Ralford.net

  [Travel]

Tonight begins another extremely fun weekend. Last weekend was Cootie Brown in Burlington, and this weekend is with Eric at the Spring Hookahville festival in Ohio. The drive should only be 5 to 6 hours, so we'll arrive there late tonight (since it's 8:40 now) or first thing tomorrow.

I've been wanting a new tent for years, so I picked one up that I'll be trying out for the first time this weekend. I went with a two man, but managed to find one that doesn't pack as wide as the old one. The model is Eureka Backcountry 2. It packs to about 15" x 6", and should be perfect for any upcoming backpacking trips (hopefully I'll be doing one the during the week of July 4th).

See you folks when I get back!

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  [Travel]

Last weekend, I met up with my friend, Eric, at the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, PA. It's the second time I've been to the Doyle - the first was with Eric last September to see a picture of him they'd taken during his southbound hike on the AT. The town is pretty quiet, and likewise, so is the Doyle. On Friday it served as a convenient place for us to have a few beers while catching up on the last few months. We eventually found our way to the pool room, and met a hiker who was on his way South from New York.

The hiker was midway through a section to Maryland, which was kicking off his adventure. He had been in New York City all his life, and decided some years back that he'd eventually quit his job. This Spring, he did just that, and threw a party to give away his unnecessary belongings. The rest, he boxed up and mailed to a sibling out in Arizona. From there, he packed his backpack, and started off down the trail. In Maryland, he had plans to pick up a bicycle, and ride it across the country.

It was exciting hearing his plans (or lack of) for his future. Hitting the road, and leaving the past behind, sounds like a very exciting adventure. I wonder who I'll encounter next time I stop in Duncannon...

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  [Travel]

A couple of months ago I snagged some cheap tickets for a quick trip to Utah over Easter weekend. I knew my parents would be staying there for the Spring, and thought it'd be a nice opportunity to visit them in a state that I don't get to see often.

One of several places they shared with me was a plateau's cliff with numerous ancient petroglyphs. They'd heard that the petroglyphs were created by a prehistoric Native American culture known as the Anasazi, dating back to around 1200 B.C. This seemed like it might be reasonable, based on a brochure we later obtained from Zion National Park, only an hour or so away.

No official state park was preserving the area with the petroglyphs, so there were no issues with wandering around the plateau's edge. We saw several small lizards, and found some matted down grass under some bushes where cottontail rabbits appeared to have nestled. We also saw various species of cacti, one of which was blooming.

While walking, I kept my eyes a step ahead of my toes, hoping to find a colorful rock or possibly an arrowhead or ancient carving tool shaped from stone. Footpaths and an old jeep road hinted that any visible artifacts would have been pocketed by now, but this didn't cease my interest. My late grandpa had spent a large portion of his life hunting gemstones, so it was only natural for me to imagine his excitement in a similar opportunity. I found a few shiney bits of red jasper, while Mom found two or three hand-sized pieces of petrified wood.

Later that weekend my parents showed me Snow Canyon State Park and also Zion National Park. Check back for a wiki post on these day trips, as well as highlights from my previous travels to other National Parks: My Trips to National Parks (w).

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  [Travel]

So I've recently caught a travel bug. I have the urge to get out of the United States, and leave for a decent period of time. Of course, leaving costs money, so I will need to plan ahead. The trip will not be for a few years, but it is all worth starting to plan now.

The big reason I want to travel is to see how other cultures live. Not just go stay in a hotel somewhere for a week and sight-see. I want to wander with the people, buy food off the streets, and take a stab at using the languages of the countries I visit. There's a ton more to life than an 8 to 5 job, driving a car everywhere, and spending money on things that I really don't need in my life.

Another reason I want to get away is because I feel like I need a more proper transition into adult life. I spent my first 18 years at home, went to college til I was 22, and at some point picked up an internship. Then smack - I walked into work one day and I was a full time employee. And here I am, lingering in a college town, doing basically the same thing as 3 or 4 years ago. It's getting time for a trip, and the only way to make a trip happen is to plan it.

Because my trip won't be for some time (perhaps a couple of years), I'll be keeping track of things in a wiki entry. To find out about all about it, check out: Ralford's Travels (w).

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