Scribble World Travel Blog

Biosphere 2

I used my U of A student catcard to get a 50% discount on admission into Biosphere 2, which normally runs $20/person. Money well spent, it was a unique experience being able to enter into a completely different climate just by taking a step into the next room-going from a balmy day in the rainforest to a dry almost crisp January day in the desert.
It sure would have been fun to have been here when all the lizards and critters were running about. I guess they were thriving a little too well though because the researchers were tripping over them trying to do their work to the point of distraction and eventually they decided they all had to go-and were donated to various zoos and others were even released into the desert.
We took an educational glimpse behind the scenes to look at the elaborate piping and drainage system as well as learn a little about how the air and water are controlled and filtered. Then we went into “the lungs” of the operation where a huge ball-like diaphragm would heave slowly up and down adjusting as the pressure in the room changed-this was to keep the airtight biosphere glass windows from imploding or exploding. I wouldn’t have thought of that, so it’s good to know they did. There was an intense crazy feeling like being caught in a fierce wind walking through the door of the lung room to the outside, and then one step further and you were back in the desert and it was a calm windless day. Such a transition! Anyway, if you get a chance, it’s definitely worth checking out as one of the 50 Wonders of the World, and it’s a pretty scenic drive, less than an hour from Tucson.

Day Trip to Kitt Peak Observatory

Here are some pictures from a day trip out to the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) which was founded in 1958.

Kitt Peak is about 56 miles southwest of Tucson and is part of the Tohono O’odham Nation (translated as “Desert People,”) which is a federally recognized tribe with a rich culture and history that continues to thrive today.

KPNO is part of NOAO which supports a diverse collection of astronomical observatories for nighttime optical and infrared astronomy as well as daytime sun studies.

The aluminum on the bottom lens must be replaced every 3 to 5 years.

Admission is $7.75 for all three tours June-October. November through May the cost is $9.75 and is free for children 6 and under.

Oregon Coast Aquarium

Oregon Coast Aquarium
2820 SE Ferry Slip Road
Newport, OR 97365
Adults $14.95 day pass

We explored the Oregon Coast Aquarium during the day and that was fun-but sleeping with the sharks would have been even better…

You read that right-you really can, “sleep with the sharks,” at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. During select dates this summer members, non-members, families and certain organizations and groups can spend the night at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. The cost is just $55 for non-members which is probably less than most hotels in the area would cost, so why not do something memorable?

The price includes an evening of exploring life under the ocean beginning at 6 P.M, a pizza party and falling asleep “counting sharks,” and watching fish in one of the deep tunnels. The next morning includes a light breakfast and a glimpse into the early morning routine at the aquarium finishing up by 9 A.M.

This summer’s public family sleepovers are expected to be held on:
July 3, 2009
August 8, 2009
September 4, 2009

Reservations need to be made in advance. You can also call to enquire about scheduling a date for a group of your choice.

Sea Lion Cave

Sea Lion Cave located eleven miles North of Florence is one of the world’s largest sea caves-if not the largest. (Rico Rico Cave in New Zealand is another contender for the title of the “world’s largest sea cave,” though words like “longest” versus “most volume” suggest there still remains some degree of ambiguity.) If Sea Lion Caves is 1,315 feet, as they claim, that makes it the longest sea cave in the world. The dark basalt cave, which bagan forming 25 million years ago, is now the approximate length of a football field with the height of a 12 story building. Suffice it to say, Sea lion Caves is impressive.

We took the elevator down to the sea cave to watch the raucous sea lions as they fought for prime positions along jagged rocks, while the little guys were inadvertantly plunged into the watery depths below. Though fascinating to watch, I wouldn’t want to live there as the sea lions smell just like their diet-fishy-and not the fresh kind, but an old rotten smell like fish guts in a garbage can.

The cave was jam packed full of sea lions, and to see even more we walked along the outdoor paths and saw twice as many sunbathing on the nearby rocky ledges.

Following the lovely flower-lined walking paths and lookout views greatly enhances the experience. The employees said they saw a whale hanging around off shore, though it’s appearance was sporadic.

