WonderK: I fly to NYC this Thursday (3rd) and get on the road on Monday 7th. Depending on how the driving goes (i.e. I'm still somewhat confused by the long distances involved!) I hope to be in Cincinatti either on the next Thursday or Friday evening (10th or 11th). Will you be around? Does the WonderK tour centre on the architecture or the nightlife?! All advice and touring will be repayed in the traditional English social currency: alcohol. I then need to be in Chicago on the evening of Saturday 12th to collect my travel-companion from O'Hare.
FOG Lite: Thanks for all the Kansas tips! I reckon I'll have to take your advice on visiting Lawrence. The offer of a place to pitch a tent is also inviting. I'll definitely pace it across the rest of Kansas as I've been getting some great tips for things to see in the Rockies.
As for the drive between NYC and Philly... terrifying, eh? Bring it on! Imagine how hard I'll find it while still getting used to driving on the wrong (as opposed to left) side of the road. All part of the experience, I reckon. Anyway, I've already arranged to collect my car at Newark Airport.
WonderK: I fly to NYC this Thursday (3rd) and get on the road on Monday 7th. Depending on how the driving goes (i.e. I'm still somewhat confused by the long distances involved!) I hope to be in Cincinatti either on the next Thursday or Friday evening (10th or 11th). Will you be around? Does the WonderK tour centre on the architecture or the nightlife?! All advice and touring will be repayed in the traditional English social currency: alcohol. I then need to be in Chicago on the evening of Saturday 12th to collect my travel-companion from O'Hare.
FOG Lite: Thanks for all the Kansas tips! I reckon I'll have to take your advice on visiting Lawrence. The offer of a place to pitch a tent is also inviting. I'll definitely pace it across the rest of Kansas as I've been getting some great tips for things to see in the Rockies.
As for the drive between NYC and Philly... terrifying, eh? Bring it on! Imagine how hard I'll find it while still getting used to driving on the wrong (as opposed to left) side of the road. All part of the experience, I reckon. Anyway, I've already arranged to collect my car at Newark Airport.
Chris the 10th and the 11th are both open on my end. I will see you when you get here.
Also, as far as the drive from NYC to Philly, I think what they might have meant is that New Jersey just isn't fun to drive through. My suggestion, which I think I touched on earlier, is to make sure you have plenty of change for the tolls, both single dollar bills and loose change. You won't be past the tolls until you hit Ohio. And do your best NOT to go through the "Fast Pass" lanes.....those are lanes reserved for people with passes and if you go through them, they might send you a ticket (if they can find you!).
You can take the train from Penn Station to Newark or there is a bus from Port Authority.
The worst part of the NY-Philly drive is exiting Manhattan- either tunnel or bridge is worse then any ring road on the continent. From the airport, the NJ turnpike is a streight shot- just be warned it's 22+ lanes. There is an inner & outer road- both get equally congested, the outer road has all the trucks and local exits, the inner has more asshole drivers going too fast.
the NJ turnpike is a toll road and expect about $10 in tolls- have cash.
If you're aiming for philly, take the turnpike to exit 4 and cross the delaware on the Ben Franklin Bridge which drops you into center city.To leave Philly, interstate 76 west takes you to the PA turnpike for points west.
If your heading for Falling Water, take the PA turnpike exit (more tolls) which passes to the north of Philly. A short stop at Valley Forge Battlefield is a good american history stop (located near the junction of 76 & the PA turnpike)
After Falling Water (if you skip Pittsburg), stop in Wheeling WV for Roebling's bridge - the oldest suspension bridge in the world. It's on route to Columbus/Cinci
Keep us posted from the road, We want pics!
PS- If you make it to Los Angeles, send me an email.
my apologies for being a bit of a downer here, but what's the appeal of the trans-american road-trip?
personally, i've crossed america from los angeles-to-boston and felt that it wasn't much more than a gigantic waste of petroleum. most grueling trip was a 36 hour drive straight through from los angeles to ann arbor, mi after the 1998 rose bowl. talk about weird, sun rose as we left la, set, rose again and set again before we made it home. it was also a bit interesting the way in which time became compressed, i.e., refilling the gas tank every four hours(that's 9 times in a 36 hour trip) which you start to use as bathroom breaks too, and getting two oil changes in the span of three days. yikes...but it addeed some perspective to the way that those astronauts operated when it use to take them 25 hours (or whatever it was) to get to the moon in one of those little apollo spaceships.
maybe it's just me, but i'd rather just pick a spot (any place really) and spend a month there fleshing it out. driving across country just started to feel really lame to me...truck stops are all pretty much the same and after a while staring out the window is about as fulfilling as watching scenery on television. even the flavor of local radio has been nearly lost since most channels are now owned by about three major companies and like to use the same pre-recorded dj's in every market. oh...and get used to country music, it'll be the only thing you can get in some places.
if i was you, i'd probably just go straight to cincinnati and hang out with wonderk until she gets annoyed with you. but at least you'd probably get to meet some people and make some american friends that way. the road tends to be a rather lonely place. hence all the prostitutes hanging out at truck stops.
sadly, i guess that it's probably an accurate representation of the american experience to spend most of your time in the car...enjoy it while you can and be thankful that you've got something else to return to.
hmmm...that wasn't very helpful. since you're going to do the driving trip anyways then i'd definitely suggest renting something like a cadillac escalade. might as well do it properly.
did a 2 month cross country road trip quite a few years back - camped in national parks most of the time, a few nights in cheap hotels and a few with friends.
the national parks are really incredible - if you manage to get some camping gear (and in the summer all you'll need is a cheap tent and sleeping bag) you can just show up and say you want to camp away from the parking lots - don't remember exactly what they call it but the rangers will tell you where to go, it's cheap and you'll see some beautiful things...
grand tetons & arches were my favorite - black hills & mt. rushmore in south dakota probably the highlight of the trip. also some interested native american history on the reservation. you definitely want to drive though a lot of utah - it'll be hot as hell and you'll need water but it's like being on mars.
if you get to LA and want to get a drink in silverlake and/or visit our messy construction site (doing an addition to our house), send an e-mail...rst@linkline.com
oh! and if you have time while in nyc take the train from grand central to beacon (metro north) to visit the dia - just went again a month ago and it's so f**ing incredible - richard serra, robert irwin, heizer, flavin... great building, nice view of the hudson on the train.
Eek, don't skip Pittsburgh for Wheeling!!! Wheeling may have one (boring and hard to see over an unscenic river) but Pittsburgh has a bunch, all in a row, over its three rivers with just breathtaking siting for a city smack in between them all! And cliffs rising up on the south... it's beautiful. Also as the quintessential steel town it is a prerequisite for heading to Chicago... the steel that put Chicago up came from the hardworking and very proud citizens of Pittsburgh. They have a history of forging things and bringing strength from nothing and they are a fascinating people for it.
