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| View from my balcony |
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| Oyster Dome trail |
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| Pablo in the mist |
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
New Zealand... Why Not?
One way ticket to New Zealand.....purchased! I'll be flying out of LAX at the end of January and arriving in Auckland in time to enjoy a couple warm months of summer amongst the kiwis! I'm extremely stoked about this, but I can't neglect the rest of the West coast that I need to see before I leave. My thoughts are that I'll head out from the Woolley Mammoth a couple weeks early so I can meander down to LA. Not quite sure how I'll get there, craigslist ride-share perhaps? If you have any suggestions on cool stuff to see, eat or hear between Washington and LA, let me know!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
A day in Bellingham
After my short trip to Vancouver I feel I've reignited my wanderlust. I love it here at the Woolley Mammoth but there is so much I need to see. Time to really start making moves, New Zealand moves!
Although the trip to Vancouver was great, and we found some great deals, it did set me back a bit. Nothing huge but at the rate I want to be exploring spending that much on a weekend trip will quickly whittle away my savings. The solution: SERVAS!
Servas is an amazing resource for those people who want to travel inexpensively. The idea is something similar to Couch Surfer only more organized and secure. Servas has actually been around much longer than Couch Surfer, I believe it was started post WWII as a way to encourage cultural interaction and promote world peace and understanding. So the way it works is you stay with a host for two nights, they feed you and provide you with a room, and in return you interact with them, tell them about yourself and where you're from. Sounds like a good deal huh?
Its a great way to travel for several reasons:
1. Its free (well basically, a year membership is $85. Paid for in one stay)
2. You get to learn directly about local culture.
3. You get the inside scoop on the cool things to do in town. Hosts can tell you all the cool places the travel guides omit. Thus avoiding other tourists and expensive touristy areas.
4. Home cooked meals! (also free!)
What makes it safer than Couch Surfing? Servas requires everyone to interview before they are accepted into the program, so they can weed out the loonies and ensure that potential members understand the etiquette of the exchange. Don't be put off by the interview though, its just a safety net, its not there as a way to be uber selective of who gets in. Its not by any means an exclusive club, they welcome all walks of life and are very interested in getting some younger members.
I interviewed yesterday, with a very nice couple up in Bellingham, WA. Even though they were leaving town for 5 weeks the next day and I only contacted them on Sun, they were kind enough to work me in for an hour long interview. I think that says a lot about what the organization stands for.
To make the interview, I caught a ride up to Bellingham with my roommate and spent the day exploring the city. Bellingham is the last "big" city along Interstate 5 before you reach Canada. Its about 20 miles from the border. Its a very progressive town, the home of Western Washington University, a few microbreweries, some good independent record stores, coffee shops, and restaurants.
After my interview I got word of an Occupy movement taking place on the railroad tracks in the middle of town. My roommate and I were very intrigue and decided to go check it out. In protest of coal trains traveling through Bellingham en route to a proposed terminal at Cherry Point a group of about 80 people blocked the railroad tracks. Before we arrived, about 5 or 6 protestors linked their necks together with u-bar style bicycle locks and laid down on the tracks refusing to move. Police were able to move the rest of the crowd off the tracks but had more of a challenge with the ones that were linked together. They had to use a dremmel tool to saw through the locks; very slowly arresting them one at a time. It looked like some kind of bizarre surgery, officers wearing face shields, halogen lights all around and bare hippie feet poking out from the huddle. The officers were actually using a lot of care not to injure the protestors while sawing them apart, they covered them with blankets to shield them from the sparks of the saw, and sprayed the locks with water to prevent them from burning their skin. I even heard one officer ask if he was in the way of someone's shot, and then stepped aside so they could get a better picture. The remaining protestors stood to the side of the tracks and cheered on their friends singing Kimya Dawson's "Loose Lips" repeating the chorus, "We won't stop until somebody calls the cops, and even then we'll start again and just pretend that nothing ever happened!"
