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I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm going to be out of pocket for awhile. I don't know how long exactly. I'm going with my parents to see the Grand Canyon, and since we're going to drive it, it's going to end one of three ways.
1) We either have one of those legendary family vacations I've only read about in stories.
2) We don't make it across the Oklahoma border before we're headed back home.
3) We kill each other.
... I need a vacation from my family, but I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, so I'm willing to do my part to make this a pleasant trip. Whether or not they'll do the same remains to be seen, but in theory, I'll be out of pocket for awhile.
I'm taking my Baby Taylor travel guitar and my Canon XSi (and three or four SDHC cards) so I'll at least have plenty of pictures, and a mode of stress relief should I need it. :-)
I'm also taking my laptop (and seven seasons of Deep Space 9 :-P), but I can't afford mobile broadband or anything like that, and my parents aren't exactly the five star hotel types, so I'm not expecting to have wi-fi either. If the mood to write strikes me while I'm gone, I might have something new when I get back, but if not, I should, hopefully, at least feel more renewed and ready to write again :-)
~Zoe
Edit: So much for that. See my post here http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/blog/28885/family-vacation-god... for some details, but I just don't care anymore.
Comments
I work in a hotel, and a lot
I work in a hotel, and a lot of them, especially the chain type, have wifi. Have a great trip.
Motel 6 & Super 8
BOTH typically have wifi - in fact, I've not seen one in years that did not. And... I want copies of your DS9. And... you know you could come here, again, don't you?
We stay at Super 8s alot, decent chain. Mid priced. Nice IMHO
Usually clean, decently soundproofed rooms and they usually have a good breakfast provided AND WiFi.
Plus WiFi is available at many restaurants, including Starbucks, McDonalds and so on. Or the motel/restaurant next door with WiFi MAY be within range. At least one state I know of, Iowa, has installed WiFi in their interstate Highway rest areas to encourage the truckers and others to do their communications while safely parked. I would not be surprised if many of those combination truck stops/convenience store/fast food/gas station complexes don't offer WiFi now.
Our experience in my teens with two and three week car trips -- five people in one four door sedan -- was mom and dad barely would talk at the end of day one, usually one of our longest days, up to 800 miles with only two drivers. The 1971 trip to the west coast and back was TRUELY memorable as we used the 1964 Ford Fairlane with a 260 CID V8 and nothing much else, IE no AC, washers, power breaks or steering. Even the radio was a salvage out of a Mustang.
Wauwatosa Wisconsin to Murdo South Dakota was a LOOOONG drive, The next day we limped into Rapid City SD where mom recovered from her first and worst day of her period -- no wonder she and dad we a bit on edge the day before -- and dad had the water pump replaced which had just begun to fail as we entered town.
The trip back was even better, 85 to as much as 95 MPH on I-80 crossing the Great Carson Sink in Nevada in mid/upper nineties F heat, windows wide open and we were the SLOWEST car on the highway, Bias ply tires, 95 was the fastest we could drive at sustained speed or risk over heating them. The legal speed limit was "Reasonable and Prudent" IE Bat Out of Hell? Out of my way, slowpoke!
Be VERY forgiving of each other. Take frequent breaks and just try and "Be Excellent to Each Other". And remember some of the states you are traveling through have the death penalty for murder. So no matter how temping...
Not easy with three kids in the back... oh that was us. And we managed to never kill each other... barely.
Have fun. BTW the North Rim which is several thousand feet higher is much cooler and less crowded.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Peak Season
Forgot that is now peak season there, I wasn't so bad in November....
Went to the canyon 20 months ago...
I did drove to the grand canyon with my sister in November of 09 (You see, when we took family trips when we were younger, my father would no vary off from the plan, nor would he pay the government for the park services). It was only a one day drive from Albuquerque, can't be more than a 1.5 day drive from OK.
Have fun.
Oh, yeah, took the train in from (forgot the town in Arizona), better of by car, IMO. I expected much better.
Mark
P.S. Insomnia is so much fun..... (time to try to sleep again)...
P.P.S. if you travel across I-40, the painted desert/Petrified forest is on the way.
Traveling and sight seeing
I grew up with six siblings traveling took two cars, we were seperated by gender. I saw the western part of North Dakota so many times I actually got tired of it.
I have been around the world seen both poles and done things that one would pay dearly to do all with a travel service that required us to work as we travelled the seas.
I've seen a lot of things but not my own back yard.
We really didn't travel much as a family and vacation was a sprinkler in the front lawn and running through it. ( I grew up in Minnesnowda).
I've swam in the Mekong Delta, swam in the Gulf of Siam. fished in the Persian Gulf and climbed a mountain in the Antarctica then slid down the other side on makeshift sleds.
I haven't seen much of the United States, I envy those that have seen the Grand Canyon and other sites within our country.
Enjoy your trip, think about those who will probably never see the grand canyon and feel good because you are.
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
Jill Micayla
Be kinder than necessary,Because everyone you meet
Is fighting some kind of battle.
