Minchin Web

Olympic Hockey and Water Use

2010-03-09T23:50:00.004-07:00

This was too priceless to pass up....

A little over a week ago the Olympics in Vancouver came to a finish, which concluded with the Men’s Hockey final between Canada and the United States. It promised to be epic, and it delivered. Being away from home, I had the ‘pleasure’ of pulling out my big Canadian flag and watching the game with some American friends, although I did wish from time to time that it was a Canadian network (instead of NBC) so that the commentary on the game would have been better. But I digress, it was an epic game, and an epic finish indeed with Sidney Crosby scored the game-winning goal for Canada seven minutes into overtime.

Reports since have claimed that it was the biggest event in Canadian sporting history, with 80% of the population tuning in at one point or another. To illustrate the effect of this, EPCOR (the water utility in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) release a graph showing the city’s water demand while the game was on. It’s amazing to watch the swings between when the game picks up and the end of the periods.

But like I said, amazing game. GO CANADA!

(The green line represents water usage on the day before the game, or usage on a 'normal' day)

Via Pat’s Papers

The Health Care Pricing Fallacy

2010-02-26T21:56:00.001-07:00

The often supplied answer, in some circles, to any question that seems to do with economics is “let the market decide!” However, the limits of what the market can do effectively are rarely discussed. What the market allows is for rational actors to compete for limited resources. Where that falls apart is where one of those assumptions fails: the actors cease to be rational, the actors can’t compete, or the resource (or demand) is not longer limited. And often times, when someone faces an out-of-pocket hospital bill, all three assumptions fail. When someone is severely hurt, it is hard to argue that they are in a frame of mind to make rational decisions; people in the hospital are rarely in a state of mind to ‘comparison shop’ hospitals; and many people value their health to such a point that effectively their ‘demand’ is unlimited (think what life insurance policies pay out...). In short, it seems to me that leaving the market alone to set the price of our health care services is not a bright idea. I value my health and agree that healthcare professionals should be paid well for their services, but I am much more appreciative of healthcare I can actually afford!

Transit in Toronto: Lessons in Land Use Planning

2010-01-13T12:56:00.001-07:00

Abstract

Toronto has achieved a unique situation in North America; it is a major city that has maintained a dense core of population and employment with a well-functioning public transit system. This combination has made Toronto one of the most liveable cities on the continent. This is a result of years of deliberate decisions to integrate land-use and transportation planning, through policies such as zoning and parking controls, promoting public transportation and bicycle use, and limiting freeway construction.

A review of the various policies implanted, as well as their effects where appropriate, is presented, along with conclusions about what has brought Toronto success and how that can be repeated elsewhere.

Introduction

Toronto (see FIGURE 1), with a population of 2.5 million ([1]), is the capital of the province of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. Toronto also lies at the center of the “Golden Horseshoe”, an area which encircles the western end of Lake Ontario, which has a population of 8 million, or a quarter of the Canadian population ([2]). Toronto is a vibrant city with a rich history of public transportation, with some private streetcars operating as early as 1850 ([3]). The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), established in 1954, operates the third busiest public transit system in North America (after New York City and Mexico City), carrying 2.5 million passengers a day ([3]). Toronto operates three subway lines, and Light Rail Transit (LRT) lines, streetcars, and a fleet of buses ([3]). Toronto has been able to maintain a relatively dense core and impressive transit service over the years. A literature review was performed to determine some of the causes, particularly land use policies implemented, that have allowed Toronto to maintain such a strong public transit system. Conclusions and observations were also drawn on how the success of Toronto may be replicated elsewhere.

FIGURE 1 Toronto skyline ([4]).

The Planning Process

In short, land-use planning is the process where a municipality determines how land will be used within the region. In modern planning (post World War II), this process was fordist in nature, suggesting that land uses should be separated, and with a disregard for the past conventions such as mixed use developments and close integration of residential and employment, viewing these as out of touch with current desires and needs ([5]). The time period following World War II saw a great increase in factories, typically large, spread-out, single story structures, and it was typically expected that governments would act as enablers, providing the zoning required and housing (typically single family housing) nearby for the factory workers ([5]). Of this mentality, Newman and Kenwothy note:

“One of the features of 20th century modernism is functional isolation: architects, for example, believed that they could ‘make a statement’ with their buildings as though they did not relate to an urban context with a history or a local community.

“The same can be said about transport planning in its modernist phase which has been touched by a similar kind of arrogance. The civil engineer or economist who became a transport planner tended to see transport as isolated patterns of origins and destinations which were floating entities to be joined up by a straight line and be as fast moving as possible.” ([6], p. 1)

Toronto initially started down this course of fordist development, but a turning point came as the result of public opposition to and the eventually cancellation in 1971 of the Spadina Expressway ([7]). FIGURE 2 shows the corridor (roadway and subway line) along the corridor in 1978 upon the line’s opening.

FIGURE 2 Opening of the Spadina subway line, 1978 ([8])

A key figure in this movement was Jane Jacobs, who had recently moved to Toronto from Manhattan. Jacobs was active in opposing those projects which she saw as detrimental to a neighbourhood’s character, and eventually published The Death and Life of American Cities in 1961 which served to challenge much of the conventional wisdom of the time regarding land-use and city planning. Part of what set her book apart was that Jacobs did more than just criticize, but proposed an alternate model. In Death and Life, she makes four recommendations:

A street or district must serve several primary functions,
Blocks must be short,
Buildings must vary in age, condition, use and rentals, and
Populations must be dense ([9]).

Jacobs and her ideas remained influential in the planning process taking place in Toronto, and so rather than the expressway, a subway line was built. Today, many of the results of this change in attitude can be seen – within metropolitan Toronto, 35 percent of peak trips are on public transit and 65 percent of trips to the central area are handled by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit (a regional rail commuter system operated by the province of Ontario). Indeed, no major roads have been built within the central areas since the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway were linked in 1966. Stewart and Pringle further note that over the last 30 years, automobile traffic volumes have remained stable despite a near doubling of office space within the central area ([10]).

Historical City Design

To understand how the urban form within Toronto has been shaped over the last decades, it will be useful to review the history and evolution of the layout of a city. Newman and Kenworthy make a note of three predominate forms: the traditional walking city, a city with tram-based suburbs, and the automobile based city form. What ties the three together is that, in general, people do not like to travel more than 30 minutes to their urban destination ([6]).

The Traditional Walking City

The traditional walking city was the first city form to emerge, as much as 10,000 years ago. The primary mode of transportation was by foot, and so as such, cities were rarely more than 5 km across. Densities were often high – as much as 100 to 200 people per hectare ([6]). FIGURE 3 shows a typical layout of a traditional walking city.

FIGURE 3 Traditional Walking City ([11]).

Tram-Based Suburbs

In the early 19^th century, the invention and implementation of rail based urban travel, in such forms as trams and streetcars, allowed for the development of more remote ‘suburbs.’ Activities would typically concentrate at railway stations or along tram lines. Most systems were radial in nature and so the central city remained the hub of economic activity. This allowed the city to spread to 20-30 km with lower densities (50-100 people per hectare) ([6]). FIGURE 4 shows a typical layout for a city that has developed into tram based suburbs.

FIGURE 4 Tram Based Suburbs ([11]).

Automobile Based Suburbs

Although automobile based suburbs first came into existence before World War II, their development was greatly magnified afterwards. With the private automobile, the space between the radial arms of the rail network were filled in with low density, automobile based activities, and then the development continued outward, as far as 50 km from the city center. Density was also low, typically 10-20 people per hectare ([6]). FIGURE 5 shows the typical layout of a city that has grown from a tram based suburbs to automobile based suburbs.

