The final day of travel was quite smooth. As our plane pushed out of Seattle I was able to see Mounts Ranier and Hood resting on layers of cloud. From my seat, Rainer appeared almost touchable. The rest of the flight was spent catching up on politics and pop culture via the latest issue of Rolling Stone. I did wonder to myself what would happen if someone came to our planet with no reference for culture other than Rolling Stone. They would have quite the skewed outlook indeed.
We landed in Kansas City in the early evening and were back at Lloyd's an hour later. Completely worn out, yet famished, we sought out the only place the Northwest had been lacking: Buffalo Wild Wings. One final dinner together was followed by an evening of transferring photos and Seinfeld.
Early the next morning, I left Kansas City for home. I had much to think over having been gone for two weeks. Be sure many of these thoughts will continue to pop up on this blog in spite of the trip being officially over.
One of my favorite movies ever is Jaws. Not so much the parts of a giant fish eating tourists but the character development. Of all the great scenes this film has to offer, one that sticks out is an exchange between the characters played by Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider as they swim back home, having sent the Great White to his doom by way of a conveniently placed oxygen tank. Sheider, the Chief of Police on Amity Island mentions to Dreyfuss, "I used to hate the water." In a half laugh of irony, his partner responds, "I can't imagine why."
Two weeks previous, as I was west bound on I-70, I recall thinking how much I hated driving through Missouri. Now that I was coming home, there was a sweetness to the drive.
From home,
Harvey.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Day Thirteen - Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax
It is easily noted that Lloyd and I are in the home stretch of our trip. Today we aimlessly wandered through Seattle with little or no desire to become too involved. We passed through the market and were able to witness the world famous Pike's Fish Market where the employees are quite dynamic, throwing large gutted fish to one another. Another landmark we came upon was the location of the vary first Starbucks. As the line was outside and stretching down the street, we declined fancy coffee. Lunch was had at an authentic Irish pub called Fado'. Guinness BBQ wings, buffalo sandwiches and chips made for one of the best meals in two weeks.
We ventured down the road, frequenting the occasional bookstore. Over one block was Emerald City Guitars. Inside we found a collection of equipment not to be surpassed by any shop I've ever been in. The guitars were original collectors items ranging from a second year issue Strat for $45,000 to real vintage VOX amps to a 1965 D-18 Martin.
After leaving Emerald City, Lloyd and I decided it was time to find a place to get rid of several accumulated items which were unable to fly home including a cooler full of Dr. Pepper, a box of dry food, two outdoor folding chairs, and of course our speaker system from the car. We decided the baseball bat would be a bad idea to give away since it would upset the order and balance of things. The dry food went to a man laying on the sidewalk with a sign saying he was crippled and would sing for food. At a red light, Lloyd quickly jumped out of the car and delivered a large banana box full of crackers, nuts, granola, and assorted snacks to the bewildered man. We heard of a mission near the sports arena, so we drove in that direction, all the while looking for someone in need. The problem with Seattle is that most of it's down and out citizens aren't easily identifiable as in Chicago or San Francisco. At the same time, some of the city's more rustic looking gentlemen could be easily mistaken for a hobo or otherwise. Lloyd and I had to be sure. We rounded a corner near the mission and saw a large pile of odds and ends sitting in several grocery carts near the curb. We parked the car, looked around to see who might be observing us and quickly distributed our contribution.
We returned to the College Inn and both collapsed on our beds for a couple of hours. A couple of ironed shirts later as well as a short stint of Wikipedia-ing Reginald Vel Johnson and Jaleel White and we were arriving at Ray's Boathouse, a sea food restaurant of the highest quality in the Seattle area. We were seated near a large window with a stunning view overlooking the bay. The food, while quite expensive was very enjoyable. So far, I believe Seattle wins for best food in any city on this trip. After 17 wrong turns, Lloyd and I arrived back at the College Inn to close out the remainder of the evening.
Tomorrow, we board our flight back to Kansas City.
We have both agreed we won't be consuming any sliced deli meat for a while.
From Room 205 in Seattle,
H.
We ventured down the road, frequenting the occasional bookstore. Over one block was Emerald City Guitars. Inside we found a collection of equipment not to be surpassed by any shop I've ever been in. The guitars were original collectors items ranging from a second year issue Strat for $45,000 to real vintage VOX amps to a 1965 D-18 Martin.
