With so much fuss about the nano, I feel like the iPod Shuffle doesn’t get the attention it deserves. It seems more primitive than it really is – understanding the controls is the key to realizing the Shuffle’s potential. Here are some intelligent nuances that make the Shuffle very dynamic.
Archive for Photos
Today I took a scenic drive and explored some of the lesser-known beaches of The Bay Area. Most people here go to one of the many beaches in Santa Cruz, about 35 minutes Southwest of San Jose, but I decided to visit some of the beaches North of Santa Cruz.
To prepare for my beach expedition, I made a tadalist of things to bring with me: sandwiches, gatorade, clothing of varying warmth, a camera, and a sketchbook/journal. Now I think I would add to that list: even warmer clothing, a towel to wipe the sand off of my feet, and some shoes that are perhaps fit for rock climbing (I wore flip flops). However, I was sufficiently prepared to have a good experience.
To get to the beaches I wanted to go to, I took California route 84, which was a very enjoyable road to drive on. The varied shadows casts by the redwood trees made it difficult to see, but the road was full of curves and hairpin turns that were fit for a car commercial. I saw many people enjoying their sports cars and motorcycles, and there were also many bicyclists. They are either brave or crazy for riding that road, because I don’t know if there would be enough time for a motorist to react to their presence around some of those blind turns. La Honda Road if you zoom in on this map will show you the character of this road. It took maybe an hour to get to a beach. Gas was $3.15 a gallon. Somehow an hour drive to a beach goes by much quicker than say, an hour drive to Lincoln, Nebraska.
The first beach I visited was Pomponio. It didn’t take me long outside of my car to decide it was time to change into long pants and long sleeves. It was sunny in San Jose, as always, but upon arriving at the coast there was no trace of the sun. I asked one of the beach wardens if it was usually this cloudy here, and she said that it was. This must be why these beaches aren’t especially popular. There were still several dozen people there, fishing, surfing, picnicking, or just walking around like myself. I took off my sandals and walked along the beach, and was sure to call a few close friends and family to let them know where I was. It’s not that often that a kid from Nebraska finds himself near an ocean. The tide was low and I saw some beautiful cliffs and rock features.
The next beach I went to was Pescadero. This beach was much more rocky than Pomponio, and there were tide pools with crabs scurrying about in them. As I approached one large rock, I could hear the crabs making some sort of bubbling sound. They were tucked away in little crevices, waiting for the tide to come back in. I saw a couple crawling about on a rocky beach and I thought maybe they were hunting for clams, but they said they were picking out rocks for their gardens. You’re not supposed to do that at a State Beach, of course. I thought they might have been hunting for clams because I saw a notice posted that said there was a quarantine on mussels from California. They may contain a substance that is poisonous to humans. It said it was okay to eat the clams, but you were supposed to remove the dark parts. I’d like to hunt and eat my own clams, but I’d better find someone experienced in that to show me how.
Then I went to Pebble Beach (no relation to the golf course) which is near Bean Hollow. There were even more tide pools here, and amazing rock formations. There were professional photographers there taking pictures of them.
Then I came across Año Nuevo State Reserve, and was delighted to see that elephant seals and sea lions could be observed here, but it was past the hours to purchase passes, and it was a 1.6 mile hike to the observation point, and I was getting pretty tired. That is something I will definitely have to see. I may have to reserve a guided tour during the breeding months (Dec-March), which is when one may see two males competing, or maybe even witness the birth of a pup. Didn’t get to see any of that today, so I just took a short nap in my car.
I did end up driving through Santa Cruz, though I didn’t stop at any of the beaches, and it was certainly much sunnier there. On my way there, I saw some people being pulled on boards by parachutes. I didn’t catch what they call this, and I’ve never seen it before.
This will surely be one of many exploratory adventures in The Bay Area. There is an overwhelming amount of things to see and do.
Some more photo highlights from my journey to The Bay.
A sculpture on the salt flats in Utah. There really is salt everywhere.
A roadside fire in Elko, Nevada.
Battle Mountain, Nevada - officially, the armpit of America.
Horse at gas station in Battle Mountain.
Some pretty roadside hills in Nevada.
Arriving in Reno, Nevada.
I’ve driven one day and am currently in Denver at my friend Onye’s house. It’s a very lucky coincidence that Onye, one of my very good friends from college, is going to Stanford Law (in Palo Alto, 20 minutes from San Jose) at the exact same time as I am making this move. Our plan is to go to Park City today, Tahoe/Reno on Wednesday, and the Bay Area on Thursday. This move would be much more fun if my ragweed allergies were not pure torture.
Farewell, good friends – and a good bar.
No matter how promising the road ahead, empty apartments are depressing. This is where I spent many nights over the last three years working toward this day.
The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearney Nebraska. As seen in About Schmidt, this is an excellent museum chronicling the various people who came through Kearney, headed west in search of a better life.
Highway sign from an exhibit highlighting the Lincoln Highway.
A sign at a gas station nowhere in Nebraska.
In Colorado.
On a trip across Iowa, I decided to take the highway instead of the interstate. It may have taken a few minutes longer to make the trip, but I saw some interesting things along the way. The highway I travelled on was the historic Lincoln Highway.
Stuff like this is quite common along the highway, which makes me wonder how Iowa remains not a part of Jesusland
I was impressed to see that this cafe in Tama, Iowa offered free wireless internet.
Lincoln Highway Bridge in Tama, Iowa.
Rialto Theater. I don’t remember where this was. I couldn’t get them to put my name on the marquee.
Late this winter, my roommate, the Basil Plant, died of an infestation of Mealybugs. The Basil Plant provided much flavor to many a pasta and red sauce dish. The Basil Plant will be missed.
What was the turn of events surrounding the demise of The Basil Plant? Well, one day I noticed that there seemed to be some sort of white mold growing on The Basil Plant. At first I wasn’t that concerned with it, as The Basil Plant was lucky if I remembered to water it before it’s leaves wilted. But there gradually became more and more of these talcum-powder like spots all over The Basil Plant. I had to look very closely to notice that these spots of “mold” had legs and could move around.
Last weekend I made a trip to Phoenix to visit my newborn nephew. It was hot there. Here are some photos from my trip.
During my college years, I had the pleasure of spending a semester in Rome, Italy. The most amazing place in all of Rome, and in what I have seen of the world, is the Pantheon. Built circa 118 A.D., it is one of the Architectural marvels of the world. The 142 foot, almost perfectly spherical dome is supported by 20 foot thick masonry and is topped off with an oculus that permits light (and yes, rain) into the building.
Words can’t do justice to what it is like to enter this space. I’m afraid pictures cannot either, but I’ll give it a try.
In my many trips to Chicago, I have stayed a couple of times at a gem of a hotel called Congress Plaza. Rich with history, the Congress Plaza Hotel has accommodated Presidents of The United States, royalty from countries around the world, and David Kadavy. Looking around at reviews on sites such as Travelocity, there are definitely some people who don’t appreciate the distinct character and benefits of this fine hotel.
