Travel 3.0

My wife and I are planning a trip to New Orleans at the end of March, and I'd like your help in planning our visit. This is partially for a conference, and partially because it will be my birthday.

More on that in a minute.

First, let me take a moment to talk about maps.  They've plotted the skies, the seas, and the land in between. They shape how we see the world.  They are powerful tools, not to mention incredibly useful.

As a fan of road trips, I have many memories of lugging an enormous spiral bound road atlas around, plotting routes to get from point A to point B. With the advent of GPS, I find I use paper maps less often.

[As a sidenote, paper maps - particularly when they are outdated and thus less useful - make for lovely wrapping paper. Always a hit.]

Crowdsourcing maps is a relatively recent phenomenon that has gained tremendous traction. OpenStreetMap is looking to you and I to make a thorough map of the planet.  WikiMapia has a similar goal.  Of course, it's more than just keeping track of new roads and businesses.  Ushahidi showed just how quickly people can create a map of in times of crisis.  Open Green Map lets you share, and learn, where ecological, cultural, and civic resources can be found.  Very handy when you are looking for a bike rack, among other things.

For a compelling visual of the volume of individuals contributing their knowledge, check out Tim Berners-Lee's recent TED talk on open data.  At 3:34 he touches on OpenStreetMap, complete with a spinning globe.



So, what does this have to do with my upcoming trip to New Orleans?  Everything.  My traditional method of getting the lay of the land involves asking friends and colleagues for advice and suggestions (let's call this Travel 1.0).  Last summer we went on an extended road trip in the Pacific Northwest, and rather than paper maps we simply did some pre-trip research via the web, and took our iPhones and a portable GPS (Travel 2.0).

This time around I'm upping the ante.  Travel 3.0.  I've started poking around the Wikimap to see what others have contributed.  The reviews in particular are very helpful.  I've also created a Google Map for my trip, and am inviting anyone to provide input on what we should check out.


View New Orleans March 26-28 in a larger map

What do you know and love about this city? Please let me know!

Our cats, in a nutshell

Below are the actual notes left by the cat sitter during out recent trip to Fort Lauderdale. I think it captures each of the cats' personalities quite nicely...

"Day 1:
Hi! Both Abner and Ari were all over me and following me everywhere. Ramona just ate then she would run off when I got too close. We had fun with the toys then a good rub down for Abner and Ari. We had a very nice visit."

This one in particular sums them up:

"Day 2:
Hi! Fresh new snow this morning! Ari went on the porch for a bit then just ran around like a little crazy cat. Ramona ran for food, I told her it’s ok to save some for later. Abner is his usual sweet self; lots of hugs and kisses to offer. We had a very nice visit."

Over the next two days she experiences one of Ari's little knock-everything-off-the-table-one-by-one sessions:

"Day 3:
Hi! Looks like the kitties let in all the strays, to get out of the storm. Mail and other little things were all over the floor. Ari had all kinds of things to say. We had a very nice visit."

This one is a little more about the sitter than the cats, but she still takes the time to mention the party the cats hosted:

"Day 4:
Hi! Kitties had another party last night, there were things all over the floor. There was a red truck parked in front of the white house across from your driveway, when I went to park I hit it … Besides that, the kids and I had a nice visit. "

My favorite part of the below note: "like it was her last meal...." That's our girl.

"Day 5:
Hi! The kids were great! Ari always had something to day. I love that Abner lets me give him hugs and kisses now. They played tag with each other with the laser. Ramona just kept eating like it’s her last meal. We had wonderful visits!"

Adjusting the days

The past few weeks have been a blissful time without any official type of employment to speak of. I spent some time in NYC, then to Chicago, and then had friends up for the weekend. Completely lovely.


Last week I started my new gig, meaning all of the schedule-as-you-go attitude has to shift if I want to continue to do the things I like to do. For the time being, my commute is long (~40 miles each way, which in traffic is 1.5 hours) and is undertaken each weekday. This will be shifting, but not for a few weeks, if not months. The job shift is worth it, but it involves some sacrifice for sure.


First thing is getting to bed. This is hard when your baseball team is heading to the World Series and the games end late. Even when they are breaking my heart, I know I will find myself unable to tear myself away, in case the game shifts in our favor. That's the beauty of the game.


