Here is a hilariously accurate portrayal of the winter North Dakota I know, but it conveniently ignores the other 320 days of the year, when you CAN see the North Dakota Badlands and other super-cool places you really should want to visit.
There's no place like ND...I dare you to visit!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
2009 Year In Review
If you read this blog all year long, you'll find nothing new here, but just in case you haven't caught all of them this year, here's the very condensed 2009 King Year In Review!
Happy Holidays to our Family & Friends!
2009 was another busy year for us! Our year started and ended in North Dakota where Nathan continues winter work with Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In between, we visited a combined eighteen states plus the District of Columbia.
Amber continues working for IBM, where she leads teams in the U.S. and China. She completed her Project Management Professional (PMP) training in May and filed her first patent the same month. Amber is taking her office on the road and is working remotely full-time as of November.
Nathan worked at Pipestone National Monument over the summer. The work was both challenging and enlightening. The site is used today as it was in generations past, for the collection of a sacred stone used for making smoking pipes. You can learn more about Pipestone and its significance on the web at www.nps.gov/pipe.
Amber spent a long 4th of July weekend in Colorado with her friend Sara, where they visited Rocky Mountain NP, Garden of the Gods, and saw the famous Greeley Stampede rodeo. Yee haw!
The most fun we had this year was going to the Eastern U.S. to attend Amber’s sister Samantha’s wedding in North Carolina in October. Along the way, we visited Chicago for a live taping of Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me and got to meet the cast, then headed to Gettysburg NMP, Washington D.C., Shenandoah NP, Blue Ridge Parkway, Appomattox Court House NHS, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP, Moores Creek NB, Great Smoky Mountains NP, and Mammoth Cave NP. We hiked to the top of the two tallest mountains in Shenandoah, down into the longest cave in the world, and walked the hallowed grounds of Civil War battlefields. Our favorite hike was to Ramsey Cascades in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In July, Nathan’s mom passed away from complications of multiple myeloma. She was 53. Nathan misses her every day and thinks of her often. We are grateful for the continuing love and support of our friends and families.
Next year, we will be moving to Kansas for at least half of the year. Nathan was hired for a permanent status job at Fort Larned National Historic Site, a well-preserved fort along the Santa Fe Trail. We plan to sell our house in Minnesota in 2010.
We wish everyone a happy holiday season and a great 2010.
2009 was another busy year for us! Our year started and ended in North Dakota where Nathan continues winter work with Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In between, we visited a combined eighteen states plus the District of Columbia.
Amber continues working for IBM, where she leads teams in the U.S. and China. She completed her Project Management Professional (PMP) training in May and filed her first patent the same month. Amber is taking her office on the road and is working remotely full-time as of November.
Nathan worked at Pipestone National Monument over the summer. The work was both challenging and enlightening. The site is used today as it was in generations past, for the collection of a sacred stone used for making smoking pipes. You can learn more about Pipestone and its significance on the web at www.nps.gov/pipe.
Amber spent a long 4th of July weekend in Colorado with her friend Sara, where they visited Rocky Mountain NP, Garden of the Gods, and saw the famous Greeley Stampede rodeo. Yee haw!
The most fun we had this year was going to the Eastern U.S. to attend Amber’s sister Samantha’s wedding in North Carolina in October. Along the way, we visited Chicago for a live taping of Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell Me and got to meet the cast, then headed to Gettysburg NMP, Washington D.C., Shenandoah NP, Blue Ridge Parkway, Appomattox Court House NHS, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP, Moores Creek NB, Great Smoky Mountains NP, and Mammoth Cave NP. We hiked to the top of the two tallest mountains in Shenandoah, down into the longest cave in the world, and walked the hallowed grounds of Civil War battlefields. Our favorite hike was to Ramsey Cascades in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In July, Nathan’s mom passed away from complications of multiple myeloma. She was 53. Nathan misses her every day and thinks of her often. We are grateful for the continuing love and support of our friends and families.
Next year, we will be moving to Kansas for at least half of the year. Nathan was hired for a permanent status job at Fort Larned National Historic Site, a well-preserved fort along the Santa Fe Trail. We plan to sell our house in Minnesota in 2010.
We wish everyone a happy holiday season and a great 2010.
Amber and Nathan at Ramsey Cascades
Friday, December 25, 2009
Happy Holidays FSM-Style
On this Christmas day, while Nathan and I are completely shut in due to the blizzard (note how the ENTIRE length of I-94 is CLOSED), we were left to ponder the other religions besides Christianity that are celebrating holidays around this time.