The turnpike goes past it though so make sure, absolutely sure, that you get off the road long enough to just detour through Pittsburgh. It's not far at all off the track (~1/2 hour maybe).
There is a "town" called Biggs on the way from Portland to Vancouver (can't remember if it was before or after Seattle). it consists of a petrol station, a motel(with a view of a dike) and a subway restaurant. it is a place i will always remember.
A rental is probably the safest route to go especially without an american to check out the purchase beofre you get here. You probably know of craigslist but there are many cars on there.
If you were going the other way I might consider making the journey with you (i.e. you might be able to find an american with a car who wants to make the journey? doubtful on the scheduling plus they need a return trip), or maybe a trustworthy archinecter to sell their car to you.
There's always green tortoise, it's kind of this bizare hippy bus thing that actually has an itinerary now days.
Well, thanks a lot for all the help, people. I fly to NYC tomorrow afternoon (Thursday). The roadtrip BEGINS!
I've got a pretty tight plan for the first week (NYC to Chicago), lots of ideas roughly strung together for the middle two weeks (Chicago to Las Vegas) and am still pretty vague on the last bit (LV to LA to San Fran).
Anyway, here's the plan so far:
Thu 3rd - Mon 7th: NYC. Go drinking with various people (including Brian Boyer and his crew), see the sights, go to museums, etc
Mon 7th - Wed 9th: Drive from Newark to Cincinnati via Fallingwater House, camping out
Thu 10th: Get shown Cincinnati by the wonderful miss WonderK
Fri 11th: see loads of stuff in Colombus Indiana, small town with lots of great buildings I'm told
Sat 12th - Tue 15th: Chicago. No real plans yet. What do I need to see?
Wed 16th - Thu 24th: From Chicago to Las Vegas via Springfield Illinois and Lawrence Kansas, various places in the Rockies and loads of parks. Plenty of camping plus some quirky motels
Thu 24th - Sat 26th: Vegas, baby, YEAH! My travel companion is paying for us to stay at the MGM Grand. Brilliant.
Sat 26th: One night in LA if I can arrange it. If I stay a night there, where should I try to go? What should I go see in my brief time in the city? Help please!
Sun 27th: Drive up the coast, hopefully camp at Big Sur (really need to book that)
Mon 28th - Thu 31st: San Francisco. Anyone know a good hostel? What should I see/do (already planning to visit the new deYoung, of course)?
I reckon that route is pretty much set. There's room for variations but the overall framework is all there. I'm really pleased with it. Thanks to everyone for their tips and ideas.
I'll try to post some info here when I get the chance, let you know how I'm getting on. I'll also possibly post some photos [http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherdaniel/]here[/url].
In the meantime, I've posted another entry on my Schoolblog with a link to my Bartlett unit website. I just put the final touches on it in time to go away. All comments welcome (preferably on the Schoolblog page!).
I thought the same thing, Stevn!! But I'm on vacation at the beach that week, damn. I mean good for me, hanging on the beach with beer in hand, but bad for my record of archinect meet-ups.
At the very tippy top of your list should be the Chicago Architecture Foundation'sRiverboat Tour It cannot be beat. In three hours you get the best tour in the city. But buy your tickets first thing in the morning, because they go fast.
Next, go to the Chicago Cultural Center and walk through the building - the mosaics are gorgeous. They have a visitor center and even a free tourguide service where they will take you to a Chicago neighborhood.
Also, if you see a bike store while you are driving around in the city - stop and ask for the Bike Chicago map - it is hands down the best map in the city, and its FREE!
There is a Chris Ware Exhibit at the MCA, otherwise you could feel no regrets for skipping that museum.
If you like museums though, definitely get yourself into the Art Institute - if you don't enjoy museums, but do like messin' with stuff, the Museum of Science and Industry might be more your style.
Obviously, while you are here, you have to go to Millennium Park. Another good tour is the Glessner House on Prairie Avenue. Since you are inthe neighborhood, you could check out my project just down the street.
What else?
There is Prairie Avenue Bookstore - but like a casino, only bring in what you're willing to spend - its dangerous in there. Baha'i Temple in Wilmette - a bit of a pain to get to, but definitely worth it, especially if you take Lake Shore Drive.
For an (expensive) drink at a bar with quite possibly the best view in the world, go to the Signature Lounge at the top of the John Hancock Center on the magnificent mile. Allow youself a couple of hours so that you can "swap" to get tables progressively closer to the windows. Ladies should also make sure to stop in the bathroom and sunset is stunning.
Some other notable bars & venues include: The Huettenbar Unlike most of the false reproduction bars you will encounter on your trip through america, this bar was made by German immigrants for German Immigrants to get plastered in. Now its in the new "up and coming neighborhood" but during the day its still and old-style bar.
More good Chicago bars: the Hideout, [ulr=http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/search/27638,0,1736339.venue]the Edgewater Lounge[/url] - fantastic bar food, the Empty Bottle has a good show on Saturday Night. For some nice blues, try [http://www.rosaslounge.com/]Rosa's Lounge[/url].
For the best deep dish in town, head to Gino's East (on Superior(touristy) or Lincoln (local)). True Chicago Deep dish pizza is not like regular pizza, only thicker - its a whole different animal. Order it with sausage in the patty form.
Hot Doug's - Yes, its a hot dog stand, but its got not only the most variety but also some of the best cased meats products anywhere in the world. Just don't ask for Ketchup on your dog.
Chicago is a breakfast town, so start your day right at one of these fine eateries: Flo - go early, they have drinks, Tre Kronor have a mind-blowingly good danish, Frances' Deli
Man, now I'm too hungry - I will try to think of more and maybe give you a rundown based on where in the city you are staying.
email me (r-r-d at comcast dot net) and we can try to get in contact - I can meet you for a Billy Goat burger or something - I'll be downtown all weekend, working...
Chris...while you are driving up the Big Sur Coast, consider hitting Hearst Castle...it is a pretty trippy place...eccentric and at a scale you can't really imagine until you see it...
just stopped off in the 5th Ave apple store to check my e-mails (oh, and buy an iPod for half the UK price).
Crowbert, thanks for the Chicago tips. You're the first one to suggest much for that part of the trip. Will have to print it all out somewhere and make sure I follow your suggetions.
This city is ridiculous. I'm ashamed to say I've been gawking at all the tall buildings. It's all so amazing, I feel a bit like Borat. I've totally lost any sheen of urban cool I may have built up over my years in London (replaced rapidly by a sheen of sweat in this damned heatwave!).