Although the trip to Vancouver was great, and we found some great deals, it did set me back a bit. Nothing huge but at the rate I want to be exploring spending that much on a weekend trip will quickly whittle away my savings. The solution: SERVAS!
Servas is an amazing resource for those people who want to travel inexpensively. The idea is something similar to Couch Surfer only more organized and secure. Servas has actually been around much longer than Couch Surfer, I believe it was started post WWII as a way to encourage cultural interaction and promote world peace and understanding. So the way it works is you stay with a host for two nights, they feed you and provide you with a room, and in return you interact with them, tell them about yourself and where you're from. Sounds like a good deal huh?
Its a great way to travel for several reasons:
1. Its free (well basically, a year membership is $85. Paid for in one stay)
2. You get to learn directly about local culture.
3. You get the inside scoop on the cool things to do in town. Hosts can tell you all the cool places the travel guides omit. Thus avoiding other tourists and expensive touristy areas.
4. Home cooked meals! (also free!)
What makes it safer than Couch Surfing? Servas requires everyone to interview before they are accepted into the program, so they can weed out the loonies and ensure that potential members understand the etiquette of the exchange. Don't be put off by the interview though, its just a safety net, its not there as a way to be uber selective of who gets in. Its not by any means an exclusive club, they welcome all walks of life and are very interested in getting some younger members.
I interviewed yesterday, with a very nice couple up in Bellingham, WA. Even though they were leaving town for 5 weeks the next day and I only contacted them on Sun, they were kind enough to work me in for an hour long interview. I think that says a lot about what the organization stands for.
After my interview I got word of an Occupy movement taking place on the railroad tracks in the middle of town. My roommate and I were very intrigue and decided to go check it out. In protest of coal trains traveling through Bellingham en route to a proposed terminal at Cherry Point a group of about 80 people blocked the railroad tracks. Before we arrived, about 5 or 6 protestors linked their necks together with u-bar style bicycle locks and laid down on the tracks refusing to move. Police were able to move the rest of the crowd off the tracks but had more of a challenge with the ones that were linked together. They had to use a dremmel tool to saw through the locks; very slowly arresting them one at a time. It looked like some kind of bizarre surgery, officers wearing face shields, halogen lights all around and bare hippie feet poking out from the huddle. The officers were actually using a lot of care not to injure the protestors while sawing them apart, they covered them with blankets to shield them from the sparks of the saw, and sprayed the locks with water to prevent them from burning their skin. I even heard one officer ask if he was in the way of someone's shot, and then stepped aside so they could get a better picture. The remaining protestors stood to the side of the tracks and cheered on their friends singing Kimya Dawson's "Loose Lips" repeating the chorus, "We won't stop until somebody calls the cops, and even then we'll start again and just pretend that nothing ever happened!"
Friday, December 9, 2011
Hawaii?
I could fly to Hawaii for $160. This is very appealing...
Other potential destinations going through my head for the next leg of this trip:
-Peru
-Equador
-Costa Rica
-New Zealand
Thoughts?
Other potential destinations going through my head for the next leg of this trip:
-Peru
-Equador
-Costa Rica
-New Zealand
Thoughts?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Greetings From Vancouver
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| Lions Gate Bridge |
The drive to Vancouver from Sedro-Woolley is only about 80 miles. With a short stop going through the border it only took about 90 mins to get there. First things first, we sought out a good cup of coffee to fuel our meandering. We stopped at Commercial Drive, which is a pretty hip street with lots of small independently owned shops and restaurants. We found a good americano at a cafe called Turks. With hot cup in hand we began the stroll. There is something strange about Canadian foot traffic, I can't really explain it but lets just say they have a different stride. Same goes for car traffic, for example when you put on your turn signal to change lanes it is very common for drivers in the other lane to actually slow down or even stop to let you in! The nerve. I actually got impatient and kind of irritated by this courtesy, not quite sure what that says about my driving habits.For 59 bucks Canadian, which is almost exactly the same American, we got a room at the Howard Johnson in downtown Vancouver. For that price there was absolutely nothing wrong with the room, however the following night we found a better deal through Air BnB and rented a room in a single family home.
