Viva Pit Senyor!

Magnet #327 - Sinulog Festival and Pit Senyor, Cebu, Philippines

No, your eyes are not deceiving you - that's baby Jesus on this magnet. Totally bought this at the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

Taking a step back...

Back in the 1500s, Ferdinand Magellan of Spain discovered the Philippine Islands, and thus began more than 400 years of Spanish domination. So, it should be no surprise that Catholics actually make up more than 80% of the population in the Philippines.

My parents took us back to their home island of Cebu a couple of years ago to see Sinulog, the largest religious festival in the country. It's to celebrate Pit Senyor - Baby Jesus, aka the Santo Niño de Cebú ("Holy Child of Cebu"), the patron saint of Cebu. Thousands make the pilgrimage to this tiny island, and take part this week's worth of celebration, culture and prayer.

I've always thought that religion was a personal thing, not really something to be shared or experienced with others. And, I'm not hugely religious here in NY. But, for some reason, whenever I'm in the Philippines, I can definitely feel religion there.

During the 6am Mass, everyone had balloons - which sounds weird, I know, because it looked weird. Until I realized that people were pinning all their hopes and dreams and prayers on those balloons. Then, they were all singing this wonderful song and then let go of the balloons into the air and then they waved (!) good-bye to them, in hopes that they would reach God and their prayers would be answered. It was quite an amazing experience.

The other great thing we did was visit my dad's old high school, where several different groups put on various shows for us, all about how the natives were there, the Spaniards came and then voila, Pit Senyor! This performance was my all-time favorite. The shows were all entertaining, and the crowds certainly loved it. Of course, they were all there in the grandstands to hang out and gossip with each other, as Filipinos are wont to do.

Definitely visit my public FB album link - pretty pics! And, since Sinulog is going on right now, here are some pics of the current Sinulog activities on this native Cebuano's blog. For more Sinulog background and pics, you can check out here and here.

It was a great week, where we visited our parents homeland, saw the processionals, did the mass, watched the performances, and in general, learned how well Catholicism took, literally a world away from Spain and the Vatican.

Light! Light!

Magnet #325 - John Hancock Building

When I was very little, with my parents in Chicago, whenever we would approach the Loop, we'd see the John Hancock building, and according to my parents, I used to yell out, "chu-ka! chu-ka!" and open and close my hands in some sort of jazz hands thing.

My parents' native Filipino dialect is Bisayan, and the word for light, is suga, so that's what I was yelling out whenever we'd see the light signals flashing from the tops of the Hancock Building. Yeah, you probably have to be there to see how much fun my parents have telling this story.

I love the building, for the giggles it still gives my parents whenever they see it, but also, because it's a pretty neat building in its own right. Designed by Fazlur Kahn of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, and known for its X-cross bracing, that criss-cross all the way to the top. It's shaped into a wedge, which makes it look much taller than it is.

It took something like 5 million manhours to build, and stands at more than 90 stories. Supposedly, if you include those lighted antennas, the John Hancock Center is the fourth-tallest building in the world.

They just refurbished the Observatory last year, so I bet it's supercool up there. The building is multi-use, which basically means that people live and work in it - they have something like 48 floors of condo space there. Dudes, that'd be an awesome address and view, I'm sure.

The skyscraper was named for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company, the company that was named for John Hancock back in 1862. And, the reason I picked this magnet for today?

Today's the birthday of John Hancock - President of the Second Continental Congress, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and nine-term governor of Massachusetts.

Odd. Big signature. Big buildings. Hmmm...wonder how tall he was in real life.

Dubai, do bigger and better

Magnet #291 - Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE

Score! My new favorite magnet - the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. It's the only 7-star hotel in the world - dudes, they only officially award 5 stars. Whoa.

I'd need to get a client to give me a reason to fly/lodge me out there, methinks. Honestly, I've no real desire to actually stay at the hotel - even though the suites are supposedly 2 stories each, and the atrium is something like 600 feet tall. I just checked online, and for a King suite, it's only about $1,600 if you check in on the 20th and check out the 21st. Hmmm, I bet I wouldn't even be comfy at all in trillion thread count sheets lined with gold. (Ok, I made that last bit up. But still.)

