Leg 6 - Journey In

March 27, 2012

Got up sort of early but laid around the house and watched television until Kurt was ready to go. Again, it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy my time off. I headed out around 11:00am and began my drive to El Paso, TX where I was to meet one of Dominic's army buddies, who was nice enough to allow me to stay at his place for the night. I drive wasn't very exciting. the most annoying part was the broken cruise control. My foot, leg, and hip began to ache or became numb after a couple of hours. I only had two positions I could put my foot in and still feel comfortable with the my driving. I made it to the El Paso outer suburbs around 5:00pm. I planned to do a hike up a trail and then meet up with the army buddy. To my surprise, the park the trail was in closed at 4:00pm. I was perturbed since there were still at least 2 more hours of daylight, but apparently it always closes at 4:00pm. I was upset with myself for not checking this information out beforehand, but who would have thought of something like that anyways? My experience from parks is that they close at dusk or sunset, so why should I have thought of anything should be different out West? O well. While Dominic was trying to get a hold of his friend, I decided to kill some time and walk around the outlet store that was close by. I found out from Dominic about 20 minutes or so later his buddy was called out to the field for a last second training exercise. Apparently there is a term for this, I forget it, but it happens every so often. You have to be ready to go on a moment's notice. Just my luck.

Now, I was in a bit of a pickle on what to do. I needed to be in Houston the next day in the evening to catch up with Jim and go to trivia with him and his friends. I wanted to stop in San Antonio to check out the Alamo in the morning. Looking at the amount of time I had and the amount of land between me and San Antonio and Houston, the only choice was to continue driving through El Paso and make my way towards San Antonio. I hit the tail end of El Paso traffic when traveling through downtown. I figured I would drive to the next town and find a hotel to stay for the night. As I kept driving, I didn't see the point in wasting money on a hotel room, so I drove until I was about 2 hours away from San Antonio and slept in the car. Quite an unexpected turn in the trip taken in stride along with everything else.

Side Note: Along the route, I ran into a border patrol checkpoint. I started to freak a little because I didn't have my passport with me. Also, I didn't quite understand why there was a checkpoint in the middle of Texas instead of along the border. I drove up to the patrol officer and showed him my license. He asked if I was a US citizen, I said "yes", and on my way I went. No biggie, just sort of odd.

Go Big or Go Home

Leg 5 - Phoenix, Day 4

March 26, 2012

Today was the day I was suppose to leave Phoenix and drive to El Paso for the day and then start making my way back to the east coast. However, that is not how the day went. I made it to the auto shop just about when they had opened. I had to call in to make sure they were not too busy to take me in and work on my car. While they were changing my oil, they found my radiator was just about shot. Fantastic! Now, I have to get a new radiator. They had to wait for it to be delivered by their supplier and then install it. It took over half the day. I was quite unhappy and quite skeptical. The cost was a little higher than I had it would have been. The labor time seemed a little high but what could I do. So finally, the radiator arrives at like 3:00pm. I have been there since 9:00am. Clearly, I was not in a good mood. I got about 15-20 minutes on the road and tried to use my cruise control. It didn't work. Things were just not going my way that day. I called the shop and asked if it was something they could have caused. They just responded by bring it back in and to take a look at it, so I drove back. After 3 hours, it turns out it wasn't them and that the solenoid that activates the cruise control was shot. Well, I had no interest in getting it fixed and was ready to get out of there.

Throughout this time, I was texting Kurt to figure out what he was up to in the evening and hoped I could stay with him to avoid staying another night in a hotel room. He had no problem with it at all. He was actually going to be house/dog sitting for a friend and that we would sleep over there. It sounded good to me. So I grabbed dinner with him and another buddy of his. When I met up with Kurt at his apartment, Molly was making food and was about to sit down and Skype with her boyfriend Sam. Of course, I had to sit down and say hello to my fellow Flyer Alumn and give him a little bit of a hard time for ditching me in Los Angeles. We had a good laugh.

