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Kakaru Is Awesome

Posted by Sumiki , in BIONICLE/LEGO, BZPower, Life, The Great American Road Trip Jun 02 2012 · 87 views

Full entry on all that happened at the highly awesome Bricks Cascade is coming later tonight, but this deserves its own entry:

Kakaru is awesome. I got seven collectible minifigures, a LEGO shirt, and a light blue noble Komau from him - completely for free. He even tried to give me one of the sets that he got from winning an award, though I refused to accept that one.

So yeah. Kakaru = awesome.

B-)

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The Great American Road Trip - 17 - Into Portland

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip Jun 02 2012 · 79 views

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Today, we saw more Redwoods and more of the Pacific Coast. As we went along the highway, we spotted a sign warning of "Elk." Not but twenty yards from the sign was a gravel road, which we turned onto because, in the field beyond, 12-14 Roosevelt elk were sitting or ambling around in the field, and nearly all were male. We got a few pictures, then headed back on out onto the road. Later on, there was a special pullout where we came just a few yards from a female elk.

We then got into Oregon, eventually making our way up into a town called Grant's Pass. Hungry, we stopped at a place called Smokehouse Barbecue. Initially cautious about trying it, we smelled it and instantly took it for good barbecue. They did not disappoint. The ribs and pulled pork were on par with the Neely's, while the brisket was better than Neely fare. We talked with the amiable owner about barbecue, our trip, how the place got started, etc. His wife's beautiful, detailed paintings hang around the dining area - some of which are for sale, but some of which are not.

We got to Eugene, and then the adventure started. The Eugene Emeralds - a short-season single-A minor league team - plays there. They share their field with the baseball field of the University of Oregon. Being short-season, the Emeralds do not begin play until June 15, but we thought we might be able to get in and get a pennant for the collection. This is where the fun began: the parking lot was packed. We were informed by a very nearly completely bald surfer dude that the regional tournament for the College World Series was being played out in the stadium. When asked where we could get a pennant, he directed us down the road from whence we came. (He also gave directions as if we were intimately familiar with the area even after he was told - twice! - that we weren't from around the region and we were just passing through. Our accents, while not severe, should have reemphasized this point to him.) Not having anything to lose, we went down there and were told by a heavy fellow with a sparse tooth population that what we were looking for was in a building just beyond him.

That was completely the wrong building. That was part of the athletic center for the Oregon Ducks and had absolutely nothing to do with the Emeralds. We were then told on our way out that what we sought was on the other side of the stadium - on another road completely. When we got there, we couldn't park near the stadium, having to park across the street and attempt to walk, with no crosswalk to aid us. Eventually, seeing as everyone in there was concerned with the College World Series (I spotted at least three TV trucks), we abandoned the attempt as hopeless.

However, that wasn't the only minor league team in the area. We got to Salem, where the Salem-Keizer Volcanos play. The Volcanos are in the same league as the Emeralds - and their stadium, too, had people in it. We were informed by the man at the front gate, who thought that our 4800-mile trek from North Carolina to Salem was at least borderline strange if not full-on bizarre, though he had the good sense and manners not to say this to our faces. He radioed the ticket office, who opened up the shop. For free, we got a poster full of minor league hats from the congenial fellow who checked us out, and we even got some barbecue sauce there as well - though we paid for that acquisition. Interestingly, Oregon has no sales tax - as he put it, "the McDonald's Dollar Menu is actually one dollar. It's crazy!" Thanking the folks there for their time, we headed back onto Interstate 5.

We were running low on gas at this point and pulled off on an exit a little later on to fill up. Instead of filling it up ourselves, a woman came over and did it for us, telling us that Oregon and New Jersey are the only two states that mandate full service gas pumps in order to create jobs. With full tank and clean windshield, we went on to Portland.

Portland is a vastly interesting city, even though I've only seen some of it so far. Their public transport system looks like one of those big gondola ski-lifts, reaching its apex high above the highway on an intriguingly designed bridge. They have all kinds of rail systems, which can be observed from our hotel room's balcony.

Since it was dinnertime, we went downstairs to eat. The salmon was good but forgettable - but the dessert, maple ice cream, was delicious. I'm not going to want to brush my teeth for the rest of forever because of the lingering taste, but I shall eventually have to. Tomorrow we'll probably visit the place again, exclusively for the maple ice cream.

Tomorrow, we stick around in Portland, because, y'know, BRICKS CASCADE.