Admission for adults into the Sea Lion Cave is currently $11 per adult and is located at 91560 Hwy. 101 North, Florence, OR 97439.
With GPS Coordinates: 124 degrees 8 minutes W Longitude
44 degrees 7 minutes N Latitude

Redwoods National Park

Of all the places to get locked out of our van, it happened to us in the middle of the 131,983 acres that make up the Redwoods National Park! With the nearest lockout service hours away, things were not looking good. I had only gone to put on my coat (The temps average just 40-60 degrees year round in Redwoods National Park) when the car door suddenly swung shut-with both sets of keys sitting inside…Oops…

Resisting the urge to panic, Chris walked around the van searching for a way in while I went into the visitor center to find out what our prospects were. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any tools and with the bad economy, the nearest business that would’ve been able to help had been forced to close.

The ladies who worked in the visitor center were very nice, there just wasn’t a whole lot they could do-she wrote down a couple phone numbers to service stations, which posed another dilemma-everything was long distance meaning we would need change to use the public payphone.

Though I’m sure borrowing some change would have been the least of our problems, I wasn’t too eager for the estimate either which probably would have been in the hundreds. Stalling, I decided to go check on Chris first.

So besides kick yourself in the bum, what do you do when you get locked out of your vehicle in the wilderness and you don’t have AAA or a hidden spare key? In our case, we got lucky.

The one other family at the visitor center, (who were at the Redwoods to camp) followed me out to our van curious to see what our situation was. The Dad never goes anywhere without his handy leatherman multi-tool pocket knife and asked if he could tinker with the window. “By all means, what have we got to lose?”

It took quite a while, but using the leatherman he skillfully managed to get the spring contraption off one of our very back windows, the one that only opens an inch. Hopefully there aren’t any car thieves present, but having watched the delicate and time consuming procedure-I’m sure there are much easier ways to break into a car- at least for those unburdened with the expense and inconveniene of having to replace the window afterwards.

Once the window was loosened, it opened another couple inches and although still too small to fit a child through, Chris had found a long skinny stick measuring about 8 feet which snugly reached all the way to the front seat to unlock the door. It was like winning the lottery in a way and probably saved our vacation. I wanted to give them some money for their help and patience, but they point blank refused all offerings and said we should watch the movie, “Pay It Forward,” and help someone else in need someday. How cool is that?

Happy vacationers once again (with keys safe in hand) we set out to explore some of the most massive trees on Earth!

Drive Thru Tree and World Famous Gravity House

About 185 miles North of San Francisco following the scenic 101 Hwy, 10 miles South of Leggett, CA we followed the Drive Thru Tree Road Exit to get to Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree Park.. Drive-thru tree?? That certainly was enough to get our attention. The 6′ wide by 6’9″ space carved through this towering redwood back in the 1930′s really is large enough to fit a vehicle through. Admittedly, it’s going to be a tight squeeze for a van but when we folded our side mirrors inward, our Honda Odyssey had just enough room to squeeze through.

There are a total of three Redwood drive through trees in Northern, CA along highway 101. All 3 are on private property and charge a fee for admission.

Another fun little detour is Campbell Bros World Famous Confusion Hill, built back in 1949, where you can experience odd and confusing optical contradictions in the World Famous Gravity House. “Seeing is Believing,” is their slogan and when you see this crooked little shack off the side of the hill and struggle to walk around inside, you can experience the mystery of why gravity is not what it would appear.

Alcatraz Highlights-The Escape of June 11, 1962

Alcatraz Quick Facts
*More than a million people visit Alcatraz Island every year
*The cost is currently $26/adult
*The Ferry to Alcatraz leaves from Pier 33 and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach “The Rock.”
*It’s best to purchase tickets in advance as they do get busy
*Find Departure Schedules & Prices at Alcatraz Cruises

Highlight #1 of our Alcatraz tour today—seeing the escape route chiseled into the concrete walls of Cell Block B where on the night of June 11th, 1962 three Alcatraz inmates carried out an elaborate escape mission—something that was attempted only 14 times during Alcatraz’s 29 year history as a federal penitentiary, and the only one that may have been a success. In the photos from Cell Block B, you can see where the prisoners Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin chiseled their way through the concrete walls of their cells using rudimentary tools like a spoon with silver from a dime soldered onto it and an electric drill using a stolen vacuum motor. Apparently, the noise was disguised by accordions played during “music hour.”

