Where Is Kyle Now?

Wild Wild West

Kyle Bolstad — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:02:12 +0000

I grew up in Montana, but spent the latter half of my life in the Chicago area. Apparently I had forgotten the vast rawness of the western part of the US. Seriously, other than the highway itself, it felt like man had never stepped foot into many of the scenic byways of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.

As I drove through the eastern side of Yellowstone in Wyoming, the steam from geysers melted the snow-covered timbers burned from a previous wildfire, boulders tumbled down the sheer granite cliffs, bison and elk grazed steps away. I spent several nights on public land, boondocking miles away from modern civilization. I went up and over so many rugged mountain passes, I felt like a sherpa. It was a climate-controlled, leather-bound, front-row seat to an unforgettable experience!

I just wish the weather would have cooperated. The last month has been some of the most nasty, most dreary, most unpleasant weather of the last year. Many of my photographs just didn’t capture the natural beauty of the West.

Avalon and Santa Catalina Island

Kyle Bolstad — Mon, 17 May 2010 04:55:12 +0000

So I meet a lot of interesting people on the road. Every so often, some of these people let me into their own lives. While waiting for some repairs in Long Beach, I met a couple who has lived full-time on Catalina Island for the past 20 years. They invited me on a personal tour of the island, and I quickly accepted.

Part of the Channel Islands, Santa Catalina Island (people just call it Catalina) is about 20 miles southwest of Los Angeles. I opted to take the hour-long ferry ride to get to the island, but one day I will fly to the Catalina Airport myself — one day. It was a pretty choppy day across the channel; in fact, the previous ferry was cancelled due to high winds. It was about as uncomfortable a boat ride as I would have preferred, but so well worth the ride!

The only incorporated city on the island is Avalon. Its streets overlooking the Pacific Ocean are full of touristy stores, restaurants, bars, and hotels. There are very, very few cars on the island; street legal golf carts are everywhere! The town just has a calm and serene vibe to it. There is also a Chicago connection to Avalon and the entire Catalina Island. The Wrigley family owned the island for many years, and the Chicago Cubs even used the island for spring training back in the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. The Catalina Island Conservancy now owns 88% of the island.

With the exception of the city of Avalon, a few remote houses, some farms, camps, and resorts — oh, and the Airport-in-the-Sky — Catalina Island looks like California looked like 200 years ago. I know California gets a bad rap sometimes, but let me tell you, California has some absolutely stunning scenery. And Catalina Island has some of the best scenery in all of California.

Anyone visiting the Los Angeles area absolutely, positively needs to visit Catalina Island! Thanks for the tour, Laurie!

Ding! You Are Now Free to Move About the Country

Kyle Bolstad — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:23:21 +0000

Anyone following my journey for the last year has probably noticed my lack of traveling the past few months. Well, that is about to change! The reason for my stationary status was due to one reason, and one reason alone: flying lessons. On my 35th birthday, I passed my check ride and officially became a licensed pilot. Legally it is a certificate and not a license, but I won’t get into semantics. Anyway, with my flying lessons complete, I will finally be leaving the San Diego area to explore the rest of the US and Canada. Before I get back on the road, I thought I would share my experience of learning to fly.

Airplanes and I go way back. In the 1970s, my dad and grandpa carved out an airstrip in our backyard in Montana. It is still very active: Ferndale Airfield (53U). As far back as I can remember, summer nights often included a quick flight around the Flathead Valley with my dad in our Cessna 150. I took a few lessons in high school, tried again while living in Chicago, took some more at a small airport in Indiana, and then decided to do this whole Airstream adventure. With the peace and solitude of Airstream living came the opportunity to really take flying lessons seriously. And as time had passed, aviation caught up with technology: finally, GPS was available in the cockpit; digital instruments were common; and fuel-efficient engines actually made the cost a little more reasonable.

I found a flight school just outside San Diego. Appropriately named San Diego Sport Flyers, it had the Sport Cruiser airplane I wanted to fly. I flew a couple dozen hours, studied night after night, and eventually summoned the courage to test my skills out in front of a Designated Pilot Examiner. This is my story.

The day began at 6:30 AM with a check of the weather and the realization that all my previous night’s calculations were a little off because the winds aloft had switched a complete 180 degrees in direction. Let me back up. The whole process has two parts: an oral knowledge exam, and a practical flying check ride in the air (if the previous knowledge exam goes well). The first part includes a mock flight plan to a pre-determined airport in the area. This flight plan is old school and literally includes getting out a ruler, plotting points, computing routes, headings, and distances — all with wind correction angles and variations with isogonic lines. Yeah, fun stuff, let me tell you! The whole point is to figure out how much fuel it takes to get from Point A to Point B. After all, there are no rest areas up in the air!

After I redid all my calculations, it was off to the flight school to meet with the examiner and hopefully go flying in a couple of hours. Little did I know those couple of hours turned into four hours. That’s right. Four hours. In a closed room. With no bathroom or food break. Talking about everything imaginable: from the scientific effects of density altitude to flash cards of airport markings. Those of you who know me, know that four hours without food is a feat in and of itself! With the knowledge portion over, it was now time to take to the skies.