FIGURE 5 Automobile Based Suburbs (11).

Toronto’s Application

Toronto initially developed based on the walking city model and then progressed to a city with tram-based suburbs. What make Toronto unique among North American cities is that it has maintained much of the character of the tram-based suburbs and has continued to grow in this fashion ([6]).

Toronto has employed four strategies in particular to this end. The first was a suburban density formula seeking to confine high density developments (particularly high-rise apartments which were constructed in great numbers during the 1950’s to 1970’s) to arterials, on the logic that these arterials provided the best access for these residents to major bus routes with low headways already serving these corridors. The second strategy was to align density with transportation. Indeed, it was accepted that with high density redevelopment along proposed subway lines, this new development could provide enough ridership alone to justify the construction of the line in question. The third and fourth strategies, developed later, were those of nodal development, and “main street” corridors. Nodal development was suggested in part to relieve the strangling transportation congestion that had developed as a result of employment concentration in downtown Toronto, and create nodes further afield that would provide a concentration of employment, housing and commercial activities to be amenable to good public transit service. The fourth development technique, that of “main streets” corridors sought to redevelop corridors of single story commercial development with buildings of three to six stories in height with commercial at the street level with residential above ([12]).

These various techniques have had limited success, as they have run into a number of “real world” conditions such as a drop off of high-rise construction in the 1970’s to provide high density redevelopment, concerns of Not In My BackYard (NIMBY) in reaction to redevelopment programs, and a stagnation of public transportation funding for many years. However, North York Center has developed along the node ideal, achieving over 20 percent public transportation share, while Scarborough Towne Centre approaches that level. The ‘main street’ model, while yet to be well received in the inner suburb areas, has been applied well in principal within the center of Toronto and inner city areas ([12]).

Toronto by the Statistics

Toronto, because of the choices it has made since World War II has developed into a much different city than the typical American city. Kenworthy and Laube performed several comparisons, based on 1990 data, and found that Toronto, compared to the average ‘American’ city, has about 3 times the density (41 people per hectare, versus 14 in the United States), a third the road supply per capita, significantly less parking downtown (176 parking spaces per 1000 jobs within the Central Business District (CBD) versus 462), and nearly four times the transit service (106 km of service per capita per year versus 28) ([13]). The numbers show what can be confirmed through observations – while most American cities have developed around their freeway systems, Toronto has forgone freeway-based development in favour of an approach that has seen public transit be successful within the greater Toronto region.

Transportation Policy in Toronto

Although not formalized until 1976, many policies promoting public transit, or at least discouraging Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV’s) within Toronto had been introduced in the two decades previous. Stewart and Pringle note that not many official Traffic Demand Management (TDM) measures have been introduced, in part because of the lack of a perceived problem, such as particularly bad traffic congestion, poor air quality, or a fossil fuel shortage ([9]). Toronto has sought to maintain and increase the housing supply within the central area of the city, as well as maintain employment concentration. Thus, many people can live very close to work, reducing the number of trips needed and their length. Indeed, it has been noted by Frank and Pivo that increased work density does more to reduce trip length than increased housing density ([14]). One of the landmark studies on housing in the central area of Toronto is Nowlan and Stewart in which they found that for every 100 additional dwelling units in the central area of Toronto, there has been a reduction of 120 inbound trips during the morning rush hour ([15]). Based on this, Stewart and Pringle postulate that if a housing unit were added for each additional 30 m² of office space, there would be no net change in inbound peak-period trips ([9]).

Zoning and parking requirement laws were also revised, and the old requirement of one parking spot per 93 m² of office area was repealed and replaced with a new requirement of one space per 300 m² of floor space and a maximum of one space per 135 m² of floor space ([9]). When the Skydome, the new stadium for the professional baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays, was completed, a downtown location was selected that would allow it to easily access public transportation. The stadium, which seats 54,000 spectators, is linked by a pedway to Union Station, which provides both subway and GO Transit service. The stadium itself has only 500 parking spaces on site with the intention that parking from nearby office towers could be utilized during the evenings and weekends, which is when most of the Blue Jay’s games are played.

As an extension to zoning requirements, in 1991, the City of Toronto introduced a requirement for Environmental Service Plans of all new developments, which must include TDM plans for any new commercial development with more than 75 parking spaces. This too has served to reduce travel demand by an estimated 25 percent when such plans have been implemented ([9]).

Significant to maintaining liveability, Toronto has not built any new freeways in the central area since 1966, although several subway lines have been completed. This is in part due to very few corridors still existing which can be such developed. The freeway system within Toronto, however, is substantial, with parts of Highway 401 through downtown Toronto expanding to 18 lanes in parts, with an Annual Average Daily Traffic volume (AADT) in excess of 500,000 between Weston Road and Highway 400 ([16]). Toronto has, however, seen the construction of Highway 407 to the north of the central area. This road is built as a toll road and serves to bypass traffic from the core area of the city to the north.

Toronto has also sought to promote cycling. All major commercial developments are required to provide bicycle parking and shower and change facilities for cyclists. Toronto has also improved its cycle network. The result has been an increase of 75 percent in bicycle traffic between 1987 and 1993 ([9]).

Application

The next step is to analyze what Toronto has applied and see if it has application elsewhere. On this matter, Knight and Trygg note that significant development has occurred around many of the stations in Toronto, but that much of this is the result of a combined focus of “aggressive zoning, joint public/private development, and, in general, carefully coordinated transit and land-use development” ([17]). This should provide encouragement to those jurisdictions that are contemplating transit based decisions in land-use planning, but should serve as a warning against half-hearted efforts.

In general, regarding TDM plans, Apogee Research has noted that:

“...attempts to change or reduce travel [must be made] by changing fundamental conditions influencing travel – how often one must go to work or the distances between dwelling places, work places, and other destinations – not by trying to change travel under existing conditions. As such, they require more fundamental changes in people's life styles than merely changing from one vehicle to another.” ([18], p. 45)

As a general principal, Kaufmann and Jemelin note that:

“Numerous studies have demonstrated the correlation between available public transportation, the road network (infrastructure and parking facilities) and the location of the activities of residents in urban areas (Kaufmann 2000, Pharoah & Apel 1995, Wegener and Fürst 1999). The obvious conclusion is that any attempt to encourage modal split must take these three factors into account. Notably, an attempt to change transport alone by increasing the available public transportation, carefully allocating the use of city roads and controlling parking facilities is ineffectual if the city is being built around road networks located on the outskirts.” ([19], p. 295)

Thus, in attempting to repeat the success Toronto has found elsewhere, it should be remembered that Toronto’s efforts are the results of many years of dedication to the goal of a multimodal transportation system and a liveable city, and that the efforts have been made have included more than just transportation policy or land-use policy in isolation.

Conclusions

Toronto has achieved a unique situation in North America – it is a major city that has maintained a dense core of population and employment and a well-functioning public transit system, and thus is one of the most liveable cities on the continent. This has been accomplished through years of deliberate decisions to integrate land-use and transportation planning with policies such as limiting freeway construction, zoning regulations and parking controls, and promoting transit and bicycle use. There is nothing unique about Toronto that keeps these lessons from being applied elsewhere, but it has been noted the need for both long term vision and dedication to that vision are required to bring it to fruition.

Epilogue

After I completed this paper, I came across the Big Move. The Big Move exemplifies what has made public transportation work in Toronto for all these years – it covers the region (now Greater Toronto all the way out to Hamilton), has committed funding from the provincial government, and has reasonable but daring goals. The plan makes it exciting to see what will evolve in the public transit sphere for the next 20 years in Toronto and area.