One of the little-known, but best religions around was born in our soon-to-be home state of Kansas. Flying Spaghetti Monsterism by its founder's own estimate has "millions, if not thousands" of followers. If you have never seen its founding doctrines, take the time to read this Open Letter to the Kansas Board of Education - it explains a lot. FSM even offers an explanation for global warming where science as yet has failed us.
This time of year, Pastafarians, as FSM's followers are called, celebrate the entire holiday season, not just one day, in whatever way they choose. Many choose to wear His traditional garb, full pirate regalia, while others may just sit at home and bake cookies.
However you choose to celebrate this holiday season, I hope you have a wonderful one! May you be truly touched by His Noodly Appendage!
One of the little-known, but best religions around was born in our soon-to-be home state of Kansas. Flying Spaghetti Monsterism by its founder's own estimate has "millions, if not thousands" of followers. If you have never seen its founding doctrines, take the time to read this Open Letter to the Kansas Board of Education - it explains a lot. FSM even offers an explanation for global warming where science as yet has failed us.
Graph: Bobby Henderson, Concerned Citizen
This time of year, Pastafarians, as FSM's followers are called, celebrate the entire holiday season, not just one day, in whatever way they choose. Many choose to wear His traditional garb, full pirate regalia, while others may just sit at home and bake cookies.
Photo: http://www.venganza.org/
However you choose to celebrate this holiday season, I hope you have a wonderful one! May you be truly touched by His Noodly Appendage!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Just In Time
I am the luckiest person on Earth. After driving an hour to get to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, my mom and I got to view the entire park and on our way out were told we were the last people on the road, probably until spring. They'd closed it thanks to the steady snowfall pelting the park's meandering road that day.
Let me tell you, it's not like we rushed to get there either. Before entering the park, we actually drove another 16 miles North to go to what I truly believe is the hellhole of North Dakota: Watford City. Why so harsh? This is the closest town to the North Unit entrance and the only place for MILES around. Was it wrong for me to assume there would be someplace to eat there? Yes, apparently. Everything in that town was CLOSED or locked for inexplicable reasons, despite the glowing OPEN sign in the window. Add to that slippery roads and unhelpful people and you have what I refer to as the second worst tourist destination in the world. I usually love places that I go and that's why my list of horrible destinations is only two cities long:
Let me tell you, it's not like we rushed to get there either. Before entering the park, we actually drove another 16 miles North to go to what I truly believe is the hellhole of North Dakota: Watford City. Why so harsh? This is the closest town to the North Unit entrance and the only place for MILES around. Was it wrong for me to assume there would be someplace to eat there? Yes, apparently. Everything in that town was CLOSED or locked for inexplicable reasons, despite the glowing OPEN sign in the window. Add to that slippery roads and unhelpful people and you have what I refer to as the second worst tourist destination in the world. I usually love places that I go and that's why my list of horrible destinations is only two cities long:
- Myrtle Beach, SC - Let's take a beach and completely cover it with concrete, then put one of four giant discount beachwear shops every two feet and call it a fun place to go.
- Watford City, ND - I hate this town.
Cannonball Concretions
Riverbend Overlook
Oxbow Overlook
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Cowboy Christmas
December 4th & 5th was a special weekend in Medora. All winter we put up with frigid temperatures (-31 degrees at one point this week), wind, and the entire town of Medora being shut down except for the Boots Bar & Grill. Then, for one special weekend, the town wakes up, stores and restaurants open, and locals descend from the hills like locusts for Cowboy Christmas!!
Ok, it doesn't get that crowded, but it is probably the most exciting thing that happens all winter. Well, aside from the ice breaking on the river. To give you a flavor of the plethora of events, here's the Cowboy Christmas flyer:
Mom came to visit this weekend, so we took full advantage of the free attractions including the Chateau de Mores Interpretive Center, and the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame! While we shyed away from the freezing hay rides, we did walk 20 feet to the Cowboy Cafe for Oyster Stew and caught half of Bob Peterman's Cowboy Music show. Poor guy spent half the time complaining that there were no children to sing santa songs to, then proceeded to forget the words to the santa songs once the kids showed up. All-in-all, a pretty successful show.
Anyway, there are two things that make Cowboy Christmas really special. The first is "Eats on the Streets", a delicious, town-wide progressive dinner and culinary free-for-all in which you can visit every open shop and visitor center for two hours, stuffing yourself with delicious and largely homemade goodies. Delicacies include everything from Bison Chili and Red Eye at the Wooly Boys Saloon to Bacon-wrapped Scallops at the Rough Riders hotel. It's too good.
