tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46559186057400547702024-02-21T09:54:06.437-05:00Reluctant ChauffeurCurrent City: Denver, COa.b. samienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14423603603126981534noreply@blogger.comBlogger494125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-14365423300115429362016-08-24T14:27:00.000-04:002016-08-24T14:27:24.586-04:00Article: Why Does Time Seem to Speed Up with Age?<span style="font-size: large;">T</span>his explains why the last three years of travel seem longer than the five before it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
1. <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-time-seem-to-speed-up-with-age/">Why Does Time Seem to Speed Up with Age? (Scientific America)</a><br />
<br />
"The
reason? Our brain encodes new experiences, but not familiar ones, into
memory, and our retrospective judgment of time is based on how many new
memories we create over a certain period. In other words, the more new
memories we build on a weekend getaway, the longer that trip will seem
in hindsight."T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-54678536813152801202016-08-06T06:00:00.000-04:002016-08-23T14:09:28.129-04:00I read every one of "BBC's All Time Top 100 Best Novels"...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4BJfGSLLJE/VlfGQRBBt9I/AAAAAAAADOQ/TT-O4w4zvJw/s1600/Book4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z4BJfGSLLJE/VlfGQRBBt9I/AAAAAAAADOQ/TT-O4w4zvJw/s1600/Book4.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
... well, I gave each book a try, anyway. Of the 100 books on the list, I read ninety cover-to-cover and the remaining ten anywhere from 20% to 90% through. If I read 50% in and regretted the time spent, I finished up with some CliffsNotes. There are too many great works of literature to force myself to read something I don't enjoy. The books completed to 90% were ones read for school but unfinished like <i>The Complete Works of Shakespeare</i>.</div>
<br />
<b>Full disclosure:</b> Soon before finishing the list, I learned it wasn't really created by the BBC. It was an improved version
of their "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/">Big Read</a>" list authored by an anonymous source, online.<br />
<br />
After comparing the two lists, the meme version seems better, adding
great books like <i>Shadow of the Wind, The Wasp Factory, Handmaid's Tale, </i>and <i>Atonement</i>.
It also had a few undeserving titles like <br />
<a name='more'></a><i>Lovely Bones, Notes
from a Small Island, </i>and<i> The Da Vinci Code</i>. But overall, I'm glad I went
with the "fake" list.
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.purplecar.net/2009/03/how-do-memes-start-a-case-study-100-books-in-facebook/">Here is a comparison of the two lists</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.listchallenges.com/bbc-the-big-read-best-loved-novels-of-all-time">The Big Read in check-box form</a> <br />
<br />
What next? <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/ann_morgan_my_year_reading_a_book_from_every_country_in_the_world?language=en">I like this idea from Ann Morgan </a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">(reading a book from every country)</a>. It does feel good to accomplish such a time consuming goal and lists motivate, but I'm going to stay away from creating a new list for a while; read more spontaneously. I'll pick a few of my favorite authors like Ian McEwan and Cormac McCarthy and read through their libraries.<br />
<br />
<b>Here is the complete list:</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">Red = Favorites</span><br />
<i>Italicized = Unfinished</i><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-26f00384-46d3-7a03-0046-d75384f7a301" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen </span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">6 The Bible – Various</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte </span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">14 Complete Works of Shakespeare </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">19 The Time Traveler's Wife – Audrey Niffenegger</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">20 Middlemarch – George Eliot </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">34 Emma – Jane Austen </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">35 Persuasion – Jane Austen </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">36 The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">41 Animal Farm – George Orwell </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding </span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">50 Atonement – Ian McEwan</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">52 Dune – Frank Herbert</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: red;">58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley </span> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck</span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">72 Dracula – Bram Stoker </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">75 Ulysses – James Joyce</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">78 Germinal – Emile Zola</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">80 Possession – AS Byatt </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White MJJB</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">94 Watership Down – Richard Adams</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl </span></div>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo </span><br />
<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-16135246098158743682016-08-03T06:00:00.000-04:002016-08-03T06:00:12.091-04:00Denver: "Then and now" photo comparison between now and wayback in 2014<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gtGmqJAV464/V5ay32blXVI/AAAAAAAADX4/EmSbDH-uuQ4rz-_VcasCHbUGOgQbcIQHwCLcB/s400/Denver%2B2014%2Bto%2B2016%2BLoDo.jpg" width="400" /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">W</span>hen we drove into Denver earlier this month, we were stunned by the changes. I was briefly disoriented by the new and ongoing construction; the lack of recognizable landmarks. It had only been 19 months!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Roads through empty lots now run through towering apartments and offices. New grocery stores. New restaurants. With around 40,000 more people in the area, places seem more crowded than I remembered. More traffic. More honking.<br />
<br />
In 2014, many parks, train stations, and buildings were only recently
completed. I can't imagine how people who grew up here, feel.<br />
<br />
I
haven't found any good pictures or time-lapses of Denver's skyline,
though there seem to be plenty<br />
<a name='more'></a>of similar large-growth cities like
Seattle and Austin. <a href="http://denverinfill.com/blog/2016/07/denvers-3d-future-skyline-july-2016-update.html">Denver Infill</a>, has some great 3-D maps showing ongoing and planned building projects. <br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8fxtsErK_o/V5akTvL7hYI/AAAAAAAADXU/ALQpTmalWz0AvW62jPyFNaHXNPnOFBmJwCLcB/s1600/SAM_5477-min.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lower Downtown 2014" border="0" height="146" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8fxtsErK_o/V5akTvL7hYI/AAAAAAAADXU/ALQpTmalWz0AvW62jPyFNaHXNPnOFBmJwCLcB/s320/SAM_5477-min.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Downtown -- 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ggP9TeOfxzg/V5akTou67qI/AAAAAAAADXY/RrB5PzfBCh8K0YaZR3AtGhWE5JEgW82SQCLcB/s1600/WP_20160705_18_48_17_Pro-min.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lower Downtown -- Same Spot 2016" border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ggP9TeOfxzg/V5akTou67qI/AAAAAAAADXY/RrB5PzfBCh8K0YaZR3AtGhWE5JEgW82SQCLcB/s320/WP_20160705_18_48_17_Pro-min.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lower Downtown Same Spot -- 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
FasTracks light-rail has progressed nicely during our absence. A lot of cities are adding or rehauling a line or two (NY,
Chicago, Seattle). Denver is the only U.S. city I know about that is
building an entire addition. There is now a train to the airport from downtown. A sizeable percent of people living downtown don't own a car so builders are reducing parking garage space in favor of living space. FasTracks should be finished in 2018. </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZkVPS3CI74/V5akSIq5zwI/AAAAAAAADXI/Onur_ogth44YYp-e_LB2_aNI6GkVG_WEwCLcB/s1600/Denver%2BLightrail%2B2014-min.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="DTA Light Rail 2014" border="0" height="230" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PZkVPS3CI74/V5akSIq5zwI/AAAAAAAADXI/Onur_ogth44YYp-e_LB2_aNI6GkVG_WEwCLcB/s320/Denver%2BLightrail%2B2014-min.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DTA Rail Map 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPB-3HjV5DU/V5akSJzzLwI/AAAAAAAADXE/519ApXSii3s4QvDOjKrgsTtdp5SQqHB3wCLcB/s1600/Denver%2BLightrail%2B2016-min.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=" DTA Rail 2016" border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPB-3HjV5DU/V5akSJzzLwI/AAAAAAAADXE/519ApXSii3s4QvDOjKrgsTtdp5SQqHB3wCLcB/s320/Denver%2BLightrail%2B2016-min.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DTA Rail Map 2016<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here are more photo comparisons from a little further back. Each photo, taken in nearly the exact same location, has something similar from the previous photo, but it's sometimes hard to spot. The photos from the late 80's and early 90's are for sale on <a href="http://www.denverphotoarchives.com/">Denver Photo Archive</a>. I am posting links due to copyrighted. I took the new photos last week (July 2016). </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.denverphotoarchives.com/denver_museum_of_contemporary_art.html">Looking NW from south of 1400 Delgany Street - 1989</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JDwEpIvsXkQ/V6E3JJ-r08I/AAAAAAAADaU/n4dJtjOdKrM0mMUXB-AmXL0gLMgx_GihgCLcB/s1600/16-min.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JDwEpIvsXkQ/V6E3JJ-r08I/AAAAAAAADaU/n4dJtjOdKrM0mMUXB-AmXL0gLMgx_GihgCLcB/s320/16-min.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Besides the bridge and creek, there is very little in common between the 1989 and 2016 photos. There are now pedestrian walkways on the north side of the creek and a bike-way on the south.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.denverphotoarchives.com/blowups/mca/01300011.html">Looking northeast above Cherry Creek River - 1986</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6D_VpYagAMw/V6E3JOH9_GI/AAAAAAAADaY/tlLqTwBUtyoRjDn7dAf_1c6aZF7b86qBwCLcB/s1600/18-min.JPG"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6D_VpYagAMw/V6E3JOH9_GI/AAAAAAAADaY/tlLqTwBUtyoRjDn7dAf_1c6aZF7b86qBwCLcB/s400/18-min.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Notice the small amount of lettering in the top right from the "Daniels and Fisher" that was also in the picture from 1986.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.denverphotoarchives.com/blowups/lower_downtown/02340032.html">15th St & Wazee, looking NE - 1985</a> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mXeLdIPAHSg/V6E3JcTSSOI/AAAAAAAADac/u_Bp56Z1-bo2H2rdsNUFzjbUXEL2z277gCLcB/s1600/24-min.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mXeLdIPAHSg/V6E3JcTSSOI/AAAAAAAADac/u_Bp56Z1-bo2H2rdsNUFzjbUXEL2z277gCLcB/s400/24-min.JPG" width="313" /></a></div>
I took this picture by sticking my hand out our window since the viaduct the original was taken from has been demolished. Most of these buildings are the same from the 1985 photo, however the street terminates at Coors Stadium instead of the large Fireman's Grain Building.<br />
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<a href="http://www.denverphotoarchives.com/blowups/lower_downtown/00330046.html">Alley between Wazee St & Wynkoop St - 1987 </a><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pMFxcT-We0/V6E3IwfMfQI/AAAAAAAADaQ/8ArkgcW8FCwNbfasasBZXLm1NDUpQk8_gCLcB/s1600/14-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pMFxcT-We0/V6E3IwfMfQI/AAAAAAAADaQ/8ArkgcW8FCwNbfasasBZXLm1NDUpQk8_gCLcB/s400/14-min.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
The view from this alley seems to have changed very little in 29 years, but a closer look reveals a balcony from one of the many new condos built into these historic buildings jutting out from the top of the frame. Also, the alley has been paved, and a parking lot sits at the end in place of a dirt road.<br /> <br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1pMFxcT-We0/V6E3IwfMfQI/AAAAAAAADaQ/8ArkgcW8FCwNbfasasBZXLm1NDUpQk8_gCLcB/s1600/14-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> </td></tr>
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-23311311994269753502016-07-31T19:30:00.000-04:002016-07-31T20:14:59.982-04:00Denver: Home Sweet Home #12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Another apartment to add to the list. Common warehouse type in Denver and other refurbished downtowns, but unlike any we've lived in, yet.</div>
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The apartment is in Denver's Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood. A section known as the Hardware Block. Right between the 16th Street Mall and Cherry Creek Trail. A couple blocks from Union Station and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Above or next to clothing shops, bars, restaurants, medical offices, a bike shop, <a href="http://www.tatteredcover.com/">bookstore</a>, and a <a href="http://upstairscircus.com/co/project-menu/">DIY bar for making projects while enjoying a beer or cocktail</a>. Walk Score of 85 (for comparison, NY City = 89, SF = 86)</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d94pdNJDJ58/V51K85g2w1I/AAAAAAAADZY/xQ5ezSRUSho5EeDbBqi29JH6L_1-si6xACLcB/s1600/DSC00134-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d94pdNJDJ58/V51K85g2w1I/AAAAAAAADZY/xQ5ezSRUSho5EeDbBqi29JH6L_1-si6xACLcB/s400/DSC00134-min.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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View east towards downtown and the construction of what will be Denver's fourth highest building.</div>
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Pro: Nice open space Con: Nice open space. The wall between the kitchen and bedroom stops before<br />
<a name='more'></a>reaching the ceiling and there isn't a doorway, so we have to keep it down if one of us stays up late.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--JLehi4VXUI/V51K9qYijlI/AAAAAAAADZk/N8Qvi_p4wHwwBh8KYjtzt8jh4lLaKZllgCLcB/s1600/DSC00157-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--JLehi4VXUI/V51K9qYijlI/AAAAAAAADZk/N8Qvi_p4wHwwBh8KYjtzt8jh4lLaKZllgCLcB/s400/DSC00157-min.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Furnished with some items of interest like this clock...</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eYPTQK7hUxI/V51K-yp1pSI/AAAAAAAADZ8/k6sAME6cNDUv-kdXZ7P3okCwTpEfxUW4gCLcB/s1600/SAM_2817-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eYPTQK7hUxI/V51K-yp1pSI/AAAAAAAADZ8/k6sAME6cNDUv-kdXZ7P3okCwTpEfxUW4gCLcB/s400/SAM_2817-min.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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and this giant cat totem.</div>
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The apartment has one of these nifty sliding doors...<br />
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and a bunch of board games.<br />
Hopefully this evil eye talisman will ward off the dark!<br />
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This should be one of the last places we rent before settling down and furnishing a place of our own. <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Homes">See other homes we've lived in while traveling.</a> </div>
<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-86138544634914175882016-07-31T16:44:00.003-04:002016-07-31T20:07:38.464-04:00Denver: We're back and here to stay!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYtyYIZl0ww/V5awtP-B43I/AAAAAAAADX0/ho5QRdBNCgIfQQJTwMtpNZ4PdOMLKw0tACKgB/s1600/20160725_102831-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYtyYIZl0ww/V5awtP-B43I/AAAAAAAADX0/ho5QRdBNCgIfQQJTwMtpNZ4PdOMLKw0tACKgB/s640/20160725_102831-min.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">W</span>hat a summer! A road-trip from the West Coast to the East. First time visits to Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Phoenix, Portland (ME), Atlantic City, Buffalo, and Burlington (VT). We tried to make the best of our three free months off, visiting family from Florida to Boston and doing quite a bit in between. We drove the harrowing route to the top of Mount Washington in NH, RV'd around the Salton Sea and into the squatter community of Slab City, island hopped around Maine's Casco Bay in a mail-boat, camped on a hang-glider landing zone in the heart of Pennsylvania, lived on a boat for the weekend in Hilton Head, ate burritos in El Paso, air-boated in the Florida Everglades, canoed down the Schuylkill River, and saw some of our favorite musicians in Philadelphia and Trenton. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-leYtrstz9bw/V50lxw0hkMI/AAAAAAAADY4/HHxr5HPBnUkpJXGqVtwqYED3poKeVphvQCLcB/s1600/WP_20160630_13_29_46_Pro-min.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-leYtrstz9bw/V50lxw0hkMI/AAAAAAAADY4/HHxr5HPBnUkpJXGqVtwqYED3poKeVphvQCLcB/s320/WP_20160630_13_29_46_Pro-min.jpg" width="320" /></a> Lastly, we sold or donated anything that wouldn't fit in our Subaru (Ebay, Craigslist, yard sales) and headed for Denver; our last and hopefully final city of what has been nearly four years of travel and getting to live in amazing cities.</div>
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During these four years we've lived in 9 cities and taken the time to visit dozens more. Of the top 40 cities in the country, we've now lived in or visited 38. At the end of the year we will have been to every state except Hawaii. </div>
<a name='more'></a>At the outset of our travel in 2012, I created lengthy lists of things to do or see; bucket lists of concerts, shows, cities, parks, and activities not available in Northeast TN where I had lived for so many years. Looking back on these lists, I've checked almost every box. It's been an exciting run!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lMGol22u-YU/V5vxkGp0d8I/AAAAAAAADYc/vRSEIXJnFUQ6zWn6E1Ml2WkXMLVJBN5KgCLcB/s320/DSC00186.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Updated Travel Map</td></tr>
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I've been asked a couple times how we're going to keep from being bored after so much travel and stimulation. We've done more already than a lot of people do in a lifetime. It's a question I can't really relate to, so it's hard to answer.<br />
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Travel is great for experience, education, and inspiration, but if you can't find happiness and contentment without it, something is imbalanced. We look forward to being in one place for longer than a few months.</div>
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That's why we're back in Denver. What a great place to do a variety of things. It's (somewhat) in the middle of the country with cheap airfare nearly everywhere. The music scene is still in development with room for newcomers like <a href="https://www.reverbnation.com/lindsayamore">Lindsay</a>. Despite how it feels to the natives, the Rockies still offer plenty of space to get away. </div>
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Besides a few upsetting closures (Native Foods, Bark
Bar, Cheeky Monk), what we liked about Denver in 2014, remains. The
mountains are a short drive away. There is a serious subculture of
activism and care.
