Thoughts And Pics From The Road

[aldousburbank]

Took a nostalgic walk through the sidestreets and neighborhoods of The Old Pueblo today. Good old Tucson. Funky, real. I freakin' love this place. Ran into old friends around every other corner and weirdo cafe. One of the best cities in America!

This is from the Barrio.
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[Juan]

In the thumbnail view, the guy looks like sNoory.

[steelbot]

Great Pics Aldous - looks like the trip has been a fun one so far!  Here's hoping it has been!

[aldousburbank]

Great Pics Aldous - looks like the trip has been a fun one so far!  Here's hoping it has been!

You be the judge SteelDude.

First I went out to the desert:

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Where I just happened to then see this. What does it mean?

[steelbot]

You be the judge SteelDude.

First I went out to the desert:

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Where I just happened to then see this. What does it mean?

Well it means a lot of things, but most importantly - that life agrees with you, and has returned to you, an answer only for you to know and understand =P but for us all to share in!! lol that was way to philosophical for me!

Looks like a great time for sure!

[bateman]

In the thumbnail view, the guy looks like sNoory.

Hahahaha, just thought the same thing. There are no coincidences.

[aldousburbank]

For whatever reason, i thought this today- Fear is life's greatest cockblocker.

From somewhere in the desert:
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[maureen]

a pilgrimage is such an essential part of humanity that I think we must have a pilgrimage gene! We wander in all four directions and experience all  and reinvent ourselves and eventually find ourselves at home. a lovely life!! 

[jazmunda]

Fear is life's greatest cockblocker.

Very aptly put.

I want this on my tombstone.

[coaster]

Great photos.

[zeebo]

For whatever reason, i thought this today- Fear is life's greatest cockblocker.

Yeah and its lesser cousin Worry is like one of those cheap condoms that diminishes the experience even if you do get laid.

[aldousburbank]

Yeah and its lesser cousin Worry is like one of those cheap condoms that diminishes the experience even if you do get laid.

And curiosity is textured for my pleasure.

[maureen]

... and the disclaimer: If they can't take a joke, piss on 'em!!

[plumwalrus]

Great photos, AB.  They make me long for a nomad's life.

[aldousburbank]

Great photos, AB.  They make me long for a nomad's life.

Better to be nomad than nohappy.

[jazmunda]

Better to be nomad than nohappy.

That's an even better epitaph.

[plumwalrus]

Better to be nomad than nohappy.

Indeed.

[zeebo]

Hey Aldous, for some reason I thought you might like this quote, so thought I'd post it in case you haven't come across it before.  I used to read it to myself when venturing forth on my own journeys. 

"...we have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; and where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world."

-- from The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

[aldousburbank]

"...we have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; and where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world."

Thanks Zeebo,
This is just how it feels...

[aldousburbank]

Say what you will about the subsidy sucking Amtrak, but let me tell you, no anal probes, pat downs or body scans. Hell, yesterday I dropped off friends at Greyhound and they were frisked and wanded and I couldn't even enter the restroom without being "securitied."

Fuck that!  The train is civilized. I am toking freely at every stop while bullshitting with conductors and porters. Let me tell you, I am an American, this is my fucking country, and the only person that I'm taking my belt off for is The Mrs. I will not give up my freedom to travel freely in my own country without some cunt manually or electromagnetically feeling up my or my family's asses. Therefore, I will take the train, drive, bicycle, walk, or skip, but I will not subject myself to the sheople transport mind fuck.

Edit- (Pic posting issues, not able to supplement my screed with awsesome "sunrise from the observatory" car photo.)

[HorrorRetro]

Fuck that!  The train is civilized. I am toking freely at every stop while bullshitting with conductors and porters. Let me tell you, I am an American, this is my fucking country, and the only person that I'm taking my belt off for is The Mrs. I will not give up my freedom to travel freely in my own country without some cunt manually or electromagnetically feeling up my or my family's asses. Therefore, I will take the train, drive, bicycle, walk, or skip, but I will not subject myself to the sheople transport mind fuck.

Amen.  I'm going to be heading home to WA state in the first week of January.  I'll be doing a coast-to-coast road trip this time, Virginia to WA.