Then there's waking up earlier. My non-scientific obervation to date is that the morning commute has worsened since my last Boston-area job stint. The thought of waking up before 6am hurts me, but for the commuter the choice is to leave at 6 and have a one hour-ish commute, or leave at 6:30 and have a 1.5-2 hour commute. Leave at 7 and it could be worse... So I have been finding my way onto my feet at 5:15 to get ready to start the day. I'll get used to it.


Perhaps more importantly, I want to build running/general exercise into the days. One of the good things about my job's location is the proximity to bike/run/walking paths. In particular, I am basically on top of the Minuteman Trail, which is long and devoid of cars (although there's always the bicycles to dodge). I did a test run last week, and I think it is going to work out well.

At the moment I am in Ann Arbor, the home base for my division at work. I was in a training session today, and will head back tomorrow. Good stuff, even if it makes my head spin. We manged to get out early, giving me some extra time to find my way downtown (have I mentioned lately how much I love my GPS?) and then back to my brother- and sister-in law, with whom I'm staying.

I plotted out a small run (around 4 miles) to check out the local neighborhood. It's hilly and chilly, but it made for a really nice way to unwind from the day. Not to mention move around, after sitting and poking my way through unfamiliar software all day.

Tomorrow I will try to find time to run a new route. It's the best way to see the area!

Chi-town visit

Given the option, I think I'd be pretty happy to not work. Or, perhaps, just travel for a living. Is there a Lonely Planet guide out there waiting to be authored by me?

I write to you from Chicago, having arrived here last night. I love this town. Each time I come, there's more to discover and explore. At the same time, as I gather knowledge, I revisit some of my favorite spots. Case in point: last night P and I headed over to Lou Malnati's for some deep dish pizza. Yes, it's a chain, but who cares. We sat at the bar to watch the Cubs/Dbacks game, and chatted with the bartender, Kirby. A very welcoming start to this visit.

Another reason I love coming to Chicago is that it is a running town. I was particularly excited to go out this morning because I have new running shoes that I purchased only yesterday. My former Nike Zoom+ pair, while lovingly used, was starting to feel like I was running on a few pieces of wet towel squished together. That said, I headed over to my local running store and spent the better part of an hour running up and down the street in various pairs of shoes. The guy working with me was super patient, and I ended up with a pair of Asics. I haven't had a pair of Asics shoes since my high school volleyball days, and the report after my first four miles on them is thumbs up.

While there, I also ended up helping another female customer with some sport bra advice. Poor guys in the store had no clue what to recommend, and had never heard of wearing two bras at once for better support (an unfortunate statement on the sport bra industry that women have resorted to this option). Once I heard she was going down the two bra route, I instantly suggested a couple of options for the bigger chested ladies. I understand her plight...

I'm off to pick up some tickets for an architecture tour from the vantage point of the Chicago River. I have wanted to check this out since my first visit to Chicago, and have never been able to do so. Then off to sneak into the AAFP Expo (the meeting that has drawn P here, and how I am tagging along) and check out the swag options.

Guaranteed to be a good day!

The cord is officially cut

I turned in my laptop and badge for my previous job. I am now officially a non-employee. It's both strange and exhilarating.

When I went to drop off the computer, I saw a few people I have worked with closely, and one of them quickly started talking work. Detailed ongoings of work. And there I was, in my jeans and t-shirt, clearly not focused on any sort of work talk, feeling elated on the inside that all of this was no longer my responsibility or concern. Still care about the overall mission of said company, but you can keep the day to day mishigas.

That said, I am now in pure vacation mode. My bag is packed, and in about 15 minutes I'm heading down to Boston to see a Red Sox game with a friend. I'll stay chez him overnight, and then hit the road for NYC in the morning. Very excited to get to the city, see P (who is there for the month), give up the car for a few, run in the park, and simply enjoy just being able to do whatever, whenever.

I'll come back for a couple of days, and then head to Chicago for 5 days. That's the longest contiguous time I''ll have ever spent there, and I do love that town. The only plan I have thus far is to meet up with a friend (and her mom) who is running the marathon and check out the expo. Looking forward to being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people and product.

