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Well.

We got home last night, safe and sound, and tired after a long day on the road.  The car was waiting in long term parking at JFK, and started right up.  I don't think I've ever been as relieved to both see my car, and to have it start.  

It's hard to believe after all the planning, all the scheduling, all the packing (and unpacking), and all the driving, that the trip is actually over.  It's been in the future for such a long time, and it took so much work to organize and execute.  While some might call it a let-down, I don't really feel that way.  Of course, there is the emptiness in the day which used to be occupied by planning - both the longer-term planning for the entire trip, and the shorter-term "what do we do tomorrow?" type.  

A few key statistics (all ignoring air travel):

Days away: 30
Miles driven: 3,850

Hotels: 14 
Bottles of wine consumed: "several"

11 unique states passed through (in order: NJ, NY, CO, WY, SD, WY, MN, WY, ID, UT, AZ, NE, CA, NY, NJ)

7 states stayed in (CO, WY, SD, MN, UT, NE, CA)

2,699 images captured, requiring 49 GB of storage
Highest high: >10,400 feet (Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, CA; Charleston Mtn, CO, maybe others)
Lowest low: -282 feet (Badwater, Death Valley, CA)
Weather experienced: Snow, rain, hail, cold, extreme heat, sun, wind
Approximate temperature range: +119F (Death Valley) to +35F (Yellowstone)

None of these capture the experience.  Along the way, and more towards the end of the trip, we discussed which of the stops were most memorable, which were the most (or least) enjoyable, which we would like to return to.  Not surprisingly, we agreed on many of these things and disagreed on a relative few.  We both agreed that Yosemite was in many ways the "best" of the Parks, whatever that means.  We both agreed that Las Vegas and the Wynn were just over the top.  We both couldn't wait to exit Death Valley.  


But I think, for me, the individual stops were not the point of the trip.  They were just a means to an end, and that end was: to spend a month on the road.  To see what it's like to be on the road, with no direction known, a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.  Well not exactly, but you know what I mean. To somehow get away from our wonderful life back in New Jersey and see what it's like to do something we had never done before.  A month is a long time.


And while we didn't plan it that way, we happened to spend the month leading up to our 40th Anniversary on the road, together.  It's almost certainly more time than we've spent continuously together, without family and friends, or jobs and children, or the other distractions of daily living, ever.  Period.  We never did the travel cross country- or backpack through Europe- thing when we were young; we always had a plan, a career, a family plan, or something else that kept us near home.  


So what does it all mean?  Actually, I don't think it "means" anything.  I think this was a journey of experience, of existentialism, of being in-the-moment.  This blog, and the 2,699 images I captured throughout the month, will help us remember the details in the future.  But what I hope that I remember the gestalt of the the trip - the feeling of waking up in a new bed, with a new set of experiences in front of me that day, with a degree of uncertainty as to where we will go and what it will be like, of not having any of the regular distractions of living to get in the way of enjoying the world.  Of planning one day at a time, and making the most of that day.  Of each day being for enjoyment, of not making a job out of accomplishing something.


Thanks for reading and looking at a few of the pictures.  It made it easier for me to focus on the experience.

Farewell, Lunch Wagon

 

Leaving the Ritz, June 2012

Well, The journey is almost over. We're on the plane at SFO, heading for JFK. The Lunch Wagon is returned to it's home at Hertz.

As always, some excitement getting here. I played the idiot this time, leaving a personalized Swiss Army Knife in my carry on. So I had to go back out through security, mail it, then talk my way to the front of the line. Then the rush though the airport, looking for some food in case all the airplane food is poisoned with garlic. But we made it, we're in our seats, the carry-ons are stowed, and we're ready to go.

A key collection, June 2012

Next stop: New Jersey. And we don't get a plastic key at check-in.

 

The last supper (actually, the whole day)

Too cute for words, June 2012

For our last day we played tourist again. No, no more cable cars. I'm done riding them. They are cuteness personified, but I try to avoid modes of transportation that artificially inconvenience their customers. Oh wait, does that mean I can't fly home tomorrow? Damn.

Anyway, what we did do was Alcatraz - The Rock. It's a National Park, and I added the stamp to my National Park Passport, right along side of Death Valley. There's some symmetry there. We walked over to the pier, as it was a nice day and it's all downhill from the hotel up here on Nob Hill to the waterfront. Chinatown is very different during the day, when it is really a community with real people doing real things. At night it's all tourists eating in restaurants.

Real people, real life, June 2012

We had been to Alcatraz years ago, and I remembered much about it, but not that it was only a Federal prison for a very short time: about 30 years. During that time it hosted some of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century, including Al Capone.

View from the Rock, June 2012

Coincidentally, yesterday was the 59th anniversary of the "Escape from Alcatraz" which was immortalized in the 1979 Clint Eastwood movie. It's pretty amazing, although was almost certainly not successful in the end. Three inmates dug through their cells walls with spoons, left paper mâché' dummies in their cells, and used an inflatable raft made from raincoats to get off the island. The boat was found on another island in the bay, but no trace of the three was ever found again. The best assumption is that they drowned.

Dummy in the cell, real men climb pipes, June 2012

Dinner tonight is at the Ritz, courtesy of the wife. She managed to talk the hotel into comping us another meal (some very real inadequacy on the part of the housecleaning staff). I think we may not actually use all of the food & beverage credits we have here.

San Francisco is a cool city. It's not really accessible for walking, as it's pretty spread out and the hills are killers. But it's got a nice vibe, with a lot of real neighborhoods, very touristy spots, great natural and man-made scenery, and a moderate climate. We've had unusually pleasant weather, around 70 each afternoon. Marin County, with it's hilly terrain and bayside towns is a bike ride away. Napa Valley is 90 minutes. Even Yosemite is only four or so hours. I may come back some day.

City by the Bay. June 2012

 

San Francisco Days

Today we did all the touristy stuff one does in San Francisco. Starting with the cable cars, which are clearly a mode of transportation which has passed its sell-by date. Their only value now is as a ride for tourists (like us), although it is interesting to see the crude technology still in use. The cars themselves, of course, are completely unpowered and the operator uses mammoth levers to grab or release the cable running continually below the street to move the thing. The track switches and turntables to turn the cars around at the end of the line are similarly operated solely by human muscles - no electricity or other power at all.

The guy on the left was rude; the guy on the right was brusque; June 2012

They also apparently have archaic work rules for the operators, as hundreds of people waited on line while they all took a break this afternoon (we waited over an hour and a half in total for our two rides). Still, it's worth doing once. But not twice.

At the end of the line is Fisherman's Wharf and Girardelli Square. The Wharf area, one of several piers and wharfs and surrounding streets that have been converted to big restaurant/t-shirt shop/trinkets, was very busy - and this is a Monday in June. I can only imagine what the weekend is like. There are also some interesting old boats and ships which are restored and picturesque.

Fisherman's Wharf Sights, June 2012

Ghirardelli Square is much simpler - the primary feature is Ghirardelli and their chocolates. We had their ice cream. Good, but not special.

Chocolate, Anyone?, June 2012

After a gourmet dinner of garlic-free pizza, I went to shoot some sunset shots at a place called Baker Beach, which is on the Pacific side of the Golden Gate. The spot is beautiful; at least four or five couples were having wedding or engagement pictures taken in the evening's glow. Other people were just enjoying the view. And I was moving around trying to take some interesting pictures.

Eyes on the sunset, June 2012

Birds on the wing, June 2012

Sunset on the Point Bonita Light, June 2012

 

Here comes the sun

It finally reached the west coast. ...

Golden Gate Bridge, June 2012

 

San Francisco Here We Come

We left Napa Valley and the Mercedes fleet at the last possible minute - checkout was noon, the last bag left our room at 11:59:59 am. We really loafed, with a late breakfast and leisurely packing. As usual, I used their fitness room. It's a really nice room, with the weight equipment outside on the deck and the aerobic machines sitting inside looking through picture windows.

You make exercise fun, June 2012

We stopped in Sausalito on the way down. It's just north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and seemed like a good lunch stop. We walked around a bit; it was very crowded as it's an unseasonably warm and sunny Sunday around here today.

Boats on the dock of the bay

Although we could almost see our hotel across the Bay from Sausalito, Sunday afternoon coming-back-from-the-country traffic made the 13 mile trip about 40 minutes. Not that it was a problem; we're on vacation and have no time schedule, remember?

The hotel is quite nice, but the Ritz-Carlton suffers from a la carte disease: everything is extra on top of a hefty room price. But as the wife always says, don't sweat the small stuff. So we just left the car with the valet and I'll re-mortgage the house next month to pay off the parking fee.

Putting on the Ritz, June 2012

Dinner was easy and nearby: Chinatown. The Ritz is technically in Chinatown, not that you could tell. But we walked a few blocks (and one very big hill) and had a very nice meal.

 

Chinatown, June 2012

 

Sally & Me

Sally & Me

We took a sailing ship

On a long long trip

We sailed across the sea

It was just Sally and me

And when we reached the shore

Couldn't go any more

We found some space

And made our place




As the years went by

There were some tears and some cryin'

We never let it last

We always got on past

But we're older now

And the scars they show

From the wounds we made

But I wouldn't want it any other way




Sally and me

Together we're free

Sally and me.




Sitting in our old blue jeans

We look across the yard and see our dreams

We see the choices that we never made

We see the joy and we see the pain

And as the days go by

We hug each other and we never cry

'Cause we know this is what will be


It will always be Sally and me.




Sally and me

Together we're free

Sally and me.




Happy anniversary, Sally.