Second is the Christmas finale. It's a "Fire & Ice" fireworks show that happens to be lit from the bluff right next to our apartment. It's really something to hang out and watch fireworks in the snow right from your front porch. The whole weekend really brightens up December around here and I'm thankful I get to spend my Christmas with the cowboys.
Christmas in the Badlands
Ok, it doesn't get that crowded, but it is probably the most exciting thing that happens all winter. Well, aside from the ice breaking on the river. To give you a flavor of the plethora of events, here's the Cowboy Christmas flyer:
Mom came to visit this weekend, so we took full advantage of the free attractions including the Chateau de Mores Interpretive Center, and the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame! While we shyed away from the freezing hay rides, we did walk 20 feet to the Cowboy Cafe for Oyster Stew and caught half of Bob Peterman's Cowboy Music show. Poor guy spent half the time complaining that there were no children to sing santa songs to, then proceeded to forget the words to the santa songs once the kids showed up. All-in-all, a pretty successful show.
Anyway, there are two things that make Cowboy Christmas really special. The first is "Eats on the Streets", a delicious, town-wide progressive dinner and culinary free-for-all in which you can visit every open shop and visitor center for two hours, stuffing yourself with delicious and largely homemade goodies. Delicacies include everything from Bison Chili and Red Eye at the Wooly Boys Saloon to Bacon-wrapped Scallops at the Rough Riders hotel. It's too good.
Second is the Christmas finale. It's a "Fire & Ice" fireworks show that happens to be lit from the bluff right next to our apartment. It's really something to hang out and watch fireworks in the snow right from your front porch. The whole weekend really brightens up December around here and I'm thankful I get to spend my Christmas with the cowboys.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Dickinson - Theodore Roosevelt Interstate Airport
My mom arrived at the Dickinson - Theodore Roosevelt Airport this weekend to take in the Cowboy Christmas festivities. I felt kind of bad for old TR, what with some presidents like John F. Kennedy getting big, important, international airports and poor Theodore's is stuck out in Dickinson. I felt a little better for him briefly when I found out some people do consider Dickinson the "Crown Jewel" of Western North Dakota, but that all faded away when I saw the sheer magnitude of his airport in person. Prepare to be amazed, this is the Dickinson - Theodore Roosevelt Airport:
Amenities include several flights to and from Denver, Sidney, MT, and Williston, ND, a total of seven seats in the waiting area, and FREE PARKING. (Ok, free parking really is awesome.) Mom's flight from Denver had 5 whole people on it, but it was picking up eight more on its way to Sidney. However, the plane arrived without her bag, but since it was late and the next flight from Denver came 10 minutes later we waited to see if the lucky bag had made it on the next flight.
That gave me a chance to check out the bag retrieval process! True to what I would expect around here, the three bags on that flight were quickly loaded onto a pick-up truck, then shuttled about 50 feet to a garage door where we could pick them up inside. You have to be quick - the garage door is open for about one minute (the length of time it takes everyone to grab their bags).
But if you're worried about safety at a small airport like that, don't be! It's signs like this that keep us all safe.
I know I just blasted the airport, but in reality I love it. Culture shock? Yes! Charming airport and easy-to-access flights with a smile? You betcha! And you can't beat free airport parking!
Amenities include several flights to and from Denver, Sidney, MT, and Williston, ND, a total of seven seats in the waiting area, and FREE PARKING. (Ok, free parking really is awesome.) Mom's flight from Denver had 5 whole people on it, but it was picking up eight more on its way to Sidney. However, the plane arrived without her bag, but since it was late and the next flight from Denver came 10 minutes later we waited to see if the lucky bag had made it on the next flight.
That gave me a chance to check out the bag retrieval process! True to what I would expect around here, the three bags on that flight were quickly loaded onto a pick-up truck, then shuttled about 50 feet to a garage door where we could pick them up inside. You have to be quick - the garage door is open for about one minute (the length of time it takes everyone to grab their bags).
Cowboy Baggage Handling
But if you're worried about safety at a small airport like that, don't be! It's signs like this that keep us all safe.
What do you mean I can't take my gun on this plane?
I know I just blasted the airport, but in reality I love it. Culture shock? Yes! Charming airport and easy-to-access flights with a smile? You betcha! And you can't beat free airport parking!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Upper Talkington
Fifty degrees in November feels like eighty degrees and sunny to us.
