridge from El Paso to Juarez, Mexico. Nobody checks any ID, nobody seems to care who you are...you can just head to Mexico. Coming back costs $.30. They asked for ID (my driver's license), if I'm a US citizen (yes), why I was in Mexico (I was in El Paso and wanted to walk across the boarder). Ok, have a nice day. Whatever. Cars seem to be pretty much the same drill.

Juarez is pretty run down...

But it does have beautiful scenery.

March 22 - San Antonio-->El Paso

2005-03-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

The drive from San Antonio to El Paso is about 8 1/2 hours of NOTHING. One LONG, STRAIGHT, BORING road....

And the scenery doesn't even get interesting.

March 21 - San Antonio

2005-03-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

This is the Riverwalk in San Antonio. I head here from Austin to visit Brian, who's been consulting for a company here for the last few weeks.

Here's Brian...still working in the hotel room after dinner...then he went back to the office until midnight. I kinda like not working. :)

Oh yeah...I AM still in Texas

2005-03-25T18:13:00.000-08:00

Oh, yeah...for a short time, I forgot that I was in Texas. Austin is so normal to be in the middle of all this.

Barton Springs, Austin

2005-03-25T11:17:00.000-08:00

This is Barton Springs. It's a three acre natural pool, fed from under ground springs. It's a bit chilly at an average 68 degrees year round...but certainly refreshing in the 80+ degree heat.

Sunset over Town Lake, Austin.

2005-03-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

A beautiful sunset over Town Lake in Austin.

A Thing

2005-03-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've seen all kinds of crazy things in tow with motorhomes. But this is literally the only Thing I've seen. Not too many of them on the road anymore and this was in mint condition!

Spring fever in Arkansas

2005-03-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

The sign on the back of this Arkansas truck: "Spring time, ladies. Be a flirt. Lift your skirt or shirt. Flash a trucker. Just drive naked. Have a great day." Such a classy state.

Ulm, Arkansas

2005-03-25T10:49:00.000-08:00

Ulm, Arkansas...population: 205. That's creepy small.

March 18 - Dinner in Stuttgart, Arkansas

2005-03-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

Dave: "Good Evening."
Bartender (late 30's woman who looks like she's nearly 50): "Evening", looking me over "You're not from around here."
Dave: "Yeah, cause you know everyone around here, dont ya?"
Bartender: "Yup."
Dave: "So where, exactly am I?"
Bartender: "Stuttgart."
Dave: "Arkansas?"
Bartender: "You ARE lost...where ya from?"
Dave: "San Francisco"
Bartender: "Oh the fucked up state!"
Dave: [Well, if that's not the pot calling the kettle black! I am in ARKANSAS, right??] "Yeah, that's us."

March 18 - Austin-bound...

2005-03-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, enough of the South. Time to get outta here and head towards Austin. That'll be a 2 day drive with an overnight likely in Texarkana. Instead of the interstates though, I'm going to take state highways through Mississippi and Arkansas. It'll be interesting to see...or not.

St Patrick's celebration

2005-03-20T22:44:00.000-08:00

Luckily, St Patrick's Day is in full force at Bosco's Brewery. They have a tradition of having patrons manually tapping their kegs.

This is Monica attempting to tap a keg for them.

It took a few hits, but she managed to get the tap in...while spraying anyone within 8 feet.

The Memphis police museum

2005-03-20T22:41:00.001-08:00

The police museum proudly displays drug paraphernalia confiscated in busts...

...a good lesson for the tools of the trade. Now I know what I need to buy when I start the hobby.

2005-03-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

Downtown Memphis is interesting. They're in the middle of a big 'revival' of the downtown neighborhoods. Nearly all of the buildings in this section right off Beale Street are in some state of reconstruction. Just about every street level shop is closed or out of business. And yet, it's street that's closed to traffic (save the public transit trolley line) and a block from the waterfront...right where you'd expect prime property and bustling shops.

Beale Street seems unwilling to give up it's old charm...even after the rest of the buildings have come down, they're preserving the facades. Those scaffolds are permanent installations.