Right. Got to run. Going yo take a wander round Central Park then head further downtown to do some necessary shopping, then off to MoMA to get in free after 4pm.
Why are you ashamed to say you're gawking?!? I lived there and all I ever do is gawk when I go to NYC. It never gets old, and you always, ALWAYS see something new.
You'd better show up in the midwest wearing your new "I heart NYC" t-shirt, ha.
if you are chicago on tuesday thats when you wanna hit the art institute and moca cuz they are free on tuesday. also hit the prairie avenue bookstore on wabash. pee before you go though cuz they don't have a john there. personally i would go to the green mill for bar entertainment as this was al capone's favorite bar and was in the michael mann film "thief" i think i posted this place up higher on the thread.
chris. where are you staying the night of the 11th? if you're staying in/near columbus in, maybe i can drive in. drinks/archinect meetup. wonderk knows how to reach me (i think).
freaky the 3.10 a gallon is at the station where i fill up. well i just read in the paper that two people were murdered there last night at about 3:30. not at the station but in a car. apparently some carry over from a nightclub incident. in the last two days, there have been eleven murders here in the crossroads of america.
Stephen: I'll be in Cincinnati on the night of the 11th. I'm staying at chez WonderK both tonight and tomorrow night. I'll stay nearer to (or in) Colombus on Friday night. You're welcome to try to meet up if you're in the area. Apparently tomorrow night we're going for Skyline chilli!
Keef: Where are you now? I'm very happy to be in Cinci' after three days and two nights on the road. You're welcome to join me in Columbus Indiana if you can catch up...
Here's what I've been up to this week:
Monday - Got across New Jersey as quickly as possible. Stayed the night in a campsite in Intercourse(haha!), Pennsylvania. Real Amish country.
Tuesday - Quick improptu visit to Gettysburg. Drove to FallingWater and stayed in an amazing campsite nearby (will post photos soonish). Got drunk with a bunch of white water guides in a backwoods bar and then round a fire at the campsite.
Wednesday - Early morning tour of Fallingwater. Amazing. Paying the extra for the longer tour meant I could get loads of photos without tourists in them! On leaving I was annoyed to discover that I had a flat tyre. Had to drive to Pittsburgh on the emergency tyre to get a replacement car (easier than getting another tyre!). Was very annoyed about that until I was told that the only car they had to replace my Chevrolet Cobalt was a Chevrolet Malibu, which is about 3 classes further up the scale. I'm now driving a great big leather-lined saloon for the price of a 2-door hatchback. Brilliant! Got to Cinci' tonight and had a really good supper with WonderK and friends.
Intercourse, PA comes right after Blue Balls, PA on the turnpike! No joke. I think there's something like "Hail Mary" right after it or something. Weirdest triple town name setup all across the american highway. You seirously came across some notable highway trivia, good job!
As for Chicago tips--there are almost too many things to see. Don't miss the Hancock, have a drink at the top for free as someone mentioned (and it's got a better view than the Sears so you can skip going up the Sears but don't skip standing at the bottom of it, with your back to the building, and looking up--just don't fall over!). Don't miss Millenium park--EXCELLENT landscape design and water design the fountains and little fake river. At this time of year not an hour of the day goes by when people aren't gathering around and playing in the fountains there. So well detailed and such a GREAT urban space--something the rest of America should really learn from. Chicago has the single most active and dynamic downtown core that I've visited in America--somehow more homey and appealing (and clean) than NYC.
Don't miss: IIT's campus and the Robie House. If you do the Robie tour in the morning you can hit up IIT at night, they're both south of the city (both on the Red Line, I think...). Otherwise, just soak it in.
Watch out: Praire Avenue books is closed on Sunday, as i sadly discovered last Sunday. Egads. Don't miss that one, either. And the Chicago Architecture Foundation store (on Michigan Ave across from Millenium Park) has great gifts and posters and stuff too--it excites me simply to see how many people are in there all day long and how many people are actually INTERESTED in architecture in Chicago. You never hear people talk about it in other cities!
Lastly, the Chicago Institute of Art (on the Park)...I might have the name wrong, but it's on Michigan Ave. poking into Grant/Millenium Park, you can't miss it--well, it is suggested donation only, which means when you get hot and tired from wandering around downtown, you can stop in for a couple hours, pay a few bucks, and enjoy. It is EXCELLENT. Their modern art collection is notable for being a) enormous and b) well-documented/curated--every painting and sculpture has a tag which explains the artist's beginnings, cross-referencing other artists who influenced him, etc etc. It is fascinating, quiet, and very inspiring. Also there is a beautiful atrium in the middle of the museum with a nice pleasant cafe opening on it. Great way to recharge when you're tired of the city--definitely pop in. There's a decent architecture wing, as well. Plus warrior masks and cool shit like that.
If you take Metra to Oak Park you can see FLW's home and studio (not super great but interesting) and more importantly Unity Temple which is pretty good.
Enjoy! I wish I were there when you were, it'd be a lot of fun to have a companion in arch. marvelling out there.
a proustian moment when i first visited go to the cultural center which has a tiffany designed skylight and visit the museum of television broadcasting and saw old clips and props from garfield goose and friends and bozo the clown and ray rayner. the stuff i grew up on.
if you're only in LA for one night, I'd try to stick close by where you stay - otherwise you could easily waste your entire time driving in traffic.
near downtown i'd recommend the cathedral and a quick drive by the caltrans building - stop off for some japanese lunch or dinner - East or Oomasa (both on first street by the MOCA Temporary Contemporary & Japanese American Museum) are favorites & cheap...
also take a hike up the back of griffith park, starting at the old zoo picnic area - great views and LA history - a good walk to do early in the day or near sundown (cause it's blazin hot the rest of the time)
to get to griffith park from downtown via silverlake, take sunset blvd. (called cesar chavez near chinatown downtown) west from downtown to silverlake blvd. (think you need to make a quick right on parkman to get down to silverlake blvd. from sunset), around the reservoir (a couple neutra houses on the way), left on glendale blvd., continue on glendale to riverside drive, west on riverside into the park.
on this same drive there are a couple of good neo-vietnamese restaurants - pho cafe (no sign) in a strip mall on sunset on your right just before you hit the street to get down to silverlake blvd., and gingergrass, just to your right on glendale blvd. off of silverlake drive (you'll want to go left to get to the park).
also, if you're downtown saturday night you should see if there are gallery openings at chung king road in chinatown - art isn't always great but it's a really sweet little slice of LA
Oh I'm not the only one who likes the Cathedral! And I absolutely second Griffith Park (of course.) Going up to the Getty also provides a stupendous view. The buildings are so-so in my opinion but the gardens and view are first rate. The art is ok.