References

[1]. Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census divisions, 2006 and 2001 census – 100% data.Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=702&PR=35&S=0&O=A&RPP=25. Accessed November 5, 2009.

[2]. Wikipedia contributors. Toronto. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toronto&oldid=313541166 Accessed September 13, 2009.

[3]. Wikipedia contributors. Toronto Transit Commission. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toronto_Transit_Commission&oldid=324164672 Accessed November 6, 2009.

[4]. Wikipedia contributors. Toronto ON Toronto Skyline2 modified.Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Toronto_ON_Toronto_Skyline2_modified.jpg Accessed November 14, 2009.

[5]. Filion, P. Rapture or Continuity? Modern and Postmodern Planning in Toronto. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. Vol. 23, Issue 3, 2002, pp. 421-444.

[6]. Newman, P.W.G. and J. R. Kenworthy. The Land Use-Transportation Connection. Land Use Policy. Vol. 13, No. 1, 1996, pp. 1-22.

[7]. Wikipedia contributors. Spadina Expressway. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Spadina_Expressway&oldid=314667890 Accessed November 6, 2009.

[8]. City of Toronto Achieves, This month in Toronto’s History. City of Toronto. http://www.toronto.ca/archives/thismonth.htm. Accessed December 1, 2009.

[9]. Jacobs, J. The Death and Life of American Cities. Random House Publishing, 1961.

[10]. Stewart, G. and R. Pringle. Toronto’s tentative approach to TDM. Energy Policy. Vol. 25, Nos 14-15, 1997, pp. 1203-1212.

[11]. Newman, P. and J. Kenworthy. Sustainability and Cities: Overcoming Automobile Dependence. Island Press. 1999.

[12]. Filion, P. and K. McSpurren. Smart Growth and Development Reality: The Difficult Co-ordination of Land Use and Transport Objectives. Urban Studies. Vol. 44, No. 3, 2007, pp. 501-523.

[13]. Kenworthy, K. R. and F. B. Laube. Automobile Dependence in Cities: An international Comparison of Urban Transportation and Land Use Patterns with Implications for Sustainability. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. Vol. 16, Issues 4-6, 1996, pp. 279-308.

[14]. Frank, L.D., and G. Pivo. Impacts of mixed use and density on utilization of three modes of travel: single-occupant vehicle. Transit, and walking. Transportation Research Record. No. 1466, 1994, pp. 44-52.

[15]. Nowlan, D. M. and G. Stewat. Downtown Population Growth and Commuting Trips: Recent Experience in Toronto. Journal of the American Planning Association. Vol. 57, Issue 2, 1991, pp. 165-182.

[16]. Wikipedia contributors. Highway 401 (Ontario). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Highway_401_(Ontario)&oldid=325649977 Accessed November 16, 2009.

[17]. Knight, R. L., and L. L. Trygg. Land-use impacts of rapid transit systems: implications of recent experience. US Department of Transportation, 1977.

[18]. Apogee Research. Costs and Effectiveness of Transportation Central Measures (TCMs) : A Review and Analysis of the Literature. US National Association of Regional Councils, 1994.

[19]. Kaufmann, V. and C. Jemelin. Coordination of land-use planning and transportation: how much room to maneuvers? International Social Science Journal. Vol. 55, No. 2, 2003, pp. 295-305.

Network Security Flaws

2009-10-29T11:25:00.002-06:00

One of the problems with security, especially as it pertains to computers and computer networks, is that it is often not done well. If the rules are too loose, they become trivial to ignore, and so then the security procedures are annoying and ineffective; set the rules too tight and they constrain the users to the point where the user can’t really use the computer or network in question. (This second situation is perhaps more annoying than the first...) Done well, security should be such that it is hardly noticed, at least it my humble opinion.

I ran into the second situation (too tight of rules) the other day trying to log on to the campus security network. To allow you access to the network, you have to run a little Java app that confirms two things 1) that Windows is up-to-date, and 2) that you have an active anti-virus program that’s up-to-date (definitions no more than 10 days old). So that was all fine and dandy until last week when I updated my AVG to the latest version, the newly-released Version 9. The next day, the network would not allow me to log on – it said that my antivirus wasn’t up to date. After struggling for a bit, I decided to call up the network administrator. It turns out that the Java app has yet to be updated and probably won’t for updated for two weeks! So the irony is that I can’t log on the network because my computer is TOO up-to-date! So much for useful network security...

Emotional Response

2009-07-16T12:25:00.002-06:00

‘Geers (or ‘engineers,’ to the uninitiated) have a thing for numbers, and thus like to make full use of them to solve any problem that comes their way. For example, to size a pipe, you take the flow rate (a number), work a little bit of calculus (or black magic…), and you get out the pipe diameter (another number). ‘Geers like their numbers enough they’ve even figured out how to assign numbers to things that usually don’t get numbers, like public support, personal preferences, safety ratings, the simplicity of the solution, etc.

There are good reasons to use numbers – others can follow your logic, and you can back up any conclusion you reach. But that can fall apart when you meet the ‘real world’ – a world beyond the laboratory doors that works on relationships and feelings, and not so much on hard numbers. Most of us manage to fumble through our outings in this world well enough, but eventually, you’ll meet that girl-of-your-dreams. Then comes that fateful day where she’s going to look into your eyes and say “Hunny, why do you love me so?” It’s not celestial mechanics (otherwise known as ‘rocket science for planets’), but if you can nail that one, it’ll move heaven and earth! I’ll give you a hint – she’s probably not looking for a number here, even if she has a better number than any other girl you’ve ever met. In fact, if you tell her she’s a 9.5, or start listing off things like “public support, personal preferences, etc.”, she’ll probably slap you. No, instead she is looking for an emotional response. But how does a guy, trained in rational thought, give an emotion-based answer?

I don’t have an answer, but having the question I count as a start. I guess until then, I can always consider what a fellow ‘geer suggests :

Surviving the World – Lesson #55 – Scientific Love, or “How to Find Love While Being a Male Engineer”

I wonder how much flights are to Albania...

Two Weeks In (Life in Québec)

2009-06-26T08:59:00.003-06:00

Monday, May 25, 2009

So I realize according to my blog, I’ve been stuck in Dallas for the last 2 weeks, but I’d like to invoke Jorn Barger’s "Inverse Law of Usenet Bandwidth;" that is "The more interesting your life becomes, the less you post… and vice versa," and my life has been anything but boring.

I pulled into Montréal Friday night, but about two hours later than I’d hoped, and so I missed supper with the rest of the Group that had come in on an afternoon flight. Getting into the room that had reserved for me turned into a bit of an adventure in and of itself as I showed up after the Front Desk has closed down of the night; but with a little bit of luck and a little bit of wondering, I managed to find the security guard that had my room key. Objective one completed: A place to sleep!

The rest of the weekend passed well – a Saturday morning tour of Montréal that for most of the Group turned out to be only breakfast, Sunday was church at the Montréal YSA Branch, Monday was spent doing my grad school application, and then Tuesday I took the GRE (Graduate Record Exam, further to my application to grad school).