March 17 - Memphis

2005-03-20T22:21:00.001-08:00

This morning was interesting. I arrived in Memphis last night, crashed for the night, and as I was driving on I-40 towards downtown this morning, I was pulled over. For doing 70 in a 65! No mention was made of the SUV that blew in front of me easily doing 80. He had Tennessee license plates. Now mind you, I wasn't screwing around at all...in fact, if anything, I was a bit slower than rest of traffic as I was trying to pay attention to signs and get my bearings on where I was at. It gets better...

So the cops (in an unmarked, white Ford Explorer...what kind of highway patrol car is this??) pull me over and ask me to step out of the car and in front of their truck. Ok, so much for "license, registration and insurance, please".

They explain that they pulled me over for doing 70 in a 65 as I topped the crest of a hill.

"I understand that officers, and I'm sorry...but isn't that relatively within a reasonable margin of error given speedometer inaccuracies and hilly terrain?" That didn't go over well.

"Have you ever had a ticket?"

"Um, not in like 10 years...for a stop sign."

"Do you have any weapons or drugs on your person?" as they pat my pockets and my jacket.

"Nope."

"Where are you from? That your car? Where are you going? When did you get in town? How long are you staying here? What brings you here? Where did you come from. Where are you staying?"

I'm from California...yes, I own the car...I'm heading downtown to Beale Street (the tourist zone)...I just arrived last night...just staying for a day or two...I'm on a cross country road trip, just left Nashville and wanted to check out the music scene here in Memphis...I'm staying at some Interstate motel a few exits back"

The officers then proceed to escort me to the side of their truck and put me in the back seat. "Hmmm, this doesn't seem to be going well".

They get in the front seat and call in my license for any wants or warrants, and ask again if I'm transporting any drugs, cash or weapons. "No, officers" They then tell me they'd like to search my vehicle. Is that ok?

Alright, so I'm not a lawyer, but I watch enough Law & Order (way more than enough!) to know that they can't just search my shit without some sort of cause. And I don't believe that doing 70 in a 65 warrants a vehicle search. Now, technically, they ARE asking my permission to search it. Hmmm...does that make a difference? It's not like I particularly feel like I'm being given the choice to say 'No' at this point. Thoughts did conjure up of calling Kristina (a lawyer) right then and there, but I was really trying to not rock the boat for two cops who already had nightsticks up their asses about something. Besides, there's nothing to hide in the car except the fact that it's a complete mess from 3,500+ miles of driving over the last few weeks. Oh, and Cum Shot riding shotgun with me might take a little explaining.

So they proceed to search my car while I sit in the back seat of their police truck, and I'm just waiting for one of them to plant a bag of coke in the car so they can really give me a hard time (again, a bit too much TV).

Luckily, they returned seemed a bit diffused. "Well, your license is clean, and I don't see anything illegal in the car. So my policy is to leave well enough alone, and let you off with a warning. The speed limit here 65, and just around the next bend you'll see signs for 55. Keep it there.

"Yes officers, thank you. [Fuckers who wasted 40 minutes of my time and borderline illegally searched my car because you have nothing better to do on a Thursday morning]"

Turns out there's a police museum/annex station on Beale Street downtown. I happened in and asked one of the officers there about the experience, and he explained a few things.

* The guys who pulled me over were from a special drug detail...apparently Memphis is a MAJOR drug corridor, with I40 crossing the Mississippi right there, and I55 running North and South from New Orleans straight up to Chicago, So there's a lot of drug traffic through town and they're trying to crack down on it. There were a few recent high profile busts, and it's likely that those courriers rolled over provided info on others who'd be passing through. I probably met some of the profiling conditions...solo driver, in a nice car, relatively abiding by the speed limit (i.e. not speeding too much), and traveling 'cross country' was enough to trigger the caution flags.

* If they ASK if they can search the car, it's legal. (although, I maintain I really didn't feel as if I was being offered a choice). Apparently a lot of courriers think they've got stuff stashed well enough that they let officers search the cars (or feel like they don't have a choice), and the cops do dig up the stash. That's what happened just recently.