Given the amount of vacation time I never used while working at the previous job, I have ample vacation time to cover all of this. With some to spare.

I can't believe how well this is all falling in to place. I should switch jobs more often.

semi-vegetative state

I've worked hard. I've been diligent and responsible. I've been a team player. And tonight, I think I am going to give myself a guilty gift that has absolutely zero value in the real world.

I am going to gorge on television.

I've been planning it out. It will involve creating a zone of food/drink/pillows/cats around me, putting on loose clothes, and parking myself in the corner of the couch. Perhaps I'll sit up, feet on an ottoman. Perhaps I'll give in fully and lay down, head turned sideways to soak in the passive entertainment. There may or may not be a blanket involved.

My Tivo has been dutifully recording programs, and I have hardly paid any attention to it's achievement. But tonight, oh tonight, that will change.

Last night I stayed up a little later than I should have, watching videos and playing Vortex on my new iPod. The new iPods really are pretty, and I am going to be gifting my old 30GB photo (which has worked perfectly to this day) to my mom. Ok, ok, her mere mention of possibly using an iPod instead of CDs to hold the music for her various folk dancing groups was all the push I needed to offer mine up and make the jump.

Video podcasts are now at my disposal. Very, very dangerous, as I can now watch telly in bed. On a small screen, but still. Or movies! Video Podcasts! I burned my eyes blowing through a whole set of "Flight of the Conchords" snippets last night. I gave in and purchased "Pootie Tang" (Wa Da Tah!) as my inaugural movie - it was either going to be that or "Zoolander." But I expect I'll figure out how to burn our DVDs to the iPod soon enough, so no need to repurchase.

At the moment I am on our sun porch, with three self-bathing cats, perfect weather, and no particular agenda. "Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Heaven)" just started flowing into my ears. It's one of those songs (and collaborations, really) that, when I'm feeling sentimental and particularly audiophile-y, I classify under Highly Important Music. This is one of those times.

So far, this whole between jobs state is pretty sweet!

First day back

And I can already tell it is going to be a rough transition.

Last week P and I took off with no solid plans (other than a family visit) other than going somewhere. We figured we had gas in the tank, a GPS, and a mutual love of travel, and that was more than enough. We packed the car with more than we would ever need (why bring one pair of shoes when you can bring three?), prepared for any number of situations and climates. Our fuzzy goal was to camp somewhere, but we weren't quite sure what level of "camp" we'd achieve....

First stop was Cooperstown, NY. I have family that lives about 20 minutes south of there, and much of my family was visiting for the weekend. My niece and nephews have entered into the age old tradition of drop-the-kids-at-the-uncle-and-aunt's-house-for-a-few-weeks-to-give-the-parents-a-break-routine. My brother and I did it most summers while growing up, and now his kids are taking part.

The house was full, and while my aunt would have loved to squeeze us into some corner that would likely involve a 45 year old mattress placed nearly on top of a cat litter box in a highly trafficked area of the house leaving zero space for any semblance of privacy (I'm speaking from experience), we opted to stay at a hotel nearby. It was a very good decision, even if it did require us to receive guilt/grief periodically throughout the weekend for not constantly being underfoot. The sanity saved was more valuable. For some reason, this side of my family believes that if you are not within 10 feet of each other at all times, and talking all the while, then you are not spending time together. It is claustrophobic and exhausting, particularly for those of us who like some personal space and quiet time to reboot.

One day I may write more on this one aunt in particular, as she is, um... a personality. There are three types of conversation in her world: cancer (or any illness, preferably something life-threatening), cats, and Rotary. Everything comes back to that, and usually it's the illness part. She loves her some sickness.

The below samples are all based upon actual conversations that took place during our visit. It is a very, very small sample of the full Experience.

Sample conversation #1 with my aunt:
Me: We have two cats.
Aunt: When our cats die we bury them out by the barn. Yep, these two will one day be out there with the five horses, four dogs, and all the other cats.

Sample conversation #2 with my aunt:
P: The kids are going to go with (uncle) for a walk up the hill. Such a nice day for a walk.
Aunt: There are aggressive coyotes up there.


Sample conversation #3 with my aunt:
Mom: This dinner is great.
Aunt: The other day I ate something and felt awful. It was either food poisoning or diverticulitis.