The economy is exciting and diverse. <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/2015/01/29/oil-prices-low-but-jobs-diversity-bodes-well-for-front-range-economy/">No single job sector accounts for more than 11% of the overall economy</a>:
tech, space, mining, transportation, health-care, green energy, oil,
marijuana, aviation, construction. There are so many events and
activities, it's sometimes hard to choose which to do.</div>
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<b>Second first-impressions on Denver:</b><br />
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<li>The growth is ridiculous. I was temporarily disoriented when we pulled into Lower Downtown.</li>
<li>Transportation is better than in 2014. We've only driven a handful of times over the past three weeks. Instead, we use train, bike, bus, Car2go, the MetroRide, and the MallRide. There were two days this week when the light-rail system was completely free to celebrate new lines.</li>
<li>Stores, restaurants, and bars are more crowded. With around 40,000 more people in the area since 2014, it's expected, but it takes getting used to.</li>
<li>The weather is the best. We've been here over three weeks and haven't had a rainy day, yet. Sure, it rains for a few hours, but blue skies before and after.</li>
<li>People are using their horns! It was rare to hear anyone honk when we lived here in 2014. Now there is a lot of it. I don't like it. Maybe all the transplants from IL and CA or perhaps the natives are cracking under the growth. </li>
<li>Denver is building for the future. One thing that made an impression on me from the far northeast this summer was the number of cemeteries in every town we drove through. Why? Years ago Denver dug their main cemetery up and put a park. One of the city's trendiest restaurants is in an old morgue. Perhaps cemeteries are a poor example, but Denver is forward looking. The economy is so diverse because the business community and government got together in the 80's to diversify away from reliance on energy alone. Now oil and mining industries coexist with the new and eventually, necessary. If only places like TX and WV could think similarly.</li>
<li>The 16th mall, the main tourist hub, is seedier. More crime. More people lying around. I haven't read enough about it to know why. I doubt it's entirely from marijuana, but it's related. Twenty-five states have already legalized in some form, four completely, so there are other places to go. It could be marijuana combined with decent social services and the backlash when Denver police clear out camping areas. Again, haven't been here long enough to know.</li>
<li>Despite housing going up nearly 10% a year, everything else is still surprisingly affordable: groceries, food, beer. Than again, everywhere seems cheap after living in San Francisco earlier this year.</li>
<li>Chipmunks are friendly in the Rockies! I thought it was just in Estes
Park, where they are fed peanuts, but no. We encountered the little guy below on a recent hike on the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33324-d527058-Reviews-Flatirons-Boulder_Colorado.html">Boulder Flatirons</a>. </li>
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<b>Denver Posts from 2014:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2014/04/denver-first-impressions-and-why-my-mom.html">Denver: First impressions and why my mom might be right about The Mile High City</a><br />
<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2014/04/denver-home-sweet-home-5-bison-on-loose.html">Denver: Home sweet home #5, bison on the loose, a redneck bus tour, and frisbee with the dead!</a><br />
<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2014/08/denver-four-months-in-colorado-and.html">Denver: Four months in Colorado and going strong!</a> T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-53034010404106652742016-04-03T11:06:00.002-04:002016-04-03T11:10:00.855-04:00San Francisco: Update and we're out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Pd2RqaOXfE/VvWU5YsOffI/AAAAAAAADRI/iBGMh839Zn4DRwd5klw8YCHXEVefCWkxg/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Pd2RqaOXfE/VvWU5YsOffI/AAAAAAAADRI/iBGMh839Zn4DRwd5klw8YCHXEVefCWkxg/s640/3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">O</span>ur San Francisco stay is almost over. We overcame the initial <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HypeBacklash">hype backlash</a> expressed in my last post and found some affordable places where we're comfortable hanging out. The El Niño rains eased up, allowing us to bike along the coast, over the Golden Gate, and into the headlands and bay cities. We went rowing in the Golden Gate Park and took the ferry to Angel Island. We watched open mic comedy at a laundromat in SOMA and played urban mini-golf in the Mission. We hung out with the beach crowd at Java Beach Cafe in Sunset and sampled crepes in Dogpatch. We visited the Google headquarters and the Computer History Museum in Mountain Valley. We traveled south to San Jose, north to the Lagunitas Brewery, and east to Berkeley. We sampled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigiri">Onigiri</a> in Japantown and tea in Chinatown. We made it out to the Bonita Lighthouse, hiked the Coastal Trail, and found a great dog beach for Bailey at Fort Funston. We haven't fallen as hard for San Francisco as many people we know, but there is a lot we'll miss.</div>
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<b>What I've learned to appreciate about San Francisco:</b></div>
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<b>The quirky details:</b> San Francisco is a compressed mess of
cultures and time periods, religions and sexual expression. There is a lot of detail that's missed by tourists. The
rebellious messages scratched in concrete. The <a href="http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/69228/theres-a-new-eruv-in-town-boundaries-help-observant-jews-get-around-san-fra/">miles of wire</a> subtly wrapped around telephone poles to denote orthodox Jewish eruvs. The <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Why-S-F-still-counts-on-street-fire-alarm-boxes-3081293.php">police and fire alarm boxes</a>
that dot the city dating from as far back as 1899. An adult-film
studio housed in a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Armory">massive former military armory</a>. Historic markers and points of
interest involving<br />
<a name='more'></a>Beat Era authors, Asian immigrants, Harvey Milk, and the
Barbary Coast. <a href="http://www.ktvu.com/news/84961776-story">The open air urinal.</a> <a href="http://sfrecpark.org/destination/seward-mini-park/">The Seward Slides</a>. The <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-16th-avenue-tiled-steps-san-francisco">mosaic stairs</a>.
The offices and on-going development of popular companies like Twitter,
Pinterest, Postmates, and Dropbox. Walking around the city is a
completely different experience for someone who knows what's hidden behind the walls and obscured
by time.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RUxTXtP6-74/VvXmVd1Xg4I/AAAAAAAADRo/sx79KymMIwwJDev0b5jqWlZrx_nDUgbzw/s1600/SAM_1570.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RUxTXtP6-74/VvXmVd1Xg4I/AAAAAAAADRo/sx79KymMIwwJDev0b5jqWlZrx_nDUgbzw/s320/SAM_1570.JPG" width="229" /></a><b>Diverse Neighborhoods:</b> Yes, other cities have ethnic neighborhoods, but in all the years of
travel I've never seen anything quite like this packed into such a
small area. The city has the best chinatown and one of the last three japantowns in the country, but it's a lot more than that. It's even more than the popular Castro gayborhood. There are neighborhoods that feel like beach towns. A lesbian neighborhood. An Italian neighborhood for focaccia. Neighborhoods for startups and others for active-wear exercise stroller moms. There is a vibrant Hispanic neighborhood and another for sandals and Hawaiian shirts.</div>
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<b>The Parks/Beaches/Viewpoints:</b> Despite it's smaller area, a large part of San Francisco is designated park area. I go jogging a couple times a week in the massive Presidio and don't come across anyone for miles at a time. Some people live in the older military houses in the Presidio and the locals joke that these people never have visitors because the Presidio feels like a <a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRgrzNkPO0g/VvXmUeAn_hI/AAAAAAAADRc/vyMZLWwFF_MPpSJvzAroMyJH4H9qX_M1Q/s1600/1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRgrzNkPO0g/VvXmUeAn_hI/AAAAAAAADRc/vyMZLWwFF_MPpSJvzAroMyJH4H9qX_M1Q/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a>vast and wild jungle. Right nearby, there are miles of coast line, Land's End, and the huge Golden Gate Park with its buffalo, lakes, and trails.<br />
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Just a short bus ride, bike ride, or ferry trip away are the Marin Headlands and Angel Island for camping and backpacking. It's rare to find such huge wilderness areas this close to a major city that can be reached without a car.</div>
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<b>Burmese Food: </b>Mix Indian and Chinese food together using some of the freshest ingredients, and you get California Burmese. <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/The-Bay-Area-s-Burmese-food-boom-6251404.php">Burmese restaurants have been in SF since the 80's</a>, but they haven't caught on in other cities. Delicious!</div>
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<b>Tiki Drinks: </b>Another SF things that doesn't seem to be as popular elsewhere are <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/drink/san-francisco/bay-area-tiki-bars-san-francisco">elaborate tiki bars</a> like the pirate themed <a href="http://smugglerscovesf.com/trapdoor/">Smuggler's Cove</a> and the Tonga Room with its <a href="http://www.tongaroom.com/">large floating bar.</a></div>
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<b>Toranado/Zietgeist: </b>We've not been impressed with San Francisco's breweries, but the taphouses almost make up for it. Both <a href="http://www.toronado.com/">Toranado</a> and <a href="http://www.zeitgeistsf.com/">Zietgeist</a> have reputations for rough no-nonsense environments and inexpensive beer (by SF standards). </div>
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<b><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iXcWIKPqttw/VvXmUfyWuyI/AAAAAAAADRg/RJGAnlZDauY0tzE9DbNdUlYD8OJyZfbjw/s1600/2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iXcWIKPqttw/VvXmUfyWuyI/AAAAAAAADRg/RJGAnlZDauY0tzE9DbNdUlYD8OJyZfbjw/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Urban Putt: </b>It's like playing<a href="http://www.urbanputt.com/"> mini-golf in a Rube Goldbergish art piece</a>! Hoping this type of mini-golf catches on. Great for a rainy day.</div>
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<b>Steam Buns: </b>I can't imagine these things are healthy, but I'll miss being able to pop into a shop for a cheap doughy treat.<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Eccentric Events:</b> <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-francisco-pillow-fight-club-san-francisco">A massive pillow fight on Valentines</a>, <a href="http://sf.funcheap.com/park-easter-celebration-hunky-jesus-contest-mission-dist/">sexy Jesus contest on Easter</a>, hundreds of people big-wheel riding down San Francisco's curviest street, <a href="http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/world-naked-bike-ride-on-67/Slideshow?oid=2678024">naked bike rides</a>. San Francisco can pull off events that would be shut down in other cities where people are too indoctrinated or uptight to stay out of other people's brand of fun.</div>
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Next post, we'll be somewhere else. We've been traveling for over three years, now and have seen and experienced a lot. Many of these experiences don't make it into these posts. I'd like to summarize some of the perspective changes I've experienced and what is similar and different across states. We're also planning all types of new travels for the summer from the Salton Sea to Portland, ME and I may get a few posts in about these places. <i>Until then....</i> </div>
T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-21503213334733912362015-12-31T07:00:00.000-05:002016-03-24T20:40:36.477-04:00San Francisco: Notes from month one in Bay City<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">T</span>here is plenty of time for a change of heart but, thus far, San Francisco seems like a great place to visit, <i>not to live</i>. Like San Diego, Seattle, Vancouver, and other cities on the water-- it's gorgeous. There are all types of things to do. But, like the typical <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/11/san-francisco-home-sweet-home-9-and.html">San Franciscan row house</a> we live in; we're glad we tried it and will be glad when we're someplace less noisy, drafty, and expensive. </div>
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Part of this view comes from being extremely spoiled. We went to Baker Beach yesterday and watched hundreds of tourists standing around taking pictures of the Pacific. Each one will probably bring those pictures home and talk about how picturesque the city and ocean were. But we just moved from Oregon were we regularly had miles of pacific ocean to ourselves with no roads in site. At the beginning of the year, we lived on an island in the Atlantic where we'd be the first ones on the beach in the morning with no one to share it with but starfish and crab. A small crowded beach with hundreds of people standing around with their fingers in their noses is better than no beach, but it's also not particularly enjoyable, either.</div>
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The other major thing standing in the way of my loving San Francisco is the prohibitive cost of living. I'm all for paying more for good food and drink, but there is a limit. I write a bit more about it below.</div>
<b></b><b>Notes from the first month:</b> <br />
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<b>1. Carry Cash! </b>Before moving here, money would sit in my wallet for months waiting on the rare "cash only" situation. Not in San Fran! Cash only businesses are so
common, everyone is in the habit of carrying it, notices are practically hidden, and nothing says "you're not from around here" like not</div>
<a name='more'></a>having cash. It took some getting used to, but I've made it a habit to check for cash before going anywhere.<br />
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<b>2. BYoB </b>While many grocery stores elsewhere charge extra for bags or at least offer boxes, all single-use bags here in San Francisco are illegal. Most stores will sell you a paper or plastic bag if you forget yours, but the plastic is thicker and easier to recycle. We're about 50/50 on remembering to bring bags.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h96Jr1rM-0Y/VoR3pYVRcVI/AAAAAAAADPw/KSPqJruNEGM/s1600/20151125_140821.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h96Jr1rM-0Y/VoR3pYVRcVI/AAAAAAAADPw/KSPqJruNEGM/s320/20151125_140821.jpg" width="195" /></a><b>3. Power to pedestrians!: </b>In other cities, pedestrians are
given priority in certain neighborhoods, but not to the extent they are here. Our street is busy; five lanes and no light at the intersection. To get across, you
just walk out in front of oncoming traffic-- carefully of course. It was a little unnerving
at first, but it really does seem like the
best system. Cars get used to watching for pedestrians and pedestrians don't have to wait for a light. In Denver, many of the lights are on three phases-- one
exclusively for pedestrians. People get so impatient waiting
through the other cycles, they just walk out in front of cars. </div>
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<b>4. An arm and two legs: </b>We've lived in downtown Chicago, in Alaska, in the northeast, and elsewhere in California. These places were expensive, but the cost-of-living doesn't compare to what we're experiencing here. It's obnoxious! Yes, housing is expensive, the average two bedroom runs around $4500; but that's just the beginning. <a href="https://smartasset.com/mortgage/what-is-the-cost-of-living-in-san-francisco">The average cost of a mid-range dinner for two is $80</a>. We'll go out for two beers and some sad-looking appetizers and spend $50. Groceries are equally expensive. </div>
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Yes, people get paid twice as much here, but what does that matter if it costs three times more for everything else? In case you missed it, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/cost-of-living-single-people-2015-8">San Francisco is now more expensive than Manhattan!</a> There is no value when chefs and business owners are leaving California for places like Denver and Portland and we can get the same quality and experiences there. Something that's worth spending money on, here-- Burmese! That's still hard to find elsewhere. </div>
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<b>5. Fog horns and sirens: </b><a href="http://goldengatebridge.org/research/factsGGBFogHorn.php">The Golden Gate Bridge has its own set of fog horns</a> that take some getting used to. Now that we've been here a month, they've become a calming background noise.