* If you refuse to allow them to search the car, they can detain you for a short period of time and bring out dogs. The dogs are allowed to sniff AROUND the car, and if they detect anything, the cops can then search the car.

* Generally, these guys don't bother issuing traffic citations. Technically, 70 is
speeding, but that's just the excuse they use to pull you over. ..they don't want to deal with the paperwork for traffic infractions. They're looking for big scores.

March 16

2005-03-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

The weather here is just completely nasty. It's friggin' cold and wet. There's a storm crossing over that's supposed to last for another 36 ours or so. Weather forecast for Memphis is warmer and clear for tomorrow. I'm going to head there...

The Belle Meade Plantation

2005-03-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

Arrived in Nashville safe and sound. But the weather's freakin' COLD! It's in the 30's and the forecast is calling for freezing rain for the next few days. Ugh, I definitely did not pack for this.

In an attempt to somewhat hide from the cold during the day, I head out for a tour of the Belle Meade Plantation - which has been 'christened' as the "Queen of Tennessee Planations" In its day, the Plantation consisted of 3,500 acres.

The Belle Meade's farming operations from the 1840's through the 1880's were said to be the most successful in the Mid-South for almost half a century. In addition, it's stable was recognized as the most famous nursery of thoroughbred racing stock West of the Appalachians.

Cool old carriages...

This is the view, from the porch above the front door. Not too shabby for a front lawn.

The house was equipped with some very interesting amenities. Heck, even NEW bathroom showers aren't this cool!

I'm sure I've seen benches like this in the past. In fact, it's likely my mother has purchased more than one of these antique caned benches over the years. Interestingly, they are not just pretty, caned benchs seat.

It's called a cooling bench. If/when someone died on the plantation, they wouldn't stop the work day to bury the body...nope, the work needed to continue. So they would lay the dead on the cooling bench and place tubs of ice below the bench and at the head and the feet.

The caning would enable the cooled air to vent through and keep body cool until they could attend to a proper burial. Yuck.

This is a prehistoric call box. Ok, not really prehistoric...actually pretty cool for it's time. Each room in the main house was wired with a buzzer. Outside the kitchen in the servant's room, was the call box the buzzers were all wired to. When someone would ring for assisance, the bell would sound, and a magnet would point the arror to the room number from which the call came. Then assistance would be sent to that room.

Now this is a serious brick shithouse! Actually, this is the house's smoke-house. They entertained so much at the Belle Mead that they would smoke over 20,000 pounds of pork alone per year. This smokehouse was jammed with smoked meats hanging from rafters inside.

March 15 - Nashville

2005-03-17T23:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, time to head out of Atlanta and check out someplace new. Atlanta's been fun and the weather's been pretty awesome. Hopefully it'll hold up for a bit more on the trip.

2005-03-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's random, but look how the light shades beam off the cloud. Very cool...

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

2005-03-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

Charlotte and I went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens today.

They've actually got an incredible Orchid exhibit...

2005-03-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

This is Charlotte's place in Atlanta. Well, ok...her place is the side entrance off to the right by the bushes. But it's in this house. ;)

154.4 mph?

2005-03-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

According to the GPS trip computer, I've logged 2361 miles with an average driving speed of 62.8 mph and 37.5 hours of driving time. Max speed of 154.4 mph?? Ummm...not sure how that got there.

Collateral Damage

2005-03-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

As I was heading up I65 in Alabama, the car ahead of me clipped a piece of debris that was in the shoulder of the road, and launched it right in front of my car. I think it was about ½ of a pickup truck bed-liner or something of like consistency. I smashed through it...there was nothing else to do...and it dented the hood of my car, scraped up the bumper, and took out part of the front grill. It's not too bad. I was fine, and it was pushed off to the side of the road again, so nobody else hit it.

