Via Byway, My Way.

In anticipation of my cross-country road trip, a couple months ago my friend Adam allowed me to borrow his book on car camping. Car camping? Yes, someone actually wrote a book on car camping. Basically about living in your car, how to do it, why people do it, etc. The author presented her book as the main text at a college class she was teaching, all about car camping. Actually, about it’s about car living: “Car Living: How to Make It a Successful, Sane, Safe Experience (Paperback), by Jane Archer. You can find it at Amazon.com if you are so inclined.

On previous road trips, I had slept in my car. A great 1992 Toyota Corolla which I still drive with over 200,00 miles on it. But with my 1988 Honda Accord wreck, I was a little more leery about the prospects of sleeping in my car, especially since my friends joked that it leaks of carbon monoxide and oil. Plus, with my bike taking up my trunk and back seat, I wouldn’t really be able to fully recline back. Doable, but not really comfortable.

In travel, there are 4 major expenses one must consider when budgeting out a trip. First, there is transportation. Plane, train, auto, boat, donkey, Jeepney, turtle, Segway, dolphin, magic carpet, what have you. Second, human fuel, i.e. food and drink. Third, lodging. And then you have everything else in the 4th category–entertainment, souvenirs, admission fees, communication, etc. etc.

I have no worries about transportation or food or the other expenses. Since I would be going to so many cities, my biggest expense would be lodging. I had no problems the first three stopovers, since I’d be staying with my friends. But once I got into Phoenix, I’d have to make a choice: sleep in my car, or spring for a hotel room. Decent hotel rooms can be had for $80 or so. Of course, if you drive a little further out or don’t mind a no-frills basic room in a seedy part of town, you can probably go as low as $39.95 plus tax. Well, let’s see… an average of $45 per night times 15 nights = just under $700. Furthermore, I make about $7.25 at my job, so $700 is like a whole month’s paycheck; hotel room, I don’t think so. Sleep in my car then, right?

Well…..

Not quite. Thanks to the power of Internet, a new travel network has sprung up for those independent travelers who seek a different alternative. Welcome to Globalfreeloaders.com and Couchsurfing.com. These two web sites are based upon the concept of offering your home to fellow travelers and creating connections for opening up a new world of travel. Aside from one night in Montgomery and two nights in the Outer Banks, all of my sleeping arrangements have been successfully set up through these two web sites. My experiences have been incredible and I am so glad that I am part of this network. So, you may be wondering, what kind of people trust others to open up their homes?

Phoenix: Nicole and her boyfriend are late 20-somethings who are shortly embarking on a one-year, round-the-world journey. They’ve run marathons, rode elephants in Thailand and are just about the nicest people you can hope to meet when coming into a new city.

Tucson: Natalie just moved there by way of Chicago and has more travel experiences than most people have in their entire lifetime. Her hitch hiking tip is….”Go to a truck stop and ask a trucker to use their CB radio…make an annoucement over the CB that you are in need of a lift and provide your pick up location.”

El Paso: Juris and Molly are semi-retired and have lived in El Paso for the last 3 years and are raising 2 teenagers.

Dallas: Phil and Meghan. They rock. They’ve given up the corporate job lifestyle to work in the nonprofit sector as legal aid advocates and are very passionate about their beliefs and ideals.

San Antonio: Lorna and her two teenage daughters Allison and Ashley. What a vibrant household! Lorna used to live in Europe and speaks Italian and some French. They previously lived in Renton, WA before moving to San Antonio 5 years ago.

Houston: Emma! Emma spent most of her childhood growing up in Portland and now goes to school in Massachusettes. But what is most incredible is that she is currently assisting author Douglas Brinkley on his new book about Hurricane Katrina. It should be published in April.

Below: Emma (on the right) and her friend Janell, who is also a Couchsurfing member. We stayed up watching The Birdcage.

New Orleans: Alison and Sean were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and ended up living in the Portland, OR area for the past few months because of their family connections and just recently returned to the city where they both went to college. Because we were having a late night at the club “One Eye Jack” in the French Quarter, I actually ended up staying with their friend Jack, who lives very close to all the action. Below: Sean, Alison and Jack.

