Showing posts with label trip 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trip 2006. Show all posts
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Shopping: Your Patriotic Duty?
Scenes from my bike trip down the coast.
Red and white stripes of the American flag fit well with horizontal lines of these laminated beams in the store ceiling. I am not much of a shopper so I notice other things, like the architecture of the store building.
Saw this interesting ceiling in a store on my 2006 bike tour down the California coast. I think it was in Manchester, CA.
Makes a good image as people do the Christmas Shopping Season.
Not having kids, I am not much of a shopper.
I remember when I was a kid, I felt cheated if I didn't get as many toys under the tree as my older sister. She got more packages because she had friends up the street. They gave her stuff as well as the stuff we all got from mom and dad.
Now that I am older, I realize that friendships are valuable even if it doesn't necessarily mean more toys.
There is more to life than shopping, but a kid might not comprehend that as easily.
Amazing that shopping is a pastime for many folks. Not much else to do in "small town" America. Not much that's social at least.
On my trips, I keep seeing places that sell hot tubs. They are always selling hot tubs, but there is practically never a place where people gather to use the hot tub.
Imagine what the world would be like if all those hot tub stores where actually places where people went to relax in a hot tub and enjoy conversation with one another. I find the best philosophical conversations in places like saunas and hot tubs.
Places for deep conversation are rare in our society. We usually just find places to buy the hot tub and bring it home as another piece of clutter around the house.
Something more to need maintenance. Something more so the "house can own you."
I can think of more enjoyable ways to meet people than shopping. More intelligent conversations than just repeating the question over and over again, all day,
"Would you like that in a paper or plastic bag?"
Does the store clerk really feel connected after discussing that topic all day with hundreds of folks?
By the way, in answer to that "paper or plastic" question, I surprise some environmentalists by preferring plastic bags. They hold up better in the rain while walking or bicycling. Since mainstream society drives cars, they might not notice the propensity of paper bags to deteriorate in the rain.
Red and white stripes of the American flag fit well with horizontal lines of these laminated beams in the store ceiling. I am not much of a shopper so I notice other things, like the architecture of the store building.
Saw this interesting ceiling in a store on my 2006 bike tour down the California coast. I think it was in Manchester, CA.
Makes a good image as people do the Christmas Shopping Season.
Not having kids, I am not much of a shopper.
I remember when I was a kid, I felt cheated if I didn't get as many toys under the tree as my older sister. She got more packages because she had friends up the street. They gave her stuff as well as the stuff we all got from mom and dad.
Now that I am older, I realize that friendships are valuable even if it doesn't necessarily mean more toys.
There is more to life than shopping, but a kid might not comprehend that as easily.
Amazing that shopping is a pastime for many folks. Not much else to do in "small town" America. Not much that's social at least.
On my trips, I keep seeing places that sell hot tubs. They are always selling hot tubs, but there is practically never a place where people gather to use the hot tub.
Imagine what the world would be like if all those hot tub stores where actually places where people went to relax in a hot tub and enjoy conversation with one another. I find the best philosophical conversations in places like saunas and hot tubs.
Places for deep conversation are rare in our society. We usually just find places to buy the hot tub and bring it home as another piece of clutter around the house.
Something more to need maintenance. Something more so the "house can own you."
I can think of more enjoyable ways to meet people than shopping. More intelligent conversations than just repeating the question over and over again, all day,
"Would you like that in a paper or plastic bag?"
Does the store clerk really feel connected after discussing that topic all day with hundreds of folks?
By the way, in answer to that "paper or plastic" question, I surprise some environmentalists by preferring plastic bags. They hold up better in the rain while walking or bicycling. Since mainstream society drives cars, they might not notice the propensity of paper bags to deteriorate in the rain.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Images of me near end of my 2006 bicycle tour
Leslie took this shot of me as we were eating in an outdoor cafe in Santa Barbara.
Saying goodby to Leslie after a nice visit.
Still working on the pages around doing other things, like work for instance. Yes, I earn a living, working as a custodian. Time to think about what I plan to write.
Meanwhile I was interviewed on the radio. A show called Around The World on KZSB in Santa Barbara. Show will be rebroadcast again at 10 AM Saturday Sept. 23. The segment about my trip is at the end of the hour around 10:50. Anyway, it's 1290 AM from Santa Barbara and on the listen live link at newspress.com. Also syndicated some places, including stations in Australia.
Even if you see this and miss my interview, it seems like that station has a lot of interesting and locally produced shows. Not like so many stations that turn out to be just local transmitters for the big national shows.
I remember, back in the 1980s, when it seemed like all one could get on the radio was "Talk Net," with Bruce Williams. He was all up and down the dial from all over, including here in Bellingham.
Anyway, that was the 1980s, now it's today, with more and more Internet and media diversity, in terms of programming at least, all the time.
Above photo is me, taken by my friend Leslie, who brought his bike up to Santa Barbara on the Surfliner Train. He came up from Los Angeles for dinner. Image was taken at a Santa Barbara bike path.
Saying goodby to Leslie after a nice visit.
Still working on the pages around doing other things, like work for instance. Yes, I earn a living, working as a custodian. Time to think about what I plan to write.
Meanwhile I was interviewed on the radio. A show called Around The World on KZSB in Santa Barbara. Show will be rebroadcast again at 10 AM Saturday Sept. 23. The segment about my trip is at the end of the hour around 10:50. Anyway, it's 1290 AM from Santa Barbara and on the listen live link at newspress.com. Also syndicated some places, including stations in Australia.
