Maverick Thoughts

Our Nation's Capital: Washington DC

2005-10-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

So after a late night (early morning) last hurrah in NYC, I wake up late and hungover for the resumption of my trip. Ugggh. I was supposed to stop by Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, then have a lunch of Philly cheesesteak before heading down to Washington DC, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't wake up and leave early enough. So, I drive straight on to DC. Philly will have to wait for another day....

I get to DC in the early evening and head to Seth's place, an old friend from SF who now lives in DC. (Traffic in DC is horrible.) We then have a nice dinner at this new Asian-Fusion place, and proceed to Halo, the bar next door. Enjoying the drinks too much (overpriced at $10 a pop! but with happy hour two-for-one until midnight, it wasn't so bad), we completely forget that we had parked my car at the Whole Foods garage across the street. Uhm, which closes at midnight! When we go to get the car and find out that we are locked out until 8 am, we had no choice but to go back to the bar of course and continue drinking....

The next day I hop in a cab to pick up my car and do some sightseeing:

I had been to DC before but had never been to the FDR Memorial. It is inspiring! And the current occupants of the white house would do well to take heed of what FDR espoused all those years ago.

The other memorial I hadn't been to (as it's fairly new) is the WWII Memorial. What struck me as interesting was how they had a wreath/monument for all of the US states and territories (e.g. Guam and Puerto Rico), but they ALSO had one for the Philippines, which is neither a state or territory of the United States.

It could be because the Philippines fought alongside the US in WWII, but so did the other Allies like the UK and France. Yet, they didn't have a memorial for those other allies. Hmmmmm. Could it be we're already the 51st state (as I keep joking about)?

That weekend I had a grand tour of Georgetown University (and all the nooks and crannies of Seth's alma mater, where secret activities occurred), and walked around Georgetown (the town) a little too. It started raining though so we couldn't walk around as much as we wanted. I also got a haircut from a Peruvian salon -- nice cut, but they didn't offer me a beer this time! Note to self: I must have been on the road too long now to need another haircut!

Needles to say Friday and Saturday nights were fun nights out. Saturday was a big dance event with Junior Vasquez spinning. We were half hoping Madonna would make a surprise visit as JV is a friend of hers and has remixed a few of her songs. Turns out that the rumors about NYC and Roxy were true, only it was happening this weekend, not the weekend before when I was @ Roxy. Darn. I missed her by about a week. I heard the place was packed! Oh well, I had fun @ Nations in DC too.

That Sunday night I was going to cook dinner, but we were running out of time and getting hungry, so we go to this nice restaurant instead. There was a 45 minute wait for a table, so we were getting ready to hunker down at the bar when this guy who Seth had just met the night before @ Nations comes over and aks us if we would like to join them. They had a table for four and there were only two of them. They had overheard the hostess telling us of the wait. I thought that was really nice of them!

Monday night was a quiet night in, to recover from the weekend. I cooked dinner. Seth had convinced me to stay a couple more days, so I visited the Lincoln memorial, a memorial to another awe-inspiring President, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

All in all I spent a week in DC! Much longer than I had intended. But I had a great time. (Other than the DC traffic) Thanks again Seth! More revealing pics of DC nightlife not appropriate for this blog are available. Wink Wink. If you read this far and are interested, email me and I'll send you a link.

New York New York

2005-10-19T19:26:00.000-07:00

I spend the night at an old high-school friend's house in Stamford, CT. It was still pouring rain, so after a nice Japanese dinner, we just decide to call it a night and head home. The next day I'm off to NYC!

I was going to stay at a friend's place in the upper west side coz he was leaving for the weekend. I was worried about where to park my baby during my stay in NY, but as my friend needed a car anyway for his weekend getaway with his girlfriend (meet the parents weekend), it turned out to be the perfect arrangement: I had his apartment all to myself (evil grin), and he got to use my car for his trip. When we first talked of my staying at his place a few weeks ago, he said (jokingly, but with some truth to it) "be polite" -- meaning no tricks. Now that he borrowed my car however, as he was leaving, he says "no need to be polite!" heheh.. I thought that was funny. Might have to take him up on that offer...

I got in on a Friday night (wow, what timing!) and had a nice dinner with an old-friend from my IBM days. Nice restaurant on Columbus. Thanks again Bong! He had an early morning the next day so after we parted ways, I started bar hopping (of course), and ended up at SBNY. Fun fun fun. Didn't get home till almost 5. First time I took the subway after midnight too! I'm becoming a New Yorker! I had my Metro card (from a previous trip) and all! Midnight snack of peanut butter and jelly. At the bar! Yum!

Saturday was spent mostly recovering from the night before, but I did get to walk around the nice upper west side neighborhood. The rain had thankfully stopped. All everyone could talk about was how the rain had been pouring non-stop for the last 8 days. Now that the rain had stopped, everyone seemed to be out enjoying the sunny day. I spent most of it lying on the couch watching TV. :) Saturday night I went to Roxy (after a nice sushi dinner), again feeling like a local with my John Blair card and all (half-price cover). Rumor had it that Madonna would be making a surprise visit that night. I didn't believe it. Hmmm, this feeling like a local feels right. Maybe I should try living in NY for a while.... (Note to self: look into possible job opportunities here)

As I got home around 6 am, Sunday was (again) spent mostly recovering. Took the subway downtown and checked out the village. Rob was coming home that night so I met up with him and we had a nice Thai dinner at this chinese restaurant (go figure). It was an inexpensive place but the best part was the wine was free -- all you can drink! As soon as we sat down, the lady puts two glasses of white wine on the table. Before we even say or order anything. Nice! Leave it to Rob to find a place like this.

I was going to leave the next day, but Rob convinces me to stay another couple of days. Being flexible, sure.. why not. I still practically had the apartment anyway as he was going to be at his girlfriend's place most of the time. After dinner, I meet up with Andy (someone I met in NY from previous trips) and have a couple of drinks at the rooftop of the new hotel Grosvenoort (sp?). Afterwards we walk around a little.