Atlanta: Yale, who should have his own sitcom! He has a great pad in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, which is close to all the best restaurants, bars, independent movie theaters and nightlife. He lives with a bunch of fellow bachelors playing music, watching movies, playing video games, hanging out, going out and just generally having lots of fun. And I have to give him the props for allowing me to use his laptop to update my blog. I felt like I was in a glorified episode of Seinfeld, there were so many people coming and going and it was so thoroughly entertaining.

Atlanta: I also stayed with Danielle, currently working for the government and trying to decide on her next move in life–I say to go ahead and go to school in New York! She also lived in a really cool area of the city and I was able to go out and meet her friends over drinks at a sweet little Pan-Mex restaurant and bar. Below are Ben (who once drove all the way down to Panama with his buddy) and Danielle.

Charlotte: Terri and Brian. Too cool, way cool, I had the best time just hanging out til the wee hours of the morning talking bout’ whateva. Southern Hospitality fo sure!

I stayed in little homes and big homes out in the suburbs, in high rise luxury condo buildings with valet parking and a 24 hour concierge, so apartment lofts and homes with my own room and bathroom. I’ve slept on air mattresses, floors, separate queen beds, single beds and couches of all shapes and sizes.

I’d have to say that the best part about couchsurfing and staying in stranger’s houses is not just about the money you save. It’s about the people you meet. It blows me away when I meet my hosts and hostesses. So many stories, so many thoughts and ideas about the world. I get the inside scoop on things to do, places to see and restaurants to eat at. I also get to find out about local issues and learn about the things that are important to them. Though we may come from different backgrounds and cultures and upbringings, in all the people I’ve come to know and befriend through Couchsurfing and Globalfreeloaders, we all share the same kindred spirit of this travel exchange.

Couchsurfing is not for everyone, and it takes a different kind of wiring to consider this form of sleeping arrangement. And I’ll be the first to admit that it is nice to get your own hotel room and just vege out for a night or two and spend some alone time to read or write or waste your time in front of the television. But for getting out and truly meeting people and staying with them, couchsurfing is a tremendous way of travel. One guy, Steve Savage, has been doing it for over 2 years and is now currently in Europe traveling in this fashion. I probably couldn’t go for that long, but never say never, I have not yet had one bad experience couchsurfing and look forward to my text trip domestic or abroad when I can do this again.

Check it out! And you can find my couchsurfing profile by searching under ‘Portland, OR.’ Til my next opportune internet time, enjoy!

Greetings from Charlotte, NC. I have had no cell phone service, so for those of you who have tried to call me, I should have service by this Friday. The car is smoking really bad and the oil lamp light finally came on the dashboard, so my morning will be spent at an oil change place before driving the 7 hours to my next stop in Morehead City (they have world famous lemming ice cream! okay, I made that up…)

* Mike J – keep up your fine work and get back that VIP status so we can return to Vegas again. The way you’ve been picking, you should be the feature VIP and consider this your new professional career! YOU is on FIRE meng!

* Jonas – are you sure it was sugar? Didn’t have any so I tried pouring down some grits in my tank. That didn’t seem to do so well, so I promise you, next time I’ll go for the sugar.

* Hope – no didn’t make the spontaneous trip to Birmingham, but I can understand how King Jr. could move you and your friend to do that. New Orleans was almost like another world–just so empty with rows and streets of houses and buildings abandoned and in shambles.

* Aliscia – sorry bout’ the mystery of the keys! We should definitely get CSI to investigate, cause that is so strange that they ended up missing like that.

* Scott – hope you are feeling better, I was disappointed that I couldn’t join you and the rest of the crew on the Christmas ships, so definitely put me down for next year! And by that time we’ll see the Beavos in the Rose Bowl ;-D

* Lisa – in Greenville, SC a restaurant menu featured ‘Sammiches’ – so I promptly informed the management that they can’t spell and they need to write their menus in English so people know what they are ordering. Sheesh, sammiches?

* Dave – still haven’t tried your recommendation. You should let us all know about your experiences and extol the health benefits of such a diet.