The city also has an emergency alert system that is tested every Tuesday
at noon. The first time I heard it, I thought there was an emergency. </div>
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<b>6. Garbage and recycling </b>The recycling program is so inclusive
that we only had one bag of garbage the whole first month we were here. Recycling is the largest can here, not the smallest. And no, that one bag of garbage didn't smell. All the
food scraps go in a third compost bin.</div>
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<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XNVcUj55DQ/Vni9yUI2ttI/AAAAAAAADPU/GmNueeSSEoI/s1600/20151114_182530-min.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XNVcUj55DQ/Vni9yUI2ttI/AAAAAAAADPU/GmNueeSSEoI/s320/20151114_182530-min.jpg" width="228" /></a>7. Blistering internet speeds / Fast shipping: </b>Things happen fast here, especially if you're willing to pay for the speed. Wireless internet is beamed down from a hill allowing speeds of 280Mbps. It's not uncommon to order something on Amazon and get it the same day or next. The post office even delivers packages on Sunday. Similarly, delivery service apps like Magic will deliver anything legal in an agreed upon time. <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/03/stump-magic/">This guy spent $500 just testing out what they would actually deliver.</a></div>
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<b>8. The car experiment: </b>At only seven miles across, we
figured San Francisco would be the perfect place to try living without a car. We used less than a tank of gas the whole first month, but still used the car more than planned. The transportation here hasn't been as efficient as expected and the light-rail and train are lacking
or non-existent. We're hoping it will rain less in the spring and we'll be able to ride bikes more often.<br />
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I'll write another post on our experience without the car later in the spring. </div>
T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-86170598074789802082015-11-17T15:30:00.000-05:002015-11-19T16:17:10.956-05:00Anchorage: Retrospection and final evaluation <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ARLF-iEX6w/VjmMolFbqwI/AAAAAAAADI0/DNGisDAdQ9o/s1600/101_1325.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1ARLF-iEX6w/VjmMolFbqwI/AAAAAAAADI0/DNGisDAdQ9o/s640/101_1325.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">W</span>e always planned on visiting Alaska, but were a little uncertain about <i>moving</i> there. We thought it might be a place best seen in a couple weeks or from the security of a cruise ship, not a place to commit to for three months. <b>Thankfully we chose to commit!</b></div>
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The difference between visiting Alaska and living there is similar to the difference between camp-site camping and backpacking. Sure, metaphorically we didn't hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. We didn't live there through a winter or visit any remote native villages. We're not residents or experts, but I feel like we got a really good idea of the area. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-QevAgU3SQ/VjmMoQL2LiI/AAAAAAAADIw/Mb0UNNQ8aiY/s1600/101_1305.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-QevAgU3SQ/VjmMoQL2LiI/AAAAAAAADIw/Mb0UNNQ8aiY/s320/101_1305.JPG" width="228" /></a>For anyone considering similar options, I definitely recommend longer stays and cross-state RV trips. It's a lot more accessible and less
scary than one might expect. The state isn't full of crazed mountain men
and drunks. Plus, the service and experience you'll have will be much better if you're not in a group of three hundred other cruisers swarming off a train.<br />
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Even though we're no longer trying to decide where we want to live permanently,
we're still rating each city-- just for fun. <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/02/the-big-move-weve-created-rating-scale.html">Here is how our evaluations work</a> along with previous city ratings: <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/03/philadelphia-final-post-and-city.html">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/12/chicago-final-post-and-where-were-going.html">Chicago</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/07/dallas-final-post-and-city-evaluation.html">Dallas</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2014/04/fresno-until-later-california-good.html">Fresno</a>, and <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/02/denver-final-post-and-rating.html">Denver</a>. Here is what we thought of Anchorage on this same scale:</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Anchorage Rating</b></span></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lDbOJ_BwrPs/VjmV9mY-_XI/AAAAAAAADJ0/xY37xMMqo68/s1600/101_1495-001.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lDbOJ_BwrPs/VjmV9mY-_XI/AAAAAAAADJ0/xY37xMMqo68/s320/101_1495-001.JPG" width="228" /></a></b></span></span><span style="color: red;"></span><b> </b><br />
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<b>Culture: </b>5 <br />
<b>Environment: </b>5<br />
<b>Vegetarian Restaurants: </b>3<br />
<b>Cost of Living: </b>6<br />
<b>Transportation/Infrastructure: </b>4<br />
<b>Climate: </b>2<br />
<b>People: </b>3<br />
<b>Pass/Fail:</b> Pass<br />
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Although, it's very unlikely we'll ever live in Anchorage longer than three months, I'm willing to be open-minded. The summer was great and
the idea of hibernating in a house by the sea with a stack of books,
fireplace, and stores of food, sounds appealing on certain days. It's certainly not like Fresno, a place we'd only want to live if we absolutely needed to.<br />
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The low numbers are expected for a place that is so disconnected geographically from the rest of the country. Anchorage and the cities around it offer wilderness and opportunity that isn't available <i>anywhere</i> else in
the U.S.. That remoteness and wild is extremely valuable and doesn't show up on our ratings. A lot people have this urge to reconnect with their "roots" or "go off the grid". This is a place to make that happen.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O0tRU36WQo/VjmUS2WgYiI/AAAAAAAADJk/RtSb9W5ULv0/s1600/WP_20150516_14_07_19_Pro.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_O0tRU36WQo/VjmUS2WgYiI/AAAAAAAADJk/RtSb9W5ULv0/s320/WP_20150516_14_07_19_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a> Plus, Anchorage is surprisingly modern. It has enough to make it fun: live music, breweries, theaters. Even though the art and music are more on par with a city like Dallas (a little predictable and tame) there is a solid art culture. As far as food, the comparison to Dallas holds. In place of Dallas's steak and beef culture, Anchorage has fishing and fish.<br />
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The cost of living wasn't nearly as bad as we feared. The cost of groceries was more on par with bigger cities, certain items had a higher premium, and they milk the tourists, but costs weren't outrageous.</div>
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Finally, coffee shacks! Even after living in Oregon, where they are are fairly common, there is no place like Anchorage for these awesome little coffee-serving huts with all their colorful variety of shapes and sizes. And, as we all know, coffee is what really matters when it comes to choosing a place to move to!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMYnuC1DpxA/VjmUSroIfgI/AAAAAAAADJg/91PSXM3bQ4I/s1600/101_0444.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMYnuC1DpxA/VjmUSroIfgI/AAAAAAAADJg/91PSXM3bQ4I/s320/101_0444.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Other, more detailed posts:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/04/anchorage-first-week-of-living-in.html">Anchorage: First week of living in Alaska and the new apartment </a><br />
<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/07/anchorage-glaciers-reindeer-and-hiking.html">Anchorage: Glaciers, reindeer, and hiking at midnight. The best and worst of our three month stay in Alaska</a>
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-25817639436059055262015-11-14T08:00:00.000-05:002015-11-14T08:00:00.648-05:00A JC Bucket List: 25 things to do in Johnson City, TN<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h7BwMIT8PII/Ve_phauB_6I/AAAAAAAADDU/uSJDzp2_Uz0/s1600/BluePlumFestival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BtVPNX96tNI/Ve_hseNKBVI/AAAAAAAADCI/_d7sybyBEW4/s1600/WP_20150802_13_10_12_Pro-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BtVPNX96tNI/Ve_hseNKBVI/AAAAAAAADCI/_d7sybyBEW4/s640/WP_20150802_13_10_12_Pro-min.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">L</span>ast year, during our travels to California and Colorado I typed out <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2012/11/johnson-city-tn.html">a quick post about Johnson City</a>. It was a tribute, of sorts. When I wrote it, we had been away from Tennessee for a while and I was starting to miss some of my favorite places. Surprisingly, the post was quite popular. A lot of people are looking for information about JC and there doesn't seem to be much. </div>
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Coming back to the city for a few weeks at the end of last year, we noticed more changes than usual. You couldn't tell from the line of cars wrapping around JC's only Starbucks, but there is a <a href="http://www.thewillowtreejc.com/">great new coffee shop downtown</a>. The Tweetsie Trail is finished and heavily used. Downtown streets are being torn up and rebuilt with landscaped medians. There is a new sculpture park downtown built over-top of what was once acres of warehouse and eyesore.<br />
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So much of <i>the new</i> that I've see in our travels across the country is sterile outdoor shopping malls and luxury condos. It's great to see new nature projects, small businesses, and warehouse reclamation. Praises to the people in Johnson City who are pushing for these types of projects. <i>But on to the reason for this post... </i><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>25 things to do in Johnson City!</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1. Shoot pool at Numan's</b></span><br />
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Classy way to start the list, but as smoky and seedy as it is, <a href="http://www.numanbilliards.com/">Numan's Cafe and Sports Bar</a>
is a downtown institution. It's been the perfect place to people watch
for over 20 years and has held strong through times when not much else was downtown. Where else
can you see people smoking right next to their oxygen tanks or get
cutthroat deals on zippo lighters from a trench-coat wearing entrepreneur?
Escape to <a href="http://themainstreetpizzacompany.com/">Main Street Pizza</a> or <a href="http://www.mymidcity.com/Appetizers1">Mid City Grill</a> if the smoke gets too heavy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Explore Buffalo Mountain</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/buffalo-mountain-white-rock-trail">White Rock</a>,with its great views towards North Carolina and Elizabethton, is a mandatory hike for anyone living in Johnson City. Park at the gate and take the service road, or the more interesting <a href="http://alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/buffalo-mountain-white-rock-trail">White Rock Trail</a>, to the top. Been there, done that? Buffalo Mountain offers a number of other interesting trails <a href="http://www.johnsoncitytn.org/uploads/files/parksrec/trails/Hiking%20Trails%20-%20Buffalo%20Mtn%20Park.pdf">[trail map]</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Browse the Johnson City Farmer's Market</b></span><br />
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The <a href="http://www.johnsoncityfarmersmarket.com/">Johnson City Farmer's Market</a> has been growing for years and is quickly becoming a focal point of downtown weekend activity. The 20,000 sq ft new Farmer's Market and Pavilion should be ready before too long. It's not just produce!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Catch a show at the Acoustic Coffeehouse (or The Down Home or The Hideaway)</b></span><br />
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A
lot of Johnson City venues (Rafters, Casbah, Galaxy) have come and gone, but three venues have held strong. The Acoustic Coffeehouse, The Down Home and The Hideaway each offer a
relaxed environment to listen to regular live music. Check out their music
schedules in The Loafer or on their individual websites: <a href="http://theloaferonline.com/">Loafer</a> - <a href="http://acousticcoffeehouse.net/">Acoustic</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hideaway/142302671636?rf=135731466493421">Hideaway</a> - <a href="http://downhome.com/">Down Home</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5. Hike to the Bay's Mountain Fire Tower</b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFCLcb2eJXQ/Ve_hn-oxDGI/AAAAAAAADBA/z3pAhBDTWlI/s1600/100_0949-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFCLcb2eJXQ/Ve_hn-oxDGI/AAAAAAAADBA/z3pAhBDTWlI/s320/100_0949-min.jpg" width="320" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
A medium-difficulty hike with a huge payoff. <a href="http://tehcc.org/wiki/BMP_Firetower_Trail">This fire tower</a>
was built in 1937 by the CCC as part of Roosevelt's New Deal Program.
Bring a picnic then stay for one of
Bay's Mountain's great nature exhibits.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. Have brunch at Cafe One 11</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cafeone11jc.com/menu.pdf">Cafe One 11</a> has been the best brunch in town for years. Delicious.<br />
<br />
Here is a <a href="http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Entertainment/2015/03/13/Sunday-brunch-at-Cafe-One-11-not-to-be-missed.html">more detailed write-up in the JC Press</a> of Cafe One 11 from earlier this year.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>7. Bike the full length of the Tweetsie Trail</b></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ETRlaLuBRLQ/Ve_mmuTPTyI/AAAAAAAADCg/5bkTV5b7ids/s320/348s.jpg" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;">Credit: Yelp</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This rails-to-trails project is a huge new addition to the city's trail system. Running from right outside of downtown JC all the way to Elizabethton,<a href="http://www.tweetsietrail.com/"> this shaded trail</a> is a great place to spend a few hours on the weekend. If you aren't up for the full round trip, drop a car in Elizabethton before starting. The whole trail in that direction is mostly downhill. <b>Bonus:</b> Another great area trail, just a few miles down the highway is <a href="http://www.traillink.com/trail/erwin-linear-trail.aspx">Erwin's Linear Trail</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Eat a fall picnic at Willow Springs (or Winged Deer) Park</b></span><br />
<br />
These two parks offer great views of the mountains and fall foliage. <a href="http://www.johnsoncitytn.org/parksrec/facilities/">Willow Springs Park</a> has one of the area's few dog parks and plenty of room to lay a picnic blanket. <a href="http://www.johnsoncitytn.org/parksrec/facilities/">Winged Deer Park</a> has great views of the trees and water by the river, away from the athletic areas,<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9. Soak up some sun on a great JC patio</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFtBPA1807I/Ve_hsHUQ3mI/AAAAAAAADCE/9QjsUYLD70c/s1600/WP_20150731_15_57_28_Pro-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFtBPA1807I/Ve_hsHUQ3mI/AAAAAAAADCE/9QjsUYLD70c/s400/WP_20150731_15_57_28_Pro-min.jpg" width="400" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
Some of the best<span style="color: #0000ee;"> </span><span style="color: #0000ee;"> <span style="color: black;">(and most spacious<span style="color: #0000ee;">) </span>patios</span></span> are at the newly opened <a href="http://yeehawbrewing.com/">Yee-Haw Brewing</a> and <a href="http://tupelohoneycafe.com/location/johnson-city/">Tupelo Honey</a> in the downtown area. Smaller, but equally sunny are outdoor areas at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlantic-Ale-House/374910849324940">Atlantic Alehous</a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">e</a>, <a href="http://www.knightspizzajc.com/">Knights Pizza</a>, and <a href="http://monalisasgelato.com/">Mona Lisa's Gelato</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>10. Hike to a waterfall</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNtL6TVETBg/Ve_ho-ETwXI/AAAAAAAADBQ/cCq9VyK-iQc/s1600/DSCF0349-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNtL6TVETBg/Ve_ho-ETwXI/AAAAAAAADBQ/cCq9VyK-iQc/s320/DSCF0349-min.JPG" width="240" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
Not actually in Johnson City, but I won't tell if you don't! Load up some iconic JC music like The Everybodyfields in the music player and take a short drive to one of the area's many falls. <a href="http://visitjohnsoncitytn.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventures/waterfalls/">Here is a list of area waterfalls</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>11. Taste amaretto at Cafe Lola</b></span><br />
<br />
Go to the liquor section of a grocery store in Italy and you'll see a whole shelf of Amaretto. <i>Around these parts</i>, we get the choice of Disarrono and a couple other overly syrupy options. Lola's Amaretto, made by the owner, is good
enough to drink over ice. Definitely give it a try. <a href="http://www.cafelolabistro.com/">Cafe Lola's</a> also has some of the best food and one of the best brunches in JC. My wife and I spent quite a bit of time here when we were first dating.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. Line dance at the Electric Cowboy</b></span><br />
<br />
Anything "country" bores me to tears-- pickup trucks, NASCAR, cowboy hats; but
like Numan's, <a href="http://www.electriccowboy.com/johnsoncity/">The Electric Cowboy</a>
is an amazing place to people-watch and try something new. Right around the corner from Lola's, The Electric Cowboy has
one of the most active dance floors in the city and play more genres than just
country. It's not <a href="http://billybobstexas.com/">Billy Bob's</a> in Fort Worth but it's pretty darn close.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>13. Raft the Nolichucky</b></span><br />
<br />
The upper Nolichucky has class II III and even IV rapids. If you don't know anyone with a raft, <a href="http://www.usaraft.com/">a number of companies</a> offer fully guided trips. In addition to the Nolichucky, there are other rivers within a couple hours that offer guided and unguided rafting and kayaking opportunities like the Tennessee River, Nantahala River, and Pigeon River. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>14. Eat bratwurst at Freiberg's</b></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HsFJwSfk6bU/Ve_mnj5M8qI/AAAAAAAADCo/twJlXzSGIUw/s320/4627730200_a09dbbded3_o.jpg" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thinkjose/</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b></div>
<a href="http://eatbrats.com/main-menu/">Freiberg's</a> has character and environment that is uncommon in the area. I haven't eaten here in years<br />