Monday I attempt to be a little bit cultural and head to the Met -- which of course is (and always has been) closed on Mondays. Uhm, duh. Disappointed, I walk all the way across Central Park (which I've never been to, other than driving across, so that was a nice walk) to head back to the west side when I come across the American Museum of Natural History. What the heck, I was in museum mode, so I decide to check it out. Turns out they had a special exhibit: Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries, which was actually really interesting.So I spend the rest of the afternoon there.

Afterwards, I head home and was just chillin when I decide maybe I should catch a Broadway show while I'm in town. I check online and decide to catch Avenue Q as they still had tickets available. Online fees were atrocious, however, so I decide to head down to the box office and buy tickets for Tuesday night. While in the Times Square area, I decide to just grab dinner at this cheapo Chinese noodle place, then head back home and call it an early night. I was on the couch and watching TV by 10 pm!

Tuesday, I try again to get to the Met. They also had a special exhibition that was just opening that day! It must be my lucky day. Van Gogh: The Drawings. It was a very interesting exhibit, but they didn't allow photos :( Oh well, after spending quite a bit of time there, I was running out of time before the museum closed. I decide to head to the rooftop for a unique view of the NY skyline and the Park. And along the way run into some artwork/scuptures that caught my eye:

I meet up with Rob and have a couple of beers right inside the park by the lake, at the Riverboat cafe/restaurant. It was very relaxing. Then I head off to catch the Broadway show. Walking through the park in the dark is a totally different experience!

Avenue Q is AWESOME. I cannot describe and praise it enough, but suffice it to say that it totally spoke to where I am on this roadtrip -- i.e purpose in life, etc. (except that they were fresh out of college, and I am ancient!) Sigh.. I'm making it sound all serious and all, but no, it was a fun fun fun show. Catch it if you can!

It WAS my last night in NYC, and I was feeling a little frisky after the show (and three vodka tonics), so I head to Therapy. Fun place, met some nice fun people from the Saks "convention" that was happening in town. Maybe I wasn't so polite after all...

It's now Wednesday, and I've been in NYC almost a week now! I heart NY! But it's time to head out and continue the trek...

Yale University

2005-10-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Driving south again, I have a nice dinner in the college part of Providence, Rhode Island (Brown University). I try to find a place to stay for the night and my GPS system directs me to a hotel nearby. I call and find out they have VERY reasonable rates. When I get there, however, it turns out to be a "Gentleman's Club" with rooms available upstairs! Ahem. You know what that means.... :)

I decide to get a better room at similarly reasonable rates on the outskirts of town instead. The next day, I move on and drive down to New Haven, Connecticut for another university -- Yale. The campus is beautiful! The buildings below look like old churches, but they're actually libraries and the college of law! Very impressive.

The impressive architecture and campus still does not do enough to compensate for what it's spat out to the world though: GW!

What I really enjoyed seeing though was an original Gutenberg bible! There are only 20 or so surviving copies, and only 5 or so in the US.

Looking for a place to have a late lunch, I find a place called the Rainbow Cafe. I really liked this hanging by the entrance to the place:

Made it to the East Coast: New England!

2005-10-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

OK, so this update is a couple of weeks old... but better late than later eh? (ooops, remnants of my days in Canada).

I leave Montreal around 3 pm after catching up on much needed sleep. It's stopped raining but is still cloudy and overcast. I cross the border back into the US -- the customs/immigration guy asks me where I've been. He says "Wow, you visited a lot of places!" so I say, "Yeah, I'm on a road trip all across America." He asks "Alone?" and I say "Yeah..." He then jokingly asks "Mid-life crisis?" and then checks my ID, sees the age, then says "Oh yeah, mid-life crisis." Wishes me good luck and then waves me thru. I thought that was funny.

I drive through Vermont and enjoy the gorgeous foliage colors change. This is exactly what I timed my trip to hit the northeast for. It was awesome! I'll have to keep the memories in my head though as I did not stop to take pictures. It went on for miles, along different terrain and elevations, and for as far as the eye could see left or right. I cross through New Hampshire and then enter Maine. It's started raining again for the last hour or so, and I am driving through narrow winding roads in the dark until I enter Portland. I quickly find a place to stay (did not have a reservation), and hunker down for the night. It's late and so I decide to just order Chinese delivery.

The next morning, I begin sightseeing. 4 weeks, and 5800~ miles later, I finally made it to the East coast! I start out walking around Portland, then head out to the Portland Head lighthouse. Very New England! And this is the Atlantic Ocean!

It was still overcast and cold. I keep driving south, stopping by Portsmouth, New Hampshire:I keep going South until I enter Salem, Massachusets. It's raining again and gotten dark so I quickly find a place to stay, and have my leftover chinese food from the night before (much to the amusement of the front-desk clerk whom I asked to microwave my food for me -- she commented: "big-spender, eh?").

The next day, I begin the "witchy" tour of Salem:

It was fun to walk around (specially the week or so before Halloween), and enjoy the kitchy witch memorabilia/decor. The Salem Witch Museum was interesting and worth it, but the Witch Village was a total rip-off. The only downside to this stop was when I went back to my car after walking around (running to it, actually), there was a ticket on my windshield! My meter had expired. I was 5 mins late, which was why I was running. Damn. I'm wondering now if they will be able to find me in CA or should I just ignore the darn thing.

I drive South again, aiming for Providence RI, but stop by Plymouth Rock, for some quick pictures of the actual rock where the Pilgrims landed, and a replica of the Mayflower.

This was a pretty cool stop for me because when I was in the third grade, in the Philippines, we actually divided our class into pilgrims and indians and reenacted (with costumes and food and all) the first thanksgiving! Yes, in the Philippines! -- and in case you're wondering, I was an Indian.)

Vive Montreal!

2005-10-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

We had a late dimsum lunch, so I got to leave Toronto late, almost 4 pm -- and got stuck in traffic. It did not help that it was a long weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving) and it was pouring rain! What should have been a five-hour or so drive, took me seven and a half hours -- driving in non-stop pouring rain! And the truck drivers in Canada are aggressive! It was a stressful drive and so when I got to my hotel at around 11 pm, I decided to stay in and rest, even though it WAS a friday night. Sigh. I must be getting old.