Even if you see this and miss my interview, it seems like that station has a lot of interesting and locally produced shows. Not like so many stations that turn out to be just local transmitters for the big national shows.
I remember, back in the 1980s, when it seemed like all one could get on the radio was "Talk Net," with Bruce Williams. He was all up and down the dial from all over, including here in Bellingham.
Anyway, that was the 1980s, now it's today, with more and more Internet and media diversity, in terms of programming at least, all the time.
Above photo is me, taken by my friend Leslie, who brought his bike up to Santa Barbara on the Surfliner Train. He came up from Los Angeles for dinner. Image was taken at a Santa Barbara bike path.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Santa Barbara, CA.
.
The thing labor needs most?
A long and wonderful vacation.
I am back home from my 2006 trip down the west coast. This was my 5th west coast tour over the years.
Came back by train.
Above picture taken from observation tower atop Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Downtown Santa Barbara has a lot of classical architecture and pedestrian malls.
A similar view was featured in the popular book "Bicycling The Pacific Coast" by Tom Kirkendall and Vicky Spring, (at least in an earlier edition). I remember pouring over that book before my first west coast trip in 1987.
Cyclists are still taking that book with them as they do this trip. (Probably later editions).
At the end of my trip, the radio said that California has just passed a strong piece of legislation designed to roll back state wide greenhouse gas emissions. Roll these back to 1990 levels by 2020.
That will be a tall order as one must remember, population is also increasing.
Just "treading water" (keeping same percapita consumption levels) means increasing consumption if population is increasing.
This will require some major changes.
Or, maybe the goal can't be achieved with conservation? Nuclear power anyone? How about solar? Hydrogen Fusion?
All of the above.
Ironically, southern California seems more bicycle friendly than northern California. More people and more money for infrastructure. Also the need is clearly evident.
Things like bike paths and the southern California Surfliner train are great.
Now, back hear in Washington State, the Dave Ross Show, on Seattle's KIRO, does a segment about how to make roads safer.
Labor Day weekend is a deadly weekend on the roads.
Many kinds of suggestions come in. People suggest things like making truckers only operate at night or having the driving test become harder.
No one mentions making the nation less dependent on automotive travel. Maybe I should have called.
Looking forward to adding photos and stories, from my 2006 trip to these sites in the next few months.
The thing labor needs most?
A long and wonderful vacation.
I am back home from my 2006 trip down the west coast. This was my 5th west coast tour over the years.
Came back by train.
Above picture taken from observation tower atop Santa Barbara County Courthouse. Downtown Santa Barbara has a lot of classical architecture and pedestrian malls.
A similar view was featured in the popular book "Bicycling The Pacific Coast" by Tom Kirkendall and Vicky Spring, (at least in an earlier edition). I remember pouring over that book before my first west coast trip in 1987.
Cyclists are still taking that book with them as they do this trip. (Probably later editions).
At the end of my trip, the radio said that California has just passed a strong piece of legislation designed to roll back state wide greenhouse gas emissions. Roll these back to 1990 levels by 2020.
That will be a tall order as one must remember, population is also increasing.
Just "treading water" (keeping same percapita consumption levels) means increasing consumption if population is increasing.
This will require some major changes.
Or, maybe the goal can't be achieved with conservation? Nuclear power anyone? How about solar? Hydrogen Fusion?
All of the above.
Ironically, southern California seems more bicycle friendly than northern California. More people and more money for infrastructure. Also the need is clearly evident.
Things like bike paths and the southern California Surfliner train are great.
Now, back hear in Washington State, the Dave Ross Show, on Seattle's KIRO, does a segment about how to make roads safer.
Labor Day weekend is a deadly weekend on the roads.
Many kinds of suggestions come in. People suggest things like making truckers only operate at night or having the driving test become harder.
No one mentions making the nation less dependent on automotive travel. Maybe I should have called.
Looking forward to adding photos and stories, from my 2006 trip to these sites in the next few months.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Wouldn't be as good as a dance floor
I am passing through Garberville, CA. on my 2006 bicycle tour down west coast. Have enjoyed the huge redwoods. Riding quietly through the big trees on a side road called Avenue Of The Giants. Much nicer than the more "pragmatic 101, where most commutes and trucks go.
Biking is a quiet way to see the trees.
Meeting some other cyclists at the campgrounds. KOA in Eureka had a hot tub. $20 to camp, but worth if for the hot tub. The bike area is big, behind the main building away from the RVs. Most of the time I am in state park "hiker biker" sites. No hot tub, but only $3 per night thanks to Cal state park encouragement for bicyclists.
I passed one big tree that someone wanted to chop down back around 1910. They wanted to use the stump for a dance floor. That idea was nixed and the tree still stands. Would have been too small for a dance floor anyway, but the tree is huge; and I like dance floors. It's just that the tree wouldn't have been a good one. It's better as a tree.
Lots of groves have been preserved in this area. Avenue Of the Giants, and other parts of the Redwood parks are quite extensive. A joint California and federal park system.
Tomorrow I head back to the coast on Cal Highway 1. Headed toward fort Bragg. Then San Francisco, in a few days.
Friday, August 04, 2006
My 2006 bicycle trip has started
Headed south down USA west coast. Every once-in-a-while, I will put details here. Later this coming Autumn, there will be a write up, with photos, on my web site. Past trips are already there.
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