Chris, just checked the thread, I will be in Columbus, IN on Wednesday August 16th. Not sure what the dates were of your schedule, but fire me an email if you want to drive around together or meet up for lunch, could be fun. I think you might be too far ahead for me to catch up, although I am hot on your heels. I will be at Falling Water on Sunday.
Chris-
You're timing to visit LA is great- the best street festival is happening the weekend of the 26th. Sunset Junction in the heart of silverlake!!! But this means that getting around this part of town will be difficult.
ah, because of the junction you don't want to try and go down sunset to silverlake blvd. instead take 2nd street north/west from downtown - it turns into glendale blvd. you'll go past the echo park lake, keep going all the way until you hit riverside drive & take a left (maybe 10 minutes?). you'll pass gingergrass on your right just before you hit silverlake blvd.
Assuming Chris made it out of Cincy and into Chicago by now.
Wonder if his friend got hung up in the UK with all the new rules after the terror shake-up?
Chris, How do you like the american fruited plain? I-70 & I-80 give you a good glimpse of it and might make you realize why so many refer to it as "fly over" country.
Hi, all. Haven't been near a computer for a while. Thought I'd give a very disorganised summary of how things are going. I'm typing as I think it so it may not read well!
Currently in Durango, Colorado. We were heading for Mesa Verde National Park (to see the cliff dwellings) this afternoon and got caught in a thunderstorm on US 550 (VERY beautiful road) and didn't quite make it. Will finish the drive tomorrow morning.
Yep, made it to Chicago.
Cincinnati was good and the company there was excellent. The Zaha was... ok. The Morphosis building at the university was amazing (ended up wandering around it early in the morning while the "football" team were practicing). WonderK was a brilliant host.
Columbus, Ohio was underwhelming me until I got to the North Christian Church by Eero Saarinen church. ABSOLUTELY BLOODY AMAZING. Loved it.
Collected my mate Richard from O'Hare. He was delayed by the stuff in London but the real kick in the balls was that the baggage handlers in Philly lost his bag. Got it back eventually though. Chicago was good. Smaller than I'd expected. Really liked it, though.
Richard is a massive Lincoln fan so wanted to see Springfield, Illinois. We did the whole tourist thing there and camped out (I've been alternating camping and motels, one for the money, two for the comfort).
I'd been somewhat underwhelmed by Zaha's efforts in Cincinnati (more on that later) and had met a couple of architects there who said "if you're not that impressed here, you MUST go see Ando's Pulitzer building in St Louis. We therefore rushed to St Louis on the Wednesday (the place is only open to the public on Wed and Sat). It was stunning. Poor Richard just had to watch in bemusement as I got thoroughly over-excited by the quality of the concrete and the sheer balls-out minimalism of the whole thing. Photographed well too. The St Louis arch was very interesting too. Ended up getting drunk in an area call Soulard (I think). Driving the next day was hard.
Drove straight across Missouri to Lawrence, Kansas (stopping only to take photographs of amusingly right-wing and/or god-bothering billboards). Lawrence was a nice town but seemed to have far more cheap restaurants and far less bars than would be found in a similar (i.e. university) town in the UK.
Drove straigt across Kansas in one go. The scenic route from Lawrence, Kansas to Boulder, Colorado in 14 hours (via Dodge City, only about 4 hours on I-70). Got stopped once on the backroads for speeding (very nice sheriff let us go) and saw plenty of lightning.
Boulder was great. Far more bars than Lawrence. Loved it. A couple of locals tried to pick a fight, thinking we were newly-arrived college students. They were far more polite about it than in a similar situation in London (I've never been called a "scumbag" so seriously before, actually rather funny!).
Went for a look around Leadville, Colorado and places like that. Ended up needing to stay the night in Aspen thinking "how expensive can it be?!". OUCH. REALLY expensive. Even so, we took it on the chin and went out playing pool with a bunch of people from Lib Tech (Quiksilver). Very drunken.
Rocky Mountain National Park was wonderful. Camped out. Went for a hike. Got pulled over by the police again, this time for collecting firewood in the park. We REALLY didn't know that wasn't allowed and once again the policeman was really good about it. On my experience as a British white male, US police are really friendly!
Today we drove from the Rockies via Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Wow, that's a deep hole! Loved it.
Tomorrow we go to Mesa Verde, then on to Moab. From Moab we go to camp in either Arches National Park or Bryce Canyon. After that we have 2 nights in Vegas, then Richard flies home.
From Vegas I go to LA, then Big Sur, then SF. I have no idea what to do or where to stay in any of them.
Should I go to the streetparty mentioned above? Where should I try to stay?! I will only have an afternoon (Saturday) and a morning (Sunday). Anyone around? Drinks on Saturday night? I'll gladly tag along (hopefully WonderK and Bryan Boyer can vouch for me being reasonable company!).
Any ideas on campsites around Big Sur?
At the moment it's all sorted to LV but after that is a blur. I'm knackered. apart from one properly hungover morning I've been on the road by 9ish every day and rarely getting to a motel/campsite before 7pm. I'll need a holiday after this!
What an amazing country, though. So much to see. Loving the geography. Fascinated by the people (urban and rural). Almost everyone has been really friendly (often bewilderingly so). I'll try to write something more balanced and informative when I get back to the UK. Oh, and I've taken a few photos. 5 gigs so far (might need some careful pruning before they go on Flickr!).
Glad it is going so well and it is wonderful to hear your take on this country, Chris! Makes me really itch for a roadtrip. As rigorous as your touring schedule is, maybe when you get to southern California you should just plana day of doing nothing but laying on the beach in the sand watching the movie stars walk by!
Yeah, "balls-out" is one of my favorite phrases but I've never heard it combined with "minimalism" before - very apt.
Trans-USA Roadtrip: Suggestions Please!
WonderK: I fly to NYC this Thursday (3rd) and get on the road on Monday 7th. Depending on how the driving goes (i.e. I'm still somewhat confused by the long distances involved!) I hope to be in Cincinatti either on the next Thursday or Friday evening (10th or 11th). Will you be around? Does the WonderK tour centre on the architecture or the nightlife?! All advice and touring will be repayed in the traditional English social currency: alcohol. I then need to be in Chicago on the evening of Saturday 12th to collect my travel-companion from O'Hare.
FOG Lite: Thanks for all the Kansas tips! I reckon I'll have to take your advice on visiting Lawrence. The offer of a place to pitch a tent is also inviting. I'll definitely pace it across the rest of Kansas as I've been getting some great tips for things to see in the Rockies.
As for the drive between NYC and Philly... terrifying, eh? Bring it on! Imagine how hard I'll find it while still getting used to driving on the wrong (as opposed to left) side of the road. All part of the experience, I reckon. Anyway, I've already arranged to collect my car at Newark Airport.