The escape plan, which took months of planning, entailed sneaking out of their cells into the adjacent utility corridor and then escaping through the fan vent. First, they needed to remove some of the grilles on the fan, which they managed by stealing a carborundum cord out of the prison workshop. They then replaced the rivets with soap to make for a quick escape when the time was right. I could really use a visual about now—soap rivets?

To say the least, it was a complex and clever escape plan that required many months of patience to work out all the details. They even made an escape raft using dozens of prisoner issued rubber rain jackets which they inflated with a musical instrument called a concertina. They also created likenesses of their heads using papier-mache, real hair and paint brush bristles to look like hair and eyebrows and put those in their beds to fool the guards.

The FBI closed the case after a 17 year investigation concluding, “no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive.” That said, they were never proven dead either. I just find it interesting. My guess, and I can’t help pondering these things, is that they had outside help. Some of their personal items were found on Angel Island, which the investigators thought indicated they had drowned, I suspect this was part of the elaborate escape plot. Allen West, another cell mate, supposedly in on the escape, but who found his fake wall had solidified and he was unable to chip away at it fast enough– was left behind—he later told the FBI that their plan had been to paddle to Angel Island, then swim the Raccoon Straits to the Marin Headlands where they would steal a car, rob a clothing store and split up. I think Frank Morris, the one with the estimated I.Q. of 133 and the mastermind behind the escape plan, probably factored Allen West into their escape-leaving him behind could have been part of his plan from the start-perhaps assuming West woud cooperate with the FBI, Morris wanted them to believe that since the “plan” of stealing a car and robbing a clothing store hadn’t been carried through, they must not have succeeded-thus ensuring their real escape-which involved meeting an accomplice in a boat and heading for South America or some other locale where they wouldn’t be recognized and could start fresh. That’s my theory anyway

Highlight #2 would have to be the colony of Western Gulls we saw on Alcatraz Island. Certain pathways were blocked off so the birds had lots of room to make the island their own. Up to 1,100 lifelong mating pairs come to the island every winter. They are territorial birds and will fight for the right to nest in the same place year after year. April and May (in other words, now) is when they incubate their eggs for 28 days. Then in June, two or three thousand chicks will hatch and there will be quite a bit of screeching through July or August. Typically, only one of the three hatchling’s per mating pair will survive to fledgling. Sometimes, a baby chick will wander into another pairs territory and be killed, though occasionally an orphan chick has also been adopted by another pair. Western gulls can survive 15 to 25 years if they are lucky. It was pretty neat seeing them all spread out across the concrete grounds sitting in their nests-unlike most other birds, their nests are right there in the open and makes for an impressive sight.

The Love of Ganesha, The Winding Road

We walked around 3 different parks today-the Golden Gate, Alamo Square, and Buena Vista Park..

Also made time for a little shopping. I fell in love with a shop on 1310 Haight St.(between Central Ave & Masonic Ave) called The Love of Ganesha. I bought a necklace and 3 unusual silk skirts for less than $85. The employees were so nice too, they offered us a little cup of tea as soon as we entered and gave me a little bird ornament “for luck,” as we were leaving. The incense smell of the store is welcoming and I like that a portion of sales will help support orphans around the world.

Afterwards, we took a bus over to Pier 39 and worked our way uphill all the way to the top of the windy road on Lombard St, to see the one way section of Russian Hill more commonly known as the “crookedest street in the world.” This 1/4 mile stretch is a 27% steep grade and the speed limit is just 5 m.p.h-which is ok because you’ll have plenty of pretty plants and scenery to admire as well as giddy pedestrians to look out for as they snap photos as you slowly make your way down the eight sharp turns.

I’ll pass along what someone told us: “avoid the Tenderloin at night-where people are doing crack and looking for opportunity.”