I spent the next day sightseeing, even though the rain had not completely stopped. It had at least slowed down to just a shower here and there. I was in the old part of Montreal and enjoyed the architecture and the scenery.

I found out that St Joseph's Oratory was the biggest church/shrine in the world dedicated to St Joseph, and since I was named after him, I decided I had to go make the pilgrimage. When I got there, I saw that the churche was perched on a hill. I was like "Cool, it's an actual pilgrimage to get to the top!", but I was wrong. Tsk tsk tsk. When I got closer I found out they had escalators! Whatever happened to pious devotion?

It was a beautiful church. In the chapel below (where there were so many lit candles burning, it actually warmed up the room), there were rows and rows of discarded crutches and walking sticks, from the sick who had made the pilgrimage and been healed. I do a little more sightseeing, then decide it's time for a drink and head to the village.

I see this pair of leather gloves on the floor at the bar, so I ask the guy next to me (who was talking in french to the guy next to him) if it was his. He looks down, nods yes, picks it up and continues talking to his friend, with nary a thanks! I assume maybe it's because he does not speak english. A few minutes later, a friend comes over and they greet each other and converse (very loudly, i might add) in english! Hmmmm. Maybe he was just rude? Anyway, some more time passes, and I see he's dropped his gloves again. I just ignore it this time, and when he eventually walks away from the bar, I don't tell him about the gloves anymore. And so voila! I now have a new pair of leather gloves, which fit me perfectly, btw!

Saturday night was a fun night, with Manny L taking charge of the military ball. I also bump into Dr Ted! To save money on cabfare, I had bought a 3-day subway pass and since the subway starts at 5:30, I of course had to stay until at least 6 in the morning before heading back to my hotel.

Had a late lunch sunday at this really cool microbrew, Tres Brasseres (sp?), it means three blondes, I think. I met this cool guy and his sister from Boston and upstate NY. They drove up for the weekend to celebrate his birthday. Turned out we were staying at the same hotel, so they invited me up to the concierge floor for cocktails later.

It was raining but I wanted to get at least a little sightseeing in, so I decided to head to the Notre Dame church. I get there around 5:30 and discover that there was a mass going on (it is Sunday, after all). I decide to hear mass -- even though it was in French! As I was leaving the church, I notice some tourists still trying to get in -- but were being turned away because the church was closed for the day. They were told to come back the next morning -- when they open at 8:30. Funniest thing I hear all weekend: I overhear these two guys saying "maybe we'll just come back right after the party!"

I go back to the hotel for cocktails at the concierge floor, then to my room for a little nap before the black and blue party. It was an awesome party, with 15,000 in attendance at the main stadium of the Olympic center. The music, lights, entertainment -- everything was amazing. They had a Montreal DJ start, then a pair of DJs from Spain, then finally the main guy: Danny Tenaglia. Surprisingly, in spite of the large crowd, I still bump into some people I know. Once again, I had to wait for the subway to start up again in the morning, so I decide to leave the party at 8:30, even though it was gonna go all the way till noon. (Hmmm, I wonder if those two guys went back to the church.....)

I take a nap, check out of the hotel and head on out. Next stop, I'm back in the good 'ol US of A.

Oh -- there was this high-end restaurant I saw that specialized in Asian fusion cuisine. I think it means "this is Asia", and I also saw this statue of someone I don't even know who. Anyway these kinda represent my fun fun fun weekend in Montreal:

Toronto Ho!

2005-10-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

A really good friend of mine from way back in elementary school moved to Canada when I was a freshman in high school. We've only seen each other once or twice in the last 24 years or so, the last time being around 8 years ago. Anyway, we recently just got back in contact again, and he invited me to stay at his place while in Toronto. So that's where I'm headed.

I get in a little early so I head downtown first before going to his place, which is outside the city. I drive around a little to get a feel for the city, then decide it's happy hour! Surprise surprise! Hmmmmm. I decide to let the traffic subside and stay downtown first before heading to Ken's place.

Two beers (or so) and a 45 minute drive later, I get to his place -- which is practically a mansion! I won't bore you with details of his gorgeous kitchen (exactly the design I had in mind for mine), swimming pool, THX-certified movie room, etc.. but I will mention the 3,000-bottle wine cellar! (which I promised to take a photo of, but which of course I forgot to.... take a guess why?)

Needless to say, we promptly began partaking of the grape while catching up. Ken grilled up a nice fish fillet for dinner and we kept chatting and chatting until the wee hours of the morning. If anyone wants to know, if I remember right, we had 4 bottles of wine among the three of us (Ken's bro Mike also joined us).

I guess it goes without saying that I slept in late the next day. Poor Ken had to wake up early to go to work and/or take the kids to school. We had a nice italian lunch while struggling and still recovering from the night before. The lady asked us if we wanted wine with our lunch and we all said a resounding "NO!". Marilou (another good childhood friend from years and years ago and whom I also hadn't seen in 8 years since my sister's wedding) joined us for lunch. After lunch, I just decided to chill and read a book by the pool. The rest of the day/night was uneventful, even though we did have a couple of bottles again that night.

The next day was my sightseeing day. I went into the city, parked my car @ City Hall (the twin semi-circle shaped buildings) and just walked around the different neighborhoods.

Then I decide to be touristy and ascend Le Tour Canada, the world's highest observatory @ 147 storeys tall. After sightseeing and taking pictures, I sit down for a beer at their bar/cafe. From the table behind me, I hear these two older ladies speaking Cebuano (the dialect of Cebu, where I'm from). It's not that often that I hear Cebuano, but I ignore them and continue enjoying my beer and the view. When they finally start talking about Nora Aunor, however, I decide to jump in and introduce myself as a fellow Cebuano!