Nope. I'd go just to see the building itself. While I've seen a ton of cable docus and read a million blurbs on it, it just feels like one of those buildings you have to see in person.

Man, what a supercool building - the owners had asked Tom Wright for a building that would be iconic of Dubai. Like we have our Empire State, Paris has the Eiffel Tower, and London has Big Ben. And, I'd say they got it what they wanted - besides those Palms (Jebel Ali, Jumeirah and Deira), the Burj Al Arab is definitely is what the rest of the world knows Dubai for.

It's supposed to look like a sail on a boat - drawing on Dubai's nautical heritage. (I know! I didn't realize there was a nautical heritage...at least not until Discovery told me.) The structure was built just off the coast, on a man-made island of sand, and it stands 1,053 feet - that's roughly 10 feet taller than the Chrysler building, and it's certainly the tallest building to be used exclusively as a hotel.

Supposedly you can only get to it by causeway or by heli - and even then, only if you have reservations, and they drive you across the causeway in one of their hotel Rolls.

Right. I need to get on that.

No, no, I'm not planning on visiting Dubai for another several years or so, but eventually I'll need to go. After all, Burj Al Arab is on the 1001 buildings to see before you die list! Of course, by then, the even more stupefying Burj Dubai skyscraper - anticipated to be the tallest in the world when it's completed late next year - will be done, and I can go see that one, too. Oh! Or maybe I should hold out for when the proposed "Dynamic Tower" - the thing that undulates like a crazy will-o-wisp in the air - is complete.

Yep. Dubai in the next 5-10 years or so is gonna be totally awesome.

Of course, not as awesome as the friend who brought this back from her own supercool trip to Dubai.

Thanks so much, Desiree!

Keep a song in your heart

Magnet #270 - The Lawrence Welk Show

Go ahead. Giggle. And snicker. You know you want to. It's ok. Really.

Some of my earliest memories back in Chicago, I must have been 4 or 5, are of me, running through the house looking for my church shoes, so that I could tap dance along with the tap dancer on The Lawrence Welk Show. No. I'd never had tap lessons. My parents and I used to watch this show together, while my dad hummed usually off-key and falsetto.

In case you've never had the pleasure, it's your basic musical variety show that started back in 1951, and is still running on PBS to this day. Quite impressive, since they haven't had a new episode in like decades. But, I think they still air it just to keep my dad happy, and to drive my mother insane.

A few years ago, on my Woman on Her Own Roadtrip through California, I was driving down some lonely highway, and I started seeing signs for Escondido. I knew the name, but didn't know why. I exited to get some gas, and then I saw signs for Champagne Boulevard, and at that point it struck me that I was at Lawrence Welk's place in Escondido. Seriously, I distinctly remember humming the theme song, as I made my way to the resort.

I drove onto the deserted lot - it was something like 9:30 or 10 in the morning, and nothing was open. So I explored a bit, taking pictures of the Welk Auditorium. There was a gift shop that hadn't opened yet. Dudes, of course, I was gonna wait for it to open. I was so excited I called my dad up in NC to tell him. He laughed his ass off at me for being there. But, really. How could I not?

Then the buses started to arrive. There I was, in a sea of blue-haired ladies and golf-shirted men, completely out of my demo. Again. The little Filipino girl, with an armful of all things Lawrence Welk for my parents.

That's ok, cuz I was totally loving every damn cheesy minute of it. And as I drove off toward San Diego, I could hear Lawrence Welk's sign-off in my head.

"See you next time, and until then, keep a song in your heart!"

Cue closing credits.

They delivered for me

Magnet #255 - Glacier National Park

I talked about Montana before in this Wyoming magnetpost, plus I have a few magnets from Glacier National Park, with a few stories for those. This one sort of screams, America the Beautiful for me.