WonderK: I fly to NYC this Thursday (3rd) and get on the road on Monday 7th. Depending on how the driving goes (i.e. I'm still somewhat confused by the long distances involved!) I hope to be in Cincinatti either on the next Thursday or Friday evening (10th or 11th). Will you be around? Does the WonderK tour centre on the architecture or the nightlife?! All advice and touring will be repayed in the traditional English social currency: alcohol. I then need to be in Chicago on the evening of Saturday 12th to collect my travel-companion from O'Hare.
FOG Lite: Thanks for all the Kansas tips! I reckon I'll have to take your advice on visiting Lawrence. The offer of a place to pitch a tent is also inviting. I'll definitely pace it across the rest of Kansas as I've been getting some great tips for things to see in the Rockies.
As for the drive between NYC and Philly... terrifying, eh? Bring it on! Imagine how hard I'll find it while still getting used to driving on the wrong (as opposed to left) side of the road. All part of the experience, I reckon. Anyway, I've already arranged to collect my car at Newark Airport.
Chris the 10th and the 11th are both open on my end. I will see you when you get here.
Also, as far as the drive from NYC to Philly, I think what they might have meant is that New Jersey just isn't fun to drive through. My suggestion, which I think I touched on earlier, is to make sure you have plenty of change for the tolls, both single dollar bills and loose change. You won't be past the tolls until you hit Ohio. And do your best NOT to go through the "Fast Pass" lanes.....those are lanes reserved for people with passes and if you go through them, they might send you a ticket (if they can find you!).
wk make sure you show him the sauna!
Chris-
You can take the train from Penn Station to Newark or there is a bus from Port Authority.
The worst part of the NY-Philly drive is exiting Manhattan- either tunnel or bridge is worse then any ring road on the continent. From the airport, the NJ turnpike is a streight shot- just be warned it's 22+ lanes. There is an inner & outer road- both get equally congested, the outer road has all the trucks and local exits, the inner has more asshole drivers going too fast.
the NJ turnpike is a toll road and expect about $10 in tolls- have cash.
If you're aiming for philly, take the turnpike to exit 4 and cross the delaware on the Ben Franklin Bridge which drops you into center city.To leave Philly, interstate 76 west takes you to the PA turnpike for points west.
If your heading for Falling Water, take the PA turnpike exit (more tolls) which passes to the north of Philly. A short stop at Valley Forge Battlefield is a good american history stop (located near the junction of 76 & the PA turnpike)
After Falling Water (if you skip Pittsburg), stop in Wheeling WV for Roebling's bridge - the oldest suspension bridge in the world. It's on route to Columbus/Cinci
Keep us posted from the road, We want pics!
PS- If you make it to Los Angeles, send me an email.
my apologies for being a bit of a downer here, but what's the appeal of the trans-american road-trip?
personally, i've crossed america from los angeles-to-boston and felt that it wasn't much more than a gigantic waste of petroleum. most grueling trip was a 36 hour drive straight through from los angeles to ann arbor, mi after the 1998 rose bowl. talk about weird, sun rose as we left la, set, rose again and set again before we made it home. it was also a bit interesting the way in which time became compressed, i.e., refilling the gas tank every four hours(that's 9 times in a 36 hour trip) which you start to use as bathroom breaks too, and getting two oil changes in the span of three days. yikes...but it addeed some perspective to the way that those astronauts operated when it use to take them 25 hours (or whatever it was) to get to the moon in one of those little apollo spaceships.
maybe it's just me, but i'd rather just pick a spot (any place really) and spend a month there fleshing it out. driving across country just started to feel really lame to me...truck stops are all pretty much the same and after a while staring out the window is about as fulfilling as watching scenery on television. even the flavor of local radio has been nearly lost since most channels are now owned by about three major companies and like to use the same pre-recorded dj's in every market. oh...and get used to country music, it'll be the only thing you can get in some places.
if i was you, i'd probably just go straight to cincinnati and hang out with wonderk until she gets annoyed with you. but at least you'd probably get to meet some people and make some american friends that way. the road tends to be a rather lonely place. hence all the prostitutes hanging out at truck stops.
sadly, i guess that it's probably an accurate representation of the american experience to spend most of your time in the car...enjoy it while you can and be thankful that you've got something else to return to.
hmmm...that wasn't very helpful. since you're going to do the driving trip anyways then i'd definitely suggest renting something like a cadillac escalade. might as well do it properly.
did a 2 month cross country road trip quite a few years back - camped in national parks most of the time, a few nights in cheap hotels and a few with friends.
the national parks are really incredible - if you manage to get some camping gear (and in the summer all you'll need is a cheap tent and sleeping bag) you can just show up and say you want to camp away from the parking lots - don't remember exactly what they call it but the rangers will tell you where to go, it's cheap and you'll see some beautiful things...
grand tetons & arches were my favorite - black hills & mt. rushmore in south dakota probably the highlight of the trip. also some interested native american history on the reservation. you definitely want to drive though a lot of utah - it'll be hot as hell and you'll need water but it's like being on mars.
if you get to LA and want to get a drink in silverlake and/or visit our messy construction site (doing an addition to our house), send an e-mail...rst@linkline.com
oh! and if you have time while in nyc take the train from grand central to beacon (metro north) to visit the dia - just went again a month ago and it's so f**ing incredible - richard serra, robert irwin, heizer, flavin... great building, nice view of the hudson on the train.
puddles you need to make your crosscountry trips a little more roundabout. likethis!
well that dint work...
Eek, don't skip Pittsburgh for Wheeling!!! Wheeling may have one (boring and hard to see over an unscenic river) but Pittsburgh has a bunch, all in a row, over its three rivers with just breathtaking siting for a city smack in between them all! And cliffs rising up on the south... it's beautiful. Also as the quintessential steel town it is a prerequisite for heading to Chicago... the steel that put Chicago up came from the hardworking and very proud citizens of Pittsburgh. They have a history of forging things and bringing strength from nothing and they are a fascinating people for it.
The turnpike goes past it though so make sure, absolutely sure, that you get off the road long enough to just detour through Pittsburgh. It's not far at all off the track (~1/2 hour maybe).
Wheeling may have one bridge, that is... argh.
Also you might get to see some actual steel mills if you detour in the Pittsburgh area.
There is a "town" called Biggs on the way from Portland to Vancouver (can't remember if it was before or after Seattle). it consists of a petrol station, a motel(with a view of a dike) and a subway restaurant. it is a place i will always remember.
A rental is probably the safest route to go especially without an american to check out the purchase beofre you get here. You probably know of craigslist but there are many cars on there.