Last Friday was the best Black Friday ever. A morning of ONLINE shopping - same deals, no crowds - then out to the park for my first hike of the season. I chose a portion of the Upper Talkington trail in Eastern Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Starting from the loop road, I went three miles to the East park fence, across a valley surrounded by multi-colored bluffs, through the largest prairie dog town in the park, to an expansive, golden prairie overlooking the beginning of the badlands. It's a fantastic, quick hike if you ever find yourself in the park for a day looking for some sunshine and beautiful, typically TRNP scenery.
Chillin' by the Road
This horse was not completely excited about me tromping by, so it ran in front of me and snorted.
Endless Prairie that leads too...
...this!
Ridge-top Elk
Thursday, November 26, 2009
T-Day in TR
This was no ordinary Thanksgiving day, but maybe it's time to start new traditions. The town of Medora literally cleared out when all seven other people we know living here scattered to other parts of the region.
I thought I might be able to catch an online broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning. However, it appears NBC has not fully entered the 21st century, so your only option for online viewing is EarthCam's eight webcams placed strategically along the parade route, streaming the parade. No commentary, which is not too shabby if you already abhor Al Roker's every word.
Just a couple mishaps this year:
Despite those, it's been a pretty good day. I am thankful for a lot of things, but most of all, the internet and its role in bringing me under the same roof as Nathan - FINALLY! So, once again, I guess that means I am thankful for Al Gore.
Last but not least, I want to share an internet discovery fitting of the day. Bon Appetite & Happy Thanksgiving! This is why you're fat.
I thought I might be able to catch an online broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning. However, it appears NBC has not fully entered the 21st century, so your only option for online viewing is EarthCam's eight webcams placed strategically along the parade route, streaming the parade. No commentary, which is not too shabby if you already abhor Al Roker's every word.
Just a couple mishaps this year:
- Nathan is sick and couldn't eat most of his food until 2:30pm - after a piece of pie made him feel better.
- I learned how to carve a turkey, but couldn't get the darn legs off until I grabbed one and twisted. That works pretty well, but makes you feel like you had a much bigger role in the turkey's death than you wish you had.
- I discovered our thermometer is not "oven-ready".
Mishap #3
Roarrrr! Carving Destruction!
Despite those, it's been a pretty good day. I am thankful for a lot of things, but most of all, the internet and its role in bringing me under the same roof as Nathan - FINALLY! So, once again, I guess that means I am thankful for Al Gore.
Last but not least, I want to share an internet discovery fitting of the day. Bon Appetite & Happy Thanksgiving! This is why you're fat.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Home Sweet Home
The title of this blog post is ironic because as of Saturday, I am officially a nomad. Or maybe I'm the opposite of a nomad since I technically have two places to live. Whatever the case may be, I am currently in Medora, North Dakota basking in the intense sun, breathing in the incredibly dry air, and watching yellowed corn husks cross the road by the hundreds wishing they were tumbleweeds.
All of the familiar giant animals and roadside attractions (Salem Sue, Jamestown's Buffalo, Geese In Flight, etc), seem to be welcoming me home, which it already feels like around here. Today, we put down our first real roots - we joined the West River Community Center in Dickinson for the next three months. Now, that's what I call commitment!
I have to admit I'm not entirely ready to give up Rochester, though. I got a couple of very awesome parting gifts that only served to remind me how much I'm giving up. A Dinner Club cookbook complete with photos and the word BACON always in caps serves as a reminder that I will REALLY miss my friends back home. From my department, I got a web cam, so I can always feel like I'm closer than I really am. I can't say it's not comforting and can't say that I won't miss the people and won't miss being "home".
Bye, Rochester!
All of the familiar giant animals and roadside attractions (Salem Sue, Jamestown's Buffalo, Geese In Flight, etc), seem to be welcoming me home, which it already feels like around here. Today, we put down our first real roots - we joined the West River Community Center in Dickinson for the next three months. Now, that's what I call commitment!
Geese In Flight near sunset, which is 4pm here!
I have to admit I'm not entirely ready to give up Rochester, though. I got a couple of very awesome parting gifts that only served to remind me how much I'm giving up. A Dinner Club cookbook complete with photos and the word BACON always in caps serves as a reminder that I will REALLY miss my friends back home. From my department, I got a web cam, so I can always feel like I'm closer than I really am. I can't say it's not comforting and can't say that I won't miss the people and won't miss being "home".
Our very first webcam photo!