Tuesday night I left Montréal and Wednesday brought work – the “real” reason I’m out in Québec to begin with. One of the first challenges I faced was finding a place to live. The program I'm out here with had provided housing for the first week, and although I could stay put and rent the room myself, the idea of spending the summer in a university dorm had little appeal – I’d already done two years in nicer dorms. What I wanted was a little apartment, all mine, for the summer, as a break from the worries and concerns of roommates. I started with the classifieds and discovered that my task wasn’t as simple as I had assumed. First there was the language – everything was in French – and the dozen or so words I had never had to use before: duex et demi (2 ½) (two and a half rooms, approximately a small one bedroom apartment), semi-meublé (semi-furnished, meaning a fridge and stove are provided), meublé (furnished), tout inclus (literally "everything included," meaning they pay all the utilities), rien inclus (literally "nothing included," meaning you have to pay the utilities), and so on. A bigger problem than the French was the fact that everyone wanted me to sign up to rent the place for a year, which poses a not-so-small problem when you know you’re leaving town in three months. Most landlords would flat out reject moving me in for anything less than 12 months, although one couple was "nice" enough to offer me a place, but on the condition that I paid for at least 4 months. After two nights of looking, I managed to find a nice one-bedroom apartment not far from the University with a landlord that could fathom people moving in other times than July 1st (the vast majority of leases in Québec seem to end and start on this date).

Harder than apartment hunting was adjusting to the new lifestyle. I feel very alone when I went through the first day here and at the end of it realize that no one that I spoke to that day had ever met me two days previously. Having my own place also meant I wasn’t surrounded by the constant flurry of activity that having five roommates brought. For me, however, it’s worked out well – I’ve enjoyed having the peace and quiet and I’ve meet (and been able to spend time with) some really cool people from the Group, church, neighbors, and work.

The summer looks promising and I look forward to an amazing summer in Québec!

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 13: Erie PA to Montreal QC

2009-06-24T15:11:00.006-06:00

Friday, May 8, 2009

Today is the home stretch – the plan is to make it to Montreal and meet up with friends there tonight for dinner. I do wish I was another 2+ hours closer though...

To start the day, I filled up with gas, and found the dance troop from the same school I looked into studying at in Utah there too – I guess they are doing a tour of the north eastern United States. When I got on the road in into New York, I started seeing signs for Tim Horton’s at the rest stops, and so the first chance I got, I pulled in to get a doughnut and a reminder of home. I stopped in at Palmyra to check out the Hill Cumorah and surrounded sights. I ended up staying for about two hours (two hours I didn’t really have...) and eating lunch there, and they off to Montreal! At this point Montreal is about 500km away but I have only 4 and half hours to meet my friends. I should mention that the Interstate through New York is VERY well patrolled, which cops what seems to be every 10 miles. That, combined with the 65 MPH speed limit, and you can understand that the attitudes towards roads in this part of the world is very different than that of, say, Texas or California. I crossed into Canada at the 1000 Islands bridge, and then pulled up to the dorms at the University of Montreal dorms just before 10 to bring this crazy road trip to an end. Now for the business of living in Quebec....

The landscape in New York - very green.

The Sacred Grove, Palmyra, New York

A beautiful sunset, somewhere in Ontario.

Snowmobile crossing signs - only in Quebec!

Leave Erie PA (gas $29, toll $3) – 9:50am (EST) – 226,972 km
Rest Area MP 397 NY (Tim Horton’s $0.92) – 11:50am – 227,167lm
Hill Cumorah (toll $3.30, pizza $12.96) - 12:40 to 3:30pm – 227,264km
Rest Area I-90 MP 310 (nap) – 4:10 to 4:40pm – 227,332km
Waterton (gas $33.25) – 6:00 to 6:20pm – 227,478km
Canada! (bridge toll CAD$2.75) – 7:15pm – 227,542km
401 exit 721B (break) – 7:55 to 8:10pm – 227,605km
Quebec – 9:10pm – 227,714km
Arrive at Montreal – 10:05pm – 227,789km

Today – US$82.43 CAD$2.75 – 8h20 – 817km
Total – CAD$1258.48 – 79h40 – 8,264km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 12: Nashville TN to Erie PA

2009-06-05T09:55:00.002-06:00

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Today is pretty unexciting as far as the plan goes – drive north and east, and put me within a short day’s drive of Montreal. I wonder if I can make Erie, which my GPS tells me is 10½ hours away...

I started by heading north out of Nashville, and so thus across Kentucky. There’s signs for the huge cave complex, just off the road. This is one of the funny things about this trip – you read about stuff like this in a magazine but you never think you’ll make it there, and now I’m driving by. As I look on the map, I realize Lincoln’s birthplace is about 10 miles off the road. The site is a neat way to learn a little more about this American president, and an hour and a half later I’m on the road. I decided to keep on the side road I was on – it wasn’t that much slower than the Interstate, especially considering the 10 miles I’d have to backtrack to go back to I-65, plus the side road (US-35E) was much more beautiful. Lunch was a ‘home made’ sandwich from the deli at the IGA in New Haven, and then on past Cincinnati, where I got back on the Interstate. From Cincinnati, I got on the I-71, which has a very handy northeast angle across the state of Ohio. Just south of Cleveland, a little bit of fog rolled in, and with the full moon and the trees and the night sky, it made for a beautiful scene (but one nearly impossible to capture on film, unfortunately). As a side tour through Cleveland, I stopped in and managed to find the complex in Beechwood where I lived several years ago. From there, it was east along the I-90. I got to Erie PA about one in the morning, but while the rest of the world may be on Eastern Time, my head is still somewhere between Mountain and Central, so it didn’t seem near that late and I felt like I could keep going for a while, I figured I’d better stop for the night as the next stretch of road was pretty bare, with no obvious place to stop. Tomorrow: Montreal!!

I took a little side trip and decided to check out where Abe Lincoln was born. Near Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Classic small town America; in this case, Hodgenville.

The Cincinnati skyline, coming in on I-71 from the south (technically the west...).

leave Nashville TN - 10:20am (CDT) - 225,945km
Cave City KY (gas $21) - 11:45am - 226,086km
Lincoln's Birthplace (crest $6.31) - 12:35 to 2:05pm - 226,150km
New Haven KY (lunch at IGA $2) - 2:30 to 2:45pm
Rest Stop, I-71 mp 10 (nap), Ohio - 3:55 to 4:30pm - 226,272km
Ohio Welcome Center - 6:05 to 6:20pm - 226,460km
Jeffersonville OH (gas $26.25 Pizza $3.29) - 6:55 to 7:25pm - 226,518km
Beachwood OH (sidetrip...) - 10:05 to 10:35pm - 226,817km
Pennsylvania Welcome Center - 11:45pm - 226,924km
arrive Eria PA - about midnight (CDT) - 226,972km

Today - US$58.85 - 10h05 - 1027km
Total - CAD$1150.05 - 71h20 - 7447km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 11: Texarkana AK to Nashville TN

2009-06-04T20:51:00.003-06:00

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

I woke up this morning a little later than I would have liked, but sure it's the byproduct of a late night. The only real downside of it all was I found out that breakfast was included in my hotel stay, but only till 9am! Oops, I guess I missed that one...

I hit the road, stopped at the Arkansas Welcome center where they suggested a fun little place in Hope called Sheba's Family Restaurant, which turned out to be great breakfast. Even though it was more or less dark when I left Dallas the night before, I could tell much of US-82 had been lined with trees (quite the contrast to western Texas...), and in the morning light, Arkansas is green. The Interstate, almost all the way through the state, is lined trees that are probably 60 feet tall.

I pulled into Memphis, just across the river from Arkansas, just in time for dinner. Parking downtown was fun, like it always is, but I managed to find a stop on the street and wondered down to Beale Street for dinner. I ended up eating dinner (ribs, one of the best meals I've had in a long time...), listening to live music. After a meal like that, I wished I had more time to stick around and explore. I finished up the night with a drive to Nashville, about 3 hours down the road, and stayed at the Day's Inn - more expensive, but a way nicer place than the last motel....