If you were going the other way I might consider making the journey with you (i.e. you might be able to find an american with a car who wants to make the journey? doubtful on the scheduling plus they need a return trip), or maybe a trustworthy archinecter to sell their car to you.
There's always green tortoise, it's kind of this bizare hippy bus thing that actually has an itinerary now days.
http://www.greentortoise.com/cross.country.east.west.html
Unfortuantely they dont do it quite frequently enough to hope off and catch the next bus if you want to spend more time somewhere.
Well, thanks a lot for all the help, people. I fly to NYC tomorrow afternoon (Thursday). The roadtrip BEGINS!
I've got a pretty tight plan for the first week (NYC to Chicago), lots of ideas roughly strung together for the middle two weeks (Chicago to Las Vegas) and am still pretty vague on the last bit (LV to LA to San Fran).
Anyway, here's the plan so far:
Thu 3rd - Mon 7th: NYC. Go drinking with various people (including Brian Boyer and his crew), see the sights, go to museums, etc
Mon 7th - Wed 9th: Drive from Newark to Cincinnati via Fallingwater House, camping out
Thu 10th: Get shown Cincinnati by the wonderful miss WonderK
Fri 11th: see loads of stuff in Colombus Indiana, small town with lots of great buildings I'm told
Sat 12th - Tue 15th: Chicago. No real plans yet. What do I need to see?
Wed 16th - Thu 24th: From Chicago to Las Vegas via Springfield Illinois and Lawrence Kansas, various places in the Rockies and loads of parks. Plenty of camping plus some quirky motels
Thu 24th - Sat 26th: Vegas, baby, YEAH! My travel companion is paying for us to stay at the MGM Grand. Brilliant.
Sat 26th: One night in LA if I can arrange it. If I stay a night there, where should I try to go? What should I go see in my brief time in the city? Help please!
Sun 27th: Drive up the coast, hopefully camp at Big Sur (really need to book that)
Mon 28th - Thu 31st: San Francisco. Anyone know a good hostel? What should I see/do (already planning to visit the new deYoung, of course)?
I reckon that route is pretty much set. There's room for variations but the overall framework is all there. I'm really pleased with it. Thanks to everyone for their tips and ideas.
I'll try to post some info here when I get the chance, let you know how I'm getting on. I'll also possibly post some photos [http://www.flickr.com/photos/christopherdaniel/]here[/url].
In the meantime, I've posted another entry on my Schoolblog with a link to my Bartlett unit website. I just put the final touches on it in time to go away. All comments welcome (preferably on the Schoolblog page!).
hm. wonder if i could be in columbus ind on the 11th. hm. sick day??
I thought the same thing, Stevn!! But I'm on vacation at the beach that week, damn. I mean good for me, hanging on the beach with beer in hand, but bad for my record of archinect meet-ups.
Chris- drop an email from the road regarding Los Angeles- lots of great things to see in one hour, one day or one week.
Stick to the great stuff- Schindler, Neutra, Lautner, FLW, Morphosis...
venice beach. And drive sunset blvd, hollywood blvd, and mulholland...
if you've seen bilbao, you've seen disney concert hall - skip the gehry.
happy trails!!!!
take a spin to the drive in. hint: for maximum effect go after sundown.
Damn, wish I didn't have a deadline on Monday...
At the very tippy top of your list should be the Chicago Architecture Foundation's Riverboat Tour It cannot be beat. In three hours you get the best tour in the city. But buy your tickets first thing in the morning, because they go fast.
Next, go to the Chicago Cultural Center and walk through the building - the mosaics are gorgeous. They have a visitor center and even a free tourguide service where they will take you to a Chicago neighborhood.
Also, if you see a bike store while you are driving around in the city - stop and ask for the Bike Chicago map - it is hands down the best map in the city, and its FREE!
There is a Chris Ware Exhibit at the MCA, otherwise you could feel no regrets for skipping that museum.
If you like museums though, definitely get yourself into the Art Institute - if you don't enjoy museums, but do like messin' with stuff, the Museum of Science and Industry might be more your style.
Obviously, while you are here, you have to go to Millennium Park. Another good tour is the Glessner House on Prairie Avenue. Since you are inthe neighborhood, you could check out my project just down the street.
What else?
There is Prairie Avenue Bookstore - but like a casino, only bring in what you're willing to spend - its dangerous in there.
Baha'i Temple in Wilmette - a bit of a pain to get to, but definitely worth it, especially if you take Lake Shore Drive.
For an (expensive) drink at a bar with quite possibly the best view in the world, go to the Signature Lounge at the top of the John Hancock Center on the magnificent mile. Allow youself a couple of hours so that you can "swap" to get tables progressively closer to the windows. Ladies should also make sure to stop in the bathroom and sunset is stunning.
Some other notable bars & venues include:
The Huettenbar Unlike most of the false reproduction bars you will encounter on your trip through america, this bar was made by German immigrants for German Immigrants to get plastered in. Now its in the new "up and coming neighborhood" but during the day its still and old-style bar.
More good Chicago bars: the Hideout, [ulr=http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/search/27638,0,1736339.venue]the Edgewater Lounge[/url] - fantastic bar food, the Empty Bottle has a good show on Saturday Night. For some nice blues, try [http://www.rosaslounge.com/]Rosa's Lounge[/url].
For the best deep dish in town, head to Gino's East (on Superior(touristy) or Lincoln (local)). True Chicago Deep dish pizza is not like regular pizza, only thicker - its a whole different animal. Order it with sausage in the patty form.
Hot Doug's - Yes, its a hot dog stand, but its got not only the most variety but also some of the best cased meats products anywhere in the world. Just don't ask for Ketchup on your dog.
Chicago is a breakfast town, so start your day right at one of these fine eateries: Flo - go early, they have drinks, Tre Kronor have a mind-blowingly good danish, Frances' Deli
Man, now I'm too hungry - I will try to think of more and maybe give you a rundown based on where in the city you are staying.
email me (r-r-d at comcast dot net) and we can try to get in contact - I can meet you for a Billy Goat burger or something - I'll be downtown all weekend, working...
Chris...while you are driving up the Big Sur Coast, consider hitting Hearst Castle...it is a pretty trippy place...eccentric and at a scale you can't really imagine until you see it...
Hi, all. I'm in Manhattan. Woo-hoo!
just stopped off in the 5th Ave apple store to check my e-mails (oh, and buy an iPod for half the UK price).
Crowbert, thanks for the Chicago tips. You're the first one to suggest much for that part of the trip. Will have to print it all out somewhere and make sure I follow your suggetions.
This city is ridiculous. I'm ashamed to say I've been gawking at all the tall buildings. It's all so amazing, I feel a bit like Borat. I've totally lost any sheen of urban cool I may have built up over my years in London (replaced rapidly by a sheen of sweat in this damned heatwave!).