Bye, Rochester!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Qwest is Over
It may be easier to quit being a Qwest customer than to be one! Ever since we started getting our phone, internet, and Direct TV from Qwest, I've wanted to triumphantly call them up and end my services. There had been hardly a time when I called them and had a good experience: starting with getting our service a week late to trying to switch my credit card number in their files so they could actually continue charging me after I closed my old credit card (do you want my money or not?), I hate dealing with Qwest.
So, I braced myself for a fight when I called to cancel my service this Friday. Nothing! I got a person online who gave me the right phone number to call over instant message, then a cheerful young man who set-up my closeout date quickly. AMAZING! Maybe I've been far too quick to judge. There is one transaction that Qwest does well. Go ahead, try it; close out your Qwest account, it's fantastic!
The only thing they don't do is close out Direct TV for you, but they did correctly connect me with DTV's personnel. Here's where the goodness ends. The DTV guy that answered the phone sounded like a 60-year-old drunken techie who transferred me to a woman who couldn't understand why I wanted my TV to continue until the day I leave and the boxes to return the remote control to arrive before that date, so I could actually pack up the equipment before I leave. This is not possible with Direct TV! They absolutely cannot sway from their automated system, whose return boxes do not arrive until 3-5 days after your official TV end date.
That's fine, they're losing a week's worth of revenue from me now that I'm quitting early to get my boxes. Although I requested the service be shut off this morning, it's still turned on. Perfect, since I'm excited to watch my last live episode of The Amazing Race tonight. From here on out, it'll be hulu and day-old internet-based episodes of The Office for me. A small price to pay for my emancipation from Qwest.
So, I braced myself for a fight when I called to cancel my service this Friday. Nothing! I got a person online who gave me the right phone number to call over instant message, then a cheerful young man who set-up my closeout date quickly. AMAZING! Maybe I've been far too quick to judge. There is one transaction that Qwest does well. Go ahead, try it; close out your Qwest account, it's fantastic!
The only thing they don't do is close out Direct TV for you, but they did correctly connect me with DTV's personnel. Here's where the goodness ends. The DTV guy that answered the phone sounded like a 60-year-old drunken techie who transferred me to a woman who couldn't understand why I wanted my TV to continue until the day I leave and the boxes to return the remote control to arrive before that date, so I could actually pack up the equipment before I leave. This is not possible with Direct TV! They absolutely cannot sway from their automated system, whose return boxes do not arrive until 3-5 days after your official TV end date.
That's fine, they're losing a week's worth of revenue from me now that I'm quitting early to get my boxes. Although I requested the service be shut off this morning, it's still turned on. Perfect, since I'm excited to watch my last live episode of The Amazing Race tonight. From here on out, it'll be hulu and day-old internet-based episodes of The Office for me. A small price to pay for my emancipation from Qwest.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monster Mash
The 2nd Annual Banff Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner took place on October 17th this year. Nathan (a.k.a. Buster Ghost) and I (Di Wrecked, the producer of a haunted house TV series), appeared at the event dressed as our characters.
I had to sit between a narcissistic ghost hunter who had seen over two ghosts (Nathan) and a somewhat violent turkey-choking ex-con played by our friend Danny. For anyone that's never been to a murder mystery dinner before, it starts out with a murder, then, more and more clues pointing to the murderer are disclosed throughout the night and dinner courses are sprinkled in between.
The food was great, most people had WAY too much Witch's Brew, and, fittingly, Danny (a.k.a. Si Coe) was the murderer. Above he is posing with his prize for best actor of the night with a gun, which coincidentally was not the murder weapon. He had, of course, used his turkey-choking skills to strangle one of our TV hosts with a belt...in the dungeon.
Buster Ghost including Ectoplasmic Detector (flash light, shoe box, stick, and duct tape) & Ghost Bag
I had to sit between a narcissistic ghost hunter who had seen over two ghosts (Nathan) and a somewhat violent turkey-choking ex-con played by our friend Danny. For anyone that's never been to a murder mystery dinner before, it starts out with a murder, then, more and more clues pointing to the murderer are disclosed throughout the night and dinner courses are sprinkled in between.
The food was great, most people had WAY too much Witch's Brew, and, fittingly, Danny (a.k.a. Si Coe) was the murderer. Above he is posing with his prize for best actor of the night with a gun, which coincidentally was not the murder weapon. He had, of course, used his turkey-choking skills to strangle one of our TV hosts with a belt...in the dungeon.
Witch's Brew + a pinata held up by Danny - this should be good!
Also pictured: Katie (pregnant nun), Migs (host), Lisa (host & maid), & Jossie
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Fancy a Bite to Eat?