After leaving Emerald City, Lloyd and I decided it was time to find a place to get rid of several accumulated items which were unable to fly home including a cooler full of Dr. Pepper, a box of dry food, two outdoor folding chairs, and of course our speaker system from the car. We decided the baseball bat would be a bad idea to give away since it would upset the order and balance of things. The dry food went to a man laying on the sidewalk with a sign saying he was crippled and would sing for food. At a red light, Lloyd quickly jumped out of the car and delivered a large banana box full of crackers, nuts, granola, and assorted snacks to the bewildered man. We heard of a mission near the sports arena, so we drove in that direction, all the while looking for someone in need. The problem with Seattle is that most of it's down and out citizens aren't easily identifiable as in Chicago or San Francisco. At the same time, some of the city's more rustic looking gentlemen could be easily mistaken for a hobo or otherwise. Lloyd and I had to be sure. We rounded a corner near the mission and saw a large pile of odds and ends sitting in several grocery carts near the curb. We parked the car, looked around to see who might be observing us and quickly distributed our contribution.
We returned to the College Inn and both collapsed on our beds for a couple of hours. A couple of ironed shirts later as well as a short stint of Wikipedia-ing Reginald Vel Johnson and Jaleel White and we were arriving at Ray's Boathouse, a sea food restaurant of the highest quality in the Seattle area. We were seated near a large window with a stunning view overlooking the bay. The food, while quite expensive was very enjoyable. So far, I believe Seattle wins for best food in any city on this trip. After 17 wrong turns, Lloyd and I arrived back at the College Inn to close out the remainder of the evening.
Tomorrow, we board our flight back to Kansas City.
We have both agreed we won't be consuming any sliced deli meat for a while.
From Room 205 in Seattle,
H.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Day Twelve - Seattle 89
We left Boise, Idaho this morning for our last stretch of driving before we conclude Harvey & Lloyd Go West. Though the route was shorter than previous excursions, it seemed as if it would never end. Having already exhausted every musical, nutritional, conversational avenue, we were quite frankly, at the bottom of our bag of tricks. We trudged through Oregon along the Columbia River before finally entering Washington state. Making due at a road side Dairy Queen for lunch, I noticed a slight tendency of stalling between the both of us. As if we were both terrified of the inside of our car. After what seemed like days, we finally saw a sign that read: Seattle 89. I was so excited I would have done a victory dance had Chevy manufactured Malibu's a little larger. We finally had hope. Pushing on, we finally rolled into Seattle where we encountered rain for the first time in almost two weeks.
Our hotel for the next two nights is the College Inn in Seattle. As we pulled up to the front door, I could taste the apprehension between us both. The College Inn is located above Cafe Allegro in the Washington State University district. It is a European style hotel complete with shared restrooms and showers down the hall. Our room reminds us of an old apartment building used for late night stake outs for Chinese take-out eating detectives.
Having settled in as much as one can in this place, (which is actually growing on us now) we decided to seek out some dinner. I thought Italian sounded just right and so the search began. We found a place listed online called, Stella's. With a name like that, how could you go wrong? We drove around through the rain, vainly searching for a restaurant that has apparently been closed for some time. As we rounded the same corner for the fourth time, Lloyd mentioned seeing a spot that looked interesting a few blocks back. A few more tries at parking and we entered Mamma Melina's. The first thing I noticed was an old man singing opera while standing next to a much younger piano player. The lighting was dark and the tables were full. We were seated in a corner and making a long story short, we may have hit the jackpot for dining out with Mamma's. Turns out the singing guy is actually a local artist and genuine opera singer. He sang happy birthday to a nearby party followed by another number in his native tongue. The food was incredible and the atmosphere very comfortable.
We left Mamma's and returned to the College Inn. I sat down and began to write this. Now I'm done with this post.
Almost Finished,
H.
Our hotel for the next two nights is the College Inn in Seattle. As we pulled up to the front door, I could taste the apprehension between us both. The College Inn is located above Cafe Allegro in the Washington State University district. It is a European style hotel complete with shared restrooms and showers down the hall. Our room reminds us of an old apartment building used for late night stake outs for Chinese take-out eating detectives.