A roadtrip buddy and I went on a cross-country train trip, where we left from NY, stopped for lunch in Chicago, did an overnight in Minneapolis, then did two nights in Glacier, then an overnight to Portland. We spent a morning in Portland, then took another train up to Seattle, where we then rented a car and drove up to Vancouver for a couple of days, and then flew back out of Seattle.

Long trip. I could have used an extra suitcase just for the treasures I picked up a long the way.

Instead, I made use of the U.S. Postal Service - because they ROCK. They're everywhere. Heh. Which I knew, of course, but it was never so apparent than on this trip. I feel like every time we got off the train, I was off mailing a package back home to myself. And I'm not exaggerating that one - I seriously have USPS receipts from East Glacier and West Glacier.

Thanks, USPS!

Of course, all this mailing back and forth made it all the more ironic that when we got off the train in Portland, I inadvertently left a stack of stamped envelopes in our train car. We had to run back, only to find out that the wonderful guys at Amtrak mailed my bills for me.

Thanks, Amtrak guys!

I shall return

Magnet #241 - MacArthur Memorial

When I was young, my dad somehow got me interested in reading about the only 5-star generals ever. There were only five of them: George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry H. Arnold, and Omar N. Bradley.

Like most Filipinos of the post-WWII generation, my dad had a special interest in General MacArthur, whose famous speech promised his return to help save the Philippines from Japanese Occupation. And today, in 1944 (about two months before my dad was born), MacArthur made good on his promise, and landed back on the island of Leyte. This famous image of the landing is forever stamped on the minds of Filipinos the world over.

So, it's no surprise that we totally had to visit the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, VA. I mean, how could we not. It's a great way to spend a quiet morning - a small museum of his personal belongings, he and his wife's final resting place, visitors center, a library and archives, and, duh, a little shop!

Mind you, MacArthur was a hard man, impatient and often at odds with his superiors. That's what I got from the books. But, I got second-hand confirmation, eventually. One holiday, we had some company over - this family and their grandfather who used to keep my sisters and me when we were little. During dinner, somehow MacArthur came up, and old Grandpa Joe, (whom I'd known for 20 years but didn't know he was a vet), sat at the head of the table listening to the conversation, and in mixed tone of admiration and ire, busts out with, "MacArthur! Now, he was a son of a bitch!"

Hot dogs! Get yer dogs right here!

Magnet #233 - Hyde Park, NY

Let's make it a Roosevelt weekend...

Springwood was the home of FDR up at Hyde Park. As you can see, it wasn't a tiny home, either. It used to be a farmhouse at one point, but then the Roosevelt family made it into a stately home.

When you visit, they take you through several of the rooms, where you see FDR's stuffed bird collection, the room where he was born, the rooms where he grew up, where he did his work, and the elevator he had created to get up and down from floor to floor.

What's always fascinated me more though, is visiting Top Cottage, his little rustic getaway a couple of miles away. You can only visit via the shuttle bus, but I just love going to Top Cottage because a lot of history happened up on that hill. And yet, FDR never spent the night there. You can tell that the cottage was designed (by FDR) for entertaining, because the living room is a massive open area, opening out to a terrific little front porch that overlooks a little valley, while all of the other rooms are small and fairly spartan.

A few events happened out on that wooden porch. There's an infamous story about how King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the US in 1939. They did a little tour around the States, visiting the World's Fair out in Queens; Trenton, NJ; Washington, D.C.; Niagara Falls, etc. And it was a very big deal - never before had a British monarch ever set foot on U.S. soil. FDR needed to build up relations with the UK, and after the King accepted the invite, FDR meticulously planned every moment of their itinerary. Crazy. But all of that is not what made that visit infamous.

Nope. It's that FDR invited them out to Top Cottage for a good old-fashioned American picnic. And fed them hot dogs! By all accounts, their Majesties loved the hot dogs, and Americans were torn between being totally appalled or proud to be an American. Even his FDR's own mother was a little freaked out over it.

There's just something funny about the thought of FDR explaining how to eat a hot dog to a prim and proper King and Queen.

Will the real Wladziu Valentino Liberace please stand up? Please stand up.