Santa Cruz to San Francisco

Upon checking out, we stopped at Bad Ass Coffee in downtown Santa Cruz located at 1207 Pacific Ave, for a quick treat-and suddenly realized neither of us had paid the meter—-so, even though it had only been 2 minutes, Chris went back to the van and was surprised to find a meter lady already trying to write us a ticket– but she had just run out of tickets, so he left with the van and drove around the block until I came out. Close call. We went for a very pretty cliffside beach walk off of Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz to admire the steep cliff edges and got a closer look at the sea lions out on a big rock.

The drive to San Francisco was leisurely along Hwy 1. We stopped at a roadside store selling strawberries among other things. We sampled various spreads and bought some olallieberry jam and strawberry lemonade. Really like the jam.

In San Francisco, we had a room at the Rodeway Inn on Eddy St just west of Van Ness waiting for us, which unlike some of the downtown hotels offered free parking. We snacked at the Thirsty Bear Brewery. Chris tried a sampler-among the more unusual was a vanilla beer. I thought the rootbeer was pretty good. The scallops were great, but the portions were tiny.

Later on, we checked out a Hookah Lounge just for fun-it was called Cairo Nights on 829 Geary St, San Francisco, 94109.
We went out for some late night pizza, then checked out Biscuits and Blues on 401 Mason St. which we enjoyed a lot but unfortunately, by the time we got there the band, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, were already on their last few songs of the night. We finally crashed back at our room sometime after 1 A.M.

Things to do on your way to Santa Cruz-Garlic icecream anyone?

We spent the first night of our roadtrip vacation at a Flying J truckstop near Wheeler, CA. I guess it’s been a while since we’ve slept in the van and it was an uncomfortable first night–the memory foam didn’t seem nearly thick enough-which makes me wonder how we survived all those months when we were traveling around the U.S! I’m thinking about getting an air mattress. Maybe sleeping down below, instead of on top of the wood platform, would be more comfotable.
Meanwhile, we’ve been trying to find a spot with wireless internet to book a room in Santa Cruz, but the McDonald’s in Wheeler didn’t have it. Chris did manage to hitch-hike a wireless connection outside a Wendy’s in Gilroy, CA but it was taking too long to make a reservation so we eventually gave up.

Of greater interest, perhaps, we stopped at a wonderful fruit stand called Murray Fruit Stand off the 5 North located at 9557 Copus Rd, Mettler, CA 93313. I got half a bag of cherries, 2 oranges, a container of blueberries, and 2 kinds of fudge for a little over $13, and a wee little spider tried to hitchhike a ride in my blueberries for free. All in all, it made for a delicious drive!

For those seeking a different kind of adventure, we passed a small little shop on the left as we started down CA Hwy 152W advertising Garlic Icecream for sale. This soon prompted our philosophical curiosities–why do different people notice different smells in varying intensities? To Chris, there was an almost overpowering garlic aroma as we drove by that area-one that, to me, was so faint, I wouldn’t have noticed had he not mentioned it. But earlier, as we drove past a stinky cowfarm, it was Chris who hadn’t noticed. Why is that? Is it a gender difference? Or maybe it varies person to person, or even day to day. It would be an interesting study. Maybe that explains why a dirty kitty litter box seems to annoy me more than him-he just doesn’t smell it!

Anyway, getting a room in Santa Cruz for less than $60 was an adventure in itself. Chris finally gave up on that notion and got one at the Ocean Gate Inn for $74.14 after tax using hotels.com. The “ocean view” wasn’t much to write home about, but we didn’t spend much time in the room anyway, so it worked out ok for us. We left our stuff and walked down to the boardwalk by the beach. Most of the vendors and rides were closed, but it was a lively atmosphere with many colorful things to look at.

We had a fabulous sunset supper out on the Wharf at the Gilbert Seafood Grill. The special-the stuffed salmon, was excellent.

Around 9:30 we headed out to explore the downtown nightlife scene. We parked the van and walked around Pacific Ave. enjoying the Afro-Brazilian street performers, the artistic layout, and finally some frozen yogurt at the modern looking Froyo establishment.

El Dorado Hot Springs, Tonopah, AZ

Day 1 of our 18 day roadtrip through Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Canada, Idaho and Nevada. Starting with an old favorite-El Dorado Hot Springs in Tonopah, AZ just 40 miles West of Phoenix, (or two and a half hours from Tucson) we started vacation by sweating our guts out!