They were so excited to learn I was from Cebu too! They ask me all these questions, and say the same thing: that it's not that often that they meet someone from Cebu. They give me their contact details and all. One of them was a retired nurse who had been in Toronto over 30 years, and the other one was an old friend visiting her from Cebu. She asked me how long I was staying in Toronto, because she said her Scottish husband had a yacht docked in the Marina below, and she would take me out on it if I stayed until the weekend!! She said it was a big one and that they take it out to the Bahamas, etc. Damn. I was leaving the next day so I had to decline her offer, but I got another beer and kept on chatting with them. It was actually fun but my tongue sure got a work out, not having spoken the language in a while.

I walk around a bit more after the Tower and see some more sights. Then head to this awesome restaurant, Perigee, to meet Ken and some other old friends for dinner. Their menu is based on the Japanese dining concept Omakase (meaning trust me). They prepare their tasting menus by combining French techniques with Mediterranean flavours while incorporating a wide range of ethnic influences. They converse with each guest first to determine what type of dining experience they desire and then cook for them accordingly. The overall experience, with the food and wine pairings, was excellent. And of course the catching up and laughing with old friends was a lot of fun. (Peter I hadn't seen in 24 years!)

After dinner, I had to experience at least one night on Toronto, so I stayed behind with Edwin for a few drinks before heading back to Ken's place later in the evening (or was it early in the morning?). Cereal and peanut butter does hit the spot!

I was leaving for Montreal the next day, but not after a nicd dimsum lunch with Ken, Sarah, Sam and Kevin. I had an amazing time in Toronto. Thanks again Ken for your hospitality, and Sam for letting me borrow your room!

Back in Canada Again: Niagara Falls

2005-10-04T07:19:00.000-07:00

So I cross the border into Canada from Detroit; very easily this time. 30 seconds and the lady waves me through. First stop Niagara Falls. My hotel is supposedly right across the falls, but I have no expectations as I just got a cheap room and would probably be facing the other direction. I was very excited though when I got to the room as I got upgraded and got a "falls-facing" room with a jacuzzi tub and all! The room was awesome! Here's the view from my window:
It's late when I get in, so I just grab a nice steak dinner at this Montana Grill place (after I was turned down by a Japanese steakhouse even though the place was empty. They guy says they were expecting a busload of Japanese customers. But I'm not sure. Maybe it was because I was just wearing shorts and t-shirt and alone??) I walk around later and absorb all the kitchy touristy places with flashing neon lignts, e.g. Ripley's believe it or not, Wax museum, Marvel Superheroes, etc. Not getting into it, I head back to my hotel room and indulge in the jacuzzi tub.

The next day was a gorgeous sunny day. I enjoy the amazing views and take lots of pictures with the 10,000 other tourists who were there. I thought this was the honeymoon capital of the world, but it seemed more like the Japanese tourist capital of the world, or the senior citizens tourist capital of the world.

That last one has the appropriately named Rainbow Bridge in the background. The bridge that connects the USA and Canada. Next stop: Toronto

Another College Town: Ann Arbor, Michigan

2005-10-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

I leave Indiana a little later than I expected. I wanted to find those deer whistles I'd heard about. On the drive to Mt Rushmore, in the early evening, I saw the car ahead of me in the distance suddenly hit its brakes, then move to the side of the road and turn on its blinkers. As I came closer I slowed down, and then found out that the guy had hit a deer! The poor thing was lying in the middle of the road. Anyway, that scared me big-time, so I had to slow down and/or follow someone ahead of me so they would be the one to hit the deer if there was one on the road.

Anyway, I get one of these things in Rural Store (yes, they have those. It's like a huge K-mart, only full of rural stuff that farmers need). It looks kinda cool, like little laser lights, but also looks kinda silly:

Turns out I got scared by something else on the drive. Right outside Indianapolis, I suddenly get three loud beeps and my instrumentation panel turns off. Then turns back on, but with everything reset! The odometer went back to 0, the clock starts its blinking --:-- (just like your VCR), the seatbelt light comes on (even though I'm wearing my seatbelt). I start to pull over to the side, but realize that the engine is still running fine. I slow down wondering what to do, then decide to move on. I unbuckle and buckle up and the light goes off. The odometer begins counting up the miles again, and I reset the time. Not knowing what was going on, I call the dealership in San Francisco and talk to a service guy. He does not know either and says it could be just a software glitch or could be my battery is not charging. But since the battery warning light is not on, he's not sure either.

I still have 200 miles to go! I don't know if I should stop coz I'm in a big city at least (Indianapolis) or keep going. I decide to keep going. Later on I realize that I could not stop to pee or get gas or whatever because I was afraid the car would not start back up, if indeed the battery was the problem. So I had to push on non-stop even towards the end I had to pee sooooooo bad. Ugggh.

Anyway, I get to Ann Arbor without incident. Check-in (after running to the bathroom to pee, much to the amusement of the check-in clerk), then take a cab for my Saturday night-out.

Unfortunately, this other college town turned out to be as much a disappointment as the other one. There was a big game in East Lansing and someone mentioned all the college kids were over there. Sigh. The next day I spend just walking around the campus (which was gorgeous), seeing the sights and the usual things college kids do, and pretending to be young and in college again. Brought back a lot of memories of my college days not too long ago.

Before driving into Canada, I take the car to the dealership, and the service guy says the same thing. He does not know either, but it should be safe to drive. So I push on.

Family Visit: Vincennes, Indiana

2005-10-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

Leaving Wisconsin, I head south for Vincennes, Indiana to visit my sister and her family. Halfway down, rain begins to pour. Good thing though because my car is filthy and covered with bugs.

I stop by Terre Haute (still an hour away from Vincennes) where I was going to meet my sister and bro-in-law at a Japanese restaurant for a free dinner. A drug rep was hosting dinner for a group of doctors to present a new drug. Free Japanese dinner in exchange for listening to a short presentation? I'm there!

Dinner was surprisingly really really good! At first I was a bit apprehensive about how Japanese food would be in middle-america, but it turned out to be really good! Started it with a lot of sushi, then an actual entree, and then dessert. Not to mention the wines and sake that flowed freely. I saw a couple of doctors even order a full meal to-go! When you wonder why the price of drugs are so expensive, that's part of the reason.