* Mike R – sorry brother, you can’t touch me in the standings. That goes true for the once and has-been HoopKings and this week’s opponent Jeremy’s no-name team. Looking forward to getting back my championship belt when I return–I’m calling you out Adam!

* Jenna – it’s super to hear from ya! You have had quite the experiences with trying out all those jobs and I’m happy to hear that you are enjoying your current line of work!

* Sandra – yeah, I totally missed out on this year’s party, I went last year and had the best time! My Phoenix hostess told me about another Boots n All sister site, www.whygo.com. It’s a daily dose of travel inspiration that highlights reasons why we travel. At any rate, you’ll have to tell me all about the party and your most recent adventures in Mexico with your husband! And I’ve had the Amazing Race being recorded so I’ll get to see who won it all when I come back. You should totally apply for next season!

* Chris – you were the last victim to eat my dunk, cat got your tongue? Or actions speak louder than words and you’re just waiting for when I get back? You better be ready and be afraid. Be very afraid.

* Kathy R – thanks for checking in on me, you are like my second mom! Keep Edmikabe Expressway fun and real and watch out for Mr. Fun Police, Mr. Ade cause he is soo by the rules and he’ll report you for wearing non-corporate day attire!

* Nicole – have a peace and joy holiday and thank you for saving those scrambled eggs for me from the holiday party — you can just go ahead and put them in my desk for safe keeping.

* Monica – you should stay home when you are sick. Not nice going to work and getting other people sick because you decided not to wear any gloves outside. Oh wait, you are a Coug and that’s just how you are, my bad. Don’t be a hater.

* John – thanks for the shout out and I’m glad you were able to avoid all the snow and ice. I didn’t see Booker T in Houston or Brent Berry so I’ll have to try again next time. I’ll be down for Royal Rumble come January!

* Marcus – so what’s up with Kwanzannakuh for this year? You better come play basketball with us when I get back, who cares about overrated knee surgery and blah blah blah.

* All the peeps I’ve met on my road trip – it’s been an incredible experience and you are all super awesome and welcome anytime you come visit Portland!

More useless stats and other passing thoughts…

* Most expensive gas: $2.49 per gallon, California.
* Cheapest: $2.15, Alabama.
* Best mileage: 35 miles per gallon
* Worst: 24 miles per galloon

* I really can’t thank the inventor of the automobile cruise control enough. On my drive from El Paso to Carlsbad Caverns, I lost the ability of cruise control. Stepping on the gas for 3 hours straight made me really appreciate the virtues of automatic cruising.

* Although I still have doubts about my car’s ability to make it another week, my main concern now is the weather. Just a few days ago Atlanta had ice and sleet in some sections of the city, and similar storm systems are enjoying a stay in Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It is pretty cold outside with that windchill!

* Things I miss from Portland
– my daily fruit smoothies (with my one children’s vitamin tablet!)
– playing basketball and ruling the courts with my lightning quick hops, money Jumper, and of course posterizing my unfortunate opponent with a triple reverse sommersault left handed dunk (sorry you were the last victim, Chris).
– Lost. And the Amazing Race.
– serving all my clients at my job. Okay, actually, I DON’T miss that！！！
– WWE Smackdown and Raw is War. John and Marcus are cool, if you can smell what the Rock is cookin’
– Pacific Standard Time
– Catching a flick at the local cineplex (NOT Regal Cinemas)

Car has made it to Georgia! Didn’t spend the night in my car after all, ended up spending the night in a hotel in Montgomery. I’m now in Atlanta using the public express internet terminal at the library, and a growing mob of people want access to my computer, the pressure is on!

* 7 lanes of traffic in Atlanta plus construction and every other street is called “Peachtree Street,” with other designations that follow it like “NE, Road, SE, Avenue, Drive, NW,” and blah blah blah. Streets normally change their names so it is pretty difficult navigating through the city.

* The south sure does love its chicken…everything from KFC, Popeye’s, Church’s, Chic-Fil-A and Hartt’s Chicken buffet. I’ll have to try one of them out soon.