Family Vacation ... God help me :-P
Hope that you and your family bond.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Canyon Music
Coming up on the South Rim you are driving through sort of a forest, not expecting much then suddenly you are at the edge of the biggest hole in the Earth you cannot imagine. Like somebody drained an ocean.
I had cued up a tune I had thought would be appropriate; I'd been saving this tune for years for this moment. On Little Feat's album "Waiting For Columbus" is a tune, Tripe Face Boogie, at 1:53 into it they break into an instrumental track for about four minutes that perfectly matches the sight in scale and impact. I'd timed my arrival with dawn so I was able to see the morning Sun paint the canyon. Between the sight and sound I was reduced to tears. Headphones on. I remember accidentally pouring my mug of coffee in my camera bag and not caring.
BTW, this version of the instrumental is only on that one album, other versions do not have it, not on Youtube either.
Thats sort of the rocking version . Anyone have suggestions for music? Something pastoral, a little George Winston perhaps?
There's always silence as well, great place to meditate.
Glad to see I'm not the only one
who cried when I saw the Grand Canyon, Christine...
I'd gone to Las Vegas and didn't really want to stay in the city so hopped a city bus to Boulder City, found a motel there, from where I could take the dam tour and walk to Lake Mead and stuff. Saw a sign that said GRAND CANYON TOURS, and had never even seen it, and I love flying so on impulse I paid the 60 buck, and an hour later was putting-putting up the middle of the canyon in a Cessna or something, me the pilot and two other tourists. This was the last year they allowed these kind of tours. It was April, rainy and then sunny and thru another cloud, bouncing around was fun, unlike the dull elevator-like experience of some big jet you really feel like you're flying. The Colorado River below us was the most gorgeous emerald green, and the canyon walls so many wonderful shades of tan and yellow and orange, what moved me about the Grand Canyon was the fragile quality it had, the delicacy of all the little outcroppings; I was awe-struck, and next thing I knew I was sobbing in front of these 3 strangers at the beauty of it. It was well worth the $60. Have fun on your trip Zoe. I'm sure you'll see lots of amazing things. A lot of the best stuff about travelling is the weird local touches you never expected, like those jackalope postcards for sale by the register at the greasy spoon and FIVE MILES TO BIG ED'S GILA MONSTER FARM...
~~hugs, Veronica
"Government will only recognize 2 genders, male + female,
as assigned at birth-" (In his own words:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lugbpMKDU
That was fast...
Warning: Harsh language follows.
You know what? Fuck it. I'm through trying to be a part of this dysfunctional family.
The GC trip was already off because they're scared of blowback from a possible nuclear meltdown in New Mexico (wildfires threatening a plant in Los Alamos or something), and then epic family argument happened. I won't get into details because it's not the sort of thing I want to discuss in public, but I'm through trying to be nice and getting my ass chewed out for my trouble.
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I'm glad that you had a change of plans before setting out
...jeez what a disaster that would have been. My hope is that you actually do get a vacation from all the stuff you've had to deal with. I wish I had the money to send you flying across the pond. I do have a powerball ticket for this evening, and I'll be hoping for both of us as well as a few more, aye?
Dio vi benedica tutti
Con grande amore e di affetto
Andrea Lena
Love, Andrea Lena
Yeah, really
It could just be the media making a mountain out of a mole hill, but if that power plant is in danger, going west would be the worst possible thing we could do. It's aggravating, but for once I agree with them that it's just not worth the risk.
I was considering New Orleans as an alternative, but after tonight I just don't care anymore. I'll ping you shortly aunt 'Drea, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that lottery ticket ;-)
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New Mexico glows red...
I've lived in this area since 69, I don't remember any mention of any major reactor up there. However I believe there a lot of badly buried reactive waste up there. When they they built the first bombs, they really didn't know what they were doing. Not that was an excuse.
FYI Trinity Site opens up twice a year for a visit for anyone who wants to see it.
Mark
Wild Fire?
Wild Fire I know Arizona had the Wild Fire in the eastern end of the state And to my knowledge was no where near that plant let alone it's city.But Arizona is not the only state that has the Grand Canyon in it. I know that it also goes into Colorado and Utah so not knowing which part of it The Media is not worth the amount of air time it gets. And I am sorry you feel that way about your family but alass I do know what it is like I wonder about some of the family things I go to when I know they don't understand my need to me the real me and all they really see is the front that I put up for them. With a very small acception of a few members.
Yours Truly
Arina
Los Almos
Los Almos is in New Mexco it the the U.S. Neculear Testing Labs Arina.
Zoe I'm so sorry hun for your troubles if you want to talk please IM me hun I'm willing to let you vent sweety.
Love Samantha Renee Heart
Love Samantha Renee Heart
Doesn't Answer the Un Asked Questioned.
Yea and that says nothing about how close it was to the Wild Fire in my Home state Miss Reene I wasn't asking where the city it self was if I was asking anything it was how close was the plant to the actual Wild Fire going on in my state.
Good Luck
Good Luck I wish you the best for number 1 and I hope you make it to my home state even if it doesn't feel like at times for me.