Magnet #222 - Liberace Museum

Awww, yeah. The heights of cheesiness, baby!

Actually, I know Liberace was this bigger than life guy, and toward the end he was more of a caricature of himself. But this funkily-designed museum off the beaten path in Vegas gave me a different perspective on the real Liberace.

Behind the candelabra, funny outfits and razzledazzle jewelry was a musical genius. No, I swear!

He came from a musical family (heh, band geeks would get this, but his dad played with Sousa. Sousa!), and started playing at four years old. I dimly recall there being a giant ring at the museum - there was some story about how he deliberately practiced with big, fat heavy rings, in order to strengthen his fingers. I mean the guy played to capacity crowds the world over, television shows and accolades left and right. Dudes, he even has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (ok, ok, that's twice the maintenance his estate has to do)

Anyway, as a child growing up in the 80s, I just remember the exaggerated version of Liberace. Apparently, that whole ring thing worked out for him, since everyone between the Hiltons and the Queen Mum contributed to his collection of big-ass rings. The guy wore outfits with monkey fur, for goodness sake.

But, like I said, he started out and was a serious musician...and a serious superstar. No. Really, just ask any of the many little old ladies who visit this museum - every day. They don't play, man, they luuuuurve that guy.

Pip, pip, cheerio, and all that rot

Magnet #196 - Tower of London

Country #7 - Great Britain

Since I've done several London posts, and likely to do more - short and sweet for this one.

So at this point we're in the home stretch, the last stop before flying back home. We've just spent the night swaying back and forth across the Channel, where I remember very clearly rocking back and forth in the bathroom, telling my friends that for sure, Gopher, Isaac, and the Doc weren't swaying to and fro on the Love Boat.

After more tours, and more tours and more museums, we played our last concert at the Barbican, and that was the end of that. Oh! And I totally got ripped off, having to pay like $150-200 for Phantom tickets. For standing room and obstructed view! Though as every band geek knows, back then, the tix were worth it, though, even if it wasn't anyone of note as the Phantom.

Whirlwind trip to be sure...one not to be forgotten. I mean, if you think about it, I remember the fun stuff. And the historical stuff, well, that will always be there to revisit.

Oh, except for that chapel at Windsor Castle. Damned if they didn't have to rebuild it, after it burned down shortly after our visit.

I swear, it wasn't us, though between that chapel bridge in Lucerne and this one, I was starting to wonder...

Bully!

Magnet #160 - Teddy Roosevelt and family

Picked today's magnet because Theodore Roosevelt is my sister's favorite president, and today's a milestone birthday for her. Yay, happy birthday!

It's kinda funny that Teddy's her fave president, because she's not a huge fan of the outdoors, and yet Teddy was responsible for establishing almost 60 Wildlife Reserves and 150 National Forests and created at least five National Parks. Apparently, the total amount that TR placed under public protection is about 230,000,000 acres!

They're both kinda short - most people think TR was like superbig, but I think it's just cuz he had a sort of larger than life, blustery personality. In reality, he was only like 5'8", which I guess still makes him taller than Tom Cruise.

The best thing they share, though, is the way they say Bully. She does a spot-on imitation of TR's booming Bully! Seriously. Next time you see her, make her say it.

Oh! And then! Make her say:

1) Oh. My. Gouda.

2) We are in a car. (/Doctor Who's K-9)

Hours of entertainment, I swear.

Impressions of Monet

Magnet #136 - Giverny, France

If the picture in the magnet to the left looks familiar, it very well should.

It's Monet's water garden, which Monet had custom-designed, after he purchased the land across the railway from his home in Giverny, France. If you look superclose, you can see the Japanese bridge far in the background, and in the foreground, you can see the clouds reflected in the water, among the water lilies that he was so fond of painting.

My parents and I did a side trip to Giverny...my father was glad for a day not spent in yet another museum, and my mother was entranced by the gorgeous gardens. Our train trip started from Gare Saint-Lazare in Paris - the subject of another Monet painting, and it ended in the sweet, sleepy little village of Giverny. Then on to Monet's house for the tour (of course) of the house and the gardens.