Having settled in as much as one can in this place, (which is actually growing on us now) we decided to seek out some dinner. I thought Italian sounded just right and so the search began. We found a place listed online called, Stella's. With a name like that, how could you go wrong? We drove around through the rain, vainly searching for a restaurant that has apparently been closed for some time. As we rounded the same corner for the fourth time, Lloyd mentioned seeing a spot that looked interesting a few blocks back. A few more tries at parking and we entered Mamma Melina's. The first thing I noticed was an old man singing opera while standing next to a much younger piano player. The lighting was dark and the tables were full. We were seated in a corner and making a long story short, we may have hit the jackpot for dining out with Mamma's. Turns out the singing guy is actually a local artist and genuine opera singer. He sang happy birthday to a nearby party followed by another number in his native tongue. The food was incredible and the atmosphere very comfortable.
We left Mamma's and returned to the College Inn. I sat down and began to write this. Now I'm done with this post.
Almost Finished,
H.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Day Eleven – Leaving Las Vegas, Estimated Drive Time: 11 Hours, 8 Minutes
Well, we’re on our way up to Idaho. The Great Basin Highway is basically a two lane road that rolls though absolute desolation. In fact, Lloyd and I would like to issue a public service announcement to those seeking perfect nothingness in the form of Nirvana, (the state of being, not the influential grunge band from the early 90s) it appears to be located just north of Hiko on Nevada State Route 318.
It’s hard to imagine anything at all living out here but we did see a chipmunk cross the highway a few miles back. The corridor of hills and small mountains in the distance stand in opposition to one another. In the east, the landscape is covered in shrubbery and the distant peaks are heavily peppered with trees. To the west, the mountains are more traditionally bare and sharp. Occasionally we come across areas of greener grass but for the most part, it is a menacing, bleached earth covered in patchy scrub brushes like an adolescent attempt at facial hair.
(The rest of the drive was something like this)
We’re still here…
And we’re still here…
“I think I just saw a dead body on the side of the road. Don’t cross the mob.”
Yes, we’re still here…
“Was that a woman driving with a bird in the passenger seat?”
(Silence)
Seinfeld
Hey, we're in Idaho.We finally arrived at our hotel in Boise around 9:00. It is by far the nicest room of the trip. A large suit complete with a couch, large comfy beds, an easy chair and two sinks. The rest of the night was spent eating pizza and watching Jaws.
So far, I love Idaho.
Still Here,
Harvey
Day 10 – A Second Chance at Sin City
Before entering Vegas we stopped by the Lake Mead Marina as I had promised Lloyd schools and schools of fish to behold near the docks. In past visits, the fish have been so plentiful and aggressive, there exist the illusion that one could walk across their backs. Sadly, since it’s the middle of the summer, only about a fifth of the usual population were present. I suppose since the high was 112 degrees on this day, the smarter ones were sticking to the deeper, cooler water.
The Stratosphere stands high above all other hotel casinos in Las Vegas. A slightly obvious nod to the Seattle Space Needle, it rises high into the Nevada sky topped off with a small amusement park. The lines for checking in we moving me where fast. Quite a few frustrated patrons stood not so patiently as the plasma screens in front of us promised hard bodied males, seductive vampiresses (lady vampires, not sure that’s a word) and celebrity impersonations. At one point a lady dropped a small cooler which spilled ice and water all across the marble floor. No sooner had this occurred, than an unaware young woman happened by and well you can probably figure out the rest.
We arrived at our room after an endless walk though the casino and called Binion’s Ranch Steak House to make reservations. Unfortunately for us, the earliest we could get in was 9:00 that night. Having heard it was a standard in classic Vegas dining, we decided to go ahead and wait it out until 9:00 for dinner.
Our table at Binion’s was near the window on the 24th floor of the hotel. I decided to go with a Ribeye while Lloyd ordered the New York. Though slightly overcooked for our tastes, the steaks were actually quite good, especially when accompanied with Binion’s famous peppercorn sauce. Between salads, steaks, cabernet, and cheesecake, Lloyd and I accumulated a bill totaling $118 before tip. To date, Lloyd is the most expensive dinner date to ever accompany myself.