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The Great American Road Trip - 16 - Pacific Ocean And Redwoods

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 31 2012 · 84 views

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We got up in San Francisco today and headed out of the city. Our GPS once again imitated HAL 9000 and attempted to kill us, putting us through the steepest hills of San Francisco. (They must have been at least 40 degrees - if they ever got snow, sledding on them would be scary but awesome.) We crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge, stopping at a vista point just past it. After taking in the view as well as taking a few pictures, we hopped back on the road. We made good time, skirting through the rolling hills and endless vineyards of the famous wine country. We ate at a tiny but packed joint called Hank's Creekside Restaurant. I saw no creek, and was surprised to find that they didn't marker Guy Fieri's appearance at the place, but they didn't need it to get a packed house. (My mom's Chili Burger was open-faced and slathered with three gigantic ladle-scoops of homemade chili. I'm serious, these ladles were like bowls.) We then traveled through narrow Route 20, which connects Route 101 to Interstate 1, which itself hugs the Pacific coast for a stretch. I'm convinced that Lombard Street would seem straight compared to Route 20, but Lombard Street doesn't have big rigs going 70 miles an hour around turns which they're supposed to be going 30 over.

It was worth it, though, when we got to the coast. Rocks jutted out of the sea, the sea foam breaking over it. Beaches are also a rarity, since most of the coast is sheer rock. We were able to stop at one beach, though. It featured striking grayish-black sand, and its inner shore was dotted with painters who were obviously inspired by the calming vista before them. We went out, touching the Pacific - but we didn't get our feet wet, which was the important thing, though we got some in our shoes, which we had to dump out. The Pacific is also more blue than the Atlantic, which is a much more dull, muted hue.

We went along 1, seeing redwood trees becoming more and more popular. Eventually, where 1 reconnects with 101, we found a stop about a quarter mile off the road - one of the many places where they carved a car-sized tunnel out of an especially large redwood. We didn't go through it with the car - we were afraid of possible dings or scratches that could ensue - but there were very few people there, so we walked under it. (There's actually a natural, jagged hole where you can see up the interior of the redwood - very eerie.)

After confusing the tar out of the checkout lady when we asked her if they had an opossum Christmas tree ornament, we got back on the highway once again. The next stop was something that I remembered out of a trivia book, a place called Confusion Hill. While everything there is an optical illusion, it's designed so as to make you think that gravity goes slanted there. The path to and away from it is angled, as are the various portions of the small room - but if you let yourself believe the illusions, they are staggering and slightly vertigo-inducing. A chair that appears straight is in fact at a 45-degree angle and is impossible to get out of under one's own power. A pendulum appears to bend north - as did I, when I hung onto a pole that was attached to the ceiling. (The pendulum is actually at the same angle as the redwoods outside, and the redwoods point upwards. Still, they have some very weird illusions!) There are also multiple points along the path to and from this slanted house where people who stand in certain points look taller or shorter from specific vantage points. My dad also claims that I'm six feet tall, since one of these mini-exhibits featured a pole that measured height, but that's a slight exaggeration - I'm slightly under that mark and that's with shoes on. It's secondary fame stems from a painted totem pole, carved by chainsaw from a single redwood.

Once again, we got on the highway - but that wasn't the last stop for the day. My mom found a discontinued portion of Route 101 along the map, which had been preserved in a 30-mile stretch yclept "Avenue of the Giants" - and the giants along their Avenue were indeed giant. Some were closer to the road that most concrete barriers that are found along road construction. Impressed with these trees ("I feel like an Ewok," my dad said, referencing Star Wars, Episode VI), we pulled off the road. We saw the most massive tree yet, uprooted and laying down on the ground. We also looked up another redwood, making sure that there were no critters that had decided to make that particular tree their home. As we went back to the car, a large branch fell from a redwood that stood across the road. Needless to say, this spooked us, but we calmly got into the car and continued down the Avenue.

We got back onto 101, getting into fog near Eureka. We're actually at sea level now, which is a change of pace from the mountains that had become the norm for the last leg of the trip. It's like the fog that is famous for plaguing San Francisco - except we only got clear skies and ground while we were there, ahd the fog got us here. Bizarre.

Tomorrow, more redwoods and more of the Pacific Coast (as well as two minor league teams) on the long drive to Portland. Then it's BRICKS CASCADE TIME.

ALSO I MIGHT ALSO BE AROUND FOR THE FINAL DAY OF BRICKS CASCADE.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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The Great American Road Trip - 15 - San Francisco, Part 2

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 30 2012 · 52 views

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Today, we went out to explore the city. Our first stop was for brunch at a place called Lori's Diner. As we entered, we came up under a jukebox, then up 36 steps. fashioned to look as if it was from the late 40s/early 50s. Posters - which look like originals - advertise war bonds, the forward halves of retro cars displayed come from walls, and small jukeboxes are featured in every booth. While we had fun taking a look at the old tracks available to play, we did not have the necessary quarters to play any. Behind us, there was a large sculpture of a cow drinking a Pepsi. The food was just diner fare, but the atmosphere made the place.