I stopped and called the cops. I figured the insurance company would want some sort of police report. They asked me the normal stuff over the phone...where I was? Any injuries? Make/model of my car? My full name? Whether I was black or white? WHAT??? Yeah, they actually asked me point blank if I was black or white! Oh yeah, I'm in the South, aren't I? Scary. What difference would that have made in the way they respond to the call??? I don't think I wan to know.

Miller's Ribs

2005-03-13T00:04:00.000-08:00

This is a tiny little shack of a restaurant across from the beach on 90 in Gulfport…just before you get into Biloxi. It's called Miller's Ribs. Their sign says they have the best ribs on teh coast. Ok, it was about time for lunch anyway, so I figured I'd give 'em a shot. And damn...they were!

In fact, the ribs were so good that I decided I wanted to bring some to Atlanta with me. Only problem...it'd be about a day until I got there. The owner (Dave Miller) told me that I could get a styrofoam cooler at Target down the block, and he'd pack up the ribs on ice for me so they'd keep for a day.

So that's what I did! Threw them in the trunk, and I was on my way...

Biloxi is also chock full of casinos. Being that I had a little time to kill while fresh ribs were coming off the grill for me, I opted to wander into one and try out Cum Shot's luck. Low and behold, in 30 minutes, I walked out of the casino with an extra $270 in my hand! (yup, that big ship looking thing was the casino)

Biloxi, Mississippi

2005-03-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Biloxi, Mississippi was pretty sweet. This is a view of the beach as it overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. The sand here was incredibly fine and the beaches were super clean. I'd love to return during real beach weather (It's about 62 degres and windy. Just a bit too cool to lay out).

March 10 - Off to Atlanta

2005-03-09T23:50:00.000-08:00

New Orleans has been a blast! I've met some very cool people, and had a great time. Now it's off to Atlanta to visit with Charlotte and see what's doing there. Thanks to Amy for letting me crash at her place...and to Ian and Amanda for being excellent hosts down here! We definitely need to get together again soon! Any time you want to come to SF and visit, just say the word.

The Maple Leaf Bar

2005-03-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

After returning from the casino, Amanda nad I went back out to the Maple Leaf Bar to catch some New Orleans Jazz with a band called Rebirth.

Black chips

2005-03-09T23:14:00.000-08:00

This is Amanda. We went to Harrah's Casino on Wed afternoon (well, got there about 4pm, left for a bit for dinner and returned until 11pm) Amanda started off with $20...had some ups and downs, but left with a $100 chip. She even had the opportunity to bet a few $25 hands, which both excited and mortified her.

Amanda atributes her luck to her good luck charm who joined us on the tables at the casino. This would be Salt Lick.

As a parting gift from New Orleans, Amanda gave me a good luck charm to travel (and continue gambling) with. That could be Cum Shot (on the right).

Here's Ian and Cum Shot.

Oh, and since he's gone through the whole week without mention, it seems necessary to also introduce Frankie. Frankie is Amy's cat, who's been temporarily left at the apartment in New Orleans with Ian and Amanda. He's a BIG boy!

Ooops...can't leave Salt Lick and Cum Shot alone...

2005-03-09T22:55:00.000-08:00

Bumped into Toni (left) with a friend of hers on Bourbon Street this afternoon. She was still out from the night before...kudos to her for still being able to stand!

2005-03-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

2005-03-09T22:36:00.000-08:00

This guy didn't make it too far up the ladder. Actually, it was pretty impressive. He balanced completely still in this position for 15 minutes at a pop.

Meet Harry Anderson.

2005-03-09T22:19:00.000-08:00

Yup, that's Harry Anderson (of Night Court fame). He and his wife own a magic shop here in New Orleans. I randomly walked in and saw a guy happily demonsrating card tricks to a group of customers. His voice sounded familiar and he looked familiar...then I noticed a few books authored by him on the shelf, and realized it was, in fact, him. (On a side note, my brother once met Harry and did a photo shoot with him for the magazine my brother was publishing. Harry remembered my brother well, and was very friendly and fun to chat with)

Shake your money maker...

2005-03-09T22:15:00.000-08:00

Boy, I could definitely use one of these. This one was too expensive for one that only makes single dollar bills though.