At dinner, the conversation was out of this world. I don't remember exactly all that was said (It was a awhile ago now.), but I remember saying "wow" a lot. The waitress was fun, too. It was a good ending to a bad day. I followed Kurt out to the house after dinner. The girls that live there have a labradoodle. Now, I have only met one labradoodle once before in my life, and he is a pretty most awesome dog. Their labradoodle was very much quite the same, very fun-loving and full of energy. Also, the dog was quite an attention-whore, a lot like my family's dog at home.

Tomorrow, I would finally get out of Phoenix, AZ.

Go Big or Go Home

Photos of the Trip:
NONE

Leg 5 - Phoenix, Day 3

March 25, 2012

Since it was Sunday, today was reserved for a day of rest. I got up and headed to the Rockies/Diamondbacks ballpark where the Reds were going to play their spring training game to buy a ticket. I thought there were going to be plenty of tickets to buy since it was just spring training. I found out that there were very few tickets left. Good thing I went early in the morning instead of right before the first pitch was thrown. I would have been quite upset with myself if I missed out on this opportunity. I didn't have anything else planned or had another idea on what to do with myself for the day.

I drove around for a long time to try to find a cafe that had WiFi connection so I could jump online and blog. I ended up at the food court in the mall. I had a nice sandwich there from a cafe place and there was free WiFi in the food court. It was rather nice. When game time came around, I headed to the park. I found a place in the lawn area and enjoyed a brew and peanuts. The Reds ended up losing. It was a decent game. There was a slight overcast. It was kind of a nice change from the sunny heat I dealt with the day before. I took a number of pictures of the Reds as well. After the game was over, I just laid in the grass and let the crowds pour on out. I was in no rush. I was able to turn on the basketball game on my phone and listened until security said I had to go. So I went back to the hotel room to figure out my next move. I had to pick up my buddy Kurt from the airport. He was returning from his spring break trip, and I accepted his offer of dinner for a ride.

I went back to the area where I had dinner the night before and went to the Starbucks to continue blogging for the rest of the day. While I was blogging, I am pretty sure a girl walked right up to me and took a picture of me with her camera phone. I have no idea or if she said anything. I pretty much just ignored her. I was listening to music on my headphones, so I couldn't hear anything but my music. I am pretty sure she was drunk. O well.

So I went and picked up Kurt from the airport and then head to wait around to pick up another friend. His roommate Molly was also returning from spring break. Both of them are fellow graduates of UD and now grad students at Arizona State University. It turns out Molly was in North Carolina with her boyfriend for his grandfather's 90th (I think) birthday celebration. Her boyfriend's name was Sam. I know Sam and was shocked to hear Sam decided to go to North Carolina instead of sticking around in Los Angeles to hang out with me while I was there. Sam also went to UD. He and I played many seasons of intramural basketball and volleyball together. We enjoy giving each other a hard time pretty much all the time.  Anyways, I dropped her off and headed off to dinner with Kurt. We went to a different brew house. It was quite delicious. We caught up on life since we haven't seen each other in about 2 years or so. It was a good dinner.

After dinner, I headed back to the hotel room to figure out where to get my oil change. I found a place that was literally 2 blocks away. It was perfect. It wasn't a quick oil change place and felt like a reliable place to go. It was a pretty nice and enjoyable day. The next day would not be.

Go Big or Go Home

Photos of the Trip:

Leg 5 - Phoenix, Day 2

March 24, 2012

The big day in Phoenix. First, hike up Camelback Mountain. I drove to the side that was suppose to be harder and more challenging. I was unable to find a parking spot at the main parking lot, so I drove down the street to the Post Office where a little company was offering rides to either of the trails up the mountain and offered free water/gatorade and food. The cost to ride and be picked up was $5. That was a pretty nice deal and allows a hiker to experience both sides of the mountain. So I jumped in the van and took a ride to the tough course because I have to Go Big.