Sample conversation #4 with my aunt:
Me: [trying to stay quiet and unnoticed so I don't have to engage]
Aunt: SARS! Anthrax! Bird Flu!


I could go on. And on. But enough on that. This post was supposed to be more about the vacation part...

Prior to arriving at the family destination, P and I had stopped near Albany to get something to eat and visit an EMS for some camping odds and ends. While there, I bit the bullet and bought a real pack for multi day camping trips. I've wanted one for many years, and never allowed myself the purchase. Why I don't allow myself these things is a topic I'll put on hold for another blog entry. All I needed was the right impulse, and here it struck. I *heart* it. It makes me want to hike, much like new shoes make me want to run.

While trying on packs, we asked the woman helping us for any suggestions on hiking in the Adirondacks. She suggested a section that was out of the way, and remote enough that it weeded out people who weren't willing to put in a little effort. It sounded perfect, and became our decided destination for the post-family part of the trip.

Before long we were headed out of the Cooperstown area, heading towards the Pharaoh Wilderness. We had plotted a hiking route, transitioned from duffel bags to backpacks, condensed our sleeping bags in stuff sacks, and were ready to lose ourselves in the woods for a few.

First day's hike was a long one, going up and down Pharaoh Mountain and continuing along deeper into the woods. We ended the day at Watch Rock, a peninsula that juts out into the Pharaoh Lake. It was an ideal spot - a grassy spot for the tent, places to hang our gear, access to the lake for water, large flat rocks to sit on for meals or just to stare out over the lake. We were beat from the day's hike, and both of us were physically done by 8:30. It wasn't even dark out when we got into the tent...

We lingered in the morning, as the spot was so beautiful. I'd go back in a heartbeat, and stay longer. And bring my camera. Our plan was to have day 2 be a shorter hike, and we'd picked our landing spot. It was over on the other side of the lake, and took about 4 hours to reach it. A nice walk through the woods with a pretty consistent view of the lake on our left. Took a break in the middle of the hike to eat lunch at a particularly pretty spot (and put down the packs for a few minutes).

Once we reached our landing point, we parked ourselves and jumped in the lake to cool down. Both P and I are not fans of lake swimming - for me, I think it ties back to slasher movies often taking place at campgrounds with lakes involved. Then again, I don't like swimming in the deep end of a pool at night for fear of sharks, and I recognize that the likelihood of that occurring is slim. Why does ocean swimming feel safer to us than lakes? Perhaps because we both grew up on the ocean, perhaps because something about the salt water seems sterilizing. Or, in this case, perhaps it was due to the leeches I saw over at Watch Rock. Eew.

Still, I made it "safe" for myself by thrashing about and mentally willing the potential leeches and other fishies away. And it was good. The cool water made us human again, and after getting out we lazed around the rest of the day. Made some dinner around 5, read, chatted, sat in silence... We also applied large amounts of Tiger Balm to our skin, discovering that not only is it good for sore muscles and stopping the itching of bug bites, it is also a decent bug repellent. And, I imagine, less toxic than deet. By the end of the trip we were convinced that it could do anything. Headache? Sure. Blisters? Why not? Homeland Security? I'm sure if we found the right place to apply it, it would work.

The third day was the hike out. We had a ways to go, and weren't quite sure where were were headed afterwards, so we started on the early side. Packed our bags, waved goodbye to the lake, and went on our way.

Random gear note: I used a different sock combination (liners and running socks) and it worked so much better than my "official" Thorlo hiking socks. Days 1 and 2 I felt that I was destined for blisters; the third day saved me. The fact that I am even mentioning it here underscores how happy I was with the change.

Then again, when you are out back country camping, you spend a lot of time thinking about these types of things... your feet, how your pack is fitting, what you should have left home, what you should have brought, what you will have for your next meal, making sure to drink water... it's all very elemental, and I think that is one of the reasons I love it so.

We passed along Glidden Marsh, which was dotted with lilies and beaver ponds. Parts of the trail were wide and easy, while others were full of thorns and tall grass. You sort of felt your way through the whole thing. We flew through the final hike, getting back to the car 2 hours earlier than we'd estimated.