It's hard to get good pictures of stuff BESIDE the road as you go flying by, but I saw huge churches like this all over the Arkansas and Tennessee.

From a rest stop along the Interstate in Arkansas. Compare the green with was I was seeing across Texas and New Mexico a couple of days before.

The Memphis skyline from across the Mississippi.

The King of Rock and Roll - Elvis. The statue is in the Memphis visitor's center.

leave Texarkana AK - 10:55am - 225,135km
Hope (breakfast $7) - 11:35am to 12:10pm - 225,184km
Little Rock (Hurray for free AAA maps! Skittles and Water $9.80) - 1:50pm - 225,359km
Rest Stop, MP 198 - 3:10 to 3:30pm - 225,452km
Memphis TN (tip to music guys $2, supper $20.50) - 4:45 to 7:40pm - 225,596km
Jackson (gas $20.25, Whoopers $3.93) - 9:10pm - 225,739km
arrive Nashville TN (hotel $46.24) - 11:20pm - 225,945km

Today - US$109.72 - 8h35 - 810km
Total - CAD$1074.60 - 61h15 - 6420km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 10: Dallas TX to Texarkana AR

2009-05-27T18:54:00.004-06:00

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

So I woke up this morning in Dallas, Texas. On one hand, it's rather weird to be here because up until a few days ago, this was a place I read about in books, not looked out the window to see. It was fun when I pulled in last night because they family I’m staying with here had a Western on the TV, and it looked just like west Texas that I had spent the morning driving across. From here, the trip is a lot more open. I have four days to get to Montreal, and just about any way I cut it, it will probably take most of that time to get there. I little bit of playing with Google Maps and I came up with this (potential) itinerary:

Day 1: St Louis MO – 1068km – 10h01
Day 2: Lansing MI – 801 km – 7h43
Day 3: Palmyra NY – 674 km – 6h53
Day 4: Montreal – 502km – 5h17

I rather enjoyed a lazy morning and the company at hand, and so it was into the afternoon before I got away. The one stop I wanted to make was Minchin, Texas (punch it in Mapquest...). I turned down Roselawn Lane, which is where the map shows it should be, but could find no reference at all to “Minchin” at all. I ended up heading into town and tried the Chamber of Commerce and the Library (they have a genealogy section), but found nothing there. When I get a chance, I’ll have to write the local museum and see if they can tell me anything.

Finally leaving the Dallas area, it was almost supper time, but I drove for about half an hour and found this place (actually a chain restaurant) called the “Texas Roadhouse” and figured it would be quite appropriate to eat steak in Texas. Steak was great, but by then it was dark when I finished. I decided to head east on US-82, for the main reason it would take me through Paris! I finished off the night just on the Arkansas-Texas border, got a room in Texarkana, and decided to call it a night.

"Minchin, Texas" - Roseland Drive, Denton County, Texas

Paris!

Leave Little Elm TX – 3:45pm (CDT) – 224,723km
Oil change (yes, I put that many kilometers on on this roadtrip that I have to change the oil) ($37.46)
Visit “Minchin”
Leave Denton – 5:50pm – 224,770km
(gas $25) – 6pm – 224,778km
Sherman (supper $17, Skittles $3.23) – 7:10 to 8:40pm – 224,882km
Paris TX (right next to Reno!) (gas $13.50) – 10pm – 224,982km
drove through Detroit too...
get back on I-30 – 11:35pm – 225,094km
arrive Texarkana AR (hotel $38) – 12:00am – 225,135km

Today – US$134.19 – 4h40 – 412km
Total – CAD$933.93 – 52h40 – 5610km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 9: El Paso to Dallas TX

2009-05-10T17:01:00.005-06:00

Monday, May 4, 2009

I got into El Paso ridiculously late last night, and then with the new time zone, it was almost 2:30 in the morning when I made it to bed. The late night means that it’s only now (at 11 o’clock the next morning) that I’m finishing breakfast. The task before me is a little daunting – I have 3,900 km between me and Montreal, and 5 days to cover it if I want to meet the kids flying in. The goal for today is Dallas area, where I have lined up to stay with the friend of a friend.

If I had more time, White Sands, New Mexico is recommended, especially at sunset, and the Carsbad Caverns, also in New Mexico, which are one of the largest cave systems in North America and are supposed to be spectacular. However, visiting the two would add another day, a day which I don’t really have at this point.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and perhaps it’s true. The expanse certainly gives new meaning to “wide, open spaces.” Texas itself is huge – if you drive I-10 from one end of the state to the other, it’s almost 900 miles (by way of comparison, Alberta is just shy of 1000 miles, north to south). Even the sky seems bigger, with the clouds more aloof.

I’m not sure where I’m headed tomorrow, beyond getting my oil changed and seeing Minchin, Texas, which is probably about half an hour from where I’m staying, and then I should head north and east. New Orleans would be great, but I think it’s a little too far from where I need to go, although Ottawa and Palymra remain options.

The place I stayed at at 311 E Franklin Street, El Paso TX.

A gorgeous sunset.

(hostel $21.55, parking $1.75, towel rental $0.75, breakfast $6)
Leave El Paso – 11:19am (MDT) – 223,651km
El Paso (gas $23.25) – 11:35am – 223,659km
I-10 milepost 102 – US Immigration Station – 12:35pm – 223,784km
Pecos (gas $21.12, Skittles $2.17) – 2:05 to 2:35pm – 223,989km
Odessa (nap) – 3:17 to 4pm – 224,113km
Colordo City (stretch break) – 5:18pm – 224,273km
Tye (gas $26.25, supper $9) – 6:05 to 7:08pm – 224,371km
I-20 Rest Stop – 8pm – 224,553km
Arrive Little Elm – 10:43pm – 224,719km

Today – US$111.84 – 9:10 hours – 1068km
Total – CAD$761.89 – 48 hours – 5198km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 8: Mesa AZ to El Paso TX

2009-05-10T09:55:00.005-06:00

Sunday, May 3, 2009

The plan was to do church in Mesa with the family I was staying with, and then drive to El Paso, about 6 hours down the road.

The first thing that threw me off is Arizona doesn’t do daylight savings time and so it’s on the same time zone as California, not as Edmonton, as I had originally thought. That’s a fun way to be confused, never knowing quite what time it is. Because of that, whenever I’ve asked someone when something is since, I’ve taken to asking them what time they have right now so I make sure to show up at the right time!

Church was good, and ironically I ended up in the “Sherwood Park Ward” – I attended the Sherwood Park 1st Ward for many years near Edmonton growing up. After church, the plan was simply to drive east, although I did want to catch the CES fireside that night by Elder Bednar. It seemed there were three places along my route that were big enough to be showing the fireside – Tucson AZ, Las Cruces NM, and El Paso TX. After my visit at the Mesa Temple on the way out of town, I realized there was no way I could make Las Cruces (about 4 hours down the road from Tucson) and so after a few phone calls, I managed to find out where the Institute building was in Tucson and when the broadcast was, and so I pulled in with about an hour to spare. The fireside was great – in part it was a warning of technology misused and some of the dangers can lurk in digital models and worlds if we’re not careful – a very timely warning in my opinion.

The Institute program in Tucson seems like it would be wonderful – they have five university wards, and a beautiful building on the U of A (Arizona, not Alberta...) campus, and the people feel welcoming and warm. In the little time I was there, I felt welcomed and I was even invited to a movie later, but I had many miles yet to make that night.