I have to say, there was something truly special about being in the very place of several of Monet's masterpieces. It was like seeing all of his impressions come to life as we walked where he walked, sat where he sat, and took pictures of what he painted.

We enjoyed ourselves so much, that we almost missed our train ride back to Paris that evening. Seriously. We hurriedly walked all the way back to the station, and I was so worried that we'd end up having to stay out in Giverny, without anything but the clothes on our backs, and speaking un peu Francais.

I was busily bargaining with every higher being I could think of, while my parents were totally cool about it, just being merry, la-di-dah travelers, having put all of their faith into me just getting the job done and us back to Paris.

Oh, it turned out just fine, but man, it's hard work being in travelcharge!

eta:
Having hit the Publish Post button and seeing this magnet in my blog layout, I have one thing to say: Oh, how pretty! Blue and green!

Hee. It's just so lovely that I had to say it. Forgive me, it's my favorite color combination in the entire world.

Peep show at Bellagio

Magnet #114 - Bellagio, Las Vegas

Yep. I've done a Bellagio magnet before, and I've mentioned it on joy magnetism quite a few times. What can I say, it might be my most favorite hotel in the world.

And, one can't say enough about the fabulous water fountains out front. Well, I guess you can if you've seen them do Hey, Big Spender! Which is a touch scarring. Plus, who can forget the Claire de Lune scene at the end of Ocean's 11, with my boy Clooney and the rest of the O11 gang.

But, the real reason I'm using it for today's magnet, is because one of my fellow bloggers and poster to this site, goldengait, has shared the funniest damn story about the Bellagio water fountains that I've ever heard.

Hope my sister's fiance reads this and takes note. Heh.

And, by the way, if you're hanging around GG's blog, take note of the fun show recaps she does - they're fun, concise, and has a way of making you think Hey! Me, too!

I'm still standing

Magnet #107 - Top of the Rock, November 1946

So, Top of the Rock, Part Two.

Yeah, true to form, I couldn't make up my mind which historical image I wanted, and just went ahead and bought both.

Which is fine, because there are a just few other reasons to visit Top of the Rock.

• The somewhat interesting timeline of the Rockefellers and the building, wallpapering the walls of the waiting line.
  
• The really interesting introduction video that everyone else ignores when they blow through the waiting line.
  
• The always interesting and fun psychedelic lightshow during the elevator ride up and down.
  
• The weird Target light experience room. But don't get me started on the fact that Target is a corporate sponsor of 30 Rock. Target, which doesn't have an actual store in Manhattan. (Bah!)
  
• The fact that Swarovski, as another corporate sponsor, has supposedly hidden several tiny crystal figurines in the glasswork walls at the top. And, I've seen only 2 or 3 of them. Security likes to shoo you around, making it superhard to stare at every crevice along the wall. Of course, people look at you crazy when you start staring at every crevice along the wall, so maybe security's a good thing.
  
• The Swarovski crystal chandelier-esque recreation of an upside-down 30 Rock in the lobby.

Well, there's more but you'll have to come play tourist to find out.

Today, we played NYC tourists - always a fun thing to do. The Snapple Big Apple BBQ Festival is this weekend, so in the 90-plus-degree weather, we waited in line for some good old-fashioned BBQ sandwiches topped with proper, proper coleslaw. Yum!

Then, we did the Met, to see the Superheroes Fashion exhibit. Some of the fashions were a little weird, but it was pretty interesting. Plus, it gave me a giggle thinking what George Clooney thought when he saw the Batman section. Because for sure, he said two things: 1) I'm so glad I didn't kill the franchise with my crappy Batman movie. 2) Christian Bale's Batman costume from The Dark Knight is WAY better than mine!

I'm telling ya'll. NYC - best town in the world. Thirteen years running, and I still haven't run out of things to do here.

eta:
Incidentally. In less than a week, I've managed to acquire a dozen new magnets. Five from Asia, four from NY, one from West Virginia, and one other one that I can't remember. At this rate, my magnet mission of never running out of magnets will definitely be fulfilled. Heh.