One thing that makes the pacific Northwest so great for me is that from the cities you are just a short drive from amazing natural areas. Stanley Park which is actually in the city of Vancouver was incredible. Amazing views, beautiful trees, great paths, and a very cool totem pole display, a must see if you visit the city.
Natural areas aside there are plenty of fun things to do for the lovers of the indoors as well. There are tons of great restaurants (sushi is huge here), a plethora of live music venues, and several movie theaters with international and independent influences. We saw a Romanian film at an EU film festival that was only a block from our hotel.
So much to do in so little time. Two days was not enough to experience this awesome city. I'll be back for one reason or another, or perhaps no reason at all, Vancouver is worth it!
Monday, November 28, 2011
New happenins in the great Northwest
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I miss everybody back East very much but have met some great people out here who have made me feel very welcome to celebrate with them. I was fortunate enough to have three separate Thanksgiving celebrations this year. It has been a glorious week of gluttony! My first celebration was at another co-op called the Oasis. The Oasis is a cultural hub for young progressives in the Bellingham, WA area. It was packed to the gills with friendly people and excellent food. On an average day there are about a dozen people living in the three story duplex style home. Every square inch of the house is put to good use; not to mention the front yard where an old school bus is a permanent fixture and residence for some of the folks. The meal was amazing, there was too much food to sample everything, but the organization was remarkable. In consideration of everyone's diverse eating restrictions all thirty-some dishes were labelled with ingredients. After stuffing ourselves, a surprisingly efficient assembly line formed to make short work of the mountain of dishes. With the dishes done and tables and furniture cleared out of the way the living room became a stage for an incredibly diverse selection of musicians. Starting with reggae the jam transitioned to bluegrass, folk, and rock. The house was brimming with energy and hippie love.
My second feast was on Thanksgiving day and I was lucky to spend it in Seattle with the amazingly talented Jerrett sisters. We had a delicious vegan meal, which seemed appropriate considering the amount of bird eaten at my other two feasts. While in Seattle we weaved our way through the tightly packed pike place market, where we saw a woman get chased with a fish. Then we made our way over to Starbucks corporate headquarters to meet Eileen's sister for lunch. Although a giant Starbucks siren's eyes glare out from the peak of the roof, the building wasn't quite the intimidating corporate castle I expected. It was a fairly modest-looking, large building with a pleasant interior, not much different from the inside of a Starbucks cafe. Throughout each floor there are coffee stations completely stocked with everything you'd find behind the counter at a Starbucks, which is all free for employees, not a bad..... perk? (this pun dedicated to Dave Ryan)
So my third and final Thanksgiving feast was here at the Woolley Mammoth. We hosted a pot-luck/ leftovers party for neighbors and friends complete with a turducken. For those who don't know, a turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, mmmmmmmm turducken. (note: I had a vegan meal in here somewhere) It was great to see the Woolley Mammoth alive with people. This monstrous house is ideal for hosting such big gatherings and our turn out of about 35 people was just a fraction of the max occupancy we could potentially hold here. Nevertheless, it was a good size group for meeting new people and learning more about some of the happenings in this neck of the woods.
Besides all of the feasting and celebrating pace of life has been slow yet deliberate, introspective yet engaged. The culture of Northern Washington is unfolding to be very complex and different from the culture of Northern Virginia. Where Northern Virginia has so much diversity and what seems like not enough time to explore and relate all of the extremes, Washington seems to have less cultural diversity and a more involved community. Or at least thats the impression I've gotten so far. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, just that this is what I've been looking for at this point in my life. A community that has the time to interact. Not too busy to be introspective. People's personal values seem to be a more prominent concern out here. Dogma has been cast aside and personal exploration and challenge is prevailing to be a stronger set-up. Its refreshing.
We had an unexpected visitor the other day. While I was sorting through rugs and blankets in the spare room, I heard a rustling up at the skylight. I looked up expecting to see a sparrow or a starling trapped in the room with me but was amazed to see a beautiful little owl! It frantically flapped around the room for about 5 minutes. After a few crashes into the wrong windows, I was able to coax him in the right direction and out he went.