I think it would be awesome to go to El Dorado hot spring at night sometime. You can rent a private soaking area for $35/person and it’s all yours from 9 P.M-11 A.M. You might look a little pruney, but think of all the toxins you’d have gotten rid of if you were still alive the next morning
This time, we opted for a one hour soak in the Desert Garden private soaking area for $10/person. It is a pretty jacuzzi style tub with native flora decorating the surrounding areas.. Saying it was hot is an understatement. Going mid-day, in the desert, in the summer was perhaps not the wisest move on our part, but the “cold” plunge beside it felt wonderful and came as a welcome relief. Be sure to bring lots of water-at least a gallon/person/hour-you’ll be glad you did.

From the Tonopah Exit, El Dorado Hot Spring is 1/10th mile West of 411th Ave. on Indian School Rd. Watch for signs. Although we usually just take our chances and show up, they do get busy sometimes and you’ll have more choice selecion if you make a reservation (Hint: the Sunset pool has a great view) you can call 623-386-5412 to make a reservation.

Nimbus Brewery, Tucson, AZ

While many have had the good fortune of trying a Nimbus beer, relatively few have yet had the opportunity to enjoy their Nimbus on location at the Nimbus Brewing Company, and I can see why-until I found myself looking online for something to do this Saturday, and saw an ad for Clam Jam 2 at the Nimbus Brewing Company, I wasn’t even aware the Nimbus brewery was a place to hang out! Tucked back in the obscure south central side of Tucson in the industrial district, it is not where you would expect to go on a Saturday night looking for a good time. We nearly turned around, “this can’t be right,” as we took a right onto Ajo, then another right on Dodge, and we were about to turn around midway down 44th Street when we suddenly saw another car approaching and our headlights lit up the Nimbus sign. Yes, it is that tucked away that even an employee admitted to thinking she was lost when she first tried to find it. But once you find the Nimbus, you’re in for a treat.

The atmosphere is at once welcoming and laid back. Whether you want to sit at the bar, one of the busy tables downstairs, play a game of pool, sway your hips on the dance floor as The Tryst rocks you into the night, or make your way up to the more secluded upper level for a bursting-at-the-seams burrito and a root beer, iced tea or beer sampler, the Nimbus Brewery has you covered.

The Nimbus Brewing Company is actually Arizona’s largest brewery producing some 22,500 barrels of beer annually-an impressive rate of growth considering when they first opened in 1996 they produced less than 200 barrels. Today, each of their 3 fermenters hold 5,000 gallons of beer. They have won awards for their English Strong MonkeyShine Ale, oatmeal stout, Red Ale and Pale ale. Pressing Chris for his favorite, he really liked the pale ale and the old Monkey Shine but insisted we would have to go back before he could make an “official” decision. Also available are the dirty guera and brown ale.

Saturday, April 4th, Chris and I sat in the upper balcony enjoying our food, drink and a great view of Clam Jam Two going on below with music from Tucson’s independent music scene featuring some of Tucson’s best female rockers including Courtney Robbins, The Tryst, and Mozart’s Sister. Cover was just $5 (or free if you came early) and the Clam Jam went from 9:30 P.M until it was nearly closing time around 1 A.M.

Official Nimbus Review: An enthusiastic thumbs up. A highly recommended little treasure in Tucson’s industrial district and a great place to get away

Spring Fling in Tucson, AZ

If you love carnivals then Spring Fling in Tucson, AZ is the place to go! More than 3,000 University of Arizona volunteers are at the heart of Spring Fling making it the largest student run carnival in the country! Spring Fling is a 4 day event kicking off on April 2 at Rillito Downs, 4698 N. 1st Ave, about 3 miles from the U of A where it is being held this year to accomodate its growing size and avoid the construction currently in progress at the UofA.