Turns out the drug they were presenting was a new sleeping pill. So it wasn't all medical mumbo jumbo. I actually listened and enjoyed the presentation too... but enjoyed the food and drinks even more :) My sister takes over driving duties for the last hour home.

So the next couple of days are spent just catching up with my family and playing with my nephew. We also have another bonfire at the farm and enjoy the stars. Here's Cameron in his little go-cart at the farm (taken with my camera-phone, I had forgotten my camera. Not too shabby resolution,eh?):

College Town: Madison WI

2005-10-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

OK, so the last couple of posts may have lacked some action: Sorry. This is the chill, slow-down, family-centric part of the trip. Well, sorry to disappoint, but the next two are gonna be the same.

I thought Madison Wisconsin would be a fun little town to visit -- seeing as it's a little college town. Before I arrive, I find out that Tuesday nights are "underage" nights at this bar, i.e. 18 and over. Cool. I was going to be there on a Tuesday night, so I was looking forward to that.

Unfortunately for me, when I got there, I found out that the city had rewritten its licensing rules and that the bar had to get a new license for its 18 and over nights. Long story short, no luck. The bar was kinda dead. I did meet this guy who was the "norm" of the bar. Been sitting on the same barstool from the day the bar opened. He told me that there are usually 100 or more college kids out on that night (even with the $6 cover for them! no cover for the 21's and over). Darn. I missed out. They were going to get their license back in three weeks or so, but I obviously wasn't going to be there.

Another downer for the evening: While at the bar, I talked to my new friend from Salt Lake. After all my efforts to stop him from driving home that night/morning, he still insisted on leaving. Turns out he got pulled over and got a DUI -- 5 minutes from his home! Spent the night in jail and all the other consequences (has a trial date in Oct). Sheesh. Needless to say, I left the bar early (a little after midnight) after just a couple of drinks. Scared me sh***less.

Oh, and this was one of those cities where I thought I could just come in and find a room without a reservation, since it wasn't a "tourist" destination. The first room I got cost only $35. A steal! When I got to the room however, I swear, I was afraid for my safety. I could see the other occupants from their open windows, and it seems they were permanent residents. (I won't mention their race.) Turns out it was one of those "long stay" hotels. There was broken glass on the parking lot grounds (from a car window, I presume). I went back to reception, was lucky to get a refund, then went on to find another hotel. (I would have left even if they wouldn't have given me the refund.) This new hotel was double the price (AmericInn) but way better and totally worth the peace of mind.

Minneapolis and the land of 10,000 lakes

2005-09-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

After the relaxing "family" weekend, I'm off again and head back into the US, destination Minneapolis. I won't bore you again with all the details, but yes, I got "harrassed" again entering the US border. Searched my car again. It was scarier this time because they put me into this holding 'cell' where I could not see anything. One-way mirrors and all. If they decided to plant something in my car, I wouldn't have been there to see or point it out or anything. Of course that does not mean anything anyway because it would still be their word against mine. (On the Canadian border, at least I could watch them as they searched my car.) After a few minutes, they call me out and say I was free to go.

I stay with a friend in Minneapolis, and she drives me around the next day to see the sights. It's the land of 10,000 lakes, so of course I had to have a picture by a couple of them. These are Lakes Calhoun and Lake Harriet in downtown Minnie:

Next place we see is the Minehaha falls in Hiawatha park. You literary types out there will probably recall Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem about Minehaha and Hiawatha: they who went against all of society's norms and laws and dared to love each other anyway. How poignant.

Finally, a trip to the twin cities wouldn't be complete without a visit to the other twin city, St. Paul. So of course the only place I visit before heading out on the road again is St. Paul's Cathedral:

Winnipeg, eh?

2005-09-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

OK, sorry for the delay in posting. I'm about a week behind now. Hope y'all enjoyed the little intermission before I could update this.

So I left Sioux Falls and drove north heading to Canada. The weather was terrible. The terrain was flat as far as the eye could see, and you could see rain falling on the left coming closer and closer until it hit excactly where I was driving. It was the first time I've ever seen lightning go horizontally acrosss, parallel to the ground! Usually it's from the sky down to the ground. I dunno how to explain it but I guess I must have been driving really close to where it struck.

Entering the border into Canada, everyone else seemed to just get waved through, but not me! They asked me a ton of questions: "Is it your first time in Canada? Where are you headed? Where did you come from? Who are you visiting? etc. etc. etc." Then they took me aside and searched every inch of my car! Of course they didn't find anything. An hour later they let me go and I arrive in Winnipeg around 10 pm. (Can't say I blame 'em: brown guy driving a beamer with California plates, arriving at 9 pm saying he's visiting Canada for the first time and going to Winnipeg! Not Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal, but Winnipeg. I guess I must have looked suspicious.)

So I spend the weekend with one of my best friends and his family (Thanks Dot and Eve for letting me visit, and thanks for letting me stay in your room Migs!) Their son Migo is my godson. Nice relaxing family weekend. Bear "exhibit" down Broadway, downtown Winnipeg:

Being silly with Migo in front of the State Capitol:

Artsy partsy photograph of a footbridge, some pictures taken at St Boniface church, and at a farm outside town where we had a bonfire and waited to see if the Northern Lights would come out that night. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Kinda before and after shots of the North American plains: Indian tepees and bison hides replaced by white man's barns and tractors.

GQ pose in urban Winnipeg :)

Close Encounters.... Badlands!

2005-09-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hungover. Ugh. Supposed to drive all the way to Fargo, ND today but didn't think I could drive that far. Aiming for Sioux Falls instead. Another 5 hour drive or so. But I stop by some sights along the way so I end up arriving after dark.

The first stop is a kitschy tourist destination, almost at par with the world's biggest ball of twine! Wall Drug. From miles and miles before you get to Wall, they advertise with lots and lots of funny signs along the freeway. Apparently it's gotten to the point where you can see Wall Drug signs in Nairobi, the London subway, Israel, and other spots all over the world! It's grown over the years from a drug store to almost a mini-mall in the middle of nowhere, South Dakota.