We then walked down to the terminus of two of the famous streetcar lines. The Powell & Hyde line and the Powell & Mason line both end at an old wooden turntable, and the streetcars are turned by their operators pushing them. The line to get on snaked around the rope that prevented people from getting on the turntable, though the pigeon population of the city was blissfully unaware of the dangers and we thought we'd see instant pigeon paté on more than one occasion.

For a big city, especially one which thrives on tourism, I saw only one policeman for the entirety of the day, and he was talking to a homeless man, no doubt about going to a shelter. Another man had fashioned a drum kit out of old wine bottles and upside-down plastic cylindrical containers, and a woman kept going around asking people if they spoke English. These vagabonds seemed normal compared to a man who pulled out a megaphone and starting screaming in what was either English with a thick German accent, or full-on German. I think he was proselytizing, but that's just a hunch. The operator of the cable car, as he finished turning the car around, walked past us, saying "is he scaring you? 'Cause he's scaring me!" We also talked to some Italian folks, who thought we were rather nuts for traveling across the country by road. They were also impressed with the sheer scale and vast scenery differences present in America.

The cable car ride is bumpy, but a memorable experience nonetheless. It's a much better alternative to walking when navigating the steep hills of the city, and though they only go on a few designated routes, they're an experience that's unique to San Francisco. We passed by the top of Lombard Street, famous for being the most crooked street in the world. For some reason, they decided to put a bunch of hairpin turns at the top of it, which makes it pretty, but also makes you wonder what the street's designers were thinking. (It's a 40-degree angle, so they're basically tight switchbacks to help negotiate it - but that doesn't stop me from wondering why.)

After passing through Chinatown, we got off at Fisherman's Wharf, where a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge can be seen. It was surrounded and framed by fog, making it look eerie and mysterious in nature. We then headed up to the Ghirardelli building, where we got some free squares and got some hot chocolate. After getting slightly lost (which tends to happen when the map you have tells you that not all the streets are on there, and when you always get this aforementioned map out on the unlisted streets), we hopped on the cable cars again and headed back into the heart of the city, this time seeing up Lombard Street instead of down, and seeing another little slice of Chinatown. We got back to our room in time to look up the old San Francisco mint building, but they do not have tours and are apparently converting parts of it into a place to rent out to parties and such, so we decided to skip it. My numismatic side is raging that they are defacing such history by using the building this way, but I'm not going to let that get to me.

We all felt kind of tired at this point and all got some small naps. (I know for a fact that my dad snores the funniest, though my mom snores the loudest. I plead the fifth on my own.) Deciding that skipping supper would be a bad idea, we walked back out onto the San Franciscan streets in search of something to eat. We found a little Italian place that featured a kind of a hallway as you enter. Desserts are places enticingly to the left while a wall dominates the right. In the back, right where the wind and sounds from the street dies down, the room opens up. The food was basic Italian fare, and the portions were modest. We had to sample the desserts, though - triple chocolate mousse, creme brulee, and tiramisu, all arranged in order of deliciousness.

Tomorrow, we head on up the coast to Arcata, CA.

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The Great American Road Trip - 14 - Sacramento And San Francisco

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 30 2012 · 87 views

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Today, we set off towards San Francisco, stopping in Sacramento at a place called Gatsby's Diner for lunch. We knew that it would be good when the lady that took my dad's call said that, yes, they were open, and that us coming would be "groovy." It then really set in that we were in California.

Gasby's has charm, and is interesting for the fact that the food is prepared right in front of you - actually, to put it more accurately, in the middle of the restaurant. The only explanation I have for this is that it might have been a hibachi place before its current incarnation as Gatsby's. The burgers were fresh and juicy, and the roasted (and thus not as hot) jalapeños that, along other things, topped them, complemented the flavors perfectly. They had three flavors of homemade potato chips, and I thought that all three flavors (ranch, barbecue, and regular) were delicious.

After telling our waitress that we were hitting all of the local joints visited by Guy Fieri, she asked the question we've come to expect: how did they stack up against the other joints? (I'd rank them at Standard Diner level, personally.) She then convinced us to take a picture of all of us, ridiculously leaning back and pointing to the "GUY ATE HERE" sign that was spray-painted onto the wall. We then got two milkshakes - my dad got an "Elvis" - bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate - while I got the peanut butter and chocolate. All I can say is this: Reese's Cups in milksake bliss form. That was our big meal for the day - I'm still not hungry.