* Mike gave me a suggestion for Krystal’s, similar to White Castle…okay brother, I’ve seen the Krystal and I’ll go for it next time I’m hungry!

* Congrats to Eric who made the All-Star team for our basketball league. We didn’t make the playoffs, but considering this was our first year playing as a team, props to my teammates for having a great camraderie and playing as friends…can’t wait to get back to play some hoops!

* Don’t know when I’ll have a chance to upload my pics, I tried unsuccessfully to use the library in West Point, GA–but their tiny library was closed.

* My time is up on my computer, that’s all for now!

I’m in Mobile, Alabama, pronounced Mo-beel. I don’t have a place to stay for tonight, so it’s either sleeping in my car or spending some money for a hotel, hopefully one with some internet access. I don’t have a laptop, so my best bet is to inquire about those with a business center…so if I don’t update this blog tonight, then you’ll know I spent the night in my lovely car!

Quick useless stats before my public library internet connection is lost….

* My car has put on 4000 miles since Portland and has another 2000 to go.

* The burning oil smell is really more pronounced and at times I can smell it in my car cabin.

* I’ve been keeping an eye out on my tires….in Dallas, I put air in all four, as they were all underinflated.

* The roads through Louisiana and Alabama are poorly maintained and my car jerks around on uneven road, sometimes it feels like I might lose control even though I’m at a steady 70 mph. The roads are that bad.

* I promised myself that if I ate fast food, I wouldn’t go to the same place twice. So, here is your fast food count: McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr., Whataburger, In-N-Out, Hot Dog on a Stick, Del Taco, Taco Cabana and Jack in the Box—twice. In a moment of weakness, I did go to Jack in the Box a second time because I was craving an Oreo milkshake. So, I confess, I have no self-control and the milkshake got the better of me. But man it was soooo gooood!!

* Lots of ‘Waffle House’ restaurants all through Texas, Louisiana and Alabama. Yep, had to eat breakfast there once. Not bad. Later I was told from a friend of my Houston hostess that locals refer to it as the “Awful House.”

* Texas road signs: “Watch for ICE on the bridges.” “Don’t Mess with Texas.”

* There are also a lot of Luby’s restaurants off the Interstate in Texas. Didn’t eat there. But I learned that it’s a cafeteria style place where a bunch of old people eat–must be those senior discounts.

* I’m interested in finding a Whitecastle. Gotta try those famous sliders.

* New Orleans deserves its own entry…definitely eye-opening. Much of the city is in ruins, deserted, abandoned and ghostly…however, there are signs of recovery, albeit slow and gradual. Hopefully I’ll have more time later.

* And that’s it for now. Tomorrow I arrive into Atlanta and I’ll be on Eastern Standard Time…

Spent most of the day at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, just south of Houston. Admission was kinda steep, but because of the bad weather there weren’t a lot of people there. Manned space exploration has always fascinated me from the time I was a little kid watching “Star Trek” and “Battlestar Galactica.” I can still remember when I was a sixth grader at Hosford Middle School when one of my teachers, Mrs. Newby, started crying because of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Here are some cool things that I learned that I now share with you!!

* The average cost for an astronaut’s space suit is 12 million dollars.

* Launches occur at Cape Canaveral in Florida, but after lift off Mission Control is at Johnson Space Center.

* Mars exploration isn’t rocket science; the real problem is the limitations of the human body and the effects of zero gravity on bone mass, muscle, etc.

* The International Space Station is a collaboration of 16 nations that should be completed by 2010. The space station orbits the earth 16 times a day, and can be seen by the naked eye.

* It’s now 12:3oam, and I can’t think or remember anything else, so that’s it for now….