Admission was just $5/person but we attended free by bringing in a coke product to be recycled. Parking is two dollars. All food, games and rides require tickets which can be purchased in bulk- 32 tickets for $20. Some pricing examples: Two tickets for a thai tea, 5 for a haunted house ride, 4 tickets for an old fashion lemonade, 5 tickets for a chance to win an over stuffed Scooby Doo toy, 6 for a funnel cake, 33 tickets to tempt fate on the bungee swing. $20 wristbands for endless rides were also available for purchase but excluded the bungee drop. But thankfully, some things are still free-porta potties, walking around the grounds, relaxing at a table or bench, and taking in one of the student band performances.

Spring Fling is a fund raiser for the University of Arizona’s organizations and clubs. Last year, with more than 30,000 people attending, they were able to raise more than $60,000.

Ventana Canyon Tucson Hike

A beautiful day for a hike, we explored Ventana Canyon today in Tucson, AZ. It’s a good time of year for a hike with blooming flowers, water in the stream, lots of little critters and a very comfortable 77 degrees.
We almost mistook a snake in the path for a shoelace. It was so still, we had time to take out the camera and get some decent photos before it leisurely slithered away.
We also saw evidence of a desert fire as well as a whole cactus arm that had fallen.
We would have loved to stay and explore more, but Chris was having an issue with the soles of his hiking shoes coming unglued. They were making a clop clop clopping sound like horse hooves on pavement.

Pictures from Chris’s trip

For work, Chris flew up to Philadelphia, then drove to Baltimore where he took some pictures from his hotel room at the Tremont Plaza and his day walk to the inner harbor.
He also drove to Washington D.C. and took a few pics at night. He says it was cold.

7 Great Reasons to Travel

Here are 7 Great Reasons to Travel (in case someone you know needs a little convincing)

1) The thrill of the unknown-seeing a mountain for the first time, or seeing how the other half lives

2) The inner discoveries-that you do not have to feel lonely just because you are by yourself.

3) To rejoice in the little things-the spiders on the wall, the smell of ocean air, the absence of city lights.

4) To learn how to be less judging-the homeless man does not lead an easy life

5) To have A Strong mind and the strength to keep it open

6) To learn from others

7) To make a part of yourself available for posterity

Where in the World Have I Been?

I thought it would be fun to create a map of the States in America I have visited, so I did.

visited 29 states (58%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or try another Douwe Osinga project

I also created a map of the countries I have visited…

visited 4 states (1.77%)
Create your own visited map of The World or try another Douwe Osinga project

10 Ways to Get a Shower On The Road

Hello travelers, people living out of a vehicle and other awesome folks, here are 10 Ways to Get a good Shower On The Road.

1. At a campground. Campground showers vary from one place to the next. Some are hot, some solar powered so they’re only hot at certain times, and some are unheated altogether. Some have consistent water pressure while others will only get a weak stream when someone hops in the shower next to you. Some are private with your own changing room and a real door while others are separated from the others by a curtain or in rare instances, nothing at all. Some are well kept and impeccably clean while others you get to share with a few hopefully harmless spiders, mosquitos and other mystery guests.
2. At a community pool. You may have to pay a few bucks to use the pool, but the showers are free. And hey, why not go swimming while you’re at it? They usually only accept cash and are often only open certain hours and days.
3. Get a 5 gallon solar shower. This is cheap, usually less than $20 for a simple one, and can be useful when you’re in the middle of nowhere. If you leave it in the sun for a couple hours you’ll have a nice warm shower. If there isn’t enough sun to make it hot, you can add a cup of boiled water and that will at least make it warm. If privacy is an issue, for a little more (around $70) you can get the Texsport Deluxe Camp Shower/Shelter Combo. It works well for car camping.
4. The Solo 465 Stainless Steel Sprayer can be used as a medium pressure camp shower. Several people have commented that they place it on a stove top burner and heat it up, then pressurize it and it’s shower time. My Dad tried this by pouring hot water into a 2 gallon plastic sprayer tank that he had and it made a great shower. It uses about 40 ounces per minute so that is a 6 minute shower using only two gallons. Also,if you lather up with Dawn Direct Foam soap instead of bar soap, when it’s empty, you could refill it with your own scented soap and distilled water. The foaming soap lather would not be affected by local hard water supplies. And it also works great for dishes! 
5. Get a day pass to a local fitness club. They’re usually just $5 or $10 for unlimited hot showers, plus you can get a good workout while you’re at it.
6. Stop at a road house or large gas station such as Flying J, TA or Pilot, and other road trip stops with amenities for travelers and truckers alike. These tend to be some of the nicest showers you can get on the road as you get your own private bathroom and lots of available hot water, plus your own sink and toilet. They usually provide towels and bar soap though you’re welcome to bring your own supplies. Usually costing between $5 and $10, if you’re with your significant other, they’re usually happy to let you pay the one fee and share the room. If you’re a little hard up for cash, you can also try asking a trucker if he or she by chance has an extra shower coupon. Truckers oftentimes receive a coupon for a free shower when they fill up on gas and oftentimes have an extra they just might part with if you ask nice enough.
7. Visit a friend, relative or make a new acquaintance and ask to use their shower…sure, you might get a funny look, but what are friends for?
8. Try the “It Makes Sense Shower head.” You still need a water supply, but this will help you conserve water. You can get a hot shower using very little water which is helpful when you’re on the road. It has a chain to pull to adjust the flow of the water from a full spray to a trickle while you lather. It’s an interesting variation of a navy shower.
9. The Zodi Hot Tap Single Burner Travel Shower runs off propane and 4 D batteries, so you can get a hot shower any time of day at the push of a button. It holds 4 gallons of water which is good for a 10 minute shower. Costs about $130
10. Some hotels with swimming pools will let non-guests use it for a small fee, and have public showers in that viscinity as well.