Standing on top of the world...or rock, at least

Magnet #106 - Top of the Rock, April 1943

This weekend's supposed to be the first scorcher of the summer, so I'm going for a two-fer this weekend. No. Get your mind outta Swingtown for a sec. Today is Top of the Rock, Part One.

My most favorite place in the city is Top of the Rock, the recently revived observation deck at the top of 30 Rockefeller Center. I love this place soooo much. Let me count the ways.

1. Less of a wait than Empire State Building. Because TotR has only been around these last couple of years, less people know about it. And that means, less of wait, nicer facilities, and less people. I know it's odd, I get superimpatient with crowds, and I live in one of the top destination cities in the world.
2. Just as good a view as ESB. It's true. The view from upper Midtown is just as good, if not better than ESB. And, this way, you can take gorgeous photos of downtown (with ESB in the shot), and of uptown (with Central Park in the shot).
3. Both have amazing art deco detail. Although, ESB edges 30 Rock out a bit - I mean, Doctor Who didn't do a 1930s-centric episode centered on 30 Rockefeller Center.
   
4. Fab outdoor viewing. What I love about 30 Rock is that it's outdoors, on two different floors. It may not be as high, but here, you really feel like you're at the top of the world and it feels so open and free. When you're at ESB, you feel totally caged in, and in a parapet of sorts.

Need I say more?

(Yes. But that's why there's a part 2.)

To be eyesore, or not to be

Magnet #105 - London Eye

I still haven't any tickets for David Tennant's Hamlet. Yes, I know we've discussed it before. Be prepared, it'll be popping up again, I feel sure.

The funny thing is that I don't even like Hamlet. I don't like the story, I don't like the character. Yes, yes, I know, I can't exactly talk smack about Shakespeare, since it's a trillion years later and we're still performing his work. I see the merit in the play, I swear. I just think - no matter if it's Olivier, Burton, Branagh, or Tennant - the prince of Denmark's a bit of a whiner. Drives me nuts. But, Hamlet's a definitive Shakespearean role, and one that obvi, DT will knock out of the park.

I do wish the papers and bloggers would stop reporting that tickets are still available, or going fast. I've called the RSC three times, and each time they've been sold out - and rehearsals just started Monday. There's to be a decision taken in the next couple of weeks or so, whether or not they're extending the run to London in December. So, I guess we'll wait and see.

Anyway. Moving on. The London Eye. While I'd seen the pictures and footage, I still wasn't prepared to see a big damn ferris wheel slam in the middle of the city nestled on the banks of the Thames, just down the street from Big Ben.

Don't get me wrong - I think it's an amazing structure. I just find myself questioning what it does to the London landscape. And, it's an amazing ride as well. Takes a while to do a rotation, but it really does give you a fabulous aerial view of the area. And, Londoners seem to have adopted it into its hearts and skyline, so I guess it's not quite the eyesore that I thought it was at first site.

The one thing that I would encourage is to buy your timed tickets before you land on UK soil - that'll save you buckets full of time. Oh! And, mind the darn pigeons hanging out by the McDonald's down the way from the Eye. Eww.

eta:
June 6. How fitting to use a UK magnet on this, the 64th anniversary of D-Day. No worries. I can do a D-day story next year for the 65th. Meetcha back here, then.

There's a surprise inside every...egg

Magnet #104 - Fabergé Egg #1, Moscow Kremlin

You don't know this yet, but I also have a thing for Fabergé eggs. I love them. I want one of my very own. I don't suppose anyone has a spare they can give me, do they? No, I suppose not. That's ok, I have one of those magnet sets of 10 eggs that I got at the Bellagio's Treasures from the Kremlin exhibit many years ago.

Once, at a do on the Forbes yacht, rather than networking, I had a whale of a time tucked away reading one of their massive self-published, cloth hard-backed tomes on the eggs - both in their collection and not. I used to visit their nine-egg collection all the time at the awesome Forbes Gallery. Well, that is until Steve Forbes decided that the collection should go back to its motherland. Sad for me.