We got back on the road and, before getting to San Francisco, we had to stop in Sacramento one last time, at the home field of the Sacramento RiverCats. We got a hat and pennant, but more memorably, we got a complete tour of the stadium - for free - by the community relations person/historian of the team. He took us through the bowels of Raley Field, which included a ceiling mural of players sitting on a padded rail, as well as a wall of fame with famous former RiverCats. They do everything smart and everything well there - everything they do is an absolute study in what to do right. (He shared with us an interesting bit of trivia: for the past 12 years, every World Series-winning team has had at least one former RiverCat on their roster, and nearly every team which had made it to the playoffs during that time has had at least one former player as well.) His office was adorned with baseball memorabilia worth fortunes many times over. I was worried that the office would implode from the weight of all the stuff that was crammed in there, but it held. He also gave us a little tour of the luxury suites at the stadium.

After that exclusive tour, we hopped on the highway. San Francisco was the next stop, but not before I learned something very important about California drivers: they change lanes with alacrity and nonchalance, using their turn signal not before they slide, but in the middle. This led to more than one instance where I thought that we were going to see a 20-car pileup, but I suppose that's the norm for Californians. We got into some heavy traffic after we'd crossed into San Francisco County, but that cleared up soon enough. We also paid our first toll of the trip. For such a long trip, six bucks for road use is not shabby.

The San Francisco Giants were in town, and were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. We walked the distance from our hotel to AT&T Park - on every street corner, there were people exclaiming that they had tickets - no doubt for exorbitant prices. The scalpers all looked pretty much exactly alike, so that was really strange. Purchasing three fortunate tickets down the right-field line near the visitor's bullpen, we got a pennant and an orange panda hat, which I wore all game and then all the way back to the hotel. (I wear a panda hat now. Panda hats are cool.)

It was cold. It was really cold. It was also windy, though not bitingly so. We've felt worse wind and experienced worse cold on this trip, but today was probably the worst experience because we were out in it for so long. It was so cold, in fact, that after I took a sip of my mom's hot cocoa, I got one of my own from a vendor that was hawking his ware from the aisle. He carried a massive container on his back, and held a spigot in one hand and whipped cream in the other. He began to pour it into my cup, just as a foul ball came flying in our direction. I saw it as it hit the top of its arc and began to back away, but someone pushed the cocoa guy in the commotion and cocoa went all over the steps. (I got about one drop on my shoe, which promptly evaporated.) Obviously unfazed, he diligently poured out another cocoa, and no more balls were hit in that direction.

The cold and wind got to us, and seeing the lateness of the hour and factoring in the walk back to the hotel (there aren't that many taxis, surprisingly), we left before the game ended. (The Giants ended up winning.) Our feet were in various shapes, from sore to cold to sore and cold, but we got back safely. I must have been a spectacle, walking through a swanky lobby with an orange panda hat on my head. I have no shame.

Tomorrow, we explore San Francisco more.

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The Great American Road Trip - 13 - Through Nevada

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 29 2012 · 77 views

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Today was a very long day. We woke up in Salt Lake City to the incoherent, mumbling, early-morning monologues of my dad, ate breakfast, and got on the road. We saw the Great Salt Lake (which stinks like the ocean but like six times as worse) as well as the Bonneville Salt Flats - which are very hard to the touch. They're quite the consistency of very very hard-packed sand, and I can understand why they do time trials out there. One can actually see the curvature of the earth if you look down the interstate just right.

In Nevada, we crossed into Pacific Time. Though it was Memorial Day, and the state thrives on tourism, their welcome center was locked. Oh, and they have an intersection of two highways with nothing but a 4-way stop sign. The first casino we saw ran right along the border with Utah, before Pacific Time even officially kicked in - and I was surprised at how much they promote it before the border. It makes sense, as it's pretty much their whole economy. The land became very barren, rocky and lacking vegetation of any sort. Snow-capped mountains dotted the distance.

We passed through at least three different prison area, all marked with "Hitchhiking Prohibited" on the signs. (I love how they say "Prison Area" but yet the prison is still a "Correctional Facility" - got to love political correctness!) I can see why they have prisons and bombing ranges out there - there's absolutely nothing else. I thought portions of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah were barren, but they look like New York City compared to the utter emptiness of Nevada. We also saw some Alkali Flats, which were like salt flats but was akin to baking soda or something of that ilk. Some people had arranged some stones in patterns, spelling out things like "JUAN ROCKS!" on the interstate median. Whoever Juan is, I hope he's happy now.

Then we got to Reno, which is, to put it in polite terms, not exactly pleasant-looking. (Of course, it didn't help that we entered on the bad side of town.)

The traffic in the downtown area was horrendous, backed up through five intersection. We were going to eat at Jimmy John's, but a group of thugs looked as if we were in their sights. Fortunately, our evasive action prevailed.

The University of Nevada at Reno, which we looked around, was completely nice, with gorgeous campus and clean streets.