Next stop is Devil's tower. A short (40 mile) detour away from the freeway, it's an interesting geographical oddity. Created by volcanic energy and by the surrounding soil getting eroded over the centuries, this "tower" has been the center of Native American and other mythology: including the 70's movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Next stop: Badlands.

Oooops. Wrong Badlands.

I drive through the (real) Badlands, another geographical sight-to-see, created by centuries after centuries of soil erosion. You can actually see different colored layers in the formations, representing different eons in history. Fossils from the Badlands are found in museums everywhere.

After a long drive, I end up in Sioux Falls where I quickly find a room and lay my head down to rest.

Funny thing. I didn't know there was a time change (I'm now on central time) driving from Rapid City SD to Siouxs Falls SD. I thought the time zones went by state, and didn't cut individual states into two time zones. I guess I was wrong. So I was actually having dinner at this brew pub at 10 pm, when I thought it was only 9!)

Just a Little Teaser...

2005-09-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry. Didn't have time over the weekend to update the blog, and then didn't have internet access until tonight (Tuesday). Will update tomorrow morning.

Yes, I'm still alive! (Am now in Madison, Wisconsin; but that little bit of info brings this whole thing out of chronological order, ooops.)

In the meantime, just thought I'd vent on the bane of modern gadgetry: power supplies and cables!!! You have to travel with all of these just to ensure the continuous use of our modern conveniences. Sheesh. Someone should invent a universal one to do all these (yes, yes, I know there's one that attempts to, but it still does not do it all!)

BEFORE

AFTER GETTING ORGANIZED

(That little plastic organizer, btw, was the packaging for a 3-pc set of tightie-whities I bought in Hong Kong. Good thing I'm a pack rat and keep these little things handy... :)

Oh, and yes. I need to share with you a snapshot I took somewhere along the praires that represents the philosophy of this trip. Loosely interpreted: that I'm finally free and can plot my course however way I choose.

Cowboys and Indians -- Again

2005-09-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

I start the day by visiting Raptile Gardens: the largest collection of reptiles in the western hemisphere, and a "must-not-miss" according to my guidebook. Interesting and fun little stopover. They have the world's rarest snake (only two in captivity in the world), the world's deadliest snake (another rare one in captivity), etc. I catch the alligator show and the snake show, and still have not seen all the animals, but have to leave because it was getting dark (forecast was rain for this afternoon) and I still had to see some other sights. Wish I had more time. Oh well.

Mount Rushmore is impressive. It's a national monument to our nation's freedom; so there is no entrance fee -- free to the public. HOWEVER, there is an $8 parking fee. grrrr. I didn't stay long. Once you've oohhed and aahhed and taken the pictures, there's not much else to do. (But it is worth a visit at least once.) And it did begin to rain. So I head on out to my next destination.

This one was way more interesting. The Crazy Horse Monument is still being built. After over 50 years, it is still, I would say, only 25% done. The story behind its construction is fascinating as told by the 2o minute "orientation" video. All the work is done from funds raised from the public (admission fees, souvenir sales, etc.) -- no money from the government at all. (The federal government has offered $10M grants twice, but they refused to accept it.) There is a huge collection of native american art and craft on display, as well as historical pictures depicting the era.

It is a monument to Crazy Horse, of the Lakota tribe, and to all the Native Americans who were here before the white man. The Black Hills are considered sacred to them, and this location (just a few miles from Mount Rushmore) is "where it should be", according to tribal elders. When finished (no estimated date), it will be over 4 times the size of the Mt Rushmore monument. I think it is so right, what they are doing. If America can still, to this day, celebrate Columbus Day, i.e. the start of Native American genocide, then there definitely should be a monument to those people, larger than the white man's!

There was a Native American author who had a display table and was selling his book(s) on Crazy Horse. He had other bestselling books there as well. He was a fighter pilot in Vietnam and he was talking to a lot of the visitors. Now, I have been mistaken for Chinese in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, etc., Japanese when I'm in Japan, Mexican in California, etc. But I've never been mistaken for Native American. Well, this guy asked me if I was, and I guess I was mean, but I said I was from the Apache tribe, and in fact was named after a famous chief. Then I show him my ID with Geronimo as my middle name. That convinced him!

It was getting dark now so I head into town and have dinner at the Firehouse Brewing Co. A microbrewery in an old firehouse. Met these two guys over dinner at the bar, one of whom was from Rhode Island. They were just in town for business. He gives me his contact details, and if schedules work out, we're gonna do something when I get to RI.

After dinner, I head back to my hotel. Not yet ready for bed, I head to the hotel bar. Have a couple of drinks, meet these other two nice people (also here on business: from the bay area no less!! Palo Alto and Pleasanton!) and they keep buying me drinks. Needless to say we were sloshed as we headed back to our rooms.

No pancakes this time, just cereal.

Old Faithful and Yellowstone National Park

2005-09-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

I did an 8-hour drive today from Montana, all the way East through the whole state of Wyoming, and am now in Rapid City, South Dakota. Tired, so I'll keep this update short. Not much to chronicle anyway as it was mainly a touristy, but nonetheless awe-inspiring view into the beauty, majesty and inherent power of mother nature.

I enter Yellowstone Park from the West Side (Montana) and see thousands of dead blackened trees/naked tree trunks pointing up to the sky, with shorter greener trees interspersed beneath them. These are the remnants of a huge wildfire in 1998, according to the guidebooks I read the night before. After driving through this somber reminder of that tragedy for about 30 miles or so, I enter a clearing that goes as far as the eye can see. And in the distance I see smoke rising from the trees. Hmmm. I have a few "uh oh" moments, thinking I did not want to get caught in another wildfire. But I see the cars ahead of me driving on, so I decide what the heck, and follow suit. As I get closer, it turns out it wasn't fire causing the smoke, but the thermal energy from under the ground! This was steam rising from hot springs and cracks in the earth! For a moment I felt like an idiot. Ugh.

Then driving along, we hit a bisonjam. This is when bison decide to take over the road and block motorists. These are large creatures and can run 30 mph (3x faster than man) so they should not be taken lightly. Apparently quite a few people every year get gored by these creatures (unless that's just rumors the park rangers promulgate to keep tourists in check).