since their menu is mostly meat, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good pint of Franziskaner while taking a break from a downtown festival.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>15. Grill out at "the beach" at Boone Dam</b></span><br />
<br />
The Boone Dam Park may be the closest<b> </b>thing to a beach we have in the tri-cities. You may have to wait until the dam leak issue is resolved and water levels return, but this park has a great swimming area and cook-out spots for when it does.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16. Stroll the new Founders Park</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-opeO7snxymE/Ve_qKtGfnTI/AAAAAAAADDc/1iiVjD-Rv_c/s1600/WP_20141225_16_15_18_Pro-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-opeO7snxymE/Ve_qKtGfnTI/AAAAAAAADDc/1iiVjD-Rv_c/s320/WP_20141225_16_15_18_Pro-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<br />
<br />
If you haven't been downtown in a while, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FoundersParkJC">this park</a> is another amazing addition to the city's landscape. Hop from rock to rock over the creek or stroll the collection of large sculptures. Free concerts, yoga, and other activities are often available.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>17. Sample some Dr. Enuf</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dzfm6CPB264/VjhfuHXy11I/AAAAAAAADH4/TLJgXdmhbww/s1600/enuf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dzfm6CPB264/VjhfuHXy11I/AAAAAAAADH4/TLJgXdmhbww/s200/enuf.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
I'm not a big soda drinker, but you can hardly call yourself a northeast Tennesseean if you haven't tried at least one flavor of the locally bottled, <a href="http://www.drenuf.com/the-drinks/">Dr. Enuf</a>. This stuff was originally created alongside Mountain Dew in the early 40's before the Mountain Dew rights were sold to Pepsi.<br />
<br />
Speaking of Mountain Dew and unique sodas, in 2012 Pepsi created a heavily malt flavored version of Mountain Dew exclusively for Johnson City called <a href="http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/11/new-johnsons-city-gold-from-mountain-dew-review.html">Johnson City Gold</a>.The stuff is pretty hard to find nowadays, selling for up to $20 a can on Ebay, but if you come across some in a garage or under a soda machine, it's well worth trying. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>18. Pet a dog or 20 dogs at the Johnson City Animal Shelter.</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNtqplLrltY/Ve_hqf52B9I/AAAAAAAADBw/kD5vfyAmGmg/s1600/IMG_20120805_210113-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNtqplLrltY/Ve_hqf52B9I/AAAAAAAADBw/kD5vfyAmGmg/s200/IMG_20120805_210113-min.jpg" width="150" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
I'll confess, I haven't made it to the new location, but I've heard good things. <a href="http://tailchaser.org/">The Johnson City Animal shelter</a> is so much better than the dirty and depressing holding areas I've seen in other nearby towns. They've always allowed us to visit and spend time with the dogs. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>19. Drive by the southern headquarters of Al Capone</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3JSjEu9Zs7c/Ve_mo-X1IjI/AAAAAAAADC4/cgkcOG9hYLs/s320/spot_633_736.jpg" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: onthisveryspot.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Supposedly, <a href="http://visitjohnsoncitytn.com/al-capones-little-chicago/">Al Capone spent quite a bit of time in JC</a> in the building that is now the Montrose Apartments on Locust St. Appalachian Ghost Tours offers a <a href="http://www.appalachianghostwalks.com/haunted-historic-tennessee-ghost-tours/johnson-city-tn-little-chicago-ghost-walk-tour.html">Johnson City Little Chicago Tour</a> that focuses on these stories.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>20. Try Apple and Artichoke Pizza from Scratch </b></span><br />
<br />
I have eaten pizza from San Diego to Chicago and I grew-up in the Northeast, but I have no problem saying that <a href="http://scratchbrickoven.com/">Scratch Brick Oven</a> pizza is a favorite. Not only can you order apple as a pizza topping, it's BYOB so you can drink an inexpensive beer of your choice and listen to a record while you wait for your pizza to cook.<br />
<br />
JC is overrun with pizza chains-- try something different!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>21. Visit a real southern castle</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a3cqhSZPdUc/Ve_hr8BoGfI/AAAAAAAADCA/uFoh4clRsr8/s1600/IMG_6484-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a3cqhSZPdUc/Ve_hr8BoGfI/AAAAAAAADCA/uFoh4clRsr8/s320/IMG_6484-min.jpg" width="320" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1416-S-Roan-St-Johnson-City-TN-37601/42574579_zpid/">The Oaks is for sale</a> and off-limits for now, but it used to be a medical office and event venue on the weekends. The grounds and building itself are a one-of-a-kind combination between imported Italian tile, sculptures, and unbeatable views towards Buffalo Mountain. I'm a little biased toward the property since I was married here, but hopefully it will open to the public or at least be put to good use in the near future.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. Peruse Nelson Fine Art on a First Friday</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.nelsonartcenter.com/gallery.html">Nelson Fine Art</a> has been one of my favorite JC galleries since they hosted <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2010/04/michal-gregg-art-write-up-rough.html">work by Michael Gregg</a>. Here is i<a href="http://downtownjc.org/first-fridays/">nfo on First Friday.</a></span><b><br /></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. Get lost in Fender's Farm Corn Maze</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EcEbvDdyzvc/Ve_hpfJR9CI/AAAAAAAADBs/UftP1ocaiRM/s1600/DSCF1007_2-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EcEbvDdyzvc/Ve_hpfJR9CI/AAAAAAAADBs/UftP1ocaiRM/s320/DSCF1007_2-min.jpg" width="320" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
A second activity that isn't actually in Johnson City, but a short drive away. <a href="http://www.fendersmaze.com/">Fender's Maze</a> is a great way to spend a couple hours during the day or night in the fall.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>24. Laugh at the Comedy Zone</b></span><br />
<br />
Johnson City doesn't have a designated comedy club yet, but it does have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheComedyZoneJohnsonCityTN">The Comedy Zone</a>. Don't let its location at the Holiday Inn scare you away. They host everyone from regional comedians you've never heard of to more national acts like Carlos Mencia. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheComedyZoneJohnsonCityTN">See their schedule here. </a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>25. Dance in the street at a downtown festival</b></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ebg4O74hlGo/Ve_mojAf-0I/AAAAAAAADCw/9jIYPgSBivA/s1600/BluePlum-2013pic.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ebg4O74hlGo/Ve_mojAf-0I/AAAAAAAADCw/9jIYPgSBivA/s320/BluePlum-2013pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Credit: theloaferonline.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<br />
Johnson City has a number of downtown festivals like <a href="http://www.blueplum.org/">Blue Plum</a> and <a href="http://www.umojajc.org/">Umoja</a>. Keep an eye on <a href="http://visitjohnsoncitytn.com/events/categories/festivalsannual">the downtown schedule</a> for more information and bring your dancing shoes.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bonus! Some nearby day trips:</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>26. Recreate a scene from the Sound of Music (or Star Wars) on the Roan Mountain Balds </b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yqMyDRbR6Uc/Ve_moS8NfGI/AAAAAAAADDI/IDAgApONm88/s1600/101_0253.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yqMyDRbR6Uc/Ve_moS8NfGI/AAAAAAAADDI/IDAgApONm88/s320/101_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b></b><br />
Trails, including the infamous AT, run straight over the top of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roan_Mountain_%28Roan_Highlands%29">Roan Mountain</a> offering 360 degree views of Tennessee and North Carolina. Take a day hike or stay overnight at one of the park's cabins near the foot of the mountain.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>27. Climb the ladders at Grandfather Mountain</b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFZePS3kJKI/Ve_hnHXZJyI/AAAAAAAADA4/tuEGkAhASAM/s1600/101_0299-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SFZePS3kJKI/Ve_hnHXZJyI/AAAAAAAADA4/tuEGkAhASAM/s320/101_0299-min.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<b></b><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roan_Mountain_%28Roan_Highlands%29">Grandfather Mountain</a> is one of my favorite day trips from Johnson City. Many people end their visit at the suspension bridge by the parking lot, but the best part of this private park is the ladder trail that winds to the top of the mountain. Check the weather before you make the trip to make sure you'll have clear hiking.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>28. Admire the view from Chimney Rock</b></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2jRj1s0yi18/Ve_hnt9GpeI/AAAAAAAADA8/MBLmih9tdLE/s1600/100_0564-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2jRj1s0yi18/Ve_hnt9GpeI/AAAAAAAADA8/MBLmih9tdLE/s320/100_0564-min.jpg" width="240" /></a> </b></div>
<br />
A quick elevator to the top of <a href="http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/">Chimney Rock Park</a>, a stop at the scenic cafe, and you'll be admiring great views of the river valley with a coffee in hand. <br />
<b></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>29. Soak in the off-season at Hot Springs</b></span><br />
<br />
Hot
Springs is just as enjoyable in the summer, but there is something
special about escaping the cold fall air by getting into a private hot
tub fed from the nearby springs. <a href="http://nchotsprings.com/">They also offer discounted cabin rates in the off-season.</a><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>30. Day-trip to Asheville or Boone</b></span><br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RI9yXINCSFg/Ve_hp8VWtCI/AAAAAAAADBk/lit5d8NGGSA/s1600/IMG_20120614_180817-min.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RI9yXINCSFg/Ve_hp8VWtCI/AAAAAAAADBk/lit5d8NGGSA/s320/IMG_20120614_180817-min.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hob Knob in Boone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<b><br /></b>I lived in Johnson City for years before making a trip to <a href="http://www.exploreasheville.com/">Asheville</a>. Learn from my mistake! It may seem far away because of the mountains and state border, but Asheville is just a cd or two away. <a href="http://www.exploreboone.com/">Boone </a>is a little further, but also worth the drive for a change of scenery.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Links from other websites:</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/articles/top-ten-restaurants-in-johnson-city-tn/">Top Ten Restaurants in Johnson City TN </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/March-2015/Johnson-City-Tennessee/">Johnson City, Tennessee Where people from all over the world go to immerse themselves in the music of the mountains </a>
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-34297737211457611392015-11-13T00:29:00.000-05:002015-11-13T00:29:00.051-05:00Summer in Alaska...<br />
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<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-74564109741777449812015-11-09T20:15:00.001-05:002015-12-30T19:15:32.347-05:00San Francisco: Home sweet home #9 and first impressions of the neighborhood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We definitely like to mix things up with our housing; whether it's living <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/01/goodbye-dever-hello-charleston-sc.html">on an island</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/06/another-season-another-city-summer-home.html">above a grocery store</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2012/11/philadelphia-home-sweet-home-for-now.html">on the Delaware River</a>, or in <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/03/dallas-home-sweet-home-2.html">a high-rise on the 19th floor</a>. Even <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/01/you-know-youre-living-too-close-to.html">the apartment that felt like it was in the middle of a highway</a> is remembered fondly. Now, we get to stay in a historic row-house!<br />
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This kind of apartment is common for the area and reminds me of others in Chicago and Philadelphia, but add in the neighborhood, and this place is like no other. </div>
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Just a couple miles from the Pacific Ocean, near two enormous city parks, and in a mixed-purpose neighborhood with all types of shops and restaurants-- a cafe just a few yards from our door! There are also dozens of Asian markets a few blocks over where we can buy our <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/bbq-jackfruit-sandwiches-with-avocado-slaw/">canned jack fruit</a>. </div>
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Average rent in San Francisco is $3000 for a one-bedroom and $4500 for a two-bedroom apartment. There are a lot of interesting and successful people in the area along with businesses and services to match. Instead of finding restaurant coupons in our<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x_8dWdFFo40/VkEnXZC2GFI/AAAAAAAADLY/QbOevFLlSNg/s1600/4-min.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x_8dWdFFo40/VkEnXZC2GFI/AAAAAAAADLY/QbOevFLlSNg/s320/4-min.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
mailbox welcome package, we found deals offering gourmet meals delivered in 15 minutes, on-demand laundry, in-home doctor's visits, home cleaning, personal shoppers, and other services for people that actually make more money staying a couple extra hours at their IT jobs and letting other</div>
people run their errands. <br />
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We've already been to San Francisco a couple times, so we've gotten most of the touristy stuff out of the way. Our plan is to enjoy the local neighborhood and stay out of our car. The city is only seven miles across, but with stop-signs and lights every block, it takes a long time to drive just a couple miles. It's often much quicker to bike or ride, so we'll be looking to buy some bikes (we left ours in Denver!) and get some transit passes. Plus, do you see the garages in the picture!? If you think<br />
<a name='more'></a>that's small, you should see the interior of the garage that we share with the other two tenants. It takes longer to maneuver out than it does to ride a bike a couple of miles.</div>
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<b>Here are a few other pictures of the new place:</b><br />
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This is the view from one of the three entry-way doors. The apartment has a unique layout. After entering through a community entrance and going up the stairs, we get to choose which way we want to enter.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8-3hi6KbUyQ/VkEnX0omqvI/AAAAAAAADLU/_5-nHF_CBUo/s1600/SAM_0933-min.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8-3hi6KbUyQ/VkEnX0omqvI/AAAAAAAADLU/_5-nHF_CBUo/s320/SAM_0933-min.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Living room from the guest bedroom.</div>
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Guest bedroom for anyone that is thinking of visiting!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xLjV-6krjc/VkEncPHumMI/AAAAAAAADMs/VmrvxXJhFGY/s1600/SAM_0959-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7xLjV-6krjc/VkEncPHumMI/AAAAAAAADMs/VmrvxXJhFGY/s320/SAM_0959-min.JPG" width="240" /></a> </div>
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Bailey enjoying the sun. She likes being able look down at all the action on the street. Hopefully she'll get used to all the people and dogs and stop growling at them before long. This place isn't as sound-proof as others we've stayed.</div>
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View through the front window.</div>
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The only way to the kitchen is through the guest room. At least most of our guests will be coming from the East Coast, so they'll be up nice and early!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o9AbYXZspVg/VkEnYZbc94I/AAAAAAAADLc/cmJGOWFkvYM/s1600/SAM_0937-min.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o9AbYXZspVg/VkEnYZbc94I/AAAAAAAADLc/cmJGOWFkvYM/s320/SAM_0937-min.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Master bedroom complete with shadow-casting chandelier and pug painting!</div>
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The gorgeous view from the kitchen! This window actually lets in great sunlight and doesn't have any neighboring windows across from it, so it's actually a nice bonus. A lot of the apartments in this area only have windows in the front or back and poor sunlight. </div>
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<b><img border="0" height="156" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H86jJfA579w/VkE4_p_hcaI/AAAAAAAADNQ/t1Bdg9UmKf8/s320/San%2BFran.jpg" width="320" /></b></div>
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Location, location, location! At least that's what the fellow on his cell phone was saying noisily last night outside our window as I was trying to fall asleep. We haven't lived in a big city since Denver, last year, so it will take us a few nights to get used to the noise of the buses, motorcycles, and drunks. </div>
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But, speaking of location, we're right by the Presidio! We've already taken a look at the dog park for Bailey and the lake, just two blocks away. The dog park isn't fenced in! <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2014/04/an-observation-about-californias-dogs.html">I wrote a post</a> during our first visit to California about how well-behaved the dogs are here. This is just another example. Maybe dogs elsewhere act more like animals because they're treated like it. Both <a href="http://www.gardentogrill.net/#!entrees/c221u">the restaurant</a> and <a href="http://ruhstallerbeer.com/brewery/">brewery</a> we went to on the way here allowed dogs inside. <a href="http://www.gardentogrill.net/#!entrees/c221u">The restaurant</a> even had $3 "doggie bowls" on the menu.</div>
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Enough for my first San Francisco post. More to come!<br />
<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-2370161201207999532015-11-07T11:58:00.001-05:002015-11-07T12:09:18.589-05:00Good-bye Roseburg / Hello San Francisco!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqpKIxMXok4/Vj2SUSpH_JI/AAAAAAAADKs/PO0vaIk003I/s1600/11320150310184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YqpKIxMXok4/Vj2SUSpH_JI/AAAAAAAADKs/PO0vaIk003I/s320/11320150310184.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our apartment in San Fran</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">N</span>ext city, San Fran!</b></span><br />