Once we hit cell phone range, P called a friend of ours who lives in Jersey, but was supposedly coming to Maine. We asked if we could come by for a few days for a visit, and she was happy to have us.

May we always have friends that are up for last minute visitors.
May we always be friends who are up for last minute visitors.

Setting the GPS once more, and cross referencing with our big (and lovingly well used) road atlas, we plotted a route that stayed off the big roads. We wound our way out of NY, through VT and NH, and into Maine. Stopped off at King Arthur Flour (P's version of black tar heroin) for a cookie and some browsing, and continued on to the coast.

Maine was lovely. Had our first real shower in days (oh so good), ate New England summer fare (read: fried fish and cole slaw), went swimming in the ocean (no sharks anywhere, and the water was warm), did crossword puzzles, caught up on some news (both the NY Times version as well as the Perez variety), read Harry Potter (almost done!).

As long as my quads and calves were sore from the hiking, I also went for a really nice run the morning after we landed at our friends' place. I wanted to feel what it would be like to run without the 40 pounds on my back, and thought it would help to loosen me up a bit. I also just wanted to run alongside the ocean, as that rarely happens in my Manchester existence. Success all around: I was clocking 9 -9:30 minute miles and felt great afterwards. After that, I only had one small spot of soreness in my left calf. A little Tiger Balm and 24 hours of no more hiking healed that one right up.

Everything worked out so well on this trip. The only days it rained was when we were in the car, transitioning from one place to another. We had perfect weather for hiking and camping. I love that we had no firm plans and were open to any stop along the way. People we didn't know - and will likely never see again - gave us guidance on our next steps. We ended up in towns days before peak season, meaning there were rooms available without breaking the bank, and the towns were sprucing themselves up for the coming visitors. The GPS helped us find the places we needed to go, be it food, equipment, gas, or a friends home. We ended up at King Arthur right before closing, meaning they handed us free cookies rather than throwing them out. :)

And, as always, P is my favorite traveling companion. I'd like to repeat this trip again and again, perhaps each time in a different state.

Vacation redux

We are stuck in Florida. Not a terrible place to be stuck, all things considered. The airport is a madhouse (cruise ship passengers + cancelled flight passengers + new flight passengers + broken computers and kiosks = very, very, long lines and short tempers) so we are sticking close to the apartment until we absolutely have to leave.

It is a bit of a comedy, and we don't exactly know when we'll be coming home... It's sort of liberating, in a way. Of course all of our charging cords (phone, iPod, etc.) are packed in our checked bags, which are somewhere between here and MHT. So here we are, in our one set of dark northeastern clothes, hanging around Florida.

We did try to make it home last night, and at first it all went incredibly smooth. We checked our bags outside, and there was no one on the security line. Too easy, we thought. Too good a start.

Then, we started to see what a mess the airline industry is in these days... Zero organization, crappy computer software, no staffing plan for these times when they are swamped. I understand even more now why people fly private jet services.

At last count, our rearranged flight details are hand written on a piece of either dot matrix printer paper or restroom towel (we couldn't tell). We are trusting that our new airline employee friend Jim is going to get us on a plane sometime before, oh, Tuesday? Hopefully sooner.

In the interim, we have had a really good bagel breakfast, gotten some playing cards, and are making the best of it.

Sunny and 80 here in Fort Lauderdale!

While I am still relaxed...

Still in Florida at the moment, at the tail end of a much needed vacation. We fly home tomorrow night. Meaning we still have the rest of today and much of tomorrow to soak up the sun and stare at the ocean.

This morning we saw five manatees lolling about near the shoreline. Mind you, we are 31 stories up, so it wasn't that close, but they were right there below us, and a zoom lens captured them easily enough. Great way to start the day.

This afternoon, we watched an enourmous storm cloud approach, dump sheets of rain, and then roll out to sea.

Now, P is napping and I (not a napper) am contemplating whether or not it is cool enough for an evening jog. Methinks I'll wait another 45 or so, then run up along the ocean, maybe to a state park I've been wanting to check out. It's about 3 miles from here, making it a good round trip distance. Cherry Blossom race is in three weeks (give or take), and I have been a little lax in the training department. Not that I haven't been running (Mr. Satan A. Chilles, I did make sure to put in a 4 miler at sub-10. I think it was around 9:48 pace. Painful in the heat, but painful in a good way), I just haven't been as planful in the distance department. Then again, I am on vacation.