Muffa what?

2005-03-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

Muffulettas are another New Orleans treat. Central Grocery takes the claim to fame for these scrumptous sandwiches.

Muffa-what? Yeah, that was my response too...it's basically a sandwich of Italian meats, cheese and an olive spread that's served on a large round italian bread. The bread loaf is probably 12"-14" round, and sandwiches are sold as a "whole" or a "half". The half was quite enough. (actually, after having the beignets for breakfast, I only ate 1/4 of the Muffeletta and saved the rest).

The muffulettas are served best with a Barq's root beer. I'm not generally a root beer fan, but since it was definitely recommended, I gave it a shot. The salty Italian meats and olive spread were awesome combination with the super sweet root beer. Definitely a great mix of the two extremes!

Beignets

2005-03-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

Aside from great Cajun food, New Orleans has a few other regional specialties that are quite yummy. Beignets, for one. Cafe Du Monde takes credit for beignets in New Orleans. If you're not familiar, a beignet is basically fried dough smothered in powdered sugar. Think funnel cake in a different shape, if that helps.

At Cafe Du Monde, they've got a machine that takes the dough and presses it into little rectangles.

Then they toss them into HUGE fryers (luckily, I ate them BEFORE seeing this...I might have thought twice about eating an entire order of 3 beignets)

Once cooked...drop a few on a plate, cover in powdered sugar, and grab your insulin.

March 5 - Frenchman Street

2005-03-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

Went out to dinner tonight to a bar called Port of Call. Numerous people have told me they have the best burgers in New Orleans. I'm not going to argue...it was a pretty darn good burger.

They serve the burgers with baked potatoes...no fries available here. Personally, I'm a big fan of fries...and once you're ating a burger with your hands, who wants to pick up a fork to eat a baked potato?

On the way out of Port of Call (being slightly lost and not really knowing what else was around there), I started chatting with Alan (right), Rachel (left) and Alan's girlfriend, Olivia (below). My small critique about craving fries with my burger was quickly shot down by them. Ok, I can accept defeat.

They were totally awesome and a lot of fun. I tagged along with them to Frenchman Street, which is not far from Bourbon Street, but is much more mellow and frequented more by locals than tourists.

They pointed out some of the local bars on the street and we popped into one for a bit. As they were leaving, Alan and Olivia invited me to come along to the next bar, which was really sweet of them. We walked down the block to Check Point Charlie's, which was nearly totally empty, but had a decent band playing AND pool tables.

Turns out Olivia pretty much grew up with a que stick in hand. She could run the table on her own if she wanted. So she partnered with Rachel, who barely knew how to hold the stick, let alone shoot. We waived the 'one foot on the floor' rule for her. :)

For a beginner (with Olivia's coaching and guidance) Rachel kicked ass. She barely missed ANY shots. Quite impressive! Thankfully, at the end of the night (which was probably about 3:30 or 4am), Alan offered to drive me home. It wasn't looking too easy to find a cab, and it probably wouldn't have been the best place to be standing around waiting for one. Thanks guys, for a really fun night. It'd be great to do it again sometime!

Creole tomatoes?

2005-03-08T22:02:00.000-08:00

Creole tomatoes? Ok, I had to try them. I'll report back

New Orleans architecture...

2005-03-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

Aside from the somewhat morbid graveyards, the architecture here in New Orleans is beautiful!

Above-ground graves?

2005-03-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

Most of New Orleans is at or below sea level. That poses an interesting problem for the dead. Dig a few feet down and you hit water. That doesn't bode well for the dearly departed. They tend to float back up. So the dead are buried ABOVE ground...

March 2

2005-03-06T22:51:00.000-08:00

This is Michelle (left) and Toni (right). I met them at the Bulldog on Magazine Street on Wed night. It's an awesome pub (a block from Rue de la Course) and only 4 blocks from where I'm staying. I was sitting at the bar looking at the menu, and at Michelle's suggestion, ordered the crawfish tail burrito's. Yumm! Good choice!