The drive from Tucson to El Paso was uneventful, but a little long. The combination of not too much topography and a night sky means there really isn’t a lot to see. In El Paso, the plan was to stay at the Youth Hostel in the Grander Hotel right downtown.

Tomorrow, the goal is Dallas, where a friend of a friend has offered me their couch for the night. To make Dallas though is going to call for a full day of driving, and from the look on the map, there really isn’t much between the two....

The Mesa Temple (Larger Version).

A detail on the panels of Mesa Temple. The various panels show the gathering of different groups to the temple.

The Arizona landscape.

Leave Mesa – 2:09pm – 222,945km
Really leave Mesa (after checking out the Temple) – 2:47pm
Tucson(CES Fireside) – 4:45pm to 7:50pm – 223,135km
Willcox (gas $22.51) – 9pm – 223,265km
Arrive El Paso TX – about 12:20am (PDT) – 223,651km

Today – US$22.51 – 5:30 hours – 706km
Total – CAD$618.51 – 38:50 – 4130km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 7: San Deigo CA to Mesa AZ

2009-05-09T19:11:00.004-06:00

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Today’s goal was Mesa, Arizona, with a start from San Diego.

I decided to take the I-10 instead of the I-8, which runs almost along the Mexican border, as that way I get a better entrance to Phoenix. From where I was, I went north to San Bernardino, and then turned east. Maybe half an hour past that the city dries up and you’ve hit desert. I’m glad I’m doing this trip in early May and not the height of the summer; as it is the temperature today hit 32C (over 90F). Before you get to Palm Springs, wind turbines show up on both sides of the road, almost like they’re fields growing them. I stopped at Desert Hot Springs for gas (which was right by the turbines) and the wind was just howling. If we get a wind like that back home, it’s with the rain (and probably hail) is coming in sideways! The guy at the gas station said it’s like that all the time. From Palm Springs on, it starts feeling really lonely, with signs warning you there are no services for 60 miles. I stopped to find a bathroom in a place called Desert Center – no one would care about a dot this small (population 125) except for the fact there’s nothing for 40 miles to the east and 60 miles to the west! The vegetation is different too. While San Diego is relatively green, in Mesa, many ‘lawns’ are actually rock gardens.

For tomorrow, the plan is to go to church here in Mesa, and then drive to El Paso, although I might drive further as I hope to make it to Dallas the next night, and there’s about 1000km between the two....

The California freeway, just north of San Deigo.

By Palm Springs, the "fields" of windmills.

The exit to Mecca - I should have stopped in just to boggle the mind of the Muslim friends when I tell them I'm been...

Main Street, Deseret Hot Springs, California

Leave Valley Center CA – 11:02am (PDT) – 222,298km
Desert Hot Springs (lunch $6.42, gas $23.95) – 12:40 to 1:35pm – 222,476km
Ehranberg AZ (nap) – 3:15 to 3:50pm – 222,672km
Buckeye (gas $24, snacks $2.03) – 5:30pm – 222,856km
Arrive Mesa – 6:30pm (PDT) – 222,945km

Today – US$56.40 – 6 hours – 647km
Total – CAD$589.65 – 33:20 hours – 3424km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 6: San Diego CA

2009-05-07T07:51:00.004-06:00

Friday, May 1, 2009

Today was pretty quiet, as I just spent the day in San Diego. Most of the morning was spent in putting together stuff for my grad school application. In the afternoon, I got the chance to go to the San Diego Temple, and then to a movie ("X Men Origins: Wolverine"). Tomorrow the plan is to make it to Mesa, Arizona.

The beautiful view from the place I was staying.

The San Diego Temple.

San Diego (all day) (movie CAD$15)

Today – $15 – 0 hours – 0 km
Total - CAD $517.34 - 27:20 hours - 2777km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 5: Las Vegas NV to San Diego CA

2009-05-05T14:02:00.006-06:00

Thursday, April 30, 2009

I woke up this morning in Vegas, and the goal is San Diego, with a stop at the Hoover Dam since I didn’t make it yesterday.

Hoover Dam is only about 30 miles out of Vegas, so it’s a short little drive. When I got there, the elevators were down and so they weren’t giving tours inside the dam, so I just walked around on top for a bit. FYI – if it’s not too busy, there’s free parking on the Arizona side that is relatively close, with more free parking as you go up the hill. They’re in the process of upgrading Highway US-89 (the 2 lane highway that goes across the dam) to 4 lanes and so they’re putting an arch bridge just downstream which should help traffic and provide some great views. From the Hoover Dam, I headed for San Diego. The freaky part was how the freeway changed as soon as I hit the California line – the traffic seemed to get heavier, and it never really seemed to turn back into the rural freeway that I’d driven much of the time up till then. California is beautiful, but lots of hills (and traffic). Tomorrow, I’m just going to stick around San Diego.

This was the room I stay in in Vegas.

They're in the process of building a bride just downstream of the dam to increase the capacity of US-89, which currently runs across the dam.

Hoover Dam from the front - the white at the bottom is the roof of the power house.

Zzyzx Road - you wonder if they did that just so it would show up last in the dictionary....

The California freeways

Leave Las Vegas (breakfast buffet $12.78) – 9:38am (PDT) – 221,718km
Hoover Dam (parking $7) – 10:20am to noon – 221,768km
Baker CA (nap, lunch $11, water $2.99) – 1:45 to 3:15pm – 221,959km
Victorville (gas $28) – 4:40pm – 222,114km
Arrive Valley Center – 7pm – 222,298km

Today – US$61.77 – 6:10 hours – 580km
Total - CAD$552.34 - 27:20 hours - 2777km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 4: Provo UT to Las Vegas NV

2009-05-03T18:44:00.003-06:00

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Woke up this morning, ate breakfast, and then hit the road, with the goal being Las Vegas, Nevada, and I figure I’ll make stops in Fort Cole, St. George, Utah and at Hoover Dam.

Civilization petered out pretty quickly after Provo, but southern Utah still doesn’t seem nears as empty as Montana. The traffic never really disappeared, which makes me wonder where they all could be going. My first stop was Old Fort Cole, located just off the junction of I-15 and I-70. President Hickley’s grandfather built it at the request of Brigham Young, and it served as a way-point for both travelers (who would be 30 miles on a good day, in contrast with my 700...) and the telegraph. It had been recommended to stop into Zion National Park a couple of times, but it’s about an hour off the road, so I decided to pass, and I’ll have to do that another day. I stopped in St. George for several hours. I was trying to find a car remote for my iPod, and I found something at the local Best Buy that would have probably worked well, but I couldn’t get it to turn on, and ended up returning it, and so I lost about an hour there. I also stopped in at the St. George Temple vistor’s center. The Temple, at 175 feet tall, is a massive structure in a town of this size! I stopped in Mesquite for supper at the Virgin River Casino (I’d been seeing their billboards all day driving out of Utah) – the price ($5) was right but the food was nothing to brag about, so next time I’ll go somewhere else! Soon after leaving Mesquite, my low fuel light came on. The next two exits looked pretty empty, and so I didn’t pull off until I got to North Las Vegas, with my fuel gauge just above the fumes line (add a little adventure to the night, right? :-) ). The thing that amazed me about Vegas is how big the city is. You come over a hill as you come in from the north, and all of a sudden the city is spread beneath you and the lights seems to cover the whole panorama. The hotels on the Strip are enormous – they all seem to be skyscrapers! You begin to wonder which has more high-rises – all of Edmonton or the Las Vegas Strip... I got a room on the Strip at the Tropicana, and felt too tired to go out and do much. I guess I’ll know for next time – if I really want to see Vegas, I need more than one night; the first will get eaten up in just getting settled in.