By then, we just wanted to get all the way out of Reno, but unfortunately, we needed some gas. The roughest-looking folks were around the gas stop, and I got out to protect my mom in the store. (My dad and I are both glad that we both have facial hair - I think it saved us more than we realized.) We then saw a sign for Denny's, but it ended up being inside a gigantic casino complex, and seeing this, we didn't even bother stopping, turning the car around and navigating our way through the spaghetti-like system of tangled roads to get back on the interstate, alive and in one piece. (We didn't even bother looking for the stadium of the Reno Aces.)

Out of Reno, we hightailed it to the California border, where we went up into the Sierra Nevada mountain range, amongst trucks that looked to be on the verge of brake failure and cars that could not have cared one iota less about the speed limit. We made the long, harrowing descent down the other side of the range - we went from high altitude to only a few hundred feet above sea level. With near-hairpin curves with narrow lanes, concrete walls encroaching upon the lane, and road construction. Lovely. At one point, around 2,000 feet, our drink bottles simultaneously popped inwards, as the pressure inequality became too great for the thin plastic to bear. (As we neared the hotel, it happened again - though on a smaller scale.)

Though the in-hotel restaurant was closed, we were directed to a place just across the street called Tahoe Joe's, which serves one of the best steaks I've ever had - corn-fed, midwestern beef, aged 28 days, coated with pepper, and then slow-roasted to a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth medium. Though only six ounces, they were filling. Their green beans were also excellent, not tasting at all like green beans, and their strawberry lemonade was wonderful. (Our appetizer was calamari - but instead of rings and/or tentacles, it was in steak form, pan-seared with capers and pistachios. As a calamari fan, I thought it was much better than many of the other squids I've had in my life.)

So now we're in the hotel, delighted from the meal, and tired after 670 miles driven today. 4020 miles have been traversed so far.

Tomorrow: through Sacramento and on to San Francisco. Pacific Ocean, here we come!

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Bricks Cascade

Posted by Sumiki , in BIONICLE/LEGO, BZPower, Life, MOCing, The Great American Road Trip May 28 2012 · 87 views

This might be a little late to be announcing something like this, but the Great American Road Trip is going to stop in Portland, Oregon, in time for the first public day of Bricks Cascade on June 2nd! I had no idea until earlier today, but it's EXCITING NEWS.

Remember, autographs are limited in quantity. B-)

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The Great American Road Trip - 12 - Salt Lake City, Part 2

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 27 2012 · 60 views

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We got up a little later today and, seeing that the Salt Lake Bees, the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, were in town, we decided that we'd see the game. They were playing against the Las Vegas 51s, so named for Area 51 ... two states away, on the other side of New Mexico. (I suppose the name "Las Vegas Gamblers" doesn't afford the same ring.)

I can see why the Angels are struggling this year, as the Bees failed to hit or play god defense. In one instance, the 51s were up by one run with runners on the corners and one out. The Bees picked the guy off of first, throwing down to second to get him out ... allowing the running on third to score. Apparently the entire infield was unaware that, in baseball, you have to be able to count. Their first baseman also dropped some throws, and overall their play was so poor that my dad nearly started pulling for the 51s.

However, the game took a back seat to the fans. One heavyset and balding Red Sox fan had a beer in his hand, and his dog sipped on it a bit. The man, not wishing to give up any of his beer, then began drinking out of it after the dog's snout had been in it! Words cannot describe the revolting. There was also a man down in front that apparently had no feeling in his rear end, and his pants slipped down every time he stood up. He stood up rather a lot.

Salt Lake City, or at least the part that we're in, doesn't appear to have many police officers. While we got free parking outside the stadium, as we arrived after the game had began, trash was blowing in lots of places and panhandlers were rampant. (Two of them were together on a street corner, one in a motorized scooter and another smoking. I'm pretty sure they didn't need to panhandle for income.) Another fellow wanted tickets - a reverse scalper of sorts. I'm certain that it's just the section that we're in - Salt Lake City is very big - but I was surprised that the police didn't round them up at least so they could keep warm.

Tomorrow: a long, lonely drive to Reno, Nevada.

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The Great American Road Trip - 11 - Bryce Canyon And Salt Lake City

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 26 2012 · 69 views

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We got up today in Zion and got breakfast. It was a chilly morning and it took us a long while to get out of the park due due to the long lines which had so rapidly accumulated. For such a beautiful park, I am surprised that their logistics are not more well thought-out. The pull-off which we were going to pull into and begin our hike around at was slammed - there were no parking spaces, and to park, one would have to park on the street, which we weren't going to do. We instead settles for more pictures of the gorgeous scenery all around us.

As we went back up the hairpin switchbacks up the mountain, in the same direction as we came in, we were stopped in front of the mile-long curvy unlit tunnel for about five minutes as buses, RVs, and other obscenely oversized vehicles rolled through. We got out of our car and stretched at this point, and a lady behind us pointed out a large overhanging rock about a thousand or so feet up, perched precariously on what appeared to be the edge of the cliff. She then announced that if it fell and squished us, "they'd just come around and pick us up to put us in a jar." (She followed us pretty much all the way to Bryce Canyon.)