It's been a happily active vacation, with lots of lolling about in between. I've run along the ocean here in Laudy, the streets in Key West, and a treadmill when it got too damn hot. Minus the treadmill part, it's a great way to see lots of small details that are easily overlooked when passing in a car. In Key West it provided a great way to survey the land and get a mental map.

Aside from the running, we've been on a number of small adventures, eaten some amazing food, eaten some greasy but tasty food, spent time with dolphins (not in a creepy Sea World way; just watched them from a boat), snorkeled with the fish and coral, watched cruise ships take off from the balcony of our fantastic borrowed apartment (for which I am grateful), drank lattes and read nonfiction, enjoyed stone crab season, watched pelicans fish, taken in plenty of sunsets, marveled at the number of blues that the ocean can create, and ignored the urge to have any sort of agenda.

If I was to walk to the balcony right now, the sun would be shining and the ocean would still be out there, in fifty shades of blue. Insane. It's so pretty that it makes me wonder why Florida, on the whole, is so tacky.

I admit I miss our cats, but it will be hard to leave this brief respite in paradise.

At home I hear we're getting snow.

Countdown to vacation

P&Me are heading on vacation next week, and it's pretty much all I am thinking about. My happy place, so to speak.

It's very cold here. Cold enough that even I, who is not a fan of small talking the weather (unless it is for some sort of meteorological phenomena type of chit chat). Running inside only until further notice, lest the cilia in my nose freeze.

Did I mention that I am looking forward to vacation?

Got a work bonus this week, which is just in time for the vaca. Booked us a cool room in a B&B in Key West for a couple of nights, and a fancy dinner is guaranteed. This is the one perk of working for the Man. That and paying the mortgage and bills while P toils away in residency... Small details.

Someone in my office is having lunch on the early side today - I can smell it from my desk. I don't know what it is, but it smells really good... Which reminds me of my lunch in Portland yesterday at Federal Spice. I go there almost everytime I am in P-land. So friggin' good. One of the many delicious looking specials they had yesterday was a sweet potato and banana quesadilla, with peanut sauce on the side. To say it was yummy is a vast understatement. I love that they love food.

Did I mention that I am looking forward to vacation? Clearly feeling punchy as a result.

This is the week leading up to a week of vacation. That means that I am trying, on a daily basis, to remain focused on work and not mentally fly away.... Tough.

We are heading to Florida for the week. I never really envisioned myself a Florida kind of girl, but with access to an apartment and car, it makes it a very appealing spot. Plus, we've been there a few times now, so it is familiar enough without being too familiar. I have to admit, I like Fort Lauderdale.

Mostly we'll be in Laudy, with a trip down to Miami for Calle Ocho and then a few days in Key West. I am not sure if I will love or hate Key West - seems like the kind of place that can feel like Mardis Gras on a daily basis. I am sure there's a quiet side to it, and that's the side I'm going to seek.

Upon sharing the travel plans with a coworker this morning, they suggested we have a meal at CHeeseburger in Paradise. The Jimmy Buffet chain restaurant. That, to me, is as appealing as eating at Chili's or Applebee's.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to going for runs in warm weather, and with no big constraints on my time. This week I've literally had to sit with my calendar and plan on when I would be able to fit in time for running... I was able to run outside this past weekend which was great, but the rest of this week is looking too cold and windy for that. Yesterday morning I was on the treadmill, and that's likely where I'll be tomorrow... I much prefer being outside (for running or otherwise), but with winter comes compromise. Thus I am very excited to run outside anytime next week. Along a beach, even!!

This week at work has been somewhat trying, largle due to a coworker who is particularly negative. On one level I am sad for her, as the way she treats people is clearly indicative of an unhappy person. On another level I am done with her treating me and others like they are beneath her.

Her latest was to indicate that my appraoch to work was "unfortunate" because I am willing to allow for flexibility in any given process. You know, allow for a human element. Generally I let her little digs roll off of me, but sometimes it gets to me. This was one of those times.

Not cool, you know?

So, to bring it all full circle, I am very much looking forward to the week in Florida.