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Last year, we chose to live in Fresno just to be near San Francisco and it was the closest we could get at the time. Now, we're actually going to live there!</div>
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I'm pretty excited. I think it will be really interesting. We've already been told that two of the three other tenants in our building are IT professionals and none of them have a car. We're looking forward to finding a couple decent bikes and living in the Richmond neighborhood, just a couple miles from the beach, the Presidio, and Golden Gate Park.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9aZhh_Vxl5c/Vj3SHhi8JQI/AAAAAAAADK8/urF9WFDG69I/s1600/SAM_3924-001.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9aZhh_Vxl5c/Vj3SHhi8JQI/AAAAAAAADK8/urF9WFDG69I/s320/SAM_3924-001.JPG" width="212" /></a>It's an interesting time to live in San Francisco. As housing continues to rise, there are a lot of protests against the very IT professionals the Bay Area is known for. It's a microcosm of the future war that's been predicted to eventually happen between AI advocates and future luddites, and, more importantly, a debate that will continue to occur as the wealth gap increases. In San Francisco, discontent has surfaced as public protests against the private Google and Facebook commuter buses that workers take from San Fran to their jobs in Palo Alto. Airbnb was recently in the press being blamed for increased housing costs by filling apartments with short-term tourists instead of long-term tenants. </div>
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I'll be researching why diverse housing is such a big issue while we're there. Obviously, diversity is beneficial, but what is the argument for tampering with capitalism? Why aren't people who can't afford housing just expected to move to an area they can afford? Will the economy collapse if there aren't any minimum wage workers? I'm entirely ignorant on the issue...</div>
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Ever since we found out we were going to San Fran next, anything related to the city has been catching my eye. We watched the Disney move <i>Inside Out</i> last night and noticed all the San Frannery in the background. We experienced an unsettling earthquake in Anchorage and aren't too keen on the idea of a repeat, so we'll skip watching <i>San Andreas</i>. I did some research into earthquake prediction and the 1908 and 1989 earthquakes -- "Duck and cover!"</div>
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We leave tomorrow and are going to stop along the way to check out Sacramento. I'll write more when we actually get there. Here are a couple articles of interest: <br />
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<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3277963/The-600-month-shipping-container-village-young-professionals-getting-creative-avoid-staggering-rents-San-Francisco.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490">The $600-a-month shipping container village for young professionals getting creative to avoid staggering rents in San Francisco </a><br />
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<a href="https://stories.californiasunday.com/2015-05-03/in-the-tenderloin/">Tenderloin Photos</a><br />
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Finally, a clip from <i>Inside Out</i> of the family moving to San Fran. I was able to guess where they were moving to, and where they were moving from just by seeing the three transition clips. We experienced something similar along our travels through South Dakota, Colorado, and Utah.<br />
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-66545214525230303072015-11-07T00:55:00.000-05:002015-11-09T18:31:25.756-05:00Oregon: Wrap-up and rating. On to the next city!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7Pc49YDiAI/Vj2HkoV1fnI/AAAAAAAADKY/weTKeeOvFT4/s1600/WP_20151102_15_08_01_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7Pc49YDiAI/Vj2HkoV1fnI/AAAAAAAADKY/weTKeeOvFT4/s400/WP_20151102_15_08_01_Pro.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roseburg, OR</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A</span>nother three months has flown by and we're getting ready to leave Roseburg for the next city. My final feelings on Roseburg and Oregon are mixed. Oregon as a whole is nothing like the reputation it often gets from Portland, but overall it's a great state.</div>
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Shortly after the UCC shooting, I was reading harsh comments on-line coming from Texas and other areas in the south about "the hippies in Oregon" and their lack of guns and carry-permits. If only they new the truth! Oregon is just like any other state with the progressives in the cities and the conservatives in the country. Roseburgians loves their guns, pick-ups, and churches. The majority are downright hostile towards "liberals", Obama, and the "tree-huggers up in Portland" that criticize the logging industry and give them a "bad" reputation. I've mentioned a couple of times already being <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wi9EfRHKkrk/Vj2HkYdqUPI/AAAAAAAADKU/BVPHAlQ9rys/s1600/WP_20151102_15_24_46_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wi9EfRHKkrk/Vj2HkYdqUPI/AAAAAAAADKU/BVPHAlQ9rys/s320/WP_20151102_15_24_46_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a>surprised by rampant obesity and confederate flags in town. </div>
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But we're glad we came for three months. <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/10/oregon-crater-lake-columbia-river-gorge.html">The coast was amazing!</a> I could see owning a beach house in Oregon and living here a few months a year. So, as far as our experience overall, it was definitely positive and we've had a great three months. </div>
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<b>Liked: </b><br />
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1. All the interesting names like Thor's Well, Cape Perpetua, Devil's Punchbowl, Devil's Churn, Wizard's Island.<br />
2. The Minimum wage applies to everyone (servers included)<br />
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3. The Oregon Coast is gorgeous!<br />
4. All the waterfalls<br />
5. "Rainy season" wasn't really that rainy<br />
6. The forests and state parks<br />
7. All the other great things I mentioned in previous posts:<br />
<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/10/oregon-crater-lake-columbia-river-gorge.html">Oregon: Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, and other Northwest highlights</a><br />
<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/09/roseburg-roadtripping-sea-stacks-dinos.html">Oregon: Roadtripping, sea stacks, dinos, and Bailey's first gondola ride </a><br />
<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/09/oregon-welcome-to-roseburg.html">Oregon: Welcome to Roseburg!</a><br />
8. Roseburg Breweries (Draper!)<br />
9. The view of Roseburg from the butte behind our apartment (pictured at top). 360 degree views. No one is ever around (unless there is a super moon) because it's being developed. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our apartment in Roseburg</td></tr>
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<b>Didn't Like:</b><br />
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1. All the forest fires, smokes, and road closures due to fire. Dryness in summer<br />
2. Just like NJ, all the gas is full-service only so it generally takes much longer and is more expensive<br />
3. Less events and music than other cities (even in Portland)<br />
4. <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/11/portland-meh.html">Portland: Meh</a><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Rating (Roseburg)</b></span><br />
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<b>Culture:</b> 2<br />
<b>Environment</b>: 2<br />
<b>Vegetarian Restaurants:</b> 0<br />
<b>Cost of Living:</b> 6<br />
<b>Transportation/Infrastructure:</b> 1 <br />
<b>Climate:</b> 6<br />
<b>People: </b>3<br />
<b>Pass/Fail: </b>Fail<br />
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Initially, we were really taking notes on each city and used the rating to talk with each other about where me might live permanently. Now, it's more for a fun conversation. Roseburg fails because we wouldn't consider living here unless we really needed to. It's the only other city besides Fresno that we haven't loved. <br />
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I'll post again soon.<b> Our next city is a good one!</b>
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-46137935986140530442015-11-03T22:27:00.001-05:002015-11-05T05:09:49.212-05:00Portland: Meh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O4UnYZKcCuk/VjLu1JW2RgI/AAAAAAAADHY/KvaOhIoWytY/s1600/SAM_0005-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O4UnYZKcCuk/VjLu1JW2RgI/AAAAAAAADHY/KvaOhIoWytY/s400/SAM_0005-001.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I</span> mentioned<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/09/oregon-welcome-to-roseburg.html"> a couple posts back</a> that Portland has been on our wish-list since the very beginning of our adventures. After putting down roots in Denver, we were always a little concerned that we'd eventually get a chance to live in Portland and wish we had held out.<b> Our concern was unnecessary.</b></div>
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<b>Portland wasn't the magical utopia other visitors, </b><b><b>my exaggerated expectations, and Portlandia promised me it would be</b>.</b></div>
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To be sure, it was a neat place. It seems like a great city to live in; a high-quality place to try new things and meet other healthy people; a great home for harder to please millennials who aspire to higher things than making babies and $$$. I assume if I lived there any period of time instead of just nearby, I'd find nuanced aspects to appreciate and write about. I'd fall in love like I've done with every place we've been. BUT, from the couple visits we made, I wasn't blown away; far from it. Our first visit sucked.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zWeG5RQ37bc/Vjl4iTnSFsI/AAAAAAAADIg/FztGywngXX8/s1600/SAM_0035-001.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zWeG5RQ37bc/Vjl4iTnSFsI/AAAAAAAADIg/FztGywngXX8/s320/SAM_0035-001.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">International Rose Garden</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KiielvsYWY8/Vjl3sLilXjI/AAAAAAAADIM/awiFq5lO0Fo/s1600/SAM_0063.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Aside from being spoiled and having visited and lived in some of the best cities in the country, I think the reason Portland didn't meet my expectation is that the city is no longer the outlier its reputation is built on. There is a revolution of sorts going on across the country, down through the rustbelt and even in our home base of Johnson City, TN. It's a very tame revolution that involves mainly microbreweries, anarchist bookstores, shared spaces, and tea shoppes; but to some extent it also involves things that matter more like veganism, tolerance, and opposition to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_trap">progress traps</a>. Portland has accomplished a lot on those fronts, but other cities are catching up.</div>
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It's a dumb example, but I'm going to use it: Portland has around 58 breweries while Denver has around 52. Six breweries don't make a noticeable difference, particularly when you think Denver beer is better. Make something besides IPAs, Portland!</div>
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This example applies nicely to other progress indicators like the number of people biking to work, art funding, public transportation, parks, environmental awareness, dog-friendliness, and libertarian law. When the numbers are this close, Portland becomes less attractive. It wasn't as clean as Dallas. It<br />
<a name='more'></a>was less photogenic than Chicago. It had less concerts, festivals, and exhibits of interest during the three months we were here than Denver. The food was better in Seattle and San Francisco. The weather is better in dozens of other places. Need I go on?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View before taking the tram</td></tr>
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Unless Portland bans gas powered cars, creates a meat-free dining district, builds a vacuum-tube train to San Diego, or does something completely new, it's going to level out with every other decent<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zWeG5RQ37bc/Vjl4iTnSFsI/AAAAAAAADIg/FztGywngXX8/s1600/SAM_0035-001.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> city. This is probably a good thing for the rest of us since we all can't live in Oregon, but disappointing for someone like me who expected too much.</div>
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For anyone that loves Portland and thinks I just went to the wrong places or tried the wrong things, here is some of what we did (what I really liked in bold): <b>Mississippi Neighborhood</b> food truck area and Home Smoker Vegan BBQ, Ecliptic Brewing, Hawthorn District, Clinton-Division, Hiked T4, Rocky Butte, Washington Park, <b>Rose Garden</b>, Sizzle Pie, explored downtown, drove through Alberta Arts, Waterfront, Rogue Tap House, Saturday Market, Cloud City Ice-Cream, <b>Portland Cider House</b>, <b>Rovente Pizzeria</b>, and various coffee shops. If we visit again, we'll probably bike more and stick to the Mississippi neighborhood.</div>
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-30735624363985573232015-10-30T18:40:00.000-04:002015-11-03T21:11:06.953-05:00Oregon: Crater Lake, Columbia River Gorge, and other Northwest highlights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKjZVl07ClU/VjBY0FwaA2I/AAAAAAAADF8/BUmjJDAJha0/s1600/SAM_0523-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OKjZVl07ClU/VjBY0FwaA2I/AAAAAAAADF8/BUmjJDAJha0/s640/SAM_0523-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I</span>f we ever live on the beach for more than a few months, Oregon might be the place. While Portland didn't meet our exaggerated expectations and Roseburg may as well be in Alabama for all its shallow religiosity and confederate flags, other nearby parts of the Northwest have been amazing. The whole region has quickly grown on us; particularly the coast with its cliff views, sea stacks, and untamed beaches.</div>
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The mountain forests of Oregon are as lush as those in Alaska and full of amazing waterfalls. The valleys are dotted with wineries and the cities, edifying culture. Seattle and Vancouver are now among my top favorite cities. With winter moving in, we're about ready to head out, but Oregon has been a rewarding choice.</div>
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<b>A few highlights:</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lutuloyj2cw/VjBhVG-44kI/AAAAAAAADGY/sJX3exSPxb0/s1600/SAM_0111.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lutuloyj2cw/VjBhVG-44kI/AAAAAAAADGY/sJX3exSPxb0/s320/SAM_0111.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Crater Lake: </b>This crater is huge! Originally created from an imploded volcano, the crater is now filled by the deepest lake in the country. Crater Lake is nearly 2000' deep. Only park service boats are allowed on the lake, but you can take one to Wizard Island for hiking. There is a log known as "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Lake">The Old Man of the Lake</a>" that has been floating vertically in Crater Lake since at least 1896. It moves about the lake as much as 62 miles a year, potentially influencing wave patterns.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3yKtLt5UAaY/VjBmOFjrHEI/AAAAAAAADHI/X7woMUaUDd4/s1600/SAM_0072-001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3yKtLt5UAaY/VjBmOFjrHEI/AAAAAAAADHI/X7woMUaUDd4/s400/SAM_0072-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Columbia River Gorge: </b>Beginning just outside of Portland, the gorge runs for 80 miles on the border between Washington and Oregon. The main attraction is Multnomah Falls (above), but there are dozens of other interesting and less-crowded stops along both sides of the river, in and above the gorge. This is a place I'd definitely like to spend more time.</div>
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<b>Eugene: </b>While Portland was somewhat of a disappointment (more on this in another post), Eugene was a nice consolation. It is much closer to where we're living in Roseburg and offers many of the same things as Portland on a smaller scale-- a vibrant Saturday Market, good food, overlooks, and trails. The city reminds me of Boulder, CO or Asheville, NC. Pictured above is Ninkasi Brewing, one of the city's more popular breweries.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEtG1a6r0N0/VjBhU6Tt47I/AAAAAAAADGc/c5oieeQqob4/s1600/SAM_0202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HEtG1a6r0N0/VjBhU6Tt47I/AAAAAAAADGc/c5oieeQqob4/s320/SAM_0202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Waterfalls: </b>The number of waterfalls in Oregon is ridiculous. We've seen more waterfalls in Oregon than all the other places we've been, combined. Some are next to the highway, others are 15 miles into the forest on unpaved roads and hiking trails. <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=drift+creek+bridge+oregon">Some have suspension bridges</a>, others have <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=grotto+falls+oregon">trails running behind them</a> and to their tops. <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=multnomah+falls">Some are crowded with hundreds of people</a> while <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=watson+falls+oregon">others are don't see many visitors at all.</a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nn9b1Koejqw/VjBhTZ-afuI/AAAAAAAADGQ/waJ6SWDKXJc/s1600/SAM_0249.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nn9b1Koejqw/VjBhTZ-afuI/AAAAAAAADGQ/waJ6SWDKXJc/s320/SAM_0249.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Seattle and Vancouver: </b>One of the best parts of living in Oregon for three months has been introductory trips to these two cities. It seemed like we couldn't stop anywhere without experiencing something interesting during our visits, whether it was trying to find a place to see the sunset and stumbling across a crowded nude beach in Vancouver or a whole alley covered with thousands of pieces of chewed gum in Seattle. Living in Charleston and Anchorage earlier in the year was great for their own reasons, but we weren't researching real-estate as we drove away like we were with Seattle, Vancouver.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zYjW98b-nWY/VjPa1Fm-RiI/AAAAAAAADHo/hM1v_5AiKDw/s1600/SAM_0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zYjW98b-nWY/VjPa1Fm-RiI/AAAAAAAADHo/hM1v_5AiKDw/s400/SAM_0696.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Coast: </b>We've made three trips to the coast and will probably squeeze a fourth in before leaving. We've covered nearly the entire length from Astoria in the north to the southernmost southeast corner into California. The Oregon coast is dotted with a diverse set of small towns, lighthouses, parks, and overlooks all connected by a scenic highway. The highway doesn't tend to run as close to the water as Route 1 in California, but this means that many of the beaches are more private and wild. In many areas, the only way to get to these beaches is a hiking trail. Some of the more popular attractions are <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=haystack+rock">Cannon Beach</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=Thor+well+oregon">Thor's Well</a>, but we had a great time at lesser known attractions like the Hobbit Trail. <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/09/roseburg-roadtripping-sea-stacks-dinos.html">I wrote about our first trip to the Oregon Coast</a>, but haven't written much since then. I'd much rather be at the beach than writing about it!</div>