On the way to Bryce Canyon, we were behind a large truck, and two motorcycles were behind us. Well, these cyclists were not thrilled with the concept of a speed limit, and one decided to rush past both us and the 18-wheeler with great alacrity. On a curve. With a sedan rushing the other way.

It was scary, but he managed to slide between the lanes. We thought he'd get killed. Then the other guy did precisely the same thing, on the next curve with the next car! Later on up the road, we passed them, as they had pulled off to get something to eat, just once again proving that driving idiotically nets you absolutely no gain whatsoever.

Before, going to Bryce Canyon, we went through Red Canyon, which is, unsurprisingly, a canyon that is red. (Shocking, I know.) Rocks hung over in patterns at the peaks at the sides of the canyon, and small tunnels were carved through the red rock. Butch Cassidy, the famous Western outlaw, is rumored to have not died at all, staying instead around Red Canyon, around where he grew up.

Bryce Canyon was as beautiful as Zion or the Grand Canyon. It's hard to say, really - they're all similar, but yet vastly different both from history and from points of view. Bryce is not exactly a canyon, as it was not carved by a stream eroding over eons, but rather through other forms of erosion, such as freezing and thawing. Hoodoos are Bryce's claim to fame, mainly, being visible in all shapes and sizes over the canyon floor.

We stopped at the Visitor's Center and met with a few volunteers who were operating telescopes. Now, this being around noonish or so, the last thing we thought we'd see would be telescopes. They were both pointed at the sun, and had special lenses to blot out the searing light that emanates from it. One showed a magnetic storm, or sunspot, in detail, while the other put the sun through a red filter and made it possible to make out the tiny-looking licks of flame that surrounded the sun. Of course, these were many times the size of the Earth and were hurtling along at 100,000 miles an hour, and knowing thee facts can make you feel really small.

We went up to 9,115 feet above sea level, where the temperature was around 40 degrees and the wind chill must have been well below freezing. The wind was not just fast, but gusty and biting to boot. The views were absolutely stunning, however - the hoodoos were in many places, sheer rock faces angled upwards, and trees hooked into the canyon walls sometimes by one root.

But it was getting progressively colder, and we were not interested in staying outside any longer than we absolutely had to, so we went back down, stopping at every available turn-out point. There was a small natural bridge on one of the locations, as well as a huge black bird that kept flying near and around the car. As we got out at one turn-out, this thing came out of nowhere and pulled up almost as it was about to hit me, to which I instinctively said "I'm not a crumb!"

The last stop at Bryce Canyon was a trail that was nearly unmarked - the only designation it had was at its very beginning, half a mile from where we parked. This trail was steep, heading down along the hoodoos into the canyon below - and neither side had any semblance of railing. It just ... dropped. While this wasn't bad, the biting wind was picking up, and we didn't think that it was such a good idea to continue on. (We also had some intel from another hiker that the other side was steeper, and since we wouldn't trust our gravely footing even in the best of weather conditions - and we were getting thirsty - we just decided to go back. We were glad we did - the wind got even worse as we continued back to our car, and some Utahans were walking around in shorts!

Since we couldn't go on the trails that we wanted to due to unsavfe conditions, our time in Bryce was cut short. We decided to head on up the highway, get on the interstate, and get on as far as we could to Salt Lake City. Buses roared past us as we got back out of Red Canyon going at least 90 miles an hour, and creating a wind phenomenon that literally sucked us into the bus. (We were lucky that we could steer away from it, but it was definitely not a pleasant experience.) The speed limit on some stretches was 80 - I got two pictures of this ridiculous sign just to prove that we weren't going delirious from the altitude. (We really felt the altitude in Bryce - I tried jogging on the sidewalk and I was instantly breathing hard. You can't tell it unless you exert yourself, but when you did, it was immediately noticeable. I can see why Olympians train in high altitudes - running anywhere else is a breeze.)

The scenery around the interstate is marvelous - peaks thousands of feet up, bare save for patches of snow at the top. While the interstate never actually went through these mountains, they were gorgeous to look at. The Rocky Mountains really are rocky.

(Side note: Salt Lake City does not name their streets normally. Sure, they have "University Avenue" and a few Main Streets, but the vast majority of their streets are "1500 North" or "700 South" or some combination of number and direction. This is not just limited to Salt Lake; I think a lot of Utahan towns have them. It makes some sense, but I've just never seen such strange street names.)

Tomorrow, we're just chilling out and staying in Salt Lake City for another day. Their minor league team, the Salt Lake Bees, are in town, so we'll be able to see them tomorrow. Aside from that, we're going to get a lot of rest for the next leg of the trip: going across Nevada to Reno.