The first beautiful Saturday in weeks, Gillespie Field Airport was overflowing with air traffic. We took off Runway 27R with a right downwind departure towards El Capitan Reservoir. The next hour and half was a blur of steep turns, power on stalls, power off stalls, emergency descents, turns around a point, slow flight; you name it. I managed to do all the maneuvers, so we flew over to Ramona Airport to practice various types of landings.

My most memorable part of the day was over at Ramona. After making a somewhat pathetic short field landing (trying to land within 200 feet of the numbers on the runway), my examiner made me go around and attempt the same thing again — but without power. On the downwind leg, I pulled the throttle and started the all-important glide towards the ground. I made the turns back to the airport, applied flaps, eased it down, and landed directly on the numbers with the two main wheels first — just as the doctor ordered. The examiner looked at me, punched my shoulder, and said it was an absolutely beautiful landing. I think they were my first, and only, words of encouragement all day! We flew back to Gillespie, made one last landing, and I got two thumbs up — apparently universal pilot examiner speak for “You passed!”

So, the next step is for me to graduate from a safe pilot to a good, safe pilot. I will be going to various airports around the country to practice my flying skills. In fact, the next stop I have planned is to a little town in northern Vermont to get my float plane rating. I am now free to move about the country, and I can’t wait!

America's Finest City

Kyle Bolstad — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 07:11:58 +0000

Dubbed “America’s Finest City,” San Diego has always been on my list of cities to visit. And since the rest of the country seems to be permanently frozen, now is a perfect time to stay warm in “America’s Finest City.”

San Diego (and the surrounding area) definitely has my attention. The geographic diversity and climate changes of the beaches, valleys, mountains, and desert are refreshing. So far, I have checked out downtown, Point Loma, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, Torrey Pines, East County, and Julian. And there is still more to see!

I really have enjoyed my time in the San Diego area. In fact, I like it so much, I plan to stay here at least another month!

Southern Comfort

Kyle Bolstad — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:35:35 +0000

So I left all my winter gear in storage somewhere in Chicago. That means I will spend the winter months in the warmth of California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. It also means very few blog updates for the next couple of months. In the meantime, be sure to follow me on Twitter!

Here are some of the sights on the “quick” westbound drive from the panhandle of Florida to the coast of California.

Mississippi/Louisiana Highlight: Leaving (to be fair, didn’t go to New Orleans — yet)
Texas Highlight: Salt Lick BBQ (yes, it is that good)
New Mexico Highlight: Carlsbad Caverns (never have I seen anything like it)
Arizona Highlight: Catalina Mountains (not bad for a desert)
Nevada Highlight: Wolf Creek Golf Club (jaw-dropping vistas)

My "Remember…" List

Kyle Bolstad — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:27:05 +0000

After ~~six months~~ one year of full-timing it in the Airstream, I have compiled quite a list of “less than stellar” moments. As you can see, I tend to do something at least once a month that makes me just shake my head in amazement.

2009
Apr 28 Remember to secure latch, so blender doesn’t fly out of pantry and shatter lamp
Apr 29 Remember that lighted cabinets will singe pillows if stuffed absolutely full
May 2 Remember to lock cargo container, so two backpacks don’t fly out on open road
May 2 Remember to empty gray water tank, so shower doesn’t back up with water
May 3 Remember that shower rod can’t hold bag full of heavy items
May 4Remember that dirty dishes left in enclosed space will eventually smell like death itself
May 20 Remember to crank up stabilizer before moving, so it doesn’t rip completely off
Jun 9 Remember the weight of the awning will snap the bar right off if it slips
Jun 27Remember to check hitch stabilizer, so it doesn’t fall off driving down the road
Jul 4 Remember to make an advance reservation for all popular holiday weekends
Aug 8Remember to remove sunglasses and concisely answer Customs agent to avoid detainment
Sept 10Remember to back up s-l-o-w-l-y and watch for cement walls that suddenly appear
Oct 31Remember to secure all liquid containers — say, red wine — before driving down the road
Nov 2Remember to make sure dump station isn’t clogged before attempting to dump black water

2010
Jun 14Remember to move satellite dish before backing up (and over said satellite dish)

Fall in Vermont

Kyle Bolstad — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:20:38 +0000

Do you like apples? Do you like apple cider? Do you like apple cider donuts? Do you like small towns? Do you like friendly people? Do you like small towns full of friendly people? Do you like rolling hills, mountains, and change in elevation? Do you like?… yeah, yeah, yeah, you get the point!

Vermont is an interesting state. It is the second least-populated state; it has the smallest capital city; and no other state has its largest city as small as Burlington (around 40,000 people). This small town atmosphere is refreshing. Vermonters are just some of the nicest people I have ever met.