After leaving the Bulldog I checked out Harrah's Casino. Played a bit of blackjack, and then tried my hand at video poker. Unfortunately, this was the machine NEXT to me. Doh!

It was a quarter machine, so the 4,000 credit payout was $1,000....that doesn't suck for betting quarters!

Bourbon Street

2005-03-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

The bars on Bourbon Street feature live music daily, ranging from Jazz to Blues, Rock, Soul...you name it, you can find a band playing it.

And along with the music comes plenty 'o booze. Early in the evening many of the bars offer 3 for 1 drinks. The catch is you get it all at once...so they give you drinks in HUGE glasses. (or if it's a beer, you have to take all 3 at once...great if you're with a group...pain in the ass if you're solo)

And while Mardi Gras has been over for a few weeks...the signs still show all around the city. Beads are EVERYWHERE!

And the occasional exhibitionist still looms...

Of course, Bourbon is also full of all kinds of adult entertainment. There's got to be 15+ strip clubs all within a few blocks along Bourbon.

With all that booze and naked women abound, the bible thumpers have to show up to be sure you know you're going to hell. Why do they insist on trying to save us anyway?? Wouldn't they prefer to be in heaven without all the sinners??

Come night time, Bourbon is a crowded blur (in this case, it was simply the camera lens that was out of focus...although it did likely mirror my vision)

Ugh...MORE rain...

2005-03-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, this rain thing is getting a little old now. I arrived here in New Orleans late Tues and the weather was pretty mild. I thought I'd finally escaped the rains but no such luck. It clouded over Wed evening and poured all night Wed and so far all morning this morning. Oh well.

But I did find my new favorite spot to hang out. A little cafe on Magazine Street in New Orleans called Rue de la Course. Actually, it's not so little...it's got almost 50 tables in it. It seems to always have a good crowd in it...serving mostly a graduate student population. Just about everyone in here is studying or writing. They've got free wireless (yay!) and cheap sandwiches and snacks.

I spent a good chunk of time in here yesterday, before and after exploring the city for the day, and then returned here this morning to get out of the apartment and escape the rain while I figure out some sort of indoor exploring to do today. Looks like it'll be a museum day.

I've also got a bunch of pics to post...will try to do that later.

The house in New Orleans

2005-03-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

This is Amy's apartment (on the left side). It's a 2 BR, 2 BA 'shotgun' apartment. There's no hallway...it just flows from one room to the next. Living room --> dining room --> kitchen (with a bath off to the side) --> bedroom #1 --> bedroom #2 --> bathroom #2. Yup...it kinda sucks to be in the first bedroom, cause you're roomate has no choice but to walk through your room to get to their own. Amy now lives in San Francisco, but is still riding out her lease here in New Orleans. I've been staying here with her roommate Ian and his girlfriend, Amanda.

2005-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

This was just really pretty. Somewhere around Baten Rouge, Louisiana.

2005-03-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

See, Texas is pro-choice: you can choose to fish or hunt. And for the lazy ones...they can just buy ammo for the fishing trip. Apparently it's much easier to just shoot 'em out of the water.

Once you go climate controlled, you never go back. It's just never the same again.

Mar 1 - Off to New Orleans...

2005-02-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's late Monday night, and I think I've finally caught up with all the photos. I'm heading out to New Orleans sometime in the morning. The trusty GPS system shows it to be only a 5 hour drive, so it should be relatively painless. For the first time this trip, I'm not on a particular deadline to get anywher, so I can take my time and explore anything that looks interesting along the way.

I've been offered a place to stay there, but as I don't know anybody in town, I'm considering checking out the local hostel(s), just to have the opportunity to meet other travelers and perhaps find some people to hang with for a few days. Maybe I'll do a combination of both accommodations.

In the meantime, thank you Jason and Livia for letting me crash on your floor for a few nights. It's been fun visiting, and I look forward to hosting you when you get the chance to visit SF.

Feb 27 - The Butterfly Exhibit

2005-02-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

It was just too nice out to spend the afternoon in the museum, but I did go to the butterfly exhibit. It was truly amazing to stroll around the exhibit with hundreds of butterflies fluttering around.