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The Great American Road Trip - 10 - Zion National Park

Posted by Sumiki , in The Great American Road Trip May 25 2012 · 73 views

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Yesterday, I forgot to mention that we saw a mountain sheep, complete with horns, perched upon a slanted rock, clearly unafraid of coming close to humanity.

Today, we explored Zion further. We got onto a shuttle from our hotel to the entrance of the park, then transferred to another shuttle once inside the park. Zion is beautiful, as I probably mentioned. Pictures can only get a mere fraction of the beauty that the park holds, though it is essentially a very large canyon, carved by the Virgin River. The place is jammed with many tourists, as was the Grand Canyon, but not to the degree of the Canyon nor with as many diverse people. I think about maybe four or five groups actually were cordial to others and walked single-file when there were people coming in the opposite direction - we were one of those groups.

The first trail we took was the Lower Emerald Pool trail, which took us into a gorgeous valley with an oasis at its base, fed by the water from the waterfalls which were the main attraction of the trail. Around the valley lay sand, as if it was a beach, and up the steep hills on either side grew trees and bushes. We didn't go near to the waterfalls - you would not believe how far away the spray can be felt, and I did not want to even skirt the rick of damaging the camera for the sake of what was packed with people - especially kids who clearly had no parental advisory.

We went back downhill, over the bridge that we came in on, and got back on the shuttle, this time hopping off at the Weeping Rock trail. This was short but steep, ending up underneath a massive rock overhang that curved up and around to above our heads. Water fell off of the overhang continuously, giving the location its name. This trail was probably my favorite, as one could see down the canyon from its end point. The jags and cracks of the monolithic red rocks, complete with their sparse vegetation, receded out into the distance, while surprisingly lush vegetation (the place only gets about 15 inches of rain a year) sprawled out on the canyon floor.

After nibbling on some granolas at the top, and following it down with water, we went back over the bridge. I got shocked hard when I brushed my hand against the thick metal railing - my mom testified to the existence of a blue arc, so there's little wonder that it was shocking. (This was followed, as you might imagine, by a series of atrocious puns upon the subject of electricity, stopping only when we got back to the shuttle.)

Our next stop was at the very end of the route, at the end of the park known as the Temple of Sinawava. While we were told that the canyon narrows and narrows until you could barely walk in it, it turns out that you had to wade the river first, and having no other shoes and not relishing the thought of going barefoot in the chilly water, decided to head on back. The views were absolutely gorgeous, though, and we ran into some very feisty animals - squirrels, to be precise.

You read that right. Squirrels.

The first squirrel we saw darted right in front of us and made me almost run into my dad. The squirrels, while not looking much (or any) different than any given squirrel, were aggressive and very feisty. I must have seen ten or twelve squirrels, either along the side of the road or actually in the road. The most interesting one was one that was semi-upright, waving its tail in time with its shrill barks that occurred every second or two. (I jokingly talked to it, saying "I know the party's not until later, but I thought I'd come early ...") Some even ran up to us and looked like they seriously were considering jumping onto our jeans and clawing madly. Fortunately, they did not, but I kind of hope that some of the more idiotic and rude tourists got to experience that delight.

Up above our heads, the sheer rock face had overhangs, all but inaccessible but for flying creatures and insane (but skilled) rock climbers. We saw many of the former - peregrine falcons circled and dove rapidly above our heads, one coming out of its steep dive near to us, pulling up before coming close to us, but close enough that we could see its bluish-green hue. California Condors, a once-endangered species with a nine-foot wingspan, looked like small black birds thousands of feet above us, near to the trees at the rim of the canyon.

We wanted to do more hikes, but we'd gone about four miles on our feet and while my feet didn't feel bad, I think the altitude and the concrete trails got to the legs and feet of my parents. The hike that we didn't get to was called Angel's Landing, which apparently featured switchbacks on the trail as well as a perilous drop-off on the side of a mountain. Our contingency plan for doing this tomorrow was immediately scrapped after learning of this.

The shuttle out of Zion was ... eventful, to say the least. Basically, while the shuttles that go from the city to the park are one solid vehicle, the ones inside the park are essentially two shuttles latched together, the one that did not have a steering wheel, controls, or engine being towed by the other. This, as you might imagine, made the ride extremely bumpy, and a baby in the front was less than pleased with this. Not only was the ride bumpy and a little loud, but hot and a massive time zone differential for him. Now, why would parents drag a baby along on a trip outside their country, knowing full well not only that these things would happen, but that the kid wouldn't even be able to remember a doggone thing about the trip? Suffice it to say that this baby wailed obnoxiously for pretty much the entire ride back to the park entrance. He couldn't help that he was tired, but his parents must have been derpy to the highest level.