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We only have a couple more weeks here in Oregon. I'll be sure to get a couple more posts in before we head out.</div>
T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-13872167124869744142015-10-30T00:14:00.000-04:002015-10-30T00:14:02.972-04:00Defrag your brain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-21887751026941968922015-09-09T20:56:00.000-04:002015-09-09T21:02:41.588-04:00Oregon: Roadtripping, sea stacks, dinos, and Bailey's first gondola ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o2Pcqh1TR2c/Ve_z96BwfdI/AAAAAAAADEA/EsEAyr_nFXk/s1600/100_0127-002-min.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o2Pcqh1TR2c/Ve_z96BwfdI/AAAAAAAADEA/EsEAyr_nFXk/s640/100_0127-002-min.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent City, CA</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iziiXvxnUgc/VduLNBB--3I/AAAAAAAAC9g/oRzCxcdt0x4/s1600/Roadtrip%2BAug%2B2015.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iziiXvxnUgc/VduLNBB--3I/AAAAAAAAC9g/oRzCxcdt0x4/s320/Roadtrip%2BAug%2B2015.jpg" width="270" /></a>With roads to Crater Lake closed because of forest fires, we scrapped plans to travel east and headed down to the southern coast of Oregon and into California.</div>
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While living in California last year, we saw a lot of redwoods and sequoias in Yosemite and The Sequoia National Forest, so we spent most of our time on this trip at the picturesque beaches and tacky attractions along the way; a road trip without a serious destination. <b>Here were the highlights....</b></div>
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<b>Bandon</b>: I'm no expert on sea stacks, but I'd never seen anything quite like this in person. The huge rocks at Bandon Beach tower above the sand in different shapes. One stack, Face Rock, looks like a giant head emerging face first from the ocean as if through cellophane. </div>
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Bandon's small downtown and waterfront was a comfortable place to grab a coffee and walk along the pier before heading on down the road.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LqjnGXBHl4c/Ve_z8irhX9I/AAAAAAAADD0/y3AwUBTHVKs/s1600/100_0004-min.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LqjnGXBHl4c/Ve_z8irhX9I/AAAAAAAADD0/y3AwUBTHVKs/s320/100_0004-min.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<b>Port Orford</b>: This beach town lacked the same sea stacks as Bandon, but has great views of its own. Port Orford is often compared to California's Big Sur because of the way the highway runs right next to the ocean (less common in Oregon). We stopped here in at Battle Rock Park to read about the area's violent history and watch the boats getting hauled onto the dock at one of the world's few "<a href="http://www.enjoyportorford.com/portofportorford.html">dolly dock</a>" ports.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxd_6T8wKtc/Ve_z8nIQIEI/AAAAAAAADDw/gbQZ7rgGVhQ/s1600/100_0017-min.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxd_6T8wKtc/Ve_z8nIQIEI/AAAAAAAADDw/gbQZ7rgGVhQ/s320/100_0017-min.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port Orford</td></tr>
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<b>The Prehistoric Gardens</b>: Tacky. But full-sized dinosaur sculptures built along a trail in a rainforest? Dogs allowed? Couldn't resist.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhoN1ohmjH8/VfDLjCZTBeI/AAAAAAAADEk/7eel9fORD34/s1600/100_0026-min.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IhoN1ohmjH8/VfDLjCZTBeI/AAAAAAAADEk/7eel9fORD34/s320/100_0026-min.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Prehistoric Gardens</td></tr>
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<b>Trees of Mystery</b>: This place is neat. Trees of Mystery is home to a 50 ft interactive Paul Bunyan statue, trees featured in the old Ripley's Believe it or Not books, and a gondola ride through the trees. With dogs banned from most National Park trails, this was a great place to visit without having to drop her at a kennel or leave her in the car.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bailey in the Gondola through the trees</td></tr>
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<b>Crescent City</b>: Another gorgeous beach town. Probably my favorite of the trip. We spent our time here walking on the jetty, watching sea otters, and admiring the lighthouse at sunset.</div>
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After living in Anchorage for three months and seeing all the damage and old photos from the 1964 earthquake, it was interesting to read how the same quake also caused a tsunami that devastated Crescent City.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqUDIgnxPtI/VfDMwRugEFI/AAAAAAAADEs/3UsveiYJ8Jk/s1600/100_0131-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dqUDIgnxPtI/VfDMwRugEFI/AAAAAAAADEs/3UsveiYJ8Jk/s640/100_0131-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battery Point Light in Crescent City</td></tr>
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Like Route 1 in California or the Seward Highway in Alaska, this scenic drive has too many great pullouts and and attractions to mention-- old bridges, Oregon's largest island, puffins, whales, cafes. </div>
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We're looking forward to visiting Oregon's north (Goonies!) and middle coastal areas later in the month.</div>
T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-63669996353736625002015-09-01T20:29:00.001-04:002015-09-06T03:39:27.673-04:00Oregon: Welcome to Roseburg!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">F</span>or three years we've been living like nomads: <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Philadelphia">Philadelphia</a>,<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Dallas"> Dallas</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Chicago">Chicago</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/California">Fresno</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Denver">Denver</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Charleston">Charleston</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/search/label/Anchorage">Anchorage</a>. From the very beginning, the cities of Portland and Seattle have been at the top of our wish-list of places to live and now, we're here! <b>Nearby anyway...</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DPFjC166Sw/Vd5QzG4LiPI/AAAAAAAAC98/2YfPFu7ozrw/s1600/WP_20150814_17_07_07_Pro.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1DPFjC166Sw/Vd5QzG4LiPI/AAAAAAAAC98/2YfPFu7ozrw/s320/WP_20150814_17_07_07_Pro.jpg" width="186" /></a>The closest we could get to Portland was Roseburg, OR; a small town of about 22,000 people along Interstate 5. From here it's about one hour to Eugene, two to Salem, three to Portland, five to Seattle, and seven to Vancouver. We're planning to visit each of these cities for the first time. We'll also be able to spend time on the Oregon Coast, at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm">Crater Lake National Park</a>, and in the <a href="http://www.travelportland.com/article/two-days-columbia-river-gorge/">Columbia River Gorge</a>.</div>
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Roseburg is one of the smallest and oldest populations I've ever live in. To give an idea, <a href="http://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/2011/06/06/10-places-with-the-oldest-population">Clearwater</a> has the oldest average age of any city in the state of Florida at 43.8 years. Roseburg's Average Median Age is 45.2! Sometimes it seems like there are more mobility scooters (many with sun shades!) in the crosswalks than people walking. Our apartment complex is bracketed by two retirement communities and a dozen medical complexes across the street. Whenever I run errands in town, I've started carrying my kindle to have something to do in line during the inevitable dispute over coupons and senior citizen discounts. <b>Not making fun. Just sharing the reality of the area. A lot of the older crowd I've come across in the cafes and local watering holes here seem like really fun and interesting people.</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildlife Safari outside of Roseburg</td></tr>
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Despite the older ages, there <i>are</i> things to do besides bingo. The city has a cute little downtown and a dog park in the shade along the river. There are a number of quality breweries with music and games. The local safari focuses on specific conservation efforts and was a treat to visit. Sure, we've exhausted our to-do list for the city in two weeks and have resorted to browsing the aisles of the local dvd store ($1 movies for 5 days!), but we're excited to be here.</div>
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The apartment itself is fairly standard-- nothing like Denver or Chicago. My favorite part is the family of deer that comes out almost every night from the hills behind us. Like Fresno, we're here for the location and not the city itself,<b><br /></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bailey watching deer</td></tr>
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<b>A few first impressions to finish out the post:</b></div>
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-- Oregon's minimum wage applies to all workers regardless of whether they receive tips or not.</div>
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-- Like New Jersey, all gas stations are full-service only. I've already forgotten once and tried to pump the gas, myself.</div>
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-- Despite being in wine country near the West Coast and Portland, it's surprisingly conservative, redneck, and overweight. I've seen a couple confederate flags. It's not what I expected.</div>
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<br /></div>
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-- Washington and California seem to be getting most of the coverage, but there are serious fires all around Oregon, too. We've seen helicopters flying with buckets of water from the airport. On a trip through the forest, we passed a camp of firefighters the size of a music festival. Just like Anchorage, the air can be hazy with smoke. </div>
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-- One of Roseburg's claims to fame is <a href="http://offbeatoregon.com/o1102c-roseburg-blast-looked-like-nuclear-war.html">a huge truck explosion</a> that leveled most of its downtown in 1959. The city has an app you can use for a self-guided tour of the event.</div>
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-- After living in a state without any snakes, it's a big change to be hiking through areas where rattlesnakes are a serious consideration. Many people here vaccinate their dogs against rattlesnakes and/or try to landscape in ways that discourage snakes from hiding out.</div>
<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-56275029134152148382015-07-23T20:08:00.004-04:002015-07-23T20:09:37.950-04:00Anchorage: Glaciers, reindeer, and hiking at midnight. The best and worst of our three month stay in Alaska.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OkexosdCbWA/VbFaP7kFPfI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/_o0H0z78F6w/s1600/101_0898-003.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OkexosdCbWA/VbFaP7kFPfI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/_o0H0z78F6w/s640/101_0898-003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">T</span>ime to move on! Our stay, once stretching out before us as three whole long months of opportunity has flown into and through us, settling somewhere in our minds as disjointed memories of camping trips, grueling hikes, road-trips, and syrupy beverages from countless colorful coffee shacks between Homer and Denali.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm6nGJWrlD8/VbF_Yk8ie3I/AAAAAAAAC74/1CeQGu2wkaM/s1600/101_0989.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eozHoXYbBH4/VbF_Q1DAmnI/AAAAAAAAC7w/om1ZtdiN1fQ/s1600/101_0745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm6nGJWrlD8/VbF_Yk8ie3I/AAAAAAAAC74/1CeQGu2wkaM/s1600/101_0989.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm6nGJWrlD8/VbF_Yk8ie3I/AAAAAAAAC74/1CeQGu2wkaM/s320/101_0989.JPG" width="320" /></a>I often get time shock at the end of our stays looking at how quickly the time has gone. It's not because we've run out of time and missed out on doing what we planned. It's because we do so much and the time flies. I'm ready to go. The days are already getting shorter. It's raining a lot. We kayaked and dog sledded and took a ride on the Alaskan railroad. We saw waterfalls, glaciers, and moose. We saw a whale in Seward, drove as far south as Homer on the Kenai Peninsula and as far north as Denali National Park. We biked the Tony Knowles Trail and scrambled over loose scree to O'Malley Peak. We hiked to a remote lake and canoed in the rain. There is a lifetime of exploration here, but I'm</div>
<a name='more'></a>ready for the next thing. We've done a lot. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Here are some of the highlights:</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eozHoXYbBH4/VbF_Q1DAmnI/AAAAAAAAC70/vkr5g1jWxV0/s1600/101_0745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eozHoXYbBH4/VbF_Q1DAmnI/AAAAAAAAC70/vkr5g1jWxV0/s320/101_0745.JPG" width="240" /></a></b></div>
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<b>Glaciers</b><br />
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Before living here, I could barely tell you the difference between an iceberg and a glacier. I knew glaciers were big chunks of ice that could be seen from a boat. Since we've lived here, we've hiked on or around three glaciers and seen dozens more from a distance. Like a river (they are rivers of ice), each has its own unique traits that change with the seasons. If you've seen one glacier you HAVEN'T seen them all. Some end in a large lake while others can be hiked. Some have worms. Some make noises. They fall apart. They fluctuate in size. They're receding and getting smaller each year. This description probably sounds painfully obvious to anyone that has been to a glacier, but I wasn't!</div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-VtaAT-JdI/VbFwftL_D5I/AAAAAAAAC64/pPV3B0Oy6zo/s1600/WP_20150702_18_42_10_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<b>Road-trips</b><br />
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Alaska is a great place to drive just for the sake of driving. There are only two highways leaving the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-VtaAT-JdI/VbFwftL_D5I/AAAAAAAAC64/pPV3B0Oy6zo/s1600/WP_20150702_18_42_10_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-VtaAT-JdI/VbFwftL_D5I/AAAAAAAAC64/pPV3B0Oy6zo/s1600/WP_20150702_18_42_10_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>city: north and south. The northbound highway splits east and west about an hour north of <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-VtaAT-JdI/VbFwftL_D5I/AAAAAAAAC64/pPV3B0Oy6zo/s1600/WP_20150702_18_42_10_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-VtaAT-JdI/VbFwftL_D5I/AAAAAAAAC64/pPV3B0Oy6zo/s320/WP_20150702_18_42_10_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a>Anchorage. These "highways" drop to a single-lane in each direction not far from the city and wind around mountains and through valleys offering some of the best views we've ever seen from the road. The highway south travels along the Turnagain Arm with dozens of stops for hikers and wildlife viewers. If you're lucky you'll see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8_O6p3m8eM">the bore tide</a>. If you want to detour to a one-lane tunnel shared by trains and kept breathable by jet turbines, you can. If you want to hike miles to a self-operated hand-tram over a river, you can do that too!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8bySxLiYOGw/VbFwifYGSOI/AAAAAAAAC7A/nQxPHStSmME/s1600/WP_20150721_23_04_25_Pro.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8bySxLiYOGw/VbFwifYGSOI/AAAAAAAAC7A/nQxPHStSmME/s320/WP_20150721_23_04_25_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a><b> </b><br />
<b>Wildlife</b><br />
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Sounds obvious, but it's hard to appreciate this until you're actually here. I've been walking to work among the high-rise offices and watched a moose trot down the street across a four lane one-way minutes before the light changed and the traffic roared by. We saw a whale spouting from downtown Seward. We've seen a dozen moose, sea lions, sea otter, and a mountains goat. I was impressed with how nature and construction mixed in Charleston, but in Anchorage there is more of a feeling of nature pressing in on the city as large animals wander through and the winter weather competes with everyone's best attempts to maintain the roads and paint on their houses and cars.</div>
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<b>Earthquakes</b><br />
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The floor wobbled as if a big truck was passing close by. The plants shook as if being blown. It was like being on a large boat when movement is hard to detect but something doesn't feel quite right. Earthquake! Check that off my bucket list.</div>
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<b> </b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KFRi_-p_F0/VbFwc4PoRwI/AAAAAAAAC6w/SOQQmXIFj-4/s1600/101_1421.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5KFRi_-p_F0/VbFwc4PoRwI/AAAAAAAAC6w/SOQQmXIFj-4/s320/101_1421.JPG" width="320" /></a><b></b><br />
<b>Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass</b><br />
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Most of Alaska's roads are built to avoid the mountains. Hatcher Pass is an exception. The trip to Hatcher pass is a beautiful drive that ends at a small lodge and an old mine. The mine has been maintained in preserved ruin with pictures and information about it's glory days. Trails lead away from the mine to mountain lakes and better views of abandoned mine buildings and cable car stations that dot the cliffs in the distance.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ohqGPoDYdKg/VbFwapj8lVI/AAAAAAAAC6g/x5irUE5mkNw/s1600/1.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ohqGPoDYdKg/VbFwapj8lVI/AAAAAAAAC6g/x5irUE5mkNw/s320/1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SummitPost.org</td></tr>
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<b>O'Malley Peak</b><br />
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Leaving the Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage, there is a jagged peak on
the mountain range that's higher than all the rest and stays in views on
the east bound road away from the airport-- O'Malley Peak.