I've been having a lot of fun playing with the video editor on my new laptop, so here's another video from the train ride, this is the portion of the ride across Washington.
Happy Birthday Chels!
My second feast was on Thanksgiving day and I was lucky to spend it in Seattle with the amazingly talented Jerrett sisters. We had a delicious vegan meal, which seemed appropriate considering the amount of bird eaten at my other two feasts. While in Seattle we weaved our way through the tightly packed pike place market, where we saw a woman get chased with a fish. Then we made our way over to Starbucks corporate headquarters to meet Eileen's sister for lunch. Although a giant Starbucks siren's eyes glare out from the peak of the roof, the building wasn't quite the intimidating corporate castle I expected. It was a fairly modest-looking, large building with a pleasant interior, not much different from the inside of a Starbucks cafe. Throughout each floor there are coffee stations completely stocked with everything you'd find behind the counter at a Starbucks, which is all free for employees, not a bad..... perk? (this pun dedicated to Dave Ryan)
So my third and final Thanksgiving feast was here at the Woolley Mammoth. We hosted a pot-luck/ leftovers party for neighbors and friends complete with a turducken. For those who don't know, a turducken is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, mmmmmmmm turducken. (note: I had a vegan meal in here somewhere) It was great to see the Woolley Mammoth alive with people. This monstrous house is ideal for hosting such big gatherings and our turn out of about 35 people was just a fraction of the max occupancy we could potentially hold here. Nevertheless, it was a good size group for meeting new people and learning more about some of the happenings in this neck of the woods.
Besides all of the feasting and celebrating pace of life has been slow yet deliberate, introspective yet engaged. The culture of Northern Washington is unfolding to be very complex and different from the culture of Northern Virginia. Where Northern Virginia has so much diversity and what seems like not enough time to explore and relate all of the extremes, Washington seems to have less cultural diversity and a more involved community. Or at least thats the impression I've gotten so far. I'm not saying that one is better than the other, just that this is what I've been looking for at this point in my life. A community that has the time to interact. Not too busy to be introspective. People's personal values seem to be a more prominent concern out here. Dogma has been cast aside and personal exploration and challenge is prevailing to be a stronger set-up. Its refreshing.
We had an unexpected visitor the other day. While I was sorting through rugs and blankets in the spare room, I heard a rustling up at the skylight. I looked up expecting to see a sparrow or a starling trapped in the room with me but was amazed to see a beautiful little owl! It frantically flapped around the room for about 5 minutes. After a few crashes into the wrong windows, I was able to coax him in the right direction and out he went.
I've been having a lot of fun playing with the video editor on my new laptop, so here's another video from the train ride, this is the portion of the ride across Washington.
Happy Birthday Chels!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Snowed In
So today was my first free day out here and I was all stoked to get on my bike and explore the area, but that plan was quashed when I woke up to find about 4 inches of sloppy wet snow blanketing the ground. Great, ok change of plans. So I took things a little slower today. I took in some of the beautiful scenery from our secluded property and did a little research towards further travel destinations. From my window I saw with my binoculars a herd of elk down by the river! It was incredible, there must have been 50 of them! But when I came back later in the evening I saw them again and then it dawned on me, these were probably domestic elk. Oh well, still cooler than cows. I also identified a Stellar Jay in the yard, which is probably just Washington's version of a Blue Jay, but completely new to an East-coaster.
It turns out that my roommate Todd has a lot of experience with help exchange traveling. He has done WWOOFing several times in New Zealand and explained to me how that program worked out really well for him. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and is a similar program to what I am doing here. Basically you work on an organic farm (on average 4 hrs a day, 5 days a week) in exchange for free room and board as well as free food. New Zealand is a dream destination of mine so this may be a real possibility in the future!