[aldousburbank]

I just looked up Amtrak fares from Virginia (that's a state right?) to Seattle. It's 60+ hrs, 500+ clams. Suck. But it's fun!

[HorrorRetro]

I just looked up Amtrak fares from Virginia (that's a state right?) to Seattle. It's 60+ hrs, 500+ clams. Suck. But it's fun!

I've done Amtrak from Baltimore to Spokane, WA before. It was a lot of fun. I would consider it this time, but my husband is driving over from the Seattle area to Virginia so that he can meet the baby and spend Christmas over here. He's bringing our 3 dogs, so that should be...interesting.    But they're all pretty well traveled, so it'll probably be okay. We'll spend a few days here and then hit the road going the opposite direction. I think we're going to take a more southern route than we'd usually take.  It'll be fun to see some new areas or areas I haven't seen in a few years. I just wish we had more time, but it's going to be a quick and dirty trip.

[FallenSeraph]

I just looked up Amtrak fares from Virginia (that's a state right?) to Seattle. It's 60+ hrs, 500+ clams. Suck. But it's fun!

When will you be in Memphis? 

[Mind Flayer Monk]

I took the Amtrak from Illinois to Los Angeles once.
I remember the Amtrak passing through Colorado and Utah was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, so try to get that section of America in the daytime.

[zeebo]

One cautionary note about Amtrak.  One winter's weekend my Mom & I took the train from SF to Reno, thinking we'd avoid the hassle of driving and have a leisurely civilized trip instead.  Somewhere in the Sierra's, surrounded by snow, the train inexplicably came to an abrupt halt.  There was no information given.  An hour passed.  Still no announcements given.  Two more hours.  It was getting a bit cold at this time and still no one knew why we were sitting there, when by this time we should all be sitting in a cozy casino lounge downing Irish Coffees.  Note this spot was very near to where the Donner Party events had once taken place, which was a tad unsettling.

After about five hours and still no word from the conductor or anyone what the hell was going on, I managed to get a weak signal on my cell and got someone in some central office who, after a half hour of being transfered around, informed me that we were sitting there freezing in the mountains because we were waiting for a freight train to pass us, since it had priority ...  i.e. a load of lumber or gravel or whatever had a higher priority than a train of freezing, hungry, live human beings.  Keep that in mind when considering Amtrak. 

It ended well though.  After the 5 hour delay, we'd lost our reservation at the hotel, but they felt bad for us and so gave us each an upgrade to a VIP suite for no extra charge, complete with in-suite hot tubs and awesome views.  (That was the Eldorado casino hotel btw, which I do recommend).

One other footnote.  A couple months later, there was a story on the evening news about the same train, doing the same thing, except this time they'd left those poor souls to freeze for like 8 hours this time.  (To be fair, all of this was some years ago, so things may have improved since then.)

[HorrorRetro]

a load of lumber or gravel or whatever had a higher priority than a train of freezing, hungry, live human beings.  Keep that in mind when considering Amtrak. 

That's crazy.  I loved my Amtrak trip for the most part. As my train was pulling into Union Station in DC, the dining car derailed, so all we had from there to Chicago was a little sammich car instead. But the scenery was awesome.  I was able to go through Glacier National Park in Montana. I'd love to do it again.  I was by myself the last time, so it would be fun to go with my husband this time around. I've also taken Greyhound from Spokane, WA, to Baltimore, and I have to say, Amtrak was a hell of a lot better. 

[aldousburbank]

Well yeh, the service on Amtrak is a little sucky. The employees seem tenured in that they're not that interested in the passengers. (I like that part)  Also, passenger trains always come second to, and wait for, freight haulers. However, being stuck on a train with club/sleeper cars and the ability to move around is much more pleasant than being stuck in the air, or on the tarmac, like a bunch of veal calves IMO.

[Grov505th]

I took the train from Portland OR to some little station near Dallas TX.
I loved it!  The only bad thing was outside of Bakersfield CA, we had to transfer to buses and go in to LA to catch the next leg of the train ride.
We did sit in San Antonio for what seemed like 5 hrs...
The one thing that sticks in my mind was the Margeritias in a can that they served. I dont  know why it just does.

[b_dubb]

Aldous ... you are a damn genius.  Hunter S Thompson got nothing on you