After a short wait for the bison to get bored of us and leave the road, I drive on towards Old Faithful. Rangers can predict the next eruption to within 10 minutes, and they predict the next one to be at 3:21 pm. I have a few minutes to kill so I go to the book store where the ranger announces that the Beehive Geyser was about to erupt in 10 minutes! This is the tallest of the geysers in the park (200-300 ft high) and it erupts only every 12 to 23 hours (unlike Old Faithful, this one is unpredictable). So I thought I was pretty lucky to catch that:

I then head to Old Faithful to wait, and sure enough at 3:23 she does not disappoint:

(All these eruptions remind me of my night in Salt Lake...)

I continue to drive to other spots within Yellowstone Park. Beautiful hot springs, with bacterial mats adding color to the base of the springs.

And the wedding-cake like terraces at Mammoth created by hot springs:

Other wildlife I see in the park (but was not fast enough with my camera) include wolves, deer, and elk! I leave the park after dark, get stuck again in another bisonjam for a few minutes, then head into town for dinner. After a beautiful day enjoying nature and wildlife in its own terrain, I do what every nature-respecting human is expected to do: I have a nice buffalo steak, medium rare.

Mormon Country

2005-09-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

After an uneventful and frankly boring drive, (although still in high country – elevation averaging 4200-4800 feet, info thanks to my GPS system) I enter Utah and eventually Salt Lake City. I get in around 7 pm, so it’s still daylight, but fading fast. I drive a little around downtown to get a feel for the city, Temple Square and all, then check in to my hotel. Starving (again) at this point. After a nice upgrade to the executive floor, I am disappointed that the executive lounge (where there is normally appetizers and cocktails at this hour) is closed on Saturdays. Wha?!?!?

I walk around and have dinner at this Chinese/Thai restaurant where the Pad King I got was surprisingly good. (I was expecting the "white" version of Thai food, but it was actually good!) Back to my hotel to chill for a while, and plan my Saturday night on the town.

First of all, the grid numbering system of this city is too mathematical. Second, the city blocks are huge! According to the map, the club I was going to was just 8 blocks or so away. So I decide to walk it (after the cop incident of the night before). It was a nice walk, got to see some of the city, but it was a long eight blocks! I get to the club early (around 10:30) and the place was still pretty dead. Oh, and this whole private club thing they have in Utah: I still don’t get it. You pay $5 cover and you get in. I thought the cover was only if you were not a member, but after I met some people, they said the paid the same $5 too, and they were members. So, wth does private club mean??? I’m not gonna rail on the system here in Utah, but there were some weird things I noticed.

Observations: I saw the same tshirt again that was in Boise! "That was you?!" They measure all the drinks to the last drop. And apparently it's illegal to order a double. People were walking around with these huge (i swear 16 or 20 oz) plastic tumblers of drinks. I thought at first they were soft drinks because of the no alcohol mormon thing. But it turns out they were mixed drinks. Maybe they have to compensate for the lack of alcohol by making the drinks huge? I don't know. I had a sip of someone's long island ice tea, and it tasted like juice. Another cool tshirt I saw: "Hi. You'll do." Funny. Overheard: "Are you done for the night? Hell no. Good, I'd hate to insult you." Crowd was of all ages. There was this couple in their sixties holding their drinks and just getting down grooving. She even had the latest dance moves down pat! The best cure for sitting in a car for 5 hours straignt, is dancing your a** off for five hours straight!

After a few drinks and some dancing (okay, okay a lot of drinks and a lot of dancing), we decide to leave. My newfound friend offered me a ride as apparently it is illegal to hail a cab on the streets of Salt Lake (?!??). You have to call for one. And lo and behold, he had a bottle of whiskey and a 2-liter bottle of diet Pepsi in his car. What are we to do?? So I suggest he come up to my room and we drink the drinks.

The next day, figuring I have to at least see the Great Salt Lake, I drive an hour out of my way to see the lake.

(In case you're wondering what that was, standing tall and proud, I was too. Or maybe it's just been too long. I think it's part of the salt mining operation.)

Finally, at 3 pm I’m off and head to Yellowstone, Montana. Five hours or so later, I’m at elevation 6500 feet and the sun is setting to the west (uhm, duh… where else?) I meant, to my left. It was gorgeous over the trees, but did not quite translate well into pictures. Maybe because I was driving at 70 mph while taking the pics.

Food for thought: Can a brown-skinned Filipino be a redneck? I think I sun-burnt my neck while driving yesterday. Oh well. Enough of the cities. It's off to nature for the next few days.

Oh, I finally succumbed to the scourge of the roadtrip: I had my first fast food meal at Arby’s. And yes, I had pancakes (twice) this morning.

Pulled over by a cop at 1:30 am

2005-09-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

In case you're wondering, the 2 inch thing on my windshield has grown to double its size. (No funny comments please.) So I call the insurance company and they arrange for a mobile glass fixer-upper to come over to Drew's and Maria's place and repair the crack. (Thanks again for letting me crash, guys!)

After the brief delay while my windshield is repaired, I'm off to Boise. It's a 6 hour drive through surprisingly diverse terrain. One moment you're in desert territory (with its unique kind of fauna), the next you're in winding roads in high mountains with flowing rivers right by the highway! It was a nice relaxing drive. Speed limit: 55. I'm loving my beamer even more. I get to Boise around 6 pm (one hour time change) from the non-stop drive, and my gas tank is just barely below half! Great mileage!

So I have a quick fish-n-chips dinner from the place next to my hotel, coz I'm starving (disgusting, btw) then plan to head out on the town. According to the guidebook I have, this place "The Balcony Club" is supposed to be the popular dance club in town. I get there around 10 pm. Observations: Fourteen foot glass walls all around the club (it's on a corner), and it's right downtown so the bright lights from the buildings next door brighten the place. So it's very open and not dark at all. Weird. Kelly Clarkson is loved everywhere, apparently. Lots of pickup trucks revving their engines and "racing" around downtown. The club is mixed -- and it works! Everyone seems to be having a good time not minding whatever anyone else is doing. Guy wearing a cool tshirt that said: "That was you?!?" Guy standing next to me saying to his friend who was roughhousing "Stop it: I'm putting my gloss on" (holding the teeny lipgloss brush). Most popular song of the night: "Girls just wanna have fun".