Some other excellent resources I've been using for my travels are The Caretaker Gazette, which is how I found The Woolley Mammoth, and a great website called Help X. If you are like me and want to travel but don't have a ton of money to dish out, you will probably benefit from checking out these options. Of course, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty and devote some of your time to "paying" for your stay. If you can handle that then, your only expenses will be getting there and any entertainment you seek. I can honestly say that since I got here on Monday, I haven't spent a penny and I've eaten healthier and more locally than I ever have before. I do plan on getting in to town some time this weekend and possibly seeking out some nearby attractions and some of the bigger cities out here. The short list includes Vancouver, Bellingham, Portland, and more of Seattle. Any suggestions (food, music, art)?
It turns out that my roommate Todd has a lot of experience with help exchange traveling. He has done WWOOFing several times in New Zealand and explained to me how that program worked out really well for him. WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms and is a similar program to what I am doing here. Basically you work on an organic farm (on average 4 hrs a day, 5 days a week) in exchange for free room and board as well as free food. New Zealand is a dream destination of mine so this may be a real possibility in the future!
Some other excellent resources I've been using for my travels are The Caretaker Gazette, which is how I found The Woolley Mammoth, and a great website called Help X. If you are like me and want to travel but don't have a ton of money to dish out, you will probably benefit from checking out these options. Of course, you have to be willing to get your hands dirty and devote some of your time to "paying" for your stay. If you can handle that then, your only expenses will be getting there and any entertainment you seek. I can honestly say that since I got here on Monday, I haven't spent a penny and I've eaten healthier and more locally than I ever have before. I do plan on getting in to town some time this weekend and possibly seeking out some nearby attractions and some of the bigger cities out here. The short list includes Vancouver, Bellingham, Portland, and more of Seattle. Any suggestions (food, music, art)?
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
More video from the train
This is a compilation of some of the more scenic areas I shot from the train in North Dakota and Montana. We did pass through Glacier National Park, but unfortunately it was at night and I couldn't see a whole lot, but here's the best of everything else! I'm still working on my video editing and blogging skills so bear with me.
The Mammoth
Yesterday I arrived at my new temporary dwelling: The Woolley Mammoth. I'm not sure where to begin how to describe this place, so I'll start with the location. The house is nestled into the side of a mountain overlooking the Skagit River Valley. The view is incredible! Surrounding the house on the one acre plot are several small gardens housing all sorts of plants and vegetables, and beyond these gardens are shrubs and trees creating a nice barrier of privacy. The yard is full of birds that I am completely unfamiliar with, which is very exciting for a bird-geek like me. Aside from the wild birds there are about 15 egg-laying chickens in a portable coupe at the front of the property (today I repaired the tarp over the coupe).
The house itself is quite a site. Jeff, the owner, described it as a foreclosed unfinished McMansion, which I suppose technically it is, however it has a little more aesthetic appeal than most of the McMansions I'm used to seeing back home. Its a large three story "home" that has a hacienda type look to it. For one family to live in this house would be a bit ostentatious. But since the Woolley Mammoth is an intentional community home its massive size seems a little more acceptable. Wait, what did you just call it? An intentional what-now? Yes, its an intentional community, aka coop, commune, ecovillage, yada yada yada. Basically its a house with several people living in it that can either pay rent for their room or work around the house in exchange for room and board. They interact and work together more than typical roommates would, meaning that they cook meals and eat together, plan and host events together, and in general have more respect for the sustainability of the house.
Since my goal is to travel as inexpensively as possible, I chose to do the work exchange. That means I work on the house or in the gardens for 6 hrs a day, three days a week. In return I get a furnished room (with amazing views and balcony), free utilities, and all food included as well. It requires a little more patience and consideration to live in an intentional community, but it will be an interesting stop along my adventure. I look forward to seeing what unfolds here. More to follow...
P.S. I am setting up my flickr and vimeo accounts now so I will be able to share a lot more photos and videos!