The last egg was produced back in 1917, and apparently there are now plans to revive them. Not sure how I feel about that.

This one's the Moscow Kremlin, or the Uspenski Cathedral Egg. There's always a secret fun thing inside each egg, and this one's no different - apparently, you can open it up to see the inside of the Cathedral... and, it's a music box, that sings hymns. There's a whole story about the egg, about how it's important, because this cathedral is where all the Tsars were crowned, and how the presentation of the egg was delayed a few years because of political issues, but that's more than one little magnet should explain. But, the full story's here.

Just enjoy the pretty, because I swear, the design on these things are so damned intricate, it's like Fabergé had tiny fairies to actually manufacture them! Twould be fitting, since honestly, these eggs are like bits of magic when you see them up close.

Well, it's no 40 days or nights - GAR Day #13

Magnet #96 - Zion National Park

...but today we were desert-bound - finishing up Zion, and then taking the scenic route to Arches.

And by scenic, I seriously was planning on us getting up superearly (like see the break of dawn over Monument Valley early), heading to Monument Valley, Four Corners, the Trail of the Ancients, Canyonlands, and finishing up with sunset at Arches National Park. Yes. All in one day. What?

And before you wonder whether or not we're big hikers, the answer is...two of us might be, and two of us could be. I'd like to think that we'd have been rambling all around these parks and trails. The reality is, I probably would have been sitting in the car, trying to convince the roadtrippers that we could just do the scenic drive...with strategic stops at the gift shops. (I mean, that's how we did Zion, last time around.)

Truth be told, I think this day was one of the ones I was a little wary of. It's the part where they caution you to carry one gallon of water per passenger, just in case your car breaks down. Holy moly! Really? And, like what if we'd gotten stranded out in the boondocks of nowhere, and had to walk somewhere, and tie our shirts around our heads and what if we got stuck out in the cold desert night and had to figure out how to make a fire! I mean, I know I learned a lot from watching TV, but honestly? Making a fire would be iffy for me. So yeah, I'm kinda happy I'm typing this post from my air conditioned desk.

I'm dedicating this particular blogpost to the fabulous NPS ranger at the Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace national park. The TR birthplace is right around the corner from work, and I wandered in to see if they had any NPS paraphernalia, and this guy took about half an hour to walk through my little GAR itinerary. He even tried to talk sense into me that this day wasn't going to work, and that we needed to split the day in two.

Three weeks later, my friends and I went to visit the birthplace, and he remembered me, and handed me a Canyonlands map. This ranger's probably one of the few reasons I regret not going...or, at least why I'm avoiding going to the birthplace again (so I don't have to tell the guy, who was very intrigued by this weird not-quite-cross-country trip, that we didn't actually go).

GAR Track of the Day: Desert Rose


eta:
I just wanted to add a bit of happy news on this momentous day. George Clooney and THATwoman Sarah Larson have broken up.

Good.

Wild, wild horses - GAR Day #12

Magnet #95 - Bryce Canyon National Park

So today, very early, we were to check out of the Wynn, and continue our Great American Roadtrip through to Bryce Canyon National Park.

This national park is just the most awesome park to ever park - it's like almost 60 square miles of gorgeous canyons and nooks and crannies, and towering formations called hoodoos, that formed horseshoe-like amphitheatres and other natural wonders.

I visited with my sisters a few years ago, and we ended up doing the half-day horseback ride through the canyons. Amazing. Seriously. Also, seriously painful. I had a horse growing up, so of course, I used this to parlay myself into a real horse, while the two younger sisters ended up on donkeys. Not sure it was the best idea I've ever had, but I sure enjoy lording it over the other two.

We were only allowed to have our cameras out at certain points during our trip - but they should have taken away the cameras, like when the Warner Bros tour guides locked our cams in our little golf cart. That probably would have helped - at least my cowpoke, anyway - he was the one who had to go back and retrieve my disposable both times I dropped it.