Having perfected gluttony incarnate, we slowly returned to our room at the Stratosphere where I made a feeble attempt at watching the Bourne Identity.
We have quite a drive up the Great Basin highway tomorrow. The goal is to land in Boise, Idaho sometime before sunset.
If no further posts occur by Thursday night, please send a search party.
One Last Time From Las Vegas,
Harvey
Day Nine – The Grand Canyon and other Assorted Details
Seattle
- Space Needle
- Mt. Ranier
- Countless Evergreen Trees
- A Starbucks on every corner
-
- Columbia Gorge
- Powell’s Bookstore
- Mt. Hood
South of Portland
- Mt. St. Helens
- Coastal cliffs and heads (heads are the mammoth rocks in the surf)
- Sunset over the Pacific
Northern California
- Redwood Forest
- Historic Highway 1
- A very blue Pacific Ocean
- A Big Foot Store
San Francisco
-
- China Town
- Cable Cars
- Alcatraz
- Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39
- Museum of Modern Art
- Vineyards
- Mojave Desert
- Joshua Trees
- The Strip (consisting of such landmarks as the Luxor, Caesar’s, The Bellagio, MGM Grand and more.)
- Fremont Street (old Vegas, consisting of the Plaza, 4 Queens, Binions and the Golden Nugget.)
- Lake Mead
- The Hoover Dam
In having taken it all in, it seems only right that the apex of our trip should put us at the most visited spot in America: The Grand Canyon.
We arrived in Williams, Arizona around 3:30, checked into the local Howard Johnson’s and quickly sped away to highway 64, the Gateway to the Canyon. As much of this drive has been, there were of course, constant changes of scenery, going from a very rocky Arizona interstate to a more subdued Kaibab National Park full of trees and shrubs. We pulled into a spot near Mather Point just inside the park entrance. We had yet to have eaten anything of substance at this point and had talked about making something from the cooler before seeing the canyon. Then I think the two of us must have caught a glimpse of the magnitude of where we were and lunch was put on hold.
As I neared the edge I caught my first real look at the vast landscape. It was as if the earth had opened up before us in an extended yawn. Layers and layers of rock and sediment carved out and shaped into unsurpassed beauty for the whole world to see. One could look left and then right and never really catch the endpoints. They just seem to blur and fade out of the range of the human eye. After a few long looks from different points, we climbed the steps back to the parking lot. It was refreshing to see the eyes of those passing us towards their own first look at the canyon lit up in wonder and awe.
Lloyd and I drove to a few more points before finally settling just behind Bright Angel Lodge to catch a once in a lifetime sunset. The real show isn’t how the horizon strangles the sun but rather the resulting burning created by the afterglow. During the day, the canyon’s depth plays tricks on your eyes with all the patchy shadows sprinkled across the floor. When the sun finally sets, the colors become more even and the canyon goes from a noisy rock star to a sleeping child. Most visitors become more quiet and reverent as they take in the burning red cliffs.
That said, I can’t describe it any more**. You really have to experience the canyon and my feeble attempts to put such beauty into words only mocks it’s grandeur.
We returned to Williams just as the sun had all but given up hope. We found a Mexican restaurant called Pancho McGuilicuddy’s and decided to give it a shot. While the food and service was disappointingly bland, Lloyd and I did enjoy the guitar slinging cowboy who serenaded the dinner guests with everything from Marty Robbins to Johnny Cash to The Band. We closed out of Pancho’s and drove out into the middle of nowhere to get a look at the stars from the desert. In the absence of much of any distant glowing city, they were more brilliant and plentiful here than in most places on the planet. Once ones eyes could adjust, more and more distant lights began to emerge. This trip has definitely had a recurring theme of witnessing the grand spectrum of the world. It is true that we are indeed small.
Tomorrow we return to Las Vegas for a taste of civilization before we embark on Route 93 through Nevada, also known as America’s Loneliest Highway. Armed with a cooler full of Gatorade and lunchmeat, two I-Pods worth of songs, and 3 gallons of water in the trunk, Lloyd and I are finally starting to turn towards home.
Always,H.
**For further reading on the Grand Canyon, see Donald Miller’s, Through Painted Deserts.
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