Historic Old Fort Cole, located at near the junction of I-15 and I-70.

The telegraph room at Old Fort Cole.

The St. George Temple

This is (one tower of) the hotel I stayed at in Vegas - the Tropicana.

Leave Provo UT – 9:31am – 221,060km
Scipio UT (gas $30.62, Skittles $2.98) – arrive 10:35am, leave 11:08am – 221,189km
Old Fort Cole – arrive 11:52am, leave ~1:10pm – 221,280km
Beaver UT (lunch$11.00) – arrive 1:30pm, leave 2:25pm – 221,322km
Arrive St George UT – 3:45pm – 221,485km
Leave St George (2x dress shirts $36.75) – 7:30pm – 221,507km
Mesquite NV (supper $5.90) – arrive 8:05pm, leave 8:56pm – 221,574km
North Las Vegas (gas $35.00) – 10:15pm – 221,696km
Las Vegas (hotel room $65.95)

Today – US$188.20 – 4:30 hours – 485km
Total – CAD$473.15 – 21:10 hours – 2197km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 3: Provo UT

2009-05-03T18:26:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Today was pretty quiet, as I just hung around Provo. I caught up to a couple of friends, and looked into a Grad program at the university in town. The program seems a good fit, and they surprised me when they told me if I can get my application put together in the next two weeks, I can get in for the fall! I’m excited, but it’s no easy task that’s been put before me. I guess when I find someplace with a phone and the internet, I’ll have to spend some time figuring it all out. The goal for tomorrow is Vegas!

(I exchanged some Canadian money for American, and the exchange rate I got was 78 cents, so that’s what I’m using – at least for now – for the conversion factor between the two.)

Provo (all day) (lunch ~$7)

Today – US$7 – 0 hours – 0km
Total – CAD$231.87 – 16:40 hours – 1712km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 2: Cardston AB to Provo UT

2009-05-03T09:25:00.005-06:00

Monday, April 27, 2009

The goal today is Provo, Utah, which is a pretty good drive (probably 11-12 hours), but there really isn’t much I want to see in between, and besides I have an appointment tomorrow in Provo.

I woke up in the morning to a surprise – I thought I had driven out of the snow, but it had caught up to me during the night. I went outside to find 4 inches of heavy wet snow that promises to make the roads miserable. I was going to take the backroads south from Cardston and cut through Cut Bank, Montana to the I-15, but with the roads in the shape they were (and likely unplowed) I decided it was best to head north before going south and thus stay on the main roads, which would add an hour to my trip. Listening to the radio, I discovered that there was much more snow to come – they were forecasting 12-18 inches of snow on the plains of Montana, and 3 feet of snow in the mountains, and had a winter storm warning in effect until next Thursday! Heading south, the snow finally ran out just after Conrad, I got a little rain near Jefferson Falls, and finally a little sunny sky at Helena. One of the funny things about this trip too was as I drove south, even as it got later in the day, the temperature kept rising; when I left Cardston, it was just under zero, and by the time I got to Provo, it was 14C. After a long day’s drive, I finally made it to Provo just before midnight.

This is what I woke up to...

The road conditions near Raymond AB

The little cafe where I ate lunch in Dillon MT

There are some gorgeous views along the I-15. This one is somewhere in Idaho.

Leave Cardston AB – 9:55am – 219,867km
Milk River (water and Ginger Ale $6.46)
Coutts (American border) – 11:40am – 219,867km
Conrad MT (lunch US$6.75) – 12:30 to 1pm – 219,963km
Great Falls (gas $29.51) – 1:55pm – 220,057km
Dillon (gas $27.25, prepaid cell phone $39.98) – 4:42 to 5:37pm – 220,408km
Roberts ID (supper $9.20) – 7 to 7:45pm – 220,613km
McCammon (gas $27.41) – 9pm – 220,755km
Arrive Provo UT – 11:23pm – 221,045km

Today – CAD$6.46, US$140.10 – 11:25 hours – 1178km
Total – CAD$222.90 – 16:40 hours – 1712km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

Day 1: Edmonton to Cardston AB

2009-05-01T11:30:00.011-06:00

Sunday, April 26, 2008

My struggle with going on anything like this is figuring out what I need, and then packing what I need without packing a ton of extra stuff too. As I left, I made sure I had my passport, and I figure I can buy just about anything else. There are a few things that didn’t make it into the van:

shampoo and conditioner
a baseball hat
combination locks – this is really dumb because I bought them Saturday for this trip

The first day was mostly uneventful; I made it to Cardston like I’d hoped to and made good time. It’s kind of ridiculous, but when I left Edmonton, it was snowing, and it snowed off and on until I was about half an hour south of Calgary. Supper was at Peter’s Drive-in, of course.

The 'beautiful' road conditions as I left Edmonton

Peter's Drive-in in Calgary

The Alberta Temple in Cardston

Leave Edmonton – 3:25pm – 219,187 km
Arrive Calgary – 6:15pm – 219,483km
Leave Calgary (after supper $7.80) – 6:45pm
Claresholm (for gas $29.02) – 8:00pm – 219,617km
Arrive Cardston – 9:15pm – 219,721km

Today – CAD$36.82 – 5:15 hours – 534km
Total – CAD$36.82 – 5:15 hours – 534km

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

To Québec and Adventure!

2009-04-24T12:45:00.006-06:00

At this moment, my life is full of excitement, and the good kind too! Last week I finished up exams and am now done my degree, and I have a grand adventure lined up for the summer – a working exchange in Québec.

To graduate is a weird time in life, because it is a very definite mark between one chapter in life and the next. At times like this, I tend to turn reflective, and contemplative of the path that has brought me here. I had a free afternoon the other day and so decided to stop in on my old high school. It was fun to catch up to my old teachers, who, in contrast with many of my university professors, actually had the chance to get to know me, and so thus, years later, still remember me. Looking forward is weird – sometimes in the midst of school it’s hard to imagine it will ever end, but here I am! Now to plan the future, and the world really does seem to be my oyster. I have the summer mostly figured out, but from there, the options are endless.

Québec will be a blast. I’m driving out there, so I’ll have my car, and I plan to go adventuring – I figure everything within 4-6 hours is fair game for a weekend trip, which includes Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, and even Boston. It will also give me a chance keep up my French, and I think it will be fun to get out of town and see some Canadian history. Plus, it works much better to go to either Paris (rather expensive) or Tunsia (what can I do but be a tourist?), two of the other places I was considering going for a bit following graduation.

The drive out there will be an adventure in and of itself. I have two weeks, so I’m going to take the scenic route – via southern California and New York City. Thanks to the wonders of Google, below is a copy of my (tentative) route and some of the places I might visit if time and desire permit. If I can find internet, I’ll try and keep you updated here as I go along.

View Out to Quebec in a larger map

Well, I’m off to the adventure called life!

To Quebec and Adventure!
Travel Days: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13
Two Weeks In

AIG and the American Dream

2009-03-24T20:47:00.003-06:00

Over the last week, the newswire has been flooded with stories about AIG, first about the retention bonuses it had paid out, and then about the angry backlash. Much has been written about what caused AIG to get in this mess in the first place, and whether or not American taxpayers should be bailing out the company, and so I won’t rehash that, but why is everyone so mad all of a sudden? I think the answer lies in the American Dream.