Travel could be worse...

2005-02-28T22:20:00.000-08:00

I guess I shouldn't complain about driving cross-country. It could be worse!

Feb 27 - The Fragrant Garden

2005-02-28T22:18:00.000-08:00

It seems like it's been raining forever. It was finally sunny and warm today, so I took the opportunity to get some fresh air and explore a bit. On my way to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, I stumbled on a very cool garden exhibit of fragrant plants.

There was a mint bed...

A culinary bed...

and a few miscellaneous beds of assorted wonderful smelling plants.

Feb 26 - World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest

2005-02-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

Synonymous with "Texas" are "Rodeo" and "BBQ". As fate would have it, Jason lives across the street (literally) from Reliant Stadium, where the 2005 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was taking place. And conveniently the whole fanfare kicks off with the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest. Essentially, you enter into the middle of something akin to a county fair, complete with cheesy carnival rides, deep fried anything (the new one here was deep fried Oreo cookies!), funnel cakes (yumm!), and plenty of games to win little stuffed animals. In the middle of all that are 400 separate competitors, each with their own themed circus tent, set up with a full mobile kitchen, BBQ/smoker and a ton of food & drink.

Somehow, Eric managed to join one of the BBQ teams (named the Cowboy Yacht Club - note the "CYC" at the entrance to their tent)

The teams each entered some of their BBQ in the competition and spent the rest of the weekend cooking for friends & family that came to their tent by invitation only. Luckily, Eric hooked us up with invitations to his tent. Otherwise, people just kinda roam around smelling all kinds of great BBQ that they can't get their hands on because they don't have an 'inside' connection. And somehow it seems there's thousands of people who do that.

On the menu in Eric's tent: beef brisket, beef sausage, pork, chicken, beans, cole slaw and little red potatoes. As an after thought, they did have a bowl of iceberg lettuce at the very end of the buffet line. Nobody was even going near it. Definitely a vegetarian's nightmare!

Jason's quite proud of the fact that he grew up and currently lives in Houston, and has NEVER owned a cowboy hat or boots. (we made him put Eric's hat on)

Eric didn't get his hat and boots until he moved AWAY from Texas.

We were happy with the margaritas and beer until Eric pulled out some of the wine he brought. That definitely beat the beer selection of Budweiser or MGD.

Meet Jason and Livia...

2005-02-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know Eric White, this is his brother, Jason and Jason's fiance, Livia. Jason and I actually met this past summer in China, where he and Livia were living for a year. When I was in China, Livia was traveling on vacation and I didn't have the opportunity to meet here. So I was glad to be able to catch up with them here in Houston.

You'd probably never put Eric and Jason in a room together and figure out that they're siblings...

...but once you get to know him, it's clear the two apples have fallen from the same tree. Yes, knife throwing is one of Jason's more recent pastimes.

Indoor knife throwing, that is.

Luckily, Livia enjoys the sport as well....

Yeah, the board kinda protects the walls..but odds are slim that Jason and Livia will be getting their rental deposit back.

I have to admit though...it's a very liberating experience to throw a knife down a hallway.

Although, it does seem a bit like a scene from Kill Bill.

Feb 25 - Mangum --> Houston

2005-02-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

Last night was an excellent night's rest. The Bed and Breakfast was a fantastic place. A beautiful old house in the middle of a quaint little town. Stacey's mom Yvette and her husband, Ben have done a remarkable job of restoring this house and adding wonderful finishing touches on it. They've been working on it for years, and all their time and effort and dedication to it definitely shows.

After arriving last night, I spent sime time catching up with Yvette and Ben (we've met a few times in the past, including a visit that Stacey and Yvette made when I was still living in NY), and grabbed some Mexican food before everything closed up for the night (which was generally by 9pm).

This morning, I awoke to a wonderful breakfast of sausage, eggs, potatoes and toast...perfect to fuel me for the long drive to Houston.

Thanks Yvette and Ben for hosting me! It was great to see you!