The beginning started out pretty good and easy. A couple of man-made steps. Then, it was straight up and boulders the rest of the way. I constantly saw runners coming down the mountain, a lot of them. They run up and down the mountain for training. Crazy people. It takes about 45 minutes on average for a person to go up. A lot of the time is spent climbing over boulders. Finally, I reached the top. And man, what a view it was. A full 360 degree view of Phoenix and the surrounding areas. The view was surreal.

Now, onto my second hike for the day. I was to climb Piestewa Peak (aka Squaw Peak) using the Summit Trail. I refueled on my fluids and hit the mountain before it was to get too hot. It was nearing early afternoon this time. The climb was not as steep the entire route as the Camelback Mountain trail, but it was much longer. It never seemed to end. Again, I saw people running up and down the trail for their workout of the day. Why? I do not know. I finally made it to the top and took quite an enjoyable rest at the top. However, what goes up must come down, and so would I. I trekked my way down the mountain safely. I walked back to my car to grab some trail mix and gatorade. I sat down at a picnic table with an older couple. Then, we got to talking. The couple had recently moved to Phoenix. They helped their son move there months earlier when he got out of the Navy. They returned home to Kansas and found out that the husband had been laid off, and the wife, I believe, was either let go from her company or decided to quit so they could move to Phoenix. It took some time, but he was able to find a a job and sounds like she was on her way to find a job as well. They have really enjoyed their experience so far in Phoenix. They brought up the fact that you can drive like 5 minutes to climb mountains and hike trails and feel like you are truly out in the wilderness, but you are still in the city. After thinking about this, I thought this was quite cool as well. And if I were to move to Phoenix, I would be one of those crazy runners going up and down the mountains that I had climbed earlier that day. After continued small talk, they headed on their way to their hike up another trail in the area. I jumped into my car and traveled to the Desert Botanical Garden to check out all the different cacti, flowers, and butterflies. I tried using a different lenses at different times, but it wasn't until I got back to the car that I realized I grabbed the wrong lens. I had wanted to use the wide angle lenses. However, I had grabbed the telescopic lens. I am not sure how you use either one, but I do know the wide angle lens is more for closer pictures.

Afterwards, I headed to the new hotel to check-in, shower, and unwind. Once, I got back I took off my shirt and noticed it had a red oval ring around my neck. It turns out the rust from the chain I wear rubbed off of it onto the shirt and my skin. The shirt was ruined, and now, I had a rusty tinted neck. This sucked because it was very hard to wash all of it off of my neck and it proceeded to ruin future white shirts I wore, but again I didn't know this at the time.

For dinner, I headed to the populated street of Tempe, Az. I headed to a Local Brewery restaurant that was above a Starbuck's. It was a nice place. I found a spot at the bar and enjoyed watching sports. I contemplated between a pasta dish and steak, both sounded really good. The guy next to me had the pasta dish, and it smelled quite delicious. However, I opted for the steak since I hadn't had one in quite a long time. It was disappointing. They overcooked it. I could have complained but had no energy or desire to really bother. I just wanted to eat and then sleep. Thankfully the beer was pretty good. I did try a lettuce wedge for the first time. It is just a quarter of a head of lettuce with bacon and bleu cheese. Quite satisfying. I will now probably try it on my own. I have always wanted lettuce for sandwiches/burgers at home but wouldn't buy a head of lettuce because it would go bad way before I had the chance to eat it all.

Time to hit the hay and prepare for another day of the trip. Tomorrow would be less exciting or at least not filled with so much activities to do, which would be relaxing.

Go Big or Go Home

Photos of the Trip:

Leg 5 - Phoenix, Day 1

March 23, 2012

Got up kind of early in the morning because there were a couple of places I wanted to stop on my way into Phoenix, so I would not have to retrace my steps. I tried to do this as much as possible to cut out miles and time. Below is the view I opened my door to when I headed down for the free continental breakfast at the hotel.