I was lucky enough to see the fall foliage of the state with friends who came to visit from Chicago. We stayed near the shores of Lake Champlain at Apple Island Resort. We camped in the middle of the forest at Quechee State Park. We took a tour of the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury. (By the way, the number of cow puns on the tour is “udderly” ridiculous!) We hiked in the middle of the incredibly scenic Smugglers’ Notch. We spent a day in Vermont’s version of a metropolis – downtown Burlington. We stumbled upon a hidden gem of a restaurant in South Hero. (It’s called Blue Paddle Bistro. Go there. You won’t be disappointed.) We visited Woodstock, “the prettiest small town in America”. We found some culture at a museum, toured an expansive farm, and visited a working orchard – all in Shelburne. Did I mention we had apple cider donuts?

Of all the states I have visited, Vermont is definitely one of my favorites!

Staying Busy Out East

Kyle Bolstad — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:56:18 +0000

There seems to be a direct correlation between the frequency of blog updates and the number of friends I visit. The last three weeks have been a whirlwind tour of the Eastern Seaboard. With the exception of Maine and Delaware, I have now travelled through every single state east of the Mississippi. Actually, as of right now, I have knocked off 43 of the 50 states! Mississippi and Louisiana should crumble in defeat later this week, so the magic number will soon be down to five.

So what have I been doing for the last three weeks? Well, to name a few: I saw Bruce Springsteen play to a sold-out crowd at Giants Stadium; I valet parked the Airstream and stayed at a suite in Atlantic City; I caught up with friends near New York City and outside Boston; and I had weekend guests for the fall colors of New England.

The next three weeks should find me back to the peace and solitude of talking to myself as I slowly make my way back to the West coast. So, look for updates with higher frequency. In fact, I am working on photos and stories of the beautiful state of Vermont right now.

Factory Fresh

Kyle Bolstad — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:54:51 +0000

On my way from the West Coast to the East Coast, I stopped in Jackson Center, Ohio for a visit to the Airstream factory. What a cool place! I went to get some repair work done, but I have to admit, I also wanted to tour the assembly line and meet some of the people that made my traveling home. The people could not have been nicer; everyone from the front desk to the technicians doing the dirty work. It truly was a productive (albeit expensive) couple of days.

It all starts at 7AM sharp when a guy with a John Deere tractor picks up the Airstream at the Terra Port (a free campground for Airstreams needing service) and tows it in to the Service Center. Then, one of the technicians comes out to talk over the list – the list of stupid things I have done while on the road: oh, things like a bent step, a hole in the underbelly, a broken shower rod. And then there are the minor annoyances: a sticky dead bolt, missing rivets, a bad battery, a broken black water sensor. That’s what happens after 20,000 miles in five months! After two days, we were able to cross off all 12 items on my list.

With the Airstream in the back service area, I took one of the daily tours of the factory next door. Surprisingly, around 20 other people showed up for the tour, but only a handful were current owners. The others were simply curious. The tour was incredibly enlightening. Plus, I felt a connection whenever I saw other 23′ Internationals on the factory floor. The only problem – now I want to upgrade to a bigger, better, newer model! I got a few photos of the outside with my iPhone, but absolutely no cameras were allowed inside. Speaking of photos, the crew was very impressed with some of the upgrades in my Airstream. They brought in a few people to take photos of my custom-built desk. Who knows? Maybe a future production model will include my design ideas!

So, anyone who happens to be near I-70 and I-75 in Ohio, make a slight detour north to visit the Airstream factory. And, all Airstream owners, definitely take your Airstream here. I promise, it is well worth the drive. Hey, they even have a gift shop with all kinds of Airstream merchandise!

7AM Wake-up Call

Entrance to Service Center

Vintage Airstreams Out Front

Wally Byam's Gold Trailer

The Goonies, Gastronomy, Golf, and a Goose

Kyle Bolstad — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:53:50 +0000

I am writing this near the shores of the Pacific Ocean — in front of a campfire — at Harris Beach State Park, easily my favorite of all the campgrounds in Oregon. It is a fitting way to end my exploration of the great state of Oregon.

Oregon, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. First, one of the best movies of the ’80s, “The Goonies,” was filmed in Astoria and Cannon Beach. Who doesn’t love that movie? Second, fresh, local, incredible food is available from undiscovered vendors at farmers’ markets in downtown Portland. Pair it with a bottle of wine from any one of the hundreds of vineyards and wineries in Oregon, like Yamhill Valley Vineyards. So good! Third, the same temperate climate that makes great wine is the same temperate climate perfect for lush, green golf courses playable year-round. The best one I played was Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora. Finally, Howard Hughes’ famous airplane, the “Spruce Goose,” is at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville. I was so happy to stumble upon this museum — like “kid in a candy store” happy!

I know Oregon sometimes is associated with pot smoking hippies and a rainy climate, but there is also much, much more the state has to offer. (For the record, I didn’t see too many hippies, didn’t smoke any pot, and only felt a little rain.) Here is a sample of the photos I took as I followed Highway 101 from Astoria down to Brookings, with a side trip into the Portland area. OK, time to watch a copy of the “The Goonies” that I found on the internet!