I leave the club early (1:30) before close, not wanting to tempt fate by leaving at closing time when everyone else does. Worst fears confirmed. A block away from my hotel, I get pulled over by a cop. Says I made a right turn without signalling. ?!?!? I told him (very nicely and apologetically) that it was a specifically designated right-turn lane, so didn't think it was necessary to signal. He asked me where I came from, how many drinks I had, how long ago. Asked to see my registration. Asked me to follow his finger with my eyes. Then lets me go and tells me to be careful. Phew.

So I'm supposed to be discovering America as I discover myself in the process. I don't necessarily want to believe it 100%, but Matt says: "Dude, you're a brown person in Idaho. The cops are gonna pull you over for whatever." Unfortunately, there might be some truth in that. Sigh. Boise, I'm outta here. Maybe I'll have better luck in Mormon country. New updated plan:

Would you like a beer with that haircut?

2005-09-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Potter calls from Hong Kong at 2 am and convinces me to change my plans and drop by Bend, OR before heading to Boise. Since this means breaking my originally planned 9 hour drive into two legs: three-hours and six-hours each, and since this would now give me time to tour Crater Lake, I change my plans. And it was totally worth it. Crater Lake, the deepest lake in North America, was amazingly beautiful. Pictures just don’t do it justice. But I’ll try anyway:

After lunch at the lake (well, overlooking the lake – I didn’t do the trek down to the waterline), I push on and arrive in Bend at 4:30 pm. The parking spot I found downtown was right in front of Bond St Barber Shop, and since I needed a haircut – I walk in and get one. Wonder of wonders, they offer you a beer while having a haircut! Free! I have a Blonde Bombshell and leave the place looking hotter than ever. Nice haircut.

I meet up with Drew and Maria, and the two kids Diego and Carmen, and Joe and Julie, for a few beers and a light dinner. Mark Pressey shows up too. I haven’t seen these guys for about 5 years! It was great catching up, and after a few drinks, we continue the evening with the girls at Astro Lounge for some Martinis, and then hip-hop dancing at the Grove.

And I’m off!

2005-09-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

So I finally leave San Francisco and get underway at 3:30 pm, Wednesday, September 14. Why so late? Well, I only got the go signal from work that I was good to go at around 11:00 am. Then as I was loading the car, what do I see? A two-inch crack on my windshield!! Geez. How did that happen? It wasn’t there last night when I got back from sushi dinner with Arnie (the new Director of Development @ eBay: Congratulations again and thanks for dinner, even though it was *I* who lost credit card roulette) and the gang. So now I had to figure out whether it was safe to drive or if the crack would get worse.

Then Rob from New York calls. He’s in town just for the day, so I have lunch with him at El Toro (Jon’s favorite Mexican place in SF) and then head to the dealership to have my windshield checked. No help there. “it might be safe, it might not be safe.” Wow. Thanks for that insight. So I take off anyway, figuring I can get it fixed somewhere along my trip. I hit the bay bridge almost 4 o’clock, of course hitting the afternoon traffic on I-80. Ugh.

6 hours non-stop later, I’m in Klamath Falls, Oregon where I check in at the totally appropriate Maverick Motel. After a bucket of chicken wings (they only had appetizers available at 9:30 pm at the restaurant next door) and a couple of microbrews for dinner, the first day of the adventure is over.

OK, let's try again..... New ETD

2005-09-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

So work stuff has kept me from departing as planned. I hope to tie-up all the loose ends by Monday, and depart by Tuesday, September 13. Oooooh, that sounds like an auspicious date. Good thing I'm not superstitious.

In the meantime, I guess I have another weekend in San Francisco. Hmmmm, should I lie low, or make it one wild going-away send-off weeekend. Decisions, decisions....

Oooops

2005-09-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

So I planned my departure for tomorrow. Big catch though: I haven't resigned from my job yet! I am meeting with my boss at 5 pm today, but will most likely not be able to leave immediately. I suppose I'll have to give two weeks notice. But I'll try to cut that as short as possible so I can leave soonest. The timetable from my previous post would have to change. Ahh, but that's the beauty of being wild and fancy-free! Go with the flow, go where the wind takes me!

More Planning....

2005-09-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've solidified my plans a bit more. I have places, driving times, miles between destinations, etc in a grid. All the way to Bangor, Maine. From there, I plan to just drive down the Atlantic coast stopping anywhere and staying for as long as needed in any location, until I hit Charleston, SC. Then I'll begin heading west towards home. Not going down to Florida on this trip. I've only planned roughly half of my trip and I'm already at 5462 miles and 35 days! My poor beemer!

So here we are...

2005-08-31T17:35:00.000-07:00

It's the last day of August 2005, and this is my first foray into blogging. Anyway, I'm doing this to chronicle my upcoming, mid-life-crisis-battling, exciting, and perhaps even awe-inspiring roadtrip across America. I just received my latest toy from Amazon -- a pocket-sized Garmin GPS system -- and I've been playing with both the hardware and the software all day. Dare I say it: "It's cool!"

So I've been charting my route, trying to find stops along the way that would make the most sense given driving hours, where to stop for the night, things to see, etc. I've only made it to Madison, Wisconsin so far, stopping by Klamath Falls, OR, Boise, ID, Salt lake City, UT, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, Fargo, ND, Winnipeg, Manitoba (in Canada to visit a friend), Minneapolis, MN, and finally Madison.

I'll continue to play with the toy and plan the rest of my trip (going to the Northeast, down the Atlantic coast, then back to California via the southern route. Will post when I've completed that.

What remains to be seen is how closely will I be following this plan. This trip is meant for me to discover what's out there, by being spontaneous and wild and free -- and in the process, also to discover myself.