The house itself is quite a site. Jeff, the owner, described it as a foreclosed unfinished McMansion, which I suppose technically it is, however it has a little more aesthetic appeal than most of the McMansions I'm used to seeing back home. Its a large three story "home" that has a hacienda type look to it. For one family to live in this house would be a bit ostentatious. But since the Woolley Mammoth is an intentional community home its massive size seems a little more acceptable. Wait, what did you just call it? An intentional what-now? Yes, its an intentional community, aka coop, commune, ecovillage, yada yada yada. Basically its a house with several people living in it that can either pay rent for their room or work around the house in exchange for room and board. They interact and work together more than typical roommates would, meaning that they cook meals and eat together, plan and host events together, and in general have more respect for the sustainability of the house.
Since my goal is to travel as inexpensively as possible, I chose to do the work exchange. That means I work on the house or in the gardens for 6 hrs a day, three days a week. In return I get a furnished room (with amazing views and balcony), free utilities, and all food included as well. It requires a little more patience and consideration to live in an intentional community, but it will be an interesting stop along my adventure. I look forward to seeing what unfolds here. More to follow...
P.S. I am setting up my flickr and vimeo accounts now so I will be able to share a lot more photos and videos!
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| view from my balcony |
Monday, November 14, 2011
Things to consider when taking Amtrak
7 Travel tips for Amtrak
2. A checked bike needs to be boxed (depending on the train) that means you have to remove the pedals and turn the handle bar sideways. I had to remove the handlebar from my bike because they were too high.
$20 fee includes $5 for the box
3. Meals are not free in coach ($10-$25)
4. Meals are free if you're in a sleeper car. Also there is free coffee, juice and water outside the rooms in each car. Some other perks were a complimentary bottle of champagne when you board, a free local newspaper in the morning, and a free afternoon wine and cheese tasting. The attendant in my sleeper car was very helpful and friendly.
5. The shower in the sleeper car is actually pretty decent. Towels are provided, but you should bring a pair of flip flops.
6. The one major complaint I've heard from most travelers is that there is no wifi. Also since you are traveling through some very rural areas, cell phone reception and 3G can be spotty for portions of the ride. Some routes do offer wifi now such as the Starlight Express (which runs from Seattle to L.A.) but unfortunately the Empire Builder does not at this point.
7. At some stops (but not all) you can step off the train for a stretch, fresh air, or a smoke break (all trains are completely non-smoking). Stops are short and range from 3 to 20mins.
All in all I had a great trip. I was able to make do with out the wifi, but I had also researched this before my trip and had brought plenty of stuff to keep me occupied. Although I was able to tether to the internet through my iPhone at times, mostly around metropolitan areas, which can actually be for a couple hours at a time. So I didn't feel like I was completely disconnected from the world. But when I wanted to disconnect I could easily close the door to my room, draw the curtain and just zone out on the landscape.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
On the Train
And I'm off! I must admit I had my doubts about getting off the ground. But as I sit back in the solitude of my private "roomette" aboard Amtrak's super liner known as Empire Builder, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. Just now the train has left the small station in the town of Minot, ND. Its another 24 hrs until I get to Seattle and from there I will take a bus to Sedro-Woolley, WA. I'll be staying in Sedro-Woolley for about 2 months where I'll be living in a communal household dubbed the Woolley Mammoth. I'll save the description of the house for when I actually arrive.
The first leg of my trip, from DC to Chicago I rode in coach. This was an 18 hour ride and I spent that time sitting next to an 80 year old man named Marvin. Although Marvin was nothing less than pleasant the entire time, a man needs his space. I switched trains from the Capitol Limited to the Empire Builder in Chicago and it was here that I could finally have some privacy in my sleeper room. I can close myself off from the rest of the passengers and enjoy the countryside in solitude. Just me, my music, my window and 2,000 miles of beautiful landscapes.
I purchased my ticket for this 3 day excursion for only $428, this includes three meals a day while staying in the sleeper car. In coach the meals are not included. Broken down it was about $203 for the ticket from DC to Seattle, and about $225 for the added room from Chicago to Seattle. So if you wanted to rough it and go all the way across the country for $203 you could, but with the privacy of the sleeper room the trip becomes more of a vacation than just a train ride.
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