As we exited the next, quieter shuttle into the city (we were the last ones off), we asked the shuttle driver about good places to eat. He suggested the restaurant that was adjacent to our hotel. The food was pricey, but confusingly so - mine was a massive burger, served up with a medley of fries as well as three small onion rings, and it was much cheaper than the tiny little steak that my dad received. Go figure.

As we were exiting, in walked the most heinous thing that I have ever had the discomfort of laying eyes upon: an obese belly dancer. It was pretty much exactly how you'd imagine a very large belly dancer as being like, and I do not wish to dwell on it. I pity those who were in the adjacent sports bar, but I noticed that a lot of them were outside, on the porch. (It was probably to avoid being nauseated by the very sight of the belly dancer, but also probably more so to avoid the inevitable seismic waves that would be generated by her undulations.)

Tomorrow, a final hike in Zion, then on to Bryce Canyon - and, hopefully, avoiding supersized belly dancers in the process.

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He's the lord of all strangeness. - Ignika: Nerd of Life

How awesome is Sumiki on a scale of 1 to 10? - Waffles
42. - Black Six

[He's] the king of wierd, the prince of practicality, the duke of durr! - Daiker

Sumiki is magic. - Cholie

Sumiki says, "Do I creeeeeeep you out?" Yes, he does. - Waffles

Sumiki is a nub. He's cool, but he's still a nub. - Ran Yakumo

"What is a Sumiki?" You may ask. But the answer to that is still unknown, even to the Sumiki itself. - Daiker

Ah, Sumiki. - Electric Turahk

LISTEN TO SUMIKI - Cholie

Sumiki is best snickerdoodle. - Takuma Nuva

BZPower = Sumiki + McSmeag + B6. And Hahli Husky. - Vorex

What's a Sumi? Does it taste good? - Janus

I would have thought Sumiki wanted to reincarnate as a farm animal. - Kraggh

EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH - Kakaru

Sumiki: the horse_ebooks of bzp - VampireBohrok

Everything relates to Sumiki. No really, everything. - Daiker

He's in worse mental condition than I thought. - Obsessionist

I'm just wondering why I'm looking at some cat dancing ... I suppose the answer would simply be "Sumiki." - Brickeens

I was like a beast, screaming through the mind of Sumiki at the speed of sound. I.. I wasn't strong enough to stop myself. What I saw was the end of infinity, through which one can see the beginning of time, and I will never be the same. - Portalfig

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Every week, I post a new "Tuesday Tablescrap", a small MOC not worthy of a topic, but something to post and inspire me to build more.

10/25/11 - Duplo Flower
11/1/11 - Slender Man and Masky
11/8/11 - Bizarre Black Spaceship
11/15/11 - 2001 Monolith
11/22/11 - My Little Slizer 50
11/29/11 - Punching Bag
12/6/11 - Thunder and Escorts
12/13/11 - Three Concepts
12/20/11 - Kaxium Alternate
12/27/11 - None (Christmas Break)

1/3/12 - Daiker
1/10/12 - None
1/17/12 - Volant
1/24/12 - Nidman's Chute Shoop Shop
1/31/12 - None (Brickshelf down)
2/7/12 - None
2/14/12 - Atomic Lime
2/21/12 - Spearhead
2/28/12 - Glatorian Kahi
3/6/12 - Seeker
3/13/12 - Skyscraper
3/20/12 - Microphone
3/27/12 - Toa Vultraz
4/3/12 - Flammenwerferjüngeres
4/10/12 - Umbrella
4/17/12 - Lime Beetle
4/24/12 - Special - Flame Sculpture
5/1/12 - None (BZPower down)
5/8/12 - Purple Ninja
5/15/12 - The Original Sumiki
5/22/12 - 7/24/12 - None
7/31/12 - Tahu
8/7/12 - None (BrickFair)
8/14/12 - Special - Chess Set
8/21/12 - Heavily Armored Wasp
8/28/12 - Spaceship Drill
9/4/12 - Scuba Vehicle
9/11/12 - Orange Guy
9/18/12 - Strange Flying Thing
9/25/12 - Goblet
10/2/12 - None
10/9/12 - Aim .............................. Down
10/16/12 - Gold Bot
10/23/12 - Teal Mech
10/30/12 - Special - Teal Mech (#2)
11/6/12 - Bits and Pieces
11/13/12 - Two Spaceships
11/20/12 - TARDIS Interior
11/27/12 - Christmas Creep
12/4/12 - Toaraga
12/11/12 - Fireplace
12/18/12 - Abstract Duckling
12/25/12 - None (Christmas)
1/1/13 - Black Bot
1/8/13 - 1/22/13 - None
1/29/13 - Handheld Rhotuka Launcher

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Formerly known as the Bring Back Teal Club, the Unused Colors Society is a club that serves to promote colors that are little-used or discontinued, such as teal, old purple, or metallic blue.

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