Right. Got to run. Going yo take a wander round Central Park then head further downtown to do some necessary shopping, then off to MoMA to get in free after 4pm.
Why are you ashamed to say you're gawking?!? I lived there and all I ever do is gawk when I go to NYC. It never gets old, and you always, ALWAYS see something new.
You'd better show up in the midwest wearing your new "I heart NYC" t-shirt, ha.
if you are chicago on tuesday thats when you wanna hit the art institute and moca cuz they are free on tuesday. also hit the prairie avenue bookstore on wabash. pee before you go though cuz they don't have a john there. personally i would go to the green mill for bar entertainment as this was al capone's favorite bar and was in the michael mann film "thief" i think i posted this place up higher on the thread.
Chris, can you slow up a bit, I am going to be only a day or so behind you the entire way to Chicago!
chris. where are you staying the night of the 11th? if you're staying in/near columbus in, maybe i can drive in. drinks/archinect meetup. wonderk knows how to reach me (i think).
hey gas is only 3.10 in indy right now. woohoo.
freaky the 3.10 a gallon is at the station where i fill up. well i just read in the paper that two people were murdered there last night at about 3:30. not at the station but in a car. apparently some carry over from a nightclub incident. in the last two days, there have been eleven murders here in the crossroads of america.
Stephen: I'll be in Cincinnati on the night of the 11th. I'm staying at chez WonderK both tonight and tomorrow night. I'll stay nearer to (or in) Colombus on Friday night. You're welcome to try to meet up if you're in the area. Apparently tomorrow night we're going for Skyline chilli!
Keef: Where are you now? I'm very happy to be in Cinci' after three days and two nights on the road. You're welcome to join me in Columbus Indiana if you can catch up...
Here's what I've been up to this week:
Monday - Got across New Jersey as quickly as possible. Stayed the night in a campsite in Intercourse(haha!), Pennsylvania. Real Amish country.
Tuesday - Quick improptu visit to Gettysburg. Drove to FallingWater and stayed in an amazing campsite nearby (will post photos soonish). Got drunk with a bunch of white water guides in a backwoods bar and then round a fire at the campsite.
Wednesday - Early morning tour of Fallingwater. Amazing. Paying the extra for the longer tour meant I could get loads of photos without tourists in them! On leaving I was annoyed to discover that I had a flat tyre. Had to drive to Pittsburgh on the emergency tyre to get a replacement car (easier than getting another tyre!). Was very annoyed about that until I was told that the only car they had to replace my Chevrolet Cobalt was a Chevrolet Malibu, which is about 3 classes further up the scale. I'm now driving a great big leather-lined saloon for the price of a 2-door hatchback. Brilliant! Got to Cinci' tonight and had a really good supper with WonderK and friends.
All good so far.
Intercourse, PA comes right after Blue Balls, PA on the turnpike! No joke. I think there's something like "Hail Mary" right after it or something. Weirdest triple town name setup all across the american highway. You seirously came across some notable highway trivia, good job!
As for Chicago tips--there are almost too many things to see. Don't miss the Hancock, have a drink at the top for free as someone mentioned (and it's got a better view than the Sears so you can skip going up the Sears but don't skip standing at the bottom of it, with your back to the building, and looking up--just don't fall over!). Don't miss Millenium park--EXCELLENT landscape design and water design the fountains and little fake river. At this time of year not an hour of the day goes by when people aren't gathering around and playing in the fountains there. So well detailed and such a GREAT urban space--something the rest of America should really learn from. Chicago has the single most active and dynamic downtown core that I've visited in America--somehow more homey and appealing (and clean) than NYC.
Don't miss: IIT's campus and the Robie House. If you do the Robie tour in the morning you can hit up IIT at night, they're both south of the city (both on the Red Line, I think...). Otherwise, just soak it in.
Watch out: Praire Avenue books is closed on Sunday, as i sadly discovered last Sunday. Egads. Don't miss that one, either. And the Chicago Architecture Foundation store (on Michigan Ave across from Millenium Park) has great gifts and posters and stuff too--it excites me simply to see how many people are in there all day long and how many people are actually INTERESTED in architecture in Chicago. You never hear people talk about it in other cities!
Lastly, the Chicago Institute of Art (on the Park)...I might have the name wrong, but it's on Michigan Ave. poking into Grant/Millenium Park, you can't miss it--well, it is suggested donation only, which means when you get hot and tired from wandering around downtown, you can stop in for a couple hours, pay a few bucks, and enjoy. It is EXCELLENT. Their modern art collection is notable for being a) enormous and b) well-documented/curated--every painting and sculpture has a tag which explains the artist's beginnings, cross-referencing other artists who influenced him, etc etc. It is fascinating, quiet, and very inspiring. Also there is a beautiful atrium in the middle of the museum with a nice pleasant cafe opening on it. Great way to recharge when you're tired of the city--definitely pop in. There's a decent architecture wing, as well. Plus warrior masks and cool shit like that.
If you take Metra to Oak Park you can see FLW's home and studio (not super great but interesting) and more importantly Unity Temple which is pretty good.
Enjoy! I wish I were there when you were, it'd be a lot of fun to have a companion in arch. marvelling out there.
a proustian moment when i first visited go to the cultural center which has a tiffany designed skylight and visit the museum of television broadcasting and saw old clips and props from garfield goose and friends and bozo the clown and ray rayner. the stuff i grew up on.
if you're only in LA for one night, I'd try to stick close by where you stay - otherwise you could easily waste your entire time driving in traffic.
near downtown i'd recommend the cathedral and a quick drive by the caltrans building - stop off for some japanese lunch or dinner - East or Oomasa (both on first street by the MOCA Temporary Contemporary & Japanese American Museum) are favorites & cheap...
also take a hike up the back of griffith park, starting at the old zoo picnic area - great views and LA history - a good walk to do early in the day or near sundown (cause it's blazin hot the rest of the time)
to get to griffith park from downtown via silverlake, take sunset blvd. (called cesar chavez near chinatown downtown) west from downtown to silverlake blvd. (think you need to make a quick right on parkman to get down to silverlake blvd. from sunset), around the reservoir (a couple neutra houses on the way), left on glendale blvd., continue on glendale to riverside drive, west on riverside into the park.
on this same drive there are a couple of good neo-vietnamese restaurants - pho cafe (no sign) in a strip mall on sunset on your right just before you hit the street to get down to silverlake blvd., and gingergrass, just to your right on glendale blvd. off of silverlake drive (you'll want to go left to get to the park).
also, if you're downtown saturday night you should see if there are gallery openings at chung king road in chinatown - art isn't always great but it's a really sweet little slice of LA
start at old zoo picnic area...
oops, gingergrass is on glendale off silverlake blvd. not drive
Oh I'm not the only one who likes the Cathedral! And I absolutely second Griffith Park (of course.) Going up to the Getty also provides a stupendous view. The buildings are so-so in my opinion but the gardens and view are first rate. The art is ok.