"Let's climb that one!" Lindsay said half joking during our first week
in Anchorage. Quite the hike by our standards, but we finished it and hung out on the small summit before getting chased down by incoming rain and surfing hundreds of feet on loose scree. One of my favorite hike of our stay.</div>
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<b> </b><b> </b><br />
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<b>Worth Mentioning: </b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lrQRHujJHDc/VbF8MuWfnCI/AAAAAAAAC7c/sO_31wd8654/s1600/IMG_2422-001.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lrQRHujJHDc/VbF8MuWfnCI/AAAAAAAAC7c/sO_31wd8654/s320/IMG_2422-001.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.reindeerfarm.com/">Reindeer Farm</a><br />
<a href="http://www.muskoxfarm.org/">Musk Ox Farm</a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stubbs_%28cat%29">Talkeetna (Town with a cat for a mayor)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/winner-creek-trail">Winners Creek and Hand Tram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/Destinations/SpencerGlacier/tabid/137/Default.aspx">Spencer Glacier Alaskan Railroad Train</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/reflections-lake-trail">Reflections Lake</a><br />
<a href="http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/trails/tbirdfalls.htm">Thunderbird Falls</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lifetimeadventure.net/eklutna-trips-and-rentals/">Eklutna Lake</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ernc.org/">Eagle River</a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whittier,_Alaska">Whittier</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/the-homer-spit">Homer Spit</a><br />
<a href="https://www.alaskawildlife.org/">Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alyeskaresort.com/resort/about-aerial-tram.aspx">Alyeska Tram</a><br />
<a href="http://beartooththeatre.net/">Beartooth Theater and Pizza/Brewery </a><br />
<a href="http://www.koots.com/">Chilkoot Charlies</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lastfrontier.org/coffeehouses.htm">Coffee Shacks </a><br />
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-2032502226324991122015-04-29T19:06:00.000-04:002015-11-09T18:27:00.003-05:00Anchorage: First week of living in Alaska and the new apartment<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ihBIgPr5dg/VUFCwxG2ZoI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/fWRDx3CiLSc/s1600/101_0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ihBIgPr5dg/VUFCwxG2ZoI/AAAAAAAAC2Y/fWRDx3CiLSc/s1600/101_0328.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>W</b></span>e've only been in Alaska a few days and nothing too eventful has happened, but I want to write before the initial <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock">culture shock</a> wears off. Despite being a part of the U.S., Alaska is different enough that it's a little like visiting another country for the first time. Here are some things we've noticed:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blvukLr0CN8/VUFX6JEHUqI/AAAAAAAAC2o/RPVjpoKUdaY/s1600/WP_20150424_23_43_40_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-blvukLr0CN8/VUFX6JEHUqI/AAAAAAAAC2o/RPVjpoKUdaY/s1600/WP_20150424_23_43_40_Pro.jpg" width="177" /></a><b>1) If you ever fly to Alaska, reserve a window seat.</b> The plane took off from Chicago around sunset and chased the sun through and over pink clouds the entire six-hour flight to Anchorage where it finally got dark shortly after arrival. Much of the trip I looked down on clouds and the snowy peaks poking through them. Sometimes it was hard to tell what was a cloud and what was a mountain. <a href="http://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/01/the-great-gorge-of-ruth-glacier.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+amusingplanet+%28Amusing+Planet%29">Huge gorges</a> full of ice and snow between mountains looked like rivers but ran to nowhere. I found out later some of these gorges run deeper than the grand canyon and many of these mountains are taller than any we'd seen in Colorado or California. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>2) Anchorage is in the middle of nowhere.</b> That nowhere is beautiful mountains and wilderness but it's so sparsely populated here that it's unnerving. Alaska makes up almost 18% of the U.S. land mass and hardly anyone lives
on most of it. Anchorage contains 41% of the state's population (second
in single city concentration to only NY) and even in Anchorage, it
feels sparse!</div>
Alaska's 2nd and 3rd biggest cities, Fairbanks and Juneau, are over 6 and 21 hours away, respectively. The fourth biggest city in Alaska has only around 9,000 people. To put this in continental U.S. terms, imagine that you live in New York City and have to drive to Pittsburg PA or Savannah, GA through mountain and wilderness to get to the nearest decent sized cities and these cities are <br />
<a name='more'></a>only 1/27 the size of Jacksonville, FL.<br />
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<b>3) Anchorage looks like hell on the exterior.</b> I'm being honest, not complaining. While run-down exteriors and rugged constructions are often a sign of poverty and even crime in the U.S., it seems to mean something different here. Because the winters are so rough and the snow so blanketing, there isn't much focus on outside appearance. Just do a google street view of any place in Anchorage and you'll see what I'm talking about. This says nothing about the quality of food or the environment inside. A windowless run-down exterior might be home to a fancy and warm interior. Because of the way I'm conditioned, it feels unsafe. But it's a perfect example of "it's what's on the inside that counts". </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The people seem similar. I brought all my old worn out clothes so that I could leave them here when we leave and I feel over-dressed. People are philly-level casual. I'll wait to write more about it until we've been here longer.</div>
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<b>4) Food is reasonably priced.</b> We heard all sorts of horror stories about how expensive produce and other necessities would be because of shipping costs. We heard it would be awful for vegans. Not true! It's definitely more expensive than many places we've lived, but we've lived in Chicago. We occasionally shop at Whole Foods ($$$). The prices at the local grocery store here, half a mile away, don't compare to what we've paid elsewhere. So far we've seen plenty of food options and haven't had any trouble finding the ingredients we need. Plus, if we run into trouble Amazon still ships to Alaska for free just like it ships anywhere else.</div>
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<b>5) The whole daylight thing is awesome.</b> We had reservations about how 22 hours of daylight might impact our sleep, but so far it has been great. Blackout blinds fix everything. </div>
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There have been a number of times in other cities that an excursion was ruined because I didn't get up and around in time. Back in CO, it's often necessary to get up at 5am to make it to a trailhead in time to hike a fourteener. In Anchorage, you can sleep in until 9:30, have breakfast, and still have 12 hours for hiking. Our dog, Bailey, has been extremely confused. Her biological clock is set for dark, dinner, and bed around 3:30 AK time but she'll get used to it.</div>
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<b>6)</b> <a href="http://www.lastfrontier.org/coffeehouses.htm"><b>Coffee Huts!</b></a> That is all on that.<br />
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<b>7) We're starting to build our "to do" list. </b><br />
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So far, it looks like this:<b><br /></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.nps.gov/DENA/planyourvisit/index.htm">Visit Denali and Mount McKinley</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alaska.org/advice/best-roadside-glaciers">Go on a glacier sightseeing roadtrip</a><br />
<a href="http://anchoragecoastaltrail.com/">Bike the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail</a><br />
<a href="http://www.anchorage.net/articles/summer-solstice-anchorage-style">Attend Summer Solstice Festival (22 hours of daylight)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.alaskawildlife.org/">Visit Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center </a><br />
<a href="http://www.yakandyetialaska.com/menu.html">Eat Himalayan Food at the Yak and Yeti</a><br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/casa-anchorage">Eat Asian Mexican fusion at CASA</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/whittier-tunnel">Drive through Whittier Tunnel (longest one-way tunnel highway shared with trains and cleared by jet engines)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.adn.com/article/who-knew-anchorage-among-americas-best-cities-hipsters">We're still looking into options on glacier cruises, train trips, kayaking, and some off-roading along with a number of local concert venues, museums, theaters and breweries.</a><br />
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<b>8) Finally, a few pictures of our place for anyone that's interested.</b> It's definitely different than many of the other places we've stayed. But, it fits nicely with the surroundings. It has a wood-burning fireplace, a heated garage, and a rooftop deck. It's only a mile from the center of downtown with its ugly but delicious restaurants, stores, and coffee huts. Should be perfect for three months!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest room for visitors!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View northwest towards downtown</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View east towards the mountains</td></tr>
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<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-6723789496353790702015-04-10T12:00:00.000-04:002015-04-10T12:00:59.400-04:00Charleston: Sunrises and sunsets, hiking with alligators, and kayaking with dolphins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">C</span>harleston has been a beautiful place to live for three months! Our goal
in coming here was to enjoy the beach in the off season and spend some time in Charleston's historic downtown. Goal accomplished! We were able to live a block from the ocean, spend quite a bit of time downtown, and find some other added bonuses in the between time. Here are some
of the highlights:</div>
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<b>Water sports and wildlife</b></div>
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Unlike much of the
west coast and northeast where a well defined shore separates the
ocean and land. The ocean around Charleston seeps and flows into and around the area creating all types of rivers, tidal creeks, marshes, inlets, black-water swamps, and harbors. Most of the driving in the area is done on bridges and
elevated roads. <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/04/charleston-best-thing-about-city.html">This allows for many ways to enjoy and explore on the water, and beautiful views of the surrounding area.</a></div>
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We bought a second kayak and explored the harbor during low tide. We dragged our yaks down the trail at Palmetto County Park to explore the tidal creeks along the inter-coastal waterway. The amount of
diverse birds we saw from storks and egrets to snipes, willets, sanderlings, and oystercatchers was stunning. The dolphins and alligators are</div>
<a name='more'></a>harder to spot, but we've seen more than our fair share of them as well.<br />
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<b>County Parks</b></div>
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The two large county parks on either side of Charleton are more than just a place to have a corporate picnic or family reunion. They offer a spot for the locals to retreat to while the beaches are overrun with vacationers. Each has a water park, dog park, and festivals. James Island County Park has <a href="https://www.ccprc.com/161/Climbing-Wall">an impressive climbing wall</a>, climbing classes, and one of the best dog parks we've ever been to. Just watch out for alligators!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hmQemmXXxuY/VSW7r_b1_bI/AAAAAAAAC1M/_7K0V959pQQ/s1600/SAM_6455.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hmQemmXXxuY/VSW7r_b1_bI/AAAAAAAAC1M/_7K0V959pQQ/s1600/SAM_6455.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><br />
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<b>Day Trips</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.beaufortsc.org/">Beaufort</a> and<a href="http://www.cityofgeorgetownsc.com/index.cfm"> Georgetown</a> were little more than names to me before moving to Charleston. They're now my favorite southern seaside towns. Beaufort is the second oldest city in SC after Charleston, Georgetown is the third. These small laid back cities offer a break from the bustle of Charleston and B.S. of country club areas like Kiawah and Hilton Head. Each is a great place to grab a coffee and walk along the water. </div>
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Savannah is also only two hours south of Charleston. We made our first visit a few weeks before Saint Patrick's Day, took a trolly tour, bought some girl scout cookies, and sat near the <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/15831">Forrest Gump bench</a>.</div>
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Myrtle Beach is a couple hours north for a completely different brand of fun.</div>
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<b>Historic Downtown</b></div>
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Charleston isn't even close to being one of the oldest cities in America, but it's one of the most preserved and historically significant. Unlike other cities that have a historic areas or older buildings mixed with the new, Charleston IS the historic area. North Charleston isn't as historic but most people don't realize North Charleston is actually The City of North Charleston, a different place altogether.</div>
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Besides the South Carolina Aquarium, the City Market, and Fort Sumter, Charleston lacks large tourist destinations. It's not a bad thing! Most major cities have aquariums and great markets. The city of Charleston itself is a living museum. Dozens of small points of interest like the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g54171-d1592514-r117773694-Unitarian_Church_in_Charleston-Charleston_South_Carolina.html">Unitarian Cemetery</a>, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g54370-d3457891-i104651116-Low_Country_Boat_Tours-North_Charleston_South_Carolina.html">The Battery</a>, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54171-d2172810-Reviews-Rainbow_Row-Charleston_South_Carolina.html">Rainbow Row</a>, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54171-d5501822-Reviews-Philadelphia_Alley-Charleston_South_Carolina.html">Philadelphia Alley</a>, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54171-d144260-Reviews-Charleston_Waterfront_Park-Charleston_South_Carolina.html">Waterfront Park</a>, <a href="http://charlestoncathedral.com/">Cathedral of St. John the Baptist</a>, and <a href="https://charlestonsfinest.com/sc/exclusking.htm">King St</a> make Charleston a joy just to walk around and explore. Stepping off the small sidewalks and finding your own way into even smaller alleys and winding sidewalks is great when every small point of interest seems to be yelped and mapped. Walking along the harbor and watching dolphins play against a backdrop of Fort Sumter or a sunset is something that can't be done elsewhere.</div>
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There <i>are</i> dozen small house museums along Charleston's "Museum Mile" and throughout the city for those who want to see and learn more. We made sure to take an evening ghost tour and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/2ndSundayonKingSt">visit King St on a second Sunday</a> when it was shut down for dining and music. We found enough to do around the city and on the street without visitinig any of the museums.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1QJSTJ0Vik/VSW7riOXZ7I/AAAAAAAAC1I/AGHmtj2OA0k/s1600/SAM_6147.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1QJSTJ0Vik/VSW7riOXZ7I/AAAAAAAAC1I/AGHmtj2OA0k/s1600/SAM_6147.JPG" height="320" width="225" /></a><br />
<b>Local Eats and Drinks</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1kzgAfFbp4/VSW43xIr5fI/AAAAAAAAC0s/zYkB9h73-Z8/s1600/WP_20150312_15_38_11_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j1kzgAfFbp4/VSW43xIr5fI/AAAAAAAAC0s/zYkB9h73-Z8/s1600/WP_20150312_15_38_11_Pro.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a>Charleston is one of the least progressive places we've lived during our travels, but we found more than enough healthy food and delicious brews to keep us happy. It took some work and travel to find out what restaurants were still open and what had gone out of business, but we found some great vegan nachos at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dellz-Uptown/301957166598025">Dellz Uptown</a>. </div>
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Similarly, there are only a handful of breweries but places like <a href="http://www.revelrybrewingco.com/">Revelry Brewing</a> and <a href="http://www.holycitybrewing.com/beer">Holy City</a> are some of the best in the region. The coffee culture is well developed for a city Charleston's size with <a href="http://kuducoffeeandcraftbeer.com/">Kudu</a> offering craft coffee, beer, and a nice outdoor patio without wifi to nurture a more social environment. <a href="http://www.blacktapcoffee.com/">Black Tap</a> is small but worth a visit for quality. Even Starbucks, if you insist, is a treat because of the historic locations they occupy (an old bank building, the Francis Marion Hotel, a small white house)</div>
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<b>Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge</b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4b0CMfaGSqo/VSW40qA6HII/AAAAAAAACzw/rC-m-GmA7_4/s1600/11002512_10205871159198895_710614790258549738_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4b0CMfaGSqo/VSW40qA6HII/AAAAAAAACzw/rC-m-GmA7_4/s1600/11002512_10205871159198895_710614790258549738_n.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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The bridge gets a mention all its own. Gracing the background of nearly any and every photo of Charleston, this fairly new construction is both a destination and symbol. We biked the bridge from Mount Pleasant down into Charleston for a drink at the <a href="http://theroyalamerican.com/">Royal American</a> (Another gem of a bar and music venue that took us a little too long to discover because it's outside of the central downtown). We've biked or walked every bridge we've been able to from the Golden Gate to the Ben Franklin and Brooklyn for their great views and fresh air. The ARJ is no different.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgoyRcnMizA/VSW7sSb8pbI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/MeUUwUDdifI/s1600/SAM_6622.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgoyRcnMizA/VSW7sSb8pbI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/MeUUwUDdifI/s1600/SAM_6622.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></b><b>A Short Drive Away</b></div>