Okay WAZU Cougar loser, here is your special request travel post just for Monica, Apparently my posts lack certain pizaaz and sizzle, as she wanted to know more history about the locations that I am visiting and how past events have shaped the political, cultural and economic landscape of the local region. Coupled with special emphasis of demographic statistics, she guaranteed that readers will be more drawn to my updates and really stir within them a deep sense of osmosis. So, without further ado, thank Monica for this entry:

Houston, TX. Founded in 1823 by Jeremiah “Gene” Hackman, it was once the site of a meteor crash site that could have, may have, perhaps so, wiped out the dinosaurs and ancient cavemen. Authorities are unable to substantiate this claim because they weren’t around then, but if they were, then surely the local Houston Chronicle would have their front page devoted to this catastrophic event (continuted on page C9). Leftover bones and tattered clothing were discovereed at Hermann Park (named after John “Gene” Park), and thus Houston was born out of the rubble and exploded to become the 4th largest city in the U.S. With no urban planning and being named America’s Most Unfit City, it is a city on the up and up and has a lightrail system to rival any transportation system consisting of wheels and donuts.

The biggest draw to Houston, however, is not the Eiffel Tower or Disneyland, it is the local Houston Zoo. Whales were the first animals to be featured at the zoo, and then in 1801 dolphins made their debut to a delightful appreciative crowd of school children, dignitarians from Africa and the local militia. These reptiles performed wonderous feats of magic, such as tightrope walking, somersaults and painting with acrylic oils that were later sold to art galleries near and afar (go to any Thomas Kincade Gallery and give the code name “The Animal” to see these rare and priceless pieces of art). Later the curator added lobsters, pigs, bats, elephants and chimpanzees. It was the chimpanzee program that became the pride and joy of the organization, churning out performers for “BJ and the Bear,” “Cannonball Run,” and “The Wonder Years.” In 1765 an earthquake shattered the cages which held the wild mammals captive, and they integrated into society under the radar of the public. However, by using special sunglasses, townfolk were able to differentiate those who were human and those who were not. Finally, in 1799, Commissioner Gordon and multi multi multi billionaire Bruce Wayne formed a new branch of government “The People’s Coalition.” A year long curfew was imposed on all citizens, and before long, these ruthless zoo animals were rounded up and bequethed to the Queen of England on the famous Titanic oceanliner.

Things returned back to normal, but the volcano’s damage had inflicted permanent damage to the Atzec ceramic plate collection and the aquaduct infrastructure. Taxes were increased and that’s how Houston was named “Space City USA.” Other famous Houstonians include Mr. Bean, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Clean, Mr. Ed and Mrs. Butterworth. Today, we had lots of rain, thunder, lightning, strong winds and a dose of “The Birdcage.” And there folks, is your short history lesson on the shaman tribe “Houston” and how the city became to be the number one exporter for pineapple and Enron stock.

Heading down to Houston today, but thought I’d share a few quick thoughts on San Antonio.

* The freeway system is quite perplexing; I’m a pretty diligent driver with knowing exactly where I’m going, but the way they have their freeways designed created quite a bit of backtracking. You have to pay attention to the signs on where you want to go, because there is little forewarning on the exit ramp. Traffic can exit on the left, merge on the left, there are turnarounds everywhere and road construction made it extra challenging on where I needed to go.

* San Antonio is known, of course, for the famous Alamo. And no, there is no basement. But surrounding the famous historic site are: one Ripley’s Believe or Not Museum, on Ripley’s Haunted House Ride, a Madame Toussard’s Wax Museum, a Hagan Daaz ice cream shop, a Davey Crockett minature golf course, and so many tacky souvenir shops with T-shirts 3 for $10 and other great tourist ‘bargains.’ Pretty amazing to see how much commercialism springs up whenever you have lots and lots of people with money to spend.

* The city is also well known for its “Riverwalk.” I did little reading on this and figured it was just another overhyped and overmarketed touristy thing for people to do. Well, I was wrong. The riverwalk has to be one of my favorite highlights of my road trip so far. It is basically a pedestrian-only street that follows the banks of the San Antonio River. Along these banks are numerous restaurants and bars with outdoor seating. On a Monday night or any night, it is the place to people watch. The river is narrow, probably less than 70 feet across, so on both sides there is a path that meanders for a good 2.5 miles. I spent about 2 hours just walking this path and ducking into the shops, hotels and whatever else that caught my eye. In the evening the trees on the path are adorned with colorful lights. It is a very lovely stroll with small tour boats that take a 30 minute ride around the waterways, some boats even offering table dinner service. It may be a touristy thing to do, but it is well worth it. So when in San Antonio, I highly recommend taking a leisurely stroll along the Riverwalk. Wikipedia has a pretty good overview here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Antonio_Riverwalk

* My host family for this leg of my trip was Lorna and her two teenage daughters, Ashley and Allison. Lorna was very kind to let me hog up her computer to do my necessary email and travelblog updates. It is a vibrant and welcoming household which also features their cat and dog. Thanks again for your hospitality Lorna!