Since Nathan and I will quickly find ourselves 25 minutes from ANY restaurants this winter and next spring in a city where Subway, Wendy's, McDonald's, and Sonic are 2/3 of the entire restaurant selection, we're throwing dietary caution to the wind and trying to get our fill of our favorite restaurants in Rochester while we still can.
Last night, we checked off Famous Dave's, which is Nathan's favorite. Dave's is still a slim possibility in the future, since there are franchises located within the state borders of North Dakota and Kansas, but apparently BBQ is big in Kansas, so we're hoping for great things in Great Bend, which is 30 minutes from where we'll live.
Last weekend, we found a coupon to Jenpachi, one of those "Japanese" steakhouses where they cook the food right in front of you. It's not something we'll be able to get any time soon and the food is good, plus you get dinner and a show for the price of dinner.
On the list remaining are The Redwood Room (my favorite restaurant in the entire world), City Cafe, Beetle's and Noodles.
In case you were wondering, it's official, we are pulling up stakes here in Rochester. We met with our real estate agent Friday and plan to put the house up for sale next year. Oh, I'll be back to work occasionally and more importantly to visit people here, but keeping up three residences with a house in the one place we almost never are sounds pretty annoying to me.
Last night, we checked off Famous Dave's, which is Nathan's favorite. Dave's is still a slim possibility in the future, since there are franchises located within the state borders of North Dakota and Kansas, but apparently BBQ is big in Kansas, so we're hoping for great things in Great Bend, which is 30 minutes from where we'll live.
Larned, KS from space (this makes it look like a decently-sized city! yeehaw!)
Last weekend, we found a coupon to Jenpachi, one of those "Japanese" steakhouses where they cook the food right in front of you. It's not something we'll be able to get any time soon and the food is good, plus you get dinner and a show for the price of dinner.
On the list remaining are The Redwood Room (my favorite restaurant in the entire world), City Cafe, Beetle's and Noodles.
In case you were wondering, it's official, we are pulling up stakes here in Rochester. We met with our real estate agent Friday and plan to put the house up for sale next year. Oh, I'll be back to work occasionally and more importantly to visit people here, but keeping up three residences with a house in the one place we almost never are sounds pretty annoying to me.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Mammoth Cave
We ended our fabulous Tour d'East Coast on a high note at our lowest point: Mammoth Cave National Park. Mammoth Cave is the earth's longest cave at 367 miles (that we know of). The park offers a wide variety of cave tours that you need to book early. I couldn't decide between seeing why it's called Mammoth Cave and seeing splendid stalactites and stalagmites, so we did two tours: the Historic Tour and the Frozen Niagara Tour.
The Historic Tour was probably the most interesting. Through a dry cave and over two miles, you don't see anything that caves are really famous for (i.e. stalactites), but you are enveloped in the grand scale of the cave. It starts you in a large room called the Rotunda, since the ceiling is a giant circle and walks you down through parts of the cave that have been used by humans for over 4,000 years. Along the way you learn about how slaves mined for saltpeter deposits that may have helped us win the War of 1812 by providing us with gunpowder materials after the British cut us off from the gunpowder trade and other interesting tidbits like about the eyeless fish in the river still carving out sections of the cave hundreds of feet below where we walked. Note: It was proven long ago that the cave does not cure tuberculosis. Sorry, now you've got to think of another way to beat your consumption.
The Historic Tour also takes you through a place called "Fat Man's Misery", a very skinny, winding section you have to duck and squeeze through for several minutes. This was my favorite part and, as our guide pointed out, some of us polish the rock as we go by more than others.
The second tour was short and sweet: Frozen Niagara. This section of the cave is still being formed by water, so you get the fantastic formations. You also get cave crickets and spiders, where the other part of the cave could not support life (no water or food)! A very cool place, if you're ever in the area!
The Historic Tour was probably the most interesting. Through a dry cave and over two miles, you don't see anything that caves are really famous for (i.e. stalactites), but you are enveloped in the grand scale of the cave. It starts you in a large room called the Rotunda, since the ceiling is a giant circle and walks you down through parts of the cave that have been used by humans for over 4,000 years. Along the way you learn about how slaves mined for saltpeter deposits that may have helped us win the War of 1812 by providing us with gunpowder materials after the British cut us off from the gunpowder trade and other interesting tidbits like about the eyeless fish in the river still carving out sections of the cave hundreds of feet below where we walked. Note: It was proven long ago that the cave does not cure tuberculosis. Sorry, now you've got to think of another way to beat your consumption.