I ate and got out of Flagstaff without a hitch. My first stop was to Montezuma Castle. This castle was built in a the side of a mountain and is the largest well-preserved cave dwelling in North America. Most of the castle is the original brick laid down by the Aztecs. About 50 yards from the foot of the hill/mountain that provided transportation, protection, and food for those dwelling in the castle. Though names after Montezuma, an Aztec ruler, there is no record of him living there during his lifetime. It was pretty cool to see. However, I was disappointed there wasn't a trail or hike to the Montezuma Castle. Once you entered, it was 200 yards on a paved sidewalk. I think they could do more with this place to utilize more than just they way it is set up now. For instance, placing a giant courtyard where people can hold receptions, fundraisers, dances, etc. with the Montezuma Castle in the background would be a huge hit and great scenery. O well, now on to Tuzigoot.

Tuzigoot is a pueblo ruin. A tribe lived there for a long time but abandoned it for some odd reason long before the colonials reached them in the West. There is no evidence as to why they left, and it is a great big mystery. It was cool seeing the preserved remains and how they built rooms on top of each other. There was also a pretty cool view from the top. You could see miles in all directions. Very easy to see friends, traders, and enemies approaching from all directions. Again, there was no hiking to Tuzigoot but at least, I got to walk among the ruins and up to the top room and look around.

After leaving, I started my way to Phoenix finally. On my drive in, I had planned on going to the Desert Botanical Garden. One problem, I needed to get in front of a television to watch the Xavier-Baylor game. So as soon as I had to deal with the traffic, I knew I wouldn't have enough time to go to the botanical garden and watch the game, so I drove to my hotel room, checked-in, and looked for a place to watch a game.

The area of the hotel was kind of sketchy, but the hotel room was decently nice. It was clean and had the basics that I wanted, so it worked for me. I searched extensively, in 10 minutes, for a good sports bar downtown Phoenix. First place, I could not find. The second place looked like no one was there. Finally, I gave up because the game had just started and just went to Hooters downtown. I just found a parking lot and didn't care the cost and walked as fast as I could with the game playing on my SWEET DROID BIONIC! I plopped myself at the bar and ordered a beer and began to watch how the Muskies were going to manage the large 20 point deficit. Sadly, they did not make it back. Since it was Friday, I was a good Catholic and ate a cheese quesadilla . I must confess, however, I forgot it was Friday in the morning when eating breakfast and ate a ham, cheese, and egg biscuit. I didn't realize it until I was about to order at Hooters. I was quite upset with myself. I had done so well for Lent. After the game, I drove back to the apartment to prepare for my big day in Phoenix. It was packed full of activities. The big guy needed his rest and be prepared to start early in the morning.

Go Big or Go Home

Photos of the trip:

Leg 4 - Grand Canyon

March 22, 2012

So, I had it planned out. I would head to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and get my butt to Phoenix to watch the basketball games. Good, right? Wrong!

I got up, drove through Las Vegas (again), and into Arizona. All going great and making good time. One problem. I reach the North Rim, and it is closed for the winter. CLOSED FOR THE WINTER!!!!! It is freaking late March. It doesn't open until May. I understand a little because there was a little snow on the ground when I was driving there and most of the time it is really snowy but, the U.S. had the warmest Winter yet. How could it really need to be closed still? Come On!

Now I will have to decide what to do. Skip the Grand Canyon to reach Phoenix in time for the games or drive to the South Rim. I chose the South Rim. I could listen to the games from my super sweet Android Bionic because Droids (especially the Bionic) are so much cooler than iPhones. I made it to the South Rim 3 hours later. It was actually a perfect time. The sun was slowly setting, and I was able to get some pretty sweet pictures. However, I did not actually stay for sunset. I was tired and irritated. So I checked out and headed to Phoenix hoping. At this time, I could make it there for the start of the second half of the second games. After about 30 minutes of driving, I gave up and decided to stop in Flagstaff for the night. I booked a room, picked up some grub and drinks, and watched the games from the comfort of hotel room.

I looked up hotels for my future stay in Phoenix for the next couple of days. Tired and exhausted, I was able to find good places. Also, I planned out what to do on my way into Phoenix and what I wanted to do while in Phoenix. Super exciting. Well off to bed.

Go Big or Go Home

Photos of the trip: