7 Mile Bridge

Like traveling anywhere in the keys, you have to drive over a number of bridges to hop from rock to rock. Going to Key West, however, means you get to travel over the 7 mile bridge. Supposedly there is a 7 mile bridge run every year….it’s now on my bucket list…

Southernmost Life

Key West, of course, is located in Monroe County, the southernmost county in the U.S. Thus, everything down there is the southernmost of its kind.

The Southernmost Queen Anne Windows

The southernmost slot machine on a porch

The southernmost mile marker...and likely the southernmost Bockfest t-shirt

The southernmost fresh squeezed OJ

The southernmostdelicious eggs benny

My favorite though, is the southernmost point. A mere 90 miles from Castro’s cigars, people stand in what I have dubbed the southernmost tourist line to take a picture at the southernmost monument.

The southernmost tourist line

Or they do what I did, sit on the wall in front and get a picture with someone else’s family behind you….southernmost jackass? Maybe….

The southernmost little boy with his mama! Love You!

First, everyone’s favorite downtown zealot posted a sweet video showing a Porsche GT3 racing up Pike’s Peak, one of the fiercest rally/hill climbs in the sport. The video (seen below) is absolutely awesome, both in the feat of the driver and that of the cinematography.

Not only did it make me want to go tear around town in my own car (we’ll save that for the winter) but it brought to the forefront of my mind an incredible hill climb of my own in the same locale, albeit on two feet instead of four wheels.

But the second (and more personal) angle to this story was brought on when @classicgrrl wrote this to me on twitter:

It was May 18, 2009 and I was in Colorado Springs to witness and celebrate my sister’s graduation from Colorado College. My Mother and Father were there as well, though we all had our own hotel rooms. Pictures=1,000 words, so to describe my love for that part of the country I simply need to show you the view from my hotel room–what I woke up to every day that trip.

That mountain top with the snow on it? That’s Pike’s Peak sitting over 14,000 feet above sea level, permanently covered in snow, tempting you to venture up its sides. If you click on the picture and look to the right, you can see a brown line running almost vertically up the adjacent hill (anything next to Da Peak is, in my opinion, a hill, although here it would be a mountain towering over the whole state….but I digress).

That is the Manitou Springs Incline…here’s a closer look.

Now, for a bit of backstory.. This was not my first trip to Manitou Springs. The previous Thanksgiving (we’re talking Nov. 2008) my family decided to fly out to CO to visit my sister for the Turkey Day celebration. My Mom and Dad had separated roughly 18 months before that, but it was just now becoming apparent to all parties involved that reconciliation was not part of the future picture. In fact, my Mom was in Florida, Dad was in DC, I was here in Cincy, and sis was, as stated earlier, in CO Springs. “Family Time” was all but nonexistent save for phone calls and video chats (Barses are nothing if not technology nerds). To say it was an awkward holiday season would be putting it mildly. In fact, it was one of the most soul-crushing, dreadful holidays of my life…..I mean, my parents had been married for 25 years, and 5 years prior had celebrated their 20th anniversary with large gathering of family near and far. I grew up watching my friend’s parents split, all the while thinking that could never happen to my Mom and Dad. Even when they broke the news to me it wasn’t that real, not until that Thanksgiving. The sentiment that surrounded that “vacation” had a profound effect on me and the way I view relationships.

Fast forward 7 months and I’m back in Colorado with my immediate family, but some things had changed. I had taken every bit of anger/sadness/pity and turned it into motivation to kick my own ass back into shape. I’m an active guy, especially when I’m in troubled waters (ask my Dad how much my mountain biking picked up when I was grounded and/or screwed up in the head during high school). My mom and sister are also runners, and we went out together a few times during the graduation trip. But I’m taller/stronger/faster than both of them (not bragging, just saying) and at some point the awkwardness of the whole situation got to me, and I needed to get out and run myself ragged.

My sister had told me about the Manitou Springs Incline before. An old rail incline that took people and their belongings partway up to Pike’s Peak, all that was left were the railroad ties, some more mangled than others from the constant freeze and thaw that part of the country goes through each year. Technically closed to hikers, the area still sees steady foot traffic as people climb the ~5,000 railroad ties to ascend roughly 2,000 vertical feet (keeping in mind the base of the hill is already 6,800 feet above sea level). At that point you meet up with the Barr Trail–a route that will take you four miles back down to the base, or continue up to the top of Pike’s Peak.

As the first picture demonstrates, I could see the incline from my hotel room, a thin brown line beckoning me to come scale its ascent. I got directions from my sister, the rental car from my Dad, an apple from the hotel, and I took off 7 miles west to Manitou.

I didn’t have my digi, but I did have my phone, and I quickly realized this was a picture worthy trip. That, and it was going to kick my ass.

Standing at the base let's you appreciate what you are about to tackle

In denial about the difficulty of the endeavor I started out jogging my way up, skipping ties as I went. Yeah, that lasted about as long as [insert extremely short fad here] and I slowed to a not-so-brisk walk before things even got steep (side note: they could really use more oxygen in the air out there).

Eventually I realized (like most of life) it was as much about the journey as the destination (and shit, I knew I wasn’t going to make to The Peak in shorts and a t-shirt) so I took it (kinda) slow and made sure to soak it all in.

The steeper it gets, the more mangled

I hit the top and kept hiking up the trail, making sure to take some self shots with Pike’s Peak in the background.

At some point I remembered I had to get back down, and I ran downhill, jumping over rocks an stumps on the Barr Trail, doing my best not to roll an ankle. I did pause to catch a glimpse of the Garden of the Gods protruding out of the trees in the distance.

For a few hours I lost myself out there, like a kid, with my mind focused on nothing but the environment around me. As I drove from one Springs to the other I realized, as I had many times before, that nothing in life is a constant (screw you death and taxes) and this journey was just another manifestation of the pendulum that swings back and forth between highs and lows. The important thing I have to remind myself is to stay positive, to know that at times things can look bleak, but damn it that will pass.

I see a lot of Facebook and Twitter updates which are cryptic and depressing…lord knows I’ve left my fair share (mostly in the form of lyrics) and I just want to remind people that life isn’t all berries and cream…but it doesn’t suck either. In fact, far from it. Sometimes it takes a race up a mountain to remember that.

]]> http://www.theboilover.com/2010/11/manitou-springs-incline/feed/ 1 http://www.theboilover.com/2010/10/inkrautable/ http://www.theboilover.com/2010/10/inkrautable/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:16:14 +0000 theboilover http://www.theboilover.com/?p=2568 I don’t remember why, but last year I had already made other plans when a friend of mine told me about the Waynesville Sauerkraut festival. She lives in the historic little town in an old farmhouse a block off of Main Street, complete with a painted front porch (and swing), an adjacent barn, and killer patio and outdoor fireplace.

The two day Sauerkraut festival, now in its 41st year, attracts somewhere north of 300,000 people in two days, and on top of that my friend throws a great party with A TON of awesome food, much of which is plucked right from her garden. Thus I was sure to put this on my calendar as soon as I got the invitation, and nothing about last Saturday was a let down.

A city boy, I found myself enjoying the cruise up 71 staring at the hills as they turned from green to yellows and reds–and man is the drive up 71 that much better than 75. So many stretches of nothing but farms with a few rolling hills….no traders world, big butter jesus, etc…

In fact it was so nice I completely missed the exit for Rt 42, which is fine, I just continued up to Rt 73 so I could drive through Caesar Creek.

Then all of a sudden everyone is stopped, creeping into town to try and get some ‘kraut and crafts. Thanks iPhone, for showing me how to cut through the booming town of Corwin. Actually kinda cool, passed through a quiet little cemetery and got some blurry pix….

With an hour left in the festival and light waning my first goal was to make a pass down main street. All of the vendors–both food and craft–are local to Waynesville, and between everyone’s trinkets, the awesome food, and small town structures lining the street, it really is a cool little getaway from downtown life.

Doughnuts so fresh they were melting in my mouth

One thing you don't need to try: Sauerkraut Creme Pie....sorry that's just gross

Plants in pants

3 string electric slide guitar made from a cigar box...if only I had an extra $200....

I love Peanuts:

And peanuts:

But the highlight of the festival was something I’ve never even heard/thought of: Oreos deep fried in funnel cake batter!

They were, to put it eloquently, FUCKIN’ DELICIOUS!!! The oreo itself softened up and it was like some chocolate/creme cake that had been deep fried into heaven.

After the street shut down we gathered at my friend’s house for more food, beverages, and stories. People were in from all over the country and tales new and old were uttered with that blissful tone of memories passed. It fit so perfectly with the historic charm of a late 1800′s farm house.

Old school a la 'Bewitched'

I bought this little piece to take home. Fitting because A) I love beer and B) Waynesville is a dry town. Nothing like some good clean fun on a Saturday night!

The highlight though, was this moment the crowd (and the band) waits for at every show. Ever since their Take Away Show came out a few years ago people have been hanging on for their chance to shout the bridge of 2080 back at the band. Completely overused but still sometimes appropriate, it was a fucking EPIC moment to take part in.

For all the craziness and wild shit that goes down on their album, that same energy is manifested on stage in a different, more lively and engaging way that makes you want to scream along at the top of your lungs and stomp to the frenzy of percussion and synths. And the basslines, fuck, it’s impossible not to lose yourself in the music, much less stand still.

I didn’t take a camera, I didn’t need one. My concert pix are all the same, and I didn’t bring the FLIP cam either. I just wanted to take it all in, this was more than a show, it was a damn experience.

The first video below is one of the Take Away Show Videos which has the moment I wrote about above. And while there were more people in the actual venue (and it’s not a crowded  Paris apartment) the feeling is there, you are a part of that song. The second video is what you get at their show, and Sunrise is another ridiculously good track that pulls you right in.

2080/Tightrope

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8llsiEIvvM0

Sunrise

www.youtube.com/watch?v=okxAi06PTAU

Coolest sunrise of my life….

Crazier than that was getting on bikes and riding 38 miles back down to sea level. Rain suits come off about halfway down.

The Nautilimo

I have no idea what these were other than part of the cheap happy hour food.

Dino Bones

The local Moose Lodge (of which I am a member*)

The goofy ass smile one of my mom's dogs makes

The Flip HD cam is a pretty sweet, I just need a little tripod for it so I don’t have to rely on rocky ledges as a base. I shot this sunset for 20 minutes, and sped up it makes a pretty cool time lapse. I’d bet that will show up with some more original music here in the next few posts…

*Yes I am a member of the Order of the Moose. My mom used to work at the Moose lodge pictured above, and signed me up for shits and giggles (and in case I ever needed access to a group health coverage plan or cheap beer). So now that I’ve been to this one, I’m looking to get some people together to hit one around here. I know there is one in Middletown…..should be quite the experience…

Posting was light last week because I skipped out of town Wednesday to head down to the “Village of Islands” aka Islamorada. Located in the middle of the Florida Keys, these little strips of land are, at points, barely wider than the road that traverses them. And I do mean THE road, US1 which is the only way down. It’s a paradise of sorts, filled with plenty of oddities like the rocky beach pictured above, or concrete power line poles in the water:

But it’s hard to be anything other than relaxed when you’re on vacation and you look down the street at this:

Even if the sand was a little coarse, it didn’t keep me from planting myself on it for the majority of my stay.

The best part of my moms place is waking up to the sunrise on one side, and walking across the street to catch sunset and a Yuengling on the other.

Here are some other Keys Oddities:

Keys in the Keys

Aptly named

Fishy parking spaces

Neighborhood flora

Neighborhood Fauna

Bikes are everywhere

Everything I saw and experienced added to the allure of this place. It’s beyond South Florida (i.e. Miami and Ft. Lauderdale) both in geography and culture. $1500-a-night cabins next to trailer parks. It’s something outta this world, and well worth the trip…especially if you have a good captain….

So here is a little more, including the opening video from the JM3 concert--complete with a Bob Saget intro--which was an awesome way to kick 2009 the fuck out.

The Trip

The drive from Boulder, CO to Vegas was a killer 12+ hour journey through a few sets of mountains and a whole lot of snow. But it was with good company so the time flew by.

Buffalo Overlook, complete with requisite buffalo

Not so snowy

Snowier

Snowiest

So after a half a day of driving to Sin City, we finally got to……sit in traffic on the strip…..

But we made it to the Planet Hollywood garage…..note to file: they have $10 roulette tables at all times….it’s a good starting point….

We gambled away money night one, crashed on a friends couch, ate some Dennys, and went right back to PH for round 2.

Getting goofy in the Planet Hollywood Garage

Then we hit the strip to check out some more places that would be willing to lighten our pockets….

The French are always willing to take your money

When it comes down to it, Lost Wages Las Vegas is the sort of place that requires:

A cigarette Cruella DeVille would be proud of

Crazy Faces

Big Drinks

Pink Tacos

Standing in hotel waterfalls

The Concert

Honestly, I didn’t know much about John Mayer or his music before 2009. But I discovered, and grew to love, pretty much all of the music he makes. But the John Mayer Trio may be some of the greatest stuff out there. Simple in its 3 parts, bluesy in its roots, it’s a group of people that seem like they have a lot of fun on stage together. And The Joint at the Hard Rock Casino provided a great venue to take it all in.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW0LDSp4QWM

And the best part is……I’m going back in May for a Bachelor party…..so…..to be continued….

Also don’t forget to get sauced early tomorrow with Kegs and Eggs starting at 6am at Arnold’s. But back to now….

Until 5 o’clock (or whatever time the paid responsibility portion of your day ends) feel free to take a mini 5 minute vacation to Paradise. Last September some friends and I went to Maui and I shot a ton of pictures and video. One of the highlights of the trip was the zipline tour of the hillside above the Ka’anapali strip. I’m still working on a video for the trip as a whole, but I did cut together the zipline clips. So lose yourself for a few minutes in Paradise……it’ll be 5:00 pm before you know it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkcqx5lQp3g

The Road To Hana

Will Hike for Waterfalls

This is about as urban as it got:

Downtown Lahaina

I Can't get enough of these shots

But the sun has set on vacation, and now it is back to the real world.