And, as we wended our way down the canyon, we had to ride single-file on the trail. What they told us, as we were literally hugging the canyon walls, was that they train the animals to walk - on the outside of the trail. Closest to the edge. The edge of a million feet with no safety net or guard rail. So. Freakin'. Scary. I mean, you look over your knees, and you don't see your foot, your stirrup, or the horses' hooves. You see canyon. Far. Far. Below.

So, while you're desperately clutching the horse's girth with both your knees, you're locking them up, and in a constant state of pressure. After a while, that pressure starts to take its toll. You begin to lose feeling below the waist, and then when you have that one bathroom break in the middle, you're limping to the restroom. Assuming you can even get down. I have never - ever - been in that much pain in my entire life. Whoa. And then, when we got back to the corral, middle sis was pretty much the most ashen I've ever seen a Filipino girl look. Heh.

On the other hand - I have to say, that canyon ride was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done, so it was well worth the pain and the scariness. Surrounded by all the natural beauty - unhindered by concrete and tons of people - Bryce makes you realize that humans really are just a speck on this planet.

GAR Track of the Day: Wild Horses

Goodness gracious - GAR Day #9

Magnet #92 - Meteor Crater

Second day in Arizona was supposed to be in Scottsdale - almost a whole day at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West.

This was the stop that I was most looking forward to, with FLW being my architect du jour (ok, fine - some days it's Gehry, some days it's Pei, and some days it's McDonald's). But, Taliesin West is supposed to be supercool - both in architecture and landscape, and in seeing where he used to teach his students. Plus, there's some pretty racy stories running around about FLW student activities, and I'm starting to wonder if that's code for something.

We were going to see how many tours we could squeeze in before we had to drive to the Grand Canyon. Oh, well. It just means that for now, Scottsdale remains on the travel bucket list. Maybe I can think up a client to pitch there. Heh.

So, today's magnet was brought back by a friend of mine who just got back from her own AZ trip (thank you!). She did the really neat train from Williams, which we were gonna do, but then realized that we've done a cross-country train trip - would this train trip match up to that? We thought probably not and nixed it from the itinerary.

Somehow I think seeing Meteor Crater would have definitely been added in. How cool does this hole in the ground look! I do, however, question their home page blurb of "Experience the IMPACT!" What's that mean? Like they have one of those crazy "experience" things where you climb in and the hydraulics go insane on you? Is it a theatre show? Or, do they show Armageddon or Deep Impact 24/7? Oooh, I vote Armageddon - who doesn't love a bit of Michael Bay?

GAR Track of the Day: Great Balls of Fire!

Rollin', rollin', rollin' - GAR Day #8

Magnet #91 - Arizona

So I spent a good 10 minutes scouring my magnet boards because I couldn't find an Arizona magnet for the first of the two-day segment. Quelle horreur! Then, complete with a spotlight and a chorus of angels - at eye level, natch - was this jobbie.

Haven't a clue where it came from, but thank you to whomever gave it to me.

Today we're driving around New Mexico and Arizona. New Mexico for the Gila Cliff Dwellings - almost the Anasazi stuff of X-File lore, but not quite. And then a few ghost towns...where I pictured the four of us GAR roadtrippers as the Scooby gang, solving a mystery wherein the weird guy who owned the dilapidated inn was wearing a ghost costume to keep people from visiting (because there's a big secret hidden in the ghost town, of course), complete with glowing footprints and explanatory denouement. Hahahaha. Any. Way.

So, the rest of the day was to be Tombstone - dangit, I even re-watched Tombstone so that I'd be able to tell folks that the gunfight didn't really take place at the O.K. Corral, but down the street.

Well, it's not like I really liked the movie anyway. Val Kilmer was just too scary lookin' for my taste. Though, oddly, Kurt Russell and Sam Elliott were pretty compelling.


GAR Track of the Day: Rawhide. Again, probably just would have been belting it out. Oh, who needs a radio or cd player. Heh. b13 may have been right, the singing might have posed a problem.

eta:
Success! The great Doctor Who magnetwatch is complete! Received the magnet set yesterday...one day too late to be my Roswell entry, but can't wait for June!