The Rotunda
The Historic Tour also takes you through a place called "Fat Man's Misery", a very skinny, winding section you have to duck and squeeze through for several minutes. This was my favorite part and, as our guide pointed out, some of us polish the rock as we go by more than others.
The second tour was short and sweet: Frozen Niagara. This section of the cave is still being formed by water, so you get the fantastic formations. You also get cave crickets and spiders, where the other part of the cave could not support life (no water or food)! A very cool place, if you're ever in the area!
Stalactites
The Frozen Niagara
Cavern Wonders
Friday, October 16, 2009
On Top of Old Smoky
'Old Smoky' from that song (whose lyrics have been replaced in my head by a song about a meatball) is actually Clingmans Dome, the highest point in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (6643 feet). This is the most-visited park in the country and also the cheapest: free thanks to a stipulation on a $5 million grant from the Rockefellers back when the park was being established.
As you can see, the views are amazing. The trees had already started changing colors so it looked like a beautiful patchwork mosaic from the road through the park. That is, until the "smoky" part of the Great Smoky Mountains set in.
I'm convinced that if there were a supernatural power controlling the weather, that they've got an evil sense of humor. There is someone that just doesn't want Nathan and I to see any cool mountain ranges. We've been in the Grand Tetons and yet haven't seen them and Kilimanjaro was always covered in clouds, except for a few mornings during the climb where we got fleeting glimpses of the summit. So it was with the Smokys. We saw nothing above a couple thousand feet due to the rain and clouds. Oh, the drive was still gorgeous because of the trees along the road, but we blew through the park pretty fast.
Luckily, one of our friends from Theodore Roosevelt National Park recommended the Ramsey Cascades hike, an 8-mile up-and-back on the Tennessee side of the park. Despite the rain, we pulled on our hiking boots and set off for what proved to be one of my top five hikes of all time.
This time of year, the trail was lined withe colorful leaves. You hike up a total of over 2000 feet, but you're constantly walking through streams, over roots and rocks, and through unbelievably gorgeous forest. Honestly, amazing - here are some pictures:
The falls are well-worth the trek and the sore legs you'll have the next day.
On the way back, I found 5 salamanders. It turns out the Great Smoky region is the most diverse area in North America in terms of biodiversity, especially when it comes to amphibians. There are so many salamanders in the park that, combined, they eat more meat in the parks than the 1600 black bears! They are also incredibly cute.
We stayed the night in our first Bed & Breakfast, the Buckhorn Inn. I'd gone crazy and splurged a little since this was one of our last nights, so we ended up in a secluded cottage with a living room, jacuzzi, screened porch, and fireplace. This may in fact be the best place we've ever stayed. So serene, they had a nature trail, pond with swans (whose names were Penn & Teller), hot chocolate and cookies at all hours, movies, games and a lot more we could have done if we'd only known it would be so great. Check it out - I highly recommend it over the dirty, loud, cramped, god-awful tourist deserts that are Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
As you can see, the views are amazing. The trees had already started changing colors so it looked like a beautiful patchwork mosaic from the road through the park. That is, until the "smoky" part of the Great Smoky Mountains set in.
View of Tennessee from the TN/NC Border
I'm convinced that if there were a supernatural power controlling the weather, that they've got an evil sense of humor. There is someone that just doesn't want Nathan and I to see any cool mountain ranges. We've been in the Grand Tetons and yet haven't seen them and Kilimanjaro was always covered in clouds, except for a few mornings during the climb where we got fleeting glimpses of the summit. So it was with the Smokys. We saw nothing above a couple thousand feet due to the rain and clouds. Oh, the drive was still gorgeous because of the trees along the road, but we blew through the park pretty fast.
Creek in Greenbrier
Luckily, one of our friends from Theodore Roosevelt National Park recommended the Ramsey Cascades hike, an 8-mile up-and-back on the Tennessee side of the park. Despite the rain, we pulled on our hiking boots and set off for what proved to be one of my top five hikes of all time.
This time of year, the trail was lined withe colorful leaves. You hike up a total of over 2000 feet, but you're constantly walking through streams, over roots and rocks, and through unbelievably gorgeous forest. Honestly, amazing - here are some pictures:
First of Two Precarious Bridges
A creek followed us almost the entire way up the trail
The falls are well-worth the trek and the sore legs you'll have the next day.
Ramsey Cascades
On the way back, I found 5 salamanders. It turns out the Great Smoky region is the most diverse area in North America in terms of biodiversity, especially when it comes to amphibians. There are so many salamanders in the park that, combined, they eat more meat in the parks than the 1600 black bears! They are also incredibly cute.
