A quick photo summary of day one on the road from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Mojave, California.
It was just me in the car, jamming to Michael Jackson and listening to an audio book.
Archive for June, 2009
Tucked off of California Highway 58 is the small town of Boron, known primarily for its huge Borax mine. Several military air bases and a space port are located in the area … and every military general and astronaut that comes through here knows Boron for another reason: Domingo’s, a Mexican and seafood restaurant.
Domingo’s had been recommended to me. From the outside of the building, Domingo’s didn’t appear to be much different than other small-town Mexican restaurants I had stumbled upon, but the inside told an entirely different story.
June26
Road Trip Vibrations
As I drove out of Las Vegas and into the wide open desert that surrounds the I-15 heading into California, the sun was hot, the air was heavy and I was finally free (at least for the week). I spent the last week asking people what I should listen to in the car for my road trip. Not being much of a music connoisseur, I sought advice on Twitter and the Lonely Planet forum. When it came right down to it though, I just wasn’t feeling the road trip music vibe.
Instead, I turned on the radio and began flipping through stations. To my pleasant surprise, it seemed like every station dedicated a healthy portion of their air time remembering the King of Pop. I turned the station up and sang to Beat It, Thriller and Billy Jean. I’d never really thought about listening to Michael Jackson on the road, but his music has a great beat and is easy to sing along with—two components essential for good road trip music, in my opinion.
For me, it was a fitting time to listen to Michael Jackson’s music. People seem to rush though life without taking the time to notice the details. My goal in taking this road trip is to slow down and share the details I find with the people who journey with me. We assume we’ll have time to notice those details tomorrow, but I think we all learned a lesson with the King of Pop’s passing yesterday. Any day can be our last. I intend to live each one to the fullest.
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As I prepare to embark on the first of three confirmed road trips for the Digital Vagabonding Roads Scholar program, I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a vagabond. Can something as broad and misunderstood throughout history really be defined anyway?
According to my Random House Webster’s Dictionary, a vagabond is “usually a homeless person who wanders from place to place; a tramp; vagrant.”
Not satisfied with what the dictionary fed me, I turned to a master on the subject.
The REI garage sale.
For those who know about it, they become a tradition. For those who don’t know about it, they are a tradition waiting to happen.
REI is a co-op store that sells clothing and gear for outdoor and adventure sports from name brand companies. A few times a year, these stores unload all of the returned items they’ve received and sell them in a garage sale-type setting. The items range from virtually brand new to worn out and broken, and the prices can’t be beat for the brands that are available. While REI excels in providing gear for the great outdoorsman, many of the items at the sales are handy for even the occasional traveler. The average man on the road probably doesn’t need an ice axe, but many other things—from high-quality flip-flops and travel sleep sacks to headlamps and hats—can come in more than handy when you travel.
If you’ve never been to one, know this much: REI garage sales are not your average second-hand shops.
Get out of Las Vegas with a moderately challenging hike in Ice Box Canyon at Red Rock. You’ll need a car to get you to Red Rock Canyon, but once you reach mile marker 8 on the 13-mile loop drive, you’ll need to rely on your legs to get you any further.
The Ice Box Canyon trail begins innocently enough, with a few stray rocks cluttering the trail. The trail meanders here and there through desert scrub. Like many of Red Rock’s trails, it’s not always obvious where the trail is exactly, but follow the footprints left in the dirt and you should be okay.
This particular trail is popular with climbers, and you’ll soon see why.
June11
Free National Park Weekends
Have you heard? The National Park Service is offering free entrance into hundreds of national parks this summer. As if I needed yet another reason to get out, go camping and hug a tree …
Our National Parks could use a little love and attention from people who normally pass them by for Disney World or another trip to the water park. I imagine camping is filling up quickly at many of the parks, but there is enough space for everyone to at least enjoy a day trip.
Take advantage of the free entrance on these weekends:
Not sure where to start? Here are four of my favorite little-known National Parks that deserve your attention:
Allow me to introduce Pat, the Digital Vagabond. At 21, Pat picked up a copy of Ed Buyrn’s book Vagabonding in the USA: A Guide Book about Energy and his life proceeded to take on a whole new direction – one that had no physical direction at all. Pat works from the road, plugging in wherever he is to work.
It’s a lifestyle to envy. Tonight he might set down roots at the Grand Canyon. Tomorrow night he might be somewhere in Utah, followed by stops in the middle of Nebraska, on the outskirts of Chicago, somewhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Imagine having a different backyard every morning.
From the outside of the theatre, the Steve Wyrick show is intriguing. Painted saw blades hang around the gift shop area. Triq, an on-site bar with intimate seating, encourages people to cozy up for a drink or two before the show.
I understand now why they want people to drink.
Nothing says chilax like a casual meeting spot to shuck oysters, drink a beer and play video poker. Downplayed and able to accommodate large gatherings and solo venturers, Shuck’s is a Las Vegas seafood restaurant perfect for winding down and wiling away the late-night hours. The atmosphere is right for casual dining and the menu caters to both those who love seafood and those who could do without.
A build-your-own seafood menu offers customization, and appetizers are large enough to be shared as a meal. My husband and I shared an appetizer plate of four sliders and fries for less than ten bucks. Breakfast is served starting at midnight.
Find Shuck’s in three convenient locations in the Las Vegas Valley.