After a long day of driving from Mangum (Oklahoma) to Houston, I finally arrived around 5pm.

Downtown Houston boasts a beautiful skyline, but the city actually sprawls for miles around.

Feb 24 - Albuquerque --> Mangum (it's in Oklahoma)

2005-02-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

Why Mangum? Good question. Well, it turns out that an old friend of mine came to visit me in SF just before I left on the trip. Stacey and I go way back...probably >10 years now. (Wow, that IS a long time). She used to live outside Fort Worth, so in my past life, when I spent 70% of my time traveling on business, I was able to cruise through the Dallas/Fort Worth area and visit pretty regularly. Stacey has since moved to small town Missouri, and this was the first time I've seen her in nearly 8 years. Anyway, as I was preparing for the trip and playing around with maps and places I was planning to go, Stacey pointed out that I'd be passing not far from where her Mom lives and owns a Bed and Breakfast in Oklahoma. We mapped it out, and it was only about an hour out of the way, and a perfect resting spot between Albuquerque and Houston. Perfect. Stacey called her mom and made a 'reservation' for me at the Mangum White House Bed and Breakfast.

Brrrr...snow

And lots of it in areas!

Once you pass the mountains, it's back to long, straight roads to nowhere (otherwise known as Albuquerque)

Finally, it's started to warm up into the 50's and there's no longer any traces of snow.

The landscape is completely different yet again.

But the road is still straight and seemingly endless...

What's this? Grass again? And cows!

This is the road from the Interstate to Mangum. 30 miles...straight as an arrow.

Feb 23 - Vegas --> Albuquerque

2005-02-28T18:28:00.000-08:00

Driving East from Vegas, you start to see some more color in the hills again.

Approaching Lake Mead & Hoover Dam.

That's pretty big for a man-made lake!

And incredibly beautiful!

This is the continuation of the Colorado River after it passes thru Hoover Dam...

DAM, that's a BIG dam!

Hoover Dam generates ~10% of the electricity in Las Vegas...

And it provides nearly 90% of the water in Vegas!

These are the huge electric generators deep inside the dam.

It took only 4 years to construct this...how long have they been trying to build the new Bay Bridge???

There's nuthin' and nobody out here in AZ...

Just lots of long straight road.

And more road...

Oh look, a turn in the road...and the beginnings of a rainbow!

Heading into Flagstaff was pretty cold. And there was snow visible in the mountains ahead. The landscape certainly changed over the last few hours as well.

Feb 20 - Kristina's Birthday Dinner

2005-02-28T18:12:00.000-08:00

And what's Vegas without a party? Nothing like a little public recognition for the birthday girl.

Followed by...

...the chicken dance!

Feb 20 - Hanging in Vegas

2005-02-28T17:50:00.000-08:00

Here's where it all happened...ok, well at least that's where we all slept. I'm really not sure what happened where. :)

When in Vegas...play with guns!

Pick a machine gun, any machine gun. (If Google could only see you now, Jeff...)

Or grab a pistol, if machine guns aren't your thing...

Isabelle definitely looked like a pro...

...and you wouldn't want to be her target. She shot like a pro, too!

Krisitina's a pretty good shot too. Apparently, you can now find her target hanging on the back of her office door. Something of a scare tactic to keep the partners in her firm from messing with her...

Feb 19 - Bakersfield --> Vegas

2005-02-28T17:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, we had to divert for a bit in Bakersfield to see this thing...it's a giant robot made of air conditioning ducts!

Here's a better picture from online...we couldn't get past the big wall.

More beautiful CA landscape just outside Bakersfield.

Ahhh, yes. Vegas. Home of cold beer & dirty girls.

Feb 18 - San Francisco --> Button Willow (Bakersfield, CA)

2005-02-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

Somewhere on the way to Bakersfield...

Ahh, beautiful California landscapes...

Mmmmm...yumm. This seemed to be about the best thing going outside Bakersfield...and yes, we were hungry!. It was actually pretty good!

So this was dinner on day 1 of the roadtrip. Buttonwillow, CA...somewhere just outside Bakersfield.