Can you find two salamanders in this photo?
We stayed the night in our first Bed & Breakfast, the Buckhorn Inn. I'd gone crazy and splurged a little since this was one of our last nights, so we ended up in a secluded cottage with a living room, jacuzzi, screened porch, and fireplace. This may in fact be the best place we've ever stayed. So serene, they had a nature trail, pond with swans (whose names were Penn & Teller), hot chocolate and cookies at all hours, movies, games and a lot more we could have done if we'd only known it would be so great. Check it out - I highly recommend it over the dirty, loud, cramped, god-awful tourist deserts that are Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Cottage 2 Living Room
Cabins at the Buckhorn Inn
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Sami's Married!
My little sister got married this weekend in Wilmington, NC. She had a gorgeous ceremony & reception!
First things first - I and her friend, Meredith, were in the wedding party, so we threw her a bachelorette bash Thursday night. I can't give you the details to protect the innocent, but we started with dinner and ended at 2am at a Cowboy Bar called City Limits. Sam had a great time as you can see form this photo (all others have been destroyed. :)
First things first - I and her friend, Meredith, were in the wedding party, so we threw her a bachelorette bash Thursday night. I can't give you the details to protect the innocent, but we started with dinner and ended at 2am at a Cowboy Bar called City Limits. Sam had a great time as you can see form this photo (all others have been destroyed. :)
Samantha holds her own on the mechanical bull!
I also got stopped near the UNCW campus by a mandatory drunk driving checkpoint. This was pretty fun, since I was probably the only sober person on campus that night. The cops, however, apparently didn't believe that I hadn't been drinking (I don't think anyone in that town believes that the MN driver's license is real), so I got to take a breathalizer test on the spot!! Double zeroes, baby.
Sam recently moved to Massachusetts, so this may be the last time we visit Wilmington and we needed to live it up while we had the chance. Nathan and I stayed at the Blockade Runner hotel on Wrightsville Beach. Although it was too cloudy each day to see the green flash, we did enjoy the very beachworthy weather (80's in October!) and took full advantage of the beach (we saw dolphins almost every day)! I also met up with a woman who was on the Corporate Service Corp Tanzania 3 team, Gloria. We'd worked together via the phone, but had never met in person. She showed me around the South side of Wilmington and took me to Carolina Beach State Park. I bet you thought Venus Flytraps lived in abundance in the deep forests of the Amazon, right? Me too. Apparently, they only live within 75 miles of Wilmington, NC and that's it! They are also incredibly tiny! I got to see two patches in the wild, which was, well, wild.
Wild Venus Flytraps
Ok, back to the wedding. Sam had been planning to have the wedding outside in Greenfield Park, but all week it was threatening to rain. It was touch-and-go there for a while, but we all arrived at the park at 3:30pm to sunshine. The place is gorgeous - a lake, beautiful trees, and Sam walked over to the ceremony on a bridge. Colors were ivory and wine. Look at Sam all grown up!
The ceremony was short and this turned out to be key. Five minutes after it ended, we heard thunder. We scrambled to simultaneously take pictures and get chairs and music equipment into the cars. Just as we'd finished taking the basic set of shots (the last few were quite dark), it started to rain. We'll have a good picture of the wedding party running to their cars. About a minute after we got into the cars, it started to pour.
The reception site was the Best Western Coastline Convention Center in downtown Wilmington, a cute little brick building on the river. Dinner was awesome, then we danced the night away (wait - did I say we? I meant Adam's family - they are much more outgoing and comfortable with their moves than we are!). Actually, I felt a little overpowered by Adam's family; our side being so far away, we barely rounded out one 8-person table. The rest of the 63 guests were Adam's.
Anyway, Sam had fun. She and Adam left in style at 9pm, riding in a limo all the way to Raleigh to catch an early flight to St. Lucia for their honeymoon.
It was a VERY successful day. The only thing that "went wrong" is that the black chairs Sam ordered turned out to be white. This is by far an improvement over Nathan and my wedding, in which the officiant forgot to have our witnesses sign the marriage certificate (the one thing that needed to happen to make it official)!
Congrats Sami & Adam!! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!
Getting Ready
Meredith, Sami, & Me
Sam & Adam (Picture Courtesy of Nathan King Photography, Inc)
Table Decorations
Cake Cutting
First Dance
Amber & Nathan
Mom & Dad
Ring
Dancing - Sam & Adam's Dad
Get-Away Outfits
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