Want one more? The Carwash! Please laugh responsibly:  Shower on the Road

Club Congress New Year’s Eve photos

We celebrated the coming of 2009 and had a wonderful New Year’s Eve at Club Congress in downtown Tucson, AZ to partake in six hours of non-stop Circus Congress amusements. The night went surprisingly fast as we were entertained by magicians, bands and a couple acrobats.  The carnival-like atmosphere was fun and even included some fresh made cotton candy to help wash the drinks down

Club Congress was packed and sold out. It was interesting to see how people dressed-some were in jeans and t-shirts while others went all out and dawned the sparkly dresses and tiara style new year’s head gear and other interesting costume twists. 

One area that could have used a little more attention was the bathroom situation. No big surprise here, but the line to the Ladies Room was out the door-and two women almost got in a fight when one budged.  Both sides were very indignant to say the least.

The Men’s Room, on the other hand…this is where life can be so unfair sometimes….4 minutes before midnight, Chris says he has to go to the bathroom….and no he can’t wait 5 more minutes but, “don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”  It was like a magic act-somehow he managed to maneuver his way in through the crowd of people pushing their way out, use the bathroom, and again squeeze through about a bazillion people to get back to me at exactly midnight for that New Year’s kiss.  It was impressive.

Now. when I have to go, it’s at least a 20 minute affair and arriving at the destination is no picnic either- one of the stalls is overflowing, and by the end of the night the others have run out of toilet paper-and no one seems too concerned about restocking them– So, here’s a New Year’s Eve tip to the ladies:

Bring a little emergency T.P ”just in case,” and look forward to making some new friends in line—it’ll be a loooong wait Happy New Year everyone!

Tigers in Thailand

I’m busy dreaming of future travels. There’s this place called Tiger Temple in Thailand where the tigers are so tame, people can actually walk around amongst them without getting attacked or eaten. I’ve seen amazing pictures taken from Tiger Temple that show just how up close the people can get to them-like this one with the tiger’s head laying in a girl’s lap. I was amazed how inexpensive doing a Tiger tour is-around 3800 baht which is around $111 U.S. dollars. It’s a beautiful country and that would make an amazing trip. I suppose flying to Thailand would be the biggest expense, but who knows, maybe there’ll be some great last minute travel deals to Thailand one of these days Just have to remember not to pack skirts, at least not for that day-no red colors are allowed around the tigers and no skirts-I guess deep down they’re still playful kitties when properly enticed. Monks have raised these tigers who were orphaned due to poachers killing the mom, and these orphaned tigers, as amazingly tolerant and friendly as they are, some of the monks believe the tigers are actually former Buddhist deciples reincarnated!