* Other random thoughts: I’m hungry.

* Other random thoughts part two: Yeah, I’m hungry. Gonna stop here and get some grub for my drive down to Houston. Hasta Luego.

As per your request, since pictures tell a thousand words and my previous posts didn’t make much sense, here are some photos….

I spent part of the day in El Paso, TX, crossing the border and getting lost in the very crowded streets of Juarez. This is an endless maze of food stands, clothing, knick knacks, fruits & veggies, and more. There is also quite a bit of poverty. Unfortunately, this is also the city where, since 1993, there have been almost 400 women and girls murdered and more than 70 remain missing in Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, Mexico. Amnesty International has a pretty good overview here: http://www.amnestyusa.org/women/juarez/

Fitting enough, Hollywood is coming out with a movie starring Jennifer Lopez about these unsolved murders.

My host family, Molly and Juris, in El Paso. Molly comes by way of Malasia, and Juris via Latvia. Both very generous ambassadors to the city!

Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I signed up for a guided tour, but ran out of time as it took me 2.5 hours to do the self-guided walk in the underground trail. Thanks Melody for letting me borrow your National Parks Pass!

For even more pics, please check out my online photo album at:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/aurclyels/my_photos

You do not need to be a member of Yahoo to access the pics. One of the albums is of Costa Rica from last year, so ignore that one! Time to go play in San Antonio now!

So for all you quote-phobes, here’s one I saw in Austin:

“Be the change that you seek in the world”

Okay, I messed that up. It goes something like that. Maybe I forgot a word or two, but I think you get the idea. On the other hand, maybe I’ll just offer up an easier one to remember, like Murphy’s law #34: “If at first you don’t succeed, make up some other quote.”

I’m in San Antonio and my host family, well one of the members anyways, is watching Lord of the Rings. So of course I have to peek away and watch the really good parts. Like when Sean Astin exclaims “But Luke, I AM your father!!” And then the ogre, who is holding Luke captive, clubs him on the head. At any rate, you know how it is always difficult in trying to figure out what to get your family members for the holidays? Cause they already have everything or what your really want to get them is just soo far out of your price range? Well, wouldn’t it be totally easy if you were a Hobbit? Shopping would be cake–like how about one of those foot bath massage things for their big feet? Or maybe the Flowbee? Hobbits seriously need to get some style with their hair. Maybe some blue highlights or a crew cut. It would be easy to buy for a Hobbit.

Austin is one really cool town. They have a couple of greenbelt pathways that everyone plus their mother uses. Really, it was really quite inspiring, really. Did you realize that you just said really three times in the last sentence? Did you know that really consists of 2 syllables, 6 letters, and 2 vowels? Or 3 if you count the ‘Y.’ Really. And did you know that the human head weighs 7 pounds? And my neighbor has a bunny rabbit? Okay, back on track….

The greenbelt. Austin is a perfect town for outdoor pursuits. The University of Texas is less than a mile from the downtown core, and the downtown core is situated on the banks of a river with trails galore. There’s even an outdoor swim park that is open year round. For more info, check this out: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/greenbelts.htm I spent the afternoon biking around the town and ducking into shops along Old Pecan Street (6th street). I even saw Woody Harrelson smoking some weed in some park.

Check my blog tomorrow, I should have time to give you the scoop and post up more pics. I know you are dying to see the photos of caves. I stopped by the Carlsbad Caves National Monument… 80% of the pics are of darkness. But a few came out, so come back tomorrow. As you can tell, I’m still pretty tired and I’m not making much sense, so I better end while I’m ahead. With another quote: “Bye for now!’