Chris, just checked the thread, I will be in Columbus, IN on Wednesday August 16th. Not sure what the dates were of your schedule, but fire me an email if you want to drive around together or meet up for lunch, could be fun. I think you might be too far ahead for me to catch up, although I am hot on your heels. I will be at Falling Water on Sunday.
Chris-
You're timing to visit LA is great- the best street festival is happening the weekend of the 26th. Sunset Junction in the heart of silverlake!!! But this means that getting around this part of town will be difficult.
opps-
ah, because of the junction you don't want to try and go down sunset to silverlake blvd. instead take 2nd street north/west from downtown - it turns into glendale blvd. you'll go past the echo park lake, keep going all the way until you hit riverside drive & take a left (maybe 10 minutes?). you'll pass gingergrass on your right just before you hit silverlake blvd.
echo park far away in time.
silverlake is hip central
I'll miss silverlake but I also miss my 20s - got to spend the best part of that decade living the scenster life!
So where in the world is Chris Daniel?
never got a report from Wk and others back east about his visit...
(oh, this is #299)
Damn, one more TK - you got it in the bag...
Assuming Chris made it out of Cincy and into Chicago by now.
Wonder if his friend got hung up in the UK with all the new rules after the terror shake-up?
Chris, How do you like the american fruited plain? I-70 & I-80 give you a good glimpse of it and might make you realize why so many refer to it as "fly over" country.
Hi, all. Haven't been near a computer for a while. Thought I'd give a very disorganised summary of how things are going. I'm typing as I think it so it may not read well!
Currently in Durango, Colorado. We were heading for Mesa Verde National Park (to see the cliff dwellings) this afternoon and got caught in a thunderstorm on US 550 (VERY beautiful road) and didn't quite make it. Will finish the drive tomorrow morning.
Yep, made it to Chicago.
Cincinnati was good and the company there was excellent. The Zaha was... ok. The Morphosis building at the university was amazing (ended up wandering around it early in the morning while the "football" team were practicing). WonderK was a brilliant host.
Columbus, Ohio was underwhelming me until I got to the North Christian Church by Eero Saarinen church. ABSOLUTELY BLOODY AMAZING. Loved it.
Collected my mate Richard from O'Hare. He was delayed by the stuff in London but the real kick in the balls was that the baggage handlers in Philly lost his bag. Got it back eventually though. Chicago was good. Smaller than I'd expected. Really liked it, though.
Richard is a massive Lincoln fan so wanted to see Springfield, Illinois. We did the whole tourist thing there and camped out (I've been alternating camping and motels, one for the money, two for the comfort).
I'd been somewhat underwhelmed by Zaha's efforts in Cincinnati (more on that later) and had met a couple of architects there who said "if you're not that impressed here, you MUST go see Ando's Pulitzer building in St Louis. We therefore rushed to St Louis on the Wednesday (the place is only open to the public on Wed and Sat). It was stunning. Poor Richard just had to watch in bemusement as I got thoroughly over-excited by the quality of the concrete and the sheer balls-out minimalism of the whole thing. Photographed well too. The St Louis arch was very interesting too. Ended up getting drunk in an area call Soulard (I think). Driving the next day was hard.
Drove straight across Missouri to Lawrence, Kansas (stopping only to take photographs of amusingly right-wing and/or god-bothering billboards). Lawrence was a nice town but seemed to have far more cheap restaurants and far less bars than would be found in a similar (i.e. university) town in the UK.
Drove straigt across Kansas in one go. The scenic route from Lawrence, Kansas to Boulder, Colorado in 14 hours (via Dodge City, only about 4 hours on I-70). Got stopped once on the backroads for speeding (very nice sheriff let us go) and saw plenty of lightning.
Boulder was great. Far more bars than Lawrence. Loved it. A couple of locals tried to pick a fight, thinking we were newly-arrived college students. They were far more polite about it than in a similar situation in London (I've never been called a "scumbag" so seriously before, actually rather funny!).
Went for a look around Leadville, Colorado and places like that. Ended up needing to stay the night in Aspen thinking "how expensive can it be?!". OUCH. REALLY expensive. Even so, we took it on the chin and went out playing pool with a bunch of people from Lib Tech (Quiksilver). Very drunken.
Rocky Mountain National Park was wonderful. Camped out. Went for a hike. Got pulled over by the police again, this time for collecting firewood in the park. We REALLY didn't know that wasn't allowed and once again the policeman was really good about it. On my experience as a British white male, US police are really friendly!
Today we drove from the Rockies via Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Wow, that's a deep hole! Loved it.
Tomorrow we go to Mesa Verde, then on to Moab. From Moab we go to camp in either Arches National Park or Bryce Canyon. After that we have 2 nights in Vegas, then Richard flies home.
From Vegas I go to LA, then Big Sur, then SF. I have no idea what to do or where to stay in any of them.
Should I go to the streetparty mentioned above? Where should I try to stay?! I will only have an afternoon (Saturday) and a morning (Sunday). Anyone around? Drinks on Saturday night? I'll gladly tag along (hopefully WonderK and Bryan Boyer can vouch for me being reasonable company!).
Any ideas on campsites around Big Sur?
At the moment it's all sorted to LV but after that is a blur. I'm knackered. apart from one properly hungover morning I've been on the road by 9ish every day and rarely getting to a motel/campsite before 7pm. I'll need a holiday after this!
What an amazing country, though. So much to see. Loving the geography. Fascinated by the people (urban and rural). Almost everyone has been really friendly (often bewilderingly so). I'll try to write something more balanced and informative when I get back to the UK. Oh, and I've taken a few photos. 5 gigs so far (might need some careful pruning before they go on Flickr!).
Bye for now.
he he.
Enjoy Moab and the national parks of Southern Utah...beautiful stuff, i must say...makes me not so embarrased to say I come from that state...
So are you saying the next time the police pull me over I should dawn a fake British accent and give them some story about traveling coast to coast?
Glad it is going so well and it is wonderful to hear your take on this country, Chris! Makes me really itch for a roadtrip. As rigorous as your touring schedule is, maybe when you get to southern California you should just plana day of doing nothing but laying on the beach in the sand watching the movie stars walk by!
Yeah, "balls-out" is one of my favorite phrases but I've never heard it combined with "minimalism" before - very apt.
Have fun the rest of the trip!
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