America, as built by its immigrants, has always been as much an ideal as it has been a place. The American Dream, put simply, is that one could come to this land of opportunity and not hit a glass ceiling because of social standing; that if one was willing to work hard, no dream was too big. America was built on a solid work ethic! Contrast that with many places where life operated according to the “Golden Rule” – he who has the gold, makes the rules.

The AIG bailout has brought a lot of scrutiny to the firm and everyone connected to it. On some level, I think people are looking for a scapegoat – someone they can blame the whole mess on and be done with it. While a solve-all scapegoat has yet to be decided on, the interconnections between Wall Street firms have started to come to light and it seems everyone is out to scratch each other’s backs. Were the CEO’s really that clueless? Where were the company’s internal controls? Where were the regulators? How did they get away with this for almost 10 years? How does one company get to the point where it can bring down the American economy? But for all the other questions, I think the question that irks us the most is How did AIG figure it could make money out of nothing and make off like bandits? And why are everyday, hard working Americans footing the bills of these slackers as this party comes crashing down?!?

Hindsight is 20/20, and so chances are that the regulations placed upon the firms that rise up to replace AIG will be quite different from what AIG faced. The real challenge, however, will be for the lawmakers in Washington and elsewhere to convince the public that those who caused this mess have not been given a free ride, that the economy is better for bailing out AIG and the like, that the regulators and government have the will to regulate these companies and protect the taxpayers; in short, that the American dream lives on – that he that works hard will be rewarded for his efforts.

Valentine's Day Roadtrip

2009-02-17T13:48:00.003-07:00

The on-going adventures that are life....This week is Reading Week, which means no school (yeah!) for a week, which makes for a great opportunity to skip town for a little Rest and Relaxation and to make an attempt to catch up to both life and school. Our ultimate destination was the Canadian Rockies, but we had an overnight stop in Lethbridge (in southern Alberta) to pick up a friend (who happens to live in an all-girl arrangement). At first I figured I could just call up another friend and crash on a couch, but that didn’t pan out – a combination of not knowing as many people as I thought I did in town and several of those who I did know having decided to skip town for the weekend (crazy idea, I know...). Plan B, then, was buck up and drop the hundred bucks and get a motel room. Plan B, however, had one major miscalculation – this was the night of February 14th, and EVERYTHING in town was taken; we drove around for an hour and even the places we were told to avoid like the plague had pulled out their “No Vacancy” signs. In the end, we parked near where we needed to be in the morning, pulled out the long underwear and winter coats, and hunkered down in the van for the night, running it off and on to stay warm. So the moral of this adventure:

If it’s Valentine’s Day, get reservations!

Alone with Myself

2009-01-10T16:00:00.004-07:00

By nature, I am the type to keep a little to myself; I enjoy time out with friends and in public, but I too need moments from time to time to myself to re-energize and recollect. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate quiet moments with my thoughts, to contemplate the world around me and to better understand the world within.

The last few days have been different, for the time I have had alone has been spent not with thoughts, but my feelings. My thoughts and ideas will bend to reason but emotions offer no such simple explanation of prerogative and intent. While my thoughts have become such that I can pause and resume them with effort to allow me to concentrate on other concerns, my emotions seem to roll over me like the spring thundershowers - you feel the change in the winds and can anticipate the coming rain, but the timing is never certain and the wonders of the lightening show never ceases to amaze, and the best you can do is find someplace dry to wait it out.

Emotions and thoughts are two different parts of me - one that bends to reason and the other that does not. Perhaps, in time, I will better master my emotions, but for now, I watch the storm in its glory, and eagerly await the cool morning that follows with the clearness and renewal that always accompanies it.

Spring in Paris, or the Crazy Night

2009-01-02T11:47:00.008-07:00

A couple days ago we made a run to IKEA to get a little furniture to spruce up our place, and I came home with a painting to put on the wall (an unplanned purchase, but I like Paris, so why not?). The picture is called Printemps à Paris (Spring in Paris) and was taken by a lady from Alberta. I decided to make a video of us putting it up and it turned out hilarious!

The video was done in time lapse style, taking one frame every 5 seconds with a 1 second exposure, and then playing back at 1/8 sec per frame. I took almost 1900 frames, so this 4 minutes of video covers 3 hours of real time!

The West Still Wants In

2008-12-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years ago, a grassroots political movement with the slogan “The West wants in” suddenly appeared within the House of Commons. Sick of feeling that the politics of this country (Canada) were run by backroom deals among the ‘king-makers’ in Ontario and Quebec, often to the determent of Western Canada, the people formed a political party and sent them to Ottawa. But even winning 80% of the seats in Alberta and British Columbia wasn’t enough to grant the party Official Opposition status; no, that honour went to a party who’s raison d’être was best summed up by de Gaulle in 1967 when he proclaimed “Vive le Québec libre!” (Long live free Quebec!)

Fast forward to today and you’ll find both political parties still on the stage today – the Reform party has changed names and sought to include Canadians from across the country, was elected to seats in nine provinces this last election, and formed the government and the Bloc Québécois remains a force in la belle province, mission unchanged.

Yesterday I gathered with colleagues and we asked “What has changed in 15 years?” The Liberals, NDP, and Bloc had just signed a deal to form and support a coalition government and toss out the Conservative minority elected just six weeks previous. Is this democratic? Legal? Regardless, it doesn’t pass the smell test. And it seems that once again, the power deals are being made in backrooms among those from Ontario and Quebec, and the West wonders how it can influence the events unfolding half a continent away.

In case you wonder why Albertans would approach this proposed coalition with such concern, consider how the three parties approached the province during this last election: The Bloc ignored Alberta. Jack Layton, leader of the NDP, made a campaign stop Fort Smith, NWT to do a “fly-by smear” as the Calgary Herald put it, of the Alberta Oilsands, and proposed to shut down the whole area which directly generates 3.5% of the Canadian GDP. As for the Liberals, I was there at the University of Alberta when Stephan Dion spoke on the eve of the election call to a group that seemed to be an even mix of white-haired ivory tower types and curious students. I listened to him talk of the Green Shift, which seemed to be simply a tax on oil production to fund new social programs, or translated, taking money out of economic engine in Alberta and giving it to those out of work in Ontario and Quebec. When the other two “national” political parties seem to show up in Alberta only to take pot shots at it to win votes elsewhere, it’s no wonder Albertan voted 2.5:1 for the Conservatives.

Albertans want to be part of Canada, but they want to have a place at the table. Many Albertans feel like Confederation is a party they’re paying for but haven’t yet been invited to. While I’m old enough to remember the 1993 election, I’m too young to have been around for the National Energy Program (NEP), which came into effect in 1980, its memory hangs heavy in the air.

You look around, and while the United States and Europe have fallen into a recession, Canada’s economy stands to grow at 0.3% with Alberta leading the way, probably in the G-20, at 1.2%. Alberta has done much to improve its financial position of the last few years, including paying off its debt, and today the wisdom of this approach can be seen. The fear here is that “bailout” or “economic stimulus” money will not make it to Alberta, but will still burden us for a generation with debt. History tells us that the Liberals thought nothing of removing $80-100 billion from the Alberta economy through the NEP, which, with “Alberta’s lost decade”, is a nightmare sits in the back of the minds of many. What will be the price we pay this time around?

And so Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton, and friends, I ask you not to mortgage my future to pay for your political ambitions, and to treat Alberta with the respect it deserves; we’re getting tired of being taken for a ride. So, the ball is in your court, and all eyes are upon you. For now, the chant remains “The West wants in...”

My friend Kyle also posted his thoughts on the matter: Come Together Right Now Over Greed