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There are a number of plantations and gardens in the Charleston area that offer a diverse experience of history, horticulture, wilderness and tacky fun. We visited both <a href="http://www.magnoliaplantation.com/">Magnolia Plantation</a> and <a href="http://www.cypressgardens.info/">Cypress Garden</a>, preferring Cypress Garden because of its self-guided boat tour and the monster alligator we nearly stumbled over on a narrow trail miles back into the swamp. Magnolia Plantation had its share of alligators but was a tamer experience. Most were seen from a distance on elevated walkways or guided tram. If there is only time for one and you're feeling adventurous, Cypress Gardens is the place to go. Besides, it's where they filmed the boat-date scene in The Notebook. Can't beat that. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nljl8JLn2-k/VSW42_0pX8I/AAAAAAAAC0g/UJPXEgUrEG4/s1600/SAM_6425.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nljl8JLn2-k/VSW42_0pX8I/AAAAAAAAC0g/UJPXEgUrEG4/s1600/SAM_6425.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://www.angeloaktree.com/">The Angel Oak Tree</a> on Johns Island isn't much compared to the tree in California, but why compare? Its another kind of tree entirely, a southern oak. Most of its bulk is spread sideways. Many of its branches are bigger than normal tree trunks. It's worth a stop since there aren't too many of these old trees left and with nearby development, this one might not make it too much longer.</div>
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<a href="http://www.follyboat.com/">Folly Boat</a> is a fun little photo opportunity on the way to Folly Beach or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Island_Light">Morris Island Light</a>. This shipwreck is regularly repainted depending on what's going on in town or the whim of the painter.</div>
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Some of the best views of Charleston and the sunset can be seen from Mt Pleasant's <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g54354-d2027336-Reviews-Pitt_Street_Bridge-Mount_Pleasant_South_Carolina.html">Pitt Street Bridge</a> to the east. Here, a palm lined land bridge runs along the harbor facing Charleston. Other nearby places worth visiting are <a href="http://www.scgreatoutdoors.com/park-shemcreekpark.html">Shem Creek Park</a>, a park access entirely by boardwalk or Kayak, and Sullivan's Island. Sullivan's Island is home to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Moultrie">Fort Moultrie</a>, <a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=334">Sullivan's Island Lighthouse</a>, <a href="http://poestavern.com/sullivans-island/">Poe's Tavern</a>, and <a href="http://cafemedley.com/">Cafe Medley</a>.</div>
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I'll stop here since I'm digressing into a list instead of an update for friends and family. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/23/charleston-south-carolina_n_4305335.html">There are better lists elsewhere.</a> We're already planning our next city. Nothing is definite so I'll hold off on the details, but it's looking like an exciting one! More news, soon.</div>
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T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-3595820729355476572015-04-09T19:32:00.001-04:002015-04-09T20:11:47.283-04:00Charleston: My favorite thing about this city<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xSJYUEpIlU/VScDnvj-NeI/AAAAAAAAC14/S4IQZh_reNQ/s1600/SAM_6734-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xSJYUEpIlU/VScDnvj-NeI/AAAAAAAAC14/S4IQZh_reNQ/s1600/SAM_6734-002.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">V</span>enice has an international reputation for being THE city of water. But there are others. As Charleston expands into the marsh and swamps of the surrounding areas, building more parks, connectors, piers, and walkable bridges; the more it also becomes a city built on, and over, water.</div>
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I realized while working on another post about Charleston that my favorite
thing about the city is not
its historical character or even its wildlife. These exist elsewhere, nearby. What makes Charleston such a beautiful place is the necessary elevated roads that allow for a frequent inward gaze at the wildlife, downtown, and islands. While other cities are flat, wooded, or obstructed by construction, there are so many viewpoints in the Charleston area from which to observe Charleston's historic and natural beauty from a contemplative distance. </div>
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Unlike bigger cities, Charleston never fully consumes you in its belly. There is always a view across the harbor of a lighthouse or island fortress. </div>
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More sunsets are seen than missed. </div>
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While elsewhere it takes a special trip to see natural beauty or a conscious reminder to mentally revisit places you've enjoyed, Charleston gets in your face for attention. The longer we live here, the more meaningful daily views become as they're filled with associations and memories of lighthouse visits, palm-lined isthmus strolls, bike rides, and harbor walks. </div>
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Despite the horrible South Carolinian drivers and the frustrations of overhearing boatloads of ignorance about politics and social issues, it's really hard to be unhappy here.</div>
T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-2805809239495629812015-02-20T14:51:00.000-05:002015-02-20T14:57:35.555-05:00Why writers are often poor communicators<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TmMnL5q1FP4/VOeLNsFRKfI/AAAAAAAACyM/YC2flceGgow/s1600/2162015040814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TmMnL5q1FP4/VOeLNsFRKfI/AAAAAAAACyM/YC2flceGgow/s1600/2162015040814.jpg" height="299" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">T</span>his graphic should probably be named something less definitive than <i>The Types Of Intelligence</i> since there are others. I wouldn't get carried away throwing just any skill or ability up here, though. Consider writing.<br />
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Writing can fall under "linguistic intelligence" but most writers are terrible at expressing their thoughts fluidly. This deficiency is why they write-- for the reward of seeing their thoughts expressed. Writers bang their head against a desk doing what people with a high linguistic intelligence do easily. <br />
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Its like a person drawn to the forest; not because they are a naturalist, but because they feel disconnected from nature.<br />
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<br />T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-53901215086802435632015-02-18T19:01:00.000-05:002015-02-18T19:01:00.308-05:00Excerpt: Brideshead Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o3XNl5HZJqU/VI92GJA7hpI/AAAAAAAACsQ/8SHVpxGKq0c/s1600/Brideshead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o3XNl5HZJqU/VI92GJA7hpI/AAAAAAAACsQ/8SHVpxGKq0c/s1600/Brideshead.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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<b>Excerpts from Bridehead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh:</b><br />
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“<i>Sometimes, I feel the past and the future pressing so hard on either side that there's no room for the present at all.”</i></div>
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<i><br />“The trouble with modern education is you never know how ignorant people are. With anyone over fifty you can be fairly confident what's been taught and what's been left out. But these young people have such an intelligent, knowledgeable surface, and then the crust suddenly breaks and you look down into depths of confusion you didn't know existed.” </i></div>
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<i><br />“We keep company in this world with a hoard of abstractions and reflections and counterfeits of ourselves - the sensual man, the economic man, the man of reason, the beast, the machine and the sleepwalker, and heaven knows what besides, all in our own image, indistinguishable from ourselves to the outside eye. We get borne along, out of sight in the press, unresisting, till we get the chance to drop behind unnoticed, or to dodge down a side street, pause, breathe freely and take our bearings, or to push ahead, outdistance our shadows, lead them a dance, so that when at length they catch up with us, they look at one another askance, knowing we have a secret we shall never share.”</i></div>
T Barnetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08139300335497687878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4655918605740054770.post-49496560768742860652015-02-15T18:33:00.003-05:002016-07-30T18:16:13.333-04:00Denver: Final post and rating<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-70YhurUgirw/VCjGmZ9yEjI/AAAAAAAACqE/2WI_XmpWa8Y/s1600/SAM_5315-003.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-70YhurUgirw/VCjGmZ9yEjI/AAAAAAAACqE/2WI_XmpWa8Y/s1600/SAM_5315-003.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
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Anyone who has talked to us recently knows Denver has been our favorite city. But I've had trouble explaining why. Denver is so much more than the 16th Street Mall. More than beer, marijuana, and the Rocky Mountains. <b>It's kind of like dating </b>where it sometimes takes getting to know someone to really appreciate what you've found.<br />
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Conveying everything we've found and learned to like about Denver is too overwhelming . It amounts to hundreds of small high-quality realizations instead of a small number of sensational experiences.<b> </b>Even though it's great to visit, Denver is the kind of place that's even better to live in.<b><br /></b></div>
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<i>After living in each city, we've been giving it a personal rating to track our opinions and decide where we want to settle. </i><i><i><a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/02/the-big-move-weve-created-rating-scale.html">Read this if you're unfamiliar with our ratings</a>. </i>Previous city ratings: <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/03/philadelphia-final-post-and-city.html">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/12/chicago-final-post-and-where-were-going.html">Chicago</a>, <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2013/07/dallas-final-post-and-city-evaluation.html">Dallas,</a> <a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2014/04/fresno-until-later-california-good.html#more">Fresno</a>.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Denver</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kImmLgd4HHM/VNE2ProYTBI/AAAAAAAACxw/p0DXItlHwT4/s1600/SAM_5024.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b>Culture: 8</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kImmLgd4HHM/VNE2ProYTBI/AAAAAAAACxw/p0DXItlHwT4/s1600/SAM_5024.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Station</td></tr>
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Denver has a vibrant art scene on par with much bigger cities. There are
<a href="http://artsandvenuesdenver.com/create-denver/arts-creative-districts/denver-art-districts/">multiple art districts</a>. Each
district with its own character and collection of small working studios. The largest, <a href="http://www.artdistrictonsantafe.com/">Santa Fe Arts District</a> has 100+ galleries.<br />
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The music scene is equally dense with more concerts and music
venues than Austin. It wasn't uncommon to skip a great concert because there were so many other things going on. Red Rocks gets the fame, but there are a number of other great outdoors venues.<br />
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Street markets, festivals, dog bars, cat cafes, costumed bike rides, coffee houses, book signings, comedy, theater, independent theaters, local <br />
<a name='more'></a>film... There is so much happening in Denver that it takes some narrowing down to find the best of any one thing.
Searching for a great coffee house or looking for a weekend market
results in whole list of results. Instead of "This is where our farmer's market is" a search results in "<a href="http://denver.about.com/od/shopping/tp/farmersmarkets.htm">Here are our top 10 farmer's markets</a>". This is common in much larger cities but not the cities under a million we've lived in so far. If farmer's markets aren't your thing, the same variety applies to all types of activities and events. <br />
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<b><b style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FTwTKYmrEjU/U6jdq9Vm0aI/AAAAAAAACjQ/nArykwsMAWo/s1600/SAM_4613.JPG" width="320" /></b>Environment: 8</b><br />
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Dallas took the prize with its immaculate, dog-friendly downtown, but Denver is close behind. No matter where you live in Denver, chances are you're within walking distance of a park. There are over 200 in the city. Most are used heavily with everything from lakes and whitewater chutes to games and concerts.</div>
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The city has a number of decent dog parks, but needs more. While we were there the city created <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25860022/denver-restaurants-and-bars-can-allow-dogs-patios">new rules allowing dogs on restaurant patios</a>. Previously the allowance had extended only to cafes and bars without major food service.<b> </b></div>
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<b>Vegetarian Restaurants: 7</b><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jOmiVlLOxD0/VNE0nOxmbJI/AAAAAAAACxc/p3El49-hheY/s1600/SAM_5272.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt=" Estes Park" border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jOmiVlLOxD0/VNE0nOxmbJI/AAAAAAAACxc/p3El49-hheY/s1600/SAM_5272.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Sure Denver's specialty is rare game meats and fried testicles, but these items are largely for tourists. People in Denver appear to care about what they eat. No matter where we lived in the city, great produce and vegan items were a short walk away. <a href="http://303magazine.com/2014/05/happenin-hoods-living-denver-speer-neighborhood/">Our favorite neighborhood</a> had a small vegan market, <a href="http://noochveganmarket.tumblr.com/">Nooch</a>. Our favorite eats were <a href="https://www.nativefoods.com/">Native Foods</a>, <a href="http://www.cityocitydenver.com/">City O City</a>, and <a href="http://www.sweetactionicecream.com/flavors/">Sweet Action Ice Cream</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jOmiVlLOxD0/VNE0nOxmbJI/AAAAAAAACxc/p3El49-hheY/s1600/SAM_5272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<b>Cost of Living: 8 </b><br />
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Denver isn't cheap; especially if
you pay rent. But we're not comparing cost of living to
every city in the country. We're comparing it to other cities<i> we</i> <i>want to live in</i>. By that criteria, Denver has a great cost of living. Housing seems to be on par with Chicago but much cheaper than desirable Californian cities or New York. Good food and beer is
inexpensive. Every weekend there are dozens of inexpensive and free events. Weekend getaway airfare is cheap. </div>
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<b><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nehnBBBUfoI/U6jebHkRyCI/AAAAAAAACkA/AZ0ypQOXhrM/s1600/SAM_4686.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nehnBBBUfoI/U6jebHkRyCI/AAAAAAAACkA/AZ0ypQOXhrM/s1600/SAM_4686.JPG" width="320" /></a></b> </b><br />
<b>Transportation/Infrastructure: 9</b><br />
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Highest
rated! Downtown, dozens of free buses run up and down the outdoor mall. On business days a whole set of different free buses runs from major terminals through the business district. A huge new regional rail project is scheduled for completion in 2018. Major bike arteries run throughout the city. While living there we bought a Car2Go membership so we could instantly drive one of the many cars parked around the city. Scenic trains cut through the Rockies to California. Cheap flights to Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, and other cities are available for weekend getaways; sometimes for under $100. Traffic was less than ideal for a city of its size, but congestion was often due to improvements and construction. </div>
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<b> Climate: 9</b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b6u68MJczGk/VNEypACq6zI/AAAAAAAACxI/LizEZZzqp54/s1600/SAM_6304.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b6u68MJczGk/VNEypACq6zI/AAAAAAAACxI/LizEZZzqp54/s1600/SAM_6304.JPG" width="224" /></a><br />
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Also, highest rated! If
San Diego represents a perfect 10, Denver is right below it. Our expectations of the weather coming to Denver were totally
wrong.<br />
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A typical day is sunny with blue skies. When it rains, it usually only lasts a few hours and cools things off. The temperatures dropped below zero at night in December. But even then the dry air prevented the biting cold you get in Chicago or Philadelphia at higher temperature. Plus the same dry air decreases humidity in the summer! Plus the altitude increases metabolism! Plus, we like seasons!<br />
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<b><b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y02rDShTfxU/VNE1I4zpU_I/AAAAAAAACxk/SiZBCz7ks60/s1600/SAM_5364.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y02rDShTfxU/VNE1I4zpU_I/AAAAAAAACxk/SiZBCz7ks60/s1600/SAM_5364.JPG" width="228" /></a></b></b></div>
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<b>People: 9</b> <br />
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We found the people nicely balanced; somewhere between the progressiveness of California and the friendly confidence often found in rural areas. Colorado has one of the highest percentages of four-year degrees in the country and it shows.<br />
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Style is casual, but it doesn't seem like they're trying too hard. Most people living in Denver aren't from Denver so it's a wide mix. There is definitely a fare share of ignorance, but it doesn't dominate the scene. Drivers were more laid back than we'd like, but it was more tolerable than other cities we've visited outside of the northeast. </div>
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<b>Pass/Fail: Pass</b><br />
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Another great thing about Denver is the number of things to do nearby and how easy and quick it is to get out of the city. Most of the scenic pictures in this post were taken outside of Denver in nearby places like Estes Park and Colorado Springs. We're looking forward to going back to explore more of the Rockies and places like the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm">Great Sand Dunes</a> and <a href="http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm">Mesa Verde</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://www.reluctantchauffeur.com/2015/01/goodbye-dever-hello-charleston-sc.html">Current city is Charleston!</a> We're loving the beach in the off-season with its laid back bars and empty stores. We've never lived this close to the ocean and can open the windows when it's warm enough to hear the waves and wind. Gorgeous sunrises and sunsets are there for our enjoyment any day we feel like stepping outside. We bought a second kayak to start exploring some of the local marshes. It's everything we expected in areas that matter, but it's not